Xie Xiaobao was momentarily caught off guard by He Yu’s question.
In the past, when he said he went abroad, few people would ask so many details.
He Yu asked where exactly he had gone, and Xie Xiaobao suddenly felt awkward.
“Just that… um… the… U-United States.”
Xie Xiaobao’s mind spun for a long time as he stammered out the lie.
“I went to the United States back then.”
He Yu was stunned and surprised.
“You went to the United States too? Which state? I’m also in the U.S., but in NY.”
“Ah?” Xie Xiaobao was dumbfounded.
He never expected that the casual lie he made up would collide with He Yu’s reality.
His face flushed red, and he fiddled nervously with his toes in the soft sea sand, unable to form a coherent sentence.
Only then did He Yu notice his embarrassment.
Frowning, he asked, “Did you go abroad alone?”
“Ah?” Still tangled up in how to keep up the lie, Xie Xiaobao hadn’t caught the question clearly and instinctively said yes.
He Yu’s brow furrowed tighter as he observed Xie Xiaobao’s obvious guilt.
He sighed quietly inside—’Xie Xiaobao couldn’t even tell a proper lie. Beforehand, Xie’s family had clearly said someone accompanied him.’
Xie Xiaobao’s head nearly dropped to his chest, his face burning bright red.
He stammered and couldn’t speak, nor dared to look up at He Yu.
He wished there was a hole on the beach he could crawl into and hide.
“If you don’t want to say, don’t force yourself.” He Yu rubbed his head.
Xie Xiaobao’s hair was very fine and soft to the touch.
He Yu paused before withdrawing his hand thoughtfully.
“I asked too many questions. Sorry.”
Xie Xiaobao looked up in surprise and met He Yu’s gentle eyes.
His ears twitched slightly, and feeling awkward, he turned his head away and stammered, “It’s not… not what you think.”
He Yu placed his hand on Xie Xiaobao’s shoulder, pulling him close as they walked forward.
“We’re here to have fun. If you don’t want to talk about something, then don’t.”
Being held so close, Xie Xiaobao could even smell the faint scent of He Yu’s cologne.
He Yu’s hand rested on his shoulder, and the warmth from the palm seeped through, slightly hot.
Xie Xiaobao blushed all the way down his neck.
He wiggled lightly but didn’t manage to break free.
Lowering his head, he slipped out from under He Yu’s arm.
He tucked his hands behind his back and, pretending to joke, said, “It’s fine, I can walk by myself.”
He Yu withdrew his hand, recalling the softness for a moment with regret, then slipped it back into his pocket. “Alright then.”
The two walked along the coastline, one ahead, one behind.
Night gradually deepened, and the seaside wind grew chillier.
Xie Xiaobao rubbed his nose and couldn’t help but sneeze.
“Cold?” He Yu naturally reached out and touched his hand.
Xie Xiaobao’s hand was ice-cold too.
“You wait here.” He Yu straightened and strode towards the shore.
Xie Xiaobao watched He Yu’s tall figure and muttered softly, then rubbed the hand that had just been touched.
He Yu returned quickly and draped his suit jacket over Xie Xiaobao’s shoulders.
His voice was gentle as he warned, “Play a bit longer, then let’s go back. Don’t catch a cold.”
Xie Xiaobao slipped his arms into the sleeves of the oversized jacket, then continued walking.
They circled most of the beach, chatting about childhood memories.
Xie Xiaobao barely remembered anything, so he quietly listened to He Yu, occasionally chiming in with a vague impression.
He Yu kept observing his expression and found that Xie Xiaobao had almost no memory of his childhood.
Logically, when they met, Xie Xiaobao wasn’t very young, so even if time had blurred memories, he shouldn’t have none at all.
He sighed inwardly, suppressing his doubts.
Noticing the time was late, he suggested they head back.
Xie Xiaobao also felt guilty, worried He Yu might ask questions he couldn’t answer, so he quickly nodded in agreement.
Each was lost in thought, and the ride back was mostly silent as they got into the car.
Xie Xiaobao’s feet were covered in fine sand.
He rummaged through his bag and found he hadn’t brought any tissues.
“Use this, wipe your hands first. We’ll clean up properly later.” He Yu handed him a handkerchief.
