MTL - 44

I’m waiting for Tang Yu to confess to me, just like he took the initiative to confess his feelings.

— From “The Diary of a Little Tyrant”

The aftereffects of a hangover included a pounding headache and an overall feeling of weakness.

When Tang Xin woke up the next day, she was completely disoriented. Her head throbbed painfully as she blindly groped around under her pillow for her phone, only to realize it was sitting on the bedside table.

Grabbing her phone, she saw that it was already noon!

She collapsed back onto the bed but soon realized something was off. Looking down, she noticed she was still wearing the same dress from yesterday, now crumpled after a night’s sleep.

Knock, knock, knock—

The bedroom door suddenly sounded with a series of knocks.

Tang Xin instinctively clutched the blanket tighter, her heart nearly leaping into her throat. She almost screamed.

“Are you awake?”

The familiar, deep voice of a man echoed through the room.

Tang Xin instantly relaxed. She had thought there was a burglar in the house. Was Tang Yu trying to scare her to death? She scrambled out of bed and headed toward the door but quickly remembered she was still wearing the wrinkled dress. She retreated to the wardrobe, pulling out a fresh cotton dress.

Worried the door might open unexpectedly, she called out toward the entrance, “Don’t come in!”

Outside the door, Tang Yu stood dressed in black loungewear, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “If you’re awake, come out and eat.”

He had woken up at eight in the morning, despite going to bed late the previous night, and had waited over four hours for her to wake up. Realizing she wouldn’t wake up on her own, he decided to knock on the door.

Assured that she was awake, Tang Yu turned and headed back to the living room.

Tang Xin pulled a dress from the wardrobe and changed. Afterward, she picked up her phone to check WeChat.

You Xiaohuan: “Tang Yu brought you home last night. Let me know if you’re okay when you wake up.”

Little Rich Girl: “...”

Almost immediately, You Huan called her. “What do you mean? Did he do something to you?”

Tang Xin sighed exasperatedly, “No!”

She added, “I’m still wearing the same dress from yesterday, okay?”

You Huan teased, “Your tone makes it sound like you’re a little disappointed?”

“Disappointed my ass!” Tang Xin walked into the bathroom with her phone, looking at herself in the mirror. Her makeup had been wiped off, likely by someone else. A wave of tenderness washed over her as she lowered her head. “He’s still in my house right now—it scared me half to death. I thought there was a thief.”

“He’s still there?”

“Mm, let me take a shower first. I feel terrible.”

...

Tang Yu waited for over thirty minutes in the dining area before Tang Xin finally emerged from her room.

The girl’s hair was damp, and she had changed into fresh clothes, her fair complexion glowing after a recent shower.

Standing in front of the dining table, she glanced at the man lounging in the chair and then surveyed the simple yet appetizing dishes laid out. Her memory of the previous night was fragmented. She vaguely recalled insulting him, leaving the club with everyone…

She distinctly remembered him carrying her down the steps, but everything afterward was hazy. Their conversation came back to her in bits and pieces.

She did remember him bringing her home.

Looking at him, she frowned and asked, “Did you stay here all night?”

Tang Yu paused briefly, his expression nonchalant as he glanced at her. “Don’t you remember?”

Tang Xin walked over and sat across from him, taking a sip of water from her glass. “I know you brought me home, but why are you still here? Shouldn’t you have gone back?” Eyeing his loungewear, her eyes widened. “Wait, did you leave and then sneak back? Did you trick me into giving you my house password while I was drunk?”

“I don’t know your password.”

“...”

Tang Xin eyed him suspiciously. “Then how did you change into those clothes? How did you get in?”

Tang Yu chuckled lightly, leaning forward and extending his hand to pass her chopsticks. “Eat first, then we’ll talk. What time is it anyway?”

Tang Xin was genuinely hungry. She hadn’t eaten much the previous night, mostly drinking, and her stomach felt empty and uncomfortable.

Glancing at him, she accepted the chopsticks and began eating quietly.

As she ate, she tried hard to recall the events of the previous night. By the time they finished lunch, and Tang Yu had cleared the dishes and placed them in the dishwasher, she stood at the doorway, staring at him with confusion. “Tang Yu, did you say something dirty to me last night?”

Tang Yu: “...”

Not only had he said something suggestive, but he also memorized her house password, stayed by her bedside for half the night, and most importantly, kissed her without her knowing.

None of these actions were things he would typically do.

With his hands tucked into his pockets, Tang Yu appeared indifferent as he gazed down at her, a faint smirk playing on his lips. “What exactly did I say?”

Tang Xin looked at his calm demeanor and suddenly found it difficult to speak. She feared she might be misremembering. In her fragmented memories, Tang Yu was wearing a white shirt and black trousers, two buttons undone, his smile equal parts roguish and restrained. He had said… something about helping him… give him a handjob?

Could that really have happened?

The image startled her, and she convinced herself it must have been a dream.

Calmly, Tang Xin said, “It’s nothing. I must have remembered wrong.”

A flicker of emotion passed through Tang Yu’s eyes, but he didn’t explain further. Staring at her, he softly asked, “Last night, you said you wanted to tell me a secret. I remember you saying it twice before.” He paused. “What was it?”

