Chapter 33 Leaving the coffee shop...

Just as I was leaving the coffee shop, my phone rang.

Huang Shiyu stopped and glanced at the name displayed on the screen. It was a call from Lu Xiao. She hadn't hidden the fact that she was coming to see Zhang Jingyan from Lu Xiao.

So she assumed the caller was trying to find out what was going on, and she answered the call with that in mind.

But it was clear that the other party was in a hurry while waiting for her to connect, so much so that before she could even set up a pretext to keep them on track, they had already seized the initiative in the conversation.

"Are you still in the Lujiazui area?" Lu Xiao asked her after the call connected.

"Hmm, what's wrong?" She was slightly taken aback by Lu Xiao's extremely fast speech.

"Could you take some photos for me at the Lujiazui Sky Corridor? I need to take DouDou to her extracurricular class later, so I won't have time to go."

Hearing her say that, Huang Shiyu immediately understood. Lu Xiao was a die-hard fan of celebrities. When she was in school, her desk was covered with materials about certain celebrities, and she didn't even spare her wall, which was full of posters of her favorite stars, saying that this was her utopia.

In Huang Shiyu's view, Lu Xiao's idol-chasing behavior is actually the same as her admiration for Zhang Jingyan. Both are pursuing their ideal selves and their inner desires in order to satisfy their own needs.

"Which celebrity have you become a fan of this time?" As she said this, she also heard Dou Dou say, "Godmother Yu Yu, when are you coming to see Dou Dou again?" She replied, "When Dou Dou is on vacation, Godmother Yu Yu will take you out to play again."

"They're not celebrities, they're a niche band from abroad. But this band is quite special. Although it was formed overseas, they're all Chinese, and the bassist and lead singer is incredibly handsome." He then changed the subject, "And you'd never guess who the sponsor of this billboard is."

Huang Shiyu remained silent, waiting for Lu Xiao to continue, while she walked to the place Lu Xiao had indicated.

A few people were scattered around the skywalk beneath Lujiazui, not taking photos, but strolling leisurely.

Huang Shiyu thought that the person was neither a tourist nor an office worker, because if they were a tourist, they would definitely be taking pictures of the three-piece set in front of them with their phone, and if they were an office worker, they would be walking briskly, not strolling leisurely like an idle person.

Lu Xiao smiled: "It's Sunac, you didn't expect that, did you?"

At this moment, the sky seemed to awaken from a long dream, gently bathing the buildings and people under the sun, as if they were about to shed tears that had been suppressed for half a lifetime, and giving off a faint glow under the bright sunlight.

"You seem quite interested." She was genuinely surprised that Sunac would be a sponsor. Firstly, Sunac is a medical company, and there are regulations that prohibit artists from endorsing medical products. Secondly, the concert was being held in Canada, not in China. Why would Sunac go to such lengths? She couldn't understand what value this band could bring to Sunac.

As Huang Shiyu approached, the vast expanse of land suddenly felt very close to her.

Mysterious, magical, absurd—these words filled Huang Shiyu's mind. She had little artistic talent and couldn't use sophisticated professional terms like those who studied art or were artists to interpret the scene before her.

In the vast expanse of the ten-mile-long corridor, the three main figures in the photo are mostly dark, and even up close, their facial details are indistinct. It's as if the dark sky of the previous corner, facing the faint sunlight of awakening and the howling cold wind, has been completely absorbed by the huge billboard, making the dark areas appear even darker, or even completely black.

In the upward-facing scenes, its presence is extremely strong.

The absurd idea originated from this.

Dozens of silvery-white threads extended upwards from the fingers of the four people holding musical instruments. With curiosity, she continued to look up. The land was so vast that it was twice her height.

At the top of the silk thread stands a marionette, its head drooping, its eyes hidden by its lowered eyelids, as if it were asleep. A faint smile graces its quiet face, like a sleeping doll displayed in a shop window. It is remarkably lifelike, almost like a real person.

The marionettes, which made up two-thirds of the space, were dazzling, but she didn't find them strange at all. She only felt that there were tens of thousands of threads scattered on each person, buried deep within them. Each person thought they had broken away from the crowd and remained in one place among millions of people, but in fact, their bodies and souls were separate.

"Of course! Did you film it? Let me tell you who the bassist and lead singer is, the one with the long hair, the one who stands out the most." Lu Xiao's smugness was clearly conveyed through the phone.

