"I don't think he likes her either. After all, who would like someone that appeared out of nowhere to steal half the affection from their parents."
After hearing this, Miss Li breathed a sigh of relief as her attraction for Lee Young-Min grew.
The celebration was about to officially start, but Seohyun was still nowhere to be seen, so Mother Lee thought Seohyun wasn't coming. But, just as she revealed a ridiculing smile, a white sports car pulled up at the front of the villa. Out of the car stepped Seohyun dressed in a long diamond encrusted silver gown, looking extremely feminine.
"Isn't that the child that the Lee Family adopted?"
"Is that Lee Seohyun? She's so beautiful."
"We don't see this child often. I never expected that she'd be so impressive."
Everyone began to talk about Seohyun. In fact, a few words made their way into Seohyun's ears.
But, Seohyun was not intimidated as she walked elegantly towards Father Lee and Mother Lee in her white high-heeled shoes and gave them a hug, "Mom! Dad!"
Father Lee was indifferent as he briefly acknowledged that it was good that she was back. Meanwhile, Mother Lee's gaze was spiteful and cold.
Seohyun looked at the two elders. Just as she was about to hand them her present, Lee Young-Min suddenly pulled her into his arms and gently hugged her, "Seo Seo..."
Seohyun angrily stepped on his foot. This man was doing this on purpose, even though they were obviously living under the same roof.
Everyone saw the way that Lee Young-Min hugged Seohyun. Although it was just a gentle hug, it still surprised them.
He did not go near any of the young socialite women in the room, yet he treated Seohyun with such affection and love. It seemed, this brother did not dislike Seohyun the way that everyone rumored.
Mother Lee was extremely displeased by Lee Young-Min's actions, but she couldn't complain in front of everyone. So, she quietly reminded Lee Young-Min, "Young-Min, help me entertain the guests."
Seohyun pinched Lee Young-Min and Lee Young-Min laughed.
Soon, it was time to open the gifts. Each family presented Father Lee with their expensive offerings. Miss Li, in particular, gifted him a thousand-year-old antique because she knew that he liked to collect them.
"This is worth tens of millions!"
"It looks like Miss Li is trying to win the favor of her future father-in-law."
"This is worth too much..."
After receiving everyone's admiration, Miss Li's lips slightly curved upwards. As a response, Mother Lee did not stop praising the young woman.
"Xiao Ai, you are too kind...I'll get Young-Min to share a dance with you later."
Miss Li turned and looked at Seohyun. For some reason, even though there were so many female guests in the room, she felt hostile towards Seohyun. Was it simply because she was Lee Young-Min's sister?
"Seohyun, what did you prepare for your father?" an elder asked. "It wasn't easy for your parents to bring you up. You need to be filial."
Seohyun smiled, pulled a box out of her handbag and handed it to Father Lee.
"I don't have anything expensive, so I can only give you this old item," Seohyun explained with a smile.
Everyone thought Seohyun was indeed nothing compared to Miss Li. There was no wonder that the Lee Family smiled so happily at their 'future daughter-in-law' and was indifferent towards Seohyun.
Father Lee received the box. But, as soon as he opened it, he froze for a few seconds before his eyes became teary, "Seohyun, where did you find this?"
"I heard you mention it when I was young, so I've been looking for it over the years."
It turned out, the gift that she had given Father Lee was something that once belonged to Lee Young-Min's grandfather. Back in the days, he had sold this broken watch to launch his business.
This was extremely sentimental for Father Lee...
Obviously, Father Lee was more pleased with this broken watch than the antique received from Miss Li as he held the watch in his hands and caressed it over and over again.
Mother Lee glared at Seohyun, angry that she had snatched away Li Ai's limelight.
But, Seohyun pretended that she didn't see a thing as she completely ignored Mother Lee's glare.
"That's why they say a daughter is a father's heart warmer. I guess they're right."
"Just because she heard about it when she was young, she remembered it until now. She sure is filial..."
Everyone's image of Seohyun began to change.
