An Chuyu casually picked a restaurant, had a low-calorie meal, and then returned to the hotel she was staying at.
When Zhu Cuixi saw her, her eyes bulged like copper bells. Sister Yuyu had said she would return to the hotel after finishing her work yesterday, but Zhu Cuixi had waited a long time without her coming back.
Sister Yuyu hadn't come back all night!
Zhu Cuixi opened her mouth a few times, wanting to ask something. But when she met An Chuyu's somewhat indifferent gaze, she couldn't bring herself to ask.
An Chuyu pulled out a turtleneck sweater from her suitcase, ready to change into it, when Zhu Cuixi suddenly screamed, startling her.
An Chuyu frowned and turned around, "Zhu Cuixi, haven't I told you not to overreact?"
Zhu Cuixi covered her mouth with both hands, revealing only a pair of frightened eyes, and finally mustered the courage to ask, "Sister, did you go out with a man last night to mess around?"
An Chuyu's heart skipped a beat, "What are you talking about?"
"I'm not talking nonsense." Zhu Cuixi pointed to the evidence on her neck and collarbone, "I'm not a child, don't tell me these are mosquito bites. Where would mosquitoes come from in the dead of winter?"
An Chuyu touched her neck, guessing what Zhu Cuixi was referring to. Her expression was slightly unnatural, but she didn't deny it any further.
Zhu Cuixi immediately thought of the man she had seen yesterday, who indeed was particularly handsome, especially those extraordinary phoenix eyes, quite captivating.
"Is it the gentleman who burst into the changing room?" Zhu Cuixi asked.
An Chuyu, with her back towards her, unbuttoned her clothes, stripping down to a white undershirt, and then slipped on the sweater.
Zhu Cuixi ran in front of her, pressing, "Is it him?"
An Chuyu tugged her sweater hem, looking up at her, "What have I always told you? Focus on work, less gossip."
Having worked together for three or four months, Zhu Cuixi knew full well that An Chuyu had a sharp tongue but a soft heart. She grinned foolishly, "I knew I didn't guess wrong."
Seeing that she couldn't be fooled, An Chuyu simply went along with it. Thinking of something, she instructed. "Don't tell Sister Qiang."
"What can't I tell her?"
An Chuyu was deeply engrossed in conversation with Zhu Cuixi and hadn't noticed when Shen Qiang had come in. She spoke abruptly, and both of them froze.
Shen Qiang had shoulder-length hair, light makeup, and under her russet coat, a neat suit. Seeing their varied expressions, she arched an eyebrow, walked up to An Chuyu, hooked a hand over her shoulder, and leaned in to ask, "Hmm? What are you hiding from me?"
Caught off guard, An Chuyu couldn't think of an excuse quickly enough and could only mask over it with a smile, "Nothing."
Shen Qiang narrowed her eyes, turning her gaze toward Zhu Cuixi.
Zhu Cuixi's eyes darted about, struggling internally. She would never betray Sister Yuyu, but Sister Qiang was harsh, and she slightly feared that Sister Qiang would blame her for not keeping an eye on Sister Yuyu, allowing her to misbehave.
Shen Qiang was not so easily dismissed. Seeing Zhu Cuixi's silence, she knew there was a complication, and was about to interrogate An Chuyu under severe pressure when she noticed the issue.
"What is that on your neck?" Shen Qiang's eyelids twitched.
An Chuyu was alarmed. She had already changed into a high-necked sweater, how had it been noticed!
Shen Qiang didn't wait for her to respond and said to herself, "Love bites." She sat down on the couch, already guessing what had happened. Her expression was neutral, not really serious, "Tell me, what exactly did you do?"
An Chuyu sighed, and spoke vaguely, "Just what you're thinking."
Shen Qiang, upon hearing this, didn't show much surprise.
As a sharp-eyed agent who had taken over An Chuyu's affairs, having seen this woman's ambition and strength, she mostly gave An Chuyu a free rein, not worrying that she would engage in career-destroying behavior.
Shen Qiang chalked up this incident to An Chuyu being under immense pressure after wrapping up "Dawn Breaks," finding herself in a foreign country conveniently away from the domestic media, thus relatively safe, and so she found a man to foolishly spend the night with, considering it a form of release and relaxation.
An Chuyu wasn't young and had always been single. Shen Qiang could understand, but she still had to remind her, "Be mindful of the impact, and don't stir up trouble."
An Chuyu let her agent misunderstand and didn't try to argue.
Zhu Cuixi was dumbstruck the whole time and even felt slightly shocked internally. Sister Qiang really had nothing but good things to say about Sister Yuyu, even being accepting of her messing around with men abroad, without scolding her for disregarding her status and image.
——
For the four o'clock flight in the afternoon, the team set out early for Charles de Gaulle Airport.
An Chuyu hadn't rested well and felt somewhat listless, dozing off in the waiting lounge with sunglasses on. In case she was photographed after returning home, she had covered the marks on her neck with concealer.