MTL - 7

If Tang Yu sent me a string of gibberish, I’d probably interpret it as a love letter.

See, the bittersweet joys of unrequited love.

— From the Diary of a Little Rich Girl

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Huang Siyi’s face turned completely pale as she remained sprawled across the table, her hand stretched out in vain, frozen in place.

Finally, the planner couldn’t bear to watch any longer and turned away, reminding her tactfully: “Siyi, you’re wearing a short skirt… It’s going to expose everything!”

Huang Siyi hurriedly stood up, glaring fiercely at Tang Xin before suddenly remembering something. She angrily stormed around the long conference table toward Tang Xin. “You take it back! Hurry up and take it back!” President Tang was so busy—he definitely hadn’t seen it yet!

“Why should I withdraw it?” Tang Xin hid her phone behind her back, smiling sweetly as she stood there watching Huang Siyi. “You didn’t say anything wrong, so why are you afraid for him to know?”

“You!” Huang Siyi grew both anxious and enraged, her carefully applied makeup starting to distort slightly. Through gritted teeth, she glared at Tang Xin. “Are you going to withdraw it or not? We were just joking privately—you had to make such a big deal out of it?”

Tang Xin slowly retracted her smile, replying coolly, “Privately? You said it right in front of me. Don’t think I don’t know what you’ve been saying behind my back.”

Yesterday, Han Xiaoxiao had told her that there were quite a few rumors about her and President Tang floating around. In the break room and restroom, people whispered things like…

They thought she and Tang Yu might be in a "friends with benefits" kind of relationship.

Han Xiaoxiao had phrased it delicately, but Tang Xin understood the insinuation.

They assumed she and Tang Yu were hooking up.

She really wanted to roll her eyes.

She hadn’t even held Tang Yu’s hand, let alone anything else. If she ever managed to climb into Tang Yu’s bed, she’d buy thousands of fireworks and set them off for three days straight!

Huang Siyi’s expression shifted repeatedly, her anger boiling over. She’d never encountered someone like Tang Xin before. “It’s not just me talking! If you didn’t run upstairs all the time, no one would gossip about you!”

“So, I haven’t said anything bad to you. Why are you getting so worked up?” Tang Xin looked at her indifferently.

“Alright, enough…” Someone stepped in to mediate. “Let’s get back to discussing the topic. Where were we? A time-travel drama? Tang Xin, your idea about two people from different eras…”

The planner frowned, tapping his fingers on the table. “Right, everyone sit down. This kind of commotion is unacceptable.”

Tang Xin pulled her phone out from behind her back and glanced at it. “Oh, two minutes have passed—it can’t be withdrawn now.” She smiled helplessly. “Let’s continue the meeting. If we don’t have results ready by the time President Tang returns in two days, we’ll get scolded.”

Huang Siyi: “….”

The planner nodded. “Tell us your thoughts.”

Tang Xin ignored Huang Siyi, who was practically steaming with rage and itching to throw a punch, and calmly sat down. “Alright, let me organize my thoughts.”

This topic had been on Tang Xin’s mind for a long time. She was the type of screenwriter with a wild imagination, her thought process unlike most people’s. The ideas she came up with were often too daring for conservative screenwriters to attempt, and investing in them carried risks.

The planner merely asked Tang Xin to explain her idea, already mentally rejecting her proposal.

After the meeting ended, Huang Siyi shot Tang Xin a venomous glare before storming off angrily.

Tang Xin sat in her chair, nonchalantly packing up her things. After a while, Han Xiaoxiao bounced in cheerfully, leaning over the table and whispering softly, “Did you really tattle on President Tang?”

Their argument earlier had been loud enough for everyone outside to hear.

Tang Xin glanced up at her and grinned mischievously. “Guess.”

Han Xiaoxiao: “….”

How was she supposed to guess?

Han Xiaoxiao was dying of curiosity. She urged Tang Xin, “I saw how furious Siyi was, but she didn’t dare say anything. Tell me—I’m curious!”

Tang Xin smiled sweetly. “Nope, it’s a secret.”

________________________________________

Nighttime in Xi’an.

After treating the film crew to dinner, Tang Yu returned to the hotel shortly after nine o’clock. He strode into the lobby and casually asked, “Was there anything noteworthy at the company today?”

Gao Heng wasn’t sure whether President Tang was asking about work-related matters or personal ones. He had already reported most of the important business updates, leaving only trivial matters unrelated to the job. As they approached the elevator, he quickly pressed the button for their floor and said, “Not sure if this counts as something noteworthy.”

Tang Yu had consumed some alcohol, and its effects made him feel restless. He loosened his tie slightly. When the elevator doors opened, he stepped inside, lazily replying, “Go ahead.”

“All the screenwriters submitted their proposals, except Miss Tang.”

