Chapter 4, Encounter

I chose a tailored blazer with a lapel, styled my hair into a loose half-updo, letting a few strands fall by my ears. I looked in the mirror and saw a standard, capable, and charming white-collar worker. The sea circled around me a few times and said, "I know what Ning Qing is like; you truly embody whatever you wear. Aside from having zero emotional intelligence, you are a real chameleon. If I say you are pure, there are times when you are mature; if I say you are experienced, there are even more times when you are restless. When you are silent, you exude femininity, but when you jump around, you are just a tomboy. What are you really like at your core?" What are you really like at your core?

Once the filming in the alley is completed, we can wrap up. This is my first time exploring the hutongs of Beijing. It is not uncommon for wealthy individuals in Beijing to reside in villas, but to live in a siheyuan within a hutong signifies a status of either great wealth or nobility. Not to mention the tranquility amidst the hustle and bustle, this serenity and ancient charm alone is worth millions of taels of silver. The alley before me has been newly renovated, lined with tall blue brick courtyard walls, and every now and then, a vermilion door flashes by in the alley. Stone drums and stone lions stand at the narrow entrance, with the main door tightly closed; one can infer that behind the screen wall must lie a covered corridor and a courtyard. The trees in the yard extend beyond the walls. Sparrows are chirping. A peaceful atmosphere permeates the hutong.

The ultimate goal of the company is to secure the bonus, with nine out of ten discussions revolving around agency rights. Then, there is a constant praise for Lingnan, claiming its scenery rivals that of Jiangnan. This amuses Xiao Ming, who repeatedly expresses his desire to go to Lingnan for filming. Zhan Yunyì swirls his wine glass, ponders for a moment, and then smiles as he says: "Your Tiandi Entertainment is indeed one of the leading companies in Lingnan; I will visit Lingnan when I have the time." Dàhǎi beams with joy, as his visit would be a significant achievement for the company.

No way! The contract has been signed, and I am still angry. How could I so easily shake hands and make peace with him? I refused without a second thought.

Meizi looked up at me: "I have come this far, do you think you can suppress me?"

The moment the young lady pushed open the door to the private room, I instinctively turned to run, only to collide with Da Hai's chest, causing my nose to hurt. Da Hai looked at my actions with a puzzled expression. Before he could ask, a voice came from inside the room, a voice I had heard countless times, so familiar that it could not be more so: "Are you two from Tiandi Entertainment? Please come in"

Dahai urgently said: "Calm down, this time the female lead is designated by the production company; if we change her, the company won't be able to take on this case!" Before I could speak, Dahai quickly reported the situation: "The advertising company belongs to Yuntian Group, and it is said to be a choice made by the senior management of the group. Yuntian Group has an annual advertising budget of 300 million in Lingnan."

The sea stood up and said: "I also propose a toast to the general manager. The manager specifically instructed that Yuntian is a major client, and we need to provide more assistance in the future."

On the way back, the sea sighed: "I originally thought Ning Qing was a first-rate person, possessing both wealth and talent. Today, I have seen someone even more charming than him. This Zhan Yunyi is likely the kind that can captivate without any regard for consequences. A diamond-studded golden turtle! Ziqi, have you noticed that when you dress in a pure manner, you bear some resemblance to that little star, Ming?"

I am truly furious; the saying that one cannot control their fate in the world is not just empty talk. The sea extinguished the raging flames in my heart with a single remark: "The boss said that if the impression is good, we can strive for the general agency of Yuntian in Lingnan, and the year-end bonuses will double." There is no point in clashing with anyone, especially not with money. Eating is of utmost importance, while being angry is trivial. Among those who bow down for a meager sum, I, Tang Ziqi, am certainly not absent.

The sea chuckled: "Is it that someone wants to marry you but you do not wish to marry? Ning Qing is quite good, why is it that you do not see eye to eye with him, tsk tsk"

The sea disdainfully remarked: "I don't know which high-ranking plaything of the cloud and sky it is, rushing off as if it were being reborn after just one meal, and when it gets tired of it, it discards it like trash, just like when it cries."

I was taken aback: "Why is it so expensive?"

After the sea and the sky made contact, he said with a strange expression: "The one who had lunch with Meizi today is the Executive Chairman of Yuntian. His secretary said that it is sufficient to fax the contract over, and as an apology, he has invited us to dinner tonight"

In the midst of twists and turns, Xiao Ming, the star, toasted me several times, and without much thought, I drank it all. I heard the sea laughing and saying: "Meizi is still impressive, Ziqi is rarely this happy." Xiao Ming replied: "Sister Ziqi has an extraordinary capacity for alcohol, is beautiful, and has a taste in her attire; I particularly like the color of your lipstick today." I quickly chimed in: "It’s still Meizi who is naturally beautiful, like a flower in her youth." Zhan Yunyi sat beside us, smiling silently, then leaned down to whisper a few words to Xiao Ming, and his eyes sparkled with numerous stars.

