The next morning, Cen Yingshuang woke up bright and early to get her makeup and styling done.
This time, she was still dressed in Brand Haute Couture, a pale pink, Chanel-inspired suit.
The top was a bit short, revealing most of her slender waist, and the A-line skirt was short too, just two centimeters below her thighs.
The low-waisted design even left her belly button exposed.
Several Pearl Chains were layered around her waist.
On her feet was a pair of white satin Lacquered Platform High Heels.
Her beautiful legs were like jade pillars—long and well-proportioned.
Her hair was straightened and softly draped over her shoulders.
She used the jewelry, perfume, and handbag she endorsed.
The whole ensemble was sweet yet sexy, showing off her figure completely.
It was already late October, and the temperature in Italy had dropped.
After getting her makeup and styling done, she put on a long coat to avoid catching a chill.
She had already set one foot in the nanny van when she suddenly remembered something, quickly jumped out, and turned to run toward the garden.
“What are you doing! We’re running late!”
Màn Jie watched as Cen Yingshuang, even in High Heels, dashed away nimbly and shouted after her.
“One minute, one minute!”
Cen Yingshuang shouted back.
She ran fast and finally reached the apple tree, quickly taking a few photos from different angles.
Last night, she’d chatted with Jiang Suian about the two-hundred-year-old apple tree, and Jiang Suian hadn’t believed her.
Coincidentally, she’d forgotten to take pictures.
After taking the photos, she hurried back to the nanny van.
Having just sprinted all the way, she was a bit sweaty, so the Makeup Artist quickly touched up her makeup to prevent it from coming off.
Cen Yingshuang sat in her seat, took out her phone, and sent the photos she’d just taken to Jiang Suian.
Jiang Suian hadn’t joined a film crew recently, but had been filming a lot of variety shows.
These past few days, he was recording in Hangzhou and probably didn’t have time to check his phone.
After more than half an hour, the car finally arrived at the Show Venue.
The Show Venue was inside a Rococo-style Palace, resplendent in gold and jade, with carved railings and marble balustrades.
A big show actually only lasted about 20-30 minutes, but before it started there would be a Red Carpet and Interview Segment.
Today, stars from all over gathered, and the Red Carpet was packed with Media and swarming Fans.
The nanny van stopped at the entrance of the Red Carpet, and Cen Yingshuang took off her coat and slowly got out.
She had previously gone viral at Cannes, and her perfume had sold out overnight.
The moment she appeared, all cameras instantly turned to her.
She immediately put on a smile and walked gracefully onto the Red Carpet.
The Fans outside went wild, shouting Cen Yingshuang’s name.
She waved gently in response.
After walking the Red Carpet, a reporter came up for an interview, asking some routine questions.
She handled them with ease.
At the Media’s request, she struck a few poses for photos before finally being led by staff into the Palace’s Show Venue.
The Show Venue was in the Palace’s rear garden, where there was a huge Artificial Lake.
The seats were set by the lake and along flower-filled corridors.
Unlike before, where seats were crammed together, now each table had only three seats—just like a leisurely afternoon tea in high society.
The Show Venue was already crowded with celebrities from all over the world, but she didn’t know anyone and quietly looked for her seat as soon as she entered.
Even though there was a weak sun today, the temperature was still low.
Sitting outside, she felt chilly, and there was an occasional breeze.
But the show would only last half an hour, so she could bear with it.
Just as she was thinking this, a male staff member in formal attire approached her and spoke in English: “Miss Cen, your seat is over here. Please follow me.”
“Okay.”
Cen Yingshuang didn’t think much of it and followed.
Who would have thought that this route would take her across the Artificial Lake, down a long corridor, and up to the second floor?
She hadn’t known there were seats on the second floor.
At the door of one room stood several tall, burly Bodyguards in black.
Cen Yingshuang hesitated and paused.
Just as she was about to ask, the staff member opened the door and gestured invitingly, “Please, come in.”
She stood still for two seconds, then finally stepped in slowly.
The room was large, with an entire wall of transparent glass, offering a clear view of everything downstairs—the best vantage point for watching the show.
And in the next instant, she stopped in her tracks, her gaze fixed on a man standing in front of the glass.
He wore a black leather jacket and black trousers.
His posture was straight, tall, and elegant. His back was to her, phone to his ear as he spoke: “Be good, hurry and come back.”
Even though Cen Yingshuang had lightened her footsteps, the sound of High Heels on the floor was unavoidable.
Hearing her, he turned his head slightly.
From the moment she saw his back, Cen Yingshuang had a hunch.