"Okay, let me see."

Huang Shiyu stared at the figure Lu Xiao had described. The scene was too dark to make out the face clearly, but the half-profile silhouette outlined by the backlighting had smooth and sharp lines, and the dark tone of the scene could not hide the imposing aura.

"How about it? Isn't it handsome?"

As Lu Xiao said this, Huang Shiyu raised her phone, took a step back, and tried to capture everyone in the frame. She took another step back, but before her heel touched the ground, she bumped into the person behind her.

Huang Shiyu was stunned for a moment, then immediately realized what had happened. She turned around, saying "I'm sorry" in her mouth, but the words suddenly stopped when she saw that the person she had bumped into was Li Xingzhou.

Lu Xiao didn't hear her voice for a while, and thinking it was a bad signal, she asked again.

"Yeah, he looks really handsome. I've taken the picture and sent it to your phone. I have to go now." Huang Shiyu didn't explain much to Lu Xiao. After saying what he wanted to say, he hung up the phone.

"Is this the woman you're hunting for today?" Li Xingzhou asked, raising one eyebrow.

Huang Shiyu didn't open her lips, but a short, indistinct "hmm" came from her mouth, more like a breathy sound. After sending the photo to Lu Xiao, she turned off the screen and looked up at Li Xingzhou, as if asking what business he had.

Then she thought that they might be there to inspect the work, after all, the huge plaza behind her was sponsored by Sunac.

"You like this type now?" Li Xingzhou seemed oblivious to her signal, persistently pressing for the answer he wanted.

Huang Shiyu didn't intend to dwell on this topic with him in the middle of the bustling street, and said directly, "Yeah, you're right, you have good taste."

Perhaps sensing the other party's thoughts, Li Xingzhou smiled and said, "Really? You have good taste. The young lady should quite like this type."

It's pitch black, what can she possibly see? And if we're talking about what type she likes, is liking money the right thing to do?

Besides, the incident from this morning was still lingering in her mind, and even though she was a seasoned businesswoman, she couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

She kept her eyes on the other person from the beginning, not only because she wanted to read something from their eyes, but also because there was a reason for looking into people's eyes when speaking.

Huang Shiyu, a person with a strong sense of self-respect, likes to stare into the eyes of others when she talks to them. Even if she is flustered inside, she will remain calm on the surface, giving people a sense of pressure. This is a trick she often uses when doing business and talking to her subordinates.

"You're not a sponsor, so you should have their contact information. Could you please give it to me?"

Her smile was radiant, more beautiful than plum blossoms blooming in the dead of winter.

Huang Shiyu looked into the other person's eyes, and for once, a mischievous thought arose in her mind to tease him. However, after she finished speaking, she couldn't see any meaning in Li Xingzhou's eyes, which were as still as a deep pool.

After a moment, Li Xingzhou chuckled softly, his dark eyes glancing at the billboard behind her before moving back to her face.

"Send me the financing plan tomorrow morning," Li Xingzhou suddenly said seriously.

Huang Shiyu was clearly caught off guard by the other party's actions, but she still said naturally, "You didn't give me a specific time today, you just said that I would send it to you after I revised it."

“You’re quite free, so why don’t you stay up all night to finish this?” His tone was full of reason and justification.

"Staying up late reduces one's perception of things, which in turn leads to a decrease in accuracy," Huang Shiyu argued.

“That’s easy. I can help you with the selection process. You’re welcome to come to me anytime.” Li Xingzhou looked down at her, his gaze filled with an indescribable tenderness, yet his tone remained serious.

It makes you want to peel back this layer and see the brilliance inside.

"OK."

This was the first time Li Xingzhou had seen Huang Shiyu not reject him. In their few encounters since their reunion, she had tried to stay far away from him, as if she were afraid of having any connection with him, as if the air around her would be polluted. This Huang Shiyu, however, surprised him quite a bit.

They were flattered and overwhelmed.

Li Xingzhou laughed: "Where are we going now?"

"go back."

It has to be said that Li Xingzhou's smile was incredibly beautiful, completely different from his usual smiles. His previous smiles were too fake, like an unrealistic puppet controlled and coordinated for the public. Now, his genuine smile was fully revealed, stirring up waves in her heart.

"Get in the car, I want to go back too."

The rain never came, and she didn't notice that something was quietly changing.

