twenty two.
The atmosphere in LYRA's president's office was low-pressure.
Xie Sui loosened his tie irritably and slammed his phone down on his desk. The screen remained frozen in his chat with Chu Qingling, a solitary "I'm sorry" with no reply. He sent a few more messages, asking if she was tired from practice, if she'd eaten on time, and even clumsily forwarded a few jokes he found funny, but none of them registered.
Fu Li, Xie Sui's mother, was sitting elegantly on the sofa opposite at this moment. She took a sip of black tea, looked at her son's anxious look, and shook her head helplessly.
"Are you worried now?" Fu Li put down the teacup, her voice gentle but with a hint of reproach, "How did you say those nonsense back in the hospital?"
Xie Sui grabbed a handful of his hair, his handsome face full of regret: "Mom! I was... I was really scared! Fu Xiuming is that lunatic. If Shen Qingrang really gets into trouble, he can tear down LYRA! I..."
"So you can take it out on Lingling?" Fu Li interrupted him, his eyes sharpening. "Xie Sui, what did your father and I teach you? The more pressure you face, the calmer you need to be, and the more you need to cherish the people around you who are truly important! Don't you know what kind of personality Lingling has? He looks cold, but he values feelings more than anyone else! What's the difference between what you said and stabbing him in the heart with a knife?"
Xie Sui was speechless. He knew it all too well. Every time he thought of the look in Chu Qingling's eyes as she left that night, it made his heart ache like a needle. He'd been so overwhelmed by fear and pressure that he'd spoken without thinking. Now he regretted it with a vengeance.
"I tried to coax him..." Xie Sui's voice trailed off, with a rare sense of powerlessness, "but he ignored me completely."
Fu Li sighed. "Coax? Do you think you're still a kid? You can fix it by giving him a candy after stealing it? Xie Sui, Lingling has grown up. He's an adult with his own thoughts and career. You've hurt his trust and sense of security. Once it's broken, it's hard to mend it."
She stood up, walked over to her son, and said in a serious tone, "Remember, LYRA is important, and careers are important, but some people and relationships, once lost, can never be found again. To our family, Lingling has never been just 'LYRA's artist' or 'your childhood playmate.' Think it through."
After Fu Li finished speaking, he left the office, leaving Xie Sui alone to face the silence in the room and the inner torment.
Of course, he knew Chu Qingling was more than just a playmate or entertainer. The little girl who had followed him around since childhood, blushing with anger at his teasing yet secretly helping him when others bullied him, had long since become an indispensable part of his life, woven into his very being. It was just that he had become so accustomed to her presence, so accustomed to her control, that he almost pushed her away.
He picked up his phone again and opened the familiar dialog box. His finger hovered over the screen, but he didn't know what to say. His apology seemed pale, his concern ignored. When had he, Young Master Xie, ever been so cautious and helpless?
Just then, the special assistant knocked on the door and came in to report on his work. He mentioned the invitation from the "Global Super Star" program team, which was about the second ranking release and subsequent recording arrangements.
Xie Sui's eyes moved, and he suddenly had an idea.
He couldn't just sit there anxiously on the other end of the phone, he had to go to the scene.
…
Program recording base.
The second round of ranking release recordings is imminent, and the trainees are busy preparing. In dormitory 401, Wuyou is practicing her speech in front of the mirror, while Ruanxu mutters to herself, praying that her ranking won't be too bad.
Mi Xi noticed that Chu Qingling's phone on the table lit up briefly. It was a notification from the production team about the progress. But he just glanced at it and didn't pick up his phone to check it like everyone else. Instead, he looked at it as if he had seen something insignificant, and his eyes didn't waver at all.
It seems that Xie Sui has not yet found the right "stepping stone".
Mi Xi lowered her eyes, shaking her head inwardly. It seemed the prince had come to his senses a little too late, and the road to redemption was destined to be paved with thorns.
I just wonder, when Xie Sui personally appears at the recording site, will Chu Qingling, this seemingly indestructible piece of ice, show any signs of melting?
It seems that the drama of "chasing wife to the crematorium" is going to be played out in reality for the prince LYRA.
————
Xie Sui's actions were faster than expected.
The next afternoon, the "Swordsman" crew was in the practice room finalizing details, preparing for the upcoming second round of ranking announcements and possible additional testing. During a break in practice, a staff member suddenly walked in carrying an exquisitely packaged cake box.
