MTL - 9

I want to confess my feelings when Tang Yu shows even the slightest bit of interest in me.

— From the Diary of a Little Rich Girl

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At that moment, Tang Xin felt as if the sky was collapsing.

Her mind went blank, as though she had been hiding in darkness for three days and nights, only to be abruptly dragged into the light and stripped of all her defenses. She was forced to look up at the glaring white fluorescent lights.

The brightness made her dizzy and disoriented.

Even the collapse of heaven and earth couldn’t compare to this.

—It was utterly devastating.

She deeply regretted not silencing Assistant Gao when she had the chance.

How… how could she possibly explain herself out of this?

God, let her disappear on the spot!

An eerie silence filled the elevator. The expressions on the three occupants shifted unpredictably. Tang Xin’s face flushed red after turning pale, while Tang Yu’s demeanor remained inscrutable. He lowered his gaze, staring at her for a moment, noticing how her body had stiffened. Then he glanced at Gao Heng, whose expression was one of earnest honesty. A complicated feeling stirred within him.

Ever since that night at the fitness club, when Tang Xin had spoken those words to him, he’d sensed that something about her seemed off. Today, he had merely touched her cheek, yet the way she looked at him—both direct and shy—spoke volumes.

If he still couldn’t see what was going on, he’d be a fool.

But why had she given Gao Heng breakfast?

Tang Yu feared misunderstanding, so he intended to clarify with Gao Heng before making any judgments. He hadn’t expected Gao Heng to be so straightforward—it was almost painfully honest.

His gaze lingered on the girl’s bright red earlobes, and he half-closed his eyes, calling her name: “Tang Xin.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized his voice sounded hoarse. He cleared his throat.

Ding—

Conveniently, the elevator doors opened to the basement level.

Tang Xin snapped back to reality. Her mind was still buzzing, but she had already devised a plan. Turning to Tang Yu, she smiled calmly. “The last time, I just wanted to hitch a ride in your new car, didn’t I? I’ve never ridden in a Maybach before—I just wanted to try it.”

Gao Heng was dumbfounded: “….”

Could she really smooth things over like that? Instinctively, he glanced at President Tang.

Tang Yu furrowed his brows, his eyes narrowing further as he gazed down at the smiling girl before him.

No one moved to exit, and the elevator doors began to close slowly. Gao Heng quickly reached out to stop them, and the doors reopened. Tang Yu glanced outside, lazily smirking. “Is that so?” He looked at her again, then stepped out. “Let’s go, then.”

She didn’t move.

Tang Yu took a few steps, then slightly turned his head, his gaze brushing against her. His eyebrows arched slightly. “Aren’t you getting in the Maybach?”

Gao Heng looked at Tang Xin and smiled. “Miss Tang, please step out first.”

Tang Xin gave him an expressionless glance before elegantly stepping out. “Yes, thank you, President Tang.” Tang Yu didn’t look at her again, striding casually with his long legs. Tang Xin watched his graceful figure retreat, quietly taking a deep breath.

When they reached the car, Tang Yu turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow. “You driving?”

Tang Xin’s palms were sweaty. She glanced around and noticed that the troublesome Gao Heng had already slipped away. She walked directly to the passenger seat, opened the door, and leaned on it with a sweet smile. “I don’t feel like being the driver today, is that okay?”

Tang Yu said nothing, walking around the front of the car and sliding into the driver’s seat. After starting the car, he rested his hand on the steering wheel and turned his head to look at her as she sat obediently in the passenger seat, buckling her seatbelt.

The car didn’t move.

Tang Xin finally couldn’t take it anymore. She turned to look at him, meeting his dark, narrow eyes.

His casual yet probing gaze made her feel incredibly uneasy.

Finally, just as she was about to break, Tang Yu drove the car out of the garage. Once they were on the road, he kept his eyes forward. “Where are you going?”

Tang Xin replied, “Just drop me off at the intersection in front of your place.” She glanced at him and added, “Ming Zhu’s back. Isn’t Anti-Terror starting filming in a few days? She’ll be with the crew for several months, so we’re having dinner tonight.”

The filming location for Anti-Terror was in Goliah, with a 100-day shooting schedule. Tang Yu would undoubtedly be present at the start of filming. He lounged back in his seat, nodding indifferently. “Mm, April 6th.”

Tang Xin had been watching his expression closely and noticed that he showed no emotion when she mentioned Ming Zhu. She simply responded with an “Oh.”

Traffic wasn’t heavy at this time, and they arrived at the intersection in less than ten minutes. Tang Yu pulled over to the side and turned to look at her. “Remember to come by tomorrow afternoon. Let’s finalize the topic before I leave the country.”

Tang Xin got out of the car, standing by the door with a cheerful wave. “Alright, President Tang. See you later.”

With that, she turned and walked away briskly.

Tang Yu watched her slender figure disappear into the crowd, lost in thought. If Tang Xin truly liked him, it wouldn’t be a good thing—it would be troublesome…

It was already 7:30 PM, and Tang Xin was nearly half an hour late. Ming Zhu and You Huan had already ordered the dishes. As soon as she walked into the restaurant, You Huan waved her over. “Over here.”

Tang Xin hurried over, gulping down a few sips of water as soon as she sat down. Then, slumping back into the sofa like she was drained, she patted her chest. “That scared me to death. If I ever become the boss’s wife at Shiguang Films, I’m definitely docking Assistant Gao’s bonus!”

Ming Zhu, sitting across from her, laughed upon hearing this. “What happened?”

Tang Xin tilted her head, scooting closer and leaning against You Huan. With a resentful expression, she recounted the entire incident, adding, “Tang Yu is difficult enough as it is, and now even his assistant is bullying me! And to think I fed him breakfast for nothing!”

