As expected, as soon as this episode was broadcast, the dispute between Bai Yin and Qin Yao immediately became a gimmick for the program team, attracting quite a bit of traffic.
The audience always sympathizes with the underdog. They felt sorry for Qin Yao's pitiful stance and expressed their distress—
"I feel like Bai Yin's words were a bit harsh."
"Yeah, poor Qin Yao."
"Could it be that Bai Yin is...jealous?"
"Bai Yin is already participating in the show, and she's still fussing over copyright issues with a newcomer. Isn't that going a bit overboard?"
"The comment section is so confusing. Doing something wrong is doing something wrong. It's a fact that Qin Yao infringed on copyright. Who's really the victim here?"
"Right, and she's a top law student too. She doesn't even have basic awareness about copyright. She deserves to be scolded."
"Bai Yin's fans are too crazy, just like their idol."
"Bai Yin has always been overbearing. Don't you remember how she bullied Song Anmei and Su Anning in the past?"
"Don't mention your An Bao again. She's been brought to tears."
"Qin Yao darling, stay away from Bai Yin. Watch out for the tears of being put behind bars warning."
"Wait, don't you guys know? Qin Yao and Chen Huaixiao from Xing Star Media...had something going on before!"
"Ah! And Bai Yin is an artist under Xing Star Media!"
"That's right. Chen Huaixiao said he was married. Could it be that Mrs. Chen is Qin Yao?"
"Then Bai Yin must have offended the boss's wife."
"She's done for."
...
Online, Bai Yin's fans and antis fought intensely. This matter trended on hot search for many days.
Later, Qin Yao's judge Mo Shuyi also spoke up. She expressed her support for her team member Qin Yao, and hoped the online environment could be more tolerant towards newcomers whose missteps could be forgiven.
"As a senior, we can provide guidance, but we shouldn't embarrass them. Of course, I understand Bai Yin—after all, 'Long Sleeve Dance' is the fruit of her labor. How about this: out of consideration for me, both of you take a step back and shake hands to make peace. @Celestial Fairy Qin Yao @No More Orange Juice Little Bai."
As soon as this Weibo post came out, Qin Yao immediately reposted it—
@Celestial Fairy Qin Yao: "It's all my fault. Don't blame Senior Bai Yin. Blame me, I shouldn't have crudely imitated 'Long Sleeve Dance'."
The fans were extremely distressed and hurried to comfort her:
"Hug hug Yao Bao."
"You danced very well, definitely not a crude imitation."
"Admitting mistakes is what a good girl does."
After finishing filming on set, Bai Yin took out her phone and saw her Weibo was blowing up again.
Her fans were all private messaging her, telling her to quickly make a statement and shake hands with Celestial Fairy Qin Yao.
Bai Yin browsed through Judge Mo's mediator post and Qin Yao's repost. A cold smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.
An hour later, Bai Yin was trending on hot search again.
The reason she was trending was because she reposted Mo Shuyi's Weibo—
"@No More Orange Juice Little Bai: What a grand Buddha, I'm in awe :)"
Then she also commented on Qin Yao's Weibo: "You admitted your mistake quite quickly. Have you paid the copyright fees?"
These two Weibo posts instantly rocketed Bai Yin to the #1 hot search topic, cementing her status as the undisputed Queen of Controversy.
"Bai Yin really...has gone mad."
"Ahhh, this woman is unbelievable! I'm speechless!"
"I've never seen such a brazen female celebrity. The entertainment industry is a muddy world."
"She's too arrogant. Qin Yao is still her boss's wife!"
"Is there evidence that Qin Yao is her boss's wife? Don't spout nonsense without evidence, alright?"
...
Everyone thought that with things escalating to such an irreconcilable extent, Bai Yin would announce her withdrawal from the Dance Fever judging panel.
But unexpectedly, she not only did not declare her withdrawal, but even led her team of dancers to steamroll through, eliminating several of Mo Shuyi's top dancers. Hers became the team with the greatest chance of snatching the overall championship.
She had slapped everyone in the face with sheer ability...
The entertainment industry never believes in tears.
...
After the filming for Dance Fever ended, Qin Yao privately looked for Bai Yin and smiled at her, saying: "Sis Yin, I know about you and Brother Huaixiao. You got married."
Bai Yin looked at the innocent-looking girl before her and bluntly retorted: "Since when is he your brother?"
Qin Yao noticed Bai Yin's displeasure but smiled calmly: "Sis Yin, you must dislike me because of Brother Huaixiao, but he and I are in the past. You don't need to mind too much."
"I'm not minding it."
Qin Yao's gaze clearly said you are minding it a lot.
