Nan Zhi's mother staggered as she was shoved out of the apartment building. Clutching the strap of her bag tightly, she gritted her teeth and muttered under her breath, "What rotten luck! To raise such an ungrateful daughter!"
The more she thought about it, the more something felt off—Nan Zhi had always been a pushover before. How had she suddenly become so tough? Had that fall from the building scrambled her brains?
Just as she was lost in thought, a sickly sweet voice called out from behind her, "Auntie? Are you Nan Zhi's mother?"
Nan Zhi's mother whirled around and saw a young woman in stylish clothes, wearing sunglasses and sporting flawless makeup, smiling at her.
"Who are you…?" Nan Zhi's mother narrowed her eyes warily.
Zhou Yuqing took off her sunglasses, revealing a warm smile. "Auntie, I'm Nan Zhi's friend. I saw you downstairs and thought I'd come say hello."
Friend? Nan Zhi's mother sneered inwardly. Since when did her daughter have a "friend" like this? But right now, she was seething with anger and desperate to vent, so she feigned a sigh. "Oh, don't even mention her. That girl has grown wings now—won't even acknowledge her own mother!"
A glint flashed in Zhou Yuqing's eyes as she pretended to be shocked. "Really? Nan Zhi is always so sweet to her fans. How could she not acknowledge you? There must be some misunderstanding."
"Sweet?" Nan Zhi's mother scoffed. "You have no idea—she just kicked me out!"
Zhou Yuqing smoothly looped an arm through hers, her tone dripping with concern. "Auntie, don't be upset. How about I treat you to some tea? We can talk it over."
Half an hour later, inside a private room at an upscale restaurant.
Between bites of food, Nan Zhi's mother ranted nonstop. "All I did was ask her for some money—what's the big deal? She drives such a nice car, lives in such a fancy place—isn't it only right that she gives me some?"
Zhou Yuqing nodded along, though calculation lurked in her eyes. "You're absolutely right. Nan Zhi's a top-tier internet celebrity now. A single ad earns her hundreds of thousands—how could she be so stingy with her own family?"
"Exactly!" Nan Zhi's mother grew more agitated. "Her brother's going through a rough patch right now. If she won't help her own sibling, who's going to stand up for her when she gets married and her in-laws bully her?"
Zhou Yuqing covered her mouth with a delicate laugh. "Auntie, you're so right. Family should always support each other." She studied the older woman's expression before seizing the moment to add her on WeChat. "Auntie, how about this—I'll talk to Nan Zhi for you? We're pretty close, after all."
Nan Zhi's mother clutched her hand like a lifeline. "That would be wonderful! Tell her if she just keeps helping the family, her mother will give her anything she wants!"
Zhou Yuqing smiled sweetly. "Leave it to me."
As she walked out of the restaurant, Zhou Yuqing glanced at the new contact in her WeChat, her red lips curling into a cold smirk.
In the CEO's office of Xingyue Entertainment, Fang Yichen's long fingers tapped lightly on the desk, his gaze fixed on the document in front of him—Nan Zhi had unilaterally terminated the high-value personal accident insurance policy she'd taken out earlier.
"Mr. Fang, Miss Nan Zhi sent her lawyer to handle it personally," his assistant Leo reported. "She said… she doesn't need the policy anymore."
Fang Yichen's eyes darkened. Why would she cancel it so abruptly? Could this policy be connected to her fall from the building?
"Who else has she been in contact with recently?" Fang Yichen asked suddenly.
Leo hesitated, then flipped through his schedule. "Aside from her usual video shoots and fan interactions, her mother caused a scene at her apartment the day before yesterday—security had to step in. Also…" He paused. "Last week, she met with Lin Xuyan, the deputy manager of Huaxin United's finance department."
Fang Yichen's fingers stilled. The sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows cast a sharp outline across his profile as he recalled the scene of Nan Zhi and Lin Xuyan in the car that day.
"Mr. Fang," Leo couldn't resist adding, "you seem particularly interested in Miss Nan Zhi lately?"
The air instantly turned icy. Fang Yichen lifted his gaze. "Do you not have enough work?"
Leo's back went cold. He quickly bowed his head. "N-no! I'll go chase down the Q2 financial reports right away!"