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Song Qingyu underwent a full-body examination, and the final scan revealed a fracture in her left arm.
Lu You’an was in even worse shape—not only had she broken multiple limbs, but she also suffered a mild concussion.
Li Xianglan threw a fit in the hospital, insisting that Song Qingyu and the theater troupe take full responsibility and compensate for Lu You’an’s injuries. Fu Shuangxi sighed helplessly. “Mrs. Lu, all the actors on set saw that Miss Lu was the one who reached out and pushed first. Now that the entire production is on hold and you’re still demanding compensation from us, we feel just as wrong.”
“Wronged, my ass!” Li Xianglan snapped. “Let me tell you, An’an’s boyfriend, Jiang Cheng, is the son of your theater troupe’s boss. With just one word from him, all of you will be out of a job…”
Li Huaidong took advantage of the commotion in the hallway and slipped into Song Qingyu’s hospital room.
She had just gotten her arm cast, and the pain was so intense that she was on the verge of tears. But the moment she saw Li Huaidong, she bit her lip and forced them back.
“If you want to cry, then cry,” Li Huaidong said as he approached her bedside.
“I don’t want to cry,” she retorted stubbornly.
“Anywhere else that feels uncomfortable?”
“No, they checked everything,” Song Qingyu replied.
Li Huaidong gave her a once-over.
She was still dressed in her stage costume—a plain blue Republican-era student qipao, her hair styled into two slender braids. The scholarly aura she exuded carried a youthful brilliance, like a fleeting glimpse of school days past.
She looked so pure, yet for some reason, she inexplicably stirred a tightness in his lower abdomen.
“What made you suddenly decide to act in a play?” Li Huaidong asked.
“The last production wrapped up, and I didn’t get any new jobs. I couldn’t just sit at home and pick my toes forever, could I?”
Pick her toes…
She had a way with words.
“Wouldn’t it be good to take a break for a while?”
“You don’t get it. Not having work or income is stressful. Even if I stayed home, I wouldn’t be able to relax properly. I might as well find something to do. Acting in a play is at least a way to improve my skills.”
“What’s there to be anxious about? You think I can’t afford to take care of you?”
“I don’t want you to take care of me. I want to work and earn my own money.”
Li Huaidong let out a low chuckle. “Well, now you’ve gone and broken an arm. Looks like you can finally stay home and pick your toes in peace.”
Song Qingyu couldn’t shake the feeling that he was enjoying her misfortune just a little too much.
“Are you here to check on me or to laugh at me?”
“I’m here to take you home.” He brushed his fingers lightly over her hair. “Wait here for a bit. Chu Yu will be sending someone to pick you up soon.”
Song Qingyu nodded, but just as he was about to leave, she quickly reached out and grabbed him.
“What is it?” Li Huaidong glanced at the hand clutching his suit jacket. “Something else on your mind?”
“Lu You’an was the one who pushed me first today. I only held back from calling the police because I didn’t want to make a big scene and delay the production. But if the Lu family keeps barking outside and making things difficult for the director, I won’t hold back anymore. I don’t care whose girlfriend Lu You’an is—I’ll drag her down with me if I have to!” Song Qingyu fumed.
Seeing her so indignant, Li Huaidong wrapped his hand around hers. “Not bad. The little kitten knows how to scratch now. But going down together is too brutal. With me here, whether you’re the fish or the net, I’ll make sure you win—completely unharmed.”
With me here, whether you’re the fish or the net, I’ll make sure you win—completely unharmed.
Song Qingyu looked at Li Huaidong’s gentle yet resolute expression, and her heart suddenly clenched hard.
She was done for. She could feel herself falling.
**
“Well, since you say so, I guess I’ll go ahead and call the police,” Song Qingyu said.
“Do it.”
“But what if Lu You’an gets arrested and Jiang Cheng retaliates against the theater troupe?”
“I’ll handle it.”
Song Qingyu stared at Li Huaidong in disbelief. “Is Lu You’an really your biological niece or not?”
