Xie Chen was so furious his lungs were about to burst. His face dark, he strode over to find several people lurking suspiciously about.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded in a low voice.
Startled by the sound, they hurriedly hid what they were holding behind their backs. But when they saw it was Xie Chen, they actually breathed a sigh of relief.
“Oh, it’s Brother Xie. I knew this floor was reserved, so no unrelated people should be able to get up here. You scared me to death.”
To protect the privacy of the company’s artists, the hotel they had booked this time was highly secure. Each floor could only be accessed by swiping the room keycard in the elevator.
As they spoke, the group gradually realized that something was off about Xie Chen being here at this hour as well.
The artists from Xie Chen’s company were staying at a different hotel. Even if Best Actor Xie was known for keeping to himself, this entire floor had been reserved by Huiyuan. How had he gotten up here?
One of them asked, “Brother Xie, why are you here?”
Xie Chen was already suspicious of their intentions, so his expression was hardly pleasant.
“I’m the one asking you,” he said.
“It’s this late, and instead of sleeping, you’re skulking around outside someone else’s room. What exactly are you doing?”
The awards ceremony had ended close to nine. There had been an after-party afterward, and then everyone had returned to the hotel to wash up. It was nearly midnight by now.
The young idols exchanged glances, then took out the things they had been hiding behind their backs.
It was, surprisingly, a set of Aeroplane Chess, along with snacks, barbecue skewers, soft drinks, and beer.
“We just came to play Aeroplane Chess with President Pei.”
Xie Chen relaxed a little. It seemed that Pei Liang—that damn woman—had not given her room keycard to anyone besides him.
Still, the obvious clinginess in these guys made him deeply displeased.
Impatiently, he shooed them away. “She’s going to sleep. Go back to your rooms.”
They were not happy about that. Who was he to speak to them with the air of the official partner?
One of the younger men, whose manner was somewhat seductive, said, “Thanks for your concern, Brother Xie. It is late, so you should go back and get some rest yourself. No need to worry about us.”
“We’re only playing a little game with our company president. President Pei likes it too, so there’s really no need for you to be concerned.”
“She... likes it?” Xie Chen asked in disbelief.
They nodded. “Yeah. President Pei has been playing games like this with us a lot lately.”
That was not quite accurate, really. Recently, with no one keeping Pei Liang in check, she had grown much closer to the younger artists in the company.
They were all kids with an average age under twenty, at the height of their playful years. Whenever they ran into Pei Liang in the cafeteria or the practice rooms during breaks, they liked to drag her into playing a few rounds of little games with them.
Pei Liang was generous too. More often than not, she let them win; whenever she lost, she had her assistant order lavish afternoon tea as a prize, effectively giving them extra perks.
This time, they had come out for the awards ceremony. With such a perfect opportunity at hand—and without having to compete with so many people as they normally did—how could these young idols not seize it?
But Xie Chen did not know there was more to the story. He assumed that, during the time he had left in anger, Pei Liang had been partying wildly with a whole crowd of young men around her.
His expression instantly turned black. He could not be bothered to waste any more time arguing with these idiots.
A keycard appeared in his hand. Raising his brows, he said, “I already told you—I have something to discuss with your President Pei. Can you leave now?”
“You’re all adults. Don’t be so incapable of reading the room.”
When they saw the keycard, the group sucked in a sharp breath.
The one with the fiery temper immediately took offense. “Haven’t you already been dumped? What gives you the right to have that thing?”
He hadn’t been seen in so long—he had to have been dumped.
The moment the words left his mouth, someone else clapped a hand over it. No matter what, Xie Chen wasn’t someone they could afford to offend lightly.
Then the guy with the sunny disposition—though Xie Chen considered him the most devious of the lot—smiled and said, “Brother Xie, you’ve got a key card? Perfect. Let’s play together.”
Xie Chen’s face turned green. “Who said I was playing with you? Can’t you understand plain Chinese?”
“It’s only Ludo. Group activities aren’t forbidden,” they shamelessly argued. “Besides, we’re bringing snacks and drinks.”
Xie Chen was about ready to start hitting people.
