Chapter 125

The next morning, when Kong Xiyan woke up, the bed beside her was empty. Yanyan was curled up by the pillow. As Kong Xiyan stirred, Yanyan lifted her head, her round azure eyes blinking in confusion.

Kong Xiyan propped herself up against the headboard, her body still aching faintly. Yanyan slipped through the gap in the blanket, her fluffy white fur brushing against Kong Xiyan's bare skin like a feather—soft and ticklish.

"Meow..."

A muffled meow came from under the covers. Kong Xiyan lifted the blanket to find Yanyan curled up on her thigh. She chuckled softly—the cat certainly knew how to pick a spot.

Soon, Yanyan's purring filled the room.

Kong Xiyan glanced toward the bathroom—Chi Wanzhao wasn't there.

She probably wasn't in the room either. Kong Xiyan reached out and touched the space beside her; it was cool, so Chi Wanzhao must have gotten up a while ago.

Kong Xiyan slipped out of bed barefoot, picked up the crumpled nightgown from the floor, held it up, frowned, and tossed it aside. Then she pulled a fresh one from the wardrobe and slipped it on.

Yanyan stirred on the bed, eyes half-closed, ears twitching.

Kong Xiyan walked to the window and drew the curtains open. Bright sunlight poured in, warming her skin. It was almost March, and outside, the trees were lush and green—a sight that lifted the heart.

The air outside was bound to be fresh. She opened the window. A breeze swept in, lifting her ink-black hair and carrying the scent of flowers and damp earth. She closed her eyes, at ease.

When Chi Wanzhao pushed open the door, she found Kong Xiyan standing at the window, eyes shut, dressed in a white nightgown that barely reached her thighs. The breeze fluttered the hem and tossed her long black hair back—she looked like a fairy about to take flight.

Graceful and otherworldly, Kong Xiyan stood there. Chi Wanzhao remained rooted in place, unwilling to call out. After a long moment, she raised a hand, tracing Kong Xiyan's silhouette in the air—stroke by stroke, memorizing every line, etching her into her heart.

Sensing someone's gaze, Kong Xiyan opened her eyes and turned—meeting Chi Wanzhao's bright eyes.

They exchanged gentle smiles.

Chi Wanzhao stepped closer and wrapped her arms around Kong Xiyan from behind.

"Still angry?"

Kong Xiyan shot her a feigned glare and gave a soft huff.

Chi Wanzhao leaned in, whispering near her ear, "If you're still angry, you can punish me again tonight."

Kong Xiyan: ...

As if!

She pinched Chi Wanzhao's cheek with a laugh and went to freshen up in the bathroom.

When she came out, Chi Wanzhao was no longer in the room. Going downstairs, she saw breakfast laid out on the table. Chi Wanzhao sat there, beckoning. "Come here."

Kong Xiyan set Yanyan down and walked over. Chi Wanzhao served her some congee. Neither had eaten dinner the night before, and they had been up all night—Kong Xiyan was starving. She downed two bowls of congee and a few slices of flatbread. Just as she finished, Fu Qiu called.

She said she was at the apartment gate, waiting for Kong Xiyan to come out.

Kong Xiyan dabbed the corner of her mouth with a tissue, exchanged a couple of words with Chi Wanzhao, and left.

Outside, Fu Qiu was standing by the car. Seeing her approach, Fu Qiu said, "Sister Kong, Sister Tong asked us to go straight to the studio."

Kong Xiyan nodded. "Okay."

On the way, Fu Qiu kept her head down, reading out the notes to Kong Xiyan with a serious, meticulous expression. Kong Xiyan couldn't help but laugh while listening. Fu Qiu looked up, puzzled. "Sister Kong?"

Kong Xiyan gently shook her head. "Nothing. You've improved a lot."

Fu Qiu's cheeks flushed at the praise, and she lowered her head.

They soon arrived at the studio. Fu Qiu helped Kong Xiyan out of the car. There were already many crew members busy inside. Kong Xiyan glanced around—no sign of Chai Yin yet.

As soon as she entered, a staff member came over and said, "Miss Kong, please wait in the lounge. Director Wei will be here shortly."

Kong Xiyan nodded. "Alright."

She exchanged a look with Fu Qiu, and the two followed the staff member through the studio. A few lounges lined the back. They stopped at one, and the staff member gestured for them to enter. Kong Xiyan gave a slight nod and stepped in with Fu Qiu.

Inside, several outfits hung on a rack. A single glance made Kong Xiyan frown.

Fu Qiu closed the door behind her. "Sister Kong, didn't they say we'd start at eight thirty? Why do we have to wait again?"

Kong Xiyan sat down on the chair at the vanity. "We'll wait."

Fu Qiu pouted and sat down beside her.

Fifteen minutes passed.

Thirty minutes passed.

The lounge door remained firmly shut. Fu Qiu grew restless, got up, and went outside. Seeing all the staff busy, she grabbed someone and asked, "Has Director Wei arrived yet?"

The person she grabbed frowned. "Director Wei is stuck in traffic—what's the rush?"

