Although there were frequent contacts between the Su Group and Iku, as long as the contract was not yet signed, there was still room for maneuver.
Chen Huaixiao was not a person who gave up easily. During that time, the entire Xing Media Group racked their brains to showcase their superior resources to Iku.
Half a month later, Chen Huaixiao invited Mr. Ku Wen to come to Xing Media for a visit and negotiation. That was the only chance left.
During this time, Bai Yin closed the door and did not go out. She locked herself in the dance practice room to practice a classical dance.
She browsed through a large number of ancient books in the library and downloaded many relevant documents from the database, trying to recreate the ancient dance "Long Sleeve Dance" in its most original flavor.
Regarding the matter of Luo Shen Tu, she felt very guilty towards Chen Huaixiao, but she did not regret it.
An arrow once released does not return.
...
Even though Chen Huaixiao was angry at Bai Yin and the two were in a cold war state, he still returned home on time every day.
However, he did not stay overnight in her room anymore, nor did he like to sneak into her quilt in the wee hours as before.
When the two met, their attitudes were also indifferent. There was no hysteria or disgust and hatred. Of course, there was no tenderness and sweetness like before.
On the contrary, they became strangely polite to each other, with some mutual respect.
In the morning when they met —
"Good morning, Mr. Chen."
"Good morning, Mrs. Chen."
"You are too kind, Mr. Chen."
"Mrs. Chen, your false eyelash dropped."
"..."
Bai Yin ate egg tarts with plastic gloves on. Chen Huaixiao came up behind her and gritted his teeth and said, "Eat slowly, Mrs. Chen. Don't choke. If you die with one breath, I'm afraid your vengeful spirit won't be able to ascend to heaven."
After Chen Huaixiao got into the car, Bai Yin hurriedly came out and urged Shen Bin, "Drive slowly. He's worth billions. If he dies in a car accident, his property will be mine, and he won't be able to rest in peace!"
Shen Bin was so frightened that he made a sharp turn and hit the garden gate, smashing the rear taillights.
When Chen Huaixiao returned home at night, he casually asked Tang Ka, "What is Madam doing?" The answer was always: "Madam is practicing dancing."
She had been practicing for a long time, not taking any jobs, locking herself in the dance practice room, not knowing if she was trying to avoid something.
In fact, Chen Huaixiao's anger had already dissipated,
Not only dissipated, but he also regretted being so fierce to her. Even without getting the cooperation with Iku, it would not affect Xing Media's long-term development. Getting the distribution rights would of course be even better, but it would just be icing on the cake.
But his legal wife, whom he married in broad daylight, was irreplaceable no matter what.
Just because of this little interest... it made her feel so depressed that she avoided seeing people. Chen Huaixiao felt even more troubled than her in his heart.
Many times, he wanted to go to the dance studio to see her.
But hesitated when he got to the door.
It was none of his business after all.
Just as Chen Huaixiao was about to leave, the sliding door of the gym opened, and Bai Yin walked out with a cup of water, bumping right into Chen Huaixiao.
She asked bluntly, "What are you doing?"
Chen Huaixiao was at a loss for words for a moment. After a pause, he said, "You’ve occupied my gym for several days."
"You can come down to work out if you want. I didn't occupy it exclusively."
"I don't want to see you."
"Well, there's no other way. I have to practice dancing." Bai Yin went to the instant hot water dispenser in the corridor to get some water before walking back.
Watching the woman's slender back, Chen Huaixiao awkwardly entered the gym.
The gym was divided into a fitness room and dance studio, separated by transparent glass panels that did not affect each other.
Bai Yin walked into the dance studio and said to him, "You can come down to work out anytime if you want to. If you don't want to see me, ask Tang Ka to install a curtain."
Chen Huaixiao ignored her and casually picked up a dumbbell, absent-mindedly working out.
His eyes...unintentionally drifted towards Bai Yin.
The girl wore a tight strappy top with a light-colored outer shirt. She had no makeup on, and her features were as exquisite and beautiful as a landscape painting.
She was pondering the details of her fingertips according to the book's description, trying to recreate an ancient dance.
Chen Huaixiao had heard from Tang Ka that she borrowed and photocopied ancient books from the library by herself to figure out some ancient dances.
She was quite leisurely and carefree. After stabbing such a big hole for him, she still had the mood to ponder over dances here.
