"Ling, are you free today?"
"Not much to do. When I passed by the gymnasium earlier, I thought about you rehearsing here, so I ca to check on you. How about it, do you have ti? Maybe we can grab dinner together tonight?"
"Sure!" Tang Shiyun nodded happily, "But there’s still a lot of ti until dinner. You... you’re not planning to leave, right?"
Ling Chen smiled slightly, "Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere today. I’ll stay by your side and keep you company. How about that?"
Hearing this, Tang Shiyun linked arms with Ling Chen, beaming with joy, "I knew you were the best, Ling." She then rolled her eyes and whispered, "Ling, why don’t we go shopping this afternoon? I haven’t been out for ages."
"No problem." Ling Chen nodded and said, "You’re the boss today. Whatever you say goes, I’m all ears."
"Yay!" Tang Shiyun excitedly made a peace sign, then turned to Xu Hong and said, "Hong, I’m skipping rehearsal this afternoon. Can you organize things for ?"
"Sure," Xu Hong replied, "Shiyun, if you’re heading out, it’s best to be prepared first to avoid any chaos later on."
"Got it!"
With crowds of fans gathered outside the gym, to avoid attracting attention, Tang Shiyun, Xu Hong, and Ling Chen took a special passage to the underground parking lot and directly left the gym by car.
Returning to Tang Shiyun’s residence, Ling Chen was a bit taken aback. She used to live in a rented small apartnt, old and cramped, sharing it with her parents. Now, her place was in the most luxurious area of East Sea City, a villa with a swimming pool, a backyard, and a mini-golf course.
Not to ntion, the villa alone was worth at least hundreds of millions. It’s impressive how much wealth Tang Shiyun had accumulated in such a short ti since her debut.
Sitting in the living room for a while, the housekeeper brought in tea and freshly cut fruit with great courtesy. Xu Hong explained that all the help at Tang Shiyun’s place were ticulously selected by the company and were very dependable.
After half an hour, Tang Shiyun, freshly showered, ca downstairs in clean clothes. Ling Chen fixed his gaze on her, montarily stunned.
Tang Shiyun was dressed in a purple floral half-skirt over dark jeans and wore a casual jacket. Her hair was tied in a ponytail that bounced with each step, exuding youthful energy.
In the past, living in the Old City and still attending school, Tang Shiyun appeared full of innocence, much like an unripe apple. But now, after experiencing a lot, she had shed her naïveté. She was now like a ripe peach, exuding fragrance that left a sweet impression in people’s hearts.
Seeing Ling Chen in a daze, Tang Shiyun blushed, but there was a hint of joy in her bright eyes. A woman dressed up for the one she loves, and seeing Ling Chen’s attention, Tang Shiyun felt her effort was rewarded.
Standing before Ling Chen, Tang Shiyun spread her arms and twirled around, shyly asking, "Ling, how do I look?"
Ling Chen gave a thumbs up, praising, "You look great. You’re naturally beautiful, so anything you wear looks good. Are you all ready?"
"Almost." Tang Shiyun held Ling Chen’s arm and asked, "Where are we headed, Ling?"
"You’re in charge today. Wherever you want to go, I’ll accompany you."
"Then..." Tang Shiyun batted her sparkling eyes, smiling, "How about going shopping? I haven’t been to the mall for a long ti. Let’s shop first, then have dinner outside, and then watch a movie. What do you think, Ling?"
"Alright, I’ll follow your plan." Ling Chen glanced at the ti and said, "Let’s not delay too long."
As they spoke, Xu Hong walked in from outside.
"Shiyun."
"Hong, Ling and I are heading out. We’ll be back in the evening."
Xu Hong glanced at Ling Chen, then walked over to Tang Shiyun and whispered sothing in her ear. Whatever it was, Tang Shiyun’s smile faded quickly, her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and a hint of annoyance flashed in her eyes.
Noticing the change in Tang Shiyun’s expression, Ling Chen asked, "Shiyun, what’s wrong? Is sothing the matter? If you’re busy, we can reschedule."
"I’m fine, just that..." Tang Shiyun hesitated, looking as if she wanted to say sothing but couldn’t.
"What is it?" Ling Chen pressed.
Tang Shiyun softly replied, "My mom is here."
Hearing this, Ling Chen imdiately understood Tang Shiyun’s concern. Her mother, Yao Li, always held prejudices against him and didn’t like him. If Yao Li found her with Ling Chen, she would likely get angry at Tang Shiyun again. Thinking of this, Ling Chen pointed upstairs and said, "Maybe I should avoid her. You go see your mom first."
"Ling, you don’t have to hide. My mom... she’s not here to see ."
"Then why is she here?"
Tang Shiyun opened her mouth, her eyes flickering, unsure if she should speak. Seeing her hesitance, Xu Hong spoke up, "Mr. Ling, Miss Yao is here to ask Shiyun for money."
"For money?" Ling Chen was slightly stunned, then laughed, "You’re her daughter. Giving money to your mom is a natural thing. What’s there to hesitate about?"
"Mr. Ling, it’s not like that," Xu Hong interjected, "Miss Yao cos every two or three days to ask for money, and each ti it’s a large amount, ranging from tens of thousands to over a million. In a month, she’s taken at least six to seven million from Shiyun."
"That much?" Ling Chen was shocked and asked, "What does she need that much money for?"
Though Tang Shiyun wasn’t short of money, spending like this wasn’t sustainable. Spending millions in a month was beyond even the wealthiest of wives compared to Yao Li.
"And that’s just Miss Yao’s personal requests. Including other expenses, it’s almost tens of millions. Shiyun earns only a few million a month. At this rate, her wealth will be drained in no ti," Xu Hong said indignantly, "Mr. Ling, Shiyun is too kind-hearted. Every ti Miss Yao praises her, she softens. Please help her."
Ling Chen nodded, then asked the silent Tang Shiyun, "Shiyun, tell what’s going on? Why does your mom ask for so much money?"
"She... she has a lot of debt outside. If I don’t give her money, she might be in danger."
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