Cecilia Gu looked at her in surprise. "You have a good memory! There were so many people, yet you remember them all!"
Rona Muir waved her hand and said, "It's not that I remember her—she remembered me! She was the one who greeted me first."
Cecilia Gu asked curiously, "She greeted you first?"
Rona Muir nodded. "Yeah, she came up to me and said she knew me. She said she was Max Mo's lawyer. And she told me something—I think she wanted me to pass the message on to you."
Cecilia Gu was stunned. "For me? What message?"
"Julia Yu said she won't be an obstacle for you." Rona Muir was also a bit puzzled. "Doesn't that sound weird? That's exactly what she said. She said, 'I won't be an obstacle for you.'"
Cecilia Gu was just as confused as ever.
She wasn't even close with her!
Where would the obstacle come from?
"Did she say anything else?" Cecilia Gu couldn't help but get interested.
Rona Muir shook her head. "She was there with a client, and after chatting with me for a bit, she left. I think that woman is not simple—she's one of us."
Cecilia Gu gave her a sidelong glance. "One of us? Or just like you?"
Rona Muir didn't argue and nodded. "She's decisive, smart, and knows what she should go after—and what she shouldn't hope for."
"You think pretty highly of her," Cecilia Gu said with a smile.
"But that woman seems to be hiding deep feelings. She looks polite on the surface, but inside, she keeps everyone at arm's length." Rona Muir said, "Anyway, enough about her. I've walked around several times now. You can relax, right?"
Max Mo drove slowly back.
He'd already told his assistant, driver, and bodyguards to get off work early. Now he was just wandering around by himself.
The night sky was clear, and the summer breeze was gentle.
As Max Mo drove along, he noticed someone staggering on the roadside, clearly drunk.
There seemed to be two people following behind her, and they didn't look friendly.
Max Mo hadn't planned to get involved, but when the woman turned around, he realized it was Julia Yu.
Right then, the two men following Julia Yu suddenly tried to snatch her bag.
Without a moment's hesitation, Max Mo slammed on the brakes, jumped out of the car, and rushed over.
With just a few punches and kicks, he knocked the two thugs to the ground.
Before Max Mo could turn around, Julia Yu suddenly sat down on the ground, hugged her knees, and burst into tears.
Max Mo felt helpless.
Why did he keep running into women crying today?
Lisa Li cried in the daytime, and now Julia Yu at night.
Seeing the usually sharp and strict lawyer crying so heartbreakingly, Max Mo couldn't help but step forward and say, "It's okay now, don't cry."
Julia Yu looked up at Max Mo, her tearful eyes seeing his handsome face flicker in and out of focus.
For the first time, Julia Yu—always so strong—let herself be vulnerable in front of a stranger, leaning on Max Mo's shoulder and crying her heart out.
Max Mo stayed with Julia Yu, handing her a tissue when she finally finished crying.
After letting it all out, Julia Yu took the tissue. "Thank you."
"Where do you live? I'll take you home," Max Mo added. "It's late—it's dangerous for a woman to be out alone."
Julia Yu quietly lowered her gaze. After a moment, she said, "Okay. Thank you."
They got back in the car, and Julia Yu seemed to return to her usual stern lawyer self, as if that emotional breakdown had never happened.
Max Mo didn't say anything, just quietly drove her to her building.
"Mr. Mo, thank you for tonight," Julia Yu said seriously. "I will repay you."
Max Mo just smiled gently and said, "It's late, get some rest."
Julia Yu gave Max Mo a complicated look, nodded, and said, "Well, good night."
"Good night." Max Mo nodded, watched Julia Yu leave, then drove away himself.
Julia Yu stood by the window, watching Max Mo's car disappear, and couldn't help but gently bite her lip.
She'd just received the news that the IVF child created from her egg and Max Mo's sperm was now growing healthily in the surrogate's womb.
It wouldn't be long before there was a child in this world with both her and Max Mo's genes.
But she could never acknowledge this child in her lifetime.
Nor could she ever let that child know she existed.
Isn't life just hopeless sometimes?
But she had no choice.
Julia Yu returned home. Facing the cold emptiness, she opened the fridge and grabbed a can of beer.
Just as she was about to open it, she suddenly thought of Max Mo. She tossed the beer back into the fridge, turned on her computer, found someone online, and poured out her bad mood: "Hey, are you there? I'm really upset today. So much happened. I just got the news—the child is growing up healthy, but I can never acknowledge him in this life. Today I accompanied a client to a terrifying audition scene. I saw how crazy those women were. Just to marry into a rich family, they really trampled all over their dignity..."
