Zhou Jingming also noticed the weariness on her face. He lowered his eyes and curved his lips. "If I don't do something on our wedding night, I won't be able to answer to my mother."
As soon as the words fell, he lowered his handsome face and kissed her again.
Su Xi was wearing nothing, and she could clearly feel the man's body temperature, burning like a raging fire, ironing every inch of her skin.
She trembled in his arms.
She could not withstand such a passionate invasion.
Fortunately, the man did not go further. After tasting every part of her, he released her.
"I have something to deal with. Go to sleep first. No need to wait for me."
He pressed a heavy kiss on her lips, then withdrew from the bathroom with a low chuckle.
Not long after, the sound of the master bedroom door being gently closed came.
Su Xi let out a sigh of relief. He was finally gone.
She walked out of the bathroom to get her pajamas. Standing in front of the floor-length mirror, she looked at the marks all over her body and cursed Zhou Jingming a thousand and one times in her heart.
Was he born in the Year of the Dog?
Could he not bite so evenly!
She took out a slip nightgown and put it on, then lifted the blanket and lay down.
After that, she picked up her phone and called Fu Yu. "Help me investigate Zhou Jingming. I want to know all his whereabouts over the past five years."
The bastard's skills were off.
She had to find out everything about Zhou Jingming to avoid endless trouble.
Too many things had happened that day. She was truly exhausted, and before long she fell into a deep sleep.
In the early hours of the morning, the master bedroom door was gently pushed open.
A tall, slender figure intruded.
The man approached the bed and looked down at the sleeping woman for a long time before getting into bed and lying beside her, his large hand resting on her waist.
A kiss fell by her ear.
His voice in the deep night was hoarse and rough. "Qianye Gezhu, is it really you?"
The next morning.
When Su Xi woke up, there was no one beside her. She stretched and got up to wash up. As soon as she went downstairs, she ran into Shen Xian sitting on the sofa.
"Morning, Xi'er. Did you sleep well last night?"
Shen Xian's face was full of smiles.
She had woken up early, and not long ago she had seen Zhou Jingming come out of the master bedroom.
She had given birth to her son, so she knew his temper best.
In recent years, the number of times he had come home could be counted on one hand.
It was rare that he had not gone out last night.
It seemed that now that Xi'er had married into the family, this scoundrel was going to settle down.
Su Xi had slept dreamlessly until dawn, so of course she had slept well.
"Very comfortable. Thank you, Aunt Shen."
After breakfast, Su Xi drove to the company.
She parked the car and had just stepped into the company entrance when Sister Hua rushed over immediately. "Su Xi, this is bad. I heard Su Rou joined your drama, and she's playing your maid."
The news had spread early that morning. The sisters had become partners, and the whole company was watching the joke.
"I guessed that long ago." Su Xi looked relaxed.
Su Rou was a restless troublemaker. Snatching her things had long become a habit over the years.
This time she had taken on a drama as the female lead. How could Su Rou be willing to accept that?
Seeing her so calm, Hua Qing grew even more anxious. "The fire is already burning your eyebrows. Aren't you nervous at all?"
Su Xi asked in return, "Should I be nervous?"
Hua Qing was speechless.
It was the classic case of the eunuch being more anxious than the emperor. She was worried to death, yet Su Xi still looked like she was keeping herself aloof from the matter.
Hua Qing rubbed her forehead helplessly. "Ancestor, can you have a little sense of urgency? Now that Su Rou has joined the crew, it's bad for you."
"What's there to fear from a little maid?" Su Xi sat on the sofa, crossed her legs, and drank her coffee.
Just as she parked the car, she overheard a few colleagues discussing the matter.
"The original role was suddenly replaced. The official word is that the newcomer's acting wasn't up to par, so they recast."
Was it really about acting?
Or was it a role Su Rou schemed to get?
Su Xi was certain it was the latter.
Not that she cared. In the entertainment industry, what mattered was acting skill. As a top-tier A-lister, Su Rou willingly accepting a supporting role had an obvious purpose.
Trying to outshine her?
Overestimating herself!
"Miss Su, as a top-tier A-lister, why would you willingly take on a supporting role?"
Suddenly, a commotion erupted from outside.
Su Xi turned around. A van pulled up at the company entrance, and Su Rou stepped out wearing sunglasses.
A crowd of reporters swarmed around her.
