Su Huan knocked on the door rhythmically, one knock after another, annoying Shen Xiaoyu to the point of a headache.
She had nothing to say to Su Huan. According to the agreement, they couldn't meet or communicate anymore.
She thought Qin Miao must have shown that agreement to Su Huan as well, and the two had probably even discussed the specific details.
But none of that concerned her anymore.
Shen Xiaoyu took out her phone and sent Qin Miao a text message.
Shen Xiaoyu: Come get your mad dog [location coordinates].
Qin Miao sent back a question mark. Shen Xiaoyu ignored it, just sighing and shaking her head.
After deciding to leave the company, she didn't want anyone to know where she lived, especially Su Huan.
But in such a short time, Su Huan had tracked her down. Did she have a dog's nose? Able to track by scent.
Shen Xiaoyu rubbed her brow. The knocking continued, one after another, without pause.
She looked down at the time—exactly 7 p.m., the peak time when people return home after work. If she let Su Huan continue making noise outside, it would definitely annoy the neighbors and draw attention.
She didn't want to become a topic of neighbors' gossip.
Shen Xiaoyu irritably mussed her long hair, got up to open the door, and glared at Su Huan with an unfriendly expression. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the neighbor across the hall about to open their door. Startled, she immediately tried to close her own door.
Seeing this, Su Huan panicked and quickly blocked the half-closed door with her hand, shamelessly squeezing into her home.
Shen Xiaoyu's face visibly cooled, but Su Huan seemed not to notice.
After entering, she didn't speak anymore, just walked in on her own, examining the entire room as if surveying her new territory.
"This place is not bad. If you like it, we can buy a unit here," Su Huan said. "Put it in your name, decorate it according to your preferences."
"What?" Shen Xiaoyu was completely confused.
"If you don't want to work, you can rest well at home. I've contacted Fang Jiong, and he'll handle all the online comments about you, though completely clearing your name isn't very realistic." As she spoke, her brows furrowed slightly as if somewhat annoyed. "Especially the recent trending topics need to be handled with a cooling-off approach. But don't worry, these things won't affect you anymore in the future."
Shen Xiaoyu grew increasingly confused as she listened, and hurried to interrupt, "Wait, why are you telling me all this?"
Su Huan looked at her quietly, with an expression in her eyes that Shen Xiaoyu couldn't understand.
"I will solve all the problems you mentioned. Can you—"
"Sister, which towel can I use to wipe..."
Su Huan's voice cut off abruptly as she looked toward Shi Qiubai, who had emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel. Su Huan's face gradually turned pale.
Shi Qiubai apparently hadn't expected someone else to be present. Her small face turned red instantly. "I'm sorry, I didn't know there was someone here."
Her skin was flushed pink from the hot steam, her wet hair hanging loose down her back. Crystalline droplets of water slid down her skin, making her look like a sweet, juicy peach.
Meeting Su Huan's murderous gaze, Shi Qiubai's cheeks grew even redder. She said a quick "sorry" and turned to run back into the bathroom.
Shen Xiaoyu disregardedly shifted her gaze back to Su Huan. "It's nothing, please continue."
She wanted to hear what other astonishing things Su Huan might say.
But Su Huan looked like someone who had been punched in the face, her expression bewildered and helpless. She seemed to realize something, her eyes gradually reddening with surprise mixed with confusion and anger, then turning as dark as water.
She hadn't expected to see someone else in Shen Xiaoyu's home. In her understanding, everything Shen Xiaoyu did was to get her attention. She knew she had gone too far trying to keep Shen Xiaoyu, so she came to tell her she would change and try to solve the problems Shen Xiaoyu had mentioned.
They had been together for ten years and would continue to be together in the future. If Shen Xiaoyu didn't like their current home, she would buy a new house for her, put it in her name, and decorate it according to her preferences.
As long as Shen Xiaoyu would stay, she was willing to do anything!
But... but who could tell her why that woman was in Shen Xiaoyu's house, and had just taken a shower?
What were they doing? What were they planning to do?
Just thinking about it made Su Huan want to go crazy!
Su Huan clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. The pain in her palms suddenly cleared her mind. She took a deep breath, suppressing the rage in her heart, and her expression gradually returned to calm.
Seeing her like this, Shen Xiaoyu understood that she had misunderstood, but she didn't explain. She sat composedly on the sofa, watching Su Huan's expression change several times, finally settling into indifference, though what emotions lurked behind that indifference, she didn't know.
"Xiaoyu, I..."
She was about to say something else when she was interrupted by a knock at the door.
Shen Xiaoyu checked the time—five minutes. Qin Miao had arrived quickly.
The first thing she said upon opening the door was to clear herself: "I didn't contact her; she came to find me on her own."
Qin Miao glared at her with an unfriendly expression and pushed past Shen Xiaoyu to enter. "Su Huan, we should go back now."
Only after walking in did she clearly see Su Huan's expression. Her originally radiant face was covered with a layer of gloom, sadness, and despair.
She tugged at Su Huan's hand to pull her away but couldn't move her.
Su Huan stood rooted to the spot, not moving at all, just staring at Shen Xiaoyu. Her eyes churned with countless emotions, like a still lake stirred into ripples, with waves surging beneath the surface.
