Chapter Ninety-Five: Truly Acquainted

Jiang Yingying only thought Qin Tian was bragging. Him? How could he possibly know a superstar like Mi Xue?

Who was Mi Xue? She was an emerging sensation who had already begun to shine on the international stage!

Any event with Mi Xue in attendance would bring traffic in the city to a standstill.

Any television drama she starred in, whether she was the lead, the second female lead, or merely a passerby, would become a massive hit.

To audiences, Mi Xue meant quality. To producers, she meant traffic. To merchants, she meant enormous profit.

That was Mi Xue. And such an outstanding woman—Qin Tian claimed to know her?

“I really do know her.” Qin Tian scratched his head. In this day and age, even the truth was met with disbelief.

Jiang Yingying shook her head and went on chatting with Shen Xiaoqing and Jiang Qiaoyan, discussing the topics only girls would talk about.

Qin Tian rubbed the bridge of his nose and thought that later he would call Mi Xue to see whether he could get a few complimentary tickets. For her own concert, she ought to be able to get some, right?

At the very least, he could not let Jiang Yingying and the others think he was bluffing. That would be far too embarrassing.

“Mrs. Wen, this is a small token of our appreciation.”

After the meal, Jiang Yingying and Shen Xiaoqing continued keeping Jiang Qiaoyan company while Qin Tian went into the study with Ma Wen. He slipped two bank cards into Ma Wen’s hands.

“What is this?” Ma Wen asked in confusion.

“Brother Jiang is my good friend. This is just a little something from Yingying and me. There’s two hundred thousand in here,” Qin Tian said, deliberately understating the amount. In truth, the two cards together held one million two hundred thousand.

“This I can’t accept. Take it back.” Ma Wen hurriedly refused.

“Please keep it. Brother Jiang always looked after me. If you refuse to take it, then when I go down there in the future, how am I supposed to face him?” Qin Tian said with a serious expression.

Ma Wen let out a sigh and still accepted the two bank cards.

Qin Tian stayed at Ma Wen’s home a little longer before leaving with Jiang Yingying and Shen Xiaoqing.

As they were leaving, Ma Wen took advantage of Qin Tian’s momentary distraction and slipped the cards into his pocket.

Qin Tian curled the corner of his mouth. He had long since noticed that Ma Wen was thinking of doing exactly that, so at the very moment she was about to close the door, he quickly took the cards back out and, with lightning speed, stuffed them into the pocket of her apron.

“Mom, Yingying and Sister Xiaoqing bought me a new phone, but I didn’t take it,” Jiang Qiaoyan said to Ma Wen after Qin Tian and the others had left.

“Mhm, good girl. Coming to see us is already the greatest kindness they could show. We can’t keep other people’s things.” Ma Wen smiled and patted Jiang Qiaoyan’s head.

“But Brother Qin Tian said he’d take me to Mi Xue’s concert, and I agreed. I really like Mi Xue,” Jiang Qiaoyan said.

“Well, then that’s a promise between friends. Of course you can go,” Ma Wen said without objection.

“You’re so good to me, Mom.” Jiang Qiaoyan flung herself into Ma Wen’s arms.

“Ah! What’s this? It’s poking my face.” Jiang Qiaoyan suddenly cried out, rubbing her cheek.

Ma Wen looked puzzled. There had been nothing in her apron pocket, had there? Could it have been static electricity?

She reached into the pocket and fumbled around. When her fingers touched two objects and she pulled them out to look, her expression changed instantly. They were the two bank cards.

“Oh dear, this really is…” Ma Wen gave a wry smile and decided to keep the cards for now. She would not spend the money inside, though. If there was a chance in the future, she would return it.

In the car:

“Qin Tian, did Mrs. Wen take the money?” Jiang Yingying asked anxiously. She had been afraid Ma Wen would refuse.

“She took it.” Qin Tian smiled and told the two girls what had just happened. After hearing it, both of them praised him for being clever.

