Quan Jiu had expected a cold reception, but instead, the aroma of food wafted from the kitchen, and someone was waiting for her in the living room.
In that moment, it would have been a lie to say she wasn't moved. No matter how late she returned, there was always someone waiting for her, caring if she had eaten. This warmth was like a slow-acting poison, addictive.
To avoid becoming addicted, Quan Jiu decided to ignore it all and head straight to her room.
But as she passed the living room, the person on the sofa grabbed her wrist and, with a gentle pull, drew her into their embrace.
"What are you doing? Let go of me." Quan Jiu was furious. The lingering hostility from before ignited instantly.
But Chu Rong simply held her, his right hand stroking the back of her head, gently and tenderly murmuring, "A Jiu, I'm sorry."
Quan Jiu frowned slightly, but the hostility in her eyes gradually dissipated. She said in a muffled voice, "I don't deserve it. Let go."
Chu Rong released her as requested, his fingers gently brushing across Quan Jiu's cheek, subtly wiping away a tiny bloodstain.
A sizzling sound of water overflowing from a pot came from the kitchen. Chu Rong let go of Quan Jiu and walked towards the kitchen, "I steamed dumplings. Have some."
Quan Jiu was indeed hungry. She had only eaten a simple bread at six in the afternoon. After a night of turmoil, or perhaps due to sweating, the mention of food made her feel ravenously hungry.
There was no need to fight her own stomach.
She took out her laptop and sat down at the dining table.
Chu Rong soon returned with a plate of steamed dumplings and a dipping sauce. Seeing Quan Jiu sitting obediently, his lips curved into a smile.
Quan Jiu set her laptop aside for the moment. While eating the dumplings, she noticed Chu Rong was still wearing the clothes from three days ago.
He had always been meticulous about cleanliness, and she wondered how he had managed to endure for so long.
"Are you planning to stay here indefinitely?" she asked.
Chu Rong, however, got up and went back to the kitchen to bring out another plate of dumplings, "These are chive and egg filling."
Well, it seemed this clingy dog was determined not to leave.
Quan Jiu, annoyed, ate half of each plate of dumplings, then dropped her chopsticks and picked up her laptop to return to her room. However, before closing the door, she gruffly left one last sentence: "Move your things yourself."
For the sake of the dumplings, she would let him stay for a few days. Once he realized that lingering wouldn't work, he would naturally give up.
Chu Rong watched the closed door, his smile widening, and went out to bring his two bags of luggage into the room.
Quan Jiu, meanwhile, quickly washed up and burrowed under the covers.
From five different camera angles, the perpetrator and Shen Lu's faces were clearly recorded. Quan Jiu edited the videos and, at two in the morning, called Wei Tao.
Wei Tao was also a night owl. Just as he was about to lie down, he saw a call from the beautiful woman. He knew she wouldn't call this late just to chat; there must be some gossip, so he eagerly answered.
"Beauty Quan, still awake so late? Got some big news?"
"I've sent you the video. Can it be released now?" Quan Jiu asked as she operated her laptop.
Wei Tao's face lit up, "Anytime. If the news is explosive, it'll be on the trending list tomorrow."
After downloading the video, Wei Tao took a closer look and was both surprised and alarmed to see Quan Jiu as the protagonist. He immediately asked with concern, "Are you okay? Is that... Shen Lu? How did you offend her? She even hired thugs to beat you. Are you injured? Did you call the police?"
The video only showed Quan Jiu being surrounded and attacked by a group of people, but the subsequent events were unimaginable for a beautiful, frail woman surrounded by thugs.
"I'm fine," Quan Jiu reassured him. "It seems the person filming scared them away."
Wei Tao also noticed that the five videos were shot from different angles. "Were these five people filming? Were they at the scene?"
"They must have been passing by and hid in the bushes by the roadside. Perhaps they were scared too and didn't dare to intervene. But after those people fled, they gave me the videos."
Wei Tao exclaimed in amazement and fear, "You were lucky! Why were you walking alone so late at night? Girls shouldn't go out alone at night; even driving isn't safe."
Quan Jiu smiled gratefully, "Fortunately, nothing major happened. I only sustained some minor scratches. I'll leave the exposure to you. Also, I didn't get a clear look at the five people who filmed. It was too dark by the roadside, so if anyone asks, I won't know."
"Understood. You should rest now and get a good night's sleep. Don't worry, I'll make sure justice is served."
Wei Tao hung up the phone, his sleepiness completely gone. Energized and filled with righteous anger, he furiously wrote a detailed post, attached the videos, and released it at three-thirty in the morning.
#Celebrity Shen Lu Hires Thugs to Assault#
Simple and direct, with no embellishments, but as soon as the topic was posted, it garnered millions of views almost instantly. By the time Quan Jiu woke up the next day, it was already the number one trending topic across all platforms.
In just a few hours, the attention reached billions, and it was still rising sharply.
The subject of the topic, Shen Lu, was condemned by the entire internet. Even Shen Lu's management company, Tianhua, and the Shen Corporation were trending.
At this moment, Shen Lu had become a public enemy.
Meanwhile, Shen Lu herself was at the hospital giving her statement.
Her face was wrapped in thick bandages, and she struggled to explain the sequence of events. "I don't know why she did this. I didn't know her before. She suddenly rushed out, dragged me out of the car, and cut my face with a knife. She had an accomplice, but my eyes were covered at the time, so I don't know who it was."
Shen Lu's mother, Du Wen Feng, her eyes filled with hatred, produced several photos taken at the hospital. "Look at this. How did that woman ruin my daughter's face? My daughter is a big star; her career depends on her looks. These two cuts, even with plastic surgery, would be difficult to make completely unnoticeable. Her entire future is ruined.
You know how important a face is to a woman. My daughter is so depressed she wants to commit suicide. Officer, you must arrest that woman and sentence her to death."
Li Zhen's face was stern. "Death penalty isn't as easy as you say. At most, she'll be charged with assault. You should get a disability assessment."
As he spoke, the investigator in charge walked in. "Captain Li, we've checked the roadside surveillance along the route. For some reason, the cameras were turned off. From ten to twelve, there was no surveillance. However, we've reviewed the surveillance outside that section and found six suspicious vehicles."
The speaker handed over printed screenshots of six license plates and continued, "These six vehicles appeared on surveillance at 11:34 PM. Based on their route, they left from the Fudong section."
Li Zhen placed the six license plate photos in front of Shen Lu and questioned, "Have you seen these license plates or owners?"
Shen Lu's eyes flickered, and she instinctively looked away. "I don't know. I didn't notice."
Li Zhen's eyes, however, were sharp, and his voice grew harder. "Don't lie. Have you seen them or not?"
Shen Lu was, after all, just a minor celebrity who hadn't even finished university. She was momentarily stunned and stammered, "I... I think I've seen them. I don't remember. My... my face hurts. Mom, I can't live anymore. I can't show my face to anyone."
Saying this, she started kicking and screaming.
Du Wen Feng was both anxious and angry. While hugging and comforting her daughter, she turned to Li Zhen and said furiously, "My daughter is the victim! Why are you questioning here instead of arresting that fiend? Her emotions are very unstable. If you provoke her to death, will you compensate me with another daughter?"