After the Sickly Child Differentiates into A - Chapter 32

Time was running short, and they had to leave soon. However, it wasn’t convenient for Lin Li to appear with her at a public event like an awards ceremony. Wen Jingzhi had initially planned to leave her and the bodyguards at the hotel but felt uneasy about it.

Just then, Wen Xihe, who had been keeping a low profile, sent a message asking her to bring Lin Li to the venue, where a junior assistant would take her to the backstage lounge.

This suited Wen Jingzhi perfectly. She called in the bodyguards, one to hold Xiao Xi’s leash and the other to carry Lin Li, as she wasn’t in a position to hold the child herself. Her gown trailed on the floor, and the off-shoulder, deep V-neck design made it particularly inconvenient.

The junior assistant helped her into her coat and lifted the hem of her dress. The group made their way down to the garage and got into two cars.

By eight o’clock, the red carpet event had already begun, and the live stream was buzzing with viewers.

Wen Jingzhi and her entourage were still on the road, but she wasn’t in a hurry. As the finale walk, her turn wouldn’t come until nearly 8:30.

Around 8:15, the cars arrived. The junior assistant and bodyguards got out first, taking Lin Li through the back door to the lounge where Wen Xihe was waiting.

Once Lin Li was settled in the lounge, Wen Xihe handed her a tablet displaying the live stream of the ceremony. “Xiao You, watch the live stream here and wait for your sisters, okay? Don’t wander off.”

Lin Li nodded obediently. “I won’t wander off, Sister Xihe.”

Wen Xihe, dressed in a fiery red gown, looked stunning. The dress’s design accentuated her slender waist and graceful curves, making her radiate confidence and charm. Before leaving, the child couldn’t resist giving a heartfelt compliment: “Sister Xihe, you look especially beautiful today!”

“Thank you, Xiao You,” Wen Xihe replied with a raised eyebrow. “But, your sister looks especially beautiful every day.”

With a light laugh, she waved and left the lounge.

Lin Li smiled as well, cradling Xiao Xi in her arms and turning her attention to the tablet propped on the table.

The screen was flooded with scrolling text, making it a bit dizzying to read.

【Where’s my wife? Where’s my wife? Where’s my wife?】

【If only you’d eaten some peanuts.】

【It’s almost over. Shouldn’t Zhi Zhi be showing up soon?】

【Someone in the fan group said they saw Chen Qing at the venue. True or not?】

【Where did that rumor come from? Does Chen Qing even qualify to attend events like this now?】

【Where there’s buzz, there’s an invitation.】

【I’ve got time spill the details!】

Just then, a stretch limousine pulled up on screen. The door opened, and Wen Jingzhi, dressed in an elegant gown, stepped out gracefully, striding onto the red carpet in her high heels.

The gossip-filled comments came to an abrupt halt, replaced the next second by a flood of exclamation marks.

【Ahhhhhhh, my wife! My destined wife!!!!】

【Those fair, sharp shoulders! Those legs longer than my lifespan! That deep V, ahhhhhhh!】

【Ahhhhhh, this face is mesmerizing! Wife, mark me!!!!】

【That’s my wife!!!】

【Is it too much to call her the most Alpha Omega?】

【Ahhhhhh, that face! Those icy, peerless eyes! Wife, stare at me harder!!】

【Her aura is so cold it makes me want to feed her *medicine.】

【Wife, please tone down the beauty, I can’t take it.】

【Stop it! This isn’t a lawless zone!!!】

Suddenly, those pale, cool eyes looked directly into the camera, a slight ripple in their gaze as if greeting someone on the other side of the lens.

【Ahhhhhh, wife, don’t look at the camera look at me!!!】

【Is my wife waving at me? So ambiguous】

【Darling, don’t look at me so tenderly control yourself. I still prefer the feeling of a secret crush】

【I told you not to mix alcohol with cephalosporin】

Only when that dazzling figure vanished from the screen did Lin Li realize she had been holding her breath. She finally exhaled deeply, lowered her gaze, and chuckled softly a few times.

Was sister waving at me?

No matter when or where, sister always seemed to glow brighter than the summer sun.

