Su Yu, Wen Ruan

2017.

March in Magic City is like a colorful and vibrant painting.

A gentle spring breeze swept away the last chill of winter.

Sitting in the lounge, Su Yu felt a chill run through her body.

The words her agent had said kept replaying in her mind.

"Little Yu, I'm so sorry, but there's no going back now."

"There are smear articles about you all over the internet right now, and the company can't possibly cover them all up. Besides, we also have our own difficulties."

"Tomorrow we will officially announce your departure from Ho, Lin Yue will take your place as lead vocalist."

"Take a break for a while, go to school, recharge yourself. You're still young."

She debuted at the age of 17 and was a first-generation member of the ho Girl Group.

Three years have passed, and the three teammates from that time have changed twice, but she, as the main dancer and visual of the team, has remained unchanged.

Later, in order to train new team members, the company asked her to give up her position as the main dancer, and she did not have any complaints.

She began to practice her singing skills diligently and became the lead singer of the group.

As the team leader, she worked hard to help her team members gain recognition from the group's fans, voluntarily giving up her own exposure, communicating with and guiding them, encouraging and supporting them, and helping them cultivate their own fanbase...

Gradually increase ho's popularity and influence.

The hardships involved are something others cannot comprehend.

Due to excessive stress, she suffers from severe sleep disorders and eating disorders.

It was her identity as the leader of the ho Girl Group and the support of her fans that sustained her through it all.

However, just as her and Ho's popularity and fame were rising, they were betrayed by three teammates.

Those partners who once sweated and chased dreams together have now become the ones who hurt her the most.

Team bullying, tearing up teammates' posters, smoking and drinking...

A series of fabricated accusations, coupled with maliciously edited video clips and photos, subjected her to unprecedented cyberbullying and defamation.

The indifference and abandonment by the company's management made her feel even more hopeless.

Scene from a star-studded concert.

She was booed by the audience and fans as she took the stage alone, and large numbers of Glow Stick went out.

Her world also turned completely dark and collapsed.

She began having frequent nightmares and even showed signs of depression.

After repeated persuasion from relatives and friends.

She put on a hat, sunglasses, and a guitar, went out of her house, and in a secluded corner of a small park, used music to vent her emotions.

One day in early April.

He suddenly sat down next to her.

He handed her a Sakura blossom bud that was about to bloom.

He was dressed in a casual hoodie and jeans, wearing Baseball Cap and black-rimmed glasses, with a faint smile on his face.

He has a clean and refreshing appearance, and clearly exudes a youthful spirit, but his temperament is exceptionally calm and aloof.

More importantly, the first time she saw him, he looked very familiar, but she had never actually seen him before.

He took the guitar from her hands, gently strumming and tapping it, using his superb skills and captivating melodies to bring life back to her eyes.

He stood up and shielded her from the somewhat glaring sunlight.

It also shielded her from all the oppression and slander from the outside world.

It blots out the sky, yet the sky is clear and blue.

He is a very contradictory person.

Magic City, Cuihu Tiandi.

When Su Yu woke up, her pillow was unsurprisingly damp.

She sat up in bed, the thin silk sheet slipping down to her waist, revealing her graceful curves.

Her shoulders are rounded and graceful, and her collarbone has a clear and captivating line.

He sighed and stepped barefoot onto the soft floor mat.

She opened the curtains a crack, and the morning light immediately streamed in, shining on her face.

Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, casting a soft shadow.

Her skin had a sophisticated, misty white color, pure and flawless, with a delicate coolness about it.

There are 84 hours left until the concert starts.

In the restaurant.

A delicious and hearty breakfast has just been prepared.

She ate in small bites, her mind still replaying the dream she had last night.

In recent days, or rather ever since Tang Song appeared in Magic City, her dreams have become very frequent and vivid.

For some reason, I have this strange feeling that I'm about to see him again.

It's probably because of that song called "Dream Echoes"?

"Tap tap tap—" The personal assistant Cheng Xiaoxi walked over quickly and whispered, "Sister Yu, Ji Qiuyu from Xingyun International arrived in Magic City early yesterday morning. Do you want to see her today?"

