Became a National Couple with My Ex Chapter 2: Came All This Way for a Dog?

If it weren't for his hoarse voice, his tone right now made it seem like all the closeness earlier had been just a dream of hers.

Liang Yixuan couldn’t help but think, his words really had a magical power, always managing to block whatever little she had to say right back in her throat.

And yet, he never seemed to be deliberately provoking her.

For example, right now, he was sitting on the sofa, leisurely pouring ice water from a glass jug, occasionally glancing at her, waiting for her to speak. He probably genuinely wondered: if she wasn’t here for sex, then was she here to visit?

He probably deeply believed that there was no need for them to meet up for anything else.

Because it was so natural, he didn’t shy away from saying it.

Liang Yixuan pressed her lips into a thin line, sat up from the bed, and straightened the wrinkled collar of her clothes.

The border collie, sitting by the edge of the bed, wagged its tail and nudged her.

She pinched its paw, her tone turning cold. "The tour ends, and I’ll go back to my country. I came to say goodbye to it."

"You came in the middle of the night just for a dog?" Bian Xue swallowed half a glass of ice water, stood up, and as he left, casually said, "Take your time saying goodbye," before heading into the bathroom.

Liang Yixuan froze for a moment, still holding the dog.

The next second, the solid wooden door with no empathy slammed shut with a "bang."

The sheer curtains blocked out the moonlight, and the cold-toned decorated bedroom only had a lone nightlight. The sound of water trickling from the bathroom made the empty room seem even quieter.

Liang Yixuan lowered her eyes and mechanically brushed the dog’s fur, over and over again.

From the busy streets of Amsterdam to this remote and lonely island in the middle of the ocean, all the turbulence had turned into stagnant, still water, leaving only a deep, unshakeable exhaustion.

Just as she was about to doze off again, she heard the sound of the door opening.

Bian Xue walked out of the bathroom, towel in hand, his body still wet from the shower.

Water droplets rolled down his hair, tracing along his straight collarbones and defined muscle lines. The fresh, woody scent of shower gel mixed with his masculine scent, gradually spreading through the air.

Bian Xue always felt most comfortable after a shower and never bothered to wrap himself up in extra fabric, even with her in the room.

Liang Yixuan once thought this was just a lack of attention to detail, but later, she’d heard that this was actually a subconscious display of a man’s absolute control and extreme confidence in a relationship.

She didn’t know if this claim had any psychological basis.

Liang Yixuan placed the dog, who had fallen asleep in her arms, at her feet and stood up as he walked closer.

Bian Xue reached out, bent his index finger, and gently rubbed the tip of her lower lip. "What are you looking at?"

She turned her head to avoid his gaze.

"If you don’t want to talk, don’t look around," Bian Xue raised an eyebrow, tossing the towel onto the sofa carelessly. "Aren’t you going to sleep?"

Liang Yixuan shook her head, her eyelids heavy.

She had just calmed down to think for a moment. Forget the fact that Bian Xue had been in the recording studio for ten straight hours; his phone barely had any apps, and even when he had time to relax, he never bothered with gossip.

Since he didn’t know about the news, she obviously wasn’t going to wait for an explanation.

Now that she was here, at least she should find out the truth before making a final judgment on their relationship.

Liang Yixuan tilted her head and said, "I want to talk to you…"

"I’m not sleeping, I’m going to the recording studio."

Liang Yixuan barely had time to finish the word "talk" before it got stuck in her throat.

"Aren’t you just coming out of the recording studio?" she said, frowning slightly.

"I just got some new ideas. You should sleep, breakfast will be brought to you," Bian Xue said, as though soothing a kitten or a puppy. He raised his hand to gently stroke her neck for a moment, then let go, picking up his bathrobe and leaving the room.

Just like every other time.

They’d eat together, sleep together, attend concerts together, but his sudden bursts of inspiration always came first.

He could drop anything at any time, with no hesitation, and rush to his piano, his music sheets, or his recording studio.

One moment, they’d be close, and the next, he’d be distant and detached.

