Chapter 37: Detected

Lin Qinghe looked toward the voice. Cen Han stood beneath the steps in the curtain of rain, his clean, slender hand gripping the umbrella handle. The cuffs of his dress shirt were slightly rolled up, revealing his firm forearm. The streetlight was dim, but his features were exceptionally clear and deep.

His state of mind was a bit subtle. It seemed that every time he ran into trouble, Cen Han would always appear at his side, as if this man was practically omnipotent.

Stepping toward the stairs, he approached Cen Han and asked, “Mr. Cen, why are you here?”

“I’ll take you back to the hotel.” Cen Han didn’t give an answer, only tilting the umbrella inward just enough to shield Lin Qinghe from the drifting rain. “Let’s go. It’s going to rain harder.”

Lin Qinghe made his choice quickly. He ducked beneath that large black umbrella. Water splashed up from the ground, soaking the hems of his trousers. As he looked down, a strand of hair fell forward, lightly brushing against the back of Cen Han’s hand.

Feeling a slight itch, Cen Han raised his hand to loosely drape it over Lin Qinghe’s shoulder. Before turning to leave, his gaze swept past Song Lianqi like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, an oppressive aura making it hard to breathe.

Song Lianqi read a warning in that look, but it was more than that. The competition between men was easy to understand; the faint possessiveness was the key point.

He recalled another Starlight Entertainment artist he had his eye on before, also unyieldingly proud. Just when he was about to succeed, Chen Dong had told Cen Han everything, and all his efforts were wasted.

But the difference this time was that Cen Han’s intentions were obvious.

It seemed a bit troublesome now.

The passenger door opened, and Lin Qinghe got in. Cen Han circled around, and the umbrella was placed in the back seat.

Lin Qinghe didn’t see a driver, guessing Cen Han had driven here himself.

The engine started, the steering wheel turned fully, Cen Han reversed the car and stepped on the gas. The next moment, the Rolls-Royce shot forward, its black body piercing the rain curtain and merging into the dark night.

The world outside the window was noisy and bustling. The space inside the car was much smaller, the atmosphere quieter. Lin Qinghe brushed his sleeves, and the rustling sound was amplified several times.

“There are tissues in the glove compartment,” Cen Han prompted.

“Alright.” Lin Qinghe pulled out a tissue and said, “Xi Nian and the others don’t know I’ve left yet. I should call them.”

Cen Han nodded: “Feel free.”

After a few rings, Xi Nian’s voice came from the screen.

“Hello? Brother Qinghe, we’ll be there soon, about four or five minutes.”

Lin Qinghe gathered his words: “Mm, I met Mr. Cen earlier, and I’m heading back to the hotel now.”

“Ah? Oh, oh, okay, then we won’t stop at the small manor, we’ll just leave.” Xi Nian was a little surprised at first. Perhaps afraid Cen Han might overhear something, she cleverly didn’t ask a single question, but she was indeed curious about Cen Han’s reason for being at the small manor.

She wasn’t the only one curious. Lin Qinghe was curious too. It was all just too coincidental. After hanging up the phone, he leaned back in his seat and fell silent, his pale face reflected in the glass window.

“That person at the manor gate, do you know him?” Cen Han suddenly asked.

“I don’t. I met him for the first time at the banquet tonight.” Lin Qinghe looked up at Cen Han. “Mr. Cen knows him?”

“A few years ago, an artist from Starlight Entertainment had a dispute with him and was forced to quit the industry.” Cen Han spoke concisely. “He has bad intentions. Stay away from him.”

Zhong Yu had mentioned this matter before. Lin Qinghe had a faint impression. He thought for a moment: “Is the name Song… Song Lian…”

Cen Han stated: “Song Lianqi.”

So that was it. He was Song Lianqi. Lin Qinghe’s intuition was accurate; he had always felt this person was being very offensive toward him.

Since Lin Qinghe could say the name, it meant he knew some of the situation. The traffic light ahead turned red, prohibiting passage. The car slowed until it stopped. Cen Han gripped the steering wheel with one hand and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his collar.

“Did he give you a hard time?”