Fu Qiu, taken aback by the attitude, bit her tongue and said nothing. She returned to the room, slamming the door shut with a bang.

Kong Xiyan turned to look. "What's wrong?"

Fu Qiu fumed. "Sister Kong, they said Director Wei is stuck in traffic. Isn't that obvious nonsense? City B's traffic jams are practically nonexistent. I just can't figure it out!"

Kong Xiyan remained calm.

There wasn't anything to figure out.

The director for this commercial was Director Wei—the younger brother of Wei Ping, president of Xinhui, and thus Guan Xiaoying's brother-in-law. She hadn't thought of the connection at first, but it made sense now. It was probably Guan Xiaoying's doing that HG hired her for this ad. And now this brother-in-law was out to settle scores for Guan Xiaoying.

Kong Xiyan leaned back in her chair and said quietly to Fu Qiu, "I'll take a nap. You can order two takeout lunches."

"Lunch?" Fu Qiu stared at her in surprise.

But when she looked at Kong Xiyan, the latter had already leaned back, eyes closed, breathing lightly. Fu Qiu swallowed her questions and looked down at her phone.

She found Tong Yue on WeChat, thought for a moment, and sent a message.

—Sister Tong, we've been here at the studio for an hour already. No one's come in. What should we do now?

Tong Yue replied quickly.

—Where's Xiyan?

Fu Qiu: Sister Kong is sleeping.

Tong Yue: Got it. Don't disturb her.

Fu Qiu: So what about us?

Tong Yue: Just wait.

Fu Qiu: ...

She sighed and pocketed her phone.

By noon, no one had entered the lounge. The noise of activity continued outside. Fu Qiu checked the time—it would soon be lunch. She glanced at Kong Xiyan, still resting with eyes closed. Quietly, Fu Qiu opened the door.

The crew members were gathered in small groups, eating lunch, each with a boxed meal. Fu Qiu filled with indignation.

They hadn't even called them to eat—treating them as if they were invisible.

Fu Qiu shot a glare at the people outside and stalked off to the restroom.

In the restroom, several women stood around the mirror, touching up their makeup and chatting. Fu Qiu entered a stall and, as she sat down, heard someone say, "Hey, is Kong Xiyan still waiting there?"

"Yeah, if it were me, I'd have left by now. It's so embarrassing."

"What do you know? She signed a contract. If she walks out now, who pays the penalty?"

"Didn't they say she married the CEO of Jingyan? Can't she afford that?"

"Are you dense? Haven't you seen the gossip online? That's not a real marriage—it's a business arrangement or a fling."

"I heard it's because Kong Xiyan looks like Chai Yin, so the Jingyan CEO picked her. Who knows if it's true."

"Probably. They married in a flash—that reason makes the most sense."

"That said, Kong Xiyan is pretty pitiful."

"Yeah. She finally cleared her name from that false accusation, and now Director Wei is targeting her. And Director Wei is the younger brother of Wei Ping, president of Xinhui. Nobody goes up against him and comes out clean."

"Poor Kong Xiyan, really."

The restroom filled with sighs. Fu Qiu sat on the toilet, seething. She took a few deep breaths, then abruptly pulled out her phone and said aloud, "President Chi."

She pushed the stall door open and stepped out with composure.

"Don't worry, President Chi. Madam is doing well here. Mm, no issues."

"I know. I'll make sure she's careful."

"Madam can't eat spicy food? Fine, I'll watch her diet."

"No, no. Madam won't overwork herself."

"Anything else, President Chi?"

Still on the phone, Fu Qiu walked to the sink, washed her hands, and said, "Okay, President Chi. I've noted everything. I'll have Madam call you later."

"Yes..."

"Alright..."

Phone pressed to her ear, she strode out of the restroom, catching a glimpse of those women who had been gossiping—their faces now pale as sheets, several even swallowing hard.

Once outside the restroom, Fu Qiu hung up. She peeked inside and saw the women, ashen-faced and stricken, whispering anxiously.

"She's Kong Xiyan's assistant, right?"

"Did she just say 'President Chi'—meaning Chi Wanzhao of Jingyan?"

"And 'Madam'? That's Kong Xiyan?"

"Oh no. She must have heard us."

"Are we in trouble?"

One woman tried to stay calm. "What's there to fear? Chi Wanzhao may have power, but she's with Jingyan. She can't reach us here at Xinhui."

"That's true."

"True, my foot!" The woman speaking had a fiery temper. "Don't you all know President Wei wants to collaborate with President Chi? He's even invited her to next month's branch opening ceremony."

"We're Director Wei's team, but at the end of the day, we belong to Xinhui."

"What if—what if that assistant of Kong Xiyan tells President Chi about us?"

"Will President Wei protect us?"

The restroom fell utterly silent, an eerie calm spreading. Fu Qiu, peeking from the door, watched their faces go from pale to ghostly white, two of them leaning against the wall for support. She curled her lips in a smirk.

Serves you right for running your mouths all day.

Scaring you half to death is the least you deserve!