Chapter 280 Who Were You in Bed with Last Night?Tang Yue had spent the past few days in a good mood; she had been offered a role as the second female lead in a movie. She had already read the script and she liked what she read so far. She would be given a lot of screen time and she liked the character.
“Director Du, I toast to you. I’ll be in your care from now on!” Tang Yue smiled beautifully and raised her gla.s.s. The director had invited her to dinner tonight. Tang Yue was very aware of what such invitations would entail, which was why she had already figured out a plan; Li Pingping would come by later and Tang Yue would use her arrival as an excuse to leave.
No man would ever refuse if a woman throws herself at him. Not a while later, an entire bottle of red wine was drained. Tang Yue felt a bit light-headed. She fumbled with her phone, struggling to make a call. The next thing she knew, her body was slumping forward and she felt her head falling against the table in a thud. She knew nothing else after that.
When she woke up, she realized that she was on a bed, naked. She sat up in a panic and saw that the director was sound asleep beside her. Tang Yue covered her mouth with her hands and quickly climbed out of bed. After that, she got dressed and left in a hurry. It was only when she finally stepped out of the hotel did she finally allow herself to cry.
Back home, Tang Yue soaked herself in her bathtub. After a thorough examination of her body, she heaved a sigh of relief; there weren’t any signs of s.e.xual a.s.sault. Nothing happened!
The next morning, Li Pingping knocked on her door.
“Why did you shut off your phone last night?”
“My phone died,” Tang Yue said with a smile, “I had a mild cold last night. I fell asleep after I took some meds.”
Li Pingping seemed relieved. “Sh*t. I thought you’d been brought away by Director Du. You weren’t there when I went to the hotel to look for you.”
“He had too much to drink, too. I brought him to the hotel and left him there. After that I came home alone.” Tang Yue had finished her morning routine by then. “Come on, let’s head to the company now.” She was supposed to sign the contract with the producers of her new movie today.
The signing had gone well. Now, Tang Yue sat at the lounge in a good mood, enjoying a cup of coffee. She seemed to have forgotten all about last night’s scare.
“You got the movie role?”
Tang Yue smirked when she heard that voice. She raised her head. “Ah Sha! Can I call you that?”
Ah Sha took the seat across from her. “Of course you can.”
“You’re so bold, you know,” Tang Yue said, playing with her fingernails which had just been manicured moments ago. “You even made the acquaintance of President Ying of Xin Enterprises. I bet it had to do with that murder case from before, right? You’re worried about losing your endors.e.m.e.nt deal!”
Ah Sha stared at Tang Yue with blinking eyes. “I’m still not as bold as you, though. Did you have fun with the director last night?”
Tang Yue’s head snapped up. A change flitted across her face instantly. “What did you just say?”
“What? Did I really not make myself clear? Or are you just pretending that you hadn’t heard me?” All of a sudden, Ah Sha raised her hands to cover her own mouth. “Oops. Right, right, right. Things like that are disreputable, right? But don’t worry! I won’t tell anyone,” Ah Sha said, patting her own chest. “Especially not the Second Young Master Wen.”
“Mei Jing, are you threatening me?” Tang Yue stared at Mei Jing.
Ah Sha crossed her arms in front of her chest. All of a sudden, Ah Sha’s expression changed into a new look. “So what if I am!”
“You…” It was then that Tang Yue realized something; the little girl before her eyes had become vicious and aggressive, especially those eyes, which seemed cold and forbidding. There was only one person Tang Yue could think of that gave her the same impression: Wan Qingsi! Right now, Mei Jing resembled Wan Qingsi so much.
Tang Yue tried her best to remain calm. Lowering her voice into a whisper, Tang Yue said, “So this is the real you. Your usual demure and meek att.i.tude is just a facade.”
“I could say the same about you!”
“So what?” Tang Yue said in a smug tone, “It doesn’t matter how you found out. n.o.body would believe you.”
Ah Sha nodded. “Which is why I’ve prepared these.” Ah Sha laid a phone on the surface of the table.
The coffee cup on the table toppled as Tang Yue’s hand shot out to grab the phone.
Alas, Ah Sha was one step quicker; she s.n.a.t.c.hed the phone back before Tang Yue could reach it. “I only have one copy!” Ah Sha said, giving Tang Yue a pointed look. “Say, if I send a photo of you lying in bed with another man to the Second Young Master Wen, do you think he’d still want you?”
“Mei Jing! What is it that you want from me?”
“So Bai Qi is here in the city to look for the poison queen?” Wan Qingsi said, studying the report detailing the results of his subordinate’s investigation.