Bai Yin lowered her eyes, not wanting to meet her gaze.
Qin Yao looked as if she had emerged victorious and slowly said, "I know you two came together through an arranged marriage, but I can tell you do have feelings for Huaixiao. Don't worry, I won't snatch Huaixiao away. I'm only back to fulfill my own dreams this time, so..."
Bai Yin looked at her and bluntly retorted: "As if you could snatch him if you wanted to."
"I just like Sis Yin's straightforward personality." Qin Yao walked over and pulled Bai Yin's hand, coquettishly pleading in a young girl's tone, "Sis Yin, I just want to fulfill my dream. You won't block my path, right?"
"If you truly have the ability, no one can block your path. If not, any pebble could become your stumbling block."
"I stand advised."
Qin Yao smiled, warm and sunny, giving off a feeling of springtime joy.
Chen Huaixiao must also like this kind of innocent smile very much, not like her—full of scheming and hypocrisy.
Bai Yin realized that many years ago, she had lost to the name Qin Yao.
Many years later, it seemed...she still fell a little short.
Bai Yin calmed herself slightly.
Don't mind it, don't feel upset if you don't mind it.
Don't lose if you don't mind it.
Right at this moment, Bai Yin's phone rang. Seeing it was an incoming call from Chen Huaixiao, she had no desire to answer at all and directly rejected it.
The man was undeterred and called again after being rejected.
Bai Yin was a little annoyed by him and angrily rejected the call again.
Qin Yao's smile faded slightly on her face. She said, "Is that Brother Huaixiao's call? You can take it, don't mind me."
"Ah, I'm not considering you." Bai Yin waved her phone and breezily said, "I simply don't want to answer this bastard's call."
Chen Huaixiao still stubbornly kept calling her.
Bai Yin turned the volume to max and impatiently answered the call: "Chen Huaixiao, are you annoying or what? I'm recording a show, why are you calling?"
On the other end of the call, Chen Huaixiao's voice was low and steady: "Ah Yin, I'm at a jewelry store."
"You don't need to report your location when I hang up. Next time I reject your call, it means I'm busy. Don't keep pestering me like collecting a debt, ok?"
"There's a new blue sapphire here, mined from Sri Lanka. The quality is extremely pure, it's called Deep Infatuation. There's also an emerald, from Colombia, verdant and pleasing to the eye. It's also very beautiful, called Eye of the Forest."
Bai Yin glanced at Qin Yao in front of her and became even more impatient: "Chen Huaixiao, what exactly are you trying to say?"
"Just asking which one you prefer. I'll have them make it into a gemstone necklace to match your black evening gown. It will look very beautiful."
"I don't like either of them. Who likes such vulgar things as gemstones?" Bai Yin said in an annoyed tone, "A pure and innocent beauty only likes roadside flowers and plants—things with vitality. You really don't understand me at all."
"..."
Chen Huaixiao pondered for a moment before telling the store clerk, "I'll take both. Make Deep Infatuation into a ring and Eye of the Forest into a necklace. Add some diamond accents, but not too many."
Bai Yin: "Chen Huaixiao, I said I don't want them!"
Chen Huaixiao: "You don't want either?"
"I don't want them, don't want them, don't want them!"
"Bai Yin, did I offend you somehow?" Chen Huaixiao finally lost his temper. "What's with your attitude towards me?"
"You didn't offend me, I'm just unhappy for no reason. Is that ok with you?"
Chen Huaixiao paused before asking, "...Then what can Ah Yin do to make you happy?"
Still sulking, Bai Yin said, "Unless you buy out the whole jewelry store."
"That's easy." Chen Huaixiao told the salesperson, "I'll take all the gemstones in your store."
"???"
Bai Yin inexplicably hung up the phone and looked at Qin Yao. "Sorry, my husband and I have always had a bad relationship. Just like you said, a business marriage. He doesn't really like me."
After listening to the whole exchange, Qin Yao's previously casual and relaxed expression had completely vanished.
She had never seen Chen Huaixiao treat anyone with so much patience, including during the time when she was closest to him in high school.
Qin Yao was a little unhappy now.
...
In the afternoon, Qin Yao went to the lakeside villa and respectfully waited beside the fishing Old Master Chen.
"Did you see her?" The old man's voice was aged yet powerful.
Qin Yao nodded. "I saw her. It's a little...more tricky than I imagined."
"That lass grew up under my care. She's weathered hardship and has a rather clever mind." Old Chen flicked his fishing rod out. "You've lived a smooth life since childhood, naturally you're no match for her."
Qin Yao quickly said, "Grandpa, the Qin Group is different now from the past. I'm back this time...with determination. I definitely won't let you down."
