Chapter 33

Signs Of Abuse

Her reaction drew everyone’s attention.

Qin Fan strode toward Si Huang, reaching her with just a few steps due to the short distance between them. His arm naturally landed on Si Huang’s shoulder before he marched him to the center of the living room.

Si Huang felt a weight on her shoulders and stared at Qin Fan expressionlessly. ‘Are we that close? Have we reached the stage when we can place our arms around each other?’

Grandpa Qin, Old Tie, and the rest all had strange looks on their faces. They knew how picky Qin Fan could be when it came to people. Granny Yu instinctively cast Si Huang a measuring gaze. She hadn’t gotten a clear view of him, as he had been too far away before. Now, he was sitting right across the room from her. Granny Yu leaped to her feet and made her way to Si Huang. “A’qiong! It’s you, A’qiong! Oh my god, this is fate! I came all the way here just to see you!”

Grandpa Qin and Granny Xiang were rendered speechless. ‘I thought she was here to visit us? What changed?’

Si Huang was shocked too. Her gaze softened as soon as it landed on Granny Yu and seemed even clearer and purer than ever. “You are?”

“I’m your fan!” Granny Yu answered, looking like a star-crossed, celebrity-chasing teenage girl.

Granny Xiang knew her childhood best friend very well. She knew that she was acting up again.

“Pfft.” Her answer didn’t surprise Si Huang, who chuckled instead. She blinked at the excited Granny Yu. “Thank you for your admiration. Would you like an autograph?”

“Oh my…” Granny Yu’s eyes glowed with fondness. The actor cast as A’qiong wasn’t just likable in character. He was just as likable in real life! He was so polite and well-mannered! She gleefully rolled up the hem of her shirt. “Yes! Sign right here!”

Old Tie couldn’t stomach any more of this. He dragged his wife back to his side. “What are you doing here?” he asked Si Huang stiffly.

“I ran into a wild animal on the mountain, fell, and bumped my head as I was running away,” Si Huang calmly replied.

“There are wild animals on the mountain?” Granny Yu gasped. “Are you alright?” She then turned to Granny Xiang and said, “You’ve been negligent.”

Granny Xiang was speechless.

The aforementioned wild animal, Qin Fan, shot Si Huang a harsh, aggressive glare.

Si Huang’s expression remained unchanged. “I’m fine. Luckily, Qin Fan saved me,” she replied with a smile.

“Wild beasts don’t understand the human language.” Fan, the wild beast, interjected.

Si Huang choked. Old Tie and the rest shared a subtle look.

She silently cursed Qin Fan for his lack of decorum. Her smile waned. She didn’t owe Qin Fan anything anyway, as he hadn’t actually saved her. There was no need to keep a low profile and attempt to explain. “I have work to do. Please excuse me.”

Granny Xiang’s eyes flashed. She was about to speak up, but Qin Fan beat her to it. “What kind of work do you do?”

“I’m an actor,” Si Huang replied.

“Quit,” Qin Fan said. “Join my team.” He noticed a slight chill in his beautiful eyes. His heart sank for some strange reason. He quickly added an explanation. “You have potential. You’d have a better future in the army than in the entertainment industry. I guarantee that…”

“No need.” Si Huang coolly cut him off. Her face showed no signs of anger or embarrassment, but her slightly raised brows and the lifted corners of her eyes made it clear that she would not allow any form of insult. She was not intimidated by Qin Fan, so she confronted him directly. “You don’t control my future.”

Qin Fan frowned.

‘His tone may seem careless, but he sounds angry. He’s more infuriated than he was during our fight in the bedroom. Why?’

Si Huang refused to let him continue the conversation. She turned around and bowed before the four elders, then left without hesitation.

Granny Xiang came back to her senses after a pause. “Wait! You can’t leave by car!” she called out. However, Si Huang had completely vanished.

Soon, a soldier entered with a report. “That man seems highly skilled. I’m sure he’ll be able to leave the mountain with ease.”

Si Huang returned to the hotel. She was expecting a good scolding from Director Liu, but he was nowhere to be seen. She finally found Yu Xi when she was back in her room. She realized that he had covered for her after listening to him complain.

“I would have informed Director Liu if you still hadn’t come back by the end of the day.” Yu Xi stared at Si Huang, looking extremely haggard. “Where have you been?” As Si Huang’s manager and victim, Yu Xi felt that he deserved an explanation.

Si Huang sighed. “I ran into a wild animal on the mountain.” She used the same excuse. Yu Xi didn’t have a strong psyche. Si Huang chuckled upon seeing the wide-eyed look on his face. “I was dragged into the wild animal’s den and I stayed there overnight, but I’m back now.”

Yu Xi was speechless. He wasn’t sure if he should believe Si Huang or not.

Regardless, Si Huang added, “Thank you for covering for me. You are certainly handy.”

Yu Xi clicked his tongue, burying the glee he felt after being acknowledged by her. He got to his feet. “I’m glad you’re alright. I’m going back to catch up on some sleep.”

“Go on,” Si Huang said before watching him leave.

Si Huang took a shower as soon as the door was closed. She changed into a set of clean, fresh clothes, then lazily plopped herself on the sofa in the heated room. She turned on the laptop in front of her, paused thoughtfully, and logged into Weibo.

Si Huang V: “Had a fight with a wild animal. Didn’t win. Sigh.”

The Weibo update received replies as soon as it was posted.

“Your Highness, are you alright? Where is this wild animal? I’ll kill it!”

“Sharpening my knife for the wild beast! Kill, kill, kill! [knife emoji] [knife emoji] [angry face emoji]”

“Don’t be sad, Your Highness. Allow me to give you a massage. I give the best massages!”

The replies increased as time passed. Some people were consoling her, and some were angrily cursing the wild beast. Others were sharp-witted enough to ask if this “wild animal” really was a wild animal. Si Huang carefully read every single reply, her spirits lifted by the wave of interesting messages. She sniggered a few times. Her bad mood, which had been previously caused by Qin Fan, gradually disappeared as well. She felt completely refreshed.

In her past life, this was one of the ways she had used to cheer herself up. Every time she’d felt like giving up or was pushed close to her breaking point from pressure, she would post an update on Weibo. Then, she would feel the love and comfort of her fans via the internet. There was always someone capable of saying something ridiculous enough to comfort her or make her laugh on the internet.

Feeling better, Si Huang closed her Weibo page and went to the stock market. It was time to get to work.

Meanwhile, in the Qin Mansion, every individual in that group had been left feeling a different mixture of emotions.