Chapter 3 (7)
The VIP lounge was packed with people, all important figures. The eldest son of the Xin family had already gone backstage to prepare. He had played the violin for over a decade and was a well-known figure in the circle.
Yu Meng entered, took a quick glance, and took stock of the situation. Then, with a determined gaze and gentle steps, she walked directly to Mrs. Xin's seat. She leaned over, leaned close to her ear, and whispered a few words with her hands cupped together. Mrs. Xin giggled and repeatedly said "good, good, good"—she was very satisfied with Yu Meng's arrangements.
Yu Meng straightened up and stood aside, smiling. Everyone had seen her relationship with Mrs. Xin; who would dare underestimate her? Yu Meng pulled Haoyu over and introduced him to Mrs. Xin, "My son." Then she said to Haoyu, "Call me Madam." Haoyu dutifully called her Madam. Mrs. Xin complimented him on his spirits, saying nothing more. Too many people were looking for her to talk to.
An elderly woman came in and shook Mrs. Xin's hand. Yu Meng looked down on her; she saw through her pretense. People are like that, flattering the powerful and looking down on the weak. It's a shame the old lady, at her age, still came to take advantage of the excitement. She couldn't bear to be lonely.
"Mom." Haoyu pulled Yu Meng. Yu Meng was too preoccupied with socializing to notice. He pulled her again. Yu Meng turned around and looked at her son in surprise.
Haoyu was gazing into the distance. Following Haoyu's gaze, Yu Meng saw Luan Chengyun's face in the gaps between several heads.
Disgusting! What's going on?! What?! There's a Diliren next to him.
It had to be Yu Jia. It was Yu Jia who gave the ticket to Li Ren, who then brought Luan Chengyun along. They were good brothers.
Luan Chengyun also noticed Yu Meng. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly in a wicked smile.
Yu Meng quickly turned her gaze away. Yes, just like that, just ignore him. As she lowered her head in thought, a pair of black leather shoes appeared before her. She looked up again, and Zu Liang was standing before her. When had he arrived? She hadn't seen him at the door.
Oh, he looks so tired, maybe he just arrived. She was busy greeting the Xin family and didn't notice. Liangcai stood so close that she felt his arm almost touched her auxiliary breast.
No, there's the child. And then there's Luan Chengyun's cunning eyes. She quickly stepped aside.
Di Liren walked over and approached Mr. Xin. But he was beaten to the punch by an elegant middle-aged man. He and Mr. Xin chatted and laughed dryly from time to time. Liren couldn't get a word in, so he could only stand aside, like a clothes hanger. Next to the curtain, Haoyu was together with the girl named Xiqian. Xiqian pointed her mouth towards Yu Meng and said, "Your mother."
Haoyu said yes.
Xi Qian asked again: "The one next to you, is he your dad?" Pointing to Zu Liangcai.
Haoyu denied it. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Why do you feel that way?"
Xi Qian crossed her arms and said, "Just pretend I didn't say anything."
Liangcai looked at Yu Meng with eyes flashing.
Yu Jia hurried in. She was looking for Yu Meng.
Li Ren was a little surprised to see his wife there. Yu Jia didn't notice him and just trotted out after Yu Meng.
Backstage, Yu Meng immediately rummaged through the boxes. "Impossible! I put everything in there myself. They're all finished. How could they be gone?" She searched again and again, but couldn't find anything. Yu Meng rubbed her solar plexus, thinking. He had brought it. He definitely had. How could the young master perform without the sheet music? Was this a complete failure?! Yu Jia, looking anxious, said she'd confirmed the sheet music when she arrived and had even seen it backstage.
I understand. Someone must have sabotaged it. Not the Xin family. But Yu Meng! She had noticed the strange smiles on the faces of the women at the women's club just now at the door. Something was wrong!
No, no, no, no, Yu Meng forced herself to stay calm. She looked at her watch. Twenty minutes left. She had to solve the problem. She had to solve it…
Seeing Yu Jia and Yu Meng fretful, Bai Yuankai approached to inquire about the situation. Jia and Meng could only speak truthfully. Bai Yuankai said, "Why don't you just use my iPad and download the sheet music?" Yu Meng thought that was inappropriate, as turning pages would be inconvenient. As instructed, the entire sheet music should be spread out, with several pages standing upright. "Is there a printing shop nearby?" Yuankai asked the staff. They said there was one in the basement outside the concert hall.
