Chapter 45

The young man, “???”

It seemed like he heard something strange. Who said that?

Not only was he surprised, but the three others who were enjoying the gossip were even more surprised. It felt like they had just heard some major news.

Who is Qin Zhongsong? He is a national idol from the older generation, a legendary figure in this era. If you talk about the dramas he starred in, it would take three days to finish.

He is extremely protective of his parents, wife, and children, never allowing media or reporters to disturb their peaceful lives.

That’s why Qin Zhongsong has been famous for 20 to 30 years, but people rarely see his wife and children, and no one knows what they’re like.

Who would have expected that they would hear gossip about Qin Zhongsong’s daughter here?

Shen Yinyin, who loved gossip, perked up her ears, showing her strong desire for more gossip.

Shen Zilin didn’t show much interest, sitting back down and silently helping them cook the dishes.

Qiao Cen wasn’t too surprised. He had already heard about it from his sister on a variety show last time. He just didn’t expect to run into the rumored boyfriend of Qin Zhongsong’s daughter so coincidentally this time.

He covered his face, turned his head, and couldn’t help but carefully scrutinize the young man in front of him.

The young man was about 25 or 26 years old, with a fair face, and his hair tied into a small bun at the back of his head, giving him the look of an intellectual, artistic young man.

He had a smiling mouth and a naturally pleasant expression, leaving a good first impression on people.

He was the kind of guy who easily attracted girls.

In fact, it was true. Otherwise, how could he easily deceive Qin Zhongsong’s daughter?

On her birthday, he did such a romantic thing, something that would make any girl fall for him and be touched.

The young man felt that the atmosphere was off. Were their gazes a bit too probing and curious? Did they recognize him?

Then he thought, sometimes he did live streams singing online. Maybe they had seen him, which meant they were his fans.

“Do you guys know me?”

“No, we don’t,” Shen Yinyin shook her head. “Can’t we just look at you?”

“…Alright,” the young man, feeling a bit awkward, repeated his request, “Can I get a birthday wish? Just one.”

Shen Yinyin began acting, “My hand hurts, I can’t write. Ah, it hurts so much.”

If she hadn’t heard Qiao Chuchu’s thoughts, she would have been moved by their love and believed in love again.

But after hearing that the young man was using tricks to deceive young girls, and that the girl being deceived was Qin Zhongsong’s daughter, she couldn’t encourage the young man to deceive Qin Zhongsong’s daughter.

“Ah, my hand hurts too, I can’t even pick up the hotpot dishes,” Qiao Chuchu sat back down at her place.

She silently complained in her heart.

【Pretending to be all proper, and yet the other party is still a minor. Doesn’t he see how old he is? A 25 or 26-year-old man, how could he have the nerve to deceive a young girl?】

The young man heard this, and though it wasn’t directed at him, he couldn’t shake the feeling that it was about him.

From the attitude of these people, it was clear they weren’t going to write anything for him. He withdrew his polite posture, “Since all of you are saying your hands hurt, I won’t make things difficult.”

As he was about to leave, he feigned concern and asked, “Your hands are the most important part of your body. Do you need me to call a doctor for treatment?”

“No need.” Shen Yinyin replied irritably. “Can’t you see we’re eating? Just leave already.”

All the good impressions she had of him vanished, because the young man reminded her of her ex-boyfriend, Zhang Wenhao—another jerk.

The young man’s expression darkened, and he turned to leave.

Shen Yinyin clicked her tongue. “This guy’s temper is awful, just said a couple of words and flipped out.”

“Exactly.” Qiao Cen nodded. “Sis, you can’t like guys like this. If you meet someone like him, stay away. In the future, look for a boyfriend who’s emotionally stable and has a good personality.”

He noticed Shen Zilin, who was cooking nearby, and patted his shoulder. “Sis, in the future, you can find a boyfriend like Shen Zilin—emotionally stable, knows everything, and can handle anything.”

Qiao Chuchu chuckled. “Haha, you’re thinking too far ahead. I’m still young and not ready to find a boyfriend yet.”

She added, “Instead of worrying about me being deceived in love, you should worry about your studies. The results of your first month of studying are almost due for review. You need to work hard.”

“Ah!” Qiao Cen let out a dramatic cry. “Sis, please don’t talk about studying during meals. I beg you!”

“Can you be normal?” Shen Zilin swatted his hand away. “Chuchu’s right, after this meal, go back and study hard.”

Qiao Cen pretended to cry. “Wuwuwu, you guys are so cruel!”

“Stop crying.” Qiao Chuchu said, “You added Qin Zhongsong on WeChat last time, right? Send him a message saying his daughter is here.”