As soon as Gao Heng finished speaking, he glanced at President Tang, unsure if this qualified as “noteworthy.”

Tang Yu’s tall, lean figure froze momentarily. Slowly turning to face the elevator doors, he watched them close and recalled that since that night, he hadn’t seen or contacted Tang Xin again. Without her constant interruptions, his surroundings had grown noticeably quieter.

Had she not submitted a proposal because he had rejected her that evening?

Tang Yu’s expression betrayed little emotion as he nodded faintly. “Mm, I see.”

After swiping his card to enter his room, Tang Yu removed his suit jacket and tossed it carelessly onto the white bed. He loosened his tie further, then undid the top two buttons of his shirt, revealing his long, toned neck.

His phone vibrated in his pocket. Pulling it out, he glanced at the screen, noticing a backlog of 99+ unread messages.

He poured himself a glass of water, leaning half his body against the edge of the desk, sipping from the glass absentmindedly. Lowering his gaze to the phone in his left hand, his thumb slowly scrolled through the notifications. When he came across a string of incomprehensible characters Tang Xin had sent him—

His dark eyes flickered slightly. Opening the message, he found a long string of random letters and symbols.

Tang Yu: “….”

He sent a single question mark in response.

A moment later, another string of gibberish arrived.

Little Rich Girl: shjd#8irunbjdjd&hdj……

Tang Yu’s lips twitched slightly as he sent a voice message: “Speak human language—I can’t decipher your alien code.”

When Tang Xin heard the man’s deep, pleasant voice, she gleefully rolled over on her bed, propping herself up on her elbows and swinging her legs playfully. She replied cheerfully, “Good evening, President Tang.”

Upon hearing her voice, Tang Yu smiled faintly.

“Mm.” He switched to typing instead of sending another voice message. “What was that long string of nonsense? Did you type it with your face?”

Little Rich Girl: “My phone’s too small for face-rolling. I licked it with my tongue—believe me?”

Tang Yu: “….”

The mental image…

It was hard to describe and oddly suggestive.

For a moment, he didn’t know how to respond.

After sending her message, Tang Xin realized the suggestive undertone of her words and panicked. She swiftly tried to recall the message.

Tang Yu’s lips quirked slightly as he replied, “Already saw it.”

Tang Xin sent a blushing emoji. “No, you didn’t see it!”

Tang Yu’s lips curved faintly into a smirk as he typed a response, intending to ask her why she hadn’t submitted her proposal. But after hesitating for a moment, he deleted the text. Tang Xin lay on her bed, staring intently at the screen, waiting for the “typing…” notification to appear.

After what felt like an eternity, she eagerly anticipated that Tang Yu would send her a long message.

In the end…

She received only three words:

[Go to sleep early.]

Tang Xin’s heart grew complicated. She desperately wanted to know what Tang Yu had initially intended to say.

And why had he deleted it, leaving only those three words?

She mused.

Even if Tang Yu sent her a string of gibberish, she could probably interpret it as a love letter.

________________________________________

The next day, Liu Youfeng called.

“President Tang, the stubborn household says they’ll agree to the second price we offered and move immediately. President Tang, what do you think…?”

Tang Yu coldly replied, “No need. Compensate them according to market standards. No further negotiations.”

The construction start date was set very soon—just three days away. Tang Yu stayed in Xi’an until the official groundbreaking day, when he visited the site. The stubborn resident spotted him and tried to rush over, only to be blocked by several workers.

“President Tang, I’ve agreed to everything! Whatever terms you propose, I’ll sign them—don’t change the design plans! This way… neither side benefits.” Seeing the construction team already hard at work, the stubborn resident grew frantic. “Look, changing the design will lead to continuity errors during filming, requiring costly post-production fixes. Isn’t that a waste?”

Tang Yu’s lips curled slightly into a smirk. Lazily, he replied, “Oh? We’re not short on that amount of money.”

Stubborn Resident: “….”

Gao Heng stood behind him, nudged by Liu Youfeng beside him. He glanced down at Liu Youfeng.

Liu Youfeng had already reviewed the blueprints—they hadn’t changed at all. How could such a massive studio project revise its plans so quickly and begin construction immediately? This was merely pressure tactics against the stubborn resident. He admired Tang Yu’s strategy, remarking, “President Tang is brilliant.”

Gao Heng remained noncommittal. How else could someone be CEO without being clever?

Tang Yu paid no further attention to the stubborn resident. Once construction began smoothly, he turned and walked away.

The stubborn resident continued to protest, shouting loudly. At first, he pleaded politely, but eventually, he resorted to cursing Tang Yu for being heartless.

Tang Yu glanced back, his gaze icy.

The stubborn resident stood rooted to the spot, speechless.

