Chapter 45: Watching the Show

After finishing dinner, Meng Ying washed the dishes and prepared to tidy up the house. Just then, Xu Qing called. Meng Ying walked over to answer the phone, and as soon as she picked up, Xu Qing burst into laughter on the other end. Her voice was melodious, but her laughter left Meng Ying puzzled. Meng Ying waited quietly for her to finish laughing before Xu Qing finally spoke: “I’m serious. Although I don’t know Xu Dian personally, I’ve known of him for many years, and I’ve never seen him so flustered. It’s like… he suddenly started living on Weibo.”

“Among the elite young masters of Li City, the three most popular ones are Xu Dian, Zhou Yang, and Jiang Yu. But most people have only heard of them and never actually seen them. Xu Dian’s personal Weibo account has been open for eight years, and he’s posted fewer than five times. Yet, every day, wealthy young ladies leave comments under his posts.”

“Now, because of you, he’s been constantly active on his official Weibo account. Meng Ying, I used to think you were naive, but now I realize you’re amazing. Truly amazing. You’ve managed to push Xu Dian to this point.” Xu Qing felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction. In the past, seeing Meng Ying get hurt, she could only vent her frustration by criticizing Xu Dian, but she couldn’t change anything.

Now, she felt truly vindicated.

Xu Qing rambled on for a while.

After a moment, Meng Ying opened Weibo.

She saw the two latest trending topics, with the most eye-catching one being:

#OMG Huaying Boss Posts a Selfie as Proof#

This meant that Xu Dian had used his official account to post on Weibo again. She didn’t click on it, but instead asked Xu Qing, “When are you coming back?”

Xu Qing had gone abroad to attend a fashion show.

Xu Qing chuckled, “I’ll be back soon. I should make it in time to celebrate the New Year with you.”

“Good. Is your husband coming back too?”

“Yes, he went back to his family’s home. I didn’t go.”

The two chatted briefly. Xu Qing didn’t ask about Meng Ying’s current situation with Xu Dian. From Weibo, it was already clear that Meng Ying had gained the upper hand in this second round of their romantic battle, so there was no need to ask.

After hanging up, Meng Ying clicked on the trending topic.

The official Weibo account of Huaying posted: [Image]

There was only one image.

It showed a slender, elegant hand resting on a gray table. The sleeve of a shirt was rolled up, revealing a forearm adorned with a black wristwatch. The watch accentuated the arm’s length and fair complexion, especially the distinct, well-defined fingers, which were incredibly attractive.

Even those who weren’t particularly into hands would find it hard to resist.

The focal point of the image was the wristwatch, and the audience immediately understood the message.

“Oh my god, that hand is so damn beautiful!! This guy must be a total hottie!!”

“Is the Huaying boss really this young? Sobbing.”

“Don’t you get it? He’s proving that he’s the one who appeared at the airport with Meng Ying—it’s him, him, him!!”

“I want to lick that hand. I’m so curious about what he looks like now.”

“A young CEO! Meng Ying is so lucky. By the way, is he doing this because he doesn’t want to be mistaken for Gu Yan? Is he posting this to clarify?”

“That seems to be the case. The analysis above makes sense. He… must like Meng Ying.”

“I smell jealousy in the air.”

Back when Meng Ying had a crush on Xu Dian, she had followed him, but using a secondary account. This man disliked appearing in public or having his photos published in the media. During his time in the finance department, two theses required his information, but he refused to provide even a single photo. As a result, out of over a dozen theses, his was the only one without a photo. His thesis was placed on the first page, and when you opened it, the space for the headshot was empty, which looked quite odd. His Weibo account had indeed been inactive for years. Now, he had posted a photo showing just his arm, which was already quite surprising.

No wonder Xu Qing was so shocked.

After browsing Weibo, Meng Ying closed the app and started tidying up the house. The weather was cold and gloomy, but the heating was on indoors. Halfway through cleaning, she began to sweat slightly.

