The gala was none other than an elderly artist’s seventieth birthday celebration.
In her youth, she had been a famous Peking opera performer. She had traveled to many countries for cultural exchanges and study, appearing at renowned theaters around the world.
Later, she married, had children, and gradually moved behind the scenes. Two years ago, she had retired as president of the national Peking opera company.
Her husband, surnamed Huo, was a business magnate. They had one son and one daughter.
And their son had only one child.
So, altogether, they had just one grandson, Huo Xingchao.
Yes. The important gala for which Huo Xingchao urgently needed a female companion was his grandmother’s birthday party.
By the time Shi Yusheng learned this, she had already followed him to the entrance. She had been walking along with her head held high, but when the man beside her said, “We’ll wish my grandmother a happy birthday first,” her ears twitched, and she stopped in surprise. “Your grandmother’s coming to this gala too?”
“Yes.”
Huo Xingchao nodded and casually put his phone in her bag. “It’s her birthday banquet. Why wouldn’t she come?”
…
The girl was stunned.
Looking at the brightly lit banquet ahead, she stammered, “Y-You’d better not be joking!”
“I’m not joking.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“Would telling you earlier make any difference?”
“I-I haven’t even prepared a birthday present. Am I supposed to go in empty-handed?”
“It’s fine. I have one. We only need one gift between us. My grandmother doesn’t care about little things like presents.”
“…”
Shi Yusheng was nearly driven mad with anger. So agitated that she called him by his full name, she demanded, “Huo Xingchao, do you have any idea what it means to bring a woman to your grandmother’s birthday banquet and give a single present together?”
“I do.”
Huo Xingchao took her arm, an easy smile in his eyes. “That’s why I’m compensating you with an endorsement.”
…
Why were businesspeople said to be the shrewdest people in the world?
Because they never lost out.
Have you ever bought one of those giant Ferrero Rocher chocolates?
Huge, spectacular, the sort you order thinking it will take seven days to eat.
Even after unwrapping it and seeing the outer chocolate shell, you still think a wonderful time full of chocolate awaits you. You want to give the person who invented giant Ferrero Rocher a great big thumbs-up.
Then you cut it open, and crackle, crash.
It is hollow. Two little Ferrero Rocher chocolates tumble out, looking tiny and pitiful among the shattered shell.
And together, they are not even worth ten yuan.
At that moment, do you feel furious at being deceived? Do you want to throw the chocolate in its maker’s face and demand your money back?
Exactly. That was how Shi Yusheng felt now.
She walked beside Huo Xingchao with a smile, wearing a pale red sleeveless short dress, her black curls falling over her shoulders. She looked elegant and poised.
For his grandmother’s seventieth birthday, Huo Xingchao had specifically dyed his hair black again. Tall, straight-backed, and handsome, with Shi Yusheng on his arm, they made a strikingly well-matched pair.
“Grandma, happy birthday. This is our gift to you.”
Grandmother Huo sat beside the table. Taking the gift box from him, she opened it on the spot with a smile and found a set of diamond jewelry inside.
Pink diamonds glittered beautifully beneath the lights.
People unfamiliar with Grandmother Huo’s tastes generally assumed jade would be more suitable. But despite her age, Grandmother Huo still had a lovely girlish heart.
She particularly liked diamonds, especially pink ones. She had once taken Huo Xingchao’s hand and said, “When you get married, I’ll give all this jewelry to your wife. Young people are sure to like it too.”
…
He smiled, took out a necklace, and personally fastened it around her bare neck. Speaking close to her ear, his voice was very gentle.
“Grandma, we designed this ourselves. If you like it, I’ll give you a set like this every year.”
“Wonderful. If you designed it, Grandma will love it.”
Smiling, Grandmother Huo took Shi Yusheng’s hand and patted it. “But Grandma would rather you gave me a different sort of gift. Xingchao, my only wish now is to see my great-grandson born and hold him. Then I’ll be content.”
Huo Xingchao smiled.
“I promise you’ll not only see him born, you’ll see him grow up too. You know how little patience I have for looking after children. Once he’s a little older and can walk, I’ll bring him here so you can help us look after him. How does that sound?”
“Good, good. Of course that sounds good…”
…
For some reason,
as Huo Xingchao spoke, many people nearby heard him. There were powerful figures from business and politics, as well as award-winning actors and actresses. They all cast discreetly appraising glances at her.
Normally, even if Shi Yusheng did not contradict him outright, she would never have cooperated in compromising her reputation.
But at that moment, seeing the tenderness in his eyes and the gentleness of his movements, watching him softly wipe the tears from the old woman’s eyes, she suddenly felt like crying.
So she blinked, held back her tears, and gave a small smile. “Grandma, that necklace looks beautiful on you.”
…
“I’d give your acting a perfect score today.”
On the terrace beside the banquet hall, the man held a glass of wine and raised his eyebrows at her, amusement in his voice.
Shi Yusheng raised her brows and gave a little huff. “Of course. I’m a professional.”
An elderly person could not stay up for too long. Not long after the banquet began, once most of the important guests had offered their birthday wishes, Grandfather Huo and Huo Xingchao helped her away to rest.
Shi Yusheng followed the whole time, thinking that Huo Xingchao at moments like this was the very picture of a sweet, thoughtful boy.
But she was curious and asked, “Is your family pressuring you to marry? Why did you have to bring a woman back for the birthday celebration?”
“Nobody’s pressuring me.”
The man sipped his wine and leaned against the terrace railing. “I just wanted to make her happy while she can still see it.”
…
Shi Yusheng no longer dared speak.
The ambiguous wording made her afraid of saying the wrong thing.
