Chapter 348: Indistinguishable Friend and Foe |
"Haha..."
After saying this, Sakuramiya Hitomi's breathing inevitably quickened.
Because this was her first time speaking so bluntly and giving absolutely no face to such a high-ranking elder.
Having been influenced by her grandfather since childhood, she had mastered the art of adapting her behavior to her audience. Even her mother frequently engaged in polite but hypocritical pleasantries.
No matter how displeased they were, they could never show it to someone's face; they could only secretly scheme behind their backs.
However, there was a first time for everything, and not everything could be compromised on.
Having spoken such words for the first time, apart from the trembling of her uneasy mind, Sakuramiya Hitomi's voice shook, yet her speaking speed grew faster and faster.
"Furthermore, no matter how much you deny the President, Auntie, or how much you threaten me or him, you cannot change one established fact:"
"I like the President, and the President likes me too. The feeling is mutual!"
She crossed her legs and narrowed her eyes, studying the young girl before her, whose fists were clenched and whose body trembled slightly from emotional agitation.
She had clearly underestimated the bond between these children, just as she did not understand why Yan Huan was so special to Aria...
To Sakuramiya Hitomi, Yan Huan was also someone she could not abandon.
As such, this difficult problem was now tossed back to Elvira.
With their affections running so deep, Elvira realized that simple methods would not be enough to tear Yan Huan and Sakuramiya Hitomi apart.
And how could her own daughter, who was incredibly naive in so many ways, possibly be a match for these girls?
She would soon have to leave Linmen, and before that...
It seemed that as a mother, she had no choice but to strike heavily.
"So that is how it is."
Thinking this, Elvira's expression shifted slightly.
She rubbed her fingers together. Even though it was just a few simple words, they carried an immense sense of oppression.
Sakuramiya Hitomi pursed her lips but still took a deep breath.
Smart as she was, she anticipated Elvira's thoughts.
"Moreover, Auntie, although I know you might not acknowledge this, it is ultimately a private matter between us.
"The matter of the lead dancer is the same as the matter of our feelings. I believe the President chose me out of his affection for me.
"If the President's affection for me causes anyone displeasure, I apologize.
"Just like now, whether you called me over to vent your anger on behalf of Spencer, or however you choose to retaliate for her later, I will understand and accept it...
"However, I will absolutely not just sit back and await my doom."
No matter how unseemly she might become, Sakuramiya Hitomi, who possessed the Jiejiè superpower, would never accept external factors interfering with her love.
She had already missed out on so much before; she did not want to take a single wrong step moving forward.
This was Sakuramiya Hitomi's bottom line.
Saying this, she raised her gaze to look directly into Elvira's eyes and spoke softly.
"As for Spencer, I can only wish her physical and mental health, and that good luck will always be with her."
Just as her voice fell, before Elvira could speak, the front door of the penthouse suddenly opened. It revealed Spencer, rubbing her little tummy and humming a song as she walked in.
"Mama, I am back! The steak downstairs was super yummy, I ate a whole bunch..."
"..."
Hearing this, Sakuramiya Hitomi's originally impassioned expression stiffened slightly.
She turned her head blankly, only to see the bright and cheerful Spencer, who looked as if she still wasn't completely full, looking back at her.
"Oh, Sakuramiya Hitomi! Why are you here?!"
"..."
'You have got to be kidding me?!'
'Were my words that effective?!'
'I was just saying that, I did not actually mean for you to have good luck always be with you!!'
'You have got good luck always with you now, but what if you end up stealing him from me?!'
But Sakuramiya Hitomi immediately realized something and quickly turned her head to look at Elvira.
She did not speak, but her widened eyes were clearly questioning:
'Is this what you meant by losing her appetite?!'
Meeting Sakuramiya Hitomi's questioning gaze, Elvira's expression did not change in the slightest, as if silently replying:
'This is what I call losing her appetite. What are you going to do about it?'
"..."
Sakuramiya Hitomi was completely speechless.
'Has this woman completely abandoned her dignity for the sake of her daughter!?'
Elvira, however, was not at all thrown off her rhythm by Spencer's arrival. She simply nodded, replying to what Sakuramiya Hitomi had said earlier.
"Good. Since you understand, this will be much easier... I just hope that neither you nor Yan Huan will regret the choice you made today."
