Chapter 78: Then What Do You Like About Me?
Another plum rain season had quietly arrived in Haicheng.
The humid and stuffy air was like a warm, wet cloth, gently wiping every corner of the city. The air was filled with a thick moisture, and with every breath, you could feel it rush into your nasal cavity, sticking to your throat and lungs.
The wind was also lazy, only occasionally teasing the leaves, making a light rustling sound.
The fine rain was like silk, like smoke, like a wisp, barely there.
At eight o’clock on Saturday night, Huai Xing was holding an umbrella outside the theater, waiting for Lu Zhenyue.
It had been a week since she had returned to Haicheng from the sunny Yuncheng. She still didn’t like this kind of weather and would stay indoors if she could, but today she had no choice.
Today, Lu Xianyue and Wen Shiwei were going to announce a well-known secret. She had been ordered to come to the theater to pick up Lu Zhenyue, and then meet up with Lu Xianyue and Wen Shiwei.
The performance of “Mist” in Haicheng had started on the Dragon Boat Festival and had been rehearsing here for a month.
Now that the festival was over, the schedule was not so tight, and it had returned to the original frequency of three or four times a week.
Before long, the performance was over, and the audience left one by one.
Huai Xing stood at a relatively marginal position, her gaze on the main entrance. Her phone rang at this moment. She glanced at the caller ID and answered.
Lu Zhenyue asked with a smile, “Which direction are you in, Xiao Xing?”
“To the right of the main entrance, next to the bulletin board.”
“Okay, I’m coming.”
Just as Huai Xing was about to hang up, she heard Lu Zhenyue say, “Don’t hang up yet, in case I can’t find you later.” But the next second after she had just finished speaking, Lu Zhenyue’s smiling voice sounded again. “Okay, I see you.”
After the call ended, Huai Xing looked at the new WeChat notification on her phone screen and did not unlock it immediately.
She saw Lu Zhenyue, wearing a mask and a red dress, walking towards her. She was not holding an umbrella. She quickly stepped forward and shared an umbrella with Lu Zhenyue.
“Why didn’t you bring an umbrella, Sister Suisui?” Huai Xing asked.
Lu Zhenyue raised an eyebrow and said in a light and cheerful tone, “If I had brought an umbrella, I wouldn’t be under the same umbrella as you. Besides, this rain is not that heavy. It’s okay to get a little wet.”
Huai Xing said seriously, “But it might cause a cold.”
“Alright, actually, I forgot,” Lu Zhenyue said, hooking her right arm around Huai Xing’s shoulder. “Let’s go. Let’s get in the car. I’ll do my makeup in the car in a while.”
Huai Xing nodded and walked to the side of the road with her.
Uncle Tai came to open the car door for them, and they both sat in the back seat.
When the car drove forward, Lu Zhenyue also opened her makeup bag, and Huai Xing held a light for her at the side.
The makeup for the performance was relatively heavy and not suitable for tonight’s occasion. Lu Zhenyue didn’t want to make Huai Xing wait too long, so she just took off her makeup and changed her clothes before coming out.
But she would certainly not go to see Lu Xianyue and Wen Shiwei with a bare face. Today was a new identity, after all.
“I’ve watched Xianyue grow up,” Lu Zhenyue said, recalling as she looked in the mirror, a little wistful for a moment. “She’s always been not very confident, feeling that she’s inferior to me in all aspects. So she studied desperately during her school days and received many love letters and confessions, all of which she rejected. There was not a single sign of puppy love. She said that these things would affect her progress.”
“Later, when she was in her third year of high school, I went to her parent-teacher conference. An uncle came to me and told me to teach my little sister a lesson. His own son’s heart was all on her, and he couldn’t study well, and his grades had dropped severely.”
“It’s not Xianyue’s problem.”
“That’s right. What does it have to do with my sister?” Lu Zhenyue’s lips twitched in a sneer. “I just pulled that uncle out in front of the whole class and told him that if he wanted Xianyue to take the blame for this unfounded accusation, he shouldn’t even think about it, and that he should keep his tail between his legs in the future. After the parent-teacher conference, I asked Xianyue if she knew about this, and she said that she was focused on her studies and didn’t know.”
The car was moving forward steadily, and the memories were churning in the car. Lu Zhenyue sprayed herself with a setting spray.
When she was done, she turned her head to look at Huai Xing, who was seriously holding the light for her, and smiled. “I’m telling you this because I’m still a little dazed. The little sister I’ve watched grow up since she was a child, I thought she might never be involved in this aspect in her life, but now…” Her long lashes fluttered. “There’s another woman by her side.”
Huai Xing met her gaze and said very seriously, “Sister Shiwei is a very good person, and Xianyue is also a very good person.”
“They’re a good match, right?”
“Yes,” Huai Xing said, suddenly asking, “Sister Suisui, did you choose to be a theater actress for this reason too?”
