Chapter 56 Bai Yueguang's conspiracy quietly unfolds
Huo Tingxiao's clumsy yet sincere expressions of regret and discomfort were like warm sunshine, completely dispelling the gloom and uneasiness that had been accumulating in Su Wanqing's heart for days. Although their relationship didn't immediately undergo a drastic change—he remained silent and she remained cautious and attentive—an invisible, subtle warmth was already flowing quietly through the cold house.
Su Wanqing no longer constantly speculated about his thoughts, worried about gains and losses. She began to care for him more openly, tending to his shoulder injury while also trying to create a more comfortable and relaxing home environment for him. She even summoned the courage to brew a pot of Pu'er tea, which he occasionally enjoyed, when he didn't come upstairs immediately after dinner one day, and sat with him in the living room for a while. Although he remained silent for most of the time, he didn't refuse, and even gave a subtle "hmm" to indicate that he was listening when she talked about an interesting project in her design class.
Su Wanqing felt both cherished and encouraged by this subtle progress. She seemed to be able to see the ice melting away at a slow but steady pace, revealing the true and warm inner world beneath.
However, she did not forget that behind this seemingly improving situation, there was a shadow lurking that never gave up - Lin Weiwei.
Lin Weiwei seemed unusually quiet lately. Ever since she'd sent Huo Tingxiao a gift of "old stuff" and been coldly rejected, she hadn't come directly to his house again. Even when they'd met at several events in the compound, she'd simply given him an ambiguous smile from afar, never actively approaching him to start a conversation or offer sarcastic remarks like she used to.
This uncharacteristic calmness made Su Wanqing feel a faint sense of unease. Knowing Lin Weiwei, she knew this woman would never give up so easily. Her silence seemed more like she was planning something.
That day, Su Wanqing needed to go downtown to buy some special design and drawing tools and books. Assistant Chen drove her to the largest library building.
She spent a long time concentrating on selecting books in the professional books section, and walked towards the cashier with a thick stack of books in her arms. Just as she lowered her head to take her wallet out of her bag, someone who happened to be passing by her seemed to be tripped by something on the ground, screamed, and suddenly bumped into her!
"ah!"
Su Wanqing was caught off guard, and the books in her arms fell to the ground with a crash! She also stumbled and almost fell.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Are you okay?" A familiar and gentle voice sounded, full of apology.
Su Wanqing raised her head, her pupils shrinking slightly—the person who bumped into her was actually Lin Weiwei! She was wearing an exquisite suit today, holding a few fashion magazines in her hands, her face full of innocence and panic. She quickly squatted down to help her pick up the books.
"It's okay." Su Wanqing suppressed the surprise and vigilance in her heart, and squatted down to pick up the books scattered on the ground.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't see where I was stepping..." Lin Weiwei apologized repeatedly as she picked up the books, but her eyes vaguely swept over the covers of the books Su Wanqing had picked out - "Advanced Clothing Structure Design and Technology", "International Frontier Design Trends", "Jewelry Design Appreciation and Practice"...
Her eyes flickered imperceptibly for a moment, then returned to normal. Smiling, she handed the book she had picked up to Su Wanqing, "Sister Su, are you still studying design? That's great! You're really pursuing something. Unlike me, who just spends all day reading useless fashion magazines to kill time."
Su Wanqing took the book and smiled faintly: "Just learning casually." She didn't want to get entangled with Lin Weiwei any more and just wanted to leave as soon as possible.
Lin Weiwei seemed not to notice her alienation. She took her arm affectionately and lowered her voice with a hint of mystery and "concern": "Sister Su, there is something... I don't know if I should tell you..."
Su Wanqing's heart sank slightly, and she calmly withdrew her arm: "Miss Lin, what's the matter?"
Lin Weiwei glanced around, leaned closer, and lowered her voice, her expression tinged with just the right amount of worry. "I heard... recently, it seems the higher-ups are going to be conducting stricter scrutiny of family members involved in business or profit-making activities, especially the immediate families of high-ranking military officers. You know, Brother Tingxiao is in a sensitive position right now, and there are a lot of people watching him... If you study all this at this critical moment and buy so many professional books, what if someone with ulterior motives sees it and makes a big fuss about it, saying that his family is using his influence to start a side business or... Well, I'm just worrying about nothing. I just want to remind you to keep a low profile for now, so as not to cause trouble for Brother Tingxiao."
