Although An Juexiao was new here, back in school she had gathered recommendations from senior students about delicious little eateries around the film studio city. So after leaving the hotel, she skillfully hailed a small motorized tricycle.
“Driver, Wang Dabowl.”
“Alright, hop on, let’s go.”
The film studio city was neither too big nor too small. With narrow roads and heavy foot traffic, the most practical mode of transport was not taxis, but small, nimble vehicles like electric tricycles.
As the tricycle started, the engine and wheels made buzzing and creaking noises. Gu Zhanran instinctively held onto the seat handle.
He sat upright with a straight back, his gaze steady, every movement exuding elegance and nobility.
“President Gu, you’ve turned this tricycle seat into something like a throne,” An Juexiao teased, then added a bit sheepishly, “There aren’t many taxis here and traffic gets bad, so taking a tricycle is faster. Please bear with it.”
Gu Zhanran’s gaze fell on the relaxed An Juexiao. A breeze and sunlight filtered through the front curtain, casting a soft glow over her.
He nodded slightly to show he understood.
Suddenly, a hand reached over and gently rested on his shoulder, fair and soft, like a tuft of cotton landing lightly on him.
“Relax a little,” An Juexiao reassured him.
It was not that Gu Zhanran was not relaxed, it was just that this feeling, as if he were sitting directly on top of the engine, was something he had never experienced before, so he was unusually tense.
“I…” Gu Zhanran was about to speak when the tricycle’s wheel rolled over a pothole. The vehicle jolted violently, and the two of them were thrown upward.
An Juexiao lurched forward and crashed straight into Gu Zhanran’s arms, her face pressed tightly against his warm chest.
Wow, these muscles feel amazing.
That thought flashed through An Juexiao’s mind as she lay against him.
If this were her boyfriend’s chest, she would definitely take the chance to touch it more, but unfortunately it was not.
“President Gu, have you been working out?” An Juexiao got up, her eyes lighting up as she boldly praised him. “Your future girlfriend is going to be very happy.”
Gu Zhanran froze slightly, then fixed his gaze on her, a faint glimmer flickering in his dark eyes.
At first, An Juexiao had said that without any embarrassment, but under his steady gaze, she suddenly felt guilty. She realized that what she had just said sounded far too suggestive.
Good physique equals good stamina equals happiness?
The more she thought about it, the more suggestive it sounded.
The more she thought, the harder it was to stay calm. She felt like some kind of shameless flirt. What would someone as upright and proper as Gu Zhanran think?
Seeing her face flush red, Gu Zhanran patted her shoulder and comforted her, “Relax a little.”
An Juexiao: “…”
Gu Zhanran looked at her with a faint smile. “Thank you for the compliment.”
An Juexiao coughed a few times to cover her embarrassment. Why did the tricycle feel so slow today, like an old antique car?
After more than ten minutes, they finally arrived at Wang Dabowl. At last, they did not have to squeeze inside the cramped tricycle anymore. An Juexiao happily led Gu Zhanran into the shop.
“I’m telling you, this place is famous in the film studio city for its huge bowls. Lots of celebrities have come here. I heard one bowl is as big as a basin, all the tableware is specially customized.” Walking ahead, An Juexiao chattered as she introduced the place. “You will definitely get full.”
Gu Zhanran looked at her with amusement, she was like a little bird hopping around on a branch in the morning.
Just as she had said, once they entered, the walls were lined with photos of various celebrities.
An Juexiao said eagerly, “I hope one day I can have my photo up there too.”
For a restaurant to display your photo meant recognition and popularity.
Gu Zhanran said, “You will.”
They sat down and ordered a table full of dishes. When the food arrived, An Juexiao finally realized what it meant to be proven wrong.
And it hurt.
Looking at the oversized bowls and the tiny portions, Gu Zhanran could not help but laugh. “The bowls really are big.”
Only the bowls.
Food served to celebrities was exactly like this, big presentation, small portions, and expensive.
“… ” An Juexiao knew she had been completely fooled by this so-called trendy restaurant. She was so embarrassed she wished she could disappear into the ground. Even though it hurt her wallet, she could not let her guest eat so little. “Let’s order a few more dishes.”
Gu Zhanran said calmly, “Eat first, then we can order more.”
After a few bites, Gu Zhanran asked, “What are your plans for future work?”
“I’ll keep sending out resumes, find an agency, then work hard to get roles and act.”
“Which companies have you applied to?”
“Daxiang, Qianhua…” Seeing his confused expression, An Juexiao added, “They are small companies, you probably haven’t heard of them.”