Then, she would wait through the morning light until nightfall, watching as the first light of day appeared, marking the start of a new day.

When he left her with a "return date uncertain" and came to this secluded island to close himself off for an entire month, she planned to end the unhealthy relationship after so many days of no contact. But then, he’d suddenly show up, giving her a sweet, affectionate gesture——

There would be days when he wouldn’t go anywhere, just staying with her, as if he wanted to be part of her.

And so, she’d be lulled by the sweetness, enduring the next round of suffering.

Having danced ballet for fifteen years, she really had great patience and was used to enduring pain.

Tonight, she even thought that if Bian Xue really crossed that line, it might not be such a bad thing.

At least she could have a story to tell about "who hasn’t loved a bad guy when they were young" and walk away, rather than always stepping aside for his career, feeling sad, and repeatedly doubting herself, wondering if she was just being too understanding.

At this thought, Liang Yixuan suddenly didn’t want to wait any longer.

After standing still for ten minutes, she opened the door and went to the elevator.

She was currently in a 3,000-square-meter villa on the mountaintop. Bian Xue’s recording studio was in the neighboring building, a complex flat structure.

The studio was equipped with the most advanced recording technology and equipment in the world, hundreds of valuable antique musical instruments, and could accommodate a full symphony orchestra of a hundred people for live performances. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the studio, the lush forest and the sea meeting the sky could be seen in their entirety, offering natural inspiration for creativity.

Unfortunately, she had only seen it from the outside, from a distance.

Bian Xue didn’t allow any distractions when he was working. Although he was never short of money and had no partners daring enough to give him a deadline, it was precisely because he made music for his own satisfaction that he was fully dedicated to it.

When she reached the first floor, Liang Yixuan got out of the elevator and, following her memory, walked down the hallway lined with oil paintings. At the corner, she heard a familiar male voice.

"The boss hasn’t checked his phone since he’s been in seclusion. I’m stuck on this island with only 2G service, I just found out about the news."

"No one from the mainland contacted us? I guess they’re afraid of upsetting the boss..."

"How would I know if that’s the case? I’m just the island caretaker, and I didn’t go with the boss to Amsterdam that day... Anyway, we’ll just clear things up to the public."

"Does this kind of small matter really need the boss to step in? If you tell him about this, he’ll probably just say: 'Do I look like I have nothing to do?'"

"Yeah, I just confirmed with Bei Ying’s management team. They’re handling it."

Lu Yuan finished talking on the phone, turned around, and saw Liang Yixuan standing in the hallway, lost in thought, not sure how long she had been listening.

"Miss Liang, you heard everything..." Lu Yuan slapped his head, feeling nervous as he walked toward her.

Liang Yixuan gave a soft "Mm."

"You didn’t already see the news before coming here, did you?" Seeing that she wasn’t surprised, Lu Yuan became more anxious. "I’m sorry, I played that song in the car, I really didn’t notice, Miss Liang..."

"No," Liang Yixuan smiled and replied, not wanting to make things awkward for others, "I’ve been busy today too."

Lu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, remembering the vague things he had said on the phone. He quickly added, "Ah, it’s no big deal. It’s just paparazzi making up stories based on photos. I showed the boss the news earlier, and he didn’t care at all. You don’t need to worry about it."

Liang Yixuan hesitated, blinking, "After he saw the news... he went straight to the recording studio?"

"Yeah, just ten minutes ago. The boss said it was boring and told me to handle it. From his attitude, it’s clear it’s not a big deal! The boss was in Amsterdam to meet with a lyricist, and didn’t even notice it was Qixi. He probably ran into Miss Bei who had been drinking, so he just gave her a ride. That car was Miss Bei’s, by the way."

Lu Yuan explained a lot, but Liang Yixuan’s attention had already shifted.

"So... he didn’t know it was Qixi, and the trip to Amsterdam was for work? Everything else was just incidental?"

Lu Yuan nodded vigorously, recalling Bian Xue’s exact words: "Just now, the boss even asked, ‘Was it Qixi?’ You see, the boss had no intentions at all. The idea of him secretly meeting Miss Bei on Valentine’s Day is totally ridiculous!"

