Chapter 28 It's not like she hasn't seen it before.
The reporters in the audience couldn't detect the sarcasm in his words.
Qiao Shu heard it clearly. She gripped her arm tightly with her fingers, her smile growing wider. She was still more used to Yu Zeheng's way of speaking.
Yu Zeheng said calmly, "If the photos were taken on Sunday night, they would show me there. I've met Ethan before, and we had a pleasant chat that night. I don't know the motives of this paparazzi; whether they intentionally distorted the facts to manipulate public opinion or had other intentions."
Qiao Shu lowered her eyelashes and looked at him with deep affection: "My husband and I have always had a good relationship. My husband loves me very much. I really don't know why anyone would make such malicious speculations."
Yu Zeheng's lips twitched, but his expression remained unchanged: "It might be my problem."
Of course it's your problem.
Qiao Shu reached out and placed her hand on Yu Zeheng's: "How could you have a problem? You are really wonderful. I have never met anyone as wonderful as you in my life."
Worried that it wouldn't be disgusting enough, she added a sweet smile.
"..."
Yu Zeheng's gaze was indifferent as he took her hand in return: "I should thank you, because you have always been so understanding and considerate."
Understanding and considerate.
Eight words: He will never have anything to do with Qiao Shu in this lifetime.
Their eyes met.
What appears to be a loving gaze to outsiders is actually a mutual act of enduring disgust for each other.
"You're welcome." Qiao Shu subtly withdrew her hand, her smile almost faltering, and then turned to the reporter to ask, "Any other questions?"
"If the rumors of their marital discord are false, why is Ms. Qiao living alone in Australia?" The last male reporter stood up and asked.
Qiao Shu pursed her lips, lowered her head slightly, and said in a gentle and touching voice, "My mother lived in Australia for a period of time, and I miss her very much."
Everyone present knew that Qiao Shu's mother had passed away when she was six years old.
The male reporter looked embarrassed and said, "Sorry."
"It doesn't matter."
Reporters continued to ask questions, but the fact that the two were in the same frame was the best proof. No matter how many more questions were asked, they would be shut down without any attempt to deflect them.
After the press conference, Qiao Shu smiled and said thank you: "Everyone worked hard today. Here's a small gift for you all, especially the photographer. Please remember to delete the bad photos for me."
"goodbye."
Qiao Shu and Yu Zeheng left the stage side by side. She waved goodbye to the reporters in a good mood, and her good expression remained until she got into the car. They were sweet and affectionate on stage, but off stage, they had two grumpy faces.
Uncle Qin sensed the tense atmosphere inside the car, so he raised the partition in advance to give the two young people some space.
Yu Zeheng crossed his long legs, his hands resting on the armrests of the car seat. He glanced down at the tablet in his hand, quickly browsing the latest news of the day: "I hope this is the last time."
"What did you say?" Qiao Shu asked knowingly.
“I don’t want to explain this to you a second time,” Yu Zeheng repeated.
Qiao Shu's reply was equally cold: "Do you think I want to? In this matter, I am also a victim. The ones who secretly take photos and fabricate facts to write gossip news are the worst."
Yu Zeheng stopped talking.
Qiao Shu's last sentence was very true, so he had someone find the person who took the photos and politely invited them to dinner at the hotel's rooftop terrace restaurant.
The restaurant offers panoramic city views, but reservations are difficult to obtain, and it is not usually open to the public.
Song Shiwen was nervous before the appointment. He was just an online paparazzi, anonymous, so when he received Yu Zeheng's call, he was more terrified than anything else. He almost dropped his phone. He tried to appear calm and said the caller had dialed the wrong number. But then he heard the other person slowly and methodically call out his name, hometown, current apartment number, down to the door number, the list of reporters he had worked with, and how many wealthy ladies he had secretly photographed...
The cold voice on the phone suddenly changed its tone: "Do we need to continue?"
"No."
He had no choice but to reluctantly agree to the meeting.
