'Did President Gu ask Bai Ruoqing to star in the film because of Zhong Keke?'If that's the case, what’s President Gu's relationship with Zhong Keke?'At the same time, Yan Luochu was looking at the trending news on his phone as well. His expression was ghastly.The media mentioned what had happened at school but did not mention his name in the news. However, Keke's name appeared in the trending news.'Why did they expose this? Who on earth exposed this?'Only a small number of people bullied and called Keke names in school back then. Most of the students only looked on and had no idea what was going on.'The person who exposed it is probably among the people who knew what was going on.'In other words, someone's jealous of Keke's achievements and wants to destroy Keke using this method.'Who is it? Who on earth is it?'Yan Luochu filtered through the possible list of people in his head. Just then, his phone rang, and he answered it. He heard his best friend Chang Mingyu's voi
'That man looks like a typical rich kid. He should be rich. Could it be him? If he did spend a lot of money to protect Keke, then... could he really just be fooling around with Keke?'Yan Luochu suddenly panicked.'If that man is serious about Keke, is there any chance I can start over with Keke?'Or... am I never gonna get that chance?'Zhong Keke did not end up staying with Zhou Xinmian. Instead, Zhou Xinmian helped her find a serviced apartment online.The serviced apartment was relatively far from downtown. One had to swipe a card to get in and out of the entrance downstairs, so it was quite safe."Stay here for a few days first. I’ll bring you food every day," said Zhou Xinmian.Zhong Keke suddenly laughed."How could you laugh at a time like this?" Zhou Xinmian asked."I just have the feeling that we're behaving like fugitives all of a sudden. Would someone call the police if you secretly bring me food every day?" Zhong Keke said as she sought joy amidst the sorrow.Zho
Zhong Keke said, "No thanks. The viral post is gone now. Besides, I'm not a celebrity who everyone recognizes. I'll just go out and buy myself dinner or order takeout. You don't have to travel so far to bring me food."It was an hour and a half drive to her best friend's house and back."Alright then. Be careful. Call me if anything happens. Go to the film set in a few days. I'll inform the director," said Zhou Xinmian."Okay," replied Zhong Keke.After her best friend left, Zhong Keke was left alone in the small apartment of about 430 square feet. Loneliness instantly enveloped her.She took out her phone and found the name ‘Gu Lichen’ in her contact list. After some hesitation, she made the call."It’s Gu Lichen." Gu Lichen's cold voice came from the phone.Zhong Keke's grip on the phone tightened. "It’s Zhong Keke... Today... I’m not sure if you’re aware that something from my past went viral today.""Yeah, I know." No emotion could be heard from his indifferent tone."I'
She had previously told Xinmian that she was not a celebrity and was unlikely to be recognized in such a remote place even if a post about her had gone viral.However, she could not help worrying when Gu Lichen asked her to dine with him. She was worried that someone would recognize her when she dined with him. He would suffer if it caused a ruckus. Zhong Keke bought some vegetables, seasonings, and rice in the supermarket. She would be spending the next few days in the apartment anyway. She could have enough to last her a few days if she bought more.After getting back to the apartment, she washed the rice and cooked it with a rice cooker. Then, she washed and cut the vegetables and meat she bought and began to cook.Zhong Keke was still cooking when Gu Lichen arrived."Give me a second. I have one more soup to prepare. Dinner will be ready once it's done," said Zhong Keke as she asked Gu Lichen to sit down first.One could see the entire 400-square-feet apartment unit in one g
"Well... That's not what I meant... Oh, no. That's exactly what I meant. No, what I meant is that you would’ve gotten the short end of the stick even if anything happened. But you wouldn’t do anything to me..." she stammered as she explained, her face blushing even more."Haha!"He could not help bursting out into a chuckle. The woman's red cheeks, round eyes, and hands that were flopping around somehow reminded him of a squirrel.She was adorable and funny.Zhong Keke was stunned as she looked at the smile on Gu Lichen's face.If his smiles earlier had only been faint ones, this smile was more jubilant than before."What's the matter?" he asked when he saw her looking at him blankly."You look good when you smile," she said as she could not help raising her hand and stretching it toward his cheek.His smile gave her the urge to draw it. She wanted to record the way he smiled with her eyes. It was just like the snow slowly melting in early spring.Gu Lichen looked at the finge
"You won't," Zhong Keke said affirmatively.His phoenix eyes narrowed slightly. "What makes you think I won't? Or have you forgotten that I'm a man?""Because if you said you won't, then you won't. I believe you," she said. She knew that his heart was with another woman. He dated her for the person he loved.Gu Lichen's eyes flickered. Moments later, he slowly said, "Don't believe in me too much. Maybe I'm not what you think I am.""Okay," she replied, but her clear eyes were still full of trust.The trust pressed on his chest like a heavy weight, making him feel a little uncomfortable... ...Yan Luochu found Zhou Xinmian and asked, "Where's Zhong Keke?"Zhou Xinmian was full of disdain. "Why should I tell you? Haven't you caused enough trouble for Keke? If you hadn't harmed Keke like that, would the reporters crowd her so much that she can’t even go home?” "So, she hasn't been at home these two days?" Yan Luochu asked. He had been to Zhong Keke's house, but no one answered
