Tangtang had come in a hurry and hadn’t prepared a gift. Seeing everyone giving presents to Qianshan Xue, she had a sudden idea and said, “Sister Xue, I’ve brought you a gift too.”
She pulled out several tickets from her bag and said, “I’m holding a concert in Dadong tonight. You’re welcome to come.”
“Sister Lin, Sister Bing, Luoying, I’ve got tickets for you too.”
Tangtang handed out the tickets to everyone.
Lin Jingzhi said, “Xue, you don’t know, Tangtang is incredibly popular in our country. Her concert tickets are nearly impossible to get. Scalpers sell them for tens of thousands each.”
“So impressive?” Qianshan Xue was surprised.
Lin Jingzhi added, “Tangtang’s singing is amazing. Let’s go enjoy it tonight.”
Qianshan Xue said, “I’d love to, but Ruyi is so young…”
Before she could finish, Qiusan Nange said, “Xue, you go to the concert. I’ll stay home and look after Ruyi.”
Qianshan Xue hesitated, “Well…”
Qian Jinglan chimed in, “Xue, I’m a woman too. I know how tough ten months of pregnancy is. Go relax tonight. Your master and I will watch Ruyi. It’ll be fine.”
Qianshan Xue nodded, “Thank you, Mum. Thank you, Master.”
Qian Jinglan suddenly remembered something and said, “Oh, Aqiu, I told your grandfather about your child.”
Ye Qiu’s heart raced. He knew his grandfather’s temper well. The old man had a deep-seated dislike for Dadong people.
“Mum, what did Granddad say?” Ye Qiu asked cautiously.
“Your granddad was thrilled. He wanted to come to Dadong to see Ruyi, but I stopped him. He’s too old for the trip.”
Qian Jinglan’s tone shifted, “But he insisted on attending the full-month banquet.”
“He’s even set the date, the eighteenth of next month. He says it’s an auspicious day.”
“Aqiu, any thoughts?”
Ye Qiu smiled, “If Granddad says so, let’s follow his plan. He’s my granddad, after all.”
“Though we’ll hold the banquet, it shouldn’t be too grand.”
“Given my status, a big event would mean preparing a thousand tables. I don’t think that’s necessary.”
“Let’s keep it simple, invite family and a few close friends for a gathering. Mum, what do you think?”
Qian Jinglan smiled, “That’s what I was thinking.”
Lin Jingzhi added, “How about holding it at the Dihao Hotel? It’s our own place.”
“Good,” Ye Qiu agreed immediately.
Qian Jinglan said to Qianshan Xue, “Xue, the full-month banquet is a tradition in our country. Every child has one after birth.”
“But it’s still a month away. Would you rather go to Jiangzhou or stay in Dadong?”
“If you don’t want to go to Jiangzhou, I’ll stay here to help with Ruyi. We can return to Jiangzhou closer to the date.”
Qianshan Xue hesitated.
“Xue, I’ll decide for you,” Ye Qiu said. “You and Nange pack up. We’ll head to Jiangzhou tomorrow. The banquet’s a month away. I’ll take you and Nange to see China’s beautiful landscapes.”
“Alright,” Qianshan Xue agreed without hesitation, thrilled at the idea of Ye Qiu accompanying her.
With the serious matters settled, everyone turned their attention to teasing little Ruyi.
While no one was looking, Bai Bing pinched Ye Qiu’s waist hard.
Ye Qiu winced in pain but didn’t dare show it, whispering, “Sister Bing, what was that for?”
Bai Bing snorted, “Ye Qiu, you’re something else, taking both the disciple and the master, huh.”
Ye Qiu said, “Sister Bing, don’t be jealous…”
“Who’s jealous?” Bai Bing raised her eyebrows, denying it.
It was like a drunk insisting they’re sober, claiming they can keep drinking.
Bai Bing said, “I don’t care. This makes me angry. You need to make it up to me, or we’re done.”
Ye Qiu asked, “How do you want me to make it up?”
Bai Bing linked arms with him and whispered, “When we’re back, ten times a day.”
Ye Qiu’s face paled.
Though his stamina was exceptional, as the saying goes, there’s no field too tough to plow, only oxen that tire. How could he handle such a demand?
“Just kidding, look at you, all scared,” Bai Bing said. “Seriously, I want a child. Every time I call my granddad, he nags me about it.”
Ye Qiu said, “Fine, I’ll make it happen when we’re back.”
…
At six-thirty in the evening, the massive stadium was packed to the brim.
Besides local Dadong fans, many had travelled from across the country.
There were tens of thousands, at least.
Qian Jinglan and Qiusan Nange stayed home to care for Ruyi. Ye Qiu brought his close companions to the concert.
They sat in the front row. After settling in, Ye Qiu spotted a familiar face, Myles, the young master of the Rodell family.
Myles, with several bodyguards, was also in the front row, not far from Ye Qiu’s group.
At seven o’clock, the concert began.
As Tangtang appeared, the atmosphere hit its peak. Cheers erupted, deafening the crowd.
Tangtang performed for two hours.
Just as she prepared to sing her final song to close the concert, something unexpected happened.
The music stopped abruptly.
The stadium lights went out.
The venue plunged into darkness.
“What’s happening?” Lin Jingzhi asked.
As her words fell, a line of text appeared on the giant screen.
“Tangtang, I LOVE YOU!”
A spotlight then lit up, shining on Tangtang.
Tangtang looked puzzled.
Another spotlight illuminated Myles.
Dressed in a suit, his handsome face beaming, Myles held a vibrant bouquet of roses. He strode onto the stage, knelt on one knee, and pulled a jewellery box from his pocket.
Opening it, a fifty-carat blue diamond ring gleamed under the lights.
“Tangtang, I love you. Marry me.”
The crowd went wild.
Unaware of the situation, they thought it was part of the show, and screams filled the air.
Tangtang rejected him bluntly, “Mike, I don’t like you. Please leave. I need to sing the last song for my fans.”
Myles stayed kneeling, gazing at her with affection, saying, “Tangtang, my love is true. If you don’t accept me, I’ll kneel here forever until you do.”
Hearing this from the audience, Ye Qiu’s eyes turned cold.
Playing the rogue, huh?
Sorry, I’m the best at dealing with rogues.
Ye Qiu discreetly drew a talisman, flicked his finger, and a wisp of black energy floated out.