Liang Yixuan nodded expressionlessly.

"Miss Liang, did I say something wrong...?"

"No," Liang Yixuan smiled lightly, "Thanks for reminding me about all of this."

The next morning at 10 AM.

Lu Yuan was woken up by the alarm clock, walked the dog, and then went to Bian Xue’s place. He arrived just in time to see Bian Xue coming out of the bedroom, fully dressed.

It seemed like he had just returned from spending the night in the recording studio.

"Where’s she?" Bian Xue pointed to the empty bedroom and raised his wrist to adjust his cufflinks.

Lu Yuan, still groggy from lack of sleep, replied, "You mean Miss Liang?"

"Who else?" Bian Xue raised an eyebrow and walked over to the dining table, pulling out a chair to sit.

"Oh, when you were in the recording studio, I didn’t tell you. Miss Liang left early this morning. She said she was coordinating with her dance troupe to catch a flight back to China at noon, so she didn’t wait for you."

Bian Xue paused, his knife and fork frozen in mid-air, his mouth curling into a slight smirk, "So she really came for a dog."

Lu Yuan didn’t understand and, not wanting to ask something silly, changed the subject, "Boss, I accidentally let Miss Liang overhear our phone conversation last night. She knows about the news with Miss Bei, and I tried my best to smooth things over. I’m not sure if she believes me... Do you want to explain it to her?"

Bian Xue sliced through a piece of cheesy toast with his knife, pausing, "The toast is overdone."

"Huh?"

"The cheese smells off," Bian Xue frowned.

"..."

It was the finest cheese, where could the smell possibly come from?

Clearly, someone with such a refined palate, who could even taste the flavor of "a lobster that was half-dead before being slaughtered," wasn’t someone the average person could understand.

"I’ll give the kitchen a serious talking-to," Lu Yuan clenched his fist and, seeing Bian Xue being so picky, decided to take out his phone and check the news.

The island’s network signal was a bit hit-or-miss, and Lu Yuan scrolled for a while before finding the trending topic: #Bei Ying Denies Relationship Rumors#.

ROF Studio:「The recent rumors circulating on various online platforms about our member, Ms. Bei Ying's 'relationship' are false. Ms. Bei Ying's three-day, two-night trip to Amsterdam was solely related to her upcoming solo single. We appreciate Mr. Bian Xue's guidance and care for his junior, and we thank everyone for their concern.」

Lu Yuan showed Bian Xue the message on his phone: "Miss Bei's team posted something. They’re clarifying that it was work-related, but now it sounds like you guided her on her new single... Are you planning to distance yourself when the song comes out?"

Without even glancing at the screen, Bian Xue took a cigarette from the pack, lit it with a lighter, and said, "Let her do what she wants."

It seemed like he was giving Bei Ying some face.

Lu Yuan wasn’t sure about Bian Xue’s feelings toward Bei Ying and didn’t dare ask. If he found out that his boss had done something wrong, he’d feel guilty every time he faced Liang Yixuan in the future.

Liang Yixuan was such a good girl, and she had been with their boss for over half a year, keeping it low-key without any public attention. Was it because she couldn’t gain any benefits from the situation?

Forget about the current era, where money opens all kinds of doors. Bian Xue’s grandfather was highly respected in the musical theater industry, with a vast network of connections that were completely linked to Liang Yixuan’s field.

Not long ago, some members of the South Ballet Board of Directors accidentally discovered the relationship between Bian Xue and Liang Yixuan and wanted to offer Liang Yixuan a leading role to help her advance. However, she turned down the opportunity.

Lu Yuan hesitated before reminding Bian Xue: "Miss Liang probably hasn’t boarded her flight yet. Are you really not going to call her? Clarifying the news is one thing, but as the saying goes..."

"Did I hire you to tell jokes?" Bian Xue stubbed out his half-smoked cigarette, stood up, and yawned lazily as he walked toward the bedroom, clearly going to catch up on sleep. "Don’t come knocking before it gets dark."