MTL - 16

Today, I confessed to Tang Yu, whom I’ve had a crush on for over three years, and he rejected me.

I’m young, beautiful, own a house, a car, and have talent—rejecting me is his loss. Honestly, I’m not heartbroken at all.

— From the Diary of a Little Rich Girl

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Plop—

The phone was tossed onto the carpet, startling the tiny kitten that had been rubbing against its owner’s ankles.

Tang Xin sat cross-legged on the floor, her knees hugged to her chest. A wooden tissue box sat beside her, surrounded by crumpled tissues. She sniffled, pulling out another tissue to wipe her nose. Then, glancing down at the fluffy ball curled up by her feet, she picked Hua Juan up and placed him on her lap. Holding his face in her hands, she stared into his large, bright blue eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks, dripping onto her shirt.

“Hua Juan, if I gave you away, would you hate me?”

“Meow…”

“Anyway, you were just some random woman’s gift to that jerk Tang Yu. You’re of unknown origin, and not even that cute…”

“Meow…”

“…”

Her discarded phone suddenly rang.

Tang Xin glanced at it and answered.

It was You Huan calling to check in. “Heartbroken?”

Tang Xin sniffled pathetically, her voice thick with emotion, clearly having cried a lot.

You Huan sighed. Without offering comfort, she cut straight to the point. “He’s just a big jerk. Find someone else to like, simple as that. If you’re still upset, feel free to come help me run the shop for a couple of days.”

Tang Xin couldn’t help but laugh softly. “Alright, I’ll come after I go back for two days.”

She was flying back to Suzhou the next morning; her ticket was already booked.

After hanging up, Tang Xin stroked Hua Juan’s soft fur, then set him down and got up to change into a nightgown before heading into the bathroom.

Sensing his owner’s emotions, the little ball of fluff followed her to the bathroom door, only to be gently nudged back out. Tang Xin looked at her reflection in the mirror—her eyes red and swollen—and frowned as she turned on the faucet to wash her face.

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The next morning, Tang Xin dropped Hua Juan off at a pet daycare center and headed to the airport with her luggage.

Meanwhile, Tang Yu, accompanied by Gao Heng and his secretary, also arrived at the airport. One flight was headed to Wuxi, the other to Kuala Lumpur.

Upon landing, Tang Xin exited the airport and immediately saw Mrs. Zhong waiting for her. Smiling brightly, she walked over and greeted her sweetly, “Mom.”

Zhong Lijun scrutinized her daughter’s eyes, reaching out to touch them. Frowning, she asked, “What’s wrong with your eyes? Have you been crying?”

“Oh, I stayed up late writing a script and got emotional at a heart-wrenching scene,” Tang Xin fibbed, clinging to her mother’s arm and nuzzling affectionately. “Let’s go home quickly.”

“Are you sure it’s just from writing? No one bullied you?”

Once in the car, Zhong Lijun eyed her suspiciously. She knew her daughter well enough—despite the smile, her mood seemed unusually low.

From the driver’s seat, Tang Dawei chimed in, turning around sharply. “Who dared to bully my little girl?”

Tang Xin: “….”

When had her parents become so perceptive?

“There’s really no one…” Under their concerned gazes, Tang Xin finally relented, admitting, “Fine, I got dumped, okay? But please, don’t set me up on blind dates…”

“Weixin got dumped?!!”

Both parents exclaimed simultaneously, interrupting her.

Zhong Lijun looked at her, frowning. “Who did you fall for?”

Tang Xin: “….”

She couldn’t tell them—it would cause an uproar.

Tang Dawei snorted. “Whoever it is must be blind not to see how beautiful my daughter is!”

Tang Xin: “….”

Her father was as blunt as ever, cursing without hesitation. Tang Yu wasn’t blind—he had particularly striking eyes; they just didn’t like her type.

Tang Xin sighed, leaning into her mother’s embrace and pouting softly. “Can we not talk about this? You’re rubbing salt into my wounds. Just don’t set me up on blind dates, okay? I’m young and beautiful—don’t make it seem like I’m unsold goods…”

Zhong Lijun looked down at her, patting her head and huffing. “That’s exactly why you need to meet people. Let me tell you, Aunt Lin’s son is amazing—he started his own company…”

Tang Xin closed her eyes, covering her ears. “No, no, no—I’m not listening…”

Zhong Lijun: “….”

