Xiao Lu saw her not speaking for a long time, so she leaned over and looked at her phone screen.
After seeing the comments on it, Xiao Lu couldn’t believe her eyes and said, “What? Do these people lack empathy?”
Su Chengyang gave her phone back to her and said indifferently, “This is normal. There will always be both praise and criticism, especially since I don’t have any representative works. Being frequently on the hot search list will definitely result in criticism. Even if I didn’t do anything, it’s impossible for everyone to like me, not even with money.”
Xiao Lu pouted, “You’re quite open-minded.”
Su Chengyang looked up at the ceiling and sighed, “In life, you have to be a little more open-minded. I need to know what I want, what suits me, and whether it’s worth being liked by others.”
Xiao Lu looked at her inexplicably and didn’t know what she meant to express.
Su Chengyang didn’t intend to say much more, sighed again, and said, “I’m going to take a shower.”
“Go ahead. The competition results haven’t come out yet, it should be done after your shower.”
However, regardless of the competition results, it is obvious that because of this distinct style of work, Terry and Su Chengyang’s popularity will both get a significant boost.
Su Chengyang nodded and muttered to herself as she walked towards the bathroom, “I wonder if my performance tonight will satisfy Manager Lin, and whether he’ll take me for a late-night snack.”
Lin Yu is so gentle, she didn’t know if being a little coquettish would work.
Lin Yu didn’t say it wrong, Su Chengyang is a person who will take advantage of any opportunity given to her.
When she was taking a shower, she regretted it. When Lin Yu came in alone to comfort her just now, why did she say she wanted to go to school? When can’t she go to school? There’s no rush, but when it comes to eating, if she doesn’t act in front of the strict Lin Yu, she might not have the chance in the future.
Su Chengyang also knows that managing her figure is her responsibility as a celebrity, but can’t she just occasionally indulge in a big meal and then work hard to get back in shape?
Fifteen minutes later, Su Chengyang came out of the bathroom and changed into her own clothes.
The live broadcast had ended, and the several guests who participated in the awards ceremony had gradually returned to the backstage.
Terry went straight to Su Chengyang’s resting room as soon as he arrived.
“Miss Su, we did it! We ranked first in the audience vote and second in the judges’ vote!” Terry said excitedly.
Su Chengyang rubbed the water droplets from her hair and asked in confusion, “So what is our final ranking?”
Terry replied, “Second place! The final ranking is based on the judges’ scores.”
Su Chengyang laughed, “Why are you so happy about getting second place?”
“Because it was beyond my expectations! I didn’t expect the Chinese audience to love our performance so much, it even made it to the hot search!”
Just then, a lukewarm voice sounded by the door, “The fact that the Chinese audience likes it has nothing to do with you, right?”
Mary stood at the doorway, looking at Terry with a half-smile.
“Oh, baby, you’re really hurting my heart with those words,” Terry said.
“I’m just helping you see the truth,” Mary replied.
Then she looked at Su Chengyang with a complex expression and said, “You’re more capable than I imagined.”
After experiencing what had just happened, Su Chengyang felt a bit of empathy in Mary’s gaze.
“Thank you,” Su Chengyang said.
Mary rolled her eyes, “What did you thank you for?”
Su Chengyang sighed but didn’t say anything.
She couldn’t tell Mary that she might end up in the same situation as her.
No!
Absolutely not!
Su Chengyang, wake up, don’t let that happen!
Su Chengyang is a person with a very clear self-positioning. She never seeks approval for something that doesn’t belong to her.
She knows what she can or cannot do, and based on what she cannot do, she can suppress all her desires, which is something she often did in her childhood.
So, at a certain moment, due to the palpitation of Lin Yu’s heart and his breathing, which she experienced firsthand, she was strangled in her heart by them within a short period of one hour.
. . . . .
Soon, Lin Yu returned to the lounge, bid farewell to Terry and a few teachers, and then left with Su Chengyang.
Before leaving, Terry wanted to invite Su Chengyang to have a meal, but was politely refused by Lin Yu, and in the end, the two exchanged contact information.
At this time, Mary appeared from somewhere and also exchanged contact information with Su Chengyang.
On the way back, Xiao Lu sat in the front seat and Su Chengyang sat in the back with Lin Yu. Lin Yu had a laptop on his lap. He wore silver-rimmed glasses when dealing with business, and the light from the laptop reflected on his face, highlighting his facial features.
“Cousin brother, do you need to go back to the company?” Xiao Lu asked in the front seat.
Lin Yu didn’t even look up, seeming to be dealing with a tricky issue. He slightly frowned and said, “No, just go home.”
Xiao Lu nodded and then looked at Chengyang through the rearview mirror, “Chengyang, are you hungry? Do you want to buy some yogurt on the way back?”
Su Chengyang leaned against the other side of the car window, with her head down and no response.
“Chengyang?” Xiao Lu called out in doubt.
Lin Yu’s eyes, which were browsing through information, paused for a moment. After a moment of hesitation, he looked up slowly towards Su Chengyang.