“Nieces aren’t more important than my wife.”
Without hesitation, Song Qingyu picked up her phone and called the police.
On the other side of the hallway, Li Xianglan was still aggressively pressing the issue. Fu Shuangxi, having never dealt with such an unreasonable woman before, was on the verge of tears from frustration. Just as she was at a complete loss, the police arrived.
“Which one of you is Lu You’an?”
Li Xianglan panicked. “My You’an hasn’t even woken up yet! What do you want with her?”
“Someone reported an incident—Lu You’an is suspected of intentionally harming another person.”
“Intentionally harming someone? Our An’an is hurt way worse than that Song Qingyu! She even passed out and hasn’t woken up yet! If you’re going to arrest someone, arrest Song Qingyu instead!”
“Ms. Song didn’t hurt anyone!” Fu Shuangxi had had enough of Li Xianglan’s shamelessness and blatant twisting of the truth. “The entire theater troupe saw it—Lu You’an was the one who pushed Ms. Song off the stage! I can even provide the surveillance footage from the theater!”
“That’s right, we all saw it!”
“I saw it too!”
Lu You’an had always relied on the fact that her boyfriend, Jiang Cheng, was the son of the theater troupe’s owner, acting arrogant and dismissive toward others. But now, when it truly mattered, no one was willing to stand up for her.
“With both witness testimony and surveillance evidence, as soon as Lu You’an regains consciousness, we will proceed with detention.”
Li Xianglan felt as if the sky had collapsed. She nearly fainted in Lu Yanchuan’s arms, clutching his arm tightly. “Yanchuan, do something! Save your sister… If your father finds out she’s in trouble again and might end up in prison, he’ll kill her!”
Lu Yanchuan had no connections at the police station, so his first thought was Li Huaidong.
“Where’s Uncle? Where did he go?”
“It’s useless to ask me.” Li Huaidong’s expression remained indifferent as he approached from the other end of the hallway. “With both witness testimony and solid evidence, even I can’t interfere with the judicial process.”
Hearing this, Li Xianglan lost her last shred of hope. She collapsed onto the bench in the hallway, completely drained.
Oh heavens, what kind of terrible luck had her daughter run into? Why did she keep ending up in jail?
After this, she swore she would go to the temple, make offerings, and donate generously for blessings.
**
After cooperating with the police to record her statement, Song Qingyu returned to Taoyuan.
Uncle Kang had already prepared a pot of bone broth, waiting for her.
“Young Madam, have some more soup. Young Master specifically instructed it—said that eating what you need helps you heal faster.”
“Thank you, Uncle Kang.”
“It’s all per Young Master’s orders,” Uncle Kang repeated those words. “I watched Young Master grow up, and I’ve never seen him care for anyone this attentively. Young Madam, you’re the only one.”
Song Qingyu could sense that every time Uncle Kang spoke to her, he was intentionally or unintentionally instilling the idea that she was special to Li Huaidong.
But was she really as special to him as Uncle Kang claimed?
She realized that her emotions were becoming increasingly unstable. The version of herself who had once embraced detachment after the divorce was now, through her time with Li Huaidong, beginning to long for things she shouldn’t.
This was definitely not a good sign.
Her injury was on her left arm, which didn’t affect her ability to eat, but undressing and bathing had become a real challenge.
After going upstairs, she stood in front of the bathroom mirror, feeling completely stuck.
At that moment, Li Huaidong returned.
“You need to take a bath?” he asked, standing at the doorway and looking at her.
Song Qingyu nodded.
“I’ll help you.”
Without hesitation, Li Huaidong casually took off his suit jacket, rolled up the sleeves of his white dress shirt to his elbows, and removed the watch from his wrist.
Li Huaidong stepped forward, reaching for the knotted buttons of Song Qingyu’s qipao.
Instinctively, she took a step back.
“I’d rather have Aunt Zhang help me.”
“Aunt Zhang is off duty today.”
