Volume One, Chapter 139: Soiled

Pei Jingmo turned his head and saw Xiang Xinlei, who approached him with an intellectual, elegant air and a sweet, gentle smile.

Xiang Xinlei was worthy of her title as the "National Goddess." She possessed an exquisite, beautiful face and a figure with impressive, curvaceous proportions. Compared to her artifice and heavy "technological enhancements," someone like Song Qingyu, a natural beauty, was far more precious.

Pei Jingmo had no fondness for Xiang Xinlei. It wasn’t just because she constantly kept Fu Linhan on a string, but because he could see that she was not as gentle and kind as Fu Linhan described. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul; while Xiang Xinlei did not flaunt her desires like others, there were certain things that could never be hidden, no matter how one tried to conceal them. Having seen countless sycophants throughout his life, and combined with his own cold-blooded, detached nature, Pei Jingmo was more than capable of discerning who was genuine and who was feigning.

"It’s Hanzi’s birthday today. You aren't by his side, yet you’ve come to toast me. Aren't you afraid he’ll be displeased?"

Xiang Xinlei offered a light smile. "I’m not sure what’s wrong, but Young Master Fu seems to be in a bad mood today. Besides, Young Master Fu and I are just ordinary friends; he doesn’t seem to need my company much."

Ordinary friends? Pei Jingmo’s dark eyes turned cold. "So, in Miss Xiang’s view, someone who gifts you luxury cars, houses, expensive goods, and resources is merely an 'ordinary friend'?"

Xiang Xinlei felt a jolt of terror. Even though she had grown up in the entertainment industry and mastered the art of handling unexpected situations, she felt stripped bare and cornered in front of this man.

"Young Master Fu is a truly wonderful person. President Gu surely understands his personality. He enjoys my film work and insists on gifting me these things; if I don't accept, he gets upset."

Xiang Xinlei’s implication was that Fu Linhan was simply a fan, and that she had no choice but to accept the gifts he insisted on giving. Before Pei Jingmo could speak, she added, "If President Gu doesn't like it, even if Young Master Fu were to be unhappy, I would not accept his gifts again."

Xiang Xinlei was confident in her own charm. If she could make Fu Linhan grovel at her feet, she didn't believe she couldn't handle a Gu Yuandong. Pei Jingmo could easily see through her ambition. No wonder she kept Fu Linhan on a leash; it turned out she was using him as a stepping stone.

Catching sight of Lu Rongrong walking over in a rage, Pei Jingmo gave Xiang Xinlei a faint smile and tapped his glass against hers. "Cheers."

Xiang Xinlei was ecstatic and raised her glass to drink, but Pei Jingmo’s hand gently pressed against the rim of her glass. "I’ll finish mine; feel free to sip as you please, Miss Xiang."

From Lu Rongrong’s perspective, it looked as though Gu Yuandong was holding Xiang Xinlei’s hand, the atmosphere between them thick with ambiguity. Alarms blared in Lu Rongrong’s mind. *Damn it, could this Xiang Xinlei actually be Gu Yuandong’s 'white moonlight'—his true heart's desire?*

She stomped over and hooked her arm through Gu Yuandong’s. "Yuandong, I’ve been looking for you for ages." She deliberately feigned ignorance, asking, "And who might this be?"

Pei Jingmo showed no regard for Lu Rongrong’s dignity and pulled his arm away. Seeing this, Xiang Xinlei’s eyes flickered, and a smug curve touched her lips. She had heard rumors that the young master didn't like the fiancée the Gu family had chosen for him, and it seemed they were true. In that light, the young master’s favor toward her was far greater than toward his fiancée.

"Hello, Miss Lu. My name is Xiang Xinlei. We actually met back in the States."

"Is that so?" Lu Rongrong suddenly put on an expression of realization. "Oh, I remember now. At the Zebra Show that one year, didn't you dance a shadow dance for the guests while completely naked?"