“What?”
“She’s been chasing after you, and you don’t want to put too much pressure on her.”
Lu Zhenyue stared at Huai Xing’s face. When the setting spray on her face was almost dry, she finally answered with a chuckle, “That’s part of the reason, but not all of it. I like the stage of the theater, and I like everyone’s eyes on me.” She then looked at the mirror and sighed deeply at her reflection. “Thinking about it this way, it’s also good that Wen Shiwei is with Xianyue. At least when Xianyue is with her, she doesn’t have to be so tense all the time and looks very relaxed.”
They chatted all the way, and half an hour later, they finally arrived at their destination.
The night was as dark as ink. The meeting place that Wen Shiwei had booked was a high-end Western restaurant.
The restaurant was on a high floor of a building. There was a terrace, but it was covered because of the light rain, but it was still beautiful.
The lighting was very particular and had a great atmosphere.
There were many fresh flowers around, and there were musicians playing in the corner. You could also overlook the brightly lit night view of the city from here.
The umbrella was carefully put away by the waiter, and Huai Xing and Lu Zhenyue walked towards the terrace.
On the way, Huai Xing’s phone screen lit up again. She slightly avoided Lu Zhenyue, unlocked it, and opened WeChat.
As expected, it was still a message from Chu Wantang, still a check-in with a water photo like a robot.
In the past week, every time Chu Wantang drank a glass of water, she would send her a selfie like before. The simple water glass photos were a thing of the past.
At the end, she would also add a note, “Please check.”
Check what? Check your beauty?
Huai Xing complained in her heart, but she would also cooperate and reply with a “1,” indicating that she knew.
There was no way around it. They were friends now. She would not be enthusiastic, nor should she be too cold.
But it was completely undeniable that Chu Wantang was very beautiful. In the photos she had received this week, Chu Wantang was sometimes in formal work clothes, sometimes in the simplest T-shirt, and sometimes in a slip that showed a little more…
But no matter what she wore, her face, as the core, had not changed at all. She was effortlessly beautiful and very stable.
And tonight, Chu Wantang had sent a message half an hour ago, and she had not responded.
Now Chu Wantang had sent another one, with a hint of urgency.
There was someone beside her, so Huai Xing did not open the picture, but she could also see that Chu Wantang was at a social engagement. The combination of her earrings, necklace, hair, and dress was very obvious, and she was holding a glass of champagne, which could be seen at a glance.
She silently replied with a “1,” locked her screen neatly, and for a moment, she couldn’t tell who was more of a robot, her or Chu Wantang.
“I’m a little nervous,” Lu Zhenyue said at the side, seeking Huai Xing’s opinion. “Can I hold your hand, Xiao Xing?”
Huai Xing’s thoughts were pulled back, and she was stunned for a moment. “Hmm?”
“This is meeting the parents… and I’m still that parent…”
Huai Xing very generously gave her wrist. “Sister Suisui can hold my wrist.”
Lu Zhenyue looked at her clenched fist, a deep smile on her lips.
She still held her wrist very cooperatively and said, “Thank you, Xiao Xing.”
Huai Xing’s eyes curved slightly. “You’re welcome.”
…
Chu Wantang was attending a private event of a major foreign brand. This private event was very high-end, and the venue was decorated very mysteriously. There was also a piano performance on site. On the curved display stand, twenty haute couture gowns were like sleeping works of art. The brand director, in a black suit, even had to wear white gloves when he touched the evening gowns.
After going through the process and looking at these haute couture clothes, Chu Wantang returned to her soft-backed chair and sat down. She took a sip of the champagne on the table, swirled it, and then tilted her head back slightly, her throat rolling gracefully as she took a sip.
She then took a selfie of herself like this. She didn’t even need to choose an angle. One was enough. She then sent it to Huai Xing as she had for the past week, waiting for Huai Xing’s reply.
Five years ago, as the director of “Lan Ling’s” design department, she had been highly anticipated. Now, as the vice president of “Lan Ling,” she was the center of attention for most of the people tonight.
Even when she was drinking champagne, many people’s eyes were on her.
But all her thoughts were on Huai Xing in Haicheng.
Just now was the second message she had sent to Huai Xing tonight. This time, the person on the other end had finally replied with an expected “1.”
But had Huai Xing not noticed? What she was drinking tonight was not water, but champagne.
Huai Xing had not asked much, and the “1” was just a formality.
Realizing this, and then thinking of her and Huai Xing being in different places, her brows couldn’t help but furrow, and the pressure around her also silently lowered.
A peer came over to chat with her, and only then did she compose herself and put on her gentle mask.
Before long, the brand director in charge of tonight’s private event came over and sat down next to her. The crisp sound of champagne glasses clinking sounded, and the brand director threw out an olive branch without any reservation. “Violetta, I’m here with a mission this time. I hope you can consider our company…”
“I’m sorry, Alice,” Chu Wantang said with an apologetic smile. “‘Lan Ling’ is very good. I’m not planning to go anywhere else.”
