Chapter 54

Sometimes, when you muster the courage to do something, but when things develop unexpectedly, that courage deflates like a balloon and quickly disappears without a trace.

The night breeze brushed through her long hair, and he could smell the faint scent of her hair.

"Yeah, it's beautiful," he suddenly let out a breath of relief, staring at Yan Xi for a while before turning his gaze to the autumn moon in the sky. "Ancient people often used the autumn moon to express their feelings. Who knows how many hopes it has carried over these thousands of years."

"Actually, it's just a bumpy, non-luminous planet," Yan Xi tucked her hair behind her ear. "As the saying goes, distance creates beauty. People from ancient times until now don't truly like the moon; they like its illusory projection. I'm one of them."

Yuan Yi thought to himself that he was the kind of timid person who even wanted to confess his feelings under the moonlight.

He was glad he didn't say that out loud; that way, Yan Xi wouldn't see the pitiful, laughable timidity in his heart.

"Hey!" Her fair hand waved in front of Yuan Yi's face. "Staring blankly?"

Yuan Yi came back to his senses, pointing at the moon and casually saying, "Do you think there's a shadow on the moon?"

"Don't point," Yan Xi pressed down on his finger, folded her hands, and bowed to the moon. Turning around, she smiled at Yuan Yi, saying, "You can't point at the moon; it'll cut your ears off."

Yuan Yi: "Where did you hear that superstitious story? All these years, you've been reading books for nothing?"

"Aiya, it's better to believe it than not to," Yan Xi looked up at the moon, exposing her fair, slender neck. "When I was a child, my mom told me a story. She said the shadow on the moon was an old woman making shoes under a tree." She couldn't remember the specific details of the story but vaguely remembered the old woman making cloth shoes because when she was a child, she felt sorry for the old woman. The old woman was alone in such a faraway place, with no one to keep her company, so she remembered it to this day.

"I remember you said your mother was a very remarkable artist?" Yuan Yi didn't understand. For an artist like that, telling her daughter stories about the moon should have involved the Jade Rabbit and Chang'e, but instead, it was about an old woman making shoes.

"Yeah," Yan Xi nodded proudly. "Some of my mom's works have been sold for seven figures. Many collectors praise her as the goddess of the canvas, calling her the hope of the new generation of artists."

Seeing her proud expression, Yuan Yi couldn't help but laugh. "You're remarkable too."

Yan Xi tilted her head to look at him. Her big eyes seemed to reflect the moon, so beautiful that Yuan Yi lost his train of thought. "Is it because the moonlight is especially beautiful tonight that I think you're a little gentler right now?"

The wind blew through her long hair, some strands covering her pale cheek. Yuan Yi wanted to reach out to brush them away, but just as he moved his fingers, Yan Xi naturally shook her head, flicking her hair back, and the tips of her hair brushed against his face.

"Ah, sorry, I haven't taken care of my hair lately, it grew and I didn't notice," Yan Xi leaned in to see if Yuan Yi's face seemed a little flushed, thinking it was because her hair touched him. She wanted to help rub his face but didn't want to touch him, so she could only clasp her hands together and apologize. "I really didn't mean to."

This woman just knows how to act pitiful, and getting this close makes him nervous!

"I... I'm fine." Yuan Yi cleared his throat and rubbed his face with the back of his hand. "Come on, let me show you some other places."

As they walked along a flagstone path, he turned back and said, "It's a little slippery here, be careful with your steps, don't fall."

Yan Xi took two steps and then stumbled. Yuan Yi looked at her helplessly. "Looks like my warning was in vain."

"My eyesight is a little bad at night, and it's too dark here," Yan Xi rolled her eyes, "How about... how about you hold my hand and guide me?"

Yuan Yi stared at her for a full ten seconds. Without changing his expression, he reached out his hand. "Keep up."

Luckily, the light here wasn't too bright, so even if his face turned red, Yan Xi wouldn't see. Her soft hand slid into his large, slightly cool palm, smooth yet tender. Yuan Yi didn't dare to hold it too tightly, but he also didn't want to let go too loosely. On this chilly autumn night, he surprisingly felt a surge of warmth spread through his body.

After walking a few steps, Yan Xi tugged at his sleeve with her other hand. "Slow down, I can't keep up."

"So many demands." Yuan Yi lightly complained, but his steps slowed considerably. As they passed a courtyard with a white jade bridge, Yan Xi faintly heard the sound of a pipa, followed by a woman's voice singing a half-modern, half-traditional song with a pleasant tune.

"Autumn winds stir the bright moon, the river reflects the cold shadows. Outside the garden, a beautiful woman leans against the window, waiting for her beloved to return from the frontier..."

Yan Xi stopped, looking at the reflection of the lights on the lake. She suddenly heard the woman change to a dramatic tone, singing about a general who died in battle, and his new bride still waiting for him to return. The song was filled with twists and turns, full of melancholy.

