Chapter 47: I Will Return to You a Glorious, Unparalleled Beauty (Part Three)

In the latter half of the night, Yang Fan enjoyed the sensation of a massage in his dreams—though in truth, it was Lin Ruo who was massaging him, an attentive, full-body massage at that.

The next day marked the third day since Ai Xiaomei had left, and it was Wednesday. That meant that next Monday, he would return to his hometown for a visit. The date was settled; he had already called his parents and sister. The Mid-Autumn Festival was fast approaching, so this trip home would be an early celebration.

Yang Fan only noticed the things for his trip home that morning—Lin Ruo had bought them the day before. Truly, she was more thoughtful than he could have imagined, though she was always scheming against him. Like last night, he was well aware that Lin Ruo had likely gone to his bedroom in the latter half of the night.

“You really are a scoundrel! You even want me, too! How could you be so shameless?”

“I…”

Yang Fan found himself at a loss for words.

He spent the entire day at home; Zhao Jing had truly gone back home. Early that morning, she messaged him to say her phone was out of battery and not to worry. Yang Fan wasn’t concerned—thanks to the butterfly mark, should Zhao Jing encounter any mortal danger, the automatic protection would activate, and he would be notified. What occupied his thoughts more was the mystery surrounding Zhao Jing.

Xia Yufei was rehearsing for tomorrow’s performance, the company operated as usual, and Wu Qian, rather than learning her lesson, only drew closer to Yang Fan.

Stories happen when one ventures out to discover them, yet Yang Fan felt too lazy to move. That evening, he went to Ye Xiao’s new home for dinner—not Bai Boyuan’s house, but the newly purchased one after Bai Boyuan sold his two apartments. He himself wouldn’t live in Bai Boyuan’s place, finding it too filthy.

Actually, Yang Fan had already eaten at the company—Wu Qian had cooked. At ten sharp, Yang Fan went home, pleasing Lin Ruo, who then went off to sleep herself.

Yang Fan and Zhang Chen chatted until eleven, then retired for the night. The night was peaceful, and Yang Fan slept deeply.

Thursday arrived with pleasant, moderate temperatures in Tianning—a rare comfort before the full onset of autumn. After a brief morning meeting, everyone headed out. Yang Fan took Liu Haoyu and Third Brother straight to Tianning Normal University.

“Uncle, look, that’s Jing Tian’s car.”

“Yes, Boss, and the one beside us belongs to Director Sun,” Third Brother pointed out.

“You recognize his car?”

“A Ming blocked him several times these days, trying to get a connection,” Third Brother explained.

“You two have certainly had fun,” Liu Haoyu chuckled.

“We’re avenging Sister Zihan! They tried to set her up,” Third Brother said earnestly.

Yang Fan smiled; they deserved it.

“So, what are Jing Tian’s people doing here?” Liu Haoyu couldn’t help but ask.

“Call Director Sun out!”

Third Brother immediately dialed his phone. After a short wait, Director Sun hurried over, anxious, and got into the car as soon as the door opened.

“B-boss,” Director Sun was visibly nervous.

“Director Sun, you’ve had a good few days, haven’t you?”

“Boss, I’ve followed your instructions, really…”

Yang Fan waved his hand, “I know, I’m not here to give you trouble. I just want to ask what you’re doing here.”

Director Sun broke out in a cold sweat; only when Yang Fan clarified he wasn’t here to cause trouble did his heart finally step back from the cliff’s edge. He composed himself and said, “Tianning Normal invited us to perform.”

“Who’s here?” Third Brother asked.

“Zhou Ya, Zhang Xinxin, and some new artists.”

Third Brother wrinkled his nose in disdain. Yang Fan chuckled, “Alright, get back to your work.”

“Then I’ll go in,” Director Sun said nervously.

“Go ahead.”

Even after leaving the car, Director Sun’s heart pounded. Seeing this man, he truly felt fear.

“Third Brother, Zhou Ya and Zhang Xinxin—you…”

“Of course! Zhou Ya was the main culprit behind framing Sister Zihan; there’s no way I’d let her off.”

“Really, you should have called me to see!”

“I did, but you didn’t come. With Sister Xue around, I couldn’t spell it out so openly,” Third Brother protested.

“Well, couldn’t you have sent a secret text or something?”

Yang Fan laughed, “Third Brother, next time you must include Haoyu.”

“That’s right, I’d just take a look, I wouldn’t get in your way.”

“Next time, for sure. Boss, you have no idea—Zhou Ya and Zhang Xinxin are troublemakers, connecting others and who knows how many artists have fallen for it!”

“By the way, I even did a good deed—I rescued a very pure young actress at the hotel the day before yesterday.”

“And she didn’t properly thank you?”

“She did, but I left her with a mysterious smile.”

“Not bad, you’re learning to do good deeds,” Yang Fan praised.

At noon, they ate nearby; Yang Fan called Xia Yufei, who was also having lunch—just something simple, since rehearsal continued afterward.

They would be dancing as Zhou Ya’s backup. If Zhou Ya were a top-tier star, backup dancers might rise to fame overnight, but she wasn’t. So, it was essentially an on-campus performance.

Still, Zhou Ya was a celebrity, and dancing alongside her was an honor for the students of Tianning Normal.

At two in the afternoon, Yang Fan and his companions entered the campus. The performance hall was sparsely populated.

The official performance was at four. When Yang Fan and his group arrived, those on stage noticed them at once—Director Sun was uneasy, Zhou Ya was distracted, and Xia Yufei, dancing behind, was delighted.

Jing Tian’s people were also present, having seen Yang Fan’s trio at Xu Zihan’s press conference.

Xu Zihan’s friends, members of the Liu family—someone was about to approach, but Yang Fan gestured for them to stay back, and they returned to their places.

“Third Brother, Zhou Ya is stunned at the sight of you!”

“Hehe!” Third Brother grinned foolishly. To him, Zhou Ya and her friends were mere playthings—a promise made to avenge Xu Zihan.

“Haoyu, you don’t know, sharing beds among big stars is commonplace.”

“Then you must have experienced it yourself.”

…

Liu Haoyu and Third Brother bantered energetically, while Yang Fan watched the figure on stage.

He remembered Xia Yufei’s solo dance—a performance that blossomed solely for him.

“You promised me a dance of unrivaled beauty; I shall repay you with a city’s glory.”

As Zhou Ya left the stage, Third Brother took out his phone.

“Boss, we’re stepping out for a bit.”

“Alright,” Yang Fan nodded.

Backstage at the performance hall…

“Yufei, your boyfriend is here!” Li Susu said.

“I saw him!”

…

“Xia Yufei, Li Susu, you’re just in time. As Student Council President, I’m informing you that you won’t go on stage. Your six spots will be taken by Wang Xiaoxiao and her group.”

“What? Why?” Li Susu demanded indignantly.

Xia Yufei was momentarily stunned; after days of preparation, she wanted him to see her—wanted him to witness her dance dedicated to him.

“There’s no need for so many explanations. Those six spots always belonged to Wang Xiaoxiao and her friends. Did you really think you’d perform?”

“We…”

“Enough, no more talking. Go about your business,” said the president.

Wang Xiaoxiao and her group strode past Xia Yufei with pride.