"Gulp..."
Feeling Elvira's naked intimidation, Sakuramiya Hitomi could not help but swallow a mouthful of saliva.
After all, she had no way of guessing what Elvira's methods would actually be.
But it was not hard to imagine that she probably truly had a thousand ways to retaliate.
'It is fine if it is just me, but if it harms the President...'
'Can the Jiejiè really solve everything?'
"Huh?"
At this moment, the atmosphere in the room grew increasingly heavy.
Behind her, Aria's clear eyes looked at her mother on the left, then at Sakuramiya Hitomi on the right, whose lips were pursed and whose forehead was slightly sweating. She seemed to instinctively sense something.
Blinking, she suddenly stepped to Sakuramiya Hitomi's side in the very next second and grabbed her hand.
"Clasp!"
"Eh?"
Being suddenly grabbed by Spencer like this, Sakuramiya Hitomi froze in surprise.
She hastily looked at Spencer beside her, only to see her looking at Elvira and saying,
"Mama, do not be mean to her! She is my friend!"
"!!"
Sakuramiya Hitomi opened her mouth in unexpected shock. Meanwhile, Elvira, who had been completely composed until now, showed an expression of being unable to hold back for the first time upon hearing those words, her face instantly turning dark.
"..."
She truly felt as though she were trying her hardest to carry her daughter, trying to destroy the enemy base to get her the win...
Only for her daughter to be worried about whether solo-killing the enemy team's carry would ruin their gaming experience...
At this moment, sitting on the sofa, Elvira genuinely suspected...
If there truly came a day when her daughter and a reformed Yan Huan walked down the aisle to get married...
They would follow the Eastern customs of Yan Huan's family and prepare to toast her, but right as they poured the wine, she would spontaneously combust before them, burning away until nothing but a holy relic remained.
Meanwhile, Aria was holding Sakuramiya Hitomi's hand like a best friend, still explaining to her mother,
"Before, when we were in Sakura Country, she and Yan Huan tutored me with my homework together!
"And she also helped me and An Le... um, I mean my best friend, make up!
"Sakuramiya Hitomi is a really good person. I like her a lot!"
Hearing Aria say this, Elvira's face grew darker and darker, but Sakuramiya Hitomi blushed slightly in embarrassment.
'Am I...'
'Am I really that good of a person?'
'Oh my, this is really...'
'I am sorry, Aria. I just maliciously cursed for good luck to always be with you, yet you...'
'Later on, I absolutely have to invite you to be a bridesmaid at my wedding with the President!'
"...Aria, do you know... what she and Yan Huan actually did that night at the High Table Dinner?"
However, Elvira simply could not listen to any more of this in front of her.
She rubbed the space between her eyebrows, hesitating a few times before ultimately failing to hold back and speaking out.
"Huh, what is it?"
"The lead dancer at the High Table Dinner signifies a confession. In other words, she has already proven to everyone that Yan Huan likes her!"
Elvira spoke in a heavy voice, trying to convey the severity of the matter to her daughter.
Hearing words like "proven to everyone that Yan Huan likes her," the atmosphere should have been tense, but Sakuramiya Hitomi still ended up blushing in embarrassment.
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Aria looked at Sakuramiya Hitomi beside her.
Unexpectedly...
No particular expression was revealed on her face.
Not anger, nor sadness, nor a feeling of being wronged...
Instead, she just looked at Sakuramiya Hitomi with her usual expression and suddenly said,
"Uh... but Mama, she needs to dance to prove that Yan Huan likes her. I do not need to do that."
As soon as those plain and unremarkable words left her mouth, Sakuramiya Hitomi, who had just been happily acting shy, was instantly frozen in place.
Sakuramiya Hitomi stared blankly at Aria beside her. Her calm and placid tone now felt like a demonic chant, constantly echoing around Sakuramiya Hitomi's ears, refusing to dissipate...
'She needs to dance to prove that Yan Huan likes her. I do not need to do that...'
'She needs to dance to prove that Yan Huan likes her. I do not need to do that...'
'She needs to dance to prove that Yan Huan likes her. I do not need to do that...'
These incredibly simple yet highly aggressive words instantly pierced right through the "SS Sakuramiya Hitomi," giving her an urgent desire to strike back.