“Yes, indeed. They crossed path with each other before during a mission. There’s been bad blood between them ever since.” A tall and skinny young man was standing in front of Wan Qingsi. “The poison queen is a bounty hunter who only became active last year. Apparently, she carried drugs and poisons all over her body, hence the moniker.”
“Right now, Bai Qi is here in S City, so does this mean that the poison queen is here as well?” Wan Qingsi paused in thought. “So he killed Mo Xi, and then put the blame on Ah Sha…”
“Young master,” the man interrupted Wan Qingsi’s thoughts and said, “the mistress has connections with the bounty hunters. Why don’t we ask her?”
A crease formed between Wan Qingsi’s brows. They were missing something, something important. “I understand,” Wan Qingsi said, “You’re dismissed.”
“What the h.e.l.l am I missing? There’s got to be something that I still don’t know, but what? What is it that I don’t know?” Wan Qingsi thought. If Bai Qi’s target was Ah Sha, then did he already know Ah Sha from way back? After a while of silent contemplation, Wan Qingsi reached for his laptop and made a video call.
“So you finally remember your own mother!” Chen Huan appeared on the screen, looking all scary and ready to tear someone to pieces.
Wan Qingsi glanced at Chen Huan briefly before looking away. “We’ll settle our little score later. Yes, I mean the one where you were in cahoots with Ah Sha in order to lie to me about her return. Right now I could use your help with the bounty hunters. Help me find out of about someone known as the ‘poison queen’ among them.”
“The bounty hunters?” Boss Wan’s head suddenly appeared on the screen. “You know what? Do it yourself. Your mother doesn’t have time.”
“Father, don’t tell me you’re still jealous?”
Boss Wan gave him a dirty look. “Why would I be jealous of someone who’s got nothing to do with us? Anyway, your mother will not be in touch with that douchebag, Johns.”
“Yes, yes, yes, I won’t!” Chen Huan said before giving Wan Qingsi a furtive eye signal. “Listen, I’m hanging up first, son! We’ll come to visit you during the Chinese New Year, okay?”
The video feed was cut off just as the door of his office was pushed open; Ah Sha poked her head inside. “Can we go now?”
“All done with your stuff?” Xunxun opened his arms wide and Ah Sha dove right in. “Oh, it’s going to be good. You’ll praise me later!” Ah Sha said.
Everyone was all hyped up about finding out whether Mei Jing would be destroyed by Xin Enterprises. n.o.body had expected Tang Yue to suddenly make a tearful public apology on a TV show. In tears, Tang Yue told everyone that she felt deep remorse for the lie that she had told. After that, she went on to tell everyone that Ying Qingcang was in fact having dinner with his wife, Xin Qing, that night at the restaurant.
She also told everyone that she had secretly snapped a photo, but someone else had Photoshopped Mei Jing’s face onto the picture. She apologized to both Xin Enterprises and Mei Jing for her actions. The public’s reaction the Tang Yue’s statement was almost instantaneous. Right after the show was aired, Tang Yue’s Weibo account was flooded with posts demanding to know the ident.i.ty of the person who had edited the photo. It didn’t take long for a reporter named Zhao He to come out and admit that he was the person who had edited the photo.
Soon, Zhao He found himself facing a defamation charge and was subsequently thrown into jail. Tang Yue spent a few days on Weibo, acting piteous and playing the victim. In the grand scheme of things, Tang Yue wasn’t too negatively impacted by the incident; some netizens accused her of having a low IQ, saying that she was stupid enough to let herself to be used by others. Others praised her for her courage and willingness to admit her own mistakes. The latter had increased the size of Tang Yue’s fan base by leaps and bounds.
“I’ve done what you told me. Will you delete the photo now?” Tang Yue and Ah Sha were both standing in a hidden corner of the filming set. It had been several days since Tang Yue last slept properly.
Ah Sha handed Tang Yue the phone. “Here. To put your mind at ease, I’ll give you the phone.”
“Thank you,” Tang Yue said through gritted teeth.
“You’re welcome,” Ah Sha said. Then, Ah Sha suddenly held up her hand again. “Five thousand bucks. For the phone.”
Tang Yue deleted the photo on the phone and then shoved a wad of cash into Ah Sha’s hand. After that, she walked away without looking back.
“Humph. Foolish woman. So what if you threatened me. Someone will take the fall as long I’m willing to pay,” Tang Yue thought as she kept on walking. Tang Yue lowered her head and chuckled to herself. This PR snafu had actually given her a boost in popularity. Heck, she even got to star in two more commercials after this.
