On the way to dinner, Xu Tingsheng finally remembered Huang Yaming previously mentioning having made some preparations for Apple.

  He asked him about it.

  Huang Yaming said rather triumphantly, “Just some time ago, plans were made for two of Tianyi’s female singers as well as some who are preparing for entering showbiz to temper themselves elsewhere. The PR department secured a short-term overseas programme at America’s Mannes School of Music. It seems like it’ll last for half a year.”


  “Then, I shamelessly obtained a spot for Apple as well.”


  Xu Tingsheng considered what this might entail, yet was unable to think of anything as he could only say, “Actually, Apple might not be willing to go for sure.”


  “I know,” Huang Yaming said nonchalantly, “Still, I saved her a slot first. I already mailed the required application forms over to you yesterday. Anyway, it’ll ultimately still be up to Apple herself to decide whether she wants to go.”


  Xu Tingsheng abruptly slammed the brakes, “You mailed it over?”


  “Yeah! What’s wrong?” Xu Tingsheng’s sudden emotional outburst took Huang Yaming by surprise.

  “Who was the letter’s recipient?”


  “Apple, of course.”


  Xu Tingsheng began panicking as he thought, “If Apple receives the letter and sees forms for studying overseas in America inside, what will she think? Will she think that it’s me who wants her to leave? If so, she……”


  It was already too late to rebuke Huang Yaming now. Xu Tingsheng wondered who he could call to help intercept the letter. For something regarding Apple, it definitely wouldn’t do to look for Lu Zhixin. Meanwhile, Fang Chen too wasn’t a choice, while Old Wai was out on a business trip.

  Only Li Linlin was left.

  Xu Tingsheng stopped the car by the roadside, getting off and giving Li Linlin a call.

  The call connected. The sound of oil and salt in a pot resounded from the other end.

  “You’re cooking?” Xu Tingsheng asked quizzically.

  “Right, I’m at Xiang Ning’s house. I’m tutoring her today, and Uncle and Auntie aren’t here. So, I’m cooking a simple meal for her,” Li Linlin said even as the clanking sound of pots and pans could be heard.

  “It’s been tough on you. Right, she likes eating noodles.”


  Since Li Linlin was at Xiang Ning’s house right now, Xu Tingsheng set aside the matter of the letter for the moment. Also, as this topic concerned Xiang Ning, he was happy to participate in it.

  “I know, I’ve cooked noodles for her before too,” Li Linlin said, “Still, for the second time in a row now, she says that she doesn’t feel like eating noodles. Instead, she even asked me to cook……”


  Li Linlin suddenly stopped talking at this point.

  Xu Tingsheng hurriedly asked, “Cook what?”


  “I can’t really say it to you, Bro Xu,” Li Linlin said with a hint of amusement in her tone as she hastily evaded his question.

  “What can’t be said about food?” Xu Tingsheng asked uncomprehendingly.

  “.……” Li Linlin hesitated for a moment before speedily saying, “Papaya soup.”


  “Papaya soup?” Xu Tingsheng was taken aback for a moment before he swiftly and decisively instructed Li Linlin on intercepting the letter, next hanging up without even a moment’s delay.

  “How much psychological damage have I inflicted on the girl? Such that she’s even mustered the courage to ask to drink papaya soup on her own accord,” Xu Tingsheng’s heart was filled with guilt as he thought so.

  “There’s really nothing much at all to be seen there.”


  “Mulan has no elder brother……breasts grown.”


  “.……”


  These were all things Xu Tingsheng had said.

  He was literally a beast.

  Xu Tingsheng didn’t know whether he should laugh or cry, also feeling that bit of inappropriate sweetness.

  Back on the car, he asked Huang Yaming and Tan Yao, “By the way, is it true that drinking papaya soup can help to nourish breasts?”


  The two shook their heads before frenziedly calling various girls they were acquainted with.

  Huang Yaming was the first to stop as he looked pitifully at Xu Tingsheng, saying mournfully with a wronged look on his face, “I was unlucky. I accidentally asked just the ones with small breasts. They all thought that I was mocking them and scolded me like crazy. ”


  Then, Tan Yao looked at Xu Tingsheng very earnestly, saying solemnly, “Mine mostly didn’t need it at all themselves. Still, there were two remaining ones who……say it proved effective.”


  “That’s good then,” Xu Tingsheng smiled.

  “What? Those of yours don’t have it big enough? Also, drinking it at their current age, isn’t it kind of too late for that?” Huang Yaming asked.

  “Scram!” Xu Tingsheng exclaimed……

  Xu Tingsheng ate a hasty dinner that day before going to the hotel to rest. He called Apple before he went to bed. She didn’t mention the matter of the letter, and he didn’t detect any abnormalities in her mood as well.

  Perhaps the letter had still yet to arrive. Xu Tingsheng naturally wouldn’t bring this issue up himself.

  Xu Tingsheng told Apple that he had ordered a suit. Therefore, Apple said that she would begin practising putting on ties the next day.

  After coaxing Apple to bed, Xu Tingsheng received a call from Lu Zhixin. She had called him in order to urge him to pay a little more attention to Dexin’s situation while he was in Shenghai so as to get the acquisition completed as soon as possible.

  Before falling asleep, he exchanged goodnight texts with Wu Yuewei.

  After doing all this, Xu Tingsheng put his phone with the Yanzhou number on the table and his phone with the Libei number by the bedside, charging both of them at once. He could finally lie down in peace for a while.

