Chapter 67 If you need anything, just let me know and I'll reluctantly agree. ...

Zhao Shiyan's gaze swept over them, and suddenly the corner of his lips curled slightly, a half-smile on his face. He didn't say anything, but it was as if he said everything.

Zhao Shiyan's reputation among Beijing's top circles wasn't good, not because he was Chairman Zhao's illegitimate son, but because he was ruthless, never leaving room for maneuver, and habitually resorting to underhanded tactics.

His identity was not respectable, but strictly speaking, his biological mother, whose identity was awkward, was actually Zhao Dong's first wife, a pitiful woman who was abandoned by a heartless man without ever getting a marriage certificate.

Such a twisted background destined him to live in an environment vastly different from that of ordinary people from a young age. And it was precisely because of this that he was able to carve out a bloody path from the bloody storms of his family and earn a place for himself.

Therefore, Lu Yao and the others did not have a bad opinion of him. They never shied away from cooperating with him in the business world, but they did not have much contact with him in private. It was just that they were incompatible in personality.

But today, Lu Yao looked at him differently than before, his restrained distance carrying a hint of reproach. They were both intelligent people; there was no need to spell everything out, just rely on intuition. He had long known Zhu Qingzhi's true identity.

But is it really that shameful?

With the title of "Lu's daughter," what couldn't she have wanted? Why bother struggling in the entertainment industry and having to be subservient to others?

Is it because he is not favored?

Judging from Lu Yao's protective manner, it's impossible. It can only be that she's too pampered, so she doesn't mind staying at home even if she wants to be in the entertainment industry.

That's really interesting.

As the sun gradually sank in the west, sunlight filtered through the dry branches, casting dappled patterns on Zhao Shiyan's face. His light brown pupils were bathed in the light, appearing even paler and lifeless, with a fleeting hint of mockery within them.

Suddenly his eyelashes fluttered, and he smiled, "It's getting late, so I won't disturb you any longer." With that, he nodded slightly and turned to leave.

After he left, Ji Cen immediately let out an exaggerated sigh of relief, even bending down to show that his legs were weak. Keep in mind, he almost never got involved in such a chaotic situation.

Everyone's words were loaded with hidden meaning, yet their tone and expressions left no room for interpretation; all guesses relied on personal observation. And yet, even without him saying a word, he felt his eyes and mind were still reeling.

"Shi Yan..." Ji Cen addressed him casually, but still refrained from saying the whole thing, "He guessed it, didn't he? Brother Lu, Brother Wen, I didn't tell you, you know, I'm very tight-lipped~"

Lu Yao and Wen Qi were already used to Ji Cen's "coquettishness" and didn't show much emotion. They exchanged a glance and both understood that the other meant "leave now".

But Zhu Qingzhi really wasn't used to it. How on earth did the Ji family raise such an "innocent and adorable" man?

Just then, a timid female voice came from the side: "Miss Zhu, could you take a picture for me?"

Zhu Qingzhi was used to it this time, but Ji Cen was not.

He turned his head as if he had seen a ghost, only to see Gu Qiao holding a pink Kitty cake, blinking her big, watery eyes.

Ji Cen: "..."

Okay, okay, everyone here is a great actor. But now that everyone's gone, what's the point of acting?

The wind had picked up and the temperature had dropped sharply, but there were still quite a few people coming and going on the lawn, especially after Lu Yao and Wen Qi appeared, men in suits also started to show up.

Gu Qiao approached, revealing a face that resembled a mischievous devil, yet it wore an innocent smile.

“There are a lot of media outlets filming you. Are you sure you're okay with this? Or are you planning to make it public? But this should be enough to write a news story.”

She grinned and spoke in a whisper, trying to appear genuinely polite, while handing over her phone with photos she had just secretly taken of "media paparazzi."

Zhu Qingzhi remained silent for a moment.

The announcement was inevitable, but it couldn't just be a bolt from the blue.

Besides, with the year-end approaching, going public at this time would surely draw harsh criticism from the media, and most importantly, she had to consider the feelings of her fans.

She has to release the news gradually, which is why she didn't try to avoid Wen Qi and the others today.

Zhu Qingzhi's silence lasted only a few seconds before Lu Yao paused, but Wen Qi spoke first: "I'll make the arrangements."