"Determination is useless. You need ability."
"I'll try my best."
"Trying your best won't work." Old Master Chen lightly said, "That lass has the attitude of 'biting down on the green mountain without letting go'. If you want to snatch her man, you have to be prepared to be left bloodied and scarred all over by her."
Grandpa Chen said coldly, "Qin Yao, do you know why I let you leave back then and why I let you come back now?"
Qin Yao shook her head blankly.
"In marriage, feelings are the most unimportant thing. Only when interests are connected can the marriage last long. I agreed to let that girl White marry my third son initially because the two were indifferent to each other, and their only bond was their connected interests. But I didn't expect that after getting married, that old fool actually developed real feelings for her and spoiled her terribly, even daring to investigate..."
He stopped abruptly and looked at Qin Yao, "The Qin Group is on the verge of bankruptcy now. You want to save your family business and Chen Huaixiao is your only way out. I can help you a bit. But remember what I hate the most - don't be like that girl White, don't understand how to be flexible."
"I understand. Thank you, Grandpa, for allowing me to come back."
"Tomorrow I will ask my third son to come back for dinner. You should come too."
"Thank you. I will definitely seize the opportunity."
Grandpa Chen's expression softened a little as he reeled in the fishing line, "Come, bait the hook for me."
Qin Yao took the fish hook and saw the fat, writhing worms in the small box. She covered her mouth in shock, almost throwing up.
"I...I'm sorry...Grandpa, I..."
"Forget it, forget it," Grandpa Chen waved his hand, "I know you can't do this kind of thing. Go on now."
Qin Yao forcefully suppressed her nausea, took her bag, and left politely and respectfully.
Chen Jingye, who had been sitting silently beside Grandpa Chen fishing, chuckled and said, "In this world, I'm afraid only my sister-in-law White can dig worms and bait hooks for you. Others...who can stand it."
Grandpa Chen snorted coldly, "I don't believe it won't work without her."
"Actually, sister-in-law White and my third brother are great together. Why do you want to break them apart?"
"Didn't you hear what your third brother said the other day, that he wants his wife, not the Chen Group? Are those words Chen Huaixiao should say! I went through so much trouble in vain."
When it came to this, the old master was furious, "I originally thought that since that girl White was someone I had personally taught, she would be helpful to your third brother's career. I didn't expect your third brother to become the vine for her to climb up. Humph."
"But you can't blame sister-in-law White. It's because my third brother is useless and willingly so." Chen Jingye defended Bai Yin, "You brought back Miss Qin to deliberately provoke her."
"I want her to know what the consequences are for disobeying me. Let's see how tough she is, if she still dares to defy me."
Chen Jingye knew about Grandpa Chen's arbitrariness. Even capable descendants like Chen Huaixiao didn't dare confront the old master head on.
This time...it was really dangerous for Bai Yin.
Soon, several sets of secretly taken photos were released that night.
The photos showed the suited Chen Huaixiao dining formally by candlelight with Qin Yao, who was wearing an elegant black evening gown and had graceful manners.
This photo conclusively proved the affair between Chen Huaixiao and Qin Yao.
"That's right, Mrs. Chen is her!"
"They look so well-matched together. Qin Yao is so elegant."
"I ship the CEO couple cp, so sweet!"
"Bai Yin is in big trouble now. Meddling with the lady of the house, who let her be so arrogant."
"That's right, let's see how much longer she can remain brazen."
...
Bai Yin clicked into trending topics and zoomed in on the photos.
It was true that the two of them were at the same table eating. Chen Huaixiao still maintained his usual stoic poker face, aloof and composed, without revealing any emotion.
Qin Yao sat across from him, looking at him with affectionate eyes.
It was probably a gaze like this that had sparked shippers.
With such dramatic eye contact, no one believed there was nothing between her and Chen Huaixiao.
Looking at the setting in the photos, Bai Yin realized this was Grandpa Chen's lakeside villa.
Could Qin Yao's return this time have something to do with Grandpa Chen?
Without Grandpa Chen's permission and acquiescence, what kind of phenomenally capable paparazzi could have gotten photos of Chen Huaixiao dining with a female celebrity at his home?
What's more, it's likely these photos were deliberately arranged by the old master himself.
In the past, very few candid photos of Chen Huaixiao's private life had been leaked.
No media outlet's reckless paparazzi dared to secretly photograph him unless they didn't want to keep working in the industry.
That's why these photos were so shocking.
He probably didn't even realize it himself.
Thinking of this, Bai Yin was surprised to find that she had unconsciously tried to defend Chen Huaixiao.
Had her trust in Chen Huaixiao deepened to this extent?