"Seohyun, I heard you work as a manager in the entertainment industry. Aren't entertainers difficult to get along with?" someone deliberately provoked. They wanted to embarrass Seohyun and make it sound like she was hanging around with a bunch of clowns.
But, Seohyun smiled elegantly and replied, "I think the one that is difficult to get along with is you. At least, they've never tried to make things difficult for me."
As soon as she heard these words, the woman was dumbfounded.
"I'm sorry, I need to go to the bathroom. Please continue without me." Seohyun knew that everyone would start attacking her soon if she didn't leave, so she quickly made her way out of there.
However, just as she reached the first floor bathroom, a black figure suddenly pressed against her, pushed her inside and locked the door.
"Are you crazy?" Seohyun glared at the sight of Lee Young-Min.
Lee Young-Min gripped onto Seohyun's wrist and with one swift move, kissed down on her lips, "I'm sure you must have expected me to do this."
Seohyun took a bite of Lee Young-Min's lips and sighed, "Do you want the whole world to know that we are doing something immoral?"
"All I care about is my happiness. I don't need to care about what other's think."
"But I care. Don't force me into a dead end," Seohyun said in seriousness.
After hearing this, Lee Young-Min pulled Seohyun into his embrace, "Just let me hug you for a little while. I guarantee that I'll behave..."
At this moment, Seohyun's heart weakened and she stopped resisting. After a little while, Lee Young-Min let go of her as promised, "Let's continue at home tonight."
After he was done, he opened the door and ran out.
Seohyun turned to the mirror and began to touch-up her makeup. But, a little while later, Li Ai suddenly stepped into the bathroom and asked, "A moment ago, were you and Lee Young-Min in the bathroom together?"
"Miss Li, I think you're overthinking things," Seohyun replied in an extremely calm manner.
"But, I saw it with my own eyes..."
"You were seeing things..."
But, Li Ai was certain that she wasn't seeing things. She even saw Lee Young-Min wipe the lipstick off his mouth as he walked out.
What was going on with these siblings?
Her mind was a blur. Li Ai thought of countless possibilities, but the one that she believed the most, was that Seohyun seduced Lee Young-Min. After all, they weren't blood-related.
Thinking of this, Li Ai felt that Seohyun was completely disgusting.
So, she decided to tell Mother Lee about this. How would Mother Lee react if she was to find out?
After returning to the celebration, Li Ai approached Lee Young-Min and asked, "Young-Min...I...I think I just saw you in the bathroom with Seohyun. Was I seeing things?"
"No, you weren't seeing things," Lee Young-Min admitted without hesitation.
"What?" Li Ai looked at Lee Young-Min in shock, her eyes so wide that her pupils almost popped out of their sockets.
"Is there something wrong with your ears?" Lee Young-Min shook his head with a look of pity.
"Are you saying that you and Seohyun were having sex in the bathroom?"
"Regardless of what we were doing, you don't stand a chance," Lee Young-Min said as he picked up his wine glass and walked away.
He did not admit anything, nor did he deny it.
Li Ai clenched her fists. She felt helpless against Lee Young-Min's psychological torment. Even though Lee Young-Min did not explain things in detail, he did not give her the slightest chance.
Li Ai was not the type of person to not admit defeat. However, she hated being defeated by Seohyun.
After all, they were meant to be siblings.
With this thought, Li Ai walked over to Mother Lee and asked softly, "Auntie, could I speak to you for a moment?"
Mother Lee nodded and walked out of the room to the garden outside.
"Xiao Ai, what did you want to speak about?"
"Auntie, don't you feel that Young-Min and Seohyun's relationship is a little too close?" Li Ai asked suggestively.
"Xiao Ai, they are siblings, so it's natural to be close. Don't overthink it."
"But, just a moment ago, I saw the two of them kissing in the bathroom," Li Ai exaggerated with a shocked voice. "I even confronted Young-Min about it and he didn't deny it."
Hearing this, Mother Lee froze as her eyes grew big, "Are you sure that you weren't seeing things?"
"No, when Young-Min was walking out of the bathroom, I even saw him wipe the lipstick from his lips."