Lin Qinghe shook his head in response: “It wasn’t exactly giving me a hard time. He invited me for a drink and to chat. I refused. Then he wanted to take me home, and I didn’t pay him any attention.”

Right after that, he heard Cen Han call his name. From his judgment, it seemed Cen Han had made a special trip for this, because everything Cen Han said and implied was telling him that Song Lianqi might do something to him.

He hesitated for a few seconds: “Mr. Cen.”

“Mm.” As if understanding Lin Qinghe’s confusion, Cen Han gave a faint smile and offered the answer he should have given earlier: “Xi Yan happened to overhear Song Lianqi talking about you with someone and sent me a message.”

“I see.” Lin Qinghe understood. “I should thank Senior Brother, then.”

Cen Han: “Thank Senior Brother?”

It might have been an illusion, but sensing a rhetorical tone in those words, Lin Qinghe felt his statement wasn’t quite appropriate, so he added: “I have to thank you too, Mr. Cen. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have left so smoothly.”

The corner of Cen Han’s mouth curved slightly, accepting this thanks. His gaze swept over Lin Qinghe, and his voice was warm and slow: “Roses really suit you.”

“Mm.” Lin Qinghe smiled with the corners of his eyes. “It was Xi Nian’s inspiration.”

No matter how delicate the rose, it couldn’t compare to the person shining so brilliantly.

The light turned green, and Cen Han shifted his attention. The drive from the small manor to the Floating Fate Hotel took over an hour and required passing a stretch of highway. With the rain and the night, for safety’s sake, the two tacitly stopped talking.

It was almost half past nine when they arrived at the Floating Fate Hotel.

Lin Qinghe took the initiative to say goodbye: “Mr. Cen, I’ll head up first. Drive safely on the road.”

Cen Han replied: “Goodbye.”

Once the person got out of the car, Cen Han slowly leaned back, quietly watching Lin Qinghe’s figure disappear into the lobby. The emotions in his eyes were unfathomable and hard to read.

Only after a long time did he withdraw his gaze and drive back to Xiangtan.

Xi Nian and Sun Lin arrived a bit later. After Lin Qinghe finished washing up and changed into his pajamas, he sat on the sofa. Xi Nian put away the white suit and said as she worked, “Why did Brother Cen Han suddenly come to the small manor to pick you up? I remember they said he was on a business trip in Lin City.”

“Business trip?” Lin Qinghe took a sip of hot tea. He had no idea about Cen Han’s schedule at all. He lowered his eyes, “Maybe he came back today.”

“That makes sense.” Xi Nian finished tidying up and sat across from Lin Qinghe. “Otherwise, he wouldn’t have come to pick you up.”

She thought for a moment: “Brother Qinghe, I still don’t understand why.”

Nothing about it made sense, but she didn’t know where to start asking, because Brother Qinghe didn’t know everything either. As an assistant, she should be aware of her artist’s movements to prevent some troubles in advance.

Lin Qinghe told the truth: “Song Lianqi attended the banquet. He invited me for a drink and wanted to take me home. After your cousin found out, he told Mr. Cen, so Mr. Cen stepped in to give Song Lianqi a warning.”

This explanation made complete sense. Lin Qinghe was an artist of Starlight Entertainment. If something happened to him, the company would suffer a loss.

But that was no longer the main point. Xi Nian raised her voice: “That pervert Song Lianqi invited you for a drink?!”

Disbelief filled Xi Nian’s tone. Lin Qinghe soothed her: “Mm, I refused.”

“My god, Song Lianqi is truly terrifying. He’s just a shameless and despicable…” Xi Nian went on for a while, and the topic was successfully diverted.

Lin Qinghe sat up straight, listening to her express her disgust for Song Lianqi, but his mind was on other things.

Actually, ever since Cen Han took the blade for him, he hadn’t quite believed that Cen Han’s actions were solely for the company.

.

“You should act very scared. Your body should tremble when you kneel on the ground.” On set, Li Ran was guiding the actors, personally demonstrating.

“Move the light a little to the left, just a tiny bit more. Good, that angle works.”

“Jiang Nian, ready. Three, two, one, go!”

The candlelight in the room was bright. The maidservant didn’t know how to answer Duke Devin’s question and lowered her head in terror.

