BXBX NOVEL Chapter 456: Radiance
Chapter 456: Chapter 456: Radiance
Wang Ma, carrying a plate of pastries, chuckled and glanced at the departing Zhenxiu. She asked Yang Chen, "Son-in-law, why is Zhenxiu throwing a tantrum at you? She\'s usually very obedient."
Yang Chen shrugged. "That\'s a question I\'d like to know the answer to as well."
At that moment, Lin Ruoxi, who had worked late and returned home even later, leisurely came downstairs. She was dressed in an elegant, fashionably tailored black spring outfit, white lace stockings encasing her slender, shapely legs, crystal-like high heels on her feet, and a silver-grey studded handbag in her hand. She looked like a fashion model straight off the streets of Paris, exuding an icy beauty.
As usual, she ignored Yang Chen and sat down at the table. Suddenly, she said, "People get what they deserve."
Yang Chen nearly missed his seat and fell to the floor. He looked at his wife across the table with a bitter expression, realizing his status in the household seemed to be steadily declining, though it had never been high to begin with.
Halfway through breakfast, Lin Ruoxi spoke again, which was rare. "Did you have a falling out with that new-generation Korean diva, Liu Yanxi, yesterday afternoon?"
Yang Chen, with half a steamed bun in his mouth, nodded and mumbled an affirmative.
Lin Ruoxi looked at him with a complex expression. "I didn\'t expect you to have conflicts with beautiful women right from the start."
"Ugh..." Yang Chen choked and tears welled up in his eyes. He laughed bitterly, "Honey, do you have to say it like that? I\'m not some stud who hits on every beautiful woman he sees."
"A stud would go after sows," Lin Ruoxi retorted with a frown.
Yang Chen didn\'t understand why she was so particular about word choice. He smiled sheepishly and said, "That\'s what I meant. Besides, Liu Yanxi isn\'t exactly a decent person. I naturally don\'t want to deal with her. She can come or go; we don\'t need her."
"You are the director of the company now. It\'s better to avoid unnecessary trouble. Having such a blatant conflict with someone can only harm the company," Lin Ruoxi said seriously.
Yang Chen frowned, thinking of something, and speculated with some dissatisfaction, "Did that woman cause you trouble?"
"No," Lin Ruoxi replied after finishing her breakfast and wiping her lips with a wet napkin. "Last night, Liu Yanxi\'s management company from Korea reached out to me, asking for a reconciliation and for Liu Yanxi to continue her role as a judge on \'Jade Star.\' They don\'t want to miss the chance for Liu Yanxi to share the stage with Christine. However, they were worried you wouldn\'t agree, so they approached me directly."
Yang Chen grinned. "The Korean brains aren\'t too bad. If they asked me, I definitely wouldn\'t agree. Call me stubborn or a hard-ass, but that\'s just my nature—I don\'t back down easily."
"Tone down your rogue behavior. When will you start speaking seriously? Now that I\'ve told you, you should agree," Lin Ruoxi said, not denying his words.
Yang Chen looked at Lin Ruoxi seriously for a moment, then nodded. "You prioritize the company\'s interests above all. I have no reason to object. After all, everything here belongs to you. I\'m just here to help out. Whatever you say goes."
Lin Ruoxi frowned slightly. "I\'m discussing this with you, not ordering you."
"No need to discuss it; you can make decisions on these small matters," Yang Chen said casually.
Lin Ruoxi was a bit upset. How could this be a small matter? But then she remembered the Swiss bank loan incident and realized it might indeed be trivial.
Glancing thoughtfully at the man casually drinking coffee, Lin Ruoxi shook her head, stood up, and said, "Tonight, I will take some senior executives of Yulei to the \'Star of Yulei\' judges\' meeting. Figure out how to meet Liu Yanxi without it being awkward. Get the time and place from your subordinates, and don\'t forget."
Yang Chen was stunned. He didn\'t know there was an engagement tonight. Just as he was about to ask if he could skip it, Lin Ruoxi had already walked out the door.
