At eight in the evening, after Song Xi finished her shower, she received a call from Dai Ze.
Although the previous incident had subsided, it meant Song Xi had to participate in the variety show. Dai Ze immediately contacted the program team. The program team was eager, and after discussion, the recording date was set for next Saturday.
Song Xi asked in surprise, "So I have to fly to City B next Saturday?"
Dai Ze replied, "Yes, one day is enough. After recording, at the end of the month, once the venue for 'The Worker' is confirmed, we can start filming."
Song Xi was momentarily stunned. "I thought the venue was already confirmed."
"It's not that simple. The program team contacted several companies, but none agreed. So we're still looking for new ones. Don't worry, I'll let you know as soon as there's news."
"Thank you, Brother Dai."
Dai Ze comforted her, "Try to write the stand-up comedy script yourself these two days. If you can't, I'll find someone outside."
"Okay."
"Contact me anytime if you need anything. Don't try to handle everything alone. I heard you were harassed by obsessive fans last time?"
Mentioning this, Song Xi recalled the disgusting wallpaper on that man's phone, and a flicker of discomfort crossed her face.
"Mmm..."
"That person is already in jail."
Song Xi was surprised. "When did that happen?"
Dai Ze said, "Just these past few days. Didn't President Lou tell you?"
Song Xi frowned. Since the last incident, she hadn't heard him mention it.
Dai Ze comforted her, "It's all in the past, so don't overthink it. Remember to thank President Lou properly next time."
Thank him?
Song Xi remained silent. After the call ended, she sat alone on the sofa, gazing at the night view outside the window, lost in deep thought.
Suddenly, the chandelier above flickered, and just as Song Xi was about to get up and check, a knock sounded at the door.
After a surge of electricity, the entire apartment plunged into darkness.
Song Xi was astonished. "No way, this is so unlucky. Is the power out on the very first day I moved in?"
"Knock knock—"
The knocking continued.
Song Xi was still wearing her bathrobe, her wet hair wrapped in a towel. She intended to change, but after shuffling blindly for a moment, she tripped over the coffee table and fell onto the sofa.
"Knock knock!"
Song Xi was so startled she couldn't move.
After a while, she heard no movement outside. Just as she was about to get up, the knocking resumed, this time louder.
Song Xi's face turned pale. She didn't know where she had put her phone. She cautiously reached for the anti-wolf spray that Xiao Mo had prepared for her earlier, kept in the closet.
Song Xi tiptoed to the door, holding her breath, afraid to make a sound.
The person at the door thought something had happened to Song Xi and pressed the unlock code. The code was battery-powered and could be used even during a power outage.
With a click, the security door opened.
The man pushed the door open, keenly sensing a gust of invisible wind brush past his face. Lou Yuming reacted swiftly, precisely grabbing the woman's slender wrist.
"It's—" Before he could utter the word.
Hiss—!
Accompanied by a pungent odor, a burning sensation instantly spread across his face. He squeezed his eyes shut, his brows furrowed, but even so, he did not release Song Xi.
He swallowed, his deep voice emerging with a sigh and suppressed helplessness, "...Me."
Song Xi froze for a moment. After realizing what had happened, the anti-wolf spray fell to the ground unnoticed.
"Are you okay—"
"I'm fine!" Lou Yuming kicked the door shut.
"Where's the bathroom?" As he spoke, his arm was already around her waist.
When his palm touched the bath towel, Lou Yuming paused slightly, but in the darkness, Song Xi didn't notice.
"This way."
Song Xi led Lou Yuming forward, but before they took two steps, there was a "bang." He was too tall and seemed to have hit the door. Song Xi heard him gasp.
Her scalp tingled. She cautiously asked, "...Are you okay?"
Lou Yuming's tone suggested he was enduring something, a mix of anger and perhaps something else.
"Shut up."
Song Xi, knowing she was in the wrong, obediently silenced herself. She tentatively reached out and turned on the faucet, saying, "Bend over."
In the darkness, Lou Yuming's thin lips tightened.
Song Xi repeated, "Bend over, you're too tall."
The word "bend over" felt distant to Lou Yuming. Although it was only due to his height at this moment, he found it uncomfortable. After a few seconds of hesitation, he deigned to lower his head.
Song Xi was also fumbling in the dark. Whether intentionally or not, she accidentally slapped him several times.
Lou Yuming's lips twitched, and he pinched her waist as a punishment. Song Xi immediately became docile, cupping water and rubbing it vigorously onto his face. Just then, the light on the ceiling flickered, and then it suddenly turned on.
Lou Yuming slowly opened his eyes, a dangerous gloom flowing within them. Water trickled down his chiseled face, his once neat hair now damp and messily plastered to his forehead, making him look disheveled yet a little silly.
Seeing this, Song Xi, feeling guilty, turned her head away.