Chapter 73 Entertainment Headlines Ignite Another Top Female Star: Drunk and Climbing into Bed. ...

Zhu Qingzhi and Gu Qiao were having a heated discussion about rising stars in the entertainment industry. The men didn't seem to understand each other and offered their opinions; some listened quietly, while others didn't even bother to listen.

Gu Qiao excitedly flipped through her phone's photo album to find her recent favorite: "Zhou Qun is so handsome! He's really handsome in that youth drama he's been playing lately."

"Hmm, it's alright." Zhu Qingzhi glanced at it, not showing much interest.

"And this one? Xu Anlan!" Gu Qiao swiped to the next image, and a sharply defined face appeared on the screen. "Full of domineering CEO vibes, isn't he incredibly cool!"

Zhu Qingzhi: "..."

Is there any point in watching "domineering CEO" dramas anymore? Isn't this just a substitute for all the related content?

Just as she was internally complaining, her phone on the table suddenly chimed softly. She glanced down at it and saw a message from Xiao Tang: "I need to talk to you."

Something's wrong? What could be wrong? It's just about men and women.

Her face remained expressionless; she neither turned off the screen nor intended to reply.

Gu Qiao ignored her expression and rattled off a bunch of rising stars in the entertainment industry, both male and female, before concluding: "But you know what, of the recent dramas, Brother Shen's spy dramas are still the best. He's handsome and his acting is superb."

After Zhu Qingzhi's identity was revealed to a small group of people, she introduced Gu Qiao to Shen Yaozhi's group of good friends. Currently, Gu Qiao has a fairly good relationship with them.

“That’s true,” Zhu Qingzhi echoed. “Anything produced by Brother Chen is guaranteed to be top-notch.”

Gu Qiao wanted to add some more comments about Shen Yaozhi when she suddenly felt a kick to her ankle. Without a doubt, it was Ji Cen. She glared at him irritably, and Ji Cen immediately spoke up: "Gu Qiao, do you want to go...?"

"I'm busy." Gu Qiao thought he was weird. How could he make her do chores all day long?

Ji Cen awkwardly put down his chopsticks, which were covered in red oil, and kept glancing to the side, feeling extremely guilty: "No, it's because your skirt has red oil on it."

Gu Qiao looked down and saw a large patch of red paint on her snow-white skirt, like a blooming chrysanthemum spreading rapidly.

Huh? That damned Ji Cen!

She jumped up, pinched Ji Cen's ear hard, and rushed to the bathroom.

Zhu Qingzhi wanted to go with them, but Chairman Liu and his group came over with their wine glasses. After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Gu Qiao sent a message: [It can't be washed off! I've booked a room for a change of clothes, don't come looking for me.]

Zhu Qingzhi could almost picture Gu Qiao's exasperated expression, and a smile involuntarily curved her lips: [A mini cream cake transformed into spicy hot pot.]

By this time, Xiao Tang had already sent several messages, but Zhu Qingzhi just looked at them without replying.

I'll be waiting for you backstage.

It won't take long.

[Zhu Qingzhi, we're all the same kind of people, we see each other all the time, there's no need to make things so tense.]

But when the message "[Kiyoshi, let's have a proper talk, okay?]" came through again, the impolite message above was immediately withdrawn.

Zhu Qingzhi suddenly realized that Xiao Tang might use the chat history to make a big deal out of it later. Thinking of this, she raised an eyebrow slightly and slowly typed two words with her index finger: 【Okay.】

After the message was successfully sent, she still showed no intention of getting up and leaving. She even leisurely picked up the sparkling water in front of her and took a sip.

Time ticked by, and after about five minutes, the phone lit up again, this time with a voice request popping up directly. Zhu Qingzhi stared at the two characters "Xiao Tang" flashing on the screen, letting it ring until it automatically hung up.

During this time, Wen Qi's hand under the table kept pinching her knuckles, the pressure just right, very comfortable. She gripped his hand in return, signaling him to let go.