Sixteen minutes left. Yu Meng immediately made arrangements. "Xiaobai, download the music and send it to me. Sister Jia, let's go print it." As she spoke, she began to jog.
Yu Shuang and Yu Rui were bewildered as they saw their two sisters rushing out from the emergency exit. Yu Rui looked back. Jia Hemeng had vanished. She looked around again, but still couldn't find Kang Long.
Yu Shuang pulled her and said, "Don't look at it. It's up to you if you want to."
"Maybe there's something wrong. I'll ask Lao Bai."
"Don't ask!" Yu Shuang was furious. She'd come here to make peace. He was so nice, yet he didn't show up. What did that mean? Was she so unimportant? The next seat was empty. The performance was about to begin. On the stage, the main lights had been turned off. Only the sidelights remained, dimming the entire place to create a sense of atmosphere.
The Xin couple entered the venue, surrounded by a crowd, from the emergency exit. They didn't sit in the front row, but right in the middle. Liren, Chengyun, Liangcai, Haoyu, Han Xiqian, and her father also entered. Haoyu deliberately avoided his father and sat in the back row.
Di Liren and Luan Chengyun's seats were on the right side.
Zu Liangcai walked to the front row and sat down next to Yu Shuang and Yu Rui. Yu Rui inadvertently tilted her head and was so frightened that she almost stood up.
The world is so small. Such an old friend could actually watch a performance from across the table. No wonder, since they all had friendship tickets, they all received special treatment. Liangcai wasn't too surprised to see Yu Rui.
He didn't say anything, holding the performance sheet, moved away - a little bit presbyopic, and read in a low voice, "Butterfly Lovers, Ode to Love, Memorial Song..." Yu Shuang was annoyed by him, looked at Yu Rui, and pinched his nose.
Liangcai brought with him the scent of agarwood, which Yu Shuang was not used to.
Yu Rui felt as if her face was on fire, but luckily the light was dim and it couldn't be seen. Liang Cai was experienced. Seeing that Yu Rui was accompanied by a female companion, he pretended not to know her and concentrated on observing the stage.
When Yu Meng returned, she practically sprinted backstage. Bai Yuankai's opening remarks had already exceeded five minutes, and even Mrs. Xin had to check her watch several times while sitting down. Yu Jia, who lacked exercise, ran backstage, panting.
Yu Meng arranged the music sheet. "Amitabha." Everything was in place, and the Xin family's eldest son prepared to take the stage. Yu Meng stood behind the curtain backstage. The lighting engineer turned on the lights. Bai Yuankai received the signal, made a humorous remark, and left the stage. The performance began.
Seeing Bai Yuankai sweating profusely, Yu Jia quickly handed him a tissue. Yu Meng clasped her hands together and said, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She was so moved that she couldn't help but hug Yuankai.
Bai Yuankai wiped his sweat and said self-deprecatingly, "If you give me two more minutes, I won't know what to say."
The violin blared, the tune of Liang Zhu. The three actors stood silently at the side of the curtain, watching the children's performance. Yu Jia didn't know much about the violin. Yu Meng didn't understand it either, but she still murmured a few words of praise from time to time—she had to pretend to know. Yuan Kai, on the other hand, was completely absorbed in the music.
After the solo, the quartet played. Then the orchestra played. Then another solo. Finally, the orchestra played together. Everything went smoothly. At halftime, the children presented flowers. At the end of the performance, Young Master Xin paid his respects on stage. Yu Meng, on behalf of the family and friends, presented a large bouquet of flowers.
It was over. It was perfect. Yu Meng felt relieved. She had accomplished something important for the Xin family. The Xin family owed her a favor. This was a face and connection that money couldn't buy. She believed that if she showed up this time, everyone, including her ex-husband, would look at her with new eyes.
In the past, she was like a dragon flying in shallow water and a tiger in the plains, but now she shines brightly with just a little show.
Divorce is damn right!
The Xin couple were escorted out of the venue. Yu Meng took the opportunity to say hello. Mrs. Xin grabbed Yu Meng's hand and expressed her gratitude. She then said that she would have to work hard next. Yu Meng quickly said, "Don't worry. I'll take care of it all by myself after the show ends."
Han Xiqian is leaving with her dad. Haoyu says goodbye to her.
"See you back at school." Xi Qian said.
Haoyu made a handsome gesture.
Yu Meng searched for her son. Seeing Haoyu, she ordered, "Go back with your dad first." Haoyu called out, "Mom." He hesitated to speak. Yu Meng was still immersed in the joy of the concert's success. She didn't hesitate. "What's the matter?"
