Chapter 61

"But you really did us proud today." Da He, who had just disagreed with Xia Xi, suddenly thought of Lin Wei’s defeated expression and couldn’t hold back a smile. He let out a sigh of relief and said cheerfully, "Xia Xi, this time you proved with your skills that you’re far better at singing than Lin Wei. Luo Chu’an must have been blind to choose her over you."
At the mention of "Luo Chu’an," Xia Xi curled her lips and didn’t respond. In her heart, Luo Chu’an was nothing more than a stranger, not worth her concern. If it weren’t for the system’s tasks, she wouldn’t want to hear his name or have anything to do with him ever again.
So, his thoughts had absolutely nothing to do with her.
"If you were the firework over the sea, I’d be the foam of the waves. In that moment, your light illuminated me,"
Just as Xia Xi was lost in thought over the name "Luo Chu’an," a melodious song interrupted her train of thought. She pulled out her phone, which she had casually slipped into her pants pocket earlier. The screen clearly displayed the name "Lu Yisheng," causing her calm heart to flutter slightly with unease. Her tightly clenched hand clearly betrayed her nervousness.
"Whose call is it? Why aren’t you answering?" Da He, noticing Xia Xi’s obvious tension, was taken aback. He leaned over to glance at her phone screen, raised an eyebrow, and watched as she flusteredly answered the call. With a mischievous chuckle, he patted her shoulder and pointed toward the other end of the corridor, indicating that it was quieter there and she could take the call.
He watched as Xia Xi lost her previous wit and composure over a call from Lu Yisheng, and his heart gradually eased. He was slowly beginning to believe that Xia Xi had truly stopped caring about that scoundrel Luo Chu'an.
It seemed the best way to heal a broken heart was to meet a man who treated her better and cared more deeply, pulling her out of the abyss.
"Xia Xi, it's been so long since we last saw each other." In the empty hallway, the voice on the other end of the line was crystal clear.
Hearing this long-unheard voice, Xia Xi instinctively moved the phone closer. The sound of Lu Yisheng's voice, deep and captivating like a cello, made her grip on the phone grow slightly clammy.
"Yes, it really has been a long time," she heard her own voice, now slightly hoarse.
"During this time,"
"During this time,"
They both spoke at the same time and stopped simultaneously, making the already tense Xia Xi feel a little amused. She let out a soft laugh, moved the phone slightly away from her ear, took a deep breath, and regained her earlier calm. A hint of laughter tinged her tone as she said, "Lu Yisheng, you go first."
On the other end, Lu Yisheng rubbed the edge of his phone with his slender, well-defined fingers upon hearing Xia Xi's words. He narrowed his eyes and smiled faintly. "Xia Xi, how have you been, during this time?"
"I heard from Da He that you've been in closed-door singing training. I didn't want to disturb you, so I never called, but I’ve always, always wanted to."
He cares about me. He even asked Da He about what I've been up to.
Xia Xi froze for a moment. After processing Lu Yisheng's words, a faint blush crept across her cheeks. The emotions she had suppressed deep within her heart seemed to find an outlet, flowing out naturally. Her left hand slowly moved to her chest, feeling her racing heartbeat as joy overflowed from within.
She had thought she was strong, but after hearing Lu Yisheng's words, she felt her heart soften immensely.
There was a time when Xia Xi stood at heights others couldn't reach, and she believed that was success. But only now did she realize that sometimes happiness is actually very simple.
In her previous life, Xia Xi was a workaholic. By her early thirties, she had already filmed 27 movies and 11 TV series, working year-round with almost no breaks. She never had time for love, nor was she interested in it.
But she never expected to meet someone like Lu Yisheng in this world. Sometimes, one couldn't help but marvel at how mysterious fate could be, always arriving unexpectedly.
Sometimes, growth is decided in just a moment. You think you'll stand on your own, no longer relying on others, climbing upward with your own strength, unafraid of pain or setbacks. But when someone suddenly steps forward to support you unconditionally, Xia Xi realized how fragile she truly was. She had been waiting for this person all along, no matter how long it took.
"I've been doing well lately, living a fulfilling life. And actually, I also," Xia Xi lowered her head slightly, intending to tell Lu Yisheng that she had missed him too and had been waiting for his call, but a sudden electric shock interrupted her, leaving the words stuck in her throat.
