As Gu Li'an spoke, he reached out and turned off the reading light above his head, and the car interior went dark in an instant.
He turned around, leaned against the central armrest between them, and looked at her scrutinizingly.
It even carried a hint of hostility.
Yun Daixi truthfully said, "I have nothing to do with him; it's all an act."
"An act?" Gu Li'an suddenly became interested. "For what purpose?"
"Knowing he would confess his feelings at the concert, and knowing we couldn't stop him, we decided to play along, otherwise his career would have been ruined."
He wasn't interested in hearing any of that; he only asked, "How much longer will this show go on?"
"About six months? We can't just break up right after we got together."
Upon hearing the answer, Yun Daixi could clearly sense that his breathing seemed heavier than usual.
He turned back impatiently, moved to the railing near the window, propped his head up with his hand, and asked, "And now?"
Not knowing what he meant by that question, and not daring to answer casually, Dai Xi switched back to her light and soft voice: "What does Mr. Gu mean?"
Gu Li'an raised the corners of his mouth and chuckled to himself, "Acting with me?"
She had never seen his smile so complex and multifaceted before, and her mind was in turmoil; she didn't know how to respond for a moment.
Seeing that she didn't answer for a long time, Gu Li'an lost interest.
He lifted his head from his hands and said calmly, "Never mind."
Yun Daixi stopped talking and waited until the car had driven away for a while before she realized what he meant.
She felt a little scared, but thankfully that laugh just now had truly made her lose herself and saved her, so she no longer needed to expend energy putting on an act in front of him.
-
The car eventually stopped in front of a private restaurant.
Yun Daixi had met many investors, but she had never known that such a place existed.
Located not far from the city center, it is cleverly hidden in a mountain valley, nestled against the mountains and by the water, possessing a graceful Chinese beauty.
The girl who greeted guests at the entrance was so beautiful that Yun Daixi would see her on the street and ask her if she wanted to sign a contract to become an internet celebrity.
The driver handed something over, and the hostess pressed a button to open the door: "This way, please, gentlemen."
They led us to a private room, opened the door, bowed, and said, "Please have a seat. If you need anything, please press the service bell here."
He then turned to Gu Li'an and asked, "Sir, would you like your meal served now?"
"Let's go," he replied politely, and walked into the private room.
The private room wasn't large, and the interior designer must have a good understanding of human nature. In such a secluded place, if the rooms were too close together, it would be too intimate; if they were too far apart, it would lack a sense of camaraderie.
The atmosphere created by the countertop and lighting was just right.
The two sat down, and Yun Daixi looked at him and smiled: "Mr. Gu didn't even ask about my preferences before placing the order?"
"It's not my fault," Gu Li'an pushed the knife, fork and plate aside a bit. "The head chef here didn't give me a chance to order. They create dishes based on the fresh ingredients that arrive at the restaurant every day."
"I see," Yun Daixi asked. "Where's the wine?"
Even though she knew he wouldn't drink, she still insisted on asking.
"We'll also suggest pairings based on today's side dishes." He paused, then added, "Once you've booked a room here, you have no choice."
It was like a warning to her that she was about to embark on a dangerous path.
She smiled and said, "If I had known that Mr. Gu would bring me to a place like this, I shouldn't have agreed to reciprocate by treating him to a meal."
Before he could reply, the first dish was served. Although it was Chinese food, it was prepared like Western food, with two portions of the same dish.
A waiter brought over chilled wine, opened it, and poured it into Yun Daixi's glass.
Another person brought over a glass of ice water and placed it next to Gu Li'an.
No special greeting is needed.
It seems he comes here often; the waiter already knows his preferences.
After the waiters left, only the two of them were left in the room. She tried to make conversation: "Why don't you drink?"
I was already mentally prepared to give polite replies like "I don't like it" or "I'm not used to it."
He said, "Being numbed by alcohol makes it easy to fall into dangerous situations."
If it were anyone else, Yun Daixi would definitely think this was too pretentious, but for the person in front of her, what he said was indeed very reasonable, after all, he had been pushed into an icy river by someone he didn't know back then.
That evening's banquet also involved dealing with unrest outside the venue.
"Then why do you always drink ice water?" she continued to ask.
"You even noticed this?" His fingertip inexplicably traced a drop of water on the side of the cup.
