Chapter 97: The Main Story Concludes

Chapter 97: The Main Story Concludes

Su Xingyao woke up from his dream.

Yet, scenes from the past continued to flash vividly in his mind.

He tossed off the covers and scrambled out of bed.

Without even stopping to put on shoes, he ran out barefoot.

In his haste to open the door, he struggled with it several times before finally getting it open.

But when the door finally opened, the person he most wanted to see was already there.

In the dim light, Su Xingyao hungrily traced the other person's outline with his eyes.

That friend, whose face had never been revealed but had appeared countless times in his memory, finally matched Lu Jiuxu's face.

He was his childhood friend, a minor character in the original plot who didn't even have a name.

But he was the only one among all those whose fates had been altered, willing to defy the world's will, even at the cost of his life.

From start to finish, he was never the villain!

Everything Lu Jiuxu had done was for his sake.

Su Xingyao's eyes blurred instantly, and he stepped forward, burying his head deep in the other's neck.

Feeling the familiar scent, Su Xingyao closed his eyes, but the scene from his dream's end still lingered.

On that rainy night, Lu Jiuxu, clad in black, knelt before his tombstone, gently resting against his memorial photo.

Before he died alone, he had said, "Su Xingyao, you haven't told me 'long time no see' yet."

After two lifetimes, he finally got the chance to respond.

"Lu Jiuxu, it's been a long time."

"This time, let's stay together, okay?"

Hearing the sobs of the person in his arms, Lu Jiuxu, for the first time, wasn't gentle.

He used all his strength to hold Su Xingyao tightly, as if trying to merge him into his very being.

Because he feared that if he let go even for a second, it would be like the last life, where they wouldn't even have time for a final farewell when they met again.

He and Su Xingyao had truly known death and separation.

Lu Jiuxu couldn't bear to recall that scene again, his Adam's apple bobbing rapidly as he leaned down to kiss Su Xingyao's cheek.

"We won't be apart again."

Su Xingyao's first original album, "Roaming the Horizon," set for release on March 12th, arrived as promised.

The album shattered various records upon its release.

*

The top ten popular songs on major platforms and the first place in total sales were all taken by "Cruising the Horizon," steadily and confidently.

During the album promotion phase, Su Xingyao, who hasn’t been on variety shows in a while, appeared on a few music programs for promotion.

"Our Song" is a show where idol groups perform and compete.

For the finale, the production team invited Su Xingyao as a special guest to comment and perform.

After several rounds of competition, the episode wrapped up around midnight.

"Teacher Su, we’ve scheduled a backstage interview later. Please wait in the lounge, and we’ll let you know when it’s time."

The director who reached out to Su Xingyao seemed apologetic, knowing it was late to keep a top-tier star waiting, delaying his rest.

Luckily, Su Xingyao, being easy-going, agreed cheerfully.

Returning alone to the lounge, Su Xingyao found none of his staff there.

As he wondered, he spotted a familiar figure.

The person who was supposed to be working overtime was now in his lounge, listening to music with headphones on.

As Su Xingyao entered, the other noticed and smiled faintly at him.

Su Xingyao locked the door and approached, "No overtime tonight?"

Lu Jiuxu removed his headphones slowly, "Here to pick you up."

Hearing he’d come to pick him up, Su Xingyao mentioned the pending interview.

"I’ve got an interview to finish before I can leave."

The man nodded casually, unfazed.

After hanging up his coat, Su Xingyao stood by Lu Jiuxu.

"What are you listening to?"

He glanced down curiously at the playlist.

But as he looked, a slender finger moved to block part of the screen.

But Su Xingyao’s sharp eyes caught the content despite the block.

Seeing his new album’s songs listed, Su Xingyao teased.

"Sneaking listens to my songs."

The man chuckled and handed over the playlist.

His voice lifted slightly, "Listening openly."

Su Xingyao’s eyes curved, "Then why block it?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he immediately knew the reason.

Because each song showed a play count.

And on Lu Jiuxu’s entire page of songs, the play counts all showed 99+...

