Chapter 21

Mu He’s lips… had been kissed…

Mu He widened her eyes, staring at that impossibly close, sharply defined face, completely stunned. She remained frozen in the act of kissing for several seconds, unconsciously pressing her lips together, before snapping back to reality, quickly springing away and plopping onto the carpet.

Huo Si Heng had only gone to sleep past three in the morning, and his sleep was very light. He sensed her footsteps approaching the door; though he didn’t open his eyes, from the subtle disturbance in the air, he knew exactly how she had tiptoed in, silently approached, and taken the phone from the bedside table… every detail was clear to him.

If Miss Mu ever went into thievery for real, he would be deeply concerned for her safety.

After retrieving the phone, she surprisingly sat at the foot of the bed with her back to him, playing with it, entering a world of her own, oblivious even as he approached from behind. Of course, he didn’t anticipate she would accidentally kiss him.

Huo Si Heng was momentarily stunned as well.

If one were to describe the feeling, it was like a feather brushing by—except her lips were soft and warm…

This accident drew both of them into a silent vortex.

Mu He was utterly embarrassed, her ears flushed crimson under her hair, her heart in chaos. Her gaze drooped, too timid to meet his eyes. She hadn’t meant it—who could have expected he would suddenly lean over…

He wouldn’t think she intentionally tried to take advantage of him, right?

A long, fair hand appeared in front of her: “Get up.”

Mu He’s eyelashes fluttered as she weakly explained, “Si Heng, you know this was an accident, right?”

A low chuckle sounded in her ear from the man: “Depends on whether you’re Mu Three or Mu Twenty-Two.”

Mu He was stunned. What did that mean?

Huo Si Heng leaned slightly forward, pulling her from the floor. She resettled on the bed, staring at him blankly. Her gaze nervously slid down his face: the dark pajamas creased, one button at the collar undone, revealing a delicate neckline, a prominent Adam’s apple, and faintly visible collarbones, exuding a subtle yet striking allure.

“If you’re Mu Twenty-Two,” Huo Si Heng’s eyes hid amusement while his face remained serious, “I will have to hold you accountable for illegal intrusion and,” he paused slightly, “indecent conduct.”

Mu He’s almond-shaped eyes flickered, softly asking, “Then what if I’m Mu Three?”

“Then you’re very lucky.”

Seeing her guilty, childlike expression, Huo Si Heng couldn’t help but smile at the corner of his lips. “You’ll be protected under the ‘Minor Protection Law,’ and neither charge applies.”

Understanding his meaning, Mu He relaxed immediately, switching into Mu Three mode: “Uncle Si Heng, good morning.”

“Good girl,” Huo Si Heng automatically assumed the elder role, smiling lightly. “Go make breakfast for Uncle.”

Mu He curled her lips, turning to leave.

For some reason, he had naturally given her a way out, breaking the awkwardness, but her heart wasn’t as relaxed as it appeared; instead, she felt a dull sense of loss.

What… had she lost?

She couldn’t figure it out.

With no work scheduled for the day, she could stay home all day. After breakfast, Mu He estimated the time and returned calls to Ye Xi and Tan Mian. Ye Xi was likely busy, ending the call after a few minutes. She chatted with Tan Mian for over half an hour.

As another witness who knew the truth, Tan Mian held back her anger, spending a full twenty-seven minutes verbally thrashing Zhou Jing. Only after venting did she say: “Yangyang, actually, when the video first got out, you were also heavily criticized by Zhou Jing’s fans.”

The logic of Zhou Jing’s fans was simple: Zhong Li Fei bullied their male idol, fine—but Mu He, who was she?

What business did she have being involved?

!

Later, for unknown reasons, the cursing gradually disappeared from Mu He’s comment section. Tan Mian guessed it was either Star Universe PR at work or Zhong Li Fei’s team—after all, Mu He had helped her so much and gotten caught up in the backlash…

“Oh right, Yangyang, didn’t you record a video back then?”

Indeed, this foresight was remarkable!

“Yes,” Mu He said. “I sent the video to Zhong Li Fei.”

Tan Mian drew a sharp breath, her voice cracking: “What!?”

She unleashed a rapid-fire triple interrogation: “Aren’t you short on money? Do you know how much you could have earned selling the video to Zhong Li Fei’s team? You just let that windfall slip away?”

Mu He realized: so you could earn money this way?

She sighed, joking: “Is it too late to regret it now?”

Tan Mian felt as if she’d lost a hundred million, her heart displaced: “Too late.”

By now, the official press release had probably been written.

Mu He comforted Tan Mian before ending the call.

Just as she was about to check Weibo, her phone was snatched by Si Heng, who dragged her into the gym and assigned a 5-kilometer jog.

She ran, panting, while online, the atmosphere was lively.

Zhong Li Fei’s team worked efficiently. Once the clarification video from Mu He was released, the truth surfaced immediately: she had smashed the car in anger because Zhou Jing was inside committing unspeakable acts with a young model!

Reflect honestly—if you caught your cheating boyfriend in the act, wouldn’t you hit him?

Yes! Hitting him to death wouldn’t be too much! That kind of anger is intolerable!

