Chapter 141 — Old Buffon's Origins

Shu Ya frowned. She had just seen Yang Ce use the remote in his hand to disarm the BMW X5 parked nearby, and knew that he had driven himself and would not be riding in the same car with her. She felt a faint pang of disappointment.

"Miss Shu, isn't this car a bit too conspicuous?" Miss Xu said after a moment's hesitation. "The reporters will surely have heard by now that you've come to Songjiang. The moment we leave the airport, they're bound to follow us."

Shu Ya nodded. She thought the same—this stretched Q7 really was too conspicuous. Unless the reporters were blind, they would certainly follow and see what was going on. Conspicuous... A thought stirred in Shu Ya's mind, and a plan took shape. Feigning casualness, she said, "Then I'll ride in Mr. Yang's car. Sister Xu, you take this Q7—if any reporters follow, you can explain things to them."

"Then—" Miss Xu was reluctant when she heard that Shu Ya meant to ride in Yang Ce's car. Her first impression of him had not been good at all; she had taken him for one of those rich young men with designs on Shu Ya. So she said, "Then let the bodyguards go with you."

"What, Miss Xu, are you afraid I might do Miss Shu some harm?" Yang Ce was quite willing to have Shu Ya ride in his car; he needed to give her another warning about what had happened aboard the Alice—that was a matter that must never be breathed to anyone. So he rather welcomed Shu Ya's company, but if anyone else were present, there were things he could not say. His face darkened at once.

Yang Ce's words were a little chilling, and Miss Xu, unsure just what his position was, did not dare offend him too gravely. His question put her in a hard spot: if she said she was afraid, she would offend Yang Ce outright; if she said she was not, then she could no longer insist on sending bodyguards along. For a moment she truly did not know how to answer.

"Sister Xu, there's no need for bodyguards. I'm not some head of state—what do I need bodyguards for?" Shu Ya said with a gentle smile. "All right, it's settled."

"Very well." Miss Xu was helpless. Since Shu Ya had said so, there was nothing else she could do. Say anything more, and it would look as though she were targeting Yang Ce. After so many years as a manager, Miss Xu understood well that any company capable of staging a concert in a given locality must have real strength behind it—if not a local power, then close enough. And the rich young men who could attach themselves to such companies inevitably came from families of power and privilege, not to be casually offended.

Yang Ce said coolly, "Miss Xu, if you're uneasy about it, then let's forget the whole thing. I have to help my girlfriend fix up our new place later—I don't have much time to spare."

With that one sentence, Yang Ce laid bare Miss Xu's intention plainly, and told her plainly as well: I already have a girlfriend, and we are very close—I have no designs whatsoever on your star.

Hearing this, Miss Xu felt somewhat embarrassed. She gave a dry laugh and said, "Mr. Yang jests. How could I be uneasy? I was only afraid of being pestered by those reporters. Then I'll have to trouble you, Mr. Yang."

Beside them, Shu Ya visibly started, and lowered her head, a little dazed. He has a girlfriend? Is it true? For a moment it was as though something had struck her heart a heavy blow; her earlier joy vanished in an instant, and she was at a loss.

The man she had thought of day and night—she had finally seen him. But he already loved another. This was the sort of plot from a movie, and Shu Ya had never imagined it would one day happen to her.

True, Shu Ya had not been at all certain before that Yang Ce would wait for her, but everyone nurses a secret hope; even for a chance of one in ten thousand, before receiving a definite answer, one clings to a fantasy. Shu Ya was no exception. She had looked forward so much to the scene of meeting Yan again.

Aboard the Alice, when Yang Ce had appeared again like a god descending from the heavens, the flame of love long hidden in the depths of Shu Ya's heart had been thoroughly kindled. But in that moment just now, her heart had suddenly clenched tight.

Yet Shu Ya was no longer the green girl she once had been. Having witnessed countless grand occasions, she quickly composed herself. Her face betraying nothing, she said, "Then let's be on our way."

"After you, Miss Shu." Yang Ce made a gesture of invitation, then pulled open the front passenger door of the BMW.

The other staff members got into the stretched Audi Q7 with Miss Xu, while Shu Ya's bodyguards boarded a Golden Dragon coach behind them together with the rest of the Mingyang Company security men.

In that brief moment, Shu Ya had reasoned things through and returned to normal. Why had she so firmly made Songjiang the first stop of her concert tour? Was it not because of Yang Ce?

Besides, she had already prepared for the worst. Even if Yang Ce had a girlfriend, so what? Had she not once had one herself? That did not mean she had no grounds to compete.

Besides, Shu Ya had already made up her mind beyond any doubt. She loved Yang Ce, and she had loved him for all these years without change—which meant it could never change now. So no matter what happened, Shu Ya would not give up.

After all, she was a star whom millions adored. She refused to believe that she would lose.

"So your name is Yang Ce." Once in the car, Shu Ya smiled with perfect composure. In that brief moment, she had already worked out her plan.

"Miss Shu, have we met before?" Yang Cen asked the question lightly, but in truth it carried far too much meaning—a hint to Shu Ya that they had never met, that he had never been aboard the Alice, and that she had seen nothing at all.

Shu Ya thought to herself, what do you mean, never met? We used to see each other every day. But she understood Yang Juehuan's meaning well enough, so she said, "I don't believe we have. I simply found your face familiar, Mr. Yang."

"Don't call me Mr. Yang—it sounds awkward. Just call me Yang Ce." Yang Ce nodded in satisfaction as he spoke.

"All right, then I'll call you Yang Ce. And you shouldn't call me Miss Shu either—just call me Shu Ya." Here Shu Ya paused, then added, "Or you could call me Xiao Ya."

"Xiao Ya?" Yang Ce's hand on the steering wheel gave a sudden jerk. He murmured the name, then said with a rather strange expression, "On second thought, I'll just call you Shu Ya. I'm not used to calling you Xiao Ya."

"Why not?" Watching Yang Juehuan's expression, Shu Ya's heart tightened as well. He used to call her Xiao Ya.

To be continued.

693. A Tangled Heart

"Nothing," Yang Mo shook his head with a touch of self-mockery. "You wouldn't understand what those two words mean to me."

"Ah?" Shu Ya started, then her heart leapt with joy. Could it be that he had not forgotten her after all? Thrilled, she was just about to speak and probe a little further when a phone began to ring.

"Sorry, I need to take this." Yang Heng gave a smile, put on his Bluetooth headset, and pressed the answer button. "Hello."

"Yang Ce, where are you?" Chen Shutang's voice came from the other end.

"Ha ha, Mengyan. I'm out running a few errands. What is it—something the matter?" Yang Yanchuan said.

"Did you know Shu Ya is coming to Songjiang to hold a concert?" Chen Shutang said. "I heard your uncle's group is the organizer, is that right?"

"Yes." Yang Ce glanced at Shu Ya beside him, then said, "What, do you want me to get you an autograph?"

"If there's a signed CD, then yes, get one for me, heh heh." Chen Shutang laughed slyly. "I was only going to ask you for a couple of concert tickets—I never imagined you could get an autograph too."

"No problem, leave it to me," Yang Yanzhou said. "I'll call you tonight."

After hanging up, Yang Minlan smiled at Shu Ya and said, "My girlfriend—she's a fan of yours. She asked me to get her a signed CD."