Su Chengyang was huddled against the car door, with her arms crossed in front of her chest and her head resting against the window. Her hair had fallen down and covered half of her face, making it impossible to see her expression.
“Chengyang?” Lin Yu called softly, still receiving no response.
“Did she fall asleep?” Xiao Lu laughed, “She’s been pretty tired these past few days.”
Although Su Chengyang always said in front of her that her dream was to lie down and be lazy, in fact, she had never slackened off in her work.
The ends of Su Chengyang’s hair were still damp, and they hung down in front of her chest, soaking her clothes.
Lin Yu looked away and responded softly, “Mm.”
When they arrived home, Su Chengyang still hadn’t woken up.
Lin Yu closed his computer and lightly patted her shoulder, “Chengyang, we’re here. Let’s go back and rest.”
Su Chengyang groggily lifted her head, her eyes filled with confusion. “Huh?”
Lin Yu said, “It’s easy to catch a cold in the car. Let’s go back and sleep.”
Su Chengyang turned to look out the window and scratched her head, “Oh, we’re here. Sorry, I accidentally fell asleep.”
Lin Yu shook his head, “It’s okay. Let’s go back and rest early. Tomorrow, Xiao Lu can take you wherever you want to go.”
Xiao Lu leaned her head forward from the front seat, “Will the company reimburse us for the expenses tomorrow?”
Lin Yu laughed, “I’ll reimburse you guys.”
“Yay! Chengyang, I’ll take you to eat something delicious tomorrow!”
Su Chengyang was still a little dazed, but when she heard this, she immediately became more energetic. She remembered that Lin Yu was right in front of her, so she didn’t want to appear too happy and quietly glanced at him.
Lin Yu didn’t react much to this and said, “Eat a little less and have fun.”
Su Chengyang’s eyes sparkled and she nodded. “Okay, got it.”
After the two got off the car, Lin Yu drove back home by himself.
After returning to the room, Su Chengyang changed into her pajamas and fell asleep in no time.
. . . . .
Due to her biological clock, she woke up from her sleep early the next morning.
Xiao Lu woke up later than her, and after Su Chengyang woke her up, she went to the kitchen to make breakfast.
During this period of time, Lin Yu was not as strict with her diet as before, and Su Chengyang was very aware of what she should and should not eat, and how much she should eat.
She fried two eggs, heated up some bread and milk, and just as she was about to urge Xiao Lu to get up, the doorbell rang.
Su Chengyang took off her apron and hurried to open the door, not knowing who it could be at this time.
Su Chengyang opened the door and saw a tall figure standing straight outside, and was stunned.
“Manager Lin?” Su Chengyang exclaimed.
Lin Yu was wearing a white suit, and the morning sun shone on him like a layer of gold, giving his slightly curly black hair a dazzling light.
The sunlight reflected on his profile, and his three-dimensional features left a shadow on the other half of his face. His brown eyes showed two completely different feelings in the intersection of backlight and front light, one eye was like a gentle gentleman, and the other eye was like a cage that imprisoned a monster.
“Is it necessary to be so surprised?” Lin Yu looked at Su Chengyang’s stunned look and smiled.
Su Chengyang wanted to say that she wasn’t surprised, but after seeing Lin Yu in person countless times over the past two months, she was still stunned by his appearance on this sunny morning and couldn’t say a word.
Lin Yu was very calm, looked behind her and asked, “Can I come in?”
“Please come in.” Su Chengyang regained her composure, stepped aside, and made way for him.
“Thank you.” Lin Yu nodded in gratitude, walked into the entrance, stepped lightly on the shoe cover machine, and glanced at the dining room, “Have you had breakfast?”
Su Chengyang followed him in and nodded, then asked, “Manager Lin, have you eaten? Let’s eat together.”
“No need, I’ve already eaten.” Lin Yu said.
Su Chengyang looked at his back with some doubts. Lin Yu should have gone to the company at this time. Why did he suddenly appear here? Could there be something important?
“Manager Lin…” Su Chengyang hesitated whether to ask or not, but before she could speak, the person in front turned around and looked at her.
“Chengyang, there’s no need to be so formal outside of work hours.”
Su Chengyang looked at him suspiciously, “Then what should I call you? Brother Lin?”
Lin Yu nodded indifferently, “Whatever you like.”
Su Chengyang was confused, “Oh.”
Lin Yu smiled at her and then walked to the coffee table, picked up the vase on top of it, and walked towards the bathroom. Su Chengyang’s eyes followed his movements and she noticed that he was holding a sunflower in his hand.
After a moment, he put the vase back on the coffee table, turned to Su Chengyang and said, “I’ll come back tomorrow.”
Su Chengyang shook her head, “No need, we can…”
Lin Yu said, “It’s okay, there are many in my garden. You can come and see which ones you like another day. You don’t need to worry about these flowers. I will come back tomorrow.”
Lin Yu casually brushed off what Su Chengyang wanted to say and then said goodbye and left.
After the door closed, Su Chengyang stood in the entrance for a moment. She looked at the closed door and then at the fresh sunflowers on the coffee table. She couldn’t quite understand why Lin Yu had given her a vase and brought flowers from his own home just to put them in the vase. Did he thought she and Lu Yin were too mundane and he wanted to help them appreciate flowers to broaden their horizons, or was he just bored?