Jingwu Capital's acquisition of Guangying Media's shares is already on the agenda.

Ms. Ouyang will be attending the 2023 World New Energy Expo, so she will not be able to attend your concert this time.

Assistant Lin at Smiling Holdings, stated that Director Jin is currently unable to travel to Yancheng, but she will try to watch the live broadcast when she has time.

"Okay, I understand." Su Yu wiped her mouth, not too disappointed.

She picked up her Mobile Phone from the table and found a screenshot from a video in her photo album.

In the center of the picture is a hand-drawn sketch Portrait.

The Tyndall Effect of the lights, the flowing hair, the hunched shoulders, the tear-filled eyes...

"Wen Ruan, Wen Ruan. Jin Meixiao has already set her sights on you."

She repeated it to herself, her expression somewhat complicated.

June 17, 2023, Saturday, cloudy, 24~35℃.

The Second Bedroom a large-sized Yanjing Sky City.

When Tang Song opened his eyes, it was already broad daylight.

Looking to the side, he didn't see Lin Mu Xue.

Tang Song raised his eyebrows and sat up from the bed.

Looking at the messy marks around me and the dress hanging on the headboard.

I couldn't help but recall the scenes from last night.

Her undulating body lines, delicate and smooth skin, long and straight legs...

A flushed face, a piercing scream, and flying Water Magic...

Thinking about his soiled sheets and blankets, Tang Song's expression was somewhat strange, yet it felt strangely novel.

This kind of frenzy fueled by High Spirits was something Qianqian had never experienced before.

I never expected you to be like this, Xiao Xue.

Since there were no clothes for him there, Tang Song had no choice but to walk naked towards the master bedroom.

The sheets and blankets from last night were gone from the room.

However, Lin Mu Xue's Hermès bag was placed on the bedside table, indicating that the other party had not left.

After putting on a light tracksuit in the dressing room and walking a few steps down the corridor, I heard noises coming from the laundry room.

Upon arriving at the entrance, the frosted glass door was half-open.

Lin Mu Xue is adjusting the electric clothes drying rack.

The bed sheets and duvet covers, freshly washed and removed, were hanging on top.

Seemingly hearing footsteps, Lin Mu Xue quickly looked over.

Then, her eyes twitched, she tucked her hair behind her ears, and said with a blush, "Good morning, Tang Song."

She couldn't hide the embarrassment on her face.

Last night I was too excited to feel anything, but looking back today, I feel like I've lost all the face I could ever lose in my life.

In her original fantasy, this one-night stand should have been impulsive, hormone-fueled, romantic, passionate, and dreamlike.

But to my utter surprise, she went out of control and started drawing maps on the bed right in front of him.

She had never done anything like that since she was old enough to understand.

This was so different from her established public image that it was a huge blow to her.

"Good morning." Tang Song nodded, leaning against the door frame and looking at her.

I can't help but admire him.

Yesterday was the first time, and we fought until so late.

When I got up, she had already taken a shower, put on makeup, and styled her hair.

Is this what he wants to see as a refined and beautiful woman?

That's probably her little trick.

Biting her lip, Lin Mu Xue walked over in her slippers. "Um... I... I bought breakfast, it's in the dining room."

"Thank you, let's go eat together." Tang Song nodded and walked towards the restaurant.

"Um."

On a solid wood dining table.

The two sat facing each other, and Lin Mu Xue lowered her head and ate a few bites of wontons.

He said in a low voice, "My classmates will arrive here around 10:30. I'd like to treat them to lunch here, is that alright?"

"Of course, no problem, we agreed on that beforehand."

"Okay." Lin Mu Xue nodded. "Thank you, Tang Song. I'm sorry to have troubled you with this. I'll pack my things and leave once my classmate leaves Yancheng."

She didn't think that sleeping with him would make her his girlfriend, sign a trust, or receive property.

To be honest, she got the better deal.

She slept with a Male God like Tang Song and still got a job with an annual salary of one million.

The only regret is that I didn't leave him with a romantic and warm impression last night.

"No rush."

After breakfast, Lin Mu Xue tidied up the Second Bedroom that she had messed up the night before.