Being kept by someone was a first for him too, but other pretty boys probably didn’t have to deal with people trying to intercept them at the door when they were being forced into service.
Just as the standoff continued, the room door opened.
Pei Liang was wearing silk pajamas. She was nowhere near as formally dressed as she had been at the gala, yet the allure and sensuality radiating from her now were even more enough to make hearts race and faces flush.
She seemed to glow all over. The exposed skin at her collarbones and upper chest looked like white jade beneath the hallway lights.
The men outside the door were stunned speechless.
Pei Liang asked the younger men, “What is this about—?”
They came back to themselves, all blushing to varying degrees. Like fools, they said, “W-we couldn’t sleep, so we wanted to ask whether you’d like to play Ludo.”
Xie Chen didn’t miss the flash of delight in Pei Liang’s eyes the instant she opened the door and saw both him and the others.
His insides were practically bleeding with frustration. What? Did she think she’d bought some buy-one-get-four-free deluxe package?
His expression darkened. “President Pei, you asked me to come up here to discuss something. What we’re about to discuss isn’t suitable for outsiders, is it?”
The young men hurriedly replied, “That’s fine. The presidential suite is huge. President Pei and Brother Xie can talk in the living room first.”
“We’ll wait in the bedroom, and once you’re done talking—”
“Wait for shit. Get lost!” Xie Chen snapped menacingly.
Were these idiots really pretending not to understand? They were actually suggesting this woman have one course in the living room and another in the bedroom—a late-night second round?
She could dream on.
Xie Chen stared intently at Pei Liang. Pei Liang did dote on these younger men, but the main course that was practically on her plate mattered more.
So she said, “It’s getting late. You should all go back and get some sleep. Don’t stay up too late.”
“Oh...” The four of them instantly drooped like a box of abandoned puppies.
Pei Liang felt a pang of affection at the sight, but before she could comfort them, Xie Chen stepped inside and shut the door himself, cutting off this woman’s line of sight.
Even though he was jealous to this extent, he still sneered, “What? Can’t bear to let them go? Want me to open the door and call them back?”
That was what he said, but he had his back pressed firmly against the door.
Pei Liang was far too good at reading the situation. The younger men were nice—well-behaved, adorable, funny, and not clingy. Simply teasing them and watching them was enough to make her happy.
But they were hardly the same as the pretty boy she was genuinely about to devour. How could she make such a foolish mistake?
So she went along with him. “Of course not. I thought you were embarrassed about being alone with me, or perhaps that you cared too much about ceremony, so you had them escort you here as a show of support.”
“I was just thinking how adorable that was.”
Xie Chen didn’t believe a word of it, but his face quietly flushed all the same.
Pei Liang leaned in, captured his lips, and kissed him deeply.
Xie Chen hadn’t expected her to skip every step of the process. Internally, he scorned her for being so impatient, while rather melodramatically convincing himself that he was only doing this under duress—making a sacrifice for his career.
His body, however, betrayed him embarrassingly. Not only did he show no trace of resistance, he responded on instinct, drawn to her like a magnet.
When the kiss finally ended and Pei Liang’s lips left his, he even leaned forward unconsciously, chasing after her with lingering reluctance.
Pei Liang took his hand and led him inside.
The living room had clearly been arranged for the occasion. The air carried an understated yet intoxicating aroma of refined wine, mingled with a faint floral fragrance that made him feel almost lightheaded.
Pei Liang poured two glasses of wine and handed one to him.
Under the elegant glow of the lights, she smiled at him. “I’m very happy you came.”
Xie Chen’s feelings were complicated.
She knew how much he cared about a sense of occasion. Even after they had laid everything out in the open and gotten together, she still paid attention to his feelings in every way.
Although he had already talked himself into accepting things, her ever-present thoughtfulness still filled him with both sweetness and bitterness.
He said sullenly, “Why are you happy? Even if I hadn’t come, you’d have found a replacement soon enough, wouldn’t you?”
But Pei Liang said, “Of course not. You’re the one who’s different. There will never be anyone in this world who can replace you.”
She wasn’t merely saying it to make him happy. With Pei Liang’s exacting standards, anyone she was determined to have must possess something truly irreplaceable in her eyes.
