Embedded Files
Psst! We're moving!
“Let’s go, let’s go.”
Tang Xin was dragged out of her apartment by Tang Dingding, wearing only slippers. After entering the apartment, Tang Yu casually unbuttoned two buttons of his shirt and relaxed a bit. He glanced back at her with a faint smile on his lips.
The chefs followed behind them, starting their work as soon as they entered.
Tang Xin and Tang Dingding sat on the sofa. Tang Xin turned to glance at the dining area and sighed. “Being rich really lets you do whatever you want.”
Tang Yu leaned back in a single-seater sofa, turned on the air conditioning, and tossed the remote onto the coffee table. With an indifferent gaze, he looked at her. “I’m going on a business trip tomorrow. The refrigerator has been emptied by Auntie. Next time, if there’s steak prepared, I’ll personally cook it for you.”
Tang Xin’s heart suddenly raced. She stared at him, slightly stunned. Tang Yu hadn’t been overly passionate when he pursued Ming Zhu before, but he had always treated her kindly and cared for her deeply—like when he immediately flew over after learning she was injured.
Now, Tang Yu went through so much trouble to find a property just to live near her, spending tens of millions to buy this apartment. To have some connection with her debut movie, he terminated contracts and sent actors, even letting Tang Dingding bring funding into the project.
And now, he said he would cook steak for her.
She didn’t deliberately compare, but instinctively wondered how much Tang Yu truly liked her now.
@Endless Great Reads, All on Jinjiang Literature City
Tang Dingding exclaimed in surprise, “Wow, this is the first time I’ve heard my brother say he’ll cook for someone!”
Tang Yu acted as if he hadn’t heard her, still staring directly at Tang Xin, seemingly waiting for her response. Under his straightforward gaze, Tang Xin’s heart pounded wildly. She averted her eyes and glanced toward the dining area again. The chef had already plated the medium-rare steak.
The chef stood by the dining table and respectfully announced, “Mr. Tang, Miss Tang, everything is ready.”
Tang Xin stood up and walked over. As she passed by him, she glanced down at the man’s long legs stretched between the coffee table and the sofa. She smiled sweetly and said, “I’d rather try the five-star chef’s steak first.”
Tang Yu half-closed his eyes, fixating on her dimple, thinking that she might as well not smile.
Seeing that Tang Yu didn’t intend to move his legs, Tang Xin lifted her leg, preparing to step over. In the next moment, his leg suddenly retracted, and Tang Xin’s toes caught on his calf. With a startled cry, she lost her balance and stumbled forward. A hand gently pulled her arm, spinning her halfway around, and she landed straight into his lap.
Still catching her breath, she found herself sitting on the man’s lap, her hands pressed against his firm chest, her head resting on his shoulder. His masculine scent filled her nose, and her heart raced uncontrollably.
After being stunned for several seconds, she finally looked up at him in disbelief.
Tang Yu lazily leaned back on the sofa, lowered his head, and looked at her with an ambiguous smile. “How could you be so careless?”
Tang Xin: “...”
Her face flushed red. She slapped his chest hard, quickly stood up from him, and glared at him while scolding, “Careful about your sister! You definitely did that on purpose just now!”
A dumbfounded Tang Dingding: “...”
Tang Yu didn’t deny it. Rising leisurely, he looked down at her, ruffled the back of her head, and walked toward the dining area, casually tossing out a line. “Girls should speak more politely. Come and eat.”
“...”
Tang Xin felt like she had been teased by a mischievous boy in school, except she harbored feelings for this boy.
For a moment, she stood rooted in place, her emotions complex and unbearable, her ears turning red.
Tang Dingding snapped out of her daze and walked over to Tang Xin, looking at her curiously. “Were you really careless just now?”
Tang Xin rolled her eyes. “Didn’t you see him intentionally messing with me?”
Tang Dingding’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
She had never seen her brother intentionally act mischievously before—he always appeared so calm and composed.
“Fake.”
Seeing her excitement, Tang Xin immediately doused her enthusiasm, walked to the dining area, sat diagonally across from Tang Yu, picked up her knife and fork, and began cutting her steak without sparing him a glance.
Tang Yu watched her for a while, then glanced at Tang Dingding, who resembled a curious child. “Eat your steak.”
Tang Dingding: “...Oh.”
After enjoying the five-star steak, Tang Xin stood up and looked at Tang Dingding. “Let’s go. I’ll get something for you.”
She walked toward the door, and Tang Dingding followed behind her. “What is it?”