Liu Youfeng hastily instructed workers to remove the stubborn resident, then ran over to Tang Yu, cautiously asking, “President Tang, when should we sign the agreement with the stubborn resident?”

Tang Yu, having just been cursed at, showed no emotion. He glanced indifferently at the somewhat stout, beer-bellied supervisor and replied in a detached tone, “Ungrateful fool. Because of his delays, we’ve wasted so much time. Let him go hungry, sleep poorly, and receive no compensation for another ten days or half a month. That’s lenient.”

With that, he turned and walked away.

Liu Youfeng stared blankly at his tall, imposing figure. Gao Heng found the supervisor somewhat dim-witted and kindly reminded him, “President Tang means to sign the agreement and let him move out after half a month.”

________________________________________

Tang Yu returned to the office on Friday. He had already reviewed all the proposals beforehand. They all lacked something—either they were overdone genres, overly conservative, or formulaic. While they wouldn’t necessarily flop, they wouldn’t explode either. However, with a few actors carrying significant fanbases, they wouldn’t fail catastrophically.

Leaning back in his chair, Tang Yu raised his gaze to the planner and asked idly, “Does Tang Xin have no ideas?”

The planner wasn’t sure how much of the rumors about Tang Yu and Tang Xin were true or false. After years in the workplace, he knew better than to blindly believe gossip, especially in the entertainment industry where rumors could spiral out of control.

Some had asked Gao Heng, but Gao Heng was notoriously tight-lipped, never divulging anything his boss didn’t want shared. Utterly loyal, he was akin to a devoted ancient court minister.

The planner carefully explained, “She mentioned something, but I didn’t quite understand her meaning. Plus, she said she wanted to make a time-travel drama. Since you’ve always disliked that genre, I didn’t submit it.”

Tang Yu lowered his eyes, tapping his fingers on the desk. “Have her come up.”

Tang Xin had just finished eating a small cake when she was notified that President Tang wanted to see her upstairs.

This time, it was Tang Yu himself who had called for her.

Delighted, Tang Xin quickly freshened up her lipstick in the restroom before hurrying upstairs.

It had been days since she last saw Tang Yu.

When she arrived upstairs, Gao Heng was just entering the office with some documents. As Tang Yu looked up, he caught sight of her wearing a pink sweater, peeking out from behind Gao Heng. Tang Xin stepped aside, standing by the door, and greeted him sweetly, “President Tang.”

A flicker of amusement passed through Tang Yu’s eyes. “Come in.”

Tang Xin entered, and Gao Heng placed the documents on the desk. “These need your review and signature.”

Tang Yu waved dismissively. “Leave them there.”

Gao Heng closed the door as he exited.

Tang Yu leaned back lazily in his chair, tilting his head slightly as his sharp gaze swept over the young woman before him. “Tell me again about the topic you’re proposing.”

Tang Xin, who had been staring at him dreamily, snapped out of her daze upon hearing his words. “Oh, alright.” After a brief pause, she added, “Can I draw a picture first and then explain my idea? I’m afraid you won’t understand what I mean…”

Tang Yu: “….”

He chuckled faintly and nodded. “Alright.”

“Could you give me some paper and a pen?”

Tang Yu handed her a blank notebook and gestured toward the pen holder. “Help yourself.”

Tang Xin grabbed the notebook and a pen, clutching them as she turned and walked over to the sofa in the reception area. She bent over the coffee table, scribbling and sketching away. The table seemed a bit too low, so she gradually slid down onto her knees, leaning forward on the short table as she continued to draw with unwavering focus.

Tang Yu half-closed his eyes, watching her indifferently. Suddenly, he recalled the hilariously crude drawing she had made of her “boyfriend” without a face.

“President Tang, could you pass me a marker?”

The girl abruptly looked up, beaming brightly at him.

The afternoon sunlight streamed through the glass windows, filling the office with warmth and brightness. Yet nothing could compare to the vivid charm of the subtle dimple on her cheek. Tang Yu blinked momentarily, straightening up. He pulled a marker from the pen holder and walked over to her.

Before he reached her, he suddenly let out a mocking laugh. “You couldn’t even draw your boyfriend’s face. Are you sure anyone will understand whatever else you’re drawing?”

Tang Xin tilted her head up at him, surprised that he’d brought that up. Her smile faltered, but she shrugged it off nonchalantly. “No problem—I can just draw a pig’s head.”

Tang Yu: “….”

He stood before her, looking down at her with narrowed eyes.

Tang Xin felt her heart race under his intense gaze and asked timidly, “Is that… not allowed?”

After a long pause, he bent down slightly, a faint smirk playing on his lips. He lightly tapped her forehead with the marker.

________________________________________

Author’s Note:

Little President Tang: That little tongue of yours is quite nimble.

Little Rich Girl: jhkhjsdhjk$%$￥#……