But...
Aria's eyes held absolutely no negative emotions as she said this; there was only pure clarity.
Ambiguous sarcasm?
Spiteful words?
It was neither...
She seemed like a champion who had stood behind the finish line from the very beginning, watching her sprint to fight for second place, simply stating a simple fact.
As a result, it caused Sakuramiya Hitomi to show an expression of having her defense completely broken.
"Ugh..."
Sakuramiya Hitomi, who had remained steadfast despite Elvira's threats and bribes earlier, now had a flushed little face. She pouted, revealing an expression of utter helplessness and frustration.
Even an adorable whimper was inevitably squeezed out from the depths of her throat.
"Huh? What... what is wrong, Sakuramiya?"
Seeing Sakuramiya Hitomi reveal a helpless expression, Aria blinked, realizing something was wrong, and hurriedly asked for the reason.
"You... let go of my hand... ugh..."
Having her defense utterly broken, Sakuramiya Hitomi currently only wanted to pull her hand back from the grasp of this terrifying Great King of Golden Bomb Pigs.
But her strength was so little; how could she possibly be a match for Aria? Thus, no matter how hard she pulled, she couldn't break free. She could only maintain this "besties posture" with Aria while her emotional walls crumbled.
"Hahaha..."
Beside them, Elvira, seeing this, was momentarily stunned before she couldn't help but smile.
Hearing Elvira laugh, Sakuramiya Hitomi only felt her cheeks burning hot.
She couldn't shake the feeling that she had been completely set up and played by this mother-daughter pair today.
Aria didn't understand what was going on, but Elvira looked at her daughter—who had just completely steamrolled Sakuramiya Hitomi—and couldn't help but adopt a thoughtful expression.
She had always thought that because of her daughter's naivete, she would definitely be entirely defenseless and bullied when faced with these girls...
It was exactly to prevent her from being wronged that Elvira had wanted to solve everything for her in advance.
But looking at it now...
Her daughter was perhaps much stronger than she had thought, and also quite aware of many things.
In that case...
"Sakuramiya Hitomi, would you like to hear what my retaliation is?"
As Elvira spoke these words, an indignant Sakuramiya Hitomi had no choice but to turn her head to look at her.
And she smiled faintly, looking at her daughter.
"Aria, starting from today, you will also go and do your internship together with Yan Huan.
"In that department, it will only be the two of you."
Aria nodded immediately without hesitation.
"Okay!"
Sakuramiya Hitomi, on the other hand, widened her eyes, feeling the heavy hand of Elvira's capital crushing down right over her head.
"Huh?"
'Aria is going to intern at the Golden Lion Group?'
'How is that any different from just being the Emperor there?!'
'Moreover, if that department only has the two of them, one-on-one...'
'Then...'
'Then what about me?!'
"Boss, regarding that Bai Yi, should we still invite her up for a meeting?"
Not long after, only Elvira, holding a glass of red wine, and her secretary remained on the top floor. Aria had gone to take a nap, and Sakuramiya Hitomi had been chased back to her internship location, completely unaware of what was about to greet her.
At this moment, the secretary behind her glanced at a mobile phone and asked this question.
Elvira thought for a moment before nodding anyway.
"Let's meet her. And while you are at it, bring the item I asked you to prepare."
"Understood, Boss."
The secretary turned and left. Not long after, she returned carrying a silver briefcase and placed it on one side of the sofa.
"Ding-dong~"
A short while later, the main doors opened again, revealing a beautiful young girl standing outside who hadn't even finished getting her makeup done—Bai Yi.
She pursed her lips, appearing somewhat reserved. She clearly had no idea why she had been invited up here.
"Knock-knock-knock~"
She knocked on the door to announce her intrusion.
"Please come in."
Elvira looked at this incomprehensibly beautiful Eastern girl, a thoughtful gleam flashing in the depths of her eyes.
She was recalling the files she had previously read regarding this girl.
"Ma'am, you were looking for me... Is there something you need?"
Bai Yi recognized Aria's mother and was naturally aware of her identity.
"Mm, sit."
Elvira gestured for her to sit down, and Bai Yi sat down hesitantly.
"I asked you here regarding Yan Huan..."
