Chapter 30: An Unforgettable Gift

The dazzling spotlights lit up the stage like daylight.

The figure appeared from the backlight, walking steadily and slowly, gradually coming into the spotlight, right in front of everyone.

He wore a custom black suit with deep blue crystal cufflinks, and surprisingly, a pink diagonal-stripe silk tie around his neck, though no one knew when he had put it on.

This outfit on Ji Chenxuan didn’t look out of place at all, instead, it made him seem even younger and more handsome, with a refined and graceful demeanor.

Xiao Chi widened his eyes in surprise. He stared until Ji Chenxuan calmly walked to the front of the stage, his expression as composed and indifferent as usual, his gaze briefly sweeping over Xiao Chi, but not lingering.

“…President Ji Chenxuan, who has ranked number one on the bachelor-rich list for three consecutive years…” The host was excitedly introducing Ji Chenxuan’s background, listing a series of lengthy titles and focusing on the topics most interesting to the audience. The flash of cameras in the audience was relentless.

The other contestants, including Fang Zichang, looked at him in astonishment.

Before the competition, their biggest fantasy had been to win the championship and catch the attention of Huanyi or other investors, but no one had expected to actually meet the president of Huanyi in person and have a direct conversation with him!

Although they had missed the championship, if they could attract Ji Chenxuan’s attention, what did it matter if they came in second?

Standing here, wasn’t the goal fame and resources?

Thinking this, Fang Zichang nervously fidgeted, unsure where to put his hands. As Ji Chenxuan drew closer, he suddenly got the urge to stretch out his hand toward him, as though trying to stop him. “President Ji, hello! I’m Fang Zichang! I’m—”

Before he could finish his sentence, Ji Chenxuan turned his head to glance at him, politely shook his hand, and once their hands parted, he no longer paid attention, walking around Fang Zichang and heading straight to Xiao Chi.

Fang Zichang’s hand froze in midair, his face turning red. The embarrassment in that moment was unbearable.

“Ji…” Xiao Chi almost called out his name, but then remembered the terms they had agreed upon, and under the watchful eyes of everyone, he forced himself to act as if it was their first meeting.

“Congratulations, champion. That was an incredible performance.” Ji Chenxuan gazed at him, giving a small smile, and extended his hand toward him.

Xiao Chi looked down at the hand, and the moment their palms touched, a warm, dry sensation spread through his hand, and as their hands slowly parted, their fingertips brushed against each other, lingering as if reluctant to let go.

Other award presenters and attendants stepped onto the stage one by one. Ji Chenxuan took the championship trophy from the tray and handed it to Xiao Chi with both hands.

It was a microphone-shaped trophy made entirely of pure gold, its bright golden color shimmering under the spotlight with an enchanting gloss and texture.

Xiao Chi held it close to his chest, reluctant to let go, as if it were a beloved carrot-shaped pillow he cuddled with every night.

The host’s voice sounded at just the right moment: “Next, let’s have President Ji reveal the champion’s mysterious grand prize!”

Xiao Chi immediately lifted his gaze from the trophy, stretched his neck to look down at the audience. His soft hair puffed up, and his jet-black eyes sparkled, like a squirrel clutching a bundle of chestnuts, eagerly waiting for fresh pine cones.

In the center of the stage, a circular space suddenly rose. In the middle, a large object stood solemnly, covered with champagne-colored silk. But from the exposed corners and shape, everyone could guess what it was.

Xiao Chi widened his eyes and couldn’t help but step forward. Seeing his surprised expression, Ji Chenxuan smiled inwardly. He grabbed the edge of the silk and swiftly pulled it away—revealing a semi-transparent crystal piano, standing proudly before everyone!

The light danced on the crystal piano’s body, casting a dreamlike glow, as if it had walked out of a fairytale.

“It’s beautiful!”

The audience in the stands was filled with gasps of disbelief and amazement. At this moment, Xiao Chi’s fans didn’t know whether to envy him or the piano.

The bullet comments on the live streaming platform were as if they had been scooped from lemonade:

“I’m here live, I’m the piano. Do you have any questions for me?”

“Oh my god, I also want a tall, handsome, rich and domineering CEO to publicly give me a crystal piano… but I can’t even play it!”

“Envious of the piano, it gets to be touched by Chen Chen! Sobs“

—

With the Star Show competition’s champion revealed, some were thrilled while others were disappointed.

At the same time, Wen Anran, who was watching the live stream, slammed his hand on the table in anger. His palm turned bright red from the force, and his coffee cup was knocked off the table, spilling cold brown liquid everywhere.

“That good-for-nothing Fang Zichang! Useless! I even specially introduced Shang Quan to him! He had everything—timing, place, and people—and still lost to that Xiao guy! A hopeless case!”

Wen Anran was consumed by jealousy, especially when Ji Chenxuan appeared on stage to personally present Xiao Chi with the trophy. He could hardly restrain himself from smashing the screen.

“He’s just a rookie. Even if he’s a bit good-looking, does he really deserve all this attention?”

Wen Anran almost began to admire Xiao Chi’s abilities—not for his musical talents, but for the ability to captivate a man like Ji Chenxuan.

“Once this novelty wears off, let’s see how long you’ll stay proud,” Wen Anran muttered coldly. With one last, disdainful glance at the screen, he slammed the off button on the remote and turned his eyes away.

