Chapter 102: A Surprise Appearance

Yunyi’s condition was anything but encouraging, and Lin Xi left the hospital with her head bowed in unease.

All the while, her thoughts were fixed on Yunyi’s illness, her mind drifting far away. Then, with a sudden thud, she ran into a solid wall. Lin Xi sucked in a sharp breath; before she even had time to look up, she hurriedly clutched at her mask and kept apologizing, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

A soft laugh came from the other side, low and seductive. The man reached out and steadied her by the shoulders. “Baby, walking so carelessly, hmm?”

Lin Xi froze. She raised her eyes and met a pair of smiling ones.

“Xiu.” The name slipped from her lips in a murmur. Once she came to herself, she threw herself into his arms and finally let go, breathing in his scent and warmth, finding comfort in it at once.

Lu Yuxiu asked nothing. He only drew her tightly into his embrace. His voice, warm and steady, came from his chest. “Baby, everything will be all right.”

“Mhm.” Lin Xi nodded with her eyes closed against him.

During her leave, Lin Xi went to the hospital almost every day to keep Yunyi company. Sometimes she wheeled her downstairs to soak up some sun; sometimes they sat in the ward and spoke privately. Yunyi seemed to be improving as well, smiling pleasantly at everyone each day.

In the meantime, Lin Xi also went to Aiyou to visit her brother, then headed to her fourth brother and Xiaojin’s apartment to mooch a meal. Only after chatting did she learn that, aside from the promotional events for Splendor, Xiaojin had basically put all her other work on hold.

“Xiaojin, why did you stop working so suddenly? Are you planning to rest for a while?” Lin Xi and Wen Jin leaned against the sofa, lazily enjoying the idle afternoon.

Wen Jin handed her a bag of chips, and the two of them ate while they talked.

“It’s not about resting,” she said. “Actually, after Splendor finishes airing, I want to withdraw from the entertainment industry indefinitely.”

She said it so lightly that Lin Xi was left staring. “Huh? Why?”

Wen Jin laughed. “You don’t have to be so shocked. After what happened with the online backlash, I’ve really thought things through. Back then, I chose to enter the industry just to make money, and I ignored what I actually liked. Just like Yao said, I should go do something I love. I’ve thought about it, and I do like writing. I want to explore that path and become a full-time author. It’ll probably be hard at first, but I believe in myself.”

As she spoke, her eyes shone.

Lin Xi was deeply moved by her words. It had been a long time since she had felt so fired up. She took Wen Jin’s hand and nodded with certainty. “Xiaojin, I believe in you too. From now on, you write, and I’ll act in it.”

“Okay!” Wen Jin’s eyes welled with tears as well. The two girls looked at each other and smiled before holding one another for a long, long time.

At that moment, Gu Yao also came out from the kitchen with two plates in his hands. He called out loudly, “Dinner’s ready, my two little princesses!”

At that, the two sisters burst into laughter, the tenderness from before giving way to tears turned into smiles.

By mid-April, Lin Xi’s leave ended, and she returned to Starlight to resume work.

Zhou Xin did not immediately pile a mountain of schedules onto her. Her upcoming tasks were broadly the brand event for Elegant Luxe, a poster shoot, and the scenes for the film Princess of Worry-Free.

“Today we’ll first attend the brand event, then go to the set to greet Director Fan and shoot your costume test photos.” Zhou Xin coordinated the work methodically with Mia, while Lin Xi was being fussed over by the makeup artist Xiao Ke. Once everything was ready, Lin Xi changed into her gown and headed straight for the venue.

When she arrived, the brand event area was already packed with crowds inside and out. Sitting in the car, Lin Xi could even see her own Elegant Luxe cosmetics commercial playing on a loop across the giant screen at the center.

The moment she stepped out, deafening screams surged toward her. The scene was overwhelming, wildly noisy. By the entrance, the cheers and shouts of the entire crowd merged into one wave after another.

