Chapter 18: Beating Him Up While Gripping His Neck

"The young master of Yuxing Entertainment wants to sign me," Bai Lu summed up in a single sentence.

Ye Jingyan nodded. "Yuxing Entertainment is well-known, established, and has solid resources. Though they're admittedly domineering with their artists, their professionalism is beyond question. That’s good. Have you decided to sign?"

Bai Lu nodded absentmindedly, unwilling to discuss it further.

In her previous life, Ye Jingyan had nearly wept himself blind over her.

This time around, she only wanted him to keep his eyes wide open and see that the idol he fawned over would ultimately become the emperor of the entertainment industry.

Ye Jingyan didn’t press further, perhaps sensing that their relationship wasn’t close enough to discuss something as personal as signing with an agency.

Breakfast was finished in a few bites. Bai Lu chose a camisole and safety shorts from her suitcase, threw a down jacket over them, grabbed a towel, and opened the door. "Dr. Ye, let’s go!"

Ye Jingyan led her toward the bamboo grove, heading in the opposite direction of the glass conservatory. The bamboo on both sides grew denser rather than thinning. There was no path, just a sea of bamboo.

If Ye Jingyan weren’t leading, she would have turned back immediately had she wandered here by mistake.

It fit the habits of the wealthy—cleverly hidden away.

Ye Jingyan stopped. "Just go straight ahead and you’ll reach it. Bai Xiaolu, you’re nearly an adult now; you need to understand the boundaries between men and women. Go on your own, I’ll wait here."

Bai Lu reminded him, "Don’t go wandering off, or I’ll get lost."

Ye Jingyan leaned against a large rock, both hands in his white coat pockets. "Mm. Go ahead."

Bai Lu squinted at him, took two steps, then suddenly turned back. "Ye Jingyan! No smoking!"

Caught red-handed, just as she’d expected.

He’d always had a serious addiction to cigarettes in her past life, only barely restraining himself in her presence.

Ye Jingyan’s hand shook as he tried to light a cigarette, nearly singeing his eyebrow with the lighter.

"You’re a doctor—don’t you know the dangers of smoking? Put it out!"

Ye Jingyan: "………"

He watched the girl’s figure vanish, then finally lit his slender cigarette and exhaled in satisfaction.

"Dr. Ye, what a coincidence."

Ye Jingyan nearly choked to death. "Cough, cough, cough!"

Why was it so hard to sneak a smoke?

"Assistant Tang?" He looked up, startled to see Huo Yanfang’s personal assistant. He was in shock.

Tang Xing was Huo Yanfang’s shadow!

If Tang Xing was here, then—

"President Huo’s in the hot spring?!"

Tang Xing lit a cigarette as well. "President Huo just finished and went back to the glass conservatory. He left his phone here, so I came to fetch it for him."

Ye Jingyan immediately relaxed, secretly relieved.

Bai Xiaolu really was a lucky star. They’d nearly reached the bamboo grove when she insisted on going back for her phone, delaying them just enough to avoid running into Huo Yanfang.

Tang Xing asked, "What are you doing out here?"

Ye Jingyan took a contented drag, raising an eyebrow instead of answering.

Tang Xing laughed. "Really? Hiding here just to smoke?"

Ye Jingyan sighed. "The whole hospital is full of the old man’s informants. No matter where I go, someone rats me out. This is the only place I can hide. Hospital staff don’t dare come here."

Tang Xing nodded, then seemed to recall something. "Oh, by the way—Bai Lu, that national darling you like. Yesterday, for some reason, she wandered into the glass conservatory."

Ye Jingyan’s mind raced, wondering how to help that foolish Bai Lu recover from this.

Tang Xing continued, "President Huo was there at the time."

Ye Jingyan: "………"

Hopeless. May as well prepare for the worst.

Tang Xing raised an eyebrow. "What, Bai Lu didn’t mention it?"

Ye Jingyan forced a laugh. "No, not a word. I didn’t even know she’d gotten lost and ended up there. If I’d known, I’d have dragged her by the scruff of her neck to apologize to President Huo immediately."

Tang Xing said, "Actually, Bai Lu’s pretty sharp. She saw someone in the conservatory from a distance, ditched her wheelchair, and turned right around. I recognized her, and since I knew you were her fan, I didn’t report it to President Huo. Anyway, she slipped away quickly and didn’t actually disturb him."

Ye Jingyan thanked him repeatedly. "Assistant Tang, thank you so much. I owe you one."

Tang Xing stubbed out his cigarette with a smile. "No need. I’m off. You should head back soon—it's cold out here."

Ye Jingyan replied, "Mm, I’ll finish two more and be on my way."

Once he was out of Ye Jingyan’s sight, Tang Xing picked up his phone. "President Huo, Bai Lu keeps her word. I ran into Ye Jingyan, who was out here to smoke, and probed him a bit. Sure enough, Bai Lu didn’t mention the glass conservatory at all."

A cool, indifferent response came: "Mm."

Tang Xing added, "Don’t soak too long. If you’re not out in half an hour, I’ll call to remind you?"

"No need."

"Then I’ll go keep Second Master Yin company—he’s been soaking a bit long and feels dizzy. President Huo, please mind the time yourself."

Another cold, indifferent, "Mm."

Tang Xing: "?"

Was he hearing things? Why did he seem to hear a girl's soft, contented sigh from President Huo’s end before the call ended?

"So comfortable," Bai Lu sighed after stripping off her down jacket and diving into the hot spring. The warmth seeped into her bones, enveloping her completely.

Huo Yanfang: "…………"

From behind a rockery, Huo Yanfang’s gaze effortlessly swept over to another hot spring pool, where Bai Lu had just entered.

Her hair was done up in two little buns, and she lay against the edge of the pebble-lined pool, eyes closed, pure bliss on her face.

Craving a cigarette?

More likely, this was the real reason Tang Xing had bumped into Ye Jingyan in the bamboo grove.

Since she’d been brought here by Ye Jingyan, Huo Yanfang couldn’t blame her.

He sat back, leaned against the stones, and closed his eyes to rest.

"Oh my god!" Bai Lu suddenly cried out.

Just as Huo Yanfang thought she’d spotted him, he heard her mutter fiercely, "I really want to grab Huo Yanfang by the neck and give him a good beating!"

Hidden behind the rockery, Huo Yanfang: "?"

"King’s stone? Cast stone? Olivine? There’s even malachite!" Bai Lu exclaimed, caressing the hot spring’s pebbles. "Forget the rest, but malachite and olivine are collector’s gems these days! Actual gemstones! The richest man is so extravagantly wasteful, he uses precious stones as ordinary pebbles to line his hot spring!"

"So this is what it’s like to be the wealthiest... I’m so jealous!" She pounded the water in frustration. "Ugh, I resent the rich so much. If I don’t give Huo Yanfang a good thrashing, I’ll never get over it..."

Huo Yanfang: "…………"

So that’s how it is.

Bai Lu covered her face, on the verge of tears. "Look at the richest man, then look at me... Eleven years since my debut, all my hard-earned money was squandered by the Shen family, not to mention the mountain of debt they left me. And I don’t even know how much I owe! If I don’t destroy the Shen family, I’m not worthy of being my father’s eldest daughter!"

Huo Yanfang raised an eyebrow slightly.

An innocent, naïve little white rabbit, oblivious to the world, exploited by her adoptive family without realizing it?

Hardly. Peel back the surface, and this rabbit was black-hearted to the core.