After getting on the bus, Li Xingzhou asked if she was cold. She said no, and Li Xingzhou nodded to indicate that he understood. He then stopped talking, and their conversation came to an end.

She sat in the passenger seat, watching the car drive out of Lujiazui and away from the towering buildings, wondering how many times she had ridden in Li Xingzhou's car and how many times she had sat in his passenger seat.

People tend to overthink when they have free time, but thankfully the ringing of the phone stopped her from continuing to think about it. She gave up, and she originally wanted to give up answering the call, but she answered it anyway because of Li Xingzhou's gaze.

"Xiaoyu, have you been busy with work lately? Are you under a lot of pressure?" Her mother, Ms. Tong, spoke with an indescribable tone of intimacy, but Huang Shiyu was clearly used to similar opening remarks, and this time she showed no emotion.

She replied that it was alright, and then said, "Mom, just tell me what's on your mind. If it's about Yang Hengyu's job, I already made it very clear last time."

The meaning is clear: there's no room for discussion about this matter, so don't bring it up. She hasn't told her mother about the company, and she doesn't want to; it's pointless.

Whether she says it or not, this is how she's gotten to where she is. Call her proud if you will, but she doesn't dare to tell people about her vulnerable side. She's afraid that if she does, all those countless emotions will overwhelm her, she won't be able to get up, and she'll want to retreat. So she doesn't dare.

“It’s not about Hengyu’s work. Why don’t you come to Mom’s for Chinese New Year this year? It’ll be a good opportunity to celebrate your brother’s birthday together.”

Fearing that Huang Shiyu would refuse, she added, "Don't you love Mom's scrambled eggs with tomatoes the most? Mom will make it for you when we go home."

I remember when you were little, whenever Mom made this dish, you could eat two bowls of rice every time. Back then, Mom thought she would make scrambled eggs with tomatoes for Xiaoyu for the rest of her life…”

"I don't remember," Huang Shiyu interrupted promptly, taking a deep breath. "I'll go back for the New Year."

"Okay, okay."

After saying goodbye, Huang Shiyu hung up the phone. She stared at the screen, which showed that the call had lasted one and a half minutes, and forced a bitter smile.

Her mother clearly wanted to use this gradual, emotional approach to rekindle their mother-daughter bond, but it didn't work on Huang Shiyu at all. She didn't like scrambled eggs with tomatoes; it was just that her family was poor when she was little, and it was the best dish she could eat. That was all. Besides, things had changed, and it wouldn't taste the same as it did back then.

After she ended the phone call, the car returned to its previous quiet.

His gaze was fixed on the vehicle ahead, his peripheral vision glancing almost imperceptibly to the right. The glaring, sticky sunlight flashing past the car window was too blinding, but he still wanted to see Huang Shiyu's expression.

He knew some things about her past and that her mother had remarried. She wasn't very happy during that time, but the topic was too sensitive, so he chose not to mention it.

"Do you need to open a window?" Li Xingzhou glanced at her.

"unnecessary."

"Would you like some candy? It's right to your left."

"Need not."

"Should we...?"

"What do you want to say?" Huang Shiyu originally thought Li Xingzhou was just being polite, but later she found out that it wasn't what she thought. However, she was also confused about what the other party wanted to do.

"No, I just noticed you seemed down and wanted to talk to you." The quieter the car was, the clearer and more unsettling Li Xingzhou's words were, his presence felt incredibly strong.

"Is that how you talk to people? Only I can stand this kind of back-and-forth conversation. Any other girl would have been scared away long ago."

Huang Shiyu rolled the word "bored" around in his mouth, trying to put it in a more tactful way, but it didn't seem to make much better.

Moreover, at this moment, her heart felt warm because of those words, as if the sunlight outside the window poured in and soaked her body without leaving a trace, like soaking in a hot spring, enveloping her whole body.

"How should I bring it up? Should we talk about something you're interested in?"

"Tell me about yourself."

Li Xingzhou asked with a slight smile, "What do you want to hear?"

Seeing that he seemed to be in a good mood, Huang Shiyu was unsure what to ask, but then she suddenly remembered what Zhang Jingyan had mentioned earlier. However, Zhang Jingyan had only touched on the subject briefly, and the rumors and reports were vague, making it impossible to find out the details.

She only hesitated for a few seconds before asking what was on her mind: "The renowned angel investor, Ms. Zhang Jingyan, talked about your rise to fame at KKR and praised you as a smart person."

