Su Qi frowned, wondering if calling Huo Tingyun a piece of feces was a bit disrespectful to feces.
She pushed open the door and got out of the car.
Su Qi entered the hotel through the back door.
The banquet hall was packed with people, and the media reporters were squeezed into a tight mass, like a wet market at nine in the morning, or more like a can of sardines. She had never seen a press conference so lively.
It could only be described as an unprecedented spectacle.
It seemed Huo Tingyun's gossip was quite valuable.
Su Qi pinched herself, forcing herself to shed tears, and then, with a determined stride, entered the banquet hall.
On the top floor of Shengshi Group, a 90-inch LCD screen was broadcasting the press conference. Su Qi sat on the stage, tears streaming down her face, delivering an impassioned speech. It was all emotion, no technique, as she spoke of her deep love for Huo Tingyun, how he had wronged her, how she had wasted years of her youth, and how much she had endured.
The audience was filled with sighs and murmurs. Even Lin Te, seeing this, was moved and couldn't help but his eyes reddened.
The man's expression turned grim. He abruptly switched off the TV channel. "What are you waiting for? Go and interrupt the press conference!"
Lin Te nodded. "Yes, sir."
Normally, there wouldn't be traffic at this hour, but Lin Te drove leisurely, at a very slow pace. By the time he arrived, the press conference had already concluded. Lin Te simply told Huo Tingyun on the phone that he was delayed by traffic.
The press conference ended, and Su Qi had said all she needed to say. Videos of Su Qi's press conference instantly topped major trending search platforms. Everyone was moved, and she garnered countless sympathy votes. People of all ages and genders were touched.
The fact that Huo Tingyun had abandoned his wife who had shared his hardships instantly flooded the internet. Many people even went to the Shengshi Group building to throw rotten eggs.
Normally, a company facing such a scandal would see its stock price plummet. However, Shengshi Group remained stable for several days, with no increase or decrease in its stock, just like any other day.
Within a single day, the trending topics and buzz were removed by Shengshi Group's public relations team.
Su Qi was packing her belongings at the time. Seeing that the search terms were no longer on the trending list, she raised an eyebrow.
She wasn't surprised at all.
Huo Tingyun's methods were swift and decisive. It would be uncharacteristic of him if the trending topics weren't removed within a day.
Su Qi packed a few clothes simply, then grabbed her luggage and left. Yang Tianhao came to pick her up. Su Qi got into the car and closed her eyes to rest for a while. Upon arriving at her new residence, a spacious two-hundred-square-meter apartment in a neighborhood close to her company, she had signed a one-year lease. As it was a new development, all the furniture was brand new, allowing her to move in immediately.
This was her first home in the truest sense of the word.
Unexpectedly, the day after she moved out of the Huo family residence, she received a call from Qin Xue.
"Xiao Su, do you have time? Can you come over for a bit..."
Hearing Qin Xue's tearful voice, Su Qi's heart skipped a beat. She immediately got up and headed to the underground parking garage.
Forty minutes later, she arrived at the Huo family's old mansion.
Su Qi got out of the car and quickly walked into the Huo residence.
Qin Xue was sitting on the living room sofa, crying, clutching tissues. Hearing the movement, she turned her head. Su Qi immediately noticed Qin Xue's eyes were red.
"Aunt Qin..."
Su Qi hurried over. As she got closer, she saw that Qin Xue was holding some photographs. Su Qi only glanced at them before gasping, then walked over and took the photos directly from Qin Xue's hand.
The photos showed Huo Qingrang and Sheng Yuxue kissing intimately. The angle and pose of the photos were very discreet, but they captured both individuals clearly.
It was likely taken with professional equipment, using a super-telephoto lens.
Only paparazzi could have such skill and shooting angles for photos like these.
Su Qi took a brief look before placing the photos face down on the table.
"Aunt Qin, perhaps the photos are fabricated. Uncle wouldn't do something like that. He loves you so much..."
"Love me?"
Qin Xue seemed lost in thought, a ripple of emotion appearing in her eyes.
Love, even if not spoken, the body doesn't lie, and the eyes certainly don't.
She knew that from the day she married into the Huo family, Huo Qingrang was destined not to love her.
After marrying him, she learned that Huo Qingrang had a childhood sweetheart, and their relationship was very good.
Because he was forced by the elder to marry her, they were separated.
Huo Qingrang's heart ultimately held resentment – resentment towards the elder, resentment towards their separation, and resentment towards her presence.
Even though he was by her side, when Huo Qingrang held her, Qin Xue felt an immense distance between them.
It wasn't that she hadn't tried to enter Huo Qingrang's heart, but it seemed no matter what, this man would never open up to her.
Over time, after decades, she had given up.
So, when Su Qi proposed divorce, she readily agreed.
Not for any other reason, but because seeing Su Qi reminded her of herself in those years.
She couldn't tie Su Qi to this unhappy marriage just for the sake of her grandson.
Huo Qingrang had not been involved in any scandals all these years, and she thought it might bring some comfort to her life.
Unexpectedly, she still saw photos like these.
She didn't know who sent them, but they didn't look fabricated.
"You don't need to comfort me. I can discern right from wrong. It's just that I never expected..."
As Qin Xue spoke, large tears rolled down her cheeks again.
If it weren't for the slight resemblance, Su Qi would have found it hard to believe that Qin Xue and Huo Qingrang could have raised a child with Huo Tingyun's personality.
It was like a peach tree bearing a chili pepper – utterly unbelievable.
Su Qi placed her hand on Qin Xue, letting her lean on her shoulder. She then gave a look to Sister Tong, who immediately understood and went to the kitchen to bring a bowl of bird's nest and milk. Su Qi handed it to Qin Xue. "Drink some and rest. I'll go back and investigate what exactly happened."
Qin Xue took it, drank a couple of sips, and then suddenly looked up at Su Qi, her eyes shining with tears. "Xiao Su, I never understood why Grandpa loved you so much before. Now I finally do..."
The Huo family, with their power and status, was constantly sought after by people wanting to curry favor. Everyone wanted to establish some connection with the Huo family and was extremely solicitous.
Yet, Su Qi remained neither humble nor arrogant. Her kindness was genuine and stemmed from considering others' perspectives.
It was as if, regardless of whether the Huo family was rich or poor, she would always be this good.
This was probably why the elder liked Su Qi.
The elder had started from scratch in his early years, enduring many hardships. Having seen so many people from all walks of life in society, how could he not understand human nature? He would certainly not allow a woman who craved vanity into the Huo family.
The elder's affection for Su Qi was not solely based on her appearance, but more so on the girl's sincerity.