Chapter 120 Looking for a Friend

translator: Eve

editor: kara

Right up until the fashion show, Song Xuanhe couldn’t toss the words Xiao Ranyun had said a week ago from his head—that “Yuanmu gege” had decided to move RE’s HQ to China.

In the beginning, RE had just been an investment company. After it had discovered the new energy source, it had become an energy company. Now, because it had acquired a large number of other companies, it was now considered a transnational corporation that was involved in many different industries. However, its greatest asset was its new energy source.

Every country had a high demand for this new energy source. That meant that it would be easier for Xiao Yuanmu, compared to other people, to invest in any country of his choosing. The only thing was moving his company’s HQ was different from opening a subsidiary branch. It involved many factors—including each country’s current state and their policies.

Xiao Yuanmu had never made a decision without careful consideration. Currently, regardless of whether it was in terms of its policies or state of affairs, America was the most appropriate country for RE’s future development at present as it would give it the most freedom. That was why his decision to found it in America at the beginning had been such a wise choice.

But now, the decision to move the heart of his company to China was not necessarily a smart idea. This wasn’t to say that China wasn’t good—Song Xuanhe thought that China might even become the fastest developing country in the next ten years, at which point it would be a good idea for RE to invest in it—but, it was definitely not the most suitable place for RE at present.

Even Zhou Nan, who had been wide-eyed in shock, and Xiao Ranyun, whose eyes were filled with grievances, knew this fact well.

There was no way Xiao Yuanmu didn’t know this when Xiao Ranyun, an eighteen-year-old girl, was fully aware of it.

That was why Song Xuanhe had no choice but to realize that he was the main reason for why Xiao Yuanmu was planning to move RE’s HQ to China.

It had been a week since he had found this out. Song Xuanhe had arrived in Y City now. He had considered calling Xiao Yuanmu or picking up the other’s calls countless times…but for some reason, hesitation would arise as soon as he was about to press down on the buttons.

Suddenly, he didn’t know how to face Xiao Yuanmu.

“Xuanhe?” Feng Tong patted Song Xuanhe, who was lost in his thoughts. When the other lifted his head, Feng Tong smiled. “What’s wrong? Nervous?”

Song Xuanhe came back to the present and smiled back. “I was just thinking if there’s anything to alter with regards to today’s designs.”

“The show starts in three hours.” Feng Tong laughed. “Even if you think of anything, there won’t be enough time. I came to call you over to take a look at the stage. The show’s director has already made all the arrangements for the dress rehearsal.”

“Sure.” Song Xuanhe nodded. He followed after Feng Tong for a bit before suddenly turning around to dump his cellphone onto the desk behind him. He met with Feng Tong’s inquisitive eyes and explained, “I don’t want my phone to ring and disrupt the dress rehearsal.”

Feng Tong also pulled his phone out and placed it on the desk. “Thanks for reminding me. My phone’s been going off all morning. Although it’s on silent mode, I can’t help but glance at it still. But, we should concentrate on the dress rehearsal instead.”

Song Xuanhe smiled slightly. He then left the lounge with Feng Tong side-by-side.

Song Xuanhe and Feng Tong had invited a very renowned show director in the modelling industry to work the show. The show director had set up the runway exactly in the way Song Xuanhe and Feng Tong had imagined, leaving them extremely satisfied.

Song Xuanhe and Feng Tong were quite at ease after watching the dress rehearsal. As long as the actual show went more-or-less as well as this, there wouldn’t be an issue.

The two of them returned to the lounge. As soon as they had entered, an assistant knocked on the door. “Song ge, someone wants to interview you before the show. It’s the editor-in-chief of PO Magazine. Do you want to accept it?”

Song Xuanhe was surprised. “An interview for me?”

“Yes,” The assistant confirmed, “Do you want to accept it?”

Song Xuanhe had yet to reply when Feng Tong clasped him on the shoulder. With a grin, he said, “Take it. The editor-in-chief of PO rarely asks any hard-hitting questions. If she asks about the designs of the other designers under us, just give her an ambiguous answer. Aside from that, I doubt she’ll ask anything sensitive. Besides, this interview will give us great exposure if this show goes well.”

Feng Tong had already said all of this which made it difficult for Song Xuanhe to refuse. He, thus, followed the assistant out.

The editor-in-chief of PO was a tall, lithe, fashionable, and successful-looking woman. She sized Song Xuanhe up as soon as she laid eyes on him. When she noticed his calm appearance, she extended a hand with a smile. “Hi, my name’s Lisa. I’m glad you decided to accept this interview.”

Song Xuanhe shook her hand briefly. The smile on his lips was polite but distant. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lisa.”

Lisa was sitting on a stool, legs crossed. She was leaning forward slightly, a voice recorder and a notebook in each hand. She grinned at him. “I’ve heard of you for quite a while now, Mr. Song. Didn’t expect that you’d be this sexy and handsome in person. No wonder you’re Mr. Xiao’s boyfriend.”

Song Xuanhe’s expression changed slightly, but his lips curled up calmly. “Thanks.”

