The Cold Alpha's Black Lotus O Strategy Plan (GL) - Chapter 47

On her first day after moving into Xie Ying’s apartment, Jin Sique slept until the afternoon.

“Morning.”

“Morning…”

Xie Ying stood there with a toothbrush in her mouth, looking slightly dazed.

Jin Sique gave her a radiant smile, unwrapped a new toothbrush, squeezed toothpaste onto it, and stood beside Xie Ying at the sink to brush her teeth and wash up.

She also propped up her phone and began playing a recently popular drama.

Xie Ying: “…”

Jin Sique laughed loudly at the show and nearly choked on the water.

“Cough, cough, cough!”

Xie Ying burst out laughing, yawned, and walked out of the bathroom.

Jin Sique called after her, “What are we having for breakfast?”

“I forgot you moved in and only ordered one portion of takeaway,” Xie Ying said.

“What?”

Jin Sique chased her out, white toothpaste foam still clinging to the corner of her mouth.

“Then what am I supposed to eat?”

After eating Xie Ying’s breakfast, Jin Sique changed clothes and picked up the car keys from the coffee table.

“I’m going to return the car.”

Xie Ying clicked her tongue.

“Is that necessary? You have to return it too? President Lü probably wouldn’t say anything if you kept it for yourself.”

Jin Sique did not answer.

She changed her shoes at the entrance, closed the door behind her, and left.

Xie Ying stared at the tightly shut door, then looked around the apartment.

Some of Jin Sique’s belongings were still piled in a corner, not yet completely unpacked.

The apartment, once empty and cluttered, suddenly seemed full of life.

Jin Sique quickly went downstairs.

The stairwell remained dark and murky. The walls and railings were covered in advertisements for suppressants and illicit transactions.

Holding her breath, she rushed out of the suffocating space and stepped into the sunlight.

She turned and looked back at the deep, shadowy stairwell, which resembled an enormous open mouth.

Breathing heavily, she tightened her grip on the keys.

Only after several deep breaths did she gradually calm down.

—

“You’re here?” Mazi asked.

Jin Sique acknowledged him and climbed the long staircase into the dressing room, where she began tidying the currently empty space.

“Did you know?”

Mazi leaned closer and lowered his voice.

“Qiu Die seems to have gotten together with President Fang.”

Jin Sique paused.

“How would I know?”

Mazi hummed twice.

“I was only mentioning it.”

Jin Sique glanced at him and smiled.

“What are you afraid of? I’m not competing with her. President Fang is already fifty—”

“Shh!”

Mazi hurriedly gestured for Jin Sique to stop talking.

A sly smile appeared on her face.

She casually asked, “When will I get to perform?”

Mazi retreated two steps and looked her up and down.

“What do you mean, when? Don’t you dislike singing?”

“You performed The Drunken Imperial Concubine twice and became addicted?”

Jin Sique laughed softly and carried away the costume lying on a chair.

“What time does the show begin today?”

Mazi turned his wrist to check his watch.

“Seven. Mr. Fang is coming and bringing several people to book the theater.”

“He’s paying Qiu Die two hundred thousand for one performance. He clearly intends to promote her into celebrity circles.”

Jin Sique knew what he was implying.

“That’s a good thing.”

“With talent like yours, honestly, I would beg you to stay if our troupe didn’t already have Qiu Die.”

Mazi looked at Jin Sique regretfully.

“But two tigers cannot share one mountain. You understand that.”

“It’s a shame all the large and small opera troupes in City A have disbanded. Otherwise, perhaps you could have…”

He sighed and turned around.

When he looked back, Jin Sique had already disappeared from the dressing room.

Mazi: “Where did she go?”

—

By evening, Qiu Die had finished dressing.

She specialized in leading female roles, and today she was performing Mu Guiying Takes Command. It focused primarily on dramatic singing, though it also contained several combat sequences.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

Jin Sique glanced toward the scent-blocking patch on the back of Qiu Die’s neck.

Qiu Die stretched lazily and stood.

With her makeup complete, she went to the window to warm up her voice.

Her throat sounded slightly hoarse.

Fortunately, it was not severe, and she should be able to endure one performance without much trouble.

“Were you having some fun a few days ago?”

The martial-role performer approached and handed Jin Sique an Asian pear.

“Want one?”

Jin Sique smiled and shook her head.

She pointed toward Qiu Die, indicating that she should give it to her instead.

