Chapter 271: Chapter 271 - 268: The One Mr. Jing Has Chosen

After all, five years ago, everything was obscured by a veil. No one could see clearly.

There’s no evidence, especially after five years. No one will believe it!

If Shi Su really stirred things up, Shi Yunyin could easily sue her for defamation.

Because it was evident to everyone that Shi Su had no proof of anything from five years ago, she had no choice but to take the blame for this plagiarism scandal.

What was Shi Su thinking?

Shooting herself in the foot?

When Shi Yunyin rushed to the event, she maintained a smile throughout, exuding confidence and composure. The entire media focused on observing her expression, noticing Shi Yunyin’s strong aura today, confirming that Shi Su’s accusation of plagiarism was unfounded.

Jiang City, the Jing Family.

What Shi Su wasn’t aware of was that, although Mr. Jing had a favorable impression of her as a future granddaughter-in-law, he wasn’t very critical of her being an actor but was very concerned about her character.

Even though the old man didn’t care much about the chaos within the entertainment industry, he had heard about the drama Shi Su starred in a few months ago, which became quite popular and received good reviews. Shi Su had been continuously praised recently, and the old man felt rather proud until suddenly, a news story about plagiarism surfaced.

Mr. Jing had already thoroughly investigated Shi Su’s background. Regardless of how the Shi Family didn’t acknowledge her, she was still Shi Lingkang’s daughter. Whether the Shi Family accepted her or not didn’t matter; the Jing Family didn’t need an alliance to secure their status. The older Mr. Jing got, the more he let things go, disdaining superficial titles. If the Shi Family didn’t care for her, the Jing Family could just marry her in and cherish her—no big deal.

However, Shi Su’s character was an issue that required attention.

Mr. Li, standing next to Mr. Jing, was still playing those news clips about Shi Su on his phone, full of allegations and wild guesses about Shi Su’s character.

Impatiently, the old man waved his hand, "Enough, enough, I don’t want to hear it."

Mr. Li quickly turned off the sound and put his phone aside.

The old man leisurely swirled the cup of tea, steam rising from it. He glanced at the silent Mr. Li and took a sip of tea, then asked, "What do you think, Laoli?"

Mr. Li maintained a calm demeanor akin to a seasoned detective, "I don’t know Miss Shi Su well, but I trust Mr. Jing’s judgment. He wouldn’t choose the wrong person."

Mr. Jing grunted, "Judgment can’t always be trusted. Even I, an old man, can’t see any room for maneuvering in this situation. Forcing the issue solved with power won’t work, and with this plagiarism scandal involved, the Jing Family shouldn’t be entangled."

Mr. Li gave the old man a silent look and said, "But you don’t seem the least bit worried."

The old man set the teacup down. "It’s because after this situation arose, that girl, Shi Su, was exceptionally calm... This might mean there’s more to it. We’ll see."

Mr. Li nodded, "It’s escalated to this point within a day, yet Mr. Jing and the second master haven’t spoken out yet. Mr. Jing handles things methodically and not rashly; he probably has his plans. But it’s rare for the second master to keep quiet and not express his opinion on this; it seems Shi Su herself has kept things under control, not needing the Jing Family to intervene."

Mr. Li chuckled lightly and added, "Someone Mr. Jing chooses wouldn’t be wrong."

The old man snorted, "I’d like to see what tricks that girl can pull off."

At six in the evening, just as Shi Su was about to have dinner with Mianmian, a call from Yi City came in.

Everyone was from the same circle; she was an artist, and Yi City was the CEO of a listed entertainment company. Knowing her phone number wasn’t difficult.

Receiving this call, Shi Su wasn’t surprised.

"Shi Su."

She looked at Shi Mianmian, who was eating steak with satisfaction, and casually spoke to the person on the other end of the phone, "What’s up?"

"Where are you right now?"

"At home."

Yi City paused for a moment on the other end, then said, "Kaixing Mansion? At Jing Jihan’s place?"

Though the media hadn’t dug deep into many details, which included Shi Su’s relationship with Jing Jihan, staying at Kaixing Mansion was not exactly a secret within small circles.

Hearing no response from her side, Yi City asked, "Can we meet?"

Shi Su handed a child’s fork to Shi Mianmian and, after two seconds of silence, agreed, "Time? Place?"

"Noma Western Restaurant on Central City Road, half an hour from now, is that okay?"

Shi Su glanced at the time, then at Mianmian, who was curiously looking up from her steak, and said, "Alright."

Mrs. Qin hadn’t left yet and remained to draw with Mianmian. Shi Su changed her clothes and went straight out the door.

Five years of separation, with a few encounters since her return that ended without closure, each time they just exchanged cold stares, without saying a word.

Many things left unsaid back then should now be approached with maturity; nothing should stand in the way of meeting candidly.

Besides, the substitute dance incident five years ago started because of Yi City.

Whether Yi City wanted to speak for Shi Yunyin or merely wanted to say something to her, this matter indeed needed to be settled at an appropriate time.

The last time Shi Lingkang almost sold her out, it ignited a long-buried seed in her heart, motivating her to quickly sever everything related to the Shi Family, unwilling to continue entangling.

...

At the Noma Restaurant on Central City Road, a famous Michelin three-star restaurant in Jiang City, Shi Su wasn’t in the mood to admire the services and dishes here. Yi City had booked a quiet booth, where she went straight to.

When she arrived, Yi City was already there, looking at the neon lights outside the window. Hearing the footsteps guided by the attendant bringing Shi Su over, he turned his head.

Shi Su wore a warm ivory coat and a woolen hat, a look indicating she had been at home and just dressed warmly before coming out, without any attempt to style herself.

Nevertheless, she had always been this way since she was young. While Shi Yunyin was as delicate and proud as a princess, Shi Su remained a quiet and understated presence that was rarely noticed.

Back then, he was the only one who discovered Shi Su hidden within the Shi Family villa. At that time, Shi Su was only fifteen and had been punished by Shi Lingkang to stand outside all night, drenched in rain. Standing under a tree in the front yard of the Shi Family villa, her eyes were as pure as a clear spring, quiet and unperturbed. Despite the severe punishment, there was no trace of grievance in those eyes. Although she seemed like a meek little girl, her indifferent attitude towards unfamiliarity contained a silent persistence.

Like now, even when external criticisms were endless, she simply sat here in her serene state, no longer appearing as the seemingly naïve and ignorant young girl, but as a quiet and restrained young woman.