Onlookers praised Zhong Li Fei’s daring, passionate, decisive character, cheering while helping verbally assault the scumbag. Her originally strong fans, empowered with a central figure, immediately turned public opinion around.

“Frontline mega twist incoming, non-combat personnel please evacuate immediately!”

“Wow, this must be the most explosive gossip I’ve eaten this year!”

“Let me use my 24K titanium-alloy eyes to clearly see who the dog couple trapped and beaten by Fei inside the car are?

Oh, it’s Zhou Dog and his sidekick.”

“No wonder Fei was so mad smashing the car—it was catching Zhou the bastard in the act!”

“Disgusting, you two scumbag and bitch, please explode on the spot!”

“I’m Zhou Jing’s face, he doesn’t want me anymore [smile]”

“This isn’t just nonchalant upper-hand, they’re leeching her dry! Poor goddess!!”

……

Fans both pitied and cursed Zhou Jing. Fei had been through so much, feeding her sincerity to a dog and being bitten back. Manic episodes, damn it! You, a scumbag with an infamous legacy, caught cheating by Fei, yet you have the nerve to turn it around, misleading the public that Fei’s car-smashing was a manic episode! Zhou Jing, you deserve punishment! You won’t die a peaceful death! May your household register perish completely!

Onlookers were stunned by the twist. Both videos were at the parking lot; the black luxury car damage matched perfectly. The evidence was undeniable—even if lying, one couldn’t claim Zhong Li Fei’s clarification video was faked.

Anyone with even a bit of sense could see that the original car-smashing video had been edited with malicious intent to frame her. Coupled with the subsequent cheating video… the biggest beneficiary was obvious.

The chilling part: the people involved were a couple.

The man might have been whispering sweet nothings just a moment ago, only to cheat with a young model, caught red-handed and unrepentant, stabbing in the back. This wasn’t just a matter of character—it was rotten to the core.

! Who would dare be close to someone so malicious?

One could only say, the circle is truly chaotic.

Those who cursed cursed, those who gossiped gossiped, while only a few stubborn Zhou Jing fans were busy whitewashing their idol.

“My brother is so good, so hardworking. He couldn’t do this. There must be something deeper! Awaiting the twist!”

“Hehe, isn’t cheating supposed to involve marriage?”

“Everything my brother does is right! I will always support you! Sorry, I’m blindly protective.”

“Even if he really cheated, so what? You can’t even watch your own man, blame who? @Zhong Li Fei, instead of stirring up, maybe reflect on your own issues?”

“My brother didn’t murder, didn’t arson, didn’t do drugs; he just cheated a little. Isn’t that a mistake any man could make? Why blow it out of proportion?”

……

The comments from brainless fans were too much for onlookers, who couldn’t help but direct a soul-searching question at Zhong Li Fei: “Such a scumbag, no distinction, still keeping him for the New Year?!”

When Zhou Jing, drunk and sleeping until noon, was woken by a call from his manager and learned that Zhong Li Fei’s team had released a video, turning public opinion around, he was instantly fully awake in fright. What video?

Where did she get the video from?!

He shakily clicked on the video, and the color drained from his face, a cold sweat crawling down his back.

Yesterday’s scene had been chaotic—he hadn’t even realized someone recorded a video?

Who could it be?

Zhong Li Fei?

Impossible—she had been hysterically focused only on hitting them, so it could only be—

That actress named Mu He or her assistant.

Seeing Mu He openly tag him on Weibo, demanding the full video, his suspicion became a confirmed conclusion.

He had been too careless.

After all, he had been dating Zhong Li Fei for half a year. He hadn’t planned to be so ruthless. Perhaps he had loved her initially, but gradually, he felt being with Zhong Li Fei was too exhausting. Her popularity far exceeded his; her fans looked down on him; no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t escape the label of “Zhong Li Fei’s boyfriend”… he had felt too stifled and could only vent in other ways.

Yet, as the saying goes, “the longer you walk along the riverbank, the wetter your shoes get.”

Caught red-handed cheating by Zhong Li Fei, he knew with her proud nature, there was no way they could be together again. Breaking up was inevitable.

His manager tried to contact her team, willing to offer financial compensation, hoping to announce a peaceful breakup externally to minimize the impact on their careers.

However, Zhong Li Fei refused without any room for negotiation.

So he was forced to strike first.

Zhou Jing’s headache was splitting; he slammed his fist on the table. After a few minutes, he logged into Weibo. As expected, the comment section had been overtaken by Zhong Li Fei’s fans, a flood of curses. The more he saw, the colder his heart grew.

He clicked into Zhong Li Fei’s Weibo, seeing her newly posted pinned breakup statement, then saw Shanshui Group’s official Weibo repost her post and declare that they would pursue legal responsibility against rumor-mongers. His heart completely sank, and he knew… his acting career was completely over.

Zhou Jing knew even more clearly: what he lost wasn’t just his career.

Zhong Li Fei was actually the daughter of the Zhong family of Shanshui Group, and he had always thought her name was simply Zhong Li Fei.

