Chapter 141 — Old Buffon's Origins

As for concert tickets, Mingyang Group was the organizer, so naturally they could get as many as they wanted. VIP tickets would be no problem either.

"Ah?" When Shu Ya heard that the caller was Yang Ce's girlfriend, an indescribable bitterness welled up in her heart, and for a moment she lost her composure.

"What's wrong, don't want to give me one?" Seeing Shu Ya silent, Yang Ce assumed she was unwilling, and grew somewhat annoyed. I did save your life, after all, didn't I? Even asking you for a signed CD has to be this much trouble?

"N-no, that's not it." Shu Ya came back to herself and smiled rather unnaturally. "Of course I can. I'll get one for you right now."

Shu Ya dealt with a great many social obligations every day, and plenty of people made this sort of request of Yang Cen, so she generally kept a few signed CDs in her bag.

With that, Shu Ya opened her handbag and took out several copies of her latest album.

"You have this many?" Yang Ce glanced at the albums in Shu Ya's hands, then scooped them all up at once. "Give them all to me. I expect plenty of people will be asking me for CDs."

"Uh—" Shu Ya had not expected Yang Ce to be so overbearing, claiming them all for himself in one go. Still, she said nothing, only shook her head helplessly. "All right."

Yang Ce was still a little angry at Shu Ya's silence a moment ago, and this was his small retaliation. He felt he ought to be more forceful with Shu Ya—better yet, make her afraid of him, so that she would not dare casually spread what she had seen aboard the Alice.

A moment ago, when Shu Ya heard Yang Yanzhou say that the two words "Xiao Ya" meant a great deal to him, her heart had surged with emotion. She had nearly been unable to stop herself from telling Yang Ce right then and there that she—she was that very person.

But Yang Juehuan's phone call had thoroughly dispelled that notion. She was afraid. It seemed Yang Ce was on very good terms with his current girlfriend. Even if she told him the truth, would he accept her?

To hold an important place in someone's heart and to be accepted by them are two entirely different things. Perhaps she had already become an indelible memory in his heart—but a memory, and nothing more.

After all, so much time had passed, and not everyone was as stubborn as she was. Shu Ya could not be sure, and she was unwilling to try.

Because her true identity was now her only trump card. If that card failed, she would lose everything. She was afraid—truly afraid—that her real identity would be exposed to Yang Shuyu, and that if Yang Ce still would not accept her then, she would truly have no chance left at all.

So this last straw to cling to—unless it came to the absolute last resort, the most critical moment—Shu Ya would never bring it out.

By contrast, Shu Ya thought that if she could use her status as a star to stoop and approach him, and if possible let a romance develop naturally—and only if that failed, then tell him her true identity.

Having settled on this plan, Shu Ya's expression returned to normal. Hmph. True, my current looks are not as beautiful as my original ones, but I am still among the best. I refuse to believe that pursuing you as a great star won't succeed.

Of course, this was only a pep talk Shu Ya gave herself. Whether it would succeed, she had not the slightest confidence in her heart.

"Shu Ya, you must be tired today. Go back to the hotel and rest well. Another day I have other business to discuss with you." Seeing that they were almost at the hotel, Yang Ce spoke.

"Wh-what business?" Shu Ya's heart gave a start.

Yang Ce pondered for a moment. The things he wanted to ask could not be explained in a minute or two, so he planned to find a time to go over them in detail. Moreover, he did not want to reveal anything in advance and put Shu Ya on her guard.

To tell Yang Ce outright that this Shu Ya and Su Ya must be connected in some way—yet Yang Ji could never find the thread.

"There is nothing in this world to trouble one—only fools trouble themselves." Yang Linyue warned her mildly, "I hope Miss Shu remembers what she said before. Nor do I wish to see a news story one day about some star meeting a tragic end."

"Oh." Though Yang Juehuan's words were severe, for some reason Shu Ya simply was not afraid. Still, to play along with Yang Ce, she put on a look of frightened deference and nodded.

Shu Ya thought to herself, I'd have to be a fool—if I told anyone about that business and something happened to you, what would become of me then?

Just as Miss Xu had predicted, the moment the stretch Audi Q7 pulled out of the airport, the reporters were on its tail. Yang Juehuan's BMW X5, by contrast, drew no attention at all.

A BMW X5 might count as a fine car, but in Songjiang there was more than one Yang Cenbin, and no shortage of wealthy men besides. So the reporters had no reason to fix their eyes on a car like that.

He parked in the underground garage of Celestial Paradise, and at once a group of bodyguards from Mingyang Company came forward to meet them. This was Yang Duoji's territory; the reporters could not get in at all. So there was no fear of Shu Ya being seen by anyone else.

"Shu Ya, would you rather go up and rest first, or wait for Miss Xu and the others?" Yang Yanchuan asked.

"I think I'll wait for them," Shu Ya said. Naturally she hoped to spend a little more time with Yan.

"All right." Yang Yu nodded, picked up a CD Shu Ya had given him, and slid it into the car's CD player. Yang Yongjin got out of the car, and the bodyguards, of course, said nothing.

From the speakers drifted Shu Ya's somewhat sorrowful singing: I remember you carved your name on it back then / you placed it on my hand / our hearts were joined as one. The lyrics had been written for her by a reader in one of her fan groups—Old Fish wasn't much good at this sort of thing. Yang Wenru frowned, staring blankly, lost in thought. The first time he had heard this song, Yang Ce had felt a strange sense of familiarity, but then his mother had come into the room and the matter had been set aside, and Yang Shuoxuan had forgotten all about it.

Now, hearing the song again, Yang Juehuan's thoughts were at once drawn to the lyrics.

Beside him, Shu Ya too was staring blankly, lost in thought. Every time she heard this song, or sang it, she would think of the past—of that ring she had sold.

She really had been a fool. Knowing full well she could never forget him, she had gone and made a pointless attempt anyway. And now look—she did not even know who had bought the ring. Getting it back would be all the harder.

In truth, with her influence, she believed that if she simply held a press conference and announced that she regretted selling the ring, perhaps whoever had bought it would come forward and contact her.

But Shu Ya was not at all certain. The person who had bought the ring had never shown himself—he was clearly not the sort to curry favor with her. So Shu Ya had not done it.

The two of them, each nursing their own thoughts, sat quietly listening to the song. Shu Ya was far too familiar with it, so she was not as absorbed as Yang Ce. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Yang Shuoxuan listening earnestly, and she felt a small thrill of joy, hoping he might hear something in the lyrics.

But then Shu Ya grew afraid again—afraid that Yang Ce really had heard something, that he would ask her where the ring had gone, and then she would not know what to do.

After listening for a while, Yang Ce suddenly lifted his head and stared at Shu Ya, as if trying to read something in her face.

What the song described was far too much like himself and Su Ya. So Yang Ce became all the more certain that Shu Ya must have some connection to Su Ya. Yet this time, the ability to see through another's thoughts did not come to him.