—

Inside an Audi, Lü Zhongcai handed Fang Zhiming a document and spoke sincerely.

“I would like to ask you to mediate regarding EA’s bankruptcy guarantee.”

“What do you want me to do?”

Fang Zhiming smiled and accepted the document without opening it.

“Mr. Fang, could you possibly…”

Lü Zhongcai pointed outside the window.

The car happened to be passing the municipal government building.

“LE’s government relations have been poorly maintained since you left, and I’m not currently confident that I can manage this matter.”

“There is an industry summit coming up soon. I was hoping…”

She tapped the document.

Fang Zhiming narrowed his eyes slightly.

“I don’t have the authority to decide who qualifies to attend.”

“I don’t mean to prevent EA from attending,” Lü Zhongcai said directly.

“Let them attend, but it must appear to be because LE extended the opportunity.”

Fang Zhiming considered this.

“You want the company to owe you a favor?”

The car stopped.

Lü Zhongcai got out, walked around to the other side, opened the door for Fang Zhiming, and inclined her body.

“Buy low and sell high.”

“You work in investment,” Fang Zhiming continued.

They exchanged knowing smiles.

“What are we listening to today?”

Lü Zhongcai chatted casually as she entered Mingyuefeng with him.

Several of Fang Zhiming’s old friends had already arrived and were talking beneath the central courtyard of the opera house.

Mazi served tea, and the group chatted enthusiastically.

“You could ask your father’s generation to use their connections,” Fang Zhiming said.

“My father is far away in Shanxi. His reach does not extend here.”

Fang Zhiming snorted, then opened his arms and strode forward.

“Come, come, old friends. Let me introduce you to a promising young person.”

Lü Zhongcai sat down.

Jin Sique came over to pour tea.

Without looking to either side, she greeted everyone around the table, beginning with Mr. Fang.

Only at the end did she lightly say, “President Lü.”

Lü Zhongcai held her teacup.

052 laughed coldly.

“Yes. She appears to know this circle even better than you do now.”

“Thank you,” Lü Zhongcai replied stiffly.

Fang Zhiming asked Jin Sique, “Where is Qiu Die?”

“She’ll be here shortly.”

Several minutes later, Qiu Die appeared onstage.

The entire theater filled with the powerful, expansive voice of the female qingyi performer.

The opera enthusiasts listened attentively.

Lü Zhongcai’s gaze, however, drifted toward the corner of the stage.

Jin Sique stood there with a faint smile, her head raised as she watched the performance.

Lü Zhongcai had never seen Jin Sique in full opera costume.

But looking at Qiu Die, whose eye sockets and outer corners were heavily shaded with rouge, whose cloak was embroidered with cranes and white feathers, and who stood onstage like a majestic female general who could not be stared at, questioned, coveted, or seen through—

Lü Zhongcai saw the desire in her eyes.

It was identical to the shrewd yearning Jin Sique had once hidden beneath an innocent expression when she first looked at Lü Zhongcai.

Lü Zhongcai frowned.

Suddenly, she no longer understood Jin Sique.

Did she love opera or not?

If she did not, why did she come here to work as a miscellaneous assistant?

If she did, why did she remain so secretive about it?

“Excellent!”

Fang Zhiming applauded loudly.

Lü Zhongcai looked around.

Apart from him, the others merely listened with mild interest.

When Mu Guiying Takes Command ended, Qiu Die bowed and disappeared backstage.

Mazi came out to handle the formalities.

Fang Zhiming clapped and handed him a red velvet box with a cheerful smile.

Lü Zhongcai had glimpsed it inside the car.

It contained gold bars.

Before leaving, Mazi asked whether they wanted to sit upstairs for a while. Qiu Die would come and entertain them after removing her makeup.

Lü Zhongcai frowned.

Fortunately, the group still intended to play mahjong and declined his invitation.

“You’re leaving already? President Fang, gentlemen…”

At ten that night, Mazi came out to see them off.

Qiu Die had not had time to remove her makeup. She had only changed clothes and hurried outside, where she stood beside Fang Zhiming and spoke with him.

Jin Sique remained nearby with Mazi, acting as an accompanying guest to maintain appearances.

With a cane in one hand and wearing a perfectly fitted suit, Lü Zhongcai stood among a group of seniors nearing retirement age.

She naturally went to open car doors and helped escort them into their vehicles.

When it was finally her turn, Jin Sique took two quick steps and reached the car before the driver, opening the door for Lü Zhongcai.

