The moment he uttered these words, Lu Chenyu instantly regretted it.
He scratched his head, flustered, and before Song Xi could refuse, he preempted her, "Look at my brain, you're an artist now, how could I say such a thing."
His words left Song Xi unsure how to respond.
She feigned surprise instead, "Xiao Bin? Speaking of which, it was my fault for having an emergency last time. If you don't mind, may I go up and say hello?"
Lu Chenyu was a smart man and understood that she was indirectly helping him out of his predicament.
"Of course! Come on, I'll take you up."
"By the way, was that emergency handled last time?" Lu Chenyu still felt a little worried about it. The last time he saw her in a rush, he didn't dare to ask much. Seeing her safe and sound today, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Song Xi shook her head, "It's fine."
Lu Chenyu smiled, but as they ascended the stairs, he inadvertently noticed a hickey hidden beneath Song Xi's clothes.
It was on her neck. Her skin was fair, and perhaps she had tried to cover it with some foundation, but by the end of the day, it had been mostly rubbed off by her clothes. His angle at that moment was particularly "downward-facing," making it easy for him to spot.
Lu Chenyu's expression froze for a moment until Song Xi asked him, "What's the room number?"
Only then did he mechanically turn his head, his voice dry, "30...3, just around the corner."
"What's wrong?"
Lu Chenyu forced a smile and quickly moved ahead, concealing his flustered and complicated emotions.
Xiao Bin's female friend, seeing Lu Chenyu bring back a girl during his trip to the restroom, frowned. But the moment the other person took off her mask, she was instantly astonished.
"Song...Song Xi!"
Xiao Bin was also shocked.
Song Xi appeared graceful and composed, taking the initiative to greet them, "Hello, I'm sorry to intrude."
The girl's face flushed slightly. Xiao Bin directly exposed her, "Nian Nian, why aren't you saying anything when you see your idol?"
Idol?
Song Xi blinked in surprise.
The girl named Nian Nian then stood up and stammered, "H-hello! I'm Liu Bin's friend!"
Song Xi smiled faintly, her beautiful eyes curving into little crescents, "Hello Nian Nian."
In an instant, the woman became completely at ease.
The atmosphere was more harmonious than anyone could have imagined, as if they had already forgotten that this was initially a blind date.
Liu Bin took Song Xi's contact information, hoping for future collaboration. Nian Nian also gradually became bolder, asking for a photo, which Song Xi did not refuse.
Only Lu Chenyu.
He hadn't said a word since entering the private room, his mood consistently low and pensive.
His good friend Liu Bin noticed something was off and quietly asked, "What's wrong? You look like you've lost your soul."
Lu Chenyu silently shook his head, but his eyes remained fixed on Song Xi.
Liu Bin followed his gaze, understood, and then encouraged him, "I didn't expect you to like this type. If you like her, go for it. I'll handle Nian Nian."
Lu Chenyu silently clenched his fists. At these words, it felt as though he was making a significant decision.
Afterward, Song Xi received a call from Dai Ze.
He had a last-minute matter, so she had to take a taxi back to the hotel by herself.
They hadn't brought Xiao Mo with them today, and it was almost eleven o'clock. Xiao Mo was likely asleep by now, and Song Xi didn't want to trouble the young girl, so she called for a ride on her phone.
Seeing this, Lu Chenyu asked Liu Bin to take Nian Nian back first, then he approached Song Xi and offered, "I'll give you a ride."
Song Xi glanced at her phone. This area was somewhat remote, and it would likely be difficult to get a taxi. After some thought, she didn't refuse.
"Alright then, thank you."
They got into the car one after the other. Lu Chenyu even chivalrously extended his hand to shield her from the car roof. This scene happened to be captured by paparazzi who had been staking out the place all night.
"Damn it, finally got something! Hard work pays off. If we don't get any material this month, we'll both be starving!"
"But can you recognize who this woman is? Damn, she's wrapped up so tightly!"
"Idiot, go search online one by one! I don't believe we can't find out!"
"That makes sense, I'll go right now..."