Chapter 12 Unwilling to Give In

Lu Fengzhou’s phone call didn’t last long, and as soon as he hung up, the car started moving. The window was still down. He leaned back against the seat, rubbing his brow, never once glancing outside.

Guan Wei was leaning against a pillar, and only after his car had driven off did she click her tongue twice. “So he was in a hurry to leave. No wonder he let you off so easily just now. Earlier, he called me specifically to ask you to accompany him. I thought he’d really make things difficult for you tonight.”

Jiao Jiu crouched down carelessly, biting on her cigarette butt. “He was probably just trying to scare us. A big boss like him doesn’t have the time to bother with us.”

Just as she finished speaking, Guan Wei’s phone suddenly rang in her pocket. She glanced at the screen but didn’t answer. Instead, she said to Jiao Jiu, “I left someone behind and rushed over here. Now that you’re fine, I have to go.”

Jiao Jiu grunted in acknowledgment. “Go take care of your business.”

Guan Wei’s car was parked by the roadside. She walked straight over, got in, and drove off.

Jiao Jiu waited a bit longer before standing up. She tossed the cigarette butt to the ground, ground it out with her foot, and cast one last glance in the direction where Lu Fengzhou’s car had disappeared.

Neon lights flickered at the bar’s entrance, reflecting a faint look of unwillingness in her eyes. The story had reached a pause: some people soared, while others sank into the mire.

But why should it be this way?

She turned and went back into the bar, returned to the kitchen, and took out her phone.

Life had been difficult before, leaving her no energy to pay attention to the world outside. Just now, when Guan Wei mentioned it in passing, she finally had time to look it up online.

She hadn’t realized, but after searching, her jaw clenched in anger.

Lu Fengzhou really had been promoting a young starlet in the entertainment industry, investing a lot of resources in her. He wasn’t even trying to hide his identity; the paparazzi had already dug up everything about him and spun several versions of stories about him and the starlet.

Jiao Jiu scrolled through the photos of the starlet. She was quite pretty—few actresses in the industry weren’t.

After a while, she set her phone aside, leaned against the wall, and narrowed her eyes.

…

Lu Fengzhou drove into the underground parking lot of a residential complex. Someone was already waiting for him, bundled up tightly despite the late hour.

As soon as he got out of the car, she hurried over. “Ah Zhou.”

Noticing how she was dressed, Lu Fengzhou frowned. “If it’s inconvenient, you don’t have to wait here.”

She smiled brightly, slipping her arm through his. “I just wanted to see you.”

They walked toward the elevator. She continued, “I have no work scheduled the next two days—all my time is my own. Will you be busy?”

It was only after they entered the elevator that Lu Fengzhou finally spoke. “A little.”

As the doors closed, she took off her sunglasses and mask, revealing a charming face. “Ah? What a pity. Can’t you push your work back a bit? I’ll be joining a new production soon and will be busy for a long time. After that, we won’t get to see each other for quite a while.”

Lu Fengzhou hesitated, his answer vague. “We’ll see.”

That sounded hopeful enough. She tightened her hold on his arm again. “Have you eaten yet? Should I make you something? You know, I’ve always been a good cook.”

Lu Fengzhou’s gaze dropped to her hand holding his arm. “No need. Hands as fair and delicate as yours aren’t meant for kitchen work.”

Her smile grew brighter. “It’s all right. I’m happy to do it for you.”