"If you really do this, it'll be useless."

Old Pan smiled, as if looking at an ignorant child.

"First of all, without any proof, who would believe you? Director An isn't some young actress whose career would be completely ruined by a scandal about being an unwed mother. This kind of news won't affect her that much."

"Besides, with Director An's connections to the media, suppressing this kind of news is just a matter of a meal or two. The one who will be troubled in the end is you."

"If you want to enter the entertainment industry, once this gets out, some people will indeed approach you to stir up hype and give you some benefits, but that won't do your long-term career any good. With a single word from Director An, you won't be able to move an inch in the industry."

"If you don't want to enter this industry, having these things exposed will be just as much of a nuisance to your life."

"Little Bo, I'm taking advantage of my age to nag you a bit. Only with money can you hold your head up high. You haven't bought a house yet, right? Director An is giving you money, so just take it. In the future, you can buy a house that's truly your own. Isn't that great?"

He analyzed each point, laying out the pros and cons clearly before Bo He.

Old Pan did indeed intend to scare her a little, but he could swear that everything he said was also the truth.

"This money, whether you use it yourself or donate it, in short, since Director An gave it to you, it's yours to do with as you please. She's been busy filming these past few days, pulling all-nighters is common for her. Otherwise, she would have come to see you herself..."

"She's afraid I'll go look for Shu Yao. Shu Yao doesn't know about this, does she?" Bo He suddenly interrupted him.

Old Pan's torrent of words came to a halt.

Bo He smiled knowingly: "Does Director An's family know I exist?"

Old Pan: "Of course. How could something like this be hidden? Director An isn't some meek little wife who married into a wealthy family and gets pushed around. She has her own career, and Mr. Shu respects her very much."

The implication was that even if Bo He made a big fuss and exposed this matter, she couldn't shake Director An's family.

Bo He shook her head: "Mr. Pan, if she truly didn't care, she wouldn't have had you come find me. Your time is precious, yet you've patiently said so much to me, which in itself proves my point. Director An isn't afraid of me telling the media, but she is worried Shu Yao will be affected. Even if the Shu family knows of my existence, knowing is one thing, but whether I will cause them trouble and disturb their peaceful life is another matter entirely."

Her smiling eyes met Old Pan's, without a trace of mockery or anger, as calm as if she were talking about someone else's family matters.

"If this were ancient times, she could have hired some assassins or guards to solve the problem at its root, getting rid of me once and for all to eliminate future trouble. Unfortunately, that's not possible in modern society, and Director An's power hasn't reached that level, so she could only send you to make me behave."

"Hey, I say, you little girl!"

Old Pan truly didn't expect that someone who looked as amicable as Bo He could utter such sharp words.

He suddenly sat up straight, wanting to assume the posture of an elder and lecture her a bit, but his usual knack for saying the right thing to the right person churned in his stomach for a long time without ever reaching his throat.

With the first burst of enthusiasm, then it wanes, then it's gone.

Old Pan said, deflated, "It's no use telling me this. I'm not the one who abandoned you back then. Director An, she... sigh, she had no choice! Anyway, just take the money first. I know you feel wronged. It's not easy for a girl to get by all these years. I won't ask you to be more considerate of Director An, just to think more about yourself. As for Shu Yao—"

He paused intentionally, subtly observing her reaction.

But Bo He's gaze was lowered, her fingertips stroking the rim of her cup. The tea in her hand slowly grew cold, then was warmed again by her palm.

Old Pan couldn't discern anything, so he had no choice but to continue: "Of course, you two are related by blood, but you've never been in contact all these years. This is the first time you've met. Director An's intention is to wait until after her college entrance exams, then find a chance to tell her slowly, not so suddenly like this. Shu Yao is young; if she can't accept it right away and causes a scene, it won't just affect Director An, but your daily life as well."

Bo He suddenly raised her hand.

Old Pan thought she was about to slap him and quickly leaned back!

"Check, please!"

Bo He gave him a strange look.

Old Pan was incredibly embarrassed. He chuckled a few times and said self-deprecatingly, "My back hurts from sitting for too long, just stretching! I'll get the check, I'll get it, don't worry!"

Xiao Ning arrived quickly, giving Bo He a sweet smile.

"Miss, our boss said that whenever you come in the future, no matter how much you spend, it's on the house!"

Bo He said, surprised, "Isn't your boss away?"

Xiao Ning: "Ah, yes, he's away on a long trip, but the idea you gave us the other day was excellent. We spoke to the boss on the phone, and he specifically told us to do this."

