Luo Xiaoxi moved back home since that day.
Miraculously, she felt as if her entire being had calmed down the moment she was home.
She had slowly let go of her hatred against Qin Wei, though she still had no wish to see Qin Wei’s face ever again; whenever her father mentioned about having Qin Wei over at the house as their guest, she would firmly reject the idea. Qin Wei never came by.
On the other hand, her yearning for Su Yicheng had morphed into something else: an emotion suppressed and hidden within the depths of her heart. Although that emotion would still come out from time to time, throwing her into a daze, it no longer affected her daily life.
The saying was right after all, “Home is your safe haven. No matter what happens, you’ll feel alright again after coming home.”
It was also during this time that Luo Xiaoxi had become more caring. She noticed the sure signs of age in her parents. But in their eyes, she was still their little child who had yet to grow up; they were still fussing and worrying about her constantly.
Luo Xiaoxi deeply regretted her rebellious years. She would still crack jokes on occasions, though, “Lao Luo, I’ve had dinner with you, so you have to give me some pocket money.”
Then she would use the money to buy things for her mom and dad. Her father had sleep issues, so she bought a special sleep-aiding pillow for him. Her mother was p.r.o.ne to having cold feet, so she had someone install a foot tub at the house. She even got a prescription from the traditional Chinese doctor that Su Jianan had consulted with last time. She brought the medicine home and used it to prepare a nice foot bath for her mother.
She was rewarded with the happy smile on her parents’ faces for all she had done. Although she was put on a smiling face, deep down, her heart was stinging as if someone had spilled an entire tank of vinegar in her heart.
So her parents did not expect much from her after all. After all the hard work they had poured into her upbringing, they were contented with something as simple as having their daughter buy things for them using their own money.
Worse, Luo Xiaoxi had never once considered doing these things for her parents in the past. She had always thought it was unnecessary considering how rich her parents were: if there was something they wanted, they could either buy it on their own or have someone else buy it for them if they were too lazy to be bothered.
Only now did she understand one thing— some things were only meaningful when done with your own two hands.
Chairman Luo’s mood had noticeably improved these days. He would sing the praises of his daughter to anyone he met, saying that his precious daughter had finally grown up into a sensible lady. A few of his old friends mocked him jokingly, “Hey, Lao Luo, isn’t your precious daughter already 24 years old? You mean to say that she’s only grown up now?”
“Haha.” Lao Luo just laughed in response, the crinkles in his eyes held nothing but joy. “I was willing to pamper and spoil my daughter until she only grows up at 24. How about that!”
Luo Xiaoxi was surprised to hear such words from her father. Chuckling, she hugged her father, “Lao Luo. Now that I’m earning my own money, I’ll be a good daughter to you from now on!”
She was indeed earning her own money. Ever since getting her act back together, Luo Xiaoxi had been doing photo shoots for a several magazines. After the release of those magazines, she had been slowly getting more jobs as well; sometimes, she would work late into the night before going home, and that was after Candy had rejected quite a few job offers.
In any case, the name “Luo Xiaoxi” was slowly becoming famous within the modelling circle. The number of her tweet followers had gone from thousands to ten thousands.
Simply put, Luo Xiaoxi was becoming a big hit.
Lu Boyan had mentioned to her before about the Top Model show organized by a TV station. Candy had been trying to secure Luo Xiaoxi’s partic.i.p.ation all this while. But now, Candy no longer had to use her connections to negotiate a deal with the TV station; the organizers themselves had sent an invitation to officially invite Luo Xiaoxi to be a part of the show.
The show’s director thought that there was something special about Luo Xiaoxi and was convinced that Luo Xiaoxi would shine on catwalk.
Luo Xiaoxi could potentially boost the number of viewers of the show. At the same time, the show was a platform that Luo Xiaoxi could use to boost her popularity. In other words, it was a win-win situation.
“Xiaoxi, what do you think?” Candy asked. “Are you going to join the show? If you perform well, you will definitely become popular after the show’s screening. Even if you don’t become popular overnight, we can still slowly work our way to that point. One thing’s for sure though. This show will push you into the limelight.”
“I’ll join!” Luo Xiaoxi said. She was still clad in her workout tank top and was sitting on the floor. She reached out and flicked the invitation letter. “I’ll never know what fate has in store for me if I never try, right?”