Alice: “Why?” She was a little puzzled. “With your ability, I think you’re more suitable for the international stage. ‘Lan Ling’ is only competing for the first place in womenswear in the country.”
“Don’t worry, Alice. ‘Lan Ling’ is already prepared to go international. I’ll personally handle everything in the future.”
Alice was stunned for a moment, then she smiled and pushed her glass forward again, clinking it with Chu Wantang’s and changing the subject. “How do you feel about this private event tonight?”
“These gowns are very well-designed and in line with your company’s style. The design concept has also been very rewarding for me,” Chu Wantang said, the bubbles in the glass shattering into fine stars on the wall of the glass. She looked at the display area and said leisurely, “But there are three sets that look… not finished? Some details are missing a lot.”
Alice: “They’re gowns for a client. They’re needed in mid-June, so we’re a little short on time. Our designers have been working overtime recently.” She said in a deep voice, “We brought these three gowns out today to see what everyone thinks, what’s missing.”
“Perhaps, you can intersperse gold thread in the middle. That way, it will create a flowing halo when you walk.”
“…” Alice’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Violetta, can you really not come to our company?”
Chu Wantang did not answer and could only smile faintly and clink glasses with her again.
Alice couldn’t sit still and soon left.
As soon as she left, the smile on Chu Wantang’s face fell. She looked at the still-empty chat box, let out a deep breath, thought for a moment, and switched to Weibo.
…Lu Zhenyue had updated her post.
It was a food photo. There was exquisite food on the table, and a few pairs of hands holding knives and forks were also in the shot. And the owner of the hand on the left of the camera, Chu Wantang knew.
How could she not know? This hand had caressed every part of her body, this hand had been intertwined with hers, and this hand had made her reach the peak.
Besides, Lu Zhenyue’s Weibo IP was still in Haicheng. You didn’t have to guess to know who was sitting next to her.
Chu Wantang’s brow twitched, and her lips were also pressed together tightly.
She still didn’t like Huai Xing being so close to Lu Zhenyue, but now that Lu Zhenyue was performing in Haicheng, what could she do?
CEO Mei had been kind to her, and she had also participated in the growth of “Lan Ling” to its current state. She could not just give up.
She poured herself another glass of champagne. The bubbles sticking to the wall of the glass also rose in her heart at the same time.
It was all bitterness.
Lu Xianyue and Wen Shiwei had gotten together on the night of May 31st, after they had met Wen Shiwei’s high school classmates.
At this dinner, they did not deliberately show their affection, but simply and solemnly told Huai Xing and Lu Zhenyue about it.
Lu Zhenyue, as Lu Xianyue’s older sister, was filled with emotion and her eyes even reddened.
Originally, she didn’t drink much to protect her throat, but tonight she had a rare two glasses of red wine and told Wen Shiwei several times to treat her little sister well.
Wen Shiwei: “Mm.”
At around ten-thirty, tonight’s “meeting the parents” was over. The group of four got in the car and gave the apartment address.
There were still some things they hadn’t finished talking about, so they would continue to talk when they got home.
Huai Xing was sitting in the passenger seat. When she turned her head, she could see the three people in the back seat.
Lu Xianyue was sitting in the middle, with her girlfriend on the left and her older sister on the right. She was holding their hands with teary eyes.
This scene was both funny and cute. Huai Xing took out her phone and took a picture as a memento.
So happy, Lu Xianyue.
A happiness that made her a little envious.
Just as that thought arose, the screen turned to the caller ID. She pressed her lips together, not wanting to answer at this moment.
She hesitated for a few seconds and hung up.
The next second, a WeChat message came through.
This time it was not a photo of Chu Wantang drinking water, but a few seconds of a voice message.
Huai Xing, thinking that the three people in the back seat were not very clear-headed, put the receiver to her ear.
Chu Wantang: “I’m reporting you. I’m reporting you for not checking carefully tonight. What I was drinking was clearly not warm water.”
Why did this person sound a little drunk?
[How much did you drink?] Huai Xing couldn’t help but ask, her attention diverted.
Chu Wantang sent another voice message. “Just a few glasses of champagne.”
Huai Xing then quoted her previous voice message: [The report is not valid. I just don’t like you drinking iced coffee or cold drinks.]
[Then what do you like about me?] This time, Chu Wantang sent a text.
Perhaps realizing that her current identity was inappropriate, she then withdrew the message.
She replied again: [Okay, then does that mean I can have another drink when I get home?]
Huai Xing looked at the system prompt for the withdrawn message and was silent for a few seconds.
In the end, she still helplessly called her. She opened the car window and said softly, “Be good. Don’t drink anymore.”
She would still worry about the feeling of Chu Wantang drinking too much at home alone and having no one to take care of her.
It was really desperate.
