Chapter 31

Michelle wasn’t too stingy and booked a hotel for Qing Liu in the central area of Sky City. Of course, it wasn’t because Michelle was willing to pay for a high-end hotel, but because the areas surrounding the Sky City were all residential villas, and only the hotels in the central area had vacant rooms available for last-minute booking.

Whenever she booked a hotel, looking at the bills, she always felt sorry for the company’s money!

But when she thought about Qing Liu’s potential commercial value, which could bring in tens of millions in profit for the company, she felt at ease again.

When she dropped Qing Liu off at the hotel, Michelle had other matters to attend to, so she didn’t stay. Qing Liu, not having an assistant, of course stayed alone.

Michelle reminded her: “You’re different now, you have a high profile. It’s best not to go out casually. If anything comes up, contact me. Understood?”

Qing Liu nodded, happily waved at Michelle while looking at the luxurious and spacious hotel interior, then with a “bang,” she shut the door.

Michelle: “……”

After checking in, Qing Liu happily went to the hot spring. She opened her smart terminal to check what the original owner had stored inside.

There wasn’t much, just a few sets of clothes, some daily necessities, and snacks. There was nothing else.

The original owner was really poor. While soaking in the hot spring, Qing Liu also checked the original owner’s bank balance and found that all the savings combined didn’t even reach 10,000 star coins.

In this interstellar era, what could 10,000 star coins do? The ticket for a spaceship back to the wasteland star would cost hundreds of thousands of star coins. If the original owner wasn’t accepted by the main star, she wouldn’t even be able to go home in the future!

Speaking of which, the original owner was so poor because she was tricked by Lilith into signing an unfair contract. Most of the money she earned was taken by Lilith and the company, leaving her with very little.

It was barely enough for her daily expenses.

It seemed that no matter what happened in the future, the first thing she needed to do to make money was to terminate the contract with the company.

After soaking in the hot spring, Qing Liu wrapped herself in a bathrobe and, with her hair still wet, walked out to the terrace. She enjoyed the fresh fruit and delicious snacks prepared by the hotel while looking up at the sky. Although the Sky City was very close to the sky, the bright lights meant there wasn’t a single star to be seen.

She couldn’t help but miss the time she had spent lying on the golden-haired tiger’s back, watching the stars. That was the first time she had truly seen the stars—it was a memory she greatly cherished!

As she was lost in thought, she suddenly heard the sound of the door opening from the neighboring terrace. A tall man walked out, holding a bottle of bottled drink.

The terraces of the two rooms were about three meters apart, and the warm yellow light from the terrace illuminated the space, allowing her to clearly see the man across from her.

Qing Liu originally wanted to avoid him. After all, she wasn’t fond of watching the moon or stars with strangers, and having someone unfamiliar around made her feel uneasy.

She was just about to stand up when the man across the terrace suddenly spoke: “Aren’t you going to dry your hair?”

The night wind was still a bit chilly, and with her wet hair, she did indeed feel cold.

Qing Liu quickly turned her head to look, and saw Han Luofeng, dressed in a loose dark-colored home outfit, leaning against the terrace railing. In the night, his dark golden eyes gently gazed at her.

Qing Liu: “……”

Damn, this is unbelievable.

Why did she have to run into Da Huang even when booking a hotel?

Wasn’t it said that he came from a top-tier wealthy family in Sky City, with several villas on this very estate?

Qing Liu stood up, leaned over the railing, and looked at Han Luofeng. “What are you doing here? Didn’t you go home?”

Han Luofeng nodded. “I had work today, so I stayed for overtime.”

Qing Liu was speechless: “You have to stay in a hotel just for overtime?”

Han Luofeng took a sip of his drink and nodded again. “I came to the hotel to inspect the work. Since it’s late, I might as well stay the night.”

Qing Liu: “……”

Thanks for the interruption.

She couldn’t even imagine the life of the rich.

Qing Liu sat back down in her chair and picked up the half-eaten peach to continue eating.

Han Luofeng walked up to the railing, looking at Qing Liu. But he didn’t say anything further. Instead, he just stood there drinking his drink, enjoying the moment. He really liked this feeling.

The night breeze, the moonlight, the terrace in the sky, and the person he liked.

This peaceful atmosphere was truly comforting.

However, there are always some people who show up at the wrong time.

On the other side of Qing Liu’s terrace, the door opened as well. Eric walked out in his pajamas, turned around, saw Qing Liu, and then noticed Han Luofeng farther away. He raised an eyebrow. “What a coincidence.”

Han Luofeng: “……”

Qing Liu: “……”

Qing Liu looked at Han Luofeng, then at Eric, her expression complicated. “You… you’re not here to inspect work too, are you?”

Compared to Han Luofeng, Qing Liu felt even more uneasy facing Eric. Not only uneasy, but she also felt guilty and awkward.

Eric’s expression was calm. “No, I came after you.”