It reassured her slightly.She knew that without Gu Lichen's help, it would take more time for the incident to calm down.Gu Lichen spent most of his time in the serviced apartment she rented on their scheduled dates.He would sit and read a book or watch a TV show. Meanwhile, she would draw him on a sketchpad.If she was quick, she could finish drawing in 15 minutes. If she was slow, she would take more than half an hour.She often liked to draw close-ups of his face. His delicate facial features and indifferent vibe made people find him icy, but his phoenix eyes seemed to contain various emotions when they seemed to be cold. It made others want to take a good look at them.However, the more one wanted to see, the more one could not.The contradictory feeling was increasingly appealing.Gu Lichen was casually watching a reality show that recorded the true happenings in the emergency room on TV while Zhong Keke was drawing Gu Lichen on a sketchpad.Zhong Keke wanted to watch t
However, what he said next made her freeze.What he said was... "I probably won't have kids of my own, so I’ll probably never understand no matter how you explain it."Zhong Keke looked blankly at the person right in front of her. He looked down when he said this, and his long eyelashes concealed everything in his eyes. A blanket of solitude seemed to surround him, isolating him from his surroundings.It was as if he would not let anyone get near him, nor could she get near him....A week later, Zhong Keke moved back to her place. She joined the film crew according to their original plan and began assisting the scriptwriter with the script.However, she could feel many people's strange glances on her first day.After all, even though the buzz of her news might have faded and it was quickly replaced by other eye-catching gossip news, everyone in the film crew knew about her past now.However, what they knew was the distorted facts online, not the real truth."That's her. She b
He clenched his jaw and felt his teeth ache. 'Yeah, she’s broken up with me. She has every right to find a new boyfriend, but... the thought of her smiling at another man, and kissing and hugging him makes me uncomfortable.’ Gu Lichen could not help feeling irritated."You can't find one! Do you think you can find another man like me to love when you love me so much?" he said.Zhong Keke retorted with a slightly red face, "You... You're too confident. Who are you to say I can't find one? I love you now, but I can slowly get over you. Besides, I don't need to find a man like you in the future. I just need to find an ordinary man with a good personality who treats me well! I’ll give him all my heart, and he’ll do the same!"It was more like she was telling herself that.'Yes, I can move on from him. I can do it!'However, her words seemed to have provoked him as he turned the steering wheel sharply, slammed on the brakes, and pulled over at the roadside.She was thrown forward and
The fact Zhong Keke accepted was that she feared she would love him more and more!When Yi Jinli and Gu Lichen returned to the ward, Ling Yiran was still chatting with Zhong Keke about the children, not only the new baby but also the triplets."Alright, Lichen and I are going home first. Yiran, have a good rest. I'll visit you and the baby again next time," Zhong Keke said and got up after seeing the exhaustion on Ling Yiran's face.Ling Yiran replied, "Okay. I'll let you meet my triplets next time.""Sure."After Zhong Keke and Gu Lichen left, Yi Jinli lay on Ling Yiran's bed and said, "If you're sleepy, sleep first. The doctor said you need more rest."Ling Yiran said, "I'm a little sleepy, but I had a nice chat with Keke today. Jin, you know what? I think it's great that Lichen has fallen in love with Keke. Keke's a wonderful woman, and Lichen has finally found his happily ever after."She said as she slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep.Looking at his wife's sleeping fac
"Thank you! It's a good painting, and I like it very much. I didn't expect you to draw my daughter like that.""I saw the baby when I came to the hospital that day, so I remembered," said Zhong Keke."I heard from Jin that you and Lichen both came to the hospital that day. I didn't scare you, did I?" said Ling Yiran.Zhong Keke smiled softly, "All that matters is that you're safe. Being alive is better than anything."The two women chatted while the two men looked at each other. Then, Yi Jinli said, "Lichen, let's go get some air."The two men got up and walked out of the ward.Zhong Keke looked uneasily at the ward door.Ling Yiran said, "They’ll be back soon. Don't worry. My Jin won't kidnap Lichen."Zhong Keke smiled, knowing that Yi Jinli probably had not told Ling Yiran about what happened that day."By the way, how are you and Lichen's relationship? Does he treat you well?" Ling Yiran asked."He treats me well." It was true. He treated her well. He would give her everyt