Su Xingyao's gaze lingered for a moment.

Earlier, while scrolling through his phone, he saw Lu Zhiyun bragging on social media about the albums he’d moved and the collectible cards he’d pulled, which already felt over the top.

But he didn’t expect Lu Jiuxu to take it even further.

Every single song had been played a whopping 99+ times.

How many times had he listened to them on repeat?

So the busy CEO of Jingsheng Group, who everyone thought was too swamped to even eat, actually had this much free time?

Hearing this, Su Xingyao’s expression turned a little awkward.

He looked down and murmured, "Why did you listen to them so many times..."

Lu Jiuxu, however, perked up, as if he’d been waiting for this exact question. His eyes locked onto Su Xingyao, and he dragged out his words on purpose, "Hmm—"

"I just wanted to listen closely to figure out which song in Mr. Su’s album makes up that last ten percent."

Su Xingyao, catching the other’s curious look, instantly knew what Lu Jiuxu was hinting at.

On the night they confessed, a tipsy Su Xingyao had mentioned to Lu Jiuxu that he wanted to write a love song.

Lu Jiuxu was looking for that song.

Catching the other’s hidden meaning, Su Xingyao said with a hint of regret, "It's not in this album..."

The man lounging on the sofa let out a lazy 'Hmm,' as if he’d seen it coming, but he made no effort to hide the disappointment in his eyes, "I can see that."

With that, Lu Jiuxu reached out and gave Su Xingyao’s pale cheek a light pinch, as if to tease him, "You little liar."

His pinch looked firm, but it didn’t leave a mark. After releasing him, he grumbled in a low voice, "All that anticipation for nothing."

Seeing how disappointed the other was, Su Xingyao felt a twinge of guilt, thinking about how the other had looped the album so many times.

So he leaned down and gave Lu Jiuxu’s lips a quick peck.

The song had actually been finished a while back, but he’d left it off the album.

Just as Su Xingyao was about to explain, Lu Jiuxu suddenly pulled him in by the waist.

Lu Jiuxu spread his legs and pulled Su Xingyao onto his lap.

Lu Jiuxu held Su Xingyao in silence, his dark eyes fixed on him.

Su Xingyao, unsure of what was going through the other’s mind, murmured, "Although it's not in the album, I can sing it directly for you."

Lu Jiuxu raised an eyebrow, clearly dissatisfied with this answer, "You think you can just brush me off like that?"

Su Xingyao felt that the man in front of him was being a bit childish.

He smiled and poked the other's cheek with his fingertip, then gently traced the other's prominent brow bone.

Looking at the man's handsome features so close, Su Xingyao felt that the more he looked, the more attractive he became.

So, he leaned down and kissed him again, "Is this better?"

The man's lips curved slightly, the corners of his eyes lifted, and his gaze at Su Xingyao gradually grew more intense.

"No."

After saying that, he grasped Su Xingyao's slender and fair chin with one hand, pulling him tightly into his embrace.

A flurry of kisses rained down, and Su Xingyao's soft lips were continuously sucked on by the other.

Su Xingyao felt a bit ticklish from the kisses and tilted his head back, attempting to pull away.

But as soon as he moved, his back was firmly pressed by the other's hand.

Then, through the thin fabric of his shirt, his body pressed closer and closer to the other's chest.

The man's nimble tongue took the opportunity to pry open his lips, continuously entwining and teasing him to respond.

Su Xingyao's breath became erratic, and the hand on his shoulder grew weak.

Soft moans accompanied by rapid breaths filled the air with an ambiguous tension before Lu Jiuxu reluctantly released him.

Su Xingyao's lips were flushed, and his voice carried a hint of moisture as he looked at the other expectantly, "Have I been forgiven now?"

The man didn't answer, only brushed the damp corner of Su Xingyao's eye with his thumb. When he spoke again, his voice was already hoarse.

"Not yet."

After saying that, Lu Jiuxu lowered his head and once again captured Su Xingyao's lips.

