MTL - 42

“I want to blow up Tang Yu’s head, crush his J8*#%asdh [a string of garbled characters].”

— From “The Diary of a Little Tyrant”

That unexpected statement struck Tang Xin right in the heart, almost knocking her unconscious. Her hand reflexively tightened around the milk carton, causing the milk to spray out and spill all over her hands, dripping onto the floor and her toes.

Tang Xin panicked, flailing helplessly as she pulled her hand away, letting the white liquid continue to drip. She stood there frozen, wishing she could knock herself out.

How could she be so easily affected!

So embarrassing!

Tang Yu hadn’t expected such a strong reaction from her either and was momentarily stunned.

The elevator dinged as the doors opened. They had arrived at the underground parking garage. He took the milk carton from her hand, placed his hand on her back, and said softly, “Let’s step out and clean this up.”

Tang Xin was still somewhat disoriented but quickly composed herself. Calmly, she responded with an “Oh.”

The two stepped out of the elevator and stood between a wall and an SUV. Tang Yu looked down at her and asked, “Do you have any tissues in your bag?”

“Mm.”

She set her bag down, unclasped it, and opened it wide. Inside were several lipsticks, cosmetics, hand creams, and even sanitary napkins.

Tang Xin: “...”

She felt a bit embarrassed and was about to close her bag when Tang Yu reached in and precisely pulled out a pack of tissues. Then he calmly closed her bag for her, tore open the packaging, unfolded a tissue, and carefully wrapped her soaked right hand with it, wiping it meticulously.

After a few seconds of shock, Tang Xin came back to her senses and tried to pull her hand away.

Tang Yu held her wrist firmly and murmured, “Don’t move.”

Her slender, fair fingers were gently wiped one by one in his grasp. A tingling sensation spread through Tang Xin’s fingertips. She looked up at the man, who appeared serious and composed, and felt a mix of emotions. Though she had guessed he was pursuing her, hearing him say it outright still startled her.

His lowered gaze made his eyes appear more elongated, and his focused expression was incredibly captivating.

Very seductive.

Tang Xin looked at him and smiled faintly, “You really want to chase me?”

Tang Yu paused what he was doing, glanced up at her, and gave a low hum of affirmation.

“You really scared me. I didn’t think you’d actually pursue me,” she said lightly, brushing off her earlier panic. With a smile, she teased, “So how do you plan to chase me? Who among my acquaintances will you start with? How long are you planning to pursue me? A year? Two years?”

Tang Yu stared at her directly, his eyes filled with a mix of helplessness and restraint. If he hadn’t rejected her initially, perhaps the matter of her helping him pursue Ming Zhu would have been forgotten, and she wouldn’t hold it against him. But because he had rejected her, pushing their relationship into a deep freeze, and now he was turning around to chase her, that rejection had become a thorn in her heart.

How should he chase her? For how long?

She knew too well about his past pursuit of Ming Zhu. No matter what he did, she would inevitably compare the two.

Before deciding to win her back, Tang Yu had already considered everything. He knew that winning back Tang Xin wouldn’t be easy given her personality.

But he couldn’t let go.

No matter what, he had to chase her.

He looked at her and said, “I’ll chase you myself until you agree.”

His gaze was too direct and intense, all the restrained emotions spilling out after those words. Tang Xin’s heart raced under his stare. She couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes and looked away, taking a deep breath before looking back at him. “Tang Yu, you were the one who said it—I’m not your type, we’re not compatible. You made me accept that. Are you feeling uneasy now that I’ve left and decided you want me back?”

For some reason, hearing her bring this up made Tang Yu feel a pang of pain. His voice was low and hoarse, “I regret it. If I could, I’d take those words back.”

Tang Xin’s heart wavered. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t moved. But things had changed just as Tang Yu feared. If she hadn’t been rejected, she could have happily enjoyed the process of falling in love. Now, everything was different.

