Shen Dang filled a glass with vodka and tossed his head back to down the alcohol, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down.
He set the glass back on the bar with a crisp "thud."
The more he drank, the more sober he became.
Shen Dang leaned on the bar, his hand resting on his chin, his dark eyes staring deeply at the myriad lights of Hai City through the floor-to-ceiling windows, his entire being sinking into stillness.
He lowered his gaze, his lashes casting a shadow that hid the light in his eyes.
He had thought it would be simple at first.
But in the end, it was he who had been too simplistic.
Even though he held power and wealth, when it came to dealing with Qiao Xi, he was completely unsure.
Shen Dang hung his head, the lighting casting a faintly desolate solitude over him, and he let out a self-mocking chuckle.
That’s why you shouldn’t be too arrogant; there will always come a day of regret.
It’s not that retribution doesn’t come, it’s just not the time yet.
When Qiao Xi woke up the next day, she felt a bit dizzy.
She turned her head to see Su Tutu lying beside her, and suddenly she remembered fragments of the previous night. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on novᴇl(ꜰ)ire.ɴet
She and Su Tutu had kept drinking until they got drunk; then the two of them laughed and messed around, spouting nonsense, but what exactly they said, she couldn’t remember now. They acted crazy, and in the end, they completely blacked out.
She had never been this wild before.
Seeing that Su Tutu was still sleeping, Qiao Xi didn’t wake her and went to the bathroom to freshen up instead.
She smelled of alcohol and took a bath as well.
By the time she came out, Su Tutu was sitting on the bed, looking dazed, rubbing her eyes when she saw her.
Su Tutu listlessly hugged a pillow, "Xixi, how did I end up sleeping here?"
"Drunk, what else?" Qiao Xi responded.
Su Tutu moaned and lay back down on the bed, then suddenly sat up with a jolt, "I need to call Brother Chao."
She turned on her phone only to find that it was out of battery.
She looked at Qiao Xi, her large eyes shimmering, "Sister, lend me your phone."
Qiao Xi handed her the phone.
Su Tutu used Qiao Xi’s phone to call Sheng Chao, her voice instantly turning vulnerable, "Wuwu, hubby, I got drunk last night; come pick me up at Xixi’s home..."
"I’m outside Xixi’s apartment complex," Sheng Chao’s voice was calm.
He didn’t have work today, or rather, he had rescheduled his work for the afternoon, arriving early to pick up his wife.
He was waiting for a call from Su Tutu.
Su Tutu’s eyes and brows naturally relaxed, her face breaking into a smile. Getting off the bed she said, "I’ll come down right away, wait for me, okay?"
"No rush, take your time."
Sheng Chao heard the rustling noises from her side, his tone carrying warmth.
Su Tutu cheerfully said to Qiao Xi, "Xixi, Brother Chao is downstairs waiting for me, I’m off first."
Qiao Xi smiled, "Go ahead."
As Su Tutu stepped out, she saw the messy living room and scratched her head, "You’ll have to clean this up yourself."
Qiao Xi waved her off, "I know, just go."
Watching Su Tutu head off happily towards her beloved, Qiao Xi couldn’t help feeling sentimental.
Even Queen Su could transform into a demure woman in front of her husband – that’s love.
And the love of others always moves the heart.
Qiao Xi used to think that love would never happen to her.
So when Shen Dang expressed his feelings for her, her perception of the situation included uncertainty and a desire to retreat.
Love can make one brave but also fearful.
A few days later, Qiao Xi and Su Tutu set off for North City to start their promotional tour.
That evening, Qiao Xi, Su Tutu, and Qin Mo went live on Weibo.
Close to the premiere of "Blossoms Old Dreams," some stills of Qiao Xi had been uploaded to the internet and had received much praise.
A netizen commented that she had given the traditional cheongsam her own flair, unmatched by anyone else in the entertainment industry so far.
In the photos, Qiao Xi looked stunning, her celestial beauty hardly seeming real.
All the praise was about her appearance, as everyone eagerly awaited the release of "Blossoms Old Dreams."
The live stream lasted an hour and a half.
When it ended, Qiao Xi felt hungry.
Su Tutu and Qiao Xi tended to stay together during the promotional tours.
Qiao Xi stretched lazily on the sofa and looked at Su Tutu, "Tutu, want to go out for something to eat?"
"Sure, I’m hungry too," Su Tutu raised an eyebrow, "Should we ask Qin Mo to join?"
While they were looking for a place to eat, Tang Honghe had already sent screenshots of Qiao Xi’s live broadcast to Shen Dang.
[Tang Honghe: I heard sister-in-law is promoting in North City, see this guy with sister-in-law on the live stream? The future movie emperor from Brother Chao’s company, they just finished streaming not long ago.]
When Shen Dang received this message, he again felt an impulse to block Tang Honghe.
But he restrained himself.
Shen Dang typed out a message, but before he could send it, he deleted it and instead called Qiao Xi.
Just as Qiao Xi and the others had found a late-night food stall and sat down, Shen Dang’s call came through.
She hesitated, but picked up anyway, "Hello?"
His voice was low and casual, a tone familiar to Qiao Xi.
"Where are you then?" asked Shen Dang, knowing full well her itinerary but still asking deliberately.
"Out of town, on a promotional tour," Qiao Xi answered succinctly, then added, "Do you need something?"
"When are you coming back?" Shen Dang countered.
Qiao Xi paused, "Tomorrow, I guess."
Teacher Qiao shouldn’t be lying to him.
A lazy, faint smile played at the corners of Shen Dang’s lips, "I’ll pick you up at the airport."
Shen Dang knew she would refuse, "Aren’t we friends? Aren’t you even willing to do that much with me?"
Qiao Xi inexplicably sensed a tone that suggested he was pleading with her.
This realization made her feel somewhat oppressed.
"No, that’s not it," she said.
Shen Dang smiled imperceptibly, "Good, then it’s settled. I’ll pick you up tomorrow. That’s all, goodbye."
Before Qiao Xi could say anything else, Shen Dang hung up, not giving her the chance to refuse.
"Boss Shen’s call?" Su Tutu looked at Qiao Xi with an insinuating gaze, "What did he say to you?"
Qiao Xi glanced up, "He said he will come to the airport to pick me up tomorrow."
Boss Shen was doing better than before.
Good, one day he might win over her sister’s heart.
After placing their orders, Qin Mo arrived and took a seat, "Our next promotional stop is in Yong City."
They had been to several places in the country for promotions; there were still a few stops to go after Yong City.
And there was also a celebrity meet-and-greet coming up, set in Hai City.
Su Tutu stretched and sighed, "It’s not easy."
Qiao Xi smiled at her, "Nothing in this world is easy."
Qin Mo turned to Qiao Xi, his voice as gentle as a trickling stream, "Qiao Xi, when will you join the crew again?"