His warm palm pressed against the curve of Su Xingyao's waist, gently rubbing the skin with deliberate yet casual strokes.

Su Xingyao's cheeks flushed, and his heart raced under the kisses.

Just as things were about to escalate.

An untimely knock interrupted them.

The temperature in the room cooled down with the knock.

Su Xingyao slipped down weakly, leaning against Lu Jiuxu's chest as he breathed softly.

The knocking continued.

Lu Jiuxu, interrupted, instantly looked furious.

Su Xingyao, regaining his composure, stood up and straightened his slightly rumpled clothes.

"Xiao Yue must have returned. She went out earlier for something."

Lu Jiuxu glanced at Su Xingyao and, hearing this, could only follow suit, pulling his own clothes into place.

After calming down for a while, he finally rose with a stern expression to open the door.

...

Qin Mingchuan had been drinking a bit, and after staying up for several nights in a row, his eyes were now bloodshot.

Since learning the whole truth, Wen Ningshu and Shen Liangyu had divorced and gone their separate ways, never to interact again.

Fu Qingyan, upon realizing he had betrayed Su Xingyao, the only friend who had supported him on his path to becoming a film emperor, also left the entertainment industry and vanished from public view.

They all understood that things could never go back to the way they were with Su Xingyao.

But only Qin Mingchuan still clung to a glimmer of hope, immersed in the fantasy that "Su Xingyao should have lived happily with him."

He and Su Xingyao shared a beautiful first encounter and countless memories.

They were once engaged, on the brink of marriage.

Qin Mingchuan had been in a rut for a long time, but ultimately couldn’t resist the desire to win Su Xingyao back.

He had waited for this opportunity for a long time, and finally, after managing to send everyone away, he finally got the chance to be alone with Su Xingyao backstage at the show.

Qin Mingchuan, dressed to the nines, took out the engagement ring he had prepared long ago, holding a bouquet of stunning roses, and nervously rapped on the door of Su Xingyao's dressing room.

His heart was racing, and he finally waited for the door to open.

Fearing that Su Xingyao would turn away like before, Qin Mingchuan blurted out urgently as soon as the door cracked open.

"Xiao Yao, can you give me another chance?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Qin Mingchuan met a playful gaze.

Qin Mingchuan was clearly taken aback that the person he had just confessed his feelings to was not the Su Xingyao he had been longing for.

It was that bastard, Lu Jiuxu!

The tension between the two rivals froze instantly the moment their eyes met.

Qin Mingchuan's expression nearly cracked, and he clenched his teeth.

"Why is it you!"

Lu Jiuxu glanced at the man who had once boasted about being Su Xingyao's fiancé in front of him.

Leaning against the door, he blocked the other man's view with his body, then drawled.

"Knocking on my wife's door in the dead of night."

He raised an eyebrow and glanced at the engagement ring in Qin Mingchuan's hand.

"Sir, are you trying to poach my wife right under my nose?"

These words nearly made Qin Mingchuan see red. His bloodshot eyes bore into the other man as he demanded, "Your wife???"

As the tension between the two men hit a boiling point—

The photographer and host, who had just finished interviewing the artist next door and were heading to Su Xingyao for a post-interview, accidentally stumbled upon this dramatic scene and were completely stunned.

Meanwhile, the live audience, watching this intense showdown through the live broadcast, was thoroughly entertained.

!!!!!

Holy crap, this is insane!!!

What a top-tier dramatic scene!!!

After this unexpected broadcast, that night, Weibo, as expected, crashed once again.

"Ahhhhhhhhh wife, wife, Lu Jiuxu said Su Xingyao is his wife!!!!"

"I'm currently squirming on my bed like a worm."

"Who would have thought that I was just watching a live stream and ended up coming across such a juicy scandal?"

Accidentally coming across such a juicy scandal, the netizens were so hyped they couldn’t sleep. Everyone stayed up all night repeatedly watching that live stream, scouring for any clues related to this gossip.

The netizens, armed with magnifying glasses, even came up with a whole new genre overnight called "The Art of Stealing Partners."

