Xi Tang returned to Shanghai the next day. Holiday flight tickets were particularly difficult to purchase, so she only managed to buy the earliest flight at around seven in the morning.
That day, as soon as Ni Kai Lun left the hotel, she immediately suspended all of Xi Tang’s work.
Without notifying her or arranging a handover, Xi Tang’s assistant was recalled by the company. She was now completely isolated from the outside world. When Xi Tang called her, she wouldn’t answer. The most important thing for artists in the company was to be obedient. It seemed that this time Ni Kai Lun was determined to blacklist her.
Arriving in Shanghai, it was barely nine o’clock. In the city’s year-end, the sky was gray and hazy, with a misty fine rain falling, and the wind cutting bone-chillingly cold.
When she left Beijing this morning and checked in at the airport, the airline staff recognized her. Seeing her waiting alone at the airport, two ground staff secretly approached and asked for photos.
Perhaps due to her low spirits, Xi Tang remained unexpectedly calm about all this. She removed her sunglasses, revealing her standard sweet smile. The beautiful ground staff member even shook her hand and said with a smile, “You’re traveling without an assistant, yet your demeanor is truly excellent.”
Xi Tang smiled and shook her hand in return.
Xi Tang took a taxi from Hongqiao to the company office, where everyone greeted her with smiling faces.
“Xi Tang, you’re back from your Beijing show?”
“Oh, Master Xi, the big star has returned.”
Xi Tang went to Ni Kai Lun’s office, but Ni Kai Lun wasn’t at the company. She was avoiding her.
Xi Tang went to her home, but no one was there either.
The next morning, Master Thirteen was brewing tea in the company when Ni Kai Lun knocked and entered. “Master Thirteen, you were looking for me?”
Master Thirteen, wearing a floral shirt with large suspenders and a Hong Kong-style oiled hairstyle, waved at her: “Kai Lun, you’re here, sit down.”
Ni Kai Lun sat down on the sofa.
Master Thirteen pushed a teacup toward her: “You’ve fallen out with Xi Tang?”
Since Ni Kai Lun held shares and Master Thirteen appreciated talent, she wasn’t as deferential to this big boss as others were. Upon hearing this, she immediately puffed up: “Who’s been gossiping?”
Master Thirteen remained unhurried, brewing two more rounds of tea before pointing to a folder on the table: “Take a look at this document. Consider it a gift from Xi Tang to you, and in giving it to you, she’s also giving it to me—a favor to the company.”
Ni Kai Lun picked it up and saw it was a film release schedule. She first scanned the company’s films but didn’t notice anything unusual. As she flipped through it, she complained: “Huang Xi Tang is truly difficult to manage. You’ve never interfered with how I handle my artists before, so why are you suddenly concerned about these trivial matters?”
But the next moment, her words abruptly halted.
Ni Kai Lun stopped speaking and carefully reviewed it again, then looked up, her gaze burning intensely on Master Thirteen.
Master Thirteen nodded affirmatively at her, his expression unfathomably deep.
The New Year film schedule was extremely valuable, historically a battleground that no one could afford to ignore. Star Arts had an ancient romance comedy scheduled for release during the New Year season. Competing with it was a rival company’s ancient detective film. Both starring the most popular young actors currently, with reasonably well-crafted scripts and production, the two films were aggressively promoted, on the verge of an all-out promotional war. After years of building connections and begging various company executives, Ni Kai Lun had finally secured a January 2nd premiere. She thought everything was settled, but last week news came that a major American superhero franchise film had officially set its premiere for January 2nd as well. With the two films scheduled for the same day, the entire company was immediately thrown into despair. Given the preferences of domestic moviegoers, it was feared that all domestic films’ box office earnings would be crushed. The company tried to reschedule, but it wasn’t that easy. It was said that if not on the 2nd, they could only secure a date after the 10th. Now in the document Ni Kai Lun held, the American blockbuster’s release date was prominently displayed as December 31st—the very day their biggest competitor’s new film was scheduled to premiere, literally killing their main rival.
Ni Kai Lun drew in a deep breath, bit her lip, and then said: “I understand.”
Master Thirteen looked up at Ni Kai Lun and said leisurely: “Xi Tang must keep the Zhao family’s young master at all costs.”
Ni Kai Lun raised her slender eyebrows: “What do you mean?”
Master Thirteen looked at her unhurriedly: “They were polite, saying they ask you to take good care of her. I won’t be so polite. Listen carefully: let Huang Xi Tang do whatever she wants. Whether she wants to act in plays—even if she wants to perform cross-talk comedy—you must accommodate her. Getting Xi Tang to properly accompany this person is a serious matter.”
Ni Kai Lun returned home at noon and saw Huang Xi Tang running out of her room. She rolled her eyes and said: “I’m going to Beijing tomorrow to negotiate for that play you like. Happy now?”
Xi Tang lowered her head and said: “I’m sorry, I’ll stick to filming. I won’t do the play anymore.”
Ni Kai Lun raised her hand and slapped her: “You silly girl.”
The company now gave her their best resources. That same afternoon, Xi Tang signed a contract. The new production would begin filming in half a month—a modern urban drama in collaboration with Great River Media. She needed to get ready for costume fitting and memorize her lines. Xi Tang had just received the script, and time was very tight.