“Tang Yu, let me tell you something honestly. If you hadn’t come back to bother me, I would have been fine after a while. We’re adults; it’s just a breakup. There are plenty of people embracing the idea of staying single these days. It’s not like someone can’t live without someone else. Sure, it might hurt for a while, but if you insist on coming back to bother me… I…” Tang Xin bit her lip and then smiled brightly, her dimples carefree and innocent as they caught his eye, “I’m not someone you can summon and dismiss at will. I’m not that easy to chase. There are plenty of people richer than you, and there are definitely people more handsome than you.”

With so many handsome men in the entertainment industry, once she became a top screenwriter, would she lack suitors?

Tang Yu had anticipated this outcome. If she were so easy to chase, she wouldn’t be Tang Xin.

But did she only care about looks and wealth?

Ding—

The elevator doors opened again.

A couple stepped out, glanced at them, and hesitated for a moment before both turning to look.

Only then did Tang Xin realize they had wasted several minutes here. She would be late! Without another glance at Tang Yu, she said, “I’m going to be late. That’s all.”

She had just taken a step when her hand was grabbed.

She turned around.

Tang Yu looked at her and said softly, “I know it’s not easy to chase you.”

...Good, at least he knows!

She shook his hand off and walked toward her car with a light and proud gait, like a peacock.

Once seated in the driver’s seat, she slumped back and took a deep breath, still trying to process what had happened. Did Tang Yu just confess to her? And did she just reject him?

Yes.

She snapped back to reality, realizing she was running late. Quickly regaining her composure, she noticed her foot was sticky from the spilled milk. She grabbed a wet wipe, cleaned her toes, and hurriedly drove to work.

…

Tang Xin arrived at the company on time.

Tang Yu, however, was unusually late. Midway, he received a call from Gao Heng. By the time he arrived at the office, he was 20 minutes late. Gao Heng cleared his throat and followed behind him, reporting, “The morning meeting was postponed by half an hour as per your instructions. Everyone is here now.”

Tang Yu gave a nonchalant hum and walked into the meeting room.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Tang Dingding wasn’t having such an easy time. Last night’s revelation of her identity had spread throughout the company. As soon as she entered the office today, everyone greeted her respectfully as “Miss.” This made her feel a bit awkward. Her brother was so capable, while she could only be a leisurely young lady…

Thinking about this, she furiously bombarded Tang Xin on WeChat: “It’s all your fault! My cover’s blown! Everyone in the company knows who I am now!”

Tang Xin finally replied during lunch: “Should I let them keep misunderstanding?”

Tang Dingding: “It’s so embarrassing. When my mom gave birth to my brother, she must have passed all the high IQ genes to him. I find working so boring.”

Tang Xin: “Then go spend money. Spending money is also a skill. The more you spend, the more your brother earns.”

Tang Dingding fell silent for a moment, recalling last night’s events.

Tang Dingding: “Last night, I asked my brother, and he admitted he’s chasing you. Does this mean you’ll be my sister-in-law?”

Tang Xin: “Just because he’s chasing me doesn’t mean I have to agree.”

Tang Dingding: “...”

She rested her chin on her hand and sighed. It seemed Tang Xin truly didn’t like her brother.

After finishing lunch, Tang Xin prepared to rest for half an hour when her phone rang. It was Manager Du from Time’s Entertainment. The copyright for Three Lifetimes in a Dream hadn’t been renewed, and the deadline was approaching. Manager Du had called several times recently.

She hadn’t agreed yet, and other film companies had also contacted her. Likely due to the pre-release buzz surrounding A Dream for You , the price for Three Lifetimes in a Dream had increased significantly. If she signed over the anime and manga rights, she might even be able to buy a house.

“Manager Du,” she walked outside to the corridor and answered the call.

Manager Du explained his purpose—it was still about the copyright issue. The price had gone up again. Remembering Tang Yu’s earlier instructions, he gritted his teeth and said, “Name your price. Just sign the contract.”

He now understood that Tang Yu’s relationship with Tang Xin was anything but ordinary.

Tang Xin: “...”

This big jerk Tang Yu, always trying to throw money at her.

She inwardly sneered but politely replied, “I understand. I’ll consider it carefully.”

