He should have been feeling happy, after all.
But he was an emotional person; the warmth on the inside of his wrist hadn’t faded yet, and he had to say goodbye so soon.
Chi Xingyu walked up and hugged Tong Sui tightly, whispering, “Please hold onto my things for me; I’ll be back soon.”
“But…” Tong Sui hesitated, swallowed the words he was about to say, and nodded, “Be safe on the way.”
Tong Sui stood at the crossroads, watching Chi Xingyu get into the car and drive away.
It seemed like just a brief and ordinary farewell.
Yet, he felt that tonight’s wind was particularly cold, chilling enough to make his spine shiver.
Until the car was out of sight, Tong Sui finally returned to the small cabin, his face already red from the cold and still looking as if he hadn’t come to his senses.
By the time dinner was about to be served in the evening, the live stream resumed.
The keen viewers quickly noticed that someone was missing from the dinner table.
— Did he really get arrested?
— No way; I saw the photos of him coming out of the police station. He shouldn’t have been taken in, and the show’s official announcement stated that the police would reveal the outcome.
— Chi Xingyu must have done something wrong since he withdrew from the program.
— Tong Sui looks so scared, he seems exhausted, and there’s no light in his eyes.
— Hahaha, those fans still don’t believe their idol is in trouble; it’s laughable. Being with someone like that is just asking for a beating.
— Can everyone just stay calm and wait for the results to be announced?
Tong Sui barely took a few bites of food before getting up and returning to his room, where he took a shower and sat on the edge of his bed.
He looked at the suitcase tucked in the corner.
As he sat zoning out for a while, he rubbed the inner side of his wrist, the only mark only he could see.
What is Chi Xingyu doing now? Waiting for his flight, or has he already boarded?
With Chi Xingyu’s impulsive and sharp-tongued nature, he despised being dominated by others and often ended up in arguments with family over trivial issues, leading to more irreconcilable situations.
At that moment, Jiang Ziyan pushed the door open and entered; his movements were light, not disturbing the lost-in-thought Tong Sui.
From a distance, he spoke, “Still worried about him?”
Tong Sui jumped at the sudden voice, his eyelashes fluttering as he turned to look at him with a pitiful expression.
“After Chi Xingyu left, we’ll continue recording,” Jiang Ziyan said, “You need to adjust your state of mind.”
Tong Sui softly responded with an “Mm.”
He slowly moved to the table and found himself staring blankly at the blank piece of paper, his thoughts wandering again.
When will Chi Xingyu come back…
Looking down, Tong Sui noticed that the previously blank sheet now bore Chi Xingyu’s name. He quickly crossed it out, scribbled a few words, and discarded it into the mailbox.
During the interview, the production team noticed Tong Sui was out of sorts and purposefully avoided questions about Chi Xingyu, asking him a couple of random questions before letting him go.
When Jiang Ziyan opened the letter, he naturally saw the crossed-out name. His fingers paused, then he leisurely closed it.
When he walked out of the interview room, he didn’t rush upstairs.
Instead, he lit a cigarette he hadn’t smoked in a while and sat in a rattan chair outside the cabin, blending into the night, making it hard to discern his expression.
Behind him, shuffling footsteps approached; Zhong Yi emerged in slippers, startled to see Jiang Ziyan in the corner. “What are you doing here?”
Jiang Ziyan shook the ash off his cigarette.
Zhong Yi sat down and spread his hands, “Give me one.”
Jiang Ziyan tossed him the cigarette and lighter; Zhong Yi lit it and took a puff, saying, “It’s too quiet in the room without that guy; I’m a little unaccustomed.”
Jiang Ziyan replied, “Aren’t you the one who dislikes him?”
“Not really,” Zhong Yi said. “If he weren’t interested in the same person I like, we could probably be friends.”
“Is that so?”
Jiang Ziyan took a drag of his cigarette, “What if the person you like likes him too—”
“Impossible,” Zhong Yi said, inhaling deeply and exhaling the smoke. “He doesn’t compare to me at all.”
Yet, the smoke obscured his eyes, revealing a flicker of insecurity, leaving it unclear whether he was reassuring himself or just being stubborn.
Jiang Ziyan said, “I think so too.”
When the cigarette burnt down to the end, he stood up and tossed the butt into the trash can.
Zhong Yi looked up, “Are you going up?”
Jiang Ziyan said, “Going outside to make a call.”
He stepped outside the cabin, casually turned off his recording device, and stood in a spot where cameras couldn’t catch him, pulling out his phone to make a call.
Zhou Zhe picked up, hesitating, “Mr. Jiang?”
Jiang Ziyan said, “Have Public Relations handle today’s incident; send someone to follow up with the police. Also, notify the Chi family that our collaboration is canceled.”
“What?” Zhou Zhe questioned quietly, unsure if he heard correctly, “Aren’t you quite displeased with that Chi guy?”
Why volunteer to help?
And tearing the relationship with the Chi family would bring no benefit.
Jiang Ziyan opened the letter, looking at the crossed-out name.
“Do as I say.”