Chapter 22

Cheng Qing’s car was the first to reach the hotel, but as soon as she hopped out, she winced in pain and felt a sharp sting in her back.

She attempted to stretch and move her arms to ease the discomfort, but it wasn’t working out. Even though the aching wasn’t too bad, it was enough to make it annoying for her to stand up straight.

Turns out, earlier that day, she had been pushed into the car door and whacked her thoracic vertebrae on the handle. No wonder her bones were hurting like crazy now.

Luo Xi noticed Cheng Qing’s discomfort and immediately felt worried and guilty. She quickly ran up to her and whispered, “Are you injured? Does it hurt a lot?”

Cheng Qing let out a soft chuckle. She knew how sensitive Luo Xi could be, and didn’t want her to worry too much. With a reassuring smile, she replied, “It’s no biggie, just make sure to take care of me more when we eat today.”

Cheng Qing was joking, but to her surprise, Luo Xi took her words seriously and nodded in agreement.

Cheng Qing couldn’t help but let out a laugh when she saw the serious expression on Luo Xi’s face. “I was just kidding,” she said, scratching the side of her head.

Luo Xi’s expression didn’t waver as she looked at her, “But I’m serious,” she insisted.

Cheng Qing inwardly let out a sigh and teased, “This is why you’re so troublesome.”

Despite her playful teasing, Cheng Qing’s mind was preoccupied with worries. She couldn’t shake off the thought of the cameras recording Luo Xi serving her food during lunch because she knew how possessive fans could be. The last thing she wanted was to be torn apart by them.

However, despite her worries, she couldn’t help but feel touched by Luo Xi’s sincere gesture.

As Cheng Qing tried to push away her anxieties, Kong Mingyan’s car soon arrived. He stepped out and immediately noticed Cheng Qing’s awkward movements and how unusually close Luo Xi was sticking to her.

He turned to Liu Suoyu and Lin Shandie, who was waiting nearby, and curiously asked, “What’s up with Cheng Qing?”

They both exchanged a quick glance before Liu Suoyu looked up at the sky while Lin Shandie looked down at the ground.

“Erm… It seems like she slipped and fell,” they quickly said before rushing away.

Kong Mingyan was confused by their explanation, “Slipped and fell? Inside the car?”

He suspected that Luo Xi might’ve had something to do with it and reminded himself that there was still surveillance in the vehicle, so he wasn’t too worried.

After a few minutes, two cars pulled up and the other celebrities stepped out, ready to make their way to the venue.

The group arrived in front of the Eternal Star Hotel, its exterior exuding a sense of luxury and sophistication with its sleek and modern architecture.

The hotel’s location was also strategic, conveniently situated on the bustling Fanko Avenue, giving guests easy access to the city’s entertainment, business, and cultural hubs.

However, the hotel’s prime location was not the only impressive aspect of the building. When Cheng Qing stepped into the lobby, she was met with a striking view.

The vast expanse of space was covered in abundant marble flooring, and the walls were lined with glistening gold mirrors.

The lobby, filled with the scent of fresh flowers and the sound of a live classical performance, provided a peaceful backdrop to the buzzing activity of the guests and staff.

Even though Cheng Qing wasn’t a very wealthy person in her past life, she still met with the highest level of people and had also been to the most luxurious hotels. So despite being in such a grandiose hotel, Cheng Qing felt perfectly at ease.

Kong Mingyan knew that these celebrities were quite popular, so he quickly reserved a private room, not daring to eat in the lobby. A waiter immediately greeted them with a polite smile and led them to a private room called the “Autumn Equinox.”

They walked into an elegantly designed room that gave off a luxurious vibe. Every little thing, from the mirrors to the paintings to the hanging ornaments, was carefully picked and placed to create an atmosphere that was both unique and artsy.

Unlike the flashy and extravagant lobby outside, the private room was adorned in a more traditional Chinese style. The decor aimed to create a serene and peaceful environment, shielding guests from the weariness and noise of the bustling outside world.

It was obvious that the production team had been here before, as the celebrities easily found their spots to settle in. Only Zhou Yong and Zhang Lingling remained reserved, feeling like they were not part of the group.

Cheng Qing quickly scanned the room and spotted an unoccupied corner seat. Kong Mingyan noticed where she was headed and called her over with a friendly smile, “Cheng Qing, come sit with us.”

Cheng Qing kindly declined, “Thanks, but I’m good here,” as she shook her head.

Kong Mingyan nodded, understanding her choice. With nine celebrities and three ordinary people, she probably didn’t want to be in the spotlight.

“Of course! Sit wherever you feel is right,” he said, gesturing for her to make herself comfortable.

When Cheng Qing settled into the corner seat, Luo Xi noticed and decided to join her. Cheng Qing was a bit surprised and said, “Luo Xi, you don’t have to sit here. You should sit with the other celebrities.”

Luo Xi replied with a serious expression, “But, didn’t you ask me to take care of you during the meal?”

Cheng Qing chuckled, feeling helpless, “I was just kidding, you know.”

Luo Xi didn’t budge and insisted, “I want to follow through with taking care of you.”

Cheng Qing sighed and extended her arms to show Luo Xi that she was perfectly fine, “I’m not hurting, see?”

Luo Xi stared at her uninjured arms for a while before she let out a determined “hmph!” and turned to Cheng Qing. Her expression was serious as she spoke earnestly, “You’re clearly in pain.”

