Chapter 460: Urban Rhythms and Hidden Bonds

Xu Chen drove past Shanghai Foreign Languages University first, dropping Wu Feifei at the dormitory entrance.

He then headed straight to Tonghai University’s Southwest Tower and let Su Rong out, her face full of reluctant goodbyes.

The young girl said farewell to Bing Ge, still looking pitiful.

Bing Ge got out of the passenger seat and gently stroked Su Rong’s head, like comforting an injured kitten.

Xu Chen watched the two being all sweet and couldn’t help but feel a bit speechless.

……

A few minutes later, the car pulled up downstairs at the company.

Xu Chen took Xie Bingran’s hand and headed straight to the small office on the eighth floor.

He punched in the code, flipped on the lights, and the room lit up brightly.

Xie Bingran glanced around and noticed Xu Chen had redecorated the place.

Last time Bing Ge visited, Fei Jie and the team had just moved to the sixth floor, leaving this spot empty.

Now Xu Chen had added a long table, new computers, a tea table, and a small sofa, making it much more comfortable.

Xu Chen led Xie Bingran to the former ‘General Manager’s Office’ and opened the safe hidden in the cabinet, showing it off to her:

“I’ve got Bing Ge’s gold medals all stashed in here!”

“Oh……”

Xu Chen remembered something else and pulled out two boxes from under the desk—two brand-new pairs of ‘Ran Bing 001’ shoes.

He grabbed a black pen and handed it to Xie Bingran:

“Sign these shoes for me.”

Xie Bingran took the pen:

“Are these for someone?”

Xu Chen: “For Vanke’s boss Wang Shi and Yu Liang.”

At the Sanya Marathon, they supported ‘Ran Bing Sports’ and even gave us free offline display spots and online PR promotion……”

I figured sending them a couple of signed shoes would show my thanks!”

Xie Bingran just said “Oh” and opened the shoe boxes, signing her name on both pairs.

Xu Chen picked up the shoes and examined them:

“Bing Ge’s signature has really improved—looks great now!”

As he spoke, Xu Chen flashed a mischievous smile.

It carried a subtle tease.

Back in high school when they signed the endorsement deal, Xu Chen had teased Bing Ge about her messy handwriting, and she shot back with a cold stare.

Xie Bingran ignored the jab and said:

“If you have more of these shoes, give me a few pairs.”

“I can send some out too.”

Hearing this, Xu Chen lit up with surprise:

“Bing Ge’s getting savvy!”

Xie Bingran brushed it off and wandered out.

She headed to the newly set-up small bedroom next door and blinked her big eyes as she looked around.

Xu Chen followed:

“This used to be the meeting room; I turned it into a bedroom.”

“If the dorm gets too noisy, I can crash here.”

Xie Bingran thought for a moment: “But it’s not great for showers here, right?”

Xu Chen: “No problem, you can shower at school and come over.”

“It’s just a short walk—good exercise.”

Xie Bingran stepped into the room and blinked her way through a full inspection.

She stopped by the window and added:

“The main road’s right outside; won’t it be noisy sleeping here at night?”

Indeed, the noise from Chifeng Road at Tonghai University’s south gate faintly drifted in from the traffic.

Xu Chen: “It’s not too bad; I sleep like a rock.”

Xie Bingran: “Then let’s sleep here tonight.”

Xu Chen: “Ah?!”

Xie Bingran ignored him and turned to leave again.

Xu Chen scratched his head.

He hadn’t planned on sending Bing Ge back to Xin Zhuang Base tonight; he figured on finding a cozy hotel instead.

“Good……”

“I’ll drop you back early tomorrow.”

“But no shower here……”

Xie Bingran: “Then we won’t shower, unless you mind.”

Xu Chen gazed at her with adoration:

“How could I? I love you just as you are!”

“……”

The two went downstairs and strolled around Tonghai University, picking up some toiletries at the campus store.

With winter break on, the campus felt emptier.

The night breeze carried a chill.

Shanghai’s actual temperature wasn’t too low, but the humidity made it feel piercingly cold.

Xu Chen held Xie Bingran’s hand and tucked it into his warm down jacket pocket.

He shared some jokes, mostly about company stuff, and Xie Bingran listened quietly, chuckling now and then.

Xu Chen thought of home and smiled:

“Fang Jun’s been all in on your new house’s decor.”

She’s got everything cleared out and picked a bunch of furniture and appliances for me to check.”

“The main appliances are set; they’re standard stuff, all good.”

“Water heater, fridge, TV……”

“Fang Jun’s overseeing it; they’ll install everything in the next couple of days.”

“For furniture and cabinets, I’ll need to see them in person to check quality and style……”

They chatted about the 14th’s shoot, and Xu Chen joked:

“Bing Ge’s shooting for Louis Vuitton now—total high-end.”

Xie Bingran seemed unfazed and just said “Oh.”

“This crew’s from Louis Vuitton’s artist team—top global designers and photographers, flying in just for you from Paris……”

“For the spring-summer global campaign, it’s just two people: you and Scarlett Johansson.”

In 2007, ‘The Avengers’ hadn’t hit yet, so Scarlett Johansson wasn’t ‘Black Widow’ yet, but she was already a Hollywood powerhouse.

Louis Vuitton’s strategy was clear: Scarlett for the West, Xie Bingran for the East.

“Asian Games champ” Xie Bingran was all about tapping into the Asian market, especially in China where luxury spending was booming.

Xie Bingran stayed cool, like it was no big deal.

But Xu Chen knew when those ads dropped, they’d explode in China’s celeb scene.

