8 PM, Stellar Hotel.
He Yuan hadn’t brought a driver, so Lin Yue was the one driving.
Stellar Hotel was developed by the Stellar Group, so He Yuan had top-level privileges for both parking and accommodation.
Not wanting to draw attention, He Yuan directly took Lin Yue through the VIP entrance.
Su Ying’s room was on the top floor. When they reached it, He Yuan gestured for Lin Yue to knock.
After just two knocks, the door was cracked open from inside.
Su Ying was momentarily stunned, only fully opening the door when she saw He Yuan.
The moment Lin Yue saw Su Ying, she instantly became starry-eyed. The actress was so exquisite—even alone in a hotel, she wore flawless makeup, and her outfit radiated an incredibly powerful aura. Su Ying was beautiful with a typical fox-like appearance, charming yet carrying a hint of wildness, her temperament truly top-tier.
“Who’s this?” Su Ying glanced at Lin Yue and asked.
“My secretary.”
Lin Yue quickly greeted, “Hello, Teacher Su.”
Su Ying smiled and said, “Hello.”
Then she looked at He Yuan and teased, “Your secretary is quite beautiful, not inferior to any actress.”
Lin Yue modestly replied, “Teacher Su, you’re too kind.”
He Yuan went to sit in the living room, glanced at the messy surroundings, and showed a hint of disdain.
“You’re staying here alone? Why not go home?In front of someone familiar, Su Ying shed all pretense of dignity. She collapsed onto the sofa like a boneless creature. “Clearly, you haven’t seen the news. Zhong Mu and I were photographed. I don’t want to deny the relationship, and those paparazzi are staking me out every day. I suspect Yuelan Cloud Residence is already overrun.”
“Photographed? What about Zhong Mu?”
Su Ying smiled bitterly, “If I knew, I wouldn’t be asking for your help. I can’t even get through to his phone. Please help me out.”
If Zhong Mu were standing in front of He Yuan right now, He Yuan couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t lose his temper.
It was Zhong Mu who had insisted on pursuing Su Ying in the first place. After winning her over, he soon became distracted. Every time they argued, he’d run away, and now he’d disappeared again who-knows-where.
He Yuan sighed helplessly, looking at Su Ying with frustration.
“Can’t you like someone else? Isn’t it exhausting? You should have figured out what kind of person Zhong Mu is over these years.”
Su Ying tightened her grip on the cushion. “He’s still young. Besides, he just doesn’t want to get married. He doesn’t flirt with others or commit any deal-breaking mistakes—he just values his freedom. I’m sure he loves me. And after liking him for so many years, how could I easily let go?”
He Yuan: “He’s three years younger than you, but he’s almost thirty. Putting it nicely, he loves freedom; putting it bluntly, he’s evasive and irresponsible. If you marry him, you’ll be the one who suffers.”
“I understand.”Su Ying lowered her gaze to the cushion’s pattern, her disappointment and grievance hidden from view.”
He Yuan cursed under his breath, “I’ll look into it for you. No matter which country he’s in, I’ll drag him back. But Su Ying, you really need to have a proper talk with him.”
Only then did Su Ying smile. “Yes, I know.”
He Yuan and Su Ying chatted a bit more. Before leaving, Su Ying’s phone rang frantically—it was her agent.
“Hello, Fan Jie.”
“Yingying, the hotel you’re staying at is surrounded by paparazzi. You’re alone right now, aren’t you?”
Su Ying was momentarily stunned, instinctively glancing at He Yuan. “No, President He from Stellar is also here. Fan Jie, what should I do now? President He absolutely cannot be photographed.”
“The paparazzi are already heading up. Get out of the room quickly and leave separately.”
“Okay.”
Su Ying hung up and urged anxiously, “Quick, leave immediately. The paparazzi are coming up. You two go first, or they’ll block the door and none of us will get out.”
He Yuan stood up and said, “Don’t separate. Take the VIP passage directly to the underground parking garage.”
“Then hurry!” Su Ying pressed.
He Yuan grabbed Lin Yue’s wrist, positioning her and Su Ying to walk ahead while he guarded the rear. Almost as soon as they exited the room and entered the VIP passage, the paparazzi swarmed in, followed by hotel security.
Paparazzi were relentless—Su Ying knew this well. Even if she fled to Mars, they’d follow.
A hotel open for business was even more vulnerable. With minimal disguise, anyone could slip in.
And everyone knew: better offend a petty person than a journalist. Their pens could give life or deal death. In this era, many would stop at nothing for profit.
The three entered the elevator, and Su Ying visibly relaxed—but then she suddenly looked at He Yuan. “What if there are people waiting in the underground garage too?”
He Yuan glanced at Su Ying, then at Lin Yue. “Give Lin Yue your hat and jacket, then swap shoes.”
Before leaving, Su Ying had habitually grabbed a hat and jacket from the entryway cabinet.
Hesitating, Su Ying looked at Lin Yue. “Will this work? I don’t want to drag you into this.”
He Yuan reassured, “It’s fine. I’ll protect her. Once we arrive, we’ll go out first. You wait for the right moment.”
Lin Yue nodded too. “Teacher Su, I’ll be okay.”
Only then did Su Ying hand over her jacket and hat to Lin Yue, and the two swapped shoes.
Su Ying and Lin Yue were about the same height, but when Lin Yue put on Su Ying’s sky-high heels, she nearly lost her balance. He Yuan steadied her.
Though Lin Yue had worn heels to work before, they were comfortable low heels or flats. She’d never worn sky-high heels and felt she could barely walk.
Su Ying looked Lin Yue up and down, then suddenly told He Yuan, “Turn around.”
He Yuan complied, but the elevator mirrors reflected everything.
Su Ying crouched to roll up the hem of Lin Yue’s knee-length skirt, transforming the elegant pencil skirt into a tight miniskirt. Then she pinned two slender hair clips from her own hair onto it.
“Isn’t it a bit short?” He Yuan remarked suddenly.
Su Ying stood and shot him a sidelong glance. “Peeking, are you?”
“My apologies,” He Yuan cleared his throat. “The mirrors reflected it.”
Su Ying scoffed, “Men.”
He Yuan: “…”
He really hadn’t meant to.
Lin Yue instantly felt her cheeks burn. She tugged awkwardly at the skirt—it did feel too short.
Just before the elevator reached the underground garage, He Yuan suddenly removed Lin Yue’s hat, smoothed her hair—pulling all the strands from behind her ears to frame her cheeks—then repositioned the hat and pressed it lower.
Su Ying crossed her arms and leaned against the elevator wall, watching the drama unfold, no longer anxious about her current predicament.
So this bastard He Yuan had a thing for his secretary.