“When did it go missing?” Duke Devin’s emotions were unreadable. This emotionless tone made people even more uneasy.

“I don’t know. This lord suddenly disappeared.” The maidservant immediately knelt on the ground, trembling. She didn’t dare look at Duke Devin’s expression. She truly knew nothing. How could a person just vanish into thin air in an instant?

The atmosphere fell silent for a few seconds. After a moment, Duke Devin turned and stepped out of the room.

The maidservant breathed a sigh of relief, her temples covered in cold sweat.

The filming of “Dream of the Blue Moon Night” continued on schedule.

Lin Qinghe held the script, walking and reading on set. His scene was to be completed with Yu Lian, who played Ge Wei.

The gist was that while staying in the Royal Garden, Celine discovered that Ge Wei carried Seying’s scent, stronger than before. He then followed Ge Wei, wanting to find Seying, but unexpectedly, Ge Wei flirted with a lady halfway through, and finally embraced her, entering a room.

Celine knocked the lady unconscious and interrogated Ge Wei for the truth. Unfortunately, Ge Wei splashed Spirit-Weakening Water on him. His spiritual power, which hadn’t recovered much, was exhausted once again. He was forced to flee and jumped into the Golden Pool before transforming into a merfolk.

It was a bit challenging. Here, Celine’s pressure leaked out, not obvious but enough to make people tremble in fear. To perform it well, he needed to contemplate it more.

Lin Qinghe mentally rehearsed the scene several times, constantly adjusting and repeating until he was satisfied.

Yu Lian and the extras were already in position. Neither was very comfortable with the intimate scene, so they were given some time to get familiar. After they were less restrained, the scene officially began.

“Action!”

Xie Yuanyu from “Twelve Miles of Snowy Capital” had taught Lin Qinghe some lessons. He thought he might have started to grasp it a little. Taking a deep breath, he got into character.

Unseen and unnoticed, he stood in the corner, scrutinizing Ge Wei’s residence. Apart from Ge Wei and that lady, there was no trace of Seying. So, Seying wasn’t here.

“Lord Ge Wei, the calluses on your hands are so sexy.”

“Lady Lianli, I have even sexier places. Does my lady know where?”

“Ohoho, you’re so bad.” Lady Lianli giggled coyly, stroking Ge Wei’s face with infatuation. Just as she was about to ask for a kiss, she pushed the man in front of her away, her eyes widening in shock.

“Ah! Who are you!?”

The ambiguous atmosphere was completely shattered. Ge Wei sat up on the bed, his clothes disheveled. He narrowed his eyes and saw a mysterious blue figure six or seven meters away. A white light flashed—the gleam of a dagger’s edge.

Lady Lianli couldn’t grasp the situation. She gathered her dress and hugged her head, making a move to run, but she collapsed and fainted before she could even get off the bed.

Celine withdrew his hand leisurely, turned to Ge Wei, and advanced step by step. His voice was like a layer of autumn mist, cold and ethereal: “Seying. Where?”

Panic flashed across Ge Wei’s face. He reacted swiftly, avoiding Celine’s hypnotic gaze. Barefoot, he stepped onto the velvet carpet, lunging for the standing rack next to the bed to yank out a long blade.

But Celine was one step ahead.

“Ugh.” Ge Wei grunted. Caught off guard, he was pinned against the marble pillar by Celine, who had teleported.

The dagger’s point hovered barely two centimeters above his eye.

Celine’s index finger slid over the neck where veins pulsed beneath the skin, the dagger descending: “Seying. Where?”

Ge Wei trembled slightly, his eyes darting as he struggled and pleaded in a low voice: “I’ll talk, I’ll talk. Take the knife away. Don’t kill me, don’t kill me.”

Celine ignored him. He didn’t listen to nonsense.

Ge Wei’s inner fear reached its peak. Just as the point was about to plunge into his eye, he had no choice but to honestly confess: “She… she’s gone! Half a year ago, to save His Highness Franlang, she died! Everyone in the entire palace knows. She saved His Highness, but died herself! His Highness Franlang was once utterly heartbroken!”

