After being dumped by the diva, I was picked up by her arch-enemy.

8:30 p.m.

The small tavern in the west of the city is hidden deep in an old alley. It has a small storefront with a warm-colored lantern hanging above the door.

Chen Yu stood at the door waiting.

He wore a light blue linen shirt with the cuffs rolled up to his wrists, and he looked clean and presentable.

Seeing Lin Qinghe approach, he smiled slightly and gestured for her to come over.

"You're here. This way, I reserved a seat in the very corner, so we won't be disturbed."

Lin Qinghe nodded and followed him inside.

The bar is decorated in a Japanese style, with dim lighting and wooden bar counters and booths arranged in a staggered manner.

The background music is a slow-paced jazz piece, almost imperceptible.

The two sat down in the innermost booth.

Chen Yu flipped through the wine list and skillfully ordered her a glass of low-alcohol plum wine.

"This should suit you; it's not strong and has a slightly sweet taste."

Lin Qinghe took off her mask and leaned back in her chair.

"Thanks.

Chen Yu ordered himself a glass of whiskey.

He picked up his glass and gently touched the glass in front of Lin Qinghe.

"Let's just drink tonight, and forget about all that other stuff."

Lin Qinghe glanced at him.

Chen Yu's smile was gentle, and his eyes conveyed just the right amount of concern.

She picked up the plum wine and took a small sip.

It's sweet, with a slight alcoholic aftertaste.

The two chatted casually.

We talked about the recent weather, his newly written lyrics, and some trivial matters in the entertainment circle.

Chen Yu was very careful to keep his distance throughout and did not mention anything related to the recent events.

He would simply refill Lin Qinghe's cup when the opportunity arose, and occasionally tell a literary joke that wasn't funny, making Lin Qinghe's lips twitch slightly.

An hour passed.

Lin Qinghe drank a total of three cups of plum wine.

The prescription wasn't high, and she was still relatively conscious.

A thin layer of red on her cheeks softened her otherwise aloof face.

"That's enough, I should go back."

Lin Qinghe glanced at the time on her phone and put down her wine glass.

Chen Yu neither tried to stop him nor urged him to drink; he simply nodded.

"I send you."

He waved to the waiter to pay the bill, and as he stood up, he naturally reached out to shield the corner of the booth table so that Lin Qinghe wouldn't bump into it.

Every movement was precise and appropriate.

Lin Qinghe did not refuse his offer to give her a ride.

As the two stepped out of the tavern, the night breeze carried the sweet scent of osmanthus blossoms from the alleyway.

Chen Yu's car was parked at the alley entrance. The car was quiet, with only the slight sound of airflow from the air conditioning vents.

Chen Yu drove very steadily, without playing music or trying to start a conversation.

Twenty minutes later, the car stopped downstairs at Lin Qinghe's apartment building.

Lin Qinghe unbuckled her seatbelt, opened the car door, and turned to say something to Chen Yu.

Thank you for today.

Chen Yu smiled and nodded.

"You go up first, I'll watch you go in before I leave."

Lin Qinghe didn't say anything more.

She got out of the car, put on a mask and hat, and quickly walked into the apartment lobby.

Her figure disappeared completely as the elevator doors closed.

In the driver's seat, the gentle and considerate expression on Chen Yu's face vanished instantly.

Once the mask of gentlemanly pretense was torn off, what was revealed was a face contorted with resentment.

His knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel.

He had considered using even tougher methods against Lin Qinghe, and getting her first.

But he still had some reservations.

Although Lin Qinghe herself doesn't have much of a background, her best friends are all more troublesome than the last!

Although Gu Ruanxing and Lin Qinghe have broken up now, if I push Lin Qinghe too far and she makes a scene, who knows if she will intervene.

Not to mention Xu Zhiyou, the Xu family... he doesn't want to get involved with them yet.

Therefore, only relatively gentle methods can be used.

He glanced at it in the rearview mirror.

At the corner of the alley, a thin man wearing a baseball cap emerged from the shadows and strode towards his car.

The man bent over and jogged to the passenger side window.

Chen Yu rolled down the car window, but didn't look at him; his gaze remained fixed on the road ahead.

Did you get a picture?

The man in the baseball cap nodded quickly and raised his camera.

"Teacher Chen, you got all the photos."

Chen Yu took the camera and looked through the photos on the screen.

The angle was very clever.

Judging from the photo, the two are standing very close together, in an intimate pose.

"Well done." Chen Yu's lips curled into a sinister smile.

.............

The third day after the release of "Red Dress".

Data from major music platforms continues to surge.

But Jiang Yichen himself lived a very leisurely life.

In the bedroom on the second floor of the small villa, the curtains were drawn tightly shut.

Jiang Yichen lay half-reclined on the bed, with two pillows behind him and a tablet computer in his hands.

The screen was playing past episodes of one of the world's top three music variety shows.

He started his frantic "cram school" routine three days ago.

Although the development of the pop music scene in this parallel world is similar to that on Earth, the specific singers, works, styles, and genres are all different.

This was very appealing to him, who had been a music producer in his previous life.

He euphemistically called his actions a search for inspiration.

