Stop There, Daddy

In the mold-rain season, it always rained a lot in Yong City, and the gloom and subdued atmosphere was almost suffocating.

Wen Shuyue woke from sleep. She was as boisterous as always, but when alone, she always curled up in the rattan chair at the floor-to-ceiling window to stare unseeingly out of the room.

He Siming was standing on the second floor, his eyes fixed on Wen Shuyue, his hands deep in his pant pockets. He noticed her frown and the upset in her eyes.

He had lost track of time when he turned around to walk into his study.

After closing the door, he picked up the phone on the table and dialed a number. Then he held his phone to his ear. “Guan Yue, contact the PR and the legal departments. Have them delete all negative news about Wen Shuyue on the Internet. If that can’t be done, hack all computers in this city!”

His voice was cold and emotionless. Guan Yue knew that his boss was not joking.

Having been serving He Siming for many years, Guan Yue knew very well what kind of person he was, and he was fully aware that nobody could stop He Siming from doing what he wanted to do, especially not when Wen Shuyue was concerned. There was no surprise on Guan Yue’s forbidding face. He just answered, “Yes, Mr. He.”

“Other than that.” He Siming narrowed his piercing eyes. “E-mail a list of names of the judges of this year’s National Fashion Design Contest to me. Tell the finance department to prepare 5 million dollars. I want the money ready this afternoon.”

“Yes, Mr. He!” Guan Yue replied again.

After the arrangements were made, He Siming put down his phone and braced his hands on the table, his face apathetic.

Headline news of an entertainment newspaper alone could not have generated such influence. There was probably someone working against Wen Shuyue. Who was trying to set her up?

Someone’s face appeared in his mind and the look in He Siming’s eyes became fierce. “I hope it’s not you.”

He uttered those words through gritted teeth in a frosty voice.

An hour later.

He Siming was sitting in a hotel room. He had a smile in his long charming eyes, but the smile did not extend to his face. He raised his glass and smiled at the man beside him. “Mr. Wang, I’ve long since heard about your great prowess in fashion design. Allow me to toast you.”

With that He Siming drank his wine in one gulp.

The man addressed as Mr. Wang had a fat heavy face and three chins. He knew how much power He Siming wielded in Yong City, so when He Siming toasted him, Mr. Wang felt overwhelmingly flattered. “It’s my honor to make your acquaintance, Mr. He!”

He Siming toasted the judges one by one, pleasing them. After drinking with them for some time, he cut to the chase. “Judges of the contest, I believe you all know who I am, and who Wen Shuyue is.”

As he spoke, his eyes raked the face of everyone present.

All the judges were confused. Mr. Wang wanted to say something, but He Siming interrupted him. He languidly leaned against the back of the chair and casually crossed his long legs. “I heard some netizens claim that I helped Wen Shuyue advance out of the preliminary stage through the back door, but I think you guys know very well what the truth is. I don’t know why you disqualified her, and I don’t care, but now…”

After a brief pause, He Siming resumed, “I want you guys to do something as a personal favor to me. Since those netizens believe I pulled some strings for her, I’ll prove them right.”

As he stopped speaking, everybody present was stunned. They exchanged uncertain glances. Moments later, Mr. Wang said, “Mr. He, I know you’re a powerful man, but the rules of this contest are indeed very strict, and we value fairness. We don’t want to help anybody cheat.”

“I’m not asking you to help anybody cheat,” He Siming chuckled, flicking the lower hem of his trench coat, emanating a brooding air. “I just want to help Wen Shuyue get justice. I can’t let anybody ruin her career prospects on my account.”

The judges were staggered once again.

He Siming beckoned to Yan Yue to bring over the 5 million dollars. He pushed the bills to the middle of the dining table and said unhurriedly. “Restore her qualification and let the contest proceed in a normal manner. What position she gets will depend on her performance. What do you say?”

He was asking a question, but the tone in his voice brooked no argument. The judges fell silent again.Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

He Siming patiently waited for the judges to make a response.

If these old men disagreed, he would expose all the scandals about them online. Maybe that would cause a greater sensation.

A wicked smile touched He Siming’s mouth as he emanated a forbidding air.

Luckily, one of the judges was observant enough. He consulted with the other judges, weighing up the pros and cons. If He Siming was telling the truth, then they had indeed done Wen Shuyue an injustice.

Wen Shuyue’s work had impressed them all. There was no string-pulling whatsoever. If she was absent from the next round, those people’s speculations would be proved right.

After consulting each other for some time, they accepted He Siming’s offer.

He Siming did not accept their help for free. He gave them the 5 million dollars.

Chang Ning came to the company to talk about a collaboration project. After using the restroom, she was just about to go back when she saw the judges of the contest walking with a very handsome man.

“I think I’ve seen that guy before,” she murmured. She frowningly thought about it for a while. Her eyes suddenly widened and she raised her voice. “The man with Wen Shuyue that night!”

Having seen He Siming push those red bills to the judges with her own eyes, she was consumed with indignation. “Wen Shuyue was disqualified only days ago, and now someone’s pulling strings for her. Wen Shuyue, are you really as despicable as the netizens say you are?”

Chang Ning recalled that she had found Wen Shuyue fairly admirable the other day. Now it seemed she was terribly wrong.

A sneer touched Chang Ning’s lips. She turned around and left.

He Siming, after getting their promise, received a phone call from Guan Yue. He said that those online comments had been handled.

“I see,” He Siming said blandly. Then he set off to drive home. He was eager to see Wen Shuyue’s happy face.

He had to admit that the judges of the contest worked with great efficiency. He Siming had hardly returned home when Wen Shuyue flung herself at him and twined her arms around his neck.

She said, “He Siming, let’s go out for dinner!”

“Huh? Why?” He Siming held her waist lest she fall off. He lightly touched the tip of his nose against the tip of hers. He liked it when she was happy.

“Uh…” Wen Shuyue thought for a moment before she recalled that she had not told He Siming about her disqualification, which was why he was not happy about the restoration of her qualification.

She thought about it for a few seconds before she had a brainstorm and smiled, “Because I want to be with you!”

“Alright,” said He Siming, pleased by her words.

“I’ll go change!” Wen Shuyue jumped off him and trotted into her bedroom.

It had never occurred to her that the judges would conduct an investigation for her and restore her qualification after the truth was ascertained. The gloom she had been feeling for days vanished without a trace.