It was… rather awkward.
To be caught by colleagues, ogling a photo of one's own boyfriend.
Knowing the inside scoop, a colleague commented.
Wen Tingxue immediately began to formulate a plan. As they headed to the hotel that evening, she proactively asked, "Sister Rui, I heard you're going to 'Chasing Dreams Youth'? Could you take me along? Even if it's just to add some presence?"
Qiu Rui scanned her suspiciously, "Do you know anyone inside?"
Wen Tingxue had never been one to eagerly seek out such opportunities, and she knew her eagerness was somewhat out of character.
But opportunities had to be seized!
She hadn't seen him in so long, and with this slim possibility, she didn't want to let it slip away.
"Yes, I have a friend who's recording a show there."
She didn't mention her boyfriend because his profession was too high-profile; every move would be scrutinized.
They had agreed that their relationship would be public, but his information would remain private.
After all, both their identities were sensitive. Any issue could easily drag the other into controversy, impacting their careers.
Qiu Rui had no habit of prying into others' privacy, so she didn't ask further, instead considering the feasibility.
Finally, she told her, "Since many details haven't been finalized yet, I'll let you know when we're going."
After half a month of working together, Qiu Rui had developed a good impression of her and would occasionally offer more explanations.
-
Fifteen minutes later, Imperial Capital Hotel.
Before entering the private room, Qiu Rui went to the restroom, and Wen Tingxue followed to touch up her makeup.
"I just received word that Young President Song is also here today. Be careful what you say; he has a bad temper," Qiu Rui reminded her gently, blending lipstick on her lips with her ring finger.
Song Chenglv?
Wen Tingxue's heart tightened. Although she hadn't met him in person, the expression on Song You's face when mentioning him was far from pleasant.
It would likely be difficult.
"Mmm," she replied, her nerves on edge.
Qiu Rui put away her makeup bag, glanced at Wen Tingxue, and then turned to leave once she was sure everything was in order.
Wen Tingxue followed obediently. The moment she entered the private room, she expected to see Song Chenglv, the stepbrother who caused Song You so much trouble.
She had even prepared herself for being put in a difficult situation, but she never expected the first voice she heard to be so familiar.
She looked up.
Xie Jinyi met her gaze, her makeup striking and glamorous, her attire exaggerated and exquisite.
Every detail exuded the unique aura of a star.
Familiar, yet somehow strange.
Wen Tingxue paused. She had considered the possibility of meeting again, but never in this way.
The two of them stared at each other for a beat too long. Song Chenglv couldn't help but ask, "What? Do you know each other?"
Xie Jinyi, sitting alluringly in his lap, lowered her eyes and smiled.
Her charm was intoxicating.
"Yes, my best friend before I went abroad."
Her voice was somewhat cold, but when she feigned affection, it had an indescribable allure.
It was easy to imagine a fox that had achieved human form.
Wen Tingxue found her somewhat unfamiliar, yet the coldness deep in her eyes was exactly as she remembered.
"Oh?" Song Chenglv raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise in his expression.
His gaze lingered on Wen Tingxue, deepening. "How many years have you known Yiyi?"
Qiu Rui, who had walked a few steps ahead, also turned back to look at her, her eyes clearly filled with anticipation.
Wen Tingxue desperately wanted to deny it, but she knew clearly that securing Xie Jinyi could bring significant benefits to the company.
As an intern, she should consider the company's interests and be responsible to it.
Xie Jinyi seemed to have anticipated this. She smiled faintly at Wen Tingxue, as if they were indeed old friends who hadn't seen each other in a long time.
*Heh.*
Wen Tingxue scoffed inwardly but outwardly complied with her wishes. "Not long, only… a year."
In fact, if they were to count properly, it hadn't even been a full year.
But she couldn't be bothered to elaborate.
"Only a year?" Song Chenglv seemed surprised.