Bai Yin shook her head vigorously.
What was there to defend? Having dinner together was a fact. First love is first love after all. Meeting up to catch up after not seeing each other for so many years was perfectly normal.
Whether it was at the lakeside villa or somewhere else, it made no difference.
A trace of coldness rose in Bai Yin's eyes. Indeed, during this time, she had been moved by Chen Huaixiao, and had even developed a bit of feelings.
But those feelings had now completely vanished.
No matter how feelings grew over time, since he still longed for his first love, why should Bai Yin be a killjoy?
Anyway, her goal of revenge had already been achieved. Now there was no need to keep occupying this position as a substitute and cause dislike for no reason.
Just as she was thinking this, Bai Yin received a phone call from Li Chunfeng, whom she hadn't contacted in a long time.
"Hi, sister, how have you been recently?"
Hearing his clear voice, Bai Yin immediately pictured the sunny, innocent smile of the youth in her mind.
"Eating well, sleeping well, everything's going great."
Li Chunfeng chuckled and said, "I saw the news of your husband dining romantically by candlelight with another woman trending. I don't believe you can still eat well and sleep well. You must be secretly shedding tears alone, right?"
Bai Yin also laughed. "Oh yes, I'm so pitiful. I'm home alone crying my eyes out right now, like a grieving deep boudoir lady, boohoo."
Hearing her able to joke around, seeming to be doing fine, Li Chunfeng's tone became a little more serious. "Did you two have a fight?"
"What's it to you? Mind your own business."
"No, I was thinking, with your personality, you definitely wouldn't be able to tolerate something like this. If you need comforting, I'm always here."
"I don't need comforting." Bai Yin casually said, "Rather than waste time moping around, I might as well take on more jobs and earn more money."
"You cold-hearted woman, a marriage on the rocks, yet you're still thinking about making money?"
"It was just a plastic, interest-based sham marriage to begin with. As long as it doesn't affect how fast I earn money, I don't care whether it's one Qin Yao, or even more Zhang Yaos, Li Yaos, Wang Yaos."
"Alright, so indifferent. Looks like you don't need comforting."
"You called to comfort me? I thought you were calling to gloat at my misfortune."
Li Chunfeng paused, then solemnly said, "Of course that's not the only reason I called. I wanted to ask if you want to run away from home. I can provide free accommodation."
"Do you even have a place? Aren't you a PhD student living on campus?"
"That's right, I live on campus, so my house at home is empty, isn't it?" Li Chunfeng casually said, "If you need it, you can move in."
"Ha, so you're looking for a tenant."
"I won't charge you rent. Just help watch the house and walk the dog."
"You have a dog too?"
"A German Shepherd, very friendly."
Bai Yin lazily said, "My standards for housing are very high."
"Don't worry, it will definitely be better than where you're staying now."
"Alright, I trust you."
After hanging up, Bai Yin immediately took out her suitcase and started packing up her clothes and jewelry.
Seeing Bai Yin coming downstairs with luggage, the butler Tang Ka was shocked. "Mistress, what are you doing?"
"I'm leaving." Bai Yin breezily said, "Chen Huaixiao can't forget his first love who came back. I'm just a stand-in, so my job here is done. It's time to say goodbye."
The butler quickly took out his phone, about to call Chen Huaixiao.
Bai Yin walked over and snatched away his phone. "Don't report to him."
"Mistress, how will I explain this to the young master when you're gone?"
"You don't need to explain anything to him. My leaving now is probably just what he wants." Bai Yin put his phone in the front pocket of his floral apron. "Better for me to leave with my head held high than be driven out later. This will be a clean break."
Tang Ka anxiously didn't know what to do. "I...I made chiffon cake and teddy bear cookies."
Bai Yin smelled the dessert aroma coming from Tang Ka's body. "Keep them for Chen Huaixiao to eat."
"The young master doesn't like to eat sweets. I made them specially for you."
Bai Yin sighed and took a card out of her bag. "Thank you for taking care of me these days. Although Chen Huaixiao pays your salary, I treated you like a 24 hour assistant at my beck and call. Consider this money overtime pay from me."
Tang Ka's eyes turned red as he trembled taking the bank card, gazing at Bai Yin reluctantly. "Mistress, you misunderstood the young master. He's not the kind of person you said. He cares about you."
"It's already exploded online, all saying Qin Yao is the real Mrs. Chen. If I don't leave now and something else comes out later, I'll become the mistress and my reputation will stink. You know, I worked very very hard to get from a small southern town to where I am today. I can't lose that."
"Mistress..." Tang Ka lowered his head in silence for a long time. Not until Bai Yin walked out the door lugging her luggage did he hurriedly chase after her and say, "Mistress, have you found a place to stay?"
