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TL/Note: After this, I will upload 7 chapters consecutively.

This chapter is brought to you by Nana, thanks for the ko-fi!  (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･

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Su Chengyang’s gaze faintly brushed against his lips, and his tongue swept across the seam of his lips, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

She was stunned, her mind blank due to Lin Yu’s words.

Her cheeks seemed to ignite flames as Lin Yu’s scorching gaze became scalding.

The seatbelt made a “click” sound as it retracted from him.

Lin Yu slowly leaned in, his right hand covering Su Chengyang’s hand, drawing closer to her.

A heavy shadow cast over their heads, blocking the previously subtle light.

Su Chengyang stared blankly at Lin Yu’s approaching body. His deep pupils seemed to possess a bewitching power, causing her heart to momentarily stop and then accelerate.

“May I?” Lin Yu paused in front of her, raising his dark eyes and gazing deeply into hers, asking softly.

Unconsciously, Su Chengyang tightened her fingers. She didn’t know how to answer Lin Yu. Parting her lips slightly, she wanted to say something, but felt that her words were too feeble. So, she leaned forward slightly, and her lips kissed Lin Yu’s beautifully shaped lips.

The soft touch trembled due to Su Chengyang’s nervousness. She clumsily brushed her lips against Lin Yu’s thin lips, lacking technique, only wanting to tell him, “I’m sorry for hurting you.”

Lin Yu froze, the warm breath close to him challenging his self-control. But he had said before, his pride in self-control was not worth mentioning in front of Su Chengyang.

He covered Su Chengyang’s hand tightly and pressed his other hand against her waist, pushing her against the seat. Compared to Su Chengyang’s gentle exploration, he pressed forcefully, teasing her lips. When Su Chengyang’s breath became unsteady and she instinctively opened her mouth, he easily invaded that soft territory.

Unlike his firmness when he was drunk last night, the current Lin Yu is patient enough. His movements have become gentle as he tries to adapt to Su Chengyang’s rhythm. However, Su Chengyang, after all, is a girl and cannot be as bold as him. In the midst of the intimate kisses, as gentle as a drizzle, she keeps leaning back.

Lin Yu no longer allows her to escape. With one hand holding her waist and the other pressing the back of her head, he has complete control over her. The blanket that was covering Su Chengyang has already fallen. In order to feel a little better, she has to hold onto Lin Yu’s neck tightly with both hands, like a drowning person, enduring his increasingly intense kisses.

Su Chengyang is wearing a strapless gown, and due to the intimate movements, her chest occasionally brushes against Lin Yu’s. She feels that if they get any closer, her clothes will fall off.

She reluctantly gives him a gentle bite.

Lin Yu’s actions ease slightly, and he slowly moves his body back. His burning gaze leaves Su Chengyang at a loss, and in a hoarse voice, he asks, “Do you really like biting people so much?”

Su Chengyang’s face turns red, and she pulls her jacket closer to her chest, whispering, “You’re being too forceful, my gown is about to fall off.”

Lin Yu’s eyes darken, his cheeks tighten, and sometimes he really doubts if Su Chengyang is deliberately tempting him with these ambiguous words.

The air in the car becomes extremely heated, and Su Chengyang finds it hard to catch her breath. Lin Yu’s gaze also makes her a little scared, so she shrinks in her seat and remains silent.

After a long pause, Lin Yu gritted his teeth and said, “Su Chengyang, if one day I can’t resist committing a crime, you will definitely be my accomplice.”

Su Chengyang: “…”

Lin Yu doesn’t say anything more. The car is filled with Su Chengyang’s scent now, and he needs to get out and calm down.

“You should tidy up a bit.”

After finishing speaking, Lin Yu took out a cigarette and a lighter, got off the car, leaned against the front of the car, in a position visible to Su Chengyang, and lowered his head to light the cigarette between his fingers.

Su Chengyang watched his figure. She had never seen Lin Yu smoke before and couldn’t help but take a closer look.

After coming back to her senses, Su Chengyang pulled up her gown a bit and tightened the loose buttons on the back. She put on her jacket, covered herself with a blanket, leaned back in the seat, opened the window to let some air in, and then just looked at Lin Yu like that.

Lin Yu’s smoking gesture was also very appealing; everything he did looked good.

Su Chengyang’s mind was a mess. She remembered what Lin Yu said to her yesterday in the car. In fact, at that moment, Su Chengyang should have guessed that Lin Yu might have feelings for her.

At the thought of this possibility, her heart seemed like it was about to jump out of her chest.

Lin Yu said that she was different from Mary.

Mary was a piece of art dedicated to the world, while she herself was his collection.

Only Lin Yu could come up with such a romantic statement.

He described liking someone so beautifully that Su Chengyang felt unworthy of such beautiful words.

She thought that the person Lin Yu liked should be an exceptionally outstanding woman, but he told her that Su Chengyang was already outstanding.

Su Chengyang felt like all her luck from two lifetimes was concentrated in Lin Yu. Even if it was just a short period of time, she was willing with all her heart.

Liking someone is truly wonderful, especially when that person likes you back.

They all say that liking someone makes you feel inferior, and Su Chengyang felt that too. However, the person she likes has told her more than once that she doesn’t need to feel inferior. She is an outstanding person, someone worthy of being liked.

Su Chengyang felt incredibly happy today, just like a person who has been hungry for more than ten days suddenly getting to eat their favorite food.

Lin Yu finished smoking and after dispersing the smell of smoke from his body, he returned to the car.

The situation tonight completely caught him off guard. He didn’t expect himself to be so uncomposed.

“Chengyang, I like you, you should know, right?” Lin Yu said.

Su Chengyang looked up at him and nodded. She wanted to say that she likes him too, but Lin Yu stopped her.

“This isn’t a suitable place for confession, so you don’t have to reply to me. Chengyang, you’re still young, and you may not understand what love is. I’ll give you some more time to consider. When that day comes, I’ll ask for your answer. I’m telling you all this just so you know that everything I do for you is because I like you. Don’t doubt it. What you need to do is think it through. Once you give your answer, I… maybe I won’t give you a chance to regret it for a lifetime, understand?”

Lin Yu is a very determined person. Whatever he wants to do, he will give it his all and do it to the best of his ability. He will never give up halfway. Even if he might not succeed in the end, he will persist until the very end.

Su Chengyang wanted to tell him that she already has an answer and won’t regret it, but looking at Lin Yu’s serious expression, she ultimately held back.

Lin Yu hopes that she can be as cautious as him and not make impulsive decisions.

“I understand.”

That night, Lin Yu accompanied Su Chengyang home, and they said goodbye as usual.

Upon returning home, Xiao Lu approached eagerly, wanting to ask Su Chengyang what happened. However, when she saw Su Chengyang’s slightly swollen lips, she immediately widened her eyes and scolded, “Did my cousin brother act like a dog? How did you end up getting bitten like this?”

Su Chengyang: “…”

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Su Chengyang didn’t have the heart to tell Xiao Lu that she was the one who bit Lin Yu twice.

“So, have you made up with my cousin brother?”

Su Chengyang nodded obediently and said, “Yes, we’ve made up.”

Xiao Lu quickly pulled her to sit on the couch and continued questioning, “And then? Are you together now?”

Su Chengyang shook her head and replied, “No, we’re not.”

Xiao Lu couldn’t help but poke her forehead, frustrated. “Are you stupid? If you’re not together, why did you let him kiss you?”

Su Chengyang blushed and hesitantly replied, “Manager Lin wants me to consider it further, fearing that it might be just a passing impulse.”

After pondering for a moment, Xiao Lu thought her cousin brother’s concerns made some sense. “Well, you’re still young, and you’ve never been in a relationship before. Unlike my cousin brother, who has been through all sorts of experiences. You should really think it through carefully.”

Having said that, Xiao Lu wanted to ask for more details about tonight, but Su Chengyang felt too embarrassed to tell her. She made an excuse and retreated to her room.

However, Su Chengyang didn’t expect that she wouldn’t meet much with Lin Yu in the following period of time.

After recording the fifth episode of the show, it was Lin Yu’s mother’s birthday, and he flew to Italy with Xiao Lu. They only returned after a week, during which time it was President Lu who handled her affairs. She and Lin Yu couldn’t exchange more than a few words in a day.

After they returned, Su Chengyang was busy catching up with various activities. Han Songxue and the others were also extremely busy. Sometimes they could meet each other at major events, but they only had time for a few hurried conversations before getting busy with their own matters.

Although they rarely met in real life, they often saw each other’s names trending online. When they had free time, they would tease each other in the group chat, like saying “My ranking is higher than yours” or “Your fans are like water army.”

Everyone had their own developments. Su Chengyang, needless to say, was overwhelmed with activities, endorsements, and receiving numerous scripts.

Jiang Shanqi established her own studio and took on several scripts. As soon as the news came out, it went viral.

Han Songxue frequently appeared on variety shows, recently participating in a performance show as a villain, earning a wave of audience tears and getting “scolded” on the trending list.

Song Mingan had more and more cross-dressing roles in scripts and was also heading towards the direction of variety shows.

Qi Fu was invited to visit variety shows as a host and also took on several fitness-related shows.

Tan Qi seemed to be planning to host a emotional variety show, of course, without giving up on acting. It is said that several scripts were already sent to her for her selection.

Qin You worked part-time while studying, often appearing in various variety show appearances, and also took on several endorsements for learning apps. She earned enough money to pay off her family’s debts and planned to take on more acting jobs during winter and summer breaks.

Shen Fu was invited to be a mentor on a highly-rated music program and signed a three-year contract with an exorbitant fee.

Finally, there’s He Xu.

Her situation is a bit special. She used to be a stand-in actor. Before <Travel> became popular, some artists tried to piggyback on its popularity, but she directly fought back and received a lot of criticism. However, it didn’t have much impact, and she also received many scripts and variety show offers.

Their respective careers are heading in a positive direction.

During this period, Su Chengyang also took time to study. Whenever she didn’t understand something, she would ask Xiao Lu, Lin Yu, Assistant Xu, Qin You, and Du Senyu. Her learning progress was quite good, and she planned to take the college entrance examination next year.

In mid-November, <Sludge> was released, and major cinemas were packed with people. There was a lot of buzz about the movie.

After the release of the promotional video, Su Chengyang’s role became a hot topic and the public had high expectations for this movie.

During the movie’s release period, Su Chengyang was busy and barely had a few hours of sleep a day. After the opening ceremony of the period drama she was cast in, Su Chengyang finally had two days of rest.

By this time, the movie had been released for four days and the box office had surpassed 600 million, steadily rising.

Lin Yu, who hadn’t seen her properly for several days, made a video call in the evening.

“Manager Lin.”

Su Chengyang had been busy these days and had her head buried in the quilt, feeling drowsy.

It seemed like Lin Yu had just arrived home and hadn’t changed clothes yet. He stared at her for a few moments and asked, “Are you tired?”

“Mmm…”

Lin Yu nodded and said, “Do you want to go watch a movie tomorrow? Your movie.”

Su Chengyang yawned and replied, “Sure, should we bring Xiao Lu along?”

Lin Yu responded, “Just the two of us.”

During this period, they had very little time alone together.

Su Chengyang touched her ear and said, “Oh.”

Lin Yu smiled and said, “Rest well during the day, and I’ll take you out for dinner at night.”

“Got it, you should rest early too.”

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

After ending the video call, Su Chengyang touched her flushed cheeks. Even though she was used to video calls with Lin Yu, she still felt embarrassed.

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In the morning, Su Chengyang and Xiao Lu spent time at the gym. After having lunch and resting for an hour, the two of them took a car to the company.

On the way, Su Chengyang’s originally calm mood became restless again.

She didn’t want to overthink and become fearful, so she took out her phone and started browsing Weibo.

Yesterday, Song Mingan’s performance was very successful. His cross-dressing look left a deep impression and gained popularity online. The news about the appearance of the cast of <Travel> at the theater was also widely promoted, and someone even captured a picture of Su Chengyang and Lin Yu walking by the roadside.

Finally arriving at the company entrance, the two of them took the elevator upstairs. Upon reaching their destination, Assistant Xu led them to a separate desk, and soon after, President Lu, whom they had met before, walked in.

“I called you here today to talk about the endorsement matter.”

Upon seeing the person, Su Chengyang was taken aback, “Where’s Mr. Lin?”

During this period, no matter what happened, it was always Lin Yu personally who talked to her. How could it suddenly become President Lu?

President Lu said, “Mr. Lin is not in the company. He has other matters to attend to. It’s enough for me to talk to you.”

“Not in the company?”

Xiao Lu glanced at Su Chengyang and thought to herself, ‘With his cousin brother’s personality, he would definitely follow Chengyang even if it meant recording the program for two days. How could he possibly delegate this kind of thing to President Lu? There must be something fishy going on.’

“President Lu, Chengyang, you guys talk. I’ll wait outside,” Xiao Lu said.

Su Chengyang nodded, “Okay.”

Although Su Chengyang didn’t know if Lin Yu really had other matters to attend to, she didn’t want personal emotions to affect her work. So she didn’t think much about it and started talking to President Lu about endorsement matter.

After Xiao Lu left the office, she turned her head and headed towards Lin Yu’s office. From a distance, she saw that the door was closed. She grabbed an employee nearby and asked, “Is Boss Lin not in the company today?”

The employee looked confused and said, “Did General Manager Lin come today? His office door has never been opened.”

Never been opened? Didn’t cousin brother stay at the company last night?

Xiao Lu thanked the employee and walked quickly towards the office.

When she reached the door, she lightly knocked, “Boss Lin?”

There was no response for a while. Xiao Lu pushed the door open and stuck her head in, “Boss Lin, we have arrived. Where are you?”

She remembered there was a small rest area in the office. Could it be that Lin Yu was still sleeping after a hangover?

Xiao Lu walked quickly to the door of the rest area and tapped on it twice, “Cousin Brother, are you there? Chengyang has already arrived.”

There was still no sound inside.

Xiao Lu pressed her face against the door and listened carefully, but there was no movement.

“Can I come in?” Xiao Lu asked tentatively.

After a while, no one responded. Xiao Lu turned the doorknob and entered.

The resting area was empty, the bedding on the bed was messy, as if someone had recently slept on it. On the floor next to the wardrobe, there was a black tie lying there, as if it had accidentally fallen out.

“Brother?” Xiao Lu walked slowly forward, picked up the tie from the floor, and wanted to put it in the wardrobe. He absentmindedly opened the door on one side of the wardrobe and saw a person sitting inside, covering their eyes with their hands, looking exhausted.

“Brother…” Xiao Lu was stunned, staring blankly at the scene in front of her.

Lin Yu was still wearing the same coat as yesterday, his nearly two-meter tall figure curled up inside the wardrobe, his long legs unable to find a place to rest, so he could only slightly bend his knees. He opened his eyes and glanced behind Xiao Lu, relieved to see that there was no one else.

He lowered his hands from his face, wanting to straighten up, but bumped into the wooden board on the top.

“You should come out first,” Xiao Lu said, wanting to laugh but hesitating, as she helped Lin Yu out of the wardrobe.

“Where’s Chengyang?” Lin Yu asked.

Xiao Lu replied, “She’s talking with President Lu about the endorsement.”

Lin Yu let out a sigh of relief.

Xiao Lu glanced at the wardrobe and said, “What exactly happened between you two? You hid in the wardrobe just to avoid her.”

Rarely seeing her cousin brother in such a disheveled state, Xiao Lu had a smug smile on her face.

Lin Yu didn’t respond and took the tie from her hands. After a long while, he said, “I’m not avoiding her.”

“Then what?” Xiao Lu asked curiously.

Lin Yu paused, the wound on his tongue still not fully healed and hurting.

After a moment of silence, he said, “I’m afraid to see her.”

Xiao Lu became even more curious, “Then what? Did you do something to hurt her?”

Lin Yu nodded, “Yes.”

“Then apologize to her. Avoiding her like this isn’t a solution. Chengyang will be sad.” Xiao Lu felt a rare opportunity to educate Lin Yu and had a sense of holding a chicken feather as an arrow.

Lin Yu took out a new set of clothes from the wardrobe and hesitated for a moment before asking, “Is she… mad at me?”

Xiao Lu said with malicious delight, “A little bit. She looked pretty upset last night when she went back.”

Lin Yu paused his actions, “What did she say?”

Xiao Lu deliberately tormented him and sighed, “Dealing with this might not be easy.”

“What do you mean?”

“Last night, Chengyang asked me why you accompanied her to the play. I said it was because you liked her. Can you guess what she said?”

Lin Yu couldn’t afford to investigate how she revealed his feelings to Su Chengyang. He stopped and asked, “What did she say?”

“She said…” Xiao Lu’s playful expression gradually turned serious, “…if you want to know what she said, shouldn’t you ask her directly? But I can tell you this, Chengyang was angry last night, not because of anything you did to her, but because you suddenly left.”

Lin Yu remained silent. The education he had received in the past made it unimaginable for him to have done such an excessive thing to her against Su Chengyang’s will. At that moment, he couldn’t control his emotions and, after regaining his senses, felt nothing but shame.

He didn’t dare to see Su Chengyang.

Seeing his hesitation, Xiao Lu chuckled and said, “Bro, I never expected you to be so cowardly.”

Lin Yu glanced at her sideways, and Xiao Lu immediately shut up, mimicking the action of zipping her lips.

“Get out.”

“Got it,” Xiao Lu shrugged and replied.

As Xiao Lu walked out, she suppressed her laughter. If she were to tell Auntie about her cousin brother doing something bad and hiding in the closet because he couldn’t face anyone, they would definitely not believe her and think she was talking nonsense.

If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn’t believe it either.

Her cousin brother, who was usually composed and excellent, had such a pathetic day.

After discussing an endorsement matter with a international brand, President Lu was very satisfied with Su Chengyang’s image. So far, the brand had only hired three Asians, one of whom was Chinese.

The brand’s conditions were favorable in all aspects, and Su Chengyang had no reason to refuse, especially since it would bring benefits to the company. She asked President Lu to make the decision, and she could sign the contract anytime.

When she came out of the office, Xiao Lu was waiting outside the door.

“Finished talking?”

“Yeah,” Su Chengyang nodded and asked, “Is Manager Lin really not here?”

Xiao Lu vaguely nodded and said, “You have an event in the afternoon. Let’s go back and change clothes first. He will also come later.”

Su Chengyang nodded reluctantly and said, “Then let’s go.”

Leaving the company, Xiao Lu drove her home. After doing her makeup, they would head to the event venue. It was an award ceremony, but Su Chengyang had little to do with it. The drama <Sludge> would premiere in the middle of this month, and she didn’t have any works yet. She was just there to make up the numbers and show her face, but her position wouldn’t be too prominent.

Assistant Xu borrowed a white dress and invited a few fashion and makeup artists to Su Chengyang’s home to do her makeup.

After everything was properly arranged, Xiao Lu pulled out a Rolls-Royce Phantom from Lin Yu’s garage. It looked cool and impressive. Su Chengyang had never received such treatment at previous events. Even if she did, it would have been a temporary rental by the company.

Assistant Xu sat in the front seat, while Su Chengyang and Xiao Lu sat in the back. She changed into a white evening gown and wore a coat over it, which she would take off at the event venue.

As the weather gradually cooled down, Su Chengyang wrapped her exposed white legs with a blanket and engaged in casual conversation with Xiao Lu.

“When will Manager Lin come?”

Xiao Lu shook her head, “Not sure. You’ll be having dinner after the event anyway. It’s no use if he comes early. Do you really want to see him that much?”

Su Chengyang tidied up her messy hair from behind without saying a word.

Her look today was relatively simple, with black wavy curls and a strapless evening gown. She didn’t wear many pieces of jewelry. She was purely there to make up the numbers, and it would be disastrous if she accidentally stole the limelight. Moreover, everything she wore was borrowed and had to be returned later.

Upon arriving at the venue, Su Chengyang glanced outside. It was a large conference hall with a long red carpet at the entrance and a signature background wall in the middle. Some artists were already there, preparing to enter.

The award ceremony invited around three hundred artists, and Su Chengyang’s entry number was fifty-four. It would still be a while before it was her turn.

Shortly after, artists ahead of her started walking the red carpet one by one, stopping at the signature wall for photos before being ushered into the venue to rest.

