Things were getting out of hand at the scene. Shu Qing’s manager noticed her going pale and quickly ran up to her. “Are you okay?”
“Are you guys happy now?” Shu Qing asked coldly while leaning against him.
The manager simply kept quiet and motioned at the host, who then announced, “All right, that concludes the Q&A session for today! According to the director, this film is a potential award-winner, so it must be a masterpiece! We’re about to start the premiere, so please take your seats and enjoy…”
“Is that all you have to say?”
A woman stood up from the crowd and took her hat off.
She stared down at Shu Qing from her seat above, and her face was clearly visible due to the bright lighting in the cinema.
“Wait, isn’t that Shen Qianan?”
“Oh, yeah, that really is her! What’s she doing here?”
“She sounds really mad! I bet Shu Qing must’ve done something really bad if Shen Qianan looks that pissed off!”
“Yeah!”
Shen Qianan’s sudden appearance combined with the overwhelming pressure from the crowd proved too much for Shu Qing to handle, and the latter collapsed on the spot.
“Shu Qing! Out of the way! Can’t you see she’s fainted?”
The manager’s voice sounded so cold that even the journalists stopped taking photos.
“What are you waiting for? Get Ms. Shu out of here!”
The entire cinema fell silent as a few men in black came in and brought Shu Qing outside.
The host let out an awkward laugh and said, “R-Right, we all came here for this film, so let’s get started with the premiere!”
Shen Qianan clenched her fists as she watched Shu Qing’s character appear on the big screen. She was playing a middle-aged woman who had lost her son a long time ago. That said woman then adopted a child later on and worked at a nightclub to raise the child.
It was a very touching story, and the mother seemed like a great woman who had given her all to her child.
How ironic… She’s a cruel and heartless woman that abandoned her own daughter! I can’t believe they let her play such a character!
Shen Qianan put her hat back on and left the cinema halfway through the movie.
Meanwhile, Shu Qing’s manager had her rushed to the hospital. The doctor frowned when he saw the state Shu Qing was in. “This patient is burning up at 39 °C, and she is severely malnourished! How on earth…” The doctor couldn’t go on any further. “I’m going to administer an IV drip to stabilize her vital signs, but she’ll have to stay in the hospital for a couple of days for further observation. In the meantime, she will be put on a full liquid diet.”
After the doctor left, Shu Qing’s manager gave Su Huaibei a call and explained the situation over the phone. The look in Su Huaibei’s eyes grew cold when he heard about what had happened. “Fu Yi, we’re going to the hospital!”
“But, Sir… Ms. Shu is in Mr. Su’s hospital…”
Su Huaibei paused for a moment. “Where’s Shen Qianan?”
“Shen Shixiu’s men were with her the whole time. We couldn’t grab her.”
“Damn it! Can’t you guys find a way to get rid of his men?”
“His men are highly-trained professionals, Sir… I-I mean, I’ll think of something! P-Please, give me some time!”
Su Huaibei’s eyes were filled with rage as he watched Fu Yi leave.
Well done, Shen Shixiu… Let’s see how long you can keep protecting Shen Qianan…
Shu Qing woke up in the afternoon the next day, feeling as if she had been brought to hell and back.
White walls and that strong smell of medicine… Am I in the hospital?
Shu Qing sat up straight and yanked the tube out of her arm. She was about to get off the bed when the door to her ward opened.
A man in a white coat entered the ward, but he wasn’t holding any files or medical equipment in his hands.
He had his hands in his pockets, and he was simply staring at Shu Qing without saying a word. Shu Qing didn’t know who he was nor what he wanted, so she decided to keep quiet as well.
Su Shaoqing’s gaze fell upon her face. Shu Qing sure has a face that can drive men crazy! She looks very similar to Shi Nuan and Shen Qianan, and yet there’s a clear distinction between all of them. Shen Qianan and Shi Nuan may seem gentle, but their eyes are full of fire when they turn stubborn. Shu Qing, on the other hand, looks like she has gone through a lot in life, yet her eyes have a sweet and gentle look in them! That’s how you know she’s the real deal!
“Hello, Ms. Shu!” Su Shaoqing greeted her with a smile.
