Chapter 53

Chapter 53: Do Not Believe or Spread Rumors

“What does their family business have to do with me?” Du An Rao suddenly felt that the melon seeds in her hand were no longer tasty.

Her friend cracked melon seeds as she chattered and explained everything.

“Didn’t you do a two-character reading for Teacher Yang on set before, and calculate that he would get into a conflict with someone over money? Someone who was there secretly recorded the whole thing. When Teacher Yang’s scandal finished blowing up, they posted the video online, and it got a lot of attention.”

Her friend took the juice Du An Rao handed over, wet her throat, and went on: “Even though the sound and image in the video were edited, the person who posted it directly said that you are Film Emperor Du’s real sister, so everyone knows the person in the video is you. Haven’t you noticed there are way more freelance paparazzi outside the set lately?”

The smile on Du An Rao’s face froze, and fear flashed in her eyes: “They are here to shoot me?”

“Most of them, yeah. Some are from the crew next door who came over just to watch the show.”

Du An Rao pulled a long face: “I am not a monkey in a zoo. Why is everyone coming to stare at me?”

Her friend almost died laughing. After laughing for a while, she leaned in mysteriously and asked: “Can you really take on eighty grown men all by yourself?”

“What???” Du An Rao stared.

“Wait, where did that rumor even come from?!”

Du An Rao soon found out where the rumor started.

One day, her curiosity got the better of her. Since the staff of the crew next door and the fansite photographers did not know what she looked like, she quietly slipped into the huge crowd that had gathered to watch.

Then she heard the following conversation:

“Are you here to take photos of Film Emperor Du’s sister?”

“What a coincidence, you are here to shoot her too?”

“Did you hear? An insider said Film Emperor Du’s sister is amazing. She grew up in a Daoist temple. She is good at fortune-telling, character divination, and fengshui analysis. A lot of bosses in the industry have asked her to read their fortunes. That Yang Jian Tao, Teacher Yang who has been in such a big scandal recently, is one of them. She was so accurate it is scary.”

“That information is so old. Let me tell you, there is fresh gossip. According to an insider, Film Emperor Du’s sister not only does fortune-telling, she also trained in martial arts with an old master since she was a child. Even though she looks petite, she can take on several big bodyguard types by herself. She is really impressive.”

Then, right in front of Du An Rao’s eyes, this “latest news” changed again after being passed through a few more people…

“Did you hear? Film Emperor Du’s sister is even more muscular than Film Emperor Du. She can single-handedly defeat the Eighteen Arhats…”

“Did you hear? Film Emperor Du’s sister is covered in bulging muscles. With one hand, she can take on eighty burly men!”

“Did you hear? Film Emperor Du’s sister is huge and tall, with a waist as thick as a barrel. She can fly into the sky and burrow into the earth, there is nothing she cannot do. Even if all one hundred and eight heroes joined forces, they still would not be her match.”

“Did you hear? Film Emperor Du’s sister…”

“…” Du An Rao was speechless.

Enough already. Who on earth was this so-called “insider”? Also, do not believe or spread rumors!!!

Feeling as if she had suffered a huge mental blow, Du An Rao decisively chose to skip work and went with Du Yu Xi to pick out outfits for the banquet.

That day, the two of them walked into a high-end clothing store arm in arm. They did not know that on the very night when Du Yu Xi had called Li Zhao Yang to say that she and Du An Rao had accepted his invitation to attend Madam Li’s private banquet, Li Zhao Yang had avoided Li Qian Xi, taken all the evidence he had found, and knocked on his parents’ door.

After learning the truth, Father Li and Mother Li were utterly shocked. Madam Li, who had always been very close to Du Yu Xi’s birth mother, could not help bursting into tears.

She was furious at Li Qian Xi’s cold, heartless actions, and at the same time regretted not looking after her sister-in-law’s child, actually letting her and her second younger brother’s real bloodline be lost outside for so many years.

After crying her heart out, Madam Li could not wait to see the child who had been lost.

Li Zhao Yang was afraid that his mother’s out-of-control emotions would scare Du Yu Xi, and even more afraid that her overreaction would make Li Qian Xi sense that something was wrong and be alerted.

He talked and swore every way he could, saying that Second Uncle and Second Aunt’s biological daughter had really been living well all these years and had not suffered at all, and that in just a few days they would be able to meet her openly. Only then did he manage to calm Madam Li down.

But from that night on, there was one more person secretly paying attention to Du Yu Xi.

So, when the two girls had just walked out of the hotel front door, Madam Li called over her elder sister, who also knew the truth, trying to create a “chance meeting.”

“That is the child… Yes, it must be. Just look how much she looks like Ying Rong,” Madam Li said, and her eyes instantly turned red.

Madam Xi hurried to comfort her: “Alright, alright, what matters most is that she is safe. You need to control your emotions. You are about to meet her. Don’t scare the child.”

“Right, right… I must not scare the child, I must not scare the child…”

Thinking about how she would soon be talking to Du Yu Xi, Madam Li took several deep breaths and forced her emotions down.

This was the first time Du An Rao had ever attended this kind of banquet. She had no experience, so all she needed to do was stand to the side and watch her Fourth Sister help her match outfits, buying things like crazy.

Because she was a bit bored, she noticed Madam Li and the other woman sneaking closer to them even earlier than Du Yu Xi did.

[Why are those two aunties over there staring at my Fourth Sister this whole time? Could they be from the Li family, or people who know my Fourth Sister’s mom?]

Du Yu Xi’s hand paused as she picked clothes, and she finally noticed that two middle-aged women who looked somewhat alike had been trailing behind them.

One of them was clearly trying hard to hold herself back, but when her eyes swept over Du Yu Xi, the excitement and emotion on her face were obvious.

Du Yu Xi pressed her lips together, acting as if nothing was happening. When she hung a piece of clothing back, she deliberately pretended her hand slipped.

“Oh, careful!” As expected, the auntie with permed curls hurried over and caught the hanger before it could fall to the floor.

Their first meeting happened in this slightly comical way.

“Thank you…” Du Yu Xi was the first to react. She reached out and took the clothes from Madam Li.

Madam Li finally snapped out of it and said: “You are welcome, you are welcome.”

Even so, seeing Du Yu Xi this close was like seeing Su Ying Rong from twenty years ago all over again.

Even though Madam Li kept reminding herself not to lose control, she still felt a little dazed.

Noticing the strange look in her eyes, Du Yu Xi subconsciously touched her own face: “Is there something on my face?”

“N…no, there isn’t.” Madam Li quickly looked away and said: “Sorry, I just feel like you look familiar, like I have seen you somewhere before, Miss.”

Du Yu Xi was slightly stunned and had not had time to think more when Du An Rao at her side had already voiced what was in her heart.

[Why does that line sound so familiar? Wait, could this auntie be Li Zhao Yang’s mom? Mother and son are using exactly the same pick-up line!]