Tang Xin paused for a moment. After opening the door and stepping outside, she said, “It’s the script for Dreaming For You . I wrote it for fun earlier. You can take a look.”
“Huh? When?”
“About two years ago.”
Tang Dingding hadn’t closed the door; it remained slightly ajar. Standing in the doorway, Tang Yu heard every word clearly.
Four years ago, when Tang Xin had just signed with Shi Guang Entertainment, nothing happened for a whole year. During her free time, she started trying to adapt Dreaming For You into a screenplay. It took her a year and a half to complete it independently.
She had never mentioned this to anyone, nor had she shown the script to anyone—it was purely for personal satisfaction.
There were significant differences between that version of the script and the current one. After all, it was completed by her alone two years ago, unlike the collaborative effort now. She wasn’t sure which version was better—the old one or the new one.
Since the current script wasn’t finished yet, she couldn’t show it to Tang Dingding.
Tang Xin handed the bound script from two years ago to Tang Dingding and smiled at her. “You probably haven’t read a script before. You can take it home and look at it.”
The script was thick and heavy in her hands.
Tang Dingding glanced down at it and felt moved. “Alright…”
After a while, Tang Dingding asked, “I want to know—who did you originally plan to cast as the lead actress?”
“Before?” Tang Xin carried her laptop out of the study and sat cross-legged on the carpet. “A few years ago, when I first sold the copyright, I liked Lu Chuning. But now she’s transitioned, so she’s no longer suitable.”
“Ah?” Tang Dingding was surprised and panicked. “Lu Chuning?”
“Mm, why?”
“Nothing…” Tang Dingding lowered her head and petted Hua Juan, quickly changing the subject. “Hua Juan is growing up so fast. Oh yeah, let me tell you—someone abandoned a little kitten on my brother’s parking spot a few months ago. He brought the kitten home, and it completely shredded his couch and scratched his hand so badly that he had to get vaccinated… We had agreed that he would give the kitten to me, and I was supposed to pick it up the next day. But that day, I went out of town with Shen Fei, and we got stuck in traffic. By the time I got to his place, it was already 11 p.m., and he told me he had thrown the kitten away to be handled by property management.”
Tang Xin paused typing and turned to look at her.
Tang Dingding continued complaining. “He also said he’d give me another cat, but he hasn’t done it yet…”
Tang Xin’s heart skipped a beat. She looked at the soft and fluffy Hua Juan in her lap and cautiously asked, “He said he threw it to property management?”
“Yeah.”
“...”
Tang Xin fell silent for a moment, then smiled at her. “If you like Hua Juan, you can take her with you later, along with her bed and other things. I’ll go downstairs with you and help you load them into your car.”
Tang Dingding’s eyes widened. “Huh?”
Tang Xin stood up and began organizing Hua Juan’s toys, premium cat food, and cans, not even looking up. “I’ve been very busy lately, so I probably can’t take good care of her. If you like her, you can take her. I think Hua Juan likes you too, and she’s easy to take care of.”
Originally… Tang Yu had planned to give Hua Juan to Tang Dingding but ended up giving her to Tang Xin instead because she shamelessly asked for her.
Back then, Tang Yu probably didn’t know how to refuse her.
Tang Dingding snapped out of her thoughts, holding Hua Juan and walking behind her, uncertainly asking, “Are you serious?”
Tang Xin went to the balcony to find a cardboard box to pack the items. Turning back, she smiled at her. “Consider it a bribe.”
Tang Dingding: “But…”
“No buts. I’m serious.”
“...”
Tang Dingding hesitated for a moment, petting Hua Juan and seeing Tang Xin’s earnest expression. She must be really busy. “Alright.” After thinking for a moment, she added, “But if you end up marrying my brother in the future, Hua Juan will still be yours. You can come visit her anytime.”
Tang Xin: “...”
Who said anything about marrying him?
Tang Dingding smiled. “I’ll go ask my brother to help move the stuff downstairs.”
One minute later.
Tang Yu opened his door, and Tang Dingding excitedly ran to him, holding Hua Juan. “Brother, Sugarheart said she’s giving Hua Juan to me, along with her bed and toys…”
“She’s giving you the cat?” Tang Yu coldly interrupted her.
“Yes…”
Tang Yu emotionlessly plucked Hua Juan from her arms. The confused Hua Juan nestled in his embrace, pawing at his shirt. With a gentle press of his hand, she instantly calmed down. He walked directly toward the half-open door across the hall, where the girl was packing items into a box, showing no signs of reluctance.
She had raised the cat for nearly half a year, and now she was giving it away without hesitation.