“Who are you?” Shu Qing was surprised that he knew her.
“I believe it should be rather obvious, given my outfit.” Su Shaoqing raised his arms and looked at his white coat. “Do I not look like a doctor to you, Ms. Shu?”
“Who the hell are you?” Shu Qing wasn’t in the mood to chat with a stranger.
Su Shaoqing stopped smiling after hearing that. He then looked at the back of her hand and said, “It’s bleeding.”
Shu Qing frowned in annoyance and pressed a piece of tissue paper on her wound. “I don’t care who you are, mister. I don’t know you!”
“That’s okay. Me knowing you is good enough, Ms. Shu!” Su Shaoqing smiled innocently at her. “Oh, by the way, I’m Su Shaoqing, the director of this hospital.”
Su Shaoqing?
Shu Qing sprung out of bed and attempted to make a dash for it, but Su Shaoqing stopped her.
“What’s wrong, Ms. Shu? Why are you so scared to see me? Am I really that scary?” he asked with a somewhat sinister grin.
“Scary? Heh, you people from the Su family are downright monsters! Now, out of my way!”
Su Shaoqing stepped aside and let her get to the door before saying, “If you tell me where Uncle Huaibei is, I’ll help you take care of your current situation.”
“What did you say?”
Shu Qing stopped in her tracks. “You mean the Su family doesn’t know that Su Huaibei is in Jiang City?”
Su Shaoqing narrowed his eyes. “So you do know Uncle Huaibei!”
Shu Qing tensed up. “You said you could help me take care of my current problem. Does that include Su Huaibei?”
Su Shaoqing glared at her for a brief moment before he smiled again.
Shu Qing didn’t know Su Shaoqing very well, but her gut instinct told her that that smile was a bad sign.
She clenched her teeth. “Ah, silly me! You’re from the Su family too!” There’s no way he’d help me!
Su Shaoqing smirked. “That’s not necessarily the case. How can I be of help, Ms. Shu?”
“Help me get away from Su Huaibei!”
“Oh?” Su Shaoqing raised an eyebrow and crossed his fingers in front of his chest.
“And here I thought we were going to discuss business. You’re a celebrity, Ms. Shu. Are you sure you want to go out dressed like that? Imagine what the headlines would say! Chaotic private life drives superstar Shu Qing crazy!”
Shu Qing went pale upon hearing that, and she slowly let go of the doorknob.
Su Shaoqing smiled as he continued, “Your body is still very weak, Ms. Shu. Unlike other public hospitals, the people that come and go here are either famous celebrities or…”
“Just cut to the chase, will you?” Because of what Su Huaibei had done to her, Shu Qing felt an inexplicable dislike for Su Shaoqing.
“All right, if you say so. First of all, I’m not really interested in your relationship with Shen Qianan.”
Shu Qing frowned. “What do you want, then?”
Su Shaoqing stared straight into her eyes and said, “I want you to tell me about your connection to Uncle Huaibei, why he left back then, and… why he abandoned Shi Nuan.”
Shu Qing took a few steps back and stared wide-eyed at him in horror. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
“Oh, you don’t?” Su Shaoqing chuckled. “Then why do you look so nervous when I mention Shi Nuan?”
Shu Qing clenched her fists. “Mr. Su, I don’t know what you’re talking about, and I don’t know who Shi Nuan is either!”
“What about Jiang Yu, then? You should know her, right?”
“No, I don’t!”
“What about Shi Jingzheng, then? Shi Yunsheng? Or maybe even Jiang Shizheng?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about!” Shu Qing screamed when Su Shaoqing got closer to her, “Get away from me! I don’t know anything!”
Su Shaoqing let out a snicker and stood there observing her.
This woman is about the same age as Ning Xin, but there’s such a huge difference between them that I can’t even compare them at all… Shu Qing is panicking and overreacting despite being at a huge disadvantage here.
Su Shaoqing wasn’t sure why he thought of Ning Xin. He had seen so many wives from wealthy families – not many women out there were able to catch his attention.
Su Shaoqing raised an eyebrow. “You don’t seem to be in the right state of mind, Ms. Shu. I suggest you stay here a little while longer. We can continue our conversation after you’ve recovered and thought things through.”