Wen Qi leaned slightly forward and asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Zhu Qingzhi tucked her hair behind her ear, looking at Xiao Tang walking not far away, not hiding the fleeting disdain in her eyes, "Someone's coming."

Wen Qi followed her gaze and naturally put his arm around the back of her chair, forming a protective posture.

Xiao Tang stopped in front of Zhu Qingzhi, his gaze sweeping over Wen Qi's protective posture before quickly scanning the men around her.

Aside from Ji Cen, she didn't recognize the others, but they all possessed outstanding qualities and stood out even in such a gathering of celebrities, clearly not ordinary people.

However, she was too preoccupied with her thoughts to think about anything else. She focused all her attention on Zhu Qingzhi and forced out a fragile, pleading smile.

"Qingzhi, can we talk alone? Just the two of us." Her voice was soft, with just the right amount of choking. "There are some things I want to make clear to you in person."

Zhu Qingzhi raised her eyes, her fingers tapping the rim of her wine glass absently. The disdain in her eyes had not faded, but a hint of amusement had appeared: "We have nothing to talk about."

Xiao Tang quickly added, her eyes so sincere they were almost overflowing with tears: "Qingzhi, don't be like this, I know you don't like me, I..."

"Since you know I don't like you," Zhu Qingzhi interrupted her, pushing her wine glass forward, leaning back lazily in her chair, and looking up at her, "then why do you still insist on hanging around in front of me? Are you deliberately trying to annoy me?"

His undisguised disdain and blatant contemptuous attitude showed no regard for the occasion or any consideration for her feelings.

Xiao Tang gritted her teeth, suppressing her anger: "Just give me five minutes, okay? I promise I won't bother you again."

After tonight, Zhu Qingzhi will be utterly disgraced, and they will never have the chance to meet again. This is considered giving Zhu Qingzhi one last chance to humiliate her.

Zhu Qingzhi gazed at her silently, a half-smile playing on her lips, making her heart flutter.

"If you don't want to go, then you don't have to go."

A deep, indulgent male voice suddenly rang out, but it wasn't the man next to Zhu Qingzhi who spoke. Could it be that all the men at the table were connected to her? Xiao Tang frowned, her disgust for Zhu Qingzhi deepening.

Zhu Qingzhi sat up straight, her expression very serious, as if she was deliberately trying to antagonize someone: "One should be polite!"

A crack seemed to appear on the man's calm face, but he simply turned his face away helplessly.

At this moment, the man sitting next to Zhu Qingzhi finally withdrew his hand, glanced at the time, and said slowly, "I'll come pick you up in a bit."

“Okay.” Zhu Qingzhi pressed his shoulder to stand up, a very intimate gesture, then raised an eyebrow at Xiao Tang, looking superior. “Lead the way.”

*

The backstage corridor was dimly lit and so quiet that the only sound could be the dull thud of their high heels on the carpet.

Xiao Tang's heart was pounding, and her palms were sweating.

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Zhu Qingzhi stopped in the middle of the corridor. "Five minutes isn't a long time, and you've already wasted a minute."

Xiao Tang closed her eyes briefly: "There are too many people around here, it's not a good time to talk." She pointed to a half-open door at the end of the corridor, trying to keep her voice steady, "Even if we go inside, people might still pass by."

Zhu Qingzhi's gaze swept lightly over the door before returning to Xiao Tang's face, followed by a very soft chuckle: "Xiao Tang, do you really have something to talk to me about? Or is there something you want to...?"

She substituted the second half of the sentence with a meaningful "Hmm?".

Xiao Tang was startled by her sudden arrogance and bluntness, breaking out in a cold sweat. Had Zhu Qingzhi discovered something? Should she stop now?

She looked at Zhu Qingzhi, who was leaning against the wall, scrolling through her phone with one hand and counting on her fingers with the other.

At the same time, her phone vibrated slightly, and an anonymous text message popped up on her screen: "Ready?"

Xiao Tang took a deep breath, suddenly took a step back, forcefully grabbed Zhu Qingzhi's wrist, and pulled her forward: "I really have something to talk to you about!"

