Ninety. Mo Qi Comes Under Suspicion

Seeing that Mo Qi did not answer, Zhou Tingzi pressed, “It isn’t true, is it?”

“Of course it is... false.” Mo Qi deliberately paused, then said, “Brother Ma, what do you think?”

Brother Ma was somewhat helpless. The company had little interest in Zhou Tingzi, and he did not want to waste energy dealing with her. Yet at a time like this, Mo Qi kept deliberately handing the conversation to him again and again.

Could it be on purpose?

Brother Ma looked at Mo Qi and found her expression mysteriously calm and innocent. A vein on his forehead twitched twice. She was definitely doing it on purpose.

“Brother Ma, Mo Qi is being so mean. You can’t take her side,” Zhou Tingzi said happily, pleased that Mo Qi had actively turned the topic to Brother Ma. Naturally, she seized the chance to press forward.

Brother Ma nodded with grave seriousness. “Since Tingzi says so, then of course I can’t side with Mo Qi.”

The corner of Mo Qi’s mouth twitched. They had not even been talking about Zhou Tingzi at all, so where was there any need for him to side with her? He really knew how to praise himself.

That old fox wasn’t trying to toy with her again, was he?

Mo Qi narrowed her eyes slightly. Brother Ma went on, “Tingzi, Mo Qi said you were cheerful and generous. I don’t quite agree. To me, you seem even more beautiful and charming.”

The old fox really did have some skill at flattery.

With that one line, Brother Ma made Zhou Tingzi beam. “Hehe, are you always so good at making girls happy, Brother Ma?”

As she spoke, Zhou Tingzi lifted her glass. “For those words alone, I absolutely have to toast you. Mo Qi, Lin Zheng, you should join too.”

If you’re toasting, just toast. Why drag us into it?

Mo Qi muttered inwardly, but on the surface she smiled and lifted her glass together with Lin Zheng. “Then let’s all toast Brother Ma. Brother Ma drinks his down; as for us ladies, we’ll do as we please.”

This little fox really never let a slight pass!

Brother Ma gave a helpless smile, did not refuse, and raised his glass to drain it in one gulp.

Zhou Tingzi took a sip of wine, then secretly nudged Mo Qi’s arm beneath the table.

Mo Qi understood at once. “Lin Zheng, come to the restroom with me. I think I’ve had a bit too much to drink.”

“You all right? Are you about to throw up again?” Lin Zheng really grew concerned when she saw Mo Qi frown.

As she stood up, Mo Qi put on an air of weary resignation. “Could we maybe stop announcing my embarrassing lack of tolerance in front of so many friends next time? Can’t you let me keep pretending to be a wine saint in peace?”

The others burst out laughing.

Lin Zheng rolled her eyes and rose as well. “You can’t even drink a single cup without going down, and you still dare pretend to be a wine saint? The real wine saint would crawl out of the coffin and choke you to death.”

The two of them exchanged banter and amusement with everyone before leaving the private room.

Once outside, Lin Zheng asked, “Why did you drag me out this time?”

“Tingzi hopes we can create a chance for her to spend some time alone with Brother Ma. It’s just going with the flow; helping her a little doesn’t hurt.” As they spoke, the two walked toward the restroom.

Lin Zheng nodded. “Zhou Tingzi does sing well, but her style is rather plain.”

“Nothing wrong, but nothing that makes people sit up and take notice either. In a competition, that kind of performance is actually at a disadvantage,” Mo Qi added.

Lin Zheng agreed. “That’s probably why Zhou Tingzi wants to perform more in front of Brother Ma.”

“She’s too eager, really,” Mo Qi said, shaking her head. “She’d rather be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. She’s not like you. Even if she really does get into Sky Universe, without special treatment it’ll still be hard to make a name for herself in the music industry.”

Lin Zheng stepped closer and linked her arm through Mo Qi’s. “Not everyone is as calm as you, or sees things as clearly. Come to think of it, you turned down Sky Universe. That really wasn’t because of Interstellar Entertainment?”

“Yes, and it can also be said to be no.” Mo Qi smiled faintly and changed the subject. “Is Xie An not coming to tonight’s gathering?”

“He should be,” Lin Zheng said. “He’s taking his uncle and aunt to the airport.”

As they talked, they had already reached the restroom. Just as they stepped inside, they ran straight into someone coming out.

Sister Shang saw Mo Qi and smiled, nodding to her.

Mo Qi smiled back. Since this woman was He Shuai’s manager, Mo Qi did not want to deal with her too much.

Lin Zheng did not know Sister Shang, so she only gave a polite nod and pointed inside at the restroom stalls to indicate she was going in.

Mo Qi did not enter a stall. She walked to the sink to wash her hands.

The sinks beside her were all empty, yet Sister Shang deliberately came to the one next to hers and began washing her hands there.

“I heard Miss Mo helped our He Shuai up in the restroom last time?” Sister Shang asked as if it were a casual remark, though the corner of her eye had been watching every change in Mo Qi’s expression.

Upon hearing this, Mo Qi did not even pause while pressing the soap dispenser. Her expression remained perfectly natural, even carrying a hint of innocence. “Brother He went to the men’s room. How could I have helped him? Sister Shang, don’t joke with me.”

“But Xiao Liu said he saw you in the corridor on the way to the restroom.” Sister Shang did not believe her and pressed in steadily, one step after another.

“Uh, that...” Mo Qi’s face flushed red at once. She seemed a little embarrassed and awkward as she paused, then said, “I didn’t notice anything else.”

Sister Shang lifted her head and turned slightly to look at her.

“That night I was with King Shen,” Mo Qi said. Then she hurriedly added, “Sister Shang, I really only have a simple master-and-disciple relationship with King Shen. He came to me just to congratulate me on advancing successfully.”

The more Mo Qi explained, the more it seemed like she was protesting too much, as though she were deliberately covering up the relationship between Shen Yijue and herself.

“Getting the favor of King Shen is no easy thing. Keep working hard,” Sister Shang said with a smile. “I’ll be going now. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye, Sister Shang.”

After leaving the restroom, the smile on Sister Shang’s face vanished instantly. She did not believe a word Mo Qi had just said. Though there was still no proof to show that the person who had beaten up He Shuai that night was her, her instincts told her the matter had everything to do with Mo Qi.

As she thought about it, another puzzle troubled her. She had asked He Shuai, and he had said he and Mo Qi had never known each other before, so there could not possibly have been any personal grudge between them. If Mo Qi really was the one who beat him, then why?

Watching Sister Shang go, the smile on Mo Qi’s face also faded little by little, replaced by coldness.

What Sister Shang had just said was clearly a deliberate probe, which meant she very likely already suspected her.

Mo Qi believed she had been extremely careful that night. Before leaving, she had checked everything thoroughly and left no traces or evidence behind.

Then the only source of Sister Shang’s suspicion was likely Xiao Liu, the assistant who had brushed past her in the corridor.

At the time, she had already gone quite a distance from the restroom, so Sister Shang could only be making an inference based on Xiao Liu’s words.

Once Mo Qi understood that, she felt relieved. Only then did she realize her palms were actually slick with a layer of cold sweat.

After Lin Zheng finished in the restroom and came out, she saw Mo Qi staring blankly at her own palm and asked in confusion, “What’s wrong?”

“My palm feels a little hot.”

“What nonsense.” Lin Zheng rolled her eyes, went to the sink to wash her hands, and asked, “Who was that just now?”

“The ace manager from Royal Entertainment. He Shuai is one of the artists she manages.”

Mo Qi did not intend to go deeper into the subject. “Let’s go back.”