lcionline Chapter 17 Sisters United
Chapter 17 Sisters United
Su Xiaoxiao's fingers tightened slightly as she gripped the water glass, her knuckles turning somewhat white.
But she still maintained a smile: "Thank you for the reminder, Senior Sister Lin, but I still want to give it a try."
After lunch, Su Xiaoxiao did not attend the afternoon alumni forum, but instead made an excuse to leave early.
As she stepped out of the reception building, the sunlight was blinding. She raised her hand to shield her eyes and then let out a long breath.
The feeling of tightness in my chest did not dissipate after I left that place.
She took out her phone, opened WeChat, and saw a message from her sister Su Yiyi: "Xiaoxiao, Yuji and I are at the coffee shop next to the stadium, are you coming?"
There's also Zhou Yuji's: "Come quick, I ordered your favorite iced Americano, the ice will melt if you don't come soon."
Looking at these two messages, Su Xiaoxiao finally smiled a genuine smile.
"Coming right away," she replied.
The "Time Cafe" next to the Provincial University Gymnasium is a favorite spot for students and teachers.
The decor is a minimalist industrial style, with photos of student activities covering the walls, bookshelves in the corner crammed with all sorts of old books, and the air filled with the aroma of roasted coffee beans and creamy desserts.
Zhou Yuji and Su Yiyi sat in a booth by the window, forming a pleasing sight.
Zhou Yuji's outfit today is... quite casual.
A dark blue denim jumpsuit, with the cuffs rolled up to the ankles, revealing slender ankles and a pair of white canvas shoes.
He wore a white shirt over his clothes, unbuttoned, just left open, and underneath was a simple black vest.
Her hair was tied in a high ponytail, she wore no makeup, or only very light makeup, her lips were a natural pink, and a pair of brown sunglasses perched on her nose, covering most of her face.
But her languid yet carefree demeanor still attracted a lot of attention—some students secretly glanced at her and whispered among themselves, "Which college is that senior from? She's so cool."
Su Yiyi, on the other hand, has a completely different style.
She wore a light apricot-colored knitted maxi dress that reached her ankles. The soft, clinging fabric accentuated her slender figure.
She wore a beige cardigan over her clothes, with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, revealing her fair forearms.
Her hair was loosely tied back with a wooden hairpin, with a few stray strands falling on either side of her face.
She was looking down at her phone, her profile softened by the sunlight like a sketch, radiating a quiet, intellectual beauty.
This is the scene that Su Xiaoxiao saw when she pushed open the door of the coffee shop.
She walked over, sat down in the booth, picked up the iced Americano on the table, and took a big gulp.
"Drink slowly, no one's going to take it from you." Zhou Yuji took off her sunglasses, revealing her beautiful, upturned eyes. "How was it? Wasn't the alumni reunion particularly boring? A bunch of successful people praising each other, comparing whose car is more expensive, whose house is bigger, whose company has gone public."
Su Xiaoxiao put down her cup: "Pretty much, but they added one more step—to show concern for me, their unproductive junior sister, and advise me to give up those unrealistic fantasies and honestly do some business that can make money."
Su Yiyi looked up, her eyes gentle: "What did they say?"
"What else can I say?" Su Xiaoxiao leaned back in her chair. "I say the cultural industry is hard to do, that in-depth content doesn't make money, that I'm too idealistic, and that in the end I'll only be able to cultivate a few internet celebrities to fleece people."
She paused, her voice lowering, "Actually, what they said isn't wrong. I've been in charge of the company for a year, and I really don't have any notable achievements. If it weren't for some family connections, I probably wouldn't have been able to keep going."
"Who said that?" Zhou Yuji raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you planning to sign my promising young talent, Wang Bo?"
"Wang Bo..." Su Xiaoxiao laughed, "He doesn't even have a single official work yet. I had to force him into tonight's performance. In those people's eyes, he probably isn't even a social media influencer; he's just a nobody."
"That's because they're blind," Zhou Yuji said confidently. "Wait until tonight, then we'll see if they dare say that again."
Su Yiyi gently held her younger sister's hand: "Xiaoxiao, do you still remember why you took over this company in the first place?"
Su Xiaoxiao remained silent.
Of course she remembers.
When she was in college, her father planned to hand over this cultural company to her, saying, "Xiaoxiao, this company isn't big, but it's our family's first attempt in the cultural field. Dad knows you're interested in this, so I'm handing it over to you. You can make it however you want; just consider it practice."
But she knew that she wanted more than just practice.
She has seen too many poorly made films and TV dramas, listened to too many catchy but shallow songs, and seen too many artists who have been packaged by capital and made to look the same.
She wanted to do something different—create high-quality content, cultivate talented artists, and enable China's cultural products to move forward alongside its growing economic strength.
This idea is both grand and naive.
Therefore, she never dared to speak too clearly in front of others, for fear of being ridiculed or accused of being ignorant and arrogant.
But today, in front of her senior classmates, she said these words for the first time.
Then came the expected reaction—polite encouragement, but real disdain.
