“You, you, you!” After a relaxed and pleasant day, Lang Wenxing had thought Cheng Ying would no longer be an obstacle between him and Jiang Hanguang. He never expected to be hit with such a statement, and he could only point at her, stammering “you” for a long time without being able to form a complete sentence.
Cheng Ying raised her hand and swatted his down, smiling like a spectator watching a clown’s antics. “What are you pointing at? How old are you? Don’t you have any self-awareness about how close you are to people? She doesn’t reject you out of politeness, and you really think you’re some heartthrob that everyone loves? Open your eyes and see the world.”
For the past two days, she had been wrestling with her own feelings about her relationship with Jiang Hanguang and had been quite indulgent with this guy. Now that they had kissed, there was no reason to keep swallowing her anger. Cheng Ying had no penchant for watching her girlfriend be shipped in a CP with someone else.
Lang Wenxing stared at her, dumbfounded, and then roared as if he had suffered a great humiliation, “You’re talking nonsense! You, you, you, that’s malicious slander!”
Cheng Ying’s voice hadn’t been loud, so not many people had noticed them. But Lang Wenxing’s hysterical roar made the entire barbecue party fall silent in an instant.
“Huh? What’s going on?” Xie Chengcheng, who had just squeezed her way back from the crowd, was still a bit clueless.
Zhang Zeyun, who had already directed the cameraman to focus on the trio, took a sip of her coffee, a playful smile touching her lips.
The two Alphas in the shot were a stark contrast. Lang Wenxing’s face was red and his neck was bulging, his body swaying slightly. He looked like an enraged bull, his handsome face now nothing but a frightening distortion. Cheng Ying, on the other hand, had a look of leisurely composure. She waved a hand in front of her nose as if she couldn’t stand the reek of alcohol on his breath. Her long, narrow, light-blue eyes were filled with mocking amusement. Even in the drab, khaki-colored work uniform specific to the farm staff, she looked like an elegant matador.
“Why are you yelling so loud?” Cheng Ying casually cleaned out her ear. “Was anything I said wrong?”
Lang Wenxing was speechless.
After nearly fainting from anger, he suddenly realized he couldn’t refute her statement directly. To do so would be tantamount to admitting he thought he was a heartthrob. Although he did believe that, answering that way now would certainly earn him more ridicule from the woman before him.
His slightly sobered brain spun, and he found a way to break the stalemate.
Cheng Ying said he was being presumptuous. If the so-called “object of his presumption” said he wasn’t, it would perfectly refute her words and, at the same time, slap Cheng Ying hard in the face.
With this in mind, he immediately turned to Jiang Hanguang, who was sitting beside him, and said pitifully.
“Sister Jiang, do you really dislike me as much as she says?”
That was a truly cunning question.
Cheng Ying narrowed her eyes, looking at the still somewhat tipsy Lang Wenxing.
Even when drunk, he was still scheming against others. If Jiang Hanguang sided with her now, the labels of being cold and having low emotional intelligence would immediately be slapped on her.
Just as she was about to speak up and redirect the conversation, she was interrupted by Jiang Hanguang, who suddenly spoke.
“I don’t dislike you.” The woman in question rose gracefully. The blush from that sip of beer had not yet completely faded. The night breeze stirred her soft hair, and the warm yellow light shone on her fair face, casting it in a soft, honey-colored glow.
Her face still held that infinite gentleness that bordered on serenity. Under the warm lights, her calm, dark eyes reflected even more tenderness than they held.
The cameraman filming the close-up couldn’t help but hold his breath. He was beginning to understand what “a beauty fit for a painting” meant.
Lang Wenxing stared blankly at the woman before him, and for the first time, he genuinely felt a trace of adoration that went beyond mere liking.
He was a fickle person. When he saw a beautiful flower, he wanted to pick it, but he never wanted to bother caring for any of them.
After all, someone as outstanding as him always needed the thrill of a new crush. For that flower to bloom on his desk for a few days was already an honor.
Jiang Hanguang was no exception. Lang Wenxing had been stunned by her beauty at first sight and had subsequently showered her with attention, hoping that her overly placid face would blossom into a smile for him.
But at the same time, he had never thought of anything serious happening with Jiang Hanguang. He was, after all, a top-tier idol on the rise, while she was just a divorced, unknown person. In his eyes, Jiang Hanguang should have been grateful that he was willing to condescend to please her.