Ni Kai Lun said coldly: “Go back to Beijing with him. He has a flight back tonight.”
Xi Tang’s face showed confusion.
Ni Kai Lun said: “Master Thirteen said you must take good care of that gentleman, it’s much more important than filming.”
Ni Kai Lun escorted her downstairs where the driver and car were already waiting. Xi Tang pouted, looking at her as if about to cry.
Ni Kai Lun held an umbrella as she walked her to the car, adjusted the collar of Xi Tang’s coat, and comforted her: “We’re all just making a living. Go on, good girl.”
That day was December 28th, approaching the New Year. Christmas decorations still twinkled atop high-rise buildings, and the streets were starting to be adorned with lanterns and decorations. Shanghai’s temperature was extremely low, and with the rain, the damp cold cut to the bone, making it very uncomfortable to be outdoors.
Xi Tang waited downstairs at the Peace Hotel. An assistant brought him down, and Xi Tang glanced at him. Zhao Ping Jin was wrapped in a scarf, dressed very warmly, but still coughing continuously, looking particularly unwell.
She opened her mouth, hesitating to speak.
Zhao Ping Jin had flown in last night, meeting briefly with Hu Shao Lei at midnight. This morning he’d been sleeping groggily, coughing until his throat was hoarse. He glanced at her hesitant expression and said irritably: “What do you want to say? That I look too haggard?”
Xi Tang smiled and said: “You should be careful, your precious body might fall apart.”
People passing through the hotel lobby secretly raised their phones.
Zhao Ping Jin was even more perceptive than she was. He immediately pulled her aside, turning his body to block the camera, then calmly said: “Get in the car.”
The driver in a gold uniform with white gloves opened the door.
Zhao Ping Jin took her hand and got into the car.
Shen Min received Zhao Ping Jin at Capital Airport. Seeing Xi Tang disembark with Zhao Ping Jin, he breathed a huge sigh of relief: “Xi Tang, you came back with Zhou Zhou.”
Zhao Ping Jin was extremely tired and unwilling to talk. He waved his hand and got into the car. As soon as the car got onto the airport expressway, he leaned against her and closed his eyes.
Zhao Ping Jin coughed, with cold sweat constantly seeping from his pale forehead. Xi Tang wiped it with a handkerchief. It had been the same on the plane—unable to sleep, physically uncomfortable, yet he didn’t complain, just silently enduring.
Shen Min drove another car following behind Zhao Ping Jin’s. When they stopped in the Parkview Palace garage, Shen Min came over and said: “The old master just called. He wants you to go home since you’re sick, not stay outside.”
Zhao Ping Jin spoke with a nasal voice, lacking energy: “I’m going upstairs to sleep for a while. I can’t sleep at home. I’ll go back for dinner later.”
Shen Min lowered his voice: “Boss, there’s one more thing.”
Shen Min had indeed been overwhelmed these days. Because the Zhao family was preparing for a wedding, he had been temporarily reassigned to continue as Zhao Ping Jin’s secretary. But Zhao Ping Jin took no part in the wedding arrangements. Shen Min was busy coordinating various matters. The Yu family’s daughter wanted to review the wedding planning together. Zhao Ping Jin patiently accompanied her once, but Miss Yu wasn’t very satisfied and wanted the on-site arrangements to be repeatedly adjusted. The next day, Zhao Ping Jin flew directly to Shanghai on business. Shen Min substituted for him to accompany Yu Xiao Ying. In addition, several junior staff from the wedding planning company didn’t recognize people properly and mistook Shen Min for the groom, creating a very awkward situation. With these two families, not a single detail could go wrong. In this urgent situation, Shen Min had no choice but to ask in front of Xi Tang: “Please give final confirmation on the seating chart for the wedding banquet.”
Xi Tang sat on the other side, her expression bland, pretending not to hear.
Zhao Ping Jin, his voice hoarse and almost inaudible, said: “You arrange it with Professor Zhou.”
He got out of the car and went upstairs.
Zhao Ping Jin entered the bedroom, sat down on the sofa with his eyes closed, unbuttoned and removed his shirt. Xi Tang hung up both their coats outside, then walked in just as Zhao Ping Jin had changed out of his shirt. On his arm, the deep blue vein where an IV had been inserted still had a white medical adhesive tape over it.
Xi Tang walked over and gently peeled it off.
Xi Tang tidied up his clothes and made some porridge. When she returned to the room, Zhao Ping Jin was already asleep in the bedroom. With his nose congested, his mouth slightly open to breathe, his cold symptoms were severe, and he slept uneasily, constantly furrowing his brow slightly.
His fair face with sideburns like knife-carved edges—because of his pale complexion, his ink-black eyebrows appeared particularly striking.
Xi Tang sat by the bed and reached out to gently touch his face.
What a handsome man, his fair countenance tinged with pallor, his jaw as hard as a piece of pure white jade. A man with such features, with a jawline as handsome as if carved by a knife, was destined to walk a path of ruthless iron-heartedness. If she had learned anything by his side over these years, perhaps the most important thing was that to achieve one’s goals, one must be willing to be ruthless, even toward oneself.
Xi Tang gazed motionlessly at his face. No matter how handsome a person is, what use is it anyway?