15 He Is Nowhere to Be Found

Wang Zhenfeng ignored him.

She had posted the video simply to verify whether Jiang He was right or wrong, but judging by the speed at which she had edited it, she held little hope for the video's potential to go viral.

After they finished eating, the rain, which had eased up, began to pour down again.

Wang Zhenfeng took out her phone for a glance; there were still only a few likes. She didn't show it on her face, but internally, she began to doubt herself. Was it really Jiang He’s poor eye for talent? Or was it her own lack of ability? Judging by the current results, the latter seemed far more likely.

Wang Zhenfeng let out a silent sigh.

Su Qingyi took in her expression, patted her shoulder gently, and said nothing. Wang Zhenfeng looked at her, her eyes suddenly stinging. Unconsciously, she leaned her head against Su Qingyi’s arm.

Su Qingyi looked down at her, pretended not to notice, and turned her gaze elsewhere. At the same time, a group of laughing men and women entered her field of vision. One of the girls recognized Wang Zhenfeng and said, "Oh, isn't this our Director Wang?"

Wang Zhenfeng recognized them too; she immediately composed herself and straightened her posture.

Su Qingyi hadn't recognized them at first, but upon seeing Jiang Yue and Xiao Lan in the group, she realized they were also short-video creators. Xiao Lan was holding a guqin, her Hanfu and shoes covered in mud, yet no one else seemed to care. Aside from Jiang Yue, no one else had any intention of helping her lift her skirt.

Su Qingyi couldn't help but recall the days when the three of them were still together. Back then, even if there was only one raincoat, Wang Zhenfeng would give it to Xiao Lan and Jiang Yue, while she sat in the front like a fearless warrior.

Su Qingyi narrowed her eyes subtly as she stared at Xiao Lan. Xiao Lan noticed her, too, and guiltily looked away.

Wang Zhenfeng had no intention of arguing with them and turned to leave, but the group blocked her path, surrounding her. "Director Wang, why the rush? Let's exchange some tips on making short videos—for example, how to keep a video’s likes under a hundred consistently."

Wang Zhenfeng pursed her lips, offering no rebuttal.

"You really are a waste of everyone's time," the girl said with great malice. Neither Xiao Lan nor Jiang Yue made any move to defend Wang Zhenfeng; they kept their heads down, pretending not to hear.

"Where did you scam this beauty from as an actor?" the girl asked, eyeing Su Qingyi. "Pretty lady, don't let her fool you. Her work is terrible. My friend made dozens of videos with her, and not one of them got over a hundred likes."

"Thanks for the heads-up," Su Qingyi said with a smile, accepting the title of 'pretty lady.' "But I think what Director Wang films is actually quite good."

"Are you blind, miss? Can you even watch the stuff she makes?"

Su Qingyi thought for a moment. "After all, she’s filming me."

The entire group fell silent. After all, one can disguise many things, but what is placed right before one's eyes cannot be faked. Just by standing there, she made it clear that anything filmed featuring her could not possibly look ugly. To make a beauty like her look ugly would only prove a lack of technical skill.

For the first time, Wang Zhenfeng truly understood the meaning of "facts speak louder than words." She also grasped the true meaning behind Jiang He's words: if filming others didn't go viral, one might suspect her technical skills, but if filming Su Qingyi didn't go viral, it would only lead people to suspect that something was wrong with their own eyes.

*Darn it, this looks-obsessed world.*

The girl was left speechless in front of Wang Zhenfeng for the first time. Her face alternated between red and white until finally, the beautiful girl leading the group broke the deadlock. She gave Su Qingyi a cold look and said, "Fine, let's go."

Su Qingyi watched her with calm composure. She still wore that harmless, pleasant smile that made it impossible to find fault, yet it was precisely that which made the girl feel so irritated.

The group of beautiful girls hadn't walked far when a black Audi Q7 pulled up in front of them. The leader was visibly stunned, but the man who stepped out of the driver's seat walked straight past her toward Su Qingyi, who was standing on the steps.

"Why are you here?"

Su Qingyi took in her reaction and explained with her usual calm, "I came to film some short videos with my younger sister. We just finished eating and were about to head back."

Zhou Xu stared at her face without blinking. It took him a while to snap out of it. "Then I'll drive you home."

Su Qingyi glanced at the people who had gotten out of his car and figured he must be here for dinner. She shook her head. "No need, you go do what you need to do."

"I'm finished with my business," Zhou Xu replied, eager to help.

