Life countdown begins, ice queen bursts into security room

The next morning, sunlight streamed into room 1208 through the gaps in the curtains.

Xu Qingya sat on the edge of the bed, with her back to Jiang Fan.

She was buttoning her bra, but her fingers were a little unresponsive, and she buttoned it in the wrong place.

Jiang Fan leaned against the headboard, covered only by a thin blanket, looking at her smooth back.

"Do you need any help?" Jiang Fan asked.

Xu Qingya paused, but didn't turn around. "Shut up."

She quickly put on the white T-shirt without a logo and grabbed the baseball cap next to her, putting it on her head.

"I'm going back to Shanghai this afternoon."

"it is good."

Xu Qingya turned around, looked at his calm face, gritted her teeth, and pushed open the door to leave.

After the door closed, Jiang Fan brought up the system panel.

Current lifespan: 9600 points.

Last night's profound union once again bestowed upon him a generous increase in lifespan.

Jiang Fan got up, washed up, changed his clothes, and prepared to go downstairs for dinner.

While waiting for the elevator, his gaze swept across the corner of the corridor.

The fire door to the emergency exit was ajar.

Jiang Fan's eyes flickered, and he walked over and pushed open the heavy fire door.

The stairwell was dimly lit, and a very faint smell of cheap tobacco lingered in the air.

In the corner of the steps lay two flattened cigarette butts.

Jiang Fan squatted down and picked up a cigarette butt; the filter was still a little damp.

This floor is full of young contestants from "The Next Star," so no one would smoke these cheap cigarettes that cost five yuan a pack.

Moreover, that position allows you to keep a close eye on the door of room 1208 through the crack in the door.

Jiang Fan threw away his cigarette butt and turned to walk towards the elevator.

The security monitoring room is located on the first floor of the hotel.

Jiang Fan walked in and casually tossed an unopened pack of Zhonghua cigarettes onto the table.

"Please show me the CCTV footage from the 12th-floor corridor last night."

Security guard Lao Li glanced at the cigarettes on the table. "Something's missing?"

"Yeah, I lost a little trinket."

Following Jiang Fan's instructions, Lao Li switched the screen to the twelfth floor.

At 10:15 p.m., the door to the emergency exit was pushed open.

A man in a black jacket came out.

The man was wearing a baseball cap and had a telephoto SLR camera hanging around his neck.

Jiang Fan stared at the screen, the image zoomed in.

The man had his head down, so his face was obscured, but there was a noticeable scar near his right eye.

"Do you know this person?" Jiang Fan asked.

Old Li leaned closer to the screen, glanced at it, and pursed his lips.

"Wang Meng. A notorious paparazzi in the neighborhood. He's always staking out our hotel to dig for news. He drives a beat-up gray Jetta with the license plate ending in 438."

Jiang Fan nodded. "Where does he usually live?"

"Those guys who do dirty work all like to live in urban villages, like the Baishizhou area."

Jiang Fan nodded and patted Old Li on the shoulder.

"Brother Li, please delete that surveillance footage for me."

Old Li glanced at the Zhonghua cigarette on the table, his hand already touching the mouse.

"no problem."

Stepping out of the monitoring room, Jiang Fan opened the system panel.

Skill Shop.

[Basic Combat Skills - 500 Life Points]

He didn't hesitate and exchanged it immediately.

A flood of information rushed into my brain.

A warm current surged into my limbs and bones, and the instincts of seizing, striking vital points, and close-range control were written into my muscle memory within three seconds.

More than enough to deal with a paparazzi who stays up all night all year round.

Pengcheng, Baishizhou urban village.

The cramped rented room reeked of instant noodles and foot odor.

Wang Meng sat in front of the computer, his eyes bloodshot, but his expression was extremely excited.

The screen displays more than a dozen high-resolution photos.

Xu Qingya pulled down her mask to drink lemon tea. The two sat facing each other at a food stall. Xu Qingya followed Jiang Fan into room 1208.

The last picture is of Hsu Ching-ya coming out of room 1208 this morning.

Wang Meng picked up the phone on the table and dialed a number.

"Who is this?" It was Chen Lan, the agent, who had just arranged for Xu Qingya to be picked up at the airport.

