“Thank you,” she said as she accepted it. The taste on the tip of her tongue was both sweet and sour; it was a taste that she couldn’t quite describe. She started biting the straw unconsciously as she asked, “Is there a reason why you’re here?”

“Yes.” His legs were closed, and he was sitting in a very formal posture. When he spoke, his words were well-paced, and he gazed into her eyes. “I have a seminar to attend in Yuncheng, and I’ll be gone for five days. I will have to trouble you to help me take care of Bomei, if you’re willing to.” His voice was full of sincerity.

Jiang Jiusheng did not hesitate and readily agreed. “Sure.”

“Thank you.”

She shook her head and told him that there was no need to thank her. “Is there anything I need to pay extra attention to?” she asked.

Jiang Jiusheng was fond of dogs, but she had never raised one. Firstly, she didn’t have the time to do so, and secondly, her mother was allergic to dog fur. Since Shi Jin was entrusting her with his dog, it was only natural for her to avoid being careless. After all, Jiang Bomei wasn’t like any other dog; she was a very good-looking one.

Shi Jin laughed. The light from the setting sun outside the window seemed to melt into his eyes. “It’s very easy to take care of Jiang Bomei.” He dug out an electronic key from his pocket and placed it on the coffee table. “This is the spare key to my apartment. The dog food is in the second cabinet on the left side of the balcony. Just feed her three meals a day, in the morning, in the afternoon, and at night.”

“Okay.” She leaned over to get the key, and the water droplets from her hair landed on the back of Shi Jin’s hand.

He retracted his hand and shifted it to the couch. His eyes were very dark. “Do you need my help?”

“What?”

Shi Jin glanced at her plastered arm. “With drying your hair, I mean.” He was speaking very slowly, in a mellow tone, and it sounded so soothing.

“Sure.” After nodding, Jiang Jiusheng lowered her head.

Damn, how can I be so unprincipled?

She was silent for all of three seconds before adding, “There’s a towel in the bathroom.”

Shi Jin smiled. “Sure.”

He walked right to the bathroom as if he was familiar with how to get around the house.

Feeling a little warm, Jiang Jiusheng rose and lowered the temperature of the air conditioner by two degrees. She had just put down the remote control when she picked it up again and further reduced the temperature. Then she returned to the couch and calmed herself down.

Footsteps stopped behind her.

Shi Jin always smelled faintly of disinfectant—it wasn’t overbearing, but it wasn’t subtle, either. It was just enough to be picked up. The more Jiang Jiusheng smelled it, the more she was starting to like this scent. He was standing right behind her, and he leaned over the couch slightly to start drying her hair with a towel. His movements could not be considered familiarized, but he was extremely gentle. It made her feel very ticklish when her hair brushed across her face.

A low voice drifted over from behind her. “Are you going out?”

He didn’t sound intimate, but it was familiar enough.

Shi Jin always maintained the right amount of distance. It was always natural and comfortable.

Jiang Jiusheng replied, “I have an award ceremony to attend tonight.”

He did not continue with his questions and instead, dried her hair quietly while trying his best not to touch her. His movements were very slow and delicate as he patiently wiped her hair until it was a mess.

The doorbell rang at this moment.

Shi Jin naturally put down the towel and went to get the door.

The stylist, Silian, and Xiao Qiao were speechless when they saw Shi Jin at the door. They both thought that they had gone to the wrong apartment.

Jiang Jiusheng disposed of the empty yogurt packets and went to the door as well. “Why aren’t you guys coming in?”

The stylist and the assistant walked into the apartment in a daze.

After nodding and greeting both of them, Shi Jin turned to Jiang Jiusheng. “I’ll head back first.”

“Hmm.”

He left the apartment and was just about to close the door when his movement halted. His gaze fell on the outfit in Xiao Qiao’s hands, and he calmly said, “The temperature is going to drop at night. The purple one is more suitable.”

Jiang Jiusheng smiled without saying anything.

After Shi Jin’s departure, Xiao Qiao and Silian looked at each other for a very long time before they started to get busy. There were less than two hours until the award ceremony, and they were rather short on time. Mo Bing had specifically instructed them not to be late; otherwise, news about Jiang Jiusheng being a diva would start spreading like wildfire tomorrow.

