Chapter 50: The Day of the Invitation to Dinner

“The truth behind these scandals is clear to those within the industry. Qiu Xian may have a peculiar temper, but he’s honest to a fault; he would never hire someone like that,” Leng Lu suddenly launched into an enthusiastic tirade, his eyes alight with excitement. “Besides, Zhou Yuying can barely take care of herself right now; how could she possibly have the energy to act? Her popularity was always inflated, and now she’s too ashamed to even step outside. The reporters won’t let her off easily. Just watch—this will only get bigger. I doubt she’ll ever find a foothold in show business again.”

Chu Luoxi nodded, unsurprised by Leng Da Ji’s sharp insight. To bring Scenery Entertainment to such heights and elevate Master Xiao to international stardom—how could he be anything less than capable?

“If you don’t want others to know, you shouldn’t do it in the first place. Ending up like this, she brought it upon herself.” Xiao Jingxuan’s tone was light as a breeze, his aura serene. The entertainment industry lives under a magnifying glass, and those who fail to be circumspect or self-respecting are simply courting disaster…

Chu Luoxi nodded again, about to echo their sentiments, when a cheerful ringtone suddenly interrupted.

With an apologetic smile, Chu Luoxi answered, “...What? You want to treat me to dinner? Well, isn’t that a surprise! Is the sun rising in the west? When?”

Though her voice was quiet, she didn’t try to conceal it from the other two. Leng Lu pretended not to care as he munched on his food, but his ears were perked up, blatantly eavesdropping.

Xiao Jingxuan was the picture of composure, his every movement seemingly normal, but who could say his attention wasn’t fixed on Chu Luoxi’s conversation? Even though he couldn’t hear the caller on the other end, he quickly guessed who it was and couldn’t help but furrow his brow: Ji Yanjin? Are they really so close, contacting each other this often?

The great Master Xiao couldn’t quite understand—Chu Luoxi wasn’t planning to break into the music industry, so what common ground did she have with Ji Yanjin? Their exchanges seemed lively enough!

“Eh, tonight?” Chu Luoxi’s tone was tinged with surprise, and her gaze instinctively flicked towards Xiao Jingxuan, who looked as though he hadn’t heard a thing. She gave an embarrassed chuckle. “Heh, tonight might not work. How about another time?”

Though she felt their business was finished and lunch nearly done, and her afternoon might be free, evening should be fine as well. But seeing Master Xiao’s reaction, she didn’t dare decide on her own, so she suggested waiting until after they parted ways. If Xiao Jingxuan had signaled he was free that afternoon, she would have agreed in a heartbeat!

“Tonight won’t work?” Ji Yanjin frowned but didn’t press for a reason. “Then how about tomorrow?”

“Uh, tomorrow won’t work either. I’ve got things to do!” Chu Luoxi spread her hands, indicating she had an audition tomorrow and didn’t know what to expect, so she couldn’t spare the time for dinner.

“…When are you free, then?” Ji Yanjin was at a loss. “You helped me shoot my MV last time, and I promised to treat you to dinner. Now that I’ve got nothing on, and your exams are over, how come you’re still so busy?”

“Oh, I thought you’d forgotten all about it! So you still remember, huh? Months have passed, but that dinner hasn’t lost its value. Fine, I’ll call you when I’m free. Anyway, you don’t have much going on lately.”

She knew his album had wrapped up, and the rest would take time to accumulate. Since he hadn’t entered the film industry yet, he didn’t have much to do and could afford to take a break.

“That’s fine, I’ll wait…” Ji Yanjin sighed. It wasn’t easy, this business of treating someone to a meal!

Thus, Chu Luoxi had no idea that, because of this phone call, her originally free afternoon was taken up by Xiao Jingxuan, who invited her to a teahouse for some idle conversation, and even covered her dinner that evening.

Given Xiao Jingxuan’s status, going out was risky; he could only sit in a private room, seeking peace and quiet. Of course, it was also a pleasant way to unwind.

What Chu Luoxi hadn’t expected was to bump into another acquaintance when she stepped out to use the restroom. Most astonishingly, this person also wanted to treat her to dinner. She couldn’t help but wonder—was today some sort of auspicious day for dinner invitations?

“Wait, you want to treat me to dinner?” Chu Luoxi stared wordlessly at the ceiling. “Why?”

“To apologize, of course!” Yan Han, hands shoved in his pockets, smiled at her, his demeanor relaxed and free of the urgency from their previous encounters. He looked nothing like a soldier now, more like a rebellious playboy. “My men injured you by mistake, and you helped me out last time. No matter what, I owe you a meal.”

Chu Luoxi felt a bit out of sorts. This Yan Han was so different from before that she couldn’t help but size him up several times before speaking hesitantly, “Are you alright? Are you on another mission? Does your mission require you to charm women? You can be straight with me—if you need help, I’ll assist you.”

This carefree, flirtatious manner was undeniably handsome and pleasing to the eye, but it was worlds apart from the serious image of a special forces soldier she had in mind. It made her think twice—after all, their previous meetings had been nothing like this, and if she weren’t sure she remembered his face correctly, she might have thought she’d mistaken him for someone else!

She wasn’t foolish; last time she’d guessed that Yan Han’s identity and work were likely far from ordinary. But they belonged to different worlds, and some things couldn’t be communicated. Chu Luoxi felt that, if she could help, she would; she held a deep respect for her country’s soldiers, especially those who risked their lives on a regular basis.

Yan Han was at a loss. He was indeed on a mission, but how did she connect it to seducing women? He genuinely wanted to treat her to dinner!

“No matter what the mission, we still have to eat. I’m on a break right now!” Yan Han hesitated. “Wait, can you tell I’m faking it?” If so, that was seriously bad news; he was even beginning to wonder if he’d exposed himself somehow.

Receiving an affirmative hint, Chu Luoxi smiled lightly and shook her head. “I can’t tell, but don’t forget what I do for a living—acting is my profession. I know what you’re really like, so seeing you like this feels a bit… off.”

Though she said this, Chu Luoxi felt nothing but admiration. Actors perform before the camera, but people like Yan Han play with their lives. When it came to acting skills, he might far surpass any professional.

“Haha, I knew you were an actress. Maybe I could learn a thing or two from you.” Yan Han rubbed his nose, hiding his embarrassment, but kept up his nonchalant demeanor.

Seeing this, Chu Luoxi was taken aback and suddenly enlightened. With the level of immersion Yan Han displayed, he’d probably put most professional actors to shame. Someone who could be bashful and nervous around girls, yet maintain the persona of a carefree playboy at all times without a single slip—what actor could compare?