Wen Jingzhi rarely appeared in the subsequent footage, so Lin Li didn’t pay close attention, instead playing ball with Xiao Xi.

There weren’t many backstage lounges at the ceremony, only A-listers got private ones. Though Wen Xihe wasn’t a celebrity, as a major investor, she was invited as a special award presenter.

Nowadays, Yin Entertainment ranked among the top companies in the domestic industry, and Chairman Wen Xihe’s status naturally placed her at the forefront of the circle.

After all, this industry isn’t just about popularity and talent capital speaks loudest.

The lounge Lin Li was currently in had been prepared by the organizers for Wen Xihe. It was situated deep inside, with neighboring lounges mostly empty since their occupants were all at the ceremony venue, and assistants were waiting nearby.

The hallway was deserted except for two bodyguards stationed outside Lin Li’s door.

Suddenly, a woman wearing a staff badge appeared at the lounge entrance. After glancing around to confirm no one was there, she whispered toward the left corridor entrance, “Come in.”

Chen Qing, dressed in a black overcoat, emerged from the corridor, followed by a tall man in a black windbreaker, wearing a hat and mask.

“We agreed you’d only wait in the small lounge for Actress Wen. You absolutely cannot do anything else,” the woman said, still uneasy but tempted by the large sum of money. She bit her lip and added, “No causing trouble.”

“Don’t worry, Sister Zou. I’ve been in this industry long enough to know the rules,” Chen Qing replied, pulling out her phone to transfer another payment. “I just want to have a word with Actress Wen to clear up a misunderstanding. You know my current situation.”

“Fine.” Zou’s eyes lit up at the amount. She led them to an empty lounge near the entrance. “Wait here. Actress Wen’s lounge is at the end of the corridor. Don’t wander off before she returns. If you run into any investors, I wouldn’t be able to explain it even with ten mouths.”

Chen Qing smiled ingratiatingly. “Understood, understood.”

Satisfied with her attitude, Zou said nothing more and left with a wave.

The door closed.

“Damn it!” Chen Qing’s obsequious expression twisted into anger. She kicked a nearby stool. “Just a petty supervisor! She used to bow and scrape when she saw me, and now she has the nerve to put on airs!”

The man shot her a warning look. “Don’t cause trouble. If you fail again this time, your chance to go to the U.S. is gone.”

“You’re not fit to work for the boss either.” Far inferior to her father.

Petty and narrow-minded never going to achieve anything great.

Chen Qing stiffened, swallowing her anger, and muttered an acknowledgment. She cracked the door open to check both ends of the hallway. “No one.”

“Move now?”

“Yeah.” The man pushed past Chen Qing and stepped out of the lounge, warning her, “Head to the garage after I give the signal.”

“Mm.”

The door closed again. The man pressed himself against the wall to avoid the surveillance cameras, moved to the corner, and quickly glanced at the two burly bodyguards stationed outside the lounge. His gaze swept over the cameras in the corridor as he pulled a few small stones from his pocket, pinched them between his fingers, closed his eyes, and calculated.

Zzzzt!

A camera shattered under the impact of a stone, sparks flickering. The two bodyguards at the door immediately grew alert, exchanged a look, and made a hand signal. One stepped left, positioning himself squarely in front of the door, while the other swiftly approached the corner.

Bang!

Zzzzt!

All three surveillance cameras in the corridor were destroyed by the time the bodyguard reached the corner.

A dark, sharp figure shot out from the corner, moving like the wind as he bypassed the bodyguard and charged straight toward the one guarding the lounge door.

The bodyguards chosen by the Wen family to protect Lin Li were naturally skilled. The two quickly engaged the black-clad man in combat.

The sharp whistling of fists and kicks, the dull thuds of bodies hitting the wall, all caught Lin Li’s attention inside the lounge.

Holding Xiao Xi’s leash, she stood up and moved closer to the door, signaling the panting dog to stay quiet. Xiao Xi immediately retracted her tongue and closed her mouth.

Lin Li pressed her ear against the door, listening carefully. The sounds of the fight grew clearer.

Who could it be?
That black-clad man again?

She immediately pulled out her phone, intending to message her sister, but then hesitated and deleted the half-typed words. Clutching her phone tightly, she wavered.

