The Overbearing CEO Is Driven Mad by His Frail Canary 42

Chapter 42

Yu Congyan hesitated, but couldn’t bring himself to say “come back soon” or “be careful.”

Xia Wansheng just assumed the CEO was being his usual aloof self, offering a perfunctory farewell, not really caring where he was going.

But considering his failed suicide attempt at the banquet might have scared Yu Congyan, leaving now might be misinterpreted as another attempt.

“He’s a really good friend, we’ve known each other for a long time.” Xia Wansheng explained.

But seeing the other person’s unconvinced expression, he knew this wasn’t the time for a lengthy explanation. The flight would be landing soon, he couldn’t leave Ji Yang and Lu Mingxi waiting.

He had encountered long-lost friends during his commutes before, but he had to be at work, so they agreed to meet another day. To ensure he wouldn’t forget, Xia Wansheng resorted to his unique solution—

He pulled out a hundred-yuan bill and handed it to Yu Congyan.

He promised to return and continue their conversation. Just like how people didn’t believe he would treat them to a meal another day, this hundred-yuan bill was a symbol of his sincerity, as trustworthy as the saying “Chinese people don’t lie to Chinese people.”

Xia Wansheng quickly left, leaving Yu Congyan holding the hundred-yuan bill, lost in thought.

Aunt Liu, passing by during her late-night insomnia, assumed the CEO wanted to buy some ice and helpfully took his coffee cup to wash.

Yu Congyan：……

Returning to his study, he placed the money in his notebook, a constant reminder every time he opened it.

The weather was nice tonight, no wonder the flight wasn’t delayed.

Xia Wansheng and Ji Yang, who had been dragged out of bed in the middle of the night, were waiting at the airport.

Lu Mingxi had only told him where he would be coming out, but that didn’t mean Xia Wansheng could recognize him. After all, it had been years since their last meeting.

And the original book didn’t describe Lu Mingxi’s appearance, his memory might be inaccurate, he didn’t even know if he was easy to get along with…

As Xia Wansheng was lost in thought, holding the name placard, a tall young man in a baseball cap suddenly snatched it from his hand.

“！！！” Xia Wansheng almost lost his balance, instinctively blurting out, “I still need that!”

He looked up to see an intimidating expression, the kind of cold, handsome face that would make people avoid eye contact on the street.

Then Lu Mingxi spoke, his voice cheerful and lively: “Xia Wansheng! Long time no see, you’ve changed so much!”

A perfect example of a mismatch between voice and appearance.

Xia Wansheng suppressed his amusement and greeted his long-lost friend.

In the original book, they hadn’t contacted each other since parting ways, this was an unexpected reunion.

Ji Yang, who had been dozing off beside him, seeing the sudden looming figure, instinctively assumed it was trouble and was about to jump in to protect Xia Wansheng.

Then he was pulled aside by Lu Mingxi.

“Who is this?” Lu Mingxi asked, his voice still cheerful.

“…” Ji Yang’s fear subsided.

This person’s voice suddenly became so approachable, transforming from a desert falcon to a market songbird.

“This is my agent, Ji Yang. Brother Yang is here to discuss your future career plans with you.” Xia Wansheng introduced.

Lu Mingxi had mentioned wanting to return to the entertainment industry, so he naturally sought Xia Wansheng’s advice.

After all, many companies had messy internal management and tricky contracts, it was best to find a reliable person.

“So it’s Brother Yang, nice to meet you, I’m Lu Mingxi.” He quickly extended his hand for a handshake.

Ji Yang, who had been worried about this newcomer’s personality, was now relieved, “Nice to meet you too, shall we go to the hotel and drop off your luggage first?”

He couldn’t wait to explain every detail of the contract to Lu Mingxi.

But after settling down in the hotel’s business center, Lu Mingxi’s eyes glazed over.

He could stay up for three nights straight studying music composition, but faced with a contract full of potential pitfalls, he couldn’t focus.

And Ji Yang, to ensure he understood everything, meticulously explained every clause, which took quite some time.

Xia Wansheng, beside him, was also getting drowsy.

“So that’s the basic process, any questions?”

After a long while, Ji Yang finally finished.

Then, looking at the two obviously uncomprehending faces, he thought he had probably wasted his breath.

“We can discuss the details later, tell me, what’s the main purpose of your visit to City A?” Ji Yang asked with a sigh.