In the past, Xie Chen would only have felt pleased with himself whenever she flirted with him. Now, though, it was both painful and blissful.
On the one hand, he knew she desired him but did not love him. On the other, he knew she disdained lying, so all of her praise and feelings were genuine—at least to her.
To conceal the shameful, miserable thrill rising in his chest, Xie Chen took a sip of wine, using it to hide his expression.
Then Pei Liang said, “Look at the floor-to-ceiling window in this room. Doesn’t it resemble the one in your home?”
Xie Chen had no idea why she had brought that up, but he looked over anyway—
It really was rather similar. Even the night view beyond the glass bore a certain resemblance, aside from the different landmark buildings.
Xie Chen nodded. “It does, a little. Why do you ask?”
The moment he spoke, he felt Pei Liang’s breath by his ear.
This time, it was not the faint, suggestive teasing from before. Her body pressed against him—soft and full, carrying a distinct, cool, clean fragrance.
It was not the scent of any perfume. On several occasions when they had been close, Xie Chen had found Pei Liang’s scent so pleasant that he had specifically searched for fragrances like it.
Yet even with all his connections and resources, he had found nothing. Later, while filming that arthouse movie, the production had hired a psychologist as a consultant to help flesh out the characters.
When the topic had come up by chance, the doctor told him that it was the other person’s sexual appeal.
The more completely you desired someone, the more pronounced that scent would become to you.
Now Xie Chen felt as though he had been kneaded into that very fragrance. His breathing grew unsteady, and his mind turned hazy.
Pei Liang’s lips brushed against his ear—not with the vague, almost-there teasing of before, but in true, intimate caresses.
A warm dampness immediately rose to Xie Chen’s ears and the back of his neck.
Then Pei Liang said, “The first time I went to your place, I saw the floor-to-ceiling windows in your living room. One glance, and the entire glittering nightscape lay spread out before me.”
“You were wearing something that wasn’t especially flashy, but made me desperately want to tear it off you.”
“At the time, I thought: if I ripped away all those inconvenient clothes and pinned you against the window, made you face the towers, the traffic, the whole city outside—while the glass reflected the sight of you crying—it would be unbelievably thrilling.”
“I’ve been imagining that scene ever since.”
Xie Chen’s scalp went numb. The shame and excitement flooding his mind snapped a thread of rationality with an audible crack.
He pulled Pei Liang into his arms, and the scene reflected in the hotel’s floor-to-ceiling windows soon became enough to make anyone blush with embarrassment.
In short, by the end of it, there was not a single corner of the vast presidential suite they had not made use of.
Afterward, Pei Liang sat on the bed, smoking the slim cigarette she habitually enjoyed at times like this.
In both body and mind, she was satisfied beyond compare.
And really, the world of a novel was different from reality.
Men who could become male leads were all extraordinarily gifted.
There was no need to mention Shi Feiyu. He was a military man by nature; his stamina and endurance were simply beyond what ordinary people could compare to.
Unexpectedly, Xie Chen, from this peaceful modern world, was no less impressive. Generally speaking, an innocent young man having sex for the first time would not perform particularly well.
But aside from his initial awkwardness, when he needed her guidance, he had been full of pleasant surprises once he got the hang of it.
And as expected of someone from a modern world with easy access to information—Xie Chen must have done plenty of research before coming here. He even knew how to take the initiative and try new things.
Pei Liang had assumed that, given how shy he was, it would take at least several times, plus a bit of coaxing and persuading, before she could get him to try such things and gradually broaden his horizons.
Who would have thought that Xie Chen would be unexpectedly uninhibited in this regard?
Yet Best Actor Xie, so uninhibited just moments ago, now had his back to Pei Liang, his face red enough to bleed.
He had not felt embarrassed while they were caught up in their reckless antics. It was only afterward that the shame came rushing back.
Back then, he truly had not been able to resist. Following the “four pleasures of a rich woman,” he had opened the door to theoretical knowledge.
And Pei Liang was still teasing him. Her long fingers traced the smooth, perfectly sculpted lines of his back as she said, “You did very well.”
