Chapter 156: Take It Off If You Dare

Hearing this, Chu Luoxi looked speechless for a moment, and then burst into a brilliant smile that left Xiao Jingxuan momentarily dazed.

"Senior brother—" Chu Luoxi dragged out the syllable into eighteen different twists, giving even herself goosebumps. "Then why don't you strip for me and let me see?" If you have the guts, strip then. She simply didn't believe that a man who had to resort to cold showers every time to vent his pressure would dare to talk back to her.

Consequently, the Great God Xiao's complexion didn't just turn dark; it darkened to a shade of greenish-black. His arm trembled, and he almost dropped the mischievous woman in his arms straight to the floor—even though the sofa area was covered with a soft rug.

Carefully placing her down onto the sofa, Xiao Jingxuan was still radiating steam, except that now it was from sweat rather than the aftermath of a bath.

Ignoring how Chu Luoxi was looking at him, Xiao Jingxuan walked back into the bathroom with a low-pressure aura. The moment he locked the door behind him, he heard her hearty laughter ringing out from outside.

Turning on the showerhead to let the cold water cascade down from his head, Xiao Jingxuan felt a bit helpless at Chu Luoxi's uninhibited laughter. At the same time, the corners of his mouth curved into a faint smile as he felt his body temperature drop.

To say it wasn't torture would be an absolute lie, especially since Chu Luoxi's provocation of him was simply too immense. Just a single sentence from her had completely stripped him of self-control.

Pity it wasn't the right time yet, even though he hadn't sensed any rejection from Chu Luoxi. In truth, Xiao Jingxuan understood her train of thought to a certain extent. Having seen too much of the entertainment industry, no matter how golden a boy-and-girl pair seemed, they rarely seemed to last.

There were numerous factors at play: the industry itself was hardly pristine, coupled with the relentless attention of fans and the inescapable ubiquity of paparazzi. Clearly a private matter between two individuals, it would be infinitely magnified before the public eye. Perhaps a minor incident meant merely to spice up romance could be hyped into a breakup crisis or the curtain call of a relationship. With enough repetition, even the finest romance would develop cracks.

Therefore, Chu Luoxi did not fully trust him yet—a fact that Xiao Jingxuan could acutely sense.

Standing beneath the spray of water, Xiao Jingxuan's eyes turned deep and distant. He raised a hand to touch the back of his other hand, where veins protruded visibly due to excessive forbearance. He knew his own mind very well; what he wanted had never been merely her body. Her heart—he wanted that heart of hers that was forever on guard against everyone, completely and entirely, without leaving a single fraction behind.

Chu Luoxi was still blissfully unaware that she had long since been seen through by the Great God, and was currently thoroughly amused by her own new discovery! Fortunately, her biggest worry had been resolved, leaving her feeling incomparably relaxed.

***

Presently, all entertainment news headlines were entirely overshadowed by Xiao Jingxuan's debut solo concert. While reports took various forms, the one constant was that as long as it involved Xiao Jingxuan, it was guaranteed front-page material. As for all other news, it was relentlessly suppressed, either forced to stay out of the spotlight for the time being or left to be squeezed into total obscurity.

Once again, insiders within the industry were reminded of Xiao Jingxuan's formidable dominance. His concert had even impacted the album release sales of several other singers, clearly demonstrating that his title as the Heavenly King remained utterly unrivaled.

Consequently, both Xiao Jingxuan and Leng Lu fully understood the philosophy of boutique positioning, as well as the principle that scarcity commands value. The solo concert was a one-time-only event; absolutely no amount of wailing from fans would turn it into a national tour specifically for a quick cash grab. This left other entertainment agencies feeling heartbroken, lamenting that these youngsters simply didn't know how to seize an opportunity.

In fact, with all one hundred thousand tickets snapped up instantly and the market clearly starved for more, Scenery Entertainment firmly refused to compromise. Many fans had proposed that the concert organizers add standing-room tickets. The largest stadium in Imperial City—the very venue that had hosted the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games and served as the main competition arena—was certainly not lacking in standing space.

