Chapter 12
Secretary Wen hadn't expected Xiang Qingwei to come out so soon, and he hastily set down the coffee, stood up, and walked over, silently asking with his eyes whether the man inside had calmed down.
Xiang Qingwei gave him a smile, picked up her purse, and left confidently.
Secretary Wen glanced at the office, shook his head helplessly, then walked toward the office. After knocking, he waited two seconds before entering.
Fu Yanbo sat behind his desk, face dark.
Secretary Wen couldn't help but reminisce about the good old days, which were now regrettably gone.
Xiang Qingwei stood inside the elevator, pressing the buttons with vigor. Though she had successfully enraged Fu Yanbo, leaving him with a dark expression, she wasn't exactly feeling cheerful.
It took her several attempts to regain her composure before stepping out of the elevator, her usual dazzling self in the eyes of all who saw her.
Jiang Rong entered Fu Yanbo's office with a stack of paperwork, noticing Fu Yanbo's sullen expression and Secretary Wen standing to the side.
Recalling Xiang Qingwei's departure earlier, Jiang Rong handed over the documents and said, "Mr. Fu, everyone's talking about the meeting today."
Secretary Wen glanced at her with an unreadable expression.
Fu Yanbo's hand paused as he flipped through the files, then he lifted his head and asked coldly, "What are they talking about?"
Jiang Rong seemed hesitant. "Everyone's a bit uncomfortable with Xiang Qingwei's behavior in the meeting today, she..."
"If anyone has a problem with it, let them come and talk to me," Fu Yanbo interrupted her, expressionless.
Jiang Rong's face stiffened.
After signing the documents, Fu Yanbo didn't hand them directly to Jiang Rong, but to Secretary Wen instead, who then passed them back to Jiang Rong.
Jiang Rong accepted the files, her face stiff, and walked away.
Secretary Wen thought to himself, Even after being angered by Xiang Qingwei, he still protects her.
By the time Xiang Qingwei left the company, it was already 7 P.M. She drove straight to the dance studio.
When she arrived, Ning Yang was practicing with his instructor, a young man of about twenty-seven who had already made a name for himself in the industry despite his age. A class with him was expensive, and private lessons were even pricier. Xiang Qingwei had spent a hefty sum to secure his services for the next few weeks.
She was never stingy when it came to nurturing talent.
Outside the practice studio, a handful of teenage girls hovered around, waiting for their turn to enter. Upon seeing Xiang Qingwei, they glanced briefly before turning back to gaze at the handsome instructor practicing inside.
Xiang Qingwei didn't disturb them, instead choosing to watch from outside. As she gazed at Ning Yang practicing with his instructor, Xiang Qingwei's lips lifted slightly at the corners of her mouth. She'd never doubted her own taste; the moment she saw Ning Yang on the subway, guitar strapped over his back, she had already set her eyes on him.
Inside the practice studio, Ning Yang's white shirt was soaked with sweat, his fine bangs drenched and clumped together, the ends of his hair clinging to his forehead, face pale, lips slightly pursed as he concentrated on mimicking the instructor's movements.
He had no dance background, so learning proved difficult; his movements were stiff and mechanical, but this did nothing to detract from his attractiveness.
Ning Yang had a unique quality about him, both aloof and lonely, that made people want to get close to him and save him.
Xiang Qingwei never doubted her own eyes. In the near future, many people would find this unique quality of Ning Yang's attractive.
The teacher clapped, signaling for a short break. Ning Yang panted, taking a moment to drink water. As he turned, his gaze swept across the girls surrounding the practice room, then paused, before returning to Xiang Qingwei, fixing precisely on her face. His sweat-laden black eyes seemed to light up in an instant.
Outside the practice room, Xiang Qingwei waved at him with a smile, then walked toward the door.
Ning Yang followed without a second thought.
Envious gazes were immediately cast toward Xiang Qingwei from the nearby girls.
"Is it tiring?" Xiang Qingwei asked.
Ning Yang's black hair was more shiny and glossy against his pale skin, wet from sweat.
"It's all right." Beneath the damp locks, Ning Yang's dark eyes glistened brightly.
"It's too late today, so we didn't move, and I've arranged for your mom to stay at a hotel with someone to keep her company. Don't worry," Xiang Qingwei said.
Ning Yang nodded, agreeing.
Xiang Qingwei noticed the sweat dripping down his face, then handed a tissue to him. "Here, wipe yourself."
Ning Yang glanced at the tissue, then reached out to take it and roughly wiped his face, the pallor of his skin gradually turning a slight shade of pink.
The girls watching from the side all seemed to have changed their gazes; yet, none of them felt jealous. Instead, they admired the mature charm radiating from Xiang Qingwei, recognizing the youthful exuberance of their own youth in contrast to her elegance.
"Are you getting used to it? Is it difficult?" Xiang Qingwei asked softly.
Ning Yang's eyes darkened slightly as he lowered his gaze, feeling slightly defeated. "I don't really have a talent for dancing..."
"You're already very gifted in music. If you were also gifted in dancing, how could anyone else stand a chance?" Xiang Qingwei lifted a hand and playfully patted Ning Yang's hair. "Practice makes perfect." Unaware of the stiffness in Ning Yang's posture, she continued with a smile, "Just keep practicing at dancing."
Although Ning Yang had always presented himself as cold and distant, making him seem difficult to approach, Xiang Qingwei had found that he was much easier to handle than Ling Jiayi once they became familiar.
