Chapter 231 Pleading for Mercy

"Tingxuan." Su Ying released He Tingxuan's waist and instead cupped his face in her hands. "I've thought it all out. Once this matter is resolved, I'll immediately go to Weibo to officially announce our relationship and then marry you."

"My birthday is the 20th of next month. How about we get our marriage certificate on that day? After we get the certificate, I'll put aside all my work and work with you to plan our wedding and honeymoon."

"Didn't you say you wanted a child? After our wedding, I'll give you a child, a daughter as beautiful as me. Then the three of us can live a peaceful and sweet life together. I'll change my acting style and stop taking on any kissing or intimate scenes. From now on, I'll focus on spoiling you alone, okay?"

Every detail of Su Ying's planned future resonated deeply with He Tingxuan.

Although He Tingxuan was still angry with her, he couldn't hide the wavering and longing in his heart from himself.

His hands, hanging by his sides, clenched and unclenched, and his gaze toward Su Ying finally showed a hint of emotion.

"Is that really what you think?" he asked cautiously.

“Really!” Su Ying nodded repeatedly. “These thoughts have been in my heart for a long time! Tingxuan, you have always been in my future.”

"..." He Tingxuan looked at her without saying a word.

She bit her lip nervously, her eyes pleading, "Tingxuan, please help me just this one last time... help your fiancée, help your future wife, okay?"

"..."

He Tingxuan remained silent, only taking out his phone from his trench coat pocket and finding an unfamiliar number in his contacts.

"Tingxuan, what are you trying to do?" Su Ying felt inexplicably flustered. "Who...who are you going to call?"

He Tingxuan dialed the number and glanced at Su Ying: "Shi Jing is Zhu Jinzhao's boyfriend. If I want Zhu Jinzhao to let you go, I have to beg Shi Jing."

"I've dealt with Shi Jing a few times. Whether I can persuade him to convince Zhu Jinzhao to back down depends entirely on luck."

"Okay...okay!" Su Ying understood He Tingxuan's meaning, quickly raised her hand to wipe away the tears on her face, and stood with him, waiting for Shi Jing to answer the phone.

"Buzz—"

"Buzz—"

When the phone rang, Shi Jing was holding Zhu Jinzhao's face, wanting a kiss.

"Phone call..." Zhu Jinzhao reached out and covered Shi Jing's mouth, blushing and tilting her head back to avoid Shi Jing's kiss.

"Tsk..." Shi Jing frowned impatiently, "Who's so blind as to call me at this time..."

He turned his head and retrieved his phone, which was lying in the corner of the sofa, and glanced at the caller ID on the screen.

—A seafood vendor.

There were only four words on the screen.

"Selling seafood?" Zhu Jinzhao was a little confused. "Shi Jing, you bought seafood?"

Shi Jing pulled her into his arms, his smile suddenly becoming more meaningful: "I didn't buy any seafood."

"If you didn't buy anything, why would the seafood seller call you?" Zhu Jinzhao stared blankly at him with her watery eyes.

He loved seeing Zhu Jinzhao with such a confused and bewildered look in her eyes, as innocent as a fawn in the mountains, so he couldn't help but lean over and kiss her eyes.

"The seafood seller is He Tingxuan. Su Ying is currently being boycotted across the internet, so of course he would call me to save his fiancée."

“Oh…” Zhu Jinzhao understood, “So he came to plead for Su Ying.”

Shi Jing: "That's right."

Zhu Jinzhao pouted unhappily: "I'm the victim in this whole thing. Why didn't he call me directly to plead for mercy, instead of going through all this trouble and calling you?"

Shi Jing pinched her cheek: "He probably guessed the relationship between you and me, so he wanted to persuade me first, and then have me and him persuade you together."

Zhu Jinzhao: "So, are you going to say yes to him?"

Shi Jing: "Of course I won't agree. His fiancée made my girlfriend suffer so much. I must be out of my mind to agree to him. Besides, if you hadn't said you wanted to take revenge yourself, I would have secretly hired someone to get rid of Su Ying long ago."

"Hmm..." Zhu Jinzhao raised an eyebrow, a hint of smugness hidden beneath his feigned serious face.

Shi Jing handed her the phone and honestly asked, "So, my dear girlfriend, do you agree to let me answer He Tingxuan's call?"

"Answer it." Zhu Jinzhao deliberately pretended to be reluctant. "The phone has rung twice already. Answer it and see what he wants to say."

Shi Jing: "Yes!"

He slowly answered the phone and then pressed the speakerphone button.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Shi, I am He Tingxuan."

He Tingxuan introduced himself as soon as he opened his mouth.

Shi Jing looked at Zhu Jinzhao and asked him casually, "He Tingxuan? Is there something you need on the phone?"

He Tingxuan's voice was somewhat tense: "Mr. Shi, I'm here because of Su Ying, my fiancée."

"Oh," Shi Jing responded indifferently. "So?"

He Tingxuan: "Su Ying really went too far in this matter. She has every right to be angry today..."

"Is it you who calls me 'today'?" Shi Jing interrupted him coldly.

He paused, then immediately changed his words: "It's perfectly understandable that Miss Jinchao is angry."

"Hmm." Shi Jing's eyes were cold. "And then?"

He Tingxuan: "Mr. Shi, I think there is still room for negotiation on this matter. As long as Miss Jinzhao can calm down, I will do anything you ask."

"Zhao Chao." Shi Jing didn't mince words and called out to Zhu Jinchao directly on the phone, "What do you think He Tingxuan should do to make you feel better?"

Zhu Jinzhao stared at her phone: "The person who hit me was Su Ying, not He Tingxuan. Why should he have to appease me?"

Upon hearing this, He Tingxuan immediately changed his tune: "Miss Jinzhao is right. If I don't want to appease you, can I have Su Ying appease you? You can tell us exactly what you want Su Ying to do, and we will absolutely not refuse as long as it is within our power."

Zhu Jinzhao: "What I want is very simple."

He Tingxuan: "Please speak."

Zhu Jinzhao coldly curled the corners of his mouth: "I want Su Ying to apologize and leave the entertainment industry."

"you--"

Su Ying's angry voice flashed through the receiver.

He Tingxuan chuckled, his tone even more humble than before: "Miss Jinzhao, we can talk this over. As long as you're willing to let Su Ying go this once, we're willing to pay any price."

"Please feel free to speak."

Zhu Jinzhao shook his head: "I don't need you to pay any price, I just want Su Ying to apologize and leave the entertainment industry."

"..."

He Tingxuan on the other end of the phone was speechless.

Zhu Jinzhao: "Don't plead for her. She made the mistake herself, and she should pay for it herself."

He Tingxuan: "Miss Jinzhao, you..."

"Can't you understand what Chaochao is saying?" Shi Jing interrupted him again. "Chaochao won't accept your plea. You should tell Su Ying to pack up and prepare to retire from the entertainment industry."

“Mr. Shi…” He Tingxuan’s voice sounded pitiful. “Su Ying is my fiancée. I really can’t watch her be driven out of the entertainment industry by netizens. I beg you, you and Miss Jinzhao, please have mercy and give her another chance.”

"Hmph..." Shi Jing laughed, "Fiancée? Your Su Ying has practically worn your bed out with those other men!"