These three were Xia Zhi's teammates during the Victoria period. After the group disbanded, all four of them decided to retire from the entertainment industry. Although everyone has returned to their ordinary lives, except for Xia Zhi, the other three's current careers and identities are still more or less related to the entertainment industry.
Sang Luo was the captain of the group. He is the third generation of a wealthy family. He entered the entertainment industry purely for fun. After the group disbanded, he was brought back to take over the family business. He now appears frequently in financial magazines.
Cheng Yunan is responsible for rapping in the group and is the first one in the group to have a child. His wife is a senior executive of a foreign company. After their daughter was born, Cheng Yunan took the initiative to stay at home and become a full-time dad to support his wife's career.
In addition to taking care of his children, he also posts some short videos on the Internet. His original intention was just to share his life, but he did not expect that he would become the most popular baby-raising blogger on XX platform and an Internet celebrity.
As for Xiao Han, he was originally the lead singer of a group. After the group disbanded, he continued to make music and became very popular on the Internet. He has tens of millions of fans on social platforms. Today's netizens may not know Victoria Shaw, but they must have heard of the independent musician Xiao Han.
Sang, Cheng, and Xiao now live in City A. Only Xia Zhi chose to return to his hometown after completing his studies and enrolled in a local university to become a teacher. Although the four of them now have their own lives, they get together regularly every month. Therefore, their relationship has not faded over the years, but has become closer and closer.
Xia Zhi only talked to his brothers in the group on Friday night about going to City A tomorrow. It was dinner time, Cheng Yunan should be eating with his wife and daughter, Xiao Han was probably still in the canyon, neither of them responded, only Sang Luo responded to him.
Sang Luo asked him how to get there. Xia Zhi said he could take the 7 o'clock high-speed train on Saturday morning. Sang Luo sent him an OK emoji and said he would pick him up when the time came.
The next morning, Xia Zhi got up early, washed and dressed simply, and went out.
City U and City A are not too far apart, and it only takes an hour and a half to get there by high-speed rail. We set off at 7:00 and arrived in City A at 8:30 on time.
Sang Luo usually drove Xia Zhi to pick him up every time he came to City A. When he got out of the station, he saw a familiar black car at first glance, with the Rolls-Royce logo on the front of the car particularly eye-catching.
Xia Zhi smiled knowingly, walked over quickly, opened the passenger door as if he knew the way, and ducked in.
"Have you been waiting for a long time?" Xia Zhi said to the man next to him while fastening his seat belt.
"We just got here." Sang Luo leaned over to the back seat, took out a brown paper bag, and handed it to Xia Zhi. "You didn't have breakfast, right? I passed by a breakfast shop and bought some for you."
Xia Zhi opened the bag and took a look inside. There was a cup of coffee and a sandwich. He smiled and said, "Thanks."
"Why should we be polite to each other?" Sang Luo yawned, looking not in good spirits.
Xia Zhi asked, "Didn't you sleep well?"
"Don't mention it!" Sang Luo's face changed when he mentioned this. He said with a gloomy face and gritted teeth, "Shi Mudong, that bastard, will die of exhaustion sooner or later!"
"Cough cough cough!" Xia Zhi almost sprayed the coffee he had just taken onto the windshield of the Rolls-Royce.
Sang Luo turned around and looked at him with resentment. Xia Zhi then noticed that Sang Luo's face was a little pale from fatigue, and there was a faint blue in his eyes, a typical sign of overindulgence.
Thinking of what Sang Luo had complained about in the group a few days ago, he couldn't help but joked, "Is your girlfriend really in her prime?"
"No," Sang Luo said seriously, "He's not in the period of being infatuated, he's always been in the period of being infatuated! I've never seen anyone more annoying than him!"
“…” Xia Zhi chewed the sandwich slowly, trying hard not to laugh.
Sang Luo finally found someone to complain about, and he couldn't stop for a while. While driving, he complained to Xia Zhi about his Teddy reincarnation partner.