After hearing this, Mother Lee clenched her fists angrily and stormed back into the villa.
Even though there were plenty of guests and it was an important event, she didn't care as she walked straight up to Seohyun and threw a slap across her face.
The slap resounded clearly across the room, immediately drawing everyone's attention.
"I brought you up not so you could seduce your brother," Mother Lee yelled.
Seohyun did not respond to Mother Lee's anger. Instead, she waited until Lee Young-Min was in front of them before she threw a slap across his face.
"What are you doing?" Mother Lee growled.
"I will treat your son the way that you treat me..." Seohyun replied coldly. "I'm sorry, but I never seduced your son. Your son is the one that's been seducing me."
"The Lee Family brought you up."
"But you also tried to sell me off," Seohyun quickly retorted. "The gratitude of bringing me up was canceled out the moment that you tried to sell me. Yet, you still have the audacity to mention it."
"Either way, Lee Young-Min and I are not blood-related. Even if I insist on being with him, there's nothing you can do. Weren't you certain that I seduced your son? In that case, I'll show you how I seduce him." After she was done speaking, Seohyun hooked her arms around Lee Young-Min's neck and perfectly matched her lips with his.
After a few seconds, she let go and said provokingly to Mother Lee, "As you wished."
"Arrgh...you are a complete sl*t!" Mother Lee had no choice but to yell.
However, Seohyun pushed Lee Young-Min aside and responded with a cold smirk, "The gratitude I have for the Lee Family officially ends today."
"And you, Lee Young-Min, you either move out of my house, or I'm moving." After speaking, Seohyun left the villa in front of all the guests. "How disgusting..."
Mother Lee was so angry that she almost had a heart attack. However, there was nothing she could do.
"Lee Young-Min, you better explain to me what all this is about."
"Seo Seo already said it all..." Lee Young-Min shrugged at his mother. "Are you trying to get hurt again?"
"That slut! Speak..."
"She's right, I'm the one that likes her. I've been chasing her all around the world and even became an actor because of her," Lee Young-Min replied swiftly. "Also, to get close to her, I even moved next door to her."
"Aren't you ashamed of yourself?" Mother Lee punched Lee Young-Min on the chest, "She's your sister!"
"I don't remember you ever giving birth to a sister." After speaking to Mother Lee, Lee Young-Min put down the champagne glass in his hand and turned to the guests, "I'm sorry everyone. In order to chase after Seo Seo, I will now make my leave. You guys help yourselves."
After that, Lee Young-Min ran out after Seohyun.
In reality, he was very thankful towards Li Ai.
If Li Ai hadn't exposed them, he would've never known that his Seo Seo had become so tough. The slap she gave him a moment ago wasn't fake at all. In fact, she had used all her strength. Most importantly, his Seo Seo had learned how to protect herself...
So, when he thought about Seohyun's slap, he was not angry. Instead, he couldn't help but laugh.
This time, after Mother Lee's scolding, Lee Young-Min actually felt a sense of release, especially since it happened in front of so many people. Because, this was equivalent to announcing it to the whole world.
From today onwards, he and Seohyun were likely to be called an 'immoral couple'. But for some reason, he felt that this wasn't a bad thing.
...
Seohyun was truly angered. Just the thought of Mother Lee made her sick.
Because of this, she did not return home after leaving the villa. Instead, she ended up at Wendy's place. She did not want to see Lee Young-Min tonight.
Seeing Seohyun in her fancy outfit, Wendy could guess that she had come back from a big event. But, noticing the unhappy look on her face, she did not dare to ask too much.
"Take me in for tonight. I don't want to go home."
"Because of Lee Young-Min?" Wendy laughed.
"You will never understand how I feel..." Seohyun sighed.
"Yes, I don't understand. But, I feel that you and Lee Young-Min have been entangled with each other for so long already. If you were to leave each other, who else would you end up with? Plus, would Lee Young-Min actually let you go? Most importantly, how do you feel about Lee Young-Min? You should stop lying to yourself."
Seohyun did not respond.