The others had stopped to observe the beautiful girl's reaction, but she, acting as if she knew nothing, kept her back stiff and walked away without looking back.

Su Qingyi feigned nonchalance, pulled her gaze back, and shook her head again. "Really, there's no need."

However, Zhou Xu would not be deterred. He had already opened the passenger door. "By the time you finish refusing me, I could have already dropped you off."

Su Qingyi thought about it and decided he had a point. She accepted the ride and thanked him. As soon as she relented, Chu Shen dove into the front passenger seat. As he closed the door, he didn't forget to thank Zhou Xu: "Thanks, Uncle."

Zhou Xu, who had inexplicably become an "uncle," froze.

Once in the car, Wang Zhenfeng quietly explained the situation with the beautiful girl to Su Qingyi. Her name was Lu Xuan, a year ahead of Wang Zhenfeng. She usually relied on her good looks to ignore everyone, but she had taken a fancy to Zhou Xu. Zhou Xu, however, had no interest in her and treated her with the same indifference. Seeing him be so helpful to Su Qingyi today, she was likely having a breakdown.

But Su Qingyi had no interest in her drama with Zhou Xu. She just looked at the electric scooters flashing past the window and asked, "What about your scooter?"

Wang Zhenfeng snapped to attention. "Oh, crap! How did I forget my scooter?"

"My bike is still there too," Chu Shen said, turning back after hearing her. "Forget it, I'll go get it when the rain stops."

Wang Zhenfeng didn't want to turn back, but given the rain outside, she had no choice but to let it go, watching her scooter fade into the distance.

Zhou Xu kept glancing at Su Qingyi in the rearview mirror, but with Chu Shen and Wang Zhenfeng in the car, he didn't dare speak up. By the time she got out, he still hadn't found the right opportunity to talk to her, so he had to let it go.

**

"Sis, does that Zhou Xu like you?" Wang Zhenfeng asked the moment they were inside.

"Don't talk nonsense," Su Qingyi replied calmly. "He’s just being helpful."

"Then who do you think is better, him or Brother Jiang?" Wang Zhenfeng whispered, gossiping.

Su Qingyi was slightly taken aback. "Why do you ask?"

"Brother Jiang has no money, no connections, and no ambition. Aside from his face... he has nothing," she said, lowering her voice, fearing Su Qingyi might be annoyed. Seeing Su Qingyi's expression didn't change, she continued, "Zhou Xu is well-off, ambitious, helpful to you, and he’s handsome—even among rich guys, he’s good-looking. All things considered, I think Brother Jiang falls a bit short."

Su Qingyi thought of something and suddenly started to laugh. She patted Wang Zhenfeng’s shoulder. "Thanks for worrying about me, but I have no intention of marrying anyone. Whether someone has money or ambition doesn't matter to me at all."

Wang Zhenfeng looked at her, confused. "Then what matters?"

Su Qingyi curled her lips with a knowing expression. "Living in the moment is what matters most."

Wang Zhenfeng still didn't understand, but Su Qingyi had no intention of explaining further and turned to head upstairs. Wang Zhenfeng didn't press the matter; after all, her cousin was rich and beautiful, so there was no need for her to worry. Just as she was about to head to her room, her phone began to vibrate incessantly.

She initially thought it was Xiao Lan sending WeChat messages to berate her, but it turned out to be a flood of notifications from the short-video app. She was stunned. She opened the app and saw that the video featuring Su Qingyi was spreading, being liked, and commented on at a pace she had never seen before. She instinctively wanted to share the news with Su Qingyi, but the door was already closed, and she didn't want to disturb her.

**

Su Qingyi was still thinking about Lu Jingchen. She leaned against the window for a while before calling Fang Zhu to ask if he was at the shop. Fang Zhu’s answer was as she expected: he was not.

"Has Jiang Jingye returned?"

"Brother Jing?" Fang Zhu hesitated for two seconds before continuing, "Not yet."

Su Qingyi knew he was lying, but she didn't call him out. "Is that so? When he returns, please ask him to contact me."

Fang Zhu looked at Lu Jingchen, who was sitting quietly behind the cashier counter. He gave a faint, barely audible acknowledgment.

After the call ended, Fang Zhu continued to organize the cardboard boxes. He whispered a reminder: "Miss Su... is looking for you."

