Chapter 10

It was dark outside. The colors of the sky were a beautiful mixture of deep blue, white and very light orange. Such an image would give inspiration to an artiste who took a deep interest in appreciating nature's beauty.

The same air of calmness couldn't be said to be around the three ladies walking their ways out of the station, due to the thick silence that hung in the air.

Zi-xin knew she would get an earful. Liu Xinyi always indulged her and let her do whatever she wanted but Zi-xin wasn't sure how upset her big sis must've been about having to come to pick her.

Taking a glance at the appearance of Xinyi who was a step ahead, Liu Zi-xin could roughly guess that her cousin had been out when they notified her about the situation of things, she might've been dealing with work matters or even having a good time socializing. Liu Zi-xin knew that Liu Xinyi never socialized because she preferred spending some time doing extra work than relaxing for a little while and Liu Zi-xin hated the fact that she was the one that dragged her out at such a time.

But it hadn't been intentional. What happened...hadn't been her fault in any way. She was only trying to help someone who was apparently in danger yet everything seemed to suddenly go wrong and before she knew what was happening, two policemen were escorting her to the station for questioning and stating all sorts of professional slang used when arresting criminal suspects.

Her nostrils flared in indignation and Zi-xin bit her upper lip harshly, feeling very wronged.

Anyway, she would explain everything that happened once they got home. It really wasn't her fault!

"Hello, miss Zi-xin." Xinyi's driver greeted Zi-xin immediately he approached them as they walked out of the station and Zi-xin nodded numbly at him, her expression sober but somewhat dazed at the same time.

Lina was right behind them and Xinyi gave her a nod, signifying that her work there was done so Lina walked towards her own car and got in.

Immediately they got into the car, Liu Xinyi passed Zi-xin a bottle of water which the latter accepted gracefully and instantly took a few large gulps with her chin tilted in the air, blinking rapidly like she'd been seriously starved. Xinyi merely watched her drink the water as she told the driver to drive them to her house.

"What happened? Tell me every single thing and try not to forget anything." Liu Xinyi told Zi-xin in a serious tone when she saw that Zi-xin was no longer looking as dazed as earlier.

The water had definitely succeeded in clearing away all the drowsiness on her face and Liu Xinyi hoped she was also now in a sound mind.

"I was driving down the road when I saw this boy chasing after a car and screaming wildly. I couldn't hear what he was saying. Then the car slowed down and he ran forward to wave but surprisingly the driver of the car mercilessly hit him and also ran him over and then the car sped off while the boy was left lying by the side of the road. It was a shocking sight...and I got scared by such a scene. I thought the driver would reverse or do a u-turn but they just kept speeding off so I had to do something." Zi-xin said soberly.

Liu Xinyi knew what kind of a person Liu Zi-xin was. She would always come to people's rescue without even thinking about the consequences or consider her own image if things were turned against her. Liu Xinyi shook her head a little, suddenly asking in her mind if it was a framework. The thought had flashed through her mind when she was speaking with the detective earlier, especially after the rundown Lina had given her on the phone before she went in to speak with him but Liu Xinyi wanted to keep her thoughts to herself.

Now though, the thought came back stronger.

She knew how things worked in Zi-xin's line of passion so nothing could be ruled out. The entertainment industry was a dirty place and the powerful usually ruled over the lesser ones. It was a ravenous place out there. Those with more authority and power would always want to stay at the top and because of that, they wouldn't mind stepping on a few people if they tried to outshine them.

It would take a strong mind to stand firm and succeed in the industry and Zi-xin was someone that l, sadly, saw the best in everyone. It was a weakness that could easily be used against her because the world is full of vile, selfish and cunning people who always look for an opportunity to steal what belongs to others or make the lives of others miserable.

Besides, even if something were to be plotted, Liu Zi-xin would probably be oblivious to it. The thought alone made Liu Xinyi realize she needed to be on a strict look out for her cousin.

"Were you doing anything in particular when it happened? Maybe playing the radio or something like that?" Xinyi questioned and Liu Zi-xin thought about it for a while.

"Uhm...no? I'd just finished speaking with my manager at the time and was just trying to drive home."

"What time exactly?" Liu Xinyi switched into her interrogative mode.

Liu Zi-xin checked her phone for the time she had her last phone call "Twenty minutes past five."

"Continue. What happened next?" Liu Xinyi said while digging into her purse and bringing out a small box of facial wipes. She pulled one out and gently dabbed at Liu Zi-xin's face, cleaning off the mascara smudges and her cheeks.

