Anita quickly asked, her curiosity piqued. John didn't hesitate and told her the truth: the old Taoist priest was his master.
A strange light flickered in her beautiful eyes at this revelation. "So, your medical skills were learned from him?" she asked. "No wonder you gained that reputation as a highly skilled doctor as soon as you returned."
Anita had heard about John's achievements from her friends and was proud to know that he had become such a well-known figure in New York's medical community. Her brother was exceptional, no doubt about it.
Now, knowing that John was the apprentice of the old Taoist priest, she understood the origins of his remarkable medical abilities at such a young age. It made perfect sense.
A master produces a master.
Though Anita had never met the Taoist priest, from what she had heard from the Long Family, it was clear that the priest was an extraordinary doctor in his own right. If he had helped John, it was no surprise that the Long Family had entrusted her protection to him.
What confused Anita most, however, was that the Long Family never seemed to know exactly what her relationship with the priest was. Even she didn't understand it fully, despite her involvement with them.
After hearing John's words, she began to realize the reason why the old Taoist had insisted that the Long Family protect her: it was because of John.
Looking at him, her heart swelled with appreciation.
Such a warm, caring brother.
She almost stood up to embrace him, but John's next words caused her mood to shift.
"Anita, if the entire Prosper Entertainment is under your control, then why didn't you come see me a few months ago? What stopped you?"
At that moment, John recalled checking the chat records from Tracy's phone, when Anita had just learned that John was still alive. She had said that she couldn't return because the company wouldn't let her leave. But given Anita's status, he couldn't understand why the company would prevent her from visiting. It seemed impossible.
Anita smiled apologetically. "I've been really busy, John. If I just said I couldn't come because of the company, you'd think I cared more about my career than about you."
It was true. Anita had a high position within the company—no one would dare stop her from taking time off, even for half a month. If anything, they might complain behind her back, but they wouldn't stop her.
But she wasn't trying to be irresponsible. She truly had been busy during that period.
And recently, rumors about her had begun to spread. People were saying she played a big role in the industry, bullying newcomers in the crew thanks to her connections with the Long Family. One of the rumors even included a photo of her allegedly slapping a young actress.
None of this was true.
In reality, the actress had approached Anita for guidance on acting, and Anita had enthusiastically agreed to help her. But the unscrupulous media twisted the situation, spinning it to discredit her.
The news caused a massive stir within the entertainment industry.
About 70% of people, including many of Anita's co-stars, supported her, knowing she would never behave like that. They'd worked with her and could vouch for her character. After all, someone in her position had no need to bully newcomers.
It was like a restaurant owner's son washing dishes in the kitchen to gain experience, only to fire the other dishwashers because he feared losing his title as the best. Ridiculous!
However, the remaining 30% of people didn't support her. Some were simply trying to ride the wave of attention, while others were driven by jealousy or personal grudges. They wanted to embarrass Anita, and their voices amplified the controversy.
The actress eventually stepped forward to clarify that the rumors were false. She explained that Anita had been teaching her how to act as a villain. But the damage had been done.
Despite her efforts to clear things up, the keyboard warriors, driven by the media's spin, continued to harass her. They even asked the actress if she had been coerced into defending Anita, accusing her of accepting bribes to clear Anita's name.
The online backlash was overwhelming, and the actress faced severe criticism for speaking out in Anita's defense. She was harassed to the point that she had to stop engaging with the public.
It got so bad that the actress nearly fell into depression. It was a strange phenomenon in the industry—and perhaps in any field exposed to public scrutiny. Truth didn't matter; the media could easily manipulate public opinion.
Despite all of this, Anita remained calm at the center of the storm. She wasn't one to waste her energy on trivial gossip. At most, she would issue a short statement to respond to the rumors.
Whether people believed her or not, she didn't care. Her love for acting, and the satisfaction of having her work recognized by the audience, was all that mattered to her. She didn't want to get involved in petty drama.
That was the kind of woman Anita was.
But to avoid drawing more attention to herself, she became more cautious with her words and actions during that time. If people caught wind of her leaving the set during a shoot, they would accuse her of playing the "diva" card.
After much deliberation, Anita chose not to visit John right away. While she was relieved to know he was alive, she knew that she would have other chances to see him in the future. This anticipation was something she could look forward to—when the time was right.