Marry by Relying on Favor: Chapter 45 - Of the four words “old, weak, sick, and disabled,” Shu Tongyi ticks off two of them

September 10, 2025 Oyen 0 Comments

Happy Reading~

Chapter 45: Of the four words “old, weak, sick, and disabled,” Shu Tongyi ticks off two of them

 

——“The international Movie Queen actually has a plastic surgery face? When she first debuted, she bought tons of marketing to hype up her looks and even claimed she had no backer, saying she made it in the entertainment industry purely on natural genes! Is this a slap in the face now?”

 

——“Damn, her surgery is way too perfect. Looks like she started getting work done as a teenager—she comes from a family of plastic surgery doctors.”

 

——“Hilarious, her dad is literally a cosmetic surgeon!”

 

——“Shu Tongyi wasn’t ugly as a kid—she had a good foundation, round eyes, and thin lips.”

 

——“And you believe that ‘no backer’ crap? Now it’s been exposed that she and the female lead of the same crew were both serving the same bigshot. The dirt about her plastic surgery was dug up by a rival’s marketing team.”

 

——“Cheongsam beauty He Qingchi? For real?!”

 

The glow of the phone screen faintly lit up He Qingchi’s expressionless face. She lowered her gaze slightly, scrolling quickly and reading through the Weibo post exposing Shu Tongyi’s plastic surgery before exiting the comments section.

 

Li Ling knew she and Shu Tongyi had a grudge, so upon seeing this half-true, half-false news online, she thought He Qingchi had finally developed a sense of career ambition. Dropping everything, she rushed straight to the set to confront her: “Did you leak this? Shu Tongyi has a very powerful PR team protecting her. If this stays up on Weibo, the narrative will definitely flip before the night’s over. If it really was you, we need to prepare a strategy for when she strikes back.”

 

He Qingchi tossed the phone back to her, calmly took a sip of water, and finally spoke: “Even if I wanted to go after Shu Tongyi, I have countless straightforward ways to do it. I don’t need to use petty little cat-and-dog tricks like this.”

 

Her tone was confident. Li Ling rolled her eyes: “You’re squeaky clean, but who on the internet is going to believe that right now?”

 

Hearing that, He Qingchi asked for the phone again and reread the exposé. “I even asked Shu Tongyi last time if she’d had work done overseas. So her dad really is a cosmetic surgeon?”

 

“What are you asking so clearly for? You want to jump on the bandwagon and get work done too?”

 

“I want to help a man who looks like my husband get some work done…”

 

He Qingchi accidentally let slip that she was married, making Li Ling’s eyes widen in shock. Holding back the urge to yell, worried the neighbors might hear, she lowered her voice and asked: “When did you get a husband?”

 

He Qingchi’s fingers paused. Her smile was flawless: “Did I just say that?”

 

Li Ling crossed her arms, looking at her coldly.

 

After a moment, He Qingchi’s voice came again: “Fine, I can explain. A while back, when I was filming, I accidentally ended up getting married.”

 

Since He Qingchi refused to admit she was the source of the rumor, Li Ling went out to the balcony to call her industry contacts and investigate the origins of the news.

 

Compared to her dedicated agent, He Qingchi was far less concerned about the Weibo expose —she was more concerned about why Wen Shuchen hadn’t called her at the usual time.

 

She went to her room, changed out of her bathrobe, let her hair hang loose and dried it casually, then put on a dark green dress. Barefoot, she walked out. The indoor lights were bright, and while this color was hard for most people to pull off, her fair skin carried it effortlessly.

 

She turned on the TV to a comedy variety show for background noise.

 

Ten minutes later, Li Ling came back looking grim. She set down her phone and said: “All the media outlets say it was you who gave them the dirt on Shu Tongyi’s surgery.”

 

He Qingchi’s brows showed a flicker of impatience. “So I’m being framed?”

 

“—It really wasn’t you?”

 

“No.”

 

The atmosphere went quiet. Now Li Ling couldn’t figure out who else it could be.

 

He Qingchi straightened her posture on the sofa, looking perfectly calm with no hint of guilt.

 

“Why is every media outlet pointing the finger at you?”

 

Li Ling didn’t expect her to answer and continued: “Maybe they’re targeting Director Guo’s movie—dragging down both the female lead and second female lead would tank the box office.”

 

Not long ago, the crew had already been hit with a scandal where an actress spread fake news about the two leads being in a relationship and even tipped off reporters to stalk Shu Tongyi’s apartment. So this wasn’t impossible.

 

Just as He Qingchi was about to agree, her phone buzzed.

 

The screen showed an unknown number.

 

She glanced at it, picked up, and said: “This is He Qingchi. Who is it?”