It was probably an instinctive action.

Jin Sique had not even considered her motive.

Only after placing her hand on the handle did she feel that it might be inappropriate.

The driver had already retreated two awkward steps.

Jin Sique pulled at the handle.

The door was locked too tightly, and in her distraction, she failed to open it.

The driver approached, shifted uncertainly back and forth, then smiled awkwardly and stopped, staring behind Jin Sique.

Sensing something, Jin Sique turned her head slightly.

Lü Zhongcai happened to approach.

She was taller than Jin Sique, with a slender frame.

Reaching around her from behind, Lü Zhongcai grasped the handle and pulled the door open.

The door swung outward.

Jin Sique moved backward to avoid it.

The half-embrace formed a circle, completely enclosing her within the Alpha’s arms.

Jin Sique felt as though someone had set fire to her neck.

Her gland burned hot.

“There.”

Lü Zhongcai stepped away.

Jin Sique nodded and lowered her eyes.

She moved aside to clear the entrance and held out her other hand.

“The car keys.”

Lü Zhongcai did not take them.

“Are you accustomed to living outside?”

Jin Sique nodded and extended her palm farther.

Fang Zhiming finished speaking with Qiu Die and came over to greet Jin Sique.

“Miss Jin.”

Jin Sique instinctively closed her fingers, hiding the keys.

She inclined her head.

“Mr. Fang, have a safe journey.”

Lü Zhongcai raised a hand and gestured for Fang Zhiming to enter first.

She remained one step behind and looked deeply at Jin Sique before closing the door.

The car drove away.

Jin Sique opened her palm.

The keys were still inside.

“That woman surnamed Lü only drives an Audi. She doesn’t look particularly impressive.”

Qiu Die folded her arms.

“She certainly has an elegant bearing. Is she Mr. Fang’s student?”

It took Jin Sique a moment to realize Qiu Die was asking her.

“I don’t know.”

“Oh?”

Qiu Die’s eyes sharpened as she examined Jin Sique from head to toe.

“Are you coming tomorrow?”

Jin Sique’s part-time schedule at Mingyuefeng was extremely flexible.

Mazi had been acquainted with the former troupe master of Wangchun Pavilion and managed her loosely.

Unless things became busy and he specifically contacted her for emergency help, she could come and go as she pleased.

“Why?” Jin Sique asked with a smile.

“Nothing. I simply feel that most of the time, it makes no difference whether you come or not.”

“I’m on holiday, so I have plenty of time.”

Jin Sique’s smile remained gentle.

“Mm. I should be here every day.”

Qiu Die: “…”

She rolled her eyes and turned away.

Only then did Mazi speak.

“Why did you provoke her?”

“Was that my fault?” Jin Sique asked.

Mazi choked.

“Yes, yes. It was my fault. Come look at this.”

He handed Jin Sique his phone and showed her a poster.

“She said she wants to participate in this variety show. Mr. Fang has connections. Do you think it’s feasible?”

Jin Sique looked at Mazi and suddenly realized that he was no longer young.

When reading his phone, he even had to hold it farther away to see clearly.

“It’s possible. Let her go if she wants.”

“If someone is willing to spend money promoting her and she becomes famous, the entire theater will benefit.”

Mazi raised his brows and scratched his buzz cut.

“All right. I’ll arrange it. It’s late, so hurry home.”

Jin Sique acknowledged him and lowered her gaze toward the car keys in her hand.

“Then I’m leaving.”

Qiu Die was upstairs removing her makeup when the roar of an engine came from below.

She ran outside and saw a Maybach speeding away from the underground parking lot.

“Whose car is that?”

She turned toward Mazi.

“Who parked it beneath our theater?”

Mazi thought for a moment.

“I think it was… Ah, Little Sparrow. She drove here today and even asked me about the parking-space number. Why?”

Qiu Die: “…”

—

Jin Sique drove onto the elevated roadway.

Even around nine or ten at night, the city center remained in its peak period of dense traffic.

She circled the ring road.

By the time she returned to her senses, her body had already moved ahead of her mind, turning the steering wheel and guiding the car onto a familiar road.

Her phone vibrated.

She answered through the vehicle’s Bluetooth.

“Hello?”

Xie Ying’s voice rang loudly through the speakers.

“Are you coming back? Bring me some food.”

The scenery on either side flowed backward.

Jin Sique pressed her lips together and thought for two seconds.

At the next exit, she turned around.

“All right. What do you want to eat?”