"'Knocking on my wife's door late at night,' 'Sir, are you trying to steal my wife right in front of me?' Think about it, really think about it."

"'Xiao Yao, can you give me another chance?' Also worth thinking about. So, did Qin Mingchuan and Su Xingyao have a past?"

"Wow, seeing two CEOs go head-to-head over their wife is just too satisfying."

"But no matter how much Mr. Qin tries to steal her, she’s still Mr. Lu’s wife."

"LOL, no wonder Jingsheng Group’s official Weibo was so shady toward Yingxing Entertainment back then. Turns out the old grudge is here."

"Back then, the official Weibo of Jingsheng even liked a post saying 'Late affection is worth less than dirt.' That was definitely a dig at Qin Mingchuan, hahaha."

"Back then, some people ignored Su Xingyao, and now they come begging late at night. Who’s the clown here? I’ll let you guess."

"If they knew this would happen, what were they thinking back then? (shrug)"

"I heard someone dug up that Su Xingyao and Qin Mingchuan used to be engaged, and they were very close in high school. But later, Qin got involved with Shen Bailian and bullied Su Xingyao. Now that he's been kicked out, it’s karma at its finest."

"Honestly, a jerk shouldn’t try to play the romantic."

"Can someone roast Qin Mingchuan for his confusing moves?"

"He’s just a joke."

"So, in terms of character and integrity, Mr. Lu totally outclasses Qin Mingchuan."

"As someone who has been secretly shipping Lu Jiuxu and Su Xingyao since the finals of 'The Voice of Heaven,' I say Mr. Lu did a great job. I fully back Mr. Lu as the rightful husband and won’t let anyone steal him away."

"Mr. Lu as the rightful husband, hands down."

Although the netizens were having fun with the gossip, it was clear that Qin Mingchuan, the trashy ex-fiancé in everyone’s eyes, naturally didn’t attract as much attention as the relationship between Lu Jiuxu and Su Xingyao.

After mocking Qin Mingchuan, the clown, everyone started gushing over Su Xingyao and Lu Jiuxu as a couple.

Overnight, #Wife, #SuXingyaoLuJiuxuRelationship were all trending on Weibo.

After learning about their relationship, all those little moments from the past now felt like proof of their love.

"Who understands? I’ve watched that night’s video so much it’s practically burned into my brain. Now, all I can think about is 'Knocking on my wife's door late at night.'"

"Lu Jiuxu calling him 'wife' is so provocative."

"Ahhh, the bossy CEO protecting his wife, that's all."

"So why was Lu Jiuxu in Su Xingyao's dressing room late at night?"

"Of course, to pick up his wife and go home to sleep together~"

"Tsk."

"I'm currently watching the scene where Su Xingyao lost his mask, 'Lu Jiuxu, give me back my headpiece.' Oh my, was Lu Jiuxu deliberately taking the headpiece to tease his wife? The couple's playful banter is just too sweet."

"At first, I wondered why such a big corporation like Jingsheng would be so concerned about Su Xingyao, even going to great lengths to clear his name and seek accountability. Turns out, Mr. Lu was defending his wife."

"Speaking of which, I suddenly remembered that several of my friends working at Jingsheng Group's branches said everyone in the company received an album of Su Xingyao. We all suspected that some high-ranking official was using public funds to chase stars, but the truth is the bossy CEO showing off his wife."

"Ahhh, stop it, stop it, I'm completely overwhelmed tonight."

"Real couples are just so fun to ship."

"So, Mr. Lu, you've already called Su Xingyao 'wife' in front of so many people on the live stream, when is the official announcement coming?"

"Waiting for the official announcement +1."

Romance gossip is what everyone loves the most.

Netizens, like online matchmakers, were thrilled and eagerly awaited the official announcement from Su Xingyao and Lu Jiuxu.

However, after waiting and waiting, neither side made any statement.

After a few days of calm, just when everyone thought the two were going to handle it quietly—

Su Xingyao's Weibo updated.

LostTide: Sunset, coral, first love, and you.

