Chapter 94: She Didn't Regret It
Wang Yuling was Hou Ming's manager, so her presence here wasn’t the least bit surprising.
"Hello," Teng Yi responded politely to her greeting.
"Teng Yi, I’ve been waiting for your call," Wang Yuling said with a smile. "I didn’t expect you to really ignore me. It’s quite heartbreaking."
Wang Yuling had an angelic face and the captivating charm unique to mature women. When she uttered the words "quite heartbreaking," she bit her lip slightly, her eyes shimmering with emotion. Even Ruan Yu, a girl herself, felt drawn to her.
Yet Teng Yi remained indifferent, as if completely unaffected by her act.
"I said I’m not interested."
"Really not interested at all?" Wang Yuling pointed to Hou Ming on stage, surrounded by applause and flowers. "Look at him—worshipped and admired by thousands, achieving fame, wealth, and status at such a young age. Don’t you feel even a little envious?"
"I just want to do what I love," Teng Yi replied firmly.
"I can let you do what you love. Take another look at Hou Ming—you must have heard the song he just performed on stage. It was his own creation, his own preferred style. Did I force him to sing anything he didn’t like? No! If you’re willing to join Duoguo, I promise you’ll have complete creative freedom. I won’t stifle your dreams. In fact, I can make you even bigger than Hou Ming."
"My singing isn’t as good as Hou Ming’s."
Ruan Yu had heard Teng Yi sing before. In truth, he wasn’t necessarily worse than Hou Ming.
She knew this was Teng Yi’s way of being modest—and also his way of deflecting.
"You don’t need to sing that well," Wang Yuling countered smoothly. "How many idols in the industry today actually have outstanding vocal skills? As long as you dance well, that’s enough. Fans have their own filters—they’ll amplify your strengths and turn a blind eye to your flaws."
Teng Yi shook his head. "I’m really sorry, but I just don’t have any interest right now."
"That’s fine. I can wait. You’re still a student—I understand focusing on your studies comes first." Wang Yuling then gave Ruan Yu a meaningful glance. "And young love, having a little fun… I get that too."
"I’m not playing around. I’m serious." Teng Yi tightened his grip on Ruan Yu’s hand, his patience with Wang Yuling’s dismissive remark completely gone. "Sorry, we have to go."
With that, he led Ruan Yu away.
"Teng Yi!" Wang Yuling called after him. "This is an opportunity countless people would kill for. You’ll regret turning it down!"
Teng Yi didn’t look back.
Walking beside him, Ruan Yu caught a glimpse of Wang Yuling’s stunned expression from the corner of her eye.
Yes, it really was unbelievable.Wang Yuling had never encountered someone like Teng Yi in all her years navigating the entertainment industry. Most young men his age, especially those with good looks, tended to be narcissistic. If approached by a talent scout on the street—regardless of whether the scout was genuine or a scammer, and regardless of whether they had ever dreamed of entering showbiz—a part of them would inevitably be **stirred. After receiving a business card, most would hesitate at first, but once they learned about Duoguo’s star-making capabilities, they’d eagerly reach out. By the time they arrived at the company, they wouldn’t even bother reading the contract carefully before signing what was essentially a "slavery agreement." It was rare to find someone like Teng Yi, who not only had talent but also kept a level head.
Teng Yi was an uncut gem.
The only problem was, uncut gems were notoriously hard to handle.
--?--
Ruan Yu followed Teng Yi out of the stadium, leaving the noise behind them bit by bit.
"Are you really sure you don’t regret it?" Ruan Yu looked up at Teng Yi. "I heard Duoguo is really powerful, and Wang Yuling is one of the top agents in the industry."
"No regrets."
"Why not?"
"Nothing good comes for free. What you gain is always proportional to what you give up."
Teng Yi knew that painting rosy pictures was an agent’s usual tactic. Wang Yuling’s words might sound appealing, but once he signed with an agency, there would be no such thing as absolute freedom. Talent agencies signed artists to make money, not to do charity. Besides, he wasn’t particularly interested in the entertainment industry. He’d much rather be a dancer than a celebrity.
At least as a dancer, both his body and soul were free. Many celebrities, on the other hand, might appear glamorous on the surface, but in reality, they had long lost themselves.
"You really are one of a kind."
Just as Ruan Yu finished speaking, a group of people emerged from the stadium. At the center was Lin Hong, the host of the concert.
"Look, it’s Lin Hong!" Teng Yi quickly grabbed Ruan Yu’s wrist. "Come on, let’s get her autograph!"
