C19 So It Was Him

Qu Zhenzhen was in high spirits, chatting away as she resumed munching on a half-eaten chicken wing. Who would've thought? Yuh Wan, after all her scheming, ended up trapping herself, leading to such an outcome.

But who, out of the kindness of their heart, decided to rid everyone of this nuisance?

Curiosity piqued, Zhenzhen held the chicken wing in her left hand, nibbling away, while her right hand wiped the grease off on a napkin. She picked up her phone, opened Twitter, and checked the trending topics, her eyes widening in surprise.

One hot topic after another dominated the trends:

Ruocan Company Legal Notice

C Country Region Revokes Movie License

Actress Yuh Wan Looking Haggard

Zhenzhen clicked on the news, scrolling through comments from fans and onlookers, finally understanding that the series of events involving Yuh Wan and her agency was all orchestrated by the head of the entertainment company in the region.

Confused, Zhenzhen tossed the chicken wing bones aside, furrowing her brow at her phone. Absentmindedly, she sucked on her fingertips, musing aloud or perhaps asking Xie Yaotian across from her, "Who is this head of the entertainment company?"

Yaotian's lips twitched as if he wanted to say something but held back, simply smiling at Zhenzhen's puzzled expression. He asked, "You don't know?"

"How would I know?" Zhenzhen pouted, saying, "If I really knew this big shot, would I be worried about Yuh Wan's tricks? I wonder why this big boss suddenly targeted that company. It's a relief! Not only did it help me, but it also got rid of a major rival for Ruocan!"

Yaotian almost couldn't suppress a laugh, lowering his head without saying a word. Just as Zhenzhen was about to speak, Yaotian's phone rang.

He glanced at the caller ID, his expression returning to its usual stern and composed demeanor.

"Hello, what's up?"

"Cancel the compensation demand? No way."

"I've already said there's no room for negotiation on this matter. The lawyer has explained how to handle it. Tell him not to waste his time. As for that Yuh Wan from his company..."

Qu Zhenzhen was initially uninterested, sipping her drink leisurely until she heard Yuh Wan's name. Her attention snapped back to Xie Yaotian, eyes widening.

"As for that Yuh Wan from his company," Xie Yaotian's voice was cold and indifferent, a barely noticeable smirk playing at the corner of his lips, "she better behave. If there's a next time, the consequences will be far worse than they are now."

...

Qu Zhenzhen didn't catch the rest of what Xie Yaotian said. His words and demeanor had already made it clear to her. The person who had brought down Yuh Wan and her agency, the one who had turned the tide and saved her at a critical moment, the head of the entertainment company in the region, was none other than Xie Yaotian.

Qu Zhenzhen was utterly shocked, unable to process it for a moment, just staring blankly at Xie Yaotian.

"What's wrong with you?"

Xie Yaotian hung up the phone and noticed Qu Zhenzhen's dazed expression, asking curiously.

It was as if Qu Zhenzhen hadn't heard him, still staring at him in a trance, her mind racing with the same thought over and over.

Xie Yaotian is the head of the entertainment company in the region?

She had thought he was just the president of Ruocan Media. He had protected her, treated her well, and she had gladly accepted it. She had never tried to restrain her feelings, never considered that her unique, heart-fluttering affection and admiration for Xie Yaotian might be inappropriate.

But now, it seemed everything had changed.

Zhenzhen looked at the man in front of her, suddenly feeling both familiar and distant. For the first time, she realized the gap between them was much wider than she had thought. It seemed she could no longer love him.

"Zhenzhen?" Yaotian called her name with a hint of concern, slightly furrowing his brow.

"Huh?" Zhenzhen snapped back to reality, realizing she'd been staring at Yaotian for quite some time. Embarrassed, she stammered, "Oh... I, I just spaced out a bit. Um... you..."

"Why are you speaking so hesitantly? That's not like you," Yaotian remarked.

"It's you, isn't it?" Zhenzhen asked directly after a moment's hesitation.

Yaotian was silent for a moment before nodding.

"Thank you..." Zhenzhen's voice was soft, and it took her a while to utter those two words.

Yaotian sensed a subtle and inexplicable distance in her words. After a brief pause, he understood and smiled wryly to himself. This girl, he thought, is such a fool.

"I'm full..." Zhenzhen said, gently wiping her mouth with a napkin. She really was full; the food at this restaurant was indeed excellent. She patted her stomach, "Ah, after all those days of going hungry, one meal and I'm back to my pre-diet weight."

"Well, now that you're full, you can start dieting again," Yaotian said as he stood up. "Let's go, I'll take you home. Sleeping burns a lot of energy too."

"Pfft..." Zhenzhen couldn't help but laugh, feeling much of her earlier conflict and confusion dissipate. Oh well, she thought, I'm full and content. I'll go home and have a good night's sleep. Everything else can wait until I wake up.

The evening breeze was cool as Zhenzhen sat in the car, her wrist resting outside the window, enjoying the refreshing tranquility of the night. In that moment, she felt a rare sense of peace.

"Get up early tomorrow. I'm taking you somewhere," Yaotian suddenly said as Zhenzhen was getting out of the car.

"Where to?"

"You'll find out tomorrow." Yaotian turned away and started the car.

"Hey..." Zhenzhen barely had time to ask more before Yaotian drove off with a quick, "Don't forget."

"Uh, alright..." Zhenzhen shrugged helplessly and headed home.

The next morning, Zhenzhen was still groggy when the phone rang, waking her up.

"Hello! Who is it?" she snapped, not even checking the caller ID, her morning grumpiness evident. "It's so early! Can't a person sleep?"

"Didn't I tell you to get up early?" Yaotian's voice had a hint of exasperation.

Zhenzhen squinted at her phone screen to check the time. "Oh, it's you. It's only seven!"

"Get up. You have an hour. Be downstairs by eight. I'll be waiting," Yaotian replied, his tone firm yet somehow gentle, making Zhenzhen feel like there was something different about him today. Was he... being kind?

"Guess I'm not fully awake..." Zhenzhen thought, amused by her own silly musings. "What am I even thinking?"

Shaking her head, Zhenzhen got up to wash and dress. No matter what, she couldn't keep the head of a major entertainment company waiting too long.