After hanging up, she turned to head back and bumped into Lu Zhihang at the office door. Leaning casually against the doorframe, he waved lazily at her. Tang Xin walked over briskly. With his hands tucked into his pockets, Lu Zhihang stepped into the office. “Zhou Jialu is unavailable, so I’ve selected a few alternatives with open schedules. Come take a look with Old Feng.”

Feng Cheng was already inside.

Lu Zhihang’s office was equipped with a projector. He leaned forward and clicked the mouse, playing a video specially edited by the editing team.

As the video played, a few people sat in chairs and watched.

The alternative actors were all beautiful, but according to Tang Xin’s standards, they were lacking. At least, none compared to Zhou Jialu. She turned to Lu Zhihang, “What do you think, Director Lu?”

Lu Zhihang lounged in his chair, legs sprawled wide, but his expression was focused and serious. He glanced at her and smiled, “I don’t think much of them.” After watching the first round, they seemed okay, but with each subsequent viewing, he grew increasingly dissatisfied. Staring at the screen, he absentmindedly tapped the table. “I’ll reach out to the film academy. Let’s check it out another day.”

If that didn’t work, they could post an audition notice.

Tang Xin breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at him, “Thank you for putting in so much effort, Director Lu.”

Lu Zhihang smirked faintly and turned to her, “A few friends mentioned that The Light of Tomorrow isn’t bad. Let’s go check it out sometime?” He paused, likely realizing that inviting her alone might be inappropriate, so he glanced at Feng Cheng and added, “Everyone can come together.”

Movies were best experienced in theaters—some directors and producers simply preferred the cinema experience.

Tang Xin felt a fleeting sense of nostalgia. She and Tang Yu had gone to the cinema before, though not alone; their seats had been next to each other. She looked at Lu Zhihang and smiled, “Sure.”

After significant promotional efforts, The Light of Tomorrow had indeed seen an improvement in box office performance compared to before. However, Time’s Entertainment had been on a strong upward trajectory over the past two years. While its affiliated chain, Time’s Cinema, prioritized screenings, other theaters gave it less attention due to fierce competition. Various underhanded tactics were employed.

Negative reviews and malicious ratings increased, and several cinemas in other cities replaced their screenings.

Tang Yu and Huo Chendong were suddenly sent on a business trip together.

That evening, just as Tang Xin returned home, she received a WeChat message from Tang Yu: “I’ll be away on a business trip for a few days.”

Tang Xin: “...”

Was this man reporting his itinerary to her? She wasn’t his girlfriend!

She ignored him.

Her phone lay on the sofa. After finishing her shower, she noticed he had sent several more messages. She opened them to find...

All red packets.

Another red packet notification popped up.

Tang Yu: “Accept it.”

Tang Xin: “hdkh$%*jshdjs...”

She sent him a string of garbled characters.

Tang Yu: “Don’t you like receiving red packets?”

Tang Xin rolled her eyes but refused to open the red packets. Regardless of what he sent, she replied with random strings of characters, determined to frustrate him.

In a hotel in Shenzhen, Tang Yu sat on the couch wearing a white bathrobe, his black hair still damp. He stared at the jumble of nonsense on his phone, idly wondering how to interpret her replies. He guessed absentmindedly.

A moment later, Tang Xin’s WeChat buzzed again.

Tang Dingding: “Shen Fei is hosting a party this weekend and wants to invite you and Huanjie to join. You should come.”

Shen Fei had added You Huan on WeChat. For some reason, the young girl had taken a particular liking to You Huan, frequently visiting her shop and bringing her friends along, which brought in many customers. Tang Dingding was one of those “little sheep.”

You Huan couldn’t refuse the invitation and agreed to attend. Such parties were great opportunities to meet wealthy young ladies and expand her business network. She prepared her business cards in advance.

You Huan mentioned the event in their small group chat.

After some thought, Tang Xin replied, “If you’re going, I’ll go too.”

Then she responded to Tang Dingding.

The group chat buzzed again—it was Ming Zhu, who was currently abroad with a film crew. Tang Xin calculated the timing; the production was nearing its end, and Ming Zhu would soon return.

Ming Zhu: “We’ll wrap up by the end of the month. I’m preparing to head back.”

You Huan: “Welcome back! My poor little princess has suffered so much.”

