Who took these?

After seeing Ji Qinghe off, Lu Kuo had just given the driver Xia Zhi's address when he received a call from the hospital. Apparently, an emergency surgery had been added at the last minute, so he had to ask the designated driver to take him to the hospital instead.

Seeing Lu Kuo's serious expression, Xia Zhi swallowed the question she had been about to ask about how he felt about Ji Qinghe.

The car sped along.

Lu Kuo was on the phone the whole time, rapidly giving instructions that Xia Zhi couldn't understand a word of. Still, this was her first time seeing the male lead working seriously, and he was completely different from his usual laid-back self.

He gave off a sense of authority and security.

He certainly lived up to being the male lead. Xia Zhi had to admit that Lu Kuo really did have the charm of one.

Only when the car was almost at the hospital did Lu Kuo hang up. He told the designated driver, "Sorry for the trouble, but please take this young lady home after dropping me off."

"Xia, give me a call when you get home."

Knowing he wanted her to let him know she had arrived safely, Xia Zhi quickly nodded. "Okay."

Before getting out, Lu Kuo said, "Leave the car at your place for now. I'll pick it up tomorrow morning."

"Okay."

It was already nine thirty when Xia Zhi got home. She didn't call Lu Kuo. What he had said in the car had merely been for the driver's benefit. In this world, even if you meant others no harm, you still had to guard against them.

Still, out of respect, Xia Zhi sent him a text to let him know she was home safely.

-I'm home, big brother.

Naturally, he couldn't possibly reply.

That evening, Ji Qinghe messaged Xia Zhi to ask how her inquiries had gone. Xia Zhi could only tell her the truth: big brother had been called back to the hospital at the last minute.

-Don't worry, Qinghe. I'll find a chance to ask him for you in the next few days.

Ji Qinghe reminded her,

-Don't tell him I asked.

-Mm-hmm, I know.

The next day, Xia Zhi waited all morning, but Lu Kuo still didn't come to collect his car. When she called him, a young nurse answered and said he was in surgery, then asked who she was and why she needed Dr. Lu.

Xia Zhi hurriedly said, "It's nothing, it's nothing. I'll call back later."

She simply drove Lu Kuo's car out instead. If he needed it, she could take it to him.

It was Sunday, and Ji Qinghe happened to have the day off. Xia Zhi wanted her to touch up her two paintings to make Grandma and her brother look more lifelike.

Ji Qinghe's studio was large, filled with all sorts of things without being messy.

Like Granny Liu Visits the Grand View Garden, Xia Zhi found everything wonderfully new and looked all around.

Ji Qinghe explained the inspiration behind each painting. They were having such a good time talking that Xia Zhi threw her arms around her in excitement.

"Qinghe, you're so talented. My brother isn't good enough for you."

Ji Qinghe giggled. "Then who is?"

Xia Zhi patted her chest. "Me! Only I know how to appreciate your talent."

Ji Qinghe smiled. "Actually, your brother and I have quite a bit in common."

Xia Zhi asked curiously, "Like what?"

Ji Qinghe said, "For example, we both come from wealthy families, but neither of us wants to inherit the family business. My older sister is a strong career woman who's every bit a match for men in business. And we're both rather closed off and find it hard to get close to outsiders."

Xia Zhi said, "Huh?"

Were they?

Hadn't the two of them hit it off right away?

"Another example is that we both work with our hands. Hands are important to surgeons, and they're just as important to painters."

Xia Zhi nodded thoughtfully. "That's certainly true."

Ji Qinghe suddenly asked, "Xia Zhi, do you have a dream?"

A dream?

"To be an actress."

Ji Qinghe frowned slightly. "I've heard that's really tough."

Xia Zhi said, "Of course it's tough if you want to do it well. But I'm not afraid of hardship, because I love it."

Ji Qinghe could tell that Xia Zhi's love for it was sincere. "Then why haven't you gone into entertainment? Does your family disapprove?"

After all, the entertainment industry was a cesspool, and many parents disliked the idea of their children going into it.

The main reason Xia Zhi hadn't considered entering the entertainment industry in this world was that she didn't think she would stay here long. Once she finished her mission, she still had to return to her own world.

Her loving grandma and brother were there, as were her friends. Besides, her career there had begun to take off, and everything was heading in the right direction.

Xia Zhi didn't know how to explain all this to Ji Qinghe, so all she could say was,

"You might laugh at me for saying this, but my husband and I don't have a very good relationship. I'm afraid that if I go into entertainment and have to spend long stretches on set, spending so much time apart will make things even worse between us."

Ji Qinghe looked her over with some amusement. "Xiaxia, just yesterday you were telling me to love and protect myself first. I think you're the one who really needs to love herself first."

"A woman who isn't independent and lives solely by depending on a man will never earn his genuine respect."

"He'll only see you as an accessory."

"If you want to improve your relationship with your husband, that's all the more reason to pursue your dream."

"Because as long as you're willing to work hard, your dream will come true sooner or later. But you can't win a man just by working hard. So let things with men take their course. Your dream is what you should hold on to."

"I have a friend who's a screenwriter. Let me put you in touch."

And so, before she quite knew how it happened, Xia Zhi went to an audition. Most importantly, her audition went exceptionally well.

The production team had already seen hundreds upon hundreds of actresses for the role of the "irresistible beauty," but they still hadn't found the right one. Either they weren't beautiful enough or they lacked the right allure. Only when Xia Zhi appeared did the director's eyes light up.

She was bewitching without being coquettish, alluring without being vulgar.

Combined with Xia Zhi's utterly natural acting, it made the director decide on the spot.

"She's the one."

It was a female-centered television drama called A Woman's True Colors, following the coming-of-age experiences of three young women whose backgrounds and personalities were vastly different.

There was no scheming between the women in the show, only the life experiences of three close friends supporting one another and growing together.

Xia Zhi liked the show's central message-

Why should women make life difficult for other women?

In her excitement, she signed the contract on the spot.

Only after returning home did Xia Zhi slowly calm down. She had come here to complete a mission. How had she ended up going off to act?

Remembering that she hadn't messaged the archvillain all day, Xia Zhi hurriedly composed a greeting and sent it to him.

As usual, there was no response.

But Xia Zhi wasn't about to give up. To keep herself from forgetting to raise his affection for her, she had even set an alarm, planning to send the archvillain caring messages every day at noon.

Xia Zhi believed that sooner or later, her sincerity would move the archvillain to tears.

But at that moment, the archvillain's eyes weren't brimming with tears. They were blazing with fury, because he had just received a set of photos sent by his friend Zhou Chijun.

Zhou Chijun was excited. "Aheng, you can finally divorce her with every justification."

"This woman is such a slut, kissing and making out with Fu Ting'an in public. It's so fucking disgusting."

Lu Heng stared at the two people entwined in the photos, towering flames of rage churning in his eyes.

"Who took these?"