Wait, I Got in the Wrong Car (GL) - Chapter 58

“Ah-choo, ah-choo.”

Lou Anran sneezed twice in a row and instinctively rubbed the tip of her nose. She trained often and was usually in excellent health, so someone must have been thinking about her.

A delicate face flashed through her mind. Last night, the little one had clung to her with fiery passion… Lou Anran lifted the latte from the table and used the act of drinking coffee to hide the smile tugging at her lips. She cleared her throat. “Right, Miss Bai, where were you in your story?”

The warm afternoon sun streamed through the spotless windows, blessing them with its light. Outside, the ivy climbing along the walls lent the secluded café a painterly touch. Soft music played lazily, its rhythm tapping gently on frayed nerves. It was the kind of place white-collar ladies would pick for a refined little break.

Their table was tucked into a corner, neatly avoiding the attention drawn by the door’s constant opening and closing. Across from Lou Anran sat a young woman. If one could look past her overly dramatic silver-gray hair, her face resembled the roses blooming on the counter, stunningly vivid and full of fire. That made the contrast in her aura feel even more jarring.

It reminded Lou Anran of the first time she met her little one.

The reason she agreed to this secluded meeting was simple. The Chen Corporation had recently received a large investment. Strangely enough, the investor made no attempt to stay mysterious and had even invited her to coffee at this exact spot.

The Chen Corporation had been founded by her grandfather. During her years abroad, he had shifted most of the company’s business overseas. For someone like Bai Xihan to invest now… it all felt too convenient.

Yet Bai Xihan didn’t mind Lou Anran’s obvious daydreaming. Her bright apricot eyes lifted slightly, carrying a meaningful smile. Then she sighed.

“Sister Anran, you’re clearly someone who has it all in both love and career. It’s easy for you to be dismissive, but you don’t understand my hardships.”

Lou Anran casually glanced at the time on her phone and let her eyelids drift closed for a moment. “Of course. Most girls have to deal with a few scumbags before they find something real. Compared to your tragic love story, I suppose I’ve been luckier.”

Bai Xihan choked on that and nearly fumbled her reply. Her expression twisted into something strange as she looked Lou Anran up and down with a sharper eye.

Lou Anran had only shown up because of how suspicious the timing of the investment was. She had just released a portion of the Lou family’s scattered shares. While the buyers had yet to take the bait, Bai Xihan’s high-profile arrival made her feel like someone was pulling strings behind the scenes.

Whoever or whatever it was, she needed to face it directly.

But instead of a confrontation, she found herself reluctantly listening to an emotional tale. In it, Bai Xihan played the poor, betrayed girl. Her ex, apparently, was a handsome flirt who, despite having someone like her, still messed around with others. His cheating was blatant and unapologetic.

It sounded just like a trashy soap opera, full of despicable men and the women who inexplicably loved them. And Lou Anran, who never had much sympathy to begin with, found it hard to care.

“Miss Bai, you’re young and successful. After dumping this one, you’ll have another man waiting in no time. Why hang yourself on a crooked tree?”

Bai Xihan, “….”

Lou Anran looked serious as she fell into brief thought. Bai Xihan, fearing another gut-punch, rushed to cut her off.

“But I love him. I really believe I can’t live without him. He’s so wonderful, so perfect. Sister Anran, you have someone too, so you must understand. Losing him… I’ll never find another love so true.”

Lou Anran stared. What is wrong with this woman?

She gave her phone a sidelong glance. “So what exactly do you want, Miss Bai?”

Bai Xihan’s pitiful expression vanished, replaced by a dazzling smile. Her eyes sparkled, as if she had just been waiting for that question.

“He won’t see me anymore. He’s gone. But you can help me. We can help each other. I’ll invest in your company, and you use your connections to help me catch him. How about that?”

Something was definitely off here.

Lou Anran couldn’t be bothered to argue. She picked up her phone, unlocked it with her fingerprint, pressed three numbers, and handed it over.

“Miss Bai, call this number. Your wish will be granted.”

Mo Ying had no idea that her all-capable Lou Xiaohei had run into a troublesome investor. She was too busy working on her surprise. She locked herself in the recording room day after day, revising endlessly until she finally finished the song for the finals.

“Mo Ying.”

“Teacher Su.”

Just as she was about to find her niece and the others, she bumped into Su Bai outside the studio. That ever-present melancholy seemed to cling to him. Perhaps it stemmed from singing too many sad songs, or maybe it was simply his nature. When he smiled faintly, he gave off a fragile charm.

