Zhao Ping Jin went directly back to work on leave after being discharged from the hospital.
At noon on Friday, Shen Min knocked and entered: “Boss.”
Zhao Ping Jin had been so busy these days that he hadn’t even gone home, staying at Park Hyatt Residence near China World Trade Center. Hearing Shen Min come in, he didn’t even look up: “What is it?”
Shen Min said: “We can’t contact Xi Tang.”
Zhao Ping Jin impatiently said: “Contact her management company.”
Shen Min quickly reported: “Miss Ni says they can’t find her either.”
Zhao Ping Jin finally looked up, frowning: “What happened?”
Shen Min glanced at him, a bit embarrassed, and cleared his throat: “Seems there’s some kind of rumor.”
Zhao Ping Jin wasn’t interested. While continuing to sign documents, he said: “Call Ni Kai Lun.”
Shen Min looked at the pile of documents on his desk. The boss had been discharged early to work so he could go to Shanghai on the weekend. Shen Min felt a bit sorry for him.
The call connected.
Zhao Ping Jin was still rapidly signing documents. Shen Min put the call on speaker.
A “hello” came from the other end. Zhao Ping Jin immediately said: “Miss Ni, I’ll be in Shanghai tomorrow night. Huang Xi Tang needs to accompany me to meet a friend.”
Ni Kai Lun seemed to be in a meeting; there was noise in the background: “Mr. Zhao, I’m sorry, but we temporarily can’t contact her either.”
Zhao Ping Jin said coldly: “Don’t try to brush me off with such excuses. If I don’t see her tomorrow, then she never needs to come again.”
Thinking of that contract worth 300,000 yuan a month, Ni Kai Lun was so angry she could grind her teeth: “Zhao Ping Jin, must you be so arrogant?”
Zhao Ping Jin looked up at Shen Min and said: “Hang up.”
That evening, while he was dining with several department heads, Huang Xi Tang’s call finally came through. Zhao Ping Jin nodded to his subordinates and left the table to take the call.
“I’m not in Shanghai.” Xi Tang wanted to discuss it with him.
“Then where are you?” Zhao Ping Jin’s tone left no room for negotiation.
“I’m in my hometown,” said Xi Tang.
“Then come back,” Zhao Ping Jin said without any flexibility.
“I just returned last night. I’m not going,” Xi Tang replied stiffly.
“I pay you 300,000 a month to throw tantrums?” Zhao Ping Jin replied irritably.
There was silence on the other end for a few seconds.
“What time?” Xi Tang’s voice dropped.
“Six in the evening,” Zhao Ping Jin vaguely remembered the flight.
“I’ll buy tickets. Don’t know if there are any train tickets available.”
“I’ll have my secretary book for you.”
“No need.”
“What happened?”
With obvious resistance, Xi Tang just said lightly: “Nothing. The media is making a mountain out of a molehill. It will quiet down in a few days.”
After the social engagement, the driver drove Zhao Ping Jin home. He had drunk a little alcohol and was leaning back in his seat with his phone. He opened a news app, looked at the interface, hesitated for a few seconds, moved his hand, and for the first time in his life, clicked on the entertainment section.
The headline on the front page was alarmingly large: “Zheng You Tong’s Romance Exposed, Intimate Embrace with mysterious woman in a hotel.”
The photograph was very clear, apparently taken at close range. A girl was held tightly in the arms of that male celebrity with slicked-back hair and sunglasses. Only her head was visible, showing short, tousled black hair, a slender body, wearing a white outfit that was familiar to him.
Xi Tang was on a bus returning to the city.
Once Zheng You Tong’s romance news broke, the entertainment pages immediately became colorful. The next day’s headline was still about Zheng You Tong, titled: “Who is the mysterious woman? Ten guesses about Zheng You Tong’s girlfriend!” Based on the height, body type, clothing, and hairstyle in the photo, the article made detailed comparisons with all his rumored girlfriends. The screen was full of glittering pink gossip news. Watching those paparazzi who usually went to extremes now wildly speculating all over the world, Xi Tang found it quite amusing.
Ni Kai Lun naturally recognized her at a glance and had called her, thinking it was a good opportunity, but she firmly refused to admit it. Ni Kai Lun couldn’t do anything about it. On the other end, Zheng You Tong and his company remained silent. She thought that with no response to such matters, it would naturally pass in two or three days. Unexpectedly, on the third day, the situation suddenly took a turn for the worse.
She had gone to bed early at home and was in deep sleep by early morning when the first call came in from the company’s internet publicist. The young girl screamed with the excitement of someone who had won a billion yuan lottery: “Sister Xi Tang! Something big has happened!”
Then, from around three or four in the morning until this morning, her phone was nearly blown up with calls.
Around midnight last night, Zheng You Tong’s social media had updated with a text and image post. The photo showed the side profile of a girl working on a film set—long hair, slender body, wearing a white shirt and blue work pants. Then he wrote a sentence: “She is a girl I have always admired,” followed by a heart emoji.
Although that photo didn’t show her face at all, Xi Tang could tell at a glance that the clothes and figure were too obvious. Anyone who had worked with her in Hengdian could recognize her.