When he turned around and she saw his face, she was sure—it really was He Yuzhou.
Cen Yingshuang was surprised, but didn’t forget he was on the phone, so she didn’t interrupt. Instead, she raised a bright smile and waved at him enthusiastically.
He Yuzhou smiled back, lifted his chin, and pointed at the sofa in front of him, signaling her to sit.
“I still have things to do, let’s talk later.”
He finished quickly and hung up the phone.
“He…..”
Cen Yingshuang instinctively wanted to call him, but didn’t know what to call him.
Calling his full name felt too direct, so she stumbled and added, “Mr.”
Her tone was as naturally familiar as ever, launching straight into a practiced compliment, “Your Cantonese sounds really nice, just like in those Hong Kong Old School Gangster Films.”
Even though she couldn’t understand it.
He Yuzhou’s voice was even lazier and deeper when he spoke Cantonese, his accent pure Hong Kong style, the slurred tones sounding especially charming.
With his outfit today, he looked even more unruly and laid-back, completely different from the gentle and refined man of last night.
It seemed he really had listened to her words and was now quite uninhibited in conversation.
Faced with her compliment, he only smiled.
But what he said was, “We’ve met a few times already. Shouldn’t you call me something else?”
He Yuzhou put his phone away and walked over, sitting down on the sofa across from Cen Yingshuang.
Cen Yingshuang sat down slowly.
Her skirt was short—even though she wore safety shorts underneath, she still sat carefully and modestly, legs together and angled to the side. Following his words, she asked curiously, “Then what should I call you?”
“My name,” He Yuzhou replied succinctly.
“Calling your name directly seems… a bit rude.”
Cen Yingshuang blinked hesitantly.
He was ten years older than her, and calling him by name felt disrespectful.
“Didn’t you call me that last night?” He Yuzhou asked with a smile.
“……”
Cen Yingshuang froze for a moment, about to protest that she hadn’t, but then she remembered what he meant by “last night.”
It was when she’d first met him in the garden and blurted out, “You’re He Yuzhou!”
“That was different, I was just too surprised and blurted it out.”
She puffed up her cheeks, feeling justified.
“So now you’re not surprised to see me?”
He Yuzhou raised an eyebrow meaningfully.
Even sitting, he had to lower his eyes slightly to look at her.
Though he was speaking Mandarin, his tone still carried the lazy drawl of Cantonese, as if teasing: “Now you’re acting distant.”
“No!”
Cen Yingshuang instinctively retorted.
Just like last night, after retorting, she was left speechless for a long time.
He, just like last night, asked again, “That’s it?”
Cen Yingshuang was at a loss for words.
She stammered for a while, not knowing how to continue, and finally could only awkwardly touch her neck and change the subject: “Why are you here? Are you here to watch the show too?”
She really couldn’t picture He Yuzhou as someone interested in fashion shows.
She didn’t mean to belittle the show, just felt it didn’t match his image.
He Yuzhou lounged back against the sofa, shoulders and neck relaxed, eyes half-lidded, his gaze full of interest as he looked at her.
When facing her, he could never remain entirely calm or completely focused.
Her skin was white as snow, flawless, her belly button exposed, Pearl Chains resting against her skin, rising and falling with her breath.
She was so slender, her exposed waist looked like he could easily wrap one hand around it.
Thinking this, his fingers involuntarily twitched, imagining the sensation.
His gaze drifted down to her legs—slender and straight.
Even though she sat with her legs together and to the side, her legs were so thin that there was still a gap in the middle, and the view beneath her skirt was faintly visible.
He Yuzhou’s throat tightened with a familiar itch.
He quickly looked away a couple of inches, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he silently took a breath.
He was all too aware of how much she tempted him. In situations like this, it was nothing short of torture.
The next moment, He Yuzhou stood up decisively and walked toward Cen Yingshuang, answering her question at his leisure, “Aren’t I here to bring you your coat?”
Seeing him getting closer, Cen Yingshuang had to tilt her head up to see him.
That familiar sense of being overwhelmed by a mountain returned, and she instinctively leaned back.
When she looked up at him, her eyes grew even wider and rounder, like a bunch of black grapes—so innocent and pure.
She thought they wouldn’t see each other again, but his “next time” had come true so soon.
“I… forgot to bring…”
Before she could finish, she saw He Yuzhou take off his jacket and gently drape it over her legs, even covering her exposed belly button completely.
“Just teasing you.”
He Yuzhou helped her with the coat, then straightened up and smiled at her.