Lu Rongrong looked her up and down with disdain. Her gaze felt like needles, making Xiang Xinlei feel deeply uncomfortable; her expression turned ghastly. Participating in that show had been her attempt to climb the social ladder and catch the young master in the States, but not long after they started dating, that scoundrel had become engaged to someone else. Since the Zebra Show was an exclusive gathering for the ultra-wealthy, few people knew about it; she hadn't expected Lu Rongrong to have been there.

"I must say, Miss Xiang, your figure is truly impressive. Ever since that night, you became the woman every man in the States wanted to sleep with."

Xiang Xinlei gritted her teeth. She knew that wealthy families like the Gus detested such attention-seeking behavior. Would Gu Yuandong look down on her because of this?

Pei Jingmo smiled faintly. "Miss Xiang is an artist. It takes great courage to sacrifice for one's art; she shouldn't be mocked."

Xiang Xinlei hadn't expected Gu Yuandong to speak up for her, and she nearly soared with joy. Lu Rongrong, however, was incensed that Pei Jingmo would defend a mere actress rather than her. Her gaze toward Xiang Xinlei was filled with jealousy and hatred. Xiang Xinlei stared back, just as fiercely; in that instant, both women knew they were enemies.

Pei Jingmo observed the scene calmly, then took off his jacket and tossed it onto the balcony. Xiang Xinlei asked, confused, "President Gu, this is..."

"It’s dirty."

It had been perfectly fine a moment ago; how could it be dirty? Lu Rongrong realized he had discarded the garment because she had touched it, and she nearly exploded in a fit of rage.

Xiang Xinlei, in high spirits, looked at Lu Rongrong provocatively. Under the guise of comfort, she mocked her, "Don't overthink it, Miss Lu. President Gu just meant that some dust got on his coat; he didn't mean to shun you."

Pei Jingmo curled his lips, ignored them both, and turned to look down at Song Qingyu, who was playing with bubble guns with little Xi. Under the sunlight, the girl was surrounded by bubbles, laughing with such genuine joy that it made others happy just to watch.

"Sister Qingqing is so beautiful."

He even took out his phone and snapped several pictures of Song Qingyu. She was so stunning that every photo looked like a poster, heart-stoppingly beautiful, making him want to—

"Princess Xi is even more beautiful. Come on, give me a smile."

Gu Chenxi laughed happily and obediently made a "peace" sign. Seeing Pei Jingmo taking photos, Xiang Xinlei and Lu Rongrong assumed he was photographing Gu Chenxi. Upon seeing Song Qingyu, both women dismissed her as a mere employee trying to curry favor with Gu Yuandong, and paid her no mind.

Pei Jingmo was well aware of Song Qingyu’s physical condition. Seeing she was clearly tired, he walked downstairs and said to Gu Chenxi, "Xi, let’s take a break."

"Okay! Sister Qingqing, let’s go sit over there for a bit."

Song Qingyu felt a wave of relief. "Alright." Playing with children truly required a lot of stamina. Seeing the sweat on Gu Chenxi’s forehead, Pei Jingmo wiped it away with a tissue. "You’ve worked up quite a sweat."

Gu Chenxi looked up and beamed. "I’m so happy! Brother, Sister Qingqing is sweaty too, why don't you wipe her face for her?"

Pei Jingmo looked at Song Qingyu’s flushed cheeks, his heart itching with longing. He would have loved to touch her face and wipe the sweat away, but given their current situation—

"No, no, I’ll do it myself." *As if!* Having President Gu wipe her sweat? That would be more terrifying than the apocalypse.

"Something's wrong—help!" A waiter screamed in terror. Pei Jingmo didn't see Fu Linhan and, fearing he was the one in trouble, rushed over immediately. Song Qingyu and Gu Chenxi were also worried and followed, holding hands.

When they reached a corridor, they saw Sheng Yuru standing to the side in a state of panic, repeating, "It wasn't me, it wasn't me." On the floor lay a woman, blood flowing from her lower abdomen and staining her white dress crimson.