IJLHTW - 60

Because Chen Ning had an urgent meeting, she quickly left after escorting Huo Ci out of the studio. Bai Yu accompanied Huo Ci to the parking lot and couldn’t help but complain about her revealing the audition incident.

Huo Ci went to the restroom temporarily. Just as she reached the entrance, she heard someone on the phone inside: “I don’t care. You can’t break up with Yongxin Sister. Do you know my boyfriend has been giving me a hard time lately? The Lu family originally promised to finance him, but now that you’ve done this, what am I supposed to do?”

The familiar voice—it seemed fate had brought them together again.

But it wasn’t surprising since Shen Qian worked at the TV station. Coming here for a recording was bound to result in running into her.

Just as Huo Ci was about to leave, the person inside suddenly rushed out.

Shen Qian saw her standing there, her slightly red eyes instantly turning fierce, immediately going into combat mode. “What are you doing here? Who gave you permission to eavesdrop? How dare you—just like your mother…”

She didn’t finish her sentence before Huo Ci stepped forward, grabbed her clothes, and pushed her back into the restroom.

She kept pushing until Shen Qian was against the edge of the sink before stopping, a cold smile on her face. “Shen Qian, you’d better watch your words. My mother is still an elder. If you dare disrespect her even a little, do you think I won’t dare hit you?”

Huo Ci wasn’t someone to mess with. Anyone who dared bully those close to her would regret it for life.

Shen Qian didn’t expect her to be so tough. Her originally fierce demeanor was immediately subdued by three parts. Since Liu Ruhuan married Shen Fangtang, Shen Qian had gone to the UK with Shen Sui’an to study. She disliked Liu Ruhuan, and even after returning to China these past two years, she always stayed outside.

When she saw Liu Ruhuan, she glared coldly. Since Liu Ruhuan probably didn’t argue with her, she became even more brazen.

Seeing Huo Ci again, she assumed she was still the same person and spoke without thinking.

After being scared by Huo Ci, she gasped and said, “You dare?”

Huo Ci sneered, looking her over and said eerily, “Why don’t you try now?”

After she finished speaking, Shen Qian didn’t dare try. She was truly upset and angry inside, wishing to curse Huo Ci to death, but she was also afraid that Huo Ci might actually hit her.

There were always people like this—fierce with words, but when it came to real action, they backed off.

Shen Qian thought Huo Ci would at least feel guilty upon seeing her, but Huo Ci didn’t show any guilt. She had nothing to feel guilty about.

“Don’t think that just because my mom married your dad, we owe you anything. She doesn’t owe you, and neither do I,” Huo Ci said, having already let go of her, but Shen Qian remained motionless against the sink.

It seemed she was truly intimidated.

Until Shen Qian raised her head and angrily said, “Huo Ci, don’t think I didn’t see it. That day, my brother dragged you away by the hand, didn’t he?”

Seeing Huo Ci remain silent, a look of triumph flashed across Shen Qian’s face, as if she had caught Huo Ci’s weakness. With a smug expression, she mockingly said, “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. You only want to seduce my brother because he’s back. He won’t like you, so give up.”

Huo Ci sneered at her, saying with a sardonic smile, “Didn’t you just say that Shen Sui’an has already broken up with his girlfriend? What, did your Yongxin Sister turn her back on him?”

Shen Qian didn’t expect her to have been standing at the door and heard everything, and she immediately became furious.

She blurted out, “My brother was just temporarily confused. Do you really think he’ll be with you again?”

Looking at her like that, Huo Ci sneered and reminded her, “Shen Sui’an and I are impossible, so you can rest assured about that. I just despise how you force your own brother for the sake of outsiders.”

Huo Ci knew how selfish Shen Qian was. They were classmates, and because Shen Qian’s biological mother passed away early, her older brother, Shen Sui’an, spoiled her excessively. In high school, while other classmates were still using Nike and Adidas, she was already flaunting various international luxury brands.

It seemed that over the years, not only had she not improved, but she had become even worse.

For the sake of her boyfriend, she treated her own brother like this.

Huo Ci didn’t want to get involved in the affairs of the Shen siblings. After all, one was willing to fight, and the other was willing to endure.

