Why did the system take my request to take photos with a cosplayer seriously?

Longhe clearly didn't believe it.

But I have to admit, my brother is really handsome...

Ding Heng did not argue, but instead asked a question.

"are you hungry?"

"A little."

"Shall we find a place to get something to eat?"

"casual."

Instead of going to any fancy restaurants, Ding Heng drove Long He to a side street near Central.

The shop is small, and the owner is an old man with white hair. When he sees a customer come in, he asks loudly in Cantonese.

"What do you want to eat?"

"Two bowls of finely chopped broth, with plenty of scallions."

Ding Heng replied in Cantonese, then led Long He to an empty table to sit down and poured two cups of tea.

Longhe asked curiously, "You seem quite familiar with Hong Kong? Your Cantonese is so fluent?"

"It's alright, I'll listen more and learn more..."

For Ding Heng, learning a language nowadays only takes a day, let alone Cantonese, which is just a dialect.

"Is it still for that rich woman?"

"Can you please stop mentioning her all the time?"

Ding Heng looked somewhat helpless.

"Humph……"

Two bowls of thin rice noodles were served, and Longhe picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.

She ate very quickly, as if she were really hungry, and as the food went down her throat, the anxiety that had been lingering over her since arriving in Hong Kong was finally soothed.

Was it the food, or the person in front of you?

Longhe didn't delve into it further, only hoping that time would pass as slowly as possible.

After finishing their noodles, Ding Heng paid the bill and then took Long He's hand to start walking.

The two had no specific destination and wandered slowly along the Central Street. When they passed a dessert shop that looked old, Ding Heng stopped and bought two cups of mango pomelo sago.

"Is it okay to eat a little?"

"Anyway, it's not you who gets scolded by the nutritionist..."

Although Longhe said that, he still took the bottle and took a big sip, nodded in satisfaction, and noted down the store name.

After walking a little further, Longhe was drawn to an old-fashioned record store, which was filled with all kinds of old Cantonese records.

In this day and age, record stores are not very meaningful; they are merely tourist attractions.

Long He didn't go inside; he stood outside the shop window and quietly observed for a long time.

Do you remember my first time singing on stage at school during my elementary school New Year's Eve party?

"Hmm... you sang 'Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies'?"

"Hey, you really remember!"

"Of course!"

Ding Heng still remembers the excited look on his brother's face when he came off the stage. Perhaps it was from that moment that his brother set his sights on becoming a singer.

After a brief exchange, the two turned and continued walking forward.

An old man was standing by the roadside selling balloons, his colorful helium balloons swaying gently.

Long He's gaze lingered briefly before shifting away.

Seeing this, Ding Heng decisively walked over, scanned the code, paid for a cartoon milk dragon, and then returned to Long He.

Long He pretended not to see it.

"what?"

"You glanced at it several times just now."

"I was just browsing..."

"Take it, why are you being so stubborn with your brother!"

Ding Heng simply grabbed Long He's left hand and tied the balloon string to her fair wrist.

The milk dragon floated gently above his head, and Long He hummed smugly, his happiness visibly evident.

My brother still cares about me; he can always tell what she wants at a glance.

The two walked along the seaside promenade for a very long time.

As noon approached and the sun climbed higher, Ding Heng noticed that Long He was starting to pant, so he took the initiative to find a shaded bench to sit down.

Longhe was finally able to rest and hugged the floating milk dragon into his arms.

After a long silence, she suddenly spoke, her tone calm and collected.

"Ding Heng, I came to Hong Kong this time because my investors invited me to dinner."

Ding Heng didn't respond, waiting for her to continue.

Longhe unconsciously squeezed the baby dragon in his arms and began to slowly tell the story.

"After Sister Zeng explained things to me, I thought about it for a long time. I flew from Singapore to Hong Kong and kept thinking about it the whole way. At first, I thought, maybe I should just not go. Anyway, the contract has already been signed. Even if I don't go, he can't do anything to me in the short term. If he wants to cause trouble later, I can just sue him."