Zhu Qingzhi stumbled as she was pulled, but the moment she touched the doorknob, she suddenly exerted force and grabbed her wrist, creating a delicate standoff between the two in the dimly lit corridor.

"Xiao Tang," Zhu Qingzhi's voice was as cold as ice, "Are you sure?"

Xiao Tang was taken aback by her sudden resistance, but there was no turning back now. She tried to break free, but found that Zhu Qingzhi was incredibly strong.

"I...I just want to talk to you!" Xiao Tang struggled, her voice rising in panic.

"Does this really need to be a talk?" Zhu Qingzhi sneered, increasing the pressure on her wrist until Xiao Tang felt a sharp pain. "Does this mean we need to drag me into a room with a half-open door and a man inside?"

Xiao Tang's face turned deathly pale instantly. She hadn't expected Zhu Qingzhi to be so vigilant, able to guess her thoughts.

"I don't know what you're talking about! There's no one inside!" Xiao Tang tried to remain calm and reached for the doorknob with her other hand.

Just as the two were at an impasse, the half-closed door was pulled open from the inside.

Zhao Zhixun stood at the door, rubbing his sleepy eyes, looking impatient: "What's all the noise about?! Can't a person get any sleep?!"

He was neatly dressed, and although he smelled of alcohol, his eyes were clear, and he did not look like someone who was dead drunk and at the mercy of others.

Xiao Tang froze on the spot, her mind blank.

What happened? How could Zhao Zhixun be sober? Didn't Liu Xiaoning say he was drunk to the point of unconsciousness?

Zhu Qingzhi released her grip on Xiao Tang, calmly straightening her slightly wrinkled skirt, her tone laced with sarcasm: "Looks like the person you want me to 'talk to' is doing quite well?"

Zhao Zhixun's gaze shifted between Zhu Qingzhi and the pale-faced Xiao Tang, then he sneered, "Xiao Tang, what are you up to now?"

Just then, a series of hurried and chaotic footsteps came from the other end of the corridor, accompanied by urging voices in low voices.

"Hurry! It's just ahead!"

"Get your camera ready!"

Zhu Qingzhi's eyes sharpened. She suddenly pushed the still-dazed Xiao Tang into the open room, while simultaneously slipping to the side into a blind spot by the door.

Caught off guard, Xiao Tang stumbled into the room, bumping right into Zhao Zhixun who had turned to look at her after hearing the noise. Almost simultaneously, several paparazzi with cameras and excited expressions rushed to the door.

"This is it! Take a picture quickly!" The urgent voice stopped abruptly when the view inside the room was seen.

The flashbulbs went off wildly, but instead of capturing the expected "ugly scene" of Zhu Qingzhi and the drunken Zhao Zhixun, they captured Xiao Tang frantically throwing herself into Zhao Zhixun's arms, and Zhao Zhixun's bewildered and angry expression.

"What are you taking pictures of! Get the hell out of here!" Zhao Zhixun realized what was happening, flew into a rage, shoved Xiao Tang aside, and roared at the paparazzi.

Xiao Tang slumped to the ground, blankly like a lifeless statue. She knew she was completely finished.

The paparazzi were also dumbfounded. This was completely different from the big news that the whistleblower had promised: a top female star sleeping with a wealthy young man. The male lead was right, but the female lead was wrong.

But these are all news stories, and what the whistleblower says may not be entirely true. Besides, Xiao Tang is practically a top female celebrity, so why not film her?

This isn't exactly surprising news, as the relationship between Xiao Tang and the Zhao father and son has always been ambiguous, just lacking concrete evidence. Now that they've obtained firsthand resources, they're sure to fetch a good price.

The paparazzi leader, seeing stars, didn't think twice and happily adjusted his camera position.

Liu Xiaoning, hidden deep within the curtain at the end of the corridor, had a livid face. She stared intently at Zhu Qingzhi, who stood calmly in the shadows by the door, and instantly realized that their plan had been exposed long ago, and they had even been outmaneuvered!

