0163: Sales call?

Qin Lang also reacted and immediately walked over, grabbing Old Master Qin's hand with excitement.

"I never expected to run into you here. After you saved my daughter last time, you just vanished without a trace."

"I was merely lending a helping hand. Young lady, please get up. Don't go kneeling to me, or you'll shave years off my life."

Hearing Old Master Qin say this, Qin Tian slowly stood up.

Xu Lin and his father more or less figured it out. Not only was the story Old Master Qin had just told completely true, but the original person involved happened to be Qin Tian.

However, neither Xu Lin nor his father held any affection for Qin Tian and Qin Lang, so they didn't bother asking about the reasons behind the incident.

"Do you live around here?" Qin Lang's emotions settled down a bit, and he sat down next to Old Master Qin.

"Just downstairs. Are you friends with Xu Guangfeng?"

"What a coincidence. We haven't been here in a long time and just dropped by on the way, never expecting to run into you."

"Ah, well, that's that. I'm full. You folks chat, I'm heading home first." Old Master Qin nodded and stood up to leave.

"You're Old Master Qin, right? We're practically family, my surname is Qin too. Since it's such a rare fate to meet you again, I simply must thank you properly!"

"No need! I truly just lent a hand. I'm off, Guangfeng, I'll come over for another drink next time."

With that, he walked toward the door. Xu Laozi, who was a little tipsy, walked him out. Qin Lang glanced at his daughter.

"Follow him and see Old Master Qin home. I'll chat here for a bit and come right down."

"Alright." Qin Tian nodded and immediately followed.

Qin Lang stood up with an honest, awkward smile and leaned over toward Xu Lin's side.

"Xu Lin, is Miss Chu not around?"

"She has her own matters to attend to usually. Does Uncle Qin need her for something?"

Xu Lin had asked Chu Qingchan about this once before, but she had already forgotten all about those two. Besides, she wouldn't stoop to playing dirty tricks behind the scenes on two nobodies.

They hadn't contacted each other since, nor had the two of them sought her out. At the time, Chu Qingchan had simply found Qin Tian's arrogance grating and decided to put her in her place.

"I want to thank Miss Chu. If it weren't for her, Tian..." Qin Lang's expression grew serious.

"Did something happen?"

"Didn't she tell you?"

"No, she didn't mention anything of the sort to me."

"Ever since that incident, I've reflected a lot when I went back. As a father, I failed to protect her."

"It was also because of my own laziness and utter lack of competence that I let her stray onto the wrong path. But since she has chosen to walk the path of the entertainment industry, I will support her."

"However, half a month ago, one of her private videos leaked online, and... it was real. We were completely dumbfounded at the time, having no idea what to do!"

"We merely issued a simple denial on social media, especially since the footage was quite blurry. But the spread of the internet is terrifying, and it drove her psychological pressure to unbearable limits."

"A few days later, while I went out to buy breakfast, I came back to find her lying in the bathtub with her wrists slit!"

"I panicked completely. The ambulance was blocked outside the residential complex, and Old Master Qin happened to be working nearby. Without a second thought, he picked her up and carried her to the ambulance."

"I went with her in the ambulance, but by the time we returned, Old Master Qin had already left. I asked the family living downstairs, but they said they didn't have the worker's phone number."

"A week ago, having no other options left, I managed to contact Miss Chu Qingchan and begged her for help."

"Even though Miss Chu Qingchan had a conflict with us last time, she still helped us."

"I don't know how Miss Chu Qingchan managed it, but the online spread gradually stopped. I felt I had to come and properly express my gratitude."

Listening to his account, Xu Lin let out a deep breath and massaged his temples, feeling as though these events belonged in a TV drama. The entertainment industry indeed...

No wonder Qin Tian hadn't worn any makeup this time, looked rather pale, and in her plain clothes, looked almost like a country girl.

"Even if it's resolved, she probably doesn't want to return to the entertainment industry anymore, right?"

"Well... because that video was leaked by the very ex-boyfriend who had helped her get into the crew! Miss Chu Qingchan helped us secure the evidence, and now he's been put away."

"Then you certainly ought to thank Chu Qingchan properly."

Hearing this, Xu Lin knew Chu Qingchan must have asked Chu Fengyi for assistance. While Chu Qingchan had a PR team, it wasn't capable of investigating information to that extent.

