Lin Xujia stood him up, so Xia Yan had to go to the concert alone. She stared at the two tickets in her hand for a long time, let out a faint sigh, feeling a bit down. But then she thought about how it was her favorite idol, and her gloom instantly vanished.
The crowd at the concert was a sea of people. Xia Yan stood in line at the entrance, the packed crowd radiating waves of heat. People pressed against her front and back, and a thin sheen of sweat had already formed on her cheeks. Even at night, the weather in Jiang City didn’t cool down; instead, it grew stuffier. The occasional evening breeze carried only a scorching warmth.
“Secretary Zhou, is this person Xi Xi? The next artist the company is signing?” Lu Zhengting sat in the car, the air conditioning inside a stark contrast to the heat outside. With a single glance, he spotted Xia Yan struggling in the crowd, and his brows immediately furrowed at the sight.
“Yes, Mr. Lu.”
Hearing this, Lu Zhengting pondered for a moment and gave his secretary a directive.
Finally, it was Xia Yan’s turn. Once inside the venue, she started looking for her seat. The spot had a great view, close to the stage. Xia Yan sat obediently, quietly thinking that one of the tickets in her hand seemed like a waste. As she drifted off in thought, the stadium’s lights suddenly went out, plunging everyone into darkness.
Xia Yan couldn’t contain her excitement, especially when a single beam of light shone on the figure that suddenly appeared at center stage. Amid the screams around her, even the usually reserved Xia Yan couldn’t help but raise her voice and shriek.
“Xia Yan.”
Xia Yan thought she heard someone calling her name in the deafening noise? She glanced around suspiciously, but everything was pitch black. She couldn’t find who had called her, so she rejoined the screaming crowd until someone grabbed her hand and forcibly pressed her back into her seat.
“Who, who is it?” Xia Yan flailed in panic, slapping at the hand holding hers. Could there be a pervert at a concert? And one who knew her name?
“Lu Zhengting.”
“Who? Lu Zhengting?”
Lu Zhengting sat expressionlessly beside Xia Yan, his brows furrowed ever since Xi Xi appeared on stage. The high-pitched screams ringing in his ears gave him a headache. These women could all belt out high notes in unison—they were like walking megaphones. He coldly glanced at Xia Yan, who hadn’t snapped out of it yet, and rubbed his temples. The backstage area would suit him better.
Xia Yan didn’t believe it. She pulled out her phone and, using its faint glow, suddenly leaned close to Lu Zhengting. Her abrupt move almost made him lose his composure. His face turned grim instantly, and he glared at her with icy eyes.
“Seen enough?”
“Seen enough... no, Lu Zhengting, what are you doing here?” Xia Yan’s phone still emitted a faint green light. She widened her eyes in disbelief, her expression almost twisted. She laughed, completely unaware how unsettling her smile looked in the dim light, then blurted out, “Don’t tell me you like Xi Xi too.”
“What’s there to like about a little brat!”
“Lu Zhengting, you can not like Xi Xi, but you can’t badmouth him,” Xia Yan said seriously, even more stern than before.
“Isn’t he a little brat?” Lu Zhengting looked at her with an unyielding expression, speaking flatly.
“You’re an old ox.”
“What did you say?”
“I said you’re an old ox,” Xia Yan snapped.
“Getting bold, are you?”
“I can’t be bothered with you. Don’t waste my time watching him.” Xia Yan was completely focused on Xi Xi, with no energy left to care about Lu Zhengting’s thoughts. She glanced around at the well-prepared fans nearby and realized she didn’t even meet the standards of a true fan.
Lu Zhengting had never been outdone by a kid before. His face darkened as he watched Xia Yan, lost in her ecstatic trance. Suddenly, he let out a cold laugh and sat beside her like a statue, not saying a word until the concert ended.
The lights blazed on. Xia Yan’s voice was nearly hoarse from shouting. She looked down at Lu Zhengting still sitting next to her. “It’s over.”
“Mm.” Lu Zhengting glanced at her wearily. Watching a concert was more exhausting than days of meetings. If it had gone on any longer, he might have gone deaf. He frowned and added, “Come with me.”
“No way. I’m exhausted from yelling all night.”
“Sure?”
“Sure.”
“Oh, I was going to give you a chance to see him...”
“I’m coming.”
Xia Yan’s face changed instantly, her words fast as she flashed a bright smile at Lu Zhengting. “I’ll go, I’ll go with you.”
Seeing this, Lu Zhengting’s face darkened, and he looked at her like she was some kind of oddity.
Backstage. Xi Xi was still in the makeup room removing his makeup, and Xia Yan could barely contain her excitement to get close to him. Secretary Zhou, standing behind Lu Zhengting, stared at her boss’s back in surprise. Was this the same decisive businessman from the boardroom? Not only had he asked her to find out Xia Yan’s seat, but he’d also arranged backstage access.
