A splitting headache.
Accompanying it was a churning stomach, a body aching and weak, the sticky sweat, and then…
A black card?
Xia Qingtian clutched her head with one hand and held a black card in the other, her mind a complete blank.
"Whose… is this?"
Glancing around, Xia Qingtian set the black card aside before heading to the bathroom for a shower. She changed into a comfortable, clean dress and walked out of the bedroom, the black card in hand.
Truth be told, she hadn't visited the Yue family in years. Some paths that had once seemed incredibly familiar now felt a bit strange, not to mention she was still groggy and disoriented.
The sky outside had already turned pale. Glancing at her phone, it was not yet six o'clock.
Upon reaching the Chinese courtyard, Xia Qingtian spotted the Yue family patriarch, clad in a loose white robe, practicing Tai Chi.
"Good morning, Grandpa." Xia Qingtian stepped forward and greeted him. "You look… much better today."
Seeing the Yue family patriarch, Xia Qingtian finally remembered the incident Er Ya had caused yesterday.
She had been asked to lift a Gu curse and had instead caused everyone to be poisoned, leading them to drink heavily to detoxify.
Ah!
Xia Qingtian realized why she felt so unwell.
It was a hangover.
Knowing the source of her suffering, Xia Qingtian felt much better.
"Qingtian," the Yue family patriarch stopped upon seeing her, grabbed a dry towel to wipe his sweat, and then handed Xia Qingtian a cup of tea. "Come, have some light tea. It can help alleviate the symptoms of a hangover."
"Thank you, Grandpa." Xia Qingtian gave a dry chuckle, accepted the teacup, and took a sip of the hot tea. The faint aroma in her mouth indeed made her feel much better.
"I saw you on a variety show before; you know a little Tai Chi, right?" the Yue family patriarch said, looking at Xia Qingtian. "Come, let's do some push hands."
"Sure." Xia Qingtian agreed at first, then seemed to just realize and asked, "Grandpa, you watched my variety show?"
"Yes, I…" Before the Yue family patriarch could answer, his phone, placed nearby, rang.
The ringtone was the latest single released by Sui Sui this year, her song "lovesong" played in its ringtone version.
Watching Grandpa pick up the phone amidst the shy lyrics of "A lovesong for us, lalalala~ unforgettable heart-fluttering memories…," Xia Qingtian was filled with emotion and a mortifying sense of embarrassment that made her toes curl.
Ah…
Her head throbbed even more.
This was deadly.
The other party likely couldn't make it today, so they called to wish him a happy birthday. After exchanging pleasantries with the Yue family patriarch, they hung up.
The Yue family patriarch placed his phone back on the small table before replying, "I've reached retirement age these past few years. I'm idle, so I watch variety shows and listen to music; it's quite lively."
"You do more than just watch variety shows and listen to music," Yue Cheng Dong walked over and joined the conversation. "He hasn't missed a single one of your livestreams, and he even tipped."
"Ah?" Xia Qingtian was a bit stunned. "What's your ID?"
"ID? What's an ID?" The Yue family patriarch looked at Yue Cheng Dong, waiting for his eldest son to explain.
"It's like a username," Yue Cheng Dong explained, then looked at Xia Qingtian. "He's called 'Sunny's Sun.'"
"!!!" Upon hearing the ID, Xia Qingtian's face lit up with surprise. "You! You're the top supporter in my livestream room, and the leader of my fan club 'Little Suns'!"
It was because this top supporter's username was "Sunny's Sun" that Xia Qingtian's fans started calling themselves "Little Suns," and they even made the top supporter the leader of the fan club.
"Yes, that's right." The Yue family patriarch nodded, then seemed to remember something and boasted, "Compared to your father, that black fan leader, Grandpa is much more reliable, right?"
"Indeed…" Xia Qingtian couldn't help but chuckle.
"If you ask me, why not stay in Kyoto instead of returning to Z City? Stay by Grandpa's side. If you want to be an actress, Grandpa will invest in movies. If you want to sing, Grandpa will release albums for you, start a company, whatever you want to do." The Yue family patriarch held Xia Qingtian's hand. "Although the Yue family's business hasn't been great these past few years, Grandpa still has enough money to support his granddaughter's rise to fame."
"Cheng Dong, go and make arrangements. From now on, the spokesperson for Yue Shi Jewelry will be Qingtian," the Yue family patriarch said after some thought. "And transfer one hundred million from my account to help Qingtian pave her way in the entertainment industry. A young lady needs confidence to pursue her career, doesn't she?"
"This one hundred million is your Grandpa's support. If it's not enough, just tell Grandpa."
The Yue family patriarch patted Xia Qingtian's hand and said, "Grandpa will always be Sunny's Sun."
"Grandpa…" Xia Qingtian's nose felt a little sore. "No, really, you don't need to."
"I was also angry with my dad, holding onto a stubborn streak. The more he forbade me from entering the entertainment industry, the more I wanted to show him. But after actually getting into it, it feels… just so-so."
"Now, I just want to focus on the projects I have on hand," Xia Qingtian said. "My dad has assigned me the new energy project collaboration with Gu Corporation."
"What?!" Both the Yue family patriarch and Yue Cheng Dong froze in surprise.
"What's wrong?" Xia Qingtian blinked her eyes.
"That project… you're just a young lady; perhaps you should reconsider," the Yue family patriarch said, his mind going to the targeting the Yue family had faced in recent years, feeling a sense of unease.
"Yes, Qingtian? It's great for you to sing and act beautifully. If you don't want to work too hard, your eldest uncle can give you another hundred million. With two hundred million, you can start a considerable entertainment company. If that's not enough, I'll have your second and third uncles invest as well, each contributing a hundred million! We can open a big entertainment company for you, how about that?" Yue Cheng Dong coaxed Xia Qingtian.
"You guys…" Xia Qingtian looked at the Yue family patriarch, then at Yue Cheng Dong, and finally asked, "Is there something you're hiding from me?"
"Nothing at all!"
"How could there be!"
The Yue family patriarch and Yue Cheng Dong both waved their hands in denial.
"Could it be related to some mysterious organization again?" Xia Qingtian continued to ask, crossing her arms.
"How do you know?"
"Did they bully you?"
The Yue family patriarch and Yue Cheng Dong immediately became nervous.
"As expected…" Xia Qingtian raised her hand and rubbed her still slightly throbbing temples. "Let's talk somewhere else."
The Yue family patriarch and Yue Cheng Dong exchanged glances, and finally, with a sigh, led Xia Qingtian into the Yue family patriarch's study.
The study was a classically furnished Chinese room. Upon opening the door, a faint, elegant scent of ink permeated the air. Facing the door was a scroll hanging on the wall, a plain ink drawing of a person.
The woman in the painting bore a resemblance to Xia Qingtian in her features, her expression serene. She wore a sleeveless cheongsam and held a paper umbrella.
It was Yue Ning Yan.