Lu Jingchen remained as emotionless as ever. He lowered his eyes, fiddling with a string of agarwood beads. It was unclear what he was thinking, but he was clearly not interested in the conversation. Fang Zhu couldn't imagine how Su Qingyi had offended him, and he didn't dare ask. He could only suppress his curiosity and remain silent.

At that moment, the rain outside had lightened. As Lu Jingchen put away the beads and rose to go upstairs, a familiar voice came from behind the screen: "Brother!"

Lu Jingchen paused.

Chu Shen ran in from behind the screen. "Do you have a dry towel? Help me wipe off."

Lu Jingchen had never heard Chu Shen speak to him like that, so he tilted his head in confusion. It wasn't until Fang Zhu spoke up that he realized this "brother" was someone else. Fang Zhu stood up skillfully. "Why are you soaked like this? Wait, I'll go get you a dry towel."

With that, he walked past Lu Jingchen toward the stairs.

The large shop suddenly went quiet. Only then did Chu Shen notice Lu Jingchen standing behind the wooden table. His formerly relaxed posture stiffened, and he became visibly restrained. "Bro... Brother, you're here too."

Lu Jingchen looked at him calmly. "Not at school?"

Chu Shen fell silent. After a long while, he stammered, "I... I didn't want to go."

Most of the time, Lu Jingchen wasn't one to meddle in other people's business. Upon hearing an answer that would have made most people's worlds crumble, he simply gave a faint acknowledgment and said nothing more.

Chu Shen secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Fang Zhu returned from upstairs with a towel. As he wiped Chu Shen's hair, he asked, "How did you get so soaked?"

"I came in someone else's car, but the car could only stop at the entrance of the alley, so I ran the rest of the way."

"Why didn't you have him drop you off closer?" Fang Zhu asked, puzzled.

"My bike is still here."

"Oh," Fang Zhu didn't pursue the matter. "Have you eaten?"

Chu Shen nodded and glanced secretly at Lu Jingchen. Seeing that he had no intention of lecturing him, he whispered to Fang Zhu, "My classmate's sister treated me to dinner."

"Was the person who drove you back a friend of your classmate's sister?"

"Yes!" At the mention of this, Chu Shen's eyes lit up. "Do you know Zhou Xu, the one who does wood carving? I rode in his car. I've never been in such a luxurious car in my life."

Upon hearing the name Zhou Xu, a strong premonition arose in Fang Zhu's mind. He instinctively glanced at Lu Jingchen. "Your classmate's sister wouldn't happen to be Miss Su, would she?"

"How did you know?" Chu Shen replied. "We were filming short videos together near the south side of the bridge today."

Hearing this, before Fang Zhu could speak, Jiang He suddenly poked his head out from the stairwell. "That little sister finally decided to film her cousin? Hey, I told you! With her cousin's looks, it would go viral no matter how she filmed it."

When the word "looks" was mentioned, Lu Jingchen suddenly turned his head to look at him, his dark, indifferent eyes filled with scrutiny. The latter, however, remained oblivious and focused.

"But her cousin doesn't show her face," Chu Shen said thoughtfully.

"Huh?" Jiang He asked, confused. "Why?"

"I don't know. Whenever she films, she just tells Wang Zhenfeng not to show her face." Chu Shen shrugged.

"That's a pity. Otherwise, with her cousin's looks, becoming an influencer would surely... ouch!" Before he could finish, Lu Jingchen’s elbow suddenly collided hard with his nose. Jiang He was hit quite hard and nearly stumbled into the handrail. The perpetrator acted as if he hadn't noticed, uttered an insincere "Sorry," and continued heading upstairs.

Jiang He didn't mind; he clutched his injured spot and walked down the stairs. "Let me see, how did you film it?"

"Wait a second," Chu Shen brought up Wang Zhenfeng’s newly registered account. "Holy cow, how does it have so many likes already?"

Jiang He grabbed the phone. "Whoa! It’s getting this many likes just from filming *that*? If Miss Su showed her face, wouldn't she go viral? You should ask her cousin if she's willing to sign with our company as an influencer..."

Fang Zhu heard them getting more and more ridiculous and interrupted, "Miss Su is the future successor of the intangible cultural heritage wood carving tradition. She only wants to rent a shop in West City to promote Datong wood carving; why would she want to be an influencer?"

"I was just saying! Why are you so worked up?"

Fang Zhu ignored him and looked toward the other person in the stairwell. However, the person who should have heard that statement had already gone upstairs without looking back.

He hadn't even left a shadow behind.

Fang Zhu could only let it go.