Chapter 311: Wen Feifei's Thank You Gift!
If it had been before, Lu Xiuhan would have only suspected, thinking that Wen Feifei couldn't have stolen anything. But now, Lu Xiuhan had no doubts at all. With Shen Anyu's status as the Young Master of the Yanxia Shen Family, what kind of jewelry necklace couldn't he afford? Would Wen Feifei still need to steal?
"Young Master of the Yanxia Shen Family?"
The words echoed in Fan Lei's ears like a death sentence pronounced by a judge. Her legs, once proud and long, turned to jelly. With a dull thud that silenced the whispering crew, she fell to her knees on the hard concrete floor of the studio.
Her face drained of all color, leaving her makeup looking like a grotesque mask upon a corpse. Her lips trembled uncontrollably as she looked up at the handsome, smiling man who held Wen Feifei. In his eyes, she saw no warmth, only the indifference of a dragon looking at an insect it was about to crush.
She didn't dare to hide even a shred of the truth. Terror, primal and overwhelming, stripped away all her arrogance.
"It was me! I... I was jealous of Wen Feifei! I slandered her!" Fan Lei shrieked, her voice cracking with hysteria. Tears ruined her mascara, streaking black lines down her cheeks. "I put the jewelry necklace in her bag while she was in makeup! I did it! Please, forgive me!"
Even if Lu Xiuhan had caught her red-handed, Fan Lei would have dared to argue a bit, perhaps using her connections or feigning ignorance. After all, in the entertainment circle, everything was negotiable.
But facing the Young Master of the Yanxia Shen Family? Fan Lei was so scared that a warm, humiliating dampness spread across her lower body. She had actually wet herself in public.
The Yanxia Shen Family was not just "rich." They were the sky above the sky in the Yanxia hierarchy. Offending Lu Xiuhan meant at most not being able to work in the entertainment industry in Modu—a heavy blow, but survivable. But offending the Yanxia Shen Family meant there would be no place for her in the entire country of Yanxia. She would vanish. Her family would vanish.
Evidence? In front of the Yanxia Shen Family, talking about evidence was a joke. Their word was law. Their displeasure was a verdict.
In Fan Lei's mind, a terrifying clarity emerged. Even if she struggled to her last breath and revealed that the jewelry necklace was indeed currently in Wen Feifei's bag, no one would believe her.
Who would believe that the girlfriend of the Young Master of the Yanxia Shen Family would steal a jewelry necklace? A necklace worth over a million? To ordinary people, it was a fortune. To Shen Anyu, it was less than the tip he gave a waiter.
Would an imperial noble consort, who owns the wealth of the four seas, lower herself to steal a piece of scrap metal from a peasant? The very idea was absurd.
At this moment, Fan Lei's heart was filled with a toxic cocktail of fear, regret, and resentment.
Wen Feifei, you bitch! You have such a boyfriend, such a monstrous background, why didn't you say so earlier? Why did you pretend to be a newcomer? If I had known... if I had known, I would have knelt and licked your shoes! How would I have dared to slander you?
As Fan Lei's confession fell from her lips, the film crew immediately burst into an uproar. The silence shattered like glass.
It turned out that Fan Lei was jealous of Wen Feifei and slandered Wen Feifei! The truth was out, and the tide turned instantly.
A staff member, a young girl who had previously looked at Wen Feifei with suspicion, now filled with righteous indignation, immediately stepped forward.
"I knew it! Miss Wen Feifei is beautiful and kind-hearted, she always says thank you when she gets her lunch box. How could she possibly steal? As expected, some bad person slandered her!"
The person next to her, a lighting technician who had been sneering earlier, gave the girl a disdainful look, thinking, 'Why didn't you say that just now? You were gossiping the loudest!'
But then, realizing the wind had changed, he also cleared his throat and said ingratiatingly, his voice loud enough for Shen Anyu to hear:
"Yes, yes! Miss Wen Feifei is so good, approachable, and upright. She has the temperament of a fairy! It's truly intolerable that such a good and beautiful fairy was slandered by a malicious, rotten woman like Fan Lei! We should call the police!"
At this moment, everyone in the crew praised Wen Feifei and pointed accusing fingers at Fan Lei. Their faces, previously cold and mocking, were now wreathed in fawning smiles.
In their words, Fan Lei was incredibly wicked, a witch worthy of burning, and Wen Feifei was a pure lotus, a fairy descended to the mortal world who had suffered a great injustice.
Watching this scene unfold, Wen Feifei was both amused and touched. The fickleness of human nature was on full display, but right now, she felt only relief.
Filled with emotion, her starry eyes softened as she looked up at the man who was embracing her slender waist. His profile was sharp and handsome, his expression calm and commanding. He stood there like a pillar of the heavens, shielding her from all the wind and rain.