Sitting at his computer, Max Mo read the message and quickly typed back: "Everyone's life is up to themselves, and everyone is responsible for their own choices. Whatever you decide, you have to bear the consequences. Bad moods don't matter, as long as there's hope."
Julia Yu looked at the reply and couldn't help but say, "Sometimes I really wonder what you do for a living. You're always so wise and calm, like there's nothing in this world you can't solve."
Max Mo chuckled, "Me? I'm just an ordinary guy! So ordinary... I can't even protect the woman I love."
Julia Yu comforted him in return: "Maybe she doesn't need your protection. Women in this world are actually pretty strong."
Max Mo's fingers hovered over the keyboard, but he didn't type a word for a long time.
Julia Yu waited a long time for a reply, but when none came, she assumed he'd gone to sleep and typed two words: "Good night."
Max Mo watched her avatar dim, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as he whispered, "Good night..."
The audition lasted a whole week, eliminating ninety-nine percent of the contestants. Only ten thousand remained.
After several more knockout rounds, only one hundred were left.
And now, the final showdown was about to begin.
On this day, the final judge of this brutal contest—Cecilia Gu—would make her public debut before everyone.
Cecilia Gu was ready early that morning.
The TV station's live broadcast focused on Cecilia Gu. This was her first public appearance as Mrs. Charles Yin since formally returning to the Yin Family.
So all the assistants were running ragged.
They couldn't afford even the slightest mistake for Mrs. Charles Yin's first public appearance.
Before Cecilia Gu went on stage, Julia Yu found her and said, "I'm the TV station's special legal assistant, here to deliver this contract for your review."
Cecilia Gu was getting her makeup done. She just glanced at the contract and nodded to Julia Yu, "Mm, thanks. Give it to my assistant."
Wendy came over with a smile, took the contract, skimmed through it, and handed it to Cecilia Gu. "No problem."
Cecilia Gu smiled at Julia Yu and said, "Danni Cosmetics is really lucky to have landed this sponsorship."
"It’s nothing. You have the strength to back it up. Ms. Mu is a very capable woman," Julia Yu said with a smile and a nod.
Cecilia Gu smiled, "You two really admire each other. I hope we won’t be enemies."
With that, Cecilia Gu gave Julia Yu a meaningful smile.
Julia Yu quickly lowered her eyes. "How could I be your match? You have so many knights. If I ever dared to go against you, they'd probably turn their guns on me. But honestly, I'm glad we aren't enemies."
Before Cecilia Gu could say more, the deputy director of the TV station came to invite her personally. "Mrs. Charles Yin, are you ready? We’re about to go live."
Cecilia Gu nodded, smiled at Julia Yu, and then got up to head to the stage with the deputy director.
Julia Yu stood there, watching Cecilia Gu's back as she left.
"No wonder so many people like her..." Julia Yu murmured with a bitter smile. "Even I can't help it, let alone anyone else."
High status, authority, skill, yet still gentle and approachable.
Who could resist such charm?
As soon as Cecilia Gu appeared, the whole place erupted in excitement.
So this is the legendary Mrs. Charles Yin, the lady of the Yin Family, the woman who made the president of the Yin Group willingly bow to her—Cecilia Gu!
She was every woman's goal and idol!
As soon as Cecilia Gu entered, she waved to the audience. "Hello, everyone. I'm Cecilia Gu, General Manager of Danni Cosmetics."
A cheer went up from the crowd.
The host eagerly approached to greet her. "Mrs. Charles Yin, our audience has been waiting for this day for a long time. Is there anything you'd like to say to everyone?"
Cecilia Gu smiled and said, "Thank you all for your attention to Danni Cosmetics. Thanks for your support. Thank you!"
Seeing Cecilia Gu didn't continue, the host wanted to push further.
Wendy shot the host a meaningful look, scaring him into backing off and respectfully inviting Cecilia Gu to take her seat.
Cecilia Gu made it clear she was appearing as the General Manager of Danni Cosmetics, not as Mrs. Charles Yin.
That clueless host was bound to get scolded later!
After Cecilia Gu sat down, two fashion bloggers arrived.
These two bloggers were much more tactful, greeting Cecilia Gu with all kinds of respect and politeness.
Afraid of offending Cecilia Gu.
Cecilia Gu smiled and nodded, "Mm, you can start now."