Sheng Yuxue listened, stunned. The door behind her opened, and Huo Qingrang walked in. He was heavily disguised with sunglasses, a mask, and a hat. Only after entering did he remove these items. Sheng Yuchen merely glanced at him and understood. His displeasure wasn't evident on his face; instead, he smiled and walked forward, "Dad, you're here."
Huo Qingrang was still shaken. After parking his car downstairs, he saw Huo Tingyun emerge. As he opened the car door, he quickly retracted his foot. Only after Huo Tingyun had walked away did he get out of the car, fully equipped, as if afraid of being recognized.
"Next time, don't arrange to meet in a place like this."
Sheng Yuchen's expression suddenly darkened upon hearing Huo Qingrang's words, but he didn't show it, merely smiling and remaining silent.
Sheng Yuxue also looked worried, "Yes, let's find a more secluded place next time."
A wave of furious roars surged within Sheng Yuchen. He wanted to flip the table and question Huo Qingrang: over the years, what did their mother and he truly mean to him? Were they mere playthings to be summoned and dismissed at will? Were they rats and vermin that had to be kept out of sight?
Reason, however, triumphed over impulse. Sheng Yuchen continued eating as if nothing had happened.
After the meal, Huo Qingrang drove Sheng Yuxue home. Sheng Yuchen, using an excuse, watched their car drive away before taking out a cigarette from his pocket and taking a deep drag.
It began to rain. He squatted at the hotel entrance, smoke swirling around him, lost in deep thought.
Footsteps approached and stopped beside him.
"Looking glum won't help. Don't punish yourself for others' mistakes."
Sheng Yuchen was startled. He looked up, his vision blurred by the rain and mist. He couldn't see the woman's face clearly.
"This world is so beautiful, and there are many meaningful things worth cherishing."
"Is that so?"
Sheng Yuchen gave a sorrowful smile.
"I can't seem to find the meaning of life. I live each day like a walking corpse, aimlessly drifting, like a lone boat that can never reach the shore."
Before he came of age, he never knew what an illegitimate child was.
Not until one day, he saw the news of Huo Qingrang attending an event with Huo Tingyun.
At that moment, Sheng Yuchen seemed to finally realize what he truly was.
He was the most humble existence in a wealthy family, an illegitimate son.
Living under such a shadow, he almost obsessively followed Huo Tingyun's every move and all news related to him, as if possessed.
The more he followed, the more his hatred and unwillingness grew unchecked.
Huo Tingyun always stood in the most dazzling place, like a divine statue, receiving people's offerings and incense, their worship and respect.
While he was like an ant, mingling at the very bottom.
If Huo Tingyun was a ray of light, then he was the shadow.
He didn't want to live in the shadows forever, to live in the sewers, to be a rat that couldn't see the light of day.
"A river without direction can never find its other shore."
"A river without direction?"
Sheng Yuchen murmured, savoring the words.
"Follow your heart."
The woman opened her umbrella and left only her retreating back. Her footsteps gradually faded away.
Sheng Yuchen snapped back to reality, wanting to chase after her, but looking around, he saw only the hazy winter rain and the biting cold wind.
That night, the news of Huo Tingyun's divorce spread like wildfire.
It instantly dominated major media platforms and topped Weibo's trending searches.
Media professionals worked overtime throughout the night, comparable to news of celebrity affairs or divorces.
Who was Huo Tingyun?
No one in the country didn't know.
Who was Su Qi?
An unknown nobody.
Huo Tingyun's gossip had always been constant, and the sudden news of his divorce attracted widespread public attention.
"Shocking me for ten thousand years! Wasn't Huo Tingyun's wife pregnant?! How could they divorce so quickly!"
"Looks like money isn't everything; those who need to divorce still will."
"Well done! Escape the sea of suffering! Be beautiful alone! Cherish life! Stay away from scum!"
"This man is so disappointing; he was still messing around outside while his wife was pregnant."
"Rich men are just fickle..."
Such comments, both positive and negative, poured in endlessly.
But a quick glance revealed that the vast majority supported Su Qi's actions.
Su Qi glanced at the tablet, her expression unfazed by the negative news.
Huang Ying had told her that to succeed in this line of work, one had to develop strong resilience.
If she could be crushed by a little public opinion, she might as well go home and farm.
Su Qi called Yang Tianhao, "Hold a press conference tomorrow."
Strike while the iron is hot; otherwise, the Huo family's public relations team would quash the heat in a few days.
Their company needed to make a splash, and this press conference was their chance!
Without Huo Tingyun as her backing, she could only rely on public opinion. With fame and attention, she could climb higher and take control of her life.
The next day, Su Qi woke up very early, her sleep restless. She woke up long before dawn, washed up, and left without even applying makeup, dressed in simple clothes.
Yang Tianhao was waiting outside. This was Yang Tianhao's second time at the Huo family's old mansion.
This time, he wasn't marveling at the beautiful scenery of the Huo family estate but was instead exclaiming.
"Sister Su Qi, you're truly amazing!"
Su Qi smiled slightly, "I'm younger than you, why do you still call me 'Sister'?"
"Because you're amazing, you're my sister!"
Yang Tianhao opened the car door and drove Su Qi to the press conference venue.
Even the largest banquet hall in the five-star hotel was packed with reporters. Some reporters, lacking seats, were even standing. Cars filled the road outside, making it impassable.
As soon as the car stopped, Yang Tianhao clicked his tongue, "I didn't expect so many media reporters to show up."
When Su Qi had called him, saying she wanted to trend the divorce news and hire online trolls to create buzz, Yang Tianhao had felt a bit uncertain. He hadn't expected it to explode so easily. It seemed everyone was very interested in gossip these days, especially Huo Tingyun's gossip.
This industry tycoon's fame was comparable to that of top-tier idols.
Su Qi smiled wryly, "It's normal."
Huo Tingyun was low-key in his personal life, but that didn't mean his business dealings were low-key. He was a capable entrepreneur, young and promising, with decisive methods. Most importantly, he possessed a face that could captivate the public and a perfect physique, easily outshining many young idols in the entertainment industry.
No, comparing Huo Tingyun to young idols wasn't quite fitting.
The reporters were eager to get exclusive scoops about Huo Tingyun.
The Huo family's public relations team was formidable; they had never leaked negative news over the years.
Even the kidnapping incident was suppressed so tightly that not a single detail escaped.
Apart from a few insiders, no ordinary person knew about it.
Now, she had dropped a bombshell.
These media outlets, like flies drawn to dung, swarmed around, wanting a taste of Huo Tingyun's "dung."