Shen Xiaoyu leaned against the entryway, looking at Qin Miao with a half-smile. "Sister Qin, what should we do about this? I just moved to this place and didn't tell anyone, yet it's already been exposed. It seems I really can't hide anywhere."
Qin Miao's face darkened. She gripped Su Huan's arm with slightly more force, but her tone became increasingly gentle. "Su Huan, the driver has been waiting for you all afternoon. He just contacted me asking when you'll go to the set. This project was one you actively sought out and accepted. The publicity has already been released. If you breach the contract now, what about your future?"
"That's my future," Su Huan shook off her hand, cold and indifferent. "What does it have to do with you?"
Shen Xiaoyu listened in amazement. It seemed Su Huan didn't like this new manager.
This was interesting. Su Huan and Tang Tang had been promoting their CP for so many years, meeting almost every month. Su Huan had spent more time with Qin Miao than with her, the actual manager.
Looking at them now, their relationship didn't seem very good. Could it be that absence makes the heart grow fonder? Now that they were colleagues, the mystique was gone.
Shen Xiaoyu couldn't figure it out and didn't bother to think further. In any case, it had nothing to do with her.
Qin Miao, having lost face, couldn't calm down. She glared fiercely at Shen Xiaoyu, who was enjoying the show, and her voice suddenly turned cold. "I am your manager, and I must take responsibility for you! Can you leave with me now?"
Su Huan acted as if she hadn't heard her words. Her eyes turned to Shen Xiaoyu, as if trying to confirm something, then looked toward the bathroom.
Shen Xiaoyu felt alarmed, suddenly remembering Shi Qiubai was still in the bathroom. Worried that Qin Miao might notice something, she stepped forward, blocking Qin Miao's view, and said to Su Huan: "It's getting late. You should go back with your manager quickly. If someone takes photos of this, fans will think I'm harassing you again."
Su Huan pressed her lips together. "I will explain it clearly."
She withdrew her gaze and looked calmly at Shen Xiaoyu, a smile gradually forming on her face. "Wait for me."
This seemingly unconnected statement, in context, probably meant for Shen Xiaoyu to wait until she resolved those online issues.
Shen Xiaoyu nodded randomly, now just wanting to get them out of her home.
This time, without Qin Miao's urging, Su Huan left on her own.
Before leaving, Qin Miao deliberately turned back to examine the house, saying with a half-smile: "Miss Shen has good taste."
"Thank you for the compliment." Shen Xiaoyu smiled as she closed the door, blocking their view. As soon as she turned around, the smile completely disappeared from her face. "Shit."
Shen Xiaoyu got a new towel for Shi Qiubai while cleaning up in the dining area herself.
When Shi Qiubai came out again, she had changed into the clothes Shen Xiaoyu had prepared for her. She looked around cautiously, like a frightened rabbit.
"Where's Su Huan?"
"She left," Shen Xiaoyu said, carrying pots and dishes into the kitchen. "You rest first. I'll pour you a cup of honey water in a bit."
Only then did Shi Qiubai breathe a sigh of relief. She sat at the dining table, covering her face with her hands. Her moist eyes looked at Shen Xiaoyu shyly.
"Will Su Huan misunderstand us?" She bit her lip, her cheeks still flushed, either from the alcohol or something else.
Shen Xiaoyu's mind was full of thoughts about having the hot pot again tomorrow and didn't immediately understand what Shi Qiubai meant, so she answered automatically.
"If she misunderstands, so be it, as long as it doesn't get out and affect your reputation." She stood in front of the refrigerator, sighing slightly. "Otherwise, you'll just end up being hated by everyone online."
She would become a stumbling block on Shi Qiubai's path to becoming an award-winning actress.
Shi Qiubai tugged at the hem of her clothes, whispering softly: "I don't care."
Her voice was low, and Shen Xiaoyu didn't hear clearly. "What did you say?"
"Nothing." She shook her head without saying more.
"Then get some rest early." Shen Xiaoyu leaned on the table with both hands, looking up at her. "Go back to the set tomorrow. Don't come again before the filming is completed."
She spoke very formally, as if the two were about to part ways.
Shi Qiubai responded with an "oh" and happily went to help her clean up.
While these two had a harmonious atmosphere, the other side was tense.
In the company car, Su Huan and Qin Miao sat on opposite sides, neither acknowledging the other.
It wasn't until they reached the hotel near the set, when Su Huan was about to enter her room, that she heard Qin Miao's voice: "Su Huan, don't forget your status. If your reputation collapses, do you have enough savings to compensate for the breach of endorsement contracts?"
Her answer was the sound of a door slamming shut.
Qin Miao's face darkened as she cursed under her breath.
To prevent Su Huan from causing more trouble, Qin Miao instructed the assistant to stay with her at all times and to contact her immediately if anything unusual happened.
After everyone left, the assistant knocked on Su Huan's door. "Sister Huan."
In the room, Su Huan sat by the window, looking at the distant lights. Hearing the knock, she turned her head toward the assistant.
"Help me book a flight to Country M, the sooner the better."
She had decided to make a big gamble, betting on whether she could make Shen Xiaoyu stay.