Chapter 9: Surprise Easter Egg – Strong and Sturdy

In the darkness, Zhong Yang nodded, then suddenly realized the other party couldn’t see her. She licked her dry lips and spoke:
“I’ve made up my mind. I want to ask for your help in uncovering the truth behind the false accusation against me a year ago.”

“That’s all?” Pei Yunzhe raised an eyebrow. “I’ll allow you to add one more request.”

Zhong Yang hesitated for a moment before saying,
“If possible, I’d also like you to give me a chance.”

“Hmm?”

“A fair audition opportunity—without any bias or prejudice.”

“Alright.”

With those words, silence fell for the third time. Zhong Yang walked over to the window and observed the situation outside.

“Um, Mr. Pei, it seems completely dark out there too. Could it be a blackout across the South Shore?”

There was no response. Zhong Yang saw a faint light in the darkness—Pei Yunzhe had made a phone call.

“What’s the situation at South Shore right now?”

“…”

“Mm, make sure to reinforce maintenance in the future.”

After hanging up, Pei Yunzhe put away his phone and said,
“Power equipment malfunction. It won’t be fixed until tomorrow. Someone will deliver emergency supplies shortly.”

“Okay,” Zhong Yang replied, not surprised. She had already gotten used to unlucky things like this happening to her.

Pei Yunzhe turned to open the door. “I’m leaving.”

“Take care on your way,” Zhong Yang said, then suddenly thought—wait, with the power out, wouldn’t the elevator be unusable?

She gently reminded him,
“Mr. Pei, this is the 18th floor.”

Pei Yunzhe’s figure paused slightly, but his voice remained steady. “Mm, I’ll walk down.”

Zhong Yang silently gave him a thumbs up behind his back.

Strong and sturdy indeed—worthy of being Mr. Pei Yunzhe, a prominent entrepreneur in the capital.

About an hour later, there was a knock on the door.
“Hello, I’m here to deliver emergency supplies.”

Through the peephole, she saw a young woman wearing a headlamp. Zhong Yang felt reassured and opened the door. The transparent little package she received included a power bank, drinking water, flashlight, and more.

“Thank you, the floor is quite high—you must be tired,” Zhong Yang said, taking out a bottle of water to give the girl.

“It’s fine! Usually the guys in property management do this, but the manager specifically said that a girl should deliver to Unit 1801 in Building C. I didn’t mind—double pay, ha!”

The girl laughed brightly and took out a kraft envelope from her backpack.
“Also, this. Mr. Pei specifically instructed me to give it to you.”

Zhong Yang’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.

“Alright, mission complete. Bye, pretty sister!”

“Thank you… take care on your way back.”

After closing the door, Zhong Yang quickly turned on the flashlight, brightening the room.

She opened the kraft envelope to find various medicinal supplies—medicated oil, cold packs, band-aids…

So—he looked cold and indifferent on the outside, but was actually this considerate? Totally different from the rumors.

The corners of Zhong Yang’s lips lifted in a small smile.

She neatly arranged the items and took a photo, posting it to her newly created and completely empty personal Weibo account.

[Starting anew! PS. Surprise Easter egg after the drama film ends. (Image)]

Zhong Yang’s original Weibo had 340,000 followers, but it was reclaimed by Yuntian Entertainment after her contract ended.
Her new account only had 3 followers.

Take it slow. Since Pei Yunzhe had already agreed to help, there was hope for a comeback. If she worked hard, hitting one million followers wasn’t just a dream!

Thinking of this, Zhong Yang sent a message to Pei Yunzhe:

[(Image) Mr. Pei, I’ve received the medicine. I’ll transfer the rent shortly. Thank you again for your help!]

---

Over the next month, Zhong Yang led a calm routine—staying home to cook, exercise, and study during the day, and working at Lake bar at night. She was quite content.

Business at the bar got better every day. Chen Qingyue even hired a few new staff, and Zhong Yang was inexplicably promoted to shift lead with a 2,000 yuan raise.

“Jie, where should I put this cup?” asked a young girl, Xiaoyun.

Zhong Yang glanced at it and answered without thinking,
“Third drawer from the top in the tall cabinet to the left of the storeroom.”

“Got it!”