The hotel’s embrace photos from the past two or three days had already pushed Zheng You Tong’s romantic scandal to the forefront. His response at this moment undoubtedly dropped another huge bomb into the storm.
A popular male idol star making a love confession to an ordinary girl from the film crew—all fans and media immediately went crazy.
Even in the middle of the night, that post instantly received millions of replies. The surging army of fans swarmed in, thousands upon thousands of young girls’ hearts shattered, and they could only vent fully in the comments. Various opinions emerged one after another, but in the end, only two questions remained.
Initially, they asked, “Who is this woman?”
Later, they asked, “Who is Huang Xi Tang?”
During the summer vacation of his sophomore year at the Film Academy, Zheng You Tong met a divorced female garment business owner from Hong Kong in a photography studio where he was shooting a men’s underwear advertisement. At the beginning of his junior year, he secured the male lead in a mainland Chinese costume youth idol drama. After that show aired, he became famous overnight across the country. His career subsequently went smoothly. He signed with the industry’s best agency, continued to film several idol dramas, released two music albums, and in recent years, his dramas focused on acting skills. His co-stars were the most senior veteran actors in China. The recent dramas he participated in won numerous awards. With his accumulated acting career, he had become one of mainland China’s most capable first-line male actors. Over the years, Zheng You Tong’s rumors had always been cyclical, coinciding with the release of new dramas. After so many years, entertainment reporters had grown bored writing about them. This time, it was neither with the female lead of a new drama nor with his previous rumored partners. All reporters sensed something unusual.
Xi Tang had lived in Hengdian for over two years and had gotten to know many publicity people, PR professionals, media, and reporters of various levels. Although none were big figures, they all tried to question her to dig up some news, whether out of gossip, concern, or leveraging their relationship.
Xi Tang secretly turned on her phone in the car. The messages from the company and Ni Kai Lun were almost buried in a pile of messages.
Ni Kai Lun instructed her not to speak out. The publicity team had already held an emergency meeting to discuss how to handle it and told her to wait for the company’s notice.
When the train arrived in Shanghai, Xi Tang wore a hat that covered half her face and carefully walked out of Hongqiao North Station. At a small shop in the plaza next to the station, she made a phone call. It rang twice before he answered.
“Hello?” Zheng You Tong’s voice sounded dejected.
“Old Zheng?” Xi Tang lowered her voice.
“Xi Tang, is that you?” Zheng You Tong raised his tone, saying happily.
“Are you crazy?” Xi Tang shouted angrily.
“Ah, my feelings for you are genuine.”
Xi Tang spat at him: “Stop being crazy. What about that lady from Hong Kong? What exactly do you want to do?”
Zheng You Tong said glumly: “She’s getting old, can’t control so many things.”
Xi Tang angrily exclaimed: “Then don’t drag me down with you!”
Zheng You Tong said dejectedly: “I’ve already been scolded all day by my agent and company. Xi Tang, I’m helping you.”
“Who asked for your help? You’ll get yourself killed!” Xi Tang almost wanted to strangle him.
“How could that be? We’re both single, and I even have fans sending blessings,” Zheng You Tong said cheerfully.
“Don’t forget you have an entire studio of colleagues whose careers rise and fall with yours,” Xi Tang snarled.
“Well, what does your company plan to do?” Zheng You Tong finally regained some rationality.
“What plan? In three to five days, it will naturally pass,” Xi Tang answered.
“Take the opportunity to rise to fame.”
“Don’t meddle so much in my affairs.”
She hung up the phone and suddenly felt her scalp tingle. She had the feeling someone was eavesdropping nearby. Perhaps it was from being too paranoid lately. She quietly looked around, but her gaze suddenly met a pair of dark, icy eyes.
Zhao Ping Jin was standing not far behind her, hands in his trouser pockets, staring at her with a cold expression.
The driver had parked the car on the roadside. Zhao Ping Jin opened the door for her. The car was cool and quiet, isolating them from the noise. He wore a dark shirt and seemed to have lost some weight.
Xi Tang asked him: “Is your health better?”
Zhao Ping Jin didn’t even blink: “Would I be here if it wasn’t?”
He said lightly: “Let’s go directly to dinner. Or do you want to change clothes?”
Xi Tang had been in this circle for almost ten years but was falling into the center of such a gossip whirlwind for the first time. She was both anxious and uneasy, feeling dizzy from the torment. However, as soon as she arrived in Shanghai and saw Zhao Ping Jin with his usual cold attitude toward her, she gradually calmed down. To him, this kind of thing wasn’t a big deal at all. Young Master Zhao continued his lavish, unrestrained lifestyle of feasts and songs. Xi Tang settled down and asked: “What kind of occasion?”
Zhao Ping Jin had already clearly seen what she was wearing today—a white top, a printed dress, and flat shoes. She had always been like this, radiating a vibrant spirit even in simple attire.
He looked at his watch: “Nothing formal. Just like this. Let’s go directly.”
“Who are we meeting?”
“A senior schoolmate from America. He’s leaving tomorrow. Haven’t seen him for many years.”
At the mention of this, Xi Tang became annoyed. Having just returned home only to be called out: “You’re catching up with your classmate, what do you need me for?”
Zhao Ping Jin glanced at her, curled his lip, and spat out one word: “Decoration.”