N-A-A Chapter 1248 Ningguang's Heart Attacked by Anger
Chapter 1248 Ningguang's Heart Attacked by Anger
Charlotte shook her head; in her eyes, these trivial honorifics were unimportant.
"Honorifics are secondary. I don't care about your current status. What I really want to do is interview you! You are the most direct witness to the Liyue coup. Only your account can reveal the most truthful situation!"
In her view, the change in identity will not affect Ningguang's value as a "witness to the truth" in the slightest; on the contrary, it will better reflect the complexity of the events.
Seeing Charlotte's unwavering determination, Ningguang's smile faded. She composed herself and politely declined, her tone sincere:
“I’m sorry, Miss Charlotte, I… I really don’t want to be in the public eye anymore. The Liyue incident is over, and I just want to live a quiet life in Nata. Please forgive me for not being able to accept your interview.”
As she spoke, she tried to walk around Charlotte toward the kitchen, but Charlotte took another step and firmly blocked her way.
Seeing that gentle persuasion was ineffective, Charlotte took a deep breath and had no choice but to resort to reverse psychology.
"I beg you! Lady Ningguang, even if not for yourself, you must seek the truth! Do you want to spend your whole life bearing the stigma of 'extravagant and oppressive people,' suffering injustice and humiliation?"
"If you're willing to be interviewed, I can reveal the truth to the public!"
Ningguang scoffed at the words "reveal the truth," then looked calmly at Charlotte and asked in return:
"Does the truth really matter? Even if you write down the so-called truth and publish it in the Steambird News, what can it change? Everything I've lost will not come back, and the situation in Liyue will not be reversed because of it."
Having witnessed the collapse of power and the betrayal of her confidants, she had long seen through the powerlessness of the so-called "truth".
Faced with a predetermined outcome, the truth is sometimes nothing more than an excuse for self-comfort.
Charlotte was momentarily taken aback by Ningguang's question, but quickly regained her composure. She closed her notebook and spoke frankly:
“I know my interview won’t put you back in your position on Tianquan Star in Liyue. But… even just to be true to my conscience, I should make these things public!”
"As a journalist, I cannot stand by and watch the truth be buried. Even if I cannot change the outcome, I must at least let everyone know that the former Tianquan Star of Liyue was not as despicable as the official narrative portrays it!"
Her words were like a pebble, gently landing on Ningguang's seemingly stagnant heart, creating ripples.
Ningguang looked into Charlotte's sincere eyes, remained silent for a moment, then tightened her grip on the vegetable basket slightly, and her expression gradually became complicated.
She thought she had long since become numb to things like "truth" and "reputation," but Charlotte's words stirred a slight unease in her long-dormant emotions.
Ningguang was somewhat touched by Charlotte's sincerity, but she had spent the whole morning doing housework and still hadn't finished!
"But I still have housework to do. I wasted a lot of time going out to sell things this morning, and if I don't clean up soon, I'm afraid I won't be able to make lunch."
For her, being a "domestic helper" was her job, and even if she wavered, she couldn't let go of the unfinished work.
Shao Yun, who had been watching the two's dilemma, snatched the basket full of vegetables from Ningguang's hands, waved it towards the kitchen, and, as if to give Charlotte face, said to Ningguang:
"Ahem, housework isn't urgent. I'll give you an hour to rest. Talk to Charlotte first, and you can start cooking in an hour."
When Charlotte saw that Shao Yun had spoken up for her, she immediately smiled happily and nudged Shao Yun's arm with her elbow.
"Thanks, Mr. Shao Yun! You really understand me. I'll treat you to dinner later!" she said, winking at Ning Guang with anticipation in her eyes, as if an opportunity had come.
Since Shao Yun had spoken, Ningguang naturally dared not disobey.
She nodded slightly and said to Charlotte, "Well... okay, but we can only talk for an hour. I need to prepare lunch."
After saying that, he turned and walked towards the basement.
Her room was in the basement, quiet and secluded, quite suitable for conversation.
Charlotte quickly followed, her face full of excitement; the door to the truth had been opened to her!
Shao Yun carried a vegetable basket into the kitchen and sorted the fresh lettuce and tomatoes into the refrigerator.
As for the potatoes, they were temporarily placed in a basket and stored at room temperature away from light.
After doing all this, he felt some grass clippings and dust from the ranch on his body, so he turned around and went back to his and Ying's bedroom on the second floor, where he took a comfortable shower in their private bathroom.
After taking a shower, Shao Yun, wearing a loose white bathrobe and drying her wet hair, went to the kitchen, intending to open a bottle of low-alcohol fruit wine from the refrigerator to soothe her throat.
But as soon as he opened the refrigerator door, he heard hurried footsteps.