Xie Chen nearly gave in to the urge to hide his face beneath the covers.
Even after Pei Liang had fallen asleep, Xie Chen remained wide awake.
His gaze was somewhat unfocused as he stared at the ceiling, countless thoughts tumbling through his mind. Yet he knew that beneath all this aimless reflection lay one very definite purpose.
He even went over every moment he had spent with Pei Liang, savoring and reconsidering each one, recalling every word she had ever said.
At last, when Pei Liang woke up the following afternoon, he found the breakthrough he had been searching for amid the tangled mass of thoughts.
The first thing Pei Liang heard Xie Chen say after she woke was, “You said you would protect my pride and innocence?”
“You said you would never let anything dull my edges, turn me gloomy and withdrawn, or make me accustomed to compromise?”
Pei Liang was not fully awake yet. Hearing this, she nodded instinctively. “Yes.”
“How long does that promise last?”
Pei Liang said, “As long as it’s within my capabilities, there’s no time limit.”
At first, she really had intended to pursue a mature movie star. But later, she discovered that the elementary-school kid had his own irresistible charm. And the more she got to know him, the more she felt that someone as wonderful as him shouldn’t have to suffer unnecessary misfortunes simply to fulfill the aesthetic preferences of the author and readers, or to fit the heroine’s personality.
He didn’t need to go through the pain of having his thorns painfully pulled out, or be ground down by the harsh realities of life.
It was perfectly fine for him to remain this spoiled, willful elementary-school kid forever.
Pei Liang had originally thought Xie Chen was merely acting spoiled and asking her to promise that she would protect him. Naturally, she had no reason to refuse.
What she failed to notice was the relief and smile on Xie Chen’s face when he turned away—the expression of someone who had finally found a way out of a dead end.
He turned back and threw his arms around Pei Liang, instantly reverting to the affected, pampered arrogance he’d displayed before their falling-out.
“I’m hungry. I want to eat something you made.”
“Sure, sure!” Pei Liang got up. She had slept quite well and felt refreshed and clear-headed.
The presidential suite had everything they needed. Using the ingredients and seasonings on hand, Pei Liang prepared lunch and afternoon tea.
Xie Chen was young, after all. Despite working for most of the night before and barely sleeping for quite some time, he was still full of energy.
But as soon as he sat down at the table, he pursed his lips. “Why is it pasta? I don’t even like pasta.”
All traces of his reluctance from before he’d become her kept man had vanished, leaving only his affected, fussy mannerisms.
Pei Liang smiled. “That’s the only staple food in the fridge. Make do with it for now. Once we’re home, I’ll cook you a proper feast.”
“All right, then!” Xie Chen said reluctantly. “I want that seafood tofu with salted egg yolk you made before.”
Pei Liang leaned closer to him. “Mm, good choice. That was the first dish I made when I went to your place.”
“No matter how similar the hotel is, it still isn’t the ideal setting.”
Xie Chen’s ears immediately turned red as he recalled Pei Liang’s vulgar remarks from the night before—how she’d said that the first time she went to his home, she had already wanted to do indecent things to him.
Fortunately, whether at his home or in the presidential suite, the floor-to-ceiling windows were one-way glass. No matter what happened, no one outside could see in.
Otherwise, he would have spent the entire morning trembling at the thought of all the things they had done pressed against the windows the night before.
After eating and tidying up, the two of them left the hotel.
Xie Chen still had a few final shots to reshoot with his production team. As for Pei Liang, the end of the year was approaching, and Huiyuan had been through quite a lot this year.
So she would be very busy as well.
The moment Xie Chen reunited with Zhang Li, Zhang Li gave him a complicated look.
“You… spent the entire night in President Pei’s room?”
Xie Chen nodded calmly.
Seeing how composed he was, Zhang Li began to wonder if he had misunderstood. This virgin had probably just spent the whole night playing Flying Chess with her.
Otherwise, considering Xie Chen’s personality, how could he possibly be so calm and unconcerned?
So Zhang Li grinned. “President Pei wanted to discuss something with you?”
Xie Chen rolled his eyes. “Have you ever seen a man and a woman spend the entire night discussing something together?”
