Chapter 118: A Major Incident
Ruan Yu had come to Haicheng this time to host the Haicheng International Floral Art Festival by invitation. The organizer of this floral art festival was Jiayue Floral Group, whose CEO had long been on good terms with Huang Ge, the deputy director of TG Broadcasting. Therefore, every year, Jiayue provided sponsorship for all major events at the station in the form of floral decorations. Naturally, TG was eager to lend its full support when Jiayue hosted this event. Accompanying Ruan Yu were Deputy Director Huang Ge and Shan Anxin.
Huang Ge was an invited guest, while Shan Anxin had tagged along under the pretense of "broadening her horizons," purely to join in the excitement.
The business trip had been scheduled well in advance, but Ruan Yu deliberately hadn’t told Teng Yi about it. She shared everything with him daily—except this. She thought that if she suddenly disappeared from his sight one day after constantly being around him, he might grow anxious and miss her. If this tactic of playing hard to get could melt even a corner of his icy demeanor, it would be worth it.
On the day of the festival, while Ruan Yu was getting her makeup done in the dressing room, she received a message from Rui Shu.
Rui Shu said that in the days since Ruan Yu had been away, Teng Yi had been wearing a sour expression, glaring at everyone as if they were beneath him. However, his smoking and drinking had become less frequent than before. That morning, she had even seen him working out in the gym with a lollipop in his mouth.
Working out with a lollipop?
Ruan Yu stared at the message, picturing the scene, and couldn’t help but laugh.
"Miss Ruan seems to be in a great mood," Shan Anxin’s voice suddenly sounded from behind her.
Ruan Yu looked up and saw Shan Anxin’s reflection in the mirror.
"Of course, when everything goes smoothly, anyone would be in a good mood," Shan Anxin added.
"What counts as 'everything going smoothly'?"
Shan Anxin curled her red lips. "Miss Ruan is now the undisputed top host at TG. You’re always the first choice for every major opportunity—isn’t that smooth sailing?"
With the makeup artist and Jiayue Group staff nearby, Ruan Yu didn’t want to argue with Shan Anxin and make a scene.
"Let’s talk another time. I need to prepare for the stage."
"Oh, there’s nothing much to say. Just that while the capable bear more burdens, they also make more mistakes. Walk by the river often enough, and your shoes are bound to get wet. Miss Ruan should be careful."
With that, Shan Anxin turned and left the dressing room.
The others in the room exchanged puzzled glances.
"Miss Ruan, do all you hosts speak in such riddles? I couldn’t understand a word of that," someone remarked.
Ruan Yu smiled but didn’t respond. Truthfully, not only did others fail to grasp Shan Anxin’s meaning—even she had no idea what the woman was trying to convey.
The opening ceremony of the festival soon began. Ruan Yu took the stage, partnered with a male host from TG. Though it was their first collaboration, their coordination went smoothly overall.
This Haicheng International Floral Art Festival was the largest "friendship through flowers" event to date, both domestically and internationally. Jiayue Floral Group had invested heavily in creating a floral village and a "Hundred Flowers Boulevard" to showcase Chinese floral artistry. Many singers and celebrities had been invited to perform, and numerous TV stations and online platforms were vying for viewership with live broadcasts.
Among the backup dancers for the new singer Miya, Ruan Yu spotted a familiar face—Zhou Xihe.Back when Zhou Xihe signed with Wang Yuling's Duoguo Entertainment, he thought his path to stardom would be smooth sailing. Yet before he could officially debut, Duoguo was hit by scandal. At the height of his fame, Hou Ming suddenly committed suicide at home, leaving behind a suicide note that condemned Wang Yuling for "profiting from blood and tears." Soon after, Hou Ming's relationship with Wang Yuling was exposed. Online insiders revealed that Hou Ming had been hopelessly in love with Wang Yuling for years, while she exploited him for profit while simultaneously getting involved with newly signed young male talents. The heartbroken Hou Ming had repeatedly requested to terminate his contract or go public with their relationship, only to be rejected each time. Physically and mentally exhausted with no way out, he ultimately chose the path of no return, leaving behind his final lament.
The news instantly made Wang Yuling public enemy number one, besieged by Hou Ming's furious fans. Duoguo's stock plummeted overnight, dragging down its veteran artists while dashing any debut hopes for newcomers.
Zhou Xihe happened to be caught in this awkward moment—his dreams of fame and fortune turned into a nightmare. From then on, he lingered on the fringes of the entertainment industry. He participated in some talent shows and gained some attention, but none of it lasted. Wang Yuling's name became his stain; whenever he gained slight popularity, people would inevitably question whether he was among those young talents rumored to have ambiguous ties with her. Zhou Xihe had no way to defend himself... Eventually, he accepted the hand fate dealt him. He no longer hoped for stardom, settling instead for just enough work to get by—even if it meant standing in the back as a backup dancer like now.
During a backstage break, Zhou Xihe found Ruan Yu.
"Long time no see," Zhou Xihe smiled at her, his expression tinged with guilt he couldn't quite meet head-on.
"It has been a while."
Ruan Yu had little to say to him. She wasn't one to hold grudges, but she'd never truly moved past what happened back then. Zhou Xihe's betrayal of West Journey wasn't the main cause of Teng Hao's accident, yet it had all been like a butterfly effect—had he not left, Teng Hao would never have had to step in as replacement.
"I heard Teng Yi is back in the country. Is he... are they doing well?"
"They're fine."
"That's good, that's good." Zhou Xihe nodded repeatedly.
"If there's nothing else, I should get going."
As Ruan Yu turned to leave, Zhou Xihe hurriedly stopped her.
"Ruan Yu, wait."
"What is it?"
"All these years, I've regretted leaving West Journey. Everything that happened afterward felt like karma. I... I just wanted to ask you to pass a message to Teng Yi. Tell him I'm sorry, truly sorry, and that I hope he and Teng Hao are doing well."
"Alright, I'll pass it along. I hope you're doing well too."
After parting ways with Zhou Xihe, Ruan Yu found herself reminiscing about the past, overwhelmed with emotion.
Life is long. One should never abandon principles for immediate gain. To live with integrity is what matters most—that way, even when facing setbacks, one can endure with head held high rather than weakly attributing everything to karma without the strength to fight back.
Remembering the past naturally brought back its sweetness too.
She suddenly missed Teng Yi terribly, so very much.
The art festival's opening ceremony soon drew to a close. After finishing her hosting duties, Ruan Yu stepped offstage.She was just about to call Teng Yi when her assistant Xiu Xiu rushed into the dressing room in a panic.
"Miss Ruan! Something terrible has happened!"
"What's the matter?" Ruan Yu put away her phone.
"The staff from Jiayue said you misread their flower ordering hotline number on stage just now - you said 'nine' instead of 'six'. The CEO of Jiayue threw a huge tantrum in front of the deputy station director, and now they're demanding to see you!"
Ruan Yu's mind went completely blank.
She'd misread the number?
Oh god, how could she have made such a basic yet serious mistake?
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