Did Lin Qinghe appeal to him?
This thought sprang into You Rong’s mind, took root within him, and grew into a towering tree.
You Rong draped an arm over his eyes, a bitter smile curving his lips.
When he learned that Lin Qinghe had used herself as collateral, he had been furious. But alongside his anger was jealousy – he was jealous of Zhang Shanghua, jealous of Zhang Shanghua’s greater ability and power, jealous that Zhang Shanghua so effortlessly possessed Lin Qinghe. He hated himself even more for being the reason she had to make such sacrifices.
You Rong stayed awake all night, sitting on the sofa until dawn. The sound of knocking on the door jolted him awake. Hu Xiaobei’s anxious voice called from outside, “Brother! Wake up, something terrible has happened, Brother…”
The door opened, revealing a haggard-looking You Rong. Hu Xiaobei froze, staring. “Brother? You didn’t sleep all night, did you?! Your eyes are bloodshot!”
You Rong lowered his gaze slightly and, instead of answering, asked, “You said something happened? What is it?”
You Rong’s reminder finally brought Hu Xiaobei back to his purpose. He forgot to ask about You Rong’s sleepless night and quickly pulled out his phone, thrusting it towards You Rong. “Brother! Look at this! This is what the paparazzi released this morning, quick, look… Weibo is going crazy! Someone took intimate photos of Sister Qinghe and Director Zhang going home together. On Weibo, many are saying it’s no wonder Sister Qinghe has such good resources, it turns out she’s clinging to Director Zhang, and so on.”
You Rong’s heart tightened. He snatched Hu Xiaobei’s phone, and after seeing the entertainment news and the barrage of comments, his thin lips pressed together tightly.
Hu Xiaobei frowned, his voice laced with concern. “Brother… this, although the paparazzi’s exposé is true, Sister Qinghe did it for you… and now it’s leaked. The internet is flooding with criticism of Sister Qinghe. Should you call her and comfort her? After all, with so much malice directed at her, and she’s just a girl, I’m afraid she won’t be able to handle it.”
Hu Xiaobei’s words twisted in You Rong’s heart. His face paled, and without thinking, he took out his phone to call Lin Qinghe. But the call was immediately hung up. When he tried again, Lin Qinghe’s phone was off.
Seeing You Rong’s worry and anxiety, Hu Xiaobei’s heart also raced. He racked his brain for a solution and suddenly had an idea. “Brother! Don’t worry for now, I’ll call Sister Qinghe’s assistant. Maybe we can find out how she’s doing!”
Hu Xiaobei went to make the call, while You Rong’s eyes were fixed on the Weibo comments, filled with insults and mockery directed at Lin Qinghe. His face was dark. He himself had almost collapsed under such vitriol, let alone her, a woman who had been heartbroken by his words yesterday. What if she couldn't bear it?
You Rong’s face instantly turned pale. He dared not think further.
You Rong was frantic and called Lin Qinghe again, but her phone was still off.
He forced himself to calm down, his thoughts racing. He opened Weibo and logged into his account, posting a message.
The Weibo post was simple. It included photos Lin Qinghe had sent him earlier – a group photo of them on set, and photos with other actors, intending to show everyone that he and Lin Qinghe were filming and that the entertainment news was false.
However, the leaked photos captured Lin Qinghe’s face clearly. Coupled with the fact that You Rong’s popularity had waned significantly since two years ago, his post attracted some attention but didn’t achieve its intended effect. Weibo was still rife with speculation, ridicule, and a torrent of insults directed at Lin Qinghe.
Watching the public opinion escalate, You Rong was filled with regret and helplessness. He raised his hand and slapped himself hard.
If time could turn back, he would never have said those abominable words to Lin Qinghe again. Now, all he wished was for her to be alright.
***
Zhang Shanghua’s villa.
Lin Qinghe woke up early and opened Weibo. As expected, paparazzi reports about her were flying everywhere. The comments section of her Weibo had already devolved into a war between fans and antis, a complete mess.
Early that morning, Yang Tianlin had called her in a panic, wanting Lin Qinghe to immediately reveal her father-daughter relationship with Zhang Shanghua to clarify the situation. Lin Qinghe calmly told him her plan. Yang Tianlin, hearing it, immediately stopped worrying. Just as Lin Qinghe had said, letting the public outcry reach its peak and then staging a dramatic reversal would not only shut down those who were slandering Lin Qinghe but also quickly earn her a wave of goodwill.
As soon as Lin Qinghe hung up with Yang Tianlin, her phone rang again. Seeing You Rong’s name, she instinctively reached to answer, but at the critical moment, she remembered her plan and resolutely hung up, then turned off her phone.
She had barely put her phone down when she heard the system prompt: “Progress bar increased by twenty percent. Total progress bar is sixty-seven percent.”
Lin Qinghe raised an eyebrow, feeling that her decision just now was correct. The progress bar had increased immediately.
She was already looking forward to the moment You Rong saw her paternity test results with Zhang Shanghua.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Zhang Shanghua called from outside, “Qinghe, are you awake? Can Dad come in?”
Lin Qinghe collected her thoughts and replied, “Dad, I’m awake. You can come in.”
Zhang Shanghua pushed open the door and entered, handing his phone to Lin Qinghe. “Your assistant called. She said your phone was off, do you want to take the call?”
Lin Qinghe nodded. “Yes, give it to me.”
Zhang Shanghua handed the phone to Lin Qinghe and then asked, “Qinghe, do you prefer Western or Chinese breakfast? Dad will go down and prepare it for you. You can finish your call, wash up, and then come downstairs to eat.”
Lin Qinghe smiled faintly. “Yes, let’s have Chinese breakfast, thank you, Dad.”
“Okay, okay… Dad will go down and make you some millet porridge, and get some xiaolongbao and side dishes!”
Zhang Shanghua happily went downstairs to prepare breakfast, completely unconcerned about the heated discussions about him outside.
The door closed. Lin Qinghe brought the phone to her ear. Yuan Xiaoai said impatiently, “Sister Qinghe, do you know… You Rong’s assistant called me just now asking about you. Hmph! You Rong must have sent him to ask!”
Lin Qinghe’s eyes curved into a smile. “Oh? And what did you tell him?”
Yuan Xiaoai huffed and pouted. “You Rong was so indifferent to you before, and yesterday he misunderstood your relationship with Director Zhang, making you so sad. Of course, I couldn’t give him a good look. I just hung up the phone! I didn’t pay any attention to Hu Xiaobei!”
Lin Qinghe smiled with great satisfaction. She had been afraid Yuan Xiaoai might prematurely reveal her father-daughter relationship with Zhang Shanghua, thus failing to achieve the expected effect.
“Well, you did a good job. I’ll give you a raise later!”
“Really? Sister Qinghe, hooray! I love you! And… Sister Qinghe, please don’t be sad. There are definitely plenty of guys in the entertainment industry who are even more handsome than You Rong. You’ll definitely meet someone more handsome than You Rong in the future!”
Lin Qinghe chatted with Yuan Xiaoai for a few more minutes, then hung up the phone and leisurely went to wash up and prepare for breakfast downstairs.
She was confident that once the paternity test results with Zhang Shanghua were released in a few days, You Rong would definitely come looking for her!