Chapter 53: Can That Fill Your Stomach?

“Stop yelling,” Cheng Yuan warned. “You’ll lose your voice later.” Surrounded by the crowd, she felt perfectly at ease—there was no need to worry about Tao An recognizing her in the chaos.

“Don’t worry, I came prepared,” Bei Xiaolin said proudly, pulling out a box of throat lozenges. She handed one to Cheng Yuan. “I’m going all out tonight.”

Meanwhile, Tao An had successfully blended in with the event staff to take surveillance photos. “Brother Nan, I got the pictures. These girls are gorgeous.”

Jun Nanye studied the photos carefully. “That’s not them.”

“What do you mean? I followed the address from the tickets. These two were the ones who showed up.”

“Go ask if they swapped tickets with anyone else,” Jun Nanye instructed, surprised she would give up such prime seats—and the chance to dine with Xia Wanwan—so easily.

Tao An approached Song Yu, but Cheng Yuan had coached her well. Song Yu admitted to exchanging tickets but refused to give any details. When pressed, she feigned forgetfulness.

No matter how Tao An pushed, Song Yu wouldn’t budge. Finally, fed up, she snapped, “What does it matter who I traded with? Stop pestering me—the show’s about to start!”

“And if you don’t leave now, I’m calling security,” she added.

Defeated, Tao An retreated and reported back. Jun Nanye leaned in, whispered something in his ear, and let it go—for now.

Soon after, the concert began.

The moment Xia Wanwan appeared on stage, the crowd erupted. Bei Xiaolin and Cheng Yuan screamed themselves hoarse, swept up in the electrifying atmosphere. Compared to watching it on TV, this was an entirely different world.

For the next two hours, Bei Xiaolin’s throat lozenges went untouched—excitement had completely erased her careful planning.

By the end of the performance, both girls could barely speak.

“Yuanyuan, thank you,” Bei Xiaolin sobbed as she hugged her. “I never thought I’d get to experience something like this.”

Cheng Yuan chuckled, her voice raspy. “Shouldn’t you be laughing if you’re happy? Why the tears?”

“I’m crying because I’m happy!” Bei Xiaolin said, wiping her cheeks. As the crowd began to exit in waves, the two teased each other about how terrible their voices now sounded—hoarser than a male duck’s quack.

“Let’s get barbecue later,” Bei Xiaolin croaked. Despite the pain in her throat, she couldn’t resist suggesting it.

Cheng Yuan nodded with a smile.

As they made their way out, Cheng Yuan kept an eye out for Song Yu, but didn’t see her again. She pulled Bei Xiaolin to the side, sensing Tao An might still be looking for her—though she was confident he wouldn’t succeed.

Suddenly, a black Audi parked nearby caught her eye. The moment she saw who stepped out, she froze.

Without thinking, she yanked Bei Xiaolin behind a column.

“What is it?” Bei Xiaolin asked, still thinking about food and where they’d stay that night. She hadn’t expected Cheng Yuan to drag her into hiding.

“Shh.” Cheng Yuan pressed a finger to her lips and pointed toward the car.

Bei Xiaolin turned and caught sight of the man. Her breath caught. “Oh my god,” she whispered. “He’s gorgeous! I’ve never seen a celebrity that good-looking!”

The man stood across the street, dressed in a sleek suit beside the car. A staff member whispered something in his ear as bodyguards flanked him. Passersby stopped and stared.

“Yuanyuan, aren’t you excited?” Bei Xiaolin asked, but her enthusiasm dimmed when she saw Cheng Yuan’s deadpan expression. Maybe she was just too used to handsome men.

“Ye Mingyu has nothing on this guy,” Bei Xiaolin added, craning her neck as he slipped back into the car.

Cheng Yuan tugged her away. “What’s the point of being handsome? Can that fill your stomach?”

“It’s called eye candy!” Bei Xiaolin shot back. “He’s a feast for the eyes!”

“Sure, admire from a distance. But would you actually date a guy like that?” Cheng Yuan asked. “With that face, he probably has a fan club full of admirers. I wouldn’t want to deal with that.”

She thought back to her own failed relationship. Her ex had been the most popular guy in class—handsome, charming, and ultimately a complete disaster. She’d been drawn to his looks, and look how that turned out…

He was just a scumbag, Cheng Yuan thought coldly. Flirting left and right, who knows how many girls he was seeing behind my back. Absolutely revolting.

“But he’s just so good-looking,” Bei Xiaolin insisted. “Yuanyuan, if you were looking for a boyfriend, wouldn’t you want someone attractive? Could you really accept someone ugly?”

“I never said I wanted someone ugly,” Cheng Yuan replied calmly. “Just someone decent-looking is fine. That guy earlier? Too much. I’ll pass.”

She quickly shifted gears. “Didn’t you say you wanted barbecue? There’s a spot right over there, and a hotel nearby. We can eat, then crash.”

A luxury hotel loomed nearby, its grand entrance glowing warmly in the night.

“Then what are we waiting for?” Bei Xiaolin exclaimed. The moment food was mentioned, the handsome man vanished from her mind.

That night, the two of them gorged on barbecue until their bellies bulged with satisfaction. Bei Xiaolin insisted on covering everything—even the hotel.

“You treated me to the concert,” she said. “So tonight’s on me.”

Cheng Yuan didn’t argue. They always helped each other when it came to money anyway.

Besides, she’d already sold off nearly a thousand yuan worth of tickets that day. When the time came, she’d give it to Tao An.

The thought of Tao An being stood up made her secretly gleeful.

She recalled Xia Wanwan’s final words on stage: “A special message for one of my fans—Cheng Yuan, best of luck with your college entrance exams. See you at our old spot.”

What old spot? Cheng Yuan thought. I’m not going.

Even Bei Xiaolin had remarked how funny it was that the fan had the same name as her.

Cheng Yuan was certain it was another one of Tao An’s tricks to get her to change her mind.

Exhausted from the long day, the two girls fell asleep the moment their heads hit the pillows.

The “old spot” actually referred to the restaurant Tao An had once told her about.

That night, Jun Nanye sat alone at the table, waiting.

When she never showed up, he realized—she wasn’t coming.

Backstage, Xia Wanwan had just finished removing her makeup when she spotted him.

“Little Pumpkin,” she teased, “weren’t you going to introduce me to a cute girl?”

“She didn’t come,” Jun Nanye said, lips pressed into a tight line. “And can you please stop calling me Little Pumpkin?”

Xia Wanwan laughed. Now free from her dazzling stage persona, she looked like a warm, cheerful older sister. Just three years older, but to Jun Nanye, she felt miles ahead.