Her makeup was still light, her lips painted with a pale pink gloss—soft and dewy.
Her eyelashes were so thick she didn’t need falsies.
Her face was even smaller than his palm.
The scent of her perfume could only be detected up close—a familiar fragrance that always bewitched him.
Standing in front of her, he took in every inch of the face that had haunted his mind since last night’s loss of control, and spoke unhurriedly, “I have a younger sister about your age who loves watching fashion shows.”
After a pause, he added, “The one who called me just now was her.”
It almost sounded like he was explaining, afraid she’d misunderstand.
Even if she couldn’t understand Cantonese, Cen Yingshuang could tell from He Yuzhou’s gentle and indulgent tone on the phone that only someone very close could get that kind of treatment.
“So where’s your sister?”
Cen Yingshuang asked.
“She’s in Hong Kong,” He Yuzhou replied. “So she asked me to come instead.”
Cen Yingshuang nodded, her face full of “so that’s how it is.”
“The wind downstairs is strong, so I had someone bring you up here. Do you mind?”
He Yuzhou finally tore his gaze away from her, turned, and walked back to the opposite sofa, his tone gentle and polite.
Cen Yingshuang immediately shook her head with a smile.
Of course she didn’t mind—the view here was great, it was quiet and warm.
Knowing a big shot had its perks—she even got a private box for an immersive show experience.
What could be better?
After sitting sideways for a while, her legs had gone a bit numb.
She shifted her seat and moved her legs to ease the tingling, feeling more comfortable and less restrained.
She relaxed, grinning as she chatted with him, “I noticed your Mandarin is really good, not a hint of a Hong Kong accent.”
“That’s because both my parents are from Beicheng,” He Yuzhou said with a smile.
“Really! What a coincidence!”
That was something Cen Yingshuang hadn’t expected.
Whenever Hong Kong was mentioned, Cen Yingshuang tilted her head, lost in memory.
“I went to Hong Kong once before for a brand event.”
“How was it?”
He Yuzhou asked, “Do you like Hong Kong?”
“Of course I do!”
Cen Yingshuang nodded vigorously, answering without hesitation.
“Hong Kong feels so different! Oh, right… In a movie I really like, the male lead stands on Taiping Mountain Peak and shouts—”
She became especially animated, even mimicking the character’s pose from the movie, raising her arms and shouting the line: “I’m the king of Hong Kong!”
She got a bit carried away.
After shouting, she remembered she was at a fashion show—a public place—so she hurriedly covered her mouth, anxiously checking to see if anyone downstairs had noticed.
But no one looked up.
She realized it must be one-way glass.
“The soundproofing here is great. Shout all you want.”
She really was so full of life, like a little sun brightening everything around her.
He felt as if he was basking in her light, his mood lighter than ever, even the corners of his eyes brimming with laughter.
He laughed so hard his shoulders shook.
“No one can hear you but me.”
Cen Yingshuang let out a long breath of relief, her previously tense shoulders relaxing.
She continued, “When I actually went to Taiping Mountain Peak, it was packed with people. I was too embarrassed to shout, and couldn’t even find a spot to take pictures—it was all heads.”
No matter how outgoing she was, she couldn’t bring herself to do that.
“Regret it?”
He Yuzhou asked.
She exhaled, “I guess it is a bit of a regret.”
He still lounged comfortably, arms resting on his knees, upper body leaning forward.
There was still some distance between them, but the way he leaned in made it feel like he was closing in on her.
His eyes were soft with a smile, but beneath that, a deep intensity flickered—like a predator eyeing its prey, even the air seemed charged with a hint of aggression.
“I know a place where there’s no one.”
He Yuzhou threw out an enticing bait at just the right moment, “I’ll take you to Hong Kong. Want to go?”
Cen Yingshuang was taken aback.
“But I don’t have any plans to go to Hong Kong.”
“Just answer me.”
He Yuzhou patiently coaxed, “Do you want to, or not?”
She kept her eyes on He Yuzhou, their gazes locked.
His eyes seemed to have a magic to them—deep black, yet swirling with kaleidoscopic color and mystery.
They could entrance, confuse, and captivate.
It was as if she were hypnotized.
She parted her lips, about to say that one word, when suddenly, her phone rang with a WeChat call.
It snapped her back to reality.
“I… I’ll take this call.” Cen Yingshuang woke as if from a dream.
He Yuzhou said nothing, just lifted his chin, signaling her to go ahead.
Cen Yingshuang took her phone from her handbag, pressed to answer, and said with a bright smile, “Yan Li-ge.”
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