In the afternoon, after reviewing the proposal for *Leisure Time*, she received a message from Xu Qing, who suddenly remembered that there was a fashion show that evening. It was a private show, and Xu Qing asked Meng Ying to attend in her place.

Meng Ying thought about it for a moment. Since she had nothing else planned for the evening, she agreed.

Soon after, Xu Qing’s assistant delivered the invitation card to Meng Ying.

The gold-edged invitation card read: **[TY—China]**

Meng Ying texted Xu Qing: *What should I wear?*

Xu Qing replied: *Anything works, but I think the black V-neck dress with the slit would be perfect. Pair it with black high heels. Curl your hair. You’ll be sitting in the front row, so don’t let anyone steal the spotlight. Just go all out and look stunning.*

Meng Ying: *Alright.*

Most of her clothes were figure-flattering. Meng Ying cooked a simple bowl of noodles, ate, rinsed her mouth, changed into her outfit, and did her makeup.

In the meantime, Liu Qin called to say that her mother had made some *xuemeiniang* (a type of dessert) and wanted to send some over. Meng Ying replied, “Maybe later. I need to go out for a bit.”

“Alright,” Liu Qin agreed without asking where Meng Ying was going.

It was Meng Ying’s day off, so she could go wherever she wanted.

Soon, Meng Ying was ready. She grabbed her small bag and headed out.

The **[TY—China]** show was organized by the six major families of Li City. The theme was Chinese style, featuring clothing made from linen, as well as qipaos, hanfu, and tang-style outfits. There were also pieces with intricate embroidery, crafted from top-quality materials, some of which featured lost embroidery techniques.

The show was purely for appreciation.

There would be no transactions. A few pieces with historical and research value would be selected and handed over to the state.

In the VIP rest area for the embroidery section at this moment, Wen Yao sat scrolling through her phone. She was dressed in the outfit for tonight’s show, with the Wen family’s makeup artist and designer by her side. The designer crouched down to adjust the hooks on the back of her dress, while the young makeup artist leaned over to fix her hair. Watching Wen Yao repeatedly swipe through the official Weibo account of Huaying, the makeup artist said, “Miss Wen, you’ve been staring at that hand for a long time.”

Wen Yao smiled, “I’ll keep looking at it a bit longer.”

The door opened, and the Wen family secretary walked in, saying, “Miss Wen, the young master of the Xu family will come to pick you up tomorrow.”

“No need, I’m not going to the Xu family tomorrow.”

“Ah…” The secretary was momentarily stunned, then stepped forward and said, “Miss Wen, perhaps you should take a look at the information about the young master of the Xu family.”

With that, the secretary handed her a tablet, which happened to block the screen of her phone, covering the image of the hand wearing the wristwatch. Wen Yao was slightly annoyed and was about to push it away when she noticed that the information mentioned Huaying Film and Television Company under the Xu Group. She paused.

She grabbed the tablet and scrolled down.

She came across a blurry photo, but the hand in the image was visible, and the wristwatch matched the one in the photo posted on Huaying’s Weibo.

Wen Yao’s lips curled into a smile, “Well, well, well.”

The secretary was puzzled, “What?”

“Alright, I’ll go to the Xu family tomorrow.”

“Very well.”

The secretary glanced at the blurry photo, thinking to herself, *Why didn’t the CEO provide a clearer image?*

Meanwhile, Meng Ying, holding up her dress, entered the show venue and handed over her invitation card. The attendant respectfully escorted her to her seat in the front row. Meng Ying remained composed, glancing around. Not far away, she noticed a stunning woman sitting in another seat. The woman glanced over, and their eyes met.

Meng Ying was momentarily surprised but nodded politely.

The woman also smiled and nodded back.

That was Zhao Yanjun.

Qin Jun’s rumored girlfriend.

The seats around her weren’t fully occupied. By the time the show started, the seat next to Meng Ying was still empty. She looked up, focusing on the runway.

The first to appear were the qipaos, which were absolutely dazzling.

Each model had an impeccable figure. Since photography wasn’t allowed, Meng Ying simply watched quietly.