"I found one, don't worry."
"Is it a big mansion?"
"Li Chunfeng said it wouldn't be much worse than the Waterfront Manor. I think it should be pretty good."
"Then..." Tang Ka seemed to have made up her mind and took off her floral apron, saying to Bai Yin, "If the mansion on the other side is very big, it should also need a housekeeper, right? Madam, if you find Tang Ka useful, please...please take me with you."
Bai Yin was stunned: "What about here?"
"If it's really as Madam said, Young Master is going to bring other women back, I..." Tang Ka shook her head forcefully: "I only recognize you as my mistress, I won't take care of anyone else."
Bai Yin was deeply moved, and also a little embarrassed: "The card I gave you doesn't have much money on it, not as much as Chen Huaixiao pays you."
"It's not about money." Tang Ka looked at Bai Yin resolutely: "On the first day Madam moved in, Young Master had instructed me that my duty is to take good care of the mistress of this house. So following you when you leave is also my job."
"Are you sure?"
"Very sure." Tang Ka said, and went to the underground garage to drive out Chen Huaixiao's black Bentley: "Madam, please get in the car."
Bai Yin thought that if Chen Huaixiao was unhappy, she could always let Tang Ka come back later.
She got into the car, and Chen Huaixiao's waterside villa gradually disappeared in the rearview mirror.
She remembered that day on the cliff, Chen Huaixiao had said to her: "The Su house is not your home, wherever I am, that's your home."
Since then, she had really treated this place as her home.
Now it seemed she had been naive.
Bai Yin closed the car window, put on sunglasses, and stopped grieving.
She had been prepared to leave from the very beginning. Now...it was time. All these years, she had fought for everything, snatched everything, yet she never fought for a man's heart.
What was meant to be hers no one could take away, what was not meant to be hers, why should she care?
An hour later, the Bentley drove into a wetland park in the south of the city, driving along the stone road into the depths of the park.
It was a very large lake area, with mandarin ducks, wild ducks, black swans and other captive birds in the lake. There were even a few deer in the lakeside fence, leisurely pacing around.
On the quiet stone road, apart from the property staff in uniform who respectfully greeted her with her luggage, there were no residents to be seen.
Bai Yin frowned and asked Tang Ka, "Are you sure this is the right place? You didn't get lost, did you?"
Tang Ka looked at the car navigation: "This is the route Mr. Li sent. It can't be wrong. The system prompts that we are almost there."
The Bentley drove out of the lush, shady forest path, and suddenly, the view ahead opened up, and a small French-style manor appeared before their eyes.
The manor gates were open, as if welcoming their arrival.
Bai Yin got out of the car and looked at the beautiful small manor in disbelief.
It was a five-story European-style building. There was a fountain and white doves in the spacious square, and quite a few gardeners were pruning the branches and leaves.
Li Chunfeng was still wearing a red and black sports leisure suit. He waved his duck bill cap at her in the sunshine.
"Miss, park the car here. I'll have the driver park it inside for you."
Bai Yin got out of the car and looked around. She said in astonishment, "Li Chunfeng, you didn't say it was a vacant house in your family, but this manor?"
"Yeah." Li Chunfeng shrugged casually: "My parents left it to me before they went abroad. I usually live on campus anyway, it would be a waste to leave the house empty."
"May I ask...what do your parents do?"
"My dad is a craftsman."
"A craftsman? Able to leave you such a big mansion?"
"Uh..." He scratched his head: "My dad specializes in making pianos. The company is overseas with industrial chains all over the world. Many world-renowned pianos come from our family."
Bai Yin understood. This guy turned out to be a hidden super rich second generation from a prestigious family.
"You're quite low-key." Bai Yin said with a smile: "No wonder you can take on any project you want in the entertainment industry with your capital. You can even turn down heavenly kings and superstars."
Li Chunfeng quickly said, "Don't get me wrong, my family is not as rich as you think, compared to Bill Gates and the like...we're far from that."
"..."
Not only Bai Yin, even Tang Ka was speechless.
"My family is really poor, far from being the world's richest man." He learned another supremely pretentious phrase.
*
After entering the mansion, Li Chunfeng noticed that Tang Ka had been following them, carrying a small black suitcase. He asked in puzzlement: "Bai Yin, is he...also going to live here with you?"
"Yeah, he's my butler."
Li Chunfeng's expression was unpleasant: "Is he your butler, or Chen Huaixiao's butler?"
"He's mine." Bai Yin explained, "I'm used to him, changing to someone else would be uncomfortable."