Ming Zhu: “….”

She and Tang Xin had joined Shiguang Films around the same time. Gao Heng was personally recruited by Tang Yu as his assistant, and over the years, everyone in the company knew how loyal he was. After a brief pause, Ming Zhu smiled and said, “You thought one breakfast would buy him over?”

You Huan also laughed, looking down at Tang Xin. “Exactly. If I were him, I wouldn’t have gone along with it either.”

Tang Xin protested. “Then should I have given him a gift card instead?”

You Huan nodded seriously. “Who knows? Maybe you should try it. It might help you win over President Tang.”

Tang Xin: “….”

Straightening up, she picked up her chopsticks, speared a piece of braised pork, and took a bite. “Forget it. I’ve seen through it all now. If Tang Yu shows even the slightest dislike for me, the next time I try to go upstairs, he’ll probably block me at the door.”

You Huan glanced at her. “Have you ever thought about confessing?”

Tang Xin chewed on her chopsticks, lowering her eyes. Her long lashes fluttered slightly as she spoke softly. “I don’t stand a chance. I’m afraid that confessing would ruin the current situation, and I don’t know what our relationship would become afterward… An eighteen-line screenwriter and a billionaire CEO?”

Would everything return to square one?

She didn’t dare take the risk. She thought, If I sense even the slightest bit of affection from Tang Yu, I’ll have the courage to say it.

“You’re not an eighteen-line screenwriter,” You Huan teased, pinching her cheek.

That was more like it. Tang Xin smiled.

At that moment, Ming Zhu placed a red booklet on the table.

Tang Xin and You Huan glanced at it simultaneously. “Holy crap! You got your marriage certificate?”

You Huan picked it up and flipped through it, clicking her tongue. Looking at Ming Zhu, she remarked, “That was quick.”

“Quick? Not really,” Ming Zhu replied nonchalantly. “It was bound to happen sooner or later.”

Tang Xin also picked up the red booklet and examined it, clicking her tongue a few times. “Captain Lu moved fast, huh?” She handed the booklet back to Ming Zhu with a grin. “Now I can rest easy. Tang Yu has absolutely no chance.”

Ming Zhu: “….”

Rolling her eyes, she retorted, “What are you talking about? He never had a chance to begin with.” After a pause, she added, “Besides, I never thought Tang Yu liked me much anyway.”

The topic of a crush pursuing one’s best friend was like catnip on platforms like Zhihu and Douban, sparking endless gossip and heated discussions. Tang Xin had anonymously posted about it a few times, and each post garnered hundreds or even thousands of replies. Many admired her courage, advising her that a man who pursued her best friend was off-limits and awkward.

But Tang Xin and Ming Zhu’s friendship ran deep—they had been close friends from high school, nearly a decade. Their bond couldn’t be shaken by a man, especially since Ming Zhu had never been interested in Tang Yu.

Tang Xin picked up her chopsticks and placed a piece of meat into Ming Zhu’s bowl, huffing. “Enough about him. What’s there to talk about with a pighead? Next time, Captain Lu better treat us to a meal. Sneaking off and whisking you away without a word…”

You Huan nodded. “Exactly.”

Ming Zhu chuckled. “Alright, when he’s on leave.”

After dinner, the three of them exited the restaurant and bumped into a group coming out of a private room. They had just finished their meal, and the tall, leading man glanced over, smiling warmly. “Tang Xin, Ming Zhu, what a coincidence to run into you here.”

Tang Xin and Ming Zhu both turned to look, recognizing him. Tang Xin smiled. “Director Lu, it’s been a while.”

Lu Zhixing was a well-known young director in the industry. Though only thirty years old, he had already won several awards. Tang Xin and Ming Zhu had met him during a project, though they hadn’t collaborated. He glanced at her and smiled again. “We were filming in the desert earlier, and the signal was terrible. I just got back.”

Tang Xin understood. “Oh, you wrapped? Congratulations.”

“Yes,” Lu Zhixing gestured to the group behind him. “We just came back and had a meal together.”

So that was it.

The group walked out of the restaurant together. Tang Xin waved goodbye. “We’ll get going first.”

Lu Zhixing smirked. “See you around sometime.”

After they parted ways, Ming Zhu looked at Tang Xin. “You know, if you give your script to Lu Zhixing, maybe he could do it justice.”

Tang Xin shrugged indifferently. “Forget it. When does he even have time?”

True enough.

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Tang Yu returned home, endured dinner, and headed to the fitness club.

While training and drenched in sweat, Huo Chendong called. Tang Yu grabbed a towel, wiped his sweat casually, and walked to the window with his phone. His T-shirt clung to his body due to the sweat, clearly outlining his muscular physique. “What?”

Huo Chendong mentioned the opening of the Malaysia film studio, then casually asked, “Still not over the breakup? Still heartbroken?”

Tang Yu sneered. “Drop that topic if you want to keep talking.”

Huo Chendong chuckled. “Fine, we won’t talk about it. But I did tell you before—you’re not going to win anyone over like this. I heard…”

“Heard what?” Tang Yu unscrewed the cap of his water bottle with one hand and took a few gulps.

“You’re single now, right? Tang Xin doesn’t serve any purpose for you anymore. She’s still coming and going freely at your place. Are you trying to make a move on her because you couldn’t get her best friend?”

“…”

“Honestly, I think that girl’s cuter, more interesting.” Huo Chendong offered sincerely. “If you can’t win over Ming Zhu, why not settle for her?”

Tang Yu paused, setting the water bottle down. Frowning, he said, “I wouldn’t do something like that.”

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Author’s Note:

Little Boss Tang: She probably likes me. I need to find a way to make her stop liking me.

Little Rich Girl: You’ll regret it!!!