However, if Shen Qian blamed her for Shen Sui’an’s breakup and disrespected Liu Ruhuan as a result, Huo Ci wouldn’t mind teaching her a lesson on behalf of the Shen family father and son.

There was no point arguing further, and she rarely wasted words with Shen Qian. Her final warning was, “Your brother’s matter is his own choice. If you dare to take it out on others, go ahead and try.”

After she turned and left, Shen Qian was so angry that her chest heaved.

For so many years, every time she faced Huo Ci, she had never gained the upper hand.

In high school, they didn’t get along, but every time Huo Ci managed to gain the teachers’ protection. Later, even her brother defended her. Shen Qian always thought she was trying to steal Shen Sui’an. She never expected that later, her mother would also snatch away her father.

Every time she saw Huo Ci’s name in the news, Shen Qian felt disgust deep down.

Looking at that cold and exquisite face, she wanted to tear it apart.

Yet, despite her inner hatred, she still envied her.

When Bai Yu saw her return with a bad expression, he asked what happened, but Huo Ci didn’t say anything. Only when they got downstairs did she call Liu Ruhuan.

Liu Ruhuan probably didn’t expect her to call suddenly, and her tone was cheerful when answering, “Xiaoci, what’s wrong? Is there something you need from Mom?”

Hearing her tone, Huo Ci realized she hadn’t been affected by Shen Qian.

“Have Shen Sui’an and Shen Qian been coming home often recently?” Huo Ci asked.

Liu Ruhuan was surprised she suddenly asked about the Shen siblings and said strangely, “Why are you asking about them all of a sudden?”

Since learning that Huo Ci was with Yi Zhecheng, Liu Ruhuan finally put her worries to rest.

After all, she knew Huo Ci hadn’t dated for so many years not because she was waiting for Shen Sui’an. It was simply that she hadn’t met anyone who made her heart flutter.

Yi Zhecheng as a future son-in-law was truly unmatched. Originally, she thought Shen Sui’an was good, and Shen Qian’s boyfriend seemed fine too. But after meeting Yi Zhecheng, she realized what true excellence was.

Moreover, his family background, personality, and appearance were all top-notch.

Liu Ruhuan hoped they would settle down soon. If they got married one day, it would bring her peace of mind.

But she didn’t dare ask too much, fearing Huo Ci would get impatient.

“I just wanted to remind you to be careful with Shen Qian. If she acts up at home, call me,” Huo Ci said, worried she might suffer.

After making the call, Bai Yu, who was driving, asked, “What happened? Did that woman from the Shen family cause trouble again?”

Bai Yu knew about Huo Ci’s family matters.

“Who knows,” she said indifferently and turned to look out the car window.

As it turned out, Huo Ci was right.

Shen Qian couldn’t find Shen Sui’an for several days. When she went to his house to confront him, she learned he hadn’t been home recently. Going to the hospital, he was either in surgery or seeing patients. Moreover, she had her own matters to attend to and couldn’t monitor him 24/7.

So, she specifically instructed Mrs. Liu at home to call her if her brother returned.

When she hurriedly drove back, Shen Sui’an was about to leave. Seeing her push the door open, Shen Fangtang was quite pleased since Shen Qian rarely came home.

“I’m leaving now,” Shen Sui’an bid farewell to the two elders and prepared to leave.

Seeing him really avoiding her, Shen Qian’s anger flared up. Remembering her encounter with Huo Ci today, she wanted to clear things up once and for all. Blocking Shen Sui’an’s way, she refused to let him leave: “Brother, why did you break up with Yongxin Sister?”

As soon as she finished speaking, both Shen Fangtang and Liu Ruhuan froze.

Seeing Shen Qian’s demeanor, they thought it was just a sibling disagreement. They didn’t expect this to be the reason.

Shen Fangtang immediately asked, “Sui’an, what’s going on? Why did you break up with Yongxin?”

Shen Sui’an glanced indifferently at Shen Qian and turned to Shen Fangtang, saying, “Dad, sorry, I should have told you earlier. Yongxin and I have already broken up.”

“Brother, how could you do this? You two were about to get engaged. This is irresponsible,” Shen Qian screamed.

Shen Fangtang didn’t expect Shen Qian to be so agitated, but he didn’t believe Shen Sui’an would act rashly. Sternly addressing Shen Qian, he said, “Shen Qian, how dare you talk to your brother like that?”

