Chapter 501: A chance encounter or…?

“Yuuuuu. Kiiiiiii. Tooooooooo….I am so gonna kill you!”

Yukito’s manager, Yang Tian, was looming over him like an Asura had descended.

He was thirty this year but already looked like he was sixty.

“You just left the premises on your own after the show! How dare you? Do you know how worried I was for you!”

“What if somebody recognized you? What if a paparazzi was lurking around? What if there was a stalker? I was half-dead last night all because of you! Just look how much I aged! Why do you always give me trouble?”

Bla bla bla, Yukito had covered his ears. He fired the same questions that he thought imagined last night.

Yukito bowed. “I am sorry, oh great, Yang Tian. Please forgive this subject for his audacity. I shall offer my head as my apology. Please accept it.”

Yang Tian flared even more. “Shut up! You will really turn my hair white one day, Yukito!”

Yukito laughed. “Alright. I am serious now. I am really sorry. I thought you would ask me to accept the media’s interview, and I was tired, so I left from the back door.”

He smacked on his head. “It’s because you are postponing all the interviews. I am not bugging you to accept all, but as your manager, I have to think about your image and publicity. The company wants to spread your name and make you as a brand of our company. And what better way to do that than to give interviews? But you reject all!”

Yukito made an annoying face. “It’s tiring and boring. Everybody is only interested to know my relationship status and-” he suddenly stopped.

Yukito recalled the argument he had with Jing last night. Though he apologized, his heart was still unsettled.

Yang Tian sighed. “I know.”

As far as Yukito’s career was concerned, only Yang Tian knew about his relationship with Jing. In this industry, it was important for a manager to know whatever relationships the artist had or was present to avoid any news leakage. Any scandal was fatal to the hard built reputation.

Yang Tian noticed the change in the atmosphere. “What’s wrong? Had another fight?”

He was not only his manager but his mentor and a friend too. They had grown quite close in this time they worked together, so Yang Tian also knew that his relationship with Jing had become quite rocky and unstable for a long time.

Yukito said, “Nothing…”

But obviously, Yang Tian didn’t believe him and Yukito also knew that.

Yukito leaned back on the couch. “Jing did the same thing again last night.”

Yang Tian was shocked. He tiredly pressed the space in between his brows. “Another confession?”

He nodded.

“And he rejected for you once again – in his ‘own style.'”

He said nothing.

“And you fought?”

Silence.

“He apologized to me last night after we went back.”

Yang Tian waited.

“But you know…I don’t think he understands why he is even apologizing. He just wants things to quickly get right again, so he just does whatever I ask him to, to end the argument. But that is still not solving anything between us. Say Yang Tian…”

“Hm?”

Yukito sadly smiled. “Is it so…difficult to trust me?”

Yang Tian smiled. “I don’t know about Liu Jing or anyone else, but I trust you. You are the best and sincere artist that I have worked with until now.”

“Then why does he need to do it for me? He even hates that I joined the modeling industry.”

He gently patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry. The only thing that can sort this out is communication. You both need to have a good talk. Just let out everything you feel. Try to figure out where it is going wrong.”

Yukito pursed his lips.

Then maybe today’s date wasn’t such a bad idea, I guess.

Yang Tian smiled. “Alright. Here is your schedule for today. By the way, there is a joint interview today with your dear rival, Huang Minzhe.”

Huang Minzhe was a model like Yukito but associated with a different modeling agency. Huang Minzhe was the most popular model and idol in Beijing but ever since Yukito set his foot on the stage, he got a rival that nobody could reach till his position before.

It may seem that the fight is neck to neck, but Yukito always had the upper hand.

Yukito got a headache. “Wait. Why a joint interview?”

“Everybody says that our agencies came up with this idea, you know, to make their own star shine and at the same time pull the other one down, obviously subtly though. But from my sources, it is clear that Huang Minzhe insisted on having this joint interview with you.”

Yukito raised his brow. “Why would he? He always gives me the cold shoulder whenever we happen to meet in any function, and now he suddenly wants to do the interview with me?”

Yang Tian nodded. “That’s why you cannot reject this interview; otherwise, his fans will just get a chance to mock you. Plus, I feel he wants to reveal something that he thinks can shake you in any way. Either professionally or personally. He wants to catch you off guard, so you mess up the interview, and he gets the stronger foothold.”

“When is this interview?”

“Today afternoon.”

Yukito widened his eyes.

“What!? And you are telling me this now!?”

Yang Tian smacked his head. “Idiot! That’s why I was so mad at you for running off last night. This interview call came suddenly while you were doing your show, and I wanted to inform you after the show was over, but somebody ran off! And then he didn’t even pick up my calls!”

Yukito sheepishly grinned.

After he argued with Jing, he kept his phone on silent mode and didn’t feel like receiving any calls.

“S-sorry…”

Yang Tian sighed. “Anyway, we have to do this interview, so let’s just prepare the best we can. As to what Huang Minzhe’s trump card is, we can only know it at the venue and think of something at that time to counter it.”

“Aye, aye sir!”

—

The interview was supposed to start at 2 PM, and Yukito and Yang Tian had already reached thirty minutes earlier.

Yukito’s phone buzzed and saw it was Jing calling. He excused himself and took the call.

“Yukito! I have made all the arrangements for our romantic date. I will pick you up. Where should I come?”

“It’s okay. Don’t take the trouble. Just text me the address.”

“Alright. Come at 7 PM sharp. Love you.”

The call ended, and just as Yukito turned, he bumped into someone.

“Oh! I am so sorry!” he quickly apologized.

But then he looked at the woman in shock, who just bumped into him. She also looked back at him in surprise.

“Yukito.”

At first, he was at a loss for words, but then he slowly said, “Wang Ling…”