Atlas Studios

  Atlas Studios

  This was really an awkward situation!

  The sudden silence overwhelmed everyone.

  For a moment, the world seemed to come to standstill.

  Xie Wanwan was standing at the entrance, unmoving, while Tang Yuanchu still maintained his flabbergasted and wretched look as he was speaking ill of her behind her back earlier, and was caught red-handed.

  Others were shocked, too. They looked at this and looked at that, they had no idea what was going on.

  “Erm, I……” Tang Yuanchu gasped and sat properly in his seat. He showed an unnatural smile while clearing his throat. “I’m discussing with Teacher Xiang about the plots in her novel,” he explained, “the woman in her book is too atrocious. She’s trying ways and means to snatch another’s love……”


  “.……”


  His awkward attempt to explain his blunder added fuel to fire.

  Although there was music when he said the words “Captain Bai and Teacher Xiang”, many people had heard it.

  He could actually expose two secrets in one shout. That was a kind of achievement.

  Everyone was as though being “immobilized” by a deity as they continued to look on, unable to say a word.

  Some of them were looking at Bai Muchuan and Xiang Wan, some of them looking at Tang Yuanchu as well as Xie Wanwan.

  Although the silence ensued for about half a minute, it felt like a century had passed. It was when Xie Wanwan suddenly let out a chuckle and walked into the room like a model.

  “Aren’t you the one who invited me to come here? Why did you look like I’m not welcomed here?”


  People who learned acting was indeed different from them. In just a twinkling of an eye, her expression had returned to normal as though nothing had happened earlier.

  “Miss Xie, come in and have a seat!” Xiang Wan was the first to react and greet her with a smile. Then she also took a glance at Tang Yuanchu and helped him explain, “Detective Tang, we’ll talk about my story another time, alright? Erm, why don’t you shift a little over here to let Miss Xie have a seat.”


  Many detectives came for the gathering today.

  It was such a big room, yet every seat seemed to have been taken.

  “Sure, sure, no problem.”


  With that, Tang Yuanchu immediately shifted toward Bai Muchuan and free up quite a spacious amount of space on the sofa.

  Xie Wanwan did not have any other place to go to sit, either. The corners of her mouth lifted upward and did not seem to mind when she sat down beside Tang Yuanchu. She pulled down her mask and looked at him.

  “Thank you!”


  Tang Yuanchu felt embarrassed. “It’s alright.”


  Xie Wanwan did not respond to him but looked at Bai Muchuan and Xiang Wan. “Thanks for inviting me here.”


  Tang Yuanchu: “.……”


  He tried to talk to Xie Wanwan but was ignored once again. This time, he felt a little abashed.

  In order to get some face back, he spoke in low tone, “I thought you’re talking to me……”


  Xie Wanwan continued to treat him as if he were invisible.

  Seeing that, Xiang Wan felt a little awkward as well.

  In fact, from the moment Xie Wanwan entered the room, she had not the slightest idea what was going on, either. She did not know when Bai Muchuan had extended the invitation to Xie Wanwan. She was thanked by Xie Wanwan and did not know how she should respond when she heard Bai Muchuan’s voice.

  “I didn’t invite you.”


  Looking at Xie Wanwan’s face that suddenly turned grim, Xiang Wan used her foot to knock against Bai Muchuan’s leg to remind him to save some face for Xie Wanwan. It was not suitable to continue probing with so many of them watching. Nevertheless, this little act did not escape Xie Wanwan’s ‘eyes.

  Women’s hearts are fragile and sensitive.

  It was originally a small matter but suddenly became something tricky.

  And Bai Muchuan had to add another sentence, not knowing that he was making things worse. “I’m having a gathering with my colleagues. Why would I invite you to come here?”


  He spoke in a lazy, calm manner and did not seem to be lying.

  As if a weight had been lifted off the shoulders, Xiang Wan believed him.

  But—Xie Wanwan’s pretty face seemed even gloomier than earlier.

  “You didn’t invite me?”