“Sui’an, although love is between the two of you, deciding to get engaged shows you seriously considered your relationship. I don’t want you to end things lightly. After all, you’re a man and should understand how to appropriately tolerate your partner.”

Shen Fangtang spoke earnestly. He personally liked Lu Yongxin, who had visited their home several times.

After all, she came from a good family, graduated from the same university as Shen Sui’an, shared common interests, and their family backgrounds matched. Though the concept of social status might seem outdated, it was important in marriage.

He always felt he owed his children and naturally hoped they would have smooth lives.

Shen Sui’an looked at him and sincerely expressed, “Dad, I’ve thought this through. Yongxin and I aren’t compatible. Marrying her would truly hold her back.”

Shen Fangtang respected his wishes. Seeing his calm expression, it didn’t seem like a hasty decision. He nodded and said, “If this is what you believe, Dad respects your decision. Whether breaking up or staying together, resolve issues peacefully.”

Shen Qian didn’t expect her father to be so understanding and immediately shouted, “Dad, how can you agree? Brother can’t break up with Yongxin Sister.”

Seeing her agitation, Shen Fangtang assumed she opposed the breakup because she liked Lu Yongxin. “This is your brother’s matter. If he insists, how can forced affection ever be sweet?”

“Dad, trust me this once. Brother can’t break up with Yongxin Sister. With her excellent background, where else will he find someone like her?” Shen Qian was frantic.

Hearing this, Shen Fangtang’s expression cooled. So her strong opposition was because of Lu Yongxin’s family background.

The Lu family was powerful in Hong Kong, living in a mansion on the hillside.

But Shen Fangtang’s level wasn’t low, so how could he be so shallow as to force his son to be with her just because of her family?

He asked, “Is this your own idea, or did Miss Lu ask you to be her advocate?”

Not even calling her Yongxin anymore, the cold term “Miss Lu” clearly indicated his stance.

Seeing their father-daughter argument escalate, Liu Ruhuan quickly pulled Shen Fangtang and advised, “Don’t be in a hurry. Shen Qian is just concerned about her brother.”

“Don’t play the good guy here. Don’t think I don’t know what you’re scheming. My brother won’t be with Huo Ci. Get rid of this dirty thought,” Shen Qian vented all her anger onto Liu Ruhuan.

Liu Ruhuan was so angry her face turned pale. Shen Qian usually glared at her coldly. As an elder, she didn’t take offense.

But now, spreading rumors about Huo Ci, Liu Ruhuan didn’t want to indulge her bad habits anymore and immediately said, “Shen Qian, you must be mistaken. Xiaoci already has a boyfriend. Both your father and brother know. Their relationship is stable, and they’ll get married soon. I know you’re worried about Sui’an’s breakup as his sister. But no matter how worried, you shouldn’t speak recklessly or slander others.”

Not only Liu Ruhuan was angry, even Shen Fangtang couldn’t help but scold her, “Look at yourself. Huo Ci already has a boyfriend. Your brother broke up because he and Miss Lu couldn’t continue. Why are you interfering?”

Shen Sui’an looked at Shen Qian’s aggrieved expression and felt truly disappointed.

He asked, “Did Zhou Shu pressure you again?”

Shen Fangtang’s expression grew colder, and he immediately asked, “What exactly is going on?”

“Previously, the Lu family financed Zhou Shu’s company. Now that I’ve broken up with Lu Yongxin, the financing can’t be fulfilled. This is why Shen Qian opposes my breakup,” Zhou Shu was Shen Qian’s boyfriend, and they had been together since their time in the UK.

Shen Sui’an was disappointed in her because, for the sake of her boyfriend, she completely disregarded her brother’s feelings.

He had already explained to her why he broke up with Lu Yongxin, yet Shen Qian still tried to persuade him.

Shen Fangtang was truly angry and scolded Shen Qian, “Ridiculous. Zhou Shu, as a man, can’t even handle his own business and relies on you. How dare you demand your brother? Shen Qian, you’ve gone too far.”

He was usually gentle with his children, but this time his anger was genuine.

Even Shen Qian didn’t dare speak and softly cried.