"Mr. Chen, this is Wang Meng from Star Weekly."

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.

"I don't know them. Contact Tianyu Media's public relations department if you need anything."

"Don't rush. Empress Xu was enjoying the sea breeze at Pengcheng Bay last night and seemed to be in a good mood. I just wonder if the oysters at that seafood stall suited her taste?"

Chen Lan's breath caught in her throat. "What do you mean?"

"It's nothing special. I have a few photos, they're quite beautiful. The male lead is that talent show contestant named Jiang Fan. Manager Chen, how much do you think these photos are worth?"

"If you dare to spread rumors about Xu Qingya, Tianyu Media's legal department will have you imprisoned for several years!"

"Spreading rumors?" Wang Meng sneered. "The two of them stayed in room 1208 all night last night, and Xu Tianhou only came out this morning. Is that spreading rumors? Five million. Transfer it to my account before 3 PM this afternoon. Otherwise, tomorrow's headline will be 'Ice Queen Spends the Night in Talent Show Boy's Room'."

After saying that, Wang Meng hung up the phone.

Xu Qingya had just finished security and was sitting in the VIP lounge of the departure hall.

My phone vibrated.

Caller ID: Chen Lan.

"Qingya, where did you go last night?"

Chen Lan's voice was devoid of any pleasantries, cutting straight to the point with barely suppressed anger.

Xu Qingya leaned back on the sofa, her voice flat: "After recording the show, I went out for some fresh air."

"Get some fresh air?" Chen Lan took a deep breath and lowered her voice. "A paparazzi named Wang Meng just called me. He said you ate at a street food stall in Pengcheng Bay last night and followed a contestant named Jiang Fan into room 1208."

Chen Lan's voice began to tremble: "Xu Qingya, tell me, did you stay in that room all night?"

Xu Qingya remained silent for five seconds.

"Yes."

A single word, light and airy, yet it struck Chen Lan's eardrums like a bomb.

"Are you crazy?"

Chen Lan suddenly stood up, the chair legs scraping against the floor with a screeching sound.

Yang Lele, who was outside the office, was startled and peered inside through the glass.

Chen Lan turned around, her back to the glass wall, and roared in a low voice:

"Do you even know who you are? You're Xu Qingya! Your persona is 'Zero Scandal Ice Queen'! You've maintained this persona for eight years, eight years! Your endorsement contracts add up to over 300 million yuan, and the breach of contract clauses clearly state in black and white that the artist cannot be involved in any negative public opinion that damages the brand image. You went to a hotel with a complete nobody from a talent show and spent the night together? Have you lost your mind?!"

Xu Qingya moved the phone away from her ear by an inch.

After Chen Lan caught her breath, she put the phone back on.

"Are you done talking?"

"I'm not finished!" Chen Lan's forehead veins bulged. "That Wang Meng has photos and is demanding five million in hush money. The company executives won't approve it, saying that if it really comes out, they'll pin the blame on that Jiang guy. They'll say he deliberately seduced you and used you for publicity. Xu Qingya, listen carefully, if this gets out, that boy will be wiped out completely in this industry."

Xu Qingya's eyes finally changed.

"Don't touch him."

Chen Lan was taken aback.

She had been Xu Qingya's agent for eight years and had never heard her speak in this tone before.

It was not an order, nor a threat.

It's an almost instinctive protectiveness.

"Qingya, what exactly are you—"

"Sister Lan," Xu Qingya interrupted her, her voice regaining its usual coldness, "I'll handle this. Don't let the company touch that person. Understand?"

After hanging up the phone, Chen Lan stood there, holding her phone, stunned.

She suddenly realized something terrible.

Xu Qingya's actions were not impulsive.

She was serious.

"It's over..." Chen Lan slumped back into her chair, rubbing her temples, muttering to herself, "Eight years of cultivating this persona, all gone..."

Xu Qingya hung up the phone, immediately opened WeChat, and found the contact she had just added that day.

She typed a line of text, then deleted it.

In the end, she only sent four words:

"Someone is filming us."

The other party replied less than 30 seconds after the message was sent.

Jiang Fan: "I know. Don't worry, just board the plane."