The wealthy military officer spoils his wife excessively

After saying that, she turned and walked towards the corridor outside the door, stopping in front of the elevator and frantically pressing the button.

Lu Zheng caught up with her: "Don't act like a child. Where are you going?"

"It's none of your business if I die out there. I really don't know how I ended up with someone like you. What else can you give me besides a heartbreaking experience? Get out of here."

Just then, the elevator stopped. Su Wen, furious, slipped into the elevator and frantically pressed the close button.

This time, Lu Zheng didn't catch up with her. He stood outside the door, watching the elevator doors slowly close in front of him, and said, "You're right, I can't give you anything. If I had known this would happen, why did I do it in the first place?"

The elevator doors closed completely, and Nie Suwen immediately squatted down on the ground and burst into loud sobs.

The elevator stopped midway, and Suwen, lost in her grief, was completely unaware that someone had walked in.

Xiao Ai stood in the elevator and couldn't believe her eyes when she saw her appearance.

"What's wrong with you? Who bullied you?"

She pulled Suwen up by the arm. Because she had cried so hard, her makeup was ruined. Her eyeliner was smudged by the torrential tears, turning into a crooked and ugly shape.

Suwen saw her reflection in Xiao Ai's eyes and knew how shameful she looked, but she couldn't care less. Never before had she felt more heartbroken and desperate.

Xiao Ai quickly took out tissues and helped her wipe and tidy herself up in the elevator. She originally wanted to ask more questions, but after thinking about the party that night, she understood everything and decided not to reopen old wounds and make her feel worse again.

The most painful period had passed, and Suwen gradually stopped sobbing. The elevator had already stopped on the first floor. Only then did she realize how many people were outside. Today was Yuan Yuquan's press conference, and there must be a lot of reporters gathered downstairs. She already had enough negative news; if she went out with tears streaming down her face, the reporters would probably have plenty to speculate on for a while.

Xiao Ai seemed to understand her and led her directly backstage. The public dressing room was too crowded and inconvenient. Xiao Ai looked up, saw a sign, and pushed the door open to go in.

Suwen looked at the empty dressing room and hesitated, thinking, "It's not really appropriate for us to come in without saying hello." She knew that only top-tier celebrities could use a dressing room by themselves, and these were usually people she couldn't afford to offend. She was already in a mess and didn't want to cause any more trouble.

"It's okay, we can leave when people come." Xiao Ai pressed her down into a chair and went to the counter to get a makeup box to touch up her makeup.

"You'd better walk out looking your best and full of confidence today, so that those who want to see you make a fool of yourself won't be disappointed!"

Suwen then fell silent, closing his eyes slightly, but his mind was a jumbled mess.

The two had barely sat down when they heard the door open outside: "Sorry, Jia, the traffic was terrible."

Xiao Ai and Su Wen stopped and looked towards the door at the same time. Xue Shaofeng, who had just pushed the door open, was also stunned and stared blankly at the two of them.

“Girl…” Xue Shaofeng’s stunned expression quickly turned into surprise, and he turned around and closed the door.

Suwen forced a smile and said, "Brother Feng."

Xiao Ai breathed a sigh of relief, just like her. They had stumbled upon Xue Shaofeng's private dressing room by sheer luck.

Xue Shaofeng sat down, about to ask them why they were there, when his eyes caught sight of Su Wen's makeup smudged by tears, and he suddenly understood. He coughed awkwardly twice and said, "There are quite a few reporters outside right now. Why don't you wait until the press conference starts and then sneak out through the back door?"

Xiao Ai snorted defiantly, "Why did we have to sneak away from her? We didn't do anything wrong!"

Xue Shaofeng shrugged.

"Brother Feng, you don't need to be afraid of hurting me by deliberately avoiding the topic. Everyone outside is talking about this now. I don't care what you think of me anymore," Su Wen said wistfully.

"No, you won't." Xue Shaofeng blurted out subconsciously.

Suwen suddenly opened her eyes, turned her head and stared at him intently: "But the photos have been published like that, and you still believe I didn't have a relationship with the man in the photos?"

Xue Shaofeng was taken aback, clearly not expecting her to ask such a blunt and direct question.

He nodded: "I believe you. I know you're not that kind of person."

As a friend, Xue Shaofeng would choose to say nice things to make her feel less embarrassed, which was already expected by Suwen, but she was still somewhat moved when she heard his answer.

"Even if you're just saying it, I'm still very grateful, really. I doubt anyone else would say that besides you."

Xiao Ai held her hand: "Don't be so pessimistic, we all believe in you. And your fans, the people who truly support you, will not waver."

Suwen smiled, a hint of coolness in his eyes.

Why are people always more demanding and less forgiving of those they love? Is it because they care, and therefore cruel? Su Wen thought of the moment Lu Zheng let go and was separated by the elevator doors, and her heart ached as if it were being torn apart.

