Quiet Moments

"I thought you didn't know, Yuzu," Tang Xin said with a soft laugh. "You must have been busy with the company lately, right?"

Xu Xiaoyou said nothing, taking a small cake from under the table and placing it in front of her.

It was only then that Tang Xin noticed the piglet alarm clock on the table, her beautiful eyes reflecting a hint of surprise.

"Oh, that's..."

"It's the piglet alarm clock you lost before. I found it and asked someone to fix it. Look, it's as good as new."

Xu Xiaoyou held up the piglet alarm clock and waved it in front of the girl's eyes. Tang Xin took the clock and sat across from her.

A youthful shyness returned to her quiet face, and after a long moment, she whispered, "Thank you, I'm very happy."

"I thought I'd never find it again."

Since that preliminary audition, the young girl's temperament had undergone a world-shaking transformation. The beauty and outstanding presence that had previously been hidden by a lack of self-confidence were now fully on display. More and more people were noticing this girl who radiated moving brilliance, and the Starry Daughter remained a hot topic even now.

Many investors had approached Xu Xiaoyou, willing to pay large sums to hire Tang Xin as a spokesperson for various luxury brands or to star in high-rating variety shows and dramas, but she had refused them all.

She didn't intend to let Tang Xin come into contact with such things prematurely; she planned to keep the girl under wraps until her light was blinding enough.

Even so, she had attended many banquets recently because of Tang Xin, rubbing shoulders with many people from the upper class of the Star of Art.

Although Dream-Chaser Media still only had Tang Xin as its sole artist, it was no longer a shell company. At the very least, they now had an independent office in the Heart Building in the Queen's District. They no longer had to squeeze into that tiny security booth; she had rented a detached villa on Mount Olympus. Whenever she drove her convertible along the mountain roads of Mount Olympus at night, she would occasionally miss the old security booth—at least coming and going hadn't been so troublesome back then.

Snow was still hitting the windowpanes, making light, clicking sounds. Occasionally, the sound of traffic from the streets below could be heard.

Outside the window was the city's bustling night, with golden light streaking across the massive glass curtain walls, but none of it disturbed the peace in the office. A fountain pen lay quietly on a sheet of white paper, and the piglet alarm clock went tick-tock. In this small room, time seemed to slow down in the quiet atmosphere.

The lights dimmed, and the candle on the small cake was lit. The warm candlelight outlined the silhouettes of the two girls. The blue-haired girl closed her eyes, pressing her hands together in front of her. When she opened them again, the firelight danced in her eyes.

For Tang Xin, birthdays had always been spent alone, whether in the orphanage or after she left. Buying a small cake in a tiny room in the city and singing a birthday song to herself was her usual routine; celebrating with someone else was a first.

"What did you wish for?" Xu Xiaoyou asked.

"Yuzu, a wish won't come true if you say it out loud," Tang Xin replied.

Xu Xiaoyou laughed and didn't push further.

After the candle was blown out, she felt the fragrance of white irises approaching in the darkness. A gentle warmth enveloped her as Tang Xin hugged her softly, resting her face on her shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Xu Xiaoyou asked.

"It all just feels so surreal. Everything has changed so much in just one month. You know, Yuzu, at the concert this afternoon, everyone was shouting my name. The glow sticks and support signs with my name on them were like waves, rising and falling."

"Thank you, Yuzu."

"I'm really so happy."

"You're a big star now. Once you truly embark on your path as an artist, the cheering will only get louder," Xu Xiaoyou said.

"Once you're really famous, maybe some powerful media companies will try to poach you, the kind that wouldn't hesitate to pay a sky-high termination fee. Don't you dare leave me behind and run off," Xu Xiaoyou added half-jokingly. "We've gone through hardships together."

The lights came back on, and she saw the youthful flush on Tang Xin's cheeks and the slight annoyance in her eyes: "Stop talking nonsense."

"Just a joke." Xu Xiaoyou shrugged helplessly.

Then, Xu Xiaoyou said, "In a few days, I plan to recruit a few more artists and a director to expand the influence of Dream-Chaser Media."

Tang Xin's expression stiffened. "Is... is that so?"

"Ahaha, it's unavoidable. After all, if we want to make Dream-Chaser Media bigger and stronger..."

Tang Xin's voice trailed off. Xu Xiaoyou felt a slight coolness on her face. She saw the girl dip her fingertip in cream and smear it on her cheek, then look at her with an exceptionally serious gaze:

"We're good friends, right?"

"Good friends, friends for a lifetime," Xu Xiaoyou nodded repeatedly.

Only then did Tang Xin give a light hmph. Feeling a similar coolness on her own cheek, she reached up and wiped it. Seeing the thick, delicate white cream on her hand, she bared her tiger teeth and began her counterattack.

The sounds of the two girls playing echoed through the office, only subsiding after a while.

"Alright, alright, stop playing. Don't waste food, let's eat the cake."

Xu Xiaoyou hid behind the office desk, circling around with Tang Xin, speaking in a yielding tone. Only when they were alone together did the other girl show her lively and innocent side.

After finishing the rest of the small cake together, it was eleven o'clock at night.

The two girls sat together on the long sofa in the office. The blue-haired girl was draped in a gray blanket, her toes dabbling in a basin of water. Steam rose as her feet moved gently, causing light droplets to splash and fall. Her pale blue hair fell over her shoulders, and her eyes looked exceptionally peaceful in the warm light of the desk lamp, yet tinged with a hint of melancholy.

Xu Xiaoyou noticed the scars on her feet, thinking they were likely left from years of dance practice.

"I've arranged a concert for you the day after tomorrow at the Chessboard Stage in the King's District. I might not have much time because of a ball, so contact Amy if you need anything," Xu Xiaoyou said.

"Mm-hmm," Tang Xin nodded in response.

"The next round of the promotion competition is in a few days. I've signed you up for the vocal arts, string music, and dance arts tracks. Only one contestant from each track can advance. You aren't nervous, are you?"

"A little bit," Tang Xin said, tilting her head.

"Then, good luck?"

Tang Xin smiled slightly and pumped her fist. "Good luck."

After seeing the girl off, Xu Xiaoyou was left alone in the office once more. At that moment, her curtain received an email. Upon seeing the sender, a flicker of thought crossed her eyes: it was Lin Xing.

Since returning from the snowfields half a month ago, Lin Xing had been silent, as if he had vanished from the face of the earth. Why was he contacting her now?

She opened the email; it contained only a brief sentence.

[Contact me in two weeks. It's about the company.]

She keenly noted the time the email was received—it was exactly eleven-thirty. This email was likely a scheduled send by Lin Xing. It seemed the sender had made some kind of decision before sending it, knowing they were about to be swept into a whirlpool.

"About the company..." After a moment of contemplation, Xu Xiaoyou moved the email to her inbox, picked up her wool trench coat from the long chair, draped it over herself, and walked out of the office.

Deep in the night, in a dark, cramped room somewhere in the city.

A girl with bloodshot eyes huddled in her bedding. Having finished editing a video, the corners of her mouth curled into a strange arc. She extended a fingertip dripping with slime and selected send.

A few hours later, a title surged to the top of the hot searches.

--[The Starry Daughter and Her Unknown Past.]