Chapter 26: Zhao Xinyi (I Humbly Ask for Your Support and Recommendations)

The BMW didn’t stop until it reached Nightfall Bar. After Lin Chuan and his companion got out, they headed straight inside. Since the last time when Young Master Qi caused trouble, Lin Chuan hadn’t returned here. Although not much time had passed, coming back still filled him with a sense of nostalgia.

After all, this was where Lin Chuan got his start, and Boss Xu was a man of remarkable generosity and open-handedness.

“Haha, look who it is! Isn’t this Young Master Yuan? And little Chuan is here too! Come on, have a seat!” Boss Xu, busy at the bar, looked up and, recognizing them, burst into hearty laughter as he hurried over.

The two exchanged a smile and strode forward together. The young man beside Lin Chuan was his childhood friend, Yuan Ye. The two had been inseparable since they were little, best friends until graduating from university, when their careers took them down different paths.

They sat at the bar. Lin Chuan glanced around at the familiar surroundings, noticing that the bar was rather deserted, with only a handful of patrons. Although it wasn’t yet peak hours, it was a far cry from the bustling nights when Lin Chuan used to perform here.

“So, what brings the illustrious Young Master Yuan to Beining? Don’t tell me you’ve missed me!” Boss Xu teased with a laugh.

“Xu, please don’t joke about that. I’m hardly any kind of young master. I’m here on business for the station, and thought I’d drop by to see the two of you,” Yuan Ye replied with a wave.

“What business at the station is important enough for you to come in person?” Lin Chuan asked, surprised.

“Sponsorship, what else? You know how our sorry TV station is—no decent shows, dwindling ratings year after year. To get some sponsorship, the old man sent me here!” Yuan Ye let out a sigh, clearly frustrated.

“All right, you two catch up. I’ve just concocted two new cocktails. I’ll have you try them in a moment!” Boss Xu, sensing their need for privacy, slipped away.

“Hahaha, don’t tell me it’s another talent show?” Lin Chuan laughed.

Yuan Ye’s expression flickered, and after a long pause, he muttered, “You guessed right.”

“Seriously? Can’t your old man think of anything better? Even a reality show would do!” Lin Chuan said.

“Reality show? You know what it’s like where we are—underdeveloped, sparse population. The TV station survives only on local news for a sliver of ratings. Otherwise, it would’ve shut down long ago. The dramas we broadcast are all ancient, some even over a decade old...” Yuan Ye sighed after every few sentences, his face clouded with worry.

Lin Chuan understood well enough. The city where he and Yuan Ye grew up was a marginal place with less than two million people, slow economic growth, and an unhurried pace of life.

In this age of the internet, TV stations were in decline, a sunset industry. True, some local stations managed to do well, but those were just exceptions.

Nowadays, to attract viewers, a TV station needed great programming—be it variety shows or dramas—but either required substantial financial backing.

Lin Chuan wasn’t well-versed in such matters and couldn’t offer any practical advice. He simply patted Yuan Ye’s shoulder in a gesture of encouragement.

Soon, Boss Xu returned with two brightly colored drinks.

“Here, gentlemen, try my new creations!” Boss Xu said with a cheerful grin.

“Mmm, a bit spicy, a bit sweet, but very refreshing!” Lin Chuan took a sip, nodding in approval.

“Xu, your drinks are getting better and better!” Yuan Ye praised, delighted.

“As long as you like them. By the way, Chuan, congratulations! I watched the 50-to-30 competition on TV the other day—it was fantastic. So, when will you return to perform at the bar? As soon as you agree, I’ll pay you this much!” Boss Xu raised a finger, waving it in front of Lin Chuan.

“Ten thousand? Xu, that’s too stingy. With Chuan now in the top fifteen, his appearance fee should be much more than that!” Yuan Ye interjected before Lin Chuan could respond.

“What? He advanced again?” Boss Xu was stunned, eyes wide with disbelief.

It wasn’t his fault—today was just the end of the 30-to-15 competition, and since it hadn’t aired yet, only insiders knew the results.

Lin Chuan smiled, nudged Yuan Ye, and said, “Boss Xu, it’s not about my ranking. Now that Yangyang has just started kindergarten, I really don’t have much time for the bar. When things settle down, I’ll consider coming back.”

“Fair enough, I won’t press you. You’re welcome back whenever you like. It’s been ages since I saw that little guy—be sure to bring him next time!” Boss Xu smiled, not taking offense.

After a few more words, Boss Xu left to tend to other customers.

As time passed, the bar grew busier, the atmosphere buzzing with the rising crowd.

“Chuan, has she really never contacted you all this time?” Yuan Ye suddenly asked, seemingly out of nowhere.

Lin Chuan’s face darkened at once. He picked up his glass and drank it down in silence.