"Host, we agreed, complete the mission first!"
The system's abrupt words struck Xia Xi like a heavy blow, jolting her awake. She squeezed her eyes shut, biting her lip hard until she tasted blood, suppressing the anger she felt toward the system's malicious interference. She let out a bitter laugh, "I remember, don't worry."
"Xia Xi, Xia Xi?" On the other end of the line, Lu Yisheng was puzzled by her sudden silence. He had a feeling that whatever she was about to say was crucial for their relationship. Though their connection seemed predestined, hearing it from her would make all the difference. He pressed on insistently, "What were you going to say just now?"
"It's nothing, really. I just wanted to ask how you've been doing lately, Lu Yisheng?"
"Not bad." A flicker of disappointment crossed Lu Yisheng's eyes at her response. He pursed his lips, his tone remaining calm. "Xia Xi, I watched your performance on 'Cross-Border Singing Joy', it was amazing. And the song 'Calming the Storm' you just sang was beautiful. I really liked it."
"Thank you." Xia Xi felt that every conversation with Lu Yisheng was torturous for her, to put it bluntly, the sense of suppression was overwhelming.
"Xia Xi, the reason I called is to ask if you'd be interested in joining a pretty good variety show I have in mind. It's called 'I Am an Actor,' a competitive acting reality show with many popular young actresses and celebrities. The mentors are also award-winning actors. If you're interested, I can send you the program details."
Xia Xi was taken aback by his words and voiced her confusion directly, "Why didn't you just contact Da He? He handles all this for me."
"I did reach out to Da He earlier and told him about the show, but after hearing my proposal, he said I should ask for your opinion directly. He mentioned he can't make decisions for you anymore."
Xia Xi: “...”
That Da He.
"But honestly, I wanted to ask you myself. Because if you don't want to join this show, I'd still encourage you to, it suits you perfectly. And if you do decide to participate, I plan to join as a mentor. That way, we can see each other more often."
"Why are you so insistent on me joining this show? Is it really that suitable for me?" Xia Xi pursed her lips and asked calmly.
"There are actually two reasons. First, this performance competition show is truly suitable for you. I have faith in your acting skills and believe you can win the championship with your talent. Currently, the public misunderstands your abilities, thinking you can’t embody any role and that every project you take on is ruined. But having acted alongside you, I know your skills are excellent. I don’t want others to misunderstand you, and participating in this variety show is the best way to clear up those misconceptions. Second, it’s my personal desire, I want to join the same show as you and see you all the time."
Xia Xi, hearing the person on the other end of the line say this, awkwardly rubbed her nose as her ears gradually turned red. She gave a light cough, her voice carrying a hint of laughter she hadn’t even noticed herself. "Alright, I’ll participate."
Lu Yisheng, upon hearing the reply from the other end, suppressed the urge to ask Xia Xi whether she had agreed because of the first reason or the second. He ran a hand through his hair, knowing that he couldn’t rush things, everything had to be approached gradually. Now that he had found the girl from all those years ago, what was there to hurry about?
"Xia Xi, there’s one more thing I think I should tell you." Lu Yisheng quickly reined in his emotions, returning to his usual calm and unhurried demeanor, the poised male god once again. "I just discovered that Yang Jingyu’s PR team has been hyping you up online, spreading the narrative that your singing rivals that of a professional. I have a feeling she’s up to no good, so be careful."
"Alright, I understand. Thank you, Lu Yisheng. I’ll keep an eye on their movements." Hearing Lu Yisheng’s words, Xia Xi frowned, realizing the situation wasn’t as simple as it seemed. Yang Jingyu and Lin Wei were likely plotting something against her.
"Well, Lu Yisheng, is there anything else? If not, then," After expressing her gratitude, an awkward silence fell between them once more. Unsure of what else to say, Xia Xi hesitated for a long moment before reluctantly asking, "Should we hang up? We can talk again next time?"
"Alright." Lu Yisheng’s tone gave nothing away. "You hang up first."
Xia Xi held the phone in front of her, staring intently at the characters "Lu Yisheng" on the screen. Slowly, she moved her finger toward the end-call button, frowning slightly. Just as she was about to press it, she suddenly heard a series of beeps, "beep, beep, beep,", from the other end.