To protect her safety, Shen Xiaoxing had people watching over her around the clock, so he knew everything that happened on set.
When they were dating, all he wanted was to be close to her. Even mundane, boring little things seemed fascinating to him. He just wanted this girl to talk more, to keep her childlike innocence in front of him, because her childhood had been far too bitter.
Thinking back to the experiences shown in her file, he wished he could tear apart everyone who had ever bullied her!
As it turned out, he did act on it—though not that brutally. Recently, he had been planning to acquire the An family, reducing them to servants and making them taste what it felt like to grovel and serve their master!
Anyone who had ever wronged her, he would make them pay tenfold.
"By the way, I heard some rumors today." An Ruo wrapped her arms around his lean waist, her small face pressed against his chest, the picture of a demure little woman.
Shen Xiaoxing's dark eyes dimmed slightly, his voice low and husky: "What rumors?"
She wasn't one to gossip. Suddenly bringing up rumors—could it be about those nasty whispers surrounding him?
"Qiao Qiao told me some old stories about the four great families. After hearing them, I felt heavy-hearted. I think they're pitiful."
Not about him. Shen Xiaoxing let out a slow breath of relief: "What did she say?"
"The decline of the Ye and Mu families..."
"At their peak, those two families were legends enshrined in Shen City's pantheon. But they fell overnight..." The man sighed softly. "All I can say is fate plays cruel tricks."
Born into a wealthy family, you face open and covert attacks at every turn. One misstep, and you're plunged into an abyss from which there's no return.
Shen Xiaoxing ran his palm through her hair. "Why are you getting so sentimental today?"
"No, just reflecting." An Ruo shook her head. As a listener, she only felt a sense of regret. But it was someone else's story, and she didn't want to burden herself with sadness.
"Little girl, you think too much." He chuckled and kissed the corner of her mouth. "Need your husband to comfort you?"
"No." An Ruo didn't believe he'd actually comfort her properly.
Shen Xiaoxing moved the mouse and clicked open a file for her to see. "These are the families I've investigated in Shen City who lost daughters. The missing girls are around your age, and the incidents happened at similar times."
An Ruo stared blankly at the computer screen, her heart slowly beginning to pound.
"Once things settle down, I'll take you to visit these families first."
The number of missing children worldwide is more than fleas on a cat. Even with his abilities, he couldn't investigate them all in a short time.
His influence could control all of Shen City and a few neighboring provinces, but expanding the search further was difficult.
"Don't worry. No matter how big the world is, as long as we keep trying, we can check out a dozen or so families every year."
An Ruo's beautiful eyes shimmered as she looked at his high-bridged nose, his strong, chiseled profile, his deep brow bone...
Warmth welled up in her eyes, and her nose suddenly stung fiercely.
Her voice choked: "Why... are you so good to me?"
She had thought the man's offer to help find her biological parents was just a casual remark. Everyone knew the world was vast, and searching was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
But he had taken it seriously!
"You're my little wife. If I'm not good to you, who should I be good to?" The man's thin lips curled slightly. "If I were good to other women, you'd probably skin me alive."
Whether they found them or not was one thing; whether he was willing to look was another.
An Ruo was successfully amused by him. "I'm not that bad."
No matter the topic, no matter her mood at the time, one sentence from him could make her smile.
"Not bad. My Mrs. Shen is the best."
Ever since they opened their hearts to each other, Shen Xiaoxing had gotten better and better at coaxing her, and she had slowly started learning to rely on him. Sometimes, when her girlish side came out, she even enjoyed being spoiled by him.
An Ruo was completely charmed by him. She leaned lightly against his chest, breathing in the cool, clean scent of him.
He had a wonderful smell. Whenever she held him at night, she could catch a hint of cream.
That was why, half-asleep before, she had thought she was eating a cream cake and foolishly bit him.
Thinking back to those ridiculous moments, she couldn't help but curl her lips.
The man looked down at her, his long fingers pinching her slightly plump cheek. "Not crying anymore?"
"I wasn't crying..."
She had rarely cried since she was a child. Except for when Grandma An passed away and she cried until she nearly fainted, she hadn't shed a single tear no matter how badly she was bullied.
Shen Xiaoxing's gaze deepened. Was she really just a little girl?
Facing a sharp blade without flinching, her body didn't hesitate to shield him, taking a serious wound without a single tear—yet here she was, moved to tears just by him holding her and whispering sweet words.
Why was her personality so stubborn? Her resilient heart sometimes left even some men in the dust.
He lowered his face, kissed her forehead, and pulled out the gold lock necklace from the drawer. It had a few small bells attached, which jingled crisply when he shook it gently.
Shen Xiaoxing fastened the gold lock around her neck, carefully adjusting the length. "This gold lock has been with me for over twenty years. I hope it will protect you when I'm not by your side."
"Superstitious..."
"As long as it truly keeps you safe, I'd be willing to worship it for a lifetime."
A wave of warmth surged through An Ruo's heart. Her nose started to sting again. "You're so good to me."
The man's thumb brushed over her pink lips, and he smiled. "Silly girl."
"Besides Grandma and Xiaoche, you're the best person to me."
Even though Chen Keqiao was good to her, it was different from this man. He respected her, cherished her, thought about what she thought, and cared about what she cared about. He was so attuned to her that even a single glance from him could understand her feelings.
Their rhythm was slowly falling into sync.
"We're not just husband and wife; we're family. Of course, I have to be good to you."
An Ruo hugged his strong waist tightly, afraid that if she let go, this happiness would no longer belong to her.
And Shen Xiaoxing, sensing the thoughts of the girl in his arms, felt a bitter ache in his chest. It was all because they had met too late, letting her suffer so much. After meeting him, she had even been suspected of being a spy, nearly costing her life.
Every time Shen Xiaoxing thought of this, he couldn't stop the regret from flooding in. He did his best to spoil her, to make it up to her.
...
Fame brings trouble. Since Su Weiyue had deliberately picked a fight last time, she seemed to have set her sights on Song Weiwei. No, she had probably coveted Song Weiwei's lead role for a long time.
She came from a well-off family, not a wealthy dynasty, but compared to most of the entertainment industry, while others relied on talent, she relied on connections. Add to that her contract with the Ye Corporation, and no one in this circle dared to mess with her.
These past few days, she had been openly and covertly targeting Song Weiwei, her ambition to take her place clear for all to see.
Song Weiwei wasn't stupid. She knew she had been targeted by Jinhua Entertainment. With the company backing her, Su Weiyue naturally acted arrogantly.
Online, rumors of their rivalry exploded. After malicious editing, it was twisted to look like Song Weiwei was deliberately bullying Su Weiyue, making the rising star Song Weiwei a public target.