Fog Returns to the Capital

Chapter 77 Bottom Line
……

The program for Li Wu's performance was finally confirmed: she would sing a song with two other actresses in the industry.

But before she could share the good news with Zhou Jinghuai, he got very angry with her.

That was the first time Li Wu had seen Zhou Jinghuai lose his temper.

……

As the year draws to a close, Li Wu is participating in more and more events. In addition to various award ceremonies, she is also the first person invited to major charity galas.

Sometimes, after finding out Li Wu's schedule, fans would go to the banquet venue in advance to wait for her.

Of course, some fans would occasionally bring Li Wu small gifts.

For example, a bouquet of flowers, a little wooden puppet that looks just like her, a letter and postcard written especially for her... etc., are all gifts that don't cost too much money but are very thoughtful.

After the dinner that evening.

A fan gave Li Wu a jar of paper stars, saying he waited outside all night just to give her this jar of paper stars he had folded by hand. There were 1001 stars in total, and he hoped they would always make her happy.

Li Wu was very touched when she received it and replied with several words of blessing.

But Li Wu hadn't expected that the jar of paper stars contained a key. Someone had found out about her existence and sent her an entire building, posing as a fan. In the basement of that building, there were several large boxes of gold bars. The purpose was to have Li Wu act as a go-between, arranging for him to meet Zhou Jinghuai.

Li Wu had no idea at the time.

Later, when Zhou Jinghuai threw the key at Li Wu and told her to leave with a stern face, Li Wu was still completely dazed.

That was the first time Li Wu had seen Zhou Jinghuai lose his temper.

It's like he's become a completely different person.

Li Wu was terrified and cried uncontrollably outside the door.

She had just returned from a dinner party and was wearing only a thin dress.

The cold wind blowing through the corridor on that winter night made her tears feel icy cold.

Li Wu cried outside the door for most of the night, from uncontrollable sobbing to intermittent choking, and finally to curling up in a corner with her knees drawn up, silently shedding tears.

Until dawn.

Zhou Jinghuai came out from inside and stared intently at Li Wu, who was huddled in the corner.

After a while.

Zhou Jinghuai then bent down and picked Li Wu up from the ground, then went into the house and placed her on the sofa in the living room.

The temperature inside the room is always comfortable.

Enveloped in the warmth of the room, Li Wu seemed to regain some strength, and her tears flowed even more fiercely.

They fell down with a pattering sound, like pearls from a broken string, one by one hitting her already frozen hands.

Li Wu was originally someone who was afraid of the cold.

People wearing down jackets were still wearing thermal underwear and sweaters, and she cried all night outside in her thin dress, freezing.

For a while.

The large living room was completely silent.

Li Wu didn't cry out loud, but tears streamed down her face, as if she were extremely wronged and her heart was ashen.

Zhou Jinghuai's expression was still not good.

He watched Li Wu cry quietly for a while before his Adam's apple bobbed and he said in a deep voice, "Stop crying."

His tone was deep and heavy, without any fluctuations or emotions.

But once a woman starts crying, she can't just stop crying no matter what others say.

Li Wu's tears flowed even more fiercely.

The piece of fabric from the dress she was holding was quickly soaked, and the wet area continued to expand.

After a long silence.

The tall, imposing man bent down and knelt in front of Li Wu, his deep voice softening considerably, "Don't cry."

The same three words can be used in completely different ways, but with completely different tones.

Zhou Jinghuai pulled out a few tissues from the box and slowly wiped away the tears on Li Wu's face.

His low, somber tone betrayed no emotion. "Didn't I tell you not to accept anything from other people?"

"Whatever you want, I can give it to you."

Li Wu's eyes were swollen from crying, and the tears she had wiped away welled up again and clung to her eyelashes, blurring her vision.

When she spoke, her voice was choked with sobs, each word trembling as she uttered a sob, "I...I don't know what's in there..."

"I've always... I've always been very good, and I've never wanted to cause you any trouble..."

Towards the end, Li Wu could barely cry anymore.

Her makeup was smudged, her hair was disheveled, and even her gorgeous dress was wrinkled.

Those eyes, which were once the most beautiful and clear, were now swollen and red.

He was completely disheveled.

There was a moment of silence. Zhou Jinghuai looked into her eyes, his deep, calm voice enunciating each word clearly, "This is my bottom line. Li Wu, no one can touch her."

"From now on, I need to be more vigilant about everyone and everything."

Done.

Zhou Jinghuai was still looking at Li Wu.

The large living room was completely silent.

Time passed second by second. It was only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity.

Zhou Jinghuai's gaze and tone of voice were calm, without even a trace of coldness.

But this was the first time Li Wu had ever truly been afraid of him.

"I, I know."

After a long silence, Li Wu finally heard herself reply, her voice trembling with tears.

Done.

She closed her eyes, and tears flowed silently again.

This is also the time.

Zhou Jinghuai got up from in front of Li Wu, reached out and picked her up from the sofa, and walked towards the bathroom.

His voice was deep and gentle, "Go take a hot bath, and then get some rest today. I'll ask Director Chen for leave for you."

Li Wu seemed to have cried herself to sleep, and leaned against Zhou Jinghuai's chest with her eyes closed without saying a word.

Later, after Zhou Jinghuai put her in the bathtub and gave her a full bath, Li Wudu still didn't say a word.

……

Since that incident.

The people around Li Wu have all been replaced. Especially her bodyguards, who were personally selected by Zhou Jinghuai and retired from the strongest team in the country.

I heard that the organizers of that night were also implicated.

At least in mainland China, organizers will no longer be allowed to hold any form of banquet.

But it was after that day.

Li Wu started avoiding Zhou Jinghuai.

Every day I'm either on Director Chen's film set or in class.

At first, Zhou Jinghuai didn't notice anything amiss because Li Wu's attitude towards him was no different than before. She would respond when he spoke to her, and occasionally she would smile at him.

But Li Wu returned later and later, usually in the early hours of the morning, and then had to go to the film set early the next morning.

When Zhou Jinghuai asked, Li Wu only said that Director Chen had high standards, and that the scenes had to be prepared early every day and filmed several times.

until--

Li Wu used most of her earnings from acting since entering the industry to buy a house in Beijing.

It's a simple three-bedroom apartment, not very big.

However, its advantages lie in the good community environment and convenient transportation.

It just so happens that the developer of that property knew Li Wu. They had a few drinks together once, and he inadvertently let it slip.

Later, somehow, the news reached He Yanting's ears.

After the drinking party ended that day.

On the way back, He Yanting dialed Zhou Jinghuai's number.

The call was disconnected the first time.

Sitting in the back seat, He Yanting's eyes held a smile as he slowly dialed a second time. The call was only answered when the dialing was about to automatically disconnect.

"what's up?"

A calm and indifferent voice came from the phone.

"Do I have to need something before I can contact you?"

He Yanting's voice was unhurried, but the subtle hint of laughter in his tone revealed his good mood, or rather, his schadenfreude.

"Can't it just be me, your good brother, checking in on you as a daily occurrence?"

next moment.

Zhou Jinghuai was about to hang up the phone.

But He Yanting seemed to have anticipated Zhou Jinghuai's actions, speaking up just a second before Zhou hung up the phone—

"Would you like to hear about your precious little one?"

……

……

……

P.S.: This is just fiction; please don't take it into account any real-world rules or regulations.
(End of this chapter)