Chapter 105: Bai Su’s Unspoken Secret

Chapter 105: Bai Su’s Unspoken Secret

As the opening dance came to an end, Tang Zhong struck a handsome pose for a few seconds, then prepared to lead Lin Huiyin and Zhang Hepburn backstage.

“Wait, wait a moment!” The evening’s host, Xie Xiaona, appeared holding a microphone and blocked their way. “The thunderous applause from the audience proves how much they love and support you—Butterfly Group, wouldn’t you like to greet everyone?”

“Of course.” Zhang Hepburn smiled sweetly, the camera zooming in for a close-up of her face. “Hello, everyone. It’s wonderful to see you all, and thank you so much for your applause. We’ll keep working hard and won’t let you down.”

“Mmm, Hepburn speaks so well,” Xie Xiaona said cheerfully. “What about Tang Xin? Tang Xin, do you have anything to say to the audience here tonight?”

Tang Zhong was in agony.

He couldn’t speak. Opening his mouth would expose him.

The worst part was that he couldn’t even say he couldn’t speak.

Because, if he couldn’t talk, whose voice sang the song just now?

While Lin Huiyin and Zhang Hepburn were singing and dancing, his mouth had moved along with theirs, too.

“Oh dear, this is a real mess now,” Ah Ken fretted from below the stage. “How is our little Xin going to speak?”

“Ah Ken, keep your voice down,” Bai Su worried that his words might be overheard and misinterpreted by those nearby.

“I’m already whispering,” Ah Ken murmured. “Su Su, what do we do? You need to think of a way to help our little Xin.”

“He’s on stage, we’re down here; he’ll have to rely on himself now,” Bai Su was anxious but forced herself to remain calm. “There will be plenty of situations like this in the future. Some things we can anticipate, some we can’t. He needs to learn to adapt on the spot.”

“Oh dear, my liver aches with worry,” Ah Ken said, clutching his chest.

Tang Zhong hesitated, and everyone assumed he was thinking.

Then, he smiled at the camera.

He placed a hand over his heart, and with a look of deep sincerity, bowed ninety degrees to the audience.

The applause thundered once again.

Xie Xiaona was momentarily stunned, then overjoyed, her voice stirring with emotion: “Tang Xin truly deserves to be the leader of Butterfly Group. All the words in his heart are poured into that deep bow. Whether we are celebrities, hosts, or the television crew who worked tirelessly for this evening, there are no words to express our gratitude to those who support us—I completely understand Tang Xin’s feelings. Right now, I feel exactly as she does. Dear audience, let’s thank Butterfly Group once more for their splendid performance with enthusiastic applause!”

The applause grew ever more intense.

As Tang Zhong walked off stage, he felt the white shirt under his suit jacket was soaked with sweat. He couldn’t tell whether it was the result of the energetic dance or the tension from that moment on stage.

Bai Su and Ah Ken came over, both restraining themselves and acting calm.

Bai Su thanked him for his hard work, and Ah Ken, eyebrows raised in delight, praised them for getting better and better.

“Tang Xin, your performance was fantastic. And this look is so handsome. If I didn’t know you were a woman, I’d be tempted to fall for you myself,” said a female celebrity named Liu Yifei.

“Thank you, Sister Xiao Fei. You’re beautiful, too,” Zhang Hepburn joked.

“Oh my, Xiao Fei, who styled your hair? It’s so fabulous. You have an oval face, and it suits you perfectly,” Ah Ken stepped up to help Tang Zhong out, complimenting Liu Yifei’s hairstyle.

“Teacher Ah Ken, really?” Liu Yifei asked happily, forgetting that Tang Xin hadn’t answered her question. Ah Ken was one of the most famous stylists in the industry, and to be praised by him—especially for something women care so much about—how could she not be delighted?

“As true as can be,” Ah Ken nodded gravely. “Here, let me just add a few small touches—there, now it’s even more dimensional.”

Bai Su signaled Tang Zhong with her eyes, urging him to follow her out.

A television staff member came over to say that Butterfly Group would be escorted to the Shangri-La Hotel to rest, and after the anniversary gala, there would be a grand celebration banquet.

Such official banquets were mandatory, so Bai Su happily agreed. She decided that once the staff dropped them at the hotel, she would immediately leave with Tang Zhong, leaving Lin Huiyin and Zhang Hepburn to keep up appearances. As long as Butterfly Group had two members present, no one would mind if one slipped away.

When the Mercedes left the Shangri-La Hotel’s parking lot, Tang Zhong and Bai Su exchanged smiles.

