Chapter 123: Breaking News! Headline!

Jiang Yao nodded, feeling relieved.

"If you're full, hurry off to work. Don't sit here and get in the way of my chores." Auntie Qin glanced at her and began clearing the table.

Only then did Jiang Yao realize she had been sitting there for far too long. She stood up quickly and bid Auntie Qin farewell.

"Hey, Jiang Xiaoqing." Auntie Qin called out to stop her.

Jiang Yao turned back.

There was a time when she despised that name, as if hearing it were an accusation, pointing a finger at her nose to highlight how wretched her past had been. But now, she found she actually liked hearing Auntie Qin call her by that name. It felt just the way Chen Zui used to say it.

"Come by whenever you're hungry. My cooking isn't half bad."

Jiang Yao was moved to tears, nodding repeatedly. "Okay, thank you."

"What are you thanking me for? It's not like I'm not charging you." Auntie Qin waved her hand dismissively and turned toward the kitchen.

Jiang Yao gently wiped the hot tears from her cheeks, watching Auntie Qin’s retreating figure. Auntie Qin had grown old; she really was old now.

After leaving the shop, Jiang Yao went to the airport to see off Cheng Yanchi.

Seeing her eyes, dark and puffy like a panda’s, Cheng Yanchi couldn't help but frown. "How did you sleep last night? How did you end up looking like this?"

Jiang Yao instinctively rubbed her eyes. "It’s just that I couldn't sleep, feeling sad that my boyfriend is leaving for a while."

"I hope that's the reason." Knowing she was joking, Cheng Yanchi gave her a faint look, then added, "A-Yao, take care of yourself while I'm away. If I come back and find you've lost weight, I won't forgive you."

"I know."

"I'll be back soon."

"I know."

As he walked away, Cheng Yanchi waved to her. "A-Yao, wait for me. I'll be back soon..."

Jiang Yao's eyes stung. "Okay, I'll wait for you to come back."

The plane slowly took off.

Just as Jiang Yao exited the airport, she received a call from Ye Yiyi.

"A-Yao, are you okay? Do you feel unwell anywhere?"

Jiang Yao felt helpless. "So far, I don't feel unwell at all. Please, it's not like I'm dying tomorrow."

"Don't say that word."

"Fine, fine, fine. You should get back to work."

Ye Yiyi paused. "Um... A-Yao, have you seen the news?"

"What news?" She hadn't even had a spare moment to check her phone since morning.

"Uh..." Ye Yiyi hesitated. "You should take a look."

After hanging up, Jiang Yao opened the news app.

The headline was marked with a massive, bright red "EXPLOSIVE" tag.

"Actress Feng Xiao files a real-name report against He Yunqing for sexual harassment..."

Jiang Yao’s mouth fell open in shock. Below it were a string of similar entries, sprawling across the entire page.

Jiang Yao clicked on it in silence and saw the actress, Feng Xiao, tearfully recounting the details of how she had been "sexually harassed" by He Yunqing.

The comments below were even more appalling.

"You really can't judge a book by its cover. He always looks so polished, who knew he was such a beast in human clothing?"

"I never liked his look; he just looks like a scumbag."

"He is a scumbag, but this is sexual harassment, okay? Don't downplay it; this is illegal!"

Any fans who dared to speak up for He Yunqing were immediately buried under a wave of vitriol.

"Brainless stans."

"Still defending your 'brother'? Do you have any sense of morality? Have you been kneeling so long you’ve forgotten how to stand? Pathetic."

"The woman has already come out with a real-name report. How could it be fake? What more evidence do you need? Be careful, or you'll get exactly the scandal you're asking for!"

Jiang Yao stared at the comments, her fingers curling tightly. She thought for a moment and then dialed He Yunqing’s number. As expected, it was turned off and wouldn't connect.

Jiang Yao threw her phone into her bag and hailed a taxi.

In the dressing room, Agent Cai was pacing like an ant on a hot pan. "Yunqing, the organizers said your performance tonight has been canceled."

"Hm."

He Yunqing’s slender fingers slowly traced the edges of his phone.

"Hm?" Agent Cai grabbed her hair in frustration. "How can you be so calm? The world outside is in an uproar! Do you know how many followers you’ve lost since the news broke? How many brands have called to terminate their contracts? Do you have any idea how much you’ll owe in breach-of-contract penalties?"

"Hm."

Agent Cai collapsed into a chair. "I’m going to die of a heart attack on the job sooner or later. Yunqing, what is actually going on? Did you... really do that to that actress?"

He Yunqing lifted his eyes and cast a faint glance at her.

Agent Cai pursed her lips. "Logically, we’ve known each other for so long, and I know what kind of person you are. But men are men—sometimes, when they see a beautiful woman, they can't help but have impulses. If you didn't do it, that's great. But if you did, don't be afraid. Tell me, and we'll figure out a way. We can see if we can talk to her and offer her some money..."

Before she could finish, He Yunqing had already stood up and strode out of the dressing room.

"Yunqing, Yunqing!" Agent Cai called after him. "Where are you going at a time like this?"

"The event is canceled, so naturally, I'm going home to get some rest," He Yunqing replied, looking back with a detached expression.

Agent Cai let out a long sigh. "Oh, my ancestor, you are truly a disaster..."

He Yunqing did not return to his villa in the suburbs. Instead, he went to "Spring Breeze Ten Miles." Amidst the bright lights and flowing wine, he did not find Jiang Yao. He no longer had any reason to look for her, yet he had come here as if drawn by a ghost.

He traced the rim of his glass with his thumb and then drank it all in one gulp.

It was late at night when he returned home. As he unlocked the door, he discovered a small figure curled up and sleeping right next to it.

He Yunqing frowned immediately.

He saw Jiang Yao, who had clearly been waiting there for a long time, fast asleep with her eyes closed, her lips twitching slightly now and then.

The man leaned over, his long fingers flicking her small face.

Jiang Yao woke up with a start, looking at him in a daze. "You're back?"

"I just told you to take care of yourself and not catch a cold. Why can't you remember?"

Jiang Yao waved her hand dismissively. "It's fine. It's not that easy to catch a cold." As she spoke, she sniffed the air, and being unsure, leaned in closer to sniff again. "You... have you been drinking?"

He Yunqing, who had a low tolerance for alcohol, felt his head throbbing. He hadn't found the person he was looking for at Spring Breeze Ten Miles, but here she was.

"Yes," the man replied faintly, his breath carrying the scent of liquor.

"You... you aren't going to..." Jiang Yao recalled the first time she saw him drunk, when he had obsessively cleaned the entire house. "No, no, hurry up and get inside."

She pulled him into the room.

"Go lie down and rest. Don't you dare get drunk and go crazy," she commanded, pointing a finger at him.

Drunkenly, He Yunqing looked at her with a bewitching, hazy gaze and gave a wicked, charming smile. "They say I sexually harassed someone. Aren't you afraid?"