She observed the other person's expression; those eyes were calmly staring straight ahead. Without hesitation, she continued, "When you graduated, you didn't choose to return to Shenzhen-Hong Kong, but instead chose to join KKR. Wasn't that a plan you had already made? You already saw KKR as a springboard back then, am I right?"

KKR is a globally renowned private equity firm, one of the world's top four PE giants, and ranked first in the 2022 global PEI investor list. It has also maintained its position among the top three globally in the past few years, so it is no exaggeration to call it a world-class private equity firm.

Moreover, KKR places great emphasis on the combination of international and local perspectives. Their corporate culture emphasizes both an international vision and a local team. This combination has helped KKR achieve unique success in many markets and has created many ultra-high-net-worth clients.

Back then, the internet was flooded with rumors that Li Xingzhou was just there to gain internship experience, and that getting an internship at KKR was just a matter of his father's word. Even if he didn't go to KKR, he had plenty of world-class companies to choose from.

However, online opinions tend to be blindly followed; people simply parrot what others say. When typing each word, they never care about whether it is true or not; they just follow the crowd.

Perhaps it's because he's too low-key that he's never paid attention to these false news reports online. His attitude is that he doesn't care and doesn't care. After all, public opinion can only be silenced temporarily, and improper handling can even arouse public anger.

Moreover, the internet has no memory. Once another news story appears, no one will remember this flawed news story anymore; people will turn their attention to other things.

"And what about you? What do you think of me?" Li Xingzhou asked her.

"You're quite cunning." When asked this question, the word "cunning" immediately came to Huang Shiyu's mind.

Being cunning isn't bad; on the contrary, it means seeing things clearly, weighing the causes and effects and various factors in one's mind, and ultimately being adept at using deception to appear genuine and responding to all changes with constancy in order to achieve one's desired goals.

“Cunning, I like that word,” he said slowly, as if he were chewing the word over in his mouth before spitting it out.

The next topic was naturally of interest to Huang Shiyu: "My internship was a long time ago, many years ago. Back then, I was handling a debt restructuring case for a medical company."

"KKR was willing to invest in this healthcare company because it saw the business opportunities it presented. However, due to some objective factors, coupled with labor shortages caused by the pandemic and the prohibition of a series of healthcare reform measures, KKR realized that the healthcare company was no longer viable, could not continue to adapt to market demands, and could not continue to bear its current high leverage. Therefore, it had no choice but to restructure its debt."

As Huang Shiyu followed his words, he began to think about the oppressive situation that the medical company later faced. After the restructuring plan was implemented, the CEO resigned, and this once-prosperous medical company had no choice but to accept being split up. Fortunately, 60% of the debt could be forgiven.

Even though I knew the ending, I went through it in my mind again, and I couldn't help but feel a little melancholy. Perhaps it was out of sympathy for these similar yet different fates, and a sense of desolation washed over me.

"So even after taking on this restructuring case, you didn't forget to balance work and rest." In this high spirit, she didn't remain silent, but instead asked him jokingly.

"I call this high efficiency. I only focus on goals that are beneficial to myself. I don't eat when it's mealtime. There's a saying online, oh, it's, 'If you're not proactive in eating, there's something wrong with your thinking.' Besides, they're not even worth my attention." Clearly, the last sentence is the key point.

"The Chinese people who interned with me were not unsuccessful; on the contrary, they were all top students who graduated from prestigious universities. They just lacked the courage to take a do-or-die approach. In fact, the solution was very simple. I simply took advantage of the loophole in the contract, namely the loophole in the subsidiary's assets, and made them provide loans separately before bankruptcy."

"Is it okay for you to offer two tiers like this?" Huang Shiyu asked, clearly puzzled and curious.

“The principle is very simple.” Li Xingzhou didn’t keep anyone in suspense. He smiled and continued, “The reason why a debt restructuring agreement could be reached and these people could compromise is mainly because these creditors are unsecured creditors. They only have two choices in front of them: one is to accept bankruptcy and lose everything, and the other is to accept debt restructuring. It’s clear which one to choose. After all, the business world is never short of smart people.”

Actually, there are plenty of smart people in this industry. You can pick any one of them and they're all incredibly shrewd and intelligent. Besides being smart, they also need to be meticulous and have a high sensitivity to numbers.