Just as Xiaoyun walked off, a young guy came over.
“Jie, another customer wants your WeChat—the guy at Table 5, center seat.”

Zhong Yang casually looked in that direction and shook her head.
“Don’t like the look of him. Tell him no.”

“Okay! Same excuse as last time? That you like girls?”

Zhong Yang nodded. “Works every time.”

While mixing drinks, Chen Qingyue overheard their exchange and chuckled.
“You’ve got the best tactics.”

“Right? That one’s foolproof.”

Chen Qingyue smiled while finishing a drink, but her expression stiffened as she checked the order list.
“…Future Best Actress, help me make two more drinks, please!”

Zhong Yang had picked up some bartending skills over the past month and could now make all the bar’s signature drinks.

She grabbed the shaker and asked curiously,
“When is the new bartender arriving?”

“The day after tomorrow. Just hang in there—we’re almost there!”

“Got it.”

The guy from earlier ran over again, upset.
“Jie, that dude’s talking crap about you! He even said some nasty things—kept insisting you go over there even though I turned him down!”

Zhong Yang frowned.
“Like what?”

“He said… well, I don’t want to repeat it. Just really gross stuff…”

Zhong Yang understood and calmly kept making drinks.
“Ignore him. New guests just came in—go handle them first.”

But Chen Qingyue frowned.
“Hey, Zhong Yang, look… why do they seem to be pointing at us?”

Zhong Yang poured the cocktail into a highball glass and added fruit garnish.
“Because we’re both ridiculously good-looking?”

“No, I mean it feels different than usual…”
Before he could finish, the rude man from earlier appeared at the bar.

Leaning forward on the counter, eyes glazed with intoxication, he licked his lips and leered:
“Hey, how much for the night?”

Chen Qingyue, rarely angry, snapped:
“Sir, please watch your words.”

Zhong Yang acted as if she hadn’t heard. She placed the drink on a tray and tried to leave the bar.

“Hey, I’m talking to you!” the man suddenly grabbed her arm.
“Playing hard to get?”

The drink nearly spilled. Zhong Yang’s brows furrowed in disgust.
“Let go.”

Chen Qingyue rushed over and forcefully pushed the man back, warning with a hand against his chest:
“One more move and I’m calling the police.”

“Oho? You hit me?” the man retaliated and sneered.
“You two are sleeping together, right? What’s it like? Care to share?”

His shouting drew attention. Many customers began recording with their phones. Whispers filled the room.

“Go home and rinse your filthy mouth with toilet water.”
Zhong Yang couldn’t stand it anymore and threw the drink in his face.
“Asshole.”

Someone in the crowd whooped, and the gossip buzz intensified.

“Damn, it’s about to go down!”

“Hey, that girl looks like the washed-up starlet from the hot search.”

“Yeah! That’s Zhong Yang! Same bar in the photo.”

“Tsk tsk… heard she used to be a homewrecker, got dumped by her sugar daddy, and now she’s working here.”

“Don’t care about that, but this guy is clearly harassing her. That’s sexual assault!”

“I was just saying how beautiful the waitress here is… didn’t expect all this!”

“What? Let me see—hand me your phone!”

Hearing the crowd’s comments, Zhong Yang caught on to a few keywords—and her heart sank.

“You ungrateful bitch,” the man cursed, wiping the drink from his face. He grabbed her hair, his boozy breath hot on her cheek.
“Didn’t you need money? I’ve got plenty! I’m doing you a favor! Filthy slut!”

Zhong Yang cried out in pain and tilted her head back. She gripped his wrist tightly, the tray clattering to the floor.

Xiaoyun rushed over and tried to pry the man’s hand off.
“Let go of her!”

But the man’s strength overwhelmed them. Despite their efforts, they couldn’t break free.

“Fuck this!” Furious, Chen Qingyue punched the man in the face, but he still wouldn’t let go—clearly a shameless thug.

The scene became chaotic, drawing even more onlookers.

Suddenly, Chen Qingyue’s pupils shrank.

A dark object flashed past his eyes. He grabbed Xiaoyun and dodged aside.

Bang! A beer bottle exploded. Foam and liquid splashed everywhere—mixed with a bit of red.

The noisy crowd went silent.