Chapter Twenty
The flight from the film studio to Hong Kong only takes a little over two hours. Looking down through the porthole, Su Xian saw Hong Kong surrounded by night lights, resembling a giant chessboard. She couldn't really explain why she wanted to go back to Hong Kong; perhaps it was to visit her mother, or perhaps she simply missed home.
Su Xian, wearing a mask and hat, walked out of the airport with Bai Lin and Qing Qing.
Unexpectedly, a large number of reporters were already waiting in layers at the arrival gate. As soon as they came out, a huge crowd rushed forward and surrounded them.
"Su Xian, is Mr. Zeng Yi your biological father?"
What is your response to his live stream this morning?
"The production of 'Snow Abyss' has been forced to halt due to your actions. Do you have anything to say about that?"
"Your father just posted new pictures to prove your relationship. Have you seen them?"
The phone was almost pressed against Su Xian's face. It showed a childhood photo of her family of three, and a picture of her wearing a dress on her birthday. Su Xian stood behind Qingqing and Bai Lin, clenching her teeth and remaining silent.
"Someone found the documents related to your name change, confirming that your previous name was Zeng Lexian, right?"
"Did you know that Lan Zhi just posted an announcement saying your endorsement is ending?"
She just got off the plane, what could she possibly know?
"There are rumors that Holmes won't renew your contract either, is that true?"
Su Xian lowered her eyes, surrounded by a cacophony of questions. Countless microphones were thrust in front of her, and Bai Lin and Qing Qing desperately tried to block the ever-growing crowd. Cell phones and cameras were everywhere, waiting to capture her embarrassing moment.
"Su Xian, get out of the entertainment industry!" The unified chants came from the second floor. "Retire! Retire! Retire!" The reporters surrounding Su Xian all turned their cameras upwards.
Airport security finally came out and managed to stop the growing crowd and escort Su Xuan and the others away from the scene with great difficulty.
"That was terrifying." Qingqing sat in the back of the Alphard, panting heavily.
"Don't talk about that yet, Qingqing, check the entertainment news first," Bai Lin urged her. "I clearly communicated with several brands I was endorsing, including Lanzhi. Before I boarded the plane, they even urged me to handle this matter as soon as possible. How can they go back on their word?" Bai Lin dialed a phone number, waited a few seconds, and heard a busy signal.
"She even hung up on me!" Bai Lin slammed her phone on the seat. Su Xian rarely saw her so angry.
"After the search for relatives this morning, Su Xian just appeared at Hong Kong Airport. Presumably, he had to return to Hong Kong because of the suspension of filming for 'Snow Abyss'." Qingqing placed her phone in the middle, and the video was playing footage from the airport.
"Numerous reporters asked her questions, but received no answers. Su Hsien then fled in a panic under the protection of security personnel who arrived after hearing the news. Currently, a large number of reporters are still guarding Su Hsien's residence, and we will continue to follow up on the development of the incident."
Su Xuan leaned against the car window. "Have you managed to contact him?"
Bai Lin shook her head. "The platform he's using for live streaming says it can't disclose privacy. I'll try to find a solution through the hospital."
"Lanzhi's people said that after Chairman Wang saw your name change document in the afternoon, he ordered the issuance of the rescission statement, probably because he felt that you were already beyond redemption."
Bai Lin frowned. "How disgusting. Kicking someone when they're down. What a piece of trash."
Su Xuan suddenly remembered something, "Have all the brands asked you? What about Holmes?"
"Oh right." Bai Lin thought for a moment and then unlocked her phone. "Let me see... Hmm... They didn't ask me."
It would be strange not to contact them at a time like this.
What did the PR firm say?
"The best thing for your image is to admit that he has been out of contact for many years and can't be found, as long as it can shut him up. In the current situation, it is impossible not to speak out, and it is impossible to suppress the situation. Trying to delete posts and silence him will only make things worse."
"It's over!" Qingqing shouted from the back seat, startling Su Xian and Bai Lin.
"No, no, it's not over yet," Qingqing hurriedly explained. "What I mean is, there's something else going on, and it's getting more and more chaotic."
Qingqing handed her phone to Bailin. It showed a candid photo posted by the well-known paparazzi "Detective Zero Zero Gossip". It was a GIF of Su Xian and Liu Zichun leaving a hotel together after dinner, almost explicitly indicating that there was a relationship between them.
"What nonsense is this?"
"It must have been a dinner party when filming first started, but many people from the crew were there."
"Sister Xiaoxian, the insults directed at you are getting more and more offensive, and some people are even digging into your past relationships."
The most captivating thing in the entertainment industry is always the sex scandals. Just as Qingqing said, it's getting more and more chaotic, and it's dragging others down with it.
There were indeed some people gathered at the entrance of Leeds Garden. These reporters naturally recognized the license plate of Su Xian's Alphard. Because of the crowd crowding around the car and taking photos with flash, the vehicle was temporarily stopped when entering the gate. It wasn't until the property management arrived with several people that the order was restored.
For the first time, Su Xian realized just how immense the pressure was for someone in the entertainment industry.
It was already late, and the driver still had to take Bai Lin and Qing Qing home. At the door of their house, Su Xian once again reminded Bai Lin not to agree to any of Zeng Yi's conditions after contacting him, and to wait for her to discuss it before making a decision.
"Don't worry." Bai Lin patted her hand, her smile weary. "I won't make decisions before you."
After taking a shower, Su Xian lay in bed, her mind filled with the comments she had seen on Weibo when she couldn't help herself. They called her cold-blooded and heartless. She remembered one comment that had received many likes: "Why is it your father who got cancer, not you?"
Su Xian hid Bai Lin's work phone under a sofa cushion, as if not seeing it meant the insults wouldn't exist. She then realized that she wasn't as indifferent to external opinions as she had always portrayed herself, and that hurtful words were a curse upon those who couldn't sleep at night.
Feeling annoyed, Su Xian threw off the covers and went to the bathroom. She turned on the tap, washed her face with cold water, and then went downstairs. The living room light was still on. She went straight to the kitchen, took a can of beer from the refrigerator, opened the can, and drank it in large gulps.
The cool liquor flowed into his stomach, calming his agitated heart. Su Xian threw the can into the trash can and lay down on the sofa.
Judging from the current situation, even if money is given to shut that person up, the evidence he has already released is irrefutable. No matter how much she denies it, she can't fool everyone, and it will become an indelible stain on her record.
Acknowledging his father is indeed a good choice; it can salvage her image. And as Bai Lin said, he only has a few months left; she can just bear it and it will pass quickly. She just needs to come up with a good reason to explain why she hasn't taken care of him.
He had never cared about her for the past 20 years, yet now she had to explain why she hadn't cared about him. Su Xian sneered.
Aside from these two options, is there no better solution?
On the wall clock, the second hand moved silently, one circle, two circles, three circles... The hour hand slowly pointed to 2.
Su Xian sat up abruptly. She decided to go somewhere she had a feeling would be helpful.
She quickly returned to her bedroom, took off her nightgown, casually changed into a black T-shirt and denim shorts, grabbed her car keys, put on her sneakers, and opened the door. Caught off guard by the person on the recliner, she froze, gripping the doorknob.
The two Elaeocarpus trees in the courtyard were now bare, their branches and leaves lush and green. Moonlight struggled to penetrate the dense, pointed leaves, casting shadows on the ground.
The person lying under the parasol quickly got up upon hearing the noise and strode over. His black shirt was slightly disheveled, perhaps because he had rushed over, but the familiar gentleness remained in his handsome eyes.
Su Xian was moved and reached out to hug him, his voice as warm as velvet in her ear.
"Where are you headed so late?"
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