CH 7

“I…”

Xia Qi’s eyes turned red, and he sniffled softly, saying, “I just came back from the company. My phone… It must have run out of battery.”

Lu Xuan chuckled. “Yan Zhuo Yi has been trying to reach you since noon. He even went to the company but couldn’t find you. I thought you went missing. Luckily, I remembered that your home is around here. Is it this building?”

Xia Qi nodded. “Yes.”

Lu Xuan looked up at the building. “Which floor?”

“The twenty-seventh floor.”

Lu Xuan locked his car and said, “Take me upstairs. I want to have a look.”

Xia Qi obediently led the way, feeling a bit confused. Did Lu Xuan… drove here all by himself? Did he come here personally to settle the breakup fee? He ought to send Yan Zhuo Yi if that was the case. 

Unlike Xia Qi, Lu Xuan seemed relaxed and at ease, as if he was entering his own home. He casually took off his coat and handed it to Xia Qi.

Holding the coat that was still warm with Lu Xuan’s body heat, Xia Qi felt uneasy. If Lu Xuan announced the breakup later, Xia Qi would not be returning the coat to him. If Lu Xuan felt cold, Xia Qi could offer him his own clothes when he wanted to leave. It might not be as easy to wear, but what else could he do…

“It’s quite clean and tidy,” Lu Xuan commented after touring his small apartment. “Not bad.”

There were no tea leaves in the house, and Xia Qi does not usually drink coffee. The coffee beans at home had gone stale, so Xia Qi had to make a small cup of instant milk tea for Lu Xuan. Lu Xuan looked at the tiny cup of milk tea in front of him and could not help but smile wryly. He took a sip out of politeness and then placed it back.

Feeling a bit disheartened, Xia Qi stood next to Lu Xuan, feeling like a student waiting for a teacher to announce their grades during a home visit.

“What happened to you today?” Lu Xuan leaned back on the sofa, both hands resting on his abdomen, his brows slightly furrowed, “Why did your phone run out of battery?”

Xia Qi whispered, “I was using WeChat the whole way back to the company… used it until the battery died. The power bank is at the lowest compartment of my suitcase. I had initially planned to take it out and charge it once I got back to the company, but then… I forgot.” Later, Xia Qi learned that Lu Xuan had assigned the endorsement to Bai Mu Chuan, which left him feeling hopeless. He could not even remember to charge his phone.

Yan Zhuo Yi must have contacted him during that time, and Xia Qi felt a bit uneasy. “Did I… inconvenience you in any way?”

Lu Xuan shook his head helplessly. “You did not inconvenience me. I actually planned to take you out for a meal since I knew you were tired from filming, but given the time now…” Lu Xuan raised his hand and glanced at his watch. It was almost 9 p.m.

Take me out for a meal?

Xia Qi was not quite sure and asked, “Were you… planning to take me out for a meal?”

“Yes I was.” Lu Xuan furrowed his brow. “What happened to you today?”

Xia Qi looked at Lu Xuan and no matter how he looked at him… Lu Xuan did not seem like someone who wanted to break up with him. Filled with a glimmer of hope, Xia Qi confessed, “I… thought I made you unhappy, so I… came back first.”

Lu Xuan squinted in confusion. “What made me unhappy?”

It seemed like Lu Xuan genuinely did not know anything. Xia Qi thought for a moment and briefly explained the events that occurred during this afternoon. He hurriedly added, “I really didn’t care about the endorsement. I just… didn’t want to make things difficult for you, so…”

Lu Xuan finally understood and exclaimed in disbelief, “So, in your company, you inform the actors before confirming the endorsement? An Qi is managing the company like this now?”

Xia Qi instinctively defended, “Sister Miaomiao only did it to make me happy and maintain my active state. We… we will be more careful in the future.”

“Not informing the actors before confirmation is to prevent internal competition within the company, but you guys…” Lu Xuan shook his head. “I understand now. When Yan Zhuo Yi called Qin Le, were you all present?”

Xia Qi nodded.

Lu Xuan pulled Xia Qi’s hand and asked him to sit beside him. He said, “Ultimately, this whole thing was caused by the confusion in the internal processes. I don’t think I should have to explain anything because of this incident. However…” Lu Xuan changed his tone from stern to a gentle one and smiled. “To clear the suspicion of me allowing outsiders to bully you, I still need to explain for myself.”

“At first, this endorsement was indeed intended for Bai Mu Chuan. It was An Qi who instructed your assistant to fight for it. And, of course, An Qi played a role in it as well. She successfully fought for it to be given to you. Qin Le was dissatisfied and tried to find his own ways through his connections. Objectively speaking, Bai Mu Chuan is indeed more well-known, and the organizers were more satisfied with him. Qin Le and your assistant reached a stalemate, and in such situations, it should be the decision of the company’s higher-ups to decide who would receive the endorsement.” Lu Xuan paused for a brief moment and continued, “Before the higher-ups make a decision on who gets the endorsement, these things shouldn’t be known to you actors.”

Lu Xuan relaxed against the sofa and continued, “An Qi happened to be with me this afternoon. I was present when she received the call, so I already knew about the situation. She did want to help you, but I stopped her and didn’t allow her to give you the endorsement.”