Rich Little Miss: “When you return, I’ll treat everyone to dinner! I! Am! Rich! Now!”

Ming Zhu: “I just scrolled through the chat. Did Tang Yu confess to you?”

Rich Little Miss: “Mm, he said he’s pursuing me.”

You Huan: “Oh ho? Back then, he chased Ming Zhu for quite a while, even asking for your help. Though he didn’t know you had feelings for him, it still must’ve hurt. You absolutely have to hold your ground. Don’t let those four years go to waste. Even if he’s pursuing you now, make him work hard for it. Only agree after seeing his sincerity.”

Ming Zhu: “Should I avoid this topic?”

Rich Little Miss: “No! It’s all because of that big jerk! What does it have to do with you?!”

…

Tang Xin was clear about certain things. She had liked Tang Yu first, though he hadn’t known. He had pursued and liked Ming Zhu, but she couldn’t blame him for it. She had certainly been bothered by it, especially after the office gossip spread. However, her years-long friendship with Ming Zhu couldn’t change overnight, nor could her feelings for Tang Yu.

She tried to separate these two matters and avoid overthinking.

Moreover, Ming Zhu was already married, deeply in love with Captain Lu. Tang Yu was also an extremely self-restrained man. There really wasn’t much to dwell on.

The only issue was that he had rejected her and was now pursuing her, which truly troubled her.

And… how much did Tang Yu actually like her now?

Sixty percent?

Seventy percent?

Or somewhere in between?

As the person directly involved, Tang Xin was confused—or perhaps she lacked confidence in Tang Yu. She couldn’t calculate it and didn’t want to.

Over the next few days, whenever Tang Xin received a message from Tang Yu, she either ignored it or replied with random characters.

On Saturday evening, Tang Xin finished applying her makeup and put on a sleeveless long dress to attend Shen Fei’s party. Knowing there would be drinking, she decided against driving and took a taxi instead.

You Huan had arrived earlier and was waiting with Tang Dingding at the entrance of the club. As soon as Tang Xin stepped out of the car, Tang Dingding waved at her, “Over here!”

Tang Xin walked over and casually asked, “What kind of party is this tonight?”

Tang Dingding gave her a strange look, “Do parties need a reason? When we’re bored, we throw one.”

Tang Xin: “...”

You Huan chuckled, “This is how rich young ladies are. Back when Qu Wei’s family wasn’t bankrupt, they threw parties all the time too.”

Shen Fei had booked two connected private rooms—one lively for dancing, the other quieter for resting after tiring themselves out. By the time Tang Xin and the others arrived at eight o’clock, there were about twenty people present, both men and women.

Tang Dingding knew almost everyone and introduced Tang Xin and You Huan around.

Tang Xin wasn’t particularly enthusiastic, but You Huan was delighted, handing out several business cards and drumming up potential clients.

At this point, someone noticed Tang Xin and suddenly asked Tang Dingding, “Tang Xin? Are you Sugarheart from Weibo? The one who signed my book?”

Tang Dingding smiled brightly, “Yes, that’s her.”

With that, everyone turned to look at her.

They had all followed the spectacle on Weibo—how Sugarheart had rejected Time’s Entertainment and joined Lu Zhihang’s team. Notably, Tang Dingding had even advertised for her, and Tang Yu himself retweeted it.

This group had long been curious about Sugarheart.

Feeling a bit awkward under their gaze, Tang Xin laughed, “Why are you all looking at me like this?”

Shen Fei grinned, “Maybe we admire you. You rejected signing with Time’s Entertainment, yet Tang Yu still promoted you. And…”

And… you supposedly helped Tang Yu pursue someone.

Since Shen Fei and Tang Dingding were close friends, she had naturally heard some stories. Some people didn’t know the details but were curious about other questions.

“When does filming for your movie start?”

Tang Xin: “If everything goes smoothly, probably the first half of next year.”

“I think the movie will definitely be a hit. The book was amazing—I stayed up all night reading it and cried through a whole box of tissues!”

“Me too! Hahaha…”

“I also think it’ll be a hit. When it premieres, I’ll rent out the entire theater for a screening.”

