Shen Huai returned home very late and found the room pitch black except for a sliver of light coming from the kitchen. Somewhat puzzled, he walked over and saw Ye Cang squatting in front of the refrigerator, looking pale and holding several pieces of bread, a bottle of milk dangling from his mouth.
Shen Huai: "...What are you doing?"
Ye Cang was startled and almost choked on his milk.
Shen Huai walked over quickly, took the snacks from his hand, and asked, "You haven't eaten?" He looked at the table and sure enough, found two untouched dishes on it.
Shen Huai was speechless: "Auntie said you didn't respond when she called you to eat, so couldn't you finish eating before you got busy?"
Ye Cang coughed lightly, somewhat embarrassed: "I'm usually oblivious to outside noise when I'm working, so by the time I realized it, it was already this late."
Shen Huai had no choice but to take off his coat, roll up his shirt sleeves, and say, "Eat something first to tide you over, I'll go make you a bowl of noodles."
Ye Cang exclaimed in shock, "You can cook?!"
While deftly boiling water, Shen Huai said, "I only know how to cook noodles and a few simple home-style dishes. I'm not as good as you think."
Perhaps because he rarely sees sunlight, Shen Huai's arms are very white, and with his movements, smooth muscle lines are faintly revealed. The warm light falls on them, as if adding a layer of soft light, softening his overly aloof temperament.
Ye Cang couldn't help but tease, "Manager, you look like a virtuous person..."
Shen Huai glanced at him coldly, and Ye Cang sensed the murderous intent within him, wisely swallowing the rest of his words.
Shen Huai cracked an egg with one hand, and the clear egg white fell into the oil in the pan, quickly turning white with a sizzling sound at the edges, and a fragrant aroma immediately filled the air.
Ye Cang swallowed hard, pressing his rumbling stomach, desperately trying to find something to talk about to distract himself.
"You look very skilled. Did you learn it from your aunt?"
Shen Huai seemed to pause for a moment before saying, "No, I learned it after my parents passed away."
Ye Cang was stunned: "I'm sorry."
"It's nothing, many years have passed." Shen Huai said calmly, placing the cooked noodles in front of Ye Cang. "Eat."
The steaming noodles exude an enticing aroma, the eggs are fried to a golden brown on both sides, and two blanched bok choys lie on the side, garnished with a few scallions. The dish is a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate, making one's mouth water.
However, when Ye Cang saw this bowl of noodles, he inexplicably thought of the image of young Shen Huai silently cooking with his lips pursed.
He was unusually serious and whispered to comfort her, "Don't be sad. No matter how bitter or difficult things are, they've all passed. Things will only get better from now on."
Shen Huai was taken aback, wondering what Ye Cang had imagined. He was about to explain when he saw Ye Cang's serious eyes. The words circled on his lips but he didn't say them. He smiled and nodded, "Okay."
Ye Cang breathed a sigh of relief, and his usual carefree demeanor returned: "That's right. When I become famous, I'll protect you."
Shen Huai: "..."
After eating the noodles, Ye Cang seemed to come alive again. He pulled Shen Huai upstairs to see the arrangement of his new composition. He had sung this song many times and was very familiar with it. Over the years, while he was a ghost and had nothing to do, he had also had many ideas for adapting it.
Shen Huai was a little stunned after listening to Ye Cang play the song once. He hadn't expected Ye Cang to be so fast, completing the entire arrangement in just one day. Ye Cang put down his guitar and explained his arrangement ideas to him.
Shen Huai frowned after listening and then said, "Your arrangement is quite impressive. The company's recording studio might not be suitable. I'll find you another studio."
Ye Cang quickly waved his hand: "No need, no need. There will be a band on site. I'll just record a simple demo."
Shen Huai: "But..."
“Finding a studio would cost extra money, right?” Ye Cang said knowingly. “You’re not having an easy time either, so don’t waste your money. I’m still participating in competitions and don’t have much income. You won’t get any commission, so you should save your money.”
Shen Huai, a tycoon with a net worth of over 10 billion, remained silent for a moment, then obediently hummed in agreement.
Ye Cang reassured him, "I heard the champion can get a million. Don't worry, I won't lose. We'll have money soon."
Shen Huai had no doubt about this. Seeing that he agreed, Ye Cang excitedly leaned over, hooked his arm around Shen Huai's shoulder, and patted him hard, full of confidence.
"I told you I'd protect you, so just wait and see how well you'll live with me from now on!"
Shen Huai silently endured the arm draped over his shoulder, thinking that Ye Cang was good in every way except for this habit of putting his arm around someone's shoulder, which he needed to change.
-
Although Ye Cang gained many fans in this competition, his past controversies cannot be erased. Rather than believing in his rapidly improving singing skills, many people think he just got lucky and picked the right song. However, such good fortune is hard to replicate, and at this time, his remarks during the group selection process attracted some criticism.
The world has never been fair. Those with strength are called confident when they are arrogant, while those without strength are only ridiculed for overestimating themselves.
After the match, Zheng Zhao posted a cryptic message on Weibo, which he quickly deleted, but the content of the post sparked speculation among netizens, who believed that the person Zheng Zhao was referring to was Ye Cang.
Rumors of discord between Ye Cang and other contestants resurfaced, and Ye Cang's haters, who had previously disappeared, reappeared to cause trouble.
[However, once she performs well, her hand starts shaking; that's a low-quality pen.]
So arrogant, just wait and see them get their comeuppance next week!
Next week is a collaboration stage, I feel sorry for his teammates.
[Textbook example of being proven wrong, next week's live stream is sure to be amazing lol, I'm watching!]
[Staking out 1]
This incident caused quite a stir, but Ye Cang himself and his company remained completely silent, with only a few fans making futile attempts to defend him.
Shen Huai coldly watched the commotion on Weibo. To him, it was nothing more than a minor disturbance, and suppressing it wouldn't be difficult. However, he knew perfectly well how many of these were paid trolls from other companies. Even if he suppressed it this time, there would be another one, and he never liked to waste his energy on such matters.
Since we're going to solve this, we need to deliver a hard slap. Even if it doesn't solve the problem once and for all, at least we need to make these people remember the pain.
So, just when the critics were overjoyed and thought they had won a great victory, the situation suddenly reversed.
A Weibo post went viral and became a trending topic.