“It’s nothing, really. She has stomach cancer, but she’s too old for surgery. The doctor says that if they keep it under control, she probably has another year. Ever since she turned sixty, she’s wanted me to find a girlfriend soon, then marry and have children.”
The girl pressed her lips together and said carefully, “…Oh.”
Honestly, she did not know what separation by death felt like. All the relatives and friends she loved were still alive and well. No one had made her experience such a profound farewell.
But she had acted in dramas whose characters lost loved ones. Trying to understand, she had even secretly visited hospitals to observe. That anguish, heartbreaking even to an onlooker, made her begin to feel sorry for Huo Xingchao.
After thinking for a moment, she decided to see her good deed through. She patted his shoulder generously.
“How about this? If you need this sort of help again, just ask. I’ll work for free.”
When it came down to it, she really was grateful to Huo Xingchao.
Truly, on many occasions.
At the very least, his jokes and the enormous debt hanging over her had initially distracted her from the pain of her boyfriend’s betrayal and their breakup. His support had also allowed her to retaliate against her ex without restraint.
Thinking back, that audition for Lost Among Mortals had probably come to her because of him too.
And the endorsement. Honestly, Shi Yusheng had not intended to attend this gala at all. But when he mentioned Ketive, she had taken three seconds to react, then agreed almost instinctively.
Later, when Ketive sent someone to discuss the contract in detail, even her company was shocked.
Shi Yusheng had assumed it would be an endorsement for China. Even that would have been an exceptionally good opportunity for her.
Instead, she discovered she would be the global ambassador for the entire product range.
What did that mean?
Well, Luo Yi, one of the Four Leading Actresses and a winner of a prestigious best-actress award, was currently Ketive’s Asia-Pacific ambassador. In other words, simply by attending one gala, she had effortlessly surpassed her senior and secured a global endorsement for a top international brand.
While signing the contract, the girl thought: Just how powerful was this man? If he was that powerful, why fuss over her paltry sixteen million? Give her a few more opportunities like this, and she would happily sell two apartments to repay a hundred million!
And when she had just entered the hall on Huo Xingchao’s arm, almost every eye had been on them. At first, she had been very unhappy.
But the moment she saw Jiang Sicheng’s and Xuan Wen’s stunned faces, her mood improved. Even her smile became much more sincere.
Believe it or not, after a gala this grand, most of the celebrities attending would have their teams select pictures to post on Weibo tomorrow.
Xuan Wen and Jiang Sicheng would post pictures with assorted young actors and actresses, but her pictures would be on an entirely different level.
She had already decided how to post them.
The first row would show her clinking glasses with veteran best-actor and best-actress winners.
The second would show her sharing tables with powerful figures normally seen only in financial news.
And the final row would be cheek-to-cheek selfies with Grandmother Huo!
Everyone had vanity. Little Fairy Shi had a very, very large amount.
She would infuriate them with these two sets of pictures, so starkly different in status, and make them feel inferior. Meanwhile, the little fairy would not even look back at them. Hmph!
At the thought, Shi Yusheng felt thoroughly refreshed. She lifted her head. “Don’t worry. Whenever Grandma Huo wants to see me, I’ll make time even if I’m busy. I’ll help you for free!”
…
Resting a hand against his forehead, Huo Xingchao chuckled. “Now you’re not afraid I’ll ruin your reputation?”
…Reputation.
What was there to ruin?
If he were an ordinary potbellied, middle-aged tycoon, people might say all sorts of ugly things. But with someone this tall, rich, and extraordinarily handsome, and with her introduced to his family as his legitimate girlfriend, everyone else could only envy her.
Shi Yusheng understood that perfectly well.
She was single anyway. It did not matter if people mistook her for Huo Xingchao’s girlfriend. She could even borrow his authority to swagger through the jungle. Strategically, it was a win-win.
But Shi Yusheng had always been good at playing innocent after benefiting. So she said solemnly, “It’s fine. Grandma Huo is such a wonderful grandmother. What’s a little sacrifice if it makes her happy? It’s only pretend dating. You can trust my acting. I guarantee nobody will see through it!”
The man raised his eyebrows, amusement in his eyes, and clinked glasses with her.
…
How long did Shi Yusheng’s confidence last?
Until a month later.
By then, Lost Among Mortals was halfway through filming, Ketive’s official announcement was out, casual viewers were stunned, and the fairy’s fans were celebrating wildly. Curled beneath the quilt, she called Huo Xingchao.
“Huo Xingchao.”
“What is it?”
“Huo Xingchao, boohoohoo…”
“Have you been drinking again? Shi Yusheng, it’s broad daylight. You’re a young celebrity. Don’t wail like that in public. Go home and hide before you cry, understood?”
“Boohoohoo…”
Huo Xingchao finally gave up. Casually gesturing for everyone to discuss freely, he took his phone out of the meeting room. “Where are you?”
“At the hotel.”
“How much did you drink?”
“I haven’t been drinking…”
“Then why are you crying?”
“Boohoo, I just discovered something really scary, and I think I need to tell you because I can’t decide by myself, and I haven’t dared tell anyone else. What do I do, Huo Xingchao? I’m a little scared. What if…”
“Stop.”
Huo Xingchao rubbed his brow helplessly. “What did you discover? Has Ultraman crawled into your room, or have the Guardian Characters invaded Earth?”
“Neither.”
The girl hiccupped on the other end, choking on her tears. “I’m pregnant.”
…
“Is Ultraman threatening you?”
He paused, crouched down, and spoke softly. “Are the Guardian Characters beside you? If yes, cry once. If not, cry twice. Don’t be afraid. I’ll come and save you.”
“Boohoohoo…”
Oh.
Apparently, she really was pregnant.
…
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