Walking in with graceful steps, I smiled and said, "I apologize for the earlier inconvenience, my makeup has smudged." The sea hurriedly introduced, "This is Manager Tang from our company's production department, and this is Director Zhan from Yuntian Group." I smiled and said, "I know him, Director Zhan's charm remains as it was."

In the bathroom mirror, a pale face reflected back at me, with wandering eyes. I was breathing shallowly, my mind swirling with chaotic thoughts. I did not expect such an encounter, nor did I anticipate that I would be so cowardly as to run away. However, I could not allow myself to flee in panic, nor could I hide here without showing my face. I opened my handbag and took out my cosmetics; after a moment's thought, I applied deep rose lipstick. Looking in the mirror again, it faithfully informed me that this bright red color made me appear less pale. I slapped my face hard, and the effect was even better. Taking a deep breath, I smiled wryly; I was not going out to eat, but rather to fight

I didn't faint from anger; that was my magnanimity. I stared at her and said to the sea, "Call the company, replace her!" The sea grabbed me and started to walk out, but I shook him off irritably, saying, "What are you doing? I really want to hit that little girl!"

I smiled proudly and said, "Do you want to throw away Xiao Ruo to pursue my sister?" The sea pouted and replied, "I can't afford that; I just like Xiao Ruo's simplicity, it's worry-free!"

The atmosphere was quite harmonious afterwards. I never imagined that when I saw him again, we would calmly share a meal at the same table, able to lift our chopsticks without trembling, engaging in light-hearted conversation. However, I couldn't shake the feeling that Zhan Yunyin looked at me with the same gaze he directed at the fish head on the table, as if I had become that lifeless fish he was about to put in his mouth. He was a gentleman to Xiao Ming, always timely and attentive in serving the dishes, presenting a polite host's demeanor towards us. I began to wonder if I was misinterpreting his gaze.

I cannot sleep; the sudden appearance of Zhan Yunyao has caught me off guard. How did I end up with him? Those sweet moments, those sorrows, his tenderness, his deep affection, his dominance, I cannot shake them off.

After much contemplation, I still cannot come up with an answer. Given his temperament, how could he possibly let me off the hook after having a peaceful meal? It is certainly out of the question, especially since I have managed to get through four years without incident

The sound of "Weng" echoed in my mind. I hope it is not the case, and I hope he no longer thinks of me obsessively. Otherwise, I fear I cannot bear the consequences. I still dare not forget what he said back then; he calmly told me: "Ziqi, if you decide to run away, make sure you go far away, and do not let me know. Otherwise, you will have no freedom left."

The female assistant lowered her head and apologized: "We will take responsibility for the losses." MD, this is not something that can be resolved simply with money. You can shoot whenever you want, but do you think you can just walk away as if others are mere dirt beneath your feet? I still don't believe I can't handle this girl; she's just a second-tier actress, young and newly famous. After four years in the industry, I've seen many stars, but I've never encountered one who dares to set a price right after becoming popular! I turned my head and saw that the actress was sitting in her chair, texting as if nothing was wrong. After four years in the industry, I've seen many stars, but I've never encountered one who dares to set a price right after becoming popular! I turned my head and saw that the actress was sitting in her chair, texting as if nothing was wrong. I strode over, stood in front of her, and said from a superior position: "We must finish shooting today; meals can be eaten later. If this gets out, no one will dare to hire you in the future, so think it over!"

I urgently said to the sea: "I am going to the restroom, you go ahead." Not daring to look back, I walked straight to the restroom. I did not know if my back was straight, nor did I know if those eyes were watching my figure. All I could hear was the sound of my own footsteps, the crisp sound of high heels on the marble floor, and the beating of my heart like a drum

As I was speaking, the noise from the production team grew louder, seemingly indicating trouble. Da Hai and I hurried over. The director's face was flushed with anger, and I could hear the female star's assistant say, "Let's shoot tomorrow; we will cover the rental loss." My mind went blank; what kind of situation is this? What kind of talk is this? And they are so arrogant? The director looked at us anxiously. Although the filming was entrusted to an external company, as the production party for this advertisement, we certainly would not allow such last-minute changes to the schedule. What kind of talk is this? And they are so arrogant? The director looked at us anxiously. Although the filming was entrusted to an external company, as the production party for this advertisement, we certainly would not allow such last-minute changes to the schedule. I coldly asked the assistant, "What happened? This is a breach of contract." The female assistant apologetically replied, "This is not up for discussion; Mei Zi has a dinner appointment." I was instantly enraged: "A dinner appointment? She is in the industry, right? Does she not know that artists should have professional ethics! The entire crew of over ten people is being told to stop working just because she has a dinner appointment?"

