Jingchi shook his head slightly. "In high society, no matter how much a family dotes on their child, they won't overprotect them. That's because of what happened with the Li family."
"The Li family? You mean the famous artistic Li family? What does that have to do with them?" Lin Hao asked, puzzled
Xie Jingchi leaned back slightly and said, "This has never been made public, but in high society, everyone knows the story. The Li family's only son, suffocated by their overbearing protection, felt like a bird trapped in a cage. So he escaped to Liberia and even married a Liberian woman."
Lin Hao's eyes widened. "Seriously? That's… wild. No wonder the Li family suddenly moved to Liberia."
Xie Jingchi nodded slightly, his expression calm. "High society rarely acts without purpose. And it makes you wonder why the Lin family would allow Lin Muyao to step into the entertainment industry, fully aware of her motives."
"So you're saying they allow her to enter the industry because of what happened with the Li family? They are afraid that Lin Muyao might do the same thing or something worse?" Lin frowned, trying to piece it together
"Mhm," Jingchi replied. "But there's something else. They likely also know that anyone who can hear Lin Muyao's inner voice can't actually speak about it in front of her. I saw you trying to tell me during the audition, but you physically couldn't say the words. And I noticed Director Zhang and the others, too—they could all hear her inner voice as well."
Lin Hao swallowed, realization sinking in. "So this also means... they all know that Lin Muyao is the daughter of the Lin family."
"It's pretty obvious everyone in the room knows," Jingchi said calmly, "since Lin Muyao mentioned it in her inner voice." He nodded faintly, as if the conclusion was only logical.
"I still can't believe it," Lin Hao said, shaking his head in disbelief. "She's a young heiress, a complete newcomer—and yet her acting was solid. You could see it the moment she slipped into the role. Her aura, her expressions, the timing… everything changed instantly. It didn't look like a first-time performance at all."
Xie Jingchi laughed softly. "That's because in high society, you have to act in front of people—always maintaining manners, appearing formal, and never doing anything that could ruin your family's reputation." He continued, "Even if you are the most doted child of the family, you still need to know how to maintain your appearance in front of these high-society people."
"Is this why you always remain cold in front of your fans and people in the industry?" Lin Hao asked.
"Mhm," Xie Jingchi replied. "Though I never mention my family background, just based on my name, it's easy for people to notice that I'm the third and youngest child of the Xie family."
"I always thought that your coldness in front of these people was just an image, but it turns out it's a way of surviving," Lin Hao said, leaning back as he absorbed Jingchi's words, his expression thoughtful.
After a few minutes of silence, Xie Jingchi's phone rang, breaking the quiet
"Hello, what's the result of the investigation?" Xie Jingchi asked the investigator on the phone.
The investigator's voice came clearly over the phone speaker
"There are five therapists who have visited the Lin family villa in the past two years. One of them still goes to the Lin residence every once a month. I checked her background—her name is Li Manting. She's an orphan who was supported by the Lin family from a young age and later graduated from Tsinghua University with a degree in psychology. She's currently employed at Jingcheng Central Hospital as a clinical psychologist, specializing in trauma and adolescent mental health. Despite her hospital duties, she continues to visit the Lin family villa every once in a month to check on Lin Muyao as a way of giving back for the Lin family's support throughout her life and career."
"What has Lin Muyao's mental health been like over the past two years?" Xie Jingchi asked.
"Based on her health records, Lin Muyao experienced severe depression that could have led to suicidal tendencies," the investigator replied. "From my investigation, I found three instances in the past two years when she was admitted to the hospital. There's a high chance that these three occasions were linked to suicide attempts."
"Okay, thank you," Xie Jingchi said, hanging up the phone. He turned to Lin Hao, his expression calm but serious. "As expected, Lin Muyao has been struggling with severe depression ever since Lu Luoli's death."
"No wonder the Lin family allowed her into the entertainment industry. They must see this as a chance to help her heal and guide her out of the darkness without pushing her too hard," Lin Hao observed
Xie Jingchi nodded. "Exactly. Letting her step into the public eye, giving her a purpose in life and responsibilities—it's a way to help her rebuild herself."
Lin Hao leaned back. "It's hard to believe. Most families would completely shield her or keep her hidden if she were from another family. But the Lin family… they're taking the risk of letting her face the public."
"That's because the Lin family is protecting Lin Muyao in their own way," Xie Jingchi said with a smile.
"Oh? And what do you know about that?" Lin Hao asked.
"My second brother, Xie Jingmu, called me. One of his subordinates, Fang Xiaocheng, got employed by Xing Xia. If I'm not mistaken, it's either Chairman Lin or Lin Bohan who hired Xiaocheng to be Lin Muyao's assistant—or her bodyguard," Xie Jingchi said, smiling
Xie Jingmu, Xie family's second child, a 4-star general
Xie Jingchi smiled. "With Fang Xiaocheng protecting Lin Muyao, the Lin family can at least breathe a little easier. It gives them some peace of mind while she steps into the public eye and starts rebuilding herself."
Xie Jingchi smiled. "With Fang Xiaocheng protecting Lin Muyao, the Lin family can at least breathe a little easier. It gives them some peace of mind while she steps into the public eye and starts rebuilding herself."
"Lin Muyao can help Fang Xiaocheng learn to live a normal life again, and Fang Xiaocheng can shield her from danger. They need each other," Lin Hao added
"I can tell that even though Lin Muyao looks fine on the surface—and even lively in her inner voice—something's off," Xie Jingchi said, his tone steady. "It's like she's forcing herself to believe nothing has changed, as if she's trying to hypnotize herself. Sending her to that variety show is probably the Lin family's way of letting her meet more people, observe the world around her, and realize that life can still be wonderful."
Lin Hao let out a small sigh. "Hopefully it works. Anyway, we need to head to the airport now. Maison Lévant's new flagship store is opening in Haicheng tomorrow. As their global ambassador, you have to be there for the ribbon-cutting."