Candy replied the show organizers, confirming Luo Xiaoxi’s partic.i.p.ation in the show. All of a sudden, Candy remembered something else. “By the way, the show’s biggest sponsor is Cheng An Group.”
“…” Luo Xiaoxi felt a bit glad, but she also felt a little worried at the same time.
She was glad because this was a way for her to reconnect with Su Yicheng and worried because this work relationship might be all she ever had with him.
Two days later, the organizers held a small party and had invited all partic.i.p.ating models as well as all sponsors. Apparently, the organizers thought it was a good idea for the partic.i.p.ants to familiarize themselves with each other and with the sponsors. Of course, the invitee were given a choice whether or not to attend.
Luo Xiaoxi was hesitating over her decision to attend.
What would she do if she ran into Su Yicheng there? But it would seem rather silly to give up such a good opportunity to see him again.
She never saw him again after that night. She kept count: it had been 27 days since then.
“Xiaoxi, just go.” Candy nudged her and then went on, “You still have so many days ahead of you, and you’re best friends with his younger sister. Like it or not, you’re bound to run into him in the future. Also, he never mentioned that he doesn’t want you anymore. You’re the only one who came to that conclusion. How can you be so sure that you’ve lost your chance?”
The truth of it hit Luo Xiaoxi like a truck. She came to a decision, “Fine, I’ll go!”
She put on a conventional dress, did her makeup, and prettied up her long curly hair. After that, Luo Xiaoxi showed up at the medium-sized but immaculately decorated banquet hall.
She followed Candy when the latter brought her to meet the show’s director and a.s.sistant director. After that, they met up with other partic.i.p.ants.
The acting skills of everyone were not too shabby; they greeted each other as if they were long lost sisters despite the fact that they barely knew each other and the fact that they were about to become compet.i.tors.
Any lady who could enter Top Model naturally had a good figure. All of them were tall and luscious. Their clothes revealed just enough skin to turn heads and kick other people’s fantasies into overdrive. Their clothes were like veils. Anyone who set eyes on them would inadvertently feel an urge to pull them back and peer at the mysterious beauty underneath.
The ladies had painstakingly trained and prepared themselves for this; their each and every move were perfectly orchestrated to incite a temptation so great that it could drive just about anyone into obsession. Also, their actions were completely natural and without signs of contrivance. They did not give a single impression of being women who led complicated, wild and whorish lives.
Despite the complicated and conniving schemes they were involved in, here they were, competing with each other in the name of beauty and novelty all the while keeping straight faces. It was no wonder that women were said to be fearsome characters.
As Luo Xiaoxi observed these young women who were flaunting their s.e.x appeal without restraint, she felt as if she were looking at her past self. After a simple greeting, she honestly did not have it in her to hang around them and bicker over whose figure had better proportions or who was skinnier in the right spots. She stood alone to one side, sipping her fruit juice. Every now and then, her glance would flit towards the entrance.
Despite the fact that she had arrived for quite some time, Luo Xiaoxi had yet to see Su Yicheng making an appearance. His name was not on the signature wall either.
Had he decided not to come after all? Or was he delayed? Luo Xiaoxi felt both antic.i.p.ation and fear at the prospect of seeing him.
“Hey! I’ve seen you before!” A middle aged man suddenly appeared before Luo Xiaoxi. He was smiling so broadly that his facial muscles were practically twitching, “Luo. That’s your surname, right? You’re Luo Xiaoxi!”
Social decorum dictated that she smile politely, so she did. “h.e.l.lo,” she greeted.
“I’m Fang Zheng,” said the man, offering his hand. “I’m the chairman of Fang Zheng Group. I saw my two secretaries reading a magazine a few days ago. You were the one on the magazine’s cover! So I recognized you immediately!”
Luo Xiaoxi shook Fang Zheng’s hand briefly. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Fang,” she said and was about to withdraw her hand.
“Hey!” Fang Zheng grasped Luo Xiaoxi’s hand tightly. Grinning, he said, “Ms. Luo, I found myself liking you a lot after taking just one look at your photo. Why don’t we take our conversation somewhere quieter? Oh, by the way, I’m Top Model’s second largest sponsor!”
