Chapter 50 Many Concerns

"Xiaojin..." Lin Xi hadn’t expected He Wen to react with such shame and anger. She glanced at Wen Jin with some concern. Now that things had come to this, Lin Xi had no real standing to say anything further—one cannot advise others to be good without having tasted their suffering. There is nothing wrong with loving someone, but in this world, unless two hearts meet, all one-sided affection is tinged with sorrow.

Lin Xi looked at He Wen in silence and said only, "Miss He, love has no concept of first come, first served, but as people, we must have decorum and self-respect."

He Wen gave a relieved smile. She was just like so many others, falling for someone who didn’t reciprocate her feelings, loving but unable to attain. She felt no shame in that.

Knowing that words would be wasted, He Wen picked up her bag and left straightaway, her steps unhurried, showing no trace of the aggressive woman she had just been. She loved him, but she also preserved her last shred of dignity.

Lin Xi and Wen Jin walked back to the set together. Along the way, Wen Jin remained lost in thought. Lin Xi tried several times to speak but always fell silent, not knowing what to say, only feeling a sense of unease.

Fortunately, Wen Jin didn't have many scenes that afternoon. Though she was distracted and had several retakes, Lu Jin made no reproaches.

After finishing her scenes, Lin Xi slipped away to Lu Yuxiu’s lounge and sent Gu Yao a message: [Fourth Brother, hurry to the set, I need to talk to you.]

[Did something happen to Xiaojin!?] Gu Yao replied almost instantly. [I’m on my way!]

Seeing this, Lin Xi couldn’t help but chuckle and shake her head. She was happy for Xiaojin; Fourth Brother, usually so carefree, now had eyes and heart full of her.

"What are you up to?" Lu Yuxiu handed her a glass of water.

She took it, drank, and set the cup aside, then slipped directly into his arms, her head resting against his chest. "Mr. Lu, thank you."

Thank you for announcing to the world, so openly, that you chose me.

Lu Yuxiu embraced the soft, sweet girl in his arms, a wave of happiness and contentment filling his heart. The two held each other tightly.

"If you could swap those words for another three, it’d be even better," Lu Yuxiu teased, pinching her chin and kissing her gently on the nose, wishing he could cling to her every moment.

"I just met He Wen with Xiaojin. Xiaojin isn’t in a good mood, so I asked Fourth Brother to come and talk," Lin Xi explained, knowing he never stopped her from doing what she wanted.

"Go ahead, you little worrywart!" Lu Yuxiu curled his finger and traced it down her nose, making Lin Xi wrinkle it in protest.

Not long after Lu Yuxiu left, Gu Yao burst in.

"What happened!" He was out of breath, looking around anxiously. "Where’s Xiaojin!"

Lin Xi pushed him down into a chair and poured him a cup of hot water, speaking calmly, "No need to panic. Xiaojin is fine. She should be having dinner at the hotel by now."

"Whoosh—" Gu Yao let out a sigh of relief, gulping down the water, then glared at her. "Are you messing with me?"

"I wouldn’t dare!" Lin Xi pouted.

"As if! You even dare to mess with Big Brother!" Gu Yao acted as though he should steer clear of her.

"Let’s not get sidetracked," Lin Xi rapped the table and shot him a cool glance. "I have something serious to discuss."

With the air of a mob boss disciplining her underlings, Gu Yao unconsciously straightened up, looking every bit the good student. Lin Xi nearly broke into laughter but composed herself. "I met He Wen with Xiaojin today."

Gu Yao’s expression turned serious. "He Wen? What for? Did she cause trouble?"

"No," Lin Xi shook her head, hesitating over whether to reveal He Wen’s feelings—it seemed disrespectful to just blurt it out.

"True, who would dare mess with you now? They’d be digging their own grave," Gu Yao followed her lead without noticing anything amiss. "So what did she want?"

Afraid He Wen might become a hidden problem among them, Lin Xi chose her words carefully. "She… likes you. A lot. Did you know?"

She watched his face as she spoke, but he showed no surprise, shrugging, "I know. People in the company gossip about it."

"So why haven’t you refused her? Letting her keep things ambiguous?" Lin Xi was annoyed now. If you don’t reciprocate, make it clear—don’t give false hope.

"I’m innocent!" Gu Yao, seeing the fire in her eyes, quickly raised both hands in surrender. "She’s never confessed to me directly. If I suddenly rejected her out of the blue, wouldn’t that be arrogant and self-absorbed? I haven’t flirted or led her on, I swear!"

Lin Xi understood—He Wen was afraid of being rejected, so she never said anything directly? It was hard to tell if that was clever or foolish—she was only wasting her own youth.

"Sigh." Lin Xi couldn't help but sigh, feeling sorry for He Wen.

Gu Yao blinked in confusion.

"You big dummy, today He Wen pointed at Xiaojin’s nose and called her unworthy of you!" Lin Xi felt a pang for Xiaojin, knowing that silly girl would bottle everything up and say nothing, so she had to speak for her. In his obliviousness, Fourth Brother had hurt two girls.