She changed into a more elegant and casual home outfit.

After replying to work Email in his study, Tang Song looked at her sitting on the sofa playing on her Mobile Phone and smiled, "I recently bought a bunch of computer parts, and I happen to have some free time today, so I'm planning to assemble a desktop computer. Want to join me?"

Lin Mu Xue was taken aback for a moment, then quickly stood up and said happily, "Okay, although I don't know anything about digital devices, I can help you hand things over."

She is a very clever person, and one can clearly sense the goodwill in Tang Song's words.

The two entered the media room.

Turning on the lights, Tang Song took out two cardboard boxes from the corner, took out the parts Yi Yi, and began to happily assemble them.

He would occasionally introduce the name and configuration of a certain accessory to Lin Mu Xue.

Building a computer can be a bit monotonous if you do it alone, but it's much more comfortable with a beautiful woman by your side.

Lin Mu Xue sat quietly to the side, occasionally offering a few words of praise and providing emotional support as much as possible.

"Ding-dong—" WeChat notification sound rang out.

Lin Mu Xue took out her Mobile Phone and looked at it, saying, "Tang Song, my two high school classmates have set off and will arrive in about half an hour."

"OK." Tang Song put down the accessories in his hand, looked at the sexy and pretty Xiao Xue beside him, gently put his arm around her waist, and winked, saying, "I'm going to change my clothes. We'll be playing boyfriend and girlfriend from now on, right?"

Lin Mu Xue's face flushed slightly, and her eyes sparkled with a bright light.

Looking at Tang Song's handsome face, she bit her lip and whispered, "Um... I bought Yuting this morning and I've already taken it. Don't worry, I won't cause you any trouble, and I don't intend to cling to you all the time, nor will I let Qianqian know."

"Uh..." Tang Song was stunned for a moment, but he didn't feel too bad about the durability of his Little Umbrella.

Xiao Xue is indeed a sensible girl and deserves a reward.

Tang Song lowered his head slightly, patted the basketball behind Xiao Xue, and pinched her pointed chin, saying, "Come with me to the dressing room."

"Hmm." Lin Mu Xue didn't ask any more questions, but her mind was racing with all sorts of thoughts, and her face grew increasingly red.

Tang Song, could he be planning to play ball in the dressing room?

But some classmates are coming later, wouldn't it be bad if it got dirty?

"Click-click-click"

The safe was gently opened.

Tang Song pulled out a concert ticket and two gold bars from the box, Wei Xiao, and handed them to her. "Take these, they're a little gift for you."

Looking at what she was holding, Lin Mu Xue stared blankly for a moment, her heart suddenly starting to race.

"Thank you, Tang Song. I really enjoyed the surprise." She bit her lip, leaned forward and kissed him, her body gently swaying.

East Gate of Yanjing Sky City.

A white Corolla slowly came to a stop.

Two girls came down.

"Is this Yanjing Sky City?" Chen Si Yue asked, carrying a backpack and pointing her Action camera at the gate of the residential complex.

Mao Wenqiong next to her nodded vigorously, "This is it, one of the most upscale communities in Yancheng, with an average price of over 30,000 yuan per square meter. The available units are also extremely scarce. It is a well-known wealthy community in the area."

She and her boyfriend both work in Yancheng and are planning to get married, so they often pay attention to housing prices and available properties.

I know quite a bit about this kind of neighborhood that's always generating a lot of buzz.

Of course, it was just pure curiosity; I never even dared to dream of buying a house here.

"It's so expensive, but the environment is really nice, and the location is in the city center." Chen Si Yue patted her arm. "Thank you, Wenqiong. I'll set up the camera during the interview later, and you can just watch from the side."

After what happened last night, He Xiaohui had absolutely no desire to visit Lin Mu Xue's house. She was still sulking in her room, afraid of being upset again.

Another old classmate Li Da, can't be contacted at all today.

So of the four classmates who were originally scheduled to come, only two of them showed up.

"It's okay." Mao Wenqiong smiled shyly, then couldn't help but ask curiously, "Is Xiao Xue's boyfriend really that handsome?"