  After saying that, she started to look around the room—


  Everyone did not know who she was looking at when they heard Cheng Zheng’s tepid voice coming from a corner. “I’m the one who invited her on behalf of Captain Bai.”


  “.……”


  Cheng Zheng helped Bai Muchuan to invite Xie Wanwan over for a KTV session?

  Everyone dared to think but daren’t ask. They could only look on quietly in shock.

  Bai Muchuan grunted a laugh. “So that’s what happened.”


  He raised his hands to get everyone’s attention. “Everyone just continue and enjoy yourselves. Continue to sing!”


  “Oh, okay.” Obviously, Bai Muchuan did not want everyone to focus their attention on them. Hence, Xie Hui immediately picked a song and sang. He even toned down the volume a little for them.

  When it was silent, it was easy to feel awkward. When there was music, the atmosphere would not be so bad.

  Xie Hui picked up the microphone and started to sing according to the subtitles although he was singing out of tune.

  On the other hand, Bai Muchuan looked at Cheng Zheng. “Captain Cheng, what are you trying to do?”


  Cheng Zheng was expressionless. “You ‘helped’ me to invite everyone so I can treat them dinner. I ‘helped’ you to invite people to come. ‘One good turn deserves another’.”


  “.……”


  Bai Muchuan made Cheng Zheng agree to pick up the tab. Hence, Cheng Zheng invited Xie Wanwan as retailiation.

  However, these were two different matters.

  Xiang Wan sighed inside her heart as she looked at Cheng Zheng’s apathetic face. She always felt that there was no problem with his IQ. But as for his EQ, it must be—a negative number.

  Cheng Zheng must have been too obsessed researching the technology of Forensic Science. He was totally a moron when it comes to socializing!

  “So I should say my thanks to you!” Bai Muchuan swept a glance at him and then looked away.

  When he noticed that Xiang Wan did not develop any negative feelings toward this incident, not to mention Cheng Zheng had owned up he was the one who invited Xie Wanwan, Bai Muchuan did not want to pursue this matter anymore.

  It was only then, he said to Xie Wanwan, “Since you’re already here, just chill out with us. What do you want to drink?”


  He had asked in a very casual way, but Xie Wanwan’s expression was gloomy and brooding.

  She looked at Bai Muchuan without batting an eyelid. “You seem to be quite reluctant?” She laughed self-mockingly.

  Bai Muchuan: “.…… I didn’t. I was just puzzled.”


  Xie Wanwan: “So do you really welcome me?”


  After Tang Yuanchu’s earlier shout, she had already suffered a loss of face and was embarrassed. It was only natural that Bai Muchuan would not make things difficult for her anymore.

  “Of course. Otherwise, I would not have asked what you wanted to drink?”


  “I can tell that you don’t really welcome me?” Xie Wanwan wore a faint and frosty smile on her face. “The moment I stepped into this room, you immediately asked why I’m here…… Is this how you welcome me?”


  “.…… Why are you harping on this?” Bai Muchuan could not understand her behavior. He glanced at her, then took a look at Cheng Zheng who seemed to be “enjoying the show” between them. “It’s not that. I’m just curious since the call was not made by me but him. You actually believed his words?”


  “He’s Cheng Zheng,” said Xie Wanwan, “he’s not someone who would say such things recklessly.”


  “Hah, so now you know that he can be very reckless too?” Bai Muchuan gave a cold smile. “Let’s not talk about this anymore. If you want to stay, stay. If you don’t want, then you can go get busy with your own things!”


  Xie Wanwan looked at him, as if stunned. Her eyes suddenly turned red.

  She had come all the way here to attend this gathering and in order not to be recognized by anyone, she had picked her clothes carefully, wearing a mask as well as a cap. She totally disguised herself up similarly like those “bad people” frequently portrayed in dramas. In the end, she had not sat down for more than three minutes, only to get chased away by him—


  “And here I thought I’m your bestie……” Xie Wanwan drew in a puff of air slowly. “I never knew you will value romance over friendship.”