Tang Xin froze. Her secrets...

She had so many secrets.

She wanted to tell him that she fell in love with him at first sight, that she had liked him for a long time, that she didn’t want to help him pursue Ming Zhu, that she wanted him to be her boyfriend...

Back then, she was full of secrets.

Which one did he want to hear now?

Regardless, none of them were suitable to share anymore.

Innocently blinking, Tang Xin replied, “Did I say that? I don’t remember.”

“You did.”

“I forgot.”

Tang Yu gazed at her, knowing she didn’t want to say anything. But some things, once missed, couldn’t be retrieved. He gave a self-deprecating smile. “If you don’t remember, then never mind.”

He walked past her, not in any hurry to leave, and sat down on the couch. Picking up the laptop from the coffee table, he opened it and began working.

Tang Xin glanced back at him. This man… was treating her place like his own, even bringing his laptop over! She huffed and walked over. Suddenly, Hua Juan jumped onto the couch, trying to nestle into the man’s lap, only to be mercilessly picked up and dropped back onto the sofa.

Tang Yu had fed Hua Juan twice today, and now the cat was clinging to him.

Standing in front of him, Tang Xin frowned. “Go back to your own house. Why are you still hanging around mine?”

Tang Yu leaned back on the couch, looking up at her indifferently. “I took care of you all night. Is it really such a bother for me to sit here?”

Well... no.

Tang Xin scooped up Hua Juan, who kept trying to crawl into Tang Yu’s lap, and stroked its back. Without looking at him, she said bluntly, “Our relationship isn’t suited for sharing the same space.” Pausing, she added, “Besides, I’m going out later.”

That evening, she had plans to meet Lu Zhihang and Feng Cheng for dinner and a movie.

Of course, Tang Xin didn’t tell Tang Yu that they were watching The Light of Tomorrow.

Tang Yu’s face remained impassive as he picked up his laptop and stood up, leaving it open. As he turned around, Tang Xin inadvertently glanced at the screen and caught a glimpse of the document titled The Light of Tomorrow. She didn’t see much, assuming it was probably box office data or something similar.

Remembering the recent negative reviews online, she looked at him and said, “A few days ago, Director Lu mentioned that his friends said the movie was really good.”

Tang Yu glanced down at her. “Have you seen it yet?”

Tang Xin: “I’m planning to watch it tonight.”

At the premiere, Tang Yu had considered inviting her to attend together. But at that time, their relationship was at its lowest point, and there was no way to mend it. His gaze dropped slightly, and he spoke in a low voice, “Your movie... do you really not want me to be involved?”

Tang Xin was taken aback, not expecting him to suddenly bring this up. She lowered her head and said, “This decision is up to Director Lu. I’m just a small screenwriter responsible for writing the script. As for who to collaborate with, it’s not my call.”

“I didn’t treat it seriously before,” Tang Yu took two steps closer to her. His clean, crisp scent enveloped her as his deep voice resonated above her head. “This is your first movie. I want to be involved, even if I’m not the producer. I can do something else. Don’t leave me completely unrelated to this movie, okay?”

Her heart trembled slightly. So all the money he had thrown around earlier was for this?

Tang Yu gave her some time to think. “I’ll arrange another meeting with Lu Zhihang.”

With that, he picked up his laptop and left.

Just as he reached the door, he turned back to look at her, a faint smile in his eyes. “You should change your door lock password. Don’t use your birthday—it’s not safe.”

Tang Xin: “!!!”

Didn’t he say he didn’t know?

Tang Yu calmly continued, “The password to my house is your birthday. Does that make us even, Little Tyrant?”

Tang Xin: “...”

His meaning was clear—he knew her house password, and now he was telling her his house password so she wouldn’t feel at a disadvantage, right?

A faint curve appeared at the corner of Tang Yu’s lips as he opened the door and walked out.

He left her standing there, stunned.

He told her not to use her birthday as a password, but why did he use her birthday as his own?

At five o’clock in the afternoon, Tang Xin left on time and arrived at the restaurant before six. She waited in the private room for ten minutes before Lu Zhihang pushed the door open. He was wearing jeans and a simple black T-shirt, exuding a rugged charm.

He pulled out a chair and leaned back lazily, smiling at her. “Why are you always so punctual?”

Tang Xin smiled. “I don’t like making others wait.”

Lu Zhihang looked at her, the corners of his lips quirking upward. “Good habit. But it’s normal for girls to let men wait a little. Not many girls arrive early like you do.” He checked the time on his phone. “Old Feng and the others will probably be late. You can order first.”

As soon as he finished speaking—

A WeChat notification sounded.

Feng Cheng: “Yuan and I won’t be coming. You and Tang Xin go ahead and have dinner, then watch the movie.”

Lu Zhihang: “...”

Feng Cheng: “It’s a rare opportunity. Do your best.”

Lu Zhihang clicked his tongue and shook his head. So Feng Cheng and Yuan were trying to set him up with Tang Xin? Tang Xin looked up at him. “What’s wrong?”