"No matter who you end up with, there will always be difficulties...Don't be naive."
After speaking, Wendy stood up and patted Seohyun on the shoulder, "I have practice tomorrow, so I won't be staying up to keep you company. You're welcome to stay, but you will eventually need to leave."
Seohyun remained silent, but the look in her eyes was a little less confused.
A moment later, Seohyun received a message from Lee Young-Min, "Seo Seo, come home."
"No way!" Seohyun thought.
She wasn't about to let the incident with Mother Lee go. Even though she had already given Lee Young-Min a slap.
Soon, a phone call from Tiffany cut into her thoughts, "Your incident was so big that it's already all over the news."
"What?" Seohyun was shocked.
"Did you forget that both of you are in the entertainment industry? The news said that you are an incestual couple..." Tiffany laughed. "Lee Young-Min's already expressed his feelings out in the open. What about you? Are you planning to PR for Lee Young-Min? All I need is one word from you..."
Lee Young-Min was exposed as having a younger sister complex. On top of that, it was revealed that he was already living with Seohyun.
Seeing the gossip, Seohyun felt her heart ache. Was Lee Young-Min gambling with his career for the sake of their love?
After dazing around at Wendy's home for a while, Seohyun thought long and hard about the situation. Tiffany's phone call had obviously told her that she had been hiding for too long and reached a dead end – and that it was time to make a decision.
In the end, Seohyun picked up her phone, left Wendy's home and returned to her and Lee Young-Min's apartment.
As soon as she opened the door and entered, she saw Lee Young-Min lying on the sofa casually looking at his phone. Seohyun cleared her throat and said to him, "We're already on the headlines. Aren't you worried at all?"
"Seo Seo, have you made up your mind yet?" Lee Young-Min asked without answering as he turned around and looked directly at Seohyun.
Seohyun froze for a second, but ended up sitting on the sofa opposite Lee Young-Min, "In the past, I couldn't tell whether my feelings for you were because we were family or because I loved you. But, I figured it out last night..."
"My dear brother...You've chased me for so many years and I've avoided you for so many years, isn't the answer obvious? When I was young, a bit of attraction may have sprouted from my heart. But, after the pain that your mother put me through, it's been completely wiped clean."
"You've been crossing the line continuously and have made me question whether what I feel for you is love, but after the news last night, Tiffany reminded that it's time to make a decision. Logically, I felt like I should be with you, but a voice deep within my heart told me that I couldn't accept it."
"I think that true love isn't about compromising. If there is even the slightest bit of unwillingness in my heart, I don't think this relationship will last long."
"I think it's time to clarify the boundaries between us. You should think it over clearly. Lastly, Crown Empire will help us with the PR. If you like this apartment, I'll give it to you." After speaking, Seohyun did not take a single glance at Lee Young-Min as she stood up from the sofa and returned to her room to pack a few clothes.
Wendy's words left a deep impression on Seohyun.
If she let Lee Young-Min go, would someone better appear?
The answer was uncertain, but, the next person could possibly be her true love.
She felt that loving a person meant that she'd be willing to sacrifice anything for them; not the way that she felt about Lee Young-Min. Because in the end, Mother Lee was an obstacle that she could never get over.
As he watched Seohyun pack her belongings and leave, Lee Young-Min's arms dropped to his sides.
"She finally gave me a death sentence."
Lee Young-Min couldn't explain how he felt at this moment. He had reached the last straw... Everything in the world suddenly felt like it had no meaning.
But...this result was also a good thing.
If Seohyun really had no love for him and he forced her to stay by his side, he knew it would be much too cruel.
Afterwards, Seohyun gave Tiffany a phone call, "Fany unnie, help Lee Young-Min with his PR."
"Have you made up your mind? Are you going to deny any involvement with each other?" Tiffany asked in surprise. Although she had always felt that Seohyun didn't have any deep feelings for Lee Young-Min, Seohyun had been a soft person over the years. So, she thought Seohyun was going to accept him.