Lisa smiled. “Alright, let’s get right into it. Mr. Song, would you mind telling us if you’re confident about your debut today? Do you think the show will be successful?”

“Of course,” Song Xuanhe said with a smile.

Lisa paused for a second before her grin widened. “Are you confident about your debut, or are you certain of the show’s success?”

“Both.”

“Your confidence is really attractive.” Lisa pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and then tilted her head. “Can you tell me what your inspiration for your debut designs were? For example, many designers have a muse, or they get inspiration upon discovering something beautiful. What category do you fall under?”

“Both,” Song Xuanhe said, “In the beginning, the inspiration had come from a person. Afterwards, the changes in details and the adjustment in the cuts had come from a bout of sudden inspiration.”

“Your inspiration had come from a person in the beginning?” Lisa caught on to the important part of his statement, the smile on her face growing more brilliant. “Can you tell us who your muse was?”

“Sorry, I can’t.”

Lisa’s smile froze when met with Song Xuanhe’s decisive refusal, but she quickly snapped out of it. She shuffled in a bit closer and whispered, “You really can’t? I think that the readers are really interested in who the source of your inspiration is.”

“I think that it’s enough that they are interested in my products.”

Song Xuanhe was still smiling, and his voice was gentle. There were no faults to pick out. However, Lisa felt like dealing with him was harder than dealing with the celebrities she usually interviewed even with their PR departments.

The last time she had felt this way was when she had interviewed Xiao Yuanmu a few months ago.

When she thought of this, she said, “As expected from Mr. Xiao’s lover. Although your tones are different, your answers are very similar. You’re both curt and straight to the point. If I didn’t already have experience interviewing Mr. Xiao, I’d probably have messed up the interview and ended up a flustered mess.”

Song Xuanhe raised a brow. The smile on his face faded as he gazed into Lisa’s eyes. “I don’t recall Xiao Yuanmu ever having accepted interviews from any fashion magazines. When did you have the opportunity to interview him?”

Lisa smiled as she explained, “I used to be the editor-in-chief of an economics magazine. I only transferred over to PO two months ago. Mr. Xiao was the last person I had interviewed at the economics magazine. Meanwhile, Mr. Song, you’re the first person I’ve interviewed since I transferred to PO. This feels like something to commemorate. If possible, I hope that you’ll invite me to your wedding. I will definitely write up a perfect description of your wedding.”

Song Xuanhe’s lips curled up, but he didn’t continue with that line of conversation. He asked instead, “Who told you to interview me?”

When he saw Lisa’s expression change imperceptibly, Song Xuanhe added, “Or rather, who helped connect you to both Xiao Yuanmu and I?”

Lisa laughed. “I’m an editor. Interviewing is my work. You and Mr. Xiao are the hottest couple since six months ago. More people are paying attention to you than they are to any couple in the entertainment industry. It’s no surprise that I’d try my best to get a chance to interview you two.”

Song Xuanhe’s expression didn’t change. He continued to watch her with a mild gaze in his eyes. “I know. So, tell me, who gave you this opportunity?”

Lisa sat up straight. Song Xuanhe’s expression was not outright threatening nor furious, but she felt a heavy pressure emitting from his calm eyes. It felt like he could see through her.

Her smile didn’t drop. “I contacted a lot of my friends and previous coworkers for this chance. If Mr. Song wants to know who was the person who had managed to get me this opportunity in the end, all I can say is that it was a friend of mine. I can’t tell you anything more. Sorry, but it would go against my principles as a reporter.”

Song Xuanhe gave her an insipid glance before getting up. “If that’s the case, I think that there’s nothing left for us to talk about. The interview shall end here.”

Lisa was taken aback. She also stood up. Upon seeing Song Xuanhe head to the exit, she started to chase after him. But after taking two steps, she saw that the door had been opened by a handsome, blond-haired, blue-eyed man. The man gave Song Xuanhe a radiant smile and extended a hand. “Hi, I’m Louis. I heard that you wanted to enquire about me just now. I’ve also been curious about you, but Xiao’s never let you come visit us in America. He forbade me from coming to see you or look into you as well. This was the only way we could meet.”

Song Xuanhe’s gaze fell onto Louis’s slender, clean fingers. He smiled. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Louis. Looks like your hand’s recovered after your two months off.”

At first, Louis was taken aback. He then turned to glare behind him with anger and shock. “Xiao, you told Song that I had needed time off because I had been injured, but you didn’t tell him that you had dragged me back to the office after just five days at the hospital?”

Song Xuanhe’s eyes widened at once.

Louis opened the door wide, and Xiao Yuanmu appeared in front of Song Xuanhe. The moment their eyes met, Song Xuanhe could see the suppressed storm in the other’s pitch-black eyes. The other’s voice was very heavy. “I found you at home. In addition, there’s no reason why I should tell my lover about you.”

“Now, if you don’t mind, can you give us some space? We have something to discuss alone.”

Eve: My heart actually sped up when Xiao Yuanmu appeared LMAO.

Kara: Same!! My heart almost stopped! Mumu, you’re going to give He bao and I heart attacks! I know you couldn’t wait anymore, but please have mercy on SXH! (人*′Д｀*)