Chapter 119: Explain Yourself Clearly! Or I'll Call the Police!

Di Jia’er was desperate to save her, but he had not forgotten Bai Lu’s status as a celebrity. An altercation with an internet celebrity had already taken place. If news now broke that Bai Lu had fallen into the sea, it would be impossible for people not to connect the two incidents.

By then, it would become a major scandal.

Di Jia’er rushed into the cabin, seized a crew member, and lowered his voice. “Don’t make a fuss. Someone has fallen into the sea. Go find the staff and quietly get her out.”

The crew members working that day were all assigned to serve the cruise ship’s VIP passengers. After a brief moment of panic, the man nodded. “Follow me.”

Di Jia’er glanced at Qiao Xianyi, who was busy dealing with her rich second-generation friends. After a moment’s thought, he decided to rescue Bai Lu first and tell Qiao Xianyi afterward.

The sudden sensation of weightlessness nearly stopped Bai Lu’s heart.

Before she could even close her eyes, her body slammed violently into the surface of the sea.

Before she could feel the pain, bone-chilling cold wrapped around her.

Then the freezing water swept through her entire body.

It was so cold that even her heart seemed to freeze.

Bai Lu instinctively flailed both arms, trying to grab hold of something.

But her body was far too heavy, and her clothes, soaked through with seawater, weighed her down like lead.

It was as though countless hands were tugging at her clothes, trying to drag her into the depths…

“Help… help…”

Gradually, she lost all strength.

Her flailing hands fell limply to her sides.

“Little Deer! Little Deer, hold on a little longer!” Di Jia’er and the crew members sat aboard a rescue speedboat, watching helplessly as the sea swallowed her. “Faster! Faster!”

…

In her hazy consciousness, Bai Lu felt countless hands pulling at her.

Someone wrapped their arms around her, holding her with tremendous force.

She had… been saved.

“Quick, get some clothes! Clothes!” Di Jia’er’s voice came from directly above her. “Don’t head straight back to shore. Take us farther out first!”

She managed to open her eyes to a narrow slit. “Brother Jia’er… I’m fine. Don’t worry about me…”

Her lips moved, but no sound came out.

Di Jia’er held her tightly through several layers of down jackets. Seeing her murmuring lips, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. “Don’t talk. I know what to do.”

A faint whimper escaped from Bai Lu’s throat. At last, she could no longer resist the weight of her eyelids, and her eyes closed.

Though she no longer had the strength to open them, her consciousness remained relatively clear.

She heard Di Jia’er say in a warning—almost threatening—tone, “Bai Lu is a friend of the heiress, Qiao Xianyi of Yingqiao Real Estate. If you can’t keep your mouths shut and start spreading rumors, losing your jobs will be the least of your worries. I guarantee Miss Qiao will make sure every one of you ends up in serious trouble.”

Bai Lu: …

Brother Jia’er, doesn’t your conscience hurt when you slander Qiao Qiao like this?

All the crew members were responsible for serving VIP guests, so they naturally understood the implications.

Besides, just over an hour earlier, Miss Qiao had thrown an impressive tantrum. The crew had witnessed it clearly, and none of them was foolish enough to charge straight into the line of fire again.

They nodded one after another. “We definitely won’t say anything.”

“Thank you for helping rescue Little Deer. We won’t trouble you any further,” Di Jia’er said.

After thanking them, he carried her off the speedboat and ran all the way toward the parking lot.

“Little Deer, are you feeling warmer?”

In truth, Bai Lu had already lost consciousness. She could no longer feel either cold or warmth.

But she did not want Di Jia’er to worry, so she gave a slight nod. “Mm.”

Di Jia’er truly lived up to his title as the Emperor of the Stage. He could sing and dance nonstop beneath the lights while keeping his breathing perfectly steady. Carrying her soaked body, he strode along at tremendous speed—a clear sign that he must have exercised often in private.

