Chapter 156: Chapter 156: Are You Finding Us a Stepfather?!

Before the anniversary celebration began, Xie Changyan had sent Lin Xu an invitation.

Looking at the express delivery she received, Lin Xu asked with confusion over the phone, “Why am I being invited to your company’s anniversary celebration?”

“Come and you’ll find out, there might be something you like,” Xie Changyan said.

“Something I like?” Lin Xu’s eyes twinkled mischievously, her tone playful, “You?”

With a casual stance, Xie Changyan propped his hand in his pocket, his eyelids lazily watching the hustle and bustle through the floor-to-ceiling windows, “Just like?”

Was it just a mere liking for him?

Lin Xu caught his insinuation and chuckled lightly, “If you’re thinking about an upgrade, it won’t be so simple.”

His low chuckle resonated through the receiver, tickling her ear.

On the night of the anniversary celebration.

Xie Changyan had arrived early with Lin Xu, waiting in the backstage lounge.

“What’s this gift all about, so mysterious?”

Lin Xu asked him all day, but besides a “You won’t be surprised if you find out in advance,” she couldn’t pry anything else from his lips.

Xie Changyan leaned back on the sofa, his hand rubbing her earlobe as it draped over her back, “Why are you so impatient?”

“It’s clearly you who’s been keeping me on tenterhooks,” Lin Xu complained, swatting his hand away.

Just as her patience was running thin, the door suddenly made a sound.

“President Xie, Teacher Ji has arrived.”

Xie Changyan raised an eyebrow, stretching his arm to pull Lin Xu into his embrace, “Come in.”

Lin Xu was still bewildered.

Teacher Ji?

What kind of teacher?

The door was slowly pushed open.

A familiar figure appeared before Lin Xu’s eyes, and her body stiffened, unable to move.

Ji Zeqiu was similarly frozen, staring at Lin Xu in astonishment, unable to regain his composure for a long while.

Until Xie Changyan’s voice was heard.

“Aren’t you a fan of Ji Zeqiu? He’s an artist under our subsidiary, and it just so happens he’s here for the anniversary.”

Previously, when watching movies, she was always looking at Ji Zeqiu. Later, when she saw some promotional material about Ji Zeqiu online, including any new TV dramas, she would even forward them to him.

Xie Changyan recalled what he had overheard female employees saying in the office.

“If someone could get me my idol’s autograph and photo, I’d be their girlfriend on the spot! And if I could have a chat with my idol in person, I’d marry him right there!”

Su Linzhou, that seasoned player in the game of love, always said that to pursue a woman, one should start with what she likes.

Xie Changyan looked towards Lin Xu.

She liked Ji Zeqiu so much that her excitement was probably only going to be more, not less.

With that thought, Xie Changyan said to her, “You can ask him for a photo together or an autograph, if you like.”

Their shock was interrupted by his voice, and both Lin Xu and Ji Tingyang abruptly snapped back to reality.

Ji Zeqiu was aware of Xie Changyan, being the CEO of the company he was with, but they had no interaction.

Now, seeing him standing with Lin Xu, his expression became subtly complex.

He glanced at Xie Changyan, then at his hand around Lin Xu’s waist, “You two are…”

Lin Xu dashed over, grabbed Ji Zeqiu’s hand, and rushed out of the lounge, “Let’s talk outside!”

Xie Changyan’s empty hand froze mid-air, and his brow furrowed slightly, seemingly puzzled by their need to talk outside.

Special Assistant Wu hurriedly explained, “With fans, there are always some shy things that aren’t easy to say in front of everyone.”

A hint of irritation appeared between Xie Changyan’s furrowed brows.

Outside the lounge.

Lin Xu pulled Ji Zeqiu aside into a secluded corner, and their voices rose simultaneously.

“Listen to me explain!”

“You cheated?!”

Lin Xu: ???

A trace of pain flickered through Ji Zeqiu’s eyes, “Are you with Xie Changyan now?”

“Don’t you love father anymore, how could you be with another man?”

“Even though father has been dead for twenty years, you and father have been apart for less than a year…”

“You and father were clearly so in love before.” Ji Zeqiu’s shoulders slumped, the sparkle in his eyes faded, his tone laced with a hint of loss, “Are you going to find us a new dad?”

By then, if mother had a new life, would she still care about them…

A string of questions left Lin Xu both crying and laughing, “Where did your mind wander off to, don’t you think he looks a lot like your father?”

Ji Zeqiu was stunned for a moment, “You mean?”

“He is your father,” Lin Xu affirmed.

Sometimes, it must be said that Ji Zeqiu and Ji Tingyang are brothers, reacting identically to certain situations.

Suspicion immediately surfaced on Ji Zeqiu’s face, “Could he be deceiving you?!”

“…No.”

“He doesn’t remember us, he doesn’t even remember you, I don’t believe he is our father!” Ji Zeqiu gritted his teeth, refusing to accept this, “Don’t be fooled by him, you don’t know how deceiving men can be these days!”

Lin Xu’s gaze deepened as she looked at Ji Zeqiu, “Is that so?”

Ji Zeqiu coughed once, “Except for me.”

Ji Zeqiu kept advising her in the corner not to be deceived by men, until his agent called to tell him that the anniversary celebration had started, and he had to return to the event with Lin Xu.

“Mother, let’s watch the evening show together,” Ji Zeqiu took Lin Xu to his own seat, preventing her from seeking out Xie Changyan.

“But…” Lin Xu hesitated.

Ji Zeqiu lowered his head, looking pitiful, “We’ve never watched a show together.”

This tactic was incredibly effective on Lin Xu.

Recalling the past twenty years, the times she hadn’t spent with them, Lin Xu’s heart softened instantaneously, “Okay, let’s watch it together.”

The pitiful look in Ji Zeqiu’s eyes disappeared, his gaze became lively in an instant, and he shifted closer to her.

Xie Changyan’s seat was right in the center of the stage, and the anniversary evening show had been going on for a while, with the seat beside him still empty.

His eyebrows were nearly twisted together.

What shy words needed to be discussed for so long?

As he scanned the venue, when he saw a familiar figure beside Ji Zeqiu, his expression suddenly froze.

The two of them seemed to be engaged in a conversation, with Lin Xu’s eyes brimming with bright smiles.

A breeze passed by, messing up the hair by her ears.

Ji Zeqiu’s move was very natural as he stretched out his hand to tuck the stray hair behind her ear, so intimately.@@novelbin@@

Xie Changyan’s cheeks suddenly became enveloped in a layer of frost, the air pressure around him dropping to the extreme.

Suddenly, he felt a little regret.

“Special Assistant Wu, is it no longer necessary for our company’s artists to avoid impropriety with the opposite sex?” Xie Changyan’s gaze was icy cold.

Despite the flat, unemotional tone, the assistant perceived danger in his voice, shuddering, “I… I’ll speak to their agents right away.”

“No need,” Xie Changyan stood up, taking long strides directly towards where Ji Zeqiu was.

As he approached, Xie Changyan could hear their conversation.

Ji Zeqiu spoke with a wistful tone, “You said before that the person you loved the most was mine…”

Lin Xu didn’t expect him to still be hung up on competing for Ji Tingyang’s affection and laughed helplessly, “Yes, that’s right.”

Xie Changyan’s steps faltered.

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