Tempting Huo to Marry

Chapter 37: The Scandal Exposed When Huo Qingsui and Xia Wan returned to the hospital room, Wen Mochen was fiddling with his phone, while Li Youlin was slumped into the sofa, his legs casually crossed, a cigarette clamped between his fingers, the flickering smoke drifting through the air. “Back already?” Li Youlin cast a casual glance at the two of them, his dark gaze finally settling on Xia Wan. Xia Wan raised her eyes, meeting his inscrutable gaze. Shrouded in a thin mist, his seemingly refined features shifted between light and shadow, as if no one could truly fathom him. For some reason, she suddenly had the feeling that Li Youlin seemed to harbor… a prejudice against her. Before she had time to dwell on it, Li Youlin’s mocking voice rang out in a low tone: “Fourth Brother, it seems you really don’t want your legs anymore.” A wave of self-reproach and regret washed over him, and Xia Wan instinctively looked at Huo Qingsui. “What happened?” Huo Qingsui cast a casual glance at Li Youlin, clearly not wanting to discuss the matter. Li Youlin wore an expression of “I knew it,” stubbed out his cigarette, and gestured for Wen Mochen to hand over the phone. “Fourth Brother, Sister-in-law, take a look.” Wen Mochen casually opened the video that had been sitting there all along. Does this have something to do with me too? Xia Wan froze for a moment. Before she could figure out what was going on, Xu Jialing appeared on the screen, followed by a barrage of camera flashes. In the video, Xu Jialing,with no makeup on, her long hair cascading down her shoulders, her fair fingers intertwined, and what seemed like faint traces of tears in her large eyes. Already known for her innocent image, she now embodied the very essence of vulnerability, as if a single gentle blink from her could evoke pity and a desire to protect her from everyone present. Soon, her characteristically soft voice rang out, tinged with a hint of a choked-up tone: “I’ve called this press conference today to apologize to everyone—or, to be precise, to apologize to a certain person.” After speaking, she raised her eyes to scan the room, then bit her lip innocently: “As many of you in the media may have seen, since last night and continuing into today, there has been a doxxing post circulating about me. For this, I want to say: I’m sorry.” She bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle, holding the position for several seconds before straightening up with some difficulty, supported by Agent. “I’m very sorry. As a public figure, I failed to bring positive energy to my fans and didn’t guide them well, which led to this situation. I’m sorry—it’s all my fault, and I’m willing to take full responsibility for the consequences. I also want to tell my fans: all I need is your love and support. What happened today was wrong. Everything can be resolved, so please don’t do this again.” As her words trailed off, the scene clearly began to stir. Many reporters scrambled to hold their microphones up to Xu Jialing. Xu Jialing pressed her lips together helplessly. Her pale face, combined with her unsteady posture, made her appear both innocent and pitiable. Suddenly, she bowed once more toward the crowd. When she looked up again, her eyes were red-rimmed. She spoke, her lips trembling slightly: “I’d also like to clarify one more thing here. As for the ‘mysterious girl’ everyone’s talking about in the photos, there’s no animosity between us—really. She is my cousin who has doted on me since I was a child, and she is also my good friend. I implore everyone not to judge her by the photo alone, so as not to cause her any unnecessary harm.” After a pause, the corners of her mouth seemed to curl upward involuntarily, and a flicker of admiration and awe passed through her eyes: “She is a very talented new director, and we will be collaborating in the near future. I sincerely hope that all my friends in the media, as well as my fans, will come to like her as much as I do. She is innocent and has done me no harm.” Her words were heartfelt, though when she mentioned liking Xia Wan, a fleeting shadow of sadness and sorrow crossed her eyes. Even though she quickly covered it up, some reporters still caught that fleeting expression. After saying all this, she apologized twice more, then fell silent and left the scene under Agent’s protection. The video ended there. Xia Wan watched coldly, saying nothing. This was Xu Jialing. Sure enough, I hadn’t seen through her before. This preemptive apology completely cast her in the role of the victim. Combined with the fleeting look of distress that flashed across her face as she apologized, many people likely already had their own conclusions about the truth of the matter. “Here’s a repost from her best friend.” As Wen Mochen handed over the phone, she pointed at the screen. “It’s from Xie Yixiang—she reposted it right away to show her support.” “Xie Yixiang…” Huo Qingsui repeated her name with a half-smile. Wen Mochen looked puzzled. “What about her? Do you know her, Fourth Brother?” Huo Qingsui didn’t answer him. Instead, he turned and firmly took Xia Wan’s hand, his deep eyes fixed on her as he said calmly, “Haven’t you always wanted an answer about the Tingyue Club?” He changed the subject abruptly, but Xia Wan caught on immediately. “Is it Xie Yixiang?” Her face turned icy as she asked in a low voice. Huo Qingsui nodded slightly. “It’s her.” Xia Wan snorted lightly, her breathing slightly ragged. “I don’t believe this has nothing to do with Xu Jialing!” Essentially, Xie Yixiang had no real conflict with her. And it was such a coincidence that Xu Jialing had made plans with her that day—if Xie Yixiang hadn’t known about it beforehand, how could she have arranged it? The only possibility was that the two of them were in cahoots! The corner of Huo Qingsui’s thin