With the weather turning cooler, everyone was dressed lightly. It would be better to enter early. The artists who entered ahead were all familiar to Su Chengyang, but they had never met before.

After waiting in the car for nearly an hour, Su Chengyang finally arrived at the venue around number forty-something. She got off the car and prepared herself nearby, while Xiao Lu tidied up her hair and clothes. After confirming everything was fine, she handed her the jacket.

“These reporters are really cunning. After the first ten or so celebrities went in, they couldn’t be bothered to take more photos. No wonder it suddenly went so fast.”

“Please welcome guest number fifty-three.”

A male celebrity walked the red carpet, left his signature on the signing cloth, took a photo, and then entered the venue. It was soon Su Chengyang’s turn.

“Chengyang, we’ll be waiting for you inside the venue.”

“Okay.”

“Please welcome guest number fifty-four.”

Su Chengyang was wearing a strapless evening gown and black high-heeled shoes with a ten-centimeter heel. As soon as she stepped onto the red carpet, there was a commotion among the onlookers.

“Su Chengyang!”

“Look this way, female goose!”

Su Chengyang didn’t expect to have fans here. She turned her head and waved her hand. Several cameras snapped photos of her. Calmly, Su Chengyang walked to the middle of the red carpet, took the pen from the etiquette lady, and left her name on the signing cloth. She originally wanted to take a quick photo and hurry inside, but the nearby reporters had other plans.

“Chengyang, look this way.”

“Look over here, look over here.”

“Turn your body to the side, this way.”

Su Chengyang maintained a smile and changed a few poses, finally with the help of the host, she left the red carpet. Most of the celebrities who came after her would only stay on the red carpet for a few seconds before being asked to leave.

Walking into the venue, unexpectedly, Su Chengyang’s seat was arranged in the middle of the second row. You see, in general award ceremonies, seating arrangements are based on the level of fame. Su Chengyang didn’t expect the organizers to think so highly of her.

After taking her seat, Xiao Lu placed her coat on Su Chengyang’s lap and left the main hall.

Su Chengyang looked around but didn’t see anyone she knew. She began the long wait, opening her phone and staring at Lin Yu’s WeChat for a while. The chat history was still from yesterday, and her finger hovered over the screen, contemplating whether to send a message. In the end, she resisted the urge, feeling that it would be better to talk about it in person.

“Hi, how are you?”

Su Chengyang was lost in thought when a girl next to her greeted her.

Su Chengyang raised her head in confusion and replied, “Hello.”

“Are you Chengyang? I’ve watched your variety shows, they’re really entertaining. Yesterday, I even mentioned in the group chat if there’s any chance of collaborating with you, and here we meet today.”

Su Chengyang chatted with the person for a while, and during that time, some reporters came over to interview her. Su Chengyang responded fluently.

After a long time, all the artists arrived, and the organizers finally began announcing the awards.

Su Chengyang had nothing to do with what was happening. She was like an emotionless applause machine, not doing anything except clapping.

Finally, she endured until the end of the event. The organizers arranged for them to have dinner in the restaurant. Su Chengyang sat with a table of strangers. As they ate, they exchanged WeChat contacts. Su Chengyang even ended up adding a few people she couldn’t recognize, not knowing their names.

When it was time to leave after dinner, it was already dark outside.

Xiao Lu had sent a message earlier, saying she would wait for Su Chengyang at the entrance of the venue. However, when Su Chengyang went out, she didn’t see any sign of Xiao Lu or Assistant Xu. She looked around and still couldn’t find them, but she did spot Lin Yu, who was surrounded by several managers.

Lin Yu also noticed Su Chengyang. He said something to the people around him, and they all turned to look at Su Chengyang. She didn’t know what they said, but Lin Yu walked past the crowd and came toward her.

Su Chengyang felt a bit nervous all of a sudden. As he approached, she called out softly, “Manager Lin.”

Lin Yu’s expression remained unchanged, and he smiled and said, “Let’s go, back to the car.”

Su Chengyang obediently nodded and asked, “What about Xiao Lu and the others?”

Lin Yu replied, “I let them go back first.”

“Oh.”

Su Chengyang followed him to the parking lot, and during the process, neither of them spoke.

After sitting in the car, Lin Yu handed the blanket in the back seat to Su Chengyang, draped it over her, and then started the car to drive back.

Su Chengyang had been secretly observing Lin Yu’s expression. She didn’t know if he had noticed, but he remained silent.

Finally, it was Su Chengyang who couldn’t help but speak first.

“Manager Lin, about last night…”

“What happened last night?” Lin Yu asked.

Su Chengyang was taken aback, her eyes widened. “You forgot?”

Her voice unconsciously raised a few notches.

Lin Yu glanced at her sideways, unable to hold back his laughter at her surprised and angry expression.

How could he forget? He didn’t really get drunk last night, and he remembered everything he did clearly. It was precisely because he remembered so clearly that he dared not speak up.

“I didn’t forget.”

Lin Yu didn’t drive onto the main road, but turned into a shady path and parked the car by the side of the road. It was quiet and silent around, with only a few distant lights.

Su Chengyang looked at him suspiciously, unsure of what he intended to do.

Lin Yu turned to look at Su Chengyang and said, “I remember what happened last night very clearly. I know my behavior was bad and it may have left a psychological shadow on you, but I can’t argue that it wasn’t intentional.”

As Su Chengyang listened to his words, she became a bit confused. A psychological shadow? What kind of psychological shadow?

How could she have a psychological shadow when the person she likes kissed her?

“Chengyang, I’m truly sorry. I don’t want to force you or do anything you’re not willing to do.”

Su Chengyang could tell that Lin Yu was genuinely remorseful, and she couldn’t help but say, “Actually, I don’t mind.”

Lin Yu said, “Chengyang, you should mind. What I did to you was wrong, and maybe because you don’t dislike me, you thought it was no big deal. But such behavior in itself is a mistake.”

Su Chengyang was taken aback, realizing only then that Lin Yu had a broader perspective than she had thought.

She didn’t mind what Lin Yu did to her because she liked him, but what if she didn’t like him?

If someone she didn’t like did something like that to her, it would indeed leave a psychological shadow.

Such behavior is inherently wrong.

So, was that why he hurriedly fled last night?

Su Chengyang’s mood became a bit complicated. She looked at Lin Yu and asked, “Are you still hurt?”

Lin Yu paused for a moment and asked, “What?”

Su Chengyang’s cheeks were burning, and she whispered, “Tongue.”

The memories of last night seemed to resurface at this moment.

“It seems like there was bleeding in the end…” Su Chengyang’s voice grew lower and her head was almost buried in his arms.

She didn’t know that her words carried a seductive flavor.

Lin Yu looked at her crimson earlobe, his breath sinking. He covered his eyes with his hand and silently chuckled. He had to admit that his self-proclaimed self-control was nothing compared to Su Chengyang.

He came to apologize to Su Chengyang, swearing that he wouldn’t make the same mistake again. But upon seeing Su Chengyang for less than ten minutes, he couldn’t guarantee it anymore.

In the quiet car, in a secluded corner, Su Chengyang was defenseless, and that was so captivating.

Lin Yu’s Adam’s apple rolled, and he lowered his voice and said, “Aren’t you afraid?”

Su Chengyang shook her head, “If it’s others, I might be afraid, but if it’s you, I’m not.”

Su Chengyang remembered that she hadn’t explained herself to him yet, and she added, “I bit you last night just to make you stop, because there were other people around.”

With this statement, Su Chengyang’s seductive aura grew stronger.

She bit his tongue, not out of dislike or fear, but only because there were other people around.

But the environment they were in now was silent and deserted.

Lin Yu’s voice was hoarse, “Chengyang, have you accepted my apology?”

“Mm,” Su Chengyang nodded.

“Then do you want to apologize to me?”

Su Chengyang looked confused as she raised her head, meeting Lin Yu’s ink-like eyes. “Apologize for what?”

Lin Yu didn’t say anything. In the dim light, he cautiously stuck out the tip of his tongue, revealing the injured spot, then slowly released the seatbelt, saying:

“With your lips and teeth, apologize to my wound.”

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Su Chengyang has played the role of a girl in a passionate love affair.

She tried hard to speculate on the character’s inner thoughts, immersing herself in it, and never failed once. Both the director, the audience, and herself were very satisfied with her performance.

But at this moment, Su Chengyang realized that even if she understood the character’s inner thoughts, she couldn’t feel this excitement.

Her left hand was held in someone else’s palm, and the warmth seemed to connect to her heart. All the noises in the noisy private room drifted away from her. The intertwined fingers became her sole focus at this moment.

For a moment, she felt like she had the whole world, and it made Su Chengyang dizzy.

This indescribable affection, this small closeness in this environment, made her heart feel like it was about to burst with joy.

If all the past hardships were to lead her to this moment of sweetness, even if she could choose again, Su Chengyang would still choose to be the Su Chengyang without parents.

The atmosphere in the private room became hotter and hotter. Lin Yu was cheered on by them, drink after drink, and he never let go of Su Chengyang’s hand.

When an English song started playing, the originally noisy private room became even more restless.

“Wow!”

“<Love Story>! Who requested this song?”

“The atmosphere seems a bit inappropriate, haha.”

Su Chengyang looked at the restless crowd, with a puzzled expression on her face.

Lin Yu squeezed her hand gently and rubbed his fingertips lightly on the back of her hand. Su Chengyang slowly turned to look at him.

Lin Yu had drunk a lot of alcohol and leaned against the back of the sofa, his gaze somewhat blurred, staring straight at Su Chengyang.

Su Chengyang noticed that his lips seemed to move, but the boisterous crowd around them made it difficult for her to hear.

Others seemed excited when they heard this song and sang along loudly.

Only the corner where she and Lin Yu were located remained quiet.

Su Chengyang couldn’t help but lean closer to him. Lin Yu’s breath was close, mixed with a faint scent of alcohol. Su Chengyang usually didn’t like this smell, but when it came from Lin Yu, even though she hadn’t been drinking, she felt as if she were drunk.

“<Love Story>” Lin Yu said softly.

“What?” Su Chengyang looked at his face, which was so close, and regretted not taking the time to learn English.

“The name of this song, when translated, is <Love Story>, and it’s about Romeo and Juliet.”

Su Chengyang stared at him, mesmerized.

“Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.“

Lin Yu’s deep voice recited a string of English words, which Su Chengyang didn’t understand but found it very pleasing.

“Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.”

“l’ll be waiting all there’s left to do is run.“

“l’ll be waiting all there’s left to do is run.”

Lin Yu translated each lyric she didn’t understand into her ear. He gazed at Su Chengyang with a bewildering yet earnest look, his deep pupils almost captivating her, making it hard for her to break free.

How can there be such an enchanting person in this world?

“Do you know that many people like to propose under the background of this song?” He said this while still looking at Su Chengyang, unwilling to let her leave his sight.

“Marry me,” he suddenly said. Su Chengyang couldn’t understand; she thought Lin Yu would tell her what it meant like before. But after Lin Yu finished speaking, he just looked at Su Chengyang without any reaction.

Su Chengyang was a little confused but saw Lin Yu’s thin lips move slightly.

Thinking that he said something she didn’t hear, she leaned closer.

Watching Su Chengyang approach him without any guard, her body leaning against his shoulder, her warmth transmitted through their clothes, Lin Yu regretted it. He felt that he shouldn’t have drunk, shouldn’t have appeared in the KTV, shouldn’t have listened to this song, and shouldn’t have pulled Su Chengyang to sit in a secluded corner while everyone else was joyfully celebrating.

He always said that Su Chengyang was pushing her luck, but in fact, he himself was the one truly pushing his luck.

At this moment, his patience had reached its limit.

Even though he knew that this was something only the most intimate of people could do, in the instant Su Chengyang leaned in without any defenses, he took advantage of the fading effects of the alcohol, lowered his head, and kissed Su Chengyang’s slightly parted lips.

The soft lips felt like sweet jelly, and he wanted to devour them, but he didn’t dare.

He licked the corner of his mouth and felt Su Chengyang’s body freeze in the instant their lips touched. However, alcohol had numbed his nerves and rationality, and he couldn’t control himself.

Savoring the taste, he slid his tongue into the gap between her teeth.

Su Chengyang’s right hand held the phone and it rolled onto her lap. She looked at Lin Yu, who was close by, in astonishment. His eyes were slightly closed, and his long eyelashes were like a fan. The warmth of his lips and teeth made her head feel hot, and a strange breath invaded Su Chengyang’s mouth.

Under the cover of the music, Lin Yu devoured all her sounds.

The festive crowd did not notice the hidden ambiguity between them.

Su Chengyang came back to her senses, her mind blank. But her rationality told her that this was not the right place for such things, and Lin Yu was drunk.

She used her right hand to push against Lin Yu’s chest, but she was immediately grabbed by his left hand.

Lin Yu gradually pressed his body against hers. He didn’t have much experience; he relied solely on instinct to absorb Su Chengyang’s breath.

Su Chengyang realized that the music was nearing its end. It would be bad if they were discovered. Lin Yu was drunk now, and his actions were not to be taken seriously. If they weren’t discovered, they could go back to being ordinary friends when Lin Yu sobered up tomorrow, and she could pretend that nothing had happened.

Su Chengyang wanted to give Lin Yu a chance to regret.

But Lin Yu’s strength was too great, and Su Chengyang couldn’t break free. She had no choice but to bite down hard on Lin Yu’s tongue.

A sharp pain stimulated Lin Yu’s nerves, and a bloody scent permeated between their entangled lips and teeth.

Lin Yu was stunned for a moment, and all the sounds around him and his rationality were returned by the pain. He opened his eyes and only then realized that Su Chengyang was struggling in his arms.

“Bang!”

The once-quiet private room suddenly made a loud noise, and everyone cheered and turned their heads in unison.

Startled, Lin Yu quickly stood up and took a few steps back, bumping into the nearby table and spilling drinks all over the floor. Fortunately, the lighting in the private room was not very bright, and no one noticed the fresh blood at the corner of his mouth.

What was he doing… What had he done…

Did he kiss her against Su Chengyang’s will? And in such a rough manner?

Lin Yu was completely stunned.

Su Chengyang didn’t expect him to react so strongly and thought she had hurt him. “Brother Lin…”

“I’m sorry…” Lin Yu interrupted her, turned around, and stumbled out of the private room, his departing figure showing signs of disarray.

“Mr. Lin!” Su Chengyang wanted to catch up with him, worried that he had drunk too much and might encounter some mishap.

“Mr…”

The bartender looked at the man passing by with confusion. He appeared flustered and couldn’t make out where he was, but all he wanted was to leave that place.

Is he crazy…?

How can he force Chengyang like this…

Finally, when he felt a hint of affection from Chengyang, he managed to ruin it himself.

By the time Su Chengyang chased after Lin Yu to the lobby, there was no trace of him. Han Songxue and the others didn’t know what had happened and ran out behind Su Chengyang, seeing her anxious expression and a hint of blood at the corner of her mouth, they immediately worriedly asked, “What happened?”

Su Chengyang didn’t have time to answer. What if something happened to Lin Yu after he hastily left after drinking so much?

“Did Manager Lin hit you? That’s impossible,” Han Songxue frowned.

Su Chengyang waved her hand, looking worried. “No, please help me find him first.”

“Ding—”

Just when Su Chengyang was extremely anxious, a message came in.

He had a rough idea that leaving like this would make Su Chengyang worry, so Lin Yu sent a text message. His emotions were in turmoil, and he had been drinking, so the sentence structure was disordered: “I took a taxi back, I’m sorry, really, I’m sorry. Can we pretend nothing happened? Have a good time, don’t worry.”

Su Chengyang looked at the text message on her phone, and her expression gradually calmed down. Pretend nothing happened? That’s good. Thankfully, no one else found out just now, otherwise, Lin Yu wouldn’t have a chance to regret it when he sobers up.

“You all go back first, I’ll go in right away,” Su Chengyang said to the others.

Seeing her not looking well, the others worriedly asked, “Are you alright? Is Manager Lin also okay?”

Su Chengyang shook her head, “He’s fine. He took a taxi back first.”

The others were puzzled. Why would he suddenly go back when everything was fine? And his back view gave them a feeling of fleeing.

“You all go in first,” Su Chengyang said.

The others could only go back to the private room. Han Songxue was a bit worried, feeling that something must have happened between Su Chengyang and Lin Yu to cause such a sudden change.

Jiang Shanqi pulled her and pushed her into the private room.

After the others left, Su Chengyang put on her mask again, found a ventilating spot, and messaged Lin Yu asking where he was.

Lin Yu didn’t reply, so Su Chengyang said again, “Let me know when you get home.”

After a few minutes, Lin Yu replied, “I’m at the office tonight.”

This time, his tone was much more normal, and Su Chengyang finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She thought she might really like Lin Yu too much. Perhaps his thinking had suddenly deviated, giving her a few hours of illusion, but Su Chengyang didn’t blame him. She felt lucky, at least she had once been so close to Lin Yu.

If Lin Yu intends to act as if nothing happened, it means they can still be friends in the future, which is quite good.

Su Chengyang told herself that it should be fine like this.

However, humans are greedy.

When she feels she can’t have something, she won’t yearn for it. But after briefly having it, she finds it hard to let go.

She even had a despicable thought: if she hadn’t pushed Lin Yu away and someone else found out, would Lin Yu still say the same?

Someone as good as him would definitely feel responsible for Su Chengyang.

Thinking like this, Su Chengyang couldn’t help but smile.

Never mind, being with someone she doesn’t like is painful, even more so than liking someone who doesn’t like her back.

Once Su Chengyang confirmed Lin Yu’s safety, she returned to the private room.

After going back, Su Chengyang played with Han Songxue and the others, drank two cups of alcohol in a dazed state, and played until half past ten. Xiao Lu rushed over and took Su Chengyang away.

Su Chengyang had a few drinks and felt a bit dizzy. She sat in the passenger seat and opened the car window to get some fresh air.

Xiao Lu took a blanket from the backseat and covered her, saying, “What happened to my cousin brother? He didn’t reply to my messages, only asked me to come and pick you up earlier.”

Su Chengyang shook her head, indicating that she didn’t know either.

Xiao Lu glanced at her while driving and noticed that both of them seemed a bit off. She asked, “Did you have a fight with my cousin brother?”

Su Chengyang slowly shifted her gaze towards Xiao Lu and shook her head, saying, “No.”

Xiao Lu pouted and said, “Yeah, I mean, my cousin brother finally got this opportunity, how could he bear to argue with you?”

Su Chengyang quietly looked at her. Even though she told herself that she should be satisfied with returning to her original position, there was always something weighing on her heart, making it hard for her to breathe.

It turned out that this moment of happiness was truly fleeting.

“Why did Lin Yu accompany me to the theater instead of you?” Su Chengyang asked in a deep voice.

Xiao Lu looked at her in surprise. It was the first time Su Chengyang had called Lin Yu by his name, and she found it somewhat unbelievable. “Did my cousin brother do anything else today? Wasn’t he simply accompanying you to watch a play?”

Su Chengyang looked at her but didn’t answer that question.

Perhaps realizing that Su Chengyang had been drinking and her emotions were a bit off, Xiao Lu didn’t ask further and said, “It seems like something happened between you and my cousin brother, right?”

Su Chengyang remained silent, as if silently confirming it.

“Did he make you angry?”

Su Chengyang shaking her head, he remained silent.

“What boundary-crossing thing did he do?”

Su Chengyang hesitated, neither confirming nor denying it.

Xiao Lu thought to herself, ‘Just as I suspected, my cousin brother must have done something out of bounds, and Su Chengyang doesn’t like it.’

With a forced smile, Xiao Lu said, “Well, you should know that my cousin brother likes you. If you don’t feel the same way, you can relax and treat him as an ordinary colleague. He has always been professional and won’t bother you.”

Upon hearing her words, Su Chengyang froze.

She asked in confusion, “Lin Yu likes me?”

Xiao Lu’s expression stiffened, “Didn’t my cousin brother tell you?”

Su Chengyang shook her head, “No, he didn’t.”

Xiao Lu: “…”

“What the hell! Are you messing with me here? If my cousin brother finds out, I’m screwed! Just forget it, forget it quickly!”

However, Su Chengyang didn’t have time to listen to her. Did Lin Yu like her? Did everything he did today stem from his feelings for her?