"I remember," Su Xiaoxiao said softly, "but Yiyi, sometimes I wonder if I'm really too naive? This market might not actually need what I want to do."
"Yes, it is necessary," Su Yiyi said firmly. "It's just that most people are used to fast food and have forgotten the taste of a proper meal, but that doesn't mean proper meals shouldn't exist."
Zhou Yuji interjected, "And Xiaoxiao, you've forgotten something—you're not alone now. You have Yiyi and Wang Bo; they're both helping you turn that naive idea into reality."
As she spoke, she took a crumpled piece of paper out of her bag, unfolded it, and pushed it in front of Su Xiaoxiao.
It was a handwritten list, outlining the arrangements for various musical instruments, equipment, and personnel. The handwriting was messy, but the organization was clear.
At the very bottom, there's a line of smaller print: "Budget of 30,000, already paid — Zhou Yuji".
"What is this?" Su Xiaoxiao asked.
"I've taken care of all the arrangements for Wang Bo's performance tonight," Zhou Yuji said. "Musicians, equipment, rehearsals, costumes—every single detail. Do you know why?"
She looked at Su Xiaoxiao with a rare seriousness in her eyes: "Because I don't trust my own judgment, but I also trust yours. You chose Wang Bo, so I believe he is worth this investment."
She paused, then laughed: "I also want to see what kind of expressions those people who say you 'can only produce internet celebrities' will have after Wang Bo blows the show tonight. It'll be quite a sight."
Su Xiaoxiao looked at the list, then at Zhou Yuji, and then at her sister Su Yiyi.
The feeling of tightness in my chest suddenly dissipated.
"Thank you." She was very touched.
"No need to thank me, we're like family." Zhou Yuji waved her hand and put her sunglasses back on. "But Xiaoxiao, you'd better dress up nicely tonight. After Wang Bo's performance, there will definitely be media and industry people coming to ask questions. As his future boss, you need to keep things under control."
Su Yiyi nodded: "Yes, Xiaoxiao, did you bring your performance outfit? If not, I have a few dresses you can try on."
"I brought it," Su Xiaoxiao said. "I prepared it before I came."
She actually brought three dresses, which she kept in her car, and was hesitating about which one to wear tonight.
One was a little black dress, conservative but foolproof; another was a red velvet gown, more formal; and the last one... was her favorite, but she never had the chance to wear it.
"I brought the dark green one," Su Xiaoxiao said.
Zhou Yuji's eyes lit up: "Great, you finally decided to wear it out."
Su Yiyi smiled and said, "That one suits you very well."
The dark green dress was bought by Su Xiaoxiao last year. It was from a designer brand and had an extremely daring cut—a deep V-neck, an open back, and a high slit in the skirt that revealed her long legs when she walked.
The color is a deep, dark green, like a lake deep in the forest, which shimmers with a subtle luster under the light.
She liked it when she bought it, but always felt it was too flashy and couldn't find a suitable occasion to wear it.
Tonight seems to be the right occasion.
"Then it's settled." Zhou Yuji made the decision. "Yiyi, you should wear that light blue dress; it suits your style. As for me... let me think... how about that burgundy sequined dress? It'll be sparkly and eye-catching enough."
"Didn't you want to go for a casual style?" Su Xiaoxiao glanced at her.
"That was during the day," Zhou Yuji said confidently. "The night is Wang Bo's home turf, but we can't lose. I want everyone to see what kind of people support Wang Bo."
Su Yiyi covered her mouth and chuckled, "Yu Ji, your competitive spirit is..."
"This isn't about competitiveness, it's about prestige." Zhou Yuji stood up. "Let's go, get the dress from my car, then find a place to do our makeup and hair. There are still four hours before the party starts, plenty of time."
The three women left the coffee shop and headed towards the parking lot.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves of the sycamore trees, casting dappled shadows on them.
Zhou Yuji walked at the front, her denim jumpsuit accentuating her long legs and slim waist, while her white shirt fluttered in the wind like a flag.
Su Yiyi walked in the middle, her light apricot-colored long dress swaying gently with her steps, making her look as gentle as a moving painting.
Su Xiaoxiao walked at the back, her light gray suit jacket gleaming faintly in the sunlight. She looked at the backs of the two girls in front of her, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up.
The doubts, disdain, and condescending "concern" of those alumni suddenly became unimportant.
The important thing is that she has people who are willing to believe in her and people who are willing to be "naive" with her.
And that guy who's going on stage tonight to prove everything with a song.
As she walked to the car, Su Xiaoxiao took out her phone and sent Wang Bo a WeChat message: "How are you doing?"
A few seconds later, Wang Bo replied: "Great!"
Su Xiaoxiao looked at those two words and smiled.
Then she typed, very seriously: "Do your best tonight, not only for yourself, but also for your sister and Yu Ji who believe in you."
send.
She put her phone back in her bag, opened the car door, and got into the driver's seat.
She saw her face in the rearview mirror.
I'll wear the dark green dress tonight.