When Xiao Lu came out of her room, she saw Su Chengyang standing in front of the coffee table, staring straight at the sunflowers in the vase as if studying some artifact.
Xiao Lu yawned and mumbled, “What are you doing?”
Su Chengyang glanced at her and then lowered her head to continue studying the sunflowers.
“Oh, where did you find these? They’re pretty,” Xiao Lu said, walking up and plucking at the petals of the sunflowers.
Su Chengyang swatted her hand away and said, “Your cousin brother sent them.”
“My cousin brother sent them?” Xiao Lu’s reaction was even more exaggerated than Su Chengyang’s. “My cousin brother personally sent them?”
“Yes.”
“He…”
Xiao Lu was stunned and looked at Su Chengyang in disbelief.
Su Chengyang furrowed her brow and couldn’t figure it out. “What does your cousin brother mean? Does he think we’re too ordinary and mundane, so he sends flowers to broaden our horizons?”
Xiao Lu: “…”
She gave Su Chengyang a disdainful look, “Are you allergic to romance? My cousin brother is half Italian and they pay special attention to the ritual of life. Maybe he just thinks the house is too monotonous. Don’t overthink it.”
Xiao Lu pushed Su Chengyang into the dining room and picked up a piece of bread, stuffing it into her mouth, “Let’s eat, let’s eat.”
Su Chengyang was still perplexed and couldn’t eat.
Seeing her absent-minded, Xiao Lu kicked her from below and said, “Why are you thinking so much? If you can’t figure it out, just let it go. My cousin brother is very deep, and you can’t fathom his thoughts.”
Su Chengyang thought about it and felt that it made sense.
Lin Yu’s thoughts were certainly beyond the grasp of ordinary people like them.
Su Chengyang didn’t dwell on it for too long. After breakfast with Xiao Lu, she packed up and got ready to go out and play.
Su Chengyang’s fame was no longer the same as before. She was often recognized by fans when she went out, and with last night’s successful performance, they dressed conservatively to avoid any accidents, only revealing their eyes.
The sun was no longer as scorching as it was in the height of summer. The golden sunlight shone on Su Chengyang’s skin, making it look dazzlingly white.
At Xiao Lu’s suggestion, Su Chengyang took a photo and posted it on Weibo to gain more visibility. While posting, she took a look at her homepage and saw that she had almost two million followers.
Weibo had just been posted, and fans were already commenting below, clamoring for her to prepare two million fan benefits.
Sitting in the car, Su Chengyang looked up at Xiao Lu and asked, “What kind of fan benefits?”
“It seems to be a customary rule between artists and fans, that they give fan benefits once they reach several million fans,” Xiao Lu replied.
After experiencing last night’s performance, Su Chengyang’s number of fans skyrocketed, and it was estimated that in two days, she would directly jump to two million fans. Su Chengyang thought for a moment and replied to the hottest comment, “I’m a bit busy lately, so I’ll prepare fan benefits for everyone when I reach two million fans.”
【Oh my god! I got noticed!】
【Sister, please favor me! I love you so much! Are you considering taking on the role of controlling the heavens and the earth? I really want to see it!】
【When sister has no expression on her face, I’m already imagining my sister’s supermarket!1】
Su Chengyang didn’t expect to receive a reply right after commenting. She asked with confusion, “What does it mean my sister’s supermarket?”
Xiao Lu was taken aback, “What?”
Su Chengyang was not familiar with the popular vocabulary on the internet. It updates too fast. In her impression, fans only used to say “walking the flowery road”2.
Xiao Lu turned her head and glanced at her, holding back a laugh in her mouth, “I’m not sure either, but it feels important. Do you want to ask my cousin brother?”
Su Chengyang frowned, “Ask him for what? I can just search on Baidu by myself.”
“Baidu only shows the supermarket, it doesn’t know the other meanings. My cousin brother is your manager. If you don’t understand something, you should ask him,” Xiao Lu said.
Su Chengyang looked at her suspiciously.
Xiao Lu looked straight ahead with a serious expression, “Just ask him quickly. Don’t you have his WeChat? I want to know too.”
Su Chengyang was half-believing, thinking that it was not necessary to bother Lin Yu for such a small matter. Nevertheless, she opened Lin Yu’s chat box.
“Just ask my cousin brother. What harm can it do?” Xiao Lu continued to urge.
“What should I ask?” Su Chengyang asked.
“Ask him what ‘supermarket’ means…”
“Ding一”
Before Xiao Lu finished speaking, Su Chengyang’s finger loosened, and a voice message was sent.
Xiao Lu’s face froze, “Su Chengyang! You set me up!”
Su Chengyang innocently blinked, “You set me up first. This word definitely isn’t good.”
“Quickly retract it for me!”
Su Chengyang smiled, “Okay, got it.”
She was about to retract the message when, the next second, Lin Yu called her.
Su Chengyang: “…”
Xiao Lu: “…”