Song Qingyu couldn’t help but glare at him. “Liar, I saw her washing dishes downstairs just half an hour ago.”
“Then I’ll have her go rest now.”
“You… you’re shameless.” The last three words were barely a whisper.
Li Huaidong heard her, but it was as if he hadn’t. With perfect composure, he continued to unfasten the knotted buttons of her qipao.
Song Qingyu lowered her gaze to his hands.
She had always had a thing for hands, and Li Huaidong’s were a dream for someone like her—long, well-proportioned fingers, impeccably clean nails, and even the veins on the back of his hands stood out just right.
The traditional Chinese dress slipped to the floor.
Song Qingyu’s jade-like skin was exposed to the air.
She had barely shivered when Li Huaidong suddenly scooped her up in his arms.
“What are you doing?” Startled by the sudden loss of balance, she gasped.
“Carrying you to bathe.”
A deep flush crept up her face. It was her arm that was injured, not her legs.
The bathtub was fully automated, and the water had already been prepared—set at exactly thirty-seven degrees, the optimal temperature for a bath.
Li Huaidong gently placed her into the warm water, then sat on the edge of the tub, facing her.
In this intimate angle, Song Qingyu didn’t even know where to direct her gaze.
Li Huaidong squeezed a dollop of fig-scented body wash into his palm. His hands glided from the curve of her neck, tracing downward along her delicate contours, inch by inch, igniting a slow-burning fire wherever he touched.
A shudder ran through her. To avoid the awkwardness of meeting his eyes, she shut her own, but the moment her vision darkened, all her other senses heightened. The roughness of his palms against her skin became even more pronounced. Somewhere in the bathroom, a faucet hadn’t been fully turned off—the faint, rhythmic dripping of water filled the silence, making her mouth go dry.
She felt like a scoop of ice cream, fresh from the freezer, suddenly placed under the sun—melting, fast.
“I should still…”
As soon as she spoke, Li Huaidong leaned down and captured her lips, his tongue slipping in.
Half-submerged in the water, Song Qingyu felt her head spin from the kiss. Her right hand instinctively clutched his arm, nearly pulling him into the bathtub with her.
The bathroom was awash in waves of passion.
In the end, mindful of her injured arm, he managed to restrain himself, stopping at just a kiss.
After the bath, he wrapped her in a robe and then had her lie down so he could wash her hair.
“Have you ever washed someone’s hair before?” Washing hair wasn’t as nerve-wracking as bathing, so Song Qingyu finally felt at ease enough to chat.
“No.”
“Well, I’m truly honored.”
“It’s also my first time bathing someone. Miss Song, you’ve claimed many of my firsts.”
Song Qingyu: “…”
Who asked?
“Does it feel good?” Li Huaidong’s fingers gently massaged her scalp.
“It would feel better if you used more pressure. You’re not pressing hard enough.”
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
Song Qingyu: “…”
Why did this conversation sound more and more ambiguous?
Forget it. No more talking.
After washing her hair, Li Huaidong carried her to the bedside and began blow-drying it.
He was surprisingly considerate. Each time the warm air swept over her, he used his hand to shield her stray strands, preventing them from blowing into her eyes.
Song Qingyu closed her eyes, quietly savoring the way her heart stirred in the gentle breeze.
So this was Li Huaidong—someone so powerful and imposing, yet capable of such tenderness.
Oh no. She really might be falling for him.
Song Qingyu’s injury prevented her from continuing rehearsals, forcing her to take a break and rest at home.
That break lasted half a month. She felt like she was about to grow mold, constantly shrouded in an invisible sense of anxiety.
When Sheng Xingnai heard about her injury, she wanted to visit. But Song Qingyu, afraid that Sheng Xingnai would discover she was living with Li Huaidong, refused and instead arranged to meet for a meal outside.
The moment they met, Sheng Xingnai dropped a bombshell.
“Qingqing, Lu Shiyuan, and I are getting engaged.”