"Of course I'm going to deny it. A relationship that works on compromise is too tiring," Seohyun replied. "Plus, I'm in no rush to find a partner. I'm currently passionate about Superstar Media instead."
"OK, then...we'll do as you wish," Tiffany agreed, "But don't regret your decision."
"I won't regret it."
However, before Crown Empire even made a move, Lee Young-Min stepped out and clarified the entire incident. He admitted that he did have a younger sister complex, but his relationship with Seohyun was completely innocent. Also, he clarified that he didn't live with Seohyun and that they were merely neighbors.
He had moved closer to her to protect her because she had been getting hurt a lot recently.
As for what happened at his father's birthday banquet, he admitted that he had played a joke on everyone. Because his mother kept trying to pair him up with women that he didn't like, he decided to use Seohyun as an excuse.
Although Lee Young-Min's explanation still made them seem ambiguous, he ended up announcing an even bigger piece of news afterwards.
He had decided to temporarily retreat from the entertainment industry.
This was something that both Seohyun and Crown Empire had not expected.
Why did artists like to retreat from the industry over every single incident these days?
After making his announcement, Lee Young-Min avoided the rest of the interview. As for what his future held and what he planned to do, no one knew the answer to this question.
Of course, after Lee Young-Min made his announcement, the reporters no longer found it necessary to chase someone that worked behind-the-scenes like Seohyun.
However, the relationship between the two still left the reporters with plenty to imagine.
...
"I thought you had made a decision to be with Lee Young-Min. After all, you guys have so many years of vented up feelings. But I never expected you to reject him like that. Back when you got hurt, he ran ten red lights and ran into the hospital wearing sandals!" Wendy said.
"Trust me, I want more than anything for him to be happy. But, I can't possibly treat him the way that he treats me."
"Fine. You don't think I understand you? You're so stubborn..." Wendy patted Seohyun on the shoulder, gesturing that she didn't need to explain.
"Do you want me to introduce a guy to you? How about my cousin? Although I've only met him once, but I heard that he's currently a military officer and is extremely cool..."
"Go, go, go...get back to practicing. Don't you still have a competition to compete in?" Seohyun had no expectations for love at the moment.
Wendy laughed and left for the practice room, leaving Seohyun all alone, sighing to herself in the office.
Originally, she wanted to call Lee Young-Min's manager and check how he was doing. But, she already made her decision, so she couldn't worry about Lee Young-Min anymore. If she did, then people would look down on her.
In this lifetime, she owed Lee Young-Min too much.
Her only choice was to pay him back in their next life...
...
By the time that Tiffany completely invested herself in the production of Director Qian's sci-fi film, Seohyun's matter had just stabilized. Since Xia Hanmo was still on vacation overseas, Seohyun decided to join her.
Meanwhile, Sunny continued to manage Luo Sheng. Because Luo Sheng was a hard worker, he was advancing in leaps and bounds within the industry. By now, he already learned how to negotiate most of his own jobs.
In terms of work, the three women were managing fine. However, at home, Sunny was having problems.
She had received news from Mother Choi that the test tube baby was ready and Sooyoung was about to have a son.
Although Sunny knew that the baby didn't belong to Sooyoung, hearing Mother Choi's words still made her upset.
"I think that your mother's very simple minded. She thinks that if you have a son, you will be obedient towards her again. She will definitely use the child to blackmail you."
"You know that the child isn't mine," Sooyoung replied. "After it's born, someone will naturally take claim."
"It's easy to say that, but there's honestly no end to your mother... Does she want to control our lives so badly?"
"She's stopped being my mother a long time ago," Sooyoung replied coldly.
After hearing this, Sunny suddenly felt pity for her husband. Sometimes, family members were like this, but one couldn't choose their own family.
So, she stretched out her arms and gave Sooyoung a hug.
Sooyoung did not want to continue with this depressing topic, so he naturally changed the subject, "Now that the Madam is invested in film production, it will consume at least a year of her time. What's happening with Superstar Media? Doesn't she intend to sign another artist?"
"I haven't asked her about it."