Bo He: "I just mentioned it in passing. It was nothing. The actual implementation was all your own effort."

Xiao Ning: "Anyway, that's what our boss said, so don't make things difficult for us! Please wait a moment!"

She pattered away and quickly returned carrying an exquisite paper box.

"These are the shop's signature pastries, mung bean cakes and pineapple cakes. Take them back and have a taste!"

Bo He refused to take them and insisted on paying, even joking, "If you keep this up, I won't dare to come here anymore!"

Xiao Ning couldn't win against her, so she had no choice but to state a symbolic number and accept the cost price for the pastries.

Bo He said goodbye to the two young women in the shop and left.

Seeing that she didn't even glance at the card on the table, Old Pan had no choice but to sweep it up into his chubby palm and follow behind her.

He hadn't gotten a definite answer from Bo He. Seeing her leave the teahouse and head towards the film set opposite, he grew a little anxious but didn't dare call out to stop her, afraid that Bo He might, in a fit of anger, shout something inappropriate in public and cause more trouble for Director An.

Old Pan followed her all the way back, his heart in his throat, and discovered that the film set had gotten much livelier.

Not only had the female lead arrived, but the male lead had also come.

When female actors reach a certain age, their careers inevitably start to go downhill, but for male actors, it's the exact opposite.

Although the male and female leads were in the same age group and both had their acting skills recognized by the public, in terms of net worth and fame, the male lead still had the upper hand.

The welcome he received was, imperceptibly, a little greater than the female lead's.

The female lead was on good private terms with him and was no longer a young girl who loved the spotlight. Seeing this, she even took the initiative to step aside, letting the director and producer go forward to exchange pleasantries with him while she stood to the side reading her script.

On the set, there were many fans of the male lead's acting, and some, at the request of older fan-relatives at home, saw this rare opportunity and all went forward to ask for autographs and photos.

Bo He wasn't one to chase celebrities, nor was she interested in coming face-to-face with Director An and making things awkward for both of them. After entering the old mansion, she stuck to the sides, looking for Ouyang.

In order to wait for a chance to greet the male and female leads, Ouyang hadn't gone to eat. Her lunchbox was probably cold by now. Bo He wanted to give her the pastries she was holding so she could have a bite first.

But she didn't notice the male lead surrounded by the crowd, while the male lead noticed her.

"Xiao He?"

Bo He subconsciously looked towards the voice.

She saw a face with a hint of pleasant surprise.

"It's really you? Come, come, quick, over here!" The person beckoned.

"Godfather?"

Zhuo Yi's status in the industry meant he naturally had a certain aura. Even Director An had to be polite in his presence.

But now, under everyone's watchful eyes, he actually disregarded his status, pushed through the crowd, and walked towards Bo He.

Terms like "godfather" have now become derogatory with certain specific connotations, and it was impossible for Zhuo Yi not to know this. But when he heard Bo He's form of address, not only did his expression remain normal, he even beckoned for Bo He to come over.

Zhuo Yi said reproachfully, "Why are you here? Filming? You came but didn't even think to give me a call. What's gotten into you!"

Bo He smiled and said, "How could I not tell you? My company is on break, so I'm here with a friend for fun. If I had known you were here, I would have come running to freeload a meal!"

"You've gotten so tall! I couldn't tell from our video calls!" Zhuo Yi patted her shoulder, his face showing a genuine sense of gratification, like seeing a daughter of the family all grown up,

"Old Zhuo, when did you get a daughter? How come I never knew?"

As if sensing the question in everyone's minds, the producer was the first to ask.

This was the first time Bo He had been so close to Director An.

Her gaze naturally fell upon the other woman.

Director An was also looking at her.

There was no joy of a long-awaited reunion.

No forbearance, no hidden sorrows.

There was only distance, indifference, and calm.

When Bo He was in middle school, at her most rebellious, she had also imagined all sorts of melodramatic scenes that would only appear in TV dramas.

For instance, after she became successful, her birth mother would travel a thousand miles to find her and beg for forgiveness.

Or for instance, her birth mother would contract some serious illness and be in urgent need of an organ transplant, and her family would come find her, using all sorts of threats and inducements to demand her compliance.

Recalling it now, Bo He felt a little like laughing.

But the reality was—

They stood face to face, closer than most people in the world, yet neither was willing to say a single word to the other.

In An Baohua's eyes, Bo He saw speculation, doubt, and guardedness.

Just two days ago, when facing Shu Yao, this Director An had a completely different expression.