"Fine, very well..." Liu Xiaoning squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth, her eyes sweeping over Zhu Qingzhi with resentment, then glaring fiercely at Xiao Tang, who had ruined the situation, before turning to leave.

"Stop." A cold voice rang out from behind.

Wen Qi appeared on this side of the corridor at some point, with Lu Yao beside her. He ignored her, his gaze sweeping over the chaotic scene, over the paparazzi, and finally settling on the shadows by the door.

He said nothing more, brushed past her shoulder, pulled Zhu Qingzhi into his arms, as if afraid the camera would implicate her. Lu Yao was even more arrogant, directly reaching out to move the camera aside.

The paparazzi, who had been so impatient, were reluctantly trying to put down their cameras. But Young Master Lu wouldn't have it, raising his camera and pointing it at Xiao Tang: "If you want to film like that, then film it directly."

He then completely lifted the curtain, exposing Liu Xiaoning's pale face to the light.

"Miss Liu, you barged into Lingmei with reporters without a word, and now you think you can just leave?" Lu Yao's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable sense of pressure. "Do you think I'm just a decoration?"

Liu Xiaoning's back stiffened, but she gave an elegant and proper smile: "President Lu, you misunderstand. I don't know them."

"Alright, then Miss Liu, give me an explanation now." Lu Yao loosened his tie. "If these people didn't have an invitation from the Liu family, how did they manage to barge in and walk through the banquet hall in broad daylight?"

Liu Xiaoning bit her lower lip, and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

She had allowed the paparazzi to pass through the banquet hall, intending to escalate the situation and prevent the Lu family from exerting pressure. Now it seems that this move was a terrible mistake. How could she forget about the invitation?

The banquet is drawing to a close, and people are gradually leaving their seats; perhaps...

"Miss Liu, are you saying that Lingmei's security is inadequate?" Zhu Qingzhi nestled in Wen Qi's arms, only her eyes showing, but her eyes were full of emotions.

She blinked, leaned on Wen Qi's arm, and tilted her body slightly to the side, revealing most of her playful face. "Brother, she's saying you're a bad manager and incompetent~"

She was very tea-loving, but that's not the point. The point is what she said, "brother."

The paparazzi leader froze instantly.

Zhu Qingzhi's brother is Lu Yao, the son of the Lu Group, which means Zhu Qingzhi is the Lu family's heiress! This is truly earth-shattering news, but who dares to break it?

The paparazzi looked at each other, and simultaneously turned off all their equipment.

Wen Qi felt the slight tremor of the person in his arms, and whispered in her ear, "Have you had enough fun?"

A warm breath brushed against her earlobe, carrying a hint of indulgent helplessness. Zhu Qingzhi gently scratched his arm, like a spoiled cat, wrinkling her nose and shaking her head.

A hint of a smile flashed across Wen Qi's eyes as he steadily wrapped his arm around her waist, subtly adjusting his position to make her more comfortable.

Emboldened by the indulgence, Zhu Qingzhi became even more at ease, leaning her entire weight against him and raising her chin at Lu Yao: "Oh, and Miss Liu seems to have something on her shoulder. Could you please help her remove it, brother?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Xiaoning immediately touched her shoulder and discovered that a listening device was stuck to the intricate brocade flower core that adorned her shoulder.

The color drained from her face at a visible speed, and even her fingertips began to grow cold. Could this bugging device be...?

Zhu Qingzhi kindly gave her an answer: "Miss Liu, you don't need to thank me. I don't like receiving things from others, so I'll just return them to their rightful owner."

She tapped her ear again and said in a affected, soft voice, "The sound system in the banquet hall seems pretty good too."

-----------------------

Author's note: Kiyoshi [doge emoji]: Oh.

Xiao Tang [transformed]: The person is gone.

Wen Qi [helplessly]: I am your strongest support.

Lu Yao [angry]: You're trying to take advantage of my sister?

Liu Xiaoning [bursting into tears]: Tell me why?

Ah Mei: Moving on to Malaga [sprinkling flowers] to see how Qingzhi plays.