Wen Feifei knew that if Shen Anyu hadn't appeared to protect her, it would have been difficult for her to restore her innocence today.
Especially upon seeing Fan Lei's confession, Wen Feifei felt a lingering fear grip her heart. The necklace was in her bag. If she had been provoked earlier by Fan Lei's aggressive questioning and poured out the contents of her bag to prove her innocence, the necklace would have tumbled out. Then, she would have been labeled a thief forever, unable to explain herself even if she had a hundred mouths.
Shen Anyu saved her career. He saved her dignity.
At this moment, Wen Feifei was extremely grateful to Shen Anyu. The resentment from their first encounter had vanished, replaced by a budding admiration. He really is my lucky star, she thought, her heart beating a little faster.
On the other side, Lu Xiuhan saw the scene before him. He saw Wen Feifei looking at Shen Anyu with those tender, starry eyes—eyes that had never looked at him that way, despite all his efforts and power.
He clutched his chest, his expensive suit crumpling under his grip. He felt an inexplicable, intense pain and spasm in his heart, as if invisible hands were wringing it out. It was a phantom angina, the pain of losing something precious before he even truly possessed it.
Why? Why does it hurt so much?
He realized, with a sinking despair, that this girl, who for the first time in his life had sparked his genuine interest and affection, was not someone he could covet. She belonged to a dragon, and he was merely a wolf.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to suppress the complex emotions in his mind. He was a CEO, a rational man. He had to cut his losses.
Lu Xiuhan, with a gloomy face that frightened his assistants, waved his hand. "Take her away."
His bodyguards immediately dragged the weeping, pleading Fan Lei away like a sack of garbage.
Then, Lu Xiuhan composed himself, walked over to Shen Anyu, and bowed slightly—a gesture of submission that shocked the crew even further.
"Young Master Shen, it was the Lu Corporation's fault for letting Miss Wen Feifei suffer such grievance on our set. I failed to manage my people properly."
"This time, little Lu will definitely give Young Master Shen a satisfactory explanation."
"Firstly, all cooperation with Fan Lei will be completely canceled immediately. She will be blacklisted by the Lu Corporation and all our affiliates. And she will be sued in court for false accusation and defamation. I will ensure she spends the next few years reflecting on her actions in a cell."
"Secondly, regarding compensation for the humiliation Miss Wen Feifei suffered, it's entirely up to Young Master Shen to decide. Name a figure, or a condition, and I will meet it."
Shen Anyu looked at the bowing CEO, a faint smile playing on his lips. He checked his internal interface.
[Ding! Destiny Value +90,000.]
He was in an excellent mood. Ten million Destiny Value was about to be accumulated. The threshold was in sight. Once he crossed it, the Destiny Plunder System would definitely become more powerful after another System upgrade.
Looking at the sensible Lu Xiuhan before him, Shen Anyu pondered.
Lu Xiuhan was just the male lead of a female-oriented novel (shoujo/josei genre), not a Child of Destiny (shonen/xianxia protagonist) or a Daughter of Destiny. He didn't have a "Destiny Halo" that protected him from death or granted him illogical luck. He was just a high-status elite.
Now that his emotional connection with Wen Feifei had been severed—Shen Anyu could see the broken red thread of fate with his special vision—there wasn't much threat left.
Since he was sensible, kneeling so quickly and offering compensation, Shen Anyu didn't necessarily have to eliminate him physically. Killing a major CEO in Modu would cause unnecessary noise.
Shen Anyu had a better idea. Lu Xiuhan, with his standard "Domineering CEO" identity and setting, was a magnet for tropes. He was very likely to attract other Daughters of Destiny again in the future.
Why destroy a good lure? Shen Anyu thought. Keeping him for observation is a strategic move. He can be considered a fishing hook. If another heroine appears around him, I'll be the first to know.
If a threat appeared, or if Lu Xiuhan turned hostile, he could be eliminated immediately with a snap of Shen Anyu's fingers.
Subsequently, Shen Anyu, acting the part of the magnanimous noble, proposed a few easy compensations. He asked for better resources for Wen Feifei, a top-tier contract, and a dedicated team—things that cost Lu Xiuhan little but meant the world to Wen Feifei's career.
Lu Xiuhan agreed to them one by one without hesitation.
"Thank you, Young Master Shen, for your generosity and magnanimity!"
Lu Xiuhan breathed a sigh of relief, wiping a bead of cold sweat from his temple. His gaze towards Shen Anyu was filled with genuine gratitude.
He had originally thought that this time he would have to pay a hefty price—perhaps giving up shares of his company or facing a suppression from the Shen family business empire. But Shen Anyu had let him off lightly.