The other party had already investigated him thoroughly. If he continued to pretend, it would be more than just a simple dinner invitation.
Song Shiwen arrived at the restaurant on time.
The waiter led him to the reserved table. After sitting restlessly for a few minutes, he saw a tall figure approaching from a distance. The figure was backlit, so his face was not visible, but even a glance from him conveyed a sense of oppression.
As the person approached and their face became clear, it was discovered that the other person had cold, hard features, and their deep-set eyes beneath their brows were even colder than the person in question.
“President Yu.” Song Shiwen stood up.
Yu Zeheng gestured, "Sit down, don't stand. Since we're having dinner together, relax."
Song Shiwen felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.
He knows perfectly well what he did, and even if he is met with a fist, he feels it is normal.
"What would you like to eat? You order." Instead of a fist, a menu was offered, which made him even more uneasy. He randomly ordered something and handed the menu to Yu Zeheng, saying, "President Yu, you should order."
Yu Zeheng took the order, and after placing it, he leisurely asked Song Shiwen why he chose to come to Beijing after graduating from university, as if they were just having a meal and chatting casually.
The meal left Song Shiwen feeling uneasy, as if a sharp sword was hanging over his head that had yet to fall.
"This is the 42nd floor." Yu Zeheng pulled out a tissue and dabbed at the corner of his lips.
Song Shiwen gave a blank "hmm".
Yu Zeheng smiled, squinted, and looked behind him, asking as if jokingly, "Guess what, if I fall from here, people will think it was an accidental fall, or something else?"
“…I, I’m not quite sure about that.” Song Shiwen pulled out a tissue and wiped his forehead.
Yu Zeheng asked, "What are you nervous about?"
"President Yu, please stop joking with me. I'm sorry, I was a bastard and shouldn't have taken pictures of your wife without permission. I apologize."
Yu Zeheng braced himself on the table with one hand and held the silver spoon handle with the other. He looked at him with a slightly drowsy smile: "You said I was just joking with you, so why are you reacting so strongly? There are surveillance cameras all over here. If you really fell, I would be asked to come back for investigation."
Song Shiwen looked embarrassed. He raised his hand and vowed that he would never do such a thing as taking photos without permission again.
Yu Zeheng leaned back and listened quietly as he finished speaking.
Song Shiwen knew that although Yu Zeheng was joking with him, there were a hundred ways to bring him to the bottom without breaking the law, and he knew that the man opposite him had that ability.
Yu Zeheng tapped the table twice with his fingers: "You'd better make it clear to your friends in the industry that if you or anyone else does this again, it won't be as simple as just treating them to a meal."
"I will definitely pass on your message."
Yu Zeheng asked, "What about the rest of the photos?"
Song Shiwen had made preparations before he came. Even if he didn't mention it, he would destroy it in front of him: "All the negatives are here. I absolutely did not make a second copy."
Yu Zeheng gave a soft "hmm".
Song Shiwen tentatively asked, "May I leave now?"
"Have you finished eating?" Yu Zeheng asked.
Song Shiwen nodded repeatedly.
Yu Zeheng stood up: "If there's nothing else, you can leave anytime. It's nice to enjoy the night view."
Song Shiwen is still shaken and believes he will be afraid of heights for some time to come.
Back in Nanwan, Yu Zeheng inserted the card into the computer. There were several documents named with time and location inside, and he clicked on them one by one from the first one.
It was during the time Qiao Shu stayed at the hotel, then the hospital, the Tang Palace, and finally, her appearances with Ethan at various tourist attractions.
Yu Zeheng browsed through the photos expressionlessly. Without exception, Qiao Shu smiled throughout, not a fake or deliberately disgusting smile, but a genuine one. Ethan's eyes were practically glued to Qiao Shu's face.
Anyone who saw them would assume they were a couple from different countries.
Hearing something from others is one thing, seeing it with his own eyes is another.
