My cousin asked me to go to Wuha, and Hanikezi stuck to me.

At the end of the corridor on the second floor of the Dali Inn.

Hanikezi quickly pushed open her bedroom door and locked it behind her.

She leaned against the wooden door, panting heavily. Her phone screen flashed a blinding white light in the dim room, and Sister Hong's video call invitation vibrated frantically like a death knell.

Hanikezi walked to the dressing table, patted her burning cheeks with the back of her hand, took a deep breath, and pressed the answer button.

The screen flickered.

Hongjie sat in her black leather chair in her Beijing office, her gaze piercing, seemingly directed at you even through the screen.

"A heart rate of 112?" Without any pleasantries, Sister Hong cut to the chase, "Honey, do you think this is your first day training you?"

Hanikezi placed her phone on the table and pulled out a chair to sit down.

"Sister Hong, that was truly an accident." Hanikezi raised her chin, her tone self-righteous. "That lousy bracelet Old Wang bought is definitely faulty!"

"There's a problem? Then why is Chen Yi's heart rate consistently at 72?" Sister Hong sneered, leaning forward slightly. "That kid Chen Yi is quick-witted; a few words about sympathetic nerves and he's got Old Wang and his online friends completely fooled. You really think I'm that easy to fool?"

Hanikezi was prepared and immediately launched into a crazy rant.

"His heart rate is 72 because he's a complete cold-blooded animal!" Hanikezi's voice rose two octaves. "Sister Hong, didn't you watch the live stream this afternoon? The waves on Erhai Lake were so big, the kayak almost capsized! To stabilize the boat, he grabbed me and almost broke my back! I was so scared my legs went weak, how could my heart rate not be over 100!"

Hongjie stared at Hanikezi's indignant expression on the screen without saying a word.

Seeing this, Hanikezi continued to increase the stakes.

"And his cousin Chen Chichi! He treated me like a thief this afternoon, afraid I'd ride on Chen Yi's coattails." Hanikezi rolled her eyes, putting on a full-on performance. "Their whole family is like that, sharp-tongued and arrogant! I can't even avoid them, how could I possibly be attracted to them?"

Hongjie squinted, her gaze sweeping back and forth across Hanikezi's face.

A full ten seconds passed.

"It's best if you think that way." Sister Hong leaned back in her chair, her tone turning cold. "Xingyu Entertainment has indeed run into a major mess, and Zhou Jianguo has been arrested. But don't think that's the end of the matter."

Hanikezi felt a sudden jolt in her heart, but remained outwardly calm.

"The new board members are ten times more ruthless than Zhou Jianguo." Sister Hong raised a finger and slammed it heavily on the table. "They've already put Chen Yi on their absolute blacklist. Your current S-level contract is still in the company's hands. If they find out you have any private dealings with Chen Yi, the company will not hesitate to destroy you as well."

The air in the room instantly dropped to freezing point.

Hanikezi's fingers gripped the edge of the chair, her knuckles turning white.

"Did you understand?" Sister Hong raised her voice.

"I understand." Hanikezi nodded vigorously, her tone resolute. "I'm going to find Old Wang tomorrow. I'd rather die than be in Chen Yi's group again. Let whoever wants to tie this damn red rope tie it!"

Sister Hong smiled with satisfaction.

"Get some rest early, be smarter tomorrow, and don't give those marketing accounts any more material."

The video call ended.

The screen went completely black.

Hanikezi was completely exhausted and slid off the chair, collapsing onto the soft bed in a spread-eagle position.

My back was covered in cold sweat.

Those few minutes of confrontation were more tiring than her dancing the Flying Dance for three hours straight.

"Finally, I managed to fool them..." Hanikezi stared at the wood grain on the ceiling and let out a long sigh.

"Buzz—"

My phone, which was lying next to my pillow, suddenly vibrated.

Hanikezi was startled and quickly grabbed her phone.

A WeChat message pops up on the screen.

Sender: Chen Yi.

Hanikezi opened the chat box.

Chen Yi: [Am I a cold-blooded animal?]

Hanikezi's eyes widened instantly, and she sat up abruptly in bed.

The second message popped up immediately afterward.

Chen Yi: [You almost broke my back? I remember someone on the boat this afternoon, gripping my collar tightly with both hands.]

Hanikezi felt a rush of heat to her head, and her cheeks turned so red they looked like they were about to bleed.

This shabby inn in Dali is made entirely of wood, and its soundproofing is a joke! She deliberately raised her voice to convince Sister Hong, and Chen Yi, who lives next door, could definitely hear it clearly!

Hanikezi's fingers flew across the keyboard.

Hanikezi: [You eavesdropped on other people's phone calls! You pervert!]

Chen Yi replied instantly: "It's because your voice is too loud; you turned on the motion-activated light at the end of the corridor twice."

Chen Yi: [You even included my cousin in your script; your acting skills are quite good.]

Chen Yi: [That accusation you just delivered was so moving and emotional; your acting has improved a lot. You could consider winning a Best Actress award.]

Enraged, Hanikezi grabbed a pillow and slammed it against the wooden wall.

A muffled thud.

There was a half-minute silence on the other end of the WeChat message.

Just when Hanikezi thought Chen Yi wouldn't reply, the screen lit up again.

Chen Yi: [Can't sleep?]

Chen Yi: [Meet me on the second-floor balcony at 1 AM.]

Hanikezi looked at the short sentence on the screen, and the fear and irritation she had just felt from the pressure from Sister Hong instantly vanished.

She bit her lower lip, her finger hovering over the screen for a long time before finally replying with a single word.

Hanikezi: [Oh.]

After sending the message, she tossed her phone aside, covered her burning cheeks with her hands, but her lips curled into an uncontrollable, wild smile.

At the same time.

Beijing, Star Entertainment Media headquarters building.

Sister Hong sat behind her large desk and put down her tablet computer.

The office door was pushed open, and the assistant walked in carrying a glass of iced Americano, carefully placing it on the desk.

"Sister Hong, what did Hani say?" the assistant asked softly.

Hongjie didn't take the coffee; instead, her fingers tapped rhythmically on the table, making a crisp, rhythmic sound.

"Her explanation was flawless," Sister Hong said coldly. "She even used Chen Chichi's mischief by the lake that afternoon as a shield."

"Isn't that a good thing?" The assistant breathed a sigh of relief. "It shows she's aware of the situation and knows how to avoid suspicion."

"What a load of crap!" Sister Hong slammed her hand on the table, making the ice cubes in the coffee cup rattle loudly.

The assistant was so startled that he took half a step back.

"I mentored her for three whole years!" Sister Hong's eyes were sharp as knives. "When she truly dislikes someone, she won't even give them a second glance, let alone waste her breath complaining!"

Sister Hong stood up, walked to the French windows, and looked at the bustling night view outside.

"She talked too much tonight," Sister Hong said with certainty. "She's trying her best to prove that she hates Chen Yi. That's just making things worse."

The assistant gasped.

"Then... what should we do? The new higher-ups have issued a strict order that our people are absolutely not allowed to have any connection with Chen Yi."

Sister Hong turned around, her gaze dark and gloomy.

"Book the earliest flight for tomorrow right away. I want to fly to Dali myself," Sister Hong ordered. "Also, use your inside information in the production team to find out Chen Yi's hotel room number for this recording and his movements tonight."

Hongjie walked to the table, picked up the iced Americano, and took a sip.

"This girl's expression tonight is really strange. I want to see what those two are up to in private!"

Ps:

[I'm updating 4 times a day as usual! Please give me some encouragement and add it to your bookshelf! A free gift would be appreciated!! Thank you!!]