Then Su Ning fell silent.

Silence was the answer.

Reflecting on the past, his life had mostly been filled with business partners, many of whom had wished to take things further. But Su Ning’s sole concern was that such entanglements might complicate business, and he found these advances somewhat annoying.

However, Shen Mingzheng was different.

Ji Xue had intended to change the subject, but seeing Su Ning’s expression, she instead grew more enthusiastic.

With his handsome face and his status, she initially thought he was like Lü Fei, rich in romantic history from high school, given his desirability.

Ji Xue herself was never short of suitors, but Su Ning was different. She had heard he used to be clueless in love, and now here he was, pretending not to hear when the subject came up.

It seemed even someone like Su Ning could be lost in the game of love.

Ji Xue found it particularly amusing and continued, “Can you really not see it? Or do you not want to admit it?”

Su Ning didn’t reply, but that didn’t stop Ji Xue from speaking her mind.

“Shen Mingzheng really likes you, but he’s afraid to say it,” Ji Xue declared. “Do you know why I left the scent of ladies’ cigarettes on you?”

Perfume is hard to transfer, but cigarette smoke clings easily. Su Ning would have certainly been smelt by Shen Mingzheng the next morning.

Finally, Su Ning couldn’t resist asking, “Why?”

“Before you arrived, I had researched both of you. I knew he would be upset if you returned smelling like that, yet he wouldn’t dare clarify,” Ji Xue explained. “At that time, the unhappier the Shen family was, the happier I was.”

Su Ning recalled the commotion Shen Mingzheng made that morning and found himself without a rebuttal.

“And at the celebration party that day,” Ji Xue pressed on, “I usually avoid dealing with drunkards, but I saw him clinging to you, not letting anyone else handle you. He carried you on his back home, right? You two even live together.”

Ah, that day.

Su Ning hadn’t thought much of it, but now that Ji Xue brought up all these instances, he knew something was off.

He kept a neutral face, not knowing why, but he felt a slight itch where he had once been bitten, though it had long since healed. He simply hummed in acknowledgment, not sure what he was agreeing to, but Ji Xue noticed his ears had turned red.

It’s really interesting to watch others in turmoil.

But Su Ning wasn’t someone to be led around. He drove seriously and then tried to steer the conversation back, asking, “About me and Mingzheng, um… that is, cough, what do you plan to do in the future?”

It was Ji Xue’s first time seeing Su Ning so awkwardly shift the topic, but they were driving, so she didn’t press further, respecting his boundaries.

“Do you still want to sign me?” she asked, casually brushing her hair back. “I find these matters rather uninteresting now.”

The incident with Liao Yuansi led to changes in the actors’ association, influenced of course by the Shen family. Her blacklisting became untenable and naturally dissolved. Ji Xue’s sole purpose these years was to seek justice, and now that it was achieved, she was unsure of her next steps.

Maybe she would just stay home, do something else. Whether to continue acting, she hadn’t decided; the industry left her somewhat traumatized.

Su Ning said nothing as they arrived at the music festival venue.

When they got there, the headlining act, Glory, was performing.

The group had prepared two songs, starting with a cover of Blue Hat’s “Blue Sea,” for which they had obtained permission.

The song was widely popular, and the crowd erupted with excitement as the intro played. Ji Xue was familiar with the song; as she moved forward, she heard others singing along, some even screaming in delight.

From where she stood, the stage was too far to see the performers clearly, even the large screens were distant, but the music was relaxing and invigorating.

As she continued forward, the crowd thickened.

Some were so thrilled they had shed their jackets. The weather in Rong Cheng was warm this year, making the outdoor season quite bearable compared to the chill of the mountain resort. There were also vendors selling accessories, flowers, and other items. Su Ning casually bought her a cup of hot chocolate.

Ji Xue didn’t usually drink something so sweet, but it was comforting in hand. Despite the cold, the atmosphere was warm; she walked a bit, and people came up offering flowers and contact information, both men and women, though Ji Xue politely declined all.