Subtext, “A good half of the show’s money comes from my pocket. Now that you’re part of the show, your fate is in my hands. You will agree to a ‘conversation’ with me if you’re smart enough.”
As if Luo Xiaoxi was oblivious about these kinds of subtexts. Back then, she would definitely kick the man in the nuts. But now she had matured, so she had to be level-headed. Level-headed!
She flashed the man a smile, “Mr. Fang, I’m sure there’ll be plenty of opportunities for us to chat in the future.”
“In the future?” Mr. Fang paused in thought. All of a sudden, his brows parted as he broke into a grin. “True, true. From now on, I’ll be there every time during the show’s filming. I’ll see you at the backstage, then!” After that, he patted Luo Xiaoxi’s hand in a decidedly inappropriate manner before letting go of her hand, “Xiaoxi, you better remember me.”
Gooseb.u.mps broke all over Luo Xiaoxi’s skin. She put on a fake smile and made up a random excuse to leave. She had barely taken several steps before she noticed Su Yicheng.
She had no idea when he had arrived, or how long he had been standing there. A young, cute, and pet.i.te woman was holding onto his hand, though his eyes were firmly on Luo Xiaoxi.
Had he seen her interaction with Mr. Fang?
Luo Xiaoxi felt a sudden urge to walk up to Su Yicheng and then explain everything to him. But… what was the point in doing that? Plus, his date was standing right there beside him.
Her rational mind told her that she should walk away right now. But still, she had not seen Su Yicheng for nearly a month; she was unable to tear her eyes away from him.
He had not changed at all; he was still exceptionally handsome. Together with his date, they made a fine pair indeed, the type that would have anyone staring at them in envy.
Apparently, that incident had not affected him much at all. She was the only one who had changed.
At the thought, Luo Xiaoxi averted her gaze and walked away.
She could not bring herself to greet Su Yicheng naturally as if nothing had changed. She just could not do it. Besides, there was another woman beside him.
“What a rare sight indeed,” Su Yicheng’s date remarked with a smile. “In the past, she would have come up to me and gone into a mocking spree. Or at least she would have tried to cause trouble for you? Looks like that incident has changed her a lot.”
“And yet it was just happenstance that things went wrong,” said Su Yicheng.
“Are you really not planning to tell her the truth?” Asked the lady.
“It’s not that simple.” Although Su Yicheng had kept a straight face, there was a hint of hesitation in his tone, “This incident involves Zhang Mei’s future. I’m trying to find a better solution.”
“Aren’t you happy that she’s become like this?”
The edges of his lips lifted into a smile, “Well, she’s no longer as reckless, and she doesn’t do things impulsively without considering the consequences anymore. I should be happy indeed.” Still, he knew better than anyone the price Luo Xiaoxi had to pay in order to make that change.
If possible, he would go back and ensure that it all never happened. That way, Luo Xiaoxi would not have changed. She would still be the impulsive and brazen Luo Xiaoxi, the woman who pestered him endlessly.
Meanwhile, Luo Xiaoxi had found Candy and was now following Candy around like a chick following a mother hen.
At one point, even Candy had begun to feel a bit annoyed by her behavior, “What happen to all your energy and liveliness? And what about that wit and charm of yours? Why are you even following me around? Just look around you. There are so many investors staring at you like a bunch of hungry tigers. You could have these rich men running towards you and eating straight out of your palms the moment you make eyes at them!”
“It took everything in me not to hit that Fang Zheng just now. Please, Sister Candy, don’t force me into a situation where I’ll end up punching people in their faces!” Luo Xiaoxi gulped down half a gla.s.s of fruit juice in annoyance. “Or else I’ll be boycotted before I even become popular…”
Candy whistled, “Oops. I nearly forgot that you’re Luo Xiaoxi. Even when you’ve matured, you’re still the same Luo Xiaoxi. Others might have a tiger hidden in their heart, but you, however, have the heart of a frigging lion!”
Luo Xiaoxi, “…”
In the end, Luo Xiaoxi stopped following Candy around. Instead, she stood alone in one corner to enjoy her food. She did not spare a single glance at Su Yicheng; her heart would burst if she saw the woman beside him.