Chapter 53

Xue Rui stopped, turned back to look at her, “What do you want to say?”

Should she tell him that his sister had been tortured to death and that he shouldn’t waste his efforts?

Qiao Chuchu didn’t speak directly. Instead, she said, “If you want to do something that must be done, you can go to a certain place first. There, you’ll find the answers you seek.”

Following Xue Rui’s storyline, she told him the location where his sister’s body was buried.

【Xue Rui is the only family Xue Rui has in this world, and they had a very good relationship. Even if I tell him that Xue Rui is already dead, he won’t believe it and will still try to find the answers himself. Since that’s the case, I might as well just tell him the location where Xue Rui’s body is hidden. If he can get there within ten days, maybe he can see his sister one last time.】

【Xue Rui is involved in shady activities, and he’s very skilled. He even carries a gun, so no ordinary person can deal with him. As long as he doesn’t foolishly try to face off against the people behind this, he should be fine.】

She had given enough advice, and hoped that Xue Rui would listen to her, following her suggestion.

Xue Rui stared at her for a long time, realizing that she hadn’t spoken the last few words out loud, but he had heard them. Why was that?

Could it be that he could hear her thoughts? Is there really such a ridiculous thing in this world?

He didn’t say anything and just turned to leave.

Shen Yinyin thought for a moment, then chased after him, “Miss… no, Xue Rui, my name is Shen Yinyin—Shen from Shen Yinyin, I’m a first-year piano student at A City Arts University. If you have time, you can come find me. I’d really like to thank you for saving me.”

“And my friend’s ability is real. She has a gift for foresight. You must follow the advice she gave you, please be careful.”

“This is for you, make sure to buy something to eat on the way.”

“Goodbye.”

Shen Yinyin gave him all the spare change she had, then stood there, reluctantly watching him leave until his figure disappeared into the night.

Qiao Chuchu walked over and draped a jacket over her, “Still watching? He’s long gone.”

“Chuchu,” Shen Yinyin turned to look at her, one hand pressed to her chest as she said, “I’m done for, Chuchu. My heart is racing, what should I do? I think I might like him a little.”

Especially on the ship’s lower deck, when Xue Rui kicked the black-clad man flying, snatched his gun with his bare hands, shot another man in the leg, and then reached out to her. It reminded her of the kind of love she once imagined—a prince saving a princess.

If she hadn’t known he was a man, it would have been fine, but now that she knew, and still found herself moved by him…

Qiao Chuchu was a bit speechless, “…Didn’t you say you no longer believed in love? Plus, you just met him. You can’t be falling in love at first sight, right?”

【It’s good that Yinyin managed to move on from that scumbag Zhang Wenhao. Having the ability to love again is even better. It’s fine if she likes an ordinary person, but this Xue Rui is involved with shady activities, constantly on the edge of life and death. He can’t live a normal life. Being with someone like him is far too dangerous.】

“No, no. I just like his face a little. Don’t worry about me.” Shen Yinyin cuddled up to her and pouted, “I’m so hungry and tired, let’s go back quickly.”

—

After Yang Wei’s fraud gang was captured by the police, they were interrogated overnight. However, Yang Wei had a tight mouth and refused to reveal anything, acting as though he had nothing to fear. The interrogating officers were itching to punch him in frustration.

Just as they were running out of ideas, they received another call from the informant, telling them to be cautious over the next few days as Yang Wei’s accomplices might try to break him out of jail.

The entire police station was stunned by the news, unable to find words to express their shock.

“No wonder he was so confident, he was waiting for someone to rescue him.”

“Yang Wei’s influence is even deeper than we thought. How could a celebrity from the entertainment industry be this powerful?”

“What surprises me more is how this young girl got such precise information. How did she know all of the bad guys’ movements so accurately?”

“I know about this. If I tell you, you’ll be shocked. Last night during the mission, I was assigned to protect her, and I heard her thoughts…”

“Wait, what? Her thoughts?”

“……”

The police station became chaotic after this, with everyone asking about the meaning of “thoughts.” Once they managed to accept it, they quickly began to make plans.

Just three days later, they successfully trapped and captured the people sent to rescue Yang Wei, taking them all into custody.

When Yang Wei saw his most trusted subordinates being brought in, his face briefly showed signs of cracking and defeat.

He had waited for his subordinates to rescue him, but they, too, were caught.

He still had one last chance to escape—his boss, the one who had brought him into the business. He had always listened to his boss, and surely, his boss would send someone to rescue him!

