Chapter 61: Otherwise, I'll Renege
At that moment, Li Huiran was dying to know who that woman was. 'Has Chen Dong been with her this whole time he's been at the Jiangzhou Hotel?'
A man and a woman, alone in a hotel!
Li Huiran couldn't help but feel a dull ache in her heart.
She desperately wanted to follow them and find out, but she knew she shouldn't.
She and Chen Dong were only a fake couple. She had no reason to interfere if he found another woman.
Her chest felt tight, a panicky discomfort spreading through her.
Numbly, she opened the car door, slid into the driver's seat, and buried her head in the steering wheel, remaining motionless for a long time.
Meanwhile, in a top-floor suite at the Jiangzhou Hotel not open to the public, a greasy-looking He Xiang was furiously smashing things.
An Attendant hurried in and respectfully handed him a file.
Pictured on the file was none other than Chen Dong.
He Xiang flipped through it quickly. His face contorted with angry disbelief as he roared at the goat-bearded old man beside him, "Tributor Zhao, this kid is just some minor employee at the Li Group! You're a Grandmaster, yet you let him scare you off?"
The goat-bearded old man revealed his right hand, which he had been hiding. It was swollen bigger than a steamed bun, and the damage within was even worse—the bones in his palm were riddled with fractures.
"That young man's strength is indeed greater than mine. Truly terrifying. I knew I was no match for him after a single move. I don't know why a powerhouse like him would be a minor employee at the Li Clan, but it's not worth making such a formidable enemy for the He Family over a woman!"
He Xiang was still fuming. The image of Qin Yun and Chen Dong embracing fueled his rage. He roared at Tributor Zhao, "So what if he's a Grandmaster too? Are we, the He Family, the King of Lower River, going to be afraid of some punk?"
Tributor Zhao looked at He Xiang's defiant expression, shook his head in frustration, and said coldly, "Young Master Xiang, you do not speak for the He Family. My purpose here is to guard the Jiangzhou Hotel, not to get involved in your romantic squabbles." With that, he strode away.
He left He Xiang with an incredibly ugly expression on his face.
His position in the He Family was indeed awkward. The Patriarch, He Gaochi, was his biological father, and he was the third young master of the He Family. Yet, he held no real power and spent his days idling away. Nearly forty, he was still unmarried with no children. Aside from drinking and chasing women, he was good for nothing. His status in the He Family was even lower than that of his own nieces and nephews.
The fact that Tributor Zhao, stationed to guard the Jiangzhou Hotel, had been willing to act on his behalf even once was already showing him immense respect.
He had another hobby: following celebrities. He had been a loyal fan of Qin Yun ever since her debut. With the He Family Patriarch's seventieth birthday approaching, he had proposed inviting the reigning Celestial Empress, Qin Yun, to perform a song. As the undisputed King of Lower River, the He Family's invitation was one Qin Yun could not refuse. Since it was He Xiang's idea, he was assigned to receive her.
As it happened, Qin Yun had, for some unknown reason, changed her agent to Luo Feng. This gave He Xiang, who had long coveted Qin Yun without any means to act, an opportunity. He bribed Luo Feng to drug Qin Yun. Everything was going according to plan, but Qin Yun, using the excuse that she found him repulsive and telling him to go take a shower, ran out and bumped right into Chen Dong.
Who knew that Chen Dong would turn out to be a hidden master, someone even Tributor Zhao couldn't defeat? A once-in-a-lifetime chance to have his way with her was gone just like that. How could he not be furious? How could he accept it?
Elsewhere, Wang Hao drove up to pick up Chen Dong.
Chen Dong and Qin Yun got into the back seat of the BMW X6. Chen Dong said, "Take us to the Yunxuan Hotel."
Back at the hotel, Qin Yun had asked for Chen Dong's name, borrowed his phone to call the bodyguards Luo Feng had tricked away, and arranged to meet them at the Yunxuan Hotel.
When Wang Hao saw Chen Dong get in the car with a woman, he was surprised and a little annoyed. 'Doesn't Brother Dong already have Xu Qing?' he thought. 'Why's he with another woman? And they just came from one hotel and are going to another.'
As he drove, he said with some irritation, "Brother Dong, Xu Qing is my buddy. You're putting me in a tough spot here!"
Just then, Wang Hao got a clear look at the woman's face. 'Wait, isn't that the famous star, Qin Yun?'
He was instantly overcome with excitement. He pulled the car over to the side of the road, knelt on his seat, and turned to ask Qin Yun in the back, "Are you Qin Yun? Are you really Qin Yun? Can you please give me your autograph?"
Seeing Wang Hao's ecstatic reaction, Qin Yun thought to herself, 'Now this is more like it! The charm of this Celestial Empress is truly irresistible!'
She smiled and nodded at Wang Hao.
Chen Dong was completely baffled. "Is she famous or something? How do you know her?"
Wang Hao stared at Chen Dong as if he were a monster. "Brother Dong, you're the one who brought her, and you don't know?"
Then, with an exaggerated expression, he said, "This is Qin Yun! The Celestial Empress Qin Yun! She debuted only three years ago and is already a massive star all over the country. Her fans are men and women, young and old—she's won over everyone. She's swept up countless awards in film, television, and music!"
It finally clicked for Chen Dong. No wonder Qin Yun looked familiar—she was the lead actress in the drama Xu Qing had been binge-watching recently.
Chen Dong stared at Qin Yun for a few more moments, thinking she was even more beautiful in person. At the same time, he had to admire her acting skills; she had actually managed to fool him.
After Qin Yun signed several autographs for Wang Hao, he contentedly resumed his role as the driver.
Once the car was moving again, Qin Yun hesitated before saying to Chen Dong, "Chen Dong, could I hire you to be my bodyguard? The pay is negotiable."
Chen Dong mulled it over for a moment. 'Being a bodyguard isn't a bad gig,' he thought, 'but following a celebrity around would mean a lot of travel, which is a hassle. Besides, the Li Family is still too weak right now. Elder Li has been good to me, and I still haven't sorted out this marriage contract with Li Huiran. I can't just leave.'
So he said bluntly, "No!"
Qin Yun felt she might have been too forward. But with the He Family's birthday banquet in two days, she felt completely unsafe. She couldn't skip it, so she asked again, "Could you just protect me for two days?"
Chen Dong shook his head again. 'This woman is obviously trouble.'
The car arrived at the Yunxuan Hotel, where a group of bodyguards had been waiting for some time. The moment Qin Yun stepped out, she was surrounded and protected.
Mission accomplished. Chen Dong showed no intention of getting out of the car. He simply asked, "Where's my money?"
Qin Yun gave him a sly smile. "Protect me at the He Family's place the day after tomorrow, and I'll give it all to you then. Otherwise... otherwise, I'll just stiff you!"