"Yes."

"Just thank her to her face. She lacks nothing and doesn't care to chat idly with outsiders."

"I understand."

"You should go thank Old Master Qin first. After all, he's your family's lifesaver."

"Right, right. I'll head downstairs then. Which floor is it?"

"Room 302. Don't make a fuss; if he refuses, let it be. Old Master Qin's wife passed away just half a month ago, so he's also—"

"Oh! Got it, got it." Qin Lang clenched his fists and strode out quickly.

His father walked back in from outside and closed the door tightly, plunging the apartment back into silence. Xu Lin stood up.

"I'll wash the dishes. Let them handle their own affairs."

"Yeah, though Qin Lang actually seems much better than before. He's lost that arrogant air." Xu Laozi muttered a comment.

"People are all like that. When they have a bit of success, who doesn't like to show off and put on airs? It's human nature. But when it makes everyone else uncomfortable, it loses its point."

"Son, your old man is going to a class reunion the day after tomorrow. Can you hook me up with a nice car to drive?"

"?"

"Didn't you just say everyone wants to put on airs? Your dad does too!"

"Hahaha, fine. But what makes you think your son can get you a car?"

"I believe in my son's abilities."

"You mean you believe in your future daughter-in-law."

"Anyway, I'll leave it in your hands."

Thinking about how everyone else had driven cars to the last reunion while he had to take a taxi, Xu Guangfeng decided he needed to drive a car there this time no matter what.

"Alright, alright. Are there any ingredients left at home?"

"Plenty of vegetables. What are you doing? Didn't you just eat?"

Xu Guangfeng had no idea his son could eat this much. Didn't he usually eat barely more than a young girl?

"A guest is coming around 8 o'clock. I'm preparing some food."

"A guest? Why didn't you say so earlier? We could have just eaten together."

"You and Mom already finished cooking early. We can't keep Old Master Qin waiting forever, can we? It's just a woman with a child, how much can they eat? I'll just stir-fry two or three dishes, that should be enough."

"Suit yourself. But since when do you know women with children?"

Meeting his father's strange gaze, Xu Lin rolled his eyes. He figured out where his own latent tendencies came from.

After washing the dishes and preparing the ingredients, he checked the time—it was not yet 8 o'clock.

He walked over to the window to air out the smell of food and dialed Chu Qingchan's number.

"Hey, are you home yet?"

"Just got in. You really know how to time things. Have you eaten? Let's go out for a bite, just the two of us."

Chu Qingchan's voice carried a hint of laziness and huskiness, sounding as if a feather were lightly brushing against the tip of one's nose.

"You forgot. President Ye is coming over tonight to have dinner at my place at your invitation."

"Oh~"

"You sound very unhappy about that."

"If you spend a whole day alone with me sometime, I'll be happy."

"Can you smile at me for a whole day?"

"That's asking a bit much of someone with a resting face, but I'll try my best."

"Alright, see you in a bit. Don't bother dressing up, there are no outsiders."

"Mm."

"By the way, Qin Lang and Qin Tiantian came to my place just now."

"Qin Lang... It's him. He tracked down the studio a few days ago and kept begging me for help. At first, I didn't want to help."

"Then why did you?"

"Because we're both women. I dislike her for trying to climb up using her body, but being secretly filmed and plastered all over the internet is far more malicious!"

"Especially with all that victim-blaming nonsense, saying women don't respect themselves. She's the victim here, for crying out loud! The same would apply if it were a man!"

A trace of indignation colored Chu Qingchan's voice. Xu Lin understood; that was precisely why he never watched candid leaks and stuck strictly to professionally produced content.

"So you asked Chu Fengyi for help after all?"

"How did you know? Yes, my sister is amazing after all."

"No need to be jealous of her. Everyone has their own areas of expertise."

"I know. Besides, I actually felt what I said back then was a bit harsh. Calling her a hooker in front of so many people—truth is, she just dated a few guys in the industry."

"There's no point dwelling on it... Anyway, go cook, I'll be there soon."

"Alright."

He hung up the phone, and immediately it rang again. Xu Lin glanced at the number—it wasn't one he recognized.

He prepared to hang up, as he loathed matching wits with telemarketers and accidentally subscribing to data plans. But his hand was slightly damp, and his finger slipped, pressing answer directly.