Chapter 97

  The moment Shu Mu appeared, Li Jin turned around and walked out of the broadcasting hall.

  The stage was colorful and vibrant, but backstage was bustling with activity. Staff wearing work badges and short vests wished they had wings, each walking quickly and briskly, Lei Jin carefully dodged them as he made his way to the elevator room.

  There was no one in front of the elevator, he stretched out his hand and pressed the button, and at the moment it started moving, he suddenly froze.

  By the window, outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, a vast and dark sky can be seen, and on the glass, a figure of oneself from years ago is faintly visible.

  He suddenly remembered that he was like this back then, and in the midst of thunderous applause, he felt a little tired, so he left the crowded award stage and took the elevator to the top floor to smoke a cigarette alone.

  Then I met Li Yiheng in the elevator.

  "He has now reached the top of the mountain, are you happy?"

  "Happy."

  "As long as you're happy."

  The memories of their conversation were still vivid in her mind. As she gazed at the window, where their reflections were gradually becoming clearer, Li Jin suddenly burst out laughing.

  How foolish I was back then, to be unaware of such ardent affection.

  He gazed at the rising numbers, startled by how much he had been looking forward to it. The elevator opened and there stood that person inside.

  Of course not.

  The elevator was empty, he stepped in and pressed the down button with a sense of loss. The scenic elevator descended all the way, he leaned against the handrail with his arms crossed, looking at the city's lights that shone brighter than the stars. The warmth that filled the air surprisingly healed him, bringing back the smile that had sunk to the corners of his lips, and he smiled like this until he reached the first floor, walked out of the main entrance of Xinhuo Weishi, and then froze.

  In front of the door, a pure black Mercedes-Benz off-road vehicle had been parked for an unknown period of time. The window was lowered and Li Yi Heng sat upright inside, smiling at him.

  "Are you coming up?" he asked.

  Under the lighting of the entire building, his smile was warm and gentle, not as dazzling as on stage, but close at hand, within reach.

  "Uh-huh."

  A hundred emotions converged, and Li Jin smiled again, nodding vigorously as he walked towards Li Yi Heng.

  Considering the final hadn't ended yet, Li Yiheng only drove him around in a circle before returning to the Xinhuo Weishi parking lot. The car stopped steadily, and Li Jincheng unfastened his seatbelt, not hurrying to get out, just sitting there in a daze. Li Yiheng turned his head to look at him, the dim light inside the car making his features blurry, unable to discern even a hint of emotion. But such reactions and actions were already very telling, so Li Yiheng pretended to be nonchalant, joking: "The final has just begun, how can you bear to come out? Aren't you going to watch Rong Fei win the championship with your own eyes?"

  "Lu Fei can't get the championship anymore." Li Jin turned his head, in the dim light, those eyes were extremely bright, "Shu Mu is the fifth judge."

  Li Yi Heng was taken aback: "Shu Mu?"

  "I thought it was you, but I guessed wrong." Li Jin smiled self-deprecatingly. "The fact that they invited Shu Mu proves that the program team has already made up their minds. No matter what the result is, even if it's a dark horse operation, this championship has nothing to do with Luo Fei."

  Among them, Li Yiheng thought for a moment and had already understood, but he just remained silent. Li Jin was unhappy in his heart, he was willing to be his trash can, listening to him pour out all the unhappiness.

  Luo Fei's popularity is high, and the call for him to win the championship has been overwhelming. However, he has been involved in several incidents recently, and winning the championship would be like painting a target on himself, making it difficult for his future development. Therefore, he is not suitable for the position of champion.

  But the program team openly gave the championship to someone else, with an intention that was too obvious. It would have been better to invite Shu Mu as a scapegoat. Shu Mu has had many conflicts with Luo Fei and holds key decision-making power. Having him as the fifth judge would be perfect for diverting attention.

  Li Jin raised his head, his tone seemingly amused yet sarcastic, "But with Shu Mu's cunning, why would he take on such an unprofitable task? It's truly strange."

  "Perhaps he has his own arrangements." Li Yiheng said.

  "Maybe." Li Jin closed his eyes. "Actually, at first, it was I who suggested that Luo Fei shouldn't win the championship."

  Li Yiheng raised an eyebrow and looked at him.

  "It's the same principle, a tall tree in the forest will be blown down by the wind. Only later did I refute this suggestion myself." Li Jin's gradually softening voice was like a dreamy murmur, sounding somewhat distant and vague. "No matter who it is, after half a year of hard work, they'll want a good outcome. This championship for Luo Fei, rather than being an honor, is more like a cherished dream he's been longing for. I can empathize with Luo Fei's efforts all along the way, even if others don't understand. So I really couldn't bring myself to... do such a thing. But man proposes and God disposes, in the end there was someone who thought of it together with me and took action."

  Li Yiheng turned his head, quietly gazing at his slightly gaunt profile. From this angle, his features were clearly reflected in his eyes, from the chin to the eyebrows, all delicate and flawless, yet because of his low mood, he revealed a lot of unprecedented melancholy emotions. A place in his heart was pinched, Li Yiheng leaned forward, grasping his fingers, forcing him to look at himself.

  "Don't take everything on yourself." He smiled, "Qin Yige isn't a fool, this principle, even if you don't say it, he can figure it out. So this result... isn't your responsibility."

  Li Jiming knew this was an excuse to comfort him, but his heart still shook violently.

  He slowly raised his head, and in the instant their eyes met, it seemed as if something suddenly converged in his mind, like a seed sprouting tender shoots after being bathed in spring rain, breaking through the soil.

  "Alright, alright, stop explaining to me." He shrugged his shoulders, feeling a sense of relief and renewed interest in joking around, "Of course I know what Director Qin wants, but after all, I'm the one who started this mess."

  "In that case, there's no need to blame yourself. What's important is thinking about what to do next." Li Yi Heng knew he had calmed down and put his mind at ease, so he comforted him a few more times before leaning in to adjust his shoulders, saying as he drew closer, "These wounds seem to have healed a bit... Ah, you're afraid of people noticing, so you applied such thick concealer that even I can't see where the injuries are... How's your foot? Is it still painful today? When walking..."

  The rest of her words were cut off by a sudden kiss.

  Although it was just a fleeting touch, Li Yiheng was speaking, his lips slightly parted, and Lin Jin easily slipped her tongue in, very naturally licking around once before reluctantly pulling out.

  Mr. Li, who had been calm and composed for thousands of years, was completely petrified by this kiss.

  Li Jin couldn't help but sigh, thinking that this person was really inexperienced. Clearly a seasoned veteran of the battlefield, he had been kissed forcefully and yet still looked like an innocent young boy. Just as Li Jin thought to take advantage of the situation and tease him some more, the man suddenly came back to his senses, gritted his teeth and asked: "Are you flirting with me?"

  Li Yiheng's position was already high and mighty, and Li Jin was shrouded in his gloomy shadow, but he didn't feel suffocated at all. Instead, he smiled even more meaningfully: "So what?"

  As he spoke, he suddenly reached out and pushed Li Yiheng back into his chair, simultaneously flipping the switch.

  In the silence, the wide beige chair slowly descended.

  Li Jin's legs lifted, straddling Li Yi Heng's waist steadily. The limited space in the car forced Li Jin to sink down deeply, and those words with three parts teasing and three parts threat, accompanied by the heat of his lips, fanned and slapped against Li Yi Heng's face.

  "I don't just want to tease you," said Li Jin, forcefully pulling out Li Yiheng's tie and tossing it aside. "I'm going to take care of you!"