Xie Jinyi detected the sarcasm in Wen Tingxue's words and laughed carelessly, "What's wrong with a year? Little Xue even took a knife for me once. We have a bond of life and death, right?"
She winked playfully at Wen Tingxue, who responded with a polite smile.
Because that was the backing her family provided. Ordinary people like them couldn't compete.
"Enough!"
As the atmosphere grew tense, Xie Jinyi impatiently flung her phone aside.
The hard casing hit the porcelain plate with a sharp clatter.
Qiu Rui's heart leaped, fearing Song Chenglv would flip the table.
But he didn't.
He merely put down his chopsticks, his expression grim.
There was no outburst, not even a reprimand.
Instead, Xie Jinyi pressed her advantage.
"You did it on purpose, didn't you? You said you were here to accompany me to see a friend, but you actually knew about her connection to your brother and came specifically to threaten her?"
"I didn't," Song Chenglv defended himself in a low voice.
His arrogance from moments before was completely gone.
Xie Jinyi sneered, "You didn't? You think I believe that? Song Chenglv, I was abroad for three years and finally got to meet my friend. What were you doing? As my boyfriend, is this the attitude you have?"
By the end of her sentence, Xie Jinyi was no longer willing to engage with him. She grabbed her bag and walked out.
Song Chenglv rubbed his temples, his head aching, and chased after her, forgetting his jacket.
"Yiyi, you've misunderstood. I absolutely didn't mean that. I was just..." He trailed off as words failed him.
Near the door, Xie Jinyi suddenly stopped. Song Chenglv, thinking she was about to speak, instinctively fell silent.
However, she ignored him completely and addressed Qiu Rui directly, "Send the contract to my studio tomorrow. As for who will deliver it, President Qiu should know."
Qiu Rui thoughtfully handed Song Chenglv's suit jacket to him. "Understood."
After the two of them had completely left, Qiu Rui turned to Wen Tingxue. "Once this deal is secured, I'll take you to 'Chasing Dreams Youth'."
"..."
She really didn't give her any room to refuse.
"No problem," Wen Tingxue replied distractedly.
"?" Qiu Rui was curious. "Why don't you look happy?"
"She's not my friend..."
However, the words caught in Wen Tingxue's throat.
Xie Jinyi was a celebrity now, and every move would be amplified. If what she said today got out, it might cause trouble.
She didn't want to be entangled with her, nor did she want to bring her trouble.
"No, I'm just a little worried about her."
Wen Tingxue was not good at lying and had a habit of lowering her head whenever she did.
Qiu Rui, having interacted with her more, hadn't understood her to this extent.
She simply assumed Wen Tingxue was afraid.
After all, the scene just now had been quite intimidating.
Furthermore, Xie Jinyi's sudden departure was to take Song Chenglv away, preventing him from causing further trouble. It was natural for a close friend to worry.
"It shouldn't be anything serious. Although Young President Song does have a bad temper, judging by his attitude towards your friend, he probably cares about her deeply." Qiu Rui said more than she usually would.
Wen Tingxue offered a perfunctory smile. "Let's hope so."
Honestly, she wasn't worried about Xie Jinyi's safety.
Based on her understanding of Xie Jinyi, dealing with difficult men was her forte.
Even someone as troublesome as Shang Ziqian was willing to pledge his loyalty to her.
Seeing how much Song Chenglv cared about her, it was clear Xie Jinyi wouldn't suffer. At most...
But no matter how she thought about it, Xie Jinyi had helped her just now. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to leave the Imperial Capital Hotel so easily.
After all, Song Chenglv had come specifically for her.
Sigh.
Wen Tingxue sighed with a complex mix of emotions. She had wanted to distance herself from Xie Jinyi, but now they were entangled again.
-
Song You's call came when Wen Tingxue got out of the car.
Qiu Rui was about to offer a few more words of advice, but seeing Wen Tingxue's phone ringing constantly, she relented, urging her to go upstairs quickly.
Wen Tingxue smiled sheepishly and, after Qiu Rui drove away, she swiped to answer.
