17 Chapter 17: Add Me on VeChat

There was a hush in the dimmed auditorium as the emcees kicked off the program. The emcees were popular live streamers and were both enthusiastic and entertaining. They efficiently introduced the panel of five judges who were all prominent individuals in the fields of entertainment and music. Without much further ado, the participants began to take the stage one by one.

Contestant no. 1 Gu Wei and Shi Mingtian of B High to sing "Last Night of the World"

...…...

Contestant no. 3 Lin JinYan of M Academy to sing "This is the Moment"

Lin JinYan calmly stepped on the stage and looked exceptionally handsome in his black tuxedo. His eyes briefly met those of Su Ning's who was seated in a separate area with the rest of the participants. Lin JinYan flashed a slight smile at her direction which caused the rest of the participants in the stalls to murmur in excitement. 'It appears this mysophobic boy is very popular.' thought Su Ning. When Lin JinYan began to sing, the audience was immediately enthralled. He had a smooth, powerful, and captivating voice that reverberated throughout the auditorium. 'No wonder someone tried to sabotage him. This voice is too frightening.' Su Ning felt goosebumps and prayed that Chu Han would be alright. The song culminated with a thunderous round of applause yet Lin JinYan appeared completely nonplussed; he simply maintained a gentle smile as he bowed and exited the stage.

...…...

Contestant no. 10 Chu Han of Chang Yue to sing "Music of the Night"

Finally, it was Chu Han's turn. He sang the piece with a gentle soothing voice that was pleasant to the ears. Though Chu Han was a very capable singer, the disparity in skill compared to Lin JinYan was still obvious. However, Su Ning was still proud of her friend, she knew how much effort her senior put into practicing for the competition. 'We won't know until all the performances are done tomorrow anyways. Chu Han Senior still has a chance.' Su Ning cheered internally.

...…...

Contestant no. 25 Xie Shi of H High School to sing "I Am What I Am"

The first day of the competition finally ended and results will be announced tomorrow afternoon.

Together with Mother Qin, Li Youqing, and Lin Miao, she spent a few minutes congratulating Chu Han. Li Youqing handed him a bouquet with slightly reddened ears before the group bid goodbye to Chu Han and Mother Ming.

That evening, the group of four headed towards the hotel lobby while discussing what food to have for lunch when Su Ning was unexpectedly stopped by a familiar man. It was the man she had met while returning the velvet box. The man introduced himself as Assistant Mu to Young Master Lin of the Lin Family. "The young master wanted to thank Ms Ning for retrieving an important object for him by inviting your group to dinner." Su Ning's brows crinkled upon hearing this; she didn't think there would be any follow ups after their encounter earlier. Nearby, Mother Qin was slightly surprised upon hearing that her daughter was acquainted with such a distinguished child and she looked at Su Ning with a questioning glance. On the other hand, Lin Miao and Li Youqing were both watching the scene agape. Noticing her reluctance, Assistant Mu looked at Su Ning with a pleading glance to which she finally sighed and responded with resignation, "Alright."

.....

The group of four was driven to a fancy seafood restaurant near W Hotel and quickly guided to a private room by the manager. Mother Qin cannot help but feel a bit nervous. Though she has a close relationship with Old Madam Gu, this doesn't extend to any other noble family in A City. The Lin Family is also one of the top influential families in A City, and to hear that Su Ning managed to get acquainted with the talented Young Master Lin by chance is really a matter of luck. Mother Qin knows that many people have tried various ways to get a connection with this young master. However, she just hopes that Su Ning can live her life happily with no complications. On the other hand, Lin Miao and Li Youqing were both excitedly chattering about how this situation is like a drama while Su Ning calmly followed behind the restaurant manager.

Inside the private room, they were met by the tall imposing bodyguard and Lin JinYan who was seated at the center of the round table. He was dressed more casually in a tan cashmere sweater vest over a white button down shirt. He had the same gentle smile on his face that Su Ning finds unnerving. Upon completing their introductions, they were seated on the table with Su Ning seated on Li JinYan's right. Mother Qin, Li Youqing and Lin Miao took the seats to Su Ning's left.

"Su Ning, thank you for allowing me to repay you personally for returning an important item to me." Lin JinYan said with a kind smile. "Young Master Lin, there is really no need for thanks. I think other people in the same position would do the same." Su Ning refuted with a slightly strained smile. Lin JinYan's lips which were initially upturned flattend a bit. "Please just call me by my name. I am only a year older than Su Ning." 'Aiii, I really don't want to be on a first name basis with you.' However, Su Ning eventually capitulated under his stare. "Then, Lin JinYan." Su Ning answered tentatively.

On the other side of the table, Assistant Mu began to discuss with Mother Qin what type of dishes they would like to order. He also asked the preferences of the others on the table and placed the order efficiently.

In a matter of minutes, the table was filled with sumptuous dishes. It was already past 7pm when they left W Hotel so the group was quite ravenous and focused on eating. Su Ning noticed that Lin JinYan was not wearing his gloves and slightly furrowed her brows. The latter noticed her glance and tilted his head in response as if to encourage her to inquire about the matter. Instead Su Ning just shook her head and continued to eat. 'Don't be curious. Curiosity killed the cat.' For a second, Lin JinYan appeared disappointed that Su Ning didn't ask about his condition; however, his expression soon returned back to normal.

During dinner, Li Youqing was happily complimenting Lin JinYan on his singing and requested to take a photo and get an autograph from him. She did not forget to hype up Su Ning as well and even pulled out the video of her singing Tempting Heart all to Su Ning's dismay. Lin Miao appeared more reserved and chatted with Mother Qin on the side. After the group finished their mea, Assistant Mu called for another car and offered to send them back to the hotel which the group eagerly accepted. Su Ning planned to meet up with Chu Han that evening to do one final run through of their performance before tomorrow's show.

However, before they could leave, Lin JinYan suddenly handed Su Ning his phone and requested for her Vechat contact. This caused Su Ning to be at a loss. She knew about his mysophobia and was rather reluctant to touch the phone. 'Is this some sort of a test to see if I know a weakness of his? But would a 13 year old normally play these sort of mind games? Aiii, I should play dumb.' Su Ning decided as she accepted the phone naturally, lightly brushing his fingers in the process. 'Dammit! Well, he can always sanitize it after we leave.' thought Su Ning. She handed the phone back to Lin JinYan after entering her Vechat id and thanked him for dinner. "You're welcome. I look forward to your performance tomorrow." Li JinYan said as he calmly retrieved his phone. To her surprise, Li JinYan immediately placed the phone back into his pocket and entered the backseat of a black Bentley.

Whilst sitting in the passenger side of the car, Assistant Mu offered to sanitize Lin JinYan's phone which was previously handled by Su Ning. "No need." Lin JinYan replied succinctly the corner of his lips curving up. His conjecture seems to be true; he didn't feel nauseated by her touch. For the rest of the car ride, Lin JinYan put on his earbuds and proceeded to watch Su Ning's performance of Tempting Heart.

[Rose_JinYan]: Hi Su Ning. This is JinYan.