"Do you like it?" Yuan Yi noticed Yan Xi seemed interested in the song. "Should I have someone come over to sing for you?"

"No need," Yan Xi looked at their joined hands but didn't remind Yuan Yi to let go. She smiled and shook her head. "If you really call someone over, it might lose its charm."

Yuan Yi didn't insist. This song had a bad omen, and he actually didn't want Yan Xi to hear it either.

When they reached a brightly lit area, Yuan Yi reluctantly let go of her hand. "You can see clearly here, right?"

"Mm," Yan Xi nodded, smiling sweetly at Yuan Yi. "Thank you, Brother Yuan."

"Tch." Yuan Yi turned away. "I'll take you back to your room."

Yan Xi watched Yuan Yi's retreating figure, rubbing her chin. It seemed like this guy wasn't so easy to deal with. His attitude clearly showed he saw her as a buddy. She suddenly remembered something from the internet, "I treat you like a buddy, but you want to sleep with me." The remnants of her conscience told her that such thoughts were dangerous, quite beastly.

"My room is next door, call me if you need anything," Yuan Yi stood at the door, speaking to Yan Xi who stood inside. "Good night."

"Good night," Yan Xi smiled at him, leaving the door open.

Yuan Yi sighed, helplessly closing the door for her. How could this woman, when going out with a man, have no sense of caution? What if he were a bad person? What would she do then?

Inside the room, the furniture was all made of solid wood, and the layout was very elegant. Even the mosquito nets were unusually delicate. After washing up, Yan Xi lay down on the bed, feeling as if she were a royal princess.

Inhaling the faint incense in the room, Yan Xi cuddled into the luxurious blanket and drifted off to sleep.

Next door, Yuan Yi couldn't fall asleep. The thought that Yan Xi was only separated from him by a wall made all his sleepiness disappear. He opened the chat group and saw Zhang Wang complaining about his way of pursuing women.

Yuan: Heh.

Zhang Wang: Yuan, you still awake?

Yuan: If I were asleep, how could I see your complaints?

Zhang Wang: ...

Xu Qiaosheng: Brother Yi, how about Zhang Wang's suggestion? Have you confessed to Dahe successfully?

Yuan: Who said I was going to confess?

Xu Qiaosheng: Looks like the confession failed.

Zhang Wang: ...

Yang Yu: ...

Zhu Han: ...

Yan Xi heard a knock at the door and groggily walked over to open it. Seeing Yuan Yi standing outside, dressed neatly with a set of clothes in his hand, she said, "You're up so early?"

Yuan Yi glanced at her messy hair and handed her the clothes. "If you don't get up, you'll be late for work. I'll wait for you outside."

"I forgot I had to work today," Yan Xi hugged the clothes and painfully went into the bathroom.

After brushing her teeth, washing her face, changing clothes, and applying a simple everyday makeup, Yan Xi opened the door. "Thank you, this outfit fits perfectly."

"Glad it fits, not a waste of money," Yuan Yi secretly looked her up and down; she was quite beautiful.

Breakfast was a private meal for the two of them. Yan Xi guessed that Zhang Wang and the others had not yet gotten up, so she didn't bother to greet them when leaving.

Yuan Yi drove Yan Xi to the building of the TV station. To avoid causing her trouble, he didn't follow her inside. He said a few words and left.

Yan Xi wore her work ID and cheerfully entered the building. As soon as she entered the elevator, she saw a few people who also wanted to take it. She pressed the door-open button and waited for them.

The leading woman had bright red lips, half of her face covered by sunglasses, and her coat looked very similar to Yan Xi's, though in a different color. The woman seemed to notice and glanced at Yan Xi without speaking. The two assistants behind her looked displeased.

For some reason, they didn't explode in anger but instead made an effort to suppress their dissatisfaction.

When the elevator stopped and Yan Xi stepped out, one assistant said, "Wu Jie, how could such staff members afford that brand? I wonder where they sell imitation goods." The coat was a high-end international brand, recently released in limited quantities, not something just anyone could buy.

Wu Xuan looked a bit haggard. Ever since the last time she had used internet trolls to target Zhao Feifei, which was discovered by the Yuan family, her life had been difficult. Her endorsements were canceled, she couldn't appear on the variety shows she had arranged, and her role as the lead actress in a big production was snatched away by someone else. Now, being able to come to the Imperial Capital TV station to record a program, she had to rely on her manager's connections. The staff member earlier clearly knew her, but didn't even greet her, showing that she was not even regarded.

Once at the agreed location, a staff member came to greet Wu Xuan. She looked behind the staff and saw that only one person came to receive her. A few months ago, when she had come to this TV station for a program, everyone in the production team had been polite to her. Now, after such a short time, they treated her so perfunctorily.