Zhang Li was left speechless. He stared at Xie Chen in disbelief, his expression clearly saying, You?
Based on his understanding of Xie Chen, if the guy had really spent the night with a woman, he would absolutely be unable to resist flaunting it and swaggering around afterward.
No sooner had he thought that than Xie Chen said, “Oh, right. Any scripts that come my way and are scheduled to start filming in the first half of next year—turn them down.”
“Why?” Zhang Li was startled. “Aren’t there several scripts you were pretty interested in?”
“It’s nothing. I’ll be filming *Universal Alliance* in the first half of the year,” Xie Chen said, putting on airs as naturally as breathing.
At first, Zhang Li didn’t catch on. He replied automatically, “Oh! I know the next *Universal Alliance* movie is switching to an Asian lead, but they haven’t even announced auditions yet, have they?”
“That’s Director JM we’re talking about. Compared with fame, he cares more about whether an actor fits the role. You might be the best match for this Asian character. Of course the company will fully support you if you want to go for it, but don’t get your hopes up too high. This isn’t like last time.”
Xie Chen frowned. “Was I not clear enough? I said I’m filming *Universal Alliance*, not auditioning for it.”
Zhang Li froze for a moment, then sucked in a sharp breath, so excited he nearly jumped up. “The role has already been confirmed for you? Did President Pei give you the news?”
“I heard her company seems to have secured investment rights for *Universal Alliance*. But would Director JM really listen to her?”
Director JM was one of the greatest directors of the modern era—a world-renowned master who had already achieved legendary status.
Even though the film industry had largely become producer-driven rather than director-driven, a handful of directors led by JM still held absolute authority on set.
Even for an IP on the scale of *Universal Alliance*, after all, it had been built from the ground up by him personally.
Xie Chen looked calm, but his entire being radiated smug satisfaction. “Of course it wasn’t easy. It took an enormous price and effort on many fronts for this role to end up in my hands.”
“Not because I, Xie Chen, lack competitiveness—but because this whole thing was made possible for my sake.”
Zhang Li was no fool. At once, he clapped his hands in amazement. “President Pei really goes all out. That’s simply incredible.”
Earlier, seeing the two of them acting as though they wanted nothing more to do with each other for the rest of their lives, Zhang Li had assumed it was over between them. He hadn’t expected President Pei to be willing to pay such a steep price to coax this guy back.
But wait—if Xie Chen had known about this in advance, there would have been no reason for him to keep it from Zhang Li.
So he must have found out last night. And last night, the two of them had spent the night together—
The look Zhang Li gave Xie Chen became hard to describe. Finally, he patted him on the shoulder and said approvingly, “It’s good that you’ve come around.”
“Honestly, a capable woman like President Pei shouldn’t be the one doing the coaxing. She’s been giving you her all, so you should learn to be a little more sensible from now on.”
Still, Xie Chen had grown up after all. He understood that nothing mattered more than tangible benefits.
Xie Chen only felt that he hadn’t shown off properly. And what exactly did Zhang Li mean by that? Why did he sound as if he had seen right through their relationship?
*
Because the film’s post-production period was relatively short and Huiyuan had started promoting it early, it was scheduled for release during the Lunar New Year holiday.
The final title was set as *Tongfu Inn*. Although this year’s Lunar New Year release window already had several formidable competitors, *Tongfu Inn* still became one of the most anticipated films of the season.
After all, the trailer made it clear that it was a comedy, and releasing a comedy during the Lunar New Year holiday was obviously a bid for box-office success.
Xie Chen’s films never wavered when they were made with awards in mind, and those aimed at the box office had never flopped. On top of that, anyone with a bit of industry knowledge had dug up the fact that the film was funded by Huiyuan after Pei Liang took over.
Both the director and screenwriter were newcomers with barely any work to their names. In interviews, they had even admitted that before Huiyuan extended them an olive branch, no one had shown the slightest interest in their script.
Then there was no doubt about it—the film had stood out because of Pei Liang’s eye for investments.
With all those factors combined, it would have been difficult for the film not to attract attention.