Qing Liu: “……”

The peach in her hand instantly lost its sweetness.

Qing Liu stared at Eric, thinking to herself, as expected of a CEO, always making shocking statements!

She awkwardly smiled. “The show is already over…”

Eric said seriously, “That’s exactly why I have the chance now, isn’t it?”

As he spoke, he glanced at Han Luofeng.

This wasn’t a live broadcast, and Han Luofeng couldn’t just walk around casually snatching up the little cat like he did on the show.

Now, they could compete fairly for her.

Hearing this, Qing Liu felt a headache coming on.

She thought once she left the show, everything would be over, but somehow, they even knew which hotel she was staying at!

What should she do now?

Just as Qing Liu was trying to figure out what to say, the door to the terrace beside Eric opened, and Chester, still in the same clothes from the show, rushed out anxiously. “Little cutie! You’re really here!”

Chester wiped his sweat and breathed a sigh of relief.

He really felt like he had been at a disadvantage because of his youth!

After the show ended, Chester was upset but had planned to go home and rest.

Just as he was about to leave, he realized that Han Luofeng and Eric hadn’t left!

Something was off, so he decided not to leave either. He turned back, and the three men waited in the villa. Then Chester saw the other two heads going to a hotel.

Why were they going there? He didn’t understand, until he saw Michelle’s aircraft leaving the hotel. Only then did he realize what was going on!

However, by the time he arrived, the room closest to Qing Liu had already been booked.

This hotel was owned by the Han family, and Han Luofeng used his internal connections to find out Qing Liu’s room number.

Chester didn’t know what method Eric used, but he had followed behind them and figured it out by looking at their room numbers!

Chester passed Eric and looked at Qing Liu from a distance, feeling extremely aggrieved.

He loudly called out to her, “Little cutie, don’t pay attention to these two! Anyone who can follow you to the hotel and find out your room number to stay next door is definitely not a good person! Don’t be fooled by their appearances! They’re both scheming, bad guys!”

Although Chester was angry, he was speaking the truth. He really didn’t think those two men were any good!

Let’s not talk about the golden-haired tiger—his bad qualities were already obvious during the show! And Eric? He was a scheming, two-faced man. Did he think that because he had a cold, aloof appearance and wore glasses, others wouldn’t see the calculations in his eyes?

Hmph, they were both bad guys!

Chester’s loud shouting made Han Luofeng frown. He explained to Qing Liu, “I really am here for a work inspection.”

This hotel was under his name, and although he had come for Qing Liu, he did have legitimate work to do, so it wasn’t a lie.

“As for the other two,” Han Luofeng said with a sigh, “I don’t know why it’s such a coincidence.”

Eric raised an eyebrow. “I’ve already said it—I came after the little cat. I’m always straightforward, I say what I mean, unlike Young Master Han, who’s not even honest. The so-called ‘work inspection’ you mentioned, could it be that you went to the manager’s office and used the backdoor to access customer privacy?”

Han Luofeng: “……”

He knew he was in the wrong, so he immediately fired back, “Then what about you, Mr. Eric? Just downstairs, I clearly heard your assistant calling Michelle?”

Eric: “……”

He frowned. How did Han Luofeng know about that?

Chester, angry, shouted, “Stop trying to wriggle out of it! You’ve followed us all the way here and still want to explain? The little cat is gullible, but I’m not like that—I’ve been keeping an eye on you!”

Qing Liu: “……”

Why was she the gullible one?

If she was foolish, could she possibly be more foolish than Chester, the big dummy?

Looking at the two men on either side of her, she kindly reminded them, “Can you keep your voices down so you don’t disturb anyone else?”

Although it was just the four of them on the terrace right now, who could say if the people in the other rooms didn’t want to come out because of the noise?

Besides, they were all famous people, just coming off a live broadcast of a dating show. If the paparazzi found out they were arguing on the terrace, it would be a disaster.

Thinking of that scenario, Qing Liu immediately shrank back, turned, and walked into the room.

After taking a few steps, she turned back, grabbed the fruit from the table, and said to the men, “You guys take your time. I’m going back first.”

After saying that, she hurriedly ran back to the room, slamming the door shut with a “bang,” locking it tight.

The next morning, Qing Liu received a call from Michelle early in the morning. Michelle was coming to pick her up and take her to the company.

Qing Liu hadn’t slept well all night, so she was a little irritable.

She had been tired, but thanks to the three men from last night, she spent the whole night thinking about them before bed, and even dreamt about them once she fell asleep.

In the dream, she transformed into the female protagonist of a melodramatic rich family romance, forced to be loved by three wealthy bosses in turn.

One of them locked her in a small dark room, doing this and that to her, another one chained her to the headboard of the bed, and the third was a crying little puppy who, while sobbing, turned into an octopus, wrapping around her and clinging to her tightly, murmuring, “Little cutie, you’ll never escape from me again!”