He glanced at the studio behind her. “Have you finished your song for the finals? Do you need any help?”

Mo Ying smiled. “Thank you, Teacher Su. I’m already done.”

Su Bai looked mildly surprised. The semifinals had ended only days ago, and most contestants were still struggling to choose a song that would wow the judges. He had been observing her for a while and noticed she was always holed up in the studio.

“Is it something you composed yourself?”

“Yes.”

A mix of admiration and jealousy flashed in Su Bai’s eyes. Becoming a singer-songwriter was no easy feat, but this girl had talent in spades. She had mastered composition, lyrics, original vocals, and even dolphin notes. She embodied the kind of artist he had always dreamed of becoming. She wasn’t even debuted yet, and the internet was already buzzing about her more than him.

“May I hear it?”

Mo Ying hesitated. She hadn’t even shown it to her fourth sister yet. “Teacher Su, how about waiting for the finals?”

Su Bai hadn’t expected to be turned down so bluntly. His polite smile began to crack. He remembered how close she had looked with Yu Xuan recently and tested the waters.

“If it were Teacher Yu asking, you wouldn’t say no, right?”

Mo Ying paused, and that hesitation was all the confirmation he needed.

So they did know each other well.

Su Bai suddenly smiled, as if he had discovered something secret. “Mo Ying, I’ve figured out your secret.”

Mo Ying’s legs tensed. A tiny gasp escaped her lips. She didn’t hear another word he said after that.

I’m doomed. I’m doomed.

He knows I’m a mermaid.

That single thought galloped through her head like a herd of rampaging alpacas. Even when she followed Su Bai into the quiet bar room inside the training site, she was still a bundle of nerves.

The room was extremely private. No one could see or hear them from the outside. It made her think, Should I knock him out now?

She clenched her fists but quickly let go.

“I’m not feeling well,” she said, her voice tight. “Teacher Su, why did you bring me here?”

Su Bai, oblivious to the danger, remained all smiles. Warm and friendly. But to Mo Ying, those smiles were nothing more than masks. The colored ribbons of emotion that floated in the room felt all wrong.

“You and Teacher Yu knew each other before the show, didn’t you? And you two seem very close.”

Mo Ying had just been about to raise her little fist while he was distracted by the cutlery. At those words, her hand snapped back down.

“Um.”

Seeing her innocent expression, Su Bai chuckled and continued. “It’s not a big deal if people find out. Everyone has friends. If necessary, Teacher Yu can always say she just appreciates a talented junior…”

Mo Ying blinked and slowly withdrew the phone from her other hand. “Oh? How did you find out, Teacher Su?”

Su Bai pointed to his deep peach blossom eyes. “Teacher Yu is my goddess. Of course, I follow everything she does. Besides, the training site isn’t that big. You two weren’t exactly being discreet.”

Mo Ying silently cursed herself. Despite all of Ni Xinyu’s warnings, she had still been found out.

She rested her chin in her palm. “You’re… Teacher Yu’s fan?”

Su Bai smiled gently. “Yes.”

Liar.

Mo Ying pouted. When fans felt affection, the emotional ribbons that surrounded them turned pink. But here, she was surrounded by colors she disliked.

She asked sweetly, “Teacher Su, that song I sang during the auditions, the one you wrote… Wasn’t it about a daughter’s love for her father?”

It felt like a waste that people interpreted it as a romantic song.

She sometimes browsed negative comments online. People said she was “overstepping,” “maliciously interpreting,” “disrespecting Teacher Su,” and “seeking attention”… She didn’t quite understand it.

Su Bai’s hand paused. His eyes flickered with impatience.

“Of course not. I would never confuse those kinds of love.”

Then he added, “Mo Ying, you’re very talented. But your understanding of emotion needs work. You should strive to express your own style. Mimicking others will only bury your gift.”

Mo Ying waved a hand lightly. “Except for that one time, I’ve always sung my own songs.”

The words stabbed deep. Su Bai, who couldn’t compose, took a breath and forced a smile.

“That’s good. By the way, once ‘Sing for the Song 2’ ends, I’ll be preparing for my concert. I might need a partner.”

Mo Ying tilted her head, waiting.

Su Bai, seeing her clueless expression, tried again.

“Since you and Teacher Yu are so close, you could invite her to be my duet partner. I’ve already saved a VIP spot for her.”

Mo Ying blinked. At last, she understood.

So that was why Teacher Su, who clearly didn’t like her, kept hanging around.

——————-

Lou Xiaohei: Call 110, guaranteed wishes come true.

Bai Xihan: …You must be crazy.