Big luxury endorsements like Louis Vuitton were what every star chased, usually going to A-listers with global pull.

No one expected this year’s spring-summer spot to land on a ‘sports star.’

Bing Ge’s fans would be thrilled.

With Louis Vuitton and the Spring Festival Gala, Bing Ge would be a true top-tier athlete.

“By the way, you heard about the Spring Festival Gala?” Xu Chen asked.

Though Li Yue said he hadn’t approached Xie Bingran yet and wanted Xu Chen to handle it, Xu Chen knew it was already in the works.

Sure enough, Xie Bingran said:

“Coach Cheng mentioned it……”

“But it’s on New Year’s Eve, and I’m not really into it.”

Xu Chen found it amusing—Bing Ge had probably already turned Li Yue down once.

“You should go; it’ll boost your public profile big time.”

“It’ll amp up your commercial value too.”

Xie Bingran didn’t respond, seeming uninterested.

Xu Chen squeezed her hand in his pocket:

“I can come to Beijing for New Year’s Eve……”

“After you’re done, I’ll take you back to Tiancheng for the holiday.”

Xie Bingran paused.

She thought and said:

“But that’s New Year’s Eve; you need to be with your dad.”

Xu Chen: “I’ll sort it with him.”

“I’ve got a few days in Tiancheng anyway.”

“As for New Year’s Eve, I’ll talk to him.”

Xie Bingran: “Better not; you two should be together.”

Xu Chen:

“Just listen to me; you need to do the Gala.”

“This is prime exposure—stars beg for it.”

Xie Bingran was quiet for a moment:

“Oh…… got it……”

Once she agreed, Xu Chen couldn’t help asking:

“What’d they say about it?”

Xie Bingran: “What about?”

Xu Chen: “The Gala—how are you joining?”

Xie Bingran: “Not sure; just that it’s for Asian Games champs and athletes.”

“Besides me, there’s Wu Minxia, Guo Jingjing, Wang Nan, and others……”

Xu Chen: “All female athletes?”

Xie Bingran: “Some guys too, but I don’t know who.”

“Bing Ge’s amazing—making it to the Gala!” Xu Chen said with genuine admiration.

Xie Bingran didn’t reply.

After a silence, she whispered:

“I thought this year we could spend New Year’s together……”

Xu Chen felt a pang and said softly:

“I told you, I’ll come get you in Beijing; we’ll celebrate together.”

Xie Bingran: “Really, don’t; you should be with your dad.”

Xu Chen: “Just leave it to me!”

Xie Bingran lowered her head for a moment, then said softly, “Oh……”

Xu Chen: “Let’s head back and sleep.”

He grinned mischievously:

“The office bed’s small—perfect for cuddling up.”

……

……

The next morning dawned early.

Before the sun was up, Xu Chen felt something tickling his face.

He groggily opened his eyes and caught Xie Bingran, who was sneaking a kiss.

Xie Bingran blinked innocently and said timidly:

“I was just waking you up…… you need to take me back……”

“You look so tempting right now……”

……

……

In the morning.

After dropping Xie Bingran off, Xu Chen returned around nine.

He drove back to school, parked in the dormitory lot, and grabbed his luggage.

He had a flight booked for early tomorrow to head home for break, courtesy of Nana.

Nana now handled all the company’s travel admin that Gu Xinxi used to manage.

The dorm was empty; his classmates had left days ago.

This was their first winter break in college, and many freshmen felt the pull of home.

Xu Chen didn’t have much to pack—just a small suitcase with a tiny national flag on it, snagged from Bing Ge’s national team gear.

……

He wandered into the company, and everyone was already there.

As he walked in, they greeted him as ‘Boss’ or ‘Young Xu Chen.’

The seven intern seniors were there too, sticking around until the company’s holiday break.

“Little housekeeper” Gu Xinxi knew Xu Chen was leaving tomorrow, so she quickly pulled him aside to update him on ongoing projects.

The Jeep project was wrapped up; final payment received, and she’d sent the closing report—the clients Pang Ming and He Da Chang both replied with thanks.

Jiaduobao had some ongoing design needs, mainly for Kunlun Mountain; Tang Xiaowei was handling that smoothly.

The Yichun promo and Vanke projects were in the final stages……

When Gu Xinxi got to Vanke, Xu Chen said:

“Those two pairs of Bing Ge’s signed shoes are upstairs; I’ll grab them for you.”

“I talked to Zhou Kai; just ship them out soon.”

“Got it, Boss.”

The Head & Shoulders and Chenfeng Ice Power ads were in editing; Sun Aimi was on that.

The Cadillac shoot was set for after the New Year; the production company was coordinating.

Before the break, Xu Chen had two things: head to Beijing on the 13th for the Baidu ad, and watch Bing Ge shoot Louis Vuitton on the 14th in Shanghai.

Xu Chen was most excited about the Louis Vuitton shoot—top artists from Paris turning Bing Ge’s cool vibe into something epic.

Sun Aimi called him over:

“The Cadillac ad storyboard and script are finalized; take a look, Boss……”

Xu Chen pulled up a chair at Aimi’s computer, took the mouse, and reviewed it carefully.

Tang Xiaowei and the other two intern seniors gathered behind, watching intently.

This was a big budget project, and once it aired, it’d be a key win for East Morning Star Advertising.

Xu Chen finished and thought it over, offering some clear suggestions; Sun Aimi and Tang Xiaowei noted them down.

The two senior interns exchanged glances, their eyes saying:

“Wow… some of what Young Xu Chen said went right over our heads……”