"Teacher Chu Qingling, is this your... um, express delivery?" The staff member's tone was a little uncertain, and he placed the box on the table beside him.
The cake box was custom-made from a very famous private dessert shop that required reservations long in advance, and it was quite expensive.
Everyone's eyes were focused on him.
Wuyou raised an eyebrow, a hint of anticipation at the show. Ruanxu blinked curiously. Mixi seemed lost in thought.
Chu Qingling looked at the box tied with a silver ribbon, his brows furrowed slightly, his face showing no surprise, only a hint of annoyance. He didn't need to guess who had sent it.
In his past experience, Xie Sui's way of coaxing people was always simple and crude—giving gifts. When he was a child, it was limited edition toys, when he grew up, it was all kinds of luxury goods, and now... it was cake.
He walked over, didn't open it, and just said to the staff: "Please return it for me, or you can divide it up, I don't need it."
The tone was calm, but it carried an unquestionable rejection.
The staff member was a little embarrassed: "This...the other party said that it must be delivered to you."
At this moment, Chu Qingling's phone vibrated. He took it out and saw that it was a message from Xie Sui.
Xie Sui: That's your favorite strawberry cake. When you were a kid, you'd feel better by eating this. Try it and see if it still tastes the same.
It was followed by a somewhat clumsy emoji that was trying to be cute.
Chu Qingling looked at the message, especially the three words "when I was a child", and felt that it was extremely ironic. He was no longer the child who could be coaxed into submission with a piece of strawberry cake.
He didn't reply and just turned off the screen.
The atmosphere in the practice room was a little awkward for a moment.
Wuyou didn't care about that. He walked over and opened the box carelessly. Inside was indeed a cream cake decorated with plump strawberries and in an exquisite shape.
"Wow! It looks good!" Wu You picked up the included plastic knife, cut a piece directly, put it in his mouth, and said vaguely, "Hmm...it tastes okay. Chu Qingling, you really don't want to eat it? If you don't eat it, we will eat it all!"
Ruan Xu also watched eagerly.
Chu Qingling turned around, with his back to the cake, put on his headphones again, and began to practice basic movements, showing his attitude with his actions.
Mi Xi looked at the piece of cake Wu You had carved up, then at Chu Qingling's back, which was noticeably more tense than usual. She knew it. Xie Sui had made a mistake. He was still treating Chu Qingling the way he'd treated his "childhood sister," unaware that the rift had long since been broken, and no amount of sweets could mend it.
However, Xie Sui's "offensive" did not stop.
The next day, the second round of ranking announcements took place. All the trainees gathered in the studio, awaiting the announcement of their fateful rankings. The mentors were already in place, the auditorium was packed, and the atmosphere was tense.
Just before the recording session began, there was a small commotion backstage. The program's director and several executives approached, accompanied by a tall, stern-looking man—it was Xie Sui.
He was wearing a well-tailored dark suit, had a handsome face and a strong aura, and instantly attracted everyone's attention.
"Mr. Xie, why did you come here in person?" the director greeted politely.
Xie Sui's gaze was like a radar, quickly sweeping across the waiting area and landing precisely on the location of the "Swordsman" group. To be more precise, it landed on Chu Qingling, who was wearing a uniform training suit, with his head lowered and his expression unclear.
"Come and see LYRA's artists." Xie Sui's voice was flat, and no emotion could be heard.
But his appearance itself was a strong signal, especially at a time when his relationship with Chu Qingling was tense.
Wuyou nudged Mi Xi beside him with his elbow and lowered his voice: "Tsk, you've caught up to the scene? There's something interesting to watch."
Mi Xi nodded slightly, her eyes falling on Chu Qingling. The moment Xie Sui appeared, Chu Qingling's back stiffened slightly, but he never looked up, as if everything around him had nothing to do with him.
Xie Sui stood there, his jaw tensing slightly as he watched Chu Qingling completely ignore him. He'd thought that by coming in person, he'd at least get a look, even if it was an angry one. But this complete indifference was more painful than any accusation.
The recording officially began, and Xie Sui was invited to a special seat next to the mentors. However, his eyes kept lingering on the cold figure in the audience.
The road to finding a wife is long.
Young Master Xie's awakening came too late, and his methods of coaxing people obviously needed to be updated.
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