"If she succeeds with this project, her status in the film industry may possibly exceed some of the most creative and artistic people. A sci-fi film is like a black hole. Others are too afraid to touch it. Even Crown Empire needed to hesitate. Yet she jumped headfirst into it."
"Isn't this typical of Tiffany?" Sunny laughed. "Now that I think about it, I can actually step up and go find some artists on my own. I can work harder and make your mother regret that she ever looked down on me."
"You don't need to do that. As long as we are happy, that's all that matters."
These words were easy to say, but this was because he had never experienced being looked down upon by people. On the other hand, for Sunny, making Sooyoung's mother regret was something that she had to do.
Perhaps Sooyoung understood this, so he did not stop her.
The couple hugged each other tightly, joining at their hearts. At this time, Sunny received a phone call from Luo Sheng. His voice was slightly excited, "Sunny, I am going to negotiate a role in a big IP production for next year. I may need to meet with a few people. Could you please get some time off from my current drama for me?"
"Leave it with me, you don't need to personally go..."
"But I want to go..."
"Have you done your research and fully understood it?"
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Luo Sheng said confidently. After all, he had already built a network of contacts in the industry. Otherwise, he couldn't have possibly secured a big project like 'Red Flame'.
However, Sunny wasn't completely convinced. On the surface, she did not stop Luo Sheng, but in private, she looked into the script of 'Derivative'. She discovered that it was a super IP. The script was fine, but what about the production team behind it?
The person that Luo Sheng was meeting with was the investor of the film, a person also with the surname Luo; a professor in the US.
But, at this moment, this was all that Sunny knew.
So, there was no way she could stop Luo Sheng in time.
A few days later, Luo Sheng told Sunny that he had already secured the male lead of the new IP drama.
However, from Sunny's understanding, nothing was actually happening with the project...
In the end, Sunny helplessly reported the matter to Tiffany, "Luo Sheng will be meeting the investor again tonight. On the surface, it appears exactly as it sounds, but for some reason, I have a feeling that something isn't quite right. Tiffany, help me analyze the situation."
"Accompany Luo Sheng there tonight."
"I was planning to do that, that's why I gave Luo Sheng a phone call, but he hasn't picked up," Sunny was a little worried. "I also gave the set a phone call, but the director said he didn't see Luo Sheng tonight. Am I not being responsible enough towards Luo Sheng?"
"Give Sooyoung a phone call and tell him to find out where the man with the surname Luo is."
"OK, I'll immediately make a phone call."
Sunny wanted to head out. However, the rain prevented her from going outside. Either way, even if she was to go out and look for Luo Sheng, she didn't know where to begin anyway.
Sunny suddenly felt really guilty as Luo Sheng's confident expression appeared in her mind.
Time ticked by, minute by minute. Sooyoung tried his best to investigate where Luo Sheng was, but it wasn't until late at night before he finally reported back to Sunny that Luo Sheng wasn't at the investor's house.
Sunny immediately rushed out into the rain. But, just as she boarded her car, her phone finally began to vibrate. However, when she picked up, she realized it was the police calling!
"Hello, are you Luo Sheng's family member? This is the police calling."
The police!
Sunny immediately drove over to the police station, only to find Luo Sheng sitting inside, soaked to the bone, hugging his knees.
"What's this all about?" Sunny asked the police.
"We found him on the side of the road. His head appeared injured and he couldn't recognize anyone, so we found your contact through his phone and called you. Hurry and take him to the hospital."
Sunny looked at Luo Sheng in shock. As she noticed his bloody right eye, she felt a piercing pain in her heart.
Soon, Sunny delivered Luo Sheng to the nearby hospital. According to the doctor's diagnosis, Luo Sheng had been hit in the head by a hard falling object. The worst outcome would be for him to remain confused like this forever.
After hearing this, Sunny stepped back in shock, "Please try your best to fix him. He is an actor with a promising future."
"Miss Sunny, we will try our best, but we can't guarantee anything."
Sunny froze as she stared at Luo Sheng who was laying in the hospital bed and held back her emotions. Only after she stepped out of the hospital room did she begin to cry.
