97. Chapter 97: Something Hidden

In the small meeting room of Royal Entertainment, He Shuai lounged on the leather sofa with his long legs crossed and propped on the coffee table before him, his head lowered in an absent-minded way.

“Shuai, think carefully. You really never knew a woman named Mo Qi before?” Ms. Shang, seated on the sofa beside him, asked with a frown.

“Ms. Shang, I’ve said it many times. I never knew any woman called Mo Qi before.” He Shuai’s brows drew together so tightly that a deep vertical line formed between them, and his expression had already grown a little impatient.

“But I feel like every time you hear Mo Qi’s name, you subconsciously hesitate for a moment.”

“That’s because her name sounds very similar to one of my friend’s.” He Shuai did not want to keep dwelling on the topic. “Ms. Shang, I’m not a three-year-old, and I haven’t lost my memory either. I remember everyone I’ve ever met. There really was no woman named Mo Qi.”

Ms. Shang’s brow did not relax; if anything, it knitted even tighter. “Then could it be that she had plastic surgery and changed her name?”

“Ms. Shang, why are you so sure the person who hit me in the restroom that night was her?” He Shuai frowned in confusion. “True, she did go to the bathroom and never came back for quite a while, but she’s a woman. She couldn’t possibly have gone into the men’s room. Maybe when Xiao Liu saw her in the corridor, she really had just come back from meeting secretly with Shen, the superstar. That would also explain why she was gone so long after going to the restroom.”

“That was only her side of the story. We can’t exactly go ask Shen to verify it.” Ms. Shang said seriously, “But the way she occasionally looked at you, I always felt there was something more to it.”

“Could it be that you’re just being too sensitive?”

“Anyway, this Mo Qi is no ordinary person.” With that, Ms. Shang let out another helpless sigh and shot He Shuai a resentful look. “You, on the other hand, are far too indifferent about your own affairs.”

He Shuai curved his lips in a smile, stood up, and went to sit beside Ms. Shang, slipping an arm around her shoulders with practiced intimacy. “That’s because I’ve got you helping me.”

“This is the company. Behave.”

“What’s there to fear? We’re in a meeting. No one’s going to come in.” He Shuai leaned over and kissed her lips.

Knock, knock. Someone rapped on the office door.

“Sit back down quickly.” Ms. Shang pushed him away nervously, straightened her clothes, and only after He Shuai had returned to his seat did she clear her throat and say, “Come in.”

“Ms. Shang, Shuai.” The staff member who entered nodded to them both and handed Ms. Shang two scripts in his hands. “These are the new film scripts the company specifically selected for Shuai. See which one you like better.”

“Thank you.” Ms. Shang accepted them with thanks.

The staff member then said, “Ms. Shang, the company intends to sign Xie An from Let Dreams Soar. Management’s thinking is that you’ve dealt with the program team on that side before, so you’re easier to talk to. We’ll need you to put a little more effort into this matter.”

“I understand.” Ms. Shang smiled. “I was just discussing this with Shuai.”

“Oh? You already have a plan?”

“Last time Shuai was a special guest on Let Dreams Soar, he got along especially well with all the contestants, and they’ve already become friends. This time, Shuai inviting them to a private party in the name of a friend is only natural and appropriate. There shouldn’t be any problem.”

“Ms. Shang never does things halfway.” The staff member gave a thumbs-up. “Then I’ll get back to work.”

After the staff member left, He Shuai finally said, “You really want to throw a private party in my name? Isn’t that a bit inappropriate? You know perfectly well how small the apartment I bought is. It’s not exactly the kind of place suited for a gathering.”

“That’s not a problem.” Ms. Shang said, “I’ll have someone rent a villa. And I want to use this chance to take another look at Mo Qi. If she really means you harm, we have to find a way to deal with it early.”

He Shuai felt that Ms. Shang was making a mountain out of a molehill. What could a newcomer fresh out of the gate possibly do to him?

Last night, Mo Qi had been frozen in the water for quite some time. Fortunately, it was summer. After returning to the apartment, being examined by Dr. Dai, and taking her medicine, she showed no adverse symptoms.

Mo Qi slept dreamlessly and did not wake until noon.

The bed beside her was already cold. Shen Yijue had gotten up long ago and gone to work.

Mo Qi rolled twice on the bed with the blanket clutched in her arms, then lazily got up to look for her phone.

Her bag was hanging on the coat rack by the entrance. Mo Qi slipped on her slippers and went downstairs to take the phone out.

“How did it die again?” Mo Qi plugged it in to charge for a while before turning it on.

The moment the phone came alive, message alerts buzzed incessantly, all of them from missed calls.

Seeing that it was a call from Sister Xiao Ling, Mo Qi was just about to call her back when the phone rang again.

“Hello, Sister Xiao Ling.”

“At last you know how to answer the phone.” Sister Xiao Ling complained at the other end. “I almost thought you’d been abducted by aliens. I was one step away from calling the police.”

“I left my phone in the living room and didn’t hear it.” Mo Qi said with a smile.

“I called to tell you that Little Bao’s transfer has been taken care of.” Sister Xiao Ling said. “Weren’t you afraid someone would trace him? So I first handled his withdrawal from his old school, then directly enrolled him again at my friend’s private school. No matter how capable they are, they won’t be able to find him now.”

“Sister Xiao Ling, thank you.” Now that Little Bao’s matter had been settled, the stone hanging in Mo Qi’s heart finally dropped. “I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you to help take care of Little Bao for this period of time. Once things calm down, I’ll go see him again.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve long since come to think of Little Bao as my own son.” Sister Xiao Ling paused, then asked, “What about you? Do you need my help with anything on your side?”

“No need.” Mo Qi said. “He’s only interested for the moment. Once I disappear for a while and that novelty fades, nothing will come of it.”

“I’m just afraid Shen Yijue isn’t the kind of man who’s only after novelty.”

A trace of cold mockery touched the corners of Mo Qi’s mouth. “Either way, I don’t believe in love in this circle.”

Mo Qi was so young, yet she was already raising a five-year-old child on her own. Most likely she had once been deceived by some scumbag and hurt a little, and that was what made her stop believing in love.

Sister Xiao Ling’s own path in matters of the heart had not been smooth either, so she felt an even deeper sympathy for Mo Qi.

The two chatted idly for a while longer before hanging up.

Mo Qi went upstairs to wash up, changed her clothes, and took a taxi back to the dormitory.

By then it was about time for lunch in the cafeteria. Mo Qi called Lin Zheng and Xie An, inviting them to eat with her.

She didn’t know whether it was just her imagination, but although both agreed, she felt as if both of them were a little hesitant.

Mo Qi took food for the three of them in advance and found a table to wait.

Lin Zheng arrived before Xie An.

Mo Qi glanced toward the entrance and asked, “Weren’t you rehearsing this morning? Why didn’t Xie An come with you?”

“I wasn’t feeling very well this morning, so I slept in the dormitory.” Lin Zheng sat down across from Mo Qi, her eyes flickering a little as she spoke.

Mo Qi looked at Lin Zheng, then saw Xie An entering the cafeteria. She waved him over.

Xie An walked over and, almost instinctively, glanced at Lin Zheng. After a moment’s hesitation, he sat down beside her.

Mo Qi raised an eyebrow. Something was definitely off with these two.