The Mysterious Power from the East

“No problem~” Li Yuanying once again flashed a smile sweet enough to melt the heart.

—System, bind!

【Ding! Binding successful. Li Yuanying’s favorability toward the host: 30】

—Wow, her base favorability is already this high even though we just met. Not bad.

Just then, Neil came over from the counter carrying a cup of iced Americano. He had noticed a stunning beauty sit down in front of Su Yang a moment ago, and the sight had left him staring in shock.

Neil hurried over to Su Yang. “Su, your Americano.”

“Thanks. Oh, and Neil, could you make this beautiful lady a cup of coffee too?” Su Yang looked at Li Yuanying with a smile.

“Sure. Miss, what would you like?”

“A cappuccino, please.”

“Of course. One moment.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Neil turned away, sneaking a glance at Su Yang and revealing an envious expression.

After Neil left, Li Yuanying smiled at Su Yang. “By the way, handsome, I still don’t know what your name is.”

“Su Yang.”

“Okay. You can call me Yuanying.”

“Yuanying, all right. Were you officially invited here to attend Fashion Week?”

“Yes. For the time being, that’s the only job I have. After Fashion Week, I’m planning to stay here and look around for a while.”

“Really? You’re such a big star, and you don’t have anything else lined up?”

“I’m not really a big star. Besides, I haven’t been feeling well lately, so my agent turned down some of my work. I’m taking advantage of the break to get some rest.”

“Oh, I see. No matter what kind of work you do, you still have to take care of your health.”

Li Yuanying smiled. “That’s right.”

She stared at Su Yang and continued, “Did you come here alone?”

Su Yang nodded. “Yeah. I’ve never been to Europe before, so I decided to come and explore on my own.”

“I’m so jealous.”

“What’s there to be jealous of?”

“You can go wherever you want, and no one can tell you what to do. Wouldn’t that be great?”

“But there are plenty of things about you that other people envy.”

“Like what?”

“For example, wherever you go, you’re surrounded by enthusiastic fans. You make a lot of money, people admire you, and you have both fame and fortune.”

“Ah, you’re only seeing the surface. From the outside, people in our line of work seem to live glamorous lives, but there’s a lot of hardship behind the scenes. We also have to deal with rumors, insults, and abuse online.”

“That can’t really be helped. Public figures are bound to be in the spotlight. There will always be people who dislike you or are jealous of you, so it has its advantages and disadvantages.”

Li Yuanying gave a slight smile and nodded. “That’s true. But you’re really not a celebrity from China?”

“I’m really not. Besides, look at me. Do I look like a celebrity? Other than being a little handsome, having a good physique, and being decent at singing, there’s nothing particularly star-like about me.”

“Pfft!” Li Yuanying burst out laughing at his words.

“Who praises himself like that?”

“Haha, I’m just kidding.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve had such a conversation with a stranger. Talking to you feels so easy and relaxing.” Li Yuanying gazed at Su Yang as she spoke.

“Same here. Before meeting you, I’d never had any contact with a celebrity. I always thought celebrities were cold and aloof, the kind of people who looked down on everyone else. But you’re not like that.”

“Oh? Is that so?”

“Yeah. A lot of celebrities joke around with the audience and seem very approachable when they’re onstage, but in private, I often see fans online asking them for autographs only to be ignored.”

Li Yuanying nodded after hearing this. “The situation you’re talking about does exist. A lot of famous people actually treat their fans rather poorly in private.”

“That’s why you’re different. You don’t put on airs at all.”

“I’m a pretty straightforward person, and I treat everyone well.”

“Not bad. I’ll give you a thumbs-up.” As he spoke, Su Yang gave Li Yuanying a thumbs-up.

“Thanks~”

“You’re welcome.”

As they were talking, Neil came over again with the coffee.

“Miss, here’s your cappuccino.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Huh?” Neil hadn’t paid much attention before, but now he took a careful look at the young woman in front of him.

“What is it?” Li Yuanying asked, blinking at Neil.

“You’re a celebrity, aren’t you?”

Li Yuanying covered her mouth and laughed. “I wouldn’t really call myself a celebrity. I’m just a singer.”

“Oh my God! I was wondering how you could be so beautiful.” Neil put on an exaggerated expression.

“Thank you for the compliment.”

Neil gave a silly grin and looked at Su Yang. “Su, miss, enjoy yourselves. Just call me if you need anything.”

“Sure. Thanks, Neil. I’ll buy you a drink sometime.”

“Hehe, sounds good!” Neil turned away with a cheerful smile. Although he had no idea why Su Yang knew a celebrity, the two of them seemed to be enjoying their conversation, so he decided not to bother them any further.

People in Europe really did have a different attitude toward celebrities than people in many other places. They weren’t nearly as fanatical.

In many places, even if people didn’t know who a celebrity was, they would still approach them for an autograph or a photo as soon as they found out they were famous.

Of course, if it was an internationally renowned superstar, then most people would ask for an autograph or a photo anywhere in the world if they had the chance to meet them. But if the celebrity wasn’t particularly famous, people generally wouldn’t care as much.

After Neil left, Li Yuanying picked up her coffee and took a small sip.

“Su Yang, how long are you planning to stay here?”