Is the person he likes her?

It seems like it should be that way, otherwise why would Lin Yu do those ambiguous things to her and say so many vague and incomprehensible things?

He should like her, and Su Chengyang also noticed it.

But she’s afraid of overthinking, afraid that Lin Yu is just acting on a whim, afraid that what she hopes for will only lead to disappointment. So she’s unwilling to believe and affirm, but when it’s spoken by others, especially Lin Yu’s cousin sister, Su Chengyang seems to easily believe it.

Lin Yu likes her.

He gives her flowers, chocolates, holds her hand, kisses her, all because he likes her.

But why did he say sorry? Why did he say it’s like nothing happened?

Because he’s unsure of the other person’s thoughts, he did something impulsive like that and got pushed away by her. That’s why he left in such a panic, right?

Maybe it’s because of alcohol, Su Chengyang’s thoughts became bolder. Even though she feels dizzy and her mind is spinning, her thinking is still very clear.

She slowly closes her eyes, with a hint of intoxication, murmurs softly, “I like him too.”

Xiao Lu’s hand slipped and the car almost veered into the green belt. She exclaimed in shock, “What did you say?”

Su Chengyang, like a sleep-talk before bed, said, “I like Lin Yu, I really like him.”

There was silence in the car for a few seconds, and Xiao Lu couldn’t help but hit the steering wheel, “Damn! What kind of luck does my cousin brother have!”

“To meet someone they both like on the first try? Why can’t I encounter that? I’m so mad! Su Chengyang, you can’t agree too quickly. He has to please me, the middleman, first, you know?”

Su Chengyang’s thoughts became vague. She could hear every word Xiao Lu said, but couldn’t piece them together into a complete sentence or understand their meaning.

Luckily, there’s still work tomorrow. She have to go to the company tomorrow afternoon and she can see Lin Yu. She must explain things clearly to him then. She doesn’t mind it herself, and pushing him away isn’t because she doesn’t like him.

But before that, she wants to get a good night’s sleep and hopes Lin Yu will wake up and think things through.

After Su Chengyang returned home, she quickly washed up and went to sleep.

The next morning at 9:30, Xiao Lu was making breakfast downstairs when she heard some noise and said, “Yesterday, when you went to see Song Mingan’s play, someone took a picture of you and it went viral.”

They have been trending recently, so Su Chengyang was not surprised and had no reaction to it.

After a moment of hesitation, Xiao Lu asked, “You and my cousin brother…”

Su Chengyang glanced at her, yawned, and said, “I can’t say for sure. It depends on what he wants.”

Su Chengyang was telling the truth. Even now, she found it a bit unbelievable to think about what happened last night, as if she had a surreal dream. It was only when she took out the chocolate from her hoodie pocket that she realized everything that happened last night wasn’t a dream.

When Su Chengyang heard Xiao Lu say that Lin Yu likes her, she felt happy. She wanted to see Lin Yu now and explain things to him. Since she found out that Lin Yu liked her, Su Chengyang hadn’t considered one thing: being with Lin Yu is a complicated matter. She has to constantly catch up with him to always be by his side, and Su Chengyang realized that she didn’t mind it at all.

Just like she had thought before, if she really had the chance to stand by Lin Yu’s side, Su Chengyang would work hard to catch up with him.

“Are you going to the company in the afternoon?” Su Chengyang asked.

“Of course, I have to go.” She also wanted to know what exactly happened between her cousin brother and Su Chengyang.

Su Chengyang nodded and decided that after going to the company in the afternoon, she would find an opportunity to clarify things with Lin Yu.

---

---

Surprised, Su Chengyang looked over and saw Lin Yu standing not far behind her, watching the two of them intently.

“Are you my sister’s manager?” Du Senyu happily asked. “There are classmates in our class who like you. Can I take a photo with you?”

Lin Yu walked over to Su Chengyang and the two of them, lowered his gaze slightly, and smiled. “We can take a group photo.”

“That’s great.”

Du Senyu put down the cardboard box and took out his phone to step back and take pictures of them.

Lin Yu stood beside Su Chengyang. Su Chengyang looked in the direction of the camera and smiled. Although most of her face was covered by a mask, her smiling eyes were like twinkling stars.

“Thank you!” Du Senyu happily ran up to the two of them with his phone.

Lin Yu nodded towards the other person and said, “Thank you for supporting Chengyang. Please continue to support her in the future.”

“We will!”

Du Senyu had classes in the evening, so he didn’t stay for too long and bid farewell to the two of them before returning to school.

After he left, Lin Yu bent down and picked up the cardboard box from the ground. He glanced inside and saw a thick layer of snack packaging on top, as well as various colored envelopes. He couldn’t see what was at the bottom.

“Brother Lin, why did you come over?” Su Chengyang asked.

“I wasn’t at ease.”

Su Chengyang muttered softly, “I’m not a child, you know.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s that I don’t trust him. He doesn’t seem like a kid anymore.”

Su Chengyang was taken aback and didn’t quite understand what he meant.

Lin Yu had no intention of giving her a chance to carefully consider. He glanced at the packed cardboard box and asked, “What did you borrow from him?”

Before Su Chengyang could answer, Lin Yu asked the same question as Han Songxue, “Why didn’t you come to me?”

Su Chengyang: “…”

She realized that after the recent experience, Lin Yu had become more confident. When he used to say such things, he would also bring Xiao Lu along.

Su Chengyang said, “After my contract expires next year, I want to review for a year and take the college entrance examination.”

After saying that, Su Chengyang felt a bit anxious. She was afraid that mentioning the end of the contract would make Lin Yu unhappy, so she added, “I don’t have to end the contract. I can work and review at the same time.”

Because Xiao Lu had said before that if they terminated the contract, even if they considered each other as friends, their feelings for each other would gradually fade due to time constraints.

Su Chengyang thought that if Lin Yu was willing, she would definitely work hard to catch up with him, to stay by his side, even if she couldn’t achieve much in her lifetime.

After hearing her words, Lin Yu had no immediate reaction. After a few seconds, he finally said, “Let’s terminate the contract. I didn’t intend for you to be my employee forever.”

Su Chengyang’s heart trembled. She bit her lip and subconsciously wanted to ask, “Then what do you want me to be?” But the courage Su Chengyang had mustered to approach Lin Yu in the theater earlier and express her emotions in such an intimate way had already been exhausted.

Lin Yu’s response gave her a glimmer of hope. Perhaps it was because of timidity that the more hope she held onto, the less she dared to reveal it herself. She was afraid that everything was just her own imagination.

Lin Yu also didn’t plan to burst her bubble here. He believed that this wasn’t the right place to confess his feelings. At least for today, he should let Su Chengyang focus on her friends.

The reason for speaking these ambiguous words also had a certain selfish motive. He hoped that she would at least leave a tiny bit of attention for him.

With these thoughts in mind, Lin Yu felt that he was quite selfish.

Lin Yu said, “I support you in terminating the contract, but during this period before termination, you can still work and study part-time. If you have any questions or don’t understand anything, you can come to me anytime. I’m always available for you.”

Su Chengyang looked up at him, her heart pounding.

“But during this time, I’ll confiscate these snacks first. You still need to work, and managing your figure is necessary, understand?”

Su Chengyang: “…”

Suddenly, she felt that Lin Yu’s words were a bit of a damper.

Su Chengyang lowered her head and muttered, “Understood.”

It was just about managing her figure. Su Chengyang didn’t think it was a big deal.

Lin Yu smiled and said, “However, there will still be occasional rewards.”

Su Chengyang raised her head and asked eagerly, “Under what circumstances can I receive a reward?”

Lin Yu appeared to be contemplating and after a moment, he said, “When you’re obedient.”

“I have always been obedient,” Su Chengyang said discontentedly.

“I mean, obediently letting me hold you,” Lin Yu clarified.

Su Chengyang was taken aback, and a blush gradually spread across her face. “You…” Scoundrel.

She muttered, unable to bring herself to say the rest of her sentence.

When Su Chengyang saw Lin Yu’s amused expression, she realized that he was teasing herself.

At the same time, Su Chengyang was also keenly aware that she was being flirted with and her heart was moved.

On the way to the parking lot, Su Chengyang ignored Lin Yu. In the end, she was appeased with a bag of shrimp crisps.

They put the cardboard box in Lin Yu’s car before going to find the others.

When they reached the back door, Song Mingan hadn’t come out yet, and the others were clamoring for food. They saw Su Chengyang holding the unfinished shrimp crisps, and a dozen or so people quickly finished them off.

Su Chengyang sighed. If only she had taken a couple more bags; it seemed like everyone was hungry.

Lin Yu felt that Su Chengyang hadn’t eaten enough, so he took advantage of everyone’s inattention and secretly slipped a pack of biscuits into her hand.

Su Chengyang looked at it in surprise, curious about how Lin Yu had so many little things on him.

Lin Yu said, “I prepared them earlier.”

Su Chengyang remembered that before they set off, he did mention that he had prepared some food for her to eat when she got hungry.

Han Songxue tiptoed to take a look inside, muttering about why Song Mingan hadn’t come out yet. She was starving and then turned around to see Su Chengyang holding the biscuits in her hands, eating them like a hamster.

“Su Chengyang! How dare you secretly eat snacks!” Han Songxue quickly approached Su Chengyang, taking two or three steps. “Give me a piece, I’m starving.”

Lin Yu only bought a small pack, probably afraid that Su Chengyang would eat too much. There were only four small pieces inside, and she took one and fed it to Han Songxue.

“Are there any more? Where did you get them from?”

Su Chengyang showed no loyalty and said, “Manager Lin gave them to me.”

Han Songxue looked at Lin Yu expectantly.

Seeing that everyone was indeed hungry, Lin Yu reluctantly shared all the different flavored biscuits from the right pocket. Everyone gathered around Lin Yu, like kindergarten children waiting for the teacher to distribute snacks.

Everyone took all the biscuits but didn’t get a single piece of chocolate.

Su Chengyang is the most beloved child among all the kids. After everyone dispersed, Teacher Lin secretly slipped a round chocolate into her palm.

Su Chengyang opened the packaging and was about to put it in her mouth when she heard Lin Yu whispering in her ear, “Chocolate has high calories. Tomorrow morning, exercise at home with Xiao Lu and come to the office in the afternoon.”

Su Chengyang: “…”

Teacher Lin, don’t you know how to kill the mood? Can’t we discuss work matters later in the evening?

In the end, Su Chengyang still ate the high calories chocolate.

After waiting for nearly half an hour, Song Mingan finally came out, wearing his own clothes.

“Can’t you be quicker? We’re all starving,” Han Songxue complained, “Why are you acting like a little girl?”

Today’s performance was very successful, and Song Mingan was in a good mood. He glanced at Han Songxue and said, “Can you wipe off the crumbs from your mouth first before talking about being hungry?”

But at this time, everyone must be hungry. Song Mingan said, “I have reserved a restaurant nearby, just a five-minute walk away. And we have also booked a karaoke for tonight, so no one should drive.”

“What are we having for dinner?”

“Steak.”

“Hurry up, the popular actress is about to starve on the street.”

“Popular actress? Aren’t you embarrassed?”

“Why can’t I be a future popular actress?”

The group of people walked towards the restaurant as if they were ordinary people, chatting and laughing, not caring if they would be photographed by paparazzi.

Su Chengyang and Lin Yu walked at the back of the crowd, looking at the lively group ahead, a hint of amusement in their eyes.

Lin Yu said, “It’s not easy to make friends in the entertainment industry.”

Su Chengyang nodded firmly, “You’re right.”

“Oh, Brother Lin, it looks like they’re going to drink tonight. Can you join them? Or should I help you fend off for a while?”

Lin Yu laughed upon hearing that, “Let a lady fend off for me?”

“But you’ll have to drive later.”

“It’s okay, let Luo Yin come and pick me up later. She’s your assistant, and it’s her responsibility.”

Su Chengyang shook her head and said, “Isn’t she going to a gathering with her comrades? They will probably drink too.”

Lin Yu fell silent for a moment and said, “No, she should be at home now.”

“Huh?” Su Chengyang looked at him with confusion.

Lin Yu remained silent for a moment, unsure whether he should speak or not. He didn’t know if Chengyang would think poorly of him after knowing the truth. After struggling for a while, he decided to be honest.

“The opportunity to accompany you to watch the play today was obtained by lending my car to her.”

Su Chengyang looked puzzled, “What do you mean?”

“She drove my car, and I accompanied you to watch the play.”

Su Chengyang’s pupils dilated, “You…”

Walking to the side of the road, Lin Yu reached out and pulled Su Chengyang back, who was about to step down the stairs.

“What about me?” Lin Yu blinked.

Su Chengyang covered her mouth and came to a conclusion, “You enjoy watching plays?”

Lin Yu: “…”

Lin Yu closed his mouth and didn’t say anything more.

He had given chocolates, held hands, and even offered biscuits. But in Su Chengyang’s eyes, it seemed like none of it mattered?

Su Chengyang saw that he was a bit unhappy, and her heart suddenly became uneasy. But she didn’t dare to guess the other reasons, afraid of guessing wrong and never being able to go back.

Ultimately, Su Chengyang lacked courage.

Seeing her uneasy appearance, Lin Yu couldn’t bear it.

In his heart, he said to himself 一 Forget it, there’s still plenty of time in the future, no need to rush.

“Just consider it as me enjoying watching a play. The light is green, let’s go.”

Lin Yu patted the brim of her hat and held her arm as they walked a few steps forward. He let go only after Su Chengyang came to her senses.

Before long, the group arrived at the restaurant. Song Mingan gave the name, and the waiter led them to a VIP private room on the third floor.

Because everyone was famished, they unanimously decided to eat first and then drink at the KTV.

Su Chengyang didn’t have much patience for cutting the steak, even if her crush was sitting beside her. She didn’t care about her image at all; she focused on eating her own food and paid no attention to anything else.

This was a skill she had developed since childhood. Even in the harshest environments, she could fill her stomach on her own.

Lin Yu sat next to her and calmly cut the steak into small pieces. The steak portion was not large, and there were other dishes on the table. After cutting his own steak on the plate, he patted Su Chengyang’s shoulder and placed his plate in front of her. He took half of her plate, leaving the other half of the uncut steak in front of himself.

“Brother Lin…”

“Eat.” Lin Yu’s words were concise and to the point. There might still be some lingering anger as he didn’t even look at Su Chengyang and cut the half steak.

Lin Yu’s fingers were very attractive, with distinct joints. His actions of cutting the steak were pleasing to the eye.

Su Chengyang obediently nodded, then picked up the chopsticks beside him and picked some fish meat that she thought was delicious and put it in his bowl, offering it like a treasure. “You should eat too. You didn’t eat much this afternoon.”

Lin Yu’s expression softened slightly. Then, in front of Su Chengyang, he put a small piece of the unfinished half steak into his mouth and chewed slowly.

Su Chengyang froze, her face immediately turning red. She lowered her head to hide it, afraid of being noticed.

After swallowing the food in his mouth, Lin Yu seemed indifferent. “If you blush so easily, what are you going to do when you’re in a relationship in the future?”

Su Chengyang: “…”

Although Lin Yu clearly said “being in a relationship” and not “being in a relationship with him,” Su Chengyang felt her cheeks getting even hotter, and she even wanted to cover Lin Yu’s mouth to stop him from continuing.

Why didn’t she notice before that Lin Yu also had such a mischievous side!

Indeed, just as Xiao Lu had said, he was a cunning person.

Han Songxue and Jiang Shanqi sat across from each other. When Lin Yu placed the sliced steak in front of Su Chengyang, both of them sat there with empty stomachs, staring at Su Chengyang without blinking.

After witnessing their series of interactions, both of them involuntarily swallowed their saliva and looked at each other.

“Well…”

Han Songxue: “I said there’s nothing between them, do you believe me?”

Jiang Shanqi decisively shook her head.

After exchanging glances, the two of them looked back at Su Chengyang across from them.

Su Chengyang’s ears turned red, she lowered her head and took small bites of the sliced steak on her plate. Lin Yu raised his eyes slowly and looked at them without any surprise. He didn’t show any intention of hiding or covering up. Instead, he openly smiled at them.

Both of them: “…”

It seems like he has everything under control!

In the end, they finished their meal peacefully and relocated to the KTV across the street.

Su Chengyang wasn’t very familiar with music, and the others didn’t make things difficult for her. As they entered the private room, Su Chengyang wanted to find a corner with no one and curl up like before. But as soon as she took a half step towards the corner, her right hand was held by someone. She turned around and saw that it was Lin Yu.

Lin Yu didn’t look at her; he was chatting with Song Mingan and the others. Su Chengyang voluntarily followed him and ended up sitting together on the middle sofa.

They ordered some drinks. The guys drank on one side while the girls were given beverages and sang karaoke on the side.

“Chengyang, would you like to have a few drinks too?”

Su Chengyang shook her head, “I don’t drink.”

Then she glanced at Lin Yu.

The latter smiled and said, “She’s keeping me company.”

Song Mingan and the others looked at each other, not sure if they had noticed something.

Perhaps they did, because after that, one by one, they crazily poured drinks for Lin Yu. Within less than ten minutes of entering the private room, Lin Yu had already downed at least three glasses of beer.

Drinking didn’t affect him much, and he wasn’t talkative either. As long as someone poured, he drank. Su Chengyang sat beside him, watching him drink one glass after another, feeling a bit anxious. She took out her phone, wanting to ask Xiao Lu if she could come over. Just as she opened her phone, Lin Yu placed his hand over her screen, not allowing her to look.

Su Chengyang raised her head blankly. Lin Yu was talking quietly with Qi Fu, not even glancing in her direction. She didn’t know how he noticed.

“Brother Lin, should you stop drinking?” Su Chengyang tugged at his sleeve and whispered.

Lin Yu turned his head and glanced at her. His chestnut-colored pupils were like deep pools, devoid of emotions, as if they could suck Su Chengyang in with just one look.

“It’s okay, it won’t affect my work tomorrow.”

Su Chengyang: “…”

“I still have chocolate, do you want some?” Lin Yu reached into his pocket, took two pieces, and placed them in Su Chengyang’s hand. While others’ hands would feel warm after drinking, Lin Yu’s hand felt cold.

“I’m in a good mood today and want to have a few drinks. Will you keep me company for a while?” Lin Yu said intermittently. He had already consumed three or four bottles over this long period, although it wasn’t evident on his face, Su Chengyang felt he was already a bit drunk.

“I’ll message Xiao Lu and ask her to come over.”

Lin Yu responded with a vague “Hmm” and turned his head to continue drinking with their group.

Su Chengyang sent a WeChat message to Xiao Lu, who asked for their location, so she shared her location.

It seems like Xiao Lu still doesn’t know that Lin Yu has sold her. She is still pretending on WeChat with Su Chengyang, saying that she didn’t even drink just to pick them up. She wants Su Chengyang and Lin Yu to make it up to her properly.

Su Chengyang felt like laughing but didn’t expose her immediately. Xiao Lu had become quite engrossed in her act and complained to her about how Lin Yu was exploiting her labor value.

Su Chengyang couldn’t help but smile, but as her left hand hung by her side, it suddenly touched something icy, causing her to instinctively recoil.

Eventually, she realized it was Lin Yu’s right hand and stopped her movement to remove it.

His palm rubbed against Su Chengyang’s wrist, and after confirming she didn’t resist, he slowly moved his hand, palm against palm, fingers interlocking.

Su Chengyang remained calm and looked at the screen while silently clasping her hand with him.

---

---

The small plastic packaging still retained Lin Yu’s body temperature.

Perhaps because most of the audience had already arrived, the lights in the audience seats suddenly went out, plunging the surroundings into darkness. The abrupt darkness silenced the entire venue for a moment, followed by an explosion of excited screams.

It was like the power outage during late-night self-study in student days.

Su Chengyang had never experienced student days, but at this moment, she distinctly felt the throbbing of youth. After years apart, between two worlds, this moment filled her chest.

In the dim light of darkness, Lin Yu’s pupils, so close to her, resembled a sparse starry night sky. Untouchable stars wove a thread of the Milky Way that seeped into Su Chengyang’s chest, intricately entwining her heart. With each heartbeat, the thread grew, embedding itself deeply within her heart, feeling as if… it could never be pulled out again.

