“Bitch, who the hell do you think you are? Shut your mouth!”
Fu Jinshen had been exposed.
His anger surged in an instant, and he swung his fist straight at Su Yuqing’s head.
A nurse down the corridor saw what was happening from a distance and cried out in alarm—
but it was already too late.
She squeezed her eyes shut, imagining Su Yuqing’s head bursting open, blood spraying everywhere.
But—
the next second,
a man’s piercing scream split the air and reached her ears.
The nurse opened her eyes and saw Fu Jinshen clutching his eyes, rolling on the ground in agony.
The girl in the wheelchair remained perfectly calm, the corners of her mouth still curved in a smile. Her peach-blossom eyes drifted down toward the ground, sweeping over the man’s repeated screams. His eyes, red and streaming with tears, were now swollen like a pig’s, and even his mouth and tongue were bright red. He looked like he had sausage lips.
Su Yuqing put the pepper spray back behind her, dusted off her hands with unhurried ease, and said, “Blind and foul-mouthed—you needed a little disinfecting.”
She tilted her head and sniffed the begonias beside her, then said with a slight curve to her lips, “The air’s much fresher now.”
Fu Jinshen, tears streaming down his face, cursed indistinctly, “You, Su #￥*…….”
Su Yuqing was in an excellent mood. Propping her chin on her right hand, she said with amusement, “I’m right here, right here. Straighten your tongue out before you talk.”
“…….*%@”
Just then, the nurse hurried over and patted her chest, looking at Su Yuqing with concern.
“Miss Su, are you all right?”
She had seen the whole frightening scene. The man on the ground looked pitiful, but if Miss Su hadn’t pulled out the pepper spray at the crucial moment, Su Yuqing would be the one lying there, blood splattered everywhere.
“I’m fine.”
Su Yuqing winked at her, not the least bit shaken.
“Bitch @￥*……”
The incoherent noise rose from the ground again.
Su Yuqing sighed and took out her phone.
In the end, she filed a complaint against Fu Jinshen, citing his excessive shouting as the reason.
Fu Jinshen was carried away by four security guards.
*
Two days later,
Huo Peiyan returned to Jing City from Manchester.
On the way back to the villa, he received a call from Ruan Qingqing. Her voice was sweet and delicate.
“Brother Peiyan, are you free in the next few days? I have a contract signing with Yinci Media tomorrow. I’d like you to come with me. Would you?”
Huo Peiyan’s gaze darkened, but he said nothing.
Ruan Qingqing sounded a little aggrieved. “Brother Peiyan, I know you’ve been exhausted from your business trip these past few days. I didn’t want to trouble you. It’s my fault—I was wrong. Please don’t be mad, okay? I was just worried that, having only just returned to the country, I might get pushed around by the client.”
“Have Assistant Zhang go with you.”
“But, Brother Peiyan…”
“All right. Do as I say.”
Huo Peiyan hung up.
“Go with Qingqing tomorrow to sign the contract.”
“Yes.”
Assistant Zhang, who was driving, promptly acknowledged the order.
Out of the corner of his eye, he stole a quick glance at Huo Peiyan. His expression was as cool and distinguished as ever, giving nothing away.
What had just happened?
Young Master Huo had actually turned Miss Ruan down?
Assistant Zhang was surprised.
Everyone in Jing City knew that Su Yuqing was Huo Peiyan’s devoted pursuer, while Ruan Qingqing was his white moonlight.
Huo Peiyan had never once said no to Ruan Qingqing.
What was going on today?
Could it be because of Su Yuqing?
Assistant Zhang pondered it privately, then abruptly shook his head, trying to fling the ridiculous thought away.
Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
When he raised his head, he suddenly noticed Huo Peiyan watching him from the back seat.
His gaze was icy, more terrifying than a block of ice.
Assistant Zhang’s back went rigid. He gripped the steering wheel with both hands and fixed his eyes straight ahead.
A moment later,
“Has Su Yuqing tried to contact you?”
Huo Peiyan’s voice came from behind him, cold and thin.
In the past, whenever the two of them argued and Huo Peiyan refused to answer Su Yuqing’s calls, she would call Assistant Zhang and ask him to put in a good word for her. She would pester him relentlessly and had no shame about it.
“N-no,” Assistant Zhang stammered.
He clearly felt the temperature in the car drop sharply.
He didn’t dare turn around to look at Huo Peiyan’s expression. He only heard him scoff coldly.
