Chapter 75: Falling for It
Gu Lingling watched Lin Jiu stand frozen at the doorway for quite a while. Curious, she tiptoed and peeked inside—only to instantly spot a tall, broad-shouldered, long-legged, effortlessly charming handsome man.
She froze for a moment, practically stunned by Huo Beixing’s heaven-blessed looks. In a designer’s eyes, he was the perfect clothes hanger.
Subconsciously, she pegged his profession as a model.
Huo Beixing got up somewhat annoyed, ran a hand through his hair, and cast a sidelong glance at An Yi.
Those peach blossom eyes were completely undisguised, his gaze openly intense. But after a brief look, he withdrew it. “You guys talk first.”
With that, he walked over to the table and resumed fiddling with the studio’s battered kettle.
An Yi shivered under Huo Beixing’s gaze, pulling the thin cover around himself. He felt a bit grateful to Lin Jiu—and at the same time realized something astonishing: what he was wrapped in wasn’t even a quilt, just a bedsheet.
He knew their studio was poor, but he hadn’t expected it to be this poor.
Lin Jiu, Gu Lingling, and their senior entered together.
When An Yi saw the senior from Cooy Studio, he was momentarily surprised—after all, when he had fought with Li Shouquan before, this person had been trying to break it up from the sidelines.
An Yi asked, “And this is?”
Lin Jiu strode forward. “Let me introduce him. Starting today, he’s one of our Pink Crystal Girly Heart Studio staff. He’s very righteous and provided us with some key evidence. Public opinion online has already turned, and it’s been proven that our studio is innocent. He’s one of the major contributors to that. He is…”
When it came to the name, Lin Jiu got stuck—he actually didn’t know it. He glanced at Guo Bin and said solemnly, “He’s a good person.”
An Yi: …
Guo Bin: …
An Yi’s gaze moved between the two. He tried to stand up and shake Guo Bin’s hand, but as soon as he got to his feet, he felt weak all over—as if his bones had vanished—and plopped right back down.
He gave an awkward smile. “Sorry, I feel kind of heavy and groggy.”
Lin Jiu shook his head. “Not your fault.”
An Yi: ?
Lin Jiu said, “I gave you a bit too much sleeping medication earlier.”
An Yi: …
Thanks for not dosing me to death.
Meanwhile, Gu Lingling quietly moved closer to Huo Beixing, trying to strike up a conversation—whether he had signed with any agency or not. If she could recruit him as a model for their studio, she’d have no regrets in life.
And judging by how close he seemed with An Yi, they were probably good friends.
With a polite smile, she said, “Hello, handsome.”
Huo Beixing heard someone speak beside him and turned to look.
No one.
Gu Lingling: “Handsome, look down.”
Huo Beixing lowered his head and saw her. Knowing she was An Yi’s friend, he smiled gently. “Hello.”
He picked up his battered kettle, poured a cup of water, set it on the table, and pushed it toward her.
His demeanor was refined, every movement radiating charm—even while pouring water from a shabby kettle.
Looking at the cup, Gu Lingling gave a mental thumbs-up. Nice voice, too—and he seemed like a gentleman.
Huo Beixing smiled at her. “Did you want to say something?”
“Yes… though it might be a bit forward.”
“That’s fine.”
Meanwhile, An Yi sat there examining his thin bedsheet, completely unaware that Huo Beixing was over here putting on an act.
Gu Lingling asked directly, “Your proportions are excellent. Are you a model?”
Huo Beixing replied, “No.”
She was surprised. That didn’t make sense—his looks were that good.
“Then are you in the entertainment industry?”
This time, he responded, “More or less.”
Yes!
Great—even if he worked in media, she could still try to persuade him into modeling for them.
Delighted, Gu Lingling asked, “So are you an actor or an idol?”
Huo Beixing smiled gently. “A boss.”
Gu Lingling: ?
??????????
A boss?!!!
In that moment, she realized the man in front of her was anything but simple.
She quickly changed the topic. “That’s impressive at such a young age. Are you and An Yi friends?”
“No.”
Gu Lingling: ?
Huo Beixing said, “I’m his husband.”
Gu Lingling: …
This world was getting more and more surreal.
Lin Jiu, that chuuni, turned out to be a young master. An Yi had a wealthy husband who was a big boss.
And she—
a beautiful woman deceived by two jerks—
had become the only sucker in Pink Crystal Girly Heart.
And the only normal person.
Huo Beixing didn’t have the habit of carrying business cards, so he directly shared his contact information with Gu Lingling, telling her to reach out if anything came up.
Outside, the night was already deep. Everyone was exhausted, and by a little past ten, they left the studio one after another.
Huo Beixing had his arm around An Yi as they went downstairs. At the entrance, An Yi felt a bit awkward. “Let’s go separately.”
“It’s cold outside.”
An Yi replied, “But… you’re not even outside yet.”
Huo Beixing: …
The effects of the sleeping pills had mostly worn off, and only then did An Yi remember—they were in the middle of a divorce dispute.
Seeing An Yi quietly put some distance between them, Huo Beixing reached out and pulled him back. “We still have an agreement.”
An Yi was confused, but when his gaze landed on Huo Beixing’s lips, he suddenly remembered and hurriedly shook his head.