She hated the public relations team for giving such bad advice and hated Zhao Feifei, that sly woman. If it weren't for her, she wouldn't have ended up in this situation, being sidelined.

"Wu Jie, you might have to wait a while. The studio is recording another guest's program. Perhaps you can rest in the VIP lounge for a while?" The staff member smiled and said, "Please understand."

Wu Xuan stood up and casually asked, "Who's recording the program?"

The staff member gave a name, and Wu Xuan felt as though she had been slapped in the face. Even a newcomer who had just started could be ahead of her. Her expression changed, but she still swallowed her anger, "Thank you for showing me the way."

The VIP lounge had a TV, but it only showed the station's programs. Wu Xuan grabbed the remote and randomly flipped through channels, only to see the staff member she had just encountered earlier.

"Wu Jie, is that the staff member from earlier?" One of her assistants asked, looking at the program name. They had never heard of it. A little-known host could wear all brand-name clothes. Could she afford such things?

Wu Xuan felt a bit irritated. After turning off the TV, she said, "Stop talking, I'm annoyed."

The assistant changed their expression but didn't say anything further.

Yan Xi had just arrived at the station and was immediately grabbed by Xiao Yang to review the post-production edits. After finishing there, she was rushed to get ready for a live news broadcast. While changing clothes, the stylist sighed, "Yan, this is a top brand's fall/winter collection. Compared to this, the clothes the program sponsors provide look like rags."

She didn't know when it started, but fewer and fewer people at the station called Yan Xi "Little Yan," and more and more people called her "Teacher Yan."

"This outfit was a gift from a friend. I can't afford it on my small salary," Yan Xi smiled, "Clothes are just for wearing, no big deal."

If it were truly the same, there would be no distinction between high-end and mass-market brands. But Yan Xi's humble attitude, not flaunting her wealth, made people like her more. Rich people who are approachable easily gain good impressions, while those with a little money who flaunt their brands only turn people off.

The stylist finished fixing Yan Xi's hair and glanced at the time. "Teacher Yan, you still have half an hour, so take a quick rest."

"Thank you," Yan Xi smiled and thanked him, sipping the tea that the staff had made for her with a straw.

Although the tea was cheap, it was soothing for the throat. A couple of sips before going on the live broadcast worked better than some throat lozenges.

After arriving at the studio, Zhang Hao, who was no longer the host, handed her the news script and briefly went over some important points. Then he went off with the other staff to get busy. During this time, Zhang Hao had taught her a lot about hosting. Yan Xi often joked half-seriously, calling him "Teacher," and he would respond with a smile. Now, everyone in the newsroom called them "teacher and student."

To Yan Xi, Zhang Hao might not be a famous host, but his years of experience had been accumulated day by day. Even if she followed a more famous host, she might not learn more, because those people wouldn't teach her as openly as Zhang Hao did. He genuinely wanted to see her develop and succeed.

One reason Zhang Hao was so open with her was that she had helped him out of a tough situation once, and it was also possible that he had projected his unfulfilled hosting dream onto her.

After finishing the live news broadcast, Yan Xi immediately relaxed. Zhang Hao walked over and said, "You were in good form today."

"Thank you for the compliment, Teacher," Yan Xi said, tidying up the materials on the news desk. "I will continue to work hard."

Zhang Hao smiled, took the news script from her, and said, "Stop chatting, go have lunch."

"Teacher Yan, when are you going to give Teacher Zhang a formal apprentice ceremony?" Chen Pei teased from the side. "And maybe treat us to a meal, so it's clear you're teacher and student."

"Tonight, I'll treat tonight," Yan Xi grinned at Zhang Hao. "As long as you don't mind, Teacher."

Before Zhang Hao could say anything, the program team began jokingly deciding on the details. Since they had worked with Zhang Hao for a long time, they knew well that this was long overdue. Now that a promising new talent was willing to acknowledge Zhang Hao as a teacher, they naturally wanted to officially establish the teacher-student relationship.

Such a good prospect—if they didn't seize this opportunity, it would be gone.

In the afternoon, they recorded an episode of Things Around Us. Just as Yan Xi walked out of the studio, she received a phone call from the front desk staff, saying a woman named Wei, who claimed to be her friend, wanted to meet her.

"Sorry, I don't know anyone by that name. Please help me turn her down, thank you." After hanging up, Yan Xi casually watered the new succulent plant she had bought, making sure not to overwater it this time.

After work, Yan Xi went downstairs with her colleagues who didn't have to work. When they heard she was treating, they all excitedly gathered around and started discussing where to eat.

"Dahe!"

Yan Xi glanced at the fashionable woman at the door but pretended not to hear and continued chatting with her colleagues.

"Yan Dahe," Wei Xiaoman, seeing that Yan Xi ignored her, chased after her and stood in front of her, out of breath. "Are you planning to never speak to me again?"