Before she could respond, he was already pulling her into a run.
"Do you think we can get it?" Ruan Yu asked, excitement tinged with doubt.
"Let’s try!"
Lin Hong and her entourage were heading toward the parking lot, moving swiftly. In the blink of an eye, they had disappeared from view.
Teng Yi ran fast, and Ruan Yu kept up well. The two sprinted toward the parking lot as if competing in a hundred-meter dash, but even so, they missed their best chance.
Lin Hong had already boarded her van.
The black Volkswagen Sharan was slowly making its way toward the parking lot exit.
"It’s too late," Ruan Yu said, disappointed.
"Not necessarily."
Teng Yi had been here before. He knew there was a toll booth at the exit where the driver would have to stop for at least thirty seconds to pay.
"Let’s try again!"
Ruan Yu wanted to, but her shoelace came undone at the worst possible moment.
Seeing this, Teng Yi let go of her hand.
"Wait here. I’ll go after her!"
With that, he dashed off.
The black Volkswagen had already rounded the corner. Teng Yi would have to run even faster than before to catch up.
A fifty-fifty chance, maybe.
Breathless, Ruan Yu watched Teng Yi’s retreating figure. His long legs carried him effortlessly, his speed rivaling that of a sprint champion. His black backpack swung wildly as he ran, and he seemed to be pulling something out of it—as if he had come prepared.
Soon, Teng Yi disappeared around the corner too.
Both sides were now out of sight.Ruan Yu crouched down to tie her shoelaces, then continued running forward...
Just as she rounded the corner, she saw Teng Yi returning empty-handed.
"Couldn't catch up?"
Teng Yi walked expressionlessly toward her, seemingly confirming it by default.
"It's okay, don't worry if you couldn't catch them." Though disappointed, Ruan Yu tried hard to suppress it.
She had already attended the concert and seen Lin Hong—she couldn't be too greedy.
"Ta-da!" Teng Yi suddenly pulled out a signed photo from his bag and handed it to Ruan Yu.
"You got it!" Ruan Yu gasped in delight.
On the photo, Lin Hong's signature was clearly visible—her handwriting as dignified and graceful as she was.
"Look at the back," Teng Yi said.
Ruan Yu flipped it over.
On the reverse side, Lin Hong had written another line.
"Ruan Yu, may your dreams come true."
Tears suddenly welled up in Ruan Yu's eyes.
So this was what it felt like to be encouraged by an idol—so deeply moving.
--?--
Seeing her on the verge of crying, Teng Yi reached out and ruffled her hair.
"Don't be like that. I didn't bring you here to make you cry—I wanted you to be happy."
"I am happy!" Ruan Yu held Lin Hong's photo carefully in both hands, as if cradling something precious. "I didn't think you'd actually catch up, and I never imagined Lin Hong would really sign it."
Many celebrities despised fans chasing their cars and usually ignored them.
In reality, when Teng Yi caught up to Lin Hong's car at the security booth and knocked on the window, the people inside had no intention of responding. Fortunately, Lin Hong's assistant by the window was a woman. When she got a clear look at Teng Yi's face, she couldn't resist his striking looks and instinctively rolled down the window.
People always showed extra leniency toward attractive members of the opposite sex.
Seizing the opportunity, Teng Yi immediately explained his purpose to Lin Hong and handed over the prepared photo and marker.
Touched by the young man's devotion to his girlfriend, Lin Hong signed as requested and even added a heartfelt message on the back.
Everything went smoothly.
"From now on, keep this photo tucked in your books," Teng Yi said, holding Ruan Yu close and resting his chin on her head. "Little Fish, I hope your wishes come true too."
Ruan Yu nodded vigorously.
"I'll work hard for sure."
By the time they left Blue Sky Stadium, it was already very late. They decided to stay overnight in City J and return to Liaocheng the next morning.
Teng Yi drove around the stadium area, but because Hou Ming's concert coincided with Valentine's Day, nearly every nearby hotel was fully booked. Finally, they found one with two twin rooms left.
"Two rooms, please," Teng Yi said.
"Two?" The front desk clerk glanced at Ruan Yu behind him.
"Yes."
Just then, another young couple walked in.
"Any rooms left?" the guy asked.
"Sorry, sir. The last two rooms were just taken by this gentleman," the clerk said, pointing at Teng Yi.
The couple looked disappointed—clearly, they had been searching for a while too.
Teng Yi showed no reaction, but Ruan Yu suddenly tugged at the back of his shirt.
