Mr. Ren had never spoken to his wife about how much he admired his own father. Although there were many in Hua Country who revered Ren Bonian, Mr. Ren’s admiration was the most pure. It was devoid of familial connections, hierarchical relations, and stemmed solely from heartfelt, man-to-man respect.
Thus, when Mr. Ren saw Ren Bonian at that moment, the shock that filled his heart was indescribable. After Ren Bonian finished his evaluation of Xia You, he rolled down the car window.
From Ren Mansion to Ren Bonian’s sanatorium required passing a stretch of highway. Speeding cars and the noisy rush of air caused Ren Bonian to cough repeatedly. His tall yet gradually thinning frame sank into the car seat, coughing intermittently. The personal caregiver intended to close the window, but Ren Bonian stopped him. Staring out at the night scenery, he said profoundly, "Gone with the wind, can all the past simply vanish with it? What needs to return, will still return."
Ren Bonian knew that sooner or later, Ding Ling inhabiting Xia You’s body would awaken. And now he was old; all he could do for Ren Mansion was to keep them as far away as possible from the storm caused by Xia You.
"While Minghang and that girl’s relationship is not deep, let’s cut it off early," Ren Bonian declared decisively. "Sorry, Ding, since you had agreed to make the sacrifice and carry everything back then, you should no longer appear before the world."
At eleven fifty, Red Stone Gymnasium was packed. The platform was also crowded. Mo Xixi dragged Xia You along, and their makeup successfully scared off a group of innocent young fans.
An hour spent trying to get drunk led to encounters with several pot-bellied, middle-aged men trying to deceive young girls. With no romantic interest, Mo Xixi, upon Xia You’s suggestion, stayed in her little car and completed the rest of her makeup.
While touching up Mo Xixi’s makeup, Xia You’s expert makeup skills elicited praise from Mo Xixi once again. "I think you shouldn’t be a soldier in Rand anymore; become a makeup artist for celebrities instead," Mo Xixi became even more convinced of this idea after learning that Xia You had never touched makeup before. Had she not known that Xia You had been bedridden before returning to the country, she would not have believed it.
"If things really don’t work out in Rand, I might consider changing careers," Xia You felt a premonition that tonight’s encounter with Ren Bonian would not bring her a promotion. If Minghang still hadn’t given up on their relationship, she might directly face suppression from Ren Bonian’s old followers.
"How could that be? You just made a meritorious deed; it’s better to stay in the military, a secure job," Mo Xixi handed the makeup tools to Xia You, who was now enjoying having her makeup done just moments earlier but now wanted to watch and perhaps learn a thing or two.
Xia You didn’t apply too much makeup to her face. She chose a fluorescent purple powder, gently tapped it onto her cheeks a few times, then picked up a diamond-colored eyeliner pen. Recalling the contours of the Phoenix Tail Butterfly on her chest, she quickly sketched it out.
Mo Xixi, after pushing through the mountain of people, was sweating profusely. Her heavy makeup was also smudged. While pulling out tools to touch up her makeup, she envied Xia You’s foresight. The butterfly on her cheeks significantly transformed Xia You from an innocent girl next door to a somewhat enchanting nightclub lady.
Red Stone Stadium was an open-air gymnasium that could accommodate thousands of people. Initially built for soccer matches, its function gradually changed due to the poor performance of the Hua Country men’s soccer team, and it became a designated venue for concerts or exhibitions.
Only extremely popular singers in Hua Country could hold concerts here. The meteoric rise of "Death Track" in recent years limited their choices of concert venues. After numerous adjustments by the organizers, the concert venue was finally settled.
The concert intended for ten thousand attendees was ticketed online, but eventually, thirteen thousand people entered the gymnasium—three thousand more than expected. This was not because the organizers were greedy for ticket money but rather a compromise. The advantage of online ticketing is equal opportunity, but the downside is excessively equal opportunity, leading to system crash after all tickets were sold, extending sales by ten minutes.