Cheng Qing chuckled, knowing it was futile to argue with Luo Xi, “Okay, okay, it does hurt a bit,” she admitted and patted the seat beside her, motioning for Luo Xi to sit down, “Here, come sit with me.”

Luo Xi’s face lit up with a grin as she happily settled next to Cheng Qing.

A few seconds later, Liu Suoyu and Lin Shandie saw them sitting together and eagerly joined in. They claimed they were also part of the fencing team as a reason to sit there. Zhang Lingling and Zhou Yong, who came in later, also sat with the fencing group but on the opposite side of the table.

Once everyone had found their seats, Kong Mingyan signaled for the waiter and began ordering dishes.

He passed around the menu, encouraging everyone to add their own choices, “Feel free to add anything else you want,” he said with a smile.

Everyone wasn’t polite and didn’t hold back, so by the time the menu was passed to Luo Xi, many dishes had already been ordered. Only Zhang Lingling and Zhou Yong didn’t order any additional dishes because they felt they were not qualified.

Luo Xi thought that Cheng Qing was also an amateur, and knowing her personality, she was sure to be polite. She looked at Cheng Qing and asked, “What do you feel like eating?” while holding the menu.

Cheng Qing declined with a gentle shake of her head, “I’m okay, we ordered enough already.”

Luo Xi made a pouty face and insisted, “Come on, don’t be shy. Director Kong’s got deep pockets, let’s order more.”

Cheng Qing was speechless, while Kong Mingyan quickly interrupted, “Uh, actually, I’m not that rich.”

Luo Xi playfully stuck her tongue out at him, “It’s okay, you’re a big director with a big heart.”

Kong Mingyan’s face fell as he realized he couldn’t refuse their demands any longer. He looked like he was about to go broke. With a drained expression, he turned to Cheng Qing and forced a smile for the camera. “Go ahead, order whatever you like,” he said, resigned to his fate.

Cheng Qing laughed at Kong Mingyan’s encouragement and faced Luo Xi. She took a quick look at the menu and eventually conceded, saying, “Alright, help me order an eggplant dish!”

Luo Xi’s face lit up with excitement, “You like eggplant?” she asked.

Cheng Qing smiled softly and nodded, “Yes, I do like eggplant.”

Luo Xi’s grin widened as she eagerly scanned through the menu and ordered not one, not two, but three different eggplant dishes; stir-fried, fish-flavored, and dry pot.

Cheng Qing was taken aback by the excessive amount of food and tried to refuse, “Uh, that might be too much…” But when Luo Xi looked at her with an expectant expression, as if anticipating praise for taking the order, Cheng Qing paused for a moment before giving in, “Alright, let’s go with your picks. Thanks, Luo Xi.”

Luo Xi beamed with satisfaction and proudly said, “No need for thanks~!”

On the other hand, Kong Mingyan was at a loss for words: Hey, I’m the one who’s paying for the food! Thank me instead!!!

After the waiters collected the menus, Luo Xi rested her chin on her hands and waited for the food to arrive.

Earlier that morning, the celebrities had woken up at the crack of dawn to compete in several matches at the beach and had only been able to drink milk for breakfast. As a result, they were all feeling quite hungry.

After a moment of time, the dishes started to arrive in a fashionable order, each dish being meticulously plated and presented with an exquisite flair. The fragrant aroma of the dishes filled the room, intensifying everyone’s hunger.

When the plates of food were all placed in front of the celebrities, they eagerly picked up their chopsticks ready to dig in. However, as Cheng Qing reached for her chopsticks, Luo Xi quickly stopped her. “Let me help you,” she said, “You’re injured.”

Cheng Qing looked dumbfounded as her hand hovered over the chopsticks, “I’m not that injured,” she said, feeling helpless. She was perfectly capable of using chopsticks.

But Luo Xi was insistent, and when Cheng Qing saw the puppy-dog expression on her face, she couldn’t resist and agreed, “Alright, fine, you can pick some eggplant for me.”

Luo Xi’s face lit up with pure excitement. “Okay!” she exclaimed as she eagerly scanned the dishes for the perfect eggplant.

Cheng Qing couldn’t help but be amused by Luo Xi’s enthusiastic reaction and let out a small chuckle. She leaned her chin on one hand, watching her with a fond expression.

As Luo Xi searched for the tastiest eggplant, a sudden concern crossed Cheng Qing’s mind. She turned to Lin Shandie and whispered, “If the fans see this, will they try to find out more about me?”

Lin Shandie shook her head and reassured Cheng Qing, “I think you’re overthinking it.” She patted her on the shoulder and sighed at her denseness.

‘Even my agent has secretly contacted me about the increasing number of your CP fans reaching almost one million. You and Luo Xi are about to break the record for the fastest to reach one million CP fans, how could you be afraid of being exposed? Besides, we don’t even know if this segment has been aired yet, so there’s no need to anticipate anything. Perhaps the fans of the CP are looking forward to it for the Lunar New Year.’

Cheng Qing, however, still couldn’t shake off her fear as she recalled her past life where fans turned on their idols for seemingly minor reasons.

If Luo Xi’s fans saw her being served by their beloved idol, she could be at risk of being doxxed or attacked online.

The thought alone was enough to send shivers down her spine! (°^°|||)