Walking with Su Ning, her focus was on the stage as Glory finished “Blue Sea.”

Next up was the secondary hit from their album, “Pirate Ship,” and by then, Ji Xue had reached the large screen. She could see clearly now, recognizing the group members.

She had seen them in person at Su Ning’s banquet, squabbling over red envelopes in the parking lot like carefree fools.

But their stage presence was different.

Some people might seem ordinary offstage but transform under the spotlight, shining brightly.

“Pirate Ship” featured a costume style distinct from the elegance of their main hits, looking almost ragged at first glance with fluttering strips, but upon closer inspection, you could see the intricate tailoring, giving off a free-spirited sailor vibe. Zhou Heng, the group’s vocal, had a distinctive voice that was memorable the moment he sang.

“Blow the horns, raise the sails,

Take my rum and revolver,

The pirate ship will sail away,

Hey buddy, freedom lies ahead.”

The rhythmically strong song was perfect for the setting. Su Ning had somehow arranged for fireworks and drones, which created the silhouette of a pirate ship behind the stage.

Confetti from the stage drifted towards Ji Xue, who caught some.

She moved closer, hearing two people bouncing along nearby, finishing their dance before asking, “Hey, who’s on stage?”

Glory was a recently popular group. Some attendees might have heard the name but weren’t familiar with the faces, and not everyone was there for them.

“I don’t know!” she heard someone reply, but they kept jumping along, “But it’s so fun!”

Ji Xue couldn’t help but smile.

As the final act of the night, the group wasn’t ready to leave the stage despite the late hour. The crowd below chanted for an encore, clearly not ready to let them go.

The group was accommodating, consulting backstage before asking the sound engineer to play another song from their variety show, also a dynamic number.

Even as an unplanned addition, the group’s performance was flawless, singing live without a hitch.

“An impromptu addition, huh?” Ji Xue commented. “Didn’t they consult their manager?”

Su Ning waved it off: “In these situations, they make their own decisions. Everyone’s having a good time, so why not keep it going? There’s no need to overthink it.”

Su Ning led her across the vast festival grounds, from the fringes to backstage, where despite reluctance, the show had ended.

But someone had set up a small stage on the grass with a guitar, singing what seemed to be another Glory song written by Blue Hat, “Our Story.” The singer wasn’t a professional; a microphone was set up, and audience members took turns singing, off-key or not, everyone seemed happy.

Music just made people feel good.

Ji Xue hadn’t been in the best mood today, but being brought here by Su Ning, to a place filled with joy, she too felt a bit of happiness.

This was unburdened joy.

She reached backstage just as Glory was coming off, ready to remove their makeup. They greeted Su Ning, and seeing Ji Xue, Lin Zhi took the initiative to say, “Hello, sister!”

Ji Xue nodded in response, “Hello.”

Then she watched as the young idols ran past her like puppies.

The idols were changing and removing makeup inside, and because the exit was crowded with fans, the organizers and team arranged for order before they could leave, ensuring safety.

Ji Xue found a seat outside; she liked the environment here. As the audience left contentedly, Su Ning sat beside her.

“In our line of work, there’s nothing special,” he observed the departing crowd. “Just being fair to them and to ourselves is enough.”

Implicit in his words, he was still interested in signing her.

Ji Xue was a promising talent.

Su Ning had seen more of her from her teacher’s notes, her school performance, audition clips, and her written aspirations.

Ji Xue knew quite a bit now; Su Ning had even seen videos she edited, posted long ago on her “Ji Xue” homepage, about “Unrivaled.”

The movie had premiered, and despite the fallout with Liao Yuansi, the fans of other stars were too busy mourning to pay attention, but she took the time to edit videos, though unrelated to the film’s plot.

—Gone was the conflict between saints and witches; the princess and the poor girl had the same face, and the girl had fled.

She disregarded the national advisor’s grand principles and the minor romance with the general, escaping from the disaster that was set to sacrifice her.