His expression was desolate, his eyes stinging, feeling his nerves snapping one by one, yet somehow he laughed…

The fans not only received the joyous news of the goddess breaking up with the scumbag, but also learned of her prestigious background. Truly satisfying! Hahaha, Zhou Jing must be regretting it to the point of vomiting blood now!

Onlookers rejoiced at the complete happy ending, offering congratulations, while the blogger asking, “Did Zhong Li Fei break up with Zhou Jing today?” howled to the sky: “YES!!”

The hashtag #ZhongLiFeiZhouJingBreakup# rapidly surpassed #ZhouJingCheatsAndBackstabsZhongLiFeiScumbagExposed#, climbing to the top of trending searches, heat continuing to rise, while Zhou Jing and his entire team were silent as chickens.

Zhou Jing’s fans were mocked and crushed, leaving only a few stragglers who dared not confront Zhong Li Fei, turning instead to attack Mu He.

Couldn’t handle the tough one, yet wouldn’t let them go after the soft one?

The insults went back and forth, basically criticizing Mu He for meddling, until someone remembered she still had an unrefuted accusation of being kept by a benefactor among the ten crimes listed in her nationwide blacklisting.

Finding a breakthrough, they attacked her mercilessly—someone had to pay for the brother’s loss of reputation.

Zhong Li Fei, satisfied with venting her anger on her ex, was about to go out to celebrate when she learned that Mu He was being targeted by scumbag fans. She immediately took out her phone and posted on Weibo:

“Here’s a joke for everyone: this fellow @MuHe, who stepped in when she saw injustice, after helping me smash the car window, actually asked me: ‘I don’t have much money right now, I probably don’t need to pay for this window, right?’”

This indirectly clarified the rumors that Mu He had a benefactor.

“Hahaha, is there really a female celebrity this broke nowadays?!”

“Miss, your benefactor—if you have one—please kick him out as soon as possible! So stingy, not even willing to give you pocket money to pay for a window.”

“@MuHe isn’t just beautiful and kind, she’s righteous. Her courage to confront a scumbag directly is admirable! Fei @ZhongLiFei, maybe consider taking her into your harem?”

“Am I the only one who thinks Miss Mu He looked stunning, fairy-like, and cool smashing that car window? Really looking forward to her sharp voice!”

[Likes] 98,327

Because of Mu He’s help and support for Zhong Li Fei, the fans felt warmly toward her: “Everyone contribute a bit, let’s crowdfund to help this beautiful lady pay for the window.”

So, after Mu He finished her grueling workout, drenched in sweat as she left the gym, she saw that she had trended on Weibo: #CrowdfundingToHelpMuHePayForWindow#

She: “?”

Are you serious?

Now, the entire entertainment circle, even the whole nation, knew Mu He was so broke she couldn’t even afford a window.

As the ancients say, a blessing may come from misfortune.

At 4:30 PM, Mu He received a call from Ye Xi, saying she had been booked for the large-scale reality show Intelligent and Brave Challenge. As everyone knew, such variety shows not only pay well but also quickly boost popularity. In short, she would soon… have money!

After dinner, the sky darkened. Feeling great, she dressed from head to toe and took Huo Si Heng out for a stroll. With the low temperature, there were almost no people outside.

The wind was a little strong. They strolled slowly along West Lake, orange lights blooming ahead, behind, and beside them, casting long shadows on the ground.

Walking, Mu He received a message from Ye Xi about program details. She read while walking, and to avoid falling while replying, naturally grabbed Huo Si Heng’s coat, following behind him.

Huo Si Heng felt the weight on his coat, glanced back with slightly raised brows, said nothing, merely quietly slowed his pace.

Reaching near the island in the river, Mu He finally put her phone back in her pocket. She looked at his upright figure ahead. His jacket cost 300 yuan. Though it fit him perfectly, the quality wasn’t great.

He was currently running away from marriage, cut off financially, couldn’t return home, and with the weather getting colder, the only jacket he had was the one she bought.

“Huo Si Heng.”

Mu He softly called his name. Though money hadn’t yet arrived, it didn’t stop her from imagining grandly: “Once I have money, I’ll buy you lots and lots of stylish clothes.”

She immersed herself in this beautiful vision: “I’ll dress you up so handsome, when you walk out, you’ll make thousands of girls swoon…”

She would look good too.

Huo Si Heng turned, his sharp facial lines softened under the lights. He curved his lips in a teasing smile: “Am I not handsome enough?”

He was so tall that Mu He had to tilt her head slightly, her gaze following from his forehead down: deep eyes, straight nose, thin lips, almost perfect features. She had never seen a man more handsome. She didn’t even blink, lightly shaking her head: “Not enough, you can be even more handsome, enough to captivate everyone.”

Above, no moon, just countless stars.

The wind carried the scent of plants, brushing past him, lifting a few strands of her hair across her cheeks.

Huo Si Heng gazed directly into her eyes, which curved in a smile, clear and bright, making the starlight dim in comparison. At that moment, he felt a corner of his heart, usually hidden, silently collapse.

Then, a thought sprouted—

No need to captivate the world, just captivate the person in front, that’s enough.