Attention Sir, I Have Your Heart Handcuffed!-Chapter 423 - 300: Tearing Right Away! (2nd update 1)
Shi Nian seemed to hear some amusing joke. With one hand on her hip and the other against the wall, she started laughing.
"Mr. Luo is quite humorous. Do you take me for one of those privileged young masters who can leave their work behind and fly across the world for personal matters? Too bad I’m not; I have to work. This is my working time. I’m here during work hours, so naturally, I’m here for work."
Luo Xiansheng was somewhat embarrassed: "I’m sorry, I misspoke."
Shi Nian laughed again, holding her waist, "How can Mr. Luo still joke? With all those years of experience in the business world, every word from Mr. Luo carries weight. How could you misspeak?"
Luo Xiansheng was left speechless. Shi Nian then gestured between herself and Tang Yanqing with her fingers: "Someone as wise as Mr. Luo should stop inadvertently associating me with Mr. Tang. His girlfriend just passed away, barely cold in her grave; and I already have a boyfriend. So, Mr. Luo’s recent words were quite ill-timed."
Luo Xiansheng, too, lowered his head: "Sorry, I apologize." Yet, he wasn’t entirely resigned, "...I grew up with Yanqing, and I understand his heart very well. I’ve seen clearly how he feels about you. So—Shi Nian, I think you both still..."
Before Luo Xiansheng could finish, Shi Nian interrupted with a cold laugh: "Whatever Mr. Luo thinks, I’m not interested in knowing, so keep it to yourself. I don’t share such deep ’heart-to-heart’ connections with Mr. Luo, either publicly or privately. Please don’t impose your thoughts on me."
Luo Xiansheng’s face turned red and white as he was shut down bluntly.
Tang Yanqing wiped a tear: "Little Sound, I just want to solve Judy’s case first, not in the mood for anything else right now."
Luo Xiansheng had no choice but to nod awkwardly: "Understood."
As they walked to the car, Luo Xiansheng politely invited Shi Nian to ride with him. Standing by the car door, Luo hesitated for a moment, seemingly considering where he should sit. Shi Nian glanced at him, then simply and directly opened the front passenger door and sat down, leaving the backseat for Luo Xiansheng and Tang Yanqing.
Tang Yanqing got in the car and closed his eyes, appearing still sunk in sadness. Out of courtesy, Luo Xiansheng racked his brains to think of what to say to Shi Nian.
The recent storm from Shi Nian left him startled, and he dared not speak easily.
However, Shi Nian calmly took out a notebook and phone from her bag, turned on the recording function, and asked businesslike: "Can you tell me your whereabouts at the time of Judy’s incident, Mr. Luo?"
Luo Xiansheng was taken aback: "Shi Nian, are you recording my statement?"
Shi Nian raised an eyebrow: "You’re her boss, one of the team members who accompanied her to Singapore, and also one of the people closest to her personally. Objectively speaking, Mr. Luo, you should also provide an explanation."
Luo Xiansheng sighed: "I was doing nothing. It was late, of course, I was in my room resting."
Shi Nian mildly surprised: "Aren’t entertainment tycoons supposed to have colorful nightlife? Why would Mr. Luo quietly sleep at the hotel?"
Luo Xiansheng looked awkward: "Personally, I don’t enjoy those colorful activities; I’d rather rest quietly. If you don’t believe me, the hotel has surveillance footage you can access."
Shi Nian smiled: "I thought hotels had unwritten rules: rooms on executive floors and above, if requested by guests, should have surveillance turned off. Especially when involving celebrities or public figures, hotels do this to protect client privacy. It’s quite inconvenient — Judy was a star, and you were staying in high-level rooms."
Luo Xiansheng took a careful breath: "But why would I kill a rising star from my company, who was earning money for me? I’ve spent a lot of money packaging and promoting her over the years; with her death, many large performance contracts cannot be fulfilled, and I would incur hefty penalties and legal fees. That would be self-defeating."
Luo Xiansheng’s rebuttal was logical and well-founded, even causing Tang Yanqing to quietly open his eyes and listen attentively.
Yet, Shi Nian immediately countered: "Money can’t be Mr. Luo’s shield. Firstly, Mr. Luo’s family business is immense; that expenditure barely scratches the surface. As for penalty fees, I have roughly calculated the earnings from Judy’s previous performances — those funds should suffice to cover the penalties, and you wouldn’t have to pay extra."
