Those who knew Xia Xiaolan understood that she wasn’t someone who tolerated mistreatment.

Taking a loss was fine!

Being generous with business partners—that kind of loss wasn’t a loss at all.

Being petty could only save small amounts; it wouldn’t lead to big achievements. If those following you couldn’t prosper, who would truly work for you? Some benefits were meant to be given up—such “losses” didn’t bother Xia Xiaolan at all.

But being wronged was different.

Ning Xue understood Xia Xiaolan well—when had she ever accepted being wronged? She confronted whoever needed confronting, never holding back. No matter how arrogant Ji Ya was when she tried to compete with Xia Xiaolan in business, Xia Xiaolan didn’t even need to act personally. Luna was managed by partners, yet they still managed to squeeze out Ji Ya’s Elegance. After Elegance was seized by the bank, Xia Xiaolan even planned to buy it.

Ji Ya was now recuperating at Hong Kong’s Green Hill Hospital, which Ning Xue felt was already a very good outcome for her.

If she hadn’t been diagnosed as mentally ill, that bet with Xia Xiaolan would have been executed—kneeling and apologizing on Chang’an Street would have been an extreme punishment for Ji Ya!

So how could Xia Xiaolan willingly accept being wronged in the lawsuit with Lisa?

As a half-stakeholder, Ning Xue naturally understood the cause—Xia Xiaolan had originally qualified for AIA’s “Rising Star Architect” award this year before Mond Dawson interfered.

Ning Xue felt no schadenfreude; she was equally angry!

A Pritzker Architecture Prize winner with such a narrow mind—how could such a person design such impressive works? Talent had nothing to do with personal character.

Xia Xiaolan’s misfortune came from rising too quickly.

Mond hadn’t targeted her because she was still at Cornell University, not yet truly entering New York’s architectural circle.

But being so petty, after dealing with Xia Xiaolan, how could he let Ning Xue go?

Ning Xue was fearless, but she didn’t understand Xia Xiaolan’s response. Letting newspapers write whatever they wanted wasn’t like her. Xia Xiaolan should be strong, making her enemies howl in pain, not staying silent!

Jonathan also put down the newspaper, “According to American judicial procedures, there’s only one reason for postponing a trial—new evidence. Since Xia’s lawyer actively requested the delay, I think it must be advantageous for her. These reporters are truly despicable. A person’s appearance isn’t something they can choose, and professional achievements don’t require any less effort just because someone looks good!”

What nonsense.

Could someone get into Cornell’s School of Architecture purely based on looks?

This wasn’t some performing arts academy.

After Xia Xiaolan received an A+ from McCarthy, Jonathan knew how formidable her professional skills were. Or rather, the “Electronic Plaza” that Xia Xiaolan created with Daisy and others at the C·W Design Competition had already proven her capabilities.

Now these newspapers were denying Xia Xiaolan’s professional achievements, connecting her success to romantic scandals.

Saying she won because the C·W Design Competition sponsor wanted to pursue her—wasn’t this an insult not just to Xia Xiaolan, but to all participating students, the judges, and Cornell’s School of Architecture!

Jonathan wouldn’t admit to being defeated by someone who was just a pretty face.

“She shouldn’t just sue Lisa; she should sue Mond Dawson too. I’m willing to be a witness.”

Of course, his testimony might not become part of an effective chain of evidence, but doing something was better than doing nothing.

Being too angry, Jonathan didn’t care what his ex-girlfriend Heidi would think anymore.

Mond targeted Xia Xiaolan this time; next time it would be Ning Xue. Having someone with such a poor character wielding such influence in the architectural field made Jonathan sick.

“I hope you’re right. We should do something. Jonathan, let’s go to New York together?”

Wasn’t the trial postponed until the 8th?

Although it wasn’t a weekend, Ning Xue had to go to New York.

What for?

Thinking about those celebrity trials with supporters holding placards outside the courthouse, given Lisa’s popularity after the TV interview and the media coverage these past few days, Ning Xue felt there would be many supporters for Lisa at the courthouse on trial day… But what about Xia Xiaolan? She was being severely criticized now—who would support her?

Ning Xue decided to step up and organize.

She would ask who in the School of Architecture was willing to go.

Or perhaps she should ask the Chinese students in New York.

…

“What kind of ridiculous reporting is this?”

Tina threw aside the frustrating newspaper.

How could a copyright lawsuit attract so much attention? Honestly, Tina couldn’t quite understand it.

Even Hollywood celebrities had to regularly drop bombshells to attract media attention—male stars constantly changing girlfriends, female stars repeatedly marrying and divorcing, someone being exposed for drug use, and so on. Maintaining media attention was so difficult.

Xia Xiaolan and Lisa’s lawsuit had entered a puzzling cycle that Tina couldn’t comprehend.

Everything seemed to spiral out of control after Lisa appeared on the TV interview program.

It felt like someone was manipulating public opinion behind the scenes.

Could it be Aunt Cynthia?

Tina didn’t want to think that way.

However after Cynthia returned to America, she accompanied Lisa on the interview program. Tina wasn’t blind or deaf to this fact.

Although Cynthia didn’t explicitly say on the program that Xia Xiaolan had stolen the work, her words were very pointed… The art of upper-class speaking—while Tina wasn’t an expert at it, she had learned some. After all, she used to be the daughter of a Los Angeles city council member.

Aunt Cynthia’s actions didn’t match what she had promised at the South Sea Hotel.

This made Tina very uncomfortable.

She certainly knew Aunt Cynthia disliked Xia Xiaolan—couldn’t she have just directly said she wouldn’t help Xia Xiaolan, instead of speaking vaguely and misleading her?

Wait, why was she having such emotions about Xia Xiaolan’s situation?

Tina felt she was poisoned, perhaps learning those so-called rules at ‘Grandmother’s’ side had changed her thinking patterns.

This was crazy.

She should be annoyed with Xia Xiaolan now—usually appearing so clever, yet unable to handle even Lisa, actually postponing the trial date, forcing her to stay in America for extra days!

Just as Tina had this thought, the apartment doorbell rang.

Looking through the door camera, she saw it was Cynthia.

Her heart leaped wanting to open the door, then hesitated—they shouldn’t meet privately now, right? One was a witness for the plaintiff, the other for the defendant.

Tina didn’t know what she was thinking, actually not opening the door immediately.

She hesitated too long, and Cynthia, thinking she wasn’t home, stood at the door for a while before leaving.

Tina breathed a sigh of relief.

It was better not to meet right now; she didn’t know how to face her anyway.

But she didn’t know that after leaving the apartment, Cynthia was furious and called old Ivan:

“I asked the building manager downstairs—Tina was home but didn’t open the door for me. This has never happened before. We’ve given her so much, yet it still can’t overcome blood ties? I see she’s becoming dissatisfied with me now; we need to execute our plan quickly.”