The moment Elvira spoke, Bai Yi instantly stood up, exuding a cold and aloof aura as she declared righteously,
"Auntie, Yan Huan and I are already over!"
"..."
Elvira raised an eyebrow. Looking at Bai Yi, who wore an expression of 'completely breaking off ties,' she remained calm as she spoke,
"Why not let me finish speaking first?"
"There is no need to say any more, Auntie! Anything regarding Yan Huan has absolutely nothing to do with me now! That scumbag man has already been... dumped by me!"
"...Dumped by you?"
"Yes!"
Bai Yi nodded, pledging solemnly,
"Furthermore, I am currently focused entirely on my work. I do not really care about those things."
"You..."
Elvira studied the solemn Bai Yi before her. For some reason, she suddenly wasn't quite sure how to evaluate this situation.
It seemed as if she was completely immersed in her own world.
But Bai Yi, having already transformed into an aloof goddess, couldn't be bothered with anything else. She simply flipped her beautiful hair and continued with a dignified aura,
"Auntie, if there is nothing else, I will take my leave now."
"Mm... Alright, you may go."
Bai Yi nodded, then turned around coolly and strode out without leaving a single trace behind.
This was exactly Bai Yi's path to turning over a new leaf!
"..."
Behind her, Elvira patted the silver briefcase beside her. After pausing for a second, she placed it onto the table.
Inside was a briefcase completely full of US dollars.
She had originally intended to give this money to Bai Yi... or essentially, to her mother, to completely sever her relationship with Yan Huan.
She had repeatedly tried to bring it up, to give her the money.
But she kept interrupting...
Oh well. She didn't even want free money, so what else could Elvira possibly say?
Resting her chin on her hand, Elvira thought to herself.
As such, that only left Yan Huan and that girl, An Le.
To be frank, that An Le was entirely too low-profile. Logically speaking, she had absolutely no competitive edge in front of the other girls.
Yet for some unknown reason, instinct told Elvira that that girl was actually the one who required the most attention.
"..."
However, the time she had left to stay in Linmen was running out.
"How should I punish you..."
"...You greedy little boy, Yan Huan?"
Tapping her fingers, Elvira murmured to herself, her gaze deep and unfathomable.
"Achoo!"
At this moment, by the entrance of the Golden Lion Group Tower, Yan Huan suddenly let out a sneeze.
He rubbed his nose and complained to Myau-chan with some resentment,
"Could it be that because I did not eat lunch at Ye International, I ended up pissing Ye Shiyu off?"
"Meow?"
Yes, Yan Huan couldn't help but feel that Ye Shiyu had been acting off this morning.
Although she said she didn't mind him eating with Yurianna, any ghost would know that she definitely wasn't that simple.
Therefore, when noon arrived, he simply found the excuse of "heading over to the Golden Lion Group to familiarize myself with the environment" and slipped away entirely.
It just so happened that everyone was over here, and he did indeed need to formulate his next plan.
"Ding. Please proceed."
Because of the special nature of his department, Yan Huan possessed employee badges for both companies, allowing him normal access to both.
He stood at the entrance of the first-floor elevator, glancing at the directory of every department's location.
"Golden Lion Entertainment... Oh, not bad, it is only one floor away from the department where I work. Why don't I go take a look there first?"
Thinking this, Yan Huan stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the floor where Golden Lion Entertainment was located.
It was currently the lunch break, and everyone was heading downstairs, so Yan Huan was the only person inside the elevator going up.
"Ding-dong~"
With a soft chime, Yan Huan quickly arrived at the floor.
The structure of this floor featured an inner courtyard; in other words, several floors were hollowed out. After all, the heights of many sets built for shows couldn't possibly perfectly match a single floor's height, so they had to open it up.
Looking up from here, one could see the department where they worked separated by a glass railing.
Conversely, if one walked to the edge of the railing from where Yan Huan worked and looked down, they could see the bustling entertainment workspace below.
"Um, the makeup and styling for the previous few teachers are just about done. Is Miss Bai Yi not finished yet?"
"Apologies, Bai Yi was called away to deal with something just now..."
"Ah, I do not care about that. It is almost time for the lunch break, hurry up."
"Mm-hm..."
Yan Huan's gaze was drawn over by the sound of conversation. He looked over to see that by the edge of the floor, Bai Yi's agent had set up a temporary dressing table and was currently doing her makeup.