Chen Huaixiao casually asked, "When will you take on jobs again?"
"No rush." Bai Yin didn't even lift her head, her attention still focused on the book.
"The entertainment industry has a memory. After A Supporting Role's Reclusive Life, you disappeared. Even as a popular actress, it’s inevitable that you’ll..."
"I’m the one fighting in the entertainment industry, why are you more anxious than me?"
Bai Yin's rhetorical question made Chen Huaixiao stop talking. His face turned cold, and he said matter-of-factly, "You've caused me so much trouble. Of course, you should work harder to earn money for me and make up for the loss."
Bai Yin thought for a moment, put down the book, walked over to Chen Huaixiao and said, "I will compensate you for the Iku matter."
Chen Huaixiao raised his eyebrows. "How to compensate?"
"Anything is fine."
Chen Huaixiao walked up to her, lightly slid his fingertips across her smooth cheeks, and fell to the back of her neck, clutching her braid and pulling her closer to himself.
The sweat on her forehead moistened his chest.
"You wish."
Bai Yin reacted after a few seconds, realizing that Chen Huaixiao seemed to have misunderstood her. She quickly explained, "I didn't mean that!"
Chen Huaixiao let go of her and walked out of the gym. Behind him, Bai Yin kept explaining, "I really didn't mean that! Don't get the wrong idea!"
Chen Huaixiao turned around, the corners of his mouth twitching.
...
After Bai Yin finished practicing, it was already late at night. She walked out of the gym tiredly and went to take a bath as usual.
When she passed Chen Huaixiao's room, she saw the door was open a crack and the lights were off already.
He rarely slept with the door open. Bai Yin was curious and peeked inside through the crack of the door.
Chen Huaixiao's computer was still on, and the screen emitted a dim blue light.
He was taking a nap on the sofa, his long legs sticking out from one end of the sofa. The hazy light shone faintly on his handsome face, and his features were distinct.
When asleep, his whole temperament was not as sharp as usual, showing some gentle warmth.
Bai Yin tiptoed to the desk.
The screen was unlocked, and she saw dense Excel spreadsheets and project proposal text related to Iku on it.
While asleep, Chen Huaixiao still held a document in his hand.
Bai Yin took the fluffy little blanket she used daily from the lazy couch and gently draped it over Chen Huaixiao before sitting next to him on the edge of the sofa.
Even though a voice in her heart kept telling her that she had done nothing wrong,
Every step she took along the way was right, and she absolutely had no regrets.
But that depressed feeling still lingered in her heart all along.
For this matter, she still felt guilty towards Chen Huaixiao after all.
She would try to help him regain Iku. She may not succeed, but she had to try.
Bai Yin leaned over and kissed Chen Huaixiao's dry, thin lips very lightly, "Brother, I'm sorry... And I have long regarded you as my family."
A few minutes later, the girl left the room. Chen Huaixiao slowly opened his eyes.
The moist feeling left on his lips after she kissed still lingered.
That one word "brother" almost melted Chen Huaixiao's heart.
...
Finally, a week later, Mr. Ku Wen came to Xing Media. The entire company was on full alert.
Chen Huaixiao welcomed him into the conference room. The employees, who had rehearsed countless times, used video to introduce Xing Media's corporate culture and group strength to him...
Of course, more importantly, the artists' works and temperament.
Mr. Ku Wen listened attentively. He seemed to be listening very carefully.
Sitting at the far end of the long table, Chen Huaixiao's eyes were so venomous that he could tell at a glance Ku Wen already "had someone in mind".
The Luo Shen Tu presented by Su Yecheng must have really moved his heart.
After leaving the conference room, they visited other parts of the company.
Mr. Ku Wen was also very touched, but still said to Chen Huaixiao, "I compared many cooperative partners of the same type. Your overall strength is undoubtedly the strongest, but Su Yecheng of Su Group, his humanitarianism moved me."
Shen Bin, following behind Chen Huaixiao, curled his lips. He thought, what humanitarianism, it was just taking advantage of others' weaknesses. How pretentious.
Chen Huaixiao did not force Mr. Ku Wen and just nodded lightly, "Whether we can cooperate or not, I am very happy to have met a friend like Mr. Ku Wen."
Ku Wen smiled and shook his hand, "Likewise."
