Chapter 23

Cheng Lang asked frankly, "It's nothing much. I just wanted to ask whether I need to prepare my own performance outfit for this event, or should I go wearing White Jade Capital's waiter uniform? Might as well advertise White Jade Capital while I'm at it."

Chen immediately said, "Leave the performance outfit to Sixth Brother. He'll give you the clothes before you attend the birthday banquet."

As Chen spoke, he suddenly realized that despite being White Jade Capital's star performer for so long, Cheng Lang had never had a single performance outfit tailored for him. He strutted around every day in that waiter uniform of his, fooling people left and right, yet no one had found anything strange about it.

With that thought, Chen gave Cheng Lang a long, thorough look.

Cheng Lang blinked innocently. "Who's Sixth Brother?"

Chen came back to himself. "That's your Brother Wang. His full name is Wang Liu'an."

Cheng Lang understood and obediently replied, "The company has gone to such expense."

Chen had originally wanted to give Cheng Lang a few more instructions, but seeing him put on that innocent, well-behaved act, he suddenly did not feel like saying anything. Tired at heart, he waved him off. "All right. That's why I called you here."

Cheng Lang understood Chen's gesture of dismissal and said with a grin, "Then you get back to work, Brother Chen. I'll head downstairs first."

By the time Cheng Lang left Chen's office, it was nearly eleven-thirty at night. There was still half an hour until closing, but after searching the dance floor, he found no sign of Shen Huaiyu.

The system asked faintly in his mind, "Did you forget to follow the plot?"

Cheng Lang froze. Without a word, the system tossed him a passage from the original text. According to the plot, Cheng Lang was supposed to run into Lu Chengxuan that night and take the opportunity to seduce him. Unfortunately, Lu Chengxuan did not like scheming, gloomy, vain people like Cheng Lang, so he rudely rejected Cheng Lang's offer to warm his bed. Shen Huaiyu happened to witness the scene. Lu Chengxuan then seized the chance to pull Shen Huaiyu close and act intimately with him in front of Cheng Lang, humiliating both Shen Huaiyu and Cheng Lang. Cheng Lang flew into a rage from humiliation and bore a grudge against Shen Huaiyu as well. From then on, he made things difficult for Shen Huaiyu at every turn.

But the moment Cheng Lang arrived at White Jade Capital, he had been busy performing crosstalk onstage. He had completely missed Lu Chengxuan.

And he had missed this part of the plot too.

Cheng Lang: "..."

Cheng Lang asked the system, "Why didn't you remind me?"

The system fell silent. It had been listening to Cheng Lang's crosstalk too. It had not paid attention to the plot.

So Shen Huaiyu had been taken away by Lu Chengxuan?

Cheng Lang called Shen Huaiyu. It rang for a long time, but no one answered. Cheng Lang went to ask the floor manager instead.

The floor manager looked at Cheng Lang with a complicated expression. "Don't get involved in whatever's going on between President Lu and Shen Huaiyu. Don't you know your own status? You're an orphan with no father, no mother, and no background. What do you have to compete with President Lu? If you anger him, one word from him could make it impossible for you to survive in X City."

Cheng Lang looked at the floor manager strangely. He had the feeling the man had imagined some whole dramatic story?

"What are you looking at me for?" The floor manager earnestly advised, "I'm only telling you this for your own good. You're still young. Wouldn't it be better to earn more money steadily and peacefully? Once you've saved enough, what kind of beauty couldn't you have?"

Cheng Lang confirmed that the floor manager had indeed misunderstood.

"Shen Huaiyu and I aren't in the kind of relationship you think." After saying that, Cheng Lang inexplicably felt a little awkward. He did not dwell on it and continued explaining, "I was the one who brought Shen Huaiyu to White Jade Capital. I have to take responsibility for him, don't I?"

"That's for the best." The floor manager patted Cheng Lang on the shoulder. "Don't feel burdened either. Who has an obligation to be responsible for someone else these days? You knew he needed money and introduced him to work at White Jade Capital—that was already kind of you. But White Jade Capital is this kind of place. Since he came here, he should have been mentally prepared. Besides, with that face of his, even if he hadn't run into President Lu, he would've attracted someone else's attention. Being able to latch onto President Lu is still better than being eyed by other people..."

"Cheng Lang!" Before the floor manager could finish, Brother Wang came looking for him. "Brother Chen just called me. Come to the changing room with me. I need to take your measurements."

Cheng Lang nodded and followed Brother Wang into the lounge. Brother Wang crossed his arms and looked him over. "What's this? You get into bad moods too?"

Before Cheng Lang could speak, he added in a deliberately annoying tone, "What's got you unhappy? Tell your big brother about it and make me happy."

Cheng Lang looked at Brother Wang. "Are you planning to perform crosstalk too?"

"Not really." Brother Wang snorted. "I just think copying the way you talk feels pretty satisfying."

Brother Wang looked at Cheng Lang. "Don't overthink it. I'm not trying to needle you. I'm just speaking from the heart."

"Genuine feelings, straight from the heart—it doesn't count as intentional harm, does it?"

Cheng Lang spread his arms for the measurements. "...You can still be sentenced for negligent injury."

Brother Wang asked with a smile, "A minor injury can be settled through mediation, right?"

Cheng Lang stared at Brother Wang in surprise. "You call this a minor injury?"

"Isn't it?" Brother Wang paused, then suddenly turned serious. "I don't know why Brother Chen and the boss are taking you to Old Master Qin's birthday banquet. But I want to remind you of something. The boss's relationship with that side is very complicated. After you get there, you'd better not talk recklessly."

Chapter 23

By the time Cheng Lang left White Jade Capital, it was already past one in the morning. The streets were packed with people, as though every night owl in the city had gathered there. Cheng Lang stood by the roadside and bought two roasted sweet potatoes. Just as he was about to hail a cab, a red supercar pulled up in front of him.

"Get in." Lü gestured to Cheng Lang with her eyes. "I'll take you back to school."

"It's not on your way, is it?" Cheng Lang tucked both hands into his pockets and bent down to speak to Lü. "No need to waste your gas money."

"How do you know it's not on my way?" Lü asked with a half-smile.

That was not an easy question to answer. Taking it too seriously could easily make things awkward, while brushing it off seemed unnecessary. Cheng Lang raised an eyebrow, opened the door, and got in. "Then I'll trouble you, President Lü."

Lü's gaze swept over the roasted sweet potatoes in Cheng Lang's arms. Cheng Lang thoughtfully asked, "Would you like one?"

Lü shook her head. "I'm driving. It's inconvenient." Yet her gaze remained fixed on the roasted sweet potatoes.