This Young Master of the Yanxia Shen Family is truly a figure of great stature. He is reasonable and doesn't bully people with power unnecessarily. He could be befriended more, Lu Xiuhan thought naively.
[Ding! Detected Child of Destiny Lu Xiuhan's favorability +30. Plundered +90,000 Destiny Value.]
...
Shen Anyu's expression twitched slightly, looking a bit awkward.
+30 Favorability? From a man?
However, it wasn't too strange. The system measured positive impressions. In reality, favorability wasn't just about love; kinship, friendship, gratitude, and admiration could all increase it.
The little maid Ruan Lingshan's favorability towards Shen Anyu was primarily based on gratitude for saving her family, and her favorability was maxed out. The cute little apprentice Yang Luoluo's was also mainly based on admiration for his strength and gratitude for his guidance.
Of course, Shen Anyu didn't have that kind of hobby. He wouldn't deliberately max out a man's favorability. But Destiny Value was Destiny Value. He wouldn't reject it.
Patting Lu Xiuhan's shoulder with a brotherly familiarity, Shen Anyu said with a charming smile:
"Little Lu, you're very good. You know how to handle things. I'll remember you. Next time I'm free, I'll find you for a party. We can have a drink."
Condescending? Yes. But lowering oneself from a high status to show friendliness is the easiest way to make "friends" and gain favorability from those below you.
Lu Xiuhan was immediately flattered. "It would be my honor, Young Master Shen!"
Business emphasizes harmony leading to wealth. The so-called "Domineering CEO" is only domineering towards subordinates, rivals, and partners of equal standing. Towards someone whose status is far higher than their own, acting domineering is not dominance; it's seeking death.
As a CEO trained in elite education from childhood, Lu Xiuhan was naturally not a fool. He knew the importance of maintaining a good relationship with Shen Anyu, the Young Master of the Yanxia Shen Family. This connection alone was worth more than the necklace or Fan Lei's entire career.
Hitting it off immediately, the two naturally chatted happily for a few minutes, exchanging pleasantries and business cards.
[Ding! Detected Child of Destiny Lu Xiuhan's favorability +10. Plundered +30,000 Destiny Value.]
[Ding! Detected Child of Destiny Lu Xiuhan's favorability +10. Plundered +30,000 Destiny Value.]
[Ding! Detected Child of Destiny Lu Xiuhan's favorability +10. Plundered +30,000 Destiny Value.]
...
In a short while, Lu Xiuhan's favorability towards Shen Anyu had reached sixty-eight. This was practically the level of a close friend or a loyal subordinate.
Shen Anyu thought to himself, 'Perhaps the charming demon Liu Bei (Liu Huangshu) of the Han Dynasty had such universally appealing charm? Stealing the hearts of men and women alike?'
"Little Lu, I have something else to do, so I'll be leaving first. Handle the rest here. See you later."
Shen Anyu checked his watch, signaling the end of the audience. With his arm firmly around Wen Feifei's slender, soft waist, he waved goodbye to Lu Xiuhan with a smile.
"Young Master Shen, take care! Miss Wen, take care!"
Lu Xiuhan also smiled and nodded, personally escorting them out of the film and television base all the way to Shen Anyu's car, acting like a valet.
It wasn't until Shen Anyu and Wen Feifei's figures disappeared into the luxury vehicle that Lu Xiuhan sighed, his shoulders slumping. His expression was complex—relief mixed with a lingering sense of loss.
"Young Master Shen is a good friend," he muttered, trying to convince himself. "Whether it's for the sake of appearances or status, Lu Xiuhan, don't be foolish. Don't chase after the moon when it belongs to the sun."
[Ding! Daughter of Destiny Wen Feifei's emotional line has completely collapsed. Plundered +300,000 Destiny Value.]
[Ding! Host has accumulated over 10,000,000 Destiny Value. System upgrade conditions met.]
...
Inside the car, the atmosphere was intimate and quiet. The leather seats smelled of luxury, and the engine purred softly.
"Brother Shen..."
Wen Feifei turned to look at him. Her face was flushed, her eyes shining like stars in a clear night sky.
"Thank you for helping me out and restoring my innocence! I... I don't know how to repay you."
She looked at Shen Anyu with grateful, starry eyes, her red lips moist and slightly parted. The adrenaline of the situation had faded, leaving behind a rush of endorphins and a heightened awareness of the man beside her.
Shen Anyu turned to look at her. He didn't speak. He simply smiled, a predator looking at a willing prey.
He reached out, his long fingers hooking Wen Feifei's delicate, fair chin, tilting her face up towards his.
"You don't know how to repay me?" he whispered, his voice low and husky.
Before she could answer, he leaned in and kissed her without hesitation.
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