The descending dagger halted.

Ge Wei gritted his teeth, his chest heaving erratically. Just as he thought he could deceive Celine, a sharp, cutting pain came from the side of his face and his ear.

Ah!!!!

His voice was silenced. He could only open his mouth in a useless scream. The blade was sharp, blood instantly overflowing from the wound. His face was hideously distorted.

To avoid getting dirty, Celine released his grip. Ge Wei used the opportunity to roll on the ground, clutching his face and panting heavily.

“Last time. Where?” His patience was running out.

Celine looked down at Ge Wei from above, his gaze sweeping over the other’s arm, as if warning that if he didn’t tell the truth next, the next place to suffer pain would be there.

Ge Wei braced his hands on the carpet, trembling as he backed away, quickly scheming in his mind, but his mouth said: “I’ll talk. I know, I know where she is. She’s in, she’s in, she’s in a grave that never sees the light of day!”

Ge Wei suddenly erupted. With all his might, he lunged for a table on the side, snatched an inconspicuous glass bottle, opened the stopper, and threw it at Celine. The crystalline water was tossed into the air, a trail splashing and wetting Celine’s profile.

Due to carelessness and disregard, Celine was unavoidably touched by the Spirit-Weakening Water. Unexpectedly, he felt the power within him draining away, faster than any previous instance. It was as if a massive hole had appeared, utterly impossible to fill.

He took a step back. Though he hadn’t figured out why, if he stayed like this any longer, he would transform into his merfolk form.

Decisively, with a flick of his wrist, the dagger was originally meant to pierce Ge Wei’s neck, but Ge Wei dodged somewhat, and it merely grazed the skin before stabbing into the carpet.

Celine didn’t linger in the fight. He forced himself to flee from this place, his steps appearing slightly disordered.

Ge Wei endured the intense pain and called for his servants, quickly issuing orders.

“Several of you go to Dark West Hall and inform His Highness Franlang. Tell him the opportune moment has come. Take more men to Duke Devin’s Mansion to surround and capture the demon!”

“Yes.”

“Yes, Lord Ge Wei.”

This was destined to be a sleepless night.

Celine stumbled all the way back to Cloud Palace. On the way, Butler Allen ran into him in his weakened state and was extremely shocked. He should know that he had accompanied His Highness Devin to the victory banquet. Celine was still there at that time, but when they returned, Celine had vanished. And although the Duke wasn’t overly worried, his displeased mood was visible.

Allen asked Celine what happened, but Celine seemed not to hear and headed straight for the Golden Pool.

“Aiya, what on earth happened?” Allen looked anxious, pacing as he thought. “No, I must inform the Duke immediately.”

Celine jumped into the Golden Pool the second before his fish tail formed.

Water splashed everywhere. His figure sank deeper and deeper until not a trace could be seen.

Two seconds later.

“Splash.”

Lin Qinghe emerged from the pool surface, wiping the water from his face. He felt this scene had gone quite smoothly, almost without any major issues that needed correction.

He asked Li Ran: “Brother Li, did this segment pass?”

Li Ran nodded steadily: “Mm, come here.”

The staff helped Lin Qinghe ashore. Wrapped in a large towel, he walked toward Li Ran, feeling somewhat uncertain.

“Qinghe, take a look at your performance just now.” Li Ran gestured at the screen. The progress bar started from Celine’s appearance.

The blue figure on the screen was eye-catching. Poised and composed, interrogating Ge Wei, the posture holding the dagger was relaxed. When striking, there was no hesitation. His eyes were clear as snow, as if everything was under his control.

His entire aura was commanding, standing out with exceptional independence.

He was no longer the same person as Lin Qinghe.

“What do you think yourself?” Li Ran asked, stroking his chin.

Lin Qinghe finished watching the last frame and answered, “I feel it’s very wondrous. This person is like me but not like me.”

“Hahahaha.” Li Ran was amused by this description. He looked at Lin Qinghe, his eyes full of praise. “A perfect fit. You performed extremely well. Your progress surprises me.”

Hearing the director’s straightforward affirmation, Lin Qinghe’s mood brightened. He laughed a few times: “It’s good that there’s progress.”