“I really want to go to Mi Xue’s concert. It’s right here in our city of Wu—what a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and yet there aren’t any tickets left!” Shen Xiaoqing said, flopping back against the rear seat like a spoiled child, her face full of grievance.

“I’ll call and ask for you. Once we get home, it’s inconvenient to drive now,” Qin Tian said.

Jiang Yingying curled her lip. Did Qin Tian really think he knew Mi Xue?

Shen Xiaoqing, however, was different. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation. So many miraculous things seemed to happen around Qin Tian—what if he really could get tickets?

“We’re here. I’ll make the call first.” Qin Tian dropped Jiang Yingying and Shen Xiaoqing off at the entrance of the house.

“No way. Call in front of us. Otherwise, are you going to say later that Mi Xue is busy and didn’t pick up?” Jiang Yingying said.

Qin Tian gave a helpless smile. Fine, then. He would call in front of them.

Mi Xue’s number was already saved in his phone, so he dialed it directly and turned on the speaker.

However, the phone rang for a long while, and no one answered.

“That’s impossible. She must be busy,” Qin Tian said in surprise.

“Keep bragging,” Jiang Yingying said with a shake of her head.

Qin Tian still would not give up and called again, but once more no one answered.

Jiang Yingying took Shen Xiaoqing by the arm and headed inside, no longer bothering with Qin Tian. What a boastful fool.

Qin Tian rubbed his nose. This Mi Xue was really unreliable at a crucial moment. She had said it was her private number, but it still could not get through?

At that very moment, at a film set somewhere:

“Aunt Song, my phone is ringing. Could you answer it for me?” Mi Xue was having her hair done and could not get away. The phone was on a table not far off, but she could not reach it.

“Coming, coming.” Song Fangmei was helping check the script and was also tied up at the moment. Even though she heard the phone, she could not get to it.

Only when Mi Xue urged her did Song Fangmei jog over to answer it, but by then the phone had already stopped ringing.

“Aunt Song, who was it? Was it someone from my family?” Mi Xue asked. Since the call had come twice in a row, it was probably something important.

Only her family knew this private phone number.

“It was an unfamiliar number. Probably a wrong call, or maybe some kind of sales pitch,” Song Fangmei said.

“Oh, all right then.” Mi Xue replied indifferently.

But for no reason at all, she suddenly thought of a possibility. Could it have been the young man who had once saved her at the hotel?

“Aunt Song, call it back and see. They called twice in a row, so it must be something,” Mi Xue said after thinking for a moment.

“All right, I’ll call back for you in a bit,” Song Fangmei replied.

Mi Xue glanced at her bangs in the mirror; they were basically done. Forget it, she would call back herself.

So she walked over to the table, picked up her phone, and returned the call.

Meanwhile, after Qin Tian, Jiang Yingying, and Shen Xiaoqing went inside, Qin Tian casually tossed his phone onto the sofa and then went to the bathroom, looking puzzled.

It was at that moment that his phone rang.

“Qin Tian, your phone,” Jiang Yingying called out.

“Could you answer it for me? It’s not convenient right now,” Qin Tian said.

“Mm.” Jiang Yingying picked up Qin Tian’s phone and answered.

“Hello, who is this?” Jiang Yingying asked directly.

Mi Xue, on the other end, felt a little disappointed. Why was it a girl’s voice? So it wasn’t Qin Tian after all...

“Were you the one who called me twice just now?” Mi Xue asked.

“Me? Call you twice?” Jiang Yingying was full of question marks, then realized this was not her phone but Qin Tian’s.

“Yes. Did I dial the wrong number? That can’t be. I was returning a call,” Mi Xue asked in confusion.

Jiang Yingying’s eyes widened. Qin Tian really had made two calls just now, and he had said he was calling Mi Xue. Could the person calling back really be Mi Xue?

“Mi Xue?” Jiang Yingying asked tentatively.

“Yes, that’s me. Do you know me?” Mi Xue replied, sounding even more puzzled.

Jiang Yingying’s mouth fell open in disbelief.

It really was Mi Xue.

Qin Tian had not lied. He really did know Mi Xue.