Xi Xi came out with his agent, dressed casually. He flashed a small smile at Xia Yan, the dimples at the corners of his mouth instantly captivating her. Before she could react, Xi Xi walked with his agent to Lu Zhengting.
“Xi Xi, this is Mr. Lu.”
“Mr. Lu, nice to meet you.”
Lu Zhengting nodded, glanced at Xi Xi, and said flatly, “Nice to meet you.”
“Mr. Lu, Xi Xi has another engagement, so we’ll take our leave. I’ll discuss the contract details with your company later.”
Xia Yan watched Xi Xi’s retreating figure, still stunned by the news that Lu Zhengting was signing him. She looked at Lu Zhengting in surprise. “Xi Xi is signing with the company?”
“Mm.”
“Does that mean I can see him often?”
“...”
Secretary Zhou glanced at the bold Xia Yan. Couldn’t she see that Mr. Lu’s face had already turned black as coal? And she still dared to say that.
Xia Yan watched Lu Zhengting walk away without looking back. Confused, she turned to Secretary Zhou. “Did I say something wrong?”
“Miss Xia, you didn’t say anything wrong,” Secretary Zhou said calmly.
“Then why the long face? Like I owe him millions.”
“Miss Xia, a few million is nothing to Mr. Lu.”
Hearing this, Xia Yan’s mouth twitched. “...I know, it was just a metaphor.”
Lu Zhengting sat in the car, rolling down the window halfway, his gaze fixed on Xia Yan standing outside. “Aren’t you getting in?”
“What for?”
“Just get in when I tell you. So much talk?”
“Can’t you be nicer? Like saying ‘please get in’ or something.”
Lu Zhengting squinted at Xia Yan. This girl was getting bolder by the day. “Get in.”
Knowing when to back down, Xia Yan realized Lu Zhengting was on the verge of losing his temper. She decisively opened the car door, got in, and sat obediently beside him. “Mr. Lu, is there something you need?”
“I heard you’re looking for a place?”
“How do you know that?” Xia Yan flinched and scooted away, then added, “How do you know?”
She’d been pretty discreet about apartment hunting, mainly to avoid the Xia family objecting to her moving out. Her plan was to find a place first and then tell them, asking for forgiveness rather than permission. So lately, she’d been either at school or staying at the Xia home.
“Is there anything I don’t know about you?” Lu Zhengting looked at her with a half-smile, the corner of his mouth curling up.
Xia Yan thought it over seriously. “You’re so focused on me—don’t tell me you like me?”
Knowing Lu Zhengting couldn’t possibly like her, Xia Yan felt bold enough to say that. Seeing him stay silent, she felt a surge of satisfaction and hummed a little tune.
At that, Lu Zhengting raised an eyebrow and glanced at her sideways. “Why not?”
“That’s not funny at all.”
******
Ye Yunchen spotted Lin Xujia waiting by the flowerbed downstairs at Lu Group’s building. His brows furrowed slightly. Disappointed not to see the person he wanted, he walked up to Lin Xujia and asked casually, “Where’s Xia Yan? She’s not with you?”
“Brother Ye, Xia Yan went home.” Lin Xujia had already called Xia Yan earlier and knew she was home now. She looked up and smiled at Ye Yunchen, adding, “You’ve been busy for so long—want to grab some late-night snacks?”
“No need. It’s late; I’ll take you home first.” Ye Yunchen checked his watch. The concert had ended almost an hour ago, so Xia Yan should be home by now.
Hearing this, Lin Xujia paused briefly, then pressed on, “Brother Ye, it’s not that late yet. We’d have just enough time if we eat now.”
“No, thanks.”
Lin Xujia lowered her gaze, glancing at Ye Yunchen. If Xia Yan had suggested getting food, you’d agree without hesitation. One word from Xia Yan outweighs a thousand from me. Her hands, hanging at her sides, clenched into fists. Why, even when Xia Yan isn’t here, do I still need her light to get your attention?
Attention? Ha, Lin Xujia sneered inwardly. In your eyes, there’s only Xia Yan! Everyone else is just decoration.
What’s so great about Xia Yan?
“Lin Xujia?” Ye Yunchen glanced at her, calling her name when he saw her spacing out, his brow furrowing.
“Brother Ye, since you don’t want to eat, let’s just go home.”
“Mm, I’ll take you back first.”
“No need, I can go by myself.”
“Alright then. Take care.”
“...Okay.” Lin Xujia’s gaze fixed on Ye Yunchen’s back as he turned and walked away. She had waited alone for him at the company for three hours, and all she got was a “take care”!
The more she thought about it, the more it hurt, and her resentment toward Xia Yan deepened. She muttered to Ye Yunchen’s retreating figure, If it were Xia Yan here tonight instead of me, would you leave so easily? Lin Xujia wiped the tears from her face, got into her car, and drove straight to a bar. All she wanted now was to drink. She hated Xia Yan. She hated Ye Yunchen, who loved Xia Yan.