【Qin Zhongsong is not a bad person, he even introduced resources to my little brother. Since we’ve met his precious daughter, let’s help her out.】

—

The young man returned home, holding a hundred transparent white boxes, each filled with “Happy Birthday” written on them. His face was slightly grim.

“Hao Yuan, why are you so late? I’ve been waiting for you for half an hour.”

The girl was wearing a red puff skirt and had her hair tied in a ponytail, looking youthful and lively.

She was Qin Zhongsong’s daughter—Qin Hanhan.

At this moment, Qin Hanhan’s tone was clearly unhappy and a little aggrieved. It was her birthday, and she had sneaked out of the house, leaving her family behind to celebrate with her.

But her boyfriend had been so late.

“I thought you weren’t coming. I almost left,” she said.

Hao Yuan saw that she was angry and hurriedly stepped forward to calm her down. “Don’t be mad, I came a long time ago. I was just preparing your birthday gift.”

“Here’s a gift for you, happy 16th birthday,” he said, handing her the box. “Open it and see if you like it.”

“What is this?”

“Open it, and you’ll know.”

Under his urging, Qin Hanhan opened the box with some confusion.

What greeted her was a multitude of “Happy Birthday” messages, written in colorful markers. Below each “Happy Birthday” were additional messages—some wishing her happiness for the rest of her life, some wishing them both a long-lasting love, and others praising her good luck, among other things.

There were so many that she couldn’t possibly read them all.

“Did you write these?”

She knew Hao Yuan’s handwriting, which was beautiful, but the handwriting in the box was all different. Some were nice, and some were not so good.

“Yeah, I asked strangers to help write them. I thought this kind of gift would be more meaningful as a keepsake,” Hao Yuan answered uncertainly. “But I don’t know if you’ll like it?”

“I like it.” Qin Hanhan was surprised by his approach. “I’ve never received a gift like this before. It’s really special to me. I’ll definitely keep it safe.”

Born as a second-generation star, she had always received love and attention from many people. What she lacked the least were money and luxury goods.

But this kind of gift—one filled with blessings from a hundred people—was the first time she had ever received it, and she found it very interesting.

Hao Yuan smiled. “I’m glad you like it. Even though I went through some trouble asking for birthday blessings and faced some difficulties, I’m happy.”

“What happened?” Qin Hanhan asked, feeling sorry for him. “Did someone make things difficult for you?”

“Yeah, a few people did. They said what I was doing was a trick to deceive girls and kicked me out.” Hao Yuan said seriously, “But I really like you, and I want to treat you well. I don’t care how they evaluate me. I only care about what you think.”

“I like you too.” Qin Hanhan kissed him on the cheek, her face flushing with embarrassment. “Thank you for making my birthday so special.”

She added, “Don’t worry about what others say. As long as we like each other, that’s enough.”

She gently touched his head. “Don’t feel bad, and don’t do this again next time, okay?”

“Mm, just hearing that from you is enough,” Hao Yuan said, holding her hand. “I’ve already ordered your favorite dishes and made a cake myself. Let’s go blow out the candles.”

“You made this yourself?” Qin Hanhan said in surprise. “It looks so beautiful. I’ll make sure to eat a little more to show my appreciation.”

Hao Yuan smiled. “You’re always the best to me. Now, let’s blow out the candles and make a wish.”

Qin Hanhan clasped her hands together. “I wish to always be with Hao Yuan.”

“If you say the wish out loud, it won’t come true.”

“Then I’ll still say it—I want to be with you!”

—

At the Qin family’s old house, a warm and happy atmosphere filled the air.

The Qin family had gathered together to celebrate Qin Hanhan’s birthday. They had just finished eating and were chatting in the living room when no one noticed that Qin Hanhan had secretly sneaked out.

It wasn’t until her little nephew went to find her to play and called out with no response that the adults became aware.

The door was locked from the inside. Qin Zhongsong found the spare key and unlocked it. When they entered, no one was in the room.

“Hanhan, are you in the bathroom?”

Qin Zhongsong softly called out but received no reply.

He opened the bathroom door, only to find it empty.

At that moment, Mrs. Qin noticed that the window was open, and there was a thick hemp rope hanging from it.

“Old Qin, come here!”

“Has Hanhan been kidnapped?”

Her first thought was that something terrible had happened.

Qin Zhongsong walked over, his expression darkening as he shook his head. “No, it looks like she climbed down the rope and ran away.”

“Ran away? Where did she go?” Mrs. Qin exclaimed in surprise. “She told me she wasn’t going anywhere today. If she was, I would have taken her to her grandmother’s house.”