"Shi Mudong must have been a teddy bear in his previous life. Seven days a week, seven times a day, 70 minutes each time." Sang Luo said angrily, "I'm not an inflatable W doll, I won't break!"
Xia Zhi rubbed his nose, looking a little embarrassed. He didn't dare to interrupt rashly. Even though Sang Luo cursed so vigorously, if someone dared to say something bad about his man, he would immediately explode.
"No, if this continues, he will kill me." Sang Luo suggested, "Don't go back today, come to my house and stay. We can sleep in the same room and leave him alone for a few nights."
"No!" Xia Zhi hastily refused, "I don't want to be your cannon fodder. I have something to do at school tomorrow, so I have to rush back today."
"Tsk," Sang Luo was dissatisfied, "Then when are you free?"
"At least until summer vacation."
Sang Luo calculated that there was only half a month left before U University's summer vacation, which was not too long, so he nodded with satisfaction and asked, "Then you won't be busy during the summer vacation, right?"
"should."
"Well, then, please free up July and go to Africa with me."
Xia Zhi was surprised: "Are you really going to Africa?"
"yes."
Xia Zhi didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Go see Fa Qian's lion?"
"I was just kidding," Sang Luo said, "but I have always wanted to go to Africa, but Shi Mudong's teddy bear wouldn't let me go, saying it was too dangerous."
"Then why did you agree this time?"
"He didn't agree." Sang Luo said confidently, "I'm not going to tell him either."
"… "
Sang Luo explained: "He is going to Europe to attend a financial summit in July. He will be away for a month. He won't be able to control me even if he wants to."
Xia Zhi rubbed his brows in distress: "There is a term specifically used to explain this behavior. Do you know what it is?"
Sang Luo was very self-aware: "It's courting death."
"Why are you still going?" Xia Zhi asked, "Have you ever thought about the consequences of your crime being exposed?"
"What consequences can there be? At most, I'll be dragged to bed and make love all night." Sang Luo drove the car with his eyes fixed on the front, his face calm and indifferent, "I'm used to it."
"… "
Sang Luo changed the subject again: "Do you want to go with me?"
Xia Zhi rested his right hand on the car window, resting his chin on it, and looked out the window quietly. After a long while, he asked softly, "So you are not going to consider Chuanxing's matter?"
"Of course not." Xia Zhi denied, "I just thought you would at least hesitate, but I didn't expect you weren't going to consider it at all."
"It's not that I don't consider it, it's that I don't care. It doesn't matter whether you participate or not." Sang Luo's expression became serious when talking about business. "You also know that although we have already retired from the circle, you are the only one among the five of us who has truly left this circle completely. The others are more or less still connected, so even if the history of Victoria's period is exposed, the impact is actually not that big."
Xia Zhi asked curiously: "What do you think?"
"It's up to you." Sang Luo said, "To put it bluntly, this matter has the greatest impact on you. If you participate, we will participate. If you don't participate, we won't participate either. We'll all listen to you."
Xia Zhi held her chin and couldn't help but sigh. At this time, the car encountered a red light and stopped at the intersection.
On the left is the commercial center of City A. The advertising screen facing the street is playing a watch advertisement. The handsome male model with deep features and tall stature in the advertisement is their brand spokesperson.
Xia Zhi stared at the man on the screen for a long time.
Until the traffic light changed color, the car restarted, and the huge advertising screen became smaller and smaller, Xia Zhi took a last look through the rearview mirror and finally looked away.
Sang Luo, who was standing by, witnessed everything but said nothing.
After driving for nearly an hour, we finally arrived at the agreed location - Jinhui Pavilion.
Fang Yuan, Cheng Yunan and Xiao Han had already arrived for a while.
Xia Zhi and Sang Luo went up to the second floor according to the private room Cheng Yunan gave them and found the room successfully. The two walked in. The sound of the door opening attracted the attention of the three people in the private room, and they all turned their heads to look over.
"Here they are." Fang Yuan stood up excitedly and walked out to greet the two.