Not far away, a curtain was pulled aside. Jiang Yi stood beside Xu Dian and said, “Mr. Xu, would you like to go in and watch?”

“No.”

One of the six major families hosting the event was the Xu family. Xu Dian glanced at his wristwatch, planning to make a quick appearance before heading to Xinyue Community. Just as he was about to leave, his gaze swept across the room and landed on a pair of fair, long legs. Following them, he saw the woman turn slightly, revealing her beautiful face.

Xu Dian paused.

He narrowed his eyes, watching intently.

“Miss Meng is here too,” Jiang Yi exclaimed softly, also noticing Meng Ying.

Xu Dian rolled up his sleeves and said, “You go back first.”

With that, Xu Dian walked toward the front row seats.

Earlier, a woman next to Meng Ying had asked for a tissue, and Meng Ying had handed her one. As she turned back, she caught a faint whiff of a familiar cologne. She looked up and met Xu Dian’s gaze.

The man was dressed simply—a shirt, trousers, and a tie that hung loosely on either side. Today, he wasn’t wearing glasses. He sat down and began to leisurely tie his tie, leaning slightly toward her.

“What a coincidence. Where did you get the invitation card?” he asked.

Meng Ying raised an eyebrow, “Xu Qing gave it to me.”

“Oh?”

Xu Dian, who had been halfway through tying his tie, suddenly pulled it off and stuffed it into her hand. “Hold this for me.”

Meng Ying pushed it away.

Xu Dian’s expression darkened. He snatched her small bag, shoved the tie inside, zipped it up, and then thrust it back into her arms.

Meng Ying frowned.

Whatever.

She decided not to argue with him.

Since they were in the middle of a fashion show, they couldn’t speak too loudly. Meng Ying clutched her bag and focused on the models and outfits on the runway. It had to be said, these designs were different from what she usually saw outside. The intricate details of the clothing clearly showed the effort put into them, especially the qipaos, which were exceptionally beautiful.

“Do you like the black one?” Xu Dian’s low voice came from beside her.

Meng Ying replied indifferently, “It’s okay.”

“What about the red one? I think the deep blue one would suit you too.” Xu Dian glanced down at her dress for the evening. She had her legs crossed, and the hem of her skirt rested lightly on her calves, revealing a fair expanse of skin that was as white as snow, even more beautiful than the models on the stage.

Xu Dian’s eyes darkened, a hint of a smile appearing.

“You would look stunning in a qipao.”

Meng Ying snorted.

She didn’t respond.

“I’ll come to your place tonight,” the man’s voice came again.

Meng Ying turned her head to look at him. “What for?”

“To keep you company.”

He raised an eyebrow.

Meng Ying leaned closer and whispered, “If you’re coming for sex, fine. But leave right after.”

Xu Dian: “…”

His expression cooled.

A few seconds later, he pinched her chin and leaned in, his voice low and gritted through his teeth, “Fine.”

“Good boy,” Meng Ying patted his cheek.

Xu Dian narrowed his eyes at her.

At that moment, the runway show transitioned to a display of hanfu and tang-style outfits. Two models walked side by side, one on the left and one on the right, both stunning. After this segment ended, the next one began.

The lights flickered, then suddenly brightened, fully illuminating the runway.

Next came the grand and exquisite embroidery collection. The female model walking in the center was breathtakingly beautiful. She held her arms out, her long sleeves draped elegantly, adorned with intricate embroidery patterns of roses and phoenixes.

In the audience, someone couldn’t help but gasp softly.

The model slowly walked to the front of the runway, her gaze sweeping across the seats below. For a moment, she seemed to falter, her movements slightly disorganized.

After a pause, she turned and walked back.

The audience broke into applause.

Meng Ying clapped along.

Xu Dian, meanwhile, was idly playing with his phone.

About five minutes later, a woman in jeans and a white top rushed over from the side and threw herself at Xu Dian.

“Are you here to pick me up?”

Xu Dian was momentarily stunned and was about to push her away when he glanced to the side. Meng Ying had leaned away, watching the scene unfold with amusement.

Xu Dian clenched his teeth.

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