Lu Zhihang pushed his phone aside and looked at her frankly. “Old Feng and Yuan aren’t coming. It’s just the two of us. Do you mind?”

Tang Xin was momentarily surprised. “Why aren’t they coming?”

Lu Zhihang couldn’t directly tell her that Old Feng wanted to play matchmaker. He lowered his head and scratched his brow, laughing helplessly. “Maybe they’ve seen me single for too long, and now that there’s an excellent young woman around, they want to help me find someone.”

Tang Xin: “...”

She suddenly didn’t know what to say. Old Feng could really be too much sometimes...

Lu Zhihang looked at her and smiled. “Don’t worry about them, especially Old Feng. He loves playing matchmaker and pushes any good girl he sees toward me.”

After hearing this, Tang Xin didn’t want to come off as petty. She smiled brightly. “It’s fine. If they’re not coming, we’ll eat. And we can’t waste the movie tickets—we still have to watch it. This is also part of work.”

She made her position crystal clear.

Lu Zhihang merely chuckled without comment.

After finishing their meal, they left the restaurant. Tang Xin looked up at Lu Zhihang. His face had appeared on award ceremonies and various interviews. If Old Feng and the others were here, it would have been fine. But now, with just the two of them, wouldn’t people mistake them for a couple walking down the street?

Lu Zhihang glanced down at her and understood her hesitation. “You go ahead first. I’ll follow behind. It’d be troublesome if we got photographed together.”

Tang Xin sighed in relief and smiled. “Alright. You do have quite a few female fans...” Especially after those two times they ended up trending online and her photos were exposed, she had kept a low profile for months. There were still plenty of fan pairings between them.

Avoiding trouble was always better.

They entered the cinema one after the other. Their tickets were for VIP seats. The Light of Tomorrow was an excellent movie—almost non-stop from start to finish. After watching it, Tang Xin felt inspired to write a review countering the negative reviews. It wasn’t because of Tang Yu or Time’s Entertainment; she genuinely enjoyed writing reviews. A good movie shouldn’t be buried under malicious comments, causing viewers who would love it to miss out.

When the movie ended, the lights dimmed briefly.

Tang Xin and Lu Zhihang didn’t avoid each other this time and exchanged thoughts about the movie’s plot.

Walking slowly at the back of the crowd, they exited the cinema together. When they reached the underground parking garage, Lu Zhihang glanced down at her and casually said, “Tomorrow afternoon, we’re heading to the Film Academy. I’ve already contacted them.”

It was perfectly normal for production teams and directors to select actors from the Film Academy. The school was always cooperative in recommending students, making it a mutually beneficial collaboration.

Tang Xin smiled. “Alright.”

The two parted ways in the underground parking garage.

By the time Tang Xin returned home, it was already half past ten. After last night’s hangover, she was still feeling fatigued today. After taking a bath and applying a face mask, she went straight to bed.

In the apartment across from hers—

Tang Yu was just about to sleep when a WeChat notification popped up.

Tang Dingding sent over a photo. “Brother, Shen Fei saw this at the cinema...”

The photo showed Lu Zhihang and Tang Xin walking out of the screening room, heads bowed, smiling and standing close together.

He furrowed his brows deeply.

So tonight, she went to the movies with Lu Zhihang?

Tang Dingding sent him a hug emoji. “Brother, keep it up!”

Tang Yu glanced at it, then at the photo again. A heavy feeling pressed against his chest, with no outlet for release. He felt a mix of discomfort and bitterness but didn’t respond to Tang Dingding. Instead, he got up and went to the balcony to smoke a cigarette.

After finishing the cigarette, perhaps due to the nicotine, Tang Yu didn’t sleep well all night.

Early the next morning, when he arrived at the office, Gao Heng came in to report: “President Tang, Zhou Jialu’s side wants to terminate the contract for the previously signed drama.”

Tang Yu leaned back in his chair, pausing his typing. “The TV drama scheduled for April next year?”

Gao Heng nodded. “Yes.”

Zhou Jialu had gradually gained popularity over the past two years. At the time of signing, her fame wasn’t as high, so casting her as the female lead wasn’t appropriate—her image didn’t fit. However, the supporting role stood out, matching her image well, and many people had fought for that role. Her agency had put in significant effort to secure the contract.

“What’s the reason for terminating the contract? Doesn’t she want to play the supporting role anymore?”

Tang Yu’s expression remained cold as he leaned back into his chair. Such things were common in the industry.

Gao Heng looked at him, adjusting his glasses. “We’ve investigated this matter thoroughly. Lu Zhihang approached Zhou Jialu’s agent, asking if she was available to play the female lead in his new movie.”

Tang Yu’s eyes flickered slightly. A Dream for You had already gained attention before filming began, and the role was that of the female lead. It was only natural for Zhou Jialu to want the part. One was a supporting role in a TV drama, the other the female lead in a movie.

No matter how you looked at it, Lu Zhihang’s offer was far more tempting.

Did Tang Xin and Lu Zhihang want Zhou Jialu to play the female lead?

Tang Yu lowered his gaze back to the computer screen, his tone devoid of emotion. “Let her terminate the contract.”