—

In a dim underground room, a man in a blue Zhongshan suit was whipping a barely conscious man in front of him.

“Still not talking? If you don’t speak now, you won’t get another chance.”

He lifted his foot and pressed it down on the man’s face, crushing it forcefully, causing the man on the ground to tremble in pain.

At this moment, someone rushed over with a phone in hand.

“Boss, bad news. Yang Wei’s been captured, and all of his subordinates have been taken in too. Should we go rescue him?”

The man sneered, his tone filled with mockery, “Useless. He got caught this easily? What good is he to us? No need to rescue him, we’ll just train a new group.”

—

Yang Wei lost all hope when he realized no one was coming to rescue him.

What he didn’t know was that his situation had caused an uproar online.

#YangWeiCaptured – trending

#YangWeiHeadOfSomewhereInBurma – trending

#YangWeiFraudster – trending

#YangWeiDeals – trending

#TheCarAccidentThatInvolvedLiuShuTingWasSabotagedByYangWei – trending

Several explosive news topics about Yang Wei trended on Weibo, immediately drawing attention from all over the internet.

【What the heck! Is this for real? Best Actor Yang Wei is a fraudster!】

【Waking up to another celebrity scandal, this person’s actions are so despicable, it’s unforgivable.】

【No way, my husband is a good guy! How could he be involved in a scam in Burma? It’s definitely the rival fanbase attacking him! I don’t believe this is true!】

【Yang Wei’s fans, stop defending him. The Municipal Police Department reported early this morning that a male actor named Yang Wei was arrested for fraud. His face wasn’t blurred, so go take a good look and see if it’s your husband.】

【Holy crap! Another celebrity scandal. I want to know if there’s any celebrity left in the entertainment industry worth following.】

【There is! We can follow Qiaoqiao, they’ll never disappoint you!】

【Qiao fans are ruthless, even trying to pick up fans at a time like this.】

【Anyone want to guess who the next celebrity scandal will be?】

【Isn’t anyone going to speak up for Liu Shu and Ting Yu? They’ve been so unlucky.】

【Of course we’re here! Yang Wei really deserves what he got!】

—

With Yang Wei’s arrest, the storylines for Liu Shu and Ting Yu also changed. They didn’t die or disappear, but instead, they lived peacefully to old age.

Qiao Chuchu felt slightly relieved upon seeing this plot development. As long as they were okay, that was all that mattered.

The injuries from the car accident weren’t too severe, and with one or two months of rest, they would be fine.

Qiao Chuchu and Shen Yinyin brought a flower basket to visit Liu Shu and Ting Yu. The two of them were too afraid of being targeted again, so they stayed in the same hospital room.

The other two female assistants stayed together, while the driver had his own room, but other people were arranged to stay with him.

After several days of anxiety in the hospital, they finally saw the news of Yang Wei’s arrest, and their fears were completely relieved.

“Thank you for coming to visit us. We’re all fine now.”

Liu Shu and Ting Yu said politely. They knew that with Yang Wei’s arrest, Qiao Chuchu must have played a huge role in it.

“It’s the least I could do,” Qiao Chuchu replied. “You can rest assured now. No one will disturb you anymore.”

With her words, they felt at ease.

With Liu Shu and Ting Yu recovering in the hospital, the male lead in jail, and the investors pulling out, this drama became a hot topic before it even aired.

Liu Shu had originally hoped to win awards with this drama, but it seemed that chance was gone now.

However, Qiao Chuchu’s words gave her some hope. “I heard that Director Liu’s investors have pulled out, is that true?”

Liu Shu nodded, her expression sorrowful. “Yes, after something like this, not many would stay on.”

After years of filming, it was the first time she had encountered such a disastrous situation. It was really unfortunate—halfway through filming, the male lead was arrested for fraud. The plot was even more ridiculous than the melodramatic dramas she had worked on.

All their hard work had gone to waste, and a lot of money was lost. Her heart ached thinking about it.

Qiao Chuchu nodded. “Alright, from now on, my brother will be the investor for the new drama. Once Director Liu is better, we can start fresh.”

【Although Liu Shu’s drama faced many obstacles, it was eventually released and received great feedback. It won international awards, and the two lead actors, along with several supporting roles, became overnight sensations, gaining both fame and fortune. The investors also made a huge profit.】

【Such profitable opportunities should never be missed.】

Liu Shu’s face, which had previously shown signs of defeat, instantly lit up with joy at her words, giving her an endless amount of motivation. She would definitely not disappoint her.