Tang Yu, holding Hua Juan, walked over and pulled her up by the hand.
Tang Xin looked up at him and calmly asked, “What’s wrong?”
Tang Yu’s expression darkened. He glanced back at the bewildered Tang Dingding. “In a few days, I’ll send a cat to your place. This one stays here.”
Tang Dingding: “...”
Tang Xin fell silent for a second, then suddenly laughed. “Hua Juan was originally meant for her, right? I shamelessly asked you to give her to me without knowing. Now that I know, how could I keep her?”
Tang Yu frowned. “I already gave her to you.”
She averted her eyes and casually said, “I’m afraid I won’t have time to take care of her in the future.”
“I will.”
The man dropped these two words in a deep, calm tone.
“...”
Tang Xin suddenly looked up at him. The man’s profound eyes held emotions she couldn’t decipher. She stared at him. “You don’t even like cats.”
Whenever he came over, if Hua Juan tried to rub against him, he would mercilessly push her away. Yet, Hua Juan still liked to cling to him, occasionally swiping her paw or rubbing against him. Tang Xin often felt embarrassed for Hua Juan’s shameless behavior.
At this moment, Hua Juan was comfortably nestled in his arms, behaving exceptionally well.
It had to be said that Tang Yu, dressed in his restrained style, cradling a beautiful white Chinchilla cat, created a striking contrast that made people instinctively want to look twice.
“I didn’t like them much before, but I’ll try to like them from now on.” Tang Yu lowered his gaze to her, his tone steady and forceful. “In the future, anything you like, I will try to understand and like. I’ll accompany you in doing anything you enjoy or are interested in.”
The man’s straightforward yet passionate promise hit Tang Xin’s heart like a sledgehammer. The impact was undeniable. She stared blankly at him, clutching the can in her hand tightly, turning her face away without speaking.
The air fell silent for a while.
The forgotten Tang Dingding timidly spoke up. “You two carry on... I don’t want Hua Juan anymore. I… I’ll go back first, okay?”
With that, she avoided looking at them.
Hugging the script Tang Xin had given her, she ran off, not daring to disturb her brother’s pursuit of his sister-in-law.
She finally understood that the cat he originally intended to give her wasn’t thrown away—it was given to Tang Xin instead.
The door slammed shut with a bang.
Both their gazes simultaneously turned toward the entrance, then quickly shifted back.
The room fell quiet again, the soft light spilling over them. Tang Xin lowered her head, frowning slightly, biting her lip without speaking or looking at him. Suddenly, her chin was pinched, and the man’s rough thumb grazed her lips, freeing them from between her teeth. His voice was low. “Tang Xin…”
Her lips tingled. Startled, she snapped out of it, stepping back until her heel hit the cardboard box.
Quickly, she stepped forward and snatched Hua Juan from his arms, hugging the cat as she turned around. Her tone was stiff. “Since Little Fatty Sheep doesn’t want her, the cat is still mine. I’ll take care of her myself—you don’t need to.”
She plopped down onto the carpet with Hua Juan in her arms, pulling the laptop closer. Facing him sideways, her face was still puffed up with anger.
Her expression was identical to that of an angry emoticon.
Tang Yu glanced at her from the side, his emotions difficult to suppress. He didn’t know why he suddenly felt displeased and melancholic. Perhaps he feared she might truly start letting go of everything related to him one by one. His hands hung by his sides, his thumb gently rubbing against his index finger. Then, he bent down.
Only when she heard movement did Tang Xin turn her head, startled once more.
The man, wearing a white shirt and black trousers, crouched halfway, his figure clean-cut and sharp. He began taking items out of the cardboard box one by one—Hua Juan’s luxurious cat bed, premium cat food, cans…
Each item was placed back in its proper place without a single mistake.
Tang Yu’s physique was excellent, his proportions impeccable. He was the perfect model for suits and white shirts. Watching such a man move about her house was like watching a male model—a sight pleasing to the eyes.
Hua Juan’s claws scratched lightly at her pants.
Simultaneously, she felt a restless, clawing sensation in her heart, unsure of how to deal with him.
Feeling sorry for herself wouldn’t work.
Feeling sorry for him felt unbearable too, yet she couldn’t lower her pride or comply.
After Tang Yu finished putting everything away and placed the cardboard box on the balcony, he gazed at the back of the young girl who refused to face him. After a few seconds of silence, he turned and left.
Tang Xin watched him walk toward the door, her mouth opening but unable to call out.
The door remained half-open.
He hadn’t closed it.
She scratched Hua Juan’s back a few times, her gaze fixed on the doorway.