"Brother Yuan." Because they hadn't seen each other for many years, their relationship was inevitably distant, and Xia Zhi's attitude was not particularly enthusiastic.
Fang Yuan was very enthusiastic. Without saying a word, he reached out to hug him, then looked him up and down, and praised him with a smile: "It's been many years since we last met. Xiao Xia has become more and more handsome."
Xia Zhi originally wanted to politely reply, "You too", but looking at the few white hairs on Fang Yuan's head and his furrowed brows, she ended up not saying it and just smiled faintly.
Fang Yuan used to be Victoria's agent. At that time, he had just entered the industry and was only a junior agent. Now, I heard that he has become a department head and no longer manages artists.
Fang Yuan looks quite handsome. In fact, he is only in his early thirties this year, but perhaps because of too much work pressure, he looks a little haggard.
After greeting Fang Yuan, Xiao Han and Cheng Yunan also came over.
Facing his old friend, Xia Zhi's smile became much more sincere and he spoke more casually.
After the greetings, everyone sat down again.
Fang Yuan was the host and took the initiative to pour water for everyone. While pouring the water, he slowly glanced at the four people around him, whose appearances had become more outstanding than eight years ago, and he was filled with emotion for a moment.
Fang Yuan has always felt that Victoria was not born without a chance, but was born at the wrong time. If it were now, he believed that Victoria would definitely be a big hit just based on the outstanding appearance of the five members. But now, even if the opportunity comes, the five members will never be able to reunite. All he can say is that all this is fate.
Fang Yuan sighed inwardly, put down the teapot, and started chatting again: "How has everyone been these years?"
Everyone replied perfunctorily, "It's fine."
Fang Yuan looked at Xia Zhi and smiled gently: "Xiao Xia, I heard that you are now teaching at U University and are an associate professor. Congratulations."
Xia Zhi smiled and thanked him.
Sang Luo, Cheng Yunan and Xiao Han were all in City A. Since they were in the same city, and their current careers were all somewhat related to the entertainment industry, Fang Yuan knew a little about their situations.
Only Xia Zhi.
Xia Zhi is the only one among the four who has completely left the entertainment industry. In addition, they are not in the same city, so Fang Yuan doesn’t know much about his situation.
When he first learned that Xia Zhi had become a university teacher, he was surprised for a long time, because in his impression, Xia Zhi was still the spoiled and irritable child, and he could not imagine him standing on the podium to teach and educate people.
Until today, when he met her in person, he was surprised to find that Xia Zhi had changed a lot. He was calm and elegant in his manners, wearing a pair of glasses with thin frames. At first glance, he actually had the temperament of a gentle scholar.
Fang Yuan couldn't stop watching and was obviously very interested in Xia Zhi, who seemed to have been completely transformed.
In fact, Xia Zhi was not unaware that Fang Yuan was staring at her, but she felt a little embarrassed, so she pretended not to know. However, Fang Yuan became more and more excited and his eyes became more and more eager. Xia Zhi could no longer pretend, and turned to look at Sang Luo with a bitter face.
Sang Luo smiled knowingly and spoke to attract Fang Yuan's attention.
"Brother Fang, since everyone is here, why don't you bring some food first?"
Fang Yuan then turned his gaze away from Xia Zhi, looked down at the watch on his wrist, and said to everyone with a smile: "Wait a little longer, there is still one person who hasn't arrived yet."
Xia Zhi put down the cup and looked at Fang Yuan, who was smiling mysteriously, and a bad feeling arose in his heart.
The other three members were also stunned. Sang Luo was the first to react: "You didn't call Lao Jiang here too, did you?"
Fang Yuan smiled slightly and did not deny it.
Xiao Han and Cheng Yunan looked at each other and were also very surprised.
Cheng Yunan half-seriously praised him, "Brother Fang, you can actually move that guy, you're amazing."
As soon as the words fell, the door of the box was pushed open again. The waiter led a tall man wearing a mask and a hat in.
"I'm sorry I'm late."
(End of this chapter)