Lu Xuan gently squeezed Xia Qi’s hand and added, “But I didn’t know that you would know about this, let alone knowing that Qin Le would say it in front of everyone.”

From Lu Xuan’s perspective, today’s series of mishaps were nothing more than just an argument between two assistants. Lu Xuan thought that Xia Qi would never know or care about what happened, but… Xia Qi could not help but ask, “Then why… don’t you want me to take the endorsement?”

Lu Xuan chuckled, showing a slight smile with a hint of pride, “Because, in my opinion, actors who only appear in various promotional activities without any substantial work are the lowest tier.”

Lu Xuan lightly smiled and said, “Xia Qi, I’ve told you before that I will make your journey smooth and effortless, which clearly isn’t just making you show up frequently at entertainment events. Since you are still young, you should focus on learning and accumulating your own works and experiences. Don’t be too impatient.”

Xia Qi finally understood.

The thoughts about Lu Xuan being tired of him, about Lu Xuan falling for someone else during his filming days, about Lu Xuan wanting to break up with him—it was all due to Xia Qi’s own insecurities, amplified by malicious insinuations from Bai Mu Chuan!

Xia Qi completely relaxed and felt immensely relieved. He recalled the thoughts that had been swirling in his mind that afternoon, realizing how absurd he was. Lu Xuan sighed softly, a hint of laughter and apology in his voice, “I wasn’t aware of the situation at that time, so I assigned Yan Zhuo Yi to inform the assistants, and it was my fault that you felt embarrassed in front of them. You can blame me for that.”

Xia Qi was actually no longer upset, but under Lu Xuan’s gentle gaze, hearing those words made his eyes unintentionally welled up with tears again. Lu Xuan laughed and embraced him, “I was the bad one.”

Xia Qi secretly wiped away his tears and vigorously shook his head. With a slight nasal tone, he spoke, “We really were too unruly… and didn’t follow the proper procedures.”

Lu Xuan lowered his head and kissed Xia Qi’s lips. Suddenly, Xia Qi’s stomach growled. Lu Xuan chuckled, “Hungry?”

Initially, Xia Qi had not felt any hunger, but now that he had relaxed, he realized he was indeed hungry. Blushing, he rubbed his stomach and suggested, “Shall I order takeout?”

Lu Xuan frowned slightly in disagreement and said, “No can do, let me take you out to eat.”

Lu Xuan stood up and started to tease him, saying, “I made you cry just now. And If I made you eat a sad meal, I’ll be too irresponsible as your benefactor.”

At this moment, Xia Qi was very happy and did not care about what to eat. Although it was already late, he would be willing to eat anything as long as he was with Lu Xuan. Obediently, Xia Qi got up to help Lu Xuan take his clothes. Deep in thought, Lu Xuan said, “Regardless, it’s my fault for causing you to lose face in front of others. I will make it up to you.”

Having grown used to Lu Xuan’s teasing nature, Xia Qi interpreted this “make it up to you” in his own way and pretended not to hear it, blushing. This continued until the next day…

Due to auditions and filming, Xia Qi had not attended his vocal lessons for a month. His teacher had reminded him through his assistant multiple times, and now that he had returned from filming, he had to go. Xia Qi woke up early the next morning and rushed to the company to attend his classes with several other actors.

Unfortunately, among these other people was Bai Mu Chuan.

Misunderstandings had been resolved, and Xia Qi no longer took Bai Mu Chuan’s sarcastic remarks to heart. He attended the three-hour class diligently, reaping great rewards.

“Alright, today…”

The door to the vocal studio was knocked a few times, and the teacher looked over in confusion. This was the inner area, and class was still ongoing, even Lu An Qi would not dare to disturb without careful consideration. Everyone turned their gaze towards the door as it opened, and Yan Zhuo Yi politely nodded at the vocal teacher, saying, “Sorry to interrupt.”

Yan Zhuo Yi stepped aside, and Lu Xuan walked in!

The vocal teacher was startled and quickly approached to greet him. Lu Xuan smiled at him and walked directly towards Xia Qi.

Lu Xuan seemed to have just finished a meeting and was dressed in an exquisitely tailored black suit. He was seen carrying a large paper bag in his right hand.

When the other artists realized what was happening, they stood up hastily. Lu Xuan handed the paper bag to Xia Qi and said, “It’s cold today. Put on extra clothes before leaving the studio.” Xia Qi was completely stunned, “Yes… Mr. Lu.”

Lu Xuan checked his watch and whispered, “The meeting isn’t over yet. I have to go back. You can go have lunch by yourself later.”

Without lingering any longer, Lu Xuan turned and walked away after speaking.

Only when Lu Xuan had walked far away did the artists in the classroom dare to speak. Bai Mu Chuan’s face turned pale with anger, while a few other actors looked at Xia Qi with jealousy, whispering among themselves. Xia Qi blushed as red as a tomato. When he opened the paper bag, inside it was the same exact coat that Lu Xuan had worn yesterday.

As Xia Qi was in the company now, he could not act too recklessly. Being too conspicuous would cause trouble for Lu Xuan. Xia Qi could not smile. He had to hold it in… Xia Qi struggled to suppress the rising corners of his mouth as his heart was filled with excitement. Even without wearing the coat, he could feel warmth spreading from his head to toe.