Chapter 65: Inappropriate Words

"Lulu, take it easy!" Lian Youyou called out, patting the door. "He didn't get any advantage over you, don't go overboard!" Tong Xing was a celebrity, after all, while Lulu was just a university lecturer. If Tong Xing ended up hiring the best lawyers to sue Lulu, how could she possibly defend herself?

But no matter how much Lian Youyou shouted, Lu Ming didn't stop.

After a while, the door opened just a crack, and Lu Ming stepped out, closing it elegantly behind him. His clothes were a little rumpled, but he stood tall and composed, his movements refined as if nothing unusual had happened inside.

Lian Youyou wanted to check on Tong Xing to see how badly he'd been beaten, but Lu Ming seemed unwilling to let her look.

"Lulu, I still have to film a whole morning of variety show with him tomorrow..."

"No broken bones, no missing limbs, it won't affect anything," Lu Ming replied, his eyes full of tenderness and concern as he gazed at her. He walked closer, drawing her into his arms, holding her tighter and tighter, his voice hoarse. "Youyou, stop being an entertainer. Let me take care of you and your grandparents, all right?"

This time, the variety show was being filmed in the neighboring city of Y, close enough that he could arrive in time. But what about next time, in another province, or even abroad? What if she was bullied again and he couldn't reach her?

Lian Youyou gently pushed him away. "Lulu, I'm really fine. This was just an accident. I promise you, it won't happen again."

"Is revenge really that important to you?" Lu Ming lowered his eyes to meet hers. "If all you want is revenge, I can do it for you."

"You're just a university lecturer—how could you do it?" Lian Youyou's voice was soft. "The forces behind Fan Chi are too powerful. How could you help me get revenge?"

But it wasn’t just Fan Chi and his Cloudmist Entertainment. Simply toppling Cloudmist itself wouldn't be hard. The challenge was the powerful figures behind it, the shareholders of Cloudmist, who were not to be underestimated.

And, her choice to become an actress again wasn’t solely for revenge. Part of it was her unfulfilled dream of an acting career. Winning the Arthur Award for Best Actress wasn't the end; there was still so much more she wished to achieve, greater breakthroughs she hoped to make on the path of acting.

Lu Ming didn't answer. His body seemed to stiffen.

Lian Youyou hurried to explain, "Lulu, don't misunderstand. I don't look down on your profession or anything. I didn't mean it that way!"

Yet, the more she tried to clarify, the deeper she seemed to dig herself in. Words once spoken are like water spilled; Lian Youyou realized that her careless phrasing must have already caused a misunderstanding in Lu Ming's heart.

"Let's go," Lu Ming said lightly, heading downstairs on his own.

"..." Was he angry?

Oh, she really hadn't thought before speaking. How could she say that Lulu was "just a teacher"? What was wrong with being a teacher? Teachers were such a noble profession.

Trailing after Lu Ming, Lian Youyou said, "Lulu, listen, all I meant was that, in the entertainment industry, you can't really help me much."

Pausing at the last step, Lu Ming turned to her and said, "Whatever you want to do, I'll help you—no matter what it is."

Lian Youyou’s heart gave a sudden, inexplicable pang.

Thinking it over, up until now, it seemed she had never really done anything for Lu Ming. She had only ever basked in his kindness.

After seeing Lu Ming off in the parking lot, Lian Youyou returned to her hotel room. Coco, who was applying a face mask, turned to her. "Youyou, what took you so long? Isn't it cold outside?"

Noticing the coat draped over Lian Youyou's shoulders, Coco eyed its length and guessed it wasn't Tong Xing's. With a mischievous grin, she teased, "Did the Little Prince come by?"

Ever since Lian Youyou had once used the nickname "Little Prince" for Lu Ming in front of Coco and Qiao Jing, Coco had privately taken to calling him that too.

"Looks like he stayed the night," Coco said.

"Hey, Youyou, have you heard the news? Tong Xing's contract with his current company is about to end, and he wants to jump ship to our company?"

Lian Youyou took off her coat. "I think I heard something about that."

Coco continued, "Don't be fooled by how well Tong Xing seems to be doing now. Actually, his company doesn't want to renew his contract. Pretty-boy types like him never stay popular for long. His commercial value has been squeezed dry, so they're looking to toss him aside."

No wonder Tong Xing had been so eager to curry favor with her and hinted at wanting to join Xin Cheng. So that was his reason.

"What does Richard think?" Lian Youyou asked.

"I doubt he'll go for it. You know how sharp President Li's eye is—he's not the type to sign someone just because they're good-looking, whether male or female."

Lian Youyou buried her face in Lu Ming’s coat, breathing in deeply. The scent was more intoxicating the longer she inhaled—fresh, elegant, and quietly mesmerizing, almost as if it had a soul-stealing magic.