But no matter how hard he tried, the woman remained polite and distant, showing not the slightest sign of being moved.
At first, Lang Wenxing thought Jiang Hanguang might be playing hard to get. Later, when he realized she genuinely didn’t seem to care much for him, he grew stubborn.
Who was he? The top idol who captivated millions of fans. How could there possibly be someone in this world who was truly unmoved by him?
And so, Lang Wenxing, who usually lost interest after three minutes, for the first time invested so much energy in one person. He even contacted Director Zhang Zeyun the moment he heard about the vacant guest spot on “Little Little Farm” and took on the variety show for a lower fee than his usual rate.
To his frustration, however, Jiang Hanguang’s attitude towards him remained as cold as ever. She would even deliberately avoid him.
Just when Lang Wenxing was about to start doubting his own charm, today, the woman showed him a relatively friendly smile for the first time.
He was about to succeed!
Lang Wenxing was happier than when he had won his first Most Popular Singer award.
Especially now, as he looked at Jiang Hanguang’s face, a face so beautiful it made everyone around her pale in comparison, he thought for the first time:
If Jiang Hanguang liked him, it wouldn’t be out of the question for him to consider dating her.
Now that Jiang Hanguang had denied his self-deprecating question, he was incredibly smug.
What was so great about Cheng Ying? At most, she just had some stinking money. How could she compare to him?
He looked expectantly at Jiang Hanguang’s lips, which seemed even redder and more beautiful than usual, waiting for her to continue refuting Cheng Ying for him.
“But I think Xiao Ying has a point.” Jiang Hanguang stepped in front of the female Alpha who was half a head taller than her and looked calmly at the stunned Lang Wenxing. “Some of your actions have indeed made me a little uncomfortable. I hope you won’t do this in the future.”
Silence, a dead silence.
No one had expected Jiang Hanguang to confront Lang Wenxing so directly. After all, from what they had seen before, Jiang Hanguang was the type of good-natured person who would rather suffer a small loss herself to ensure everyone got along harmoniously.
Whose bad side did she get on today?
Xie Chengcheng glanced at the disbelieving Lang Wenxing, then at Cheng Ying behind Jiang Hanguang.
That woman’s eyes had widened in shock along with everyone else’s, but she composed herself faster than anyone, her expression melting into a smile that settled deep in her eyes.
It was a smile so brilliant it was nauseating, filled with an inexplicable sour stench of love.
Xie Chengcheng’s brain, a bit sluggish from the alcohol, churned for a moment, and her gaze fell on Cheng Ying’s lips.
She remembered that Cheng Ying never wore makeup. Why were her lips so red?
Xie Chengcheng’s gaze slowly shifted to Miss Jiang’s face.
Hiss!
She finally understood why the atmosphere between the two had suddenly become so… effervescent!
What on earth happened in the woods just now?
Cheng Ying couldn’t be that much of a beast, could she?
Her mind was full of indecent thoughts, and a smile even more nauseating than Cheng Ying’s had already appeared on her face.
What did she say?
It took Lang Wenxing about a minute to process Jiang Hanguang’s words, but his brain stubbornly refused to accept it.
“Sister Jiang, you must be joking, right?”
He forced a smile that was uglier than a grimace, his eyes staring blankly as he stepped forward to grab Jiang Hanguang’s shoulder.
Cheng Ying took Jiang Hanguang’s hand and pulled her behind her.
Lang Wenxing couldn’t bear to look at her face right now. His eyes were bloodshot as he yelled, “I’m talking to Sister Jiang, what’s it to you!”
Jiang Hanguang frowned and tried to step out from behind Cheng Ying to say something more, but she was held firmly in place by Cheng Ying, unable to move.
Cheng Ying was done wasting words on Lang Wenxing. She shouted to the crowd of onlookers, “Is Mr. Lang’s agent here? Are you just going to watch him harass people?”
The moment the word “harass” was uttered, Lang Wenxing, like a mad bull whose tail had been lit on fire, lunged forward to grab Cheng Ying’s collar. “What did you say?”
But his hand was caught midway as someone grabbed him by the neck and pulled him back.