Qing Liu: “……”

She was immediately startled awake, rubbing her eyes and staring blankly at the ceiling, trying to process the dream. It was quite exciting, but three men at once was a bit too much.

She slowly got out of bed, went through her morning routine, ate a slow breakfast, and finally, dressed and cautiously cracked open the door, peeking outside.

Not seeing anyone, she let out a sigh of relief, patted her chest, opened the door fully, and stepped outside.

At this moment, Michelle was already waiting at the door.

In fact, Michelle had planned to pick up Qing Liu for work last night. Because of Lilith’s actions, the company’s reputation was suffering online, and they needed Qing Liu to step forward and clarify that these things were Lilith’s personal doing and had nothing to do with the company. The company, like Qing Liu, was also a victim in this situation.

In order to reassure Qing Liu and show the public that the company was behind her, they had already prepared the necessary evidence. If Qing Liu followed the company’s arrangements, her personal contribution score would be just fine moving forward.

On the flight back to the company, Michelle had already explained all of this to her.

But Qing Liu was thinking about something else. She asked Michelle honestly, “Miss Michelle, given my current popularity, do I really still need to go through a contribution evaluation?”

Michelle: “???”

She frowned, looking at Qing Liu. “What do you mean by that?”

Qing Liu smiled slightly and shook her head. “Nothing.”

Michelle: “……”

Looking at Qing Liu’s smile, Michelle felt something was off. What was this girl scheming now?

Michelle was growing more annoyed. Although Qing Liu hadn’t interacted much with her in the past, Michelle remembered her as being gentle and obedient, not like now—so prickly and difficult to handle.

Qing Liu’s light brain buzzed with an incoming message. She opened it and saw it was from Da Huang: “Did you go to the company?”

Qing Liu coldly replied, “No.”

Heh, she wasn’t going to tell the truth. Let’s see how he keeps chasing her now!

Now that she knew Han Luofeng was interested in her, she decided to keep her distance from these men.

Thinking back to the “sins” she committed when she was a cat, she almost wished she could hide away on the barren planet for the rest of her life and never show up in front of any of these people again!

Meanwhile, Han Luofeng sat on the terrace, staring at the reply on his light brain, feeling somewhat troubled.

He had been a bit too eager last night and seemed to have messed things up. Now, it appeared that the little cat was more annoyed with him. He needed to come up with a way to calm her down.

Just then, his manager called him: “Brother Feng, the ‘Heartbeat’ program team contacted me and asked if you’re free next month. They want to know if you’d like to join their variety show with the little cat.”

The full name of ‘Heartbeat’ was “First Heartbeat”, a couple’s travel variety show. Han Luofeng was already very famous, and now that he and Qing Liu had successfully become a couple, they were dubbed the “platinum CP” by fans. Countless netizens flocked to the official Weibo of ‘First Heartbeat’, hoping the show would invite the “platinum CP” to participate.

On ‘Destined Match’, the only content fans saw was the animal form daily life of the cat and the golden-haired tiger. The human form daily life only appeared during the confession and brief dating segments, leaving the audience craving more!

The manager tentatively added, “Didn’t you say on the show that you wouldn’t go on any polar expeditions in the future? I suggest you consider this variety show instead. After all, you need to gradually shift your career focus, and while the little cat’s popularity is high now, if you don’t stabilize it, it will definitely start to decline over time.”

Although Han Luofeng had no intention of mixing in the entertainment industry, his fame was largely due to his love for polar expeditions.

But it was clear that the little cat needed to continue building her career in the entertainment industry, and she really needed popularity to boost her commercial value. After all, just a contribution value evaluation had already stumped her, hadn’t it?

Han Luofeng thought about Qing Liu, not sure what he was thinking, and nodded. “It’s fine, but I’m not sure if the little cat would be willing to go.”

The manager immediately said, “I’ll reach out to her manager and discuss it.”

Han Luofeng, thinking about Qing Liu’s former manager, felt that the company wasn’t entirely reliable, so he said, “Forget it, come pick me up, and let’s go to their company together.”

After Qing Liu and Michelle arrived at the company, they went straight to Michelle’s office.

Currently, Qing Liu didn’t have a new manager, so she was still under Michelle’s care.

Michelle got straight to the point: “We apologize for the incident with Lilith last time. The company wasn’t aware of it, and we’re sorry for all the trouble it caused you.”

Qing Liu looked at her, somewhat speechless.

She suspected Michelle was treating her like a fool.

Michelle continued, “The company has prepared some proof for you. As long as you’re willing to cooperate, future resources will be directed your way. However, you’ll need to renegotiate and sign a new contract with the company.”

Qing Liu had previously been a student, and due to her student status, Lilith could only sign a three-year contract with her, because the Empire had rules that students had to undergo a contribution value evaluation when they graduated. No company could secretly sign a contract with a student before the results of the evaluation were out.

So, this evaluation, although it caused a lot of trouble for the original owner, was actually a good thing for Qing Liu.

Because of this, her contract was about to expire.