novelraw Chapter 140 Will You Stay With Me?
Chapter 140 Will You Stay With Me?
Jin Qiqi's eyes lit up immediately.
"I knew you'd recognize me!"
Lu Xiran was stunned.
She stared at the photo on her phone screen, unable to reconcile the image with the glamorous, elegant, and sophisticated top star she saw on screen. The stark contrast left her bewildered.
"Where...where was this filmed?"
Jin Qiqi lowered her voice even further, almost speaking in a whisper: "I don't know the exact location either. Luna sent me this photo privately."
Luna is Jin Qiqi's best friend besides Lu Xiran. She went to the United States after junior high school and stayed there. Jin Qiqi went to see her this time when she went to the United States.
"She said that Song Zhihe wasn't as clean-cut as she appeared on the surface in America..."
She paused, then gave Lu Xiran a meaningful look.
"I have attended some private parties."
A private party.
Revealing clothing.
A group of men surrounded them.
The combination of these words instantly conjured up some unpleasant images in Lu Xiran's mind.
"Is this photo real?" Lu Xiran asked.
Jin Qiqi first nodded, then shook her head, her expression somewhat complicated.
"The photo itself is real, with no signs of Photoshop editing. But whether it proves anything is hard to say. After all, it's a private party... You could say she was invited as a guest, or you could say she was just dressed a bit sexily that day."
"But the problem is—"
She stared into Lu Xiran's eyes, her voice lowering further, almost as if she were revealing a secret, "Luna said there are indeed rumors about this kind of banquet in the industry. It's supposedly hosted by some mysterious figure, and only the very wealthy and powerful can attend. But the rules are extremely strict—no cell phones, no photos, and no leaking any information. Otherwise…"
She raised her hand and gestured across her neck.
A chill ran down Lu Xiran's spine.
"How did Luna get the photos?"
"There are no secrets in the world. Someone took the picture secretly," Jin Qiqi shrugged. "It's said that someone took the risk and hid a miniature camera. This photo was leaked around that time. But there's only one; the others were supposedly dealt with."
Lu Xiran looked down at the photo again.
"slowly?"
Jin Qiqi's voice pulled her back from her chaotic thoughts.
"Are you alright? Why do you look a little pale?"
Lu Xiran shook her head, trying her best to appear normal.
"fine."
She handed the phone back to Jin Qiqi and asked again, "Does anyone else know about this photo?"
"Probably not." Jin Qiqi put away her phone, her tone cautious. "This photo was sent by Luna through an encrypted channel, so not many people received it. She sent it to me to warn me to be careful of Song Zhihe."
She looked at Lu Xiran with a hint of probing in her eyes.
"Do you want to tell Gu Yanshen?"
Lu Xiran remained silent for a few seconds.
The sun was shining brightly, warming her body. But a heavy weight seemed to be pressing on her heart.
"No need." She finally shook her head.
When Lu Xiran said this, she was actually very calm. If this was truly a past that Song Zhihe didn't want anyone to know, she didn't want to use it to smear her in front of Gu Yanshen. She had her own pride.
Jin Qiqi glanced at her, seemingly understanding something, and didn't ask any further questions.
"What exactly was going on at that banquet?" Lu Xiran brought the topic back.
Upon hearing this, Jin Qiqi's expression immediately fell, and she exuded displeasure.
"It's said that it was organized by a man named Li Fengche. He copied that private banquet model back to Haicheng and specifically invited high-ranking officials and dignitaries to attend. Through this method, he amassed a large network of connections and also learned many secrets about people in Haicheng. Everyone was keeping each other in check, and no one dared to offend him."
Lu Xiran frowned.
"Then why did Gu Yanxu insist on participating? And why did he specifically change his schedule to come back?"
"That's what really annoys me!"
Jin Qiqi raised her head, her eyes filled with frustration and worry, as if she had finally found someone to confide in after holding it in for a long time.
"You motherfucker, why did you have to make him come back! To attend this kind of disreputable banquet!" She emphasized the word "disreputable," her tone clearly defiant. "I believe in Gu Yanxu, but..."
She paused, her eyes flickering.
"But what?" Lu Xiran pressed.
Jin Qiqi bit her lip, her voice lowering, "But I've heard that those kinds of banquets aren't attended by respectable people. The men talk business, and the women... the women are treated like commodities. Models, minor celebrities, socialites—they're all dressed more scantily than the next. It's supposed to be social, but who knows what's going on behind the scenes?"
She looked at Lu Xiran, and for the first time, a look in her eyes appeared that Lu Xiran had never seen before—not jealousy, not fooling around, but genuine worry.
"Ranran, what if he gets set up and betrayed if he goes? Anything can happen in a place like that."
Lu Xiran remained silent for a few seconds.
She thought of Gu Yanxu, the man who was always smiling and willing to be scolded and beaten by Jin Qiqi. Everyone could see that he loved Jin Qiqi. But in those situations, sometimes you couldn't simply avoid getting involved.
Jin Qiqi looked at Lu Xiran, and the usual smile on her face gradually faded away.
"Ranran, I want to go."
Her voice was very low, but it carried a seriousness that Lu Xiran had never seen before.
"I have to see for myself. Otherwise—" She paused, lowered her eyes, and unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes, "I feel the same way you do, that my mother-in-law's decision to bring him back this time isn't so simple."
Lu Xiran's heart sank.
"Didn't he tell you why?"
Jin Qiqi shook her head.
"He always changes the subject." She sighed, her eyes slightly reddening. "I don't know why, but since last week, he's been constantly on the phone with his mother. Each call lasts a long time. Once, I woke up in the middle of the night, and he was still on the balcony, speaking in a low voice. I asked him who it was, and he said it was about work. When I asked what it was about, he started kissing me to change the subject."
She looked up at Lu Xiran.
Those usually bright eyes now held only grievance, worry, and a hint of barely concealed hurt.
"He's starting to keep secrets from me."
Lu Xiran took her hand. Jin Qiqi's hand was very cold.
"A good friend of Luna's is a member of that place," Jin Qiqi said, lowering her voice as if afraid of being overheard. "She can go in with him and see what's happening inside. That place... no one in the industry dares to mention it. Its name is taboo, and those who have been there keep it a closely guarded secret."
There was a hint of fear in Jin Qiqi's eyes, but even more so, stubbornness.
"Ranran, will you stay with me?"