The Vicious Female Supporting Character Goes Viral After Her Masks Drop During the Talent Show - Chapter 15

“Introduce me to someone?”

Lu Tingshen was stunned for a moment, unable to figure out which wire in Lu Mingqiu’s brain had crossed today.

“That’s right,” Lu Mingqiu said, wearing a benevolent smile. “You’re not getting any younger, and as your uncle, I’m concerned about your lifelong happiness. I happen to have a friend with a daughter—a girl from a prestigious family, beautiful as a goddess, gentle and sweet. She’s the perfect match for you. Why not go on a blind date and meet her?”

Lu Tingshen frowned. “That’s unnecessary. Have you forgotten, Uncle? I have a marriage contract.”

Lu Mingqiu slapped his forehead. “Ah, look at my memory! I completely forgot about that.” He feigned a sudden realization. “It’s with the daughter of the Zhong family, right?”

“Yes.”

“But,” Lu Mingqiu probed, “you were abroad for ten years. You haven’t really been in touch with her, have you?”

“Does that matter to you, Uncle?” Lu Tingshen countered.

“Well, I just thought that if you don’t have feelings for her, you should just break it off. You should meet other young ladies; I support your romantic freedom!” Lu Mingqiu beat his chest. “Don’t worry, if your parents disagree, I’ll talk them into it!”

Lu Tingshen eyed him suspiciously. Why was Lu Mingqiu suddenly so invested in his marriage? It was highly unusual. “It’s fine. If you want to reflect, reflect on your work. My private affairs don’t require your concern.”

Lu Tingshen stood up and gestured toward the door. “I have work to handle. If there’s nothing else, Director Lu, please leave.”

Once Lu Mingqiu left, Lu Tingshen stared at the closed door. Is he trying to play the ‘family affection’ card to save his job? He couldn’t be sure. However, the conversation had reminded him of one thing: the breakup.

It had been nearly a month since he last saw Zhong Yan to discuss ending the engagement. During that time, he hadn’t contacted her, and she hadn’t come to bother him.

This was strange. In the past, whenever they were in the same city, Zhong Yan would pester him every few days. Even if she was determined to break up now, her parents—if they didn’t know yet—would have pressured her to visit him. And if they did know, they would have been at his door demanding an explanation.

But there had been total silence from the Zhong family for a month.

Lu Tingshen picked up his phone and dialed her number for the first time in his life.

“I’m sorry, the user you have dialed is powered off…”

He frowned and tried WeChat. The call rang out until the signal timed out. No answer.

“Playing at disappearing?” He tossed the phone onto his desk. He had never been ignored like this—especially not by that woman. He called his secretary in.

“Find a day next week when I’m free,” he commanded. “Book a restaurant for next Saturday. I want to have lunch with the Zhong family to discuss some personal matters.”

He didn’t want to drag this out any longer.

“Also,” the secretary added, “next Saturday is the press conference for Best Girls. Dingming has three trainees participating. Guan Ke sent invitations to you and Director Lu. Will you be attending?”

“I already said no,” Lu Tingshen snapped. A variety show launch wasn’t worth his time.

“It’s just that Director Lu had a bit of a conflict with the producers over the Theme Song,” the secretary explained. “Our priority trainee didn’t get the best treatment. I thought if you attended, it might put pressure on them to favor Dingming’s artists.”

“Who is the priority trainee?”

The secretary pointed to a photo in a file. “This one, Tian Jingyu.”

Lu Tingshen glanced at it and scoffed. “If it’s Director Lu’s headache, let him deal with it. I’m not going.”

Saturday: The Lunch Meeting

By mid-June, the summer heat was already beginning to sizzle. Lu Tingshen drove from his penthouse to the pre-booked restaurant. When he arrived, his parents and his younger sister, Lu Yuanqian, were already there.

“It’s so hot, you didn’t have to come. I could have handled this myself,” Lu Tingshen said to his parents.

His mother, Fang Hui, sighed. “The engagement was made by the elders. If it’s to be broken, the elders must be present. Otherwise, the Lu family looks arrogant and rude.”

He looked at his sister. “And you?”

Lu Yuanqian grinned. “How could I miss my brother’s big life event? The whole family should be here to support you!” (In reality, she just wanted to watch the drama unfold.)

They entered the private room. Mr. and Mrs. Zhong were already there, but Zhong Yan was missing.

Lu Tingshen had invited the parents directly because he couldn’t reach her, assuming they would bring her along. Now, he wasn’t sure if she was late or boycotting the meeting.

Mr. Zhong (Zhong Jiamao) and Mrs. Zhong (Shi Qian) greeted them with over-the-top enthusiasm. They clearly had no idea why they were there; they probably thought they were finally discussing the wedding date.

“Where is your daughter?” Lu Tingshen asked after they sat down. “Should I send someone to pick her up?”

The Zhongs looked awkward. “Ah… about that. Zhong Yan… she probably can’t make it today.”

“Can’t make it?”

“Yes, we haven’t been able to reach her lately.”

Mrs. Zhong was actually furious. When the Lus invited them, she thought the wedding was finally happening. She had called and messaged Zhong Yan repeatedly, telling her she must be there. But the phone was always off, and the messages were never read. They had even thought about going to her apartment, only to realize they didn’t actually know where she lived. They hadn’t visited her or cared about her life in years.

“How long has it been since you last spoke to her?” Fang Hui asked, surprised.

Mrs. Zhong checked her phone. The last reply was days after the Lu family banquet. Zhong Yan had said Lu Tingshen was busy with the company and she didn’t want to disturb him. Since then… nothing.

“About… half a month?” Mrs. Zhong guessed.

Lu Yuanqian couldn’t help but interject. “Half a month without a word? Did you ask her friends or classmates?”

“Uh…” The Zhongs looked at each other, embarrassed. “We… aren’t very familiar with them.”

The room went silent. The Lu family exchanged looks of disbelief. The Zhongs clearly didn’t give a damn about their daughter’s well-being.

Lu Tingshen felt the breakup was no longer the priority. At this point, it wasn’t even clear if his fiancée was still alive. “Maybe we should call the police,” he suggested seriously.

The Police Station

Because of their status, the Chief of Police personally received them. In the waiting room, Mrs. Zhong finally started acting worried. “Chief, could she have been kidnapped?”

“If you haven’t received a ransom note, it’s unlikely,” the Chief replied.

“Not kidnapped? Then… murdered?” Mrs. Zhong gasped. She wasn’t worried about her daughter’s life so much as her missed opportunity. She can’t be dead now, not when the Lu family is finally ready to marry her!

Lu Yuanqian watched Mrs. Zhong’s fake distress and felt sick. She had always found Zhong Yan annoying because her brother did, but seeing her parents now, Yuanqian finally understood why Zhong Yan might have “gone crazy.” If her own parents only saw her as a bargaining chip, she’d go crazy too.

Feeling suffocated, Yuanqian walked out of the room to get some fresh air. She sat on a bench and pulled out her phone to scroll through Weibo.

She loved survival shows and had been looking forward to Best Girls. As she opened the app, several entertainment bloggers posted the same video.

“Oh, right,” she murmured. “Today is the day they release the Theme Song MV.”

Inside the room, the Chief was about to order an investigation into Zhong Yan’s whereabouts when the door burst open. Lu Yuanqian ran back in, a huge, ecstatic smile on her face.

“I found her! I found her!” she shouted, holding up her phone.

“I found Sister Zhong Yan!”