However, Scenery Entertainment simply turned a blind eye to these proposals. In Leng Lu's words, it was precisely because the tickets were hard to come by that they appeared precious. Being unable to see the live performance was precisely what continued to stimulate the market named "Xiao Jingxuan"; overdevelopment and aesthetic fatigue were strategies entirely unworthy of adoption.

Of course, while this explanation sounded grand, high-sounding, and wonderfully articulate, the reality was somewhat different: Leng Da-ji watched the Great God Xiao wash his hands of all responsibilities and pull off his act so effortlessly that he grew deeply envious at heart, and simply refused to exert himself with any extra work. Adding standing tickets, even without printing physical cards, would entail a mountain of additional troubles, and a thoroughly provoked Leng Da-ji was simply too lazy to lift a finger.

When the truth-knowing Chu Luoxi found out, she was left torn between laughter and tears. So that was how it really was! In her past life, Scenery Entertainment's moves had always been full of unexpected surprises, yet they invariably achieved remarkably perfect results. Many people had assumed the company employed economic masterminds, but after all this time, it was merely the result of sheer laziness!

Good grief, this was a classic textbook case of planting willows without intending for them to grow into shade!

On the day of Xiao Jingxuan's concert, the traffic police in Imperial City voluntarily mobilized. Otherwise, many major traffic arteries would have paralyzed and come to a complete standstill.

At the film set, Fan Li very humanely granted everyone a day off. Chu Luoxi boarded her nanny van, planning to head home to idle away the time and only set off when the hour drew near—besides, her ticket corresponded to an assigned seat, so she didn't have to worry about anyone forcefully occupying it.

Yet a single phone call from Xiao Jingxuan forced her to alter her itinerary and head straight for the stadium.

Upon entering backstage, she was greeted by a scene of frantic busyness, and it was only then that Chu Luoxi realized her ticket card was actually quite useless.

The stadium stage was massive, complete with a running track serving as a buffer zone between the stage and the audience seating. Chu Luoxi could watch Xiao Jingxuan's performance from the absolute closest vantage point. It appeared that temporary seating had even been set up specifically for her, sparing her from having to squeeze into the audience with the fans...

Escorted to this special seat in person by Leng Da-ji, Chu Luoxi was left somewhat speechless. What on earth was she summoned here so early for? It seemed she hadn't even eaten lunch yet, and the concert wasn't until the evening...

As it turned out, Xiao Jingxuan had mentioned waiting for her to eat, and Leng Lu had also chimed in. But when the time arrived and she watched Leng Da-ji carry over a couple of boxed meals, Chu Luoxi felt like crying. So they were just having bento boxes together? Oh well, fine, it turned out she had been overthinking things.

Still, she had to admit that the boxed meal in her hands was certainly different from ordinary ones. First of all, the flavor was exceptional, and as for the quality—well, it went without saying. Chu Luoxi finally felt a small sense of satisfaction.

"Actually, I originally wanted to put you on stage as well," Leng Lu remarked casually while eating. Since the Great God Xiao was too busy, he still had to keep her company while she ate; this manager's job... was truly filled with trivial chores...

"Me? You must be joking, I'm not even a singer." Chu Luoxi shook her head like a rattle-drum, finding such a notion utterly absurd. The Great God Xiao's debut solo concert, of all things! What kind of ruckus would she be making if she tried to muscle in on that? Just causing chaos?

"I didn't mean for you to sing vocals, but you could have done a live performance of 'Crescent', just collaborating alongside Xiao Jingxuan." Leng Lu wore an expression that said he had expected this exact reaction, and his urge to lecture seemed to have been thoroughly ignited.

"Then what happened later? Why was it canceled?" Chu Luoxi spread her hands. She certainly hadn't forgotten his use of the word "originally," which implied that the initial plan had already been altered.