"I told you, I was secretly watching you at the Mercury dinner that day. Every time your glass wasn't fogged up, someone would come up and replace it."
He was amazed at how closely she observed.
He paused for a moment, then replied, "There are too many reasons; it's hard to say which factor is more significant."
He avoided the topic, and she stopped asking.
When the first main course was served, Yun Daixi casually changed the subject: "Have you met Li Lifei?"
He picked up a cloth and wiped his hands: "Yes, I've met him. I was thinking of investing in some of his movies before."
"Why?" She seized the sliver of an opening, trying to find out the answer.
"Businessmen are profit-driven, so it's not unusual for his movies to be both critically acclaimed and commercially successful."
"But he wants to sign contracts for ten films at once." That's highly unusual.
"Judging from your tone, you think this is a good idea?" He put down the water in his hand and looked at her. "If you need it, I can also write you another check under the same conditions."
He always has this ability: knowing there's a difference in their status, he doesn't dare ask directly, making people go around in circles about the question, but he never gives an answer, and then throws you a sweet treat.
In the end, she took the first step back and affirmed his choice: "The food is good today."
He nodded in agreement: "I'm glad Miss Yun likes it."
The entire meal consisted of two appetizers, three main courses, and one dessert. Apart from drinking a few sips of ice water, he barely touched the food on his plate, just like at the banquet that evening.
After saying that compliment, he showed no intention of speaking again, so Yun Daixi obediently ate the food on her plate.
She knew he had been staring at her.
Therefore, they eat very slowly and are very restrained.
It almost made her unable to continue acting halfway through.
After all the dishes were served, Yun Daixi finally finished her glass of wine.
Gu Li'an said, "Let's go, I'll take you home."
that's all?
Yun Daixi could hardly believe her ears.
The subtle expressions on her face betrayed her. Gu Li'an noticed something was wrong and said, "If Miss Yun doesn't like the food, I can pay the bill."
Yun Daixi quickly stopped her, saying, "No, no, I wouldn't dare."
I took my bag and went out of the room to ask where to pay the bill.
Looking at the bill that read over 20,000 yuan, the miserly Yun Daixi's hand trembled, and the receipt flew into the courtyard outside with the wind.
Even if it's considered a customer reimbursement, she'll still have to come to him. She can only stand here, her eyes filled with melancholy as the receipts flutter in the night, waiting for Gu Li'an to come out.
As soon as he stepped out of the private room, he saw Yun Daixi standing in the courtyard of the Chinese-style main hall, staring at the bill with a surprised expression.
I guess she was scared off by the price. I found her expression quite vivid, unlike her usual self, which was rather amusing.
-
After drinking, and with the car too quiet, Yun Daixi took off her coat and held it in her arms on the way back. In the dim light, with no one speaking, she simply closed her eyes and leaned against the car window.
Sai Jinhua once said that her temperament was well suited to having her eyes closed, which would make her appear less sharp and more pitiful.
When they arrived home, Gu Li'an called out softly, "We're here."
Yun Daixi opened her eyes, surprised to find that she had actually fallen asleep.
She's known for having terrible sleep, but today she actually managed to fall asleep in the car of the person she was trying to catch, without doing anything.
Somewhat annoyed, she woke up muttering to herself, tidied her hair, and replied, "Oh."
Gu Li'an got out of the car himself and opened the door on her side: "You look tired, go back and get some rest."
"Thank you," she forced a smile. "Good night."
Looking back on it after she got home, she realized that this must have been the most inefficient business meal she had ever had in her life.
We didn't get any information out of them, and we didn't reach any agreement.
I was somewhat annoyed.
I don't know if it's because I already slept on the bus, but after taking a shower and lying in bed, I wasn't sleepy at all.
I simply opened my phone, this time without checking the trending topics or checking up on him, but still with a work mindset, I opened various apps and searched for articles on how to win over a celibate man.
-
Gu Li'an always seemed to have an elusive quality, and he didn't appear again for the next two weeks.
Yun Daixi was also aware that she would not take the initiative to contact him.
After finishing his second concert, Chi Muye rushed back to Beijing to be a guest on a reality TV show.
Li Chengru, who works under Yun Daixi, has been a long-term guest on this variety show. He is quick-witted, talented, and adorable, which has won him many fans.