Frankly, the editing was quite good and was later shared on major platforms, but due to the mess of reposts, many didn’t know who the original editor was. After the screening, Su Ning had even visited the special effects company behind the scenes, and they had seen the video.

Ji Xue sipped her hot cocoa, smiling, “It wasn’t you who signed me initially, but you’ve done more for me than Old Su ever did.”

Her means of revenge were learned from Su Ning, and now it was also him comforting her. She indeed felt much better.

The organizers occasionally set off fireworks, and Ji Xue watched them burst in the sky, murmuring, “Maybe I’ll give it a try.”

But before Su Ning could respond, she returned to the original topic: “But what about you? What will you do?”

Su Ning didn’t understand her question at first, but soon he did. In the night sky, illuminated intermittently by fireworks, he saw Shen Mingzheng approaching.

He had arrived in Rong Cheng.

At that moment, backstage was bustling with people busy wrapping up, but amidst the crowd, Su Ning’s gaze found Shen Mingzheng instantly.

“If I should take a new step,” Ji Xue looked at him, “I think you should too.”

She loved stirring things up and didn’t mind giving a push.

She was curious about how Su Ning, a man like him, would handle love.

Shen Mingzheng quickened his steps as he saw Su Ning, but it would take a moment to reach him, and he didn’t hear their conversation.

“How have you been?” Shen Mingzheng first carefully examined his face upon arriving. “Have you been skipping meals again with all the busyness? You look thinner.”

He reached out to touch Su Ning’s face but noticed his distracted gaze.

Because Ji Xue was present, Shen Mingzheng divided his attention to nod politely at her, assuring her, “There’s no more trouble from the Shen family; you don’t have to worry.”

Ji Xue knew this already and wasn’t interested in playing third wheel. She gave Su Ning a meaningful look before quickly moving away.

But there wasn’t much chance for the two men to talk, especially with fans still outside. Following the organizers’ arrangements, they specially cleared a driveway for the idols to leave, waving goodbye through car windows. Ji Xue naturally left with them, heading back to their hotel.

Then there was a small problem.

It was the peak tourist season in Rong Cheng, and the hotel was short on rooms. The group had their rooms booked in advance, but Ji Xue and Shen Mingzheng, arriving unexpectedly today, found the hotel could only spare one room.

“Ji Xue can have it,” Su Ning said. “Mingzheng and I will share.”

Shen Mingzheng naturally agreed.

Su Ning was somewhat silent on the way back, partly because they were with the team, and it wasn’t appropriate to discuss personal matters in such a setting. Now in the room, as the door closed behind them, Su Ning went ahead to remove his coat, alone with Shen Mingzheng, then heard him from behind: “I came to tell you that Pinnacle will be handed over to us, and we’ll likely be busy with it.”

“Also, about those associated with Pinnacle and their current fate…”

He hesitated whether to tell Su Ning, fearing he might find the methods too harsh, although he hadn’t personally taken any action. Undoubtedly, Shen Mingzheng had played a part in it.

What he didn’t expect was, before he could finish, Su Ning turned around abruptly and called out, “Shen Mingzheng.”

Shen Mingzheng responded.

Su Ning stared at him for a while.

He had always found Shen Mingzheng visually pleasing, right from their first meeting.

They were already married, and he felt it was very appropriate to give it a try.

Then, Su Ning slightly tiptoed and kissed him.

Truthfully, he didn’t feel much.

Having just come inside from the cold, he felt Shen Mingzheng was slightly cool, so the kiss felt brief and chilly, hardly evoking any particular sensation.

After the attempt, he thought it was acceptable, even ready to continue their earlier discussion: “Lü Fei just told me about those people’s fate, they got what they deserved, I have no issues with it.”

But he felt Shen Mingzheng had come especially to discuss more than just this, probably something else too.

However, Shen Mingzheng was genuinely stunned.

At that moment, he forgot everything about work, the Shen family, everything, almost believing he was dreaming.

But he recovered quickly.

Reacting, he wrapped his arms around Su Ning’s waist and pushed him down onto the couch behind them.