Her words sounded like she was thinking about Huo Tingxiao and Su Wanqing, but in reality, every word was a hidden threat and threat! She not only hinted that Su Wanqing's behavior might bring risks to Huo Tingxiao, but also implicitly accused her of "possibly exploiting her husband's influence" and, with a "I'm doing this for your own good" attitude, attempted to restrict her personal development and freedom!
Su Wanqing's heart instantly turned cold, but her face remained calm: "Thank you Miss Lin for reminding me, it's just my personal interest. Reading and studying does not violate any regulations. The leader also knows this."
Lin Weiwei's smile froze for a moment, then she smiled even more gently. "That's good, that's good. I worried for nothing. But..." She changed the subject, her eyes glancing at the book in Su Wanqing's hand, and said meaningfully, "Reading alone may not be enough. If you really want to learn something, you need practical opportunities. I happen to know a few friends who work at fashion magazines and independent designer studios. They occasionally need assistants or interns. It's hard work, but you can get in touch with the latest practical work. If you're interested, Miss Su, I can introduce you to someone, okay? It's like having multiple options."
Her words seemed well-intentioned, offering an opportunity, but in reality, they concealed a deeper trap! If Su Wanqing really used her connections to go to those places, no matter what she did, it would likely be misinterpreted as "taking advantage of Mrs. Huo's status" or "restless," and the rumors would likely intensify! Lin Weiwei could definitely use this as a big deal!
Su Wanqing's heart was alarmed, and she immediately declined: "Thank you Miss Lin for your kindness, I appreciate it. I haven't finished my course yet, so I'm not considering an internship for the time being."
Lin Weiwei was rejected again. A subtle stern look flashed in her eyes, but her smile remained unchanged. "Is that so? All right then. Feel free to contact me if you need anything in the future." As she spoke, she pulled out an exquisitely designed business card from her purse and slipped it into Su Wanqing's hand. "This is the contact information for a friend's studio. It's quite famous. If you change your mind, you can call directly. Just mention my name."
Without waiting for Su Wanqing to refuse, she smiled and waved her hand: "Then I'll leave first and won't disturb you buying books." After that, she turned around and left gracefully, leaving behind an elegant but chilling back.
Su Wanqing clutched the cold business card, her brow furrowed as she gazed in the direction Lin Weiwei had vanished. Lin Weiwei's "chance encounter" today was more than a simple probing or testing. Her proactive job offer was more like throwing out bait, waiting for her to take the bait.
What does she want to do?
Su Wanqing's uneasiness grew stronger. She casually stuffed the business card into her bag, thought no more, and quickly checked out.
However, she didn't know that not long after she left, Lin Weiwei slowly walked out from the corner of the library building. The gentle smile on her face was gone, replaced by cold calculation and gloom.
She pulled out her phone and dialed a number. Her voice was sweet yet tinged with a hint of coldness. "Hello? Editor-in-Chief Zhang? It's me, Weiwei. Hey, I need to trouble you with something... Are you going to have a special feature in your next issue, interviewing a few modern women with military backgrounds or whose family members are military, showcasing their diverse pursuits in life?... I have a particularly suitable candidate here. Her identity is definitely worth talking about, and she's been actively studying design lately, so she's very representative... Yes, it's Chief Huo's wife, Miss Su Wanqing... Well, I think she fits your theme of 'Delicate shoulders also bear heavy responsibilities, and beautiful makeup lives up to youth'... Contact information? I'll send it to you later... You're welcome, I'm just glad I can help..."
After hanging up the phone, Lin Weiwei's lips curled up into a cold, triumphant smile.
Su Wanqing, don't you want to study design? Don't you want to be "independent"?
I will help you and send you to a big platform to "properly" display your "talent" and "pursuit".
When the time comes, under the spotlight, will you be able to maintain your dignity? Will Brother Tingxiao be pleased with his wife being so visible? Will the Huo family allow their eldest grandson's wife to pursue a "fashion career"?
More importantly... as long as they push you to the forefront, are they afraid they won't be able to catch you doing anything wrong? The design industry is full of problems. Plagiarism, borrowing, controversial styles... any little incident is enough to ruin your reputation, bringing shame to Huo Tingxiao and the entire Huo family!
Lin Weiwei put away her phone and left the library building in a happy mood.
The sun was shining brightly, but it couldn't see through the cold calculations in her heart.
Bai Yueguang's conspiracy has quietly unfolded under the guise of "good intentions" and "opportunity".
An invisible net was silently being spread towards Su Wanqing, who knew nothing about it.
And the storm is about to suddenly descend on that seemingly glamorous stage.
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