“Sui’an, go home first. I’ll call Zhou Shu to see how much financing he needs,” Shen Fangtang’s face was grim, scaring Shen Qian into quickly raising her head to beg.

While the Shen family was in turmoil, Huo Ci was unusually at home watching a movie with Yi Zhecheng.

Neither wanted to go to the cinema, but fortunately, they had a home theater.

She casually selected a film. For relaxation, she avoided overly heavy or artistic ones. By the time she chose an action-packed popcorn movie, Yi Zhecheng had prepared fruit and brought it over.

Since they started living together, Huo Ci hired a maid to handle household chores.

However, when they were home, they let the maid leave early.

Yi Zhecheng wasn’t someone who didn’t lift a finger. Sometimes he cooked for Huo Ci, and his skills were quite good. Huo Ci’s favorite was the shredded meat noodles he made.

While watching the movie, Huo Ci casually mentioned a few things. Seeing her keen understanding of the film’s cinematography, Yi Zhecheng asked with interest, “Are you interested in making movies?”

“No,” she replied quickly but paused and added, “Being a director is a great challenge. I just feel my current abilities aren’t enough to tackle such work.”

In fact, she occasionally shot advertisements and even filmed short promotional films for advertisers.

But short films were at most ten minutes long, compared to a minimum of 90 minutes for a theatrical release. She always had clear goals and wasn’t eager to tackle high-difficulty tasks too soon.

Perhaps in the future, she would expand her professional field, but at least not now.

She needed more沉淀 (settlement), more accumulation.

Seeing her serious face when discussing work, Yi Zhecheng smiled, leaned down to kiss her forehead, and softly said, “Don’t worry. Whatever you choose, I’ll support you.”

“What if I want to reach the stars?” Yi Zhecheng recalled the joke about wanting the stars.

Yi Zhecheng chuckled softly and earnestly said, “Then I’ll accompany you to the stars.”

Because of a shoot on Friday, she arrived at the studio early in the morning and didn’t finish until after eight in the evening. While they were still packing up inside, she stepped out for some fresh air after shooting for so long and unexpectedly ran into Shen Sui’an.

“How did you end up here?” Huo Ci frowned at him.

Seeing her, Shen Sui’an immediately relaxed and said, “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“What could possibly happen to me?” Huo Ci said coldly.

Shen Sui’an thought for a moment and said, “Someone called me, saying you were in trouble here and asked me to check on you.”

The original message said she was injured, which was why he rushed over in such a hurry.

Huo Ci found it amusing, “Who would be so bored as to tell you such nonsense?”

After saying that, she casually peeled a candy for herself. Seeing him still staring at her, she indifferently said, “I’m fine. Thank you for your concern.”

Shen Sui’an nodded, hesitated for a while, and finally said, “Xiaoci, take care of yourself.”

He wasn’t a man of few words, but facing Huo Ci, he ended up with only this sentence.

After Shen Sui’an left, Huo Ci thought more and more that something felt off. But when she looked back, she thought maybe she was being overly paranoid.

Unexpectedly, less than two days later, something really happened.

Since Huo Ci didn’t have work Monday morning and only needed to go to the studio in the afternoon, Bai Yu’s call came around ten o’clock.

“Huo Ci, hurry and go online,” his voice was a mix of anger and urgency.

Still half-asleep, Huo Ci hummed and asked, “What happened?”

“Stop sleeping. Something happened. The internet is exploding. At ten o’clock, someone posted a set of photos on Weibo, claiming you’re the other woman.”

She woke up.

Instantly sitting up, after rubbing her hair, she grabbed the tablet beside her and opened Weibo. Her name was already the number one trending topic, followed by a purple “explosion” symbol.

The search volume had already exceeded two million. Great, it was indeed explosive.

Clicking on her name, the top hot Weibo post was the paparazzi’s exposé.

“Anti-three warrior or the strongest other woman? The most beautiful photographer stumbles, allegedly interfering in someone else’s relationship. Even a billionaire heiress isn’t a match.”

The title was sensational, and the accompanying pictures were particularly eye-catching.

It was her and Shen Sui’an. More importantly, from certain angles, it looked like they were kissing.

This shooting angle was definitely pre-planned.

She had fallen into a trap.