To remove this sentiment from her heart, it would require tearing her heart apart, reducing it to a bloody mess.

In that moment, an endless courage surged within Su Chengyang.

Just before Lin Yu’s body moved away, she suddenly grabbed his arm, bringing her body close and lightly pressing her lips against his ear, gently saying, “Thank you.”

The brim of the hat obscured the view of others, and from a distance, they appeared intimately close, whispering sweet nothings.

Lin Yu’s body trembled slightly, maintaining the position without responding for a long time.

Su Chengyang’s heart was about to jump out of her chest. She was afraid that her bold actions would be noticed by Lin Yu. She was even more afraid that he would mercilessly push her away, knowing that he had someone else in his heart, yet she still chose to engage in such ambiguous and unclear behavior with him. Even if Lin Yu was a gentleman, he would probably not be able to tolerate it.

So, one second before Lin Yu could react, Su Chengyang acted as if nothing had happened and leaned towards Han Songxue.

She tightly gripped the beautifully packaged chocolate in her hand, afraid that she would crush it and that the temperature would make it melt.

But what she feared the most was that Lin Yu would sense the trembling and affection in her voice, causing their friendship to instantly dissolve.

After the impulse passed, Su Chengyang regretted her actions.

Her face turned pale, and she dared not remove her mask or even glance at the man on her right. What if Lin Yu pushed her away? Would they not even be able to remain friends?

What should she do…

What should Su Chengyang do…

Lin Yu would dislike her!

It was just a chocolate from the café, why did you act so impulsively?

Su Chengyang’s eye sockets felt warm, and the surrounding noises seemed to be drifting away from her. She felt like she was suffocating, like she was going to die right there.

At that moment, she suddenly felt that everything she had been afraid of before was insignificant because those were things she could control. However, when it came to Lin Yu pushing her away like he did to Mary, she felt lost and terrified from the depths of her heart.

Suddenly, Su Chengyang’s trembling hand was enveloped by a gentle large palm. He didn’t say anything extra, but took Su Chengyang’s hand and slowly, very slowly, put it into his coat pocket.

Su Chengyang looked dazed, not understanding his intention, too afraid to move.

Lin Yu’s hand was warm, while Su Chengyang’s hand was cold.

Inside the pocket, filled with his body warmth, he slowly unclenched Su Chengyang’s fist and let her feel it. Apart from the chocolate in her palm, there were many identical chocolates in the pocket.

He didn’t speak, but his actions told Su Chengyang:

“I’m sorry, I lied to you. The chocolates weren’t from the café; I bought them.”

Su Chengyang dared not move her right shoulder, hoping that the sounds in the theater would be quieter, fearing that what was happening now was just a dream.

If this was a dream, she wished she could wake up a little later. She was willing to work hard to catch up with Lin Yu’s pace, to sit by his side like this, watching time pass, both now and in the future.

“Song Mingan is here!” Han Songxue’s scream disturbed Su Chengyang’s thoughts.

She lowered her head, using the brim of her hat to cover her face, which had turned red. Although the view of the back row audience was blocked by the seats, the people on stage could easily see their actions. She was afraid of causing trouble for Lin Yu and instinctively wanted to pull her hand back.

However, Lin Yu had no intention of doing so. He showed an unusual firmness, holding onto Su Chengyang’s hand and interlocking their fingers, tightly grasping her hand along with the chocolate in her palm. He didn’t give Su Chengyang any chance to escape.

“Brother Lin…”

Su Chengyang felt a little embarrassed and leaned slightly towards him, trying to tell him that this might be seen by others.

At this moment, Su Chengyang didn’t really want to think about why Lin Yu would do this. She was afraid that if she figured it out, the result wouldn’t be what she expected.

“Let’s not talk for now.” Lin Yu’s voice sounded somewhat hoarse as he tightened his grip on her fingers.

Lin Yu didn’t want to force Su Chengyang like this, but the whispered words in his ear completely tore apart his gentlemanly disguise. He guessed that perhaps Chengyang liked him.

Because he clearly heard the tremor and affection in Su Chengyang’s voice.

Although Lin Yu knew that this wasn’t a suitable environment for confession, and he couldn’t determine if Su Chengyang’s feelings for him were more than just liking, he felt grateful nonetheless.

However, he doesn’t want to let go of Su Chengyang’s hand right now. He wants to hold her tightly and feel the warmth of her skin. People are always greedy.

When Lin Yu realized that Su Chengyang didn’t resist, he wanted more than just holding her hand. He greedily wanted more.

He gently leaned his knee against Su Chengyang’s knee and when he realized she didn’t move away, a terrifying thought appeared in his mind.

If he kissed Su Chengyang now, would she resist?

The answer is no.

For no particular reason, Lin Yu had this intuition in his heart. If he kissed Su Chengyang now, she would definitely not refuse.

So, is it possible?

The answer is still no.

He didn’t like the kissing etiquette in foreign countries. He always believed that kissing was something that should be done with the person closest to you, and clearly, he and Su Chengyang weren’t there yet.

So, he could endure it for now.

Su Chengyang’s hoodie and his windbreaker overlapped, and no one could see the movements hidden beneath their clothes.

The occasional sounds around them almost made Su Chengyang’s tense heartstrings snap.

The familiar movie “A Chinese Ghost Story,” which she had watched countless times, became unfamiliar to her. Her gaze wandered on the stage, not even catching a clear glimpse of the actors’ faces. All her attention was focused on the hand she held with Lin Yu.

She noticed that the chocolate in the palm was gradually melting. Su Chengyang couldn’t hold back and leaned closer to Lin Yu, lowering her voice. She said, “Brother Lin, the chocolate will melt and stain your clothes.”

Her voice distracted Lin Yu for a moment.

He felt like he might be going crazy. Su Chengyang’s voice, like the paws of a small cat, scratched at his heart. He wanted to restrain Su Chengyang’s restless body, to embrace her with all his might, to… make her dirty.

“Do you fear dirt?” Lin Yu suddenly asked.

He deliberately lowered his voice, and Su Chengyang could still hear the hoarseness in it, as if he had a bad cold.

Su Chengyang was skeptical, “I’m not afraid.”

She had lived in even dirtier environments.

“That’s great.”

Su Chengyang: “?”

She realized that she couldn’t quite keep up with Lin Yu’s thoughts.

After nearly two hours, the stage play finally ended, and Lin Yu finally let go of her hand.

Su Chengyang grabbed the chocolate tightly, quickly pulled her hand back, and anxiously looked around, only to relax slightly when she saw that no one noticed their strangeness.

The security personnel maintained order at the scene, ensuring that the audience left in an orderly manner. Many of the audience members wanted to approach Su Chengyang and her group, but they were stopped by the security. However, there were still quite a few spectators waiting at the square outside the West Second Theater, hoping to see them when they came out.

“You guys sit here and wait for me.”

After turning his head and receiving a response from the others, Lin Yu got up and walked towards the backstage area.

With Lin Yu’s departure, Su Chengyang finally had a moment to catch her breath. The thought of what they had done in that hidden corner made Su Chengyang’s cheeks blush.

On her left, Han Songxue nudged her next to her and curiously asked, “What were you talking about with your Manager Lin? You’ve been whispering for two hours.”

Su Chengyang was taken aback, “What nonsense are you talking about? We didn’t do anything!”

Han Songxue was startled by her reaction, “Why are you so defensive? You two aren’t in a secret relationship or anything.”

Upon hearing this, Su Chengyang became infuriated and directly grabbed Han Songxue by the neck, forcing her to keep her mouth shut.

Tan Qi and He Xu were discussing Song Mingan’s appearance, praising him endlessly and stating that this time he would definitely succeed in his transformation.

Han Songxue’s attention was diverted, so she asked Su Chengyang, “Chengyang, what do you think of his appearance? I still feel he has that poor scholar vibe.”

Su Chengyang: “…”

Suddenly, Su Chengyang felt really sorry for Song Mingan because throughout the entire play, Su Chengyang was in a daze and didn’t even know what Song Mingan had performed.

“It’s, it’s good.” Su Chengyang mumbled.

Coincidentally, Lin Yu walked over from backstage and approached the audience area. He nodded to everyone and said, “I talked to the staff, and we can leave through the back door.”

West Second Theater has three front doors and one back door, which is specifically for actors and staff.

Su Chengyang looked up and met his gaze, but a second later, she looked away.

The others passed by Su Chengyang and headed towards the backstage, leaving Su Chengyang as the last one.

Meanwhile, Lin Yu didn’t move either. He stood outside the audience area, waiting for Su Chengyang.

Being so close to him, Su Chengyang felt somewhat uneasy. Until now, she didn’t want to think about why Lin Yu held her hand like that.

When she reached Lin Yu’s side, he naturally stood next to Su Chengyang. Perhaps he didn’t want to interrupt Su Chengyang’s gathering with her friends. He leaned down and lowered his voice, saying, “We’ll have plenty of chances to get to know each other in the future. For now, you don’t have to think too much about it. Just enjoy your time with your friends.”

Su Chengyang’s heart fluttered, and she was so nervous that her breathing became erratic.

Lin Yu said they would have many opportunities to get to know each other in the future. Does this mean that they will be able to be together for a long time?

Even if it’s just as friends?

It seems that even as friends, Su Chengyang is willing.

Knowing that Lin Yu rarely breaks his word, his non-promising promise made Su Chengyang feel incredibly relieved, and her anxious mood finally settled down because of it.

The time spent with Songxue and the others will be less and less, so she should cherish every second she spends with them now.

Su Chengyang’s tense body finally relaxed, and Lin Yu also breathed a sigh of relief without showing any signs.

“Do you want some chocolate?” Lin Yu asked.

“Yes,” Su Chengyang nodded obediently.

Lin Yu placed another piece of chocolate in Su Chengyang’s palm and took the opportunity to gently graze her fingertips.

Su Chengyang tore open the package and bit into the chocolate. Han Songxue happened to turn around and saw this scene, so she took two steps and came to Su Chengyang’s side, embracing her neck.

“What are you eating? Chocolate? I want some too.”

She spread her palm in front of Su Chengyang.

Su Chengyang still had a chocolate that was about to melt in her pocket. She had been holding it in her palm with Lin Yu for nearly two hours and was a little reluctant to give it to Han Songxue.

So, without any loyalty, she glanced in Lin Yu’s direction and said, “It’s from Manager Lin.”

Han Songxue immediately leaned over and asked, “Manager Lin, is there more?”

Lin Yu glanced at Su Chengyang in the same way, and Su Chengyang guiltily turned her head away, afraid to look at him.

Lin Yu withdrew his gaze and said calmly, “There’s only Su Chengyang’s.”

Su Chengyang was stunned, and in the next moment, her cheeks suddenly turned red.

Perhaps if someone else heard it, they would think that he meant “only the one in Su Chengyang’s mouth,” but Su Chengyang clearly knew that he had many chocolates in the pocket of his jacket. So what he wanted to express was actually “all the chocolates on him were prepared for Su Chengyang alone.”

Han Songxue responded with an “oh,” obviously not grasping any other meaning.

With a racing heart, Su Chengyang lowered her head, her cheeks burning hotly. She realized that Lin Yu’s romanticism extended beyond describing the person he liked. His actions and words were all very romantic. Was this something in his genes? Wasn’t he afraid of being misunderstood by others?

On the way out, Han Songxue leaned on her shoulder and chatted with her. Su Chengyang quietly complained about Lin Yu in her heart, not paying attention to a single word.

Upon entering the backstage, Song Mingan went to the dressing room to remove makeup and change clothes, while the others planned to go outside and wait for him.

The back door was located in an internal employee parking lot, separated from the location of the front door.

Su Chengyang’s phone in her bag vibrated twice. At this moment, she remembered something and hastily took out her phone, opened WeChat, and checked the message.

She had made an appointment with Du Senyu to meet after the play ended! She actually forgot!

By the time they left, there were only a few people left in the theater. Du Senyu must have been waiting outside for a long time.

【Sister, have you come out?】

【I’m a little to the left of the southeast gate, wearing a white school uniform and black sneakers.】

【I overheard people discussing about you. Come out a bit later, I can wait for you.】

【Sister, remember to reply to me when you see this message.】

. . . . .

Su Chengyang quickly replied with a message, saying that she had already come out and left through the back door.

Du Senyu quickly responded, asking if she wanted him to bring the things over.

Su Chengyang felt bad for making him wait for so long, so she said that it wasn’t necessary and that she would come over herself right away.

Du Senyu replied with a “okay.”

“Um… you guys wait here for Mingan. I need to go out for a moment,” Su Chengyang greeted everyone and turned around to find Lin Yu looking at her.

Su Chengyang added, “I’m going to meet a friend, I’ll be back soon.”

She said this for Lin Yu to hear, afraid that Lin Yu would worry.

“A friend?” Before she could finish speaking, Han Songxue, who enjoyed gossiping, came over and said, “A boyfriend?”

Lin Yu lowered his gaze and remained silent.

Su Chengyang wished she could cover Han Songxue’s mouth, glared at her, and said, “No, it’s Brother Du’s son. I asked him to borrow something.”

Han Songxue, who usually loved gossip, teasingly asked, “What is it that you can’t borrow from us and have to ask him?”

Just as Su Chengyang was about to say, “Do you have any study materials?” Lin Yu intervened and said, “Chengyang, you should go first, so the kid doesn’t have to wait too long.”

Su Chengyang forced a laugh and said, “Then I’ll go first, I’ll be back soon.”

“Well, take care.” Lin Yu said casually.

Su Chengyang put on her hat and mask, then turned and walked out of the parking lot.

A kid…

Is a seventeen-year-old still considered a kid?

Su Chengyang couldn’t help but chuckle.

When she entered, she deliberately paid attention to the direction of the southeast gate, and after a few minutes of leaving, she found the southeast gate.

Su Chengyang walked quickly on the road, attracting some attention from passersby, but not enough to stand out.

“I’m here.” Su Chengyang looked around and didn’t see any male high school students, so she lowered her head to send a message to Du Senyu, mentioning her attire.

“Sister!” Just as Su Chengyang sent the message, a surprised voice sounded behind her.

Su Chengyang instinctively turned around and saw a young boy standing not far behind her.

The boy was wearing a clean white school uniform, with a sunny and handsome appearance, and was about 1.8 meters tall.

Su Chengyang waved at him and ran up to him, asking, “Are you Senyu? Sorry for keeping you waiting.”

Du Senyu and Su Chengyang looked at each other with bright eyes. Du Senyu shook his head and said, “It’s okay! I’m glad to meet you, sister. Can we take a photo together? Many classmates in our class really like you.”

Su Chengyang smiled and felt a little embarrassed, “Sure.”

Du Senyu took out his phone and opened the front camera. Su Chengyang moved closer, wanting to take off her mask, but Du Senyu interrupted, “No need to take off the mask. It’s crowded here, and it would be troublesome if you were recognized.”

Su Chengyang chuckled and decided not to remove her mask.

After taking the satisfying photos, Du Senyu became a bit shy and took out a few promotional photos of Su Chengyang that she had taken before from his pocket. He said, “Sorry, some classmates heard that I was going to see you, and they insisted that I get autographs for them. They also asked me to bring snacks for you.”

Su Chengyang shook her head and said, “It’s okay. I’m happy to be liked by all of you.”

“Do you have a pen?”

“Yes!”

Du Senyu bent down and took out a pen and a notebook from a box. He handed the pen to Su Chengyang and asked her to sign on the notebook.

Su Chengyang signed several large pages diligently.

Finally, she returned the signed photos to Du Senyu, who asked if she could write a message for their classmates.

Su Chengyang gladly agreed, although she wasn’t good with words, so she could only give them a simple blessing:

“The sun awaits you in the future, regardless of the outcome. It will continue to shine upon you.”

Su Chengyang’s handwriting was delicate and graceful, like a joyfully dancing figure.

Du Senyu carefully closed his notebook and bent down to pick up the cardboard box from the ground. It contained many books, letters, and a wide variety of snacks.

“Sister, where did you park the car? Let me take it there,” Du Senyu offered.

Su Chengyang shook her head and tried to take it from his hands, “It’s alright, thank you, I can go by myself.”

Du Senyu smiled, revealing his two small front teeth, “It’s a bit heavy, let me take you…”

“Give it to me.”

Suddenly, another familiar voice came from beside them.

---

---

His sudden words made Su Chengyang feel a panic as if her secret was about to be revealed. She suddenly raised her head and unexpectedly met Lin Yu’s deep pupils. Her breath was caught in her throat, and her throat tightened.

“I… ” Su Chengyang opened her lips, feeling dry and tongue-tied. She almost blurted out, “I like you,” but ultimately suppressed it with her rationality.

Lin Yu regarded her as a friend. If she told him that she liked him, he would definitely feel that she had crossed the boundary of friendship, and from then on, they might not even be able to remain friends.

Su Chengyang dared not do that. If possible, she wanted to be friends with Lin Yu forever.

After the traffic light turned green, the vehicles started moving.

Amidst the honking cars, Su Chengyang’s voice rang out, “I’m different.”

Lin Yu was taken aback and remained silent.

“You’re too excellent, and I can’t reach that level.”

As she spoke these words, Su Chengyang’s voice became very low, drowned out by the surrounding honks. She didn’t know if Lin Yu had heard her.

The car fell into a brief silence.

Su Chengyang anxiously bit her lower lip. She was afraid that if Lin Yu heard her, he would sense her feelings.

The car continued to drive for a while, and neither of them spoke.

Lin Yu looked silently ahead, while Su Chengyang dared not speak.

“Su Chengyang.”

In the quiet car, Lin Yu suddenly spoke, calling Su Chengyang’s full name, a rare occurrence.

“I am not an outstanding person. The things I possess were given to me by my ancestors. Don’t you think that compared to me, someone who arrived in this world all alone, with countless opportunities to go astray and turn to a life of crime, yet managed to create a better life for themselves with their own hands, is truly outstanding?”

“She lives in the mud, untouched by the filth, has witnessed the world’s cruelty and heartlessness, yet still loves this world and her life, cherishing every person she encounters. Don’t you think that such a person is like the moon hanging in the sky, an existence that people yearn to touch but cannot reach?”

Su Chengyang stared at him blankly, her heartbeat echoing in her ears, pounding like thunder, deafening her.

Lin Yu’s words pierced through her like a thunderbolt, causing Su Chengyang to forget to breathe, her mind going blank.

After a strange silence, Lin Yu let out a sigh, his voice softened as he explained, “Chengyang, I didn’t mean anything else. I just want to tell you not to belittle yourself. You are more outstanding than most people. You deserve to be liked by others. Don’t doubt yourself, and don’t imagine me to be too good. I’m not as bright and glamorous as you imagine. I am selfish and unscrupulous. You need to know the real me, not rely on your imagination to understand me.”

Su Chengyang’s heart tightened, and she quickly lowered her head, whispering, “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize. I just…”

“Brother Lin, I understand…” Su Chengyang interrupted him, “I understand.”

It was precisely because Su Chengyang understood everything that she felt irresistibly drawn to Lin Yu once she got to know him.

He was too good, too insightful, and too gentle.

The atmosphere in the car became eerie, and Su Chengyang didn’t like it. She was afraid that Lin Yu would feel uncomfortable, so she changed the topic.

“By the way, has Xiao Lu ever been in a relationship?” Su Chengyang asked curiously. She was indeed somewhat curious.

Lin Yu also had no intention of dwelling on the topic and smiled, saying, “She had one before joining the military.”

“Is that true?” Su Chengyang couldn’t imagine what kind of state Xiao Lu would be in when in a romantic relationship.

Lin Yu nodded and said, “Although our mother is Italian, our nationality has always been Chinese. Xiao Lu studied in China when she was young. She should have been in the second year of high school when she had a relationship with a classmate. At that time, our family knew about it and supported her.”

“What happened later?”

“Xiao Lu had the same temper as before. She used to be fond of taekwondo and never lost a fight. One time, while playfully wrestling with her boyfriend, she accidentally used too much force and ended up fracturing his bones with a shoulder throw. He had to stay in bed for a month before he could get up. Since then, whenever her boyfriend saw her, he avoided her like a cat avoiding a mouse.”

Su Chengyang imagined the scene in her mind and burst into laughter.

