Chapter Forty-Three: The Wallet Is Lost!

The two were about to start another round of bickering when Deng Xin stepped in to mediate.

"Yang Ying, I'm not saying anything, but you argue with me one moment, and then with Chen Chi the next. Is there anyone quite like you?" Deng Xin said.

"Ha ha!"

Jiang Yun, He Ling, and the others burst out laughing. He Ling teased, "Deng Xin, is that your idea of settling a quarrel?"

"Exactly, you're just adding fuel to the fire," Huang Kang chimed in.

The group settled together, sipping tea and chatting.

"Jiang Yun, lately Blue Channel is planning a new variety show. Would you be interested in joining as a guest?" Deng Xin asked.

Jiang Yun took a sip of tea and asked, "What kind of show?"

"An outdoor reality show, called 'Run, Friends!'"

"Heh! If I get the chance, I'll go," Jiang Yun replied.

"Ah..." Deng Xin sighed.

"What's wrong?" He Ling asked.

"We've got the resident guests confirmed, but we still haven't settled on a theme song."

"I thought it was something serious! That's easy, just ask Jiang Yun to write one," Huang Kang said, as if it were no big deal.

Deng Xin's eyes lit up. "Right! Why didn't I think of that?"

"So, Jiang Yun, can you write it? I'm getting you some business here!" Huang Kang said. "If this works out, you owe me a meal!"

Jiang Yun feigned annoyance. "Mr. Huang, what are you saying! Even without this, I'd still owe you a meal, for all your care and support!"

"Well, Jiang Yun, can you write it?" Deng Xin and his companions looked at Jiang Yun hopefully.

Jiang Yun lowered his head in thought, as if pondering deeply.

"System, redeem the song 'You Said I Am Your Superhero!'"

"Ding! Congratulations, host, redemption successful. 50,000 popularity points deducted. Current popularity: 4,103,086."

"Does anyone have pen and paper?"

"I'll get them for you right now!" Deng Xin hurried back to his room and returned with a diary and a ballpoint pen.

Jiang Yun wrote out the lyrics and melody in a flourish. However, with his clear logic skill, he was cautious—he only wrote a sample, preventing the other party from seeing the full lyrics and melody and plagiarizing or reworking them. This avoided unnecessary trouble.

Deng Xin took the lyrics and hummed a bit. "Nice! Jiang Yun, I'll take this sample and show our director and producer."

Jiang Yun nodded.

They continued their tea and conversation late into the night.

Early the next morning.

At the crossroads.

"Goodbye!"

"Bye!"

Deng Xin and his two companions pulled their suitcases and boarded the Cadillac. The car started and the trio departed.

Only Huang Kang, He Ling, and Jiang Yun remained.

After a few brief words, they too boarded the Cadillac and left.

Jiang Yun, wearing a mask and sunglasses, headed to the airport.

"Bang!"

He collided with someone.

"Ouch!"

It was a young woman.

The girl, attractive and stylish, stood up, rubbing her nose and her backside.

"I'm sorry, so sorry!" Jiang Yun hurriedly apologized.

"What's wrong with you? Walking so fast—are you in a rush to reincarnate?" The girl's rapid-fire reproach left Jiang Yun speechless. It was clearly her who was rushing, fidgeting like a thief.

A thief? Hmm? Why did that word pop into his mind?

The girl walked away.

Jiang Yun quickly forgot the incident.

At the security checkpoint.

"Sir, please show your ID and ticket!"

Jiang Yun held the ticket in his left hand, rummaging through his jacket pockets with his right, then opened his backpack.

"Sir, please show your ID!"

"Of course, just a moment," Jiang Yun smiled.

"Where's my wallet?"

He searched and searched, but couldn't find it.

"Come on, hurry up!" someone in line behind him urged.

"Sorry!" Jiang Yun smiled apologetically to those waiting.

"Phew... It's over, my wallet's been stolen!"

Jiang Yun left the line. "Hello? Mr. Huang?"

"What? You're already on the plane!"

"My wallet was stolen!"

"Alright, I'll call Mr. He right away!"

Jiang Yun then dialed He Ling. "Mr. He, where are you now?"

"Thank goodness you haven't left yet!"

"What happened?"

"My wallet was stolen, I can't board the plane!"

"Alright! I'm at Xiaoxiang Airport!"

After hanging up, Jiang Yun went to the ticket office to see if he could get a refund.

"I lost my ID. Is it possible to refund this ticket?"

"Sorry, that's not allowed."

As expected, no ID meant no refund.

Finally, Jiang Yun showed his mobile booking and spent quite some time negotiating.

"Please, could you make an exception?"

"Okay, take off your mask and sunglasses, I'll do a facial recognition."

Jiang Yun slowly removed them.

"You are... Oh my god, you're Jiang Yun!" The service staff practically jumped up, eager to let the world know they'd met Jiang Yun.

Jiang Yun smiled.

In the end, he managed to refund his ticket.

With cash in hand, Jiang Yun found a place to eat.

He quietly waited for He Ling.

Meanwhile.

The girl who had collided with Jiang Yun reached a quiet corner.

She took out the wallet, checked the thousands in cash inside, then pulled out the bank card and tossed it in the trash.

Lastly, she looked at the ID. One glance and—

"It's actually him?"

Her heart thumped wildly; wasn't this her idol? She loved his songs: "Words Don't Match the Heart," "Heartbroken Pacific," "A Night in Summer Capital," "Blue and White Porcelain."

Even his latest, "Moon at Fifteen," which hadn't yet been released in audio, she adored.

She hesitated, debating whether to return it.

"Xiao He, how's the haul?" a man asked.

Xiao He turned, trembling. "D-dog-ge!"

The man known as Dog-ge extended his right hand.

Xiao He handed over the wallet.

Dog-ge glanced at the wallet, seeing thousands inside. "Nice, well done."

He pulled out a hundred, thought a moment, then another hundred, tossing them to Xiao He. "A reward."

Xiao He bent to pick them up.

"By the way, the ID?"

"It wasn't there when I got it!" Xiao He quietly slipped the ID into her pocket.

"Oh!" Dog-ge replied, quickly forgetting the matter. "You can call it a day, get some rest tonight! In a few days, I'll take you all to the hot springs!"

"Yes, yes, okay!"

Dog-ge left. Xiao He stood there, her gaze uncertain, then headed toward the airport.

Evening.

At the airport exit.

"Mr. He, you're finally here!"

"Well, did you get anxious waiting?"

"It's alright!"

"Let's go eat," He Ling suggested.

"Sure! I didn't dare go eat until you arrived," Jiang Yun said.

"You got your ticket refunded, right?" He Ling drove.

"I did, but my phone's almost dead. I was worried if I left the airport I wouldn't be able to reach you."

"Heh!"

He Ling chuckled, "Jiang Yun, aren't you usually quite sharp?"

"What's wrong?"

"You could have found a restaurant and borrowed a charger!"

Jiang Yun realized, slapping his forehead. "Right! Why didn't I think of that?"

"Heh!"

"Ha ha!"

They both laughed, without knowing quite why.