lips curled up coolly, her deep eyes betraying no emotion: “Your cousin is very calculating. She looks gentle and delicate on the outside, but her mind is exceptionally sharp.” His Wanwan had suffered precisely because she had once trusted and doted on her cousin too much. Xia Wan clenched the hand resting at his side, then spoke after a long pause: “You mean that, just like with this matter, there’s no concrete evidence linking it to Xu Jialing, is that right?” “Yes.” Xia Wan gave a cold laugh. Just as I thought. Huo Qingsui stared intently at her, his fingertips gently stroking the back of her hand. “Don’t worry. Anyone who ever wrongs you, I’ll make them pay.” His deep, icy voice sounded like droplets of clear spring water suddenly falling onto the still waters of Xia Wan’s heart, sending out ripples that spread in ever-widening circles. They lingered for a long time. Xia Wan stared at him blankly, unable to resist savoring the meaning behind his words. It seemed as though… “Are you planning to deal with the Xie first?” Li Youlin’s hoarse voice rang out at that moment. As he spoke, a smile played at the corners of his lips, but his eyes were filled with a casual, icy detachment. “Mm.” Huo Qingsui shifted his gaze away from Xia Wan. A faint, mocking smile slowly spread across his lips, and he raised an eyebrow as he asked, “Are you going to interfere?” “Is that a problem?” Li Youlin retorted with a half-smile. His long, slender fingers tapped lightly on his crossed legs as he continued, as if discussing the most ordinary of matters: “A blacklisting like this is only fun when you take your time with it. Don’t worry, I guarantee you’ll be satisfied.” Upon hearing this, Wen Mochen shot him a disdainful glance. “Third Brother, don’t tell me you… you know, did that with that Xie guy?” Before he could answer, catching sight of that cold, dismissive smile, he wisely kept his mouth shut. “Fine, never mind.” Huo Qingsui curled his lips. “Thanks.” “No need for formalities between brothers,” Li Youlin said with a smile, a dangerous shadow flickering in the depths of his eyes. After a moment, he stood up and kicked out at Wen Mochen: “Let’s go.” “Third Brother, where are we going?” Wen Mochen looked completely confused. Li Youlin’s voice carried a hint of amusement: “Get ready for the show.” Wen Mochen chuckled upon hearing this: “Alright, let’s go.” The two quickly walked out of the ward, one in front and one behind. Xia Wan couldn’t hide her curiosity; she asked outright, “What… does he plan to do?” “You want to know?” Huo Qingsui lifted his gaze and glanced at her. For some reason, even though it was a casual glance, Xia Wan felt as though there was something hidden behind it. A bit awkwardly, she looked away and nodded. “Mm-hmm.” Huo Qingsui gazed at her small, rounded earlobe. His already deep gaze grew even darker as he spoke in a low, hoarse voice: “Help me up, and I’ll tell you.” Xia Wan’s eyes widened as she stared at him in shock. This man… Truly a businessman through and through—he never lets himself be at a disadvantage! She shot him a quick glare, pursed her lips, and stepped forward to help him onto the bed. Through the thin fabric, his body heat radiated toward her, making her skin feel intensely hot. With her head bowed, she naturally didn’t notice the deep, piercing gaze Huo Qingsui was casting her way. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as Huo Qingsui lowered his gaze. Never mind. I’ll wait a little longer. When he looked up again, his eyes had returned to their usual clarity, and his voice was as cool and unflappable as ever: “In the entertainment industry, the worst thing you can have is a scandal that can’t be managed.” “Scandal?” Xia Wan repeated softly. “Mm-hmm.” A flash of ruthlessness crossed Huo Qingsui’s eyes as he said casually, “Once Xie Yixiang falls from the clouds into the mud, do you think Xu Jialing will choose to protect herself, or stand up and support her?” “She’d probably support her,” Xia Wan said with a cold smile. “After all, they’re recognized as best friends in the entertainment industry. If she doesn’t show her support, it’ll give people something to talk about, and that wouldn’t be good for her reputation.” Huo Qingsui’s thin lips curled into a cold, mocking smile as she said meaningfully, “If it happens too many times, that might not be the case.” As if to prove their point, just one hour after Xu Jialing’s public apology, a news story about Xie Yixiang broke, instantly capturing the public’s attention. An exclusive source leaked multiple photos of Xie Yixiang accompanying clients at drinking and dining gatherings—and even sleeping with them. Every image was high-resolution and uncensored, featuring numerous individuals. The most eye-catching photo showed her constantly batting her eyelashes at Li Shao, one of Qingcheng’s “Five Diamond Heartthrobs.” In the photos, Xie Yixiang was far from her usual dignified and aloof on-camera persona; instead, she exuded a lewd and provocative aura. Accompanying these photos was irrefutable evidence of her meddling in the relationships of two widely recognized "golden couple" pairs before she entered the entertainment industry. Within just ten minutes, this news story surpassed the popularity of Xu Jialing’s apology video. Fans from the entertainment industry flooded her Weibo comments to berate her for her shameless meddling, while fans of Li Youlin joined in to mock her. Within just a few minutes, her Weibo comments section was overrun, and she was eventually forced to disable comments. Although her PR team issued a statement immediately, it was completely ineffective; they couldn’t contain the backlash. Meanwhile, in the underground parking garage of an office building. "Smack!" A crisp, loud slap rang out unexpectedly, sounding particularly jarring in the quiet parking garage.