“Me too!”

Tang Xin was overwhelmed with gratitude and quickly said, “Thank you all so much!”

She was somewhat surprised and glanced at Tang Dingding. This circle of rich young ladies was impressive—renting out entire theaters was no small feat.

Because everyone kept talking about renting out theaters for her movie, Tang Xin couldn’t refuse when someone came up to offer her drinks. After all, they were offering to rent out screenings—not just one, but two or three! With so many people renting, that meant multiple screenings!

It was essentially pre-business networking…

One drink after another, Tang Xin drank more than she ever had, even during her breakup. Getting drunk was foolish and miserable, but now she was genuinely being pushed toward intoxication.

Seeing this, You Huan couldn’t stand it anymore and took her to the adjacent room to rest.

Leaning drunkenly against You Huan, Tang Xin murmured, “Sister Huan, everyone says they’ll rent out theaters for my movie.”

You Huan: “Mm, when I make big money, I’ll rent out theaters for you too.”

Tang Dingding felt a pang of guilt. She feared she hadn’t taken good care of her future sister-in-law and would get scolded by her brother. So she followed to take care of Tang Xin and sent a WeChat message to her brother.

Tang Yu had landed at ten in the evening, and shortly after leaving the airport, he received Tang Dingding’s message.

Tang Dingding: “Brother, are you coming back tonight? Sugarheart seems to be drunk.”

He furrowed his brow and immediately called Tang Dingding.

Tang Dingding covered the phone and leaned against the door as she answered.

“Where are you? At a bar?”

“…No, at a club. It’s Shen Fei’s party.”

He knew the address of the club—those young ladies often held parties there, especially Shen Fei, who threw one almost every month.

After giving Tang Dingding a few instructions, he hung up the phone. Huo Chendong, sitting beside him, turned to look at him. “Is the party queen Shen Fei throwing another party?”

Tang Yu gave a faint hum and instructed the driver, “Drive faster.”

The driver acknowledged and immediately accelerated.

...

By the time Tang Yu and Huo Chendong arrived at the club, it was already past midnight.

Some of the guests who had gotten drunk had already left.

In the quieter adjacent private room, Tang Dingding sat next to Tang Xin on the couch. Tang Dingding, who didn’t have a high tolerance for alcohol, was already a bit tipsy. Among these people, only You Huan remained sober—her alcohol tolerance was high, so she wasn’t easily intoxicated.

Tang Dingding leaned close to Tang Xin and whispered, “Sugarheart, Shen Fei told me last night that you don’t like my brother, probably because he asked you to help him pursue Ming Zhu, right?”

Seeing that Tang Xin didn’t respond, Tang Dingding nodded to herself. “It must be that!”

You Huan overheard and snickered, walking over to pinch Tang Dingding’s cheek. “Put yourself in her shoes. If your Brother Huo asked you to help him pursue a woman, how would you feel?”

At that exact moment—

The door to the private room suddenly opened.

You Huan was facing the entrance.

Outside the door stood Tang Yu and Huo Chendong. Huo Chendong glared at her with an unpleasant expression. What kind of nonsense was this woman spouting? Comparing him to... what?

She shot a defiant glance at Huo Chendong, then looked down at the two drunken women.

Without a second thought, Tang Dingding slammed the table angrily. “If he dared ask me to help him pursue a woman, I’d definitely smash his head in!”

Tang Xin half-opened her eyes and sneered, “And crush his balls!”

You Huan: “...”

Huo Chendong: “...”

Tang Yu’s face darkened completely. Damn it, they really said whatever came to mind!

You Huan raised her hands innocently and smiled, signaling that it wasn’t her fault.

Tang Yu strode in with long steps, stopping by the couch. He tilted his head to look at Tang Dingding and Tang Xin, both of whom were red-faced, clearly having had more than enough to drink. Tang Dingding, sitting on the edge, sensed something first and slowly lifted her head, only to meet her brother’s icy glare. Startled, her eyes widened.

Tang Yu loomed over her, his cold voice cutting through the air:

“Tang Dingding, didn’t I tell you last time not to drink so much? Did you just ignore what I said?”