Qin Zhongsong didn’t know where she went. Recently, his daughter had been more rebellious, and he no longer knew how to discipline her.

Just as he was about to check the surveillance footage, he received a message from Qiao Cen.

His face darkened even further. After replying with a “thank you,” he turned to Mrs. Qin and said, “I found Hanhan. She’s on a date with a man.”

“What?!” Mrs. Qin was even more shocked. “How dare she?!”

Qin Zhongsong patted her shoulder to calm her down. “Don’t worry. I’ll go get her back.”

After hearing Qiao Chuchu’s thoughts on a variety show, he had started paying more attention to his daughter and had noticed many things that seemed off. He often heard her chatting with someone, and whenever he asked, she would say it was just a classmate. Naturally, they didn’t think much of it.

But now, he had caught her in the act, and he was going to find out what kind of man could charm his daughter so much that she lost her senses.

Mrs. Qin said, “I’ll go with you. If she dares to do something so bold, she needs to be properly disciplined!”

—

After Qin Hanhan had finished her birthday celebrations, she looked at the time and was shocked to see how long she had been out.

“Yuanyuan, I should get going. If my parents find out, I’m definitely going to get scolded.”

Hao Yuan looked reluctant. “Just stay a little longer. It’s so rare that we finally get to meet.”

“Alright, just three more minutes. I really have to go,” Qin Hanhan said. “If you want to see me again, go to the back mountain of our school. There’s no surveillance there. We can meet there.”

“Okay, I’ll remember that.” Hao Yuan saw that she was ready to leave and decided to stop pressing. “I’ll walk you out.”

They walked hand in hand out of the hot pot restaurant. Hao Yuan led her to the side of the road. “It’s hard to get a taxi here, so I’ll ride my bike and take you to the intersection over there to catch one.”

Qin Hanhan nodded. “Mhm.”

“Don’t mind that I’m poor. Although I don’t have money or a car right now, I’ll have them in the future. I’ll work hard for you,” Hao Yuan said. “I’ll take you home, and I still need to stream tonight, so make sure to watch me.”

“Mhm, I’ll watch. I’ll send you lots of gifts,” Qin Hanhan said. “But don’t overwork yourself.”

“Got it. You’re the best, Hanhan,” Hao Yuan smiled and patted the back seat. “Princess, please get in the car.”

Qin Hanhan was about to sit down when she suddenly saw two familiar figures not far away. Her face instantly turned pale.

“Hanhan, what are you doing? Why aren’t you getting in the car?” Hao Yuan followed her gaze and saw two strangers standing by the road watching them. He was a bit confused.

Qin Hanhan pushed him urgently. “Go quickly, hurry up!”

“What’s going on?” Hao Yuan was still confused, but when Qin Hanhan said that those were her parents, he finally understood. However, he had other thoughts in mind. He stood still, still wanting to meet her parents.

Qin Hanhan was nearly in tears from anxiety. “Not now! Hurry up and leave!”

Reluctantly, Hao Yuan left, looking back three times as he turned a corner. By the time he did, Qin Hanhan and her parents were already gone.

He got on his bike to return to his modest rented house but was intercepted by someone at a secluded alley. Without saying a word, they threw a punch, beating him so badly that he almost died.

—

Meanwhile,

After Qin Hanhan returned home with her parents, she didn’t offer any explanation for her actions. Instead, when they asked, she questioned them. “You followed me?”

She was furious. “How could you do this? I’m not a child, I’m not your toy to be monitored at any time. I hate this! I really dislike it!!!”

Mrs. Qin frowned, clearly on the verge of losing her temper, but Qin Zhongsong quickly whispered, “Don’t get angry, don’t get angry. Let me talk to her. She’s in the rebellious stage. Don’t provoke her further.”

Mrs. Qin looked at their daughter’s frantic behavior and, after a moment, gave in and allowed him to speak.

Qin Zhongsong cleared his throat. “Hanhan, speaking like that really hurts our feelings, you know? You’re our precious daughter, not a toy. We’re only concerned about you, afraid you might be deceived.”

“Concerned about me, always saying the same thing. Do you know that this kind of concern puts so much pressure on me?!” Qin Hanhan responded. “I’m not a child anymore. I know what I’m doing, and I won’t make mistakes in who I trust. Can you give me some personal space?”

After speaking, Qin Hanhan ran upstairs to her room and slammed the door shut.

The loud noise startled her parents, and they looked worried.

Mrs. Qin was furious. “Look at her attitude toward us! I told you we shouldn’t spoil her so much, but you didn’t listen. Now, she won’t even listen to us. Does she want to rebel?”

