Reboot the heyday

Chapter 3485 Too Late to Regret

Recalling the past, Cheng Gymnastics' expression was complicated.

Seeing her dejected appearance, Wang Taika stepped aside and said, "Come in first, don't stand at the door."

His tone was flat, revealing no emotion. Cheng Ticao hesitated for a moment, wanting to say something, but in the end, she simply followed him inside.

Wang Taika's residence, like him, exudes a simple, almost cold sense of order. It's slightly messy, but everything is put away, giving the impression of a lack of human presence.

Even when he was in South Korea, Wang Taika's home was like a hotel suite ready to be left at any time.

"It's alright. It's a new house I bought in China. Although the location isn't great, the transportation is convenient. I don't use it for work; I mainly just want to have a place to live here." Wang Taika actually planned to buy houses in various major cities in China.

He wasn't looking to wait for property values ​​to appreciate; he had no interest in real estate speculation. He was just uncomfortable staying in hotels all the time while working back in China. He figured he could keep the extra properties; it wasn't like he couldn't afford to maintain them. They were all minimalist in style; there was no need for excessive decoration.

Cheng Ticao felt a sense of anticipation and couldn't help but ask, "Uncle, are you shifting your focus back to China from now on?"

Wang Taika shook his head: "No, there are professionals in charge here in China, and I don't like the social niceties here either."

The main problem is that many things that can be done in South Korea are simply not possible in China.

"Sit down." Wang Taika pointed to the sofa, then walked to the refrigerator in the open kitchen. "Let me see what we can drink."

"Um, thank you." Cheng Ticao sat down awkwardly, her gaze involuntarily sweeping over her surroundings. There were no unnecessary decorations, no photos, and it was so clean that there wasn't a trace of her presence. Her heart sank again.

Wang Taika handed Cheng Ticao a bottle of drink: "Have this, it's sugar-free. There's no tea, and I guess you don't like tea. If you really don't like it, just order some takeout."

Everything felt natural yet distant. Cheng Ticao silently accepted the drink, but Wang Taika's words kept echoing in her mind.

Wang Taika's attitude was like a fine needle, precisely puncturing Cheng Gymnastics's carefully constructed facade. Her hands, which had been sullenly clasped on her hips, slowly lowered, and her deliberately feigned imposing manner instantly deflated.

"Hmm, I've been thinking about it, so I think you should just call me Cheng Gymnastics, otherwise no one else will call me that." Cheng Gymnastics' voice lowered, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

Suddenly continuing a topic that had just ended felt incredibly awkward.

Wang Taika nodded: "Indeed, actually only I called it that."

Cheng Ticao looked up at Wang Taika's expressionless face, and a huge wave of grievance and bitterness suddenly welled up in her eyes. She quickly lowered her head, stared at the tips of her shoes, and blinked desperately.

Girls' thoughts are so complex and delicate.

But Wang Taika didn't notice and instead asked, "Why do you look so wronged? Who bullied you?"

"No, it's just that I haven't seen you in so long, and I... I miss you a little." Cheng Ticao herself wasn't sure if she was telling the truth. Strictly speaking, there was a little bit of longing, and probably a little bit of resentment, maybe even a little more.

But the most painful thing is that this resentment is all my own thought and choice, and Wang Taika really doesn't have to take the blame.

Wang Taika handed her the cup and leaned against the balcony railing, keeping his distance: "How have you been lately? Is everything going well for you in China?"

The tone was just the usual pleasantries of long-lost acquaintances. The question felt like a dull knife, almost deliberate. Cheng Ticao gripped her slightly cool water glass, her fingertips white from the pressure, and mumbled a reply, trying to make her voice sound relaxed: "It was alright. It was okay at first, but the competition got pretty fierce later. Uncle, how about you? You must have been very successful, leading the production of music shows in China from behind the scenes."

"Haha, you're making it sound like I'm a villain." Wang Taika nodded: "Not bad, that's good."

Then the conversation seemed to reach a stalemate. The air was quiet and somewhat oppressive, with only the slight sound of the water glass being unconsciously turned by Cheng Gyatso.

"Hmm, XB Entertainment is quite famous now. By the way, why didn't Goldfish debut with XB Entertainment back then?" Cheng Ticao mustered up her courage and finally asked the question that had been lingering in her mind.

Wang Taika glanced at her, his eyes calm and unwavering: "That was her own choice, so I just went along with it. However, I did initially want her to debut with XB Entertainment, but now it seems that YG is more suitable for her. I'm glad I didn't force her back then."

The truth is not as simple as Wang Taika makes it out to be, but that's how it turned out.

"Oh," Cheng Ticao unconsciously picked at the water droplets on the cup with her fingers: "BLACKPINK is incredibly popular right now. Every time I see news about them, it feels like the whole world is flooding social media. Actually, I once thought that if Uncle had been a little more assertive back then, would I have stayed with XB Entertainment?"

Wang Taika shook his head: "No. Back then, your personality was like a hedgehog with its feathers bristling, determined to forge your own path. Even if I forced you to go, you wouldn't go, and even if you did, you would resent me. So I don't see the need for that. Actually, you are still very strong-willed."

Cheng Ticao asked, "So, you're saying I still have a very good impression of you, Uncle?"

“Yes, I’ve always been excellent,” Wang Taika said. “Don’t try to romanticize the path you didn’t choose; it’s pointless.”

“Yes.” Cheng Gymnastics nodded silently.

Looking at her like this, Wang Taika felt a pang of helplessness.

He wasn't stupid. He could sense Cheng Gymnastics' subtle estrangement over the years, her later resentment, and even that awkwardness tinged with jealousy.

However, Wang Taika never took it to heart, nor did he ever think of responding or comforting her. To him, Cheng Tiaocao was just a travel companion who had once walked with him for a while but later chose different paths.

Perhaps things would have turned out differently if we had walked this path together. But since we're not walking together, let's not fantasize about a future that doesn't exist.

The paths diverge, each going its own way, that's all.

Of course, Wang Taika also doesn't deny that at some point in the past, Cheng Gymnastics' adorable side did make his heart race.

This is not a conflict.

Wang Taika glanced out the window, then casually took out his phone to check the time—a subtle yet clear movement that suggested impatience.

This action acted like a fuse, instantly igniting the powder keg that had been simmering in Cheng Gymnastics' heart for far too long. Every word of that seemingly calm conversation felt like a reminder of her own failure and the other person's alienation.

Cheng Ticao watched Wang Taika check the time, as if silently declaring how superfluous and disruptive her presence was.

"Uncle, what if I say I regret it?"

(End of this chapter)