Protected by Mia and the bodyguards, Lin Xi could barely see the road ahead. Through the press of people, she caught glimpses of many signs held high in the air, and heard many fans shouting her name in unison. Only then did she truly feel how “popular” she had become.

With the staff’s assistance, Lin Xi finally managed to make her way onto the stage. The host stirred up the atmosphere with gusto. “Let us welcome the ambassador for Elegant Luxe—Lin Xi—to our event!”

“Aaaah—”
“Oooooh—”

Screams erupted from every direction.

The staff handed her the Elegant Luxe products. Lin Xi held them and walked up to the backdrop, striking several poses. The host said, “Media friends, please hurry and take your photos!”

Below the stage, camera flashes had been going off nonstop from the very beginning.

“Lin Xi, over here!”
“Right side, right side!”

Lin Xi had the odd feeling she was walking a red carpet. She tried to accommodate every outlet, pausing for several seconds at each angle and turning nearly a full one-eighty, until her smile was almost stiff from holding it so long.

Fortunately, the host stepped in in time to rescue her. “All right, photo session complete! Please move over, Lin Xi. We have a short interview here.”

The media and fans followed as she moved. Lin Xi had been standing in high heels for ages, constantly keeping herself poised, and now that the interview began, she could finally sit and catch her breath.

The host first asked a few promotional questions related to the brand, and then the tone turned gossipy.

Smiling brightly, she asked Lin Xi, “Since you and Xiu publicly announced your relationship, our shippers and devoted fan moms have been thrilled to bits. But lately, the two of you haven’t been doing much public interaction, and little fans have been shouting at you under your Weibo posts every day. Does Little Xi have anything she’d like to say to the worried fans?”

Lin Xi let out a small laugh, a little shy as she spoke about her relationship in front of the media for the first time. “Well, I’ve been on leave during this period, but I’ve still been pretty busy, and he’s been busy too, so we really haven’t seen each other in a while. But we’ve been chatting and video calling and all that, so everyone can relax.”

Lin Xi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. So this was the suffering of shipping fans? They worried about their favorite couple every moment, taking it more seriously than their own relationships.

“Haha, then our Emperor-Empress shippers can rest easy,” the host said pointedly. “Splendor is still airing right now, and you and Xiu have been hailed by netizens as the most perfectly matched screen couple. I wonder whether there’ll be more joint projects in the future, more sweet moments to send everyone into a frenzy? Can you tell us anything?”

At that, Lin Xi actually considered it for a moment. Xiu had mentioned earlier that he was about to take over Starlight, and she couldn’t give a definite answer. So she could only laugh it off and say, “If there’s a chance, then yes.”

That one line alone was enough to send the fans into a frenzy.

The host asked a few more questions, and the event continued for nearly another forty minutes before finally drawing to a close.

Lin Xi was escorted by staff to a temporary lounge at the venue, where she waited until the crowd had dispersed before leaving.

She had been standing in high heels for a long time, and the soles of her feet ached. Leaning back in a small chair, she rested for a moment.

Click.

The door opened.

Lin Xi assumed it was Mia, but when she turned her head, she saw Lu Yuxiu walk in. She cried out in surprise, “Xiu? What are you doing here?”

Lu Yuxiu was dressed head to toe in black sportswear, wrapped up so tightly he was almost unrecognizable. At that moment, he removed his sunglasses and mask and walked over to her, saying rather helplessly, “What else could I do? My baby is busy every day without touching the ground, and even I, her boyfriend, can barely get a chance to see her. After asking Mia about your schedule, I had no choice but to come barging in myself. Consider it a surprise.”

“What do you mean? Haven’t you been busy at the company lately? I didn’t want to bother you, and I was even thinking of bringing dinner to see you tonight after work. Who knew you’d come here instead?” Lin Xi’s heart was pounding wildly. Her cheeks turned rosy, and she smacked his shoulder lightly.

The two of them clung to each other, all sweetness and no restraint.