Chapter 144

The latest chapter of The Superstar Heiress...

Rong Qing felt a tug at the hem of her clothes. She looked down at Huo Tianci, who was staring fixedly at a fast-food restaurant. Rong Qing let out a soft sigh. At least he was finally acting like a child! Weren’t all children fond of this kind of junk food? She obediently followed the little boy inside.

Rong Qing found them a table and ordered hamburgers, fries, and an enormous cup of cola. Huo Tianci’s eyes lit up as he ate. Children always seemed to harbor an endless love for fried food.

“Hey, we ran into them again!” The little girl excitedly tugged at her daddy’s hand. The moment she entered, she spotted the little boy from the store. Pulling the tall American man along, she hurried over to Huo Tianci’s table.

The little girl, clutching a doll, had bright golden curls and a faint blush on her cheeks. She poked Huo Tianci lightly on the shoulder with her small, pale hand. “Can I sit here?” Her butterfly-like lashes fluttered, and her voice was soft and gentle.

Huo Tianci could understand simple conversations. His handsome little face wrinkled slightly as his dark eyes fixed on the girl. In response, he received a starry-eyed, irresistible look of hope.

The little boy shrugged. In the end, he scooted inward and made room for most of the seat.

“Wow! Hee-hee...” The pretty, adorable girl climbed onto the bench, a triumphant smile gleaming from the corners of her eyes.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Lily is troubling you.” The American man, nearly six foot four, rubbed his forehead helplessly. Yet when he looked at his precious daughter, his smile was full of indulgence.

Rong Qing liked this lively, outgoing little girl very much. She watched the two children interact with a tender expression. “It’s all right. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Tianci rarely has this much fun playing with a girl.”

The tall, handsome American man sat down and ordered a large family bucket. Soon, the table was covered with junk food. The two adults barely ate anything, spending most of their time watching the children demolish the meal.

Huo Tianci gripped a chicken leg in one hand and gnawed at a hamburger with the other. Cream was smeared all around the little glutton’s mouth.

“You like Kentucky Fried Chicken too?” The little girl also had a dab of red ketchup at the corner of her lips, though compared with Huo Tianci’s wolfish appetite, she ate much more daintily. Her crimson lips looked almost as if they were bleeding, and when she smiled, her white teeth against that blood-red mouth were faintly frightening.

Kentucky Fried Chicken? Huo Tianci looked at the chicken leg in his hand, which was covered in his teeth marks. His little mind turned over the thought, and he seemed a little embarrassed.

“Mm-hm. I like gnawing chicken.”

Huo Tianci wiped his greasy fingers. Then, noticing the bright red smear around the American girl’s mouth, his expression changed. With a trace of displeasure, he said, “Look at you. You even bit your mouth while eating. It must hurt terribly, you silly thing.”

With that, he picked up a napkin and gently wiped the corner of her mouth clean.

Lily, the open and adorable little girl, blushed furiously. Her hands rose helplessly, and she sat there in a daze without offering any defense, allowing little Huo Tianci to clean her lips for her. Her bright lake-blue eyes blinked again and again, filled with shy admiration.

“Pfft... hahahaha!”

Rong Qing could not help bursting into laughter. It was simply too adorable. So her clever son was actually a little fool when it came to girls...

The tall American man beside her watched the scene with interest as well.

After that, the beautiful American girl clung to Tianci even more insistently. Two little children from entirely different parts of the world played together amid peals of laughter.

“Daddy, I don’t want to go home! I want to go to Tianci’s house. You can go home by yourself, Daddy!” The golden-haired little princess clung to her father. She was even more reluctant to part with the friend she had only just made. Saying goodbye was so terribly frightening!

The man: What in the world?

He stared as his own daughter prepared to run off with some little boy. Oh my God! The world was terrifying. His little darling, his precious girl, was leaving him...

A stampede of wild horses seemed to thunder through his heart.

Huo Tianci looked at the little girl who reluctantly held his hand and shook it back and forth. The foreign girl was certainly fun, but Tianci had to go home with Qingqing.

He bent down and whispered a few words into his little friend’s ear. The beautiful, adorable girl immediately drooped her head, looking as dispirited as an eggplant struck by frost, and returned miserably to her father.

“Tianci, you promised! You’ll come to my house, right? Liars are... stupid pigs!”

The clever little girl hid behind her daddy and made a face.

Huo Tianci: Oh, come on...

Could he take it back?

The American father seemed to have recovered from the shock of his daughter attempting to run away from home. He handed Rong Qing a business card.

“If you encounter any difficulties in America, you can come to me. You’re welcome to visit us at any time.”

With that, he led his daughter away.

Creative Director of Fashion?

Rong Qing watched Lily’s dejected back disappear. A calculating glint passed through her eyes.

Perhaps they would be seeing each other again very soon.

This little interlude was soon buried beneath Wenna’s hectic schedule. In order to make a brilliant showing at the World International Fashion Exhibition, Wenna had brought not only an outstanding elite team but had even established its first overseas factory in New York.