Charlotte burst out of the basement like a whirlwind, shouting in a panic, "Mr. Shao Yun! Something terrible has happened! Ningguang has fainted!"
When Shao Yun heard that Ning Guang had fainted, he was completely stunned. What was going on?!
"What? How could someone suddenly faint? What were you talking about?"
……
A few minutes earlier, in Ningguang's bedroom in the basement of the ranch.
During the interview, Ningguang explained to Charlotte the causes and consequences of the Liyue coup, from the beginning of the transformation of Liyue from a Liyue ruled by immortals to a Liyue ruled by men, to the chaos of the tug-of-war, how she gradually rose to the pinnacle of power in Liyue, and how she was ultimately betrayed by Keqing, whom she had long regarded as a companion, ally, and whom she had protected for so long.
Ningguang also spoke without reservation about how she tried to seduce Shao Yun, who possessed absolute martial prowess.
Charlotte was shocked that Ningguang, the powerful Tianquan Star of Liyue, would also flirt with men.
The plot was more fantastical than any third-rate tabloid she had ever read before.
But her years of experience as a journalist allowed her to quickly calm down and accurately record every word Ningguang said, even those slightly private details.
After Ningguang finished recounting her rollercoaster-like life experiences, a brief silence fell over the bedroom.
After recounting her rollercoaster-like life experiences, Ningguang began to think about her three secretaries.
"Speaking of which, I've been a little worried about my three secretaries lately: Baiwen, Baishi, and Baixiao."
"They have followed me for many years and have been loyal to me. I wonder if Keqing will make things difficult for them after she takes power."
In her heart, the three secretaries, still in Liyue and whose fate was unknown, became her greatest concern.
Upon hearing "three secretaries," Charlotte, who was still immersed in shock, was instantly jolted awake, and blurted out without thinking:
"Ah? Lady Ningguang, you didn't know?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them. Ningguang was clearly unaware of the secretaries' fate, and this news was far too cruel for her.
Ningguang keenly noticed the unusual tone in her voice, leaned forward slightly, and asked thoughtfully:
"What happened? What's wrong with them?"
Charlotte's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly covered her mouth, shaking her head vigorously as if nothing had happened.
"It's nothing! It's nothing! Forget I said anything..." Her cheeks flushed red, and her eyes darted nervously away from Ningguang's gaze.
But her attempt to cover it up only made it clear that something was wrong!
……
In the end, Ningguang only used a small trick during the negotiations to make Charlotte let the cat out of the bag.
As a result, when Ningguang heard Charlotte say that all three of her secretaries were dead, her mentality instantly exploded!
The next second, she sprang from the bed, lunging at Charlotte like a wild beast, grabbing her shoulders tightly with both hands, her expression terrifyingly ferocious, and screaming:
"What did you say?! What's wrong with Baiwen, Baishi, and Baixiao?! Explain yourself clearly!"
Charlotte was terrified by Ningguang's devilish appearance, which resembled something crawling out of hell. Her body trembled uncontrollably, and she stammered incoherently:
"Dead...dead...they're all dead..."
"Dead?" Ningguang seemed to have all her strength drained away, or perhaps she had been injected with a frenzied energy.
She abruptly released Charlotte's shoulders and instead gripped her neck tightly, her voice becoming shrill and piercing.
"How did they die! Tell me how they died! Why did Keqing kill them?!"
Charlotte's face turned purple from being choked, her eyes rolled back, and she desperately clung to Ningguang's wrists with both hands, managing to squeeze out a few words.
"I...I can't breathe...I'm cold...Calm down!"
Seeing Charlotte on the verge of suffocation, Ningguang abruptly released her grip, staggered back two steps, and began frantically grabbing at her hair and face, her mind going completely mad.
"No, no, this is impossible... I have heard everything, I know everything, I understand everything!"
"Ke Qing, you've already ruined my reputation and harmed me, why do you have to deal with those three too! Why are you so cruel!"
Her voice went from muttering to heart-wrenching cries, and then from cries to desperate sobs.
Calm and rational, he completely collapsed the moment he learned of the deaths of his three secretaries.
She felt as if a stone was pressing on her chest, making it hard to breathe. Her vision began to darken, and she seemed to hear the voices of her three secretaries reporting to her.
"Lady Ningguang, today's financial statements are ready."
"My lord, Baiwen has discovered some information about the movements of the Fools."
"My lord, please rest assured, what do you think of the outfit that Baishi prepared for you?"
Those familiar voices echoed in her mind, intertwining with Charlotte's words, "They're all dead," tearing at Ningguang's spirit.
Finally, she couldn't catch her breath, her vision went black, and her body fell straight backward, crashing heavily to the ground, where she completely lost consciousness.