“Later, she even went to confront the other. Uncle couldn’t do anything about her and asked me if I could come up with a solution. So, I suggested sending her to the military. She mentioned it to me before, saying that she really wanted to be a soldier.”

Su Chengyang’s curiosity grew heavier, gradually forgetting the previous conversation, and she pursued, “What happened next? Do they still have contact?”

Lin Yu smiled and said, “According to Lu Yin, she met the guy once after returning from the military. He is now a policeman, and they made peace with each other. As for whether they had any further contact, it’s unclear.”

Su Chengyang couldn’t help but laugh, “I thought Xiao Lu was like me.”

“Huh?” Lin Yu looked puzzled, “Like you in what way?”

Su Chengyang responded vaguely, feeling embarrassed to say directly that she had never been in a romantic relationship. Fortunately, Lin Yu didn’t ask further.

However, after a brief conversation, the atmosphere in the car returned to normal, and the two chatted all the way to the parking lot of the West Second Theater.

“Brother Lin, I made plans to meet with Songxue and the others at the café across the street.”

Su Chengyang pointed to the café they passed by and said.

Lin Yu nodded, parked the car, and handed a mask to Su Chengyang.

“Thank you.”

They got out of the car separately, with Su Chengyang waiting by the side for Lin Yu to walk over. They were located in the open-air parking lot southeast of West Second Theater, with people coming and going.

From the moment they appeared, there were constant glances in their direction.

Lin Yu is nearly 1.9 meters tall, and his well-proportioned figure makes him look like a model no matter what he wears. He is a stunning sight at first glance. Su Chengyang is taller than the average girl, and even though her face is not clearly visible due to wearing a hat and a mask, her demeanor alone shows that she is not an ordinary person.

When the two of them stand together, the atmosphere is harmonious. People passing by occasionally glance at them with probing eyes, seemingly afraid of being noticed by them. They quickly avert their gaze after a glance.

Both Su Chengyang and Lin Yu are accustomed to being watched, and they don’t pay much attention to these harmless looks. As they approach each other, they exchange a smile.

Lin Yu says, “Let’s go.”

“Okay.”

The two of them leave the parking lot side by side, attracting countless curious glances wherever they go. Neither of them looks like an ordinary person. People probably think they are actors in a play. When they reach the roadside, a few boys take pictures of them.

Lin Yu glances over there and turns his body to block Su Chengyang.

“What’s wrong?” Su Chengyang asks curiously.

Lin Yu whispers, “Someone is taking pictures.”

“Am I dressed too conspicuously?” Su Chengyang furrows her brows, feeling that she is dressed quite normally today.

Lin Yu lowers his gaze and looks at her, saying, “You stand out no matter what you wear.”

Su Chengyang: “…”

She muttered in a low voice, “You stand out a lot too.”

He looks good, mixed-race, with a good figure, like a model. Lin Yu must definitely stand out more than herself.

Finally, they managed to cross the road and arrived at the entrance of the café. The waiter was stunned when he saw the two of them, but after a while, he reacted and hurriedly stepped aside, saying, “Welcome!”

Lin Yu spoke gently, “We have reserved a private room, Room 107.”

The waiter pointed to the stairs and said, “The private room on the right side of the second floor, the innermost one. Please, both of you.”

“Thank you.” Lin Yu nodded, and Su Chengyang also smiled at the waiter.

The waiter watched Su Chengyang and Lin Yu go upstairs until their figures disappeared at the top of the stairs. Then, she suddenly leaned over the counter and shouted at the girl at the front desk, “Did you see them? Did you see them? They’re so handsome! So beautiful! Such a perfect match! They’re like a couple walking out of a movie! What an amazing couple! Are they here to watch a play?”

The girl gave her a blank look and said, “You didn’t even see what the girl looks like.”

“I saw her eyes, they’re really beautiful. She must be very attractive. Oh my God, her boyfriend is also so handsome. They both have such great temperament. I envy them so much.”

“Stop daydreaming and get back to work!”

Su Chengyang followed behind Lin Yu and walked to the entrance of the private room. Lin Yu raised his hand and knocked on the door. The soundproofing was good, as they didn’t hear any noise before the door was opened.

“Cheng… Mmm!”

As the door opened, Han Songxue’s excited face emerged. She had just shouted a word when Su Chengyang swiftly lunged forward and covered her mouth.

“Do you still want to watch the play properly?” Su Chengyang tightened her grip around her neck and entered the private room, with Lin Yu following closely behind and casually closing the door.

Su Chengyang released Han Songxue and glared at her, “Can’t you have a little foresight?”

Han Songxue linked her arm with Su Chengyang’s and said, “Oops, I forgot.”

There were other people in the private room, and Lin Yu nodded slightly to acknowledge everyone.

The two of them sat down, and three or four more people entered the room. They gathered together and chatted while waiting for the rest to arrive.

“What would you like to drink? I’ll go order.” Lin Yu sat on Su Chengyang’s right side and asked quietly.

Han Songxue must have heard it and eagerly approached, saying with a smile, “Manager Lin, I’d like a cappuccino.”

Lin Yu nodded with a smile and then looked at Su Chengyang, asking her, “And you?”

Su Chengyang ordered a cup of Americano. Lin Yu got up and asked the others what they wanted to drink. Once everyone had placed their orders, Han Songxue exclaimed, “Manager Lin, could you be our errand runner?”

Lin Yu responded, “No trouble at all, besides, Chengyang wants something too.”

“Got it, got it.”

Lin Yu turned and walked out of the private room. Han Songxue took a glance and immediately hugged Su Chengyang’s neck, exclaiming, “Your Manager Lin is so amazing. It’s the first time I’ve seen him in casual clothes, and he looks like an international supermodel. Don’t you feel attracted to him when you see him every day?”

Su Chengyang pushed her away, “Stop talking nonsense. I don’t see Manager Lin every day. Today, Xiao Lu was busy, so he accompanied me here.”

Han Songxue pouted, “But you two look so perfect together, handsome man and beautiful woman. It’s a pity if you’re not in a relationship.”

Su Chengyang pinched her face with her hand and warned, “Don’t talk nonsense in front of Manager Lin, you know?”

Han Songxue shook her arm and muttered, “I envy you so much. You are truly a rare find. If I were you, I would definitely find a way to get Manager Lin. How great would that be?”

Su Chengyang held her cheeks with both hands, “Get him? If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll sew your mouth shut.”

“Wow! Su Chengyang, you’re so cruel!”

When Lin Yu came back, Su Chengyang and Han Songxue were playfully fighting in the private room, and others were avoiding them.

When Su Chengyang ran past Lin Yu, he grabbed the hood of her hoodie and pulled her towards him, saying, “Stop fooling around.”

Su Chengyang immediately acted like a mouse meeting a cat and obediently huddled next to Lin Yu.

Han Songxue gloated and made a face at her, and Su Chengyang couldn’t help but give her a disdainful look.

Just as Han Songxue was enjoying herself, she suddenly felt Lin Yu looking at her. It was just a casual glance, but she suddenly felt like she was being stared at. Slowly, she followed Su Chengyang’s lead and huddled next to her, and the two of them started chatting quietly.

“Your family Manager Lin just glared at me.”

“You’re talking nonsense. Manager Lin wouldn’t do that.”

“I’m not lying to you, really. He definitely thinks I’m bullying you, but it’s clearly you who’s bullying me?”

“Don’t talk nonsense. When did I bully you?”

“You do, you always say I’m brainless.”

. . . . .

The two of them chatted for a while, and everyone else, except Qin You, gradually arrived.

After everyone was gathered, the West Second Theater began ticket inspection, and the group left the café.

Although their faces were somewhat covered, their individual charm was evident. As soon as they reached the side of the road, they attracted curious gazes from onlookers.

Except for Han Songxue, everyone else called their friends or agents. They gathered together and chatted quietly. When crossing the road, they became silent, and the impressive group of people left passersby dumbfounded.

When they were queuing for ticket inspection, they heard that the signal inside was not good. Su Chengyang took out her phone and opened WeChat to send a message to Du Senyu.

She had arranged to meet Du Senyu at the entrance of the West Second Theater after the play ended, which happened to be his dismissal time. She was afraid that the signal would be bad inside the West Second Theater, so she informed Du Senyu in advance. After the play ended, she would actively message him, asking him not to wait.

After receiving Du Senyu’s reply, Su Chengyang put her phone back. She raised her head and looked around, only to find Lin Yu standing behind her, staring at her intently.

“What’s wrong?” Su Chengyang asked, confused.

Lin Yu’s gaze briefly fell on her face and then shifted away.

His tone was faint, “Nothing.”

After finishing the ticket inspection, they entered the West Second Theater. The lights inside were bright, and everyone’s seats were in the first two rows, not far from each other.

Su Chengyang’s seat was next to Han Songxue, with Han Songxue on her left and Lin Yu on her right.

Shortly after they sat down, Song Mingan, dressed in white, quietly emerged from the backstage.

He greeted everyone, and when Qi Fu saw him, he couldn’t help but praise him. Han Songxue, on the other hand, didn’t give him face at all and laughed openly, causing the audience behind them to occasionally cast doubtful glances at them.

“This voice… sounds so much like Han Songxue from <Travel>?”

“Look, is that person in the first row an actor from the play? The one who played Xiao Qian?”

“Yes! That’s him, called Song Mingan.”

“Could those people talking to him in front be the guests from <Travel>?”

“Is Su Chengyang there? Is Su Chengyang inside?”

“Su Chengyang!!”

In the noisy West Second Theater, a sudden scream rang out, frightening Su Chengyang and causing the people in the front row to freeze, turning their heads to look at the source of the sound.

“What? Su Chengyang?”

“Su Chengyang came to watch the play? Is it true or not?”

“Did the other people from <Travel> come too?”

“‘Easy to bully’!”

“Shen Fu, I love you!”

“Han Songxue, you idiot!”

Han Songxue: “?”

She rolled up her sleeves and suddenly stood up from her seat, saying, “Who called me an idiot?”

The cast of <Travel>: “…”

If you’re not an idiot, then who is?

Su Chengyang sighed inwardly and instinctively moved away from Han Songxue, leaning slightly towards Lin Yu’s direction.

“Oh my god!!! It’s really them!”

“Wife! Su Chengyang! I love you!”

“Ah ah ah, it’s my first time being this close to them!”

Suddenly, the audience section at the West Second Theater erupted, and the security quickly intervened to prevent any disturbance caused by the high emotions of the audience.

Han Songxue was puzzled and lowered her head to find that others were looking at her with disdain.

Han Songxue asked, “What’s wrong?”

Su Chengyang quickly pulled her to her seat and whispered, “Are you stupid? Originally, they were just guessing, but as soon as you showed up, they knew we all came. Do you still want to leave later?”

Han Songxue: “…”

Guided by security, the excited audience finally calmed down, but there were continuous sounds of people taking pictures from behind.

Su Chengyang turned her head and glanced at Lin Yu on her right, who remained calm and focused on the stage.

Su Chengyang moved closer to him and whispered, “Manager Lin, it might be difficult to leave later. You should go first, and I’ll go with Songxue and the others.”

Lin Yu lowered his eyelids and glanced at her eyes. He imitated her actions and moved closer to her, lowering his voice and saying, “Extend your right hand.”

Su Chengyang hesitated for a moment and stretched out her hand, perplexed.

Suddenly, Lin Yu covered Su Chengyang’s palm with his hand. Su Chengyang’s heartbeat skipped a beat. For a brief moment, she thought Lin Yu would intertwine their fingers. However, in the end, Lin Yu placed a small object in her palm.

Su Chengyang’s expression froze, and she moved her lips, but before she could ask, she received Lin Yu’s response.

“It’s a chocolate from the café, only one piece.”

---

---

That night, Su Chengyang tossed and turned in bed for two hours before falling asleep.

She felt an indescribable excitement, like a primary school student who was going on a spring outing the next day.

Because the play was scheduled for the afternoon, Lin Yu had to go to the company in the morning to handle work and planned to drive over to pick up Su Chengyang in the afternoon.

Su Chengyang woke up at ten o’clock and Xiao Lu said she wanted to go out early to meet her comrades, so she left after having breakfast with Su Chengyang.

After finishing breakfast, Su Chengyang started to agonize over what to wear in the afternoon.

In the end, after much deliberation, she felt that none of her clothes were suitable and regretted not buying clothes often.

At noon, Lin Yu had his assistant Xu bring her a diet meal.

“Chengyang, then I’ll leave first.” Assistant Xu didn’t enter the room, but after handing the things to Su Chengyang, he planned to leave.

“Brother Xu…” Su Chengyang held the things and looked at him hesitantly, with a look of wanting to say something but holding back.

Assistant Xu didn’t understand and asked, “Is there anything else?”

Su Chengyang chuckled and asked, “May I ask, what is Mr. Lin wearing today?”

Assistant Xu looked at her in surprise.

Su Chengyang immediately explained, “I don’t mean anything else, I’m just curious.”

By saying that, her motives seemed to become even less pure.

Fortunately, Assistant Xu didn’t think much of it and said, “Doesn’t President Lin wear suits to work every day?”

“Oh, I see,” Su Chengyang nodded.

“Is there anything else you want to ask?”

“No, thank you, Brother Xu. Please don’t tell Mr. Lin that I asked.”

“Okay.”

After Assistant Xu left, Su Chengyang returned to the living room and ate her diet meal as if chewing wax.

Does Lin Yu really intend to wear a suit to watch the play? Should I cooperate with him a little and dress up a bit more?

But wearing something too extravagant will definitely attract attention. What if the paparazzi take photos of us?

Su Chengyang struggled to eat her meal properly and finally decided to dress more casually, trying not to stand out.

After lunch, Su Chengyang returned to her room to change clothes. She chose a black hoodie and dark jeans, tied her hair into a ponytail, and put on light makeup. Then she anxiously waited for Lin Yu to arrive at home.

Around half-past one, Lin Yu rang the doorbell.

At the moment the doorbell rang, Su Chengyang’s heart skipped a beat. She stood up from the sofa and took two clumsy steps, stumbling over her own hands and feet, as she hurried towards the door. After realizing her foolishness, she quickly composed herself and hastily opened the door.

Lin Yu was wearing a blue suit, standing in the sunlight, looking at her.

“Brother Lin…” Su Chengyang called out.

Lin Yu nodded at her and asked, “Are you ready to go?”

Su Chengyang nodded, “Yes.”

“Let’s go.”

“Oh.”

Su Chengyang returned to the living room and picked up her bag, then followed Lin Yu and left.

Lin Yu glanced at her and smiled faintly, speaking gently, “Did you have a full meal at noon? I prepared some fruits and biscuits for you.”

Su Chengyang nodded, “I’m full.”

“Then you can eat when you get hungry.”

Instead of driving, Lin Yu walked straight in a direction with Su Chengyang. Along the way, he tried to find topics to chat with her. Although they were not meaningful topics, it didn’t make Su Chengyang feel awkward.

As Su Chengyang recalled, it seemed like the first time she and Lin Yu didn’t talk about work-related matters. The atmosphere was much better than she had imagined. She thought she would be so nervous that she couldn’t speak in front of Lin Yu.

“If you want to take the college entrance exam next year, have you considered which university to choose?”

Su Chengyang shook her head, “My foundation is not strong. Even if I have a year to review, I probably won’t be able to meet the requirements for a bachelor’s degree.”

Lin Yu smiled and said, “You can come to me, or find Lu Yin for review. Although I didn’t study in China, I should be able to teach you subjects other than Mandarin.”

When he mentioned “or find Lu Yin for review,” he paused, giving Su Chengyang the impression that he didn’t initially plan to include Xiao Lu.

Su Chengyang didn’t dwell on it and shook her head, saying, “You’re all very busy. There’s no need to waste time on me.”

Lin Yu frowned and said, “Chengyang, even if you eventually choose to terminate your contract with the company, you’re still a friend to me and Lu Yin. Helping a friend with their studies is not a waste of time.”

Su Chengyang was taken aback. In Lin Yu’s heart, were they friends?

Friends…

In an instant, Su Chengyang felt confused. She wasn’t sure what emotions she felt when she heard those two words, but she believed she should be happy.

Being able to be friends with Lin Yu, she should feel fortunate.

However, it seemed that people were easily greedy. After becoming friends, she started thinking about whether this relationship could progress further.

一No, it can’t.

In the blink of an eye, Su Chengyang gave herself a negative answer in her heart.

Su Chengyang smiled and brushed off the topic, after chatting for a while, Su Chengyang asked, “Brother Lin, have you ever liked anyone?”

As she asked this question, Su Chengyang felt very nervous inside, but due to the professionalism of an actor, there was no trace of nervousness on her face.

Lin Yu was caught off guard by this question. After a few seconds of hesitation, he responded as usual, not answering Su Chengyang’s question directly, but instead asked, “Why do you ask?”

Su Chengyang lowered her head, looking at her own toes, and said, “Just curious. I heard from Xiao Lu that you once rejected Mary. I think she is a very outstanding person.”

Actually, Su Chengyang felt that she had crossed a boundary with her questions. Maybe it was because she had been chatting with Lin Yu all the way, discussing seemingly meaningless topics. And when she heard him say that he saw her as a friend, Su Chengyang gathered her courage and asked, even though she knew Lin Yu might not answer her question.

But… he shouldn’t be angry, right?

Lin Yu looked at her with a complicated expression and said, “Mary is indeed excellent, and I can consider her as a friend, but not as a lover.”

“Why?” Su Chengyang asked curiously.

Lin Yu smiled and said, “I’m not sure, but when I was getting to know her, my only thought was to make her even more beautiful.”

Su Chengyang didn’t quite grasp the meaning of his words.

Lin Yu turned his head slightly, looking at Su Chengyang’s hazy expression. After a few seconds of pause, he said, “But you’re different.”

Su Chengyang looked at him perplexedly, and Lin Yu happened to be looking at her too.

“I’m different?” Su Chengyang repeated uncertainly.

“En,” Lin Yu nodded confidently, though he had no intention of making his feelings clear at this moment.

“What’s different?” Su Chengyang asked blankly.

“You’re different from Mary in every way. She can be replaced, but you can’t.”

Su Chengyang listened in a daze and wanted to ask him what he meant. By the time she gathered the courage to do so, Lin Yu had already led her outside a villa’s garden.

“We’re here,” Lin Yu said.

Su Chengyang hadn’t even processed the situation when her attention was diverted. She looked at the garden in confusion and asked, “Where is this?”

“My home.”

“Why are we here?”

Lin Yu replied, “To get the car and change clothes. I can’t go see Mr. Song’s play wearing a suit. It’s not appropriate.”

“Oh,” Su Chengyang nodded, her attention completely shifted.

When she snapped out of her daze and wanted to ask about the meaning of that sentence, Lin Yu seemed unwilling to bring it up again, and Su Chengyang didn’t feel comfortable asking further.

In short, what Lin Yu should say is “actress Su Chengyang,” not the Su Chengyang in real life.

The two of them entered, and Lin Yu opened the garden gate. Su Chengyang followed him inside. The garden was filled with blooming flowers of various kinds, but Su Chengyang didn’t recognize many of the species.

“There are many types of flowers here. You can come and pick them yourself if you like. Or if you find it troublesome, you can let me know, and I’ll help you pick them,” Lin Yu said with a smile.

“Got it,” Su Chengyang replied, but in truth, although she found the flowers beautiful, she didn’t know much about them.

They walked up to the front door of the villa, and Lin Yu pushed it open, gesturing for her to go in first.

Su Chengyang entered the house, and the decoration inside the villa was very simple, with a Nordic style, but it didn’t look like someone had lived there much.

Lin Yu explained, “I’m the only one living here.”

He had only returned from abroad six months ago, and he usually only came back here at night. He rarely used the kitchen, and the housekeeper and gardener would come every other day.

“Have a seat for now. I’ll go upstairs and change clothes. It’ll take five minutes,” Lin Yu said as he poured her a glass of water and instructed her.

“Okay,” Su Chengyang sat down on the sofa and nodded.

Lin Yu went upstairs, Su Chengyang took a few sips of water, looked around, and noticed there was no sign of life in the living room. It was as if nobody had ever lived there. Lin Yu must really enjoy having his own space, right?