Tang Ka said to Li Chunfeng neither humbly nor arrogantly, "I am responsible for taking care of Miss Bai's meals, daily life, and safety. I am also responsible for her security."
"She is very safe living here."
"I can't be sure of that."
"You..."
Seeing the two were about to clash, Bai Yin quickly changed the subject: "Li Chunfeng, do you still live on campus usually?"
"Yeah, I have to prepare for my graduation defense these days, very busy, but when I have time, I'll come back too. Don't worry, I won't disturb your life. Of course, if you feel awkward, I can just stay in school all the time."
"Thank you for taking me in."
Li Chunfeng looked at her with a smile: "If you really want to thank me, you might as well repay me with your body."
"..."
Butler Tang Ka gently coughed and said, "Mr. Li, please restrain yourself. Miss Bai is still Madam Chen now."
"I was joking." Li Chunfeng waved his hand: "Alright, I'm going back to school now. Remember to walk my dog for me, call me if anything comes up."
Bai Yin saw Li Chunfeng off.
Li Chunfeng walked out of the porch and went down a few steps. Suddenly he looked back at her: "Do you know what I regret most?"
"What?"
"Not having met you sooner."
Bai Yin was at a loss for words.
He lowered his head and nodded with a smile: "If I had known you from the beginning, before you married Chen Huaixiao, I would definitely have been a more thoughtful lifesaver for you than him."
"Li Chunfeng..."
"And I don't have a white moonlight."
...
That night, Chen Huaixiao returned home to see the dark and silent room.
Bai Yin had taken her favorite few skirts away. The dressing table was also empty, with no traces of perfume, skincare products or bottles and jars.
The framed photos that had always been in the study were also overturned...
Chen Huaixiao suddenly felt his heart hollowed out, as if the whole world was hollowed out, lost its soul. He wandered around the house like a zombie.
The day he feared most had come after all.
Chen Huaixiao took out his phone and reflexively tried to call Bai Yin, but as soon as the call was dialed out, he violently hung up and smashed the phone against the wall, smashing the screen to pieces.
*
At midnight, Tang Ka received a call from Chen Huaixiao.
The man's voice was pressed very low, probably after repeated restraint and forbearance, he was finally calling now.
"Where is Madam spending the night?"
Tang Ka snorted contemptuously: "Humph, you know what you did, it's clear to you."
Chen Huaixiao's tone was light, but carried a coercive force: "Who allowed you to speak to me like this?"
Emboldened by the nerve, Tang Ka said in one go: "You have wronged Madam, she will never come back again, humph!"
Without waiting for Chen Huaixiao's reaction, Tang Ka hung up the phone. Her little heart was thumping wildly with fright.
Chen Huaixiao was puzzled as he put down his broken screen phone and logged into Weibo, which he hadn't logged into for hundreds of years, and saw the hashtag "#Chen Huaixiao Qin Yao having dinner together#" was still hanging on the hot search.
Chen Huaixiao had been busy promoting cooperation with the iku media platform recently, and didn't pay attention when Qin Yao came back, nor did he care.
He just didn't expect to meet her at the lakeside villa, and even less expected that Elder Master Chen would have dealings with her.
Out of courtesy and filial piety, Chen Huaixiao didn't turn around and leave, but stayed for the so-called "candlelight dinner" arranged by Elder Master Chen. During the dinner, he and Qin Yao only exchanged a few words casually before leaving.
But he didn't expect that the paparazzi would somehow manage to sneak shots of the dinner scene.
Normally this would be almost impossible, given the extremely tight security around Elder Master Chen's residence. Even the most daring paparazzi wouldn't dare sneak shots of him.
The only possibility was that everything was staged by Elder Master Chen himself, and the paparazzi were also arranged by him. Of course, for it to ferment to this extent on the hot search, it must also have been arranged by him.
The Elder Master wanted Bai Yin to know when to retreat.
That night Bai Yin was stubborn in questioning him about the cause of his mother's death, which truly touched the Elder Master's taboo.
Plus Bai Yin's personality was so stubborn, and Chen Huaixiao favored her excessively, which had also become something the Elder Master could not tolerate.
His education of Chen Huaixiao had always been harsh, wanting him to abandon private desires and emotions, because these...would affect his calmness and rationality as a decision maker.
Even when his mother died, he could not show any sadness or grief before Grandfather.
Naturally, his marriage was even more subject to Grandfather's arrangements.
Of course, Chen Huaixiao was also well aware that over the years, Grandfather had carefully nurtured Bai Yin and invested a lot of effort. It was certainly not just because he pitied the girl.
He had greater expectations for Bai Yin.
So every weekend, Chen Huaixiao was forced by Grandfather to come and stay in the Jiangnan town, and have more contact with the little girl next door, taking her out to play.
