An Unexpected Help.

The hit came one after the other, with eggs, flour, and then tomatoes, creating a messy scene within mere minutes. Meiying found herself covered in the sticky substances, while those around her laughed heartily. Just when she thought it couldn't get any worse, a bucket of cold water was splashed onto her face, causing her to sputter and stumble.

How on earth did they even manage to get a bucket of cold water?!

As Meiying coughed continuously, the crowd began to shift away, leaving her alone on the ground. To her surprise, someone crouched down in front of her, offering a concerned gaze.

"What is wrong with all of you?" Zhang Hongzong yelled angrily at the crowd.

"She's a murderer!" someone defended.

"Yes, she tried to kill Mrs. Feng," another person chimed in.

"And do you have proof?" Hongzong questioned, his tone filled with anger. "You are the ones attempting murder here! What if she had choked to death from her coughing fit?!" The crowd looked on guiltily, realizing the truth in his words.

Meiying couldn't help but hold back her laughter. It would take much more than that to make her succumb. Hongzong then removed his jacket and placed it over Meiying's shoulders.

Surprised, Meiying looked up at him, meeting his gaze. "You look awful," were the unexpected words that escaped from his mouth as he helped her to her feet.

Jingyi, also present, observed Meiying with concern, but Meiying reassured her with a smile. "Explain to the director what happened and tell him I'm taking Mrs. Wang back home," Hongzong instructed Jingyi, who nodded compliantly and left.

Hongzong guided Meiying into his car and drove away. Meiying kept stealing glances at him from the corner of her eye, wondering why he had chosen to help her. She had anticipated that Hongzong was the type of person that would look at what was happening, ignore the whole scene and leave but the man did otherwise. Or maybe, she wondered, he had done it all for a show.

After a few minutes, Hongzong abruptly slammed on the brakes, causing Meiying to almost hit her head on the dashboard. But Hongzong's hand quickly caught her head, preventing the impact.

Meiying looked up, only to find a crowd of reporters and people congregating in front of her gate. "You can't go in," he declared, his voice firm, before swiftly reversing the car and driving away.

"Where are you taking me, then?" Meiying asked, her voice filled with curiosity and a hint of concern.

"Don't worry, it's definitely not my house," he assured her with a reassuring smile as he steered the car towards an apartment building.

Once they had arrived, Hongzong parked the car and turned to inspect their surroundings. Confirming that it was safe, he opened Meiying's door and gestured for her to step out. She complied, but before he closed the door, he noticed his passenger seat covered in the remnants of the mess Meiying had made.

Meiying wondered why he hadn't close the door, she peeked into it and saw the mess she had made, she looked at him apologetically.

"Sorry," she murmured softly, her voice barely audible. His gaze softened as he glanced at her and then back at the mess before him. With a sigh and a shake of his head, he reached in and locked the door.

They proceeded stealthily into the apartment building, entering the elevator and ascending to a specific floor. Hongzong came to a stop in front of a door and pressed the bell button. From behind the door, Meiying could hear giggling and a woman's voice shouting playfully.

The door swung open, revealing a woman in her late twenties. Recognition struck Meiying instantly—the woman was Cao Huilian, Hongzong's older sister. She bore a striking resemblance to Hongzong, and Meiying recalled seeing her on occasions in her previous life. Cao Huilian used to visit Hongzong during his movie shoots, bringing him homemade meals and playfully chiding him for not visiting her instead.

"How long has it been? A month? A year?" Cao Huilian bombarded Hongzong with excited questions as she lunged forward, enveloping him in a warm hug.

Meiying stood there, observing their interaction with a mixture of awe and curiosity. She hadn't expected to find herself at Hongzong's sister's apartment, of all places. As Hongzong rolled his eyes at Cao Huilian's enthusiasm, Meiying realized that perhaps this unexpected detour was a fortunate turn of events.

Meiying had always found Huilian to be peculiar, as they had only interacted a couple of times in their previous lives, with Huilian always initiating the conversations and even offering homemade meals to Meiying out of the blue. It made Meiying question Huilian's intentions.

"Oh, what happened to you?" Huilian asked with a worried frown as she glanced at Meiying, and then turned to Hongzong. "You've been bullying this poor girl, haven't you?"

Hongzong looked at her incredulously, "What would I gain from that? I have no interest in seeking her attention."

Meiying stared at him in astonishment. Did he just admit to bullying a girl only when he wanted her attention? She quickly covered her mouth, realizing she had unintentionally revealed her thoughts.

They both looked at her in surprise before they turned back to each other and continued talking.

Meiying continued to think about the discovery she just heard. Couldn't this mean that... no, it wouldn't make any sense. The idea of him liking her in their past life seemed utterly ridiculous. Meiying was now grateful for her rebirth as it has revealed something that had confused her for years in her past life.

"Huilian, meet Meiying. Meiying, meet Huilian, my older sister," Hongzong introduced them, pointing to each of them as he spoke.

"You introduced me as your older sister to her, but who is she to you?" Huilian asked, folding her arms as she looked between the two in suspicion.

"She's my co-actor. Haven't you been keeping up with what's been happening? You still want to be tagged a "hikkomori," Hongzong replied, slightly exasperated.

"What can I say? I prefer being indoors with my beautiful baby and my writing," Huilian answered with a smile.

"May I come in, please? It's quite cold out here," Meiying interrupted, realizing she had been splashed with cold water earlier and the cold weather was starting to affect her. She knew she would freeze if they continued to bicker outside.

"Of course, dear. Please, come in," Huilian said, stepping aside to make way for Meiying. Meiying entered the apartment, immediately noticing the spacious foyer that took up most of the area. On one side, there was a moderate-sized kitchen, while on the other, a floor-to-ceiling window provided a view of the bustling streets and city.

Huilian appeared in front of Meiying and led her through a door next to the kitchen, revealing a corridor with two doors on either side. Huilian pushed Meiying into one of the rooms.

"Take a hot shower and find anything comfortable to wear in the wardrobe," Huilian instructed as she locked the door behind her, leaving Meiying alone.

Following Huilian's advice, Meiying quickly took a soothing shower to warm herself up and dried off with a fluffy towel she found in the cupboard.

Stepping out of the bathroom, she took a moment to survey the room. It was cozy, albeit not very spacious. The focal point of the room was the lavish bed, which seemed perfect for sinking into after long hours of writing. Meiying couldn't blame Huilian for seeking comfort in such a beautiful piece of furniture.

Huilian, an award-winning novelist renowned for her mastery of mystery and thriller genres, had amassed a fortune from her writing. The success of the movie adaptation of Huilian's novel in Meiying's past life, that both Hongzong and Meiying were starring in now even made Huilian more popular across the continent.

Meiying admired Huilian's talent, but what impressed her more was the author's humble nature. Despite her wealth, Huilian didn't flaunt it; in fact, she had embraced a reclusive lifestyle. Meiying recalled Hongzong's description of Huilian as a "hikikomori."

With a smile, Meiying approached the wardrobe to find something suitable to wear for the night. Remembering her penchant for comfort, she reached for a pair of pants and a loose-fitting top she spotted neatly packaged in one of the drawers.

She was just about to changed into the nightwear she found in the wardrobe among the various night garments while securing her towel around her waist when she felt a mischievous tug on her towel.

Startled, she turned around to find a four-year-old girl playfully pulling on it. Meiying held onto the towel tightly, causing the little girl to let out a high-pitched scream in defeat. Meiying then released it out of fright.

In the commotion, both Huilian and Hongzong rushed into the room, only to find Meiying half-naked. Meiying's eyes widened in embarrassment as she let out a scream even louder than the little girl's.