Chapter 42: He Already Knew

Chapter 42: He Already Knew

"President, Miss An is in trouble." Assistant Yin handed his phone to Chu Qichen as soon as he entered the office.

Chu Qichen looked up and took it, scrolling through while asking, "When did this happen?"

Assistant Yin lowered his head guiltily. "It happened last night. I forgot to check Weibo yesterday, and I was busy today, so I only just saw it."

Chu Qichen lifted his gaze to him, and Assistant Yin quickly added, "I’m sorry, President!"

"Where is she now?"

"I just called Liu Ayi. She’s already back at the villa."

Chu Qichen lowered his head again, scrolling through the Hot Search, his expression turning cold. "Which company does this Lu Man'er belong to?"

"Dongyu Entertainment. Do you want to blacklist her, President?"

"Blacklisting her is inevitable, but not now." This female celebrity had shown An Wen the true face of the entertainment industry. Now was the perfect opportunity to pull An Wen out of it.

"Give the order. Have Huayi’s PR team step in and disclose An Wen’s school and age."

Chu Qichen called Liu Ayi to inform her he would be coming to the villa that evening.

Liu Ayi happily pulled An Wen out of bed, saying, "Miss, Mr. An is coming back today."

An Wen immediately opened her eyes. "Wasn’t he abroad?"

"He returned last week."

An Wen, startled, quickly got up, changed her clothes, and went downstairs to find Jiang Shiyu. "From now on, lock yourself in this room. No matter what happens outside, don’t come out."

"What’s wrong? Did Lu Man'er stir up trouble again?" Jiang Shiyu’s drowsiness vanished in an instant.

"No, this is ten thousand times scarier than Lu Man'er." An Wen placed some snacks and drinks in Jiang Shiyu’s room and repeated her warning. "Only come out if I call you. Without my call, you are not to open this door."

"What exactly is going on?" Jiang Shiyu asked anxiously.

"I can’t explain it. Just don’t come out, understand?" An Wen made Jiang Shiyu promise before closing the door. Jiang Shiyu locked it from the inside.

An Wen sat on the sofa, watching TV while waiting for Chu Qichen. Soon, she heard the sound of a car. She stood up to look outside and saw Chu Qichen approaching.

He gave her a brief glance before bending down to change his shoes. Liu Ayi greeted him with a delighted expression. "Mr. An, dinner will be ready soon. I made an extra dish and a soup."

"Hmm." Chu Qichen acknowledged and walked toward the sofa.

An Wen stood beside the sofa, greeting him obediently. "Mr. Chu."

Chu Qichen sat down, crossing his long legs, and looked up at her with a calm expression. "Finally decided to come back? Where did you go on this trip?"

"I visited many places. Traveling gave me a different perspective and feelings," An Wen replied meekly.

"Then tell me, what exactly is different about your perspective and feelings?" Chu Qichen asked, his tone casual, yet An Wen inexplicably felt a pressure.

Why did this feel like being interrogated by a parent?

"It’s hard to describe. If you have time, Mr. Chu, you should go out and experience it for yourself," An Wen said, her long, straight hair cascading softly, her peach-blossom eyes clear and docile against her fair complexion.

Chu Qichen simply felt that this child had grown up, lying with such ease. It seemed she had learned quite a bit during her time acting.

"You don’t even know how to describe your feelings anymore, An Wen. You should go back to school."

This aligned perfectly with An Wen’s own thoughts. She nodded obediently and said, "I’ll go to school tomorrow."

Hearing this, Chu Qichen said nothing more and sat on the sofa to watch financial news. An Wen sat at the edge of the sofa and watched along.

Every second felt like an eternity!

"Alright, Mr. An, Miss, dinner is ready!" Liu Ayi called out.

Chu Qichen turned off the TV and stood up. An Wen followed him to wash her hands. Only when she got close did she realize how tall he was—she had to tilt her head up just to glance at him.

Chu Qichen looked over at her, and An Wen, unable to retract her gaze in time, met his eyes. She gave him a well-behaved smile, turned off the faucet, and said softly, "Mr. Chu, I’m done."

Chu Qichen also turned off the faucet and replied indifferently, "Calling me 'Mr. Chu' is too distant. You should address me the way you used to."

An Wen instinctively nodded, then paused—how had the Original Owner addressed him before? Brother Chu!

I can’t do that…

The meal was eaten with extreme caution by An Wen, as Chu Qichen kept suddenly asking questions about her trip, forcing her to give vague answers.

Then, Yin Assistant arrived. After a brief conversation with him, Chu Qichen called for Liu Ayi and said, "Clean up the large guest room. Yin Assistant will stay there tonight."

An Wen’s heart tightened—that room was currently occupied by Jiang Shiyu.

Liu Ayi instinctively glanced at An Wen, who quickly spoke up, "That room hasn’t been cleaned in so long, it’s covered in dust. Maybe we should give Yin Assistant a different room?"

"Liu Ayi cleans twice a week. How could it be full of dust?" Chu Qichen questioned.

If An Wen pressed further, it would imply Liu Ayi had been slacking, so she fell silent.

"Sir, it’s my fault. I’ve been lazy lately and didn’t clean that room," Liu Ayi admitted.

An Wen shot her a grateful look, but to her surprise, Chu Qichen not only refused to change rooms but also said, "Liu Ayi neglecting her duties is rare. Open the door—let’s see how dirty it is."

Liu Ayi froze, looking helplessly at An Wen, who had no solution either.

"Open it!" Chu Qichen commanded.

Liu Ayi had no choice but to turn the handle, but the door was locked from the inside and wouldn’t budge. Seeing her struggle, Yin Assistant stepped in to help. After a few attempts, he reported, "President, the door is locked from the inside."

"Who’s in there?" Chu Qichen turned to An Wen, his expression calm yet imposing.

"It’s... a friend of mine," An Wen replied timidly, as if frightened.

"Tell her to open the door. If she’s a guest, why lock her in the room without even inviting her to dinner?" Chu Qichen’s tone was light, but his eyes held a sharp edge.

"She’s exhausted and sleeping. I didn’t want to disturb her..." Her voice trailed off as even she realized how flimsy the excuse sounded.

When she dared to glance at him, Chu Qichen’s gaze had turned even colder. She lowered her head, not daring to speak.

"Come with me!" Chu Qichen ordered sharply. An Wen had no choice but to follow him upstairs.

In the study, An Wen stood beside the desk like a daughter about to be scolded by her father. She peeked at Chu Qichen, only to find his expression even more severe.

She actually felt less nervous now and raised her head to ask him, "You knew all along?"

"What do you think?"

"If you knew from the start, why toy with me?" An Wen said, slightly angry.

"Before, I had no intention of intervening, so there was no need to tell you. But now that you’ve seen the dangers out there, An Wen, it’s time for you to leave the entertainment industry." Chu Qichen spoke with ease, as if discussing a business deal.