The scene that had just unfolded left Lu Chenyu with lingering fear.
He slowly reduced his speed and glanced at the rearview mirror.
"They're not following," Song Xi said.
"…Mm."
Lu Chenyu cleared his throat, feeling genuine admiration for Song Xi's actions.
She had always been quick-witted, but he hadn't expected her to be so clever and decisive in such a situation! If she hadn't reacted so swiftly, they would surely have been caught by the paparazzi. He himself wouldn't have minded, but he feared causing Song Xi trouble. Her career was currently on the rise, and a scandal about her meeting a director privately at this time would be very detrimental to her!
Recalling the dangerous moments, Lu Chenyu couldn't help but shake his head in resignation. He had almost given up, yet his heart was stirred by her once more. He didn't want to let go of such a wonderful girl. He wanted to stay by her side and protect her well!
Lu Chenyu was unaware that Song Xi's palms were actually covered in a fine sweat, though she didn't show it. Upon arriving at the hotel and getting out of the car, Song Xi finally felt a sense of relief and let out a long sigh.
"Rest early, see you next time." Lu Chenyu smiled and bid her farewell. Song Xi returned his smile. She felt a subtle shift in Lu Chenyu from before they got in the car to now, but she was too tired to dwell on it. All she wanted was a good sleep.
Back in her room, after washing up, Song Xi lay on her bed. Despite her exhaustion, she opened WeChat. As expected, yet also unexpectedly, Lou Yumíng still hadn't contacted her. Her heart sank. She couldn't understand the meaning of their tender moments from yesterday. Had it truly been because he was drunk? Song Xi glanced at the calendar. He had given her a week to consider, and now only two days remained. She couldn't help but smile bitterly. It seemed he truly didn't have her in his heart, and his confession was merely a moment of impulse. Only she had taken it seriously.
…
The next day, Song Xi was jolted awake by an urgent phone call and a series of loud knocks on her door. She was confused, feeling only the annoying noise disturbing her. Covering her ears, she reached under her pillow for her phone. Seeing "Dai Ze" on the caller ID, she instantly sobered up.
"Hello, Brother Dai…"
"Song Xi, what did you do yesterday? How did the paparazzi get photos of you!!"
"What?"
Xiao Mo, having finally found a spare room card, entered the room with a "ding." "Sister Song Xi, it's bad! You're trending!"
Song Xi's mind exploded. How was this possible? Hadn't she and Lu Chenyu successfully lost the paparazzi yesterday? Dai Ze's tone was unusually serious: "Alright, you're not going anywhere this morning. Ge Baitao and I will figure out how to handle this!"
Song Xi looked at the phone screen that Xiao Mo handed her. In the dark of night, she was seen bending down and getting into a minivan. Although she was disguised enough, someone had still identified her clothes as identical to what she wore during the program recording that morning. The hashtag #CertainFemaleArtist'sLateNightSecretMeetingWithDirector was trending, and the caption was skillfully worded to ignite speculation. Song Xi's expression turned cold. Having just woken up, she exuded a languid aura, her slender black hair curled, making her appear cool and beautiful. But when she wore a cold expression, her presence shifted instantly, like a white rose with thorns – beautiful and dangerous. Xiao Mo stared, mesmerized, and when she snapped back to reality, her face was already flushed. She stammered to encourage Song Xi, "...Actually, there are still many fans speaking up for you, Sister Song Xi!" Song Xi raised an eyebrow and used her fair index finger to tap open the comments.