Chapter 109: I’m Here to Pick Her Up

Mo Qi shifted slightly, but Shen Yijue did not let go. Mo Qi looked up at him, and Shen Yijue swept his gaze over her with an expressionless face. "Can you stand steadily?"

This served as an explanation for why he had been supporting her all this time.

Mo Qi offered a faint smile, remaining calm on the surface. "My leg isn't cramping anymore, thank you."

Only then did Shen Yijue finally release her.

Mo Qi steadied herself, nodded toward the crowd in the hall, and smiled with a touch of embarrassment. "I apologize for startling everyone."

Liu Yi immediately stepped forward twice. "We weren't startled, but what about you? Did you hurt yourself anywhere when you fell?"

Mo Qi glared at him secretly. The culprit had the nerve to put on an innocent, concerned face. If it weren't for his relentless pestering, would she have had to dodge him and fall?

Though she cursed him in her heart, Mo Qi showed no sign of resentment on her face. "Thank you for your concern, Editor-in-Chief Liu. My leg muscle just cramped when I slipped earlier, but I'm fine."

Logically, as the host of the party, He Shuai should have stepped forward to express concern after Mo Qi nearly made a fool of herself. However, he was currently preoccupied with the scandal of the explicit video and had no energy for social pretenses.

Sister Shang glanced at He Shuai, who was sitting dejectedly on the sofa, then walked over with a wine glass and a smile. "Mo Qi, shall I take you to a guest room to rest for a while?"

"Thank you, Sister Shang."

Before Mo Qi could finish her sentence, Shen Yijue suddenly spoke up. "No need. I came to pick her up."

Eh? Does the Heavenly King Shen not have to film tonight?

Shen Yijue was cold and detached. His voice wasn't loud—those further away didn't hear, but Liu Yi, Sister Shang, and those nearby heard him clearly.

Mo Qi had come to the party and stayed late, and Shen Yijue was clearly acting as her boyfriend, coming to pick her up because he was worried.

Sister Shang, Liu Yi, and the others turned these thoughts over in their minds. They were all well aware that in this circle, the "mentor-student" relationship was often just a facade for intimate rendezvous. However, seeing this from the usually cold and aloof Shen Yijue was somewhat surprising. What was even more unexpected was that Shen Yijue wasn't just playing around with a casual fling; his protectiveness over Mo Qi exceeded that of an ordinary boyfriend.

Consequently, everyone had to re-evaluate Mo Qi's status in the heart of the Heavenly King.

A flash of sharp light crossed Liu Yi's eyes. It seemed the relationship between Mo Qi and the Heavenly King was vastly different from what that person had claimed. He needed to reconsider whether this deal was worth it.

Sister Shang was stunned for a moment. "Since the Heavenly King is here, why not stay and join us?"

"I have no interest in parties," Shen Yijue refused her invitation without hesitation. He turned his head to look at Mo Qi. "Go get your things."

"Would it be rude if I left now?" Mo Qi actually wanted to leave, but there were many influential people at this private party, and leaving now felt a bit like spoiling the mood.

Mo Qi asked in a voice only the two of them could hear. Shen Yijue looked at her in silence, his brows knitting together with a hint of impatience.

Mo Qi surrendered. "I'll go get my bag."

Mo Qi retrieved her bag and, knowing He Shuai was in no mood to care, returned directly to Sister Shang. "Sister Shang, I'll be heading off now. Have a good time."

Sister Shang felt a bit slighted by Shen Yijue's blunt rejection, but she didn't show it on her face. "Since you have matters to attend to, I won't keep you. Let's get together again when there's an opportunity."

"Of course," Mo Qi smiled. "Even if you try to chase me away next time, I won't leave."

Mo Qi's words made Sister Shang feel a little better, and she smiled as she saw Shen Yijue and Mo Qi to the villa entrance. Xiao Zhang was already waiting by the driver's seat.

"I'll see you off here. Have a safe journey."

Once the car pulled away, the smile on Sister Shang's face instantly collapsed. She knew Shen Yijue was cold and detached, but she hadn't expected him to be so dismissive. She was a gold-medal agent at Royal Entertainment, yet Shen Yijue hadn't shown her a shred of respect.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, but resolving the mess He Shuai had made was the priority. Sister Shang snorted at the empty road and turned back toward the villa. To her surprise, she found Liu Yi standing not far away, watching her with an amused smile.

Another annoying old fox.

Sister Shang cursed inwardly, but put on a smile. She walked toward Liu Yi at a leisurely pace and said, "Editor-in-Chief Liu, would it be convenient to find a place to talk?"

"Of course, it would be my honor."

If it's such an honor, why were you hiding just now!

Sister Shang gestured for him to follow and led Liu Yi to a small courtyard outside the villa. "Editor-in-Chief Liu, let's not play games. What are your intentions?"

She had invited reporters from Dongdu Entertainment and other friendly magazines to this private party precisely to corner Mo Qi into admitting she had assaulted He Shuai, so they could report it directly. She hadn't expected to end up shooting herself in the foot.

Sister Shang was deeply frustrated, but with He Shuai's leverage now in Liu Yi's hands, she had no choice but to lower her stance. Fortunately, Liu Yi had shown some restraint, letting only Dongdu Entertainment film the video without involving others. Otherwise, if the matter blew up, the company executives would not let He Shuai off easily.

Liu Yi didn't play dumb. He smiled faintly and said, "Sister Shang is a veteran of this circle; you should know how much viewership this news would bring to Dongdu Entertainment's new video program."

Sister Shang gritted her teeth, knowing Liu Yi was asking for a huge price. But she hadn't become a top agent by being a pushover.

"The lighting in the grove was dim, and our Shuai should have had his back to your cameraman, right? Couldn't we argue that Dongdu Entertainment, desperate for ratings, just found someone with a similar build to impersonate our Shuai?" Sister Shang raised an eyebrow. She was gambling that Liu Yi hadn't actually captured a clear shot of He Shuai's face.

"Heh." Liu Yi chuckled. "Sister Shang is as sharp as ever, truly hitting the nail on the head. But what if we also released the address of this villa? I'm sure many of the guests tonight have already posted photos to their Moments and Weibo."

Clearly, Liu Yi was no easy target either.

Sister Shang was fuming, but helpless. She forced herself to soften her tone, stepped forward until she was half-leaning against Liu Yi, and whispered with a smile, "Editor-in-Chief Liu, our Shuai's career has only just begun. You can see his future potential. Wouldn't it be a pity if it were ruined by something like this? Besides, this whole thing was orchestrated by that tramp Sun Feifei. Shuai is young and impulsive, and he was tricked because he lacked experience. Can't you make an exception for my sake?"

As she spoke, she lifted her gaze, tilting her chin up to look at Liu Yi, who was a head taller than her. At the same time, she reached out and gently tugged on his tie, her fingertips grazing the buttons of his shirt.

Her eyes were filled with charm, and her gestures were highly provocative.