Yet during the promotional period, Xie Chen didn’t go running around everywhere with the rest of the cast. He had never been interested in that sort of thing. Aside from the promotional obligations he couldn’t avoid, he spent all his free time going to Pei Liang’s side.
He showed up at Huiyuan every day as punctually as if he were clocking in for work. Anyone who didn’t know better might have thought Best Actor Xie had retired from the screen and taken a job as an office worker at Huiyuan.
Quite a few of Xie Chen’s fans within Huiyuan were delighted to see their idol so often.
The young men and women of the fresh-faced idol group, led by the younger members, on the other hand, were far from pleased.
“Why should he get to do that? Ever since he started coming here, President Pei barely eats in the cafeteria anymore.”
“Forget eating—President Pei used to come to the practice room to watch us. But whenever he’s there, Xie Chen stands around like the legitimate wife staking her claim. We invite President Pei to dance with us or play some little games, and what does he do? Either he glares at you so hard you can feel it burning through your back, or he relies on that pretty face of his to flirt shamelessly. So what if he’s good-looking? If he’s so great, he should quit being a movie star and become an idol instead—come compete with us for the spotlight!”
“That time I learned a new dance move and performed it for President Pei, he stood right there and started flirting with President Pei through the mirror. I was dancing my heart out like an idiot for nothing! And afterward, he even had the nerve to say, ‘Not bad,’ as if I’d been putting on a show for the two of them. If you guys hadn’t stopped me, I would’ve punched him.”
“No way. President Pei belongs to all of us. He’s an outsider from another company—what gives him the right to monopolize her?”
“Exactly! We’re not accepting this. Who does he think he is? Sure, he may have a little more quality, but we have the numbers on our side!”
“We have to teach him a lesson and knock down that smug ‘legitimate wife’ attitude of his.”
After plotting for quite some time, the group finally put their plan into action. The following afternoon, while Pei Liang was flirting with Xie Chen in her office, she received a call from the practice room.
Xie Chen had already erased every trace of Gao Jun’s arrangements from Pei Liang’s office. He had also succeeded in placing his own toothbrush, towel, and a few changes of clothes in the lounge behind the office.
After all, the view from the top-floor president’s office was quite nice. The two of them had spent plenty of time fooling around there.
Pei Liang had finished her work early that day and was coaxing Xie Chen into putting on a pair of glasses and changing into a sharply tailored suit so they could play the part of a domineering CEO and her pretty assistant.
Then a call came in saying that someone had misjudged the intensity of their training and gotten injured.
Pei Liang hurried downstairs. Behind her, Xie Chen clicked his tongue, inwardly gnashing his teeth at the demands of Pei Liang’s work environment.
When he arrived at the practice room, he saw Qin Zheng—the fiery-tempered younger member of the fresh-faced idol group—sitting to one side with an ice pack pressed against his ankle.
Everyone around him wore worried expressions.
The moment they saw Pei Liang arrive, they swarmed toward her as though they had finally found their pillar of support. A group of handsome young men and women in fitted, stylish practice clothes surged forward, their outfits showing off their figures and good looks to full effect.
What was more, perfectly good outfits had either been knotted at the hem to reveal slim, exquisite waists, cut open at the neckline to show off ample cleavage, or tugged down at the collar to expose lovely collarbones and shoulders.
The men and women were all the same—wearing aggrieved expressions, pouting and acting coquettish, as if they had wandered straight into the Spider Demon Cave.
Yet Qin Zheng, who was injured, and the other three members did not rush over when Pei Liang entered.
Qin Zheng in particular put on a brave front, forcing a smile onto his pale face as though to reassure her.
But the sight of someone who had always seemed so energetic looking like this only made him more pitiful.
Sure enough, that bitch Pei Liang took the bait.
She hurried over, pulled Qin Zheng’s hand away, checked the injury, and breathed a sigh of relief. “Thankfully, it’s not too serious.”
“But cancel all your activities for the next few days and get some proper rest. You sing and dance onstage—this isn’t something to take lightly.”
Qin Zheng immediately protested, “I’m fine. A little cold compress will do; there’s no need to delay work over such a minor injury.”