"Yeah, you'll see in a bit, it's not an exaggeration at all." Chen Si Yue's eyes were full of envy and jealousy. "By the way, hasn't Xiao Xue arrived yet?"

"Just before getting off the bus, they sent me a message saying that something came up and they asked us to wait at the door for a few minutes."

"Okay, then I'll film another introductory video for the neighborhood."

The two waited for nearly 10 more minutes before finally seeing Lin Mu Xue Shan Shan.

Wearing a white T-shirt, skinny jeans, and sneakers, she looks youthful and beautiful.

"Excuse me, Siyue, Wenqiong, the kitchen drain was a bit clogged and water overflowed. My boyfriend and I unclogged it."

"It's okay, it's okay." Chen Si Yue quickly shook her head and said excitedly, "Let's go, Xiao Xue, let's take some pictures of your neighborhood first, and then go home."

"Hmm." In front of her old classmates, Lin Mu Xue transformed back into that aloof and intellectual finance professional.

Her walking posture is a bit off; it's not as elegant and dignified as before.

Walk along the clean and tidy stone path, through the tranquil and elegant garden landscape.

While filming the video, Chen Si Yue chatted with Lin Mu Xue about the community's transportation, environment, and facilities.

Mao Wenqiong's eyes were full of envy. Her biggest wish was to buy a house in Yancheng with her boyfriend and Anjia.

The Yanjing Sky City in front of her was undoubtedly the mansion she had always dreamed of.

I stepped into the luxurious entrance lobby of Building 1.

Lin Mu Xue chuckled and said, "To be honest, I'm quite disappointed that Xiao Hui didn't come."

"Well, she's not feeling well, and the concert is coming up soon, so she needs to rest," Chen Si Yue explained awkwardly.

"Ding—" The elevator slowly came to a stop on the 20th floor.

After turning a corner along the spacious and bright corridor, a heavy and imposing armored door appeared before us.

Before even entering the room, the two were somewhat stunned.

Lin Mu Xue entered the password, gracefully opened the armored door, and gestured, "Please come in."

Chen Si Yue and Mao Wenqiong took a deep breath and carefully walked in.

Despite having some expectations, I was still shocked when I actually saw what was inside.

Good heavens! This is a huge, single-level apartment!

Mao Wenqiong immediately remembered that she had indeed seen large-sized apartments in Yanjing Sky City on Douyin before.

However, there is only one building, with only one household on each floor.

Housing is scarce; there are none available on the market. Those who can live there are the true elite of Yancheng.

Chen Si Yue said in a dry voice, "Xiao Xue, how big is your house? This living room looks bigger than mine."

"390 square meters," Lin Mu Xue calmly uttered a number.

Chen Si Yue's eyelids twitched. "Holy crap, it's so big!"

Mao Wenqiong's gaze went blank for a moment, and she couldn't say a word.

With this size and the renovation, the total price must be close to 20 million, right?

This was a number she couldn't even imagine.

"It's alright." Lin Mu Xue smiled calmly. "By the way, my boyfriend is working in the study, so it's not convenient for him to be on camera. I'll show you around first and find a few representative places to take pictures."

She is still very sensible.

This is Tang Song's home; it shouldn't be exposed too much, otherwise it will cause him trouble.

Chen Si Yue quickly replied, "Yes, it's mainly to film your living environment. We can film in the master bedroom, dressing room, and living and dining room later."

"Tap tap tap—" The sound of footsteps spread through the corridor.

Then, a luxurious and exquisite panoramic view of the large penthouse slowly unfolded before the two of them.

270-degree panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows, artistically designed island countertop, wraparound fabric sofas, high-end custom-made kitchenware and appliances...

The perfect combination of comfort and aesthetics perfectly embodies high-end luxury.

Chen Si Yue and Mao Wenqiong were overwhelmed by the sights, their hearts beating faster and faster.

As they pushed open the master bedroom door and stepped into the walk-in closet, a buzzing sound filled their heads as they experienced an indescribable sense of awe.

High-end men's and women's clothing items are neatly arranged in the cabinet.

Luxurious, high-end, and exquisite.