Di Jia’er lowered his head and glanced at her. “Little Deer, I can’t take you to the hospital like this. I’ll bring you to my place and call the family doctor.”

Bai Lu understood him completely. She was an actress, and her fans were relatively accepting of their idols dating.

Di Jia’er was different. He was an idol, and ninety percent of his fans were either girlfriend fans or wife fans.

Whenever Shen Xinluo or any of the other idols exchanged more than a few words with her on a variety show, their fans would curse her mercilessly. The only reason she had escaped their wrath was that she had always been well liked by passersby.

She was the daughter the entire nation had watched grow up, and her fans felt that same natural familiarity with her.

But if Di Jia’er took her to the hospital in the middle of the night…

Damn it!

Being cursed at a little herself would not matter. But if she ruined Di Jia’er’s entertainment career, that would be an unforgivable sin.

With what little strength remained in her, Bai Lu said, “My home…”

“Right, right. I heard Qiao Qiao mention it before. The Film Emperor Lu lives in the same neighborhood, doesn’t he? Your residential compound must have better security.”

Di Jia’er set her in the passenger seat and fastened her seat belt. Then he turned the air-conditioning up to its highest setting. “You’ll warm up soon.”

Bai Lu gave a faint nod.

Di Jia’er gripped the steering wheel with both hands, wishing he were driving a rocket instead. Every so often, he turned his head to glance at her anxiously.

A layer of frost coated her long eyelashes, and her small lips had turned purple from the cold. Her cheeks were unnaturally red.

Wrapped in several down jackets, she still looked like a tiny bundle in the passenger seat.

Di Jia’er freed one hand and placed it against her forehead.

She was burning up.

“I’m fine.” Bai Lu was still trying to reassure him. “I’m warm now.”

Her voice was soft and weak, with a barely perceptible tremor.

Di Jia’er was sweating with anxiety. He called the family doctor and asked the doctor to wait for them at Orchid Manor.

Then he called Qiao Xianyi. “Qiao Qiao, don’t panic. Listen to me. Little Deer accidentally fell off the deck— I told you not to panic! Little Deer is fine. She’s just terribly cold. I’m driving her home now… Don’t come over. I saw paparazzi in the parking lot just now. They were obviously there to photograph you. Remember to go to the deck and take Little Deer’s coat away… Yes, the fifth-floor deck… All right, I’ll hang up first.”

Bai Lu finally regained some sensation. She could feel the hot air against her cheeks, but her body still felt as though it had fallen into an icy abyss. Her clothes, soaked by the sea, clung tightly to her skin, making her unbearably uncomfortable.

Brother Jia’er really was reliable.

She should be able to trust him…

She let down her guard and stopped resisting her body’s exhaustion.

Her head tilted to one side, and she lost consciousness completely.

※※

They sped all the way back to the capital.

Because Bai Lu was sitting in the passenger seat and the security guard recognized her, Di Jia’er’s sports car was allowed through the gates of Orchid Manor without difficulty.

He carried Bai Lu, who was feverish and unconscious, out of the car. But when he reached the elevator, he realized that without an access card, he could not use it.

“Hold on to her for a moment.”

Di Jia’er helped Bai Lu lean against the family doctor, then began searching through the pockets of her sweatshirt while muttering, “Little Deer, please don’t tell me you left your access card in your coat—”

“What happened? What’s wrong with Little Deer?”

The security guard, who had seen everything on the surveillance cameras, hurried over.

Fortunately, the guard followed variety shows and recognized Di Jia’er. He knew that Di Jia’er was a celebrity who had filmed a program with Bai Lu, so instead of calling the police immediately, he came over to ask questions.

“What happened to Little Deer? What did you do to her? Explain yourself, or we’re calling the police!”

Di Jia’er was scratching his head, trying to figure out how to explain the situation to the security guard, when the elevator doors opened.

“Mr. Tang!”

“Brother Sui!”