Pei Liang said gently, “Be good. There’ll always be work to do, but your health is your greatest asset. The company isn’t some heartless factory that wants to squeeze you dry every second. If you ignore small injuries and refuse to rest when you’re exhausted, it’ll build up over time. If your body breaks down and you have to leave the stage early, would you really be happy with that?”
“I remember you said you wanted to stay on the stage for twenty years.”
A touched yet unwilling look appeared on Qin Zheng’s face. At that moment, the chestnut-haired young man beside him spoke softly, “Actually, Qin Zheng just wants President Pei’s approval.”
Pei Liang looked puzzled. “But I do approve of you. Otherwise, why would the company spend so much on producing an album for you?”
“Don’t ever doubt your own talent. Isn’t your current success proof enough of how outstanding you are?”
The alluring, seductive-looking male idol muttered, “But lately, President Pei never comes to see us. And even when you do, your eyes are never on us.”
“We started wondering whether the new choreography was just too awful, or whether we weren’t doing the moves well enough—whether we simply weren’t worth President Pei sparing us a glance.”
“So today, Qin Zheng came up with a new move. It’s our fault, really. The rest of us aren’t as coordinated as he is, so he kept having to adjust to match us. We practiced so long that we lost track of time, and he ended up getting hurt.”
As he spoke, the other three also wore expressions full of guilt and insecurity, as if they had failed miserably and were too ashamed to face her.
Pei Liang’s heart ached for them. She hurriedly said, “No, no—you’ve done very well.”
“Besides, I’ve never supported adding physically damaging, high-difficulty moves to a dance. You aren’t merely idols; you’re also immensely talented singer-songwriters. I see you as enduring, high-quality idol singers, not performers who rely on temporary gimmicks to stand out.”
“And anyway, I’m an amateur myself. Even though I debuted in a girl group, my stage presence was rated quite poorly back then. Huiyuan has the most professional dance instructors, and they’ve always spoken highly of you in front of me.”
“Really?” The four of them looked up in perfect unison, like puppies abandoned in a cardboard box on a rainy day who had suddenly spotted their owner.
None of the four were wearing makeup at the moment; their faces were completely bare.
But they were good-looking to begin with, and young besides. Years of dance training and fitness routines had given them excellent metabolisms, and naturally flawless skin.
Their faces were still sheened with half-dried sweat, their hair slightly damp, making them look especially fresh-faced.
With all of them making that expression at her in perfect unison, how was Pei Liang supposed to resist?
Her smile gradually took on the fond, indulgent look of an auntie. “Yes, yes, of course.”
Qin Zheng was the first to let out a sigh of relief. “We thought President Pei had been unhappy with our performance lately.”
“You haven’t been coming to the artists’ cafeteria to eat with everyone, and you visit the practice rooms less often too. You used to be happy whenever we invited you to dance or play little games with us, but recently you haven’t seemed very interested. We thought President Pei was getting tired of us.”
Pei Liang immediately felt guilty. Ever since she had gotten together with Xie Chen, she really had been too busy indulging in pleasure and had neglected the younger boys and girls who had stayed by her side during the company’s difficult period.
A person really couldn’t be devoted to one lover when in need, then forget them the moment someone new came along.
She promptly declared, “Of course not. You’re all the company’s treasures. I might neglect anyone else, but never you. Even when I’m not here, I’m always keeping an eye on you.”
Everyone was instantly delighted. They crowded around her, whining and acting cute, and Pei Liang felt like a cat person surrounded by a whole flock of cats, letting them cling to her to their hearts’ content.
Taking advantage of the moment, Qin Zheng and the others made their request. “Then, President Pei, you’ll still come eat with us and watch us dance from now on?”
Pei Liang was just about to answer when she heard a soft, mournful sigh.
Everyone turned around and saw Xie Chen. Their faces immediately filled with identical wariness and hostility.
Yet Xie Chen was nothing like the childish, clingy man he was around Pei Liang. In public, he still gave off the impression of a mature and magnanimous man.
He was only four or five years older than those present, yet he looked at them with the tolerant gaze of an adult watching a group of unruly children.
He had not even said a word yet, and he was already enough to make them furious.
