Chapter 637: Trending
While Liu Yimei was scrolling through the news on her phone, it suddenly rang.
"Where are you, Liu Yimei?"
"In the waiting lounge..."
"Get out here now! I'm waiting for you in the parking lot!"
Liu Yimei hung up the phone and shrugged. It seemed her mother was in an absolute rush. She wondered how fast her mother had driven to the station or how many red lights she'd run along the way...
When she finally met her mother, Liu Lili immediately noticed the news displayed on her daughter's phone screen.
"Is that the latest?" she asked, pointing at the phone.
Liu Yimei nodded.
Liu Lili grabbed the phone and, after just one glance at the front page, collapsed into the driver's seat. The image of Liu Yimei and Bruno kissing had clearly left her shaken.
"Are you okay, Mom?" Liu Yimei asked, genuinely concerned.
Liu Lili waved a hand weakly. "Let's just go home, Liu Yimei."
Liu Yimei playfully stuck her tongue out, turning to open the backseat door.
It seemed her mother was deeply rattled. Still, better to let her start getting used to it now rather than later.
...
After pulling into their driveway, Liu Lili told her daughter, "Go upstairs first. I'll park the car and be right up. Don't go anywhere—wait for me in your room."
Liu Yimei sighed but nodded. There was no avoiding this.
As she stepped out of the car and crossed the lawn, flashes erupted all around her.
She immediately realized what was happening. Reporters had been camped outside their home—perhaps since the day she'd run away or maybe since the news broke earlier that morning, hoping to catch an exclusive.
This was hardly a surprise to her. She knew the media thrived on juicy gossip, like sharks drawn to blood in the water.
Instead of hiding or shielding her face, Liu Yimei greeted the reporters warmly.
"Hi, everyone!" she said with her signature sweet smile, waving at the cameras.
The reporters, seeing her surprisingly good mood, surged forward eagerly, their microphones and cameras at the ready.
Meanwhile, Liu Lili had just parked the car in the garage. Rushing to the lawn, she froze at the sight of her daughter casually chatting with the press. She groaned in frustration.
"Oh, heavens!"
...
In a flash, Liu Lili positioned herself between her daughter and the crowd of reporters, spreading her arms to block them.
"No! Not today! We won't be taking any questions!" she declared loudly.
Unwilling to give up, the reporters fired questions anyway.
"Ms. Liu Lili, you've previously stated that your daughter was at home recovering from an illness. How do you respond to today's reports that a woman resembling your daughter was seen on a date with a man? Was it just a resemblance?"
"I have no comment at this time!" Liu Lili snapped, frowning as she blocked the cameras.
"Liu Yimei! Liu Yimei! Do you admit the woman in the report is you? Who is the man in the photos? He seems to be a Westerner..."
Fearing her daughter might say something, Liu Lili quickly pulled her behind her and began pushing her toward the front door.
"Liu Yimei! Please answer our questions!"
"Ms. Liu Lili, doesn't this concern your daughter's reputation? Don't you want to protect her integrity?"
Once Liu Lili managed to shove her daughter inside, she turned back to the reporters, now nearly at the doorstep.
"If you don't leave immediately, I will call the police!" she yelled.
With that, she stepped inside and slammed the door shut with a forceful thud.
...
Inside, the heavy door now separating them from the reporters, Liu Yimei flopped onto the living room couch.
"Oh, wow! Looks like I'm trending again, Mom. See? I didn't even need those awful talk shows to stay in the spotlight."
"Watch your language!" Liu Lili snapped, still fuming from the encounter with the press.
She pointed at the couch, signaling her daughter to sit properly.
Liu Yimei complied, straightening up and flashing her mother a mischievous smile.
But to Liu Lili, this wasn't her daughter's usual sweet demeanor. It looked more like the smug grin of someone pleased with a successful scheme.
Frustrated, she said sharply, "Now, tell me: how long have you been planning this... this stunt?"
"It wasn't a stunt, Mom. It was a vacation!" Liu Yimei giggled, still in high spirits after her two blissful days with Bruno.
"Don't split hairs with me!" Liu Lili placed her hands on her hips, leaning in like an interrogator.
Liu Yimei shrugged. "Fine. Since you started booking me for those awful interviews."
"If you didn't like them, you could have told me, Liu Yimei. Instead, you've put me in an impossible position!"
"I did tell you, Mom. But you always insisted, 'It's good for your career.' I don't need any more career boosts—I'm already famous enough. I shouldn't have to accept every invitation, especially the bad ones."
...
For a moment, Liu Lili was at a loss for words. Finally, she waved her hand dismissively.
"Never mind that. Just tell me the person in those photos isn't you. Right?"
As a mother, she clung to a sliver of hope.
But her daughter dashed it immediately. "I won't lie to you, Mom. That's me."
"Oh..." Liu Lili let out a pained groan, her body swaying as if she might collapse.
Liu Yimei quickly stood to steady her. "Mom, are you okay?"
"Do I look okay to you?" Liu Lili glared at her.
Liu Yimei stuck out her tongue sheepishly.
"Sit down," Liu Lili ordered, pulling over a chair to sit across from her daughter, ready to grill her.
"How long have you known that man? Don't tell me you just met him on the street. That's a story even Hollywood wouldn't buy."
Liu Yimei knew her mother would eventually find out about Bruno. After all, they genuinely liked each other and were planning to be together long-term—perhaps even considering marriage and a family someday.
"We've known each other for two and a half years."
Her answer left Liu Lili stunned. "Two and a half years? But back then, weren't you still dating that Korean actor? Is this why you broke up with him?"
...
As Liu Lili's thoughts raced, a realization struck her.
"Wait... let me think... it's him? Oh, heavens..."
Though Liu Lili wasn't a football fan, the sport's global popularity and the recent World Cup ensured that she was at least familiar with Bruno's name and face. After all, his achievements as Portugal's star player had been splashed across countless headlines.
She struggled to reconcile her daughter's relationship with someone from such a different world.
"You know what football players are like in this country—none of them are any good! I forbid you from being with him!" she declared, grasping for reasons to oppose their relationship.
"He's different. He has no major scandals, and from what I know, he's kind, humble, and nothing like a typical celebrity."
"But you live in two separate worlds! He's in England, and you're here. It's impossible to make it work..."
"Mom, do you only want me to stay in China forever?" Liu Yimei countered.
Liu Lili was left speechless.
"I read the media reports at the airport," Liu Yimei continued with a sly smile. "They're calling him my 'secret lover' or 'rumored boyfriend.' Let's make it official: he's my boyfriend."
She figured the media frenzy could help her finally win her mother's approval for the relationship. Then, future visits to see Bruno wouldn't have to be secretive.
(END CHAPTER)
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