Stepping out of the banquet hall, leaving behind that eerie silence thick enough to touch, the cool night air flooded her lungs, and Lin Weiwei finally felt as though she had come back to life. Her legs felt weak, and she barely managed to steady her steps, leaning heavily on Su Qingyu's support.
Su Qingyu's arm was steady and strong. Without a word, she guided Lin Weiwei briskly through the hotel's opulent lobby toward the waiting car outside.
The driver had already opened the door. Su Qingyu shielded Lin Weiwei's head as she helped her into the front seat first, then slid in herself and closed the door with a decisive click.
"Back to the apartment," she instructed the driver, her voice devoid of emotion.
The car glided smoothly into the night. Silence filled the cabin, broken only by the faint hum of the air conditioning. Lin Weiwei sank into the plush leather seat, her heart still pounding wildly in her chest. The scenes from the banquet hall replayed in slow motion in her mind—Gu Chen's sudden change of expression, the stunned looks on everyone's faces, and Su Qingyu's earth-shattering declaration: "My person."
She turned her head discreetly to glance at Su Qingyu beside her. Su had her eyes closed, resting. The contours of her profile blurred in the shifting light streaming through the window, long lashes casting a small shadow beneath her eyes. Her thoughts remained hidden.
"We... just leave like this?" Lin Weiwei murmured, her voice still trembling slightly, as if she'd narrowly escaped danger. "Gu Chen..."
Su Qingyu slowly opened her eyes, her gaze clear and alert, not a trace of sleepiness in them. She turned to face Lin Weiwei, a faint, icy curve playing at the corners of her mouth. "What else? Stay and watch him rage helplessly? Or listen to him preach about his 'plot-driven' deep affection?"
Lin Weiwei choked on her words. Indeed, staying would only make things more awkward.
"The way you just... said that," Lin Weiwei recalled Su Qingyu's possessive declaration, her cheeks flushing slightly, "Wasn't that... a bit too direct?" It was practically slapping Gu Chen in the face in front of everyone, thrusting both of them squarely into the eye of the storm.
"Direct?" Su Qingyu chuckled softly, her laughter dripping with undisguised scorn. "When dealing with self-important fools and predetermined fate, roundabout approaches are utterly useless. This is exactly the effect I wanted."
Her gaze sharpened as she watched the neon lights race by outside the window. "Only by tearing off the mask can everyone see clearly that he and I, and you and I, are no longer the relationships scripted in the 'plot.' Boiling a frog in lukewarm water only gives him and the 'plot' a chance to strike back."
Lin Weiwei fell silent for a moment, forced to admit that although Su Qingyu's approach was extreme, it was indeed the fastest way to break the deadlock. After this showdown, the entire high society circle would likely know that Su Qingyu and Lin Weiwei had joined forces—in an extremely ambiguous way that completely slipped beyond Gu Chen's control.
"But... won't he retaliate?" Lin Weiwei still felt uneasy. After all, Gu Chen was the male lead, wielding immense power and manipulating events at will in the original story.
"Retaliate?" Su Qingyu turned back, her gaze cold and resolute. "Of course he will. A man like him is accustomed to controlling everything. He absolutely won't tolerate variables slipping beyond his grasp—especially me... and you."
She paused, her tone carrying a calmness that suggested she saw through everything. "But his primary target right now is me. In his eyes, you might just be a pawn I've bewitched or used. He'll focus his efforts on me first, trying to 'correct' my 'mistakes' and force me back onto the 'scripted' path."
"Target you? How?"
"Business suppression, resource blockades, rumor campaigns... nothing more than these tactics." Su Qingyu's tone was flat, as if discussing someone else's affairs. "Since I dared to take this step, I naturally made preparations. Though my company isn't as large as Gu Enterprises, it's no pushover either. Besides..."
Her gaze turned to Lin Weiwei, deepening. "He knows you're my publicly acknowledged 'weak spot.' Before he completely crushes me, he won't touch you lightly. That would make him look desperate and outmaneuvered."
Weak spot... Lin Weiwei's heart skipped a beat. Coming from Su Qingyu's mouth, the phrase carried an unusual weight.
"So for the time being, stay close to me and remain vigilant, but don't panic excessively," Su Qingyu concluded. "Live normally, work normally. I'll see what tricks he can pull."
Her calmness and certainty acted like a shot of adrenaline, slowly soothing the unease and panic within Lin Weiwei.
Right. What was there to fear? The worst outcome would merely be reverting to the original plotline. But now, she wasn't fighting alone. Standing beside her was a former female lead who'd torn up the script and possessed off-the-charts combat prowess.
The car entered the apartment's underground garage. The elevator ascended, the confined space holding only the two of them, their breaths audible.
Back at the apartment, Su Qingyu slipped off her high heels, her bare feet touching the cool floor as she walked to the bar to pour herself a glass of water. Her movements remained elegant, but Lin Weiwei could detect a barely perceptible weariness between her brows.
Tonight's battle seemed like a resounding victory for her, a graceful exit. Yet the mental energy expended and the pressure endured were likely known only to her.
"Go take a shower and get some rest," Su Qingyu said, setting down her glass. "Back to work as usual tomorrow."
"What about you?" Lin Weiwei asked instinctively.
"I have some documents to handle." Su Qingyu headed toward the study without pausing.
Watching her retreating figure disappear behind the study door, Lin Weiwei felt a complex mix of emotions. Suddenly, she felt as though Su Qingyu were an island—seemingly impenetrable on the surface, yet perhaps already riddled with cracks within. And she, this unexpected "variable" who had barged in, wondered whether she made Su Qingyu feel more isolated, or... had become a temporary harbor where she could briefly anchor?
She shook her head, dismissing these jumbled thoughts.
Stepping into the bathroom, the warm water washed over her body, washing away fatigue and tension. Lin Weiwei stared at the familiar yet unfamiliar face in the mirror, her gaze gradually hardening.
The storm had already begun. There was no turning back.
Then she would accompany Su Qingyu. Let them pierce a hole in the sky and see what lay beyond.