"Let's just book one room," she whispered in his ear.
Teng Yi froze for a second before turning to look at her, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Are you sure?"Ruan Yu blushed and shyly nudged Teng Yi's lower back. Teng Yi immediately grabbed her hand and, before she could change her mind, said to the front desk staff, "One room. We only need one."
Another young couple nearby immediately looked delighted upon hearing this. The young man offered Teng Yi a cigarette in gratitude, but Teng Yi waved his hand in refusal.
The room was on the third floor. After completing the check-in, Teng Yi held Ruan Yu's hand as they headed to the elevator.
Ruan Yu was nervous, her steps stiff.
This wasn’t the first time they’d slept in the same room, but she knew today would be different from last time.
As they stepped out of the elevator, Ruan Yu grew even more tense.
Teng Yi finally noticed.
"What’s wrong?"
"Nothing."
He loosened his grip on her hand, as if giving her one last choice. "Little Fish, if you want a separate room, we can switch hotels."
"No, I don’t."
"Really?"
"Really."
Teng Yi smiled, swiped the key card, and entered the room.
The room was decent—not luxurious, but bright and clean.
Once inside, Ruan Yu wandered around awkwardly, trying to ease the tension. She checked the air conditioner and TV remote, glanced at the prices on the instant noodles and bottled water… and then, in the storage basket, she found *****.
"What are you looking at?" Teng Yi happened to walk over.
Startled, Ruan Yu dropped the box and quickly turned her back to hide it.
"Nothing. Who’s showering first?"
"You go ahead," Teng Yi said.
"Okay."
Mechanically, Ruan Yu grabbed her backpack and took out her change of clothes. Since they had planned to stay overnight in City J, both had brought fresh clothes.
In the bathroom, her hands trembled as she undressed. Standing in front of the mirror, she examined herself—slender arms, a small waist, long legs, fair and smooth skin without scars or flaws. The only thing lacking was her chest… Though her figure wasn’t stunning, she hoped it wouldn’t disappoint him.
Self-doubt, then self-reassurance.
Self-reassurance, then self-doubt.
The shower passed in this anxious back-and-forth, careful yet thorough.
She put on the hotel bathrobe and stepped out.
Teng Yi was sitting on the bed, watching TV. Ruan Yu glanced at the screen, then at him.
"Can you understand Japanese?" she asked.
"What?"
"I asked if you can understand Japanese," she repeated.
"No."
"Then why are you watching so intently?"
The TV was playing a Japanese drama, inexplicably without subtitles.
Teng Yi snapped out of it and quickly changed the channel.
Ruan Yu laughed. So he was nervous too.
Teng Yi went to shower. He finished quickly and emerged wearing the same white hotel bathrobe.
Seeing him, Ruan Yu instinctively turned off the TV, clasped her hands, and sat stiffly on the edge of the bed, lowering her head. Teng Yi walked over and sat beside her. The mattress dipped under his weight—even before anything happened, she could feel his presence.
Shoulder to shoulder, they sat in awkward silence.
The room was quiet except for the hum of the air conditioner.
After a while, Teng Yi reached over and gently took her hand.
"Little Fish, are you sure?" His voice was low and rough, as if holding back—or maybe just nervous.
Ruan Yu nodded.She had never been an impulsive person. From the moment her roommates first mentioned **** in front of her, she had already decided—if it was Teng Yi, she was willing.
Teng Yi was somewhat moved.
He leaned over, pressing Ruan Yu's shoulders gently as he eased her stiff body down onto the bed. Following her, he covered her, capturing her lips in a deep kiss, exploring the sweetness of her mouth.
The fiery kiss gradually melted Ruan Yu’s tension, and she finally relaxed.
Teng Yi slowly peeled away the bathrobes from both of them.
Such bare intimacy made them both uneasy.
Teng Yi pulled the blanket over their bodies.
"Little Fish, I don’t have any experience. If it hurts, tell me."
"Mhm."
The first tearing pain ended amidst the girl’s cries and the boy’s helplessness.
Afterward, they clumsily held each other, fumbled with the square box from the storage basket, and awkwardly explored the unknown yet exhilarating world…
Their young bodies were full of energy.
In Teng Yi’s arms, Ruan Yu felt pain—but more than that, she felt his tenderness and care.
She didn’t regret it.
Not even in the most painful moment.
Every day with him felt like living in a beautiful dream. This pain made her feel real, made her feel happiness.
"Teng Yi, I love you."
"I love you too."
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