Song Yan's stunt, as it were, reaped both fame and fortune.
Having perpetually lingered in the lower tiers, only able to land minor roles, she suddenly became highly sought after. All sorts of invitations poured in. A supporting female lead in a web drama, a guest on a music show, even a dating reality show, all extended their offers to her. She had indeed become a little famous.
Even Su He, who didn't follow entertainment news, was inadvertently bombarded with several reports.
"What rotten luck!" her best friend Jiang Xiaoxiao couldn't help but grumble upon seeing the news. "She's just a mistress, what's there to be so smug about! Are those netizens out of their minds, actually praising her like a celestial being!"
"If she truly had any integrity, knowing that Lu Jingyang was already married, yet still flirting with him, it's like a prostitute setting up a memorial archway. Disgusting!"
Seeing Su He's indifferent attitude, Jiang Xiaoxiao felt even more suffocated. "You're not angry at all?"
Su He took a sip of her milk tea. "I'm no longer part of the Lu family. Whatever they do has nothing to do with me!"
"But you're being heavily criticized by those brainless fans!" Jiang Xiaoxiao said, frustrated. "Being cursed for no reason, if it were me, I would have fought back long ago!"
"They aren't worth my effort to deal with," Su He replied. "With that time, I might as well draw a few more illustrations." Arguing with people, how could that make money!
Speaking of which, Jiang Xiaoxiao suddenly remembered and asked, "Why did you stop serializing your manga? I'm still waiting for the next update."
"Too busy lately, no time to draw," Su He casually tossed her empty milk tea cup into the trash bin.
"Can you give us a hint about the plot?" Jiang Xiaoxiao was really dying of curiosity.
"Let me tell you something," Su He beckoned her closer.
Jiang Xiaoxiao eagerly leaned in. "What is it?"
"Actually... I only know the plot about half an hour before the readers do," Su He said seriously.
Jiang Xiaoxiao couldn't help but spurt out the milk tea she was drinking. "So you're improvising all the time!"
"Pretty much," Su He honestly admitted.
"Good heavens, being your reader is truly tragic! Updating one chapter in three to five days is one thing, and there's even a chance it might be canceled!" Jiang Xiaoxiao tutted twice. "Good thing I haven't fallen too deep yet."
Su He chuckled. "Don't be infatuated with me, follow at your own risk!"
"Get lost!"
After a bit of playful banter, Jiang Xiaoxiao finally got to the point. "You're not the young madam of the Lu family anymore, won't those people cause trouble for you?"
Su He knew exactly who "those people" referred to.
"Who cares! We'll deal with whatever comes our way. There's always a solution."
"You're really so carefree!" Jiang Xiaoxiao really wanted to knock open her head and see what was inside.
"There's no use worrying! Besides, wouldn't it be exhausting to constantly be on guard?" Su He had her own way of thinking.
"You can't always be so passive, you need to find a way to resolve this once and for all," Jiang Xiaoxiao offered her advice. "In my opinion, you should latch onto Lu Yanbei. No one will dare to bully you then!"
Su He looked at her good friend with a strange expression. Did she have a listening device on her? How could this even be linked to Lu Yanbei?
The more Jiang Xiaoxiao thought about it, the more convinced she became. She even analyzed it for Su He. "First, you can't find anyone more powerful and influential than Lu Yanbei in the entire B City. Even Lu Jingyang has to listen to him; second, you lived under the same roof with him, so you're quite familiar. Instead of spending energy trying to curry favor with strangers, it's better to start with someone you know."
Su He nodded, waiting for her to continue.
"Most importantly, Lu Yanbei is handsome! If we're going to sacrifice our looks, we should at least pick an ultimate hottie like him!"
"Cough cough cough..." Su He was listening intently when her eyes suddenly caught a familiar figure walking towards them. Excited, she choked on her saliva.
"I'm serious..." Jiang Xiaoxiao, while patting her back to help her breathe, continued to encourage her. "Although the difficulty level is a bit high, proximity is an advantage. Maybe he's into you..."
"Stop talking!" Su He stiffened her neck and tugged at her sleeve.
Jiang Xiaoxiao, with her back to the approaching person, didn't notice Su He's anomaly. "I'm not finished yet, don't interrupt me!"
"Meow Meow, I'm not trying to criticize you, but you're already married, you should let go of what needs to be let go. Is face important? As long as you achieve your goal, the means are secondary."
"Also, you're almost twenty-five and still a virgin, it's too pathetic! Listen to your sister, sleep with him at all costs! Even if it ends badly later, at least you'll have good memories. In short, it won't be a loss!"
Su He covered her face, truly wishing she could disappear into a crack in the ground.
"Miss Su," Cheng Jue, who was following Lu Yanbei, cleared his throat and called out.
Jiang Xiaoxiao jumped in surprise. She turned around, intending to see who was eavesdropping on their conversation. When she met Lu Yanbei's incredibly handsome face, she suddenly lost her voice.
Lu Yanbei cast a faint glance at her, his gaze finally settling on Su He. "Why is your phone turned off?"
Seeing that she couldn't escape, Su He whispered an explanation, "I forgot to charge it when I went out."
"If I hadn't coincidentally run into you here, would you have just not contacted me?" Lu Yanbei's expression was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.
"No! I was planning to look for you after I settled in," Su He said earnestly.
Jiang Xiaoxiao's gaze flickered back and forth between the two. Her intuition told her that their relationship was absolutely not simple! When did a big shot like Lu Yanbei ever show a good face to anyone? Yet, somehow, she felt he was exceptionally gentle in front of Su He. If anyone knew her current thoughts, they would surely burst into laughter. Lu Yanbei had nothing to do with the word "gentle"! He was like an emperor in the business world, with ruthless methods. Whatever he desired, he always obtained.
As Jiang Xiaoxiao was lost in her thoughts, Lu Yanbei's gaze shifted back to her. Jiang Xiaoxiao's heart tightened, her expression becoming as stiff as possible. Remembering what she had just said, she broke out in a cold sweat. Had Lu Yanbei gotten angry?
However, Lu Yanbei said nothing and turned his head away again. "The chef at home has been dismissed, so you'll have to stay with me tonight."
Su He hummed an acknowledgment and obediently stood up.
"Meow Meow..." Jiang Xiaoxiao called out to her with concern.
Su He made a gesture to her, reassuring her, "I'm fine, keep in touch."
Jiang Xiaoxiao wanted to say more, but Cheng Jue had already arrived with the car. Lu Yanbei got in first. Su He thought for a moment and headed straight for the passenger seat.
At that moment, Lu Yanbei's voice was heard, "Get in the back."
Su He's movements froze. She could only close the car door and resignedly slide into the back seat.