151: Chapter 151 Another honey trap?

Manager Yu Xiuqi was at the front desk handling the check-in procedures, his fingers swiping across the electronic screen on the counter as he spoke a few words in a low voice to the staff.

Unlike the contestants, where boys shared rooms and girls shared rooms,

the three of them each had their own luxury suite. After finishing the paperwork, the group headed upstairs.

The Education Bureau might be short on cash, but this sponsored hotel was certainly wealthy.

Upon entering, there was an independent reception area with a set of dark gray sofas, and a fruit platter and a bottle of red wine placed on the coffee table.

Floor-to-ceiling windows covered an entire wall. As the curtains automatically opened, the skyline of the Imperial Capital was thrust directly before their eyes.

Lu Cheng walked in and found the bedroom on the other side, separated by a translucent partition.

Just as Lu Cheng put down his backpack, his terminal rang.

It was a message from Su Wan: "Have you put your things away?"

Lu Cheng replied with a "Hmm."

"Want to go down and walk around?"

Lu Cheng checked the time; it was past three in the afternoon, still several hours until the meeting scheduled with Manager Yu Xiuqi that evening.

"Let's go."

Shen Guhong did not join them, saying he had things to take care of and told them to go explore on their own.

The May sunshine in the Imperial Capital was just right.

It was strange, though; Su Wan was unusually attentive today. Whenever he wanted to buy or do something, she would act before he even had a chance.

The two of them strolled along the commercial street.

Every time Lu Cheng walked into a shop, Su Wan would follow closely behind, whether it was a clothing store, a snack shop, or a place selling various Imperial Capital souvenirs.

Lu Cheng saw an interesting T-shirt. Just as he reached out his hand, before he even touched the hanger,

Su Wan had already taken the clothes down.

Lu Cheng's hand hung in mid-air.

He turned his head to look at Su Wan.

Su Wan unfolded the T-shirt, looked at the front and back, and asked, "Do you want to try it on?"

"..." Lu Cheng retracted his hand and wiped his face. "No, I'm just looking."

Su Wan nodded and hung the T-shirt back up, her movements clean and efficient.

The moment Lu Cheng turned around, the corner of his mouth twitched.

This is fucking weird.

Throughout the rest of the afternoon, Lu Cheng tested her intentionally and unintentionally several times.

If he wanted water, before he could even pick up the cup, Su Wan had already brought over the kettle.

If he wanted to sit for a while, before his butt even touched the bench, Su Wan had already started wiping the dust off it.

Even though there was no dust on the chair at all.

If he wanted to eat skewers from a roadside stall, the moment he told the owner his order, Su Wan had already paid the bill.

Lu Cheng stood on the side of the street holding the skewers, took a bite of the lamb, and chewed twice.

He looked at Su Wan.

Su Wan stood beside him, also holding a skewer, eating very gracefully, taking small bites, with a bit of chili oil on her lips.

"Su Wan."

"Hmm?"

"Is there something you want to tell me?"

Su Wan's action of biting the bamboo skewer paused for a moment.

"No." She put the skewer down. "You're overthinking it."

Lu Cheng looked at her for two seconds, slid the last piece of lamb into his mouth, and decided to let her off for now.

A girl's thoughts—especially those of a girl like Su Wan—were pointless to chase after.

If she wanted to say something, she would do so naturally; when she didn't want to talk, all he would get out of her was nonsense.

As they wandered, Lu Cheng suddenly smelled something.

The smell drifted from an inconspicuous little shop at the corner of the street—sour, rancid, with that pungent odor unique to over-fermented soy products.

Lu Cheng paused.

He remembered.

That girl, Chu Xiuxiu, said she wanted to drink douzhi.

"Let's go see." Lu Cheng tugged on Su Wan's sleeve and walked toward the shop.

A large iron pot was set up at the shop entrance, in which a gray-green liquid was boiling and bubbling away.

