Ryan King glanced at Elisa Field, then at Yina Yin, feeling certain that Cherry was up to something mischievous.
Cherry was never one to make pointless remarks.
She brought up the Cultural Food Festival at the dinner table on purpose—there had to be a reason.
Ethan Yin exchanged a knowing look with Cherry, both of them smiling meaningfully.
Of course Cherry had her reasons.
If she didn’t give Miles Gu a hard time, all her planning would’ve been for nothing.
As the family patriarch, Charles Yin naturally noticed the undercurrents among the kids.
Seeing Cherry always plotting for Yina Yin’s sake made him smile with satisfaction.
That’s exactly how a family should be.
The next morning, everyone changed into comfy, casual clothes and drove to the nearby town for this year’s Cultural Food Festival.
These days, almost every big city has its own food culture, so the Cultural Food Festival has become a signature event to attract investment and boost the local economy.
That’s why everyone loves organizing it—year after year, it’s always lively.
This year’s festival took over the entire town center. It was a big deal.
They invited some locally famous bands and even a few third-tier celebrities to perform.
That brought in tons of fans eager to see their favorite stars.
The once-quiet town instantly turned bustling and noisy.
The influx of visitors gave the local economy a huge boost, and the mayor did everything he could to make things convenient and keep those wallets in town.
So, the whole festival was pretty high-end.
When Cherry and the others arrived, the parking lot was already packed.
If they hadn’t reserved a spot ahead of time, they probably wouldn’t have found anywhere to park.
"Wow, it’s really lively here!" Justin pointed to a colorful tent not far away. "Hey, isn’t that the folk singer Nana who got popular this year? She’s actually here doing a gig?"
"The sponsors have money to burn." Leo Mo glanced at the tent’s sign. "Big spender, huh."
Cherry turned to Yina with a grin. "I heard Mason Ming’s here too. Haven’t seen Mason in ages, right?"
Hearing Cherry mention Mason, Yina’s face lit up with a smile. "Yeah, it’s been a while. How’s he doing lately?"
"No more threats, so of course he’s doing great." Cherry said as they walked. "I already talked to his company—they wouldn’t dare sideline him. Mason’s smart and works hard, so he’s bound to do well. Want to go find him?"
"Sure," Yina nodded.
Now Ryan King finally understood what mischief Cherry was up to.
Makes sense.
Time for Miles to see that Yina’s got admirers too.
Soon the group arrived at a huge plaza, where a massive outdoor stage had been set up. Lots of bands were taking turns performing.
"Mason!" Cherry spotted Mason Ming just as he finished his set and hopped off stage, and she called out to him right away.
At first, Mason thought he’d heard wrong.
But when he looked over toward the voice, he was instantly overjoyed!
"Miss Cherry, Miss Yina!" Mason didn’t care about his team anymore—he hurried over. "You guys came too!"
Ethan Yin spoke up just in time: "Those old friends have a lot to catch up on. Let’s wander somewhere else. Don’t go off alone—stick with your bodyguards. Scatter, everyone!"
"Awooo!" Justin was like a pig let out of its pen, happily dragging Jason Jiang and Sharon Yun off to find food.
Leo and Theo Mo winked at Yina, showing they were in on Cherry’s plan. They waved and split off with their bodyguards to go have fun.
Ryan King threw one arm around Lucas Mu and the other on Mason Kerr. "Let’s go! The three of us need some fun too! After farming for days, even the cotton candy stall looks friendly!"
Lucas Mu rolled his eyes at him. "Like Ethan’s your slave or something."
Mason Kerr chimed in, "Say that in front of Ethan if you dare!"
"No way!" Ryan King shrieked, "Whoa, Mason, did you just ask if I’ve got the guts? Should we find a spot and whip it out to check?"
"Get lost! What kind of wild talk is that? Sharon’s still here! Hey, hey!" Lucas Mu got dragged away, stumbling as he went.
So the big group split up, leaving just Miles Gu and Elisa Field.
Elisa Field looked around, her eyes darting everywhere, totally overwhelmed.
"Go explore on your own, but remember the way back," Miles told Elisa.
"Okay, I’m off!" Elisa said, then dashed away. She wanted to freshen up and find a nice spot to relax.
"It’s crowded here. Let’s find a place to sit and talk." Cherry spotted a shaded tent nearby and waved everyone over.
Once the five of them sat down, someone brought over a bowl of fresh fruit salad.
"Miss Yin, I heard about what happened to you. I wanted to ask you about it, but I know I’m not really in a position…" Mason looked at Yina, embarrassed. "Your ex-fiancé really had no taste, breaking off the engagement. You’re amazing—you’ll definitely find someone better."
The last time Mason saw Miles was at night, and the lighting was pretty dim.
So Mason hadn’t realized the guy sitting across from him was actually Yina’s ex-fiancé, Miles Gu.
Ethan Yin and Cherry were holding back laughter, saying nothing.
Miles Gu’s expression got a little weird, but he stayed silent.
Yina glanced at Miles, then asked Mason, "You really think so?"
"Of course!" Mason said seriously. "You’re great—you deserve someone even better."
"Like you?" Yina teased.
Yina was just joking, but Mason’s face instantly turned bright red. "Uh… I… I’m not worthy…"
Yina really wasn’t looking to flirt with a younger guy, so she changed the subject. "What’ve you been busy with lately?"
"Recording songs and making an album," Mason answered happily. "The company’s giving me a lot of support and plans to promote me. I’ve gotta seize the chance and work hard—this might be my last shot."
"What do you mean, last shot?" Yina said. "With me around, you’ll always have resources. So, what’s your latest album called? I’ll buy a copy to support you."
"No, no, I’ll give you one! Wait here." Mason dashed back to his team and soon returned with a few signed albums in hand.
"These are for you," Mason said, his cheeks turning red.
He didn’t dare tell Yina the truth.
He’d actually prepared these albums ages ago, wanting to give them to Yina but never had the nerve to approach her.
Running into her in town now just made him so happy.
Good thing he always carried them around—otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to give them out today.
"I’ll listen to them for sure," Yina promised.
Cherry smiled and said, "They say good singers make good actors. Mason, are you interested in acting?"
Mason hesitated. "I am, but I’m not qualified yet."
"That’s nothing!" Cherry whipped out her phone, typing as she spoke. "I heard Director Zhou’s nearby and needs a role filled. You’re always performing anyway—just take a small part to start."
"Really? I can?" Mason grew even more embarrassed.
"Of course you can," Cherry replied with a smile.
Cherry’s phone quickly got a reply from Director Zhou: "Anyone recommended by Assistant Miller must be good. He’s nearby, right? He can come audition anytime."
Cherry sent Mason’s WeChat contact over and said, "Done—Director Zhou’s expecting you. You can go audition soon. It’s just a small part, maybe three scenes or so. Take it slow, start small, and you’ll make it big one day."
"Thank you, Miss Miller." Mason said seriously to Cherry.
"We’re all friends here," Cherry replied with a smile.
After that, Cherry and Ethan Yin exchanged a look only couples would understand.
Miles Gu watched Cherry and Yina helping out this handsome guy, and couldn’t help feeling a little uncomfortable.
Cherry and Ethan Yin got along great, but the only reason she was so invested was definitely Yina.