Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The folder was heavy and made a loud thud when it hit the coffee table. Qin Zhiâaiâs heart jumped. She did not look up for some time but, when she did, she looked at Old Master Gu in confusion.
Seeing Qin Zhiâaiâs perplexed look, Old Master Gu remained sitting straight up on the sofa with no intention of explaining to Qin Zhiâai what was going on. Nanny Zhang, sitting next to Qin Zhiâai, said in a pleasant-enough tone, âMiss Qin, perhaps you should take a look at whatâs inside the folder.â
Qin Zhiâai nodded and politely said to Old Master Gu before picking up the folder, âGrandfather, please have some tea.â She straightened herself and moved one step back after she ask Nanny Zhang to have some tea, too.
She did not immediately check the folder on the coffee table; instead, she nodded toward the bathroom and said gently, âI need to excuse myself for a moment. May I check it when I return?â
Old Master Gu continued to completely ignore Qin Zhiâai, who stood there for a minute while waiting for a response. She suppressed her awkward feeling when she smiled at Old Master Gu before she walked to the bathroom.
After closing the bathroom door behind her, Qin Zhiâai stopped there, leaned back against the door, and took her cell phone out of her pocket. She brought up the number for Gu Yusheng, typed a text message, and sent it to him. âYusheng, your grandfather is here.â
She didnât know what was in the folder, but she was not stupid and could tell that Old Master Gu was determined to break up her marriage to Gu Yusheng. She had not understood Gu Yusheng well before, thus she had always handled her issues with him by herself. This, however, was a different situation: Once sheâd decided to be with Gu Yusheng, she had resolved that they would face everything together.
After the phone verified that the message had been sent, Qin Zhiâai put it back into her pocket, opened the bathroom door, and walked out. Old Master Gu had not touched the fruit plate or tea sheâd prepared.
Qin Zhiâai sat down in the large chair that was farthest away from him and then reached out to pick up the folder on the coffee table. Without reaching inside, she could see a tall stack of photographs. As she stared at them, she carefully prepared what to say before turning to Old Master Gu. âGrandfather...â
âNo need to explain to me,â he finally said for the first time since she greeted him in front of the gates. Qin Zhiâai took the photographs out of the folder with suspicion. Her face turned pale after only glancing at a few of them. One photograph showed Qin Zhiâai hugging a man, and another one showed her kissing a man. Yet another photograph showed her lying on a bed with a man. All the men in the photographs were different.
Qin Zhiâai immediately recognized these photographs as captures taken from filming she was required to do as Liang Doukouâs body double. They looked more sexual than they were in actuality, mainly due to the clever angles from which they had been taken. In all the stills showing her lying in bed with a man, they all had clothes on underneath the blanket.
After taking the photographs, the postproduction company had edited these photographs by swapping in Liang Doukouâs face over Qin Zhiâaiâs face, but the originals were never circulated. Even more importantly, the men in the photographs were also body doubles or amateur actors, none of whom was popular.
No wonder Old Master Gu had been so angry since heâd arrived. Qin Zhiâai tried to organize her thoughts while holding the photographs in her hands. She turned to Old Master Gu and said again, âGrandfather...â
âIs it you in these photographs?â he asked her.