At that time, the teenage Chen Huaixiao was still somewhat rebellious. At first, he was actually very resistant.
Although he didn't show any dissatisfaction to the Elder Master on the surface, when taking Bai Yin out to play, he barely paid any attention to her and was cold and indifferent.
Later, when he unintentionally saw Bai Yin dancing, he increasingly realized that Grandfather was deliberately nurturing Bai Yin based on his aesthetics, which Chen Huaixiao really couldn't stand.
But as they had more contact over time, he gradually realized that the girl actually didn't know anything.
She didn't know that she was just a pawn in Grandfather's hands. She was full of gratitude to Grandfather Chen next door, and treated him like her own grandfather.
Bai Yin was always careful and fawning towards Chen Huaixiao, calling him brother very sweetly.
When he was silent, she wouldn't say much either, afraid of provoking his dislike. Her mind and eyes were full of coaxing, guessing and probing his thoughts.
Chen Huaixiao knew that she had depended on others since childhood and was also bullied and excluded by classmates in her early years. Her life had been quite bitter for some years, so she had developed a bit of a fawning personality.
Therefore, even though he didn't like people guessing his thoughts and catering to his preferences, he still felt pity for the girl and couldn't bring himself to dislike her.
In fact, he really treated her like a sister. Every weekend, he would take her out to play, buy her skirts, and treat her to fancy dinners...
Later on, he didn't need the old master to call and urge him to come to the small town every weekend. Chen Huaixiao would finish his last class on Friday afternoon, go back to his dorm to pack his bag, ride his motorcycle to the jewelry store near the school to buy some hair clips or keychains and other little trinkets that girls liked, then go to town to see her.
Especially after the first time she spent his mother's death anniversary with him, Chen Huaixiao's feelings for Bai Yin grew more and more intense...
He didn't even realize that those bits and pieces over the years had dragged him in, sinking him in deep.
As for Bai Yin always saying she was some kind of stand-in...
In high school, Chen Huaixiao was perhaps a bit romantic. He had always been obsessed with the memory of the girl he met at the funeral home when he was little, who went through the difficult times with him.
Later on, he was also moved by Qin Yao saying "Brother, long time no see".
Qin Yao had once been the lifeline he clung to tightly. If she really was that little girl from back then...
When with her, what Chen Huaixiao talked about the most was his mother, because like him she also suffered the painful experience of losing her mother very young, so they resonated.
When Qin Yao suddenly left, Chen Huaixiao did brood over it for a long time.
His mother's death was a wound in his heart that could never fully heal. With Qin Yao gone, he felt as if he had gone back to when he was little, abandoned by the world, with the despair and helplessness rising in his heart again.
...
But even so, he would never take Bai Yin as that girl's stand-in.
Bai Yin was Bai Yin, unique and one of a kind.
After the wound in Chen Huaixiao's heart gradually healed, his feelings for Qin Yao had actually faded a lot, almost disappearing like smoke.
He had deeper ties and a completely different emotional experience.
The four years Bai Yin was completely out of contact were also Chen Huaixiao's craziest four years. He started getting into drift racing, skydiving, and alpine skiing, trying all kinds of extreme sports.
But the endless void in his heart still could not be filled.
He knew this arranged marriage was just one link in Elder Master Chen's intricate schemes, and Chen Huaixiao really didn't want to come.
But in the end, reason still couldn't conquer the undercurrents in the depths of his heart.
He would rather draw a line around them.
...
Chen Huaixiao used his cracked screen phone to call Shen Bin, who was sleepy but didn't dare not answer the president's late night urgent call: "Young Master Huaixiao, what can I do for you?"
"Take down all that rubbish online."
"You mean..."
"I don't want to see my name together with Qin Yao's anymore. Block all related entries, delete all relevant topics clean, and handle all those troublemaking marketing accounts."
Hearing Chen Huaixiao's displeased tone, Shen Bin knew he was really angry.
"Alright Young Master Huaixiao, I'll go take care of it right away."
...
The next morning, netizens were shocked to discover that the hashtag #ChenHuaixiaoAndQinYaoRomance# had been taken off the hot search rankings, and the few marketing accounts that had kept posting to heat it up had also disappeared from the online world.
What's more, when searching Chen Huaixiao and Qin Yao's names together now, while their individual names could still bring up information, searching their names together would just bring up a blank page with "This content is not displayed".
"What's going on here!"
"Chen Huaixiao must have intervened, everything's been wiped clean overnight."
"Could it all have been a misunderstanding before?"
"No no no, on the contrary, this seems more like a cover up to me."