She sighed and poked at the food in her bowl with the tip of her chopsticks. “Every year so many students graduate from film schools, and there are also newcomers from talent shows. The competition is really intense. Even mid-sized companies are hard to get into.”
What people usually saw was the glamorous side of celebrities. Before they became famous, they also had to submit resumes and attend interviews like ordinary people, except their resumes were for acting, and the people they met were agents and casting directors.
“What about Yaohui?”
“Yaohui? Of course it’s great!” An Juexiao did not catch the deeper meaning behind his question and thought he was just asking about the company. “That’s a leading giant in the entertainment industry. The film and TV resources they hold are top-tier. Most of the biggest stars right now came from Yaohui, and even those who started their own studios still have close ties with it.”
“Put it this way, Yaohui is like Rolls-Royce for men and Hermès for women, everyone wants it.”
“And you?”
“Of course I want it!” An Juexiao laughed. “But I don’t have the chance. Yaohui rarely signs complete newcomers.”
Even when they did, those newcomers usually had some background. For someone like her, with nothing to her name, getting into Yaohui was harder than climbing to the heavens.
“I’ve thought it through. I’ll join a mid-sized company first and work my way up step by step. After my contract ends, I can consider moving to a bigger company, or even starting my own studio.”
“Go to Yaohui,” Gu Zhanran said, as casually as if he were discussing what to have for breakfast.
Hearing that, An Juexiao froze, wondering if she had misheard.
“I’ll give you the opportunity.” Gu Zhanran looked at her calmly. “As for how you walk this path, that depends on you.”
In fact, Gu Zhanran had been waiting all along. But even after An Juexiao praised Yaohui to the skies, she never touched on the point he wanted. He could not hold back anymore, so he said it himself.
An Juexiao stared intently at his face, confirming there was not a trace of a joke. Her eyes instantly lit up, like a traveler in the desert finally seeing water.
“Boss, add more dishes!” An Juexiao was so excited her hands were trembling. She stuffed the menu straight into Gu Zhanran’s hands and said grandly, “You order, go ahead, add whatever you want!”
Gu Zhanran could not resist her enthusiasm, and with a faint smile, he added two more dishes.
Midway through the meal, An Juexiao left for the restroom. When she came back, she saw Gu Zhanran looking at her phone screen. As soon as he noticed her, he said, “Your screen lit up suddenly. I only glanced at it, I did not see the details.”
An Juexiao replied generously, “It’s nothing, there is nothing to hide.”
She unlocked her phone and shared it with him openly. Her attitude toward him now was like that of a villager toward a soldier, warm and trusting.
“I was just chatting with a friend about things I have seen on set recently. Turns out the income from ordering boxed meals on big productions is pretty good. And last time, an actor from the neighboring crew got involved with an actress, then his wife showed up at the set.” An Juexiao mentioned it casually.
“And then?” Gu Zhanran asked.
An Juexiao froze for a moment. “Huh?”
She had assumed someone like him would have no interest in gossip, but he asked seriously about what happened next.
After the meal, Gu Zhanran took good care of An Juexiao as an injured person and sent her back to the hotel early to rest.
An Juexiao: Gu Zhanran is such an interesting person.
Gu Keqing: How so?
An Juexiao: I casually told him some gossip. I thought someone like him would not be interested, but he actually asked me what happened next.
Gu Keqing: Haha.
An Juexiao: Seriously, “what happened next”! Turns out he likes gossip too.
Gu Keqing: I also want to ask, what happened next? What happened between you two?
An Juexiao: Then I vividly told him the whole story. He even said it would be a waste of talent if I did not go into comedic storytelling.
An Juexiao: When I was telling the gossip, he even smiled, which is rare for him. Honestly, you would never guess he is the gossip-loving type.
Gu Keqing secretly thought that perhaps it was not the gossip he found interesting, but the animated way An Juexiao told it.
An Juexiao: Oh right! Another piece of good news, Gu Zhanran is introducing me to Yaohui.
Gu Keqing: Did you make a wish to him?
An Juexiao: No.
An Juexiao: That’s why I think he is genuinely kind.
An Juexiao: I used to think those entrepreneurs who do charity were all hypocritical. Now I want to say I was completely wrong. Gu Zhanran really deserves to be called one of the top ten outstanding philanthropic entrepreneurs.
An Juexiao: He is truly a great philanthropist!
Gu Keqing: ………………
Gu Keqing’s inner thought, as long as you are happy.
Author’s note: On the wedding night, someone was exhausted.
An Juexiao: Let’s take a break!
Gu Zhanran: Remember how you praised my physique?
An Juexiao: Mm.
Gu Zhanran: Continue.
An Juexiao: QAQ!