Xue Shaofeng originally had a scheduled appearance, but he claimed that at this critical moment, as a friend, he had to support his daughter, so he postponed the appearance and accompanied Suwen out of the dressing room.

Sure enough, the tabloid paparazzi who hadn't been granted entry to the press conference were waiting at the back door. As soon as Nie Suwen came out, they immediately set up their cameras and started taking pictures.

There were restrictions on questions at the press conference, so how could they dig up any juicy gossip? The paparazzi swarmed in like madmen, completely blocking the back door. Luckily, Xiao Ai was prepared and sneaked around to get her car amidst the chaos. Xue Shaofeng immediately became her protector, placing one hand naturally on Su Wen's shoulder, pulling her into his embrace, and using his other hand to shield her forehead from the flashing lights.

"Ms. Nie, what are your thoughts on this recent series of scandals?"

"Ms. Nie, have you been absent from the screen for so long because of private photos with men that have led to your being blacklisted by the company?"

"Ms. Nie, what was your in-laws' reaction to the news? Has your marriage been affected by this?"

"Ms. Nie, I heard that at today's press conference, Yuan Yuquan, whom you have been suppressing, will clarify those photos for you. Are you moved by her act of repaying evil with kindness and regretting what you did in the past?"

Sharp questions like these, like a hail of bullets, came flying at her in a flurry.

Nie Suwen kept her head down and remained silent. Xue Shaofeng, while protecting her and clearing a path for her, hurriedly replied to the reporters: "Ms. Nie is here at my company today to keep my appointment. It has nothing to do with any press conference. We are going to play golf later. Please make way for us, okay?"

These words immediately drew the attention of the perceptive reporters to him: "Brother Feng, you've always addressed each other as brother and sister since Nie Suwen's debut. Won't this scandal involving Miss Nie affect your relationship?"

"No. Those reports are false. I believe the storm will pass."

"Does Brother Feng really have absolutely no romantic feelings for Miss Nie?"

Xue Shaofeng suddenly stopped, still protecting Suwen behind him, and solemnly and seriously said, word by word, "She is the only sister I, Xue Shaofeng, have ever acknowledged in the industry. She is my family, like a real sister. Do you understand?"

"..."

The reporters were speechless. They seemed quite disappointed that they couldn't find any pro-CCP elements.

Just then, Xiao Ai's car pulled up. She honked the horn, opened the car door, and shouted, "Brother Feng, get in!"

Xue Shaofeng swiftly pulled Suwen through the human wall and pushed her into the car first.

He knew the reporters wouldn't give up so easily, so he opened the car door and said to Xiao Ai, "You guys go first, I'll handle these reporters."

Su Wen turned her head slightly and saw Xue Shaofeng, who was quickly surrounded by reporters, through the dark car window. His dark suit jacket was casually draped over his arm, and the cuffs of his blue shirt were rolled up above his elbows. Faced with the paparazzi's various rude questions, he maintained the same expression, neither angry nor impatient, with a calm and polite smile.

"In critical moments, Feng-ge is still the one we can rely on." Xiao Ai said with a meaningful sigh as she started the car to leave this troublesome place as quickly as possible.

Suwen withdrew her gaze: "He was implicated because of me."

After the car drove away, leaving only a puff of exhaust fumes, Xue Shaofeng peered over the crowd at the disappearing car. His eyebrows twitched, and his lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but no one but himself would ever hear him.

His heart to protect her never changed from beginning to end, but he knew that from the moment he uttered the words "brother and sister," he had already given up and been eliminated.

He forced himself to look away and silently wished her well: "Girl, as long as you're alright, I'll be... satisfied."

In the car, Xiao Ai sighed with a hint of melancholy. She didn't believe that Nie Suwen was just a blockhead who couldn't be roused no matter what: "I feel like Brother Feng is still very good to you. Didn't you notice? The way he looked at you just now. He even postponed his work just to take you out."

Suwen leaned her head back in her chair, her slightly furrowed brows revealing no emotion. She merely smiled faintly at Xiao Ai's assessment, offering no comment.

Xue Shaofeng was a hard-won male friend of hers, and in her heart, she already regarded him as an older brother. She didn't want those ambiguous feelings to ruin this precious friendship.

Xiao Ai clicked her tongue twice and said with a sigh, "Alas, this is probably what they call being destined to meet but not to be together."

Suwen couldn't help but laugh at her old-fashioned and sentimental remarks, so she took the opportunity to tease her and lighten the dull atmosphere in the car: "And you? When will you meet your destined one?"

Xiao Ai yawned: "Seeing you, I have absolutely no expectations for marriage and love. Besides, people in our line of work are busier than national leaders every day, working like dogs and not making much money. How can we have time to date?"