Over half an hour later, Yang Chen arrived at the company. Upon entering his office, he found that An Xin, who hadn\'t been to work for several days, was already there, wearing headphones and staring at her computer screen.
Yang Chen walked up to her, but An Xin didn\'t move her gaze, seemingly captivated by what was on the screen.
"What\'s so fascinating that you don\'t even greet your man and boss? You\'re just glued to the screen," Yang Chen said, approaching An Xin.
On the screen was a high-definition video of the preliminary selection for the "Star of Yulei" competition.
What caught Yang Chen\'s eye was that the person singing on stage was none other than his own Hui Lin.
Yang Chen had thought that Hui Lin, given her personality and being on a live TV stage, might be a bit timid or reserved. But to his surprise, Hui Lin\'s performance on stage was incredibly confident.
Dressed in a simple white pleated dress, Hui Lin looked like a radiant gardenia, her naturally beautiful face adorned with a friendly and charming smile. Although Yang Chen couldn\'t hear her singing, the mesmerized expressions of the audience indicated that she sang wonderfully.
The audience, mostly "professional spectators," usually displayed expressions of admiration and excitement as a routine. But now, they seemed genuinely captivated, as if they had forgotten to "perform" and were truly listening to the clear voice on stage.
When Hui Lin\'s performance ended, there was a brief silence before the audience erupted into enthusiastic applause.
Then, three renowned musicians stood up in unison, clapping and unanimously giving her the "pass" for the elimination round.
Although Yang Chen knew Hui Lin had passed the preliminaries, he didn\'t realize the scene was so special. Clearly, Hui Lin had become famous. The preliminary rounds of "Star of Yulei," advertised with Christine\'s name, had high ratings, and many viewers must have seen this performance.
After watching the video, An Xin took off her headphones, having already noticed Yang Chen beside her but reluctant to remove her headphones earlier.
Sticking out her pink tongue, An Xin chuckled, "Dear, do you want to listen too? Hui Lin sang amazingly. I was worried she\'d be too nervous, but it turned out I was more nervous than she was."
An Xin, having hosted several preliminary rounds, participated in some recordings out of interest, despite her amateurish nervousness.
Yang Chen shook his head, "No need to listen. I know it must be great. Your taste is very picky. If you listened to it live and then again in the recording, it must be exceptional. I\'ll go to the elimination round in person to cheer for our Hui Lin."
"That\'s true. Even the actors on Broadway in Sam\'s country, though technically better singers, don\'t have a voice as pleasant as Hui Lin\'s," An Xin agreed, nodding.
Yang Chen suddenly remembered he hadn\'t seen Hui Lin all morning and asked, "Where did Hui Lin go?"
An Xin was momentarily stunned, "Honey, don\'t you know? Hui Lin has been rehearsing with other contestants who made it to the elimination round. She was supposed to stay in the dorms, but she wasn\'t used to it, so I talked to the TV station. Hui Lin leaves early and returns late; it\'s normal if you don\'t see her."
Yang Chen realized that Hui Lin, who grew up living a reclusive life with Master Yun Miao, was probably not nervous on stage due to her passion and confidence in music. However, living with many contestants might still be hard for her to accept.
An Xin excitedly said, "Now many people online are already Hui Lin\'s fans. On the Baidu Tieba forum, her fan base is surpassing some second-tier celebrities. It\'s amazing to think we have a future star, maybe even a future big singer, among us."
Yang Chen couldn\'t help but laugh, also looking forward to seeing what it would be like when the somewhat naive girl became a well-known celebrity.
Although most people in the company were busy, Yang Chen, as the hands-off boss, still had little to do. He spent the whole morning helping Wang Jie and Zhao Teng review two documents. At noon, he took An Xin out for a barbecue and then napped together in the office lounge.
These days, with all the various tasks and responsibilities, Yang Chen found himself suddenly back in a state of leisure. Naturally, he wouldn\'t miss the opportunity to enjoy it.