On his desk, a magazine cover featuring Ji Chenxuan was prominently spread out. His folders were meticulously arranged, filled with personal information he had gathered and researched about Ji Chenxuan.

Even his phone wallpaper was a candid shot of Ji Chenxuan’s profile.

Wen Anran silently stared at the dimming image, gently running his thumb over the smiling profile of the man on the screen.

“One day…” he murmured to himself, his voice barely audible.

—

On the other side of the city, in a sealed-off laboratory, someone was also paying attention to the Star Show competition.

The thick, white metal walls of the lab are isolated day from night, keeping the outside world at bay. The lights were always on, cold and silent, like a desolate tomb.

A man wearing a turtleneck sweater sat back in a black swivel chair. His elbows rested on the armrests, and his long, thin fingers clicked rhythmically, producing a faint sound, like tapping a beat.

On his right wrist, there was a faint “X”-shaped scar. The wound had long healed, but the darkened scar tissue had built up over the years, like a birthmark, forever following him.

In front of the man, a curved projection screen repeatedly played Xiao Chi’s performance. He watched intently, his gaze almost obsessive. In his hand was a fountain pen and a leather-bound notebook, covered with dense writing—journals and essays, one after another.

“Perfect… truly perfect…”

Until the camera cut to the moment Ji Chenxuan was handing the trophy to Xiao Chi and they shook hands. The man suddenly furrowed his brows, took off his silver-rimmed glasses, and began wiping the lenses, before replaying the footage once more…

—

After the finals, according to the usual tradition, the organizers would discuss contracts with the top three winners. Contestants with enough popularity, even if they didn’t win the championship, would still attract offers from other entertainment companies and investors.

The Fang Family had spent a lot of money on this Star Show competition, including astronomical amounts to bribe the judges. If they didn’t earn back enough profit, they’d be in deep trouble.

But for some reason, Fang Zichang and his manager had been waiting for three days in the hotel and hadn’t received any contract offers from Huanyi. Not even a person to discuss things with had shown up!

“Calm down, calm down, is that the only phrase you can say? I’ve been waiting for days!” Fang Zichang paced anxiously back and forth in the room.

His manager tried to reassure him quietly, but the words grew weaker and weaker, unable to convince even themselves. The current situation was clearly not a good sign.

“Have you heard anything from other entertainment companies? Any responses?”

The manager was about to shake his head when the door suddenly knocked. Both of them froze and then their faces lit up: finally, someone was here!

Fang Zichang composed himself and sat by the sofa, casually adjusting his appearance, while his manager hurried to open the door. To their surprise, standing outside were two unexpected figures—Liu Bing and Zhou Tong.

The manager’s eyelids twitched, and he stammered, “You… you’re here for something?”

“Yes, something very important.” Liu Bing sneered sarcastically, pushing past the weak manager, hands in his pockets, walking confidently inside, with Zhou Tong following closely behind, his face grim and silent.

“But it’s not us who have business with you. It’s about a certain treacherous person who secretly bribed the judges, even buying off the backstage staff and maliciously switching other contestants’ tracks!”

Fang Zichang was so shocked that his hand trembled, and the teacup he was holding slipped from his grasp, crashing to the ground in pieces.

The manager turned pale, clenching his neck and struggling to hold on, “We don’t know what you’re talking about! Do you have any evidence?”

Zhou Tong rolled his eyes inwardly and said flatly, “If it weren’t for this bribery scandal damaging our Huanyi’s image, do you think you’d just be seeing us right now? You’ll be facing the police.”

“You thought giving hush money and claiming it was just a work mistake would cover everything up?” Liu Bing sneered, “Still thinking any entertainment companies or investors would work with you? Don’t keep dreaming.”

“Who do you think you’re messing with? Why pick a fight with me, Liu Sanshui? You want to challenge me? I’ll ruin you scum!”

Hearing that thunderous name, Fang Zichang barely reacted, but the manager was so startled that he almost jumped out of his seat.

Who exactly was that rookie Xiao? What kind of people had they offended?!

—

At the Ji residence in the half-mountain villa by the lake, Ji Chenxuan finished his work early and rushed home. As he walked out of the company, the sun had yet to set, and the employees were looking out the windows, wondering if the sun had risen from the west today.

The reason was simple: today was the day Xiao Chi promised to surprise him.

Spring had quietly arrived, and the greenery in the garden had begun to sprout, with delicate buds filling the branches.

Ji Chenxuan returned home, feeling the cool spring breeze. As soon as he stepped inside, he saw a pure black wooden coffin placed in the living room, about the length of a person.

White satin fabric was wrapped around it from four directions, tied in the middle with a cute bow, just like a gift.

The satin was narrow at the top and long at the bottom, resembling a cross, with small white flowers scattered on top.

“You’re back!” Xiao Chi ran down the stairs, eagerly pointing at it, “This is your gift, it’s inside the box.”

Facing the eager, expectant look in his eyes, Ji Chenxuan remained silent for a while before confirming again, “This… is for me?”

“Yes! I specially chose your favorite color!”

Ji Chenxuan looked at the oddly shaped black wooden box, his mouth twitching, “I give you a piano… and you give me a coffin?”