She fetched a hanger from the wardrobe, carefully hung up Lu Ming's coat, smoothed it out, then closed the wardrobe, changed into pajamas, and got ready for bed.

...

The next morning, filming began with breakfast. After their makeup was done in their own rooms, the three teams of guests gathered at a long table in the restaurant for a buffet breakfast.

Of course, they couldn't just eat as they pleased; they had to display affection for the cameras.

After what happened the night before, Lian Youyou felt nothing but disgust at the sight of Tong Xing, so she kept her head down, ignoring him.

"Tong Xing, what's with your makeup today?" Zhu Shiqi asked. "Did you put it on too thick?"

No one had noticed before, but with Zhu Shiqi’s comment, everyone—guests and crew alike—turned their attention to Tong Xing’s face.

His foundation and powder were clearly much heavier than usual. For an evening gala or an awards ceremony, that might be expected. But for a male celebrity on a variety show, such heavy makeup looked unnatural.

The director, sharp-eyed, observed, "Tong Xing, it looks like you have some bruises around your eyes and on your face, don't you?"

Lian Youyou instinctively glanced at Tong Xing. Was it from Lu Ming beating him last night? Despite his usual aloof and gentle demeanor, Lu Ming could be fierce when he fought.

Tong Xing shot a quick look at Lian Youyou, then rapidly turned away. "I tripped and fell last night... It’s nothing, really."

Zhu Shiqi exclaimed sympathetically, "How could you be so careless? Are you badly hurt?"

"Ahem!" The director coughed, reminding Zhu Shiqi that her on-screen partner wasn’t Tong Xing.

The director assigned to follow Lian Youyou said, "Youyou, don’t just eat—interact more with Tong Xing."

Tong Xing glanced around, confirming that Lu Ming wasn't there today. Emboldened, he said, "Some people really put on airs—even on a variety show, they act so superior."

Lian Youyou wasn’t one to let herself be maligned. Her voice was cold: "Who are you talking about?"

Tong Xing mocked, "Just saying 'some people.' Didn't say you. Why are you so worked up?"

"Say that again!" Lian Youyou snapped. "Tong Xing, I'm warning you, don't go too far!"

Feigning innocence, Tong Xing replied, "Youyou, now that’s uncalled for. I was just talking, not even about you. Why so angry?"

Seeing the argument escalate, several cameramen quickly switched off their cameras, halting the shoot.

The chief director said to Lian Youyou, "Lian Youyou, apologize to Tong Xing right now!"

Lian Youyou bit her lower lip, saying nothing—neither apologizing nor defending herself. She couldn’t just walk out as she pleased; if word got out, she’d find it hard to survive in the entertainment industry.

Zhu Shiqi, always one for drama, chimed in, "Lian Youyou, it’s been said you and your company boss Richard are awfully close. Are you acting this way because you think with Richard backing you up, you don’t have to regard others at all?"

Coco tugged Lian Youyou aside and whispered, "Youyou, just apologize. We can’t afford to provoke Tong Xing right now."

Seeing Tong Xing so smug, Lian Youyou—never one to yield—was even less inclined to apologize. "No!"

Her assigned director came over, awkwardly whispering, "Youyou, I know you’re with... Mr. Lu, but you really were a bit harsh this morning. Just apologize, okay?"

Privately, the director wanted to say that if Lian Youyou could film, fine; if not, she should just leave. Who did this rookie actress think she was, throwing tantrums on set? But knowing her unusual connection to President Lu, he dared not voice his true thoughts.

"The one who should apologize is Tong Xing!" Lian Youyou retorted. "Tong Xing, do you dare tell everyone what you did last night..."

"And what did I do?" Tong Xing had been waiting for this. "Miss Lian, please, tell everyone—what did I do last night?"

"..." Lian Youyou was at a loss for words.

She couldn't possibly reveal, in front of everyone, that Tong Xing had attempted to force himself on her. With so many people and gossip running wild, even if she insisted he’d failed, no one would believe her. They’d all assume something unspeakable had happened between the two of them.

Tong Xing pressed in. "Well, Miss Lian? Go ahead."

Lian Youyou’s fingers slowly curled, her emotions simmering just beneath the surface.

"You—"

"Tong, something’s wrong!"

Tong Xing’s assistant, who had disappeared earlier, suddenly burst onto the scene, squeezing in front of him in a panic. "Tong, something’s happened—big trouble!"

"What happened?" Tong Xing, feeling guilty, lowered his voice.

Could it be that Lian Youyou had exposed what happened last night?

His assistant stammered, "Your charity's fraudulent donation scandal has been exposed! The other celebrities who donated are threatening to sue you for swindling their money!"