They had long found that smug, self-appointed-main-wife attitude of his unbearable.
Sure enough, the moment Xie Chen opened his mouth, it was nothing they wanted to hear.
With a melancholy frown, he said, “You kids... I understand that you’re still young, that it’s hard leaving your parents to make your way in the world.”
“It’s only natural for children to want recognition and attention from adults. But you also need to spare a thought for President Pei.”
“She’s busy with work every day, and she hasn’t been in charge of Huiyuan for very long. You all know what Huiyuan was like before—it was a complete mess. You don’t need me to tell you how difficult it was for President Pei to turn it into what it is today.”
“On top of saving the company, she had to straighten out its internal culture and weed out its problems, all so that dreamers like you could be treated fairly and have a secure platform on which to grow.”
“The Chinese-language music scene is struggling these days, yet she spent a tremendous amount on producing albums for you. President Pei may have made light of it, but she had only just taken office and hadn’t even firmly established her position. There were plenty of old hands in the company who looked down on her and didn’t trust her investment judgment. You can’t possibly have heard nothing about the rumors claiming that her talent lay only in film, can you?”
"Do you have any idea how much pressure she was under back then? All because she trusted you. She gave up an established money-making model and stopped turning you into sex symbols just to cash in on your youth."
"Search your consciences. Over the past six months, has President Pei ever shortchanged any of you in terms of investment, quality resources, or opportunities for growth?"
"She's already exhausted. She needs a break too."
Xie Chen shot them a reproachful look, as though they were a pack of inconsiderate children. "So could you stop demanding so much from her over such trivial things and childish feelings?"
Pei Liang looked at Xie Chen. Well, that was a surprise. The elementary-school kid, who usually cared only about his own feelings, was actually being so considerate of how hard she worked.
Still, he had gotten one thing wrong. She couldn't wait to tease and spoil her little brothers and sisters. It was incredibly relaxing for her. How could it possibly tire her out?
So she smiled and waved a hand. "It's not as serious as Brother Xie makes it sound. Usually, I still want to—"
Before she could finish, Xie Chen pressed her hand back down. "No, you don't."
The people around them gritted their teeth in fury, but for the moment, they couldn't come up with a rebuttal.
It was true. As the president, and one who had taken over such a disastrous mess, President Pei was run off her feet every day.
Their little routine worked on President Pei, but Xie Chen had caught hold of their weakness.
And what was with calling them children over and over? Did he really think they were begging for candy?
How underhanded.
Before anyone could figure out how to respond, Xie Chen had already dragged her away.
Pei Liang was still somewhat reluctant to leave when Xie Chen said, "You're not allowed to touch me for a week."
"Huh? Why?" Pei Liang was completely thrown.
Xie Chen sneered. "You don't even know why? Then one week is clearly too short. Not enough time for you to think it through."
Pei Liang had only gotten halfway through their CEO-and-pretty-secretary game in the office. The pretty secretary, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, had looked cool, restrained, and all business.
He had only just been teased by the domineering CEO until his face was flushed and his breathing ragged. That aloof, untouchable expression of his had finally begun to show a hint of barely contained desire. They had been on the verge of taking things further when they were interrupted. Being cut off once had already been cruel enough.
But since it was her little brothers who had been hurt and were looking so pitiful, she could understand. The issue was settled now, so why was she still being forbidden from getting her hands on her prize?
Pei Liang wasn't actually stupid. Not to brag, but positions as one of the pretty boys at her side had always been fiercely competitive.
Naturally, Xie Chen wasn't pleased about anyone trying to steal his job. He hurriedly coaxed, "Don't be mad. I only think of them as younger brothers."
Xie Chen sneered. "Right. I came up from downstairs, and in less than two hundred meters, I ran into eight of your 'younger brothers.'"
Well, damn. He was genuinely angry this time.
Pei Liang was about to placate him when she saw her assistant hurrying over.
The assistant held a tablet, her expression grim. "President Pei, you and Mr. Xie are trending."
Pei Liang lowered her eyes to look—
【Xie Chen secretly meets with Huiyuan's president; suspected sex-for-power deal!】