Haoyu pulled her aside.
"What's the matter?" She realized that the problem was a bit serious.
"You and Dad..." He didn't ask any further.
He knew. Did Luan Chengyun tell him? Was he deliberately causing trouble? Taking advantage of someone's misfortune! Luan Chengyun was not a man!
"I'll tell you later." He could only use a delaying tactic.
"It's okay." This was Haoyu's second sentence.
Yu Meng was stunned for a moment. "Let's talk about it later." She still felt that now was not the right time. Luan Chengyun waved over, and Yu Meng quickly turned her back, not looking at him. Haoyu followed his father out.
Yu Jia found Yu Meng and asked if there was anything else. Yu Meng thanked him profusely and told him to leave first, saying there wasn't much to do and to go back and rest, as the past few days had been very tiring. Bai Yuankai greeted the Xin couple and then turned back to Yu Jia, hoping to invite her to film another song.
Li Ren, out of consideration for the audience, also came to the front of the stage, praised Yuan Kai a few words, and praised Yu Meng for her ability.
The concert hall manager called out to Yu Meng. She hurried off to deal with some matters later. Yu Shuang and Yu Rui also got up from their seats and stood aside to talk with Yuan Kai.
As the crowd dispersed, Yu Jia quietly asked her husband, Li Ren, "Did you come with Old Luan?" Yu Jia's implication was that he wasn't aware of Luan's strained relationship with Yu Meng. Yu Jia despised Luan, believing his actions toward Yu Meng to be unkind, including the divorce and the money split. Therefore, she didn't want Li Ren to get too close to Luan Chengyun.
Li Ren said nothing, not even glancing at Yu Jia, as he started to walk out. Yu Jia, not knowing what he said, called out "Old Di." His pace quickened. Yu Jia hurriedly nodded to Yuan Kai, Shuang, and Rui, then followed her husband out.
Yuan Kai hadn't finished speaking yet, wanting to chase Yu Jia for more, but was stopped by Rui and Shuang. "He hasn't shown up yet," Yu Rui couldn't help but speak up for Shuang. She was talking about Kang Long. Yuan Kai understood what she meant and said, "I have to explain this on behalf of Old Kang. There's an emergency today. The boss wants to come, so I have to accompany him. He should be here by now."
Yu Shuang scolded, "What for? To eat chestnuts with him? He came to the concert? He came after it was over?"
"He came to see people, and it was worth it to see people."
Yuan Kai was a real talker. Yu Shuang still felt unsatisfied. She felt this was unfair, that Kang Long didn't respect her. The entire meeting was spent with the violin whistling in her ears, but Yu Shuang didn't hear a single note. Yu Rui's words, Yu Jia's earlier words, Bai Yuankai's words, Kang Long's behavior, and most importantly, her own feelings—she felt that her relationship with Kang Long, including this period of living under the same roof, made her feel uncomfortable because they were about to get married.
The thought of getting married and having to quickly adapt to a man filled Yu Shuang with mental stress and made her pickier. Did she like Kang Long? Honestly, her first impression was positive. He was a good match in every way, and he was a relatively simple person. But she just couldn't decide whether to marry him.
As the three of them were talking, Kang Long, pushing his way in against the flow of people, extended his hand to greet them from a distance. Yu Shuang turned her back and told him to ignore her. Yu Rui helped her turn around. Yuan Kai and Yu Rui exchanged a glance. They understood each other.
It's time to leave. We need to give Shuang and Kang Long some space. Yu Rui pulled Shuang's hand and said, "Let's talk it over." Yu Shuang quickly said, "Don't leave." Yuan Kai walked over to Kang Long and said, "Apologize sincerely."
Kang Long said: "I am not wrong."
Yuan Kai said: "Tell me the truth. Do you like her or not?"
Kang Long said, "I like it." He added, "We are all abandoned children."
Bai Yuankai was a little impatient, "Don't talk about this." He put his hand on his heart, "Ask here, if you like her, then insist, hold on, she's not bad."
Yu Shuang came towards him and headed towards the exit.
Kang Long posted, "Sorry, something really happened."
Yu Shuang said, "It's even."
Kanglong chased.
Yu Shuang stopped and turned around. "I threw something and you were late. We're even."
Kang Long hesitated, "Actually..."
Yu Shuang said, "Don't worry, it's just right that you're here. I have something to tell you." Kang Long said. Yu Shuang waved his arm and said he would go out and talk.
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