It was better to address the current issue first.

“Well,” Lu Mingxi, finally hearing a familiar topic, perked up, “I gained some recognition in the industry after the last event, so a company wants me to attend a large-scale event.”

Lu Mingxi took out his phone and showed them the invitation. It was from an entertainment company under the Shao Group.

“The event itself seems fine, just try to avoid further involvement with them.” Xia Wansheng reminded him after some thought.

Lu Mingxi had been scammed by the original owner before, and he clearly wasn’t aware of the Shao family’s shady dealings. If he joined their company, he might end up bankrupt and working to pay off his debts.

“But you don’t have to worry too much about Shao Huan, he’s not very bright.” Xia Wansheng whispered.

“Hey, hey, don’t listen to him,” Ji Yang still wasn’t used to Xia Wansheng’s way of speaking, feeling like he was making enemies every minute, “Just be careful.”

Lu Mingxi nodded thoughtfully, “Understood, I’ll block them after the event.”

He didn’t have to worry about anything afterwards.

He had already resigned himself to a simple life back home. He had heard about Xia Wansheng’s situation and knew he had gained some fame recently, but he hadn’t been contacted, so he was naturally a bit disappointed.

And many of those who had given up on music had become somewhat successful.

Hearing that Lu Mingxi, who had originally wanted to pursue music, had succumbed to reality, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of schadenfreude.

So, when he received Xia Wansheng’s call, he hadn’t expected much.

Now, he was suddenly presented with this unexpected opportunity by the friend he had made a pact with to become successful together.

“Keep it, since you’re here, you’re bound to encounter the Shao family, after all, you’re not like Xia Wansheng, he…”

Ji Yang instinctively started to explain, then suddenly felt a strong pat on his shoulder, Xia Wansheng feigning a cough.

“！！！”

He almost slipped up.

Why were they having this conversation in a hotel room in the middle of the night? Wasn’t it to hide Xia Wansheng’s current situation?

He hadn’t understood why Xia Wansheng was so secretive about it before. It wasn’t something shameful to be associated with Yu Congyan, was it?

But Xia Wansheng pointed to the “Criminal Law” book still on the bookshelf, reminding him of his mental state when he first arrived at the Yu residence, almost reading the entire book aloud to him.

Ji Yang suddenly felt it was necessary to be discreet.

“How are we different? We were both praised for our talent back in school,” Lu Mingxi said with dissatisfaction, “I can avoid the Shao family too, if he can do it, so can I.”

He thought, he had dreams too.

“No, that’s not what I meant…forget it, let’s discuss the important matters, like your album and new songs.” Ji Yang hurriedly changed the subject. He couldn’t reveal anything more.

“This record company is a new enterprise, but they’re quite capable, just not very good at marketing and promotion,”

He then reassured them, “The company will handle that, you just focus on writing songs.”

The topic finally shifted to Lu Mingxi’s area of expertise. He immediately perked up, declaring he wasn’t tired despite the journey and was ready to start working.

He pulled out his tablet, filled with drafts,

“I’ve been thinking about this on the way here, let’s take a look at these drafts…”

Lu Mingxi’s movements were a bit too forceful, sweeping some items on the table to the side, revealing a brand new car key underneath the documents.

Ji Yang’s car had broken down and was being repaired. Yu Congyan had asked the housekeeper to find a low-key car from the garage for him, so his schedule wouldn’t be affected.

Ji Yang had brought the key today for convenience and had casually placed it on the table.

The logo was intimidatingly expensive.

Lu Mingxi rubbed his eyes, making sure he wasn’t hallucinating or that his years of daydreaming had finally come true.

“！！！”

The ordinary wooden table suddenly seemed like luxurious sandalwood.

This car key definitely wasn’t his, so it must belong to—

Lu Mingxi looked at Xia Wansheng and Ji Yang, who were suddenly silent.

Ji Yang was just an agent, no matter how high his salary was, he couldn’t afford this.

It must be Xia Wansheng hiding the truth. No wonder he was so secretive about his current situation, he didn’t dare to tell him!

“It’s only been a few years, how did you go astray?!”

Lu Mingxi was heartbroken.

Where were his morals? Where was the law? Where was his sense of right and wrong?!

He would make Xia Wansheng recite the “Morality and Law” textbook ten times!