In all her gloating and complacency, Tang Yue had failed to notice the devious glint held in Ah Sha’s eyes.
At Christmas, everyone gathered at Ying’s residence to celebrate Xin Qing’s birthday.
“You two had kept this from me, hadn’t you?” Xin Qing said, glaring at Ying Qingcang and Ah Sha. “This is such a serious matter, and yet I only find out about it now?”
Ah Sha smiled playfully. “Oh, come on, mommy! Hasn’t it already been resolved?”
Ying Qingcang arched his brow and placed Xin Qing’s birthday cake on the table. “You should glare at this d*mn*d brat. He failed to protect our daughter.”
“Ah Sha and I have been living under the same roof for so long, and yet n.o.body managed to find out.” There was a pregnant pause where Xunxun raised his head to give Ying Qingcang a pointed look. The underlying message: meanwhile, you two managed to get spied on just by having dinner once.
Chengcheng, who had a birthday cone hat on his head, climbed onto Xin Qing’s lap. But before the boy could get settled, he was carried down by Ying Qingcang. “No. You can’t sit on mommy’s legs.”
“Oh!” Chengcheng curled his lips. “When can we start eating the cake!”
Xin Qing kissed the boy. “We can eat it right away!”
Ah Sha let out a cheer and started cutting the cake. After that, everyone presented their birthday gifts to Xin Qing. Even Chengcheng had given one; it was a handicraft he’d made. On the way home, Ah Sha sat quietly in the car.
“What’s wrong?” Xunxun stroked her forehead.
Ah Sha shifted away from his touch. “I’m fine. You should drive carefully.”
They arrived home and Xunxun went straight into the shower. When he came out, he saw that Ah Sha had already crawled under the blanket.
Xunxun peeled the blanket away and drew her into his arms. “Aunt Qing’s legs will heal!” Xunxun said.
Ah Sha sniffed. “Mommy rarely goes out now. The truth is, she’s an outdoor person. She likes being out, you know. But she rarely shows herself in public places these days. Not anymore.” Ah Sha turned her body around to look at him. “Do you know why?”
Xunxun didn’t answer, but waited silently for her to continue instead.
“Because mommy feels that being out in a wheelchair might affect daddy’s reputation.” Ah Sha sobbed. “Daddy wants to bring her out, but he knows that mommy would feel depressed if he does that.”
Xunxun planted a kiss onto Ah Sha’s forehead. Lowering his voice, he said, “Aunt Qing will stand up. You’ll see.”
“Mm, I know.” Ah Sha nodded. “I just suddenly feel so bad for mommy. She’s never had a smooth life ever since she married daddy.”
Xunxun tightened his arms around Ah Sha. “The bounty hunters had once located the prescription formula capable of fixing Aunt Qing’s legs. Uncle Shen and my father is still looking for it. Don’t worry, okay?”
Xunxun noticed the way Ah Sha had stiffened at his mention of the bounty hunters.
Xunxun frowned and suddenly said, “My mother told me that there’s a new member among the bounty hunters. It’s a woman who’s highly skilled in the use of poisons. She’s known in the community as the poison queen.”
Ah Sha blinked a few times and turned around in his arms to face away from him. “I bet she doesn’t own as many poisonous drugs as mother-in-law does!”
“That’s why this is all so weird. n.o.body other than my mother likes to tinker with drugs.” Xunxun bit Ah Sha’s earlobe and blew a breath onto Ah Sha’s neck.
“Hey, that tickles!” Ah Sha shrugged up her shoulder to cover her neck. Xunxun flipped their positions so that he was now on top of Ah Sha. “It won’t tickle once I kiss it.” Xunxun’s hand reached under Ah Sha’s pajamas just as his lips covered hers.
Other than going all the way, Xunxun had long since kissed every part of Ah Sha’s body, including her most intimate region. With his hands and mouth, Xunxun brought Ah Sha to the height of pleasure; just like the first time, Ah Sha was aroused to the point where she ended up laughing and crying at the same time.
“Touch me, babe!” Xunxun grabbed her hand and placed it lower on his body. Blushing, Ah Sha held on to his member.
After a long while, the two of them leaned against the head board, sated. Xunxun glanced down at the half-conscious Ah Sha before carrying her into the bathroom.
Other than Ah Sha, Xunxun could think of n.o.body else who owned more drugs than Chen Huan
Xunxun gave a final glance at the woman who was fast asleep on the bed. Then, he grabbed his phone and walked into the living room.
“h.e.l.lo. Try to find out what went down between Bai Qi and the poison queen. Also, if possible, find out the poison queen’s signature drugs.”