C21 The Fire Won't Go Out!

Su Xiaoxiao spotted Chu Yun from a distance but refrained from approaching him for a greeting.

She was acutely aware that this environment was beyond her control. Her former classmate, Lau Yue, had changed; her words were laced with veiled barbs.

As they entered the grand hall of Ding Sheng and ascended the stairs, everyone treated Lau Yue with the utmost respect, addressing her as Miss Liu. In their brief exchanges, Su Xiaoxiao sensed an air of superiority emanating from Lau Yue.

Indeed.

She had become a celebrity. Perhaps not yet a household name, but her rise to stardom was inevitable. She had also made connections with influential figures, including her boyfriend, whom she mentioned with calculated discretion—none other than Young Master Qin, who seemed overwhelmed by his own stature.

Despite the changes, Lau Yue remained cordial with Su Xiaoxiao, and it appeared that their school-day camaraderie persisted. Yet, Lau Yue's patronizing demeanor left Su Xiaoxiao feeling decidedly uncomfortable.

"It's nothing," Young Master Qin said, setting his water glass down, his demeanor softening. "Remember I mentioned that the company wants to back you as a major star?"

A delighted sweetness spread across Lau Yue's lovely face. "You're taking that seriously? I'm still a student, after all. Laying some groundwork in the industry isn't a bad idea."

Her words belied her smugness as she gestured for Su Xiaoxiao to take a seat. "Zhenghao, Xiaoxiao is an old high school friend of mine. We're quite close."

"Hello," Qin Zhenghao offered a slight nod, his eyes briefly scanning Su Xiaoxiao's demure face without betraying his thoughts. "Are you both hungry? Let's order some food."

Encouragingly, Lau Yue nudged Su Xiaoxiao, "Order anything you like; Zhenghao has just acquired Ding Sheng." She couldn't help but flaunt this fact.

With a mix of emotions, Su Xiaoxiao nonchalantly ordered a cold noodle dish.

"Xiaoxiao, do you remember?" Lau Yue reminisced with a smile. "We once walked past Ding Sheng, and you said you'd treat me to a lavish meal here. It's ironic that you never got that chance, yet here I am, extending the invitation first."

Listening to these stinging remarks, Su Xiaoxiao squirmed in discomfort.

Lau Yue was relentless as she continued, "Time really does fly. Before you know it, two years have slipped by. Xiaoxiao, do you remember? When I wanted to apply to the Film Academy, you told me to stop dreaming and to focus on getting into a university to secure a good job for the future."

"I was heartbroken for a long time after you said that." The smile on Lau Yue's face slowly faded, giving way to a chilling composure. "You come from a wealthy family; your mother is an entrepreneur worth over a hundred million. You've lived in luxury from a young age. You're beautiful and smart. And me? My parents are just ordinary workers, barely earning enough to match what you spend in pocket money in a month."

Lau Yue let out a soft sigh. "Do you remember what you told me after our graduation dinner?"

Su Xiaoxiao looked down, silent, her long lashes quivering.

"Perhaps you've forgotten. But it's etched in my memory forever." Lau Yue downed her glass of red wine, her tone icy. "You said to be a star, you have to be shameless, to abandon your dignity—the more brazen, the more famous."

"Xiaoxiao, if I become a big star one day, famous across the country, will I just be a shameless, despicable woman in your eyes?" Lau Yue's gaze was frosty and piercing as she pressed Su Xiaoxiao, the old classmate who had once been the object of her envy and resentment, into a corner.

She had waited two years for this day.

Tonight, she unleashed the resentment that had been building for those two years.

Once, she was just an ordinary girl from an average family, with nothing but her looks to her name. Su Xiaoxiao, on the other hand, was showered with affection. Whether among teachers or classmates, or even just walking down the street, she was always overshadowed by Su Xiaoxiao.

Now, she had risen to stardom, with a boyfriend from a wealthy family and a bright future ahead. In contrast, Su Xiaoxiao's family fortunes had declined, and she was living a less than affluent life. Their roles were reversed, a testament to the unpredictable nature of life.

Su Xiaoxiao had been silent for quite some time before she finally took a deep, cold breath. She didn't turn to Chu Yun for help, nor did she want to drag him into her troubles.

Back then, she was young and reckless, and she had indeed uttered words that wounded Lau Yue. Even though her intentions were good—she didn't want Lau Yue to go astray—the words had deeply hurt Lau Yue, who was sensitive and fragile at heart.

"I'm sorry," Su Xiaoxiao said, biting her lip. "I apologize for my thoughtless words back then."

"It's okay," Lau Yue replied with a smile, lifting her head proudly. "You're not worth getting upset over anymore."

Feeling too ashamed to stay any longer, Su Xiaoxiao rose to leave but was unexpectedly stopped by Chu Yun, whose presence had gone unnoticed.

"When you're berating me, you never back down," Chu Yun teased. "Someone confronts you, and you want to run away?"

His words brought tears to her eyes. Over the past six months, she had watched the Su family's fortunes decline and her sister be pushed into the entertainment industry, powerless to do anything but watch. She felt like a parasite, full of self-reproach and frustration. Even her brother-in-law, who was seen as a failure, had managed to contribute something to the Su family.

Her heart felt as if it had been shredded into pieces.

"Xiaoxiao, he can't possibly be your boyfriend, can he?" Lau Yue taunted. "That doesn't make sense. With your past taste, how could you ever be attracted to someone like this?"

He was clad in a cheap suit and was far from handsome. Compared to Young Master Qin, or even Xue Chaoqing, who was nearly fifty, he lacked any real masculine appeal.

Su Xiaoxiao was about to speak up in her own defense when Chu Yun, ever the instigator, cut in, "What's so bad about me? Am I really that terrible? Young man, mind your language. Don't think that eating a couple of steaks at Ding Cheng makes you high society. You look like you've never seen the world—a pheasant will always be a pheasant, never fit for the stage."

Lau Yue's eyes widened in shock, and she nearly jabbed Chu Yun with her fork.

"Xue Chaoqing. Is he one of your people?" Qin Zhenghao maintained his composure, not letting Chu Yun's provocative words get to him.

Xue Chaoqing was dumbfounded.

He hadn't brought Chu Yun along to fan the flames!

His intention was to leverage Chu Yun's enigmatic identity to gain some leverage over Qin Zhenghao. But who could have predicted that instead of helping, Chu Yun would start by insulting his girlfriend, calling her a pheasant.

Chu Yun, what have you done, cursed my entire family? How could you backstab me like this?

Confronted with Qin Zhenghao's icy stare, Xue Chaoqing's scalp tingled as he nodded.

"Understood."

Young Master Qin gave a nominal response, his face devoid of emotion. "I'm set on taking over Unhindered Entertainment. Feel free to use whatever means you can think of to oppose me; I'm actually looking forward to it."

Qin Zhenghao rose to his feet gracefully. "Just a heads-up: don't let him out of your sight during this time."

His casual tone belied the serious warning he was issuing to Xue Chaoqing.

You're bound to lose Unhindered Entertainment.

And Chu Yun, you'd better keep a close eye on him.

If I take over Unhindered Entertainment and Chu Yun's nowhere to be found, you'll face twice the fury!

"Are you psychologically unwell?" Chu Yun retorted, arching an eyebrow. "Aren't I right here? Why do you need someone to keep tabs on me? Come at me. In a few days, when you're busy, won't your anger have cooled off?"