Chapter 57 Chapter 57
"Happy birthday," Lia whispered softly, standing before Quan Zhilong. "Thank you." Her tone was cold, as if she were just going through the motions. He expressed his dissatisfaction with her without hesitation. Her fingers unconsciously clenched the strap of her bag.
"Oh, yes, these are gifts." She hurriedly put down her bag and prepared to take out the wrapped shoes. He glanced at her calmly. "Put it there," he nodded with his chin to the pile of gifts in front of him.
"......Okay." She carefully carried the things and put them into the pile of gifts. When she turned around, he was still looking at her quietly. Lia licked her dry lips. "......Home,
"Where's Jiahu?" She raised the corner of her mouth, trying to make her expression look more natural. "Aren't we together today? It's been a long time since we last met, I miss him a little." She smiled awkwardly. Silence.
The surroundings were clearly noisy, but in the small space between them, silence clung to the air. After a long pause, he finally spoke. "Nothing else?" Lia lowered her eyes.
"I'm sorry." She heard her own dry apology. "..." He suddenly stood up. His face was expressionless, but he exuded a coldness. It was strange, she clearly remembered the way he smiled.
But this moment felt incredibly strange. "Jiahu's at my sister's. I haven't had time to take care of him lately," he casually said, leaving her alone and walking away. ... Embarrassed. She felt incredibly embarrassed.
The strands of hair on her forehead were damp with sweat from running, now sticking to her skin, sticky and unseemly. She looked down at her fingertips, which were honestly trembling slightly from the intense exercise she had just done.
She took a long breath and smoothed her expression. The soreness in her chest seemed to spread. She smiled slightly, raised her head, and quietly stepped aside. No one noticed what was happening in this corner. From a distance,
They were just having a normal conversation. She pulled out her phone and checked the time. It was 12:37 AM. It was her fault. Turning around, she saw Quan Zhilong standing at the bar in the distance, surrounded by a group of people.
Park Sandara said something, and he smiled and leaned forward to listen, then raised his glass and touched the wine in her hand. He looked very relaxed and in a very good mood, as if he was born to be in this noisy environment.
The light enveloped him in a soft, warm glow. A smile crossed his eyes as he spoke softly, as if his momentary indifference had nothing to do with her. … "Lia—" Finally, someone called her. —She was saved.
She thought to herself, letting out a sigh of relief. Lia turned around. Gummy, sitting not far away, waved at her. "Why are you standing there? Want something to eat?" She then called for the waiter beside her to bring a new set of tableware to the vacant seat.
Lia obediently walked forward and sat down. "Thank you, senior." She was a little reserved. "I just ate, so I'm not hungry right now." "It's okay, have some dessert. This chestnut cake is good."
Gummy asked for a corner of the chestnut cake. Lia nodded gratefully and picked up her fork. The cake was soft and moist, coated in the light, sweet aroma of buttercream.
The delicate chestnut puree slowly melted on the tip of the tongue, accompanied by a light caramel aroma, gently exploding in the mouth. "It's really delicious." "Of course, I'm picky." Gummy raised an eyebrow and joked.
"By the way," she suddenly seemed to remember something, "Although it's a bit presumptuous, I have already informed the company. I'm not asking you to take the job privately-" Lia raised her eyes, a little surprised.
Gummy chuckled softly. "Well, there's a problem with a TV series right before it airs. The original OST song suddenly withdrew the license. It seems there was a problem with the contract... The producer is my friend, and they're really worried, so they asked me to ask around for suitable songs."
As she spoke, she took a sip from the water glass on the table. "The play itself is good, and if they can find a replacement song quickly, they'd be willing to use a new artist. If you happen to have a suitable piece, you could send me one or two and give it a try."
Lia was a bit surprised. She'd thought it was just a casual exchange, but Gummy had actually thrown her a curveball. "Do they have any specific requirements for the style of the music?" she asked after a moment's thought.
Gummy nodded. "It has to be a little sad. There aren't many restrictions on the rest." As she spoke, she took the napkin from the table and asked for a fountain pen. She wrote an email address on it and handed it to Lia.
"Just send it here. If they are really selected, they will go through the formal process through the company." As she said this, she picked up a napkin from the table, asked the waiter for a fountain pen, and wrote the email address on it.
Lia took the tissue and looked up at her. "Don't you need to try it first?"
"No need. Those guys think highly of you." She nodded slightly at Kush who was not far away. "I've also seen your adaptation on the show. It's quite thoughtful."
She said gently: "Don't feel too burdened, I'm just helping a friend out in an emergency. In the end, it's up to them to decide whether to use it or not." Lia replied softly: "Thank you, senior." Gummy nodded and said nothing more.