Xie Xiaobao nodded, quickly wiped, then held his bag obediently.
“Is this yours?” He Yu picked up a key left on the car seat, which had an orange cat charm attached—probably something Xie Xiaobao pulled out while searching for tissues.
“Looks just like Orange Bao.”
Xie Xiaobao took the keys and said, “I made this after looking at Orange Bao.”
He Yu was surprised, “You made it yourself?”
Xie Xiaobao nodded, “Yeah, I made it during today’s livestream.”
“Then when you have time, make one for me too,” He Yu joked.
“It’s been a long time since I last saw Orange Bao. I kind of miss him.”
Xie Xiaobao gripped the keys, feeling even more guilty.
He took the keychain off and handed it to He Yu, stammering, “If you don’t mind, I want to give this to you.”
A smile tugged at He Yu’s lips as he took the keychain.
“Then I won’t be polite.”
“No need to be polite. If you like it, I can make a bigger one next time. This one was rushed.”
He Yu hung the keychain on the car keys and fiddled with the little cat.
“I think this one’s good enough. But when will you bring Orange Bao back?”
Xie Xiaobao was caught off guard and cautiously replied he didn’t plan to bring him back for now.
Though a bit disappointed, He Yu didn’t press further.
He started the car and headed toward the city.
He first dropped Xie Xiaobao off downstairs.
Barefoot, Xie Xiaobao jumped out and waved goodbye through the window.
“Want to come up for a bit?”
He Yu looked at the genuine smile on his face and thought for a moment before declining.
“I’m really a mess today. Maybe next time.”
“All right then. I’ll invite you next time.” Xie Xiaobao beamed and waved, then ran up the stairs.
He Yu watched him enter the building before turning the car around and leaving.
***
September passed, and it was already October.
The weather grew cooler day by day, and many unresolved matters began to wrap up.
Previously, He Yu had sent Fang Huaiyue to investigate Li Changmin’s background.
But Li Changmin was cautious and rarely left traces.
Fang Huaiyue’s people searched thoroughly and finally found a small slip-up that led to evidence of embezzlement.
He Yu looked over the organized evidence and smiled.
“Make copies and send one to Li Changmin. Also, no need to drag out things with Zong Wei.”
Fang Huaiyue nodded, “I’ll handle it.”
With solid evidence of embezzlement in their hands, there was no fear that Li Changmin wouldn’t hand over his financial records.
At this stage, there was no need to worry about alerting the target.
Fang Huaiyue first scanned and encrypted the evidence and sent it to Li Changmin.
Within ten minutes, Li Changmin’s call came through.
“What do you want?”
Fang Huaiyue remained polite, “Just cooperate with my work.”
There was a pause, then Li Changmin said, “I can give you He Xing’s ledgers, but don’t drag me into this.”
Fang Huaiyue readily agreed.
Li Changmin gritted his teeth and had someone deliver the ledgers to He Entertainment.
Fang Huaiyue carefully reviewed the books and, confirming everything was in order, let the courier leave.
With the ledgers, they could move on to the next steps.
Fang Huaiyue acted quickly, handing all evidence to the Police.
With massive sums involved and irrefutable proof, the Police were motivated to crack the economic crime.
Zong Wei, whose resignation had long been suppressed, was the first to face the Police’s visit.
When they showed up, his heart skipped, but he strangely felt a sense of relief.
His five million deposit was indisputable evidence, and with the issues on He Xing’s side, he wouldn’t get away without punishment.
Due to sufficient evidence, the Police moved swiftly to He Xing’s residence—who had just returned from a foreign vacation a few days ago.
The door was opened by the housekeeper.
After showing badges and a search warrant, the Police searched the empty villa.
Except for the housekeeper, no one else was inside.
“Officer, who are you looking for? Mr. He is not home; he just left.” The housekeeper, speaking Mandarin tinged with a strong dialect, caught up to them.
“When did he leave?” The lead squad leader asked.
“Just half an hour ago. He got a call and hurriedly drove out.”
The housekeeper looked puzzled and asked, “Did something happen?”
The squad leader exchanged looks with his team and quickly withdrew.
Based on the housekeeper’s account, He Xing likely got advance notice and fled.