Yuan Ye understood instantly and sighed. “It’s been five years. Yangyang is already five. How can she be so heartless, not contacting you even once?”

Lin Chuan said nothing, just stared down at his empty glass.

“If you ask me, you should go to America and find her, demand an explanation. To leave without a word—what is that? If you’re short on money, I’ll help you out…” Yuan Ye was growing angrier as he spoke.

After a long pause, Lin Chuan looked up and managed a smile. “It’s all in the past. No need to bring it up again. By the way, which company are you visiting tomorrow? Want me to come with you?”

“Of course! Listen, this sponsor is tough. Without you backing me up, I’m not sure I can handle it!” Yuan Ye nodded firmly.

“Alright, I’m free tomorrow. Come pick me up at my place—you remember where it is?” Lin Chuan said with a smile.

“Of course. That shabby place of yours—I could find it blindfolded!” Yuan Ye shot him a look, then suddenly leaned closer and whispered, “My cousin’s back.”

“What? Zhao Xinyi?” Lin Chuan’s expression changed as if stricken by constipation.

Yuan Ye nodded heavily, his face also uneasy.

Zhao Xinyi—judging by the name, one would expect a stunning, gentle, graceful beauty, the kind who could topple kingdoms. In reality, she was nothing of the sort.

Born with a silver spoon thanks to a well-off family, she’d been spoiled from the start, making her brash and sharp-tongued, liable to fly into a rage over trivial matters.

Since Lin Chuan, Yuan Ye, and Zhao Xinyi were close in age, they’d often been together since junior high. But Zhao Xinyi never fit in, always devising bizarre pranks that made life miserable for the two boys.

After high school, Lin Chuan and Yuan Ye attended the same university, while Zhao Xinyi was sent to the UK to study. Only then did the two breathe a sigh of relief.

Even years later, the psychological trauma Zhao Xinyi left behind sometimes woke Lin Chuan from nightmares.

Now, hearing she’d returned, Lin Chuan’s face turned ashen, and memories of her torments made his skin crawl.

“Wasn’t she studying in the UK? Why is she back all of a sudden?” Lin Chuan took a deep breath, clearly unsettled.

“Maybe she finished her studies, who knows? She didn’t tell anyone about her return—not even my aunt and uncle. If she hadn’t called me last night, I’d still be in the dark,” Yuan Ye replied, frowning.

“In that case, you’d better call your uncle right away and tell him. Whatever happens, don’t let your cousin stay in the country…” Lin Chuan suggested after a moment’s thought.

It was no joke—Zhao Xinyi’s presence spelled nothing but trouble, and the first to suffer would be Yuan Ye and Lin Chuan themselves.

Better to nip disaster in the bud and send her back before things got out of hand.

Yuan Ye glanced at Lin Chuan, smiling wryly. “Chuan, are you so scared you’ve lost your wits? You know what would happen if I told my uncle.”

Lin Chuan sucked in a cold breath, unwilling to think further.

Just then, a server approached, tray in hand. He set two drinks in front of Lin Chuan and Yuan Ye and said politely, “Gentlemen, a lady has sent you these drinks.”

The server seemed unfamiliar, probably new.

“A lady buying us drinks?”

Lin Chuan and Yuan Ye exchanged a skeptical glance.

“Please thank her for us. Out of courtesy, we should send a drink in return.” Yuan Ye snapped his fingers, ordered another drink, and had the server deliver it.

Lin Chuan looked around, then lowered his voice. “Yuan Ye, do you think the woman buying us drinks could be your cousin? I have a bad feeling about this.”

“Hah, you’re getting jumpier by the day. My cousin only just landed yesterday—she couldn’t have made it to Beining this quickly, and she doesn’t know we’re here,” Yuan Ye replied, unfazed.

True enough, when Zhao Xinyi went abroad, Lin Chuan and Yuan Ye had just started college. She had no idea about anything that happened since.

Lin Chuan considered this, then nodded. “Let’s hope so.”

Soon, the server returned with the drink Yuan Ye had ordered and smiled apologetically. “Sorry, gentlemen, but the lady said her drinks can’t be accepted by just anyone. She’s returned yours.”

“Well, isn’t she feisty? I’m going to have a look!” Yuan Ye grumbled, standing up to walk over.

Lin Chuan caught his arm and shook his head. “Let’s not cause trouble. It’s getting late, and I still have to pick up Yangyang. Let’s go.”

Yuan Ye glanced into the shadows, then nodded and followed Lin Chuan out of the bar.

As they left, a tall, fair-skinned, strikingly beautiful woman stepped from the shadows. Reaching the spot where Lin Chuan and Yuan Ye had been sitting, she allowed herself a contemptuous smile.