Yu Zeheng repeatedly pressed the delete button, deleting all the group photos one by one. In the end, without even opening the document, he deleted the entire document and then emptied the recycle bin with one click, leaving his computer much cleaner.
When I opened the photos again, one by one, they were all of Qiao Shu.
Whether happy, deep in thought, lost in thought, radiant, or aloof and unapproachable, her expressions were always vivid. Even when she had no expression, her eyes were lively and could tell what she was thinking. He went from having a cold face at the beginning to smiling and curving his lips as she did.
He was angry, but now, looking at her, he felt even more ridiculous.
If Josh truly liked Ethan, they wouldn't just be friends.
He didn't like her smiling at other men, didn't like her looking at other men, didn't like...
Yu Zeheng frowned, realizing with alarm that his emotions had been constantly swayed by Qiao Shu, who had turned his life upside down ever since she returned.
—
Since that meal, Song Shiwen deleted most of the negatives and essentially left the industry.
He was looking for a new job, but lacking both education and work experience, he was rejected by two companies in a row. As he walked out of the company building toward the subway, a minivan pulled up and drove slowly.
The car window rolled down, revealing a strikingly handsome face that was unforgettable: "Mr. Song."
Song Shiwen adjusted his backpack strap and quickened his pace, saying, "You've mistaken me for someone else."
Qiao Shu, resting her head on the car window, said, "Aren't you my photographer? Come on, I'll treat you to something to drink."
Song Shiwen: "..."
By the time he realized what was happening, he was already in a coffee shop. He stirred his coffee nervously and said, "Ms. Qiao, I'm so sorry, as you can see, I'm already looking for a new job."
Qiao Shu gave a soft "oh," and then asked gently, "Did you find it?"
"……not yet."
Qiao Shu nodded, her fingers tracing the rim of her coffee cup. She smiled and asked, "I'm quite curious how you knew my itinerary. Did someone sell you the information, or have you been following me?"
Song Shiwen thought for a moment and said, "I'm sorry, but people like us often have inside information. When someone wants some news, we're responsible for following them and finding material."
"Was that the hotel photo you took last time?"
Song Shiwen nodded.
Qiao Shu rested her chin on her hand, looking relaxed and casual, her mascara-covered eyelashes curled and perky: "Mr. Song, do you like me or are you just secretly in love with me?"
Song Shiwen felt a lump in his throat, his face flushed red, and he frantically waved his hands, trying to explain.
"Otherwise, why only film me and not Yu Zeheng? Or is it because you have rumors that I have cheated on him? Otherwise, I can only understand it as you not daring to offend Yu Zeheng, so you are picking on me, the easy target?" Qiao Shu sighed. "Thinking about this really makes me a little angry."
Song Shiwen waved his hand: "No, no..."
Before he could finish speaking, a cup of coffee was thrown all over his face, and the unmelted ice cubes inside also hit him hard.
"Sorry, it slipped." Qiao Shu handed over a tissue. "It was really an accident."
The disgust of being followed and the malicious attempts to take suggestive photos had already fueled Qiao Shu's anger. Pouring coffee at her was the least of her worries; she was kind enough not to smash the cup as well.
Song Shiwen was startled by the cold. He stood up, shook off the coffee on his clothes, and took the tissue that Qiao Shu "kindly" handed him to wipe his face clean.
Qiao Shu tilted her head and smiled, her dimples both sweet and innocent.
Even if she does the worst things, looking at her face makes you feel irritable, and you might even find it strangely charming.
Qiao Shu watched him slowly finish wiping his face, then tapped her finger on the table: "Sit down, everyone seems to be watching."
Song Shiwen sat down and kept apologizing to her.
"If there's a next time, what gets poured on might not be coffee."
These words sounded familiar, and Song Shiwen paused for a few seconds in surprise.
Qiao Shu wrinkled her nose playfully and cutely: "I was just kidding. And what about those photos of me taken without my knowledge?"