In a society governed by the rule of law, what can he do to me?

But then I thought, he's spent so much money on me, and he hasn't made any unreasonable demands. When I won the singing competition, he specifically sent someone to congratulate me, and then said he wanted to meet me and have a casual meal. It wouldn't be right to refuse outright.”

Long He lowered his eyes and suddenly increased the force of kneading the breasts.

"But I know it's not just about eating. I've been in this industry for so many years, and I know some of the rules. A man who spends so much money to promote a female celebrity must be after something."

Long He showed no anger or fear, but remained calm and composed.

"Ding Heng, do you think I should go?"

What are your own thoughts?

Ding Heng threw the question back at Long He, who pondered for a long time before giving an affirmative answer.

"I will not accept any underhanded practices!"

She was absolutely firm: "This is my bottom line. No matter who the other party is or how much money they've spent on me, if it's not right, it's not right!"

This isn't about being high-minded or low-class. I know many people in the industry take this path, achieving instant success and great fame... I won't judge their choices, but I have my own bottom line!

Long He was not impassioned; every word she uttered was carefully considered.

"Similarly, I don't want to strain the relationship too much because of this. There are so many people on the team, and everyone depends on this job for their livelihood. I can't let their hard work go to waste because of my own momentary willfulness. This is a responsibility I must bear."

The sea breeze gently tousled the girl's wisps of hair.

She straightened her back, as if experiencing responsibility for the first time in her life.

“I used to think that becoming a star was a path my mother forced me to take. She couldn’t shine in the spotlight when she was young, so she placed all her expectations on me. I rebelled and I compromised, but for a long time, I couldn’t tell whether I really loved singing or was just used to obeying her arrangements.”

But this competition made me realize one thing: I am happy when I stand on stage and sing the songs I wrote myself!

In the first few rounds of the competition, I always conveyed a certain signal to the people around me and to myself, as if I didn't care about the ranking, let alone the championship, and acted particularly carefree.

But actually, I get really nervous every time the rankings are announced. Even though I know the show won't eliminate me easily, I still want to see if I can win first place based on my own strength!

Especially during the awards ceremony on the day of the finals, I was... extremely afraid of losing.

Long He took a breath, his emotions rising again.

"I shouldn't lie to myself! I love singing, I love writing songs, and I love the feeling of being on stage. And the songs 'First Snow' and the two songs in the final will be recognized by everyone because they are my purest expression of emotion."

She raised her hand and gently pressed it against her heart.

"Therefore, I will not tarnish my own feelings to please anyone; that is the meaning of my work!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Long He did not immediately seek a response from Ding Heng. Instead, he felt that what he had said was too pretentious and couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

It should be noted that Ding Heng doesn't understand music or art; he's a purely vulgar man who only likes making money and chasing women.

For some reason, Longhe stubbornly believed that only his brothers could understand him!

She sat quietly, gazing at the sea with the baby dragon in her arms.

Seabirds skimmed across the water in the distance, and Longhe's phone suddenly rang... It was Sister Zeng.

Longhe didn't answer, seemingly already guessing what the call meant.

Sister Zeng wouldn't call at this time for no reason. It's highly likely that the investors have already arranged everything and are waiting for her confirmation.

Longhe's finger hovered above the screen, but he still didn't have the courage to press the answer button.

The next second, Long He felt a warm touch on the back of his hand.

Ding Heng held his brother's soft, fair hand.

"Just accept it. No matter what..."

He slightly tightened his grip on his brother's cool fingertips.

"Brother, I'll always be by your side!"

Chapter 346: Brother's Confession

Without wasting any words, Sister Zeng briefly informed Longhe that the investors had arranged to meet at 7 PM at XX Hotel, and that the other party would be there in person.

"I know."

Longhe hung up the phone.

Ding Heng remained unfazed: "There are still a few hours left, enough time for you to go back, take a shower, and change your clothes."

"Need not."