Chapter 47: The Misfortune of Leng Daji (Bonus Chapter for 50 Recommendations)

Although it was brought up rather suddenly, Zhu Xueshuang and Liu Yujia still seriously considered Chu Luoxi’s suggestion. Over time, the two had developed a somewhat obsessive trust in her.

Soon, the semester’s final exams were over. As for Wang Yanan, although they met her in the examination hall, at least she didn’t show up in front of them to make things unpleasant.

Chu Luoxi originally intended to go home and stay in, watching Baiyun’s rise to fame. Unexpectedly, just before she called to book her flight, she received a phone call that left her utterly speechless.

“Luoxi, you’ve finished your exams, right? Any plans for the summer? Looking for work? By the way, have you watched ‘Dragon Roars Across the World’? Haha, even though you only appeared in half an episode, the audience’s reviews are really great! I told you, why not sign with Scenery Entertainment? With me and your senior Xiao supporting you, you wouldn’t even need to look for work elsewhere—there’s more than enough to do. How about it? Tempted?”

Cold Lu’s distinctive voice and rambling style instantly brought a frown to Chu Luoxi’s face.

“Cut to the chase, Cold Lu!” Chu Luoxi squeezed the words through her teeth, nearly grinding them. Why did he even call? To contribute to China Mobile’s revenue?

He asked a series of questions but didn’t give her time to answer. Was that supposed to be amusing? And he managed to use all the filler words in one breath—what exactly was he trying to say?

“Are you free tomorrow? Let me treat you to a meal.” Under Xiao Jingxuan’s dazzling, murderous gaze, Cold Lu immediately became concise, his expression tinged with grievance. He’d only said a few extra words—was that really necessary?

“Huh?” The abrupt and extreme shift left Chu Luoxi momentarily stunned, before she responded, “You’re inviting me to dinner?”

This was absurd. Did people really behave so erratically? She felt a bit out of sorts.

“Not me—your senior Xiao is inviting you,” Cold Lu replied, for once acting normal.

“Oh.” Chu Luoxi sighed. Since he’d put it that way, how could she refuse? Did she even have a reason to refuse? Fortunately, she intended to book her ticket before calling home; otherwise, her parents would have been delighted for nothing.

Watching Cold Lu hang up in high spirits, Xiao Jingxuan immediately knew Chu Luoxi had agreed. However, a cold glint appeared in his eyes as he stared at his agent. “When did I say I’d treat her to dinner?” Such a flimsy excuse—what agent would say that? All that usual eloquence wasted.

Cold Lu rolled his eyes, abandoning any semblance of dignity. “You asked me to call her; obviously, I’m not paying. Even if you don’t, the company will reimburse it. So isn’t it you treating her?” Whenever he was spouting nonsense, Cold Lu’s quick-wittedness reached its peak.

“Is that so?” Xiao Jingxuan suddenly flashed a seductive smile, his dark eyes shimmering, making Cold Lu’s hair stand on end with a sense of foreboding. But it was already too late. Xiao Jingxuan spoke slowly and elegantly, “In that case, you’ll handle tomorrow’s schedule for me. Otherwise, how would I have time to treat junior Chu to dinner? Originally, I wanted you to call her to explain things directly.”

Cold Lu was instantly defeated; how had he forgotten that he himself had arranged Xiao Jingxuan’s full day of appointments?

The next day, Chu Luoxi arrived promptly at the agreed location, staring awkwardly for a long time at the chrysanthemum tea before her.

“If you want something else, just order it.” Xiao Jingxuan’s gentle, clear voice sounded, thinking perhaps she didn’t like the tea.

“No need, this is fine. But, senior Xiao, did you pick this place?” So, it wasn’t the tea that left her embarrassed—it was drinking tea in a coffee shop. That was even stranger than drinking coffee in a tea house!

Even if it wasn’t yet mealtime and they needed somewhere to sit, this was a bit much. Why not just find a tea house?

She glanced around the coffee shop—full of atmosphere, quiet and spacious, the air thick with the sweet scent of coffee and soothing music. It had a certain charm. Xiao Jingxuan seemed to guess her thoughts and laughed softly, a bit languid. “Only Cold Lu could do something like this—he knows we don’t drink coffee…”

Chu Luoxi nodded in agreement, secretly grumbling about Cold Lu’s motives.

Although not a private room, the coffee shop’s special seating had partitions, potted plants, and curtains for privacy. Unless someone entered, they couldn’t see who was inside. This was obviously for Xiao Jingxuan’s sake, but it looked suspiciously like a couple’s booth—who would have guessed Cold Lu had such tastes?

She glanced at the composed Xiao Jingxuan and silently mocked herself—maybe she was just overthinking.

“So where’s Cold Lu?” Chu Luoxi asked casually. If it weren’t just Xiao Jingxuan here, she wouldn’t have let her thoughts wander. She’d expected to see them both.

“He’s busy. He’ll come once it’s time to eat.” Xiao Jingxuan’s smile widened, with a hint of schadenfreude concealed.

Busy, indeed. Who told him to schedule so many appointments? Right now, he had to promote ‘Dragon Roars Across the World’ and prepare for his album ‘Joy and Sorrow’ to be released. He wasn’t made of iron—how could he not be exhausted?

Poor Cold Lu still hadn’t realized his artist was plotting an escape, and was diligently calling everyone to reschedule, postponing what couldn’t be avoided, wiping away tears of frustration from time to time.

What other artist was so willful? It was just a meal—how long could that take? Yet Xiao Jingxuan insisted on pushing aside an entire day’s schedule. How was Cold Lu supposed to cope?

It was all because he’d gotten carried away and misspoke, messing up one thing. Did it warrant such punishment? If he’d known, he would have behaved, called Chu Luoxi directly, and explained everything clearly.

So, when Chu Luoxi saw Cold Lu, he looked utterly deflated. She couldn’t help but smile, her eyes curved with amusement as she gave Xiao Jingxuan a meaningful look, asking, “What happened to him?”

Xiao Jingxuan glanced at the listless Cold Lu, his mood lifted. “He’s just tired.” That was the absolute truth.

“Oh,” Chu Luoxi elongated the sound, “Senior Xiao’s work really is busy…”

Busy enough to wear out his agent, while the artist himself had nothing to do. What a strange situation.

She cast a sympathetic glance at Cold Lu, whose expression twitched at their words. Chu Luoxi naturally understood what had happened. She thought to herself, wasn’t Xiao Jingxuan supposed to be the busiest person lately? How did he have time to sit here and have tea and dinner with her? It made no sense.