Shortly after, Lin Yu came downstairs after changing clothes. He was wearing a black windbreaker on top, paired with an off-white shirt, and light-colored jeans. He had a pair of black ankle boots on his feet. He descended the spiral staircase leisurely, and at first glance, Su Chengyang thought he looked like an international supermodel from television.

She initially thought Lin Yu would stand out if he wore a suit to the theater, but now she believed he would be even more eye-catching in casual attire.

Lin Yu’s black hair was slightly curled and lazily fell on his forehead, making his facial features more three-dimensional.

Su Chengyang stared at him a little longer and quickly averted her gaze when he noticed.

Lin Yu walked briskly towards her and handed her a beige duckbill cap, saying, “I bought this a couple of days ago. It should suit you well.”

Su Chengyang was momentarily stunned and looked up at him.

Lin Yu smiled and said, “Chengyang, if you go out like this, you’ll be recognized instantly.”

Su Chengyang felt embarrassed. During the day, she was busy thinking about what she should wear and forgot that she was a public figure. Going out would easily attract attention.

“Thank you.”

Su Chengyang whispered her thanks as she took the hat from his hand and put it on her head.

Su Chengyang tied her hair in a ponytail, and it was not convenient to wear the hat. She had to thread the ponytail out of the hole in the hat. After struggling for a while, she ended up making her hair messier. In the end, she stomped her foot in frustration.

Lin Yu was still watching in front of her! She felt extremely embarrassed.

Lin Yu laughed, grabbed her increasingly rough hands, and pressed his warm fingertips gently against her wrist. It was not forceful, but a gentle touch against her side.

Having known each other for so long, Su Chengyang and Lin Yu rarely had physical contact. When his fingers touched Su Chengyang, her restless heart suddenly calmed down, as if it focused solely on the skin of her wrist.

“I’ll help you,” Lin Yu’s voice came from behind. He took Su Chengyang’s hat off, then tidied her messy hair. He threaded the ponytail through the hole in the hat and fastened it on top of her head. Afterwards, he also adjusted her temple hair.

His movements were smooth and familiar, as if he had done this many times before.

Su Chengyang immersed herself in his gentle actions, her mind in a daze. She asked, “Brother Lin, have you helped others in this way before?”

Lin Yu nodded without denial, “Of course.”

“Who?” Su Chengyang lowered her head, her tone indescribable.

Lin Yu flicked her hair end and then put his hand down, saying, “On my mother’s side, there is a large family. Besides Lu Yin, I have two younger cousins who are not even ten years old.”

“…”

Su Chengyang’s mood became complex in an instant.

“They are just like you. If they can’t tie their hair properly, they will get upset and wish they could pull it all out.”

“Oh…”

Su Chengyang didn’t want to admit it, but for a moment, she did feel a twinge of jealousy towards Lin Yu’s two cousins…

Although she felt she had no right to, she just… couldn’t quite control herself.

Su Chengyang silently apologized in her heart.

Lin Yu brought Su Chengyang to the entrance of the garage, went inside to start the car, and soon emerged from the underground garage in a matte black Bentley.

He parked the car in front of Su Chengyang, got out of the driver’s seat, and let Su Chengyang sit in the passenger seat.

The West Second Theater was nearly a two-hour drive away from where they lived. Su Chengyang took out her phone and started chatting with Han Songxue and the others in the group.

Han Songxue:【@Su Chengyang, did you come with Xiao Lu? That’s perfect! I want to learn some self-defense techniques from her, hahaha.】

Su Chengyang:【No, she went to meet her comrades.】

Han Songxue:【You’re alone? Does your family’s Manager Lin trust you to come to watch the play alone?】

Su Chengyang:【…】

【No, Manager Lin is with me.】

Han Songxue:【???】

【Is he next to you now?】

Su Chengyang glanced at Lin Yu, who was focused on driving. Lin Yu noticed her gaze and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Su Chengyang shook her head, “It’s nothing.”

Lin Yu said, “I prepared some snacks for you in the back row. Have some if you’re hungry.”

“Thank you.”

Su Chengyang thanked him and lowered her head to continue chatting.

Su Chengyang:【He’s driving.】

Han Songxue sent an envious emoji:【It’s great to have a handsome guy accompany you to watch a play. I can’t even give away my other ticket.】

Song Mingan:【Be clear, your inability to give it away is purely a problem with your character, it has nothing to do with my play.】

Han Songxue:【That’s impossible. Surely it’s because no one wants to watch your play.】

The two of them had a disagreement in a few words and started arguing in the group, but Song Mingan soon became busy and stopped talking, and the group became quiet.

Jiang Shanqi and the others were on their way to West Second Theater, and Qin You was still in class. When she arrived, the play should have already started.

The car stopped at the intersection with the traffic lights. Lin Yu turned his head and looked at her. Su Chengyang was browsing Weibo with a smile on her face.

“You’ve been looking at your phone for so long. Aren’t your eyes tired?” Lin Yu said.

Su Chengyang was taken aback and looked up, confused. “No, not at all.”

“Aren’t we having dinner tonight? Take a break.”

“Oh.”

Su Chengyang put down her phone honestly, but she woke up late in the morning and didn’t feel sleepy at all.

The traffic light at the intersection turned green, and Lin Yu restarted the car.

Su Chengyang rolled down the car window a bit, took a breath, and the noise from outside rushed into the quiet car compartment. After a moment, Lin Yu rolled up the open window again.

“Don’t you want to rest?” Lin Yu asked.

“Well, I woke up late in the morning.”

“Then can we chat for a while?”

Su Chengyang nodded, “Sure.”

“You asked me before if I had ever liked someone, and I don’t think I directly answered you,” Lin Yu suddenly said.

Su Chengyang didn’t expect him to bring up this question at a time like this, and her heart, which had just calmed down, started to race again.

“En,” Su Chengyang responded in a muffled voice.

Lin Yu said, “No, I haven’t encountered anyone before who would make me want to turn her into my collection.”

“Collection?” Su Chengyang looked at him suspiciously.

Lin Yu smiled and said, “Take Mary, for example. I want to shape her into a perfect work of art and present it to the world so that everyone can see her excellence. For the person I like, I also hope she can become a work of art, and I want the whole world to see her excellence too. But in the end, I hope she not only belongs to herself but also belongs to me, becoming my collection.”

Su Chengyang listened with some confusion. She felt like she understood it, and at the same time, she felt like she didn’t. Lin Yu compared liking someone to creating a romantic artwork. She only understood liking and not liking, without fully grasping the difference between “work of art” and “collection.”

It seemed that Lin Yu didn’t expect her to fully understand either and continued, “But in the end, I hope she can be herself.”

Su Chengyang was bewildered by his words and could only come to one conclusion, “Brother Lin, do you have someone you like? Have you ever met a girl you wanted to turn into your collection?”

Lin Yu nodded, “Yes.”

Upon hearing his response, Su Chengyang miraculously discovered that she didn’t feel jealous of the girl he liked. It may be because Lin Yu described her in such a beautiful way, or perhaps she felt that someone who could be liked by such an outstanding person like Lin Yu must also be an exceptional individual.

Realizing that she didn’t feel jealous of the girl he liked, Su Chengyang felt a sense of relief and happiness. She wasn’t that selfish yet. She raised her small face with a smiling expression and sincerely wished, “Brother Lin, you will definitely grow old together with her!”

Lin Yu seemed absent-minded for a moment but then smiled and said, “I haven’t won her over yet.”

Su Chengyang shook her head, “You’re such an outstanding person. You will surely win her over.”

Lin Yu chuckled, “But she is also an outstanding person, and many people like her.”

Su Chengyang thought he didn’t believe in himself and hurriedly said, “It’s okay! You work hard, and you will definitely win over sister-in-law. And if you can’t do it, I and Xiao Lu will help you.”

Lin Yu wanted to laugh upon hearing this, but he felt it was not the right time, although he couldn’t help but laugh eventually.

“You will help me?”

“Yeah.”

This response somehow tickled Lin Yu’s funny bone, and he suppressed his laughter.

“How do you plan to help me?”

Su Chengyang felt a little embarrassed. As someone who had never been in a relationship, how could she give him advice?

“I’ll support you mentally.” She thought for a moment and added in a joking tone, “And Xiao Lu too! If sister-in-law doesn’t agree, let Xiao Lu bring her back. If she doesn’t like you, it’s definitely because she doesn’t understand you. Once she gets to know you, she will like you.”

A broader smile formed on Lin Yu’s face as he asked, “Do you think everyone who knows me will like me?”

Su Chengyang nodded honestly, as that was indeed her belief.

The car stopped again at a traffic light intersection. Lin Yu turned his head, fixed his gaze on her, and said, “Isn’t that necessarily true? We’ve known each other for so long, and you should understand me by now. But you haven’t developed any feelings for me, have you?”

---

---

“Mr. Lin, is there anything else?” Su Chengyang asked.

Lin Yu sat in front of his desk, glanced at Su Chengyang, and said, “Recently, I haven’t been controlling your diet. You shouldn’t have been indulging yourself too much, right?”

Su Chengyang: “…”

Su Chengyang recalled for a moment and realized that she had indeed been quite indulgent.

These past few days, Lin Yu hadn’t been with her, and Su Chengyang had been indulging in lavish meals with Xiao Lu, eating quite a lot.

Seeing her guilty expression, Lin Yu knew that she had indeed been indulging herself.

“Chengyang, do you remember what I said in the first episode?” Lin Yu asked.

Su Chengyang frowned and said, “Deduct money if weight gain exceeds five pounds?”

“Yes,” Lin Yu looked at her with mixed feelings and said, “I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but you seem… a bit plumper than a few days ago.”

Su Chengyang’s expression froze. “Plumper” meant that she might go back to the days of indulging in weight loss meals. She argued, “It’s not all my fault! You still bring me such sumptuous breakfast every morning, so you’re also partly responsible for my weight gain!”

Lin Yu frowned and thought. He realized that he had indeed been indulging Su Chengyang during this period. Although he liked her and wanted her to enjoy the food she desired, it couldn’t interfere with their work.

After a while, Lin Yu nodded, “Indeed, it was my fault. Starting from tomorrow, you need to control your diet.”

Su Chengyang: “…”

After a long absence, the image of Little Lin Yu in her heart shifted towards the direction of a demon.

Su Chengyang lowered her head in disappointment, “…Oh.”

Lin Yu looked at her with a pitiful expression.

After hesitating for a moment, he couldn’t bear it and said, “Starting from tomorrow, what do you want to eat tonight? I’ll take you.”

Su Chengyang’s eyes lit up instantly. Lin Yu really is the best person in the world!

“I want to eat Sichuan cuisine,” Su Chengyang replied without being polite to him.

Lin Yu nodded slightly and said, “You and Lu Yin wait for me in the lounge until I finish work.”

“Understood.”

Su Chengyang found the lounge and waited for Lin Yu to finish work. During this time, Su Chengyang remembered the two theater tickets given by Qi Fu and asked Xiao Lu, “Would you like to go with me to watch Mingan’s play on Thursday afternoon?”

Xiao Lu was playing a game and didn’t even lift their head at the words, she replied, “OK.”

These days, there was no gossip online, and Xiao Lu didn’t check their Weibo either. They just stayed at home playing games all day.

Su Chengyang was bored, so they reread the script, trying to deepen their understanding of the image of the female lead in their mind.

As it approached six o’clock, Lin Yu knocked on the door of the lounge, indicating that they could go eat.

Su Chengyang stretched and sat up lazily, while Xiao Lu cracked their neck and walked over to pull Su Chengyang up.

“Are you hungry?”

As they reached the door, Lin Yu smiled and looked at the two of them.

Su Chengyang touched their empty stomach and nodded.

Walking beside the two, Lin Yu said, “There’s a decent Sichuan restaurant nearby. I have the owner’s phone number. Should I call him to prepare in advance before we go?”

Su Chengyang and Xiao Lu nodded.

Lin Yu said “Okay,” and took a step back to make a phone call to the boss.

While walking, Xiao Lu suddenly bumped into Su Chengyang’s arm and said mysteriously, “Don’t you think my cousin brother looks a bit like our lackey?”

Upon hearing Xiao Lu’s words, an image of the submissive underworld underlings from the TV flashed through Su Chengyang’s mind. When compared to Lin Yu’s image, it was simply unimaginable.

She glared at Xiao Lu and said, “What nonsense are you talking about?”

Xiao Lu pouted, wanting to say that her cousin brother had ulterior motives, but then she thought that her cousin brother actually liked Su Chengyang, so it didn’t count as having ulterior motives. It was normal to try to please Su Chengyang.

However, she felt that Su Chengyang didn’t seem to realize that her cousin brother was interested in her. Could it be that her cousin brother was planning to take a slow approach?

Xiao Lu wondered if this strategy would work on someone like Su Chengyang, who had zero experience in love.

Xiao Lu pondered thoughtfully.

They walked to the Sichuan restaurant, and sure enough, the owner had already prepared the dishes, and they were all Su Chengyang’s favorites.

Of course, Su Chengyang’s preferences are very simple 一 meat, all kinds of meat, so it’s not hard to remember.

Entering the private room, Su Chengyang took off her hat and mask, and she sat on one side with Xiao Lu, while Lin Yu sat alone on the other side.

During the meal, Lin Yu didn’t talk much, while Su Chengyang and Xiao Lu occasionally chatted about trivial matters.

“Oh, Brother Lin.”

Su Chengyang suddenly remembered something and lifted her face from the rice bowl, looking at Lin Yu.

Lin Yu looked at her, puzzled, and asked, “What?”

Su Chengyang said, “I don’t have work on Thursday afternoon and evening, right?”

Lin Yu paused for a moment, didn’t answer directly, and asked, “Do you have any plans for that day?”

Su Chengyang nodded, “Yes, I made plans with someone else.”

Lin Yu’s eyebrows furrowed, “With whom?”

After asking, he seemed to realize that his tone was a bit harsh, so he explained further, “If it’s an important friend, I can temporarily postpone the work to help you.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lu silently gave a thumbs up to her cousin brother. Not only could he find out who Chengyang was going out with, but if he felt threatened by that person, he could also arrange some work to block Chengyang temporarily.

Su Chengyang had no idea about the twists and turns in their minds, so she explained, “Mingan has a stage play performance in the capital city this Thursday. He gave each of us two tickets. This is his first transition, playing the role of Xiao Qian. I want to go and show my support.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Yu nodded, “Go ahead.”

After speaking, he also added a favorable impression in Su Chengyang’s mind, “Have fun, I’ll handle the work-related issues.”

Su Chengyang murmured, “I’m sorry to trouble you.”

Lin Yu chuckled, “Chengyang, I’m your agent. Anything you feel you can’t handle, you can leave it all to me. No need to say thank you, got it?”

Lin Yu was always like this, casually touching Su Chengyang’s heart, but he himself remained completely unaware.

Afraid of being discovered by him, Su Chengyang immediately lowered her head.

Xiao Lu sat beside, biting on chopsticks, glancing at Su Chengyang and then at Lin Yu. There was always a feeling that something was off about their vibes.

Suddenly, she tapped the table and came up with a brilliant idea, asking, “Chengyang, don’t you have two tickets? Who are you planning to invite?”

Su Chengyang looked at Xiao Lu inexplicably. Didn’t she just invite her to the lounge earlier?

“I…”

“Oh! Right, you invited me,” Xiao Lu smiled sweetly and looked towards Lin Yu across the table.

Lin Yu glanced at her and suddenly spoke a sentence in Italian.

It was the first time Su Chengyang heard him speak Italian, and for a moment, she was a bit confused. “What?”

Xiao Lu’s smile grew wider, and she raised an eyebrow at Lin Yu without saying a word.

Lin Yu pursed his lips and said, “Lu Yin, didn’t you say a few days ago that you were going to have dinner with your comrades this Thursday?”

Xiao Lu rested her cheek on her hand and said, “Oh, right. But I’m really broke lately. If they come to the capital, I’ll definitely have to treat them.”

“It’s not easy for comrades to meet. I’ll reimburse you,” Lin Yu said expressionlessly.

Xiao Lu looked innocent and said, “I need a cool car, that Ferrari in your garage is not bad.”

“Deal.”

After the two finished speaking, Xiao Lu turned to Su Chengyang and said, “Chengyang, I’m sorry, but I can’t accompany you on Thursday. It’s a rare gathering of my comrades…”

Su Chengyang waved her hand busyly, “Go and meet your comrades. You don’t have to accompany me. I’ll find someone else.”

“Find someone else…” Xiao Lu touched her earlobe and looked at Lin Yu, saying, “Cousin Brother, are you free on Thursday? I’m worried if Chengyang goes with someone else. What if something unexpected happens?”

Su Chengyang looked surprised, afraid that she was delaying Lin Yu’s work, and shook her head vigorously, “No need, no need. I can invite someone else, there won’t be any problems. Brother Lin is so busy…”

Lin Yu had an indifferent expression, “I’m not busy with work. I can try to handle it in advance. Chengyang, I’m also worried about you going alone.”

Xiao Lu said, “Then it’s settled. Cousin Brother, finish your work early and accompany Chengyang to see the play.”

Lin Yu nodded, “Okay.”

Su Chengyang: “…”

Su Chengyang looked at them in confusion, unable to understand how they could settle the matter in just a few words. Moreover, they seemed to be speaking so smoothly, even giving a sense of coordinated tacit understanding.

So, Su Chengyang, in a dazed state, agreed just like that, and the person who would accompany her to watch the play on Thursday became Lin Yu.

Back at home, seeing Su Chengyang still looking a bit absent-minded, Xiao Lu felt a little uneasy. She was afraid that borrowing a car from her cousin brother would burden Su Chengyang. So she sat down beside Su Chengyang and tentatively asked, “Chengyang, do you not want to go watch the play with my cousin brother?”

Su Chengyang turned around and subconsciously shook her head, “No.”

“Then why do you look reluctant?”

Su Chengyang frowned, wondering if she was showing unwillingness.

She explained, “I’m not unwilling, I’m just a bit… nervous.”

Xiao Lu raised her eyebrows in surprise, “Nervous? You can perform on stage in front of tens of thousands of people without being nervous, but you’re nervous to watch a play with my cousin brother?”

Noticing this pointed out by Xiao Lu, Su Chengyang immediately sensed that something was wrong.

Her expression stiffened, and she hurriedly tried to make up for it, saying, “Of course, I’m nervous. Manager Lin is my boss!”

Xiao Lu looked at her suspiciously, but upon careful consideration of her words, it seemed like there was nothing wrong with them. So she said, “Didn’t my cousin brother already tell you? Outside of work hours, you can just call him Brother Lin. When you go out with him to watch a play, just treat it as going out with a friend. No need to be nervous, my cousin brother won’t eat you.”

Su Chengyang reluctantly nodded.

The next day was Wednesday, and the promotional photos of Chunlin Mountain taken by Su Chengyang and Qi Fu were released by the local tourism bureau and soon appeared on the trending searches.

#Su Chengyang and Qi Fu, Ambassadors of Chunlin Mountain#

When Su Chengyang received the news while on her way to an event, Xiao Lu happily handed her the phone after seeing it.

During this time, Xiao Lu would show her any news she came across, forcing Su Chengyang to pry into other people’s affairs.

Taking the phone and seeing the Weibo entry, Su Chengyang couldn’t help but smile helplessly:

【Su Chengyang won the game.】

【Not only did she become popular online, but she also took over Tian Rong’s role as the ambassador, and there should be a salary as well.】

【Hahaha, Chunlin Mountain’s leader is really amazing, it’s like killing people and cutting their hearts.】

【I really want to interview Tian Rong and see what her current mood is.】

【(Whispering) ‘Easy to bully¹‘ and female goose are a good match.】

‘Easy to bully’ is the nickname given to Qi Fu by fans after the first episode aired.

If Qifu is called ‘Easy to bully,’ his fans are called ‘Not Easy to bully,’ which is really fun.

Su Chengyang glanced at it and handed the phone back to Xiao Lu.

Since that incident, Tian Rong has disappeared from the entertainment industry, and Su Chengyang didn’t want to know what expression she would have when she saw the hot search. It had nothing to do with her.

Although she didn’t like Tian Rong, she wouldn’t mock others like that.

The fourth episode is about to air, and the guests of <Travel> are all extremely busy. You can often see sneak peeks of their work on Weibo, and their respective careers are on the right track.