Just as Ku Wen was about to leave, Sun Lili rushed over and said to Chen Huaixiao, "President Chen, perhaps we can invite Mr. Ku Wen to visit our 3D projection theater on the first floor. For adapting Iku platform into film and television, our lavish 3D projection theater may attract him very much. "
She said this in very fluent English.
Sure enough, when Mr. Ku Wen heard it, he became interested, "Good, I'm very interested in this. President Chen, may I have the honor to visit your theater?"
Chen Huaixiao glanced at Sun Lili, knowing that this agent had her undisciplined artist in mind...
He didn't know what Bai Yin was up to again.
He pondered for a moment before making a "please" gesture and entering the elevator with Ku Wen to the 3D projection theater on the first floor.
Upon entering the theater was endless darkness. Shen Bin quickly said, "Lights? Why aren't the lights on yet?"
Just as he finished speaking, a pure white figure like the bright moon appeared in the air not far away.
Bai Yin wore a long-sleeved dress with white gauze tassels. The breeze blew her flowing sleeves, fluttering like ripples.
Against the darkness around, only that spotlighted white stood out.
So the woman looked as if floating in midair, beautiful like a celestial maiden.
As the music floated in from all directions, the goddess began to dance gracefully, like a secluded lotus in an empty valley, dancing long sleeves and fluttering like a fairy.
While the three-dimensional screen beside her began to show images, just as described in 'Rhapsody on the Goddess of the Luo River', when the sun had set in the west, on the banks overgrown with maidenhair grass, on the misty vast waters of the Luo River, there was a goddess, elegant as a startled swan, graceful as a soaring dragon...
Chen Huaixiao couldn't help but walk closer, his breathing almost stopping.
The woman wore no elaborate hair ornaments, just light touches of powder. Her bearing was noble, a different elegance he had never seen before.
Bai Yin's 'Dance of Flowing Sleeves', imagined from ancient texts and her own artistic vision, was full of charm. With just herself, accompanied by the ancient zither, pan pipes and flute, and the audiovisual dynamics of the 3D studio, she presented Ku Wen with a vivid 'Painting of the Goddess of the Luo River'.
Even her attire was exactly the same as the goddess depicted in Li Gonglin's painting, down to the finest details.
Although the music had finished long ago, Ku Wen still stared fixedly in the direction the ethereal woman had drifted off stage, unable to regain his senses for a long time.
That feeling of loss after being so enthralled was probably just like Cao Zhi's melancholy sigh when the goddess Luo drifted away after he saw her.
Chen Huaixiao was also unable to calm his thoughts for a long time, lowering his eyes, not knowing what he was thinking.
Now was the time to strike while the iron was hot, yet Chen Huaixiao just stood there in a daze without saying a word.
The "Emperor" was not in a hurry, but the group of "eunuchs" around him were anxious. Sun Lili quickly said in English, "Mr. Ku Wen, this is our company's artist Bai Yin. She was just rehearsing the dance of flowing sleeves in the studio. If we disturbed you, we truly apologize."
"Too beautiful..."
Ku Wen was clearly deeply shocked. He turned and excitedly said to Chen Huaixiao, "Mr. Chen, I...I recently obtained a painting of 'Goddess of the Luo' by the late master Li Jingxiong. The woman in the painting is exactly the same as the white-clothed fairy dancing just now! Exactly the same! Too beautiful! Unbelievable!"
Ku Wen was so excited he was almost incoherent. His limited vocabulary could not express his excitement.
Only then did Chen Huaixiao come to his senses.
In the past half month, Bai Yin had shut herself in the gym every day to work on her dance.
She wasn't indulging in pleasure or avoiding things...she was using her own methods to try to make up for as much of his loss as she could. It was even very likely that from the moment she gave the 'Painting of the Goddess Luo' to Su Yecheng, she already had plans for everything that would follow!
This woman's scheming and ingenuity, her depth of mind, really made him willingly concede defeat.
As expected of someone raised at old Master Chen's side, meticulously nurtured by the old master himself.
Back then when the old master chose her to be his grandson's wife, he must have hoped she could assist Chen Huaixiao in business too.
Chen Huaixiao immediately snapped out of his daze.
He said to Mr. Ku Wen, "Our company has always emphasized comprehensive development of our artists' varied talents. We also place importance on their classical cultural foundation and studies, after all artists are public figures. If they only have performing skills without knowledge and talents, they cannot serve as cultural vessels to express and disseminate culture."