“Thank you, I will work hard on the filming!”

Ting Yu eagerly asked, “So, can I still play the female lead?”

“Of course, you’ll still be the female lead. As for the male lead, we’ll need to choose someone else,” Qiao Chuchu continued. “Including the second female lead, second male lead, and other supporting roles—everything will need to be recast. My brother will be communicating with Director Liu later on. You can discuss anything with him.”

She had already mentioned this to her brother before coming, worried he might not agree, and had said many good things to convince him. To her surprise, as soon as she brought it up, he agreed right away and even said he would follow her ideas, promising that any future earnings would be shared with her.

She was, of course, very happy. The benefits from this drama were enormous, and she had to thank her great brother.

—

Yang Wei, the fraudster involved in the Burma scam, was arrested and the scandal was trending on Weibo for several days, causing a significant impact on the students of the Arts University.

Especially for Yang Wei’s fans, who had cried out in anguish and disbelief as they came to accept that their idol was indeed a fraudster.

It wasn’t just Yang Wei, his manager and the entire team were all his accomplices, and the police arrested them all.

There were still recruitment ads circulating online from Yang Wei’s team. The position was: Assistant. Salary: 12,000. Benefits: meals and accommodation provided, five insurances and one housing fund, internship for one month before being officially hired, plus a free travel opportunity.

This was better than what some top 500 companies offered, so many young graduates who were eager to find work and lacking money were drawn to apply.

However, they only hired two people a month, effectively changing assistants every month.

Many people only realized too late that if they had been selected, after completing one month of internship, they would have been shipped off to Burma and never returned.

Thinking about this was truly terrifying. The depth of the Burma group’s operations was far beyond what they had imagined.

It seemed that from now on, they would have to be more careful when looking for jobs. One should not be tempted by high salaries and good benefits, but always stay vigilant.

Because of Yang Wei’s scandal, the school once again held an anti-fraud seminar. This time, all students attended the event where the school leaders discussed anti-fraud measures.

For a while, everyone was on edge. Even the senior students in their final year didn’t dare to casually look for jobs and only trusted the channels introduced by the school.

Even their desire for celebrity fandom was greatly diminished, fearing that they might end up supporting something dangerous without realizing it.

The school forum was filled with discussions about the scandal, until a few days later, a new event emerged that replaced the topic.

One day during class, the teacher, Zhang Lu, entered holding a stack of reports and asked the students in the first row to pass them out.

Later, she added, “The 100th Piano District Competition is open for registration today and will close in two days. If anyone wants to participate, please fill in the details on the form. Our school has a total of ten spots, including all grades, so the competition will be fierce. But I still hope everyone will actively sign up and represent our school.”

Her words sparked a heated discussion in the class, with students whispering and discussing among themselves.

Shen Yinyin immediately asked Qiao Chuchu, “Chuchu, are you going to participate?”

“Yes,” Qiao Chuchu replied. “Teacher Zhang told me about this a month ago and hoped I could take part.”

Shen Yinyin enviously said, “Teacher Zhang’s leniency towards you is absolutely unique. But it makes sense, if I were a teacher, I’d love someone with your incredible piano talent.”

“You’re pretty great too. Let’s both join,” Qiao Chuchu continued. “We’ll represent the school and earn gold medals for ourselves.”

“Hahaha, so the second sentence was your true intention,” Shen Yinyin laughed. “I’m the same. I’m all for earning a gold medal and making money!”

They needed to fill out a form for registration and scan a QR code to sign up on the competition website. After submitting, they would receive an entry number.

Most of the students in the class signed up, and Teacher Zhang was pleased. She told them, “Three days later, at 8 o’clock in the morning, the school will organize the piano preliminaries. The piano department will have over a hundred participants, but only ten will advance to the next round. I hope everyone will strive for one of those spots.”

Everyone was filled with confidence. After their cultural classes ended, all the students rushed to the piano room to practice.

The pianos in the piano room weren’t enough for all the students, so some who didn’t manage to get one had to go to outside piano shops to practice. Those who had pianos at home practiced there.

Qiao Chuchu invited Shen Yinyin to practice at her house. Du Shuyu, her mother, had once been a famous pianist with a prestigious reputation in the piano world.

Due to an accident, she had injured her fingers and never touched her beloved piano again.

However, the house still had many pianos, all gifts from Qiao Haiyi to Du Shuyu in the past.