Thankfully, Jiang Jiusheng’s skin complexion was very good, and there was no need to apply complicated or heavy makeup—20 minutes was enough to settle that aspect, and Silian suggested that she wear her white backless garment. He vouched that she would look exceedingly beautiful in it. As Jiang Jiusheng had fair skin and a cold disposition, the color white suited her.

Xiao Qiao recommended the white backless garment as well. A lot of work had been put into this dress—the V cut at the back extended all the way to the lower back and would reveal Jiang Jiusheng’s attractive physique. However, Jiang Jiusheng rejected them.

“I’ll go with the purple one,” she said, and the reason she gave was that she was worried about the cold.

Xiao Qiao and Silian were both speechless. Even though the purple garment was also beautiful, it was overly conservative. No female artist attending the award ceremony would miss the chance to get attention. There was not much of a breeze outside the window, and it was only slightly chilly.

Shi Jin stood before his window with his old yellow floor lamp switched on. The dim light splashed across his face as he took out his phone. The screen lit up as he tapped on it with his slender fingers.

The call went through, and a wary male voice greeted him. “Sir.”

Shi Jin sat on his hanging chair and crossed his long legs. “Get an entrance ticket to the award ceremony that Shengsheng is attending.”

“Understood.”

After hanging up, Shi Jin rose again and walked up to the wooden cabinet inlaid along the wall. He swept his fingers along the albums before choosing one. His fingertips pressed lightly on the button of the old CD player, and he inserted the disc carefully. Then he clicked Play. Light rock music filled the entire room.

Ceaseless Shengsheng was Jiang Jiusheng’s second album, and it had been recorded in 2017.

Shi Jin lifted his hand and spread it. There was an imprint of the tip of the straw from where it had been resting on his palm.

The devil must have possessed Shi Jin for him to even desire to steal the straw that Jiang Jiusheng had used. He shook his head with a laugh, then kissed the straw.

The start of the music ceremony was just around the corner. A steady stream of cars was arriving before the Washington International Exhibition Hall. Artists were entering one after another. The rock star Jiang Jiusheng arrived at 7:40 p.m., wearing purple and with her arm in a plaster cast. She became the center of attention the moment she appeared.

Less than a minute later, the hot student celebrity Su Qing arrived at the red carpet.

It was rare for the Jiang-Su couple to appear on the same stage. The reporters along the red carpet snapped endless photos as the flashes broke the tranquillity of the night. They blended into the myriad of lights by the road, and, with the moonlight, it was as bright as daytime.

Su Qing quickened her pace and walked up to Jiang Jiusheng. She lifted her elbow. “Shall we?”

Jiang Jiusheng grabbed her arm. “Sure.”

She was wearing a long, purple dress, and the person beside her was dressed in a white western suit with a purple flower brooch. Their compatibility was coincidental.

Jiang Jiusheng glanced beside her a few more times. Even though she knew that Su Qing was usually a very coy girl, seeing her in a western suit made her feel very different. She looked like a suave and charming little prince. It was no wonder Su Qing had female fans all over the world.

Su Qing abruptly turned her head and met Jiang Jiusheng’s gaze. She grinned. “Did I charm you?”

Jiang Jiusheng laughed and said nothing.

The flashes from the cameras grew even wilder.

Su Qing lifted her head and waved at the audience before making a heart sign. It was very attractive. This time, Su Qing was attending as a guest performer. For a tone-deaf artist like her to be invited to perform at a music ceremony was a clear indication of how much people were talking about her.

Her female fans were screaming for her. Beside them were Jiang Jiusheng’s dumbfounded fans, who felt there was no need to be so exaggerated. They felt that such behavior was beneath their dignity, and they simply focused on voting for their idol, as well as making sure that news of Jiang Jiusheng’s broken arm went all over Weibo.

Su Qing lowered her head and whispered into Jiang Jiusheng’s ear. “Have you thought about what you’re going to say in your thank-you speech?”

Jiang Jiusheng smiled lightly. “Not yet.”

“Are you going to do it on the spot again?” Su Qing thought about the first time she saw Jiang Jiusheng at an award show.

The latter had gotten an award for being the best new artist and had only spoken for three seconds during a three-minute thank-you speech segment. She had simply said, “I am Jiang Jiusheng.”

That one sentence was able to cause a stir in the Chinese music scene.