Song Shiwen said, "I gave it all to your husband."
"Yu Zeheng?" Qiao Shu frowned slightly. "He contacted you?"
Song Shiwen nodded emphatically. He then realized why Qiao Shu's words sounded so familiar—it was because he had heard a similar version from someone else.
He no longer doubted that the two had divorced, because the couple used exactly the same methods.
Qiao Shu got nothing and got lost in thought after getting into the car. Yu Zeheng didn't say a word to her, but he hasn't spoken much these past few days either. If he was angry, why did he bother to find paparazzi and scare them into changing careers?
Ha, what a hypocritical, two-faced man.
Yu Zeheng didn't mention it, and Qiao Shu didn't ask about it either. The two of them tacitly understood each other and were busy with their own things. Qiao Shu was also busy every day. Today, either one of her friends invited her to afternoon tea, or another friend invited her to go shopping.
On Friday night, a friend also had a birthday party at Tang Palace.
Qiao Shu was bombarded with phone calls on the way, asking where she was. Everyone else was there except her. She picked up a new bag from SA as a birthday gift and then rushed to Tang Palace.
The waiter opened the banquet hall, which was packed with mutual friends from the industry, as well as some internet celebrities. Several girls were embracing each other and taking photos affectionately.
"Xiao Shu, you've finally arrived."
"Darling, you look like a princess today, you're so beautiful." Qiao Shu opened her arms and gave him a warm hug.
The birthday boy covered his mouth and chuckled: "You're so good with words. I was wondering why you were so determined to go to work at the company. You're always the last one to arrive. I thought you weren't coming."
Qiao Shu took out a gift: "How could I miss your birthday? I've never missed one! Open it and see if you like it."
"This bag just came out, and it's impossible to get one anywhere. How did you get it, Xiao Shu? Qiao Bao, I love you so much."
The birthday girl lifted her skirt, wanting to kiss him but then remembering her lipstick, so she could only send a few flying kisses.
Qiao Shu raised her hand to take it and placed it on her chest: "I'm glad you like it. Making the princess happy is my greatest mission."
The birthday party was a pleasant affair, and Qiao Shu chatted and socialized with people the whole time. After eating something, she went outside for some fresh air.
As she walked down the corridor, she subconsciously looked up, remembering that it was Yu Zeheng's reception room.
In the center of the Tang Palace is a garden modeled after Suzhou, with artificial hills, bamboo groves, screens, and lights at night, with the sound of flowing water, creating a somewhat ancient and elegant atmosphere.
She leaned against the railing and watched for a while, then looked down and saw two figures, one tall and one short, almost touching each other, huddled in a corner with disordered steps. From her position, she could just see them clearly.
Qiao Shu could only make out that it was a man and a woman. When she tried to take a closer look, a hand grabbed her arm and turned her around.
She almost fell into a strong embrace, but as soon as she regained her balance, a hand pressed on her back, and a familiar voice rang out: "Don't look."
"What?" Qiao Shu pressed her face against his chest, forced to hear his heartbeat, feeling utterly bewildered.
Yu Zeheng said, "They are kissing."
Qiao Shu was speechless: "What's wrong with watching it? It's not like I haven't seen it before."
Please, she's not a three-year-old child; she's a mentally mature adult.
Yu Zeheng lowered his voice, his tone extremely unnatural: "...It wasn't just kissing, it was walking his bird."
It took Qiao Shu several seconds to realize what he meant by "walking the bird," and she immediately felt nauseous. She grabbed Yu Zeheng's clothes and complained in a low voice, "What's wrong with you guys? Aren't you going to do anything about it?"
Yu Zeheng held her in his arms. Hearing her voice and her hand tugging at his clothes, a certain part of his chest felt as if his clothes were being tugged. The pent-up frustration of the past few days instantly dissipated.
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Author's note: I didn't need my wife to help; I managed to soothe myself. [Clown]
50 red envelopes
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