Red Carpet Shadows

In December, the wind in Jing City was biting cold.

On the red carpet of the Starlight Night Charity Gala, camera flashes blazed like daylight.

When Li Xingruo stepped out of that black Maybach, an ear-splitting roar of screams erupted from the crowd.

Tonight she wore an extremely elaborate, starry-night blue mermaid gown, its tailored cut accentuating her perfectly sculpted curves to the fullest. On her face—often hailed as the "ceiling of domestic entertainment's striking beauty"—was a bold, aggressive red lip look.

She walked the red carpet with poise on ten-centimeter stiletto heels. Every pause, every backward glance precisely captured the most flawless camera angle.

She was the absolute queen of the night.

Yet only Xiaoya, the assistant at her side, knew that this seemingly indestructible queen's fingers were as cold as ice at this moment.

"Sister Xingruo, hang in there a little longer. We'll be backstage soon." Xiaoya took the chance while handing over a signing pen to mutter in a low voice, her tone filled with worry.

Li Xingruo said nothing, only nodded slightly, the flawless, cold smile still fixed on her lips.

Not until they entered the exclusive VIP lounge backstage and closed the heavy soundproof door behind them.

It was as if all her strength had been instantly drained away. Li Xingruo collapsed onto the sofa. She closed her eyes and let out a long breath, her face terrifyingly pale.

"Water," she said, her voice hoarse.

Xiaoya quickly handed her a cup of warm water. Watching Li Xingruo's slightly trembling hands, her heart ached so much she nearly cried.

"Did Manman release another press release?" Li Xingruo took a sip of water, forcing down the nausea churning in her stomach, and opened her eyes to ask.

Xiaoya bit her lip and tapped on the tablet: "Yeah. Right while you were on the red carpet. Zhao Manman's studio bought three rounds of bots and pushed articles all over the internet claiming you… that you're being kept by a 'mysterious big shot from the Jing City circle.' They even had a few blurry back-view photos, saying you were seen going in and out of high-end clubs late at night…"

Li Xingruo let out a cold laugh.

Zhao Manman. Always Zhao Manman. Just because next month's award-contending film Dark Night Manhunt, directed by Chen Kai, had cast her as the female lead, this woman had been acting like a rabid dog, doing everything in her power to drag her name through the mud.

"Let her jump around. A straight foot is not afraid of a crooked shoe." Li Xingruo massaged her temples. "What did Sister Hong say?"

"Sister Hong is already having the legal department send a cease-and-desist letter." Xiaoya's voice dropped, and her eyes darted away. "But… Sister Xingruo, these smear campaigns are actually small stuff. The scariest thing is…"

Xiaoya took a deep breath, pulled a black document envelope from her bag, and handed it over with trembling fingers.

Li Xingruo's gaze fell on that black document envelope. Her pupils sharply constricted, and even her breath seemed to stop for a moment.

That was the nightmare that had haunted her for the past two weeks.

"This is already the fifth one." Xiaoya's voice was choked with tears. "It arrived at the company's front desk this morning."

Li Xingruo stiffly reached out and took the envelope.

The seal had already been torn open.

She trembled as she poured out its contents.

It was a crumpled photograph stained with pungent red paint.

In the photo was a side view of her from yesterday's shoot on set. And on the back of the photo, in extremely distorted handwriting, was a line of words:

[You must look beautiful in a blue dress. But I'd like you even more bleeding. You can only be mine.]

"Slap!"

The photo slipped from Li Xingruo's hand.

A slimy sensation, like being locked onto by a venomous snake, shot up from her soles to the top of her head in an instant.

She wasn't afraid of online abuse. She wasn't afraid of rival scheming. After eight years of scrambling in this flesh-eating world of fame and fortune, her heart had long grown a thick callus.

But she was afraid of this kind of life threat—lurking in the shadows, like a ghost.

"Did you call the police?" Li Xingruo tried to make her voice sound calm, but her knuckles, gripping the sofa, had turned white.

"Yes. But the police said the person's counter-surveillance skills are extremely strong. All the return addresses were fake, and since no actual harm has been done, they could only file a record." Xiaoya was so anxious her tears were falling. "Sister Hong said you absolutely cannot go out alone lately. She's already looking into the best security company in the industry for you…"

"No need for a security company." Li Xingruo suddenly cut her off.

Xiaoya froze: "Why not? Sister Xingruo, this person is insane!"

Li Xingruo closed her eyes.

In her mind, she couldn't stop picturing a tall, straight figure—cold and hard as iron.

And that little dumpling in a pink dinosaur pajama, calling out "Mommy" in a soft, sweet voice.