"Senior, is something the matter so late?"
Song You was good at maintaining distance from the opposite sex. He usually called only when there was something to discuss. Otherwise, they would chat on WeChat.
"He found you today, didn't he?" Song You cut straight to the chase.
Wen Tingxue recalled Song Chenglv's gaze and was silent for a moment before replying, "Yes."
"What did he say to you? Did he threaten you or make things difficult for you?" he asked, uncharacteristically losing his composure.
Wen Tingxue blinked in surprise. "No, my friend was there, so he didn't say much."
"Your friend?" Song You frowned in confusion. "Who?"
Song Chenglv was stubbornly argumentative about targeting him. No one could persuade him. When the conflict was at its worst, even Han Xianyun had intervened.
But Song Chenglv was like a mad dog, refusing to let go. Even after he cut ties with the Song family, he still didn't believe him.
He genuinely believed that Song You would do something to harm him and the Song family. Therefore, he was determined to drive him out of the capital, resorting to any means necessary.
Wen Tingxue rarely saw him so inquisitive, but she could sense something was off. So, she stated Xie Jinyi's name.
"She's your friend?" Song You sounded surprised, then relieved. "That makes sense. If she wasn't your friend, why would she have helped you back then?"
The latter part was a murmur, but in the quiet of the night, Wen Tingxue still heard it.
"What... what do you mean? Helped me?" Helped me with what?
"You don't know?"
Song You was somewhat drunk, and his words were naturally less measured than usual. Wen Tingxue asked, and he told her.
"When you were caught in that plagiarism scandal, she asked Song Chenglv for help. It seems they got together because of that."
Wen Tingxue's head buzzed. The elevator doors opened, but she stood there blankly, unaware.
No wonder.
No wonder Song Chenglv's expression had been so surprised when he heard they had only known each other for a year.
No wonder Song Chenglv had said "no wonder" when Xie Jinyi explained their "bond of life and death."
-
After a sleepless night until dawn, Wen Tingxue emerged with dark circles under her eyes.
Lu Youran ran over as if she had seen a ghost. "Honey! Did you go stealing last night? How can your complexion be this bad?!"
Initially, Tang Mobai didn't know, so he helped several times.
Once he knew, he tried to resist, but in the end, it was always she who got hurt.
He compromised, gradually distancing himself from her, acting like they weren't close, and even watching coldly as she was bullied.
Only then could he work behind the scenes, slowly persuading those people to leave her alone.
However, he never told her about it, considering it too embarrassing and unnecessary.
Until Jiao Yutong rejected him time and time again, and he could sense that Jiao Yutong wasn't indifferent to him. It was just that this thorn in her heart prevented her from fully embracing him, so he gradually revealed everything.
However, after Wen Tingxue relayed this information to Jiao Yutong, Jiao Yutong said nothing.
Now, Wen Tingxue's questioning was actually seeking a reference point for herself.
There was already damage in her relationship with Xie Jinyi, but Xie Jinyi had helped her so much, both openly and indirectly. She truly didn't know how to handle this relationship.
It was impossible to let go easily, and completely drawing a line was unrealistic. After all, the help was a fact, and she had indeed benefited from it. She couldn't pretend not to see it.
Meanwhile, in the mentor's lounge for "Chasing Dreams Youth."
Jiang Tu roared with a dark expression, "I don't want to hear excuses! Tell me directly, is there any way to make Yu Wenli's reputation plummet?!"
Damn it!
Yu Wenli had truly proven himself once he made a move, achieving instant fame! His popularity was almost rivaling Jiang Tu's!
Damn it!
After years of hard work and considerable investment, he couldn't compare to Yu Wenli just by making an appearance?!
Staring at the familiar name on the trending search list, Jiang Tu felt so frustrated he wanted to vomit blood!
Mo Yichen was silent for a moment. After Jiang Tu's anger subsided, he finally spoke, "There is a way, and it's not difficult, but..."