IHWL – Chapter 60.2

   She was obviously just going out of the waiting room, but she exuded the aura of a noble princess, out for the parade.

    There were a lot of people coming and going backstage, and the floor was littered with clutter. Makeup assistants and costume assistants were running around like the wind.

    Xu Yadan walked carefully, but helplessly. The long skirt she was wearing was too long. In her inattention, she slipped and lunged forward.

    “Ah!”

    She cried.

    In the nick of time, a pair of strong and powerful hands reached out from the side and steadily held her.

    It was a pair of hands belonging to a man with his palms full of thick calluses. It was clearly winter, but he was wearing only a thin jacket, as if he had just arrived here from some very warm place.

    The thin jacket could not hide the man’s formidable physique. When Xu Yadan fell in his arms, she distinctly felt the muscle lines hidden under his jacket, through the thin layer of fabric.

    If such a man were to embrace her…

    Before Xu Yadan could savor more of the man’s hot embrace, the man released her, held her upright, stepped back and separated from her to a distance.

    “Careful, please stand firm,” the man said hoarsely.

   In terms of looks alone, the man could only rank as average in the entertainment industry where handsome men and beautiful women were concentrated. However, he carried a rare aura, like a loaded pistol. Just his looks made people feel fearful in their hearts.

    His hair was shaved short, and his skin was tanned. Behind him, there was a petite figure nearly a head shorter than him. He stood in front of the girl, like an evil dragon guarding the princess.

    The girl wore a duck-tongue cap and a large mask to cover her face. She hung her head low and didn’t look at the fancy dressed Xu Yadan. Instead, she patted the man’s arm and whispered, “Let’s go find her first.”

    The man nodded and escorted her to continue walking deeper into the backstage.

    These two people were really strange. They obviously didn’t wear work permits, yet they could pass through the backstage unhindered.

    Xu Yadan was puzzled, and she inevitably looked at the girl a few more times.

    Just as the two parties crossed paths, Xu Yadan suddenly reached out and pulled the girl who was in a hurry!

    “Su Jin?” Xu Yadan frowned: “What the hell are you doing? Why are you wearing a hat and mask backstage. Do you think you’re the only big name star in the whole party?”

    The girl: “…”

    She froze in place and did not say anything for a long time. If anyone were to look closely, they would have seen that she was slightly trembling.

    “Are you mute? Why are you not speaking?” Xu Yadan felt that Su Jin was acting strange.

    Her eyes fell on Su Jin’s mask and a bold guess came to her mind. Could it be that  Su Jin and Mu Xiulun got into a fight in the basement parking lot, and Mu Xiulun slapped her?

    Not one of those rich businessmen were good at all. Did you really think that an actress marrying into the rich could have a happy ending? That was all a lie! Domestic violence beatings abound. Perhaps when this scandal erupted, President Mu felt that Su Jin deliberately plotted against him, and then slapped her.

     With this conjecture, Xu Yadan deliberately raised her voice, and even stretched her hand to remove Su Jin’s face mask: “Miss Su, don’t hide it. If you’ve been wronged, tell me and I’ll…”

    She did everything without notice, so Su Jin wasn’t at all prepared. Hence, she got unmasked.

    —— To Xu Yadan’s disappointment, Su Jin’s face was still polished and beautiful. Even in the dimly lit backstage, Su Jin still appeared glowing with a grace that made people unable to tear their eyes off.

    She was like a handful of moonlight. Her limpid eyes were so soft. Merely looking at her made one feel like falling into a boundless sea of clouds.

    Xu Yadan froze, and felt in a trance. This look was strange and familiar to her.

    Moreover, did Su Jin’s hair just grow this long?

    “How do you…”

    Before Su Jin could respond, the serving assistants who were attracted by Xu Yadan’s voice quickly rushed forward and surrounded Su Jin.

    “Miss Su, where have you been?”

    “Miss Su, the second rehearsal is about to start! Why have you washed off your makeup?”

    “Miss Su, come with me quickly!”

    With that, the costume assistant pushed Su Jin toward the dressing room.

    Su Jin looked tangled, but the man beside her nodded to her slightly and said something to her with his mouth. Only then did she feel at ease.

    Seeing the girl’s back disappear behind the door, Xu Yadan immediately dumped her assistant and approached the man.

    At this juncture, she had long ago forgotten her Little Wolfdog this, Little Puppy that. Who said that only men could be philandering? A woman like her had the money and the appearance of an actress. What was wrong with a little philandering?

    She took off her jacket to reveal her beautiful blue dress, put on her perfect smile that she had practiced for years, and took the initiative to talk to him: “May I know how this gentleman is addressed?”

    “Lin.” The man stuck his hands in his pockets and stood guard in front of the lounge, motionless.

    “Are you Su Jin’s bodyguard?”

    “Bodyguard?” The man answered sparingly, “No.”

    “Then you are…?” Xu Yadan wanted to ask the man’s identity, whether he was Su Jin’s friend of the opposite sex, yet the man misunderstood her meaning and thought she was asking after his job.

    He replied: “I’m just an ordinary animal breeder.”

    “…”

    He was the kind of ordinary animal breeder who carried guns and wore camouflage uniforms and pounced in the wetland quagmire all day long. Even if he killed and maimed poachers, he didn’t need to go to prison; an ordinary animal breeder, nothing more.