“Competition in the business world is fierce. Even the best companies in an industry face too much uncertainty and instability when facing changes in the market environment and unpredictable future competition. If a company cannot immediately adjust its innovation and strategies according to market changes, it can only accept the fate of withering away in this era.”

Her series of insights seem to come from the perspective of this company, or perhaps from the perspective of the industry: those who do not accept new challenges and novel ideas will be eliminated by the times.

"Let's talk about yourself." Li Xingzhou paused, then said, "Let's talk about how you've been these past few years?"

No amount of online rumors can compare to me being here with you, telling you what I've seen and heard over the years, especially considering the eight-year gap.

Huang Shiyu was taken aback: "There's nothing to talk about. Haven't you already seen all the bad aspects? The good aspects are like the dark side of things—rare and hard to see."

Li Xingzhou kept his eyes on the front, but his gaze lingered on the rearview mirror. He looked at Huang Shiyu in the small mirror; her face was as white as jade and dazzlingly bright.

Like cutting and polishing jade, like carving and grinding stone.

This idiom comes from the poem "Qi Ao" in the Book of Songs, specifically the section "Wei Feng". Li Xingzhou first encountered this idiom in a school classroom, and now he feels that it is very suitable to describe Huang Shiyu.

Her composure and calmness are the result of being tempered by time and storms. This rough gem has now shed a layer of skin. The once reserved and gentle girl has grown into a strong tree that can shelter her from the wind and rain. However, it is cruel because finance itself is a place of fame and fortune. It is already very impressive that a girl like her with no background has been able to break through the limitations of her original family and get to where she is.

“You’ve changed a lot.” His tone was more like an exclamation.

"People rarely stay the same, unless they are carefree." For some reason, she couldn't help but think of Xiang Zhinan, and the vibrant youthful spirit he exuded. She looked out the window at the rows of sycamore trees, their branches almost bare of leaves, like upside-down brooms. Indeed, not only people, but even trees cannot escape the process of having their edges smoothed out.

But she knew this was a law of nature, and it was irreversible.

Just then, as she was staring blankly at the row of sycamore trees, Li Xingzhou's phone rang.

"Is something wrong that you're calling at this hour?"

Huang Shiyu's gaze flickered for a moment as she looked out the window, but she didn't turn her head to look away. Instead, she continued to look at the sycamore tree outside the window, choosing to eavesdrop openly and quietly.

"Do I need to consult the auspicious day to call you, President Li? I can call whenever I want."

Because it was played out loud, Xiang Zhinan's arrogant voice on the other end of the phone cut directly into the space where even the slightest heavy breathing could be immediately detected. Hearing this extremely irritating voice, Huang Shiyu could imagine Xiang Zhinan's bluffing manner on the other end, and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Hmm, you're actually laughing at me? No, it sounds like a woman's voice. Is someone next to you?"

Huang Shiyu's smile froze instantly, but her gaze remained fixed on the window as before, as if she hadn't heard anything. However, her eyes, which were looking into the distance, also fell on the piercing gaze reflected in the glass window.

Perhaps it was because of the glass barrier, but Li Xingzhou's eyes seemed veiled in mist, a mist tinged with ink. Just as she was slightly distracted by those beautiful peach blossom eyes, Li Xingzhou suddenly smiled at her. The smile didn't seem very deep to her, but combined with Xiang Zhinan's incessant questioning, the two made her feel somewhat awkward. For some reason, she felt this was like a clichéd scene from a melodramatic soap opera.

Before she could fully focus on this and start daydreaming, she heard Li Xingzhou casually say, "Who do you think you are, some kind of Sherlock Holmes cosplaying? If you have something to say, say it quickly, or just leave it at that."

"Me? I do cosplay?" Xiang Zhinan was clearly unhappy. "I haven't even said anything about you yet..."

Li Xingzhou had a gut feeling that what he was about to say wouldn't be what he wanted to hear. He frowned slightly and interrupted him directly: "Get to the point. You're not allowed to wait three minutes."

"It's just that I'm a little short on cash lately," Xiang Zhinan explained. "You know I'm running a racing club, and I'm so short on food that I can barely afford to eat. You can't just stand by and watch me die, or I'll have to go begging on the streets with your ancestors."