 

The line was silent for a few seconds before the click of a lighter was heard, as if someone had lit a cigarette. Then came a low, deep male voice: “Remember when I said I’d give you a meeting gift?”

 

He Qingchi recognized Wen Yue’s voice. Her lips pressed together slowly.

 

Li Ling shot her a questioning look but was ignored.

 

Because Wen Yue chuckled over the phone and slowly explained: “Shu Tongyi’s relationship with Wen Shuchen is… unusual. She’s currently your biggest threat as a love rival. I personally helped ruin her reputation. Do you like this meeting gift?”

 

He Qingchi’s fingers tightened around her phone, though her tone stayed calm: “Then I suppose I should thank you?”

 

“We’re family—no need to be polite.” Wen Yue’s voice, like his ever-present smile, carried a cold, malicious undertone. His actions were truly vicious.

 

He Qingchi felt like tearing him apart. She said coldly: “So your gift is bribing the media to say it was me? That’s a gift I really can’t afford to accept.”

 

Hearing her complaint, Wen Yue suddenly asked: “Afraid Wen Shuchen will blame you?”

 

“Isn’t that exactly what you want to see?” He Qingchi hit his real motive in one sentence.

 

This so-called “gift” not only destroyed Shu Tongyi’s career in the entertainment industry, but more importantly, drove a wedge into the newly built bond between her and Wen Shuchen as a married couple.

 

Wen Yue, however, pretended not to understand and feigned innocence: “I also heard that Movie Queen Shu has had countless surgeries and suffers from severe psychological problems. Guess where Wen Shuchen is right now?”

 

The way he asked clearly meant he knew.

 

He Qingchi smiled, her tone free of jealousy: “I’m the eldest in my family. Since I was young, I’ve always looked after my younger siblings…”

 

The topic shift was abrupt, seemingly unrelated to Shu Tongyi.

 

But what she meant was: “Maybe it’s in my nature to sympathize with the weak, so I can’t bear to see the old, weak, sick, and disabled being pitiful. Unfortunately, Shu Tongyi fits two of those four words. So your plan might just fall apart.”

 

Wen Yue had tried to exploit a woman’s jealousy, but forgot about the underlying softness of a woman’s nature.

 

Before hanging up, He Qingchi gave a fake thanks: “Thanks to you for telling me where Wen Shuchen is—really, thanks.”

 

The beeping tone came from the phone. He Qingchi, expressionless, pressed the call end button.

 

She glanced toward Li Ling, who was still in the room, thought for a few seconds, and said, “Help me suppress the trending search about Shu Tongyi’s plastic surgery scandal. I’ll pay for the PR myself—no matter how much it costs, as long as it’s taken down.”

 

Li Ling only half-understood and asked, “You’re not… married to Shu Tongyi’s backer, are you?”

 

After all, just before, she had thought this woman was strapped for cash over Director Guo’s compensation payout—and now she suddenly had the money to bury a Movie Queen’s scandal?!

 

He Qingchi didn’t explain further. She simply said calmly, “I need to head out. You go back to the company.”

 

The online buzz kept climbing. At one point, it even caused Weibo to crash. 

 

Shu Tongyi’s plastic surgery, her “backer” being stolen by the female lead of her crew, her background as a former ballet student before her amputation—all of it was dug up by netizens for public shaming.

 

Some marketing accounts even found out her parents’ current address and which plastic surgery hospital they worked at, sparking even more heated discussion online.

 

He Qingchi called Song Chao. Just as Wen Yue had said, Shu Tongyi had serious mental health issues and had to see a doctor every month. This Weibo storm drove her to slit her wrists.

 

The news was immediately sealed off by people Wen Shuchen sent. At a certain hospital floor in the city center, bodyguards stood watch in the hallway; apart from Shu Tongyi’s agent, no one could enter or leave freely.

 

When He Qingchi arrived, she ran into Shu Tongyi’s agent. Upon seeing her, the agent’s face darkened with fury, and she confronted her on the spot: “Are you trying to drive Tongyi to her death?”

 

She didn’t even bother with a “Mrs. Wen” or “Miss He”—she was ready to go to war.

 

If He Qingchi were someone who could be scared so easily, she wouldn’t be herself. Song Chao, on the other hand, jumped at the tension and quickly barked, “There’s no proof Madam had anything to do with this. Watch your words.”

 

The agent sneered: “The heads of the media outlets have admitted it themselves—no proof? And hardly anyone knew the real story about Tongyi. What if someone who couldn’t keep their mouth shut let it slip?”

 

This veiled accusation was just short of pointing straight at Song Chao and calling him a blabbermouth.

 

Song Chao took a hit for nothing. Sure, he knew some of Shu Tongyi’s past, but he had never breathed a word of it to He Qingchi.