She exchanged a glance with her husband.

Tang Dawei cleared his throat, siding with his daughter. “Let her be for now. If she doesn’t want to hear it, we won’t push.”

Zhong Lijun huffed.

Back home, Zhong Lijun picked up Snowball and turned to Tang Xin. “Didn’t you say you’re too busy to take care of a cat sometimes? Why did you get another one?”

Tang Xin glanced at the elegant and regal Snowball, thinking of Hua Juan, who was temporarily at the pet daycare. Pouting, she muttered, “I guess I had a brain fart and just wanted one.”

She really had been irrational when she asked Tang Yu for Hua Juan.

Zhong Lijun said, “If you can’t handle it, bring it back—I’ll take care of it.”

Tang Xin: “….”

So her mom just wanted her cat?

Reaching out to pet Snowball, Tang Xin huffed. “No way, I’ll take care of it myself.”

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Anti-Terrorism was set to begin filming on April 6th. Tang Yu arrived a day early and joined the crew for dinner. Director Jiang raised his glass to toast him with a smile. “After tomorrow’s filming kickoff ceremony, you’ll be flying to Malaysia. If I hadn’t picked such close dates, you wouldn’t have to work so hard, President Tang.”

Tang Yu’s lips curved faintly as he clinked glasses with him. “As long as the filming goes smoothly, everything will be fine.”

Director Jiang stood up, calling out to everyone. “Come on, let’s all raise a glass.”

The dozen or so members of the main creative team stood up together. Tang Yu raised his glass, his gaze briefly meeting Ming Zhu’s. He felt a flicker of awkwardness, and Ming Zhu, startled for a moment, smiled faintly after realizing.

Tang Yu tilted his head back and drained his glass, then leaned back into his chair. Suddenly, Tang Xin’s smiling face flashed through his mind. When she smiled, it wasn’t as restrained as this—her eyes sparkled, and her dimples were sweet.

The filming kickoff ceremony went smoothly, and Tang Yu flew to Malaysia that same night. Since there were no direct flights, he had to transfer and arrive by the 8th.

After enduring the exhausting travel, he arrived in Malaysia and rested for only two hours at the hotel before attending a dinner that evening.

Just as Tang Yu slipped on his shirt, there was a knock at the door. Expecting Gao Heng or Huo Chendong, he opened it indifferently, glancing briefly at Huo Chendong leaning casually against the wardrobe in a sleek black suit.

Tang Yu turned back inside, fastening the top two buttons of his shirt before grabbing his suit jacket and slipping it on effortlessly.

Huo Chendong, tall and lean, crossed his arms and smirked. “I sense your mood isn’t great. Still haven’t gotten over your breakup? How about we grab a drink tonight?”

Tang Yu shot him a sidelong glance, too lazy to respond.

Huo Chendong studied him, certain something was off. In his mind, Tang Yu hadn’t moved on from his breakup—after all, Ming Zhu was the woman he’d pursued the longest. Now that she’d reunited with her ex-boyfriend, how could he not be affected?

Tang Yu fastened his cufflinks, hands tucked into his pockets, and headed toward the door.

Huo Chendong trailed behind him lazily. As Tang Yu reached the doorway, he suddenly turned back, his tone indifferent. “Stop mentioning Ming Zhu. She’s married now. Isn’t it annoying?”

The matter was settled—Tang Yu didn’t want to dwell on it.

“Married?” Huo Chendong was surprised but quickly understood. No wonder Tang Yu seemed down. “Alright, I won’t mention her. There are plenty of fish in the sea. Tang Xin isn’t bad either.”

Tang Yu, who had been about to turn away, froze. Narrowing his eyes, he frowned. “Why do you keep bringing up Tang Xin? Do you like her?”

Huo Chendong didn’t know what triggered him. Rubbing his nose awkwardly, he chuckled. “No, she’s just really cute. Can’t I compliment her once without it being a problem?”

Tang Yu’s mind flashed back to that night—the way she cautiously confessed, then fiercely called him a jerk. After scolding him, she stormed back and kissed him hungrily. And afterward, she declared that his “Tang Monk flesh” wasn’t worth obsessing over…

Cute, my ass!