A stack of white porcelain bowls was placed on the side of the pot, with a few plates of pickles next to them.

The owner was a middle-aged man in his fifties, wearing an apron whose original color was no longer discernible. Seeing Lu Cheng and Su Wan approach, he grinned.

As a native Beijinger, what he loved most was watching tourists from out of town come to buy douzhi.

"Would the two of you like a bowl of douzhi?"

Lu Cheng leaned closer to the iron pot to take a look.

The rancid smell was even stronger, assaulting his nose.

Honestly, this stuff smelled just like spoiled soy milk, perhaps even a level more sour.

"One bowl." Lu Cheng took out his terminal, ready to pay.

Su Wan had already scanned the code.

Lu Cheng: "..."

Forget it, no point fighting her over it.

The white porcelain bowl was served—a full bowl of gray-green liquid with a layer of fine foam floating on the surface.

He picked up the bowl, took a deep breath, and took a sip.

Rancid.

A purely rancid taste.

The moment the douzhi entered his mouth, that over-fermented sourness exploded directly on his tongue.

Lu Cheng put down the bowl, his expression complex. If this stuff were packed to go and left for a while... wouldn't it smell even worse...?

"How is it?" Su Wan looked at him.

"You try it."

Su Wan looked down at the bowl of gray-green liquid and took half a step back.

"No, thank you."

Lu Cheng didn't force her. He set the bowl back on the stall, took out his terminal, snapped several photos of the douzhi, and then opened the chat window with Chu Xiuxiu.

"I tasted it for you," Lu Cheng typed.

Chu Xiuxiu replied instantly: "Is it good? Is it good? Is it good!!! (Drooling.jpg)"

Lu Cheng glanced at the bowl still emitting a rancid odor in front of him, and the corners of his mouth slowly curled up.

"It's delicious," he typed. "The flavor is very unique; one sip and you'll never forget it. I'll bring some back for you to try later."

Watching Lu Cheng's mischievous smirk at the terminal screen, Su Wan silently looked away.

The two of them wandered until it was completely dark before returning to the hotel.

The nights in the Imperial Capital were even more bustling than the days. Lights illuminated the body of Sanyuan Tower, with three waterfalls of light flowing down from the top, and the neon lights of the entire commercial district dyed the night sky a deep purple.

By the time they returned to the Xinting Hotel, it was almost eight o'clock.

Su Wan returned to her own room, while Lu Cheng swiped open the door to 1715 and tossed the bags he had brought back onto the coffee table.

He took off his jacket, threw it on the sofa, and went to the bathroom for a quick rinse.

After showering, Lu Cheng grabbed a towel, draped it over his head, and leaned lazily against the headboard to watch TV.

Not a moment of peace passed before a crisp doorbell rang outside the door.

His towel-drying motion halted abruptly. He glanced up at the wall clock: 8:20 PM.

Who would come knocking at this hour?

Lu Cheng threw the towel over his head, walked slowly to the door, and peered through the peephole.

Outside stood a slender figure, strikingly beautiful.

Her features were as exquisite as a finely carved work of art. Her long, chestnut-colored curly hair fell softly over her shoulders, and a beige knitted cardigan highlighted her gentle and clean temperament, her whole being exuding a unique and outstanding aura.

Lu Cheng's hand, resting on the doorknob, paused; he didn't open the door immediately.

A honey trap?

Xinting Hotel, late at night, a strange, stunning beauty knocking on his door, plus the fact that he was currently a specially invited commentary guest for the National High School Martial Arts Competition.

If someone took photos of this, or if a scandal broke out, that would be a huge problem.

"Who is it?" Lu Cheng asked through the door, his tone flat, still having no intention of opening it.

The young woman outside was clearly stunned, obviously not expecting such a cold reception.

She subconsciously took half a step back, clearing the space by the doorway.

Immediately after, Manager Yu Xiuqi stepped out from the side, a slightly embarrassed smile on his face, and raised his hand to signal toward the peephole.