Zi-xin's hands trembled a little on her thighs as she blinked before looking back up at her cousin who was disposing the wipe. She had been nervous earlier on while writing down her statement but now that she was actually with Liu Xinyi, the person that had had her back ever since she was a little girl, Liu Zi-xin knew everything would be alright and she wouldn't suffer for helping someone.

'It wasn't my fault. I won't stop helping others because of what happened. I'll just be more careful next time.' Liu Zi-xin thought to herself.

Even after so many years, only her sister Xinyi could give her such an assurance that everything would be alright. She swallowed, feeling ripples of emotions bubbling up inside her before they calmed down.

"After dropping the call, that was when everything happened. Then I called for help and two men who probably noticed what had happened, got down from their cars and ran over to help me carry him into the car. Then when I got to the hospital, I explained what happened but I was instantly recognized and that was when I realized I should've called my manager to meet up with me so I wouldn't have had to deal with the issue on my own."

"Then how did you get arrested?"

"The doctor told me they had to notify the police in case the effects of the accident happened to be more severe than that so I could only comply and follow them." Liu Zi-xin muttered as her voice explained her grievance and helplessness. She had no choice but to follow the officers since that was the procedure and she was a law abiding citizen.

"Where were you coming from anyway? Didn't you tell me you'll be finishing your shoot today and we could meet up after that?" Liu Xinyi asked randomly. Why did she have to go through that road when she should've passed the other City road leading Xinyi's company and house?

Liu Zi-xin nodded to confirm her cousin's statement. "Yes we finished the shoot and then the director invited us all for drinks. I know we both agreed to meet up but I couldn't decline the offer since even the top actors had agreed. So I only texted Lina to tell her I won't be able to meet up with you and then we went for the drink."

Xinyi thought of another question she could ask but didn't want Liu Zi-xin to start overthinking. She shook her head a little and decided to postpone the questions for when they got home.

"It's fine. You've had a stressful day so let's just go home. You'll sleep over at my place." She told Liu Zi-xin and watched the girl look down, hiding her emotions from her eyes.

Liu Xinyi cocked a brow, resisting a chuckle.

"Feeling wronged?" Liu Xinyi chuckled playfully.

"Why are you laughing? I've suffered greatly today." Zi-xin complained with a pout and crossed her arms over her chest indignantly.

"So what? Are you saying you don't want to follow me home?"

Zi-xin shook her head. "No. I'm just glad that you came. I was so scared that mom and dad would hear about it and scold me. Then they would get to know it happened while I was coming from the company's party. If not, what would I have done?" She sighed in slight worry and Liu Xinyi nodded, understanding where her cousin was coming from.

Liu Zi-xin was the second child of two children. Her parents doted on her and her brother, who was currently in the army. The fact that they didn't support her decision to become an actress was already bad.

Liu Zi-xin knew her dad would worry about her being bullied in the entertainment industry again and try to convince her not to pursue her acting career like he'd been doing for the past few years since she told them of her plans and Zi-xin didn't want that.

"Don't worry, I'll handle uncle. I will also introduce you to someone. A good friend of mine..I don't want you to get bullied so I'll hand you over to him. He's a good man and he'll definitely take good care of you." Liu Xinyi chuckled with a smile.

"Bullied? I'm not bullied. I'm loved by everyone and they always shower me with praises. Especially sister Su Jialin and Huang Jing."

Su Jialin.

Liu Xinyi looked over at Zi-xin, noticing the adoration in Liu Zi-xin's voice and on her face when she mentioned Su Jialin.

Liu Xinyi had heard a lot about Su Jialin.

She was a talented actress and always acted her role perfectly. Liu Xinyi had watched a historical drama that Su Jialin played the female lead and she was impressed even though she only ended up watching half of the movie, which was about only eight episodes.

She focused on her cousin instead. "Yes I know. You can just see him as your big brother in the industry. He doesn't talk much but he is loyal and also a responsible man." Liu Xinyi could already imagine this 'mystery friend' scolding her for wanting to turn him into a guardian but she knew he would keep her cousin safe and also protect her from anyone that might have any evil plots up their sleeve.

Liu Zi-xin nodded. Whatever Liu Xinyi said was the best. Her cousin couldn't lead her astray after all, Liu Xinyi was the person Liu Zi-xin trusted the most in your world.

"Hmm. That's good. I'll meet him at your own convenience. I'll probably be free for a few days before I get bombarded with work again."