Chapter 12

Chapter 12: 012: Hammered Dead?

The comments that followed came fast and vicious.

“It made everyone misunderstand our Jingjing. Thank goodness someone exposed the truth, or Director Liu and Jingjing would’ve been ruined.”

“A washed-up female star really has no shame. She’s rotten.”

“And she even tried to smear someone else. Disgusting.”

“So disgusting. Qiao Qing Yan, apologize! Get out of showbiz!”

The fire spread at the worst possible time—right in the middle of the Jin Ying Awards.

The judging panel held an emergency meeting behind closed doors. Decisions were made. Lines were drawn.

—

At the ceremony venue, the air buzzed with gossip.

“Tsk. That’s Qiao Qing Yan, right? She’s… different today.”

“Looks like her. I thought she wouldn’t dare show up. But she did.”

“She’s always been vain. She hasn’t had results for years. Now she finally has a chance—how could she not come?”

“I always thought she was beautiful, but tonight she’s insane.”

“That figure…”

Mockery mixed with awe. Even people who wanted to hate her still looked.

Qiao Qing Yan moved through it all without turning her head.

The red gown trailed behind her—bright, unapologetic. Diamonds scattered at her waist caught the light and threw it back, cold and expensive.

She reached her assigned row and, at last, paused.

The seating arrangement made her lips curve.

Xu Shu Jing had arrived early and already sat neatly in place. To Xu Shu Jing’s left was an empty seat.

And on the other side of that empty seat—

Director Liu.

“Miss Qiao, this is your seat,” the attendant said quickly, then vanished as if afraid of being dragged into the blast radius.

Xu Shu Jing lifted her eyes, expression soft and wronged, then lowered her head again. From the outside, she looked like the bullied, fragile one.

Director Liu didn’t bother with subtlety.

The moment Qiao Qing Yan appeared beside him, his face darkened.

He wasn’t stupid. If he replayed last night carefully enough, the shape of it became clear. He just hadn’t expected Qiao Qing Yan to dare move against him.

If the reporters hadn’t been squatting outside his door before dawn—if they hadn’t barged in like wolves—he might have convinced himself this had all been Wu Lan’s scheme.

But then logic kicked in.

Xu Shu Jing was worth far more commercially than Qiao Qing Yan right now. Wu Lan wouldn’t be dumb enough to hand Xu Shu Jing over.

Not unless she had no choice.

Plenty of guests watched this side of the hall. They saw Director Liu’s expression, Xu Shu Jing’s careful performance, and the empty seat between them like a blade.

On the livestream, netizens drew their own conclusions.

“Qiao Qing Yan set up Director Liu. Of course he’s mad.”

“Xu Shu Jing got dragged in for no reason. So pitiful.”

Qiao Qing Yan lifted her skirt and sat down in the middle seat as if she were taking her rightful place. She didn’t seem affected by either of them—or by the eyes pinned to her.

Xu Shu Jing leaned close, voice lowered into a whisper.

“Sister Qing Yan… should we switch seats?”

Qiao Qing Yan’s gaze slid from Xu Shu Jing to Director Liu, slow as a knife.

A soft, mocking laugh escaped her.

“What, last night wasn’t enough for you? You still want to savor it?”

The color drained from Xu Shu Jing’s face so fast it was almost frightening. Her fingers curled tight against her lap.

“Sister Qing Yan, I… I…”

Tears welled, trembling on her lashes.

Qiao Qing Yan’s smile didn’t move.

“Spare me the slutty act,” she murmured. “I don’t buy it.”

Then she turned away as if Xu Shu Jing had ceased to exist and pulled out her phone.