When Du Shuyu learned that Qiao Chuchu also loved the piano and had studied it professionally, she was very happy and opened the piano room that had been closed for years so her daughter could practice freely.

Qiao Haiyi immediately bought a new piano for his daughter, but Qiao Chuchu thought that piano was too expensive and not very practical. So, she always used the one her mother loved the most.

Shen Yinyin gladly agreed, “Sure, I don’t have a piano to use anyway. Thank you, Chuchu, for letting me practice!”

She had once spent all her savings to buy a piano, but then she became infatuated with a man, and in her foolishness, she sold the piano for him. The money was taken by the man, and at that time, she had foolishly been happy about it. Looking back, she realized how foolish she had been.

Now, buying a piano again seemed impossible. She would have to work for a whole year to afford one.

Qiao Chuchu said, “Don’t be polite.”

When she took Shen Yinyin home, only Aunt Wu and others were there. Upon hearing the situation, they prepared pastries, fruit, and drinks and brought them to the lounge so they could eat when they were tired from practicing.

This was Shen Yinyin’s first time at Qiao Chuchu’s house. “Chuchu, this auntie is really nice.”

“Yeah, she takes good care of us,” Qiao Chuchu nodded. “Do you want to eat something first?”

“Sure,” Shen Yinyin was also feeling hungry.

After eating snacks to fill their stomachs, they officially started practicing the piano. The two of them were in the same room, but the room had soundproofed sections, so they played separately without disturbing each other.

When Du Shuyu and Qiao Haiyi returned, they found that Qiao Chuchu had already come back. They asked Aunt Wu about the situation.

“Chuchu brought a good friend back and is playing the piano upstairs,” Aunt Wu said, preparing some drinks. Upon hearing this, Du Shuyu took the drinks from her and said, “I’ll go deliver it.”

Qiao Chuchu rarely played the piano at home, mostly practicing at school. Also, whenever she played, Du Shuyu was usually not at home, so she seldom encountered her daughter playing the piano directly.

The door wasn’t fully closed, and with a gentle push, it opened. Du Shuyu quietly approached and stood still, listening intently for a while. Following the melody, she felt her mood lighten. She carefully noted the strengths and weaknesses of her daughter’s playing.

Qiao Chuchu didn’t realize her mother had arrived. When the piece finished, she turned her head and was surprised to see Du Shuyu standing quietly behind her.

“Mom, you’re back.”

Du Shuyu nodded. “Mm, did I disturb you?”

“No.”

“That’s good. Drink some water.” Du Shuyu handed her a glass of water and then praised, “You play beautifully.”

Although Qiao Chuchu had been praised many times for her piano playing, this was the first time her mother had complimented her.

“Thank you, but I’m sure I don’t play as well as you. I mean, I…”

Once she knew that Du Shuyu’s fingers were injured and she could no longer play the piano, Qiao Chuchu had avoided playing in front of her, afraid of stirring up unpleasant memories. This time, her mother had returned so early, and she had happened to catch her playing.

“It’s fine. Say whatever you want to say. It’s all in the past now. I won’t be sad anymore,” Du Shuyu gently comforted her. “Although I can’t play the piano, my ears still work. Just now, there were two notes that could have been a bit more precise, and it would have been perfect.”

Qiao Chuchu’s eyes widened, listening attentively and eager to learn.

Du Shuyu explained the issues she had noticed and then praised her. “Your piano skills are already very good. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.”

“Mm, but I want to win an award in the upcoming competition.”

Qiao Chuchu never hid her ambition, she wanted to be the best pianist.

Du Shuyu, both surprised and delighted, said, “If you’re willing, I can guide you.”

“I’m willing!” Qiao Chuchu had never been unwilling, she was just afraid it might bring up her mother’s painful past.

She then introduced Shen Yinyin to Du Shuyu.

Du Shuyu took a closer look at Shen Yinyin’s face, stunned for a moment. She looked a bit like one of her old friends, but she hadn’t heard that her old friend had a child.

Shen Yinyin was amazed by Du Shuyu’s beauty. Now she understood why the Qiao siblings were so beautiful, it was because they had such a stunning mother.

“Hello, Auntie, I’m Shen Yinyin, Chuchu’s good friend.”

Du Shuyu smiled. “Hello, I’ve heard a lot about you from Chuchu. Feel free to come over whenever you have time.”

—

Before the preliminaries, Du Shuyu personally supervised Qiao Chuchu and Shen Yinyin’s practice. She guided them through several issues, helping them improve both their piano skills and mindset.