He narrowed his eyes slightly, about to speak, when he heard Zhu Qingzhi's response.

"No need, I'll handle it myself." She naturally took the phone Gu Qiao handed her, leaving the three men behind without looking back.

Three men, each with a distinct style yet striking appearance, watch two elegant ladies depart with complex expressions, a scene brimming with a sense of history frozen in time.

A dream collaboration with a clip from a certain animated film sparked the topic of "live-action version of the fairy princess," which trended on social media.

Ironically, because of Ji Cen's position and bewildered expression, he was precisely positioned as the drooling spotted dog in the cartoon. But it was quite a coincidence that the decorative handkerchief in his suit pocket was black and white checkered.

Zhu Qingzhi never expected this result. These days, the media has such wild imaginations! It seems the company's KPIs are truly demanding.

Gu Qiao immediately created a small group chat with three people, focusing her mockery on Ji Cen: 【This is the best picture of the year! I will definitely spread the word!】

Ji Cen and his group hitched a ride with Wen Qi to Ling Mei to attend Chairman Liu's birthday banquet. Since it was still early, Lu Yao arranged a private lounge.

However, as soon as Lu Yao and Wen Qi reached the door of the lounge, they both walked towards the stairs. Ji Ran, who had "project sensitivity", wanted to follow, so Lu Yao took out a cigarette from his pocket.

Ji Ran immediately stopped and led him into the lounge without the slightest hesitation.

He had just slumped onto the sofa and opened his phone to relax by watching some short videos when he saw Gu Qiao being ridiculed and trending on social media. He felt like the sky had fallen.

Why is he just a dog?! And a Dalmatian that doesn't seem to be very smart?! His image as the dashing young master Ji is completely different!

The next second, upon hearing Zhu Qingzhi's message, "Is it funny?", Ji Cen felt a warmth in his heart. There are still many good people in the world.

But then, Zhu Qingzhi's second message arrived immediately: "[Hahahaha, I'm sorry, but I really couldn't help it! It's really hilarious! Your expression and that handkerchief were a stroke of genius! What a coincidence!]"

Ji Cen's fragile heart finally broke.

He angrily pulled the black and white checkered handkerchief from his pocket and slammed it on the table, glaring at it with deep resentment. Then he looked at his own face on his phone screen, which had been turned into an emoji, and didn't even know how to refute it.

"What's wrong?" Ji Ran, sitting opposite, glanced over and added casually, "My little Dalmatian."

Ji Cen: "..."

"Your uncle here, surfing the 5G internet." Ji Ran elegantly waved his phone, the screen displaying a high-definition close-up of Ji Cen's "Spotted Dog," his tone nonchalant, "It's already gone viral in the family group chat. Your mom specifically told you to pay attention to your facial expressions in the future."

Lu Yao pushed open the door and entered, his icy gaze sweeping over the black and white checkered handkerchief on the table before he uttered a cold remark: "Quite fitting."

The door was closed, and there was no smell of smoke in the air. Wen Qi did not come in either. Ji Ran clicked her tongue lightly, got up, and whispered to Lu Yao.

At this moment, Ji Cen had no interest in why Wen Qi hadn't come in. He just opened Weibo in frustration, intending to check the comments online. However, his inbox exploded with messages, his follower count was growing at a visible rate, and private messages and notifications of him being mentioned kept popping up.

Immediately afterwards, his special follower "Weight Loser Without Buckwheat Noodles V" had a new update.

Gu Qiao retweeted the trending Weibo post, adding the caption: "[This is my good friend, and also a good friend of humankind. @CenShen'sCen]"

This Weibo post had already garnered over a thousand likes in just ten minutes.

The top-rated comment was: "I don't have many other strengths, but I'm very kind-hearted. I'll tag @CenShen's Cen again on behalf of the blogger."

They lined up in neat rows downstairs.

Ji Cen felt a calm despair. He numbly continued scrolling down the screen, when suddenly, a comment amidst countless "hahaha"s made his eyes widen.

[Wait! I think I've stumbled upon the key point! The photo my friend posted the day before yesterday was taken at Chaoxi Tower! Could this be the woman who proposed? @JustSaySomethingIfYouNeed]

The account that was tagged, "Just let me know if you need anything," is Zhu Qingzhi's private alternate account!