The site chosen for Wenna’s first overseas branch was in the busiest commercial district on Fifth Avenue. Whether it was the newly emerging Wenna or its still-inexperienced design team, establishing themselves on a commercial street where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold was an act of extravagance dazzling enough to blind anyone.

Fortunately, the Huo family possessed sufficient wealth and influence to support the creation of a fashion empire.

From the interior design to the recruitment of designers, Rong Qing personally oversaw every detail. Before long, on that bustling avenue of dreams and paradise, luxury and pleasure, a gold-lettered sign from the East was hung.

The brand’s emblem, symbolizing a sword with its edge fully revealed, became Wenna’s signature trademark.

Meanwhile, the promotional film Rong Qing had made in collaboration with Champs Elysees was officially released worldwide.

In the short film, Rong Qing wore a purple fur coat as she walked through the ancient streets of Rome. A tight pencil skirt embraced her graceful, swaying figure. Snow as soft as goose feathers drifted from the sky, settling on her elegant feathered mask and falling across her bare calf and instep. Her black leather heels struck the pavement with crisp, measured clicks.

It seemed as though the entire world had been infected by such luxury and grandeur.

The retro style of the eighties and the lavish embellishments made the Eastern woman appear even more alluring. Her full, rosy lips carried a classical charm. The faint sadness in her eyes and brows, together with her elegant every movement, captivated everyone without exception.

At last, the image lingered on the lines of footprints she had left behind. Like a noblewoman from another era, she slowly walked out of the screen and into the hearts of the world.

The moment the promotional film aired, it caused a worldwide sensation. People seemed to see once more the superstar who had stood at the height of her fame five years earlier—the superstar who was now a married woman, stripped of her former youthful naivety. The woman’s mature charm and graceful bearing brought everyone to their knees.

Whether five years, ten years, or fifty years passed, a classic would remain eternal, never losing its luster.

The commercial did more than send fans at home into a frenzy. Those who still remembered that legendary Eastern woman were once again drawn into heated discussion around the globe.

From her meteoric rise at the original Paris Fashion Show, to her extraordinary performance in The Splendor of the Brocade Years, to the timeless masterpiece of world cinema, God of the Wilderness, and her becoming the youngest Best Actress in Academy Awards history, she had accumulated countless honors and created a legend for the people of the East.

They would always remember that the legend’s name was Rong Qing.

Even the international chain brand Champs Elysees could not help marveling at the woman’s tremendous influence. They were once again grateful that they had partnered with Wenna so early. The moment the promotional film aired, their sales reached a new high, while Rong Qing’s signature outfit had already sold out completely.

What woman could resist such a mature and alluring style? What noblewoman would not want to become Rong Qing?

Little Huo Tianci watched the classic commercial playing during a television break.

His mother appeared elegant and regal, with a cold, aloof beauty utterly different from her usual self. If not for that unmistakable face, he would never have recognized her.

His tiny mouth fell open and refused to close. Even his beloved ice cream melted into a sticky mess in his hand.

Huo Tianci slowly turned his head, his face full of confusion.

“Mommy...?”

Yan Lin watched the clever young heir make such a foolish expression and nearly burst out laughing three times in a row.

At the villa in America, Yan Lin had become Huo Tianci’s personal nanny. He had to take care of the boy’s food, drink, bathing, and sleep, as well as play with him and put him to bed. Every so often, the little genius would play some trick on him. Yan Lin had lost count of how many times he had been outwitted by the little devil.

But now, finally, he had a chance to turn the tables!

He deliberately ignored the boy’s desperate, questioning stare and nodded casually.

“Yes. It was filmed rather well.”

“How did Mommy... get on television?”

That was not right. Huo Tianci had also seen Mommy being interviewed on television, but that was obviously different from this!

What a wicked uncle. He was deliberately bullying Tianci. From now on, Tianci would never show him mercy again!

“Your mother filmed a commercial. That’s all,” Yan Lin said, deliberately teasing the little troublemaker. With even greater malice, he refused to tell the boy that Rong Qing had once been a superstar, or that she had appeared in countless films and commercials.

A commercial? What was that?

He did not quite understand, but in the little boy’s mind, appearing on television and being adored by the entire country was undeniably an amazing achievement.

No wonder Daddy always had to listen to Mommy at home. Mommy could earn money, support the family, and even appear in commercials. She was definitely more capable than Daddy!

Once again, little Huo Tianci looked down on his useless father in his heart.

“I get it now. Mommy can appear on television because she filmed a commercial. I didn’t need silly Uncle to tell me! Hmph!”

Little Huo Tianci turned his bottom toward Yan Lin and watched the commercial on television play again and again with rapt attention.

Yan Lin: Three dark lines appeared across his forehead.

What? The little rascal had become even more cunning!

At the Huo residence, Huo Lingtian found a small note left in his study. In crooked handwriting, it read:

Bad Daddy, I’m going to America to protect Mommy. Your baby is a real man, so don’t miss me too much...

Huo Lingtian: ...

He was considering whether to drag the little rascal back and pan-fry him or stew him over a slow fire.

The boy’s hair had barely grown in, and he was already running away from home!

Far away in America, Huo Tianci sneezed. He gazed silently at the sky.

Why did he suddenly feel that disaster was about to strike?