Afterwards, she gave Tiffany a phone call, "Tiffany, Luo Sheng's ruined..."
Tiffany had just coaxed the two kids to sleep when she heard from Sunny. After hanging up the phone, she rushed straight to the hospital.
Not only had Luo Sheng's brain been damaged, his right eye was also affected.
"What will our Luo Sheng do from now on? How will I explain this to his parents?"
Tiffany glanced at Luo Sheng before she pulled out her phone and called Bo-ra, "Sis, I have an artist that's been seriously injured. You're the only person I can rely on."
"If you have a patient, then send them straight to me. Even if you weren't my sister, I wouldn't just sit idly by," Bo-ra immediately replied.
"I'll transfer him straight away then."
"OK," Bo-ra hung up the phone and walked into Mark Lee's office. She then leaned on his desk and said, "A patient will be delivered here in a moment, will you help me treat him?"
Mark Lee put down the medical journal in his hands and glanced at Bo-ra, "No!"
...
Tiffany immediately signed Luo Sheng's transfer papers and placed all her focus on finding the truth behind what happened.
Although she knew that Luo Sheng had recently made a lot of enemies, it really angered her to know that someone had gone this far...
Either way, if someone had instigated Luo Sheng's attack, then there was no way they could keep it hidden. It wasn't easy for Luo Sheng to get to where he was today. If he had to retreat from the industry to recover, it would be equivalent to starting all over again.
Tiffany knew that Sunny had been truly frightened and felt extremely guilty...
But, apart from helping Luo Sheng recover and keeping his career stable, there was nothing else she could do.
Soon, Luo Sheng arrived at Bo-ra's hospital.
After admitting Luo Sheng, Bo-ra asked Tiffany and the others to wait outside the emergency room while she examined him.
"As Luo Sheng's manager, you need to first remain calm!" Tiffany tried to give Sunny strength after seeing her in a panic.
"I screwed up..."
"There's no point chasing anyone for responsibility!" Tiffany held onto Sunny's shoulders and forced her to look at her, "Listen to me. I order you to protect Luo Sheng's career and recover his confidence. Can you do that?"
Sunny looked dead straight into Tiffany's eyes. After quite some time, she finally nodded, "Yes, I can do it."
After agreeing, Sunny tugged on Tiffany's sleeves and begged, "We definitely need to find the culprit..."
"Of course,"Tiffany nodded in seriousness.
Soon, Bo-ra stepped out of the emergency room and removed her face mask, She then approached Tiffany and said, "I'll be honest with you. His condition is worse than you think. I'm going to go find Mark Lee. He needs to perform a surgery, or else Luo Sheng may even lose his right eye. This was no falling object. Otherwise, how could it have hit his eye? This was caused by close impact."
"Hurry..."
Bo-ra quickly left and stormed into Mark Lee's office, "Dr. Mark, I have an especially complex surgery."
Mark Lee lifted his head and glanced at Bo-ra coldly, "I've already finished my shift."
"But, he's honestly injured really badly. No one else can perform this surgery," Bo-ra looked at Mark Lee in seriousness. Her voice even contained a slight tremble.
Mark Lee was a little surprised. In the end, he stood up and said, "Get my cloak."
With Mark Lee's help, Tiffany relaxed and gave Taeyeon a phone call. She then explained everything that happened to him.
"Where are you? I'll come pick you up right now."
Tiffany gave Taeyeon the hospital's address and Taeyeon soon arrived at the entrance of the hospital.
"I've already asked Sooyoung to investigate the investor of the drama and I've also called the police to seize any security footage in the area. But, since it's a rainy day, finding the culprit will be a lot harder than usual."
Tiffany boarded Taeyeon's car, strapped on her seatbelt and said calmly, "But, no matter what, I will definitely get to the bottom of this incident."
"In the coming days, I'm sure the media will make a big fuss and write about this matter. You need to prepare yourself. Nothing can be truly hidden!"
"Yes," Tiffany's heart ached for Luo Sheng. He was so young, yet he had to suffer in such a way. "I was too reckless. I didn't think enough from his point of view. It was my fault."