"Student Lu Cheng, it's me, Manager Yu Xiuqi."

Seeing that it was Manager Yu Xiuqi, the wariness in Lu Cheng's heart eased slightly.

With a click, the door opened.

Manager Yu Xiuqi stepped in first, followed closely by the beautiful young woman, and finally, a woman in her thirties wearing a sharp, dark blue professional suit.

The woman had an air of arrogance about her brows and eyes, her face tight; she looked like someone not easy to get along with.

"Come in and sit," Lu Cheng said, stepping aside to make room.

The three of them walked to the living room reception area and sat on the sofa.

Lu Cheng casually grabbed a few bottles of mineral water from the fridge and handed them over, while he leaned against the wall, a towel draped carelessly around his neck, observing the three people before him with a calm gaze.

Manager Yu Xiuqi coughed lightly, pointed to the chestnut-haired young woman, and introduced her: "Student Lu Cheng, let me introduce you. This is Sister Bai, who will be your partner tomorrow, serving as a live commentator for the Martial Arts Competition."

Sister Bai sat with a dignified posture, legs together, hands resting lightly on her knees. Upon hearing this, she politely nodded slightly toward Lu Cheng.

Lu Cheng looked at Manager Yu Xiuqi, his eyes filled with obvious confusion, making it clear he had no idea who she was.

The air went quiet for a moment.

Sister Bai's expression remained calm and composed, but her agent, Agent Lin, beside her, immediately sank her face, her brows full of incredulous arrogance.

She raised an eyebrow slightly, the corners of her mouth turned down, her tone filled with undisguised shock and contempt:

"You actually don't even know Sister Bai?"

In Agent Lin's eyes, Lu Cheng was just an ordinary high school student; no matter how outstanding his talent was, he couldn't compare to her top-tier star.

Sister Bai was only twenty-six years old and had already stepped into the Meridian Opening Realm. She was also recognized as a top-tier diva of the new generation, possessing tens of millions of fans and receiving star treatment wherever she went.

Ordinary power brokers and martial arts experts—who didn't actively try to befriend her?

Manager Yu Xiuqi quickly smoothed things over: "Agent Lin, don't mind it. Lu Cheng focuses entirely on his cultivation and rarely pays attention to entertainment news."

He introduced her to Lu Cheng.

"Sister Bai is a hot new-generation diva in the entertainment industry, titled the 'Heavenly Sound Diva,' and she is a genuine Meridian Opening Realm expert."

Diva, Meridian Opening Realm, Heavenly Sound Diva.

The three keywords passed through Lu Cheng's mind, and he nodded frankly:

"Hmm... I don't usually follow celebrities, and I rarely pay attention to entertainment news."

As soon as these words were out, the disdain in Agent Lin's eyes grew even stronger. She sized Lu Cheng up and down, her tone becoming increasingly caustic:

"Manager Yu, I'm really curious, how exactly did the competition organizing committee make their arrangements?

What is Sister Bai's status and position? What is her traffic and popularity? How could you just find some green kid who doesn't even know her to be her partner for commentary?"

She didn't hold back her edge at all, bluntly attacking:

"What level is the National High School Martial Arts Competition? It's broadcast live across the entire network, with hundreds of millions watching—how grand is that!

To let a high school student who popped up out of nowhere fill in the numbers is simply too perfunctory, too disrespectful to the competition, and too disrespectful to Sister Bai, isn't it?"

Beside her, Sister Bai frowned slightly and tugged on Agent Lin's sleeve in a low voice: "Agent Lin, stop talking. The organizing committee has its own arrangements."

But Agent Lin wouldn't listen at all; instead, she became even more aggressive.

She picked up the mineral water Lu Cheng had handed her from the coffee table, didn't even look at it, and slammed it back onto the table, her chin slightly raised, her attitude arrogant to the extreme:

"Originally, for this commentary partnership, it was internally decided that Sister Bai would be with a veteran celebrity in the industry. But halfway through, it was suddenly hijacked and replaced by a high school student.

