Rong Qiao looked at the unknown number on her phone screen, her heart unable to contain its excitement.
She had waited for days for this call.
"Hello?" After calming herself slightly, she answered the phone with feigned composure.
"Miss Rong? I am Assistant Cheng Jue, from Mr. Lu's office," the voice on the other end quickly got to the point, stating his affiliation.
Hearing "Mr. Lu," Rong Qiao's anxious heart finally settled.
She had finally waited!
"Hello, what can I do for you?" Rong Qiao asked, putting on airs of a big star.
Cheng Jue's tone was calm as he said, "Our Mr. Lu wishes to see you. Tomorrow morning at ten, at Yun Shang Club."
"Besides that, did Mr. Lu say anything else?" Rong Qiao was excited, but not completely irrational. As the saying goes, know yourself and your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles. That's why she wanted to gather information from Cheng Jue.
Unfortunately, she had overestimated herself and underestimated Cheng Jue's character.
"Miss Rong, I am only responsible for conveying the message," Cheng Jue replied.
Rong Qiao's expression stiffened, and she apologized.
There wasn't much else for them to discuss. Cheng Jue, having completed his boss's task, hung up.
Rong Qiao's heart, however, was in turmoil.
She clenched her fists and paced the room for a long time, filled with apprehension.
Although she knew her choice was the right one, facing a big shot like Lu Yanbei, she still lacked courage and confidence. But if she didn't do this, the fruits of her many years of hard work in the entertainment industry would turn to dust.
She was unwilling to fade away into obscurity.
Her company had decided to blacklist her, not only preventing her from appearing in public but also demanding that she return all the money she had earned to pay a massive breach of contract fee.
Rong Qiao was agitated and hadn't slept well for days.
Now, with an opportunity before her, she naturally had to grasp it tightly.
Thinking about the meeting tomorrow, Rong Qiao became nervous again. She had to carefully consider what to wear and how to present herself.
Yun Shang Club was quite well-known in B City, and even across the country, with reportedly exorbitant membership fees.
Rong Qiao had only heard of it before but had never had the chance to go in.
"Miss Rong, please follow me." Rong Qiao, wearing sunglasses and a hat, had her face completely covered, afraid of being recognized. Her attire was for two reasons: to avoid paparazzi and to prevent causing trouble for Lu Yanbei.
Past experience had taught her that Lu Yanbei disliked being involved in sensational publicity stunts. Moreover, he was married, and a scandal with him would only bring her harm.
After leading her into a private room, Cheng Jue quietly withdrew.
Two bodyguards stood guard at the door, ensuring their conversation would not be overheard.
Rong Qiao thanked him and walked further inside in her high heels.
Whether she faced it head-on or shied away, the outcome was the same. It was better to be decisive.
To her surprise, Lu Yanbei was not alone in the room.
A woman was sitting beside him.
Rong Qiao recognized her at a glance.
"Mr. Lu, Mrs. Lu," Rong Qiao took a deep breath and stepped forward to greet them politely.
Su He smiled at her. "Miss Rong, it's a pleasure to meet you!"
Su He extended her hand and gestured for Rong Qiao to sit. "Would you like something to drink?"
Rong Qiao pursed her lips. "Juice, please."
Su He pressed a bell on the table and gave an instruction. Soon, a waiter brought a glass of fresh juice.
From beginning to end, Su He was the one speaking; Lu Yanbei showed no intention of saying anything.
Rong Qiao was secretly astonished.
She had expected Lu Yanbei to have questions for her, but the one taking the lead was actually Mrs. Lu.
After some pleasantries, Su He got straight to the point. "We invited Miss Rong here today to ask about that phone call before the wedding. Do you, by any chance, know something?"
Instead of wasting a lot of manpower and resources investigating, it was more efficient to directly ask Rong Qiao, an insider, which would save a lot of time.
Seeing her directness, Rong Qiao didn't beat around the bush. "Not long ago, a female celebrity named Qiao An'an approached me, wanting to collaborate, but I refused."
"Qiao An'an?" Su He didn't seem surprised at the name. After all, for a homebody like herself, there were only a few people who might have a grudge against her.
"Yes," Rong Qiao stated frankly. "She said... she was originally engaged to Mr. Lu, and that you, Mrs. Lu, snatched everything that belonged to her."
"Heh! She really knows how to twist the truth!" Su He scoffed. "Do you believe what she said?"
"Of course not." Rong Qiao's nerves gradually relaxed as she saw that Su He didn't have the airs of a wealthy socialite. She then took out her phone and played a recording of a phone call. "Although I don't know her specific plan, I could tell she truly resented you, Mrs. Lu. That's why I managed to get your contact information to secretly warn you."
"Miss Rong is kind-hearted," Su He said with a half-smile. "However, I'm curious, why didn't you agree to team up with her? Speaking of which, your current predicament is somewhat related to my Mr. Lu."
"If he had intervened then, you wouldn't have become an abandoned pawn by the company."
Rong Qiao's expression stiffened, and she quickly clarified, "Mrs. Lu, you've misunderstood. It was I who implicated Mr. Lu. Mr. Lu had no obligation to help me, and I wouldn't dare to complain."
"Hmm, it seems you're a smart person!" Su He picked up a milk tea from the coffee table and took a sip. "Tell me, what compensation do you want?"
Rong Qiao opened her mouth, somewhat at a loss for words.
She hadn't expected Mrs. Lu to be so straightforward.
"Actually, even if you don't say it, I can probably guess," Su He said with a smile. "You've worked hard in the entertainment industry for many years, and after finally establishing yourself, you offended people because you didn't want to be a victim of unspoken rules. You must feel very resentful!"
"Yes!" Rong Qiao gritted her teeth and said, "The achievements I have today are all through my own efforts. Why should they erase all my hard work with just a few words!"
"When I first debuted, I ran errands, worked as a stunt double, soaked in water in the dead of winter, and worked when I had a fever of forty degrees Celsius... To play a role well, I studied pastry making for months, just for a few minutes of screen time..."
As Rong Qiao spoke, she felt more and more wronged, her eyes gradually reddening.
Su He knew that Rong Qiao came from a modest background and entered the industry by chance. But she had a good character and never oppressed anyone even after becoming famous. Her assistants had been with her for years, indicating good moral conduct.
She had watched dramas starring Rong Qiao. While her acting wasn't exceptional, it was at least engaging.
Su He was willing to lend a hand to such a principled and hardworking person.
This was one of the reasons why Su He insisted on having Lu Yanbei bring Rong Qiao and letting her lead the matter. Because she knew that if Lu Yanbei handled it, he would immediately label Rong Qiao as an accomplice, making it impossible for her to ever recover.
Su He was not a saint, but fundamentally, Rong Qiao had done nothing wrong to her. Instead, she had helped her. Although her warning hadn't been very effective, it had at least made her more prepared and prevented chaos after the incident.
She was someone who repaid kindness.