Huang Shiyu listened to Xiang Zhinan's rambling and couldn't help but laugh and cry. She really didn't expect that someone as wealthy as Xiang Zhinan would ever be unable to afford food. He must still be having a fight with Xiang Wan. She hadn't forgotten the time when Xiang Wan traveled all the way from the United States to come here to chase after her brother.

"Hmm." Li Xingzhou didn't answer but asked in return, "But I remember I just gave you some money for investment last time, wasn't your racing club made of gold?"

"Don't even mention it, it's all been spent on cars. You know my only hobby is buying cars..."

He not only knew that Xiang Zhinan spent all his money on cars, especially the latest sports cars, and always ended up penniless, even though his family gave him a lot of pocket money every month.

"You've bought way too many." Is it really necessary to spend all the money on buying cars just to start a racing club? Whether they can even break even is another matter. He was genuinely worried about Xiang Zhinan, fearing that he might end up losing everything.

"Hey, this is just some preliminary preparation work I've done."

He told Li Xingzhou to feel free to invest money in the club as he had last time. This time, he would prepare a business plan for him to review and would strictly follow it, ensuring that he wouldn't spend money recklessly like he had this time.

In fact, this amount of money was just a drop in the ocean for Li Xingzhou. His main concern was that he didn't quite trust Xiang Zhinan's management skills. He hadn't forgotten that this person was only enthusiastic about things for a short time, even when he liked someone or was dating. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had so many exes that he could form a racing team.

That's why he told Xiang Zhinan that he wouldn't use the company's name to subsidize him, but rather his personal money; otherwise, the shareholders would have objections if the money went down the drain.

After waiting for a long time, seeing that there was no response from the other side, Xiang Zhinan quickly used his trump card for the day, "Ancestor, hurry up and yell at your father, and ask him to have pity on us two lonely old people who depend on each other for survival."

Huang Shiyu had been listening quietly when she heard a loud and energetic meow. She was startled. The meow gave her a strange sense of familiarity, as if she had heard it hundreds of times before. Then she made a bold guess.

Could it be the cat that she and Li Xingzhou picked up back then?

It shouldn't be. So many years have passed; they're probably not alive anymore. She had read related papers before, and the highest mortality rate for adult cats is between the ages of thirteen and fourteen. If they were still alive, they would probably be old, weak, sick, or disabled by now. The meow of that cat just now sounded very energetic, so it probably wasn't.

"Look, it's calling! Help me, please! Help me, little boat!"

Li Xingzhou sighed, clearly speechless. "Don't talk to me in that sweet, coquettish voice. That trick doesn't work on me."

"How could it not work? My older sister said that a man's luck is best when he knows how to be charming." Xiang Zhinan said without batting an eye, making up a story with perfect logic. "Please help me, Xiao Zhouzhou~ Just this once~"

Li Xingzhou thought to himself, "You really have no shame in trying to make yourself look good. Have some shame!" Then, he glanced at Huang Shiyu's silly, half-smiling expression out of the corner of his eye and was speechless. "Card number."

"I knew you wouldn't just stand by and watch me die, you're the best, Xiao Zhouzhou~"

Li Xingzhou: "..." Is this guy crazy? If he can't speak properly, he should just shut up!

He said expressionlessly, "I'll transfer the money to you later. This payment will be credited to Sister Xiang Wan. That's all, I'm hanging up."

Xiang Zhinan was completely dumbfounded: "No..."

But Li Xingzhou didn't give him a chance to speak again, leaving him only with the end-of-call screen.

Good grief, even trying to appeal to family ties with a cat didn't work. Li Xingzhou is really ruthless.

Xiang Zhinan looked down at the cat that was circling around him and rubbing against his legs. He looked at its round head and its smooth, waxy fur. He squatted down and scooped it up. "Mimi, what should we do? What should we do? You won't be able to eat extra-large sausages anymore. You'll only have small ones."

Since cats can't speak, they couldn't answer him, and Xiang Zhinan could only get a few clear meows in return.

He clung to the cat, stroking its head and tapping its nose, his eyes filled with melancholy. He had originally planned to use the emperor to command the princes, but who would have thought he would lose himself in the process? "Ah, I should have known better than to call your heartless father. If my older sister finds out, I'm doomed."

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Author's Note: Just a little plug~

I've written another caption, this one's sweet and sour. If you're interested, you can check out my column and give me a like!

This is the band mentioned in the article.

My next novel will likely be a complete draft of either "Children of the Island" or "Wait Five Minutes".