Qin He and Qin Yun had just exited the venue when they heard a voice behind them.
"Little kitty, wait for me~"
Qin Yun turned, shielding Qin He with one arm while pushing the approaching person away with the other. "Hey, hey, hey, can you call people properly?"
Lu Mingxi found his path blocked. He shrugged, looking unconcerned. "I think this nickname suits her."
He then bypassed the frowning Qin Yun and walked in front of Qin He. "Little kitty, you were amazing today. It’s the first time I’ve seen someone manage to anger Gu Qichen that much and still walk away unscathed."
Qin He glanced at him indifferently. "Do you have a grudge against Gu Qichen? You look so happy seeing him angry?"
Lu Mingxi laughed. "We didn't have one before, but who knows about the future."
As he spoke, his eyes, like twinkling stars, smiled and fixed on Qin He.
Qin He felt a prickle of unease under his gaze. She pulled at her lips. "Brother, let’s go back."
It was better to keep a distance from Lu Mingxi.
Before getting into the car, Lu Mingxi tried to sneak in for a ride, but Qin He quickly and expertly shut the car door.
He touched his nose and, after being rebuffed by Qin Yun again at the front of the car, finally gave up.
The car drove smoothly on the road back to the Qin family's residence.
Qin Yun drove, occasionally glancing at Qin He in the rearview mirror.
"He'er, are you feeling unwell? Your face was so pale at the banquet."
"I'm alright. Maybe I haven't been resting well lately," Qin He replied, looking up and flashing Qin Yun a bright smile. "Brother, you don't need to worry."
Since waking up, she had been dragged to celebratory parties by Xu Wanwan and reconnected with old friends, her nights had been non-stop.
"No more going out at night from now on," Qin Yun instructed.
Qin He absently agreed, resting her chin on her hand and gazing out the window.
According to her brother and Wanwan, in the past two years, she had been in love with that scumbag Gu Qichen and had been cheated on and betrayed by him.
Her brother and Wanwan spoke of it with righteous indignation, but for her, it felt like waking up two years later.
Two years had simply evaporated.
Thinking of that scumbag Gu, Qin He’s teeth itched with anger.
She had dismissed the past two years as a temporary lapse in judgment, but from now on, she needed to pick up her skills again.
Conveniently, the funeral home hadn't resumed full operations yet, giving her time to further refine her craft!
For a moment, Qin He’s mind was filled with her future goals and plans.
Meanwhile, the Gu family was enveloped in an unprecedentedly heavy atmosphere.
In the Gu family's living room, Gu Qichen and Song Nuan sat on the sofa. Madam Gu descended the spiral staircase from the second floor and sat opposite them.
"Your grandmother has gone to bed. You can tell me about Qin He now."
Madam Gu lowered her voice, but couldn't suppress her anger. "How did she become the Qin family's eldest daughter? They aren't lying to us, are they?"
Gu Qichen's eyes were heavy. "She— Qin Yun isn't that foolish."
This sort of thing couldn't be faked forever, and the Qin family did indeed have an eldest daughter, their most cherished pearl!
The Qin family protected their eldest daughter like her very life depended on it, rarely letting her out of sight.
Everyone in Qingcheng knew of this first socialite's existence, yet no media had ever captured her true appearance.
Madam Gu was furious but dared not raise her voice lest she wake old Madam Gu.
"Then what does she mean by this? Our Gu Corporation and Qin Corporation have always been competitors! Did she hide her identity to marry you for some ulterior motive?"
Song Nuan chimed in, trying to placate Madam Gu. "Auntie, please don't worry. Even if Qin He wanted to do anything, it's too late. Thankfully, Qichen has already divorced her—"
While seemingly trying to pacify, she was subtly fanning the flames.
Madam Gu's anger flared, and she muttered about Qin He possibly stealing confidential information from Gu Corporation.
Gu Qichen sat with his dark eyes slightly narrowed, leaning back slightly on the sofa.
During their two years of marriage, Qin He had never revealed her identity.
Let alone being the Qin family's eldest daughter, she hadn't even mentioned having a brother!
No wonder he couldn't find her after she disappeared, and all hospital records were meticulously erased!
The Qin family truly had the capability!
A throbbing pulsed on Gu Qichen's forehead. Thinking of Qin He's stunningly beautiful face and her proud, unrestrained aura today, something felt missing in his heart, leaving him with a sense of loss amidst his anger.
He suddenly realized something.
Qin He had indeed never said anything, but he had never asked.
He had casually chosen someone to marry back then, simply because his grandmother liked Qin He.
He had never had any desire to investigate her.
Qin He—
Gu Qichen dissected and mulled over these two words, his brows furrowed with icy coldness.
As his thoughts swirled, the hem of his suit moved slightly.
He snapped back to attention, meeting Song Nuan's concerned gaze.
"Qichen, let's go back. Auntie needs to rest early."
Madam Gu had been grumbling for a while. Seeing her son lost in thought, she warned him with a huff, "Be careful. I don't think that woman has good intentions!"
Gu Qichen, agitated, replied, "She stayed in the Gu family for two years. If she wanted to plot something, she would have done it already!"
"What do you mean by that?" Madam Gu raised her eyebrows sternly.
Song Nuan's eyes darkened as she stepped forward to smooth things over. "Qichen, please understand Auntie. Qin Jie's actions at Auntie's birthday banquet today have upset her."
Her voice was soft and gentle.
Gu Qichen ultimately said nothing further.
After leaving the Gu residence, the car pulled up to Song Nuan's apartment building.
She hesitated. "Qichen, I'm all alone at home. Could you keep me company?"
Gu Qichen, in the driver's seat, remained silent, unmoving.
Song Nuan gritted her teeth and got out of the car alone.
...
Madam Gu's birthday banquet had spread throughout Qingcheng, and everyone now knew the juicy gossip that the Qin family's eldest daughter had once been married to Gu Qichen.
By the time this news broke, both parties had already divorced.
Rumors began to circulate.
"Beware of green tea. Otherwise, even if you're the Qin family's eldest daughter, you'll get played!"
Meanwhile, Qin He was peacefully recuperating at home.
Having often stayed up all night playing recently, Qin Yun had now forbidden her from going out at night. This gave her the perfect opportunity to resume her craft.
In her bedroom, she held a small camera, filming the tabletop.
The surface of the table was neatly arranged with opened cosmetics. Qin He introduced the purpose of each product one by one, then placed the camera's tripod on the table, facing herself.
"Today, I'll be teaching you about special effects makeup. In many film and television dramas, you might see actors who appear to have gained hundreds of pounds—"
Qin He's face was clean and natural, appearing exceptionally fresh and delicate.
She picked up a box of prosthetic skin clay, taught the audience through the camera, and then, piece by piece, adhered the clay to her bones and skin to transform into a man's appearance.
She then introduced the makeup products one by one, applying a bronzed foundation. After a complete transformation, she finally attached a bushy beard and eyebrows.
A living, breathing Zhang Fei appeared on camera.
From a fresh-faced, delicate beauty to Zhang Fei with his rugged features and stern gaze, even the spirit of the character was perfectly captured!