Rui Cha still had the appearance of a nice guy, but there was a hint of coldness in his eyes. “Wenxing has had too much to drink. Please excuse him. I’ll take him away now. As for what just happened, Director Zhang, can this be deleted?” He turned to look at Zhang Zeyun.
Zhang Zeyun shrugged, indicating she was powerless to help. “This is a live broadcast. It’s the same for everyone, Mr. Rui.”
Rui Cha nodded and bowed to Jiang Hanguang. “Regarding my artist’s impolite behavior, please allow me to apologize to Miss Jiang first. When he sobers up tomorrow, I will have him come himself.”
With that, ignoring the varied expressions of the crowd, he directed two assistants to haul away the still-struggling Lang Wenxing.
You’d better be, Cheng Ying thought, letting out a soft sigh.
The crowd was quiet for a moment before gradually returning to its lively state, though now everyone’s gazes towards Cheng Ying and Jiang Hanguang held a hint of gossipy curiosity.
But while others could only speculate, one person could ask directly.
“What’s the deal with you two?”
Xie Chengcheng plopped down at their table, asking with avid curiosity.
As her gaze swept brazenly over both their lips, Miss Jiang, who had a guilty conscience and was rather thin-skinned, couldn’t withstand three rounds of this before blushing and lowering her head.
Cheng Ying unflinchingly tossed a handful of skewers to her. “Eat more meat, worry less. Don’t ask what you shouldn’t, okay?”
She wasn’t in such a hurry as to announce their relationship right here at the barbecue. Given her reputation, it was better for Jiang Hanguang if they remained in an ambiguous state rather than going public.
Thinking of Jiang Hanguang, Cheng Ying looked at the woman across from her, who was eating her barbecue in small bites with her head down, remembering how she had stood in front of her just now.
Such a slender yet such a determined figure.
This person, who always compromised for the sake of peace, had stood up to a reeking Alpha for her sake.
A warm curve formed on Cheng Ying’s lips.
If not for their three-point agreement from before, she would have pulled Jiang Hanguang into a tight hug right now.
The eventful barbecue finally came to an end. They both reeked of barbecue smoke, and Cheng Ying urged the already drowsy Jiang Hanguang to go wash up first.
The sound of running water trickled from the bathroom. Cheng Ying sat on a small stool, sipping a drink and aimlessly thinking about their future. The smile on her face was gradually replaced by worry.
Before she could delve too deeply into her thoughts, Cheng Mantou’s voice suddenly appeared in her mind.
“Ying, this is bad!”
Cheng Ying was startled and subconsciously pressed her head, saying tiredly, “What’s with all the fuss?”
Cheng Mantou huffed. “The great beauty is being flamed by Lang Wenxing’s fans. Isn’t that a big deal?”
Cheng Ying’s brow furrowed sharply. “What happened?”
“Ten minutes ago, one of Lang Wenxing’s top fans posted an article titled 《Miss Jiang, Please Stop Pretending》. The article was utter nonsense, basically saying the great beauty was playing hard to get and PUA’ing their idol. Then a bunch of fans went crazy in the comments. Lang Wenxing’s team also got involved and bought a hot search topic directly. I can’t suppress it. It’s already number one on the trending list.”
Cheng Ying recalled the smile on Rui Cha’s face as he left—a smile that seemed humble but was actually full of malice. She crushed the drink can in her hand with a crackle. “That guy really had a backup plan.”
“The great beauty’s fans are fighting back, but it’s obvious they can’t out-maneuver the professional trolls on the other side. Should I help?” Cheng Mantou asked.
“…Not yet. Compared to fan squabbles, the principal players are the more important issue.” Cheng Ying sneered. “I couldn’t be bothered with him before, did he really think I was helpless? Go find all the dirt on Lang Wenxing harassing others in the past. Start pushing it onto the hot search.”
“Okay.” Cheng Mantou accepted the order and left.
Cheng Ying leaned back, her fingers tapping lightly on her knee.
She had been worried about the fan backlash ruining the show, but since the other party had struck first, she didn’t mind teaching them a lesson.
They can scold her, but scolding Jiang Hanguang is courting death.
As various counter-attack plans flashed through Cheng Ying’s mind, her vision suddenly went black.
The dimly lit room was abruptly plunged into darkness.
A sound of something falling to the floor came from the bathroom, along with a muffled grunt.
“Hanguang?”
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