…
Less than a minute later, the tall, sharp figure of the man pushed the door open again.
She immediately lowered her head, pretending to look at the computer screen, clicking the mouse aimlessly…
Yet, part of her peripheral vision was focused on him. The sight of his long legs walking in those suit pants was pleasing to the eye. He stood in front of her, bending down to place a document on her keyboard. Tang Xin moved slightly, glancing at the title of the document—Three Lifetimes, One Dream: Film and Television Adaptation Authorization Contract.
That glance froze her.
Tang Yu turned and sat on the sofa behind her, his long legs sprawled lazily, his right leg almost touching her arm. Staring at the back of her head, he softly said, “The contract has been prepared for a while now. Take a look and consider signing with me, alright?”
Tang Xin hesitated for a moment, picking up the document and flipping through it.
She caught a few key points—
Copyright fee: 30 million.
Project to be initiated within a year.
Invitation for her to participate as the lead screenwriter in the adaptation.
In an instant, she felt as though the few sheets of paper were as heavy as gold, trembling slightly in her hand.
Everything Tang Yu was doing now was what she had secretly hoped for in the past. Though it came at an inconvenient time, it still stirred something in her heart.
After a moment of silence, she turned around, smiling brightly at him. “Thirty million? President Tang, do you think you have too much money and nowhere to spend it? Have the other executives and directors of the company agreed to this?”
Though thirty million was pocket change for Shi Guang Entertainment and Tang Yu, surely the other executives wouldn’t have no objections?
Her book couldn’t compare to Dreaming For You . It wasn’t worth thirty million.
Tang Yu glanced at her. “They have no objections.”
The copyright was purchased privately by him and merely registered under Shi Guang’s name.
Tang Xin opened her mouth, then smiled brightly again. “Oh, so if Dingding agrees to act as the lead actress, how much money do you plan to have her bring into the project?”
Tang Yu leaned forward, his arm resting on his thigh, his stern face inches away from hers. He spoke. “One hundred million.”
Tang Xin couldn’t help but swallow.
…One hundred million.
Was he planning to fully fund it?
She turned around, curling her legs and sitting beside him, looking up with a smile. “Tang Yu, do you think you’re particularly funny? When I confessed to you, you rejected me. Now you’re spending 130 million to pursue me? Are you stupid with money?”
Oh wait, that didn’t include buying the apartment.
“...”
Tang Yu was extremely dissatisfied with the phrase “stupid with money.”
He frowned and looked at her. “Do you think you’re not worth it?”
Tang Xin: “...”
You damn bastard, you’re the one who’s not worth it! I’m priceless!
She kicked his calf directly, angrily tossing the contract onto his lap. “I’m not signing with you. Go home. I need to get ready to bathe and sleep.”
Her bare foot connected harmlessly with his leg.
Tang Yu glanced down at her jade-like foot, then averted his gaze, placing the contract back on the table. “The contract will stay here indefinitely. Whenever you’re willing to sign, just do it.”
Tang Xin: “...”
He leaned down, looking into her eyes, the corner of his mouth lifting in a self-deprecating smirk. “Don’t reject everything. Give me a chance, alright?”
Tang Xin locked eyes with him for a few seconds, her heart tightening involuntarily. She lowered her head, neither agreeing nor refusing.
Suddenly, she reached out and slammed the laptop shut.
Grabbing a pillow, she fiercely whacked his leg, continuing to drive him away. “Go home already. A man and woman alone together late at night—what are you trying to achieve by staying?”
Tang Yu stood up somewhat helplessly. Out of the corner of her eye, Tang Xin glanced at the man’s long, straight calves, suddenly recalling how he had tripped her earlier. For some reason, her mind wasn’t entirely clear.
Just as he was about to take a step forward—
Her calf playfully extended, imagining Tang Yu stumbling clumsily.
Tang Yu reacted swiftly, pausing mid-step, his foot hovering in the air before slowly lowering it. He looked down at her.
Caught red-handed in her prank, the little tyrant stared at him unflinchingly. “What are you looking at? You tripped me earlier—I’m just returning the favor.”
Tang Yu looked down at her from above, suddenly smirking mischievously. His smile was both playful and restrained, reminiscent of the vague memory she had of him—three parts roguish charm, seven parts restrained control. “Is that so? Didn’t you also press down on me earlier?”
In slow motion, he crouched halfway in front of her, his gaze slightly higher than hers, teasing her with a smirk. “Little Tyrant, are you sure you want me to press you down too?”
Tang Xin: “...”
Google Sites
Report abuse