Goodbye, Scumbag! The Powerful CEO Is My New Devoted Lover - Chapter 9

Xia Zhi seemed to notice the commotion and lightly tugged at Yan Mingshen’s sleeve. Su Xiao wanted to avoid them, but someone was determined to crawl closer and lay her embarrassment out for everyone to see.

Qin Yu took a half-step toward her, discreetly blocking Yan Mingshen’s gaze. His voice was steady. “There are too many people here. I’ll go to the front desk and ask for a private room.”

“This place is always fully booked. You won’t be able to get a private room at this hour,” Yan Mingshen said as he walked over with Xia Zhi. He wore a custom black suit; the sharp shoulder lines made his features look harsher than usual. “Bring your junior brothers and join us.”

“Yes, Miss Su, please join us,” Xia Zhi added with a glowing smile. Her white gauze dress complemented her snowy skin, making her look like a white rosebud glistening with morning dew.

“No thank you.” Su Xiao quirked the corner of her mouth, her tone deceptively docile. “You should spend more time with Xia Zhi. After all, she is the guest.”

She deliberately emphasized the word “guest,” a small outlet for her bottled-up resentment.

As the standoff continued, the crowd suddenly became restless. Someone shouted “Reporters!” and countless lenses swarmed toward them instantly.

Before Su Xiao could react, a foul-smelling egg struck her directly on the head. The turbid liquid and yolk slid down her hair. A nauseating stench filled the restaurant lobby as people crowded in, blocking her path.

Someone had clearly leaked her location. The lead reporters charged forward like madmen with their cameras, snapping photos of Su Xiao relentlessly. The overlapping flashes were so bright she couldn’t even open her eyes.

Su Xiao was stunned, her mind a blank slate as she stood frozen, letting the egg yolk drip down her cheeks.

“Miss Su, what are your thoughts on the gallery fire?” A microphone was thrust rudely into her face.

With a leader established, the other reporters followed suit. “Miss Su, is there any truth to the rumors of a fallout with your father? Is there an inside story?”

“The internet says you started the fire. As the survivor, do you have anything to say?”

The reporters pushed forward recklessly. Several times, microphones struck Su Xiao’s forehead, and the injured area quickly began to bruise. The laughter and whispers from the surrounding onlookers grew increasingly ugly.

“Ungrateful wolf.” “No conscience.”

The vile insults were like knives, repeatedly stabbing into Su Xiao’s heart.

“Move! Everyone move out of the way!” Qin Yu was the first to react. He pulled Su Xiao behind him while his two apprentices immediately stepped to his side. The three of them formed a human wall to protect her.

Amidst the chaos, Su Xiao saw that things had turned frantic on Yan Mingshen’s side as well. Xia Zhi suddenly clutched her head and slumped over, her face as pale as paper.

“Xia Xia!” Yan Mingshen’s voice shifted pitch sharply. He reflexively scooped her up, his eyes panicked. “Call an ambulance! Now!”

Bodyguards immediately surrounded him to escort him out. His gaze swept over Su Xiao, who was trapped by the reporters. He hesitated for only half a second before Xia Zhi’s weak moan pulled his attention back. He charged out the door without looking back.

That half-second of hesitation was like a blunt needle, slowly sewing itself into Su Xiao’s heart. The light of expectation in her eyes died out completely, replaced by a cold numbness.

Qin Yu took a breath, trying to stay calm. “It’s okay, Senior Sister. I’ll call the studio staff to come help—”

“Those kids aren’t that old. They can’t push through entertainment reporters,” Su Xiao stopped him. Her fingertips were ice cold, and her voice trembled. “I’ve already messaged Xu An. She has a security firm under her…”

She watched as the two of them were ushered into a car by bodyguards. Xia Zhi’s white dress hadn’t caught a single speck of dust. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t angry, but there was nothing she could do. Her face was sticky with a mixture of sweat and tears.

The tabloid reporters didn’t care about her state. They shoved their cameras into every available gap to get closer. Qin Yu’s shoulder was struck by a lens; his apprentices tried to shield him, but the more they retreated, the more chaotic the scene became.

In the crowd, someone shouted, “Trash like her should just die.”

The crowd surged again. During the jostling, a microphone struck Su Xiao’s wrist. Her face went white, and cold sweat poured down her temples. In the sweltering heat of the capital, her vision began to flicker to black.

A dark purple Rolls-Royce slowly pulled up nearby.

“Sir, the woman up ahead looks like Miss Su,” the driver noted, checking his employer’s expression in the rearview mirror.

The noble, cold man lazily lifted his eyelids. Those fox-like eyes that could charm anyone were languid. With brown brows and pale skin, the corners of his eyes held a hint of mockery.

“I’m not blind.” “Are you not going to intervene?” “…”

The man said nothing, merely smoothing his clothes. His gaze drifted through the car window to the pale-faced Su Xiao.

“Where is that useless man of hers?” “The scouts say he just took the Xia woman to the hospital.”

The driver leaned back, waiting for instructions. The atmosphere in the car was nearly stagnant. The man watched for a long time without speaking.

“Go see to it,” the man finally said, his face cold. His features were deep, and when he dropped his expression, the oppressive aura of a powerful superior surfaced instantly.

The dark purple Rolls-Royce accelerated toward them, followed by a fleet of black cars. They dispersed the crowd in an instant.

Su Xiao only saw a man in a black shirt pushing past the reporters toward her. Before she could see him clearly, her vision went black, and she collapsed at Qin Yu’s feet.

The man stepped close and scooped her up with a surprisingly gentle motion. His sharp gaze swept coldly over the reporters. “You dare touch my person?”

The black-clad bodyguards behind him stepped forward immediately, forming a human wall that kept the reporters three meters away.

When she woke up, she was in the hospital. Su Xiao opened her eyes to the white ceiling. Her throat felt dry and painful, and every inch of her body ached. She tried to sit up but was pressed back down by Xu An.

“Are you thirsty? Have some water.” Xu An held a cup and guided the straw to Su Xiao’s lips. “Does your hand still hurt?”

“A little.” Su Xiao took a sip, finally feeling a sense of reality. Her hand was wrapped in thick gauze, rendering it immobile. “I think I saw Youngest Uncle… wait, how are Qin Yu and the others?”

“It must have been a hallucination. Qin Yu has a bruised shoulder, and the other two have various scrapes, but fortunately, it’s nothing serious. They’ve gone back to the studio.” Xu An followed the excuses she had been told to give. She looked at Su Xiao with heartache and a touch of reproach. “As for you, you didn’t even think to hide. You’ve been running a fever since you got back, and your old hand injury flared up. I don’t know if it will ever heal properly now.”

“If I had hidden, those people would have eaten those three alive,” Su Xiao shook her head, indicating she didn’t want more water. “What was with those reporters…?”

“Xia Zhi’s doing,” Xu An said, putting the cup on the nightstand. “But I had someone take some ugly photos of her.”

Xu An pulled out her phone and handed it to Su Xiao. “Look.”