He Xing had indeed run.
The Police mobilized all available forces to search Shen City but failed to find He Xing.
There were no records of him leaving the province or crossing checkpoints.
Most likely, he was still in Shen City.
The Police issued a wanted notice, but He Xing seemed to have vanished like steam.
He Yu also sent people to search alongside the Police but to no avail.
Not a single trace of He Xing was found.
The exhaustive search lasted half a month.
Since Police manpower couldn’t be pulled off other cases indefinitely, some forces were withdrawn, leaving only a few to follow up.
He Yu’s people continued the search with no relaxation.
He wasn’t surprised He Xing got advance warning, but hiding this long without a slip-up wasn’t something He Xing could do alone.
Either he had unknown accomplices or others were helping him.
If the latter, it meant someone was lurking in the shadows, scheming against He Yu or the He family.
“Recall part of the forces. Keep a close eye on Jade Garden’s security in the meantime.”
Fang Huaiyue carefully noted everything down, confirmed He Yu had no further instructions, then left.
He Yu pinched his brow.
Too many things had happened recently, and now He Xing’s situation had worsened.
It was time to go back and give his uncle and cousin a warning.
***
Compared to He Yu’s setbacks, Xie Xiaobao’s popularity seemed to rocket like a rocket.
After the previous scandal that backfired spectacularly, Xie Xiaobao’s attention soared, but due to fewer updates and no events, fans had no chance to rally, and the heat gradually cooled.
But the calm didn’t last long.
A public service ad from Shen City’s Animal Shelter thrust Xie Xiaobao back into the spotlight.
The ad was shot by Orange Bao.
Over time, the Shelter released several clips.
Thanks to Orange Bao’s popularity and the three protagonists each with distinct personalities, it attracted much attention.
When the full ad finally came out online, it spread rapidly.
The Shelter’s fanbase was small at first, and shares were sporadic.
But after two days, the ad’s reputation exploded.
First, people noticed that the cat in the ad seemed to be a pet of a certain internet celebrity.
Word of mouth snowballed, and more people shared it.
With more viewers, the ad itself gained attention.
Besides the viral internet cat angle, the PSA was clearly made with heart and well done.
And apart from the orange cat, the other two stars weren’t any less charming.
Xie Xiaobao only learned the full ad had been released after the Shelter’s official Weibo tagged him.
The ad was simple, with a humble and even crude background, minimal editing beyond basic cuts, and no flashy effects.
Yet precisely because of this, the simple happiness of the three little animals on screen felt all the more genuine and touching.
The ad, just over two minutes long, told the story of a domestic orange cat’s integration into the Shelter.
Xie Xiaobao’s first visit to the Shelter and the setbacks and rejection he faced were shown honestly.
The cats’ contempt and dogs’ hostility were vividly displayed, exposing the raw reality of stray animals.
But it was exactly this unfiltered honesty that made the latter part so moving—the chubby orange cat clumsily trying to befriend the cat and dog groups by bringing treats.
Eventually, the cats and dogs accepted him.
The black cat taught him hunting skills like a parent, and the one-eared husky strolled with him in the yard…
These little details made the stray animals’ emotions truly come alive.
At the end of the ad, two plain lines in regular script appeared:
“Every stray cat and dog is a sensitive and kind spirit.
“Adopt, don’t shop. Please give these spirits a home.”
Xie Xiaobao sniffed, turned off the video, then typed out the last two lines and reposted the Shelter’s official Weibo.
His Weibo already had over ten million followers, and most were active fans.
His single repost easily surpassed all prior heat combined.
Most of his followers loved animals, so after his repost, fans actively helped spread the message.
Suddenly, topics like “Adopt, don’t shop” and “Shen City Animal Shelter” topped trending searches.
With more attention came awareness of the Shelter’s difficult situation.
Many kind-hearted netizens suggested crowdfunding to improve conditions.
But as always with money involved, the topic became sensitive.
Many questioned donation use and corruption, and some bluntly claimed the Shelter was playing the victim for donations.
The internet buzzed with all sorts of opinions, arguments flying everywhere.
In reality, the Shelter’s heavy investment in the ad was a last-ditch effort forced by desperation.