Chapter 109: The Rising Pop Diva

Lin Yu ran at full speed for three or four floors before gradually slowing down, panting heavily as he continued to climb toward the upper levels.

By the time he reached the twelfth floor and let himself into the apartment, he found that the two women had not yet returned. The transparent coffee table in the living room was cluttered with various study materials, looking rather messy, so Lin Yu tidied them up as he went.

Once done, he collapsed onto the living room sofa to rest. The night's experiences felt like something out of a dream or a movie; he needed a moment to calm down. While driving at over two hundred kilometers per hour had been exhilarating, now that he had quieted down, Lin Yu realized that the only reason nothing had gone wrong was pure luck.

He then thought of the men in black with guns and speculated, "That must have been a wealthy young heiress running away from home, and those people were likely her bodyguards. One of them drew a gun—he was trying to shoot me!"

As the situation became clear, a genuine sense of lingering fear washed over him. He thought to himself that if he had been shot in the head like that, it would have been a truly pathetic way to die.

Having pieced things together, Lin Yu felt his strength returning. Since his clothes were soaked with sweat and felt uncomfortable, he headed to the bathroom for a hot shower once he had rested.

Not long after, he heard the distinct sound of the door opening. Hearing Qi Yue’s familiar voice, Lin Yu, submerged in the bathtub, confirmed that the two women had returned.

About two or three minutes later, a series of urgent knocks sounded abruptly at the bathroom door.

Qi Yue’s voice followed: "Lin Yu, hurry up and come out! Don't drag your feet. We need the bathroom!"

"Got it! Women are such a hassle," Lin Yu replied before stepping out of the tub.

After brushing his teeth and washing his hair, he put on a gray cotton bathrobe and exited the bathroom. The moment he stepped out, he discovered there were three people in the living room.

Sitting on the sofa, surrounded by Qi Yue and Yang Zhilin who were peppering her with questions, was the very person he had just shaken off: Xiao Qiangwei!

"Hey! Why did you two bring a stranger home?" Seeing that Qi Yue and Yang Zhilin had brought a dangerous person into their home, Lin Yu scolded them indignantly.

"What stranger! Just get yourself to the bedroom and go to sleep!" Qi Yue retorted fiercely, hands on her hips, when she heard Lin Yu’s questioning.

After saying this, Qi Yue looked at Xiao Qiangwei with stars in her eyes and said gently, "Jasmine, why don't you go take a bath first?"

"No need to be so formal, just call me Qiangwei," Xiao Qiangwei responded with a faint smile. She stood up and added, "Then I'll go wash up. I really look a mess today. If the reporters had snapped a picture, who knows what kind of rumors they would have spun tomorrow."

"Hehe, go ahead, go ahead," Qi Yue said with a sweet smile. Even Yang Zhilin, who was usually as quiet as a statue, wore an expression of excitement, a far cry from her usual ethereal demeanor.

Only then did it dawn on Lin Yu that this Xiao Qiangwei must be a celebrity.

As she passed him, Xiao Qiangwei cast a resentful glare at Lin Yu when the other two women weren't looking, then disappeared into the bathroom.

Watching the green-eyeshadowed woman—this suspected celebrity—enter the bathroom, Lin Yu asked helplessly, "Who exactly is she?"

"Are you serious? You don't even recognize her..." Qi Yue said with disdain upon hearing Lin Yu’s question.

"Just tell me who she is; don't be so dramatic, you're acting like you're losing your mind," Lin Yu said as he walked over and sat on the sofa.

Qi Yue walked over to the television, bent down to take an original CD cover from the cabinet, and handed it to Lin Yu. "She is her."

Under the amused gazes of the two women, Lin Yu held the CD cover and finally realized that this Xiao Qiangwei was none other than "Jasmine," the lead singer of the Splendid Heaven group. She was the star of the country's most popular group, a red-hot figure in the entertainment industry whose fame was reaching its zenith.

"So it's her. That explains it."

Lin Yu sighed softly, then began to recount everything that had happened that night to the two women. Of course, he withheld the part about the men in black having guns, fearing it would frighten them.

After finishing his explanation, Lin Yu said firmly, "So, we must send her away tonight. Otherwise, we might get dragged into this!"

"No way. Even if the sky falls, I'm not letting her leave today. Listen, Xiao Yu, I’m telling you, not only did I meet my idol today, but I’m also on my period, so I’m in a terrible mood. You have to do as I say, or you’ll definitely get an earful," Qi Yue glared at him.

Amidst Yang Zhilin’s soft laughter and agreement, Lin Yu had no choice but to surrender; he was outnumbered, and there was nothing he could do.

Glancing at the car keys left on the coffee table, Lin Yu felt a pang of anxiety and quickly said, "That Ferrari is too conspicuous parked on the side of the road; it might bring unnecessary trouble. I'll go move it to the underground parking garage."

"Don't bother. I've already moved the car into my own parking space," Yang Zhilin said softly.

With her words, Lin Yu’s nervous tension subsided slightly. Since the two women were adamant and Xiao Qiangwei’s stay was a settled matter, he said nothing more.

Before long, Xiao Qiangwei emerged from the bathroom after showering and blow-drying her hair, which now hung loose. Without her heavy makeup, she was truly a natural beauty, appearing pure and likable, yet still possessing that distinct aura of a star.

A moment later, however, her gaze shifted toward Lin Yu, Qi Yue, and Yang Zhilin, and her expression turned strange. She asked timidly, "You two beauties... you aren't both with him, are you?"

Lin Yu spoke up first, asking directly, "First, tell us why you’d give up a perfectly good career as a star and risk your life to sneak away. Let us know what we're dealing with."

At his question, Xiao Qiangwei’s eyes turned red, and she sat on the sofa, covering her face as she began to sob.

"Qiangwei, what's wrong? Don't cry!" Qi Yue pushed Lin Yu aside and squatted in front of Xiao Qiangwei to comfort her. Seeing her idol cry, the kind-hearted girl felt her heart breaking.

After Qi Yue’s gentle consolation, Xiao Qiangwei slowly calmed down and began to recount the cause and sequence of events.

It turned out her agent had been threatened and bribed by a young master in Binhai City, who demanded that three members of their group attend a banquet to serve drinks. After the drinks, they were expected to sleep with this young master. Furthermore, this young master had specifically requested that all three stars serve him alone.

The red Ferrari currently parked in the Fortune Center's underground garage was the deposit he had given Xiao Qiangwei. When she first received the beautiful Ferrari, Xiao Qiangwei had thought it was merely a gift from a sponsor, never imagining it was a chip used to purchase her body and dignity.

When she tried to return the car, her agent told her it was already too late and that she had no choice but to comply. Thus, Xiao Qiangwei had risked everything to flee at the conclusion of her concert, purely to preserve her innocence.