At 8 p.m., at Yunxing Grand Hotel.
He Yuan didn’t bring a driver, so Lin Yue drove.
Since Yunxing was a hotel developed under Hengxing Group, He Yuan had the highest level of access, whether for parking or accommodation.
Not wanting to attract attention, he took Lin Yue through the VIP passage.
Su Ying’s room was on the top floor. When they arrived at the door, He Yuan signaled Lin Yue to knock.
She had only knocked twice when the door opened slightly from the inside.
Su Ying paused for a moment. When she saw He Yuan, she fully opened the door.
The moment Lin Yue saw Su Ying, her expression turned starstruck. The female celebrity was incredibly refined—despite being alone in the hotel, she still wore exquisite makeup. Her entire appearance carried a powerful aura. Su Ying was beautiful, with a classic fox-like charm—seductive with a hint of wildness, her temperament truly outstanding.
“Who is this?” Su Ying glanced at Lin Yue and asked.
“My secretary.”
Lin Yue quickly greeted her, “Hello, Ms. Su.”
Su Ying smiled. “Hello.”
Then she looked at He Yuan teasingly. “Your secretary is quite pretty—she’s no less than those female celebrities.”
Lin Yue replied modestly, “You’re too kind, Ms. Su.”
He Yuan sat down in the living room and glanced at the messy surroundings, a trace of disdain on his face.
“You’re staying here alone? Why not go home?”
In front of someone familiar, Su Ying dropped any pretense of elegance and slumped onto the sofa like she had no bones. “You clearly haven’t been following the news. Zhong Mu and I were photographed together. I don’t want to deny the relationship, but paparazzi have been stalking me out every day. I’m guessing Yuelan Yunting is already overrun.”
“You were photographed? Where’s Zhong Mu?”
Su Ying gave a bitter smile. “If I knew, I wouldn’t have come to you. I can’t even reach him. Help me, will you?”
If Zhong Mu were standing in front of He Yuan right now, He Yuan couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t lose his temper.
Back then, Zhong Mu had been the one to flirt with Su Ying and pursue her. But not long after winning her over, he became distracted. Every time they argued, he ran away. And now, no one knew where he had disappeared to.
He Yuan sighed helplessly, looking at Su Ying with frustration.
“Can’t you choose someone else to like? Aren’t you tired? You should know what kind of person Zhong Mu is by now.”
Su Ying tightened her grip on the pillow. “He’s still young. Besides, he just doesn’t want to get married. He doesn’t flirt with others or cross any moral lines. He just loves freedom. And I’m sure he likes me too. I’ve loved him for so many years—how could I just let go?”
“He’s three years younger than you, but he’s almost thirty,” He Yuan said. “Calling it ‘loving freedom’ sounds nice. Put bluntly, it’s avoidance. He has no sense of responsibility. If you marry him, you’ll be the one who suffers.”
“I know.” Su Ying lowered her gaze to the pattern on the pillow, hiding the disappointment and grievance in her eyes.
He Yuan cursed under his breath. “I’ll look into it for you. No matter what country he’s in, I’ll bring him back. But Su Ying, you need to have a proper talk with him.”
Only then did Su Ying smile. “Okay, I understand.”
After chatting a bit more, just as He Yuan was about to leave, Su Ying’s phone started ringing nonstop—it was her manager.
“Hello, Sister Fan.”
“Su ying, the hotel you’re staying at is surrounded by paparazzi. You’re alone, right?”
Su Ying froze and instinctively glanced at He Yuan. “No, President He from Hengxing is here too. Sister Fan, what should I do? He must not be photographed.”
“They’re already heading up. Leave your room immediately and split up.”
“Got it.”
Su Ying hung up and said urgently, “Quick, leave now. The paparazzi are coming up. You two go first—if they block the door, none of us will get out.”
He Yuan stood up. “Don’t split up. Take the VIP passage straight to the underground parking garage.”
“Then hurry!”
He Yuan grabbed Lin Yue’s wrist, letting her and Su Ying walk ahead while he stayed behind. Just as they left the room and entered the VIP passage, the paparazzi rushed up, along with hotel security.
Paparazzi were everywhere—Su Ying understood that well. Even if she went to Mars, they would still find a way to follow her.
Not to mention a hotel, a place open to the public. With a little disguise, anyone could get in.
Besides, everyone knew—it was better to offend petty people than the media. Their pens could make you or break you. In this era, many people would stop at nothing for profit.
The three of them entered the elevator, and Su Ying visibly relaxed—but then—
She suddenly looked at He Yuan. “There might be people waiting in the underground garage too. What do we do?”
He Yuan glanced at both Su Ying and Lin Yue. “Give your hat and coat to Lin Yue. Then switch shoes with each other.”
Before leaving, Su Ying had grabbed her hat and coat from the entry cabinet.
She hesitated, looking at Lin Yue. “Will this work? I don’t want to drag you into this.”
“It’s fine,” He Yuan said. “I’ll protect her. When we get there, we’ll go out first. You find your chance.”
Lin Yue nodded. “Ms. Su, I’m okay.”
Only then did Su Ying hand over her coat and hat to Lin Yue, and the two of them swapped shoes.
They were about the same height, but after putting on Su Ying’s sky-high heels, Lin Yue nearly lost her balance. He Yuan steadied her from the side.
Although she sometimes wore heels to work, they were usually low and comfortable—or even flats. She had never worn such high heels before and felt like she didn’t even know how to walk anymore.
Su Ying looked Lin Yue up and down, then suddenly said to He Yuan, “Turn around.”
He Yuan cooperated immediately—but the elevator had mirrored walls.
Su Ying crouched down and tucked the hem of Lin Yue’s knee-length skirt inside, instantly turning her elegant pencil skirt into a tight mini skirt. Then she added two long, thin hairpins from her own hair.
“Isn’t that a bit too short?” He Yuan suddenly spoke.
Su Ying stood up and shot him a sideways glance. “Were you peeking?”
“Sorry,” He Yuan cleared his throat. “The mirror reflected it.”
Su Ying scoffed. “Men.”
He Yuan: “…”
He really hadn’t meant to.
Lin Yue suddenly felt her face heat up. She awkwardly tugged at the hem of her skirt, also feeling it was a bit too short.
As the elevator was about to reach the underground garage, He Yuan suddenly took off Lin Yue’s hat. Then he adjusted her hair, moving the strands that were tucked behind her ears to frame both sides of her face. Finally, he put the hat back on and pressed it down slightly.
Su Ying leaned against the elevator wall with her arms crossed, watching the scene unfold. She was no longer worried about her situation.
So this guy, He Yuan… it turned out he liked his secretary.