The dinner party finally came to an end. I walked briskly towards the exit when I suddenly heard Zhan Yuyi's voice: "You weren't scared pale at the sight of me, were you, that you had to wear such bold makeup?" I was taken aback as he laughed and walked away. My fists clenched, and my heart felt desolate; he had seen right through me from the very beginning. I reassured myself, saying, "It's okay, it's okay, after all, there will be no more interactions in the future. Didn't we finish the meal smoothly today? Wasn't there any incident?" I comforted myself again, "It's okay, it's okay, after all, there will be no more interactions in the future. Didn't we finish the meal smoothly today? Wasn't there any incident?"

I raised my fist and said: "You little brat, are you trying to say that I am a mung bean or that Ning Qing is a turtle?" After saying this, I laughed as well. This is the good thing about being with the sea; after a few jokes, the weather will turn from cloudy to clear.

The sea gazed for a long time and sighed, saying: "Lingnan is not without such alleys; it is merely that the land prices cannot compare to those of the capital. Renting this place for a day to shoot something costs around two hundred thousand."

Zhan Yunyi's lips curled slightly upward, resembling a smile yet not quite: "Ziqi, to meet you again in Beijing, we truly are fated, and I must thank Meizi for that." Beside him sat the little star Xiaoming, whom I had wanted to slap this morning. She lowered her head playfully and said, "So it turns out we are all family; this morning's misunderstanding really upset Miss Tang quite a bit." Zhan Yunyi replied, "So I came to bring you to apologize this evening, didn't I"

The sea said with difficulty: "The boss is calling, it doesn't matter if this film can't be made, we must go for the meal"

The sea said: "Expensive? Even if you pay, they are still unwilling, claiming it will disturb the residents. I even used Ning Qing's connections to have a friend handle it."

Yes, indeed, that is why I cannot get married

I couldn't help but feel suspicious in my heart. Was he truly here for work, to please the star Xiao Ming, or did he have ulterior motives? Observing today's scene, he appeared unfazed. Perhaps I am overthinking it; we have been apart for four years, and I have no ties to him anymore. Time is the best emotional anesthetic; even the deepest feelings can be eroded and dissolved by time, second by second. Suddenly, I thought to myself, how foolish I am. Had I known it would turn out this way, why did I hide so intensely? I have made up my mind; I feel somewhat relieved, yet also a bit lost. In the blink of an eye, the once beloved figure has become a stranger; he is merely one of the company's financial backers. Suddenly, I thought to myself, how foolish I am. Had I known it would turn out this way, why did I hide so intensely? I have made up my mind; I feel somewhat relieved, yet also a bit lost. In the blink of an eye, the once beloved figure has become a stranger; he is merely one of the company's financial backers. This is perhaps for the best.

Once again, the machine malfunctioned. I then said to the director, "Wrap it up, we will shoot tomorrow, I will treat everyone to a meal." The director understood the situation, sighed in relief, and the production team did not hold it against him; he was anxious for nothing. I then said to Dahai, "Draft a list of this loss and report the situation to the company." I then watched as that girl gracefully left with her assistant.

A meal cost over 7,000, and finally, my chest feels less constricted. Da Hai smiled and said, "This is the first time I've had such an expensive working meal on a film set." Indeed, usually when entering a film crew, the meals are merely boxed lunches costing ten or twenty yuan, but today’s meal can be considered ultra-luxurious. In the afternoon, the company faxed over, and the boss was very satisfied with today’s handling. The reason for his satisfaction was simply that we did not offend the financier. In addition to filming, there was an extra task to sign the loss contract with Yuntian Group; the frugal boss would not let go of any opportunity to secure a few silver coins. In the afternoon, the company faxed over, and the boss was very satisfied with today’s handling. The reason for his satisfaction was simply that we did not offend the financier. In addition to filming, there was an extra task to sign the loss contract with Yuntian Group; the frugal boss would not let go of any opportunity to secure a few silver coins

So, we are family now? Zhang Yunyi, is it really necessary to make such a big fuss over your sponsorship of Xiao Ming, the star? Yet, with a smile on his face, he said: "It's all a misunderstanding, shall I call you Mei Zi? There will be more opportunities for collaboration in the future, and I believe as a family, we will work together happily. I will drink to that first." I clearly emphasized the word 'family' and raised my hand to finish the drink in my cup.

Zhan Yunyiy also smiled and said: "Today is considered a private banquet, Mei Zi is young and inexperienced, I hope both of you will be understanding."

I greeted everyone with a stern face: "Let's go, today we are dining on the waters of Jiangnan, the sea. Remember to send the invoice to Yuntian for payment!"