Mrs. Qin believed in strict discipline, thinking that a strict teacher would raise excellent students, so she was very strict with Qin Hanhan, not allowing her to do many things.

Given their family’s special status, they were also very cautious about Qin Hanhan’s safety, fearing that something might happen to her.

But she didn’t understand the parents’ feelings. How could she secretly date a man behind their backs? And that man looked much older, clearly from a different social class than Hanhan.

“Don’t be angry, don’t be angry, I’ll handle her,” Qin Zhongsong comforted his wife and then went upstairs to see his daughter. “Hanhan, we’re just worried about you. Don’t be so willful.”

Qin Hanhan, still angry, didn’t open the door. She threw a pillow at him and said, “Go away, don’t talk to me!”

With a troubled expression, Qin Zhongsong sighed. The Qin family’s birthday party ended on a sour note.

—

The trending topic of Qiao Cen clearing his name stayed online for many days, attracting a large number of new fans.

People were praising him, angrily cursing Jin Keyang, and saying that his capture was well-deserved, that he got what he deserved.

Jin Keyang, still imprisoned, stubbornly wanted to see Jin Cheng, but the people inside directly told him:

“He won’t see you. Just calm down. You don’t have much time left, so why not just quietly spend what little time you have left?”

Hearing this, Jin Keyang almost collapsed. He didn’t want to be in jail, and he certainly didn’t want to die.

The only person who came to visit him was his father, Li Gong, but when Jin Keyang saw him, he became enraged. “What are you here for? Who told you to come? You’re the last person I don’t want to see in my life! Get out!”

Li Gong, looking heartbroken, still said, “Yangyang, I know I’m useless, but I’m your dad. Could you at least call me Dad?”

“Dream on! You’re not my dad! I only have one dad, and that’s Jin Cheng!” Jin Keyang spat out. “Go and beg him, ask him to help me. He must have a way.”

“He won’t see me,” Li Gong had already been kicked out and couldn’t even meet Jin Cheng.

Jin Keyang, filled with despair, saw that even his former friends had distanced themselves from him. No one came to visit, except for those he had wronged, who came seeking revenge.

Although Jin Keyang had been arrested, his legend still circulated online, and he was labeled one of the worst celebrities by netizens.

Some parents even used Jin Keyang as a negative example, teaching their children never to become like him.

Instead, they encouraged them to learn from Qiao Cen, who embodied the spirit of helping others and finding joy in it.

Thanks to this incident, Qiao Cen became an ideal idol in the eyes of parents across the internet. Topics and discussions about him were booming, and even the variety show he was participating in, Dear Us, gained popularity.

The traffic surged in, and the director finally showed the first smile after being scammed in an online romance and heartbroken.

After laughing, he became worried again. There were just too many scandals surrounding celebrities now, and he was cautious about inviting new guests. He feared picking someone with too many scandals because that would make his show popular again—but this kind of popularity wouldn’t bring him joy.

So, he decided to have Qiao Chuchu help pick the guests. He informed everyone in the group that they would have a dinner gathering tonight, with new guests attending.

He then called everyone individually, giving special attention to notifying Qiao Chuchu.

Except for Wen Yu, who was on a business trip in another city and couldn’t return, everyone else was coming.

They were all eager to know the new guests’ scandals.

After school, Qiao Chuchu received a message from Qiao Cen, who was waiting outside. She waved goodbye to Shen Yinyin and got into the car.

Once again, Qiao Cen brought her freshly baked desserts. “Sis, these are for you.”

“It smells so good,” Qiao Chuchu said as she took them. “Did you have to wait in a long line?”

Qiao Cen grinned. “Not really, it wasn’t long. I’m just happy if you like it.”

“Next time, don’t go by yourself. If someone recognizes you, it could be a disaster,” Qiao Chuchu now understood how powerful Qiao Cen’s influence was.

Qiao Cen nodded, “Got it. Sis, why do you think the director suddenly invited us to dinner?”

“Didn’t he say he was going to introduce the new guest for the fourth episode?” Qiao Chuchu said. “I’m curious—what kind of guest is so important that the director is treating them this way?”

Qiao Cen said he was curious too!

The siblings were the first to arrive at the restaurant, besides the director.

When the director saw the Qiao siblings, he eagerly walked over to greet them. “You’re here! Just finished school? Are you tired? Come sit over here.”

His enthusiasm surprised the siblings. During the last episode of the variety show, he had seemed lifeless, but today? Qiao Chuchu gave him a few extra glances.

