072 Scandal! (Please add to your favorites)

Because of that one sentence, Song Yazhi’s entire gaze toward Su Yunjin was filled with gratitude.

With Su Yunjin having spoken up, and Song Yazhi calling out “Brother Lu” so sweetly at every turn, even those who might have wanted to say something now wisely chose to hold their tongues.

Lu Yiqing frowned, but in the very next moment, as if something occurred to him, he gave a slight smile. “Alright, I’ll take you back.”

“Damn, what a scumbag—was that supposed to be a show of force?” Just as Lu Yiqing and Song Yazhi stood up, a grumpy voice came through Su Yunjin’s earpiece.

Su Yunjin smiled, took out her phone, and replied, “Don’t worry about them, just get the paparazzi ready.”

“Relax, as long as those two step out together, they’ll definitely be tomorrow’s top headline!” The Immortal was confident, and Su Yunjin was even more so.

Song Yazhi’s feelings were practically written across her face; with her actions, even without paparazzi, stirring up rumors would be effortless.

“Brother Lu, let’s go,” Song Yazhi said sweetly, practically leaning her whole body against Lu Yiqing now that he’d agreed.

It was clear that Lu Yiqing was deeply averse, but Song Yazhi’s persistence was overwhelming; she clung to him possessively and refused to let go.

And so, the two of them walked out of the bar together.

Once they had left, Su Yunjin continued to enjoy the night with the other trainees.

They played on until four or five in the morning before heading back. With nothing scheduled for the next day, everyone silently agreed to sleep in.

When Su Yunjin woke again, it was already five or six in the afternoon. The first thing she did was check the day’s entertainment news.

As expected, Lu Yiqing’s scandal was right there.

Perhaps it had been suppressed, though, because it only ranked twentieth on the trending list.

Still, that did not stop netizens from speculating; a quick glance showed that most people simply took it as idle gossip.

After all, unless there’s a clarification, it’s hard to say anything definitive about celebrities’ romances.

That was the public’s reaction. For Su Yunjin, though, this bit of gossip was delicious.

The paparazzi hired by the Immortal had done a remarkable job; unlike the usual blurry street photos, these were nearly in high-definition.

In the footage, Lu Yiqing and Song Yazhi looked glued together the moment they exited the bar.

Of course, Su Yunjin knew well that this display was entirely one-sided—Song Yazhi’s.

But from the photographer’s angle, it looked like mutual flirtation and playful banter.

Then, the two got into a car. And as Lu Yiqing was about to get out, Song Yazhi suddenly threw herself at him, kissing him out of the blue.

Sizzling.

As Su Yunjin watched the video over and over, her phone suddenly rang. It was Xianxian.

“Xianxian?”

“Well? Pretty awesome, right?”

Su Yunjin chuckled. “Heh, I didn’t expect the pictures to be so clear. It’s just a pity—it would have been better if it were our actor in the shot.”

Their actor, after all, was male.

If Lu Yiqing’s scandal involved a man, this engagement farce would be finished.

“Isn’t this enough?” The Immortal sounded shocked.

“Of course not—it’s just a brief lapse,” Su Yunjin replied, amused by her friend.

True, everyone nowadays dreams of lifelong devotion, but for people of different classes, the world looks very different.

In circles like the Seven Sects, who constantly mingle with the elite, one sees much more of human nature’s dark side.

A wife at home and lovers outside is practically normalized among the wealthy; what harm is there in a few fleeting flings?

This incident could serve as a foreshadowing, but it could never be the breaking point.

If she tried to use this as grounds to break off the engagement, the Lu family would surely find all sorts of reasons to stop her. Next time, things might not be so simple.

“So… all our effort was for nothing?” The Immortal was stunned.

Su Yunjin laughed. “Not at all—we still have to play our roles. I’ll let Grandpa and Grandma know; as long as they’re aware, that’s enough.”

Of course, even the elite must keep score!

…

“What? That Lu boy got himself into trouble?”

“I heard he’s gotten involved with the Song family’s daughter.”

“The Song family? Not bad, but compared to the Seven Sects, they’re not even close.”

The drama was unfolding much faster than Su Yunjin had expected.

By afternoon, nearly all the prominent families who knew about Su Yunjin’s engagement with the Lus were gossiping about Lu Yiqing over tea.

This time, though, Song Yazhi had entered the conversation.

To outsiders, the Song family was respectable enough, but among the true elite, they were rather mediocre.

Song Yazhi and Lu Yiqing—this was clearly the woman reaching above her station.

Now, everyone was curious about the Lu family’s stance.

As the upper crust discussed the tangled relations among Lu Yiqing, Song Yazhi, and Su Yunjin, on the other side, Lu Yuanhang, upon seeing the news, summoned Pei Yuanshen over. Ostensibly for tea, but really to discuss the matter.

“How did the Song girl get involved with Yiqing?”

“Isn’t Pei Xuan always around him? How did we not hear a thing about this?” Lu Yuanhang’s voice was calm, with a hint of amused detachment, as if indulging a father’s curiosity.

But Pei Yuanshen knew well that Lu Yuanhang was angry.

For years, he had kept Pei Xuan by Lu Yiqing’s side, mainly to keep unwanted attention at bay.

First, to prevent Lu Yiqing from getting into unnecessary trouble.

Second, to show good faith to the Seven Sects, since both families had been waiting for their children to grow up and fulfill the engagement.

Moreover, if Su Yunjin married into the Lu family, it would be like adding wings to a tiger—the Lus would only grow stronger.

Yet now, Lu Yiqing had become entangled with Song Yazhi.

Never mind anything else; the Song family could not compare to the Seven Sects.

“When I found out, I called right away. Pei Xuan told me that was only the second time Song Yazhi and Yiqing had met.”

Pei Yuanshen was flustered and anxious, his usual composure gone.

“The second time?”

“Yes, the first was when that Song girl wanted to switch mentors. The second was at the bar—maybe they’d had too much to drink, and a misunderstanding was blown up.”

He paused, then added, “This sort of thing—who could have predicted it? Pei Xuan said he was supposed to see Song Yazhi home, but she insisted on having Yiqing take her. Yiqing was just being nice, but after leaving the bar, the Song girl threw herself at him without restraint.”

“It’s still Yiqing’s fault. If he didn’t have a crack in his shell, the flies wouldn’t get in.” Lu Yuanhang leaned back, pressing his brow in frustration. “That boy is such a headache. Doesn’t he care at all about the Seven Sects’ importance to the family?”