  “.……”


  The words “value romance over friendship” made Xiang Wan really awkward.

  For she was the “romantic interest” of Bai Muchuan.

  She felt ironic as she, being the “romantic interest”, was not as gorgeous as Xie Wanwan.

  “Miss Xie, I think you might have some misunderstanding……” Xiang Wan could not help but interrupt in the conversation as she was being mentioned indirectly.

  However, she could not continue talking as she was stopped by Xie Wanwan’s cold, sharp gaze.

  “I’m talking to Bai Muchuan. Are you his spokesperson?”


  Xiang Wan: “.……”


  There was silence for a few seconds but Bai Muchuan still did not say a word. Xiang Wan got up from her seat.

  “Please excuse me, I’m going to the restroom.”


  Both Bai Muchuan and Xie Wanwan had known each other for a long time, and she knew that their friendship was deep. Xiang Wan felt she was in a bind—awkward and uncomfortable.

  She was too lazy to bother with what they wanted to say to each other.

  But right after she got up from her seat, Bai Muchuan grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to the sofa.

  “What are you doing?” she whispered, sounding a little crossed.

  “Wait a while, I’ll bring you there.”


  Xiang Wan felt embarrassed. “You don’t have to.”


  Bai Muchuan held her wrist tightly. “Say it one more time and you’re going to be in trouble.”


  “.……”


  When he said it like that, she knew she should just wait.

  “.……” Xiang Wan looked at him without saying a word while Bai Muchuan took her hand and squeezed it. Then he turned to look at Xie Wanwan coldly. “I treat you as a friend, but you don’t seem to regard me as a friend.”


  Xie Wanwan’s pupils contracted and looked a little alarmed.

  Then, she saw Bai Muchuan standing up slowly and looked at her from his height. “I’m never rude to a friend’s lover.”


  After that, he graciously led the hand of the awkward Xiang Wan under the surprised expressions of the crowd and left the room.

  Everyone: “.……”


  Everyone looked at each other. At that time, only music was heard in the room.

  Cheng Zheng was sitting on the sofa calmly, but the expression on his face was black as charcoal—his action seemed to have made their relationship progressed further?

  He decided that he couldn’t stay there anymore. He got up quietly, left a sum of money for that night’s expenditure on the bar counter, and went out of the room.

  Over at Xie Wanwan, she was sitting on the sofa in a daze, motionless. No one knew what she was thinking……

  Tang Yuanchu had tried really hard to hold back from talking to Xie Wanwan. Finally, he couldn’t hold it anymore and tried to persuade her again.

  “Don’t be sad—it’s better to just rip the Band-Aid now. It’s better to give up early for it’s going to be painful no matter what, better to deal with it early than late—”


  “Scram!” Xie Wanwan felt her eardrums about to explode hearing his persistent nagging.

  She had already felt a huge loss of face right from the moment she entered the room. Moreover, she had nowhere to vent her frustrations. Now that she saw Tang Yuanchu’s preaching look, although out of goodwill, she felt all the more exasperated.

  “Who do you think you are? Who are you to meddle in my affairs? Showed you ‘three colors’ and you really think you can act so insolent in front of me, huh?”


  Tang Yuanchu was a little startled as he got scolded. “But it didn’t sound right?” He shook his head.

  Without waiting for Xie Wanwan to reply, he quickly corrected her. “Shouldn’t the phrase ‘showing you three colors’ be followed by ‘opening a dyehouse’

  ? I didn’t even pretend, why do you say I act insolently in front of you?”


  “!” The pupils of Xie Wanwan’s eyes dilated as though in shock.

  Not sure if she really wanted to flare up or wanted to laugh, her expression was really weird.

  She gazed at Tang Yuanchu as though she was looking at an incorrigible idiot when she suddenly turned to take her bag, put on her mask, and rushed out of the room in an instant!

  “Hey!”


  Tang Yuanchu shouted after her and then gave a punch on the sofa.

  “Why are you so fierce to me? I haven’t even gotten even with you for kissing me.”
……