The host hastily sent Song Nuan off to bandage her wound. Qin He sat there, her posture relaxed and at ease.
Yin Zi, standing beside her, tugged at her sleeve and whispered, "Qin He, you need to pretend to be worried now."
This Yin Zi was quite amusing. Qin He chuckled and replied softly, "Forget it."
She really couldn't bring herself to feign concern for Song Nuan.
Before long, Song Nuan returned. A small wound that could have been covered with a band-aid was now wrapped in layers of gauze.
The color of the disinfectant seeped through the bandages, as if she had sustained a severe injury.
Qin He's eyes flicked towards the host who was fussing over Song Nuan.
This director, this host, they were definitely doing this on purpose.
This was their turf. They had invited Song Nuan without informing her and Yin Zi, clearly selling them out for viewership.
Qin He felt a pang of annoyance, but Lu Mingxi was her brother's friend, and by extension, her friend.
She decided that after the recording, she would have a good talk with Lu Mingxi about what kind of venture he had invested in.
The commotion over Song Nuan's injury subsided, and the card game was no longer played.
Later, tea and snacks were served to the guests, giving the atmosphere a relaxed tea party feel.
Qin He listened to the host's questions, interjecting a few replies here and there.
Just as she took a sip of tea, she heard the host say with a smile, "Miss Qin He, I have a rather sensitive question, may I ask it?"
Qin He swallowed her tea. "If you don't know if you can ask, perhaps you shouldn't."
Her tone was light, and her cool, pretty face held an expression of casual indifference.
The host chuckled, acting as if Qin He was joking. "Actually, it's not that sensitive. Everyone in Qingcheng knows you and the person from the Gu Corporation are ex-spouses. From what we understand, you used an alias when you married him, and he didn't know you were the eldest daughter of the Qin family. Is this true?"
Yin Zi tensed beside her.
Qin He set down her cup, her dark eyes radiating a chilling coldness as she fixed them on the host.
The host felt a sudden jolt of ice in his heart. Miss Qin He's usually languid aura had completely transformed. Her gaze was so piercing, it made him hesitant to meet her eyes.
Qin He's voice was frigid, "I refuse to answer that question."
The host smiled awkwardly, attempting to change the subject. But Song Nuan, seated opposite, was having none of it. "Why refuse? Is it true?"
Qin He looked up at Song Nuan. "I'm not part of the entertainment industry and I dislike having my privacy discussed. However, if Miss Song enjoys discussing such matters, perhaps we could discuss those photos and videos from Mrs. Gu's birthday banquet instead?"
Song Nuan's face turned pale. "We're talking about you now, why are you bringing me into it?"
"You can talk about others, but others can't talk about you?" Qin He scoffed. "Are you nobler than anyone else?"
Yin Zi quickly interjected, "Alright, let's not pry into each other's private lives. Shall we discuss something else?"
Seeing Qin He's icy expression and Song Nuan biting her lip with a look of distress, the host hesitated.
From not far away, the director made a gesture.
After all, they had managed to invite Qin He through Lu Mingxi. Qin He was the eldest daughter of the Qin family, not someone to be trifled with. They had enough viewership, so it was time to wrap things up.
The host, with his seasoned skill, steered the conversation back to Song Nuan.
Song Nuan answered these questions very officially, her eyes occasionally glancing at the teleprompter.
Qin He glanced at the teleprompter, a look of mockery in her eyes.
Song Nuan was well-prepared. The teleprompter scrolled with dense text. Even so, she stumbled over her words twice.
But her acting was on point. When she misspoken, she tilted her head, feigning an innocent and pure expression. "Hmm—"
This pause, as if she were deep in thought, managed to smooth over the slip-up.
The recording concluded, and the three of them sat at the table, preparing to leave.
The host, now extremely solicitous towards Qin He, asked, "Miss Qin He, how do you feel about the recording?"
Qin He curled her lips.
After all, she was from the Qin family. They had asked her so many outrageous questions for viewership, and now the host was trying to make amends.
If she were more thin-skinned, she might not have said anything.
She lifted her gaze to the host. "How the recording went, you know best, don't you?"
Song Nuan, seated opposite, had a smug expression. "Qin He, Host Li is one of the most famous hosts in the country. What, are you dissatisfied with his hosting?"
Qin He shot Song Nuan a look of disdain and ignored her.
Yin Zi called out to Qin He, "Miss Qin, let's go."
As Qin He stood to leave, the director, seeing her displeased expression, also walked up from the audience, smiling heartily.
"Thank you so much for participating in today's recording, Miss Qin. Please rest assured, the recording will be edited before it's broadcast."
Qin He's steps faltered, and she stopped, looking at the director. "I hope so."
"Miss Qin, please don't worry."
Before they could finish speaking, a male voice called out from nearby, "He'er, is the recording finished?"
Lu Mingxi, dressed in a casual suit, walked in from outside.
He was already strikingly handsome, and a single glance from his fox-like eyes made the women in the director's crew blush.
Song Nuan saw Lu Mingxi, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and looked away with a high and mighty, saintly demeanor.
Her ultimate goal was Gu Qichen.
Although the Lu family was a prominent one and Lu Mingxi was exceptionally good-looking, his reputation preceded him. He couldn't compare to Gu Qichen.
Faced with a man like this, Song Nuan wanted to display her noble spirit, unswayed by wealth and status.
In essence, she wanted to use Lu Mingxi to highlight her own perceived purity.
Her thoughts churned inwardly.
Qin He glanced at Song Nuan and then at the approaching Lu Mingxi.
Lu Mingxi stopped in front of Qin He. "How was the recording?"
Qin He pulled at her lips. "Not great. Lu Mingxi, what kind of show is your family investing in?"
The director and host, standing nearby, heard this rather impolite remark and their expressions changed.
Lu Mingxi, whose eyes had been full of spring smiles, instantly froze upon hearing Qin He's words. His smile remained, but his voice became chillingly soft.
"Director Wang, I went to great lengths to invite Miss Qin. What did you do to make her so angry? Hmm?"
Director Wang smiled sheepishly. "Nothing, really. If Miss Qin has any dissatisfactions with the program, we can edit it in post-production."
Qin He scoffed, "No need."
She looked up at Lu Mingxi. "I've paid back everything I owed you now."
Having spent so much time in the same room as Song Nuan, she felt utterly disgusted.
Lu Mingxi's gaze shifted from the director to the side, towards Yin Zi and Song Nuan.
His eyes sharpened, and his smile completely vanished. "Why is she here?"
The host stepped forward to smooth things over. "Song Nuan is today's mystery guest."
Lu Mingxi's face darkened, and he understood why Qin He was in such a bad mood.
"Why didn't you tell me you invited Song Nuan?" Inviting Qin He and then Song Nuan, was this a personal affront to him?
Qin He couldn't be bothered to listen to their explanations. "Alright, I'm going back to the lounge to remove my makeup and then I'll be leaving."
"He'er, you go ahead. I'll be there to pick you up shortly," Lu Mingxi said with a smile.
Before leaving, Qin He called out to Yin Zi, "Yin Zi, coming with us?"
Yin Zi had no desire to stay any longer and followed Qin He back to the lounge.