Starlight Has No Past - Chapter 51 Part 2

Translated by Team DHH at http://dhh-workshop.blogspot.com.



Starlight Has No Past
Chapter 51 Part 2

Ye Qiao adjusted the microphone and spoke in a calm and steady voice: “Today, I’ve come back to my hometown Yang City to make a public apology for the mistakes I have made……”
One of the reporters interrupted her. “Ye Qiao! Does Zhao Mo’s suicide have anything to do with you? You’ve chosen this day to have your apology news conference, is it because you knew beforehand about Zhao Mo’s intent to shed light on your innocence?”
The whole room was in commotion about the question.

Some gave the intern reporter a sympathetic look. He was probably so excited that he interrupted Ye Qiao in the middle of her sentence and hadn’t done his homework, otherwise he should have known that the news conference was scheduled ten days ago.

Ye Qiao didn’t mind the interruption. She answered the reporter’s question: “I’ve been waiting for the passage of time to heal some of the pain. The clean pond has become filthy because dirty water has been dumped into it. But as long as there’s a clean water source, after a while, the pond will be clean again on its own. There’s no point arguing or trying to persuade others. Time will let the truth come up to the surface.”
She continued calmly: “I only knew about Ms. Zhao’s incident right before the beginning of this news conference. I’m deeply sorry about the things she’s encountered in her life. Her passing has sped up this process. I’m deeply grateful to her. She was willing to speak the truth for me in the last moments of her life.”

The audience quieted down. Ye Qiao flatly said: “My personal vendetta has hurt not only me, but also my family and those who’ve supported me. It’s also caused loss to my agency and businesses who had trusted me. This matter, no matter whether I’m innocent or not, has caused irrevocable damage. I intend to devote the rest of my time to charity work. I’m here to earnestly request your forgiveness and ask for your willingness to give me a chance to make it up to all of you.”

Finished, she stood up and bowed deeply to the audience: “I’m sorry.”
The audience remained silent.
The news conference should have ended there. But as Ye Qiao was stepping off stage, the host of the news conference, her agent, came up on stage and said: “Next, we’ll have Ye Qiao’s father, Xu Zang, come on stage to say a few words.”

The audience erupting into sound. Xu Zang came up on the stage. He didn’t need an introduction; his fame was great enough that every reporter present was excited-- --The popular actress was from an artist family and her father was the master painter Xu Zang! All the previous rumors about how Ye Qiao got to the position she held today by associating with rich people or using Gu Jin as a stepping stone had been easily dissipated. With such a family background, who would need to rely on any underhanded deals?

Facing the flashing cameras, Xu Zang stood at the same place where Ye Qiao had earlier. He put both of his hands together: “I’ve come on my own, please excuse my bluntness.”
He sat down and without any prepared notes, started to talk as if he was chatting with the audience: “Qiaoqiao is my daughter. She’s had health issues since she was young and has suffered a lot because of it. I’m very pleased that she’s achieved so much after she’s grown up. However, during the past half a year, there’s been much negative news about her. I can understand the misunderstanding that the media and the public have against her. The damages caused due to our family disputes are something both her and I don’t want to see. I am, therefore, here today to make an announcement.”
“I will be establishing a foundation under my name. I’ll auction off all of my paintings as of now and the proceeds from the auction will be donated to the foundation.”
“I wholeheartedly ask all of you to please give my daughter another chance to make it up to all of you.”

Ye Qiao was dumbfounded at the side of the stage and didn’t hear what anyone was saying afterwards.
That was her father. He didn’t know Zhao Mo’s incident would happen today to clear his daughter’s name. He had come to earn a chance for her daughter to get a new start. Ye Qiao was ashamed to face him. Though she’d rejected her father for the past ten years, she’d still shamed her father. Despite that, he still tried all he had to open a protective umbrella for her just because she was his daughter.

Zhou Tingsheng had come to stand next to her without her noticing. He used both of his hands to cup Ye Qiao’s face and used his thumbs to wipe off the tears on her face: “What are you crying for? Your father just got released from the hospital a few days ago. You haven’t gotten a chance to see him since you came out, aren’t you going up to talk to him?”
The sounds of chairs being dragged filled the room. The news conference had ended and everyone was leaving. Xu Zang was also heading backstage.

Translated by Team DHH at http://dhh-workshop.blogspot.com.