Ku Wen walked out of the studio with Chen Huaixiao, a satisfied expression on his face. He said to Chen Huaixiao, "It seems I don't need to hesitate anymore. What iko needs is a partner with substance like you and your company. When I get back I will have my people contact you to finalize the contract."
Chen Huaixiao shook his hand neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Mr. Ku Wen, I look forward to our cooperation."
...
After sending Mr. Ku Wen off, Chen Huaixiao returned to the dressing room behind the studio.
The ethereal beauty from earlier was now sitting in front of the brightly lit vanity mirror removing her stage makeup, gritting her teeth as she took out the clips in her hair bun.
She had styled her hair in a double looped flying heavenly hair bun, using over a hundred clips just to fix the whole hair ornament so that even with a lot of dance movement, it would not come loose at all.
But taking out the clips had become a laborious task.
Sensing the man's gaze on her, Bai Yin glanced back at him.
He still wore the dignified tailored suit, his tall figure leaning against her dressing table. His long legs were casually propped beside her.
Wearing such formal attire, he probably only showed such a relaxed demeanor by her side.
"Did it work out?"
"Mm."
Bai Yin heaved a sigh of relief, lazily sprawling over the table. "Finally..."
All that effort over this time had not been in vain after all.
She closed her eyes, suddenly feeling the man's fingertips touching her hair. Bai Yin looked up sensitively.
The man's low voice came, "Don't move."
She looked in the mirror to see the handsome man behind her carefully taking out the clips from her elaborate hairstyle, carefully removing each one, trying his best not to hurt her.
Such a gentle action, as if he was holding a priceless treasure in his hands.
"You're not angry anymore?" she tentatively asked.
Now that the loss had been recovered, he shouldn't be angry anymore right?
But Chen Huaixiao's expression remained impassive. "The reason I was angry wasn't because you made me lose the exclusive distribution rights."
"I know, it's because I schemed for my own benefit." Bai Yin pouted, recklessly saying, "No excuses, I'm just that selfish a person, only acting for my own sake."
Before her voice fell, she suddenly felt a tug on her scalp. Chen Huaixiao had grabbed a lock of her hair, a hint of threat in his tone, "Your little braid is in my hand."
"Chen Huaixiao, pull it again! Try it again!"
Chen Huaixiao stubbornly gave a light tug.
Bai Yin turned and hit him. He grasped her wrist again, pressing her against the dressing table.
"Chen Huaixiao, you..."
Before she could finish speaking, he kissed her.
The kiss came so suddenly that Bai Yin was completely unprepared. Chen Huaixiao pried open her teeth, like a sudden gust of hot wind sweeping through her world.
In a breath between kisses, Bai Yin softly moaned his name, "Chen Huaixiao, people might come in soon..."
"Call me brother." His kiss grew deeper, almost stealing her breath away.
"But...you said not to call you that before."
"There's many things I told you not to do that you didn't listen to."
Bai Yin heard footsteps outside. She hurriedly pushed Chen Huaixiao away, "Someone's coming in!"
Just as she finished speaking, Sun Lili walked in with some makeup and styling staff.
Seeing Chen Huaixiao, they looked a bit surprised and quickly greeted him.
Chen Huaixiao gave a low "Mm", somewhat displeased at being interrupted.
Sun Lili saw the smudged lipstick messily on Bai Yin's lips and quite a bit also on Chen Huaixiao's mouth. She had a meaningful smile, quickly telling the staff to go help Bai Yin remove her stage makeup.
Chen Huaixiao was about to leave when Sun Lili walked over, saying to Bai Yin, "President Chen must have come to bring you the 'Painting of the Goddess Luo'. After so many twists and turns, it's back in your hands again."
Bai Yin looked confused. "'Painting of the Goddess Luo'? What do you mean?"
"Eh? Mr. Ku Wen just had someone send over the 'Painting of the Goddess Luo'. He specifically said to give this painting of the goddess to the white-clothed fairy who danced so gracefully just now. How come President Chen didn't...tell you?"
Bai Yin looked at Chen Huaixiao.
Chen Huaixiao tugged at his tie, glancing upwards. "Is there such a thing? I don't know anything about it."
"..."
