Chapter 179: Ye Wudao
The buzzing of the sports car’s engine alone was enough to give anyone a headache.
At last, after finally arriving at the airport, Hua Buqi let out a satisfied exclamation. She might have enjoyed it, but the poor Lin Zifeng was scared witless by all the animals crossing the fence along the way.
"Meng sister, you must’ve been anxious waiting, huh?"
As soon as she entered the airport, there was Meng Youjing, waiting impatiently in front of the counter for Hua Buqi.
The airport was bustling with arrivals and departures, and the noise was continuous. It was so crowded, it would have been quite difficult to find someone without prior arrangements.
Seeing Hua Buqi’s arrival absolutely thrilled Meng Youjing. A few days ago, she received a call from the company’s upper management saying a Hong Kong and Taiwan star wanted to co-star with Hua Buqi in a very beautiful romantic TV drama, and that male celebrity happened to be the idol Hua Buqi had always admired.
This trip was not just about discussing cooperation but also about a possible joint performance. The organizers had already extended an invitation, hoping Hua Buqi and this well-known Hong Kong and Taiwan celebrity could perform together on stage.
This news excited Hua Buqi enormously. Ever since she was young, she had dreamed of meeting this star in person more than once. Fate always seemed to love playing epoch-spanning jokes on people, but who would have thought that, ten years later, her dream would finally come true.
To communicate with this male celebrity, Hua Buqi had no idea how many performances she had declined, specifically to meet him and witness his charm.
Though Hua Buqi wasn’t especially famous across Asia, she could still be considered a second-tier celebrity, roughly on par with that second-tier male star.
There was no need for either of them to act like big shots.
"It’s already great that you could come. I was worried you’d give up half-way and refuse to come, then I really wouldn’t be able to explain myself to the company."
Meng Youjing was dressed casually today, exuding an elegant and sophisticated beauty. Although she didn’t possess the petite charm of Hua Buqi and her friends, Meng Youjing still made quite a favorable impression on Lin Zifeng, although she seemed a bit too power-hungry.
"Don’t worry. How could I back out on a promise to sister Meng, especially since he’s my idol?" Hua Buqi said, her rosy lips biting slightly, her pretty face blushing.
Even the uninvited guests standing behind Meng Youjing were rendered speechless by Hua Buqi’s pure and adorable demeanor.
"Congratulations, Hua Buqi. Your dream is finally going to come true. I hope you’ll shoot a TV drama that we’ll all look forward to."
Just then, a young man modestly dressed, not flashy or extravagant, stood behind Meng Youjing. He was polite and handsome, wearing a pair of white glasses, and his straight suit made him look particularly sharp as he smiled warmly, greeting Hua Buqi.
"Young Master Zhang! When did you get here?" Suddenly hearing someone call her nickname, Hua Buqi turned around in confusion only to see Zhang Zhixin, the vice president’s son from Star Media Group, had also arrived. She had been too excited before to notice him, and now that Hua Buqi was asking him, Zhang Zhixin’s handsome face showed some astonishment.
He didn’t know how to respond. He had been standing here waiting for her for quite a while, and she was asking when he had arrived?
It really wasn’t pleasant to feel ignored.
"Uh... I..." Zhang Zhixin adjusted his white-framed glasses, somewhat at a loss for words.
"Hua Buqi, Young Master Zhang has been here for a while. He came with me and has been waiting for you for quite some time," Meng Youjing hurriedly came forward to smooth things over for Zhang Zhixin.
"Oh, is that so? Maybe I was just too excited for a moment and didn’t see you, Young Master Zhang. Sorry about that."
Hua Buqi giggled cheerily.
Meanwhile, Lin Zifeng had become nothing more than decoration.
With Meng Youjing not mentioning him, Huahua paid him even less attention.
Zhang Zhixin’s haughty demeanor couldn’t care less about Lin Zifeng. After all, Lin Zifeng had merely played the role of the driver; who would take a simple driver seriously and go out of their way to cozy up to him?
But at the same moment, a hearty laugh rang out.
"Miss Hua, I hope I’m not too late?"
Not far away, Ye Wudao, sporting sunglasses and holding flowers, dressed in a crisp white tailored suit, accompanied by his bodyguard Zhang Biao, exuded a restrained charisma that was beyond words.
He didn’t have the frivolity of a playboy, but rather seemed like a great owl who had weathered many storms in the business world.
In terms of charisma, taste, and learning, Ye Wudao certainly lost out to no one. Moreover, his eerie calmness made many tremble within, although outwardly he was all smiles. He conveyed a subtle and cold ruthlessness that seemed to seep from his very bones.
"Oh! Young Master Lin is here too!"
Ye Wudao’s sharp eyes were far superior to Zhang Zhixin’s, spotting Lin Zifeng at a glance, unlike Zhang Zhixin who completely ignored Lin Zifeng.
Last time, to shake off Ye Wudao, Huahua had Lin Zifeng pretend to be the heir of a prestigious and well-to-do family, so that Ye Wudao would give up on her. However, after some investigation, it turned out there really was a Lin family in Yanjing, just one that preferred to keep a low profile, which had always left Ye Wudao puzzled.
But he dared not offend or provoke Lin Zifeng recklessly, in case he was someone truly formidable. After all, if he got caught in the crosshairs, it would be difficult to extricate himself. Ye Wudao understood better than anyone that sometimes it’s best to avoid trouble.
Watching Ye Wudao’s coldly smiling face, filled with a false warmth, Lin Zifeng clearly remembered the scene at the club that day and hurriedly said politely, "Huahua’s headed to Macau today, and as her boyfriend, I must escort her. Otherwise, if someone gets ahead of me, it would be a regrettable loss."
As Lin Zifeng spoke the last sentence, he intentionally raised his voice a bit. Clearly, he was targeting Zhang Zhixin who was standing nearby.
Seeing Ye Wudao appear, Hua Buqi and Meng Youjing exchanged a quick glance, and to Zhang Zhixin’s surprise, Hua Buqi coyly wrapped her arms around Lin Zifeng’s arm and giggled coquettishly, "Hubby, while I’m away, you better not go sneaking snacks, okay?"
Zhang Zhixin was now even more perplexed. He had always heard that Hua Buqi was single. How had a husband suddenly appeared today?
Could this seemingly unremarkable fellow really be some wealthy scion? Had I been blind earlier?
Zhang Zhixin’s eyes widened, hardly able to believe his ears.
"No worries, hubby will definitely wait for you at home, absolutely won’t sneak any snacks. I don’t even have enough time to love you," said Lin Zifeng with a lecherous grin, quickly wrapping his arms around Huahua’s slender waist. To Hua Buqi’s shock, his Demon Claw actually reached for her waist, prompting Huahua to quickly bury her head in Lin Zifeng’s chest and pinch him hard at his side, signaling him not to go too far.
The pinch was no small thing; it pained Lin Zifeng greatly and he felt bitterly wronged. It had been their plan, created in cahoots with Meng Youjing, to dupe Ye Wudao by pretending he was a rich second generation. Now, upon meeting again, for the show to be convincing, they had to commit to the act—how else would they make people believe?
You’d pegged me as the Lin family’s distinguished young master; at the very least, I had to live up to the airs of a young master, right?
Especially with the intimidating Young Master of the Ye Family watching like a hawk...