Su Chengyang asked several people in the group. Although they were all busy and overwhelmed, they deliberately cleared their Thursday afternoon and evening to go together and show support for Song Mingan. They planned to have a meal together in the evening.

Everyone else understood in their hearts that apart from the time needed to record the last two episodes, they probably wouldn’t gather together again after this. They would all be busy with their own matters. Therefore, they didn’t want to miss this rare opportunity.

After finishing work on Wednesday, Su Chengyang returned home exhausted. After taking a bath and freshening up, she lay on the bed, emptying her mind.

When she thought about going out alone with Lin Yu to watch a play tomorrow, Su Chengyang’s heart started beating irregularly.

Suddenly, an idea popped into her head.

Tomorrow, what should she wear? Should she put on makeup? Heavy or light? Should she wear high heels?

With that thought, Su Chengyang sat up in bed.

She jumped off the bed in two or three strides, opened the wardrobe door, and her gaze lingered on a group of clothes.

Su Chengyang’s clothes were very ordinary, the kind of attire an average girl would wear, without anything special about them. They were just extremely ordinary clothes, and she didn’t even have a few pieces worth more than 2,000 yuan.

What would Lin Yu wear tomorrow?

Will he still wear a suit when going to see a play?

But normally, besides suits, Su Chengyang seems to have never seen him wearing other clothes, no… she has seen it before. On the night of recording the program in Sichuan, she had a video call with Lin Yu, and he wasn’t wearing a suit in the video…

In her mind, the thought of what clothes to wear tomorrow has somehow transformed into an image of Lin Yu wearing a bathrobe.

Su Chengyang holds her burning cheeks in her hands and scolds herself fiercely in her heart. Lin Yu is accompanying her to see the play for her safety, and here she is, thinking all these unnecessary thoughts. It’s simply disrespectful to Lin Yu!

Su Chengyang vigorously shakes her head twice, trying to shake off the annoying and uncontrollable thoughts. Tomorrow, she is going to see a play, not attending a press conference. It’s enough for her to dress simply and casually, right?

That’s it! Time to sleep!

Su Chengyang turns around and throws herself into the covers, silently reciting a calming mantra in her mind. After she calms down a bit, she takes out her phone and opens WeChat.

In the small group chat, everyone has finished work and returned to their accommodations.

Han Songxue: “@everyone, what are your plans for tomorrow? Should we gather somewhere beforehand?”

Upon seeing this message, Su Chengyang immediately perks up. If they gather in advance, her alone time with Lin Yu will be reduced. That’s great!

Su Chengyang has a guilty conscience. If she has been alone with Lin Yu all the time, she worries that she might reveal something suspicious in front of Lin Yu.

Han Songxue received a response within two minutes after sending the message.

Su Chengyang:【Let’s gather first? (o´▽`o)】

Jiang Shanqi:【…】

Qi Fu:【Sure, where should we gather?】

Su Chengyang has never been so enthusiastic in the group chat before:【Anywhere is fine (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･ﾟ】

【I have no objections ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ】

【Manager Lin is coming with me ( ´ ▿ ` )】

Jiang Shanqi:【…】

Han Songxue:【@Su Chengyang, please be normal.】

Song Mingan:【@Su Chengyang, if you’re really busy, you don’t have to come…】

Han Songxue:【It would be great if Manager Lin came. Having a handsome guy around improves the mood.】

Song Mingan:【There’s also a handsome guy on stage.】

Han Songxue:【Sister, did you get it wrong? It’s not a handsome guy, it’s a beautiful lady.】

These two people didn’t get along well, and they started arguing in a few words.

In the end, under Su Chengyang’s insistence, they agreed to meet at the café across from West Second Theater. However, Qin You mentioned that she might be late and told them not to wait for her.

Meeting outside West Second Theater, Su Chengyang wouldn’t have to be alone with Lin Yu during the play! Fantastic!

Su Chengyang happily closed the chat box and then noticed that Du Senyu had sent her two messages at some point.

【Sister, I’m going to evening self-study now.】

【Do you want to go see Brother Mingan’s play on Thursday? My dad has two tickets, I can give them to you. You can go with a friend.】

Su Chengyang clicked in and replied:【No need, thank you. I have a ticket, you should rest early.】

Du Senyu:【I understand.】

【Sister, do you think the college entrance examination is important?】

【My dad is more nervous than me. He even argues with me if I play with my phone for two extra minutes.】

After thinking for a moment, Su Chengyang replied:【The college entrance examination is important, but once you give it your all, it becomes less important.】

Du Senyu:【Sister, do you regret dropping out without taking the college entrance examination?】

Su Chengyang:【I regret it so much that it turns my stomach green.】

Even though she never had the chance to participate in the college entrance examination.

Du Senyu:【You still have a chance to make up for it.】

Su Chengyang smiled and replied:【Hmm, I plan to go back and review next year to take the college entrance examination.】

Du Senyu:【Do you need study materials? You’ve probably forgotten most of the knowledge from high school, right? I still have my books from the first and second years of high school. I can give them to you, and after my college entrance exams, I can also give you the books from the third year.】

Su Chengyang was stunned by his words for a moment, and after a while, she replied:【Don’t you need them?】

Du Senyu:【No, I don’t need them.】

Su Chengyang thought for a moment. If she could go back to studying, she would still like to study. After terminating the contract, she could open a bookstore and review her lessons at the same time.

Su Chengyang:【Can I buy your books?】

Du Senyu didn’t insist on giving them to her:【Sure, I’ll give you a discount, and you can also have my notes. My school is very close to West Second Theater. You can come over on Thursday and take them.】

Su Chengyang:【Okay, thank you. I’ll take good care of your books. If you need them, you can take them back anytime.】

Du Senyu sent a cute expression:【See you on Thursday. Sister, please give me your autograph~】

【Okay, see you on Thursday.】

---

1. 好欺负(hǎo qīfù) ↩︎

---

---

Su Chengyang lost the game and frustratingly pressed her phone against her forehead.

“Su Chengyang, where are you?” shouted an actress whom Lin Yu didn’t recognize.

Su Chengyang frowned and said, “Towards the big tree.”

Actress: “?”

“Direction, direction.”

“I don’t know where it is. Anyway, he’s wearing auspicious clothing and hiding behind the tree.”

Xiao Lu waved her hand and said, “Wait, brother and sisters will avenge you.”

As Su Chengyang tried to approach Xiao Lu to peek at the screen, she noticed a familiar figure from the corner of her eye. Upon closer inspection, it was Lin Yu, who had arrived at some point without her knowledge.

Lin Yu stood motionless by the door, staring at Su Chengyang. When Su Chengyang looked at him, Lin Yu squinted his eyes.

“Manager Lin!”

Su Chengyang, like a child who sees their parents while playing outside with friends, immediately straightened up and looked at him with bright eyes. At the same time, she nudged Xiao Lu, who was immersed in the game, with her elbow.

In the midst of being busy, Xiao Lu lifted her head and said to Lin Yu, “Boss Lin, wait a moment, this game isn’t over yet.”

Lin Yu didn’t say anything. He went over to greet Director Wang and then came to Su Chengyang’s side, saying, “It’s okay, I’ll wait for you.”

Su Chengyang seemed to be having a great time, with a smile lingering at the corners of her eyes. Her face was rosy and looked particularly likable.

“We won!” Xu Hao shouted.

Su Chengyang exclaimed happily: “Haozi, Ah Ling, you’re really amazing.”

Xiao Lu became unhappy, saying, “Am I not good?”

Su Chengyang smiled and rubbed her shoulder with her head, saying, “You’re better than me.”

Xiao Lu huffed, “Of course.”

Xu Hao looked up and greeted Lin Yu, turned off his phone, and said, “Chengyang, you guys can go back first. We can play again next time.”

Xiao Lu proposed excitedly, “Let’s create a group, shall we? We can all play together when we’re free.”

“Sure.”

Lin Yu watched as they added each other to the group, feeling a sense of helplessness.

Finally, when they had added everyone to the group, Lin Yu spoke up, “Shall we go now?”

“Let’s go.”

Su Chengyang waved goodbye to the others and then said something to Director Wang before leaving the private room with Lin Yu.

Once outside, Su Chengyang still seemed a bit unsatisfied and discussed gaming matters with Xiao Lu.

Lin Yu couldn’t understand what they were talking about and didn’t get a chance to say a word.

By the car, Xiao Lu directly climbed into the back seat and leaned against the window, grinning at Lin Yu: “Cousin Brother, I had a few drinks tonight. Can you drive?”

Lin Yu nodded and then took a step ahead of Su Chengyang, opening the passenger door for her.

Su Chengyang originally wanted to sit in the backseat, but seeing the situation, she had no choice but to sit in the passenger seat. If she sat in the backseat, she felt like she was treating Lin Yu as the driver.

The car was driving on the road, and Su Chengyang exchanged a few words with Xiao Lu across the seats. She felt it was not very convenient, so she didn’t say anything else.

Xiao Lu had indeed had two drinks and after a few minutes of silence, she lay down on the seat and fell asleep.

Lin Yu glanced back through the rearview mirror and said, “Chengyang, there’s a blanket in the bag. Cover Lu Yin with it.”

Su Chengyang glanced back and saw a black bag in the corner of the back seat.

Lin Yu parked the car on the side of the road. Su Chengyang unbuckled her seatbelt, knelt on the seat with one knee, and reached over the backrest to take out the blanket and cover it over Xiao Lu’s back.

The weather has been getting colder recently, and sleeping like this will definitely lead to catching a cold.

After Su Chengyang fastened her seatbelt, Lin Yu suddenly placed his jacket in her arms.

Covering Su Chengyang’s legs with the warmth from Lin Yu’s body, she was momentarily stunned.

Before she could react, Lin Yu started the car again and said, “It will take about an hour to get back. You should get some rest too.”

His coat is so warm, with a faint fragrance.

Su Chengyang hesitated to refuse.

“Hmm.”

Su Chengyang lowered her head and softly responded.

She was just borrowing his coat, planning to wash it and return it later.

Su Chengyang draped his coat over her shoulders, just enough to cover her upper body and knees. She turned her head to look outside the window, where the traffic was busy and the crowds were bustling, yet the car window isolated all the sounds from the outside.

The world was busy, but the car was quiet, as if she could hear her own heartbeat.

Although it wasn’t the first time she felt this way, Su Chengyang still marveled in her heart, “This world is truly wonderful.”

She realized that she was easily satisfied, even with just sitting quietly next to Lin Yu without saying a word, she didn’t want anything else.

At this moment, she even had a thought: If she didn’t terminate her contract with the company next year and continued to stay in Starlight Entertainment, could she stay by his side forever?

However, this idea only appeared for a moment before Su Chengyang mercilessly extinguished it.

Lin Yu accompanied them to the front door of their house, and Su Chengyang softly woke Xiao Lu up, then said to Lin Yu, “Brother Lin, I’ll return the coat to you after I wash it.”

Lin Yu shook his head: “No need.”

Saying that, he took the coat from Su Chengyang’s hand.

“Rest early. What would you like to eat tomorrow morning?”

Xiao Lu rubbed her eyes and sat up from the backseat, “Can we order food?”

Lin Yu nodded without expressing agreement or disagreement, then looked at Su Chengyang.

At that moment, Su Chengyang suddenly felt a bit nervous and immediately looked at Xiao Lu in the backseat, “What would you like to eat?”

The three of them formed a strange scene.

Lin Yu, who was driving, calmly looked at Su Chengyang, while Su Chengyang nervously looked at Xiao Lu. Xiao Lu looked at them both with a bewildered expression, her eyes shifting between Su Chengyang and Lin Yu.

Xiao Lu hesitated, “Western cuisine? Steak? How about that?”

Su Chengyang nodded, “Let’s have that. Thank you, Manager Lin.”

After speaking, Su Chengyang opened the car door and got out.

Su Chengyang’s nervous expression was mixed with a hint of shyness. Lin Yu felt an indescribable itch in his chest. He felt like he had grasped something, but he didn’t dare to confirm it, let alone show it.

Su Chengyang hurriedly said goodbye and led the way into the house.

After closing the front door, Su Chengyang’s burning cheeks finally cooled down.

She was unsure about what had happened to herself. Lin Yu’s gaze made her inexplicably flustered. She didn’t dare to meet his eyes, fearing that her hidden emotions would be easily discovered.

At least for now, with nine months left until the contract expires, Su Chengyang didn’t want him to find out.

“Why did you run so fast? Is there a ghost out there?”

Xiao Lu hasn’t fully woken up yet, looking a bit confused.

Su Chengyang sighed and said, “There’s no ghost outside.” But I have ghosts in my heart.

After returning to the room, Su Chengyang took some clean clothes and walked into the bathroom, took a shower, and only then did she manage to calm down her boiling brain.

. . . . .

The next day everything returned to normal.

Early in the morning, Lin Yu arrived with their breakfast and a rose in hand. After replacing the withered flowers in the vase, he went to the company by himself.

Su Chengyang couldn’t stay idle either. In the afternoon, she was going to take promotional photos of Chunlin Mountain with Qi Fu.

In the morning, Su Chengyang stayed in bed and chatted with Han Songxue in the group.

According to her, everyone else had a lot of activities in their hands these past few days. They were so busy that they couldn’t catch a break. She greatly missed the time when she was just a little-known figure. Nowadays, even when she went out to buy something, she might be chased for autographs.

The program <Travel> has already become the number one variety show in terms of views on Cat&Dog Video. They have only aired three episodes so far, which means the show has become a huge hit. All the guests who participated in the recording of the show have become hot actors in the industry. Any program they participate in receives high viewership.

After lunch, Lin Yu drove them to the airport to go to Chunlin Mountain for the promotional photo shoot.

Upon arrival at the airport, the sides of the exit were crowded with fans. When Su Chengyang appeared, their screams almost lifted the roof.

Su Chengyang greeted them and then got into the car prepared by the person in charge.

After arriving at Chunlin Mountain, the person in charge took Su Chengyang to a room to change clothes. It was a traditional costume. When Su Chengyang was almost done tidying up, Qi Fu also came out from another room.

“Chengyang,” Qi Fu waved at her, dressed like a hero.

“You look great in this outfit,” Su Chengyang exclaimed.

Qi Fu felt a bit embarrassed and scratched his head, “Thank you, you look beautiful too.”

“Oh, by the way, Mingan entrusted me to give this to you,” Qi Fu said.

He turned around and brought two tickets.

“What is this?” Su Chengyang asked, a little confused.

Qi Fu said, “These are theater tickets for ‘A Chinese Ghost Story.’ It’s playing this Thursday at the West Second Theater in the capital city. He gave us both two tickets.”

Su Chengyang took the tickets and asked in surprise, “Is he playing the scholar again?”

Qi Fu smiled and shook his head, “No.”

“Then what is he playing?”

“Xiao Qian¹.”

Su Chengyang: “…”

Xiao Lu laughed heartily beside him, “What is he playing? Xiao Qian?!”

Su Chengyang couldn’t help but stifle a laugh, “Mingan has delicate features. With some proper makeup, it’s indeed hard to tell the gender.”

Qi Fu joined in the laughter, “Last week, I sent him a skirt. He took a video and sent it to the director, originally intending to audition for Xiao Qian’s grandma. But the theater director insisted on having him play Xiao Qian.”

Xiao Lu’s eyes twinkled, “Do you have the video? I want to see!”

Su Chengyang immediately said, “I want to see it too.”

Qi Fu nodded, “Sure, let me send it to the group.”

Qi Fu turned around and went back to his room to get his phone and sent Song Mingan’s cross-dressing video to the group.

“Hahaha…”

“Mingan, hahaha…”

The staff passing by looked at them with puzzled expressions.

Su Chengyang and Xiao Lu laughed so hard that their bodies trembled.

The originally quiet WeChat group suddenly became filled with people due to Song Mingan’s video:

Song Mingan:【@Qi Fu??】

Han Songxue:【Oh my god, hahaha!】

Jiang Shanqi:【Work is really tiring, but the video is really refreshing.】

Tan Qi:【[Thumbs up.jpg] Mingan is amazing, brave to try new things. I’ll make Ding Ding learn from you.】

He Xu:【…Condolences.】

Qin You:【Brother Mingan is amazing! I must work even harder to learn from everyone!】

Shen Fu:【@Song Mingan, thank you. I’m inspired.】

Song Mingan:【Give me the tickets back!!!】

Han Songxue:【No way, I postponed my work on Thursday just to come and see what kind of performance you can put on.】

【Keep it up.】

【Keep it up.】

. . . . .

Song Mingan:【@Qi Fu, come out!!! Tonight, I’m going to kill you!】

Han Songxue: 【I’ll protect Qi Fu tonight!】

【And me.】

【Me.】

. . . . .

Su Chengyang was amused by the messages in the group, laughing out loud.

Qi Fu replied in the group:【Mingan, don’t worry, it’s not embarrassing. We are all sisters.】

Song Mingan: 【…】

In the next moment, the group of ten suddenly became nine.

Su Chengyang saw that Song Mingan was angry and had left the group, so she quickly pulled him back.

Su Chengyang:【Everyone, stop laughing. @Qi Fu, how could you share the video in the group?】

Han Songxue:【Chengyang is right. Such good stuff should be shared on Weibo for everyone to enjoy together.】

Song Mingan:【Hehe.】

Immediately after, he posted over a dozen embarrassing photos of other guests, and even Su Chengyang was not spared.

But compared to others, Su Chengyang’s photo was even somewhat attractive.

After laughing at Song Mingan, Su Chengyang intercepted a few chat records and posted them on Weibo with the caption, 【A day of Song Mingan was besieged and beaten, looking forward to meeting little brother Xiao Qian on Thursday at the West Second Theater in the capital city~】

After Su Chengyang posted on Weibo, other people in the group successively forwarded and promoted it, while also arranging a dinner. After the performance on Thursday, Song Mingan invited everyone to have a meal together.

After a moment, the person in charge found Su Chengyang and the two of them. The photographer was ready, so they were asked to go for the shoot.

The shooting process went smoothly. Su Chengyang and Qi Fu cooperated well, and they had a good grasp of the shooting angles. They finished by dusk.

Back at the hotel arranged by the scenic area, Su Chengyang finished bathing and came out. Half an hour ago, Lin Yu had messaged her to ask about her progress. Su Chengyang replied that she had already finished work.

Lin Yu replied almost instantly, telling her to rest early because they would be returning to the capital tomorrow.

After Su Chengyang’s reply, she closed the chat box and saw a message from Du Senyu below.

For the past few days, Du Senyu would send a message every evening to greet her, never disturbing Su Chengyang. Occasionally, he would complain about how strict his father was with him, and Su Chengyang would console him with a few messages, after which the chat box would quiet down.

The next day, after returning to the capital, Su Chengyang and Xiao Lu went to the company to meet a director.

When they arrived at the company and entered Lin Yu’s office, Lin Yu was having a conversation with a young director.

Upon seeing Su Chengyang walk in, Lin Yu waved at her and stood up with the director.

“This is Director Hu.”

Su Chengyang nodded towards him and gently shook the hand he extended, “Hello, Director Hu. I’m Su Chengyang.”

“I have heard your great name for a long time.”

Su Chengyang shook her head, “Director Hu, you’re too kind.”

“Please have a seat,” Lin Yu said to both of them and then asked Xiao Lu to bring some water.

Director Hu glanced at Su Chengyang and said, “Miss Su, I wonder if you have any thoughts on scripts adapted from comics?”

To which Su Chengyang replied, “It doesn’t make much difference to me.”

Director Hu nodded and continued, “To be honest, I have a script in my hands and would like to discuss it with you.”

Su Chengyang smiled and said, “Please go ahead.”

Although Lin Yu had previously mentioned that he wouldn’t give her a script for the time being, the program <Travel> only lasted for two episodes. As long as she used her time wisely, there shouldn’t be a problem joining the production team for filming.

Director Hu said, “We would like to invite you to act in a costume drama. It is based on a web novel that was later adapted into a comic. The script is a remake based on the comic.”

Su Chengyang listened attentively and nodded occasionally in response.

Although Su Chengyang had participated in adaptations from comics before, most of the time, the live-action version could never surpass the comic version, and actors and production teams were bound to face criticism.

“Regarding the issue of remuneration, I have already discussed it with Mr. Lin. If you need, I can repeat it again.”