As for the other fairly popular idol guests?
Well, it seemed they had been provided with dedicated dressing rooms.
The entertainment circle in Linmen was just as strictly hierarchical, where star status determined everything.
After all, Bai Yi possessed the lowest star status among them all; she was still just a rookie...
"Stupid Yan Huan, it is all your fault, it is all your fault, hmph!"
'Hold on, why is this my fault?'
Looking at Bai Yi's back view as she focused intently on applying makeup in front of the mirror, Yan Huan read her lips in the reflection and made out the words she was using to scold him.
He found it a bit hard to bear, but upon recalling how he had deceived her previously, he still couldn't help but smile helplessly.
Little did he know, this smile instantly attracted the attention of a certain someone nearby.
"...Ah, wait... hold on! That person over there... you... you..."
Beside him, a female voice suddenly rang out, capturing Yan Huan's attention.
"Hm?"
Yan Huan paused slightly and turned his head, only to see an unfamiliar, fully-made-up beautiful girl staring at him with wide eyes, her face full of disbelief.
She had long, dyed pink hair and wore colored contact lenses, making her eyes look incredibly large and sparkling.
Behind her followed many staff members from the Golden Lion Group.
It looked like...
Was she a guest invited for this variety show?
"You are?"
Yan Huan did not recognize the person who approached him, but the girl pursed her lips and asked, half-believing and half-doubting,
"Excuse me, but... is your name Yan Huan?"
"Yes, I am Yan Huan. Is there something you need?"
"I-I knew it! I told myself it was impossible for me to recognize you wrong!! Older Brother Yan Huan!!"
"Ah?"
"It is me! Lemon! That is my current stage name. I... I am Rika! We grew up together back in the South District Orphanage..."
The breathtakingly beautiful girl standing before him was so excited that it was beyond words; she was waving her hands frantically, desperately trying to express something.
"Rika?"
Hearing this, Yan Huan blinked and thought for a few seconds before he finally remembered.
When he was young, there indeed used to be a girl like that in the orphanage. She was extremely cute. At that time, Yan Huan had just started elementary school.
Precisely because she was so adorable, she caught the eye of a visiting couple from Sakura Country and was adopted away.
"Ah, I remember now. Rika... I didn't expect that you would actually still remember me after all these years."
"Of course I remember! Back when we were at the orphanage, the happiest part of my day was waiting for Older Brother Yan Huan to bring me lollipops after school!"
Hearing this, Yan Huan felt a bit awkward and had no choice but to change the subject.
"Have you been doing well all these years since you went to Sakura Country?"
"Mm! My adoptive parents treat me very well. And now, my name is Rika Takimura!"
She smiled sweetly, her little face flushing red, making her look incredibly cute.
"I debuted in Sakura Country a while back and acted in a few works, so I gained a bit of popularity. Recently, I was invited to Linmen to film a variety show. I never expected that I would actually run into Older Brother Yan Huan here... It is such a coincidence!"
Now that he thought about it, Rika Takimura saying this also reminded Yan Huan of the resounding stage name, "Lemon."
Lemon had the highest star status among all the guests on this entire variety show; absolutely no one could rival her.
Compared to the recently famous Bai Yi, it was truly a case of a small sorcerer meeting a great sorcerer.
Rika Takimura debuted as a child star in Sakura Country at a very young age. She played an adorable little girl in an action movie starring an award-winning Best Actor in Sakura Country, melting the hearts of the entire Sakura Country audience.
Because of this, she shot to fame overnight and became wildly popular all across Sakura Country.
That Best Actor also thought very highly of her. Afterward, not only did he invite her to join his company, but he also continuously funneled resources to support and mentor her.
So much so that by today, everyone in Linmen, Sakura Country, and Dragon Country knew exactly who she was.
Especially among the younger generation, she was loved to pieces!
"..."
Over there, the conversation between Lemon and Yan Huan was vaguely beginning to cause a bit of a commotion.
The sound reached the ears of Bai Yi, who was standing by the window getting her makeup done.
She blinked, then subconsciously turned her head back...
The moment she saw the two of them, Bai Yi's aloof goddess persona instantly broke defense, turning right back into a chubby Pink Pufferfish.
"That stupid Yan Huan!!"