【Why do I feel like the director has gained weight recently? He seems overly enthusiastic today. Has he really gotten over the trauma of being scammed in an online romance?】

【He’s really strong, let’s see if he dares to do online dating again.】

Director: I won’t dare, I won’t dare! I swear, never again.

Bai Yun and Ye Yu arrived around the same time and noticed that the director looked much better, clearly having gotten over the heartbreak.

“Director, didn’t you always have us guess who the new guest was? Why are we meeting them in advance this time? Are you setting us up for something?”

The director was silent for a moment.

“Do you think so little of my character?” he asked.

“Mm!” was the response from everyone.

The director looked wounded. “I’m not that bad. You all need to change your opinions of me!”

“I’m treating everyone to dinner to celebrate my own new beginning. I can’t keep living in the past.”

Everyone understood what he meant and gave him pitying looks.

Qiao Chuchu also made a comment.

【If he’d gotten over it sooner, he wouldn’t have been so upset. It’s not worth being sad over a scammer.】

As everyone nodded, they heard her say:

【Someone’s here.】

Everyone looked toward the door, which opened to reveal the new guest for the fourth episode.

The director hurried over to greet them. “Director Liu, I’ve been waiting for you, please come in and sit down.”

He then noticed the young man beside Liu Shu. “Who is this?”

“This is my husband—Ji Tao,” Liu Shu smiled as she introduced him. “Xiao Tao, this is Ming Zheng, the director of Dear Us.”

“It’s also my honor. Please come in and take a seat,” the director clapped his hands. “Now, let me introduce these two new guests, Director Liu Shu and her husband Ji Tao. Let’s welcome them.”

Clap, clap, clap—

Everyone warmly welcomed the two of them.

They weren’t familiar with Liu Shu herself, but they were familiar with the dramas she directed. Most of them were about strong female leads, business ventures, and romance stories—very popular with a wide audience, particularly women of all ages.

Liu Shu herself resembled a typical strong female lead. She had an elegant appearance and aura, standing around 1.7 meters tall. She wore a white suit and a pair of low-heeled pointed shoes.

Her long, smooth hair was tied in a low ponytail, exposing her entire face. Her makeup was exquisite—bright red lips and sharp, aggressive eyes—but she didn’t come off as unpleasant.

She was on the variety show to promote her new drama, which was also the only project she starred in herself.

The director knew her intentions and, of course, was ready to help her achieve them. But he wasn’t sure if Liu Shu had any scandals. If she did, it would be a problem.

He glanced at Qiao Chuchu several times and found her sipping tea, clearly uninterested in what was going on.

That wouldn’t do.

Wasn’t she the one who loved to gossip? Why wasn’t she digging for dirt?

When arranging the seating, he deliberately placed Qiao Chuchu next to Liu Shu.

Qiao Chuchu wasn’t happy. “Director, this seat isn’t really appropriate, is it?”

Liu Shu was seated in the main position, with her husband Ji Tao on her left. Qiao Chuchu was on her right, so it could be considered a prominent seat.

“It doesn’t matter, any seat is fine,” the director dismissed it.

The others had no objections either. Bai Yun pulled her over, saying, “It’s fine, Chuchu. Just sit.”

Qiao Chuchu had no choice but to sit down. Liu Shu, the beautiful woman, smiled at her and nodded. “You must be Qiao Cen’s sister, Qiao Chuchu, right? You’re very beautiful.”

Qiao Chuchu replied, “Thank you, you’re very beautiful too.”

【She really is stunning, and quite aggressive. I’ve never met such a sharp-tongued beauty before.】

【I remember Liu Shu also has a scandal. Since I’m bored, I might as well look into it.】

“?” Liu Shu didn’t realize that the latter part of her comment was internal thoughts and said, “This little girl really knows how to flatter.”

Ji Tao, sitting next to her, was making protein shakes. The director, who had intended to pour wine, saw this and asked, “Mr. Ji, what are you doing?”

“I’m making a protein shake for Shushu. She drinks one before every meal to reduce her appetite and lose weight,” Ji Tao smiled. “My Shushu doesn’t drink alcohol, so I’ll drink for her.”

The director laughed, “Mr. Ji, you’re really a good man. You and Director Liu are quite the perfect match.”

“Thank you,” Ji Tao handed her the protein shake. “Shushu, drink some, we’ll eat later.”

“Mm.” Liu Shu smiled lightly and took the protein shake, sipping it slowly.

Ji Tao looked at her with loving eyes, occasionally wiping her mouth for her. Their public display of affection was so blatant it made others envious.

Until they heard Qiao Chuchu’s voice.

【What’s a good man, just a scammer’s tactic. Once he fattened her up, he’ll be ready to butcher her.】