Su Chengyang glanced at Lin Yu, who smiled back at her.

Since Lin Yu had no objections and Su Chengyang had no other thoughts, she shook her head and said, “No need, as long as Mr. Lin knows.”

Director Hu nodded and continued, “Because it is an adaptation based on the comic, after the news spreads, the original novel fans and comic fans may criticize the actors and production team. I hope you are aware of this.”

Su Chengyang smiled and said, “It’s okay, I’m not afraid of criticism.”

“So, um…”

Director Hu looked at Lin Yu, thinking if they could directly sign the contract since Su Chengyang’s intentions were quite clear.

In the past, Su Chengyang would definitely need to review the script beforehand, but now she needed to create value for Lin Yu. As long as he agreed, Su Chengyang could accept any script.

Lin Yu glanced at Su Chengyang and then said to Director Hu, “Let her take a look at the script first.”

Director Hu nodded, “Right, I’ll send the script to Miss Su.”

Su Chengyang opened WeChat and added contact information with Director Hu.

After receiving the script, Lin Yu asked Su Chengyang to go to the lounge and have a detailed discussion with Director Hu about the signing. If both parties felt there were no issues, they could directly sign the contract.

Su Chengyang leaned back on the couch in the lounge and opened the script Director Hu had sent. The script’s title was not yet determined and was represented by a string of code.

Su Chengyang quickly glanced through it.

The story was about a marriage-first-then-love theme. The female lead was named Xie Keyang, from a prestigious family, with a proud and arrogant personality but a soft heart. Due to her playful nature, she had not found a suitable husband at the age when she should have married. The male lead was a prince from a different surname newly appointed by the emperor. He had secretly loved the female lead since childhood, and his first task upon arriving in the capital was to have the emperor arrange their marriage.

The overall story is relatively heartwarming and light-hearted, which is a popular theme in the market in recent years.

The script doesn’t have many issues, but the character portrayal is a bit challenging. If the balance of “arrogance” isn’t handled well, it can come across as haughty and dismissive.

However, Su Chengyang has always been confident in her acting skills and believes she can handle this role.

When they returned to the office, Lin Yu and Director Hu had finished their conversation.

“How?” Lin Yu asked.

Su Chengyang nodded, “No problem.”

“Then let’s sign. The production will start in November, right after the filming of <Travel> is completed.”

After signing the contract, Assistant Xu escorted Director Hu out, leaving only Su Chengyang and Lin Yu in the office.

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1. Xiao Qian is often portrayed as a tragic and beautiful ghost who becomes entangled in a complex love story with a human protagonist. ↩︎

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“Chengyang.”

Lin Yu carried a plate to the table, on which there were sandwiches.

【I heard a man’s voice!】

【Help! It sounds so good!】

【Is it the manager?】

【He’s here too?】

【Where’s the person? I want to see. I was born to like handsome guys.】

Su Chengyang was indeed a little greedy. She looked at the scrolling comments and said, “You guys chat with Xiao Lu for a while, I’ll go eat something.”

【What can’t you eat in front of everyone?】

【Come back!】

Xiao Lu waved her hand and said, “Haven’t you seen Su Chengyang eat before? She’s afraid she’ll starve to death if she’s one second late.”

Su Chengyang walked to Lin Yu’s side and heard the words, turning around to glare at her.

Xiao Lu didn’t care and continued chatting with the comments.

“Yes, it was Boss Lin who just called her.”

“Boss Lin was in the previous few episodes, but he was too busy for the fourth episode and didn’t follow along.”

“Are they a match? Of course they are when they stand together.”

“Has Mr. Lin ever been in love? Why are you asking me this? As far as I know, he hasn’t.”

“Him and Mary? What are you thinking? Do you believe in clickbait? It’s better to say he’s with Su Chengyang than to say he’s with Mary.”

Upon hearing this, Su Chengyang paused, looked up at those around her, and saw Lin Yu sitting calmly in front of the computer, looking at the scrolling comment section.

“Ding一”

Su Chengyang’s phone, which was placed aside, rang.

Xiao Lu handed her the phone, and Su Chengyang opened it to see a message from Du Senyu saying he had completed a math test and got all the questions right. As a reward, his father allowed him to watch Su Chengyang’s livestream for an hour.

With a sandwich in her mouth, Su Chengyang typed a reply:【Don’t let it interfere with your studies.】

Du Senyu:【Okay, why isn’t sister in the livestream room?】

Su Chengyang:【I’m eating.】

After replying to his message, Su Chengyang raised her head and wanted to take the last bite. Lin Yu had somehow walked over to her side, looked at her phone, which she had not locked yet, and paused on the message she had sent out.

Lin Yu pursed his lips and calmly looked away, “Sorry, I accidentally saw it. Do you want some water?”

Su Chengyang didn’t notice his unusual behavior and shook her head.

At that moment, Du Senyu sent another message asking when she would be in the livestream room. Su Chengyang wiped her hands and replied in front of Lin Yu,【Right away.】

After sending the message, Su Chengyang intended to stand up and return to the camera, but Lin Yu didn’t move out of the way. His probing gaze lingered on Su Chengyang’s face for a moment. Su Chengyang asked in confusion, “What’s wrong?”

Lin Yu pursed his lips and lowered his gaze, “touch up your lipstick.”

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Su Chengyang replied.

After Su Chengyang finished touching up her lipstick and returned to the camera, more and more viewers joined her livestream. Xiao Lu returned to her seat, searched on Weibo and found that Su Chengyang’s livestream was trending again.

Su Chengyang had been livestreaming for nearly three hours and it was almost eleven o’clock when Du Senyu sent her a message saying that his father had told him to go to sleep and couldn’t watch anymore, but he was hiding under the covers to keep watching.

Su Chengyang wanted to reply to him and tell him to go to bed early, but the questions in the livestream room were getting more and more frequent, so she said, “It’s getting late, people who have to go to school or work tomorrow shouldn’t watch anymore, go to bed early.”

【Wuwuwu, no, I don’t want to.】

【I don’t want to go to class, I want to chat with my sister.】

【I don’t want to go to work! I don’t want to see my stupid boss.】

【Can those who don’t have to go to class or work keep chatting with sister?】

Su Chengyang laughed, “Of course not, I still have to go to work tomorrow.”

【Don’t laugh, Sister, I can’t take it.】

【Su Chengyang, you look so cute when you laugh.】

【Sister supermarket me, I beg you.】

【Hey, the girl upstairs, you flicked your pants at my face.】

At this moment, Du Senyu sent a message with a very cute emoji:【I got it, I’m going to sleep now, thanks, Sister.】

Su Chengyang breathed a sigh of relief, feeling like she was actually soothing her younger brother to sleep.

She smiled again and looked up at the screen, only to catch a glimpse of Lin Yu staring at her intently from not too far away.

She was puzzled and looked over, but Lin Yu shifted his gaze away from the room.

What’s wrong?

Su Chengyang was a little confused.

After greeting her fans, Su Chengyang ended the livestream at eleven o’clock.

Since Lin Yu left the room, he had not come back in.

Su Chengyang thought back to the way he had looked at her and felt a little uneasy. Had she accidentally said something to upset him?

Su Chengyang didn’t help Xiao Lu and Assistant Xu tidy up the room and turned to leave.

She looked around upstairs but didn’t see Lin Yu’s figure.

Walking down to the lobby, she found Lin Yu sitting on the sofa, staring blankly at the sunflowers in the vase.

Su Chengyang unconsciously slowed down her steps, afraid of disturbing him.

As she approached, Lin Yu turned to look at her as she asked, “Is it over?”

Su Chengyang nodded, and seeing nothing unusual about him, she felt a little skeptical. Had she misread his expression earlier when he left the room looking unhappy?

“Get some rest early, there’s work tomorrow. I heated up half a cup of milk for you, drink it before sleeping,” said Lin Yu.

Su Chengyang breathed a sigh of relief without showing it, “Okay, I got it. Brother Lin, you should also go back to rest early.”

Lin Yu nodded, but his body didn’t move.

Thinking that Lin Yu still had something to explain, Su Chengyang didn’t rush him.

After a long silence, Lin Yu finally spoke up. “Chengyang.”

“Hmm?” Su Chengyang looked at him confused.

Lin Yu struggled a bit, then hesitated.

To be honest, he felt a bit uncomfortable when he saw Chengyang chatting with Du Senyu.

He thought it was unreasonable, it was just a conversation. What right did he have to feel uncomfortable?

But when Chengyang said that one sentence in the livestreaming room, telling fans who were attending classes or work to rest early, although it was just an ordinary reminder, he couldn’t help feeling that she was interacting with Du Senyu, interacting with only one person in front of all the viewers in the livestreaming room.

Realizing this possibility, he suddenly felt breathless.

Maybe it was because of what Lu Yin said during the day, Chengyang showed some resistance to the fact that he “liked” her. And by exchanging contact information with the guest and Du Senyu, maybe, just as Lu Yin said, Chengyang preferred boys her age.

Although he didn’t want to admit it, at that moment, he did feel the sense of imbalance caused by age, and the insecurity that Chengyang might not like him.

So when Chengyang looked over, he was afraid of being discovered, and left the room in a hurry.

He believed that no matter what emotions he had towards Chengyang, it was his own business. He didn’t want his emotions to affect her.

Because liking someone is only his own business. If Cheng Yang also likes him, then it’s their own business.

However, if he has to give up, or watch Su Chengyang like someone else, he feels unwilling to do so.

After struggling for a moment, Lin Yu finally spoke up, “If you have to choose a partner, would you prefer someone older or someone around your age?”

His question left Su Chengyang stunned.

Su Chengyang stared at him, hoping to read something from his face.

But Su Chengyang wasn’t sure what he really wanted to know.

Maybe he just wanted to confirm something.

For a full five seconds, except for Lin Yu’s serious face, Su Chengyang couldn’t read anything.

“Manager Lin, is this question related to work?”

Su Chengyang couldn’t think of any other reason why Lin Yu would ask her this question.

Lin Yu’s eyes swept across Su Chengyang’s face and he couldn’t look her in the eye, so he just glanced over and said in an ambiguous tone, “Sort of.”

Su Chengyang didn’t suspect anything and nodded, “If it’s a character in a play, from my perspective, age is not a determining factor. I like a person, and what attracts me is not their age.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Yu’s eyes glazed over for a moment, as if he understood something but not really.

Su Chengyang said that age is not a determining factor, so the conclusion that Lu Yin reached earlier cannot hold.

“I understand now.” Lin Yu’s expression looked much more relaxed.

Su Chengyang looked at him confusedly, “What do you understand?”

Lin Yu smiled at her and said, “So you can take on any role, right?”

Su Chengyang: “…”

Why did she feel like she and Lin Yu weren’t talking about the same thing?

After giving instructions to Su Chengyang, Lin Yu got up and left.

Because it was late at night, Assistant Xu stayed overnight at Lin Yu’s nearby home.

After finishing her washing up, Su Chengyang lay back in bed and couldn’t figure out what Lin Yu really meant. Was it possible that she was overthinking things?

Unconsciously, Su Chengyang fell asleep. The next morning, when she woke up, Lin Yu was already at their door with their breakfast.

As usual, Lin Yu put the breakfast in bowls on the table, changed the flowers in the vase, and left for work.

Before leaving, he told Su Chengyang and Xiao Lu that they were going to take a promotional photos for <Sludge> today, and that Director Wang would probably invite them to dinner in the evening. He wouldn’t be able to make it for dinner, but he would come to pick them up later.

After Su Chengyang and Xiao Lu agreed, he drove off to the company.

Last night’s seven million fans benefit successfully kept Su Chengyang on the trending list for several hours, and her Weibo followers increased significantly. In just one night, it was approaching eight million.

Weibo also established a super topic for Su Chengyang. Her big fans compiled a timeline of all the things Su Chengyang had experienced since her debut, including her travel schedules in great detail. They even listed every second and minute of her appearances in <Travel>.

Anyone who reads it can tell that they are true fans.

After breakfast, Xiao Lu drove Su Chengyang to the location where they were going to shoot the posters for <Sludge>.

When Director Wang saw Su Chengyang, he smiled broadly and greeted her, “Miss Su!”

He approached and stretched out his right hand to Su Chengyang. Su Chengyang was startled by his enthusiastic attitude and slowly shook his hand.

“Long time no see, Long time no see!” He grabbed Su Chengyang’s hand and shook it hard twice.

Su Chengyang smiled and withdrew her hand, “Long time no see, Director. Where are the others?”

This time, for the shooting of the movie poster, there were group photos and individual photos of the actors, so they waited until Su Chengyang arrived before calling the other actors together.

“They’re all here. Miss Su, you can go and get ready first.”

“Okay.”

Because of Su Chengyang’s and Tian Rong’s scandal, the crew of <Sludge> not only received free publicity, but also garnered attention even before the release of the movie.

Director Wang felt that Su Chengyang was the lucky star of their crew! Everything got better with her around. Judging by his attitude towards her, he didn’t seem like a director dealing with an actor, but more like a director dealing with a wealthy investor. His eyes were so narrow with a smile.

Su Chengyang was taken to the makeup room where the staff had prepared several outfits for her to change into for the photo shoot.

During her makeup process, Xiao Lu played on her phone, chatting with Su Chengyang occasionally.

After finishing her makeup, the makeup artist asked Su Chengyang to rest for a few minutes. A staff member would take her for the photo shoot soon.

While waiting, Su Chengyang took out her phone and scrolled through her messages.

The WeChat group chat for <Travel> was very quiet. She clicked on it and saw that the chat stopped at last night when Han Songxue mentioned her manager had gotten her a lot of work.

After the third episode of the show aired, everyone’s popularity increased to a certain degree online. They were constantly receiving endorsements and event invitations, so they all became busy after the show.

Su Chengyang suddenly had the feeling that everyone’s lives were back on track.

Shortly after, the staff asked Su Chengyang to take a photo for the poster.

By the time she got there, the other actors had already taken their positions.

There were eight actors in total, and Su Chengyang had only met Xu Hao before. She greeted the others with a smile and was led by the staff to stand next to Xu Hao.

“Long time no see,” Xu Hao smiled and greeted her.

Su Chengyang was surprised and asked, “Am I standing here for the photo? Shouldn’t it be…”

Xu Hao is the male lead of this movie, and the one who should stand with him in the center position is the female lead.

Looking around, Su Chengyang noticed a girl with an unpleasant expression standing on her left.

When the girl noticed Su Chengyang looking at her, she forced a stiff smile and remained silent.

Su Chengyang then realized that she was supposed to stand where the other girl was standing. However, since it was the director’s decision, she didn’t say anything. She didn’t pay much attention to the position she stood in anyway, so she cooperated and started taking the photos.

But the photoshoot was not going smoothly. There were always some problems, either with the lighting or the positioning. The female actor on Su Chengyang’s left seemed unhappy with losing her position and kept making mistakes at critical moments. She even intentionally bumped into Su Chengyang several times and got her skirt dirty.

At first, Su Chengyang didn’t mind, but as the girl continued to make mistakes and dirty her clothes, Su Chengyang couldn’t help but frown and stare at her. The female actor, however, remained cold and didn’t look at her.

Su Chengyang thought of herself as a patient person with a relatively calm personality. But when she couldn’t take it anymore, she lowered her voice and said, “If you’re not happy with your position, you can talk to the director.”

The female actor looked up at her with a hint of resentment in her eyes, “Do you think I haven’t talked to him?” she said.

“In that case, there’s nothing more to say. I can bring you more publicity. In the current online context, if I don’t stand here, whoever stands here will be criticized when the poster is released. Besides, standing in a certain position in a poster doesn’t mean anything,” Su Chengyang said.

The actress pursed her red lips. She certainly knew that Su Chengyang was right, but… she just couldn’t accept it. She had been overshadowed, and Director Wang had even decided on the big finale because Su Chengyang played the role of Yun Xiaoxi.

Despite her dissatisfaction, the actress calmed down a bit after Su Chengyang’s words and didn’t continue to cause trouble.

Even so, taking a group photo still took nearly two hours.

At noon, the director ordered boxed meals for them. In the afternoon, they would take individual posters, and after that, they would go out for dinner.

Shortly after lunch, the photographer began to take promotional posters for each of them.

Su Chengyang was the last one. While waiting, she was lured by Xiao Lu to play a few rounds of tower defense games.

Xiao Lu played quite well so Su Chengyang followed her as a support, but Su Chengyang didn’t even understand the rules of the game.

“Wait for the soldiers to enter the tower! Let the soldiers enter the tower first! Haven’t you noticed that the opposing defense tower has been attacking you all the time?”

Looking at the grayed-out screen, Su Chengyang muttered, “I don’t know how to play.”

“That’s why I asked you to follow me. Why are you running around?”

“But I need to kill soldiers to earn money to buy things.”

Without mentioning buying things, Xiao Lu almost fainted when she saw Su Chengyang’s equipment: “What did you buy?”

Su Chengyang looked at her equipment list with various colored gems underneath and felt wronged: “Didn’t you tell me to buy gems?”

Xiao Lu looked at the gems of various colors under her equipment list and fell into silence for a moment.

“Forget it, you should play ‘Orphan Road¹‘ in the next game.”

Starting from the second round, Su Chengyang followed the advice and did nothing but clear the minion waves.

The enemy pushed both other lanes to the high ground, while Su Chengyang diligently cleared the top lane minions, only knowing how to use basic attacks and not even using skills.

Xiao Lu had completely given up on her and never paid attention to her. Later, Su Chengyang found some joy in clearing the minion waves, but then the crystal at their base was destroyed. Su Chengyang looked confused and said, “What’s going on? How did we lose?”

Xiao Lu laughed uncontrollably and said, “We’re in a fierce battle over here, while you’re focused on farming in the top lane. If the end of the world came, you’d be one of the last people alive.”

After being mocked by her, Su Chengyang closed her phone and said stubbornly, “I’m not playing anymore.”

Even Xiao Lu didn’t want to play anymore and said, “Okay, let’s switch to another game.”

“What game?” Su Chengyang asked curiously, having just found some enjoyment in the game.

“A shooting game, I’ll download it for you,” Xiao Lu said.

When Xu Hao came back after finishing the poster, he saw Su Chengyang and Xiao Lu playing games in the lounge.

“Someone’s attacking me! Xiao Lu, help me!” Su Chengyang panicked.

“Wait a minute, what number are you?” Xiao Lu asked.

“Number four.”

“Number four? How did you end up in the military base? I’m still in the mountain ruins and can’t fly over there.”

Before Su Chengyang could respond, she was knocked down.

“Help! Help! There are so many people attacking me!”

“I’m dead!”

Xiao Lu said helplessly, “I don’t really know how to play this game either.”

Su Chengyang lifted her head in despair. She had already died three times and couldn’t even pick up a gun.

Xu Hao found it a bit funny. He walked into the lounge with his long legs and asked the two of them with his phone, “Do you mind if one more person joins? I’m pretty good at this game.”

Su Chengyang nodded eagerly, “Come on, come on.”

Coincidentally, a female actress passed by the door, and the three of them called her over to play the game together.

Unexpectedly, the actress was quite good at the game and teamed up with Xu Hao to carry the other two players.

Su Chengyang had never played games before but was now hooked. After they finished taking photos for the poster and went to dinner, she couldn’t stop thinking about the game. When everyone was almost done eating and chatting in the private room, Su Chengyang called on the three of them to continue playing.

When Lin Yu rushed over after finishing his work, he found Director Wang and the others casually chatting and dreaming of a better future on one side of the private room. On the other side, Su Chengyang and the other three were huddled together like children brought to a dinner party by their parents, playing games with great joy.

“Haozi, save me!” Su Chengyang suddenly shouted, with a look of horror on her face, as if her body was also exerting force.

Seeing such a vivid expression on her face, Lin Yu felt a slight itch in his heart that he couldn’t describe.

Someone had told him before that people like him didn’t easily get moved, but once their hearts were touched, their feelings would be like a floodgate that couldn’t be stopped.

It’s over.

He really wanted to turn Su Chengyang into his own collection.

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1. 孤儿路 (Gū’ér lù) is a term used in Chinese online gaming communities to describe a situation where a player is playing alone and without any support from their teammates. It can be a difficult and challenging experience as the player has to face the opposing team alone and may not be able to complete objectives as easily as if they had teammates to support them. ↩︎

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