Meng Tang had no fondness for a male lead who only knew how to suck her dry.
Aside from her close friends, it had always been others spending money on her—never the other way around.
Moreover, Meng Tang seriously doubted the original host’s taste. With a husband at home who was incredibly handsome and wealthy, why would she insist on chasing after the male lead?
As for Cheng Youjun’s looks, at best, he wasn’t ugly, but he couldn’t compare to Song Guanting at all.
Forget about facial features—just that noble, authoritative aura of his was something ten Cheng Youjuns couldn’t match.
After transmigrating, Meng Tang unilaterally cut off contact with Cheng Youjun and never once reached out to him.
Because Meng Tang’s tone was too cold, completely different from the sweet, affectionate warmth she used to have.
So much so that Cheng Youjun instinctively thought he had dialed the wrong number and subconsciously glanced at his phone.
The number was correct, and the voice was right, but why did Meng Tang feel… strange today?
“Did your company hire a new director named Chu Weiwei? I heard you’re taking her to a dinner party today to secure investments. Wei Wei just entered society and doesn’t understand anything.”
“If there’s any toasting or anything like that at the dinner, help her out a bit. Teach her some negotiation skills and take care of her. She’s a very important friend of mine.”
As if afraid Meng Tang didn’t understand Chu Weiwei’s importance to him, Cheng Youjun added one last sentence.
Meng Tang almost laughed out loud. Why didn’t you just say she’s your secret crush? “A very important friend”—you two crazy lovebirds playing ambiguous games and secretly pining for each other, don’t bring that nonsense in front of me to disgust me, okay?
Cheng Youjun said a long string of words, only to receive a very cold “Oh” from Meng Tang: “Busy. Hanging up.”
Before Cheng Youjun could say anything else, the line went dead with a series of beeps.
Cheng Youjun stared blankly and uncomfortably at his phone, which had just been hung up on.
Was it his imagination, or was Meng Tang unusually cold to him today, as if… she didn’t even know him?
Come to think of it, Cheng Youjun recalled that his last call with Meng Tang was three months ago.
What had Meng Tang said on the phone back then?
Something about her family forcing her into marriage or something, but at the time, Cheng Youjun was busy filming on set and had no interest in Meng Tang’s affairs, so he brushed her off and hung up.
But after that, Meng Tang never proactively called him again.
Was she angry?
But Cheng Youjun quickly dismissed the thought. How could Meng Tang ever be angry? Even if she were, she would never be angry with him.
She had always been hopelessly in love with him, and no amount of coldness from him could extinguish her passion.
It must be another one of Meng Tang’s tricks—playing hard to get, right?
Pretending to ignore him, feigning indifference, all to win his attention.
Hah, what a clumsy trick, one he saw right through.
Even though they hadn’t spoken much just now, and it was mostly him talking, given Meng Tang’s usual obedience to him, this time would be no exception. She would definitely take extra care of Chu Weiwei.
Thinking of Chu Weiwei, Cheng Youjun’s expression softened considerably. He lowered his head and sent her a gentle message.
Telling her not to worry, he had already spoken to Meng Tang.After hanging up the phone, Meng Tang looked up and noticed Tong Tong staring at her with bright, excited eyes, full of disbelief.
“What’s wrong? Is there something on my face?”
Meng Tang couldn’t help but touch her cheek.
Tong Tong quickly shook her head. “No, it’s just that I feel like you’re different somehow, Sister Tang.”
Meng Tang smiled, her expression mysterious and profound. “You’ll find me even more different in the future.”
Fuduolai Restaurant.
Meng Tang arrived half an hour early. After confirming the private room, she waited at the entrance for Manager Sun and his group.
“Manager Sun, it’s been a week, and you’re looking even more dashing than before.”
As Manager Sun stepped out of the car, Meng Tang approached him with a sweet smile and politely extended her hand.
Manager Sun chuckled. “Little Meng, you’re as sweet-tongued as ever.”
“Well, what can I do? People are visual creatures. When I see a handsome man, I naturally can’t help but be even sweeter.”
No one dislikes hearing compliments, and men, of course, love being praised for their looks.
Even if it’s flattery, it doesn’t stop them from feeling pleased.
While escorting Manager Sun to the private room, Tong Tong whispered beside her, “Sister Tang, Chu Weiwei hasn’t arrived yet. Should we wait for her?”
After all, everyone in the company said that Meng Tang was deeply infatuated with Cheng Youjun, doing everything according to his wishes—truly the queen of simps.
Although Meng Tang had been cold toward Cheng Youjun during their phone call earlier, since the whole company was saying it, the rumors probably weren’t unfounded.
Cheng Youjun had personally called to remind Meng Tang to take good care of Chu Weiwei during the dinner. Surely, Meng Tang wouldn’t refuse, right?
To her surprise, Meng Tang reacted as if she’d heard something utterly absurd. “What are you joking about? Making the client wait for the contractor—do you want to ruin the collaboration?”
“Besides, Chu Weiwei is just someone who was shoved in here to learn negotiation skills. Does her presence or absence even matter?”
That made so much sense that Tong Tong couldn’t argue at all.
But if they went in without waiting for her, wouldn’t it upset Cheng Youjun if word got back to him? Wasn’t Meng Tang worried about making him angry?
“She has legs; she can find her way in herself. Don’t worry about her. Securing the contract smoothly is our top priority today.”
Since Meng Tang had spoken, Tong Tong naturally stopped paying attention to irrelevant people.
And so, when Chu Weiwei arrived at the restaurant by taxi, she searched the lobby but couldn’t find Meng Tang anywhere.
Meng Tang had only told her to meet at Fuduolai Restaurant but hadn’t mentioned which private room.
Chu Weiwei didn’t have Meng Tang’s phone number, and she didn’t feel comfortable calling the manager, so she had no choice but to contact Cheng Youjun.
When Cheng Youjun found out that Meng Tang hadn’t even waited for Chu Weiwei at the restaurant entrance, he was both shocked and furious.
After reassuring Chu Weiwei and asking her to wait a moment, he immediately called Meng Tang.
Meng Tang was in the middle of toasting Manager Sun when her phone, placed on the chair, rang.
Tong Tong glanced at the caller ID—”Debt Collector”—and whispered, “Sister Tang, it’s Cheng Youjun.”
Meng Tang didn’t even look at it, thinking how truly annoying this guy was.
She hated being interrupted during work the most. Kick him out!
“Block him.”
Tong Tong: “Huh?”
Meng Tang shot her a glance, and Tong Tong promptly blocked the number without another word.
Instantly, the world fell silent.
Meng Tang put on a smile again and continued effortlessly making small talk to liven up the atmosphere.
When it came to drinking, Meng Tang was always straightforward and cheerful. Manager Sun was thoroughly pleased, but just as they were about to sign the contract, he made a request.”I have a nephew who just graduated from college and doesn’t have much to do at home, but he’s quite interested in acting. Would it be okay for him to play a minor role in your drama, Meng Tang? It doesn’t matter if it’s just a small part.”
Manager Sun took out a photo to show Meng Tang. It was a young man with a handsome, roguish look—a type of charisma that was currently rare in the market.
The original work also had this plot. However, in the book, the original protagonist refused because Cheng Youjun disliked using connections to insert people into projects.
As a result, she offended Manager Sun, and Chu Weiwei ended up benefiting from the situation.
And Cheng Youjun, who had always detested using connections, showed a clear double standard when it came to Chu Weiwei.
Not only did he agree without hesitation, but in order to please Manager Sun and secure the investment, he even proactively suggested giving Manager Sun’s nephew a good role.