"Yeah..."
"Why are you so calm?!" Vega shouted as she grabbed her hair and frantically ran her fingers through it. "It's Xavier! Xavier of the Blaze family! The one we know!"
"I know! I was watching TV just now!"
"Then why are you so calm?!"
"What else should I be?" Serena scratched her forehead and casually glanced at the man beside her. "What do you think my reaction should be?"
"Of course, you should rush to confront Xavier!" Vega huffed, as if her own man had cheated on her. "Ask that scumbag why he keeps saying he loves only you, yet secretly flirts with a female celebrity! What does that even mean?! I thought he was a pure-hearted man and admired him quietly for years. If I had known he was like this, I would've-"
"Would've what?"
A lazy male voice interrupted, and Vega froze mid-sentence.
"Uh... How... How did you...?"
Xavier remained lying back on the couch, looking entirely laid-back. "Don't be afraid. Even though you're talking bad about me and I caught you red-handed, I'm Mr. Xavier Blaze. I have a broad mind. Besides, you're Serena's friend. I won't make a fuss."
He wouldn't have said the last part, but after he did, Vega turned into an angry hen protecting her chicks, entering battle mode. "You're still talking about Serena?! You liar! Didn't you say you loved only Serena?!"
"Yes! I love only Serena! Is there something wrong with that?"
"Pfft! Then what's up with Celia Ryder?! She publicly confessed her love for you on the show. Now, the whole of Vernon knows she likes you!"
"Her mouth is on her own body. She can say whatever she wants. I can't stop her."
"Tch! Scumbag!" Vega cursed in disappointment and anger. "I thought there was finally a devoted rich boy, but it turns out I was wrong! You rich men are all the same-bad and heartless!"
"You can call me rich, I accept that. But calling me heartless, I don't agree!" Xavier lowered his head and playfully fiddled with Serena's fingers. "I've never changed when it comes to Serena."
"I don't believe you!"
"Believe it or not, I don't care! As long as..." He raised his eyes and glanced at the woman in front of him. "As long as Serena believes me!"
"Serena?!" Vega suddenly came to her senses and shouted anxiously, "Wait, Serena, Serena, where are you?! Has Xavier kidnapped you?! If you're in danger, blink at me!"
Serena smiled helplessly. "I'm fine! Besides, you're on the voice call with me. If I blink at you, can you even see it?!"
"Uh... We have telepathic powers. Even if I can't see it, I can still sense it."
Before Serena could reply, Xavier spoke up, "What telepathy?! No one but me is allowed to have telepathy with Serena! Got that?!"
His tone became more serious, and Vega immediately shrank back, her anger deflated.
Grumbling in protest, she muttered, "What's so great about that..."
"Alright, if you have nothing else, hang up! Serena's time belongs to me now!"
With that, he didn't wait for Vega to say anything further and ended the call on his own.
Still feeling irritated, he gritted his teeth and stared at Serena's phone screen, muttering, "Telepathy, huh? Who do you think you are, trying to have telepathy with Serena..."
"..." Serena chuckled, unable to hold back. "Mr. Blaze, Vega is my best friend, and you're jealous of a woman?!"
"I don't care about her gender. Anyone who competes with me for you is my rival in love!"
The sound of 'Dream' blared again, so many times that Serena couldn't keep track. She glanced at his pants pocket. "So many calls, and you're not answering any of them?!"
"Not answering!" Xavier lowered his head, his attention still on Serena's fingers. "They've got nothing important to say."
"Celia's drama has pushed you into the spotlight. I suggest you answer the call. What if it's something urgent?!"
"I don't care about their urgencies! The sky could fall, but it's not as important as talking to you!"
'In a dream, chasing echoes I can't hold,
Tangled in the thread of fate-crimson and cold...' Over and over again, the song played.
After the song played seven more times, Serena couldn't take it anymore. "Fine, I'm begging you. Just pick up, okay? If you don't, they'll keep calling, and if you're not annoyed, I am!"
Xavier sighed in reluctance and took his phone out of his pocket.
At that moment, the phone screen was flashing.
He didn't want to pick up, but upon seeing the name on the screen, he answered the call.
"Hello?"
The other side didn't hold back, and even without speakerphone, Serena could hear the shouting.
"Xavier, you're such a jerk!"
Xavier moved the phone further from his ear and tapped his ear with his finger before lazily responding, "What's all the shouting for?! What's the big deal?!"
"What's the big deal?! When did you start flirting with my sister?!"
"Flirting?! Don't label me like that-I can't even handle that word! Besides, who knows if what your sister is saying is true! Maybe she just wants to gain some attention and traffic?!"
"Are you serious?! Does the Ryder family need to get attention like that?! My sister openly confessed on a show, can it be fake?!"
"Come on, Mr. Big Movie Star, were you even listening to what your sister said? Even if it wasn't fake, what she said was that she has someone in her heart-not that someone has her in theirs! She has a crush on me-so what does that have to do with me?!"
"You! If you weren't acting all crazy, how would my little sister like you?!"
"How would I know!" Xavier casually replied, "Why don't you ask her what exactly she likes about me, and I'll change if necessary!"
"You...!" Christan was so angry that he couldn't even speak, clenching his teeth.
Serena couldn't help but laugh at Xavier's words, and she couldn't hold back a chuckle.
That sound just happened to be heard by the person on the other end of the line.
"Who?! Who are you messing around with?! Are you even worthy of my sister's sincere heart?!"
"Your sister's sincere heart? I really don't care! I'm with my sincere heart right now!"
"Xavier, are you out of your mind?! I only have one sister, and after all we've been through, you treat her like this?!"
"It's not like that..." Xavier asked in confusion. "How does our past connection have anything to do with how I treat your sister? So tell me, how should I treat her?!"
"She's already made it public. That means she's prepared to go all in. If you don't want her, doesn't that make her a joke in the whole country?!"
The more he spoke, the angrier he became, gasping for breath as he demanded, "Tell me, where is this vixen hiding? I need to see what kind of person she is, that she's even able to beat my sister?!"
Hearing that, Xavier's eyes darkened, and his tone became cold. "Christan Ryder, watch your words!"
***