 

From start to finish, He Qingchi remained calm. Even faced with the agent’s extreme anger, her porcelain-pale, jade-like face showed no expression. She didn’t bother to explain and simply walked toward the ward.

 

The agent wanted to block her, but the bodyguards wouldn’t listen to her.

 

Even if they did, they wouldn’t dare stop He Qingchi.

 

The ward door was tightly shut, but the glass panel above allowed a clear view inside.

 

He Qingchi’s steps were light—she wasn’t sure if the people inside could hear. She saw Shu Tongyi lying pale-faced in bed, and beside her sat a man deep in thought.

 

Perhaps the bright, almost glaring light made it seem so, but even Wen Shuchen’s handsome face looked a shade paler than usual.

 

He Qingchi stood there for a long time without opening the door.

 

She had told Wen Yue she could sympathize with Shu Tongyi’s situation—and she meant it. But seeing Wen Shuchen quietly accompanying Shu Tongyi, his calm and steady presence so dependable, she felt a strange and nameless emotion rise in her chest.

 

Her lashes fluttered slightly. She hadn’t seen him for half a month, and never thought their reunion would be in a setting like this.

 

Standing there too long without moving would look foolish to others.

 

She turned, walked over to a chair up ahead, and sat down. Song Chao, watching from a distance, thought she must be upset by what she’d seen and was about to go comfort her—until he spotted the ward door opening and President Wen stepping out slowly.

 

Song Chao, sensing the mood, quietly stepped aside and signaled the bodyguards not to crowd over.

 

All of this happened in silence. He Qingchi, head lowered, noticed nothing.

 

She was deliberately avoiding him—otherwise, she might have felt the urge to drag Wen Shuchen out of that ward.

 

Perhaps she was so downcast she didn’t even realize a man had sat down beside her.

 

It wasn’t until Wen Shuchen’s voice, familiar in tone and warmth, cut into her ear: It wasn’t until Wen Shuchen’s voice, familiar in tone and warmth, cut into her ear:

 

He Qingchi’s head snapped up, her gaze locking straight on him in surprise.

 

“Mind if I light one?” Wen Shuchen’s long fingers pulled a lighter and cigarette case from his trouser pocket. He rarely smoked—his scent was always clean and pleasant—so it was clear he had no real habit.

 

Now, though, he took out a cigarette. He Qingchi instinctively frowned and said, “Smoking is prohibited in hospitals.”

 

As if reminded, Wen Shuchen put the lighter back in his pocket, held the unlit cigarette between his lips, and left it there.

 

He sat casually beside her, his long right leg slightly bent. His expression gave nothing away, but his brows drew together faintly, as if something was weighing on his mind.

 

It was a complete departure from his usual calm composure, and it made her heart sink for no reason. The air between them grew quiet.

 

She hadn’t bribed the media to ruin Shu Tongyi’s reputation, but she also didn’t feel the need to explain—there was nothing worth explaining.

 

It was Wen Shuchen who broke the silence, his voice low and unhurried: “Those media companies… it’s time they got new owners.”

 

He Qingchi slowly lowered her gaze, the corner of her lips twitching slightly. “You never considered it might have been me?”

 

“If it were you, then it would only mean Shu Tongyi must have wronged you.”

 

The cigarette still between his lips, unlit, somehow made the air feel faintly tinged with smoke, intoxicating in its own way.

 

He Qingchi paused for a moment, then met his gaze and shook her head. “It wasn’t me.”

 

She said it seriously—once was enough to make her point.

 

Wen Shuchen was rarely anything but calm when dealing with her. He didn’t actually care who was behind Shu Tongyi’s fall from grace, but since the matter touched He Qingchi, he owed her some reassurance.

 

The woman beside him couldn’t hide her emotions on her face. After thinking for a while, he said quietly: “The first time I met Shu Tongyi, she was also trying to take her own life.”

 

That caught He Qingchi’s attention instantly, sweeping away the complicated emotions that had been lingering. “What?”

 

Wen Shuchen told her a story. His voice was so pleasant that even a plain retelling of someone else’s past didn’t sound dull: “Seven years ago, I first met Shu Tongyi at Meng Qingchang’s club. She was just eighteen—very young—and had already lost a leg. There was something contradictory about her—life force as tough as steel, yet fragile like a flower bud about to wither.”

 

“I don’t want to hear you praise her.” He Qingchi wanted the story, but interrupted him anyway.

 

Wen Shuchen looked at her sulky expression, lifted his long, elegant fingers, and gently brushed against her, then rephrased: “It’s actually a short and simple story. Shu Tongyi was about to commit suicide, and I talked her down. Before eighteen, her life goal had been to become a ballet dancer. The car accident and amputation had robbed her of any reason to live. I made her a bet—gave her several years of film and TV resources—and bet she’d seize the chance to stand tall again and outshine everyone.”

----------