“You did well,” Bai Su finally had the chance to compliment Tang Zhong. “I was really sweating for you backstage. Who’d have thought you’d be so quick-witted—not only hiding your inability to speak, but also endearing Butterfly Group to the audience both here and at home.”

“When have I ever let you down?” Tang Zhong chuckled.

“That’s true.” Bai Su nodded earnestly. “I knew I chose the right person.”

Tang Zhong smiled silently, and Bai Su found herself at a loss for words.

With Zhang Hepburn and Ah Ken, the lively pair, absent from the spacious vehicle, the atmosphere cooled instantly.

Because of the awkward incident in the restroom, a subtle tension hovered between them.

Bai Su’s casual pants had been soaked by Tang Zhong’s urine, so she’d changed into Lin Huiyin’s jeans. The jeans were a bit tight, making her thighs look fuller and more alluring. On top, she wore a white shirt and a silver-gray blazer, hands folded across her chest, the impressive peaks of her bosom pressing against the fabric so much it seemed the top two buttons might burst.

She was a woman in full bloom, radiating the charm and allure unique to mature women.

Young men adore mature women.

Such a woman was irresistibly attractive to someone like Tang Zhong, inexperienced and shy—a single bite would surely taste sweet.

Bai Su could feel Tang Zhong’s predatory gaze. From a woman’s perspective, the just-off-stage Tang Zhong looked like a delicate flower, inviting her to hold him close or crush him beneath her.

But she knew nothing could happen between them.

“What are you staring at? Want me to gouge your eyes out?” Bai Su feigned annoyance.

Tang Zhong finally shifted his gaze from her chest, showing neither embarrassment nor guilt, and said, “Some say jeans best accentuate a woman’s figure. I never believed it, but seeing you in them today, I do now.”

Bai Su was about to retort, ‘Were you really looking at the pants?’ but thought better of it, realizing such words would be shamelessly flirting—he was so young, and she, the old cow, felt far too aged.

As she hesitated over how to scold him without feeling guilty, her phone suddenly rang in her pocket.

She glanced at the caller ID, and her expression instantly soured.

She cut the call, looked at Tang Zhong, and said, “I’ll get off up ahead. The driver will take you home.”

“What happened?” Tang Zhong asked.

“Just a family matter,” Bai Su replied, her face emotionless. Clearly, she had no wish to discuss it.

Tang Zhong nodded. If someone didn’t want to talk, he wouldn’t press.

At a shop front, the driver stopped the car. Bai Su and Tang Zhong exchanged farewells, then Bai Su got out ahead of time, and the driver took Tang Zhong back to Purple Garden.

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Once out of the car, Bai Su stood by the roadside, watching the Mercedes vanish into the distance, then raised a hand and hailed a taxi.

She gave the driver an address, then lay back in the rear seat, eyes closed, restless.

Half an hour later, the car stopped in front of a somewhat shabby restaurant.

“Miss, we’re here,” the driver called.

Bai Su opened her eyes, glanced at the meter, then handed over a hundred-yuan bill.

She took the change, picked up her bag, and walked toward the restaurant called ‘Wealth Inn.’

A young man with a face full of acne sat at a computer playing cards. Seeing someone enter, he didn’t look up. “Miss, here to eat or stay?”

It was just a restaurant; there was no lodging.

But Bai Su knew the rules here. “Stay,” she said.

The attendant finally looked up and sized her up. “Wait a sec. I’ll take you after I finish this round.”

“No need. I’ll go myself.” Bai Su headed toward the kitchen.

“Wait, wait,” the attendant called. “I’ll take you—damn, what a good hand. Two jokers and four sixes, how many times could I win?”

He led Bai Su through the kitchen, then knocked three times on a rusted iron door, paused, then knocked three more times. The door opened from inside, revealing another, broader world to Bai Su.

“Good luck, beauty,” the acne-faced attendant chuckled.

Bai Su ignored him and instead looked at the bald, burly man guarding the door. “I’m looking for Bai Qiangsheng.”

The bald man leered at Bai Su’s chest, grinning. “You must be Old Bai’s daughter? You really are a beauty.”

He reached out to touch Bai Su’s face. “Come on, little lady, let big brother show you the way—”

Bai Su slapped his hand away, coldly sneering, “If you don’t want the money, I’ll leave now.”

The bald man hadn’t expected her to move so fast. Her slap landed hard, and his arm stung fiercely.

He thought about lashing out, but if he drove off the boss’s wallet, who knew what that psycho would do to him.

He glared fiercely at Bai Su and growled, “Follow me.”

With that, he led the way down a corridor lit with lurid red lights.