No, it’s too dangerous. I can’t let my sister get hurt.

Then who should I tell?
Maybe, I shouldn’t tell anyone at all?

After all, I’m going to die soon. Wouldn’t it be better to die after being taken away than to die in front of them?
That way, maybe they wouldn’t be as sad?

With that thought, Lin Li suddenly removed the felt decoration from her phone case and tucked it into her pocket.

I can’t lose this.

A dull thud of a body hitting the floor reached her ears. Lin Li immediately pressed herself against the wall. The next moment, the door was kicked open. Gritting her teeth, she ducked as the black-clad man reached for her, releasing Xiao Xi. The dog bared her teeth and lunged at the man. Seizing the opportunity, Lin Li slipped past him and dashed into the corridor.

But she was too weak to run fast, taking several seconds just to reach the fallen bodyguard nearby.

A needle-like object was embedded in the bodyguard’s neck. Lin Li’s eyes widened in shock as she recognized it the thing that paralyzes you upon impact!

“Call the police, young miss.” The bodyguard lost consciousness before he could finish.

Lin Li hesitated no longer. Opening the dialing interface, she continued her “snail-paced” run forward. Suddenly, her feet left the ground as her phone was snatched away and smashed on the floor.

Damn it!

The man clamped a hand over her mouth, restraining her in his arms. Over his shoulder, Lin Li saw Xiao Xi, snarling fiercely but immobilized at the lounge entrance. Her eyes reddened.

Xiao Xi had been hit with that thing too!

“Stay still.”

“The Boss wants you unharmed. I won’t hurt you as long as you come quietly.”

The man sent a message on his phone, then carried Lin Li out of the lounge area. He raced down the fire escape to the garage, heading straight for a running black SUV near the exit. Yanking open the driver’s door, he ordered, “Get out.”

Chen Qing immediately got out of the car and slid into the back seat. The man shoved Lin Li, who neither cried nor made a fuss, inside. As he closed the car door, he suddenly noticed something on Lin Li’s wrist that looked like an electronic watch. A red line flashed across the screen, and fearing it might be some kind of tracking device, he grabbed Lin Li’s hand, tore off the watch, threw it to the ground, and crushed it under his foot.

Lin Li’s eyes reddened, and she gritted her teeth, but she didn’t cry or protest.

If it were another child like her, she might have tried to fight back, but against two adults, she knew she stood no chance. Causing a scene would only lead to more harm she had learned that from experience.

The man got into the driver’s seat, shut the door, and slammed on the gas. The car roared as it sped away.

Meanwhile, at the awards ceremony venue, the event had reached the Best Actress category.

The host held a cue card, reading the script as clips of the nominated actresses’ standout performances played on the screen behind.

“And now, let’s welcome Wen Xihe, CEO of Sound Entertainment, to present this year’s Best Actress award!”

A tall woman in a crimson gown stepped onto the stage and took the cue card.

Down in the front row, seated in the center, Wen Jingzhi lazily lifted her eyelids, her expression calm and unsurprised, as if she had expected this all along.

Wen Xihe, standing on stage, saw her reaction clearly and felt a twinge of disappointment. If it weren’t for needing to settle the child, she wouldn’t have revealed herself like this!

“This year’s Best Actress award goes to, ” Wen Xihe’s lips curved into a slight smile as she read the name on the cue card.

“Ms. Wen!” A young assistant suddenly scurried over, crouching in front of Wen Jingzhi and handing her a phone.

“Wen Jingzhi, for her role as Mu Yuan in Distant Mountains!”

“Congratulations!”

On the large screen, a clip from Wen Jingzhi’s performance appeared, her distant, profound light-colored eyes captured in a close-up, as if holding vast mountains and seas within them.

Amid the flood of congratulations, the newly crowned Best Actress rose to her feet, but her gaze wasn’t fixed on the stage. Instead, it was locked onto the phone screen her assistant had handed her.

Displayed there was a familiar red warning window, but the content was entirely different from before.

[Watch Damaged]

[Time of Damage: 21:28:54]

[Damage Coordinates: XXX Underground Garage]

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