"What!" Gu Yao jumped up, fists clenched. "I’ll go teach her a lesson right now!"

"Oh, stop it! Sit down!" Lin Xi shoved him back into the chair. "He Wen’s words were harsh, but you should ask yourself why she felt so emboldened to challenge Wen Jin."

"Fourth Brother, do you know that girls feel deeply insecure in relationships, especially sensitive ones like Xiaojin?" Lin Xi scolded, wishing she could knock some sense into his wooden head—her little sister-in-law was about to be scared away.

Gu Yao froze, clearly taken aback.

"You two are openly together, so why not make it public? Then Xiaojin would have the right to defend herself, and strangers wouldn’t come making trouble." Lin Xi was confused—wasn’t dating perfectly normal? Why hide it and leave Xiaojin vulnerable to being questioned?

She looked at Gu Yao, puzzled.

But Gu Yao slowly shook his head, sighing softly. "Xi, you think I don’t want to? Every man wants to tell the world who his woman is. Of course, I’d announce it in a heartbeat if I could, but I can’t."

Lin Xi had never seen him look so dejected. His lips pressed into a thin line, he leaned back in the chair, eyes closing.

"I’ve thought about this from the start. Xiu’s fans are different from mine—his are more easygoing, and with time, they’ll accept you. But it’s different for me and Xiaojin. My fans are unruly, a lot of them are crazed music fans. If I made it public, Xiaojin would face a massive storm of public opinion, negative backlash she couldn’t possibly withstand."

Lin Xi frowned deeply—she hadn’t considered all that.

"If we go public, I have the means to protect her from harm. But no matter how powerful our company is, we can’t block all the slander and malicious attacks from crazed fans, trolls, and gossip sites. I don’t want Xiaojin to be the target of all that. She’s my treasure. I refuse to let the world hurt her. As long as we know our hearts, that’s enough. There’s no need for her to bear the brunt of public scrutiny. We don’t need other people’s attention or approval." Gu Yao sat up, his gaze firm.

Now Lin Xi understood completely—not every celebrity can reveal their relationship without fear, because the consequences are unpredictable.

But every girl wants to be acknowledged and blessed, don’t they? Yet for now, there was no other way—Xiaojin would have to endure this. Fourth Brother and Xiu had chosen different paths, both after careful thought.

As entertainers, as stars, you gain all the glamour, but there are difficulties that can never be spoken of. For everything you gain, you’re fated to lose even more... She and Lu Yuxiu, in comparison, were lucky.

Lin Xi couldn’t help but look at Fourth Brother anew. Over time, with the polish and wear of the years, he had changed from a dazzling youth into a man of restraint and responsibility.

Elsewhere—

After finishing work, Wen Jin didn’t return to the hotel straight away. Instead, she asked Xiao Ruo to drive her to the central hospital. She felt suddenly lost and wanted to confide in her grandma, knowing only her could give the most accurate advice.

"Xiaojin, you’re here." Wen Lihua sat up in bed, propped against two pillows. Seeing Wen Jin arrive, she took off her glasses, put down her newspaper, and smiled lovingly at her granddaughter.

"Grandma," Wen Jin called softly, sitting beside the bed and reaching out to hold her grandmother’s hand.

Wen Lihua smiled gently, patting her hand. "What’s wrong? My Xiaojin is a grown girl now, and she has something on her mind?"

Wen Jin blushed. "Grandma, how did you know..."

"You silly child! I raised you myself—how could I not understand you?" Wen Lihua laughed. "Come, tell Grandma—what’s troubling you?"

"Grandma... I... um..." Wen Jin bit her lip, hesitating to find the words.

"There’s nothing you can’t say to Grandma. Go ahead, child," Wen Lihua said patiently.

At last, Wen Jin spoke, choosing her words carefully. "I’ve fallen for someone, but the gap between us is too great. He’s so outstanding and dazzling, I feel I’m not worthy of him..."

As soon as she finished, her head drooped low.

Wen Lihua chuckled softly, her warm hand covering Wen Jin’s as if in comfort. "Child, tell me, does he treat you well?"

"Yes!" Wen Jin nodded without a trace of hesitation.

"And when you’re together, do you feel pressure?" Wen Lihua asked.

Wen Jin thought for a moment, then shook her head firmly. When they were together, she always felt happiest and most at ease.

Wen Lihua was even more pleased. "Then what more is there to struggle with? Being a good match isn’t what matters; what matters is that you’re right for each other and happy together."

"Child, you shouldn’t worry about whether you’re good enough for him. Our Xiaojin is outstanding herself—don’t put yourself down. Love is a beautiful thing, pure and untainted."

Seeing the light and deep tenderness in her grandmother’s eyes, Wen Jin was moved to the brink of tears. "Just like you and Grandpa?"

Thinking of her late husband, Wen Lihua beamed, her eyes crinkling like she’d tasted honey. She reached out to pat Wen Jin’s head, reminding her gently, "Child, remember—true love is about growing together and helping each other become better."