She personally went to pick them up at the airport, marking the first time the two had appeared together in public since the concert.
This was the first time Yun Daixi had gone to pick up Mu Ye at the airport, and the crowd outside the airport was more than she had expected.
Security guards surrounded the area, but some were unable to withstand the surging crowd.
Chi Muye had forgotten the previous negotiations and, fearing she might get hurt, instinctively pulled her into his arms.
Perhaps it was this action that angered the fans, because a girl took a bottle of ink and angrily splashed it on her as she passed by.
Chi Muye's arm around Yun Daixi tightened instantly, his knuckles turning white from the force of his anger.
Yun Daixi's mental alarm radar went off instantly. Fearing that Chi Muye might say something inappropriate, she immediately told her assistant, "Tell the airport security to report this to the police station."
He then pulled the still angry Chi Muye away.
Actually, being splashed with ink was a relief for her.
All of these experiences could become material for her to finally announce her breakup.
Let's make everything more logical.
Once in the car, Chi Muyi wanted to get some tissues to wipe her down, but she took off her coat and said, "Don't wipe it, it'll only make it dirtier."
"Then I'll buy you a new one. Let's find a parking lot later."
"If you go, the entire shopping mall will probably be paralyzed."
Yun Daixi patted her assistant sitting in the passenger seat: "Later, find a shopping mall and buy me anything."
Inside the car, besides the two of them who knew the truth, the driver and assistant both assumed that the two were in a romantic relationship.
Yun Daixi glanced at the rest of the itinerary and said, "I can only take you there and make an appearance. Take good care of Li Chengru."
Then she thought again and said, "He might have to take care of you. That guy is quick-witted and knows how to be cute, so he has an advantage over you in variety shows."
"Ah, so Xixi likes cute things?" He reached out and pulled Yun Daixi's hands over, placing them on his cheeks.
He grinned, showing his teeth, and said, "Don't I look cute?"
Yun Daixi coldly pulled his hands away: "Your behavior just now proves that the cool and aloof route I chose for you is the most suitable for you."
She genuinely said that from the perspective of his agent, but the other people in the car found their flirting quite amusing.
They're eating melon seeds with their ears pointed out.
-
Yun Daixi ordered milk tea and coffee and delivered them to the recording site, asking everyone to take good care of Li Chengru.
When the director saw her arrive, he started gossiping: "Daixi, aren't you going to join the recording as a surprise guest? I specially added an interactive segment for you guys. If you could appear with Muye, I'd edit it into a promotional video, and the views would be..."
"Please leave me alone, I'm afraid his fans will tear me apart."
Despite repeated threats and inducements, Yun Daixi remained unmoved. She greeted everyone and took a car back to the company.
Halfway there, she suddenly remembered something, so she told the driver to stop and she took a taxi to another address.
Sai Jinhua once said that she did not want too many people to bother her after retirement, so she was always extra careful when she went to visit, and she never brought any other people from the company with her.
I decided to go today on a whim, and I don't even know if she's home, so I'll just have to try my luck.
I bought some souvenirs and took a taxi to a villa area.
Yun Daixi got out of the car and took out all the things she had prepared from the trunk, placing them all over the ground.
Xiao Chen, the security guard at the door, came over and said, "Sister Dai Xi, you've come to see Aunt Jin Hua."
She came over often and frequently gave gifts to all the members of the security team, so everyone was very close to her.
"Yes." She smiled happily. "Come and take these, they're all for you. It's all thanks to you all for helping take care of Teacher Jinhua here. I'm not around, so I have to rely on you."
"Yes, yes," Xiao Chen nodded, "Sister Dai Xi, you are so beautiful and filial."
Everyone in the neighborhood probably thought she was Sai Jinhua's daughter.
"Okay, I'll go in first!" she said, and walked towards Sai Jinhua's building.
Whenever she went to Sai Jinhua's territory, she felt exceptionally relaxed, as if she had a sense of security that someone would hold up the sky even if it collapsed.
When I got to the door, I rang the doorbell, but there was no response from inside.
Just as I was about to call to confirm if the person was home, the door suddenly opened from the inside.
The two looked at each other, speechless for a moment.
After a while, Yun Daixi finally caught her breath and called out to him in disbelief—
"Gu Li'an?"