“Hmph. She’s gotten bold—turned into a feral cat.”
“Contact her today and tell her to hurry back. I’m busy; I don’t have time to play along with her act.”
“Yes.”
Assistant Zhang could feel the temperature inside the car drop several more degrees.
That Su Yuqing—she was always making the boss angry.
Assistant Zhang cursed her silently, but on the outside he was as meek as a quail, not daring to say a word.
*
After Ruan Qingqing hung up, the smile on her face faded at once.
Angrily, she threw her phone onto the sofa, then stood and paced around the room, gritting her teeth.
“That bitch Su Yuqing must be behind this. She actually stopped Brother Peiyan from coming with me! Who does she think she is? A country bumpkin who follows him around like a lovesick puppy—what does she have to compete with me?”
Auntie Lin gave her a meaningful look and tried to soothe her. “Qingqing, don’t get worked up. Be careful—walls have ears.”
Auntie Lin was Ruan Qingqing’s maternal aunt, and now her manager and assistant.
She had followed Ruan Qingqing to Hollywood for three years, but they hadn’t made much of a name for themselves.
Who would have thought that as soon as they returned to the country, Huo Peiyan would make such a public show of his affection—appearing at her events and even giving her the rights to have a star named after her.
In Jing City’s elite circles, everyone watched Huo Peiyan’s expression.
Over the past few days, businesspeople coming to discuss partnerships and production crews had nearly trampled the threshold.
There were who knew how many jealous, envious eyes watching from outside. They had to be especially careful about everything they did.
Ruan Qingqing’s anger gradually subsided.
She picked up her phone and swiped the screen a few times without purpose.
Then she looked up, indignation in her eyes.
“Auntie Lin, you heard him just now. Brother Peiyan actually turned me down. If it weren’t for that bitch Su Yuqing, how could he treat me like this?”
“You need to keep your composure. Maybe President Huo really is busy. If he knew you were acting like this, what would he think of you?”
Ruan Qingqing lowered her head slightly. “Auntie Lin, I’m not like this in front of him.”
“I know.” Auntie Lin smiled and sat down beside her. “No one can shake your place in Huo Peiyan’s heart. As long as we keep that secret, it doesn’t matter whom he marries—no one will be a threat to you.”
“But I want to marry him.”
Ruan Qingqing’s voice grew softer and softer.
“Don’t indulge in unrealistic fantasies,” Auntie Lin said sternly. “As long as his heart stays with you, be careful you don’t get burned playing with fire.”
Ruan Qingqing shivered, her gaze vacant. “I understand.”
“Relax.” Auntie Lin stroked her hair, her eyes gradually turning fierce. “Ten Su Yuqings couldn’t threaten you. And I won’t let anyone threaten your position.”
“If anyone does, then…”
As she spoke, Auntie Lin drew a finger across her own throat.
Ruan Qingqing looked frightened.
She reached up and grabbed the hand at her throat.
“Just listen to me, all right?”
Auntie Lin clasped her hand in return and patted it in her palm.
*
“Ah-choo!”
Su Yuqing, who was lying in her hospital bed and spearing apple pieces with a toothpick, suddenly sneezed.
“Which bastard’s cursing me?”
She muttered under her breath.
Just then, the nurse came in and checked her wound.
“Flu is going around badly this spring. Get plenty of rest, and try not to wander around the corridors. Your wound is healing very well. You’ll be able to leave the hospital in just a few days.”
“That’s great.”
A shadow of gloom flickered through Su Yuqing’s heart.
She’d already had more than enough of the hospital. Every day was unbearably boring, and there wasn’t even anyone to talk to.
She missed fried chicken, cola, durian, hamburgers, honey-glazed chicken wings, sweet-and-sour pork, crispy fish, pizza—waaah!
She was practically drooling with craving.
“I promise I’ll behave and turn over a new leaf, so I can get out as soon as possible.”
The nurse burst out laughing.
This young woman was like a completely different person from when she’d first arrived at the hospital.
For the first two days, she hadn’t spoken or eaten. She’d seemed as though every ounce of spirit and soul had been drained from her—
a walking corpse,
a beautiful porcelain doll with no life in her.
The nurse didn’t know what the girl had been through,
but she knew it must have been a trial harder to endure than life and death.
She was glad the girl had made it through.
The nurse watched the girl leaning against the bed, enjoying her apple, and suddenly remembered something.