"So...Chen Huaixiao did this to protect Qin Yao?"
"Of course, QY wants to fulfill her dream of entering the entertainment industry, if her relationship with CHX was confirmed, it would affect her future prospects."
"Ahhh, CHX really dotes on her."
...
The online world is just like that. People will only ever see what they want to see.
On the talent show "Dancing Power", Qin Yao was hyped up by capital and became the champion of the season.
Meanwhile, the two dancers under Bai Yin, though extremely skilled, surprisingly failed to become finalists for the championship.
Bai Yin didn't know if it was Chen Huaixiao or Elder Master Chen pulling strings, but it was obvious that Qin Yao's dance skills were mediocre at best. She barely made it to the top five, yet ended up champion in the end, clearly pushed up by someone's influence.
The final rankings also left many fans of the excellent dancers very dissatisfied -
"It's obvious there's a capitalist backer!"
"Feel bad for our brother, pressed down by a capitalist's woman like this."
"Humph, serves her right for knowing how to sleep with CHX."
"Go be your noble family's lady, don't stir up trouble in the entertainment industry when you have no skills."
...
In Qin Yao's acceptance speech upon winning the "Dancing Power" championship, she specifically gave a shoutout to Bai Yin, tearfully and sincerely expressing her gratitude: "I want to thank Sister Yin for all her help along the way. It's because of her that I was determined to go for the champion trophy, and it's because of her that my fighting spirit was ignited. Thank you Sister Yin for helping my dream come true."
There was some sarcasm in these words, and netizens guessed that the "help" referred to here was Bai Yin making things difficult for her during the show.
They awaited Bai Yin's response.
Bai Yin picked up the mic, lightly laughing before she spoke. Her face was gentle and beautiful, but her eyes undisguisedly held contempt: "Whether your dream can come true, no one can say. After all, dreams are dreamed by oneself. I've never heard of anyone needing help to dream."
As soon as she said this, it made people guess even more whether the final champion of "Dancing Power" was decided under the pressure of capital.
Fans of all sides also had differing opinions, some standing up for their idols, some speaking for Qin Yao, but most discerning audience members had a scale in their hearts.
...
After briefly comforting her two dancers who had suffered a setback, Bai Yin walked out of the studio. Across the street, a black Maybach was parked, and honked when it saw her emerge.
Bai Yin hadn't seen Chen Huaixiao for over half a month now. Knowing she couldn't escape this time, she simply got into the car.
Chen Huaixiao sat in the backseat, his black suit accentuating his well-proportioned, tall figure. His gaze calmly looked out the window, expression cold.
After Bai Yin got in the car, Shen Bin in the front started driving them away.
"Long time no see, Shen Bin." She greeted Shen Bin first instead of the man beside her.
Shen Bin swallowed with some difficulty, and said "Mistress, have you been well these days? Young Master Huaixiao really misses..."
"Shut up." Chen Huaixiao finally spoke, voice short and powerful.
Bai Yin hugged her arms, expressionlessly asking "What do you want from me?"
"Pack up and come home with me."
"I'm not going back."
The atmosphere in the car froze for a moment. Chen Huaixiao took a deep breath, seeming to be keeping his emotions in check. He took out a black velvet box, opening it to reveal before her eyes a sapphire necklace.
The sapphire was clear and bright, the color vivid and saturated. Under the sunlight, the surrounding diamonds sparkled brilliantly, breathtakingly beautiful.
"I've been waiting for Abyss Passion to finish crafting this, to bring it to you."
Having said that, he took the necklace out and put it around Bai Yin's long, fair neck. His actions were gentle, voice low and soothing. "It suits you very well."
"You think some broken necklace means I'll..."
Before she could finish speaking, Chen Huaixiao took out an emerald ring as well, slipping it onto the ring finger of Bai Yin's left hand. "I just like seeing you wear these glittery, precious things."
Bai Yin looked at the emerald on her fingertip, coldly snorting "Tacky".
"If you don't like it, just throw it away." His fingers lingered in her hair as he leaned close, lightly sniffing her and pleading in a suppressed, enduring voice. "But Yin, come home with me, okay?"
The back of Bai Yin's neck tingled from his touch. She grabbed Chen Huaixiao's collar and shoved him away unceremoniously. "Get lost!"
This action made Shen Bin's heart thump wildly.
Only the mistress could be so provocative and rude to the president! Who would dare tell the president to get lost?
Shen Bin's heart pitter-pattered, afraid the president would fly into a rage.
But unexpectedly...not only did Chen Huaixiao not get angry in the slightest, he obediently came close again like an utterly henpecked husband, coaxing gently in a pleading tone -
"Yin, no more playing around."