If the company got involved, or if she hired those high-profile top-tier security details, the paparazzi would definitely catch wind of it. Then, the home she had painstakingly hidden for three years—the two most important and purest existences in her life—would be completely exposed to the public eye and to this pervert's threats.

Qi Lie was a retired special police officer. Three years ago, he was seriously injured protecting her and was forced to retire. Now he only ran a small, low-profile security firm with a former comrade.

How could she drag him back into this mess because of these entertainment-industry troubles? If those vicious media outlets and anti-fans found out she was secretly married, and called him a kept man who married into money—how could someone as proud as Qi Lie bear that?

She would rather bear it all alone.

"These next few days, just you and Old Wang (the driver) follow me. Once Dark Night Manhunt starts filming and I'm on the closed set, nothing will happen."

Li Xingruo took a deep breath, forcing the fear deep into her heart.

"But…"

"Knock, knock."

A knock came at the lounge door.

"Sister Xingruo, time to go on stage for the awards." The staff member's voice came from outside the door.

"Coming right away."

Li Xingruo stood up.

She grabbed a powder compact, covered the dark circles under her eyes, and reapplied that aggressive red lip.

When she pushed open that heavy door again, all her weakness and fear were perfectly hidden away in her heart. She was once again the unbreakable national goddess.

…

Eleven o'clock at night.

The black van pulled into the underground garage of Yunding Tianchen, Jing City's most exclusive and private apartment complex.

Li Xingruo forced herself to stay alert, said goodbye to Xiaoya, and entered the VIP elevator alone.

It wasn't until the fingerprint lock let out a soft "beep" and the heavy armored door closed behind her that the nerves that had been taut all day finally relaxed completely.

No main lights were on in the apartment.

Only a dim, sensor-activated floor lamp glowed in the entryway. The air was filled with the faint aroma of braised spare ribs, along with a very familiar, reassuring scent of cold fir.

Li Xingruo froze.

The next second, a tall, straight silhouette walked out from the kitchen.

The man was wearing a very casual black cotton T-shirt and gray sweatpants, a spatula still in his hand. But even in such a relaxed outfit, it couldn't hide his broad, sturdy shoulders and a physique that rivaled a top male model.

"You're back?"

Qi Lie's voice was low, hoarse, with a uniquely intoxicating magnetism.

"You… weren't you supposed to be on a business trip out of town and not back until next week?" Li Xingruo looked at the man before her, and her eyes suddenly reddened for no reason.

Qi Lie walked up to her.

Even at home, the cold, ruthless aura of a soldier never completely faded from him. But when he looked at Li Xingruo, his eyes were extremely deep and tender.

"I finished things early, so I came back."

Qi Lie didn't mention that he had actually rushed through one urgent job at the security firm and then driven five hours straight through the night to get home.

He looked at Li Xingruo's face, still showing signs of exhaustion and pallor despite her exquisite makeup, and his brow slightly furrowed.

The fiercely sharp instincts of a former special police officer instantly caught an unusual scent in the air.

"What's wrong?" Qi Lie put down the spatula, his rough, large hand gently covering her cheek, his thumb stroking the dark circles under her eyes. "You look terrible. Did something happen?"

Feeling the scorching warmth coming from his palm.

Li Xingruo's nose stung with emotion. All the委屈 (grievances), fear, and the threatening letter stained with red paint from today nearly burst out of her throat.

How she wished she could throw herself into his arms and tell him how scared she was.

But.

Looking at the exhaustion in his eyes, thinking of the scars on his body that he'd gotten because of her.

Li Xingruo forced the tears back down.

She squeezed out a very reluctant smile and shook her head.

"It's nothing. I've just been working nonstop lately. I'm too tired."

Qi Lie's eyes immediately darkened.

He knew her too well. Whenever she lied, her eyes always instinctively darted away.

"Li Xingruo." Qi Lie's voice turned cold, carrying an undeniable pressure. "Is there something you're hiding from me?"

Just then.

The master bedroom door creaked open.

A little dumpling in a pink dinosaur pajamas, rubbing her eyes, stumbled out.

"Mommy! You're finally back!"

Three-and-a-half-year-old Lu Xiaolu, like a little cannonball, dove straight into Li Xingruo's arms, hugging her leg and acting cute in her soft, sweet voice.

"Xiaolu missed you so much! Daddy made braised spare ribs today!"

Seeing her daughter, Li Xingruo's heart instantly melted into a puddle of water. She crouched down and hugged her daughter tightly, as if holding onto the last lifeline in the world.

Qi Lie watched the mother and daughter embracing each other tightly.

He didn't press further.

But in his deep, dark eyes, a glint of extreme danger flickered.

Since she didn't want to say it.

Then he would find out for himself.

Anyone who dared to touch his wife and daughter.

Would be shown no mercy.