As one of the country's top entertainment giants, when has an artist under our Xingyu Group ever suffered such grievances?"

"Besides, the announcement has already been officially released across the entire network, and the fans are all looking forward to the broadcast.

You jammed an amateur in here at the last minute. If the commentary flops and ruins Sister Bai's reputation, who will be responsible?

Can the Education Bureau shoulder that responsibility?"

Agent Lin was long accustomed to being pampered and followed wherever she went. Relying on the massive influence of Xingyu Group and the fact that Sister Bai had top-tier traffic, she didn't put this high school student, Lu Cheng, in her eyes at all, let alone take Manager Yu Xiuqi's courtesy seriously.

She assumed the other party wouldn't dare to easily flip the table. After all, the official announcement was out; changing personnel at the last minute and canceling the cooperation would create enough public pressure to give the organizers a headache.

She was just waiting for Manager Yu Xiuqi to lower his posture, apologize with a smile, and give her a satisfactory explanation.

However, two seconds passed, and not a single word of the expected compromise came.

The gentle smile on Manager Yu Xiuqi's face completely faded. He raised his hand to push up the glasses on the bridge of his nose, his gaze falling calmly on the overbearing Agent Lin, his tone suddenly turning colder:

"So, Agent Lin, are you intending to ask for a change of personnel with these words, or are you intending to directly refuse the cooperation?"

Agent Lin was choked up by his sudden cold and hard attitude, and then her face darkened further, her tone questioning:

"What kind of attitude is this, Manager Yu? We are just reasonably raising questions. Don't we even have the right to tell the truth? Is this how your Education Bureau treats its partners?"

She sneered inwardly, as if she had heard a huge joke.

Still trying to manipulate them?

The official announcement had already been sent out. If they really dared to cancel the cooperation, it would only be the competition organizing committee that lost face, and by then, the public opinion brought by the fans would be hard to suppress.

Thinking of this, Agent Lin straightened her back even more, her tone becoming increasingly aggressive:

"In my opinion, you are just taking this competition too lightly.

Finding a student with no experience or qualifications to fill the numbers wastes Sister Bai's schedule and fails the expectations of the entire online audience.

I advise you better reconsider the partner selection and don't look for trouble."

Manager Yu Xiuqi's expression was calm as he lowered his head to glance at his terminal.

Just a moment ago, he had briefly reported the situation on-site to Director Wang, and the other party had only replied with one line: "Do not let Lu Cheng suffer any grievance."

Manager Yu Xiuqi silently turned off the screen and raised his eyes to look at Agent Lin, his tone indifferent and resolute, without the slightest concession:

"Since Xingyu Group and Agent Lin have such a condescending and disrespectful attitude, then there is indeed no need for our cooperation to continue."

"Effective immediately, the commentary cooperation is officially canceled. Subsequent official staff will handle the interface with Xingyu Group."

These words were like a thunderclap on a clear day, instantly stunning Agent Lin.

The arrogance on her face froze in place. From shock to disbelief, and then to utter astonishment, she was completely dumbfounded.

This was completely not the script she had imagined!

The other party actually dared to flip the table and cancel the cooperation, completely unafraid of the backlash from public opinion?

"Good, very good!" Agent Lin stood up from the sofa abruptly, her exquisite makeup revealing a hint of twisted malice under the lights. "You've got guts! We'll see about this!"

"Sister Bai, let's go! There's no need to suffer indignity here!"

She grabbed her handbag, stomped in her high heels, and walked toward the door with heavy steps.

Sister Bai slowly stood up, her beautiful brows slightly furrowed. She looked at the calm-looking Lu Cheng, then at the cold-faced Manager Yu Xiuqi, her eyes full of complexity and conflict.

Her lips moved, but in the end, she didn't say a word. She could only silently follow behind Agent Lin and leave the room together.