"As for motive, in our media circles, we’ve already heard rumors: Judy was photographed by netizens worldwide, appearing in nightclubs with exaggerated makeup. Even the paparazzi captured her. It’s not been exposed because her makeup and attire were too different from usual, making her hard to identify. This shows she was a rebellious girl, and for such disobedient artists, bosses would be very angry, right?"
Luo Xiansheng’s face stiffened as he silently stared at Shi Nian.
Shi Nian kept her professional demeanor: "So unless Mr. Luo can provide a more convincing explanation, from a reasoning standpoint, the police could even apply to detain Mr. Luo."
At this moment, Tang Yanqing, who had been on the verge of giving up, quietly sat up straight and looked towards Luo Xiansheng: "Many people say that journalists are the most annoying creatures on earth. Little Sound, Little Sound, why did you invite her into the car? Better have the driver pull over and toss her out!"
Luo Xiansheng just bowed his head with a smile: "No need." Then he warmly looked at Shi Nian: "The previous invitation to ride in my car was out of personal friendship, so I only regard the recent conversation as a private chat, not an official interview. I hope you won’t treat what was just said as an interview, because I won’t acknowledge it. Moreover, your suggestions concerning Judy’s case could incite severe suspicion, so I reserve the right to legal action."
Tang Yanqing shrugged: "Bang... negotiations broke down."
He coolly turned to Shi Nian: "If I were you, I’d have the sense to ask to get out of the car now."
Shi Nian responded unreservedly with a small smile to Tang Yanqing: "So, Mr. Tang, are you choosing favoritism over justice based on the bonds of friendship?"
Tang Yanqing spread his hands: "You’re mistaken. Although I’m an officer, I am a police officer from M Country. This is Singapore; I have no authority here. So my position here is only that of a bereaved relative and friend of the victim, not a justice-maintaining officer. Naturally, my stance is with our Little Sound, and the investigation is the prerogative of the Singapore police."
Shi Nian smiled, gritting her teeth, and nodded: "So this is the face Mr. Tang too shows."
Luo Xiansheng tilted his head to look out the window: "Sorry, Shi Nian, we’ve arrived at our hotel. Which hotel are you staying at?"
Tang Yanqing grinned: "I remember earlier our wise Mr. Shi said she wasn’t like one of us privileged sons. She’s just here in Singapore for work... So, Little Sound, don’t tease. The travel allowance from ’Deep Throat’ for journalists is limited, not enough for a hotel like ours. She lives on a salary; don’t make it difficult for her."
That... superior attitude. Shi Nian felt strongly tempted to leap up and tear him apart.
But she held back, glancing outside the window: "Oh, Marina Bay Sands, was it built for 2 billion pounds or 4 billion?"
Tang Yanqing smirked at her with a punchable expression, coldly laughing: "What, looking for a rich cousin? You can’t afford to stay on your own, but with him, he can spend money on you."
Shi Nian unlocked the door lock, kicked open the car door, and got out with dignity. Then she approached the back door and sneered inside: "Wish you’d both fall from the infinity pool on the rooftop!"
.
After Shi Nian left, Tang Yanqing also kept a straight face until he got out of the car and walked back to the hotel.
As they entered the elevator full of mirrors, Luo Xiansheng cautiously glanced around and couldn’t help but ask: "...Why did things get so tense?"
Tang Yanqing took a deep breath: "Ignore her; she’s venting her frustration at me, and you’re just collateral damage."
Luo Xiansheng frowned: "Originally... you loved her so much."
"Love?" Tang Yanqing laughed loudly: "Little Sound, you must be joking! Initially, the encounter was due to a clash for interviews, playfully sparring with her, thinking it amusing. Later, realizing she was Xiang Yuan’s wife — well, sister-in-law, Little Sound, you know the feeling — made me want to savor it even more."
"She has her charms, the type I’ve never experienced, which felt fresh. But today, you saw how irritatingly sharp-tongued she can be as a journalist."
"I’m long tired. A woman without character is dull, but when too sharp-tongued, it’s over the top."
Luo Xiansheng frowned: "I thought you took this seriously this time... After all, you were free for the past four years, thinking you’d finally found someone you liked."
Tang Yanqing raised his eyebrows yet did not deny: "I did like her, but now it’s in the past. Besides, she’s moved on to greater prospects, with Huangfu Huazhang, and is no longer who she was. I’m tired."