“What? Didn’t you slap him last time and say you liked women?”
“I had no choice. My dad and that stepmother of mine refuse to give me a moment’s peace. Every day, they set me up with some weirdo for a blind date. Just last week, they even tried to match me with Feng Wei—you know, the youngest son of the Feng family? The one who got involved with the mafia a few years ago? I was the one who personally sent him to prison! And yet, they still had the nerve to shove him at me, eyes shut, like I should just marry him.”
Sheng Xingnai figured that since she had to get married anyway, she might as well pick someone easy on the eyes.
Lu Shiyuan might have a cold and brooding demeanor, hardly the sunny type, but at least he had the looks and the physique.
So, she reached out to Lu Shiyuan, and the two of them hit it off instantly, deciding to go for a marriage of convenience.
“Lu Shiyuan values the Sheng family’s background, and I just need someone to shield me from these blind dates. We’ve agreed that after the engagement, we’ll put on a show for the public but stay out of each other’s affairs in private. It might sound absurd, but honestly, this is the best solution I can think of.”
Absurd?
Song Qingyu didn’t think so. After all, her marriage had started in an equally strange way.
“By the way, Qingyu, Lu Shiyuan was technically your brother-in-law before. What kind of person is he?”
“I don’t know him that well.”
Lu Shiyuan and Lu Yanchuan had always been at odds. At that time, she was Lu Yanchuan’s wife, so she had no opportunity to get close to Lu Shiyuan. They only occasionally crossed paths at family gatherings, merely recognizing each other.
However, she knew that Lu Shiyuan had lived in an orphanage before being brought back to the Lu family. Despite the harsh environment, it didn’t affect his studies. He was very smart and consistently ranked among the top students, which is why Lu Jianping valued him highly. On the other hand, Lu Yanchuan and Li Xianglan particularly disliked Lu Shiyuan. After Lu Shiyuan returned to the Lu family, this mother-and-son pair treated him like a threat, frequently badmouthing him behind his back, calling him a bastard, and accusing him of returning to take over the entire Lu family.
“Lu Shiyuan started as an illegitimate child and has climbed to his current high position, so his abilities are unquestionable. But Xingnai, a man like him, must be very scheming. You need to be extremely cautious in dealing with him.”
“Don’t worry, I’m no pushover. I won’t be taken advantage of.”
“Mm.”
Song Qingyu and Sheng Xingnai finished their meal and returned to Taoyuan. As soon as they entered, she saw Li Huaidong’s car parked in the yard.
Why is he home so early today?
Song Qingyu’s heart lifted with joy, and she hurried inside.
Since her hand was injured, she had been bored at home every day. Waiting for Li Huaidong to come home after work had become the highlight of her day.
“You’re home early today?”
“I came to take you somewhere.”
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll know when we get there.”
As soon as Song Qingyu entered the house, she quickly followed Li Huaidong out again.
The car drove north all the way and finally stopped in front of a mansion in Weihai.
Li Huaidong took Song Qingyu’s hand as they entered the gate.
The estate was beautiful, with pavilions and towers, and all built in a modern Chinese style.
He finally led her to a pavilion, where two men in their fifties were playing chess. One of them had a big beard, curly hair, and a large belly; he was the famous director Zhang Zhongji. The other man wore a long robe, looking simple at first glance, but he was holding a string of walnut carvings worth millions.
“On the left is Director Zhang Zhongji, and on the right is Producer Chu Shan,” Li Huaidong introduced to Song Qingyu.
“Chu Shan? So he’s the one!”
Chu Shan was one of the most renowned producers in the entertainment industry. Every project he produced became a major hit, and there was a saying in the industry: “If it’s a Chu Shan production, it’s guaranteed to be a masterpiece.”
“Director Zhang and Producer Chu are currently preparing a new project and are looking for a female lead. I brought you here to meet them; you might have a chance to be selected.”
Song Qingyu was touched. “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. I see you’re getting bored at home, so I thought I’d give you something to do.”