He and Song Qingyao were not even friends."You don't have to explain this to me," said Zhong Keke. They had broken up, and she did not need these explanations.Besides, she knew better than anyone that he had always been in love with Yiran.Thinking of Yiran, Zhong Keke said, "I want to go to the hospital to see Yiran. Can I?" The last time she visited Yiran, Yiran was still unconscious, so she wanted to check on her.Hesitation flashed across Gu Lichen's face."Don't worry. I won't say anything to trigger Yiran. I’ll still pretend to be your girlfriend in front of Yiran. If Yiran asks you, you can say we're doing quite well. When Yiran has recovered, I can make an excuse to say we've broken up. Of course, I can take all the blame. For example, I thought being with you attracted too much attention, or I couldn’t get used to being with you, or I had fallen for someone else—"Before she could finish speaking, she was suddenly pulled into a wide embrace.His hands held her tightly
Zhou Xinmian: [I said you were living with Gu Lichen now. Then they said nothing and left readily.]"..."Zhou Xinmian: [Did you block their phone numbers? They said you're not answering your phone.]Zhong Keke: [Yeah.]She should have blocked her uncle's family's phone numbers long ago. Even blocking them now was considered late!Zhou Xinmian: [Well done! But didn’t they try calling you using another phone number?]Zhong Keke: [They did. But as soon as they spoke and I heard their voices, I hung up and blocked their phone numbers.]In other words, she did not give them a chance to talk.She did not want to listen to what they had to say anyway. They had worn out the last of her affection.Zhou Xinmian: [Have you made up your mind this time?]Zhong Keke: [I’ll just consider that my grandparents only gave birth to my father!]In other words, she no longer considered her uncle and his family her family!Zhou Xinmian: [You should have done that long ago! They told me Gu Lichen
It was why he had said such things at the time to keep the woman from leaving!"Maybe I've liked you since then." It probably started earlier than he thought.Zhong Keke's eyes watered as tears were about to pour out. She raised her hands and covered her eyes, "Gu Lichen, stop telling me such things!"Such things would only make her waver when her resolution was hard-won. Did he know how much determination and perseverance it took her to ask for a break-up and keep her distance from him to stop loving him when she loved him so much?Though her hands shielded her eyes, they could not stop the tears.His fingers pulled her hands away. "Alright, I'll stop. I'll stop talking. Don't cry."Her tears had always left him flustered.He hugged her and coaxed her. The indifference in his phoenix eyes had become affection.Zhong Keke finally stopped crying, but she still sniffled occasionally.Holding a tissue, Gu Lichen carefully wiped the tears from her face. After a moment, he said,
"Do you care about me?" She smiled bitterly. "That word isn’t only something you say but..." She did not continue speaking after a pause.However, he already knew what she was going to say.Gu Lichen turned pale. He knew that the incident at the comic fiesta was something that bothered her.He was the one who caused it!"Also, I think we'd better talk about the possibility of me getting pregnant!" she said."Okay, go ahead," he said as he asked the others in the living room to leave."Will you insist that I have the baby if I get pregnant?" she asked, looking at him."If you’re pregnant, I don't want to lose the baby," he said. He had never longed for children even though his parents had always wanted grandchildren, even if it was out of wedlock.However, such ideas had never occurred to him.Now, he wanted to have the baby because they would be... his baby with Keke!"Even if I don't want the baby, are you still going to stop me from having an abortion?" she asked.He was s
Even though he did not love her, she still thought she was a better candidate than Zhong Keke.However, to her disappointment, the way Gu Lichen looked at her was still icy."I'm not interested in you. The Song family you're so proud of will no longer exist in Shen City a year later. Perhaps the Song family can keep some things if you start planning now. Otherwise, you'll have nothing left."With that said, Gu Lichen left the ward, leaving Song Qingyao standing where she was in a daze.Other than reluctance, resentment, and jealousy, there was more shock and fear on her face.'Does Lichen intend to eradicate the Song family within a year? Is... Is he going that far for Zhong Keke? He doesn't love Zhong Keke, right? Why is he doing it? Why?' Unfortunately, no one could give her the answer.Gu Lichen walked out of the hospital and got into the car. He slowly closed his eyes as Song Qingyao's last words flashed through his mind.'It doesn't matter... even if I don't love her?'Kek
Song Qingyao's heart sank. Sure enough, he could find out anything he wanted to."Why did you do it?" Gu Lichen said coldly.Song Qingyao suddenly laughed. "You're asking me why? Gu Lichen, I’ve loved you for so many years. What do you think?""I wouldn't love you even if Zhong Keke didn't exist. If I wanted to fall for you, I would have done so from the beginning," said Gu Lichen.Song Qingyao's mouth was full of bitterness. She knew that!However, knowing was one thing. Her being reluctant and unwilling to accept it was a different matter!She shouted, "Why did you choose Zhong Keke? You love Ling Yiran because Ling Yiran saved your life when you were a child. What about Zhong Keke? Why her?"She accepted losing to Ling Yiran because she had never saved Lichen's life.However, how could she accept losing to Zhong Keke? "Because she's the one who saved me from the messy relationship," replied Gu Lichen."What do you mean?" Song Qingyao was puzzled.Instead of explaining, he