It felt like stepping into a luxury brand boutique.

This is the castle every girl dreams of!

Feeling the shock and envy of her two old classmates, Lin Mu Xue was happy but didn't experience much emotional fluctuation.

It was nowhere near as powerful as when Tang Song was holding his legs and delivering his attack.

Her recent experiences, especially after playing basketball with Male God like Tang Song, have brought about a huge change in her way of thinking and her perception.

Former high school classmates no longer give her much of the pleasure of being proven wrong.

Lin Mu Xue knew perfectly well that she had leveled up!

It's time to aim higher!

Huaxiang Food House Restaurant, Qiaoxi District.

The table was set with exquisite dishes, and soft music drifted through the air.

Looking at Wen Ruan across from her, Zhao Mingying couldn't help but sigh, "You made the right choice to return to Yancheng. You're in such a much better state than before, that's wonderful!"

Wen Ruan smiled Wen Ruan, "You haven't changed much from before, except you have less hair."

Zhao Mingying subconsciously touched her smooth forehead, shook her head self-deprecatingly, "Living in the Imperial Capital is not easy."

I have a wife and children to support, a mortgage to pay, and I'm over 35 years old.

It's truly a case of being overwhelmed by debuffs; one has to be extremely cautious in every aspect, lest it give the company an excuse to lay off employees.

I'm working overtime until 9 PM every day now, leading the way in creating planning proposals, and my hair is falling out in clumps.

"It's alright. Xingyun International is backed by Tang Zong Entertainment and is constantly expanding. I think you still have a chance to rise further."

Zhao Mingying looked at her and said, "Actually, I think it's a real shame about you. Your education, qualities, and abilities are all outstanding. If it weren't for those messy things, you could have stayed in the group and developed your career there. You would at least be a middle manager by now."

Eight years ago, when Wen Ruan first joined Xingyun International, he was in the same department as him.

Zhao Mingying was deeply impressed by the youthful vigor and Wen Ruan of Wen Ruan at that time.

They also felt sorry for the misfortunes the other party had suffered.

"Hehe." Wen Ruan smiled nonchalantly. "There's no point in saying all this now. I'm doing very well in Yancheng. My job is easy and stable, close to home, and I have... some interesting friends."

During her years in Imperial Capital, she truly devoted herself to her career, single-mindedly determined to gain a foothold in this international metropolis.

I studied hard and worked tirelessly for the past few years, gradually achieving results, and finally got the opportunity for promotion.

As a result, it was all ruined by a colleague spreading rumors.

After another year of hardship, still seeing no hope, he slunk back to Yancheng.

Reflecting on her five years in Imperial Capital, she described it as: a complete mess.

The only positive aspect was that, through Xingyun International's platform, I got to know many friends in media companies.

Her current side job involves contributing articles to these media outlets and doing some online gaming, which brings in a substantial income.

This is also the main reason why she often travels: to see the scenery in other cities and, incidentally, to maintain relationships with these friends.

Overall, it was much more comfortable than the Imperial Capital.

Moreover, if she gets laid off in the future and can't find a job because she's too old, she can use these connections to start a studio and work as a media intermediary.

This is actually the business of media companies.

It was also a fallback plan she had prepared for herself.

"Actually, there's another reason I came to see you this time."

Zhao Mingying paused for a moment, then said, "Xingyun International is going to set up a branch in Yancheng. It's already in the implementation phase, and the person in charge is Director Ji from the group. I joined the company at the same time as her, so we can barely talk. A few days ago, she came to our department to inspect the work and mentioned you. I think she has a good impression of you. If you're thinking of returning to Xingyun International, I can shamelessly recommend you internally. There's a high chance this will work out."

Wen Ruan raised her eyebrows and asked in surprise, "Ji Qiuyu, Vice President of Media Operations?"

"Yes! It's her! I think this is a great opportunity. You can stay in Yancheng to work, and you might even gain Director Ji's appreciation and get back on track with your career."

"I'll think about it. I have to go to the Imperial Capital for a business trip next week, and there's also Si Min's wedding."

Wen Ruan let out a long breath, her previously calm heart once again disturbed.