Not far away, Quan Zhilong glanced at her from afar. His fingers unconsciously rubbed the rim of the cup. She lowered her head, as if aware of something. He turned, raised his cup, smiled at the person beside him, and then walked slowly towards the bathroom.
Lia hesitated for a moment. "I'm going to the bathroom." She stood up and said to Gummy. ... "What are you looking at?" Someone suddenly spoke up. "Looking at something interesting."
Lee Joo Hyuk answered with a smile, his eyes still fixed on the distance. The man followed his gaze and looked—but saw nothing. He couldn't help scratching his head, looking confused. Lee Joo Hyuk raised his eyebrows and took a sip of the wine in his glass.
There was a narrow side corridor leading to the restroom, a backup passage left near the vent. The entrance was hidden behind the wall, only noticeable when approaching. The air smelled faintly of alcohol and disinfectant.
Cui Ta was leaning against the wall, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a cigarette. "Are you feeling down?" "No," Quan Zhilong's voice rang out. Lia stopped and stood about four or five meters away from the voice.
A warm yellow light bulb hung from the ceiling, casting a shadow on the tip of her shoe, outlining a small, hazy circle. "That was a bit too much for the little girl." Treita took a deep breath and exhaled a puff of smoke. "What did I do?"
Quan Zhilong's tone sounded a little irritated. Cui Ta didn't answer immediately. After a while, he said slowly, "Don't you like her?" Lia froze. She instinctively wanted to retreat.
But his feet seemed nailed to the spot, motionless. Silence. After a moment, Quan Zhilong finally spoke. "...Oh, I don't like it." His voice was soft and a little nonchalant.
Cui Ta flicked the ash from her cigarette and glanced at him, as if about to say something, but ultimately remained silent. The next second, Quan Zhilong looked up at the entrance to the hallway. It was empty.
Lia took a step back and bumped into something behind her. She turned around and saw Lee Joo Hyuk standing behind her, looking embarrassed. He subconsciously touched his nose and mouthed, "Sorry."
Then he raised his hand and pointed in the direction of the restroom ahead, as if to explain that his appearance was purely coincidental. Lia shook her head gently, indicating that she was fine. Then she lowered her eyes, stepped around him, and walked out.
Her heart was beating with an abnormal intensity, as if it was about to burst out of her chest. Other than that, there was nothing unusual. No sadness. No desire to cry. She walked slowly back to the restaurant. The noise was so loud it gave her a headache.
"Is there a back door?" she asked the waiter standing in the corner, "I want to get some fresh air." The other nodded and enthusiastically pointed her to the way. ... "Huh—" Lia pushed open the door and let out a heavy breath.
The restaurant's back door faced a quiet side street. The night breeze blew through the alley, bringing a rare coolness on a midsummer night. Neon lights shone through from the street corner, casting mottled colors on a small puddle not far away.
She walked a few steps outside and stood on a stone staircase by the roadside, staring blankly at the puddle. Behind her, Lee Joo Hyuk gently pushed the door open and walked out. The door clicked shut. He didn't say anything, just stood there, watching her standing there quietly.
The next second, she suddenly squatted down slowly, her arms wrapped around her knees, her head lowered, and her shoulders hunched slightly. He subconsciously touched the pack of tissues he had just taken from the table and hesitated for a moment. "Um...are you okay-"
He couldn't finish his words. It wasn't the image of a young girl weeping as he'd imagined. The person before him was clutching a fountain pen, her hair slightly dishevelled, her expression focused, as if she were holding her breath to capture inspiration. She was writing furiously on a napkin she'd picked up.
Musical notes, lyrics. The handwriting was messy yet orderly. It was as if something was flowing rapidly through her mind, and she had to catch it before it dissipated. Li Zhuhe was stunned, staring blankly at her as she buried her head in writing. After a long while, she finally put down her pen.
"Sorry," she looked up, as if she had just realized his presence, "I'm afraid my inspiration will disappear, so I have to finish it in one go." Then she waved the napkin in her hand at him.
In the dim light, her eyes still held the brightness of inspiration. He couldn't help but laugh. In a way, she really looked like that guy. "It's okay," he whispered.
Lia lowered her head, folded the napkin, and put it back in her pocket along with the pen. She put her hands on her knees and prepared to stand. "Ah...!" She cried out, nearly falling back to her original position.
He was startled and was about to reach out for her when she suddenly regained her footing. "I was kidding." She blinked. "How could my legs go numb in just a short while?" She clapped her hands and walked towards the restaurant.
"That's even." Lee Joo Hyuk was startled, suddenly realizing she was talking about what he had overheard outside the bathroom. As she was about to walk through the door, he spoke in a strange voice. "Want to exchange contact information?"
The girl turned around, a look of confusion on her face. "I say," her voice fell into the quiet night, "are you really not going to use honorifics? From the first time we met."
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