At this time, the dance instructor inside the studio clapped to regain their attention, signaling for them to continue their practice.
"I'll be heading out first," Xiang Qingwei said.
Ning Yang nodded.
The instructor walked up to them, scratched the back of his head, and said to Xiang Qingwei, "Uh, let's add each other on WeChat. I'll send you updates on Ning Yang's progress."
The instructor wore a white baseball cap, beneath which was a youthful and handsome face.
"Sure, no problem." Xiang Qingwei took out her phone and exchanged WeChat information with him.
As Ning Yang watched them, his gaze dimmed slightly.
"Please do take care of Ning Yang, then," Xiang Qingwei said to the instructor.
"You can call me Zhan Lun," he hurriedly replied.
Xiang Qingwei gave him a smile, then turned to Ning Yang. "I'm off," she said, and left.
Ning Yang watched her depart, then turned around and returned to the dance studio.
"Hey, Ning Yang, does your manager have a boyfriend?" Zhan Lun asked as soon as they stepped inside the studio.
Ning Yang picked up a bottle of water beside the wall, opened it, and took a sip before saying coldly, "I don't know."
"Miss K, where are you? S City? Are you free tomorrow? ... I'll treat you to dinner... No big deal, I can't treat you to dinner just because I want to?" Xiang Qingwei picked up the glass of red wine on the table and walked over to the lounge chair on the balcony.
She took a sip while listening to the complaints from the other side of the line, then said with a smile, "I was just busy lately... I have plans at noon, so let's make it dinner... You're sure you can't make it? Well, don't say I didn't warn you. A friend of mine got me a set of Qianyuan tea cups, and I'll give them to you if you don't want them."
When asking for favors, one must appeal to the other's interests.
This was a principle Xiang Qingwei had been taught since she first entered the industry by Fu Yanbo.
Xiang Qingwei's lips curled slightly as she listened to the excited voice on the other end of the line. "Then I'll reserve a table at the restaurant. See you tomorrow night."
After hanging up, Xiang Qingwei called her assistant, who had just returned from his honeymoon, to book a flight to S City for tomorrow and reserve a table at a restaurant.
Xiao Wu jokingly complained from the other side of the line, "Hey, sis, I don't start work until tomorrow, but here you are assigning me tasks already?"
"Resting for so long should be enough, no need to earn your own milk money?" Xiang Qingwei asked.
Xiao Wu had boarded the train before purchasing a ticket; by the time Xiang Qingwei attended the wedding, the bride's belly was already quite visible.
After chatting with Xiao Wu for a few more minutes, Xiang Qingwei hung up, took a sip of red wine, and lay on the chair, letting out a long breath of air. Signing Ning Yang meant she would be busy once again, but this kind of busy was what she liked, and perhaps even craved. In this industry, the most terrifying thing was having nothing to do.
After finishing the red wine, she returned to her room to wash up and go to bed early.
With her rested body, Xiang Qingwei helped Ning Yang's mother move first thing in the morning.
In truth, there wasn't much to move. Some of the furniture inside the house was rented, while the rest was picked up by Ning Yang's mother from elsewhere, so it couldn't be brought to their new home.
The only things worth taking were clothing and other personal items, and Xiang Qingwei had already arranged for a spacious three-bedroom house with a living room, bright and large windows, and complete furniture and appliances.
When Ning Yang's mother was brought to the new house, she was practically at a loss for words.
—How did you afford to rent such a large house? Isn't the rent here very expensive?
Ning Yang's mother signed anxiously.
—The rent isn't expensive, and Ning Yang has money now.
Xiang Qingwei smiled as she signed, I pay him a high salary. Don't worry.
Ning Yang's mother couldn't help but smile.
—I'm glad I could leave Ning Yang in your hands.
She grasped Xiang Qingwei's hands gratefully after signing, thankful for her kindness.
Xiang Qingwei returned the squeeze with a smile, then taught her how to use the appliances in the house, and told her that she'd hired a caretaker for her.
Ning Yang's mother anxiously told Xiang Qingwei that she could take care of herself, and there was no need to waste money on a caretaker.
"Work will be demanding of Ning Yang, and his time will become increasingly precious; he won't have time to come home. If you have a caretaker to keep you company and take care of you, he won't have to worry about you while he's busy with his career," Xiang Qingwei explained patiently.
Ning Yang's mother was easily convinced by Xiang Qingwei's words. She now trusted Xiang Qingwei completely; she would listen to anything Xiang Qingwei said.
Miss Xiang is such a kind and meticulous person; her words are always reasonable.
Ning Yang's mother thought this to herself.
Xiang Qingwei stayed with Ning Yang's mother until the nanny arrived before she left, rushing to the airport to fly to S City.
Miss K was also a renowned producer in the industry, and Xiang Qingwei had received news that Miss K would be producing this new program. The show was still in preparation, and neither the mentors nor the contestants had been announced publicly.
The press conference was scheduled for the beginning of the month, and now agencies were pushing their own candidates forward. It was crucial for Xiang Qingwei to utilize her personal connection with Miss K to obtain information ahead of time.
Friendship, if overused, would eventually vanish, no matter how strong it once was.
Reciprocity nurtures a friendship, making it stronger by the day.
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The entire book has been translated, with a total of 414K words and more than 1,200 pages.
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