Huo Beixing leaned closer. “You’re going back on your word?”
An Yi hesitated. “No, it’s just… not very appropriate. Pick something else.”
“Fine.”
He agreed so readily that An Yi was surprised—he hadn’t expected Huo Beixing to be this easygoing.
The next moment, he heard him say, “Then we won’t get divorced.”
An Yi: …
Damn it—so this was the trap.
An Yi hesitated, feeling like neither option was good.
“Hard to choose?” Huo Beixing asked.
An Yi nodded.
Huo Beixing tapped lightly on An Yi’s chest with his long fingers. “There’s nothing hard about it. An Yi, you’re an adult.”
An Yi: ?
Huo Beixing said, “You can choose both.”
An Yi: …
Have some decency, will you 🙂
No matter what he chose, this wasn’t exactly the right place. Huo Beixing led An Yi out of the studio building. Just as they were about to head toward the car parked by the street, a dark figure suddenly rushed out.
Li Shouquan looked utterly disheveled. His neck and head were still wrapped in thick, blood-stained bandages, and he held a fruit knife in his hand, his bloodshot eyes bulging.
He had thought the company would protect him—but everything had turned upside down. The other studio had backing too—something he never expected. How could he have?
In the blink of an eye, everything had changed. Public opinion online, the anger of people around him—he was finished. Not just him, but his entire studio and its members were finished. After such a scandalous plagiarism reversal, they would never have a place in the design industry again.
Those people who had used the stolen designs he provided even had the nerve to accuse him, to beat him to vent their anger. They were all the same kind of people—who were they to act superior? Sooner or later, they’d face legal consequences too.
And now, not only had he lost his career, he was also facing prison. The truth about him taking An Yi’s place in university had come to light.
With all the charges combined, he had become a rat everyone wanted to beat. The crushing public opinion and pressure bore down on him, suffocating him. Everything was over.
He didn’t understand why it had turned out like this. Hadn’t he paid a price along the way? Weren’t his father’s sacrifices and his own efforts after entering university enough?!
And now An Yi wouldn’t even leave him a way out!!
The charges against him weren’t limited to impersonation. With the other side having backing, he might end up locked away for life.
He was afraid.
Truly afraid.
To him, prison was just another sealed mountain.
All those years of effort would turn to nothing. Everything was ruined—he was ruined, beyond saving.
He fled before the police could arrest him. He knew he’d be caught eventually, that he couldn’t escape forever. The only thing he could do now was take revenge on An Yi.
Make An Yi end up just like him. Make him suffer the same fate!!
Appearing suddenly with a knife, he caused panic among passersby.
Knowing time was short, Li Shouquan rushed straight at his target, knife in hand. But Huo Beixing stepped in front of An Yi, shielding him completely.
The sound of police sirens grew closer.
The police were arriving. Gritting his teeth, Li Shouquan seized the moment—while Huo Beixing was restraining one of his arms, he quickly switched the knife to his other hand and pressed it against Huo Beixing’s neck.
Facing the approaching police and the gathering crowd, he shouted, “Don’t move!!”
An Yi stumbled forward. “Huo Beixing!”
Li Shouquan glared at the police. “All of you, back off! Clear a path! Back off, or I’ll kill him!!”
His voice sounded like a wolf’s howl—desperate and ragged.
For the hostage’s safety, the police didn’t act rashly.
Seeing the blade pressed against Huo Beixing’s neck, An Yi’s mind went blank. Panic overwhelmed him as he tried to step forward. “Li Shouquan, I’ll trade—I’ll take his place!”
A police officer grabbed him, trying to calm him down.
Huo Beixing looked at An Yi’s frightened, scrunched-up face. “Wife.”
An Yi’s voice cracked. “Li Shouquan, I’ll trade with him! Li Shouquan!”
Li Shouquan sneered. “You think I’m stupid? Before you even get to me, the police would’ve already caught me.”
An Yi’s lips trembled bitterly. Looking at Huo Beixing, his heart was in turmoil.
All he could say was, “Huo Beixing, don’t be afraid.”
Huo Beixing looked at him. “Wife, can we not get divorced? That way, even if I die, I’ll still be yours.”
Held back by the police, An Yi shook his head frantically. “We won’t, we won’t. Don’t say things like that—you’ll be fine.”
Listening to their back-and-forth, Li Shouquan cursed loudly, tightening his grip around Huo Beixing’s neck.
He hissed into his ear, “Don’t even think about escaping. If I die, I’m taking you with me. I’ve got a knife—you won’t get away.”
But when Huo Beixing heard An Yi say they wouldn’t divorce, the fear on his face vanished completely.
“You know,” he said calmly, “I learned a few things before.”
Li Shouquan frowned, wary. “What things?”
“Free fighting.”
The moment the words left his mouth, Li Shouquan felt a sharp pain in his wrist—followed by a clear cracking sound. A burst of agony shot through his leg, the world spinning as Huo Beixing flipped him to the ground.
His head hit the ground hard, and he passed out instantly.
While the surrounding crowd gasped in shock, the police rushed forward to apprehend him.
Huo Beixing lifted his gaze to An Yi.
“We agreed—no divorce.”
Author’s Note:
Huo Er: Go back on your word, and I’ll have the police take you away.
Little Frog: I’m sooo scared.