“I’m not sure. I’ll see how things go. I’m free anyway, so staying a few more days or leaving a few days earlier doesn’t really matter.”

“Oh, okay. Then can we be friends?” Li Yuanying asked, blinking her limpid eyes.

“Friends? Sure. We’re already friends now.”

“I mean, can we exchange contact information?”

“Oh, sure.”

Su Yang took out his phone, and the two of them added each other on WeChat and Instagram. Although she wasn’t from China, Li Yuanying used WeChat as well.

After adding each other, Li Yuanying asked, “Are you staying at this hotel too?”

“Yeah.”

“Then… do you have any plans tomorrow evening?”

“Tomorrow evening? Probably not. I came alone and I’m traveling independently, so I haven’t made any plans yet.”

“Since we’re celebrating becoming friends, how about having dinner together tomorrow evening?”

Hearing this, Su Yang smiled. “Well… I don’t have a problem with that. Of course I’d be happy to accept an invitation from a beautiful woman. But you’re a public figure. Aren’t you worried about paparazzi taking pictures? They might start spreading rumors that you’re dating someone.”

Li Yuanying shook her head with a smile. “I don’t care. It’s not as if one more rumor would make a difference. Besides, hardly anyone knows me here in Europe. Look around—there isn’t a single fan nearby. I’m only somewhat famous in my own country. Here, I’m just an ordinary person.”

Su Yang tilted his head and glanced out the window. “I suppose you’re right. But I saw you come in with another woman earlier. Is she your assistant?”

“Yeah. Attending Fashion Week tomorrow counts as work, so I brought her along. Otherwise, my assistant didn’t even want to come. We already agreed that she’ll return home after Fashion Week tomorrow, and then I’ll travel around here by myself.”

“Your company doesn’t care?”

“I already took leave, so it’s fine.”

“That’s good. What time is Fashion Week tomorrow?”

“It’s being held at the Grand Palais in Paris at three tomorrow afternoon, and the whole event will last nine days. But I’m only attending one brand fashion show tomorrow afternoon. It should wrap up around six or seven, and after that, I’ll be free~” Li Yuanying said with a cheerful smile.

“Great. In that case, let’s have dinner together tomorrow night.”

“Sure. I should probably head upstairs now, too. I’ve got a whole pile of clothes waiting for me to try on, so I probably won’t be able to go anywhere today.”

“No problem. You go take care of your work. Once it’s over tomorrow, you can relax properly.”

“Okay, I’ll get going, then. See you tomorrow.”

“Yep, bye!”

Li Yuanying finished half of her coffee, smiled at Su Yang, and got up to leave.

It was now half past one in the afternoon, and Su Yang suddenly felt a little hungry. He had originally planned to look around the restaurant on the top floor of the hotel, but when he glanced outside and saw the bright sunshine, he decided that staying cooped up in the hotel was pointless. He might as well go out for a stroll and grab something to eat while he was at it.

With that thought, Su Yang got up and headed toward the entrance.

Neil appeared from who-knows-where and called out, “Su, where are you going?”

“I’m going out for a walk. Is there anything good to eat around here?”

“Sure. Want me to recommend somewhere?”

“Isn’t that what I’m asking you for?”

“Hehe, all right. Once you leave, turn left and walk about a hundred meters. There’s an amazing pizza place there.”

“Pizza? Uh… anything else?”

“Not your thing? Then head to Krem Street. There’s a famous steakhouse there, and the food is fantastic!”

“That sounds good. Is it far?”

“Not at all. It’s only two blocks from our hotel, about a ten-minute walk.”

“Okay, I’ll check it out. Thanks.”

“No problem. We’re friends!” Neil winked, his cheeks jiggling with the motion.

“Haha, all right. See you later.”

With that, Su Yang walked out of the hotel.

The temperature in Paris was pleasantly mild in October, averaging between fourteen and twenty-five degrees Celsius during the day, with temperatures dropping a few degrees at night.

Although the sun was shining, it was only twenty-two degrees at the moment—not hot at all, and perfect for strolling around.

Su Yang soon reached a nearby street, though it wasn’t the Champs-Élysées. It was called something like Climber Street, and it was only two blocks from the Arc de Triomphe—very close indeed.

For now, however, all he wanted was a nice, satisfying meal. As for the Arc de Triomphe, he could simply take a photo if he happened to pass by. There was no need to make a special trip to see it.

He pulled out his phone, opened the map, and searched for the Krem Street Neil had mentioned. After getting a rough idea of the direction, he leisurely made his way over.

He soon arrived at Krem Street. The road was broad, and there were plenty of people around.

Tall, straight trees lined both sides of the street, and from a distance, the view was quite beautiful.

On the left stood a row of relatively low European-style classical buildings, while on the right was an open park filled with basketball courts.

At that moment, numerous black and white players were engaged in an intense game.

Su Yang watched from a distance and chuckled. “The basketball scene here is pretty lively. I was fine before I saw them, but now my hands are itching to play. I’ll eat first, then shoot some pickup ball with these guys and let them experience the mysterious power of the East.”

Just as he was speaking, a white Range Rover pulled up nearby and stopped by the roadside. The door opened, and a muscular Black man around 195 centimeters tall stepped out.

Su Yang narrowed his eyes. “Huh? Why does this guy look so familiar?”

……