Chapter 1984 — A Waste of Time

"Master Jiao, why has everything you say lately been so steeped in mystery? It makes a person feel as though you're uttering Zen koans," Wei Zhao said, eyeing Jiao Lao with a strange look.

"Nothing much. I'm only reminding you not to grow too proud — keep your feet on the ground." Jiao Lao spoke faintly. "Still, you may as well practice the Sun family's mental cultivation method too. There's no great difficulty to it."

"I can practice it too? Won't that just waste a great deal of time? And what use would it be to me anyway?" Wei Zhao countered.

"No use at all. Whatever it can do, the first layer of your Xuanyuan Dragon-Taming Art can already do — the only difference is that this woman can as well," Jiao Yazi said.

"Ugh. Then why should I waste my time on it?" Wei Zhao was speechless. He closed his eyes and went back to his cultivation, paying Jiao Lao no further mind; he knew he had been toyed with.

……………………

A flight settled slowly onto the runway at Donghai City Airport. A girl with wheat-colored skin and oversized sunglasses emerged unobtrusively from the domestic arrivals gate, and Zhang Duopan and Fan Ganhe, waiting not far off, hurried forward at once.

"Miss Cheng... Miss Cheng..." Zhang Duopan had meant to call out Cheng Yiyi's name, but feared that if he did, others would overhear and a crowd would gather! After all, Cheng Yiyi counted as a star of some renown; if word reached the media people, they might not be able to slip away easily.

This wheat-skinned girl was Cheng Yiyi. Her complexion looked healthy and beautiful — most likely the effect of some kind of tanning light — giving her a more savage sort of beauty, far more striking than Xu Shilan's pure, fair whiteness.

That was precisely why she had gathered so much popularity the instant she debuted. It had to do with her skin tone as well, and for that she was called the Coffee Girl.

"Young Master Pan, hello!" Cheng Yiyi spotted Zhang Duopan too and came over briskly.

She was the spokesmodel for Zhang Duopan's father's company, so naturally she had seen Zhang Duopan a few times at company banquets and had some impression of him.

"Haha, Miss Cheng, to come all this way to help out despite your busy schedule — Zhang here is endlessly grateful!" Zhang Duopan said, extending his hand.

Cheng Yiyi, however, showed no intention of shaking it. It was plain she was not that sort of person; seeing Zhang Duopan's outstretched hand, she simply and naturally handed him her luggage bag instead, smiling faintly. "Then I'll have to trouble you, Young Master Pan!"

Zhang Duopan was briefly taken aback. He had meant to shake Cheng Yiyi's hand and steal a touch of her fragrance, but she seemed to have misunderstood his meaning and handed him her bag instead — as though he had volunteered to carry her luggage!

Still, Zhang Duopan could hardly refuse. After only a slight pause, he reached out and took Cheng Yiyi's suitcase. "It's only proper..."

In his heart, though, he could not help feeling some regret. Though he knew well enough that he and Cheng Yiyi were hardly possible — this sort of chasing-after-stars business was not something a rich young master of his level could afford to play at — and it seemed Cheng Yiyi was not the kind of actress who relied on such means to earn money and fame. Sheltered under Xu Shilan's halo, she had no need to do any of that at all; she could simply rise to fame slowly and naturally.

Yet Zhang Duopan still wanted to draw a little closer to Cheng Yiyi. He was a lecher, after all; but since Cheng Yiyi had not let him have his way, he did not press further.

He had not forgotten that the chief purpose of inviting Cheng Yiyi was to curry favor with He Meiyue and to compete with Bai Weituo. If he set his mind on seducing Cheng Yiyi, he would be putting the cart before the horse; in the end, most likely, he would fail to win Cheng Yiyi over and fail to catch He Meiyue either!

So he was not yet so hotheaded as that. Towing Cheng Yiyi's suitcase, he left the airport with her and climbed into the Range Rover Evoque parked in the lot.

"Yiyi, thanks so much for this. You really saved the day for me..." Zhang Duopan said from the driver's seat to Cheng Yiyi, who sat in the back.

"It's nothing. You're President Zhang's son, and I'm the spokesmodel for President Zhang's company anyway — this little favor is the work of a moment." Cheng Yiyi spoke generously. "Still, Young Master Pan, what you said before about taking first place in the singing category at the freshman gala — I'm afraid that may be a bit difficult. Even if I'm a star, your Donghai University of Engineering is one of the best universities in the province. Among the strong there are always stronger..."

"Ah, right — Yiyi, now that you mention it, something very important just came to mind!" Zhang Duopan's expression shifted slightly and turned quite serious. "It's like this: originally, taking first place was no problem for us. But my opponent — the one I told you about, the guy I want to beat — he actually pulled strings and invited your senior fellow disciple!"

"My senior fellow disciple?" Cheng Yiyi blinked, not quite catching on.

"Xu Shilan," Fan Ganhe supplied.

"What? They invited Xu Shilan too?" Cheng Yiyi was startled. "How could my senior sister take part in such a small event? As far as I know, she basically doesn't attend any kind of event at all, does she?"

"Hmm... Miss Yiyi, you didn't know about this?" Zhang Duopan was taken aback as well. "I was puzzled too, so I came to you to verify whether it was true or false. But they looked so utterly certain that it seems eighty percent likely to be true — their classmates said they've already video-chatted with Xu Shilan, and she's even arranged their program for them over the video..."

"I see. Then let me ask her." Cheng Yiyi nodded, fished out her phone, and dialed Xu Shilan's number.

Because of the matter with Wei Zhao, Xu Shilan had been keeping her phone on her person instead of leaving it with her manager, Sister Wang. When the ringtone sounded, she picked up at once.

"Hm? Yiyi? Why are you calling at this hour?" Xu Shilan found it odd — what was Cheng Yiyi calling about so late?

"Senior sister, I've just arrived in Donghai City. I heard you're coming too?" Cheng Yiyi asked.

"What? Yiyi, you're in Donghai City too?" Xu Shilan was even more surprised. "I am indeed going to Donghai City tomorrow, but why are you in Donghai City? And how did you know I was going?"

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