He instantly jumped up from the sofa, took a screenshot, and sent it to their small group chat, interrupting Gu Qiao and Zhu Qingzhi's banter: [Stop bantering, you've given yourself away.]

The laughter in the group chat stopped abruptly.

Ten seconds later, Gu Qiao quickly replied: 【I'll delete it.】

Zhu Qingzhi responded quickly: "No need, it's only a matter of time."

Gu Qiao: [OK!] [You first promise that you love me the most!]

Zhu Qingzhi had just removed the sponsored jewelry and dress, and was now wearing the clothes and accessories Wen Qi had prepared for her: "I'll be at the hotel soon. Remember to pick me up, my dearest."

Gu Qiao: [Stand by immediately.]

Only then did Ji Cen belatedly type out a sentence: 【Preparing to go public?】

Gu Qiao's sarcasm arrived as expected: [Apologize to the Dalmatian! Your brain isn't even as good as its.]

Zhu Qingzhi smiled when she saw this, but didn't continue arguing. She went to the west gate of the manor with Dani. On the way, Dani confirmed with Zhu Qingzhi again whether she really intended to go public. After receiving an affirmative answer, she didn't try to persuade her anymore.

The west gate is not open to the public, but Wen Qi had made prior arrangements with the owner of the manor, so a car was arranged to pick her up here.

As soon as Zhu Qingzhi saw the car, she knew it wasn't the driver who had arrived.

Instead, it was Wenqi.

The first thing Zhu Qingzhi said when she got into the car was, "Gu Qiao might want to kill you in a little while."

Wen Qi raised an eyebrow noncommittally; Ji Cen had just sent him a screenshot of their group chat.

Ji Cen actually wanted to use the phrase "preparing to go public" to claim credit, but the first thing he did upon receiving the news was to message Ji Ran. If this kid doesn't start working soon, his brain might really go out of control.

"Then, since I'm your driver, could you please protect me for a bit?"

Zhu Qingzhi wrinkled her nose slightly and couldn't help but laugh: "I might not even be able to protect myself."

Wen Qi took out sunglasses from the storage box and handed them to her, then casually ruffled her hair: "Okay, then I'll also work as a bodyguard."

The car drove away from the manor and entered the Lingmei parking lot in just a few minutes.

Zhu Qingzhi logged into Weibo, preparing to post a giveaway announcement, but as usual, she first browsed the super topic and found a new set of pictures, which were obviously straight from her phone.

It was posted by the original new fan site, and the comments below are all positive.

[Any picture posted by the "God of the Site" is guaranteed to be a masterpiece.]

My daughter is beautiful and lovely.

[This distance, this angle, hehe, could this guy standing here be a fashion show guest?]

[This is hilarious! The fan site admin even liked a couple's picture. She's not your wife anymore.]

The blogger only replied to this comment: 【She's my wife.】

Zhu Qingzhi clicked on the so-called CP picture with great interest. It turned out that photos of her and Wen Qi at the fashion show had also been published online by the media, capturing the moment when she received a bottle of mineral water from Wen Qi.

In the dimly lit space, the cold white light from the catwalk was so direct that it cast soft ripples on their faces. The faint blush behind Zhu Qingzhi's ears and the upward curve of Wen Qi's lips were just right, seemingly caused by the subtle touch of their hands.

After Zhu Qingzhi inexplicably clicked "save," she returned to the blogger's Weibo and commented on the blogger's post: "Then I'll reluctantly agree."

Just as he clicked send, the car door beside him was pulled open, and Wen Qi's figure loomed over him.

Zhu Qingzhi put away her phone, placed her hand on Wen Qi's arm, and lazily chuckled. Wen Qi then leaned down and put his arm around her shoulder, leading her out of the car.

Perhaps out of habit, or perhaps she deliberately tiptoed closer, Zhu Qingzhi gently bit his ear: "I am not Ji Cen."

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Author's Note: Kiyoshi [covering her face and peeking]: Oh~ (meaningful version)

Wen Qi [kiss]: I love you one more day every day.

Ji Cen [bursts into tears]:br>

Gu Qiao [Sunglasses]: Is the person upstairs whimpering or barking?

Ah Mei [Let me see]: [Dog head carrying a rose][Dog head carrying a rose][Dog head carrying a rose]