Soon, the preliminaries arrived. Qiao Chuchu was scheduled to perform in the 20s, while Shen Yinyin was in the 30s. Both of them passed successfully and advanced to the next round, the city-level semi-finals.

A total of nine schools participated in the competition, with ten spots allocated for each school, making a total of ninety participants competing for three prizes.

All the contestants here were highly skilled, so they couldn’t afford to relax.

The competition venue was arranged in K City, a fashionable and entertainment-driven city, where artistic elites from all over the country gathered.

This city was very inclusive, accepting people from all walks of life. No matter the time of year, one could always see clothes and colors suited for different seasons here.

Qiao Chuchu and Shen Yinyin took the bus arranged by the school to K City. All the students stayed in hotels that had been booked in advance. The official competition would begin in two days, and tomorrow they would visit the venue and familiarize themselves with the surrounding environment.

Qiao Chuchu and Shen Yinyin were sharing a room. Since there were no classes arranged for the afternoon, they planned to go out and explore the cultural arts of K City.

True to its reputation as a fashion city, every corner was filled with romantic colors. They strolled down a street, buying snacks and souvenirs before heading back to the hotel.

Unfortunately, as they were entering the hotel, they bumped into someone coming out.

“Hiss—”

“Are you blind? You’ve hurt me!”

A sharp and angry voice rang out.

Qiao Chuchu furrowed her brows. Everything in her hands had fallen to the ground, scattered everywhere. She didn’t know how to react, but it didn’t seem right to blame them first.

She looked up and sized up the person in front of her. There were three girls dressed flamboyantly, with carefully applied makeup, looking like butterflies in bright, flashy clothing.

The girl in the middle had bumped into Shen Yinyin, spilling her milk tea all over her skirt.

Seeing that they didn’t say anything, the girls raised their voices even higher, “Ah! My new skirt! Do you know how much this skirt costs? Are you going to pay for it?”

“Hey, what’s all this shouting about?” Shen Yinyin’s clothes had also been stained with milk tea. “It’s clearly you who weren’t looking where you were going and bumped into us. Now our things and clothes are ruined. How do you plan to compensate?”

Qiao Chuchu looked at the girl in the middle and felt that she looked somewhat familiar but couldn’t quite place where she had seen her. She said, “I think this hotel must have surveillance cameras. If you don’t remember what just happened, I’m sure something can help refresh your memory.”

“You are…”

“Sister Dan, I think she’s Qiao Cen’s sister, Qiao Chuchu.” The girl in the yellow dress whispered to the girl in the middle.

Sun Dandan recognized her right away and raised her head even higher. “So what if you’re Qiao Chuchu? Am I supposed to be afraid of her?”

The Sun family and the Qiao family were business rivals, and Sun Dandan had always looked down on the Qiao family, not to mention this “found” sister, Qiao Chuchu. Judging by her outfit, she looked like a country bumpkin.

“Alright, so what are we going to do about this?” Shen Yinyin wasn’t afraid of them. After all, the fault was clearly theirs. “How about we call the police? I’m sure they’ll sort this out.”

“Hmph, threats like that don’t work on me.”

Sun Dandan arrogantly lifted her head, and then, as if seeing her beloved, her face twisted from disdain to admiration. Soon, the admiration faded into a look of grievance, her expression turning pitiful, as tears even began to well up in her eyes.

“What the heck, why is she crying?” Shen Yinyin was startled by her dramatic mood swing. “We didn’t even bully her!”

Qiao Chuchu was just as confused, thinking to herself that this girl in front of her was way too good at acting. She was curious to see what kind of person she was.

【Found it.】

【The yellow-haired girl who bumped into us and refused to take responsibility, acting like the victim first, is Sun Dandan, the eldest daughter of the Sun family. The two girls beside her are her lackeys, Feng Si and Qian Pan. They’re only close to her for money and constantly flatter her, but secretly, they can’t stand her domineering attitude.】

【These three only have a plastic friendship. One of them stole Sun Dandan’s fiance, and the other has fallen for the man Sun Dandan currently likes.】

“Sun Dandan, what are you doing here?”

A deep voice interrupted Qiao Chuchu’s gossip session.

Sun Dandan, still playing the weak and pitiful act, didn’t respond. She just sobbed, “Wuwuwu, Mingqian…”

Qiao Chuchu’s interest in the drama intensified as she continued to read through the details.

【Wow, looks like I stumbled onto a big scoop, and the main character just showed up. So exciting!】