Huo Jin remained stunned in place. When Gu Susu looked at her, it was as if she were seeing a complete stranger, and it didn't seem like an act.
She hadn't expected that after not seeing Gu Susu for over half a year and receiving no news, she wouldn't be recognized. This was truly bizarre.
"Miss Huo, she has amnesia. Not only does she not recognize you, but she doesn't remember me either," Qin Tianyi appeared beside her at some point, holding a wine glass, his voice raspy as he spoke.
Huo Jin looked up at him and immediately felt a surge of anger. She questioned, "Why are you here? Did you cause Susu to forget everything?"
"When I met her, she was already like this," Qin Tianyi said, swirling his wine glass. "You can try talking to her about past events again; perhaps it will jog her memory."
Huo Jin said irritably, "You're not in Lancheng taking responsibility for Shu Yan, and instead, you're hiding here with Susu. How long do you plan to play the field?"
Qin Tianyi said with a serious expression, "I have never played the field. Let me say it again, the child in Shu Yan's womb is not mine. Nothing has happened between her and me. Do you believe her side of the story so readily?"
"Qin Tianyi, of course, I believe her. No woman would joke about such a thing," Huo Jin said with disdain. "I know she went abroad to find you. She was at my shop then and told me how much she wanted to salvage your relationship."
Qin Tianyi's gaze followed Gu Susu's figure, and he explained dismissively, "The word 'relationship' is too strong for you. People in our circle have known each other since childhood, but we aren't that close. There has never been any affection between her and me. If she insists on talking nonsense to everyone like this now, I can't do anything about it. I can only wait and see; once she gives birth and we do a DNA test, everything will be clear."
Seeing that he was about to leave, Huo Jin grabbed him. "Don't go! You're too cold-hearted. Do you know how much she loves you for a woman to go this far for you? Since you never intended to treat her well, why did you provoke her?"
Qin Tianyi watched Gu Susu move further away from him and wanted to follow. He retorted impatiently to Huo Jin, "When have I ever provoked her from beginning to end?"
"Did you also have amnesia?" Huo Jin said angrily. "There was an incident at a Shu family gathering where you bravely jumped into the pool to save her! Before the adults arrived, who held her tightly, fearing she would get cold, and kept comforting her not to be scared!"
Qin Tianyi turned to look at her, trying to recall what she was talking about. He remembered that such a thing might have happened when they were young, but it was purely coincidental. He knew how to swim, and when he encountered the situation, he couldn't just watch Shu Yan drown. In his opinion, it was a simple act of kindness that he hadn't given much thought to afterward. If Huo Jin hadn't mentioned it, he would have forgotten it long ago.
"I would have saved anyone in that pool; I just didn't want to see someone drown," Qin Tianyi said helplessly. "Besides, we were both young then, and there was no question of affection involved."
"For you, it was a minor incident you'd long forgotten, but for Shu Yan, it was a monumental event. From that moment on, her heart belonged only to you," Huo Jin felt it was utterly unfair to Shu Yan. Knowing that Qin Tianyi didn't even remember saving her would likely be a severe blow.
Qin Tianyi had completely lost patience with her and said coldly, "Let go. Anyone who didn't know would think there was something going on between us."
"Then you promised to marry her when you grew up, and you were even about to have a wedding. Does that not count as provoking her?" Huo Jin questioned again.
"I did wrong her in this matter. At the time, I was only thinking about a marriage of convenience for the sake of profit. I thought she was also marrying me solely for family interests, otherwise, knowing I had no feelings for her, why would she have been so persistent?"
Huo Jin seized on this point and said, "You admit you owe her something, so you should take responsibility for her."
Since Huo Jin had brought it all out in the open at the banquet, Qin Tianyi didn't mind talking to her a bit more.
"I really can't take the blame she's thrown at me now. The child is definitely not mine; I know what I have or haven't done. I don't know what tricks she played, but she erased some surveillance footage from the hotel, leaving only the part where I entered her room. No matter how much pressure the Shu family applies, I will not become this 'father' for free. You'd better advise her not to provoke me further, or I will no longer remain silent."
"Shu Yan is truly blind..."
"Let go!" Qin Tianyi's tone turned icy.
Huo Jin immediately let go. She remembered that there were reporters present, and it wouldn't look good to be seen being intimate with Qin Tianyi.
...
Gu Susu followed Teacher Emma and met her friends. She caught sight of Qin Tianyi and Huo Jin talking intently, with Huo Jin even initiating contact by holding Qin Tianyi's arm. She wondered about the relationship between the woman who claimed to know her and Qin Tianyi. Was she Qin Tianyi's ex-wife, as he had mentioned before, or his current girlfriend? A strange sense of sourness welled up within her. What was going on? Why, after meeting Qin Tianyi only a few times and speaking very little, did she find herself unconsciously thinking about him?
Throughout the banquet, Gu Susu had wanted to speak with the woman named Huo Jin, but she never found a suitable opportunity. She was completely occupied with conversing with the influential people she had just met. Huo Jin also wanted to approach Gu Susu to ask her some questions, but there were too many people surrounding Gu Susu, making it impossible for her to have a private conversation. She discreetly took a photo of Gu Susu with her phone and, after the banquet ended, sent the photo of Susu to Chang Qingchuan when she returned to her hotel.
When most of the guests had dispersed, Gu Susu felt a sense of disappointment as she looked for Huo Jin and Qin Tianyi, only to find they were nowhere to be seen. Sophie, responsible for clearing the venue, saw her seemingly looking for someone and asked, "Who are you looking for, your boyfriend? I didn't see him at all tonight; he shouldn't have come. Isn't he here? Why didn't he come to watch this show?"
Gu Susu smiled and said, "Yes, but he won't come. I told him earlier, but he has an important video conference tonight."
"Then are you looking for Mr. Qin?" Sophie asked with a suppressed smile.
"Not at all," Gu Susu replied. "You were in charge of registration; did a woman named Huo Jin sign in? What does she do, and where is she from?"
Sophie thought for a moment, seeming to recall something. She quickly flipped through the registration book and found the information Huo Jin had filled out, saying, "She's the owner of a boutique in Lancheng. She's quite strong, representing top-tier brands. The fact that she can get these brand agencies herself means her background is not simple."
"Oh, that explains why she would come to see this show," Gu Susu said doubtfully. "She's also from Lancheng and said she knew me. But I don't remember her at all. Did she leave a contact number and address?"
"She didn't leave an address, but she did leave a phone number. Do you want it?" Sophie asked.
Gu Susu said, "Yes, I'll write it down." As she spoke, she saved Huo Jin's phone number on her phone.