An Xin, who had matured beautifully through many trials and tribulations, felt even more delightful in his arms now. Her body, soft as cotton, seemed almost boneless, making Yang Chen wish he could merge her into his own being.
After a revitalizing nap, Yang Chen, feeling particularly energized, woke An Xin with a deep kiss and then proceeded to engage her intimately.
In the relatively small resting room, An Xin, with sleepy eyes, let Yang Chen have his way with her. Unlike an ordinary woman who might shy away from such intimate positions, An Xin was uninhibited, allowing Yang Chen to fully indulge in her charms. He knew she wouldn\'t be so unreserved with any other man; otherwise, he wouldn\'t have gone to such lengths to "steal the bride."
It wasn\'t until he had completely exhausted An Xin, leaving her a soft, pliable puddle, that Yang Chen, thoroughly satisfied, left the resting room.
He then found Yuan Ye, who was similarly slacking off, playing games in his office. They played until evening. Yang Chen remembered the evening engagement and learned from Wang Jie that the location was at Biyun Tower, a building now under the control of An Xin\'s father, An Zaihuan. Yang Chen asked An Xin if she wanted to join him. Upon hearing that Lin Ruoxi would be there, An Xin\'s face turned pale, and she quickly refused.
Yang Chen smiled wryly. Although Lin Ruoxi had agreed to not refuse contact with An Xin according to their agreement, it seemed An Xin was the one unwilling to meet Lin Ruoxi. Could this be Lin Ruoxi\'s intention all along?
Accompanied by his two subordinates, Yang Chen headed to Biyun Tower. To emphasize the importance of the event, they used the company\'s VIP stretch limousine.
By the time they arrived at Biyun Tower, it was already night.
This was undoubtedly an evening that garnered attention from both national and international media. Many famous artists and musicians, including the world-class diva Christine, would be attending. The presence of Liu Yanxi, the Korean diva who had narrowly lost to Christine at the Grammys, added an air of rivalry and anticipation.
The area around the brilliantly lit and colorful tower was filled with security personnel. Outside, numerous reporters and paparazzi were frantically snapping pictures.
Of course, the fan groups of various stars were also prominent, especially those of Christine and Liu Yanxi. Many LED signs with their names and slogans were held high, making the cool spring night in Zhonghai feel like midsummer due to the fans\' fervor.
Feeling slightly overwhelmed by the flashing lights, Yang Chen quickly led Zhao Teng and Wang Jie into the building\'s lobby. Guided by staff, they entered the banquet hall.
"I feel like a celebrity," Zhao Teng remarked with a sigh from behind.
"How does it feel?" Yang Chen asked with a smile, glancing back.
Zhao Teng shook his head. "Not good. I don\'t understand why so many people want to be famous."
Wang Jie nodded in agreement.
While the three were talking, many people in the hall began to approach them. These guests, who were dressed in various styles but all had a touch of sophistication, were the invited judges and guests of the Yulei Star event.
Yang Chen didn\'t recognize most of them, but Zhao Teng and Wang Jie, as the event\'s organizers and responsible parties, were familiar with these people and immediately engaged in casual conversations with them.
When asked who Yang Chen was, Zhao Teng formally introduced him as the director of Yulei Entertainment and their superior.
This introduction surprised nearly everyone present, from the music industry elites to the singers. Yang Chen\'s attire was quite ordinary, resembling that of a common passerby, and his appearance did not match the image of someone in the fashion industry. Even comparing him to a white-collar worker seemed a bit far-fetched.
However, these individuals were seasoned and quick to adapt, immediately offering polite remarks to Yang Chen. After all, in an ancient context, Yang Chen would be the "patron," and no matter how glamorous they were, they were still "performing artists."
Yang Chen felt a wave of weariness but had no choice but to engage in small talk with these strangers as if they were old friends.
Finally, after about ten minutes, loud screams erupted from outside the hall\'s balcony. The most piercing shouts were chanting the same name, "Liu Yanxi! We love you..."