  Then, he suddenly thought about what Tan Yao had said, ‘Just a little careless, and their entire lives will be done in by him.’ Huang Yaming had asked, ‘So, are you tired? Want to forsake the depraved path for that which is just?’


  Xu Tingsheng wanted to ask, “How should I forsake that path and change for the better?”


  Huang Yaming came knocking on Xu Tingsheng’s door early the next morning, dragging him along to go car viewing.

  It was time for him to buy a car.

  Huang Yaming’s advice actually made quite some sense, really. For example, however much Xu Tingsheng didn’t want to drive a good car usually, if he needed to discuss the acquisition of a training institute or convince someone in job-hopping, there was actually a great difference between riding public transportation over and driving over in a branded car.

  This was just how society worked.

  After looking around for two hours, Xu Tingsheng chose to drink tea and sit patiently, leaving the matter of getting a good car to Huang Yaming and Tan Yao who were still filled with enthusiasm.

  In the end, the two chose a 2004 edition Mercedes-Benz G500 SUV completely by their own desires and clearly not to make it convenient for Xu Tingsheng’s business deals as they had claimed.

  Xu Tingsheng felt extreme heartache as over a million yuan flew away just like that in return for service that could still be considered enthusiastic as well as attentive and considerate. The 4d store did have said car available there, and they promised to take care of all the relevant procedures in three days.

  They ate lunch together with Shi Zhongjun that day. He brought some of Tianyi’s higher echelons along in welcoming Xu Tingsheng’s arrival there.

  During the meal, Shi Zhongjun brought up the matter of Apple terminating her contract with Tianle, explaining that he had previously gotten another company to help check their stance. Jin Datang’s intentions were very clear: Either give five million yuan in compensation and leave with her, or just forget about it.

  “How about it? Five million? It shouldn’t be that great a sum to Brother Xu,” Shi Zhongjun asked Xu Tingsheng smilingly.

  “I wouldn’t be able to bear it; I nearly even cried over the car I bought today,” Xu Tingsheng joked.

  Both sides understood that these one-liners were merely the prelude to things.

  After drinking a few glasses of wine, Shi Zhongjun brought up the matter again, his expression more earnest than before, “I’ll call and talk to him. Perhaps if I invite Jin Datang to tea, two million would then be sufficient.”


  Hearing his words, Xu Tingsheng said, “I hear that Boss Shi’s alcohol capacity isn’t all that good. Mine isn’t that great as well. Still, if you still really aren’t willing to disclose the entirety of things to this little bro, Bro Shi, I can only first go all out to try to get you drunk.”


  Actually, everyone knew that Shi Zhongjun possessed a great alcohol capacity.

  Therefore, what Xu Tingsheng really meant was, “Bro, you want to force me to the brink? I’ll die first for you to see then.”


  From the standpoint of Xu Tingsheng’s age, he could definitely have said this out loud word for word. However, with his current identity, it really wouldn’t be appropriate.

  Therefore, he chose a middle path.

  Shi Zhongjun laughed, “You really won’t pay even a single cent?”


  “I won’t. I’m not happy. I’m not happy at all with Tianle and Jin Datang.”


  While Xu Tingsheng was smiling as he said this and his words weren’t vicious, merely being to the extent of ‘not being happy’, it just caused people to feel that he was incomparably serious.

  Up to this point in the meal, even those of Tianyi’s higher echelons whom Xu Tingsheng hadn’t met before had already gotten used to his rather bashful smile. The feeling given off by this youth who might just be the greatest dark horse of the business industry nationwide in the year 2004……was that he was actually a little diffident.

  However, his current smile was different, emanating a chilly and determined feeling.

  “Apple’s currently living at Tingsheng’s place,” Huang Yaming interjected.

  As soon as this had been said, everyone of Tianyi present had to take notice of it.

  Shi Zhongjun knew that this matter definitely had to be taken care of.

  Apple’s relationship with Xu Tingsheng was already clear enough. Meanwhile, Xu Tingsheng held great weight in his eyes, greater than most people would imagine. For example, he had actually rejected refused an invitation from a French filmmaking corporation to come for this meal, having brought along quite a few of Tianyi’s higher echelons as well.

  Moreover, with Hucheng and Tianyi currently holding each other’s shares, Xu Tingsheng actually could be considered a member of Tianyi’s higher echelons as well, an extremely important business partner of Shi Zhongjun’s.

  Every step of Hucheng’s frenzied expansion, including the sudden change in the platform’s operations, left Shi Zhongjun feeling even more joyful about the decision that he had made during that previous trip to Yanzhou, also causing him to care more about the relationship between him and Xu Tingsheng.

  Therefore, this matter definitely had to be taken care of, and in a satisfying way as well, such that the ‘unhappy’ Xu Tingsheng would have his negative feelings alleviated.

  Now, a ‘Papaya Stewed Bird’s Nest’ was served.

  The waiter introduced the name of the dish.

  Just having been ‘showing his mood’, seeing everyone beginning to move their chopsticks, Xu Tingsheng’s expression flickered several different shades before he finally ventured hesitantly, “Bro Shi, this……can be eaten by men as well?”


  Everyone laughed, the atmosphere at the table easing up once more.

  Bystanders might think that Xu Tingsheng was actually well versed in controlling the mood and grasping the situation precisely, but in actual fact, he truly didn’t know anything about that at all.