Below the text, he posted a photo.

The picture showed only a half-body shot.

Under the sunset, a person in white casual clothes held a kitten in his arms.

Opposite, a man in black casual clothes held a puppy.

They held the right paws of the cat and dog, gently touching the smaller paw with the slightly larger one.

Seeing this sudden announcement, netizens instantly turned into screaming fans.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh."

"It's an official announcement, right?!"

"Cats and dogs are so sweet and cute."

"Did you see clearly? First love!! Lu Jiuxu is Su Xingyao's first love!!"

"Laughing to death, so all that drama from the scumbag Qin was just his own wishful thinking…"

"Ahhhhh, on this joyous day, let's not bring up the scumbag to spoil the mood, everyone come and give their best wishes to the couple."

"Haha, I must have done something good in my past life to witness such a sweet love story in this lifetime."

"Although I lost my online crushes, seeing them finally together makes me so excited that I’m tearing up."

"Wishing my wife all the best, may you always be this happy."

"Congrats on the official announcement! My love and Mr. Lu, please take good care of each other."

"Aww, Su Su and Lu Jiuxu are so happy together, their photos are so sweet that they make me cry, wishing them a lifetime of happiness."

"I’ve got the wedding gift money ready, it’s time for Su Su to show off the marriage certificate (cool)."

"Same here, show the marriage certificate!"

Su Xingyao looked at the netizens urging for the marriage certificate, couldn’t help but laugh and feel a bit overwhelmed.

However, he didn't have the certificate, but Lu Jiuxu handed something to him.

It was a newly updated family register.

Su Xingyao gently opened it.

He saw that the previously empty page of the family register now had an additional page.

Lu Jiuxu had merged his household registration to be with his.

They were now a family.

*

Half a year later, after countless requests from fans, Su Xingyao held his first concert.

On the day the tickets went on sale, the ticketing system went down.

Fans who managed to get tickets showed up early at the venue to support Su Xingyao.

Now on stage, Su Xingyao was already a shining star.

He stood on stage, and every song he sang had the whole audience singing along.

The struggles and past seemed to have left no trace on him.

And the four people who had once hurt him now sat quietly in the corner, watching the renewed Su Xingyao, tears in their eyes.

It turns out that real goodbyes don’t always come with tears or vows to never see each other again; it's just in a very ordinary moment that Su Xingyao was just a memory to them, becoming the past.

Too many people were at the venue, and Su Xingyao didn't know that there were old acquaintances among the fans.

After singing his hit song "Sister" on stage, he stood quietly in the center of the stage, gazing out at the huge crowd, and said seriously.

"This is the last song for today."

Hearing that it was the last song, the fans didn’t want it to end.

They didn't know when Su Xingyao would hold his next concert.

Although they were very reluctant, the fans were still looking forward to the last song.

Many couldn't help but start guessing which song he would sing for the last one.

After all, all the new songs from the album and the songs he performed during the competition had already been performed by Su Xingyao earlier.

Under the spotlight, Su Xingyao directly provided the answer to everyone.

"This song wasn’t included in any album."

"But for me, it is a very important song."

As Su Xingyao spoke, his gaze subtly drifted to a specific spot on the stage.

"Once, someone told me when I was at my most lost that you will definitely become the most radiant star in the future."

"Now, on this stage, I want to keep that promise and sing this song for him."

Hearing this, the crowd erupted in screams. Fans who had already understood the meaning began chanting "Lu Jiuxu" in unison.

With the name "Lu Jiuxu" echoing in his ears, Su Xingyao lowered his head and offered a soft smile.

"Yes, this song is called 'Xing Xu' (Star's Narrative)."

The on-site director, as Su Xingyao affectionately announced the song title, swiftly cut to a specific shot.

In the crowd, a man dressed in black, holding a light sign just like the fans, was gazing intently at the radiant star.

As the live accompaniment began, as Su Xingyao sang softly, their eyes met.

Amidst the sea of people, their eyes held only each other.

In the midst of a packed audience, they conveyed their deepest affection.