"Fany..." Taeyeon stopped the car on the side of the road and turned to comfort her, "The most important thing now, is to figure out how to deal with this matter."
Tiffany was actually afraid, but she couldn't breakdown in front Sunny. However, in front of Taeyeon, she could let herself go and rely on him.
"The other party's motive wasn't simply to ruin Luo Sheng's future in acting. They also wanted to disfigure him."
"All the actors that lost jobs to Luo Sheng are worthy of suspicion. But of course, our main focus is the investor. If we find out which actors have a good relationship with him, I'm sure we'll be able to confirm what happened."
"Understood?"
Tiffany turned, looked into Taeyeon's eyes and nodded her head, "Don't worry, I will definitely find the truth and make the other party suffer."
"As for the PR, you can decide on that yourself."
They knew that as soon as the news revealed this story, the film that Luo Sheng was working on, would definitely replace him.
As for his other resources, he would lose them all as well.
But, if they were to hide this incident and it got exposed, their situation would be even worse.
So, Tiffany decided to jump in first and tell the story from their point of view, so the public would retain some sympathy for Luo Sheng. That way, they could still salvage the situation.
...
By the time the two-hour surgery was finished, it was already 2am. Mark Lee exited the emergency room, removed his mask and said to Bo-ra, "I saved his eye, but he will have a scar on his forehead. If he wants to fix it with cosmetic surgery, he will need to wait a while. We have to wait until he's recovered. And that will take roughly 6 months."
"Also, the blood in his brain has been cleared, but no one can guarantee if he will recover."
"According to the appearance of his injury, I believe he was hit in the head with a piece of wood. You can look into this and see if you can find evidence."
"Thank you, Doctor Mark," Sunny immediately thanked him.
Mark Lee looked at Bo-ra as if asking her if she was satisfied. He then removed his gloves and left the room.
Bo-ra took a deep breath and patted Sunny on the shoulder, "Luckily, we managed to save his eye. Don't worry, Doctor Mark's words weren't very nice, but he's actually telling you that Luo Sheng should be able recover; he just needs some time."
"Really?" Sunny immediately lifted her head and asked.
"Yes, you don't need to worry about Doctor Mark's abilities. Focus on helping Luo Sheng recover instead!" After speaking, Bo-ra chased after Mark Lee.
Meanwhile, Sunny entered Luo Sheng's hospital room and glanced down at his pale face. She almost broke down in tears at the sight of him.
Because Luo Sheng did not wake up!
What exactly happened for Luo Sheng to suffer this kind of inhumane torment?
...
With Taeyeon's pointers, Tiffany quickly calmed down. She knew that if she fell into a panic at this time, Luo Sheng's situation would be even worse than it currently was.
So, the first thing that Tiffany did was call the director of 'Red Flame' and tell him everything that happened that night. "I don't know when Luo Sheng will be able to return on set. So, it's understandable to replace the male lead. But, could the director please promise me that you will not give up on Luo Sheng until the very end."
"I'm sure you know what happened. If the other party benefits, the industry will learn to use violence when securing jobs. I'm sure you don't want to see that happen. I will never give up on Luo Sheng no matter what becomes of him. Since I was capable of salvaging his career once, I can do it again."
After hearing Tiffany's words, the director thought long and hard. "I can't guarantee you other things. But, as long as I'm the director of 'Red Flame', I can promise you that I'd persist until the end. I will wait for Luo Sheng."
"Thank you, director."
"You don't need to thank me. I trust in your abilities. Rather than offending you, I'd rather exchange our trust. At least that's better than attacking each other," the director replied. "Plus, Luo Sheng's actually a very hard worker. It's rare to see an actor like him."
"I will take extra notice of any actors that try to steal the male lead of 'Red Flame'. This will likely help you with your investigation," the director offered.
"Thank you director," Tiffany thanked sincerely.
"You're doing the right thing," Taeyeon sat nearby and held onto Tiffany's hand
"Don't anyone dare provoke my woman!"