Laila had another goal for this trip to the East—she planned to establish a brand-new media company focused primarily on adapting the web novels she'd acquired into film and television.
While she was here, she wanted to iron out all the coordination, set the overarching direction, and then step back to become the hands-off boss she'd always aspired to be.
That phrase—"hands-off boss"—was a hard-earned lesson, paid for with blood, sweat, and tears. Back when she was acting CEO, she nearly worked herself into the ground trying to personally handle everything. The result? Sure, everything got done beautifully—but she was completely exhausted.
To outsiders, she seemed like a tireless genius, someone who could handle a crushing workload with ease and still shine. But only she knew the truth—if not for her knowledge of future trends, she would've crashed and burned long ago.
It was Mr. Channing who eventually made her realize what being a true boss meant. A real leader didn't try to control everything like some all-purpose screw in a machine. That path would exhaust even Superman. A competent boss laid out the direction and let their team execute. Otherwise, what was the point of hiring all those high-paid managers?
In the middle of all this planning and delegating, the long-awaited day finally arrived—the opening ceremony of the Olympics.
Laila had stayed indoors these past few days. With the number of foreign tourists rising by the day, if she stepped out without a disguise, she'd immediately become a walking attraction.
Roy was the complete opposite. He'd been insanely busy, sometimes even staying overnight at the rehearsal site because he was simply too exhausted to commute back.
The 2008 Olympics—still referred to as the most successful Games ever, even many years into the future.
The sheer cultural depth displayed in the opening ceremony left even foreigners unfamiliar with Eastern history completely spellbound.
Laila couldn't help but think back to the Olympics where Gisele Bündchen had walked the catwalk during the opening ceremony. As someone accustomed to grand productions, she truly didn't understand the rationale behind having a supermodel strut the runway as part of the opening show.
Sure, Gisele was one of the world's top models—stunning, with flawless elegance. But placing her in that setting just made Laila feel that Brazilians were wildly imaginative people.
Thanks to her strong relationship with the officials, Laila and Roy got some of the best seats in the stadium. Once Roy finished his performance, he'd return to sit and watch the rest of the ceremony with her.
Laila's heart had been pounding all day. In her previous life, she had watched the broadcast from home and still found herself deeply moved. Now, with the chance to witness it live, she was determined to capture every detail. No way was she going to let this perk of reincarnation go to waste.
Then, finally, night fell.
As the performance unfolded, Laila watched each unforgettable moment—each one burned into her memory—and felt her chest swell with pride. What other country could pull this off? Of the Four Ancient Civilizations, only this one remained. Thousands of years of history and cultural legacy, and no words could ever do it justice.
And unlike her past life, this time there was Roy's live performance—something that added even more excitement and heat to the evening.
He was never the type to get stage fright. The more people there were, the better he performed. Laila couldn't help but wonder if the officials had secretly polished his vocals for the live show. How else could he sound that good—that irresistibly toe-tapping?
The song wasn't technically difficult, but Roy sang the first half in English and the second half in the Eastern language, whipping the crowd into an absolute frenzy.
"Was my performance really that good? You're tearing up?" Roy asked with a teasing smile as he returned to his seat and noticed how bright her eyes looked under the stadium lights—a clear sign that they were misted with emotion.
Laila took the tissue he offered and dabbed at her eyes, still refusing to admit it. "Crying? Who, me? I was just… moved by the atmosphere, okay?"
"Sure, sure." Roy chuckled, choosing not to press the issue. After all, he was the one who had just gotten the crowd hyped—what was wrong with being a little dazzled by his performance? "So? Not bad, huh?"
"You were amazing." Laila gave him a thumbs-up. "I couldn't even believe that was you singing."
"…That doesn't sound like a compliment," Roy muttered, ruffling her hair in mock annoyance.
Laila swatted his hand away. "You misunderstood! I was complimenting you."
The two of them continued their quiet banter, but soon, the next performance rendered them speechless. Especially for Roy—this was his first time witnessing such a monumental production live, and he was genuinely stunned by the scale and perfection of it all.
"How do they train for something like this?" he whispered. So many performers move in perfect sync to form characters and images—if even one person messed up, the whole formation would fall apart. Yet not a single mistake occurred. Every segment was executed flawlessly. You had to admire the skill and discipline of the team behind it all.
Finally, the long-anticipated opening ceremony came to a close in a shower of fireworks.
Back at the hotel, Laila collapsed onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling in a daze. It felt like her soul had momentarily left her body.
Something she had waited for and dreamed of for so long had finally come true. A piece of her heart had found closure, and she felt completely fulfilled.
Roy emerged from the bathroom, thoroughly exhausted, only to find her already fast asleep, sprawled across the bed without a care in the world. The sight made him smile—she rarely let her guard down like this.
Just as he leaned over to tuck her in, she suddenly opened her eyes.
Those ice-blue irises—clear and pure like rain-washed glass—carried a depth that made resistance impossible. He felt like he could drown in them.
"Did I wake you?" Roy lay down beside her, shifting into a comfortable position before pulling her into his arms.
"I had a dream… then I woke up." Laila tried to recall it, feeling like she'd seen glimpses of her past life. But the specifics were already slipping away.
"You must be exhausted. Get some rest. We've got events to watch tomorrow."
Just hearing the word "events" brought Laila's excitement back. "I bought so many tickets. This time, I'm going to see everything with my own eyes!"
"This time?" Roy gave her a puzzled look, thrown off by her choice of words.
Laila couldn't very well say it was a regret from her previous life. "I've only ever watched the Olympics on TV. This is my first time experiencing it."
"Same here," Roy replied with a smile, taking her explanation at face value.
And just like that, they drifted off into a sweet, well-earned sleep.