Chapter 8 Dinner in the Garage
I Choose You exploded across the whole net.
Pity it wasn't the explosion that favored Shen Xinrui.
I sat high and showed no mercy. My tongue was sharp. I tore her singing and dancing to nothing.
One needle, straight to the point. Straight to the face.
Shen Xinrui had offended too many people.
She lacked the ability to justify her position, yet kept seeking attention. A crash was certain.
I only gave a push. Soon Shen Xinrui was getting dragged by the whole net.
Xie Kun called me countless times, begging me to go easy. "Please. We're the same company. Don't make it too ugly."
I laughed. "Soon we won't be."
Xie Kun's words cut off. He asked, careful, "Zhiyi, what do you mean?"
I hung up.
That night, Xiao Yuan asked me to dinner.
He invited me. In all these years, I could count the times on my fingers.
I felt a pathetic little spark of surprise. Old habits died hard. Even knowing he had come for Shen Xinrui, I still dressed with care.
I let it be the last scrap of greed before I left.
Dinner went well. Boxing matches, classic songs, Nintendo. We could talk about anything.
Xiao Yuan looked a little surprised. At the end he pushed a gift toward me, sounding almost embarrassed. "I don't know what you like. I picked something common. But after talking to you, I don't think you'll like it."
It was a ruby bracelet. Fine, luxurious, expensive.
But it really wasn't what I liked.
"Next time." Xiao Yuan smiled. "The gift I give you will definitely satisfy you."
I took the gift. I did believe that.
If Xiao Yuan really wanted to please someone, making them happy was easy.
But I didn't think there would be a next time.
Xiao Yuan drove me home at the end. The car stopped in the garage.
I knew the quiet between us was about to break.
"Zhiyi, you should know why I came to you today." Xiao Yuan said, "Can you, for my sake, ease things with Shen Xinrui."