He had just pulled out "Red-Clad Ladies" when he took it out. If he immediately pulled out another song...

That would be too eye-catching.

They had to put on an act and show the hardship of the creative process.

Hey.

My phone vibrated.

Jiang Yichen glanced at it; it was a WeChat message sent by Gu Ruanxing from downstairs.

"Get down! Log in! Yuzu's online too!"

Jiang Yichen glanced at the time; it was 8:30 PM.

He turned off his tablet, picked up his phone, and went downstairs.

In the living room on the first floor, Gu Ruanxing was already nestled on the sofa.

Today she wore a loose white sweatshirt, curled up in a ball, with her feet on the edge of the coffee table, holding her phone in her hand, her eyes fixed on the screen.

"Hurry up, hurry up, Yuzu has been waiting for ages."

Gu Ruanxing urged without looking up.

Jiang Yichen sat down on the single sofa next to him and opened the game.

Three people teamed up and started matchmaking.

Games start.

Gu Ruanxing chose Yao as usual, and this time she directly attached herself to Jiang Yichen's jungler.

After this period of adjustment, the two have become increasingly in sync.

Jiang Yichen used a skill to scout the bushes, and Gu Ruanxing immediately followed up with her shield.

Jiang Yichen cut into the crowd and reaped the rewards, while Gu Ruanxing's treatment and control were perfectly timed.

"Left, left! The enemy support is coming!"

Gu Ruanxing's voice came through the voice message, carrying a mix of nervousness and excitement.

"I saw it."

Jiang Yichen's fingers flew across the screen. He dodged the skill with a dash and then dealt a devastating blow to the enemy support.

"Great! One more stab!"

Gu Ruanxing shouted excitedly.

"Don't rush me, my skills aren't off cooldown yet."

"Then I'll block it for you!"

Gu Ruanxing controlled Yao Mei to rush forward and use her body to block the enemy marksman's skill for Jiang Yichen.

"Alright, alright, that's enough!"

Jiang Yichen flashed into the fray and precisely secured a double kill.

"Double Kill!"

"Hahaha! Jiang Yichen, you're amazing!"

.....

Xu Zhiyou was alone in the middle lane.

Listening to Gu Ruanxing and Jiang Yichen's back-and-forth conversation in the voice channel, it was impossible to get a word in edgewise.

They won the game without any suspense in the end.

Jiang Yichen is the MVP.

Gu Ruanxing has the most assists, making her a top-tier support player.

Xu Zhiyou's stats... 2-5-3, are rather dismal.

"Again! Again!"

Gu Ruanxing was in high spirits.

Second round.

The third round.

In every game, Gu Ruanxing stayed close to Jiang Yichen.

"Go around to the left, I'll cover your line of sight."

"Understood, Miss."

"Hey, call me Sister Xing!"

"Dream on."

......

Xu Zhiyou listened silently to the sounds of the two bickering and joking in the voice message.

I had a strange feeling in my heart.

She was clearly in this group too.

But she always felt like she was the one who was superfluous.

After winning several rounds in a row, it was lunchtime, so the three of them agreed to play again next time.

The phone screen went dark.

Xu Zhiyou leaned against the headboard, holding her phone to her chest.

She looked up at the crystal chandelier on the ceiling, lost in thought.

The scene from just now kept replaying in my mind.

Gu Ruanxing once said that she had no feelings for Jiang Yichen.

But now... a lone man and a lone woman living under the same roof.

Jiang Yichen has become so dazzling again.

Not only is he handsome and sings well, but he's also incredibly good at video games.

Who can say for sure?

Xu Zhiyou turned over and buried her face in the pillow.

No.

She can't stay passive like this any longer!

She met Jiang Yichen not long after Lin Qinghe in college.

Because she was too concerned about saving face, she watched helplessly as he and Lin Qinghe got together.

Now that she finally has the opportunity, if she misses it because she's too timid, she'll regret it for the rest of her life!

Xu Zhiyou lifted her face from under the pillow.

A certain determination gradually ignited in those big, watery eyes.

She sat up, barefoot on the carpet, and quickly walked out of the bedroom.

In a clean room, Su Yu was sitting on the carpet doing a plank.

The standard posture, completely still.

The abdominal muscles undulated slightly with the frequency of breathing.

This room is specifically for her training.

"Sister Yu."

Xu Zhiyou walked up to her and squatted down.

Su Yu raised her head, glanced at her, and then slowly stopped what she was doing and sat cross-legged on the carpet.

Xu Zhiyou twisted her fingers, a blush rising to her cheeks.

She opened her mouth, but hesitated several times before speaking.

Su Yu waited patiently, her expression calm and serene.

"Sister Yu."

Xu Zhiyou took a deep breath, her voice barely audible, like a mosquito's hum.

"I'd like to... try the method you mentioned before."

Su Yu stood up and nodded expressionlessly.

"Understood."

"Since you've made up your mind, then you need to practice."

Right here in this training room.

Su Yu began giving Xu Zhiyou special training.

She stood to the side, arms crossed, looking Xu Zhiyou up and down.

"It has to be on top!"

"Waist and stance as one!"

"Your posture is wrong."

"Stick your butt out a little more!"

........