Facing the cameras, Su Rou put on her innocent, pure image. "I believe a qualified actress shouldn't rank roles into hierarchies. Even a supporting role can shine as long as we give it our all."
"Miss Su is so open-minded, respecting every role—truly commendable!" The reporters frantically clicked their shutters, recording every word Su Rou said.
"I heard the lead in this production is Su Xi. Aren't you afraid your sister will steal your spotlight, Miss Su?"
Su Rou smiled gently. "How could that be? Xi'er hasn't been acting for long. This is a perfect chance for her to hone her skills. As her older sister, it's only right that I lend her a hand."
Hah.
Lend her a hand?
What noble sentiments!
Su Xi found it utterly laughable.
The reporters latched onto that point, thrusting their microphones toward Su Rou. "So Miss Su took this role to help Su Xi! You're truly beautiful inside and out—no wonder you're so famous!"
The moment Su Rou's interview went public, it shot straight to the top of the trending list.
The comment section was flooded.
Su Rou's fanbase was clamoring for Su Rou to play the lead instead.
Even worse, black fans stormed Su Xi's Weibo, telling her to stay in the B-list where she belonged and stop trying to ride on others' coattails—it was embarrassing.
Old, buried news was dug up again, and the trending topic about Su Xi seducing a playboy climbed into the top three alongside it.
Netizens cursed Su Xi as shameless while praising Su Rou's integrity.
The two sisters' situations stood in stark contrast.
Su Xi was once again caught in a media storm.
Hua Qing saw the news and screamed in fury. "These blind, brainless fans—can't they see Su Rou is deliberately spreading rumors?"
Su Xi was long past being surprised.
This tactic of elevating herself was Su Rou's signature move.
Which storm hadn't been stirred up by Su Rou?
Pretending to care for her in public while fanning the flames behind her back.
This time, taking a supporting role had boosted her moral image, successfully whitewashed her past scandals, and dealt Su Xi another blow.
Su Rou's mastery of public opinion was getting sharper.
"What do you think would happen if Su Rou's acting outshone mine?" Su Xi couldn't be bothered to scroll through the comments—they were all insults anyway. What was there to see?
Hua Qing saw her calm demeanor and shot back, "Then you can kiss your acting career goodbye. Listen to the fans—just stay hidden in the B-list."
"And if my acting surpasses Su Rou's, what then?" Su Xi seemed to be talking to herself, leaning back on the sofa, fingers resting on her chin in deep thought.
Hua Qing said, "If a top actress's acting can't match a B-list nobody, she might as well quit."
"Well said!"
Su Xi suddenly stood up from the sofa, curling her lips into a cold smile. "Then let her get out of the entertainment industry."
Hua Qing reached out to feel her forehead. "Are you running a fever?"
Su Xi brushed her hand away. "Sis, have a little confidence in yourself."
It wasn't that Hua Qing looked down on her own people—it was just that this was Su Xi's first time acting in a drama, while Su Rou had been in the industry for years, with a solid foundation and a widely recognized 'outstanding' acting ability.
For Su Xi to steal the spotlight… that would be tough!
"How about we switch roles?" Hua Qing advised tactfully.
Su Xi was brimming with confidence. "No switch."
"If you lose too embarrassingly and can't make it in the industry afterward… forget it, after work today, I'll go secure a spot under the overpass first."
"…"
Hua Qing paced back and forth anxiously on the spot.
Su Xi might be a third-rate celebrity now, but she could still scrape by with the occasional ad gig.
If her acting got completely outshined, Su Xi would never be able to turn her career around in this lifetime.
Seeing her like this, Su Xi shook her head helplessly. "Don't worry, I won't lose, and I can't possibly lose. Just wait to feast and live large with Sister Xi—collecting money every day until your hands go numb. Sister Xi's got you covered."
"I might as well go lie down and daydream." Hua Qing wore a gloomy face. "The scandalous rumors are flying everywhere right now. How are we going to handle that?"
Su Xi had already picked up her bag to leave, turning back to wink at her. "You're my manager—what do you think?"
Hua Qing's head was throbbing.
Everyone knew the attitudes of those two big shots during the day were just polite formalities. Anyone who actually believed them would be a fool.
Going to them was less reliable than relying on themselves.
Suddenly, a face flashed through Hua Qing's mind, and her eyes lit up. "Go find your husband!"
Su Xi tossed her long hair, a hint of a charming smile flickering in her eyes, and disappeared through the doorway in a few steps.