Tang Yu’s expression turned cold, his irritation palpable as he turned away, unwilling to say another word.

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On the morning of April 10th, Tang Xin returned to Beijing and immediately picked Hua Juan up from daycare.

Back home, she tried to invite You Huan to dinner, but You Huan was unavailable. Left alone, Tang Xin ordered takeout, cuddled with Hua Juan, and scrolled through Weibo and news updates.

Suddenly, she remembered that Shiguang Films’ first cinema in Malaysia was holding its grand opening ceremony that day, and Tang Yu was there. Scrolling through the entertainment section, she quickly found the news and videos.

In the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Tang Yu stood out in the crowd, impeccably dressed in a black suit. His lips curved slightly as he accepted the ceremonial scissors from the ceremonial assistant and cut the red ribbon.

Cuddled on the couch, Tang Xin watched the video while munching loudly on chips.

She wished she could chew him up like those chips.

Taking one last look at the handsome, towering man in the video, she scrolled through the comments below.

“This is absolutely the hottest CEO ever—I want to be Mrs. Tang so badly!!!”

“The rumors about him and Zhou Jialu must be fake, right? Seriously, that scandal-prone woman doesn’t deserve President Tang!”

“Obsessed! If he debuted as an actor, he’d definitely blow up…”

…

What was there to praise? So what if he was handsome? She’d already kissed him—it wasn’t anything special, Tang Xin thought unconvincingly, though her mind was flooded with memories of that night’s kiss and Tang Yu’s crisp, pleasant scent.

She never imagined her first aggressive kiss would be with Tang Yu. If anyone at the company found out—or worse, if it got posted online—she’d definitely be labeled as bold and fearless.

Thinking about it made her unhappy again. Pouting, she tossed her iPad aside.

A moment later, her phone buzzed.

She picked it up, surprised to see a message in WeChat.

Lu Zhixing: “Tang Xin, have you thought about it? Are there other companies talking to you about contracts?” In fact, Lu Zhixing had heard that Shiguang Films intended to renew the contract, and he had been keeping tabs on the copyright.

Tang Xin blinked, recalling the contract. She typed back: “Good evening, Director Lu.”

She continued typing: “Yes, there are other companies, but…”

Before she could finish, Lu Zhixing sent another message: “I’m in Shanghai these days. How about we meet up after I return and discuss it in person?”

Tang Xin thought for a moment, deleted the previous text, and replied: “Sure!”

Slumping onto the couch, she stared at the ceiling, grumbling angrily. Fine, let Director Lu take her under his wing—she was done with that jerk Tang Yu .

After a while, she sent a message to You Huan: “Sister Huan! I’m coming to help you with the shop tomorrow!”

You Huan replied with a welcoming emoji: “Come by anytime—do whatever makes you happy.”

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Late at night in Malaysia.

After the celebratory banquet ended, Tang Yu returned to his hotel room reeking of alcohol. Gao Heng followed him, mentioning that they would return to Beijing the next day. “President Huo said he’s flying back with us.”

Tang Yu felt irritable. “Got it.”

Walking into the room, Tang Yu took off his tie and jacket, tossing them onto the bed along with his phone on the table. Just as his hand left the device, he glanced down and picked it up again.

Tang Xin hadn’t posted on her social media for five days.

Previously, she would post at least three times a day, sharing everything she did—it was almost like second nature to her. And her posts were always so amusing.

But since that night, she hadn’t posted anything. It was… unusual.

Tang Yu didn’t want to admit how uneasy he felt about it or how much he’d grown accustomed to her updates. Clenching his jaw, he sank into the armchair, legs sprawled out lazily, and opened WeChat. He tapped straight into Tang Xin’s Moments.

Half an hour ago, the little rich girl who had been missing from social media for five days finally posted something.

Little Rich Girl: [Pig Head][Beating][Smile][Goodbye].

Tang Yu: “….”

The tall, imposing man suddenly leaned back in his chair, covering his face with one hand. Closing his eyes, he muttered through gritted teeth, “Damn.”

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Author’s Note:

Little Rich Girl: Beat up the pig head, goodbye!

Little Boss Tang: …Heartbroken.