Xia Qingtian savored her meal, holding the digestive plum tea brewed by Mobius, and felt increasingly that her current life was truly comfortable.
"Was that your family calling you just now?" Mobius asked casually as he sat on the sofa beside her.
"Yes, my sister," Xia Qingtian replied. "She's always worried I'll be taken advantage of when I'm alone. She's not old, but she worries a lot."
"You and your sister have a good relationship," Mobius remarked.
"Uh... we had some misunderstandings before, but now our relationship is good," Xia Qingtian answered.
"Misunderstandings?" Mobius looked at Xia Qingtian.
"It's a blended family, that's how it is," Xia Qingtian shrugged. "Everyone has their rebellious phase. Anyway, it's all in the past, let's not talk about it."
In her past life, she had been so foolish she couldn't stand herself, actually targeting family members who doted on her so much.
Utterly stupid.
"Mhm," Mobius, seeing that Xia Qingtian didn't want to talk about it, didn't press further. He simply lowered his gaze and quietly sipped the plum tea.
The two sat in silence. Even without conversation, there was no awkwardness. Instead, they savored this moment of tranquility.
Shortly after, the ringing of Mobius's phone shattered the peace.
Xia Qingtian's phone also vibrated twice.
Mobius looked at the caller ID and then instinctively glanced at Xia Qingtian.
"Do you have work? Then I'll come over for dinner tomorrow. No, wait," Xia Qingtian immediately corrected herself, "I'll come over... for tea tomorrow."
With a dry laugh, Xia Qingtian placed her teacup on the table, then smiled and stood up to leave.
After Xia Qingtian closed the door and left, Mobius finally answered the phone, his voice as indifferent as usual: "Hello, Mr. Xia."
"Mr. Gu, I hope I'm not disturbing you at this hour?" On the other end of the line was the CEO of Xia Corporation, Xia Qingtian's father—Xia Honglang.
"No," Mr. Gu put down his teacup and asked, "Are there any issues with the project?"
"Uh, no, it's not about the project, it's about Qingtian." Although Xia Honglang didn't want Xia Qingtian to waste her time in the entertainment industry, he also couldn't bear to see her suffer too much hardship, especially not to be framed or slandered by outsiders.
Therefore, Xia Honglang claimed to have obtained a photograph through certain channels that could harm Xia Qingtian's reputation and sent it to Mr. Gu, requesting that Mr. Gu investigate the full story behind it.
After all, Xia Qingtian was currently under Gu Corporation Entertainment, and it was better to leave such matters to Gu Corporation Entertainment to handle.
They were more experienced in dealing with such issues and it would be more secure.
Although Xia Honglang had considered giving the photos directly to Xia Qingtian, he worried he wouldn't be able to control his temper and would end up arguing with her.
Her own daughter had already run away from home, and if they had a few words that didn't go right, she might really never come back... oγg
That was certainly not his intention.
Therefore, Xia Honglang approached Mr. Gu.
Mr. Gu opened the photos sent by Xia Honglang on his computer. Seeing the photo of Jean Lingol standing next to Xia Qingtian, he felt a faint ache in his heart, and more than that, a surge of anger.
On that day, the only person who could have taken such a targeted photograph at Camille Manor was Yu Linwan.
"Please rest assured, I will resolve this matter," Mr. Gu said coldly. "I will not let this interfere with Miss Xia."
"That's good." Reassured by Mr. Gu's promise, Xia Honglang felt much more at ease. Then he couldn't help but ask, "Does Mr. Gu know who the gentleman in the photo is..."
"He's a friend Qingtian made during her business trip to France not long ago. They have no improper relationship. Please don't worry," Mr. Gu knew what Xia Honglang was concerned about and said, "Our company's artists have strict requirements regarding relationships, with clear contractual constraints. Please rest assured about this."
"Oh, oh, that's good then." Xia Honglang was also relieved to hear this and ended with a dry laugh, "That girl is very rebellious. It's good for her to suffer a bit."
Mr. Gu naturally did not take Xia Honglang's words to heart.
Parents always had their contradictions.
If Xia Honglang had truly intended for Xia Qingtian to suffer, he wouldn't have sent him these photos.
Mr. Gu exchanged pleasantries with Xia Honglang for a few more moments before hanging up.
His gaze returned to the computer, and Mr. Gu dialed a number on his phone: "Hello, Jean."
"Mhm?" A cheerful male voice came from the other end of the line. "Good afternoon, Mobius. It's evening where you are, isn't it? What's up?"
"There's something I need to discuss with you, and if necessary, I might need your help," Mobius replied.
"Oh... my friend, I'm a bit busy lately," Jean Lingol had recently returned to the Lingol family. Meryl was watching him very closely, and some family businesses were being handed over to him. He hadn't gotten the hang of it yet, so he was a bit flustered and pressed for time. "What is it? Tell me first, I'll do my best."
"It's about Qingtian," Mobius replied.
"Qingtian? I have time, any time is fine? What do you need me to do? Do I need to go to Country Z? Oh... I haven't been to Country Z yet!" Jean Lingol's tone changed instantly.
Mobius's eyelids twitched. His unhappiness intensified.
Damn it.
Next door, Xia Qingtian took out her phone to check the messages she had just received after leaving Mobius's house.
It was Wen Ning informing her that she would start filming next week. As "The Flower Moon Cherishes Spring the Most" was a period drama, there would be filming requirements related to martial arts and dance.
Wen Ning had hired experienced teachers to provide Xia Qingtian with urgent training for a week.
Wen Ning had seen Xia Qingtian perform dance motion capture for Sui Sui before and knew she had a foundation in dance. Coupled with her recent business trip to Paris, the schedule was not too tightly arranged.
Xia Qingtian immediately replied, indicating that she would follow all instructions.
Wen Ning was also satisfied with Xia Qingtian's cooperation and response speed.
There were many artists in the industry who, as soon as they showed signs of popularity, started to act up, often deliberately delaying or not responding to work-related messages.
This was never seen in Xia Qingtian.
Very good.
The next day, the driver arrived on time to pick up Xia Qingtian for her class. On the way back, the experienced driver noticed something unusual: "I think we're being followed."
Li Mengxiao, who was performing muscle relaxation for Xia Qingtian, was startled by the remark and subconsciously increased the pressure in her hands.
"Hiss..." Xia Qingtian gasped in pain. She met Li Mengxiao's apologetic gaze and then looked back, saying, "I've seen that car before."
"What should we do?" Li Mengxiao asked nervously.
"Let's not go home for now. Let's go to Gu Corporation Entertainment," Xia Qingtian said with a slight furrow of her brows. "Xiao Xiao, contact Sister Ning."
"Okay."