He Qing, however, feigned a thoughtful expression and said, "It shouldn't be. Shao Lin is Xiao Xi's mother, after all. Young Master Jin wouldn't allow Su Ding to harm Shao Lin. But restricting her freedom of movement is likely..."
Zhao Qin didn't realize that He Qing seemed to understand these relationships too well, always able to deduce relatively certain answers.
At this moment, she was merely following He Qing's train of thought, finding it quite reasonable. After all, her mind was a complete mess.
"You mean Shao Lin is in Jiangcheng now, and she's being held by Xiao Ye?"
"Mhm, that should be the case."
He Qing nodded, thinking she had finally gotten to the crucial point.
Zhao Qin pondered, "Then I must send people to search again. If we find Linlin, we still need Linlin to use the child as a breakthrough..."
"Sister Qin, Young Master Jin knows your every move. He's definitely wary of you, which is why you can never find any news of Shao Lin. If you trust me, I can have my people look for her?"
He Qing already knew where Shao Lin was being held, and even how miserable she was now. Liang Min was also well aware of this. They had plotted together before, but Shao Lin was brainless, only useful as a tool, not for planning. She wouldn't bother with Shao Lin until a critical moment.
Hearing He Qing's words, Zhao Qin's face lit up with surprise, "Can you? That's wonderful! My people and my son know everything, so they'll deliberately avoid Shao Lin's information. If you investigate discreetly, and Shao Lin is truly in Jiangcheng, you'll surely find her."
"Mhm, I'll arrange it shortly then. We'll just wait for news," He Qing said with a smile.
"I hope we find Linlin. She must have suffered a lot in Su Ding's hands."
Zhao Qin murmured to herself, gaining a sliver more hope of bringing down Su Ding.
He Qing remained silent, but a smug satisfaction gleamed in her eyes.
In contrast to the scheming at the Jin residence, Su Ding was still filming on set.
"Cut!"
As the director's voice fell, Su Ding gracefully descended from a height, her cool demeanor still somewhat distant, not quite out of character.
Wilson walked over with a smile, satisfied. "I believe when the film is released, Ding, you'll become immensely popular again. You embody this role so perfectly. You are so beautiful, the most beautiful woman in the East...!"
"Wilson, it's your script that's good."
Su Ding walked over with a faint smile, throwing on the blanket Xiao Yuan had prepared for her.
While directors were often heard scolding actors on set, when Su Ding filmed, there was only praise. Other actors were initially a bit envious, but after witnessing Su Ding's performances, they suddenly understood why the director yelled at them. Even though Su Ding wore a veil, her perfect figure and unique voice truly made people believe she was the most beautiful woman. She was so divine, so wonderful, inspiring longing. Despite the rumors surrounding her, her artistic beauty was irresistible. Such a person was born to be an actress. Regardless of her private conduct, her professionalism was undeniable, especially since she hadn't even graduated from an acting program. Gradually, many actors began to anticipate the final cut, imagining how much better it would be with special effects!
Shao Qingqing, as one of the junior actors, felt an overwhelming sense of admiration watching Su Ding's solid professional ability and dedication. Ordinary people might not notice, but for someone like her, who often played minor roles and hoped for her own characters, the subtle details revealed that Su Ding must have suffered greatly in the past. Shao Qingqing felt as though she was meeting her niece for the first time. She actively searched for films Su Ding had acted in during her struggles abroad, watching footage of Su Ding tumbling and fighting on the ground. She seemed to realize how difficult it must have been for the girl to leave her home and go abroad alone. She hadn't risen to her current success solely on her beauty; she had achieved it step by step, relying on no one.
"When she went abroad, she seemed to have brought her newborn child..."
Shao Qingqing suddenly remembered this, and a wave of sorrow washed over her. She didn't know what had happened with Su Ding's child, but raising a baby alone in a foreign land was incredibly challenging. She also recalled that when Su Ding's mother was critically ill, she was away at school and unaware of the situation. It was precisely because of this that Su Ding didn't harbor much hostility towards her. Su Ding was a person who clearly distinguished between gratitude and resentment, and what had she done? Shao Qingqing felt deeply ashamed. She gazed at Su Ding from afar, stunningly beautiful and chatting with the director in the wind. The jealousy she had once harbored had completely vanished. She knew apologies were useless; she only hoped that for the rest of her life, she could earn Su Ding's forgiveness...
Two days later.
Su Ding's scenes concluded, and she left the set, preparing to drive home. Because the filming location this time was in the suburbs, she set off directly from there. The road was rather secluded, but it was daytime, so she didn't feel anything amiss. However, as she neared the city, a car suddenly swerved from the opposite direction and rammed into hers.
Bang!
Su Ding had no time to evade before her car violently shook from the impact, and she hit her head on the steering wheel, losing consciousness. Unbeknownst to her, two men leaped out of the oncoming car and got into hers. Finding her unconscious, they immediately dragged her to the back seat. Then, one of them took the driver's seat and drove towards the city. The car that had initially collided with hers turned around and led the way.
Half an hour later, Su Ding woke up in a hotel suite bed. The dim light shone on her body, and her mind was foggy.
"You're awake, Su Ding."
A voice suddenly rang out, and Zhang Gang lecherously approached the bed, step by step.
Seeing Zhang Gang, Su Ding's body tensed sharply, and her expression turned cold. "Zhang Gang, what do you mean?"
"Heh heh, what I mean is already quite obvious, isn't it?"
Zhang Gang looked at Su Ding, who was stunningly beautiful under the light, and his heart burned with desire. Su Ding was a hundred times more attractive than Xu Rong. She truly lived up to being a star. He licked his lips greedily, his heart pounding at the thought of what was to come.
"Su Ding, do you know, the first time I saw you, I wanted to sleep with you. You're so beautiful. If you're willing to sleep with me, I can give you money. Who knew you'd later find someone to beat me up for that brat Wang Siwei."
Zhang Gang's gaze towards Su Ding gradually turned sinister. He approached her step by step, lowering his voice. "Tonight, I'll thoroughly savor your taste. To be honest, I've never slept with a woman as fiery and beautiful as you. Hehehe..."
"Zhang Gang! You are truly a beast!"
Su Ding rolled off the bed and stood up, her voice cold. She truly hadn't expected Zhang Gang to harbor such intentions towards her; it was utterly disgusting.
"Curse me all you want, haha. Once I've had my way with you, let's see if you have the face to sue me on behalf of Wang Siwei. Xu Rong won't believe you either. I know, why bother? Don't you also want Wang Siwei's money? Then you might as well serve me well!"
As he spoke, Zhang Gang lunged towards Su Ding. Su Ding tried to resist but felt dizzy. She hurriedly attempted to get out of bed, but Zhang Gang pinned her legs. She kicked him forcefully.
"Heh heh, I like taming wild horses."
Just as Zhang Gang's hand was about to touch Su Ding, her eyes turned sharp. She grabbed the bedside lamp, intending to smash it. At that moment, the room door was suddenly kicked open!
Bang!
The door shuddered and bounced several times from the impact. This startled Zhang Gang, who was in a state of arousal, and he whipped his head around. He released Su Ding and looked over, seeing a tall man storming in. Behind him followed several men in black, exuding an incredibly powerful aura.
"Who, who are you people?"
Zhang Gang's voice changed, his tone laced with fear. He knew the person before him was not to be trifled with. The man strode forward, not glancing at Zhang Gang, his gaze fixed on Su Ding on the bed, who was about to smash the lamp. His expression was one of great anxiety. "I'm sorry, I'm late."
"Jin Ye!"
Seeing the familiar handsome face and hearing that deep voice, Su Ding's eyes widened in shock.