Alright, the gratitude is rescinded.
**
In reality, Zhang Zhongji and Chu Shan didn’t lack a female lead. At their level in the entertainment industry, it was hardly a challenge to find the perfect actress.
However, it was just to do Li Huaidong a favor by bringing her to meet him as a recommendation.
Before they arrived, neither of them had much hope. While they were playing chess just now, they had been discussing how to reject the person Li Huaidong sent without offending him. But when they saw Song Qingyu, all their doubts vanished.
There were many beauties in the entertainment industry, with various looks ranging from striking to subtle, a diverse spectrum. However, Song Qingyu’s face, both pure and enchanting, was truly a rare sight.
She came today in a rush, without any makeup, yet not wearing makeup gave Zhang Zhongji exactly the kind of natural beauty he had longed for—”lips red without lipstick, eyebrows dark without drawing.”
Song Qingyu was not a clueless actress; she had a unique perspective on acting and her belief in the craft. Her eloquence and demeanor earned her the admiration of Zhang Zhongji and Chu Shan.
The three of them hit it off immediately and had a delightful conversation.
In the end, Zhang Zhongji and Chu Shan no longer made subtle hints but directly stated that they would hand the lead role of their new film Furong Mountain to Song Qingyu.
“Perfect, she’s injured and at home, so she can focus on studying the script,” Li Huaidong was even more decisive, directly asking the director for the script. “Director Zhang, you can send it to her email later.”
“Sure, Miss Song, please leave your contact information. I’ll have my assistant send the script and contract to you when I get back. The set construction will take some time, so use this period to rest. If you have any questions about the script, feel free to reach out to me anytime,” Zhang Zhongji said.
“Thank you, Director Zhang, thank you, Producer Chu,” Song Qingyu responded.
“No need to thank us. Thank Li Huaidong,” Chu Shan said, looking at Li Huaidong. “If it weren’t for Huaidong’s repeated recommendations and his special efforts to bring us here today, we might not have had the chance to select Miss Song.”
“Indeed, Huaidong is very considerate,” Zhang Zhongji added.
Song Qingyu turned her gaze toward Li Huaidong.
He calmly sipped his tea, his gaze fixed on the chess game between Director Zhang and Teacher Chu, exuding an air of composed elegance, as though hiding great achievements behind a serene facade.
After leaving the manor, Song Qingyu eagerly dialed Quan Xinya’s number to share the good news.
Quan Xinya could hardly believe it and asked several times for confirmation. “You mean Zhang Zhongji and Chu Shan? Really? The Zhang Zhongji and Chu Shan?”
“Yes, yes, yes, Sister Quan, one hundred percent true,” Song Qingyu replied.
“My gosh, I was so worried when you broke your hand, and now… what a twist of fate! Resources just falling from the sky like that!” After her initial excitement, Quan Xinya composed herself. “Qingyu, who introduced you to Director Zhang and Producer Chu?”
Song Qingyu glanced at Li Huaidong, who was sitting beside her, and lowered her voice, speaking vaguely, “A friend.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Li Huaidong snatched her phone away and ended the call abruptly.
“A friend?” Li Huaidong tightened his arm around her waist, pulling her into his embrace. “What kind of friend am I to you, hmm?”
Song Qingyu glanced at Chu Yu, who was driving, signaling to Li Huaidong that there were other people in the car and that he shouldn’t get too carried away.
To her surprise, Chu Yu seemed to pick up on the cue and immediately raised the privacy partition.
“Mrs. Li, I’m the one who made the introduction. You don’t thank me, but you’re quick to burn the bridge after crossing it.” Li Huaidong leaned in, resting his forehead against hers, his lips grazing her nose. “Don’t you think you’re a little ungrateful?”
“I never said I wouldn’t thank you,” Song Qingyu, aware that she was at fault, was afraid he might be upset. She reached up to wrap her arms around his neck, then climbed onto his lap, pressing a kiss to his lips. “How about this way of thanking you?”