“Assistant Lin, come have a meal with me!” Gu Minxuan was relentless, sticking close behind Lin Zhou like a stubborn patch that wouldn’t come off.
Lin Zhou sighed, stamping her foot and turning back. “President Gu, do you really think I want to have a meal with you?” Her disdain was already obvious enough, surely Gu Minxuan’s emotional intelligence wasn’t in the negative range? When tolerance reaches its limit, there’s no need to endure further. If she continued humoring Gu Minxuan’s whims, who knew what he would do next.
“Whether you want to or not…” Gu Minxuan paused thoughtfully, a sly smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “If I can help Miss Feng Yunni secure the female lead in Past Memories, would Assistant Lin be gracious enough to have a meal with me?”
Lin Zhou squinted up at Gu Minxuan, who was taller than her, as if trying to glean some truth from the teasing glint in his eyes. She picked up the towel he had used to wipe her sweat and, after wiping for a moment, draped it over her fair neck.
A faint smile curved her lips. “If President Gu can actually pull that off, then this meal should be my treat.”
Her rational mind kicked back in. If Gu Minxuan could truly solve her pressing problem, enduring one meal wasn’t a big deal. She wasn’t someone who couldn’t tolerate a little inconvenience.
She said this because she genuinely had a problem.
When she had promised Feng Yunni help, Lin Zhou had been confident she could get the role. Yet as days passed, Lin Zhou made little progress with Director Xu Feng. She had, however, become quite close with Xu Feng’s wife, they even formed a cross-generational friendship. Flower arranging, tea ceremonies, gardening… Lin Zhou picked up a few more skills along the way.
Of course, she hadn’t just recently met the Xu couple.
Three years ago, when she discovered Feng Yunni’s interest in acting, she had used the opportunity to get acquainted with them.
Feng Hexu’s doting of Feng Yunni was something Lin Zhou had observed long ago. The moment Feng Yunni mentioned wanting to be a princess, Feng Hexu had bought her a castle in Europe, ensuring his precious daughter could live a real princess’s life.
So Lin Zhou had guessed that Feng Hexu would naturally pave the way for Feng Yunni’s acting career. Sure enough, three years later, he had established a film investment company for Feng Yunni and set up a studio just for her.
Lin Zhou had thought she had calculated everything carefully. With her connection to Mrs. Xu had hoped to get a bit of behind-the-scenes help, maybe even an audition opportunity.
Instead, Mrs. Xu got scolded for her trouble, which made Lin Zhou feel bad.
Even with people from film companies negotiating with Xu Feng and significant sums of money on the table, Xu Feng remained steadfast, unmoved by wealth or influence.
Lin Zhou had faced setbacks before, but principled people like Director Xu were rare in the entertainment industry. She had always believed that capital controlled the industry, but meeting Xu Feng proved otherwise, some people truly had integrity and were unshaken by money.
If Gu Minxuan could really get Xu Feng on board, it would be a huge help. At the very least, the Feng sisters could coexist peacefully for a long time.
One meal wasn’t a big deal. Endure it and move on.
“Deal,” Gu Minxuan said with a light laugh, confident. “When the time comes, Assistant Lin will have to think carefully about what to treat me to.”
Lin Zhou muttered inwardly, thinking that if he were really capable, she should have let him handle the approval directly instead of involving herself.
She wasn’t looking down on Gu Minxuan, he had studied abroad, after all, and clearly had skills. But after years in business, she felt her own experience far exceeded his. If she couldn’t handle something, how could Gu Minxuan? “Then any restaurant in Jingcheng will do, President Gu. I won’t be stingy.”
Gu Minxuan leaned forward, brushing the sweat from Lin Zhou’s jaw with his finger. His magnetic voice slowly said, “Deal.”
The touch, though brief, sent a shiver through Lin Zhou. Instinctively, she stepped back, her flushed cheeks burning hotter. Her heart skipped a beat for a moment, and she stared at Gu Minxuan in disbelief. “President Gu, I’m not a casual woman.”
Gu Minxuan raised his eyebrows, feigning innocence. “Neither am I a casual man. Assistant Lin, don’t you think we’re very fated?”
Lin Zhou didn’t understand, thinking he was evading the topic, spouting meaningless words. “A fated curse?” she replied, full of disdain.
Gu Minxuan straightened and chuckled. “So close, and yet Assistant Lin can’t even remember who I am, it hurts a little.” He clutched his chest, his expression completely unserious.
Lin Zhou didn’t want to argue with him anymore. She turned to leave, giving only her back to Gu Minxuan, waving her hand lazily without looking back. “President Gu, I’ll wait for your good news. Goodbye!” The message was clear: if he couldn’t get the female lead from Director Xu Feng, there was no need for further private meetings.
After being teased by Gu Minxuan, Lin Zhou was in a foul mood. When she went to the office in the afternoon, she was cold as winter snow. Usually gentle, today she was distant and unapproachable. The staff at the board office whispered among themselves, deciding not to disturb her unless necessary.
Near the end of the workday, Lin Zhou received a video call from Feng Hexu. He was in loungewear by a window, the sky dimly lit outside. Lin Zhou did a quick calculation, over there, it was past 5 a.m., exactly when Feng Hexu usually woke up.
Why call her so early? Could it be something important? “Chairman Feng.”
“You don’t look well,” Feng Hexu said. Even when his tone was gentle, it carried an unmissable authority.
Lin Zhou straightened. “Really? Maybe I didn’t sleep well last night.”
Feng Hexu nodded. “While I’m away from Jingcheng, you can relax a little. Don’t push yourself too hard.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Do you want to take a long break?” Feng Hexu asked.
Lin Zhou was a little confused and uneasy. “Chairman Feng, did I do something wrong?”
“No, you’re doing very well.” Feng Hexu rarely looked directly at Lin Zhou, and he never held her gaze during video calls. His eyes were calm, yet Lin Zhou felt something subtly different, though she couldn’t pinpoint it.
She didn’t know how to respond. After a few seconds, Feng Hexu said, “Precisely because you’re doing so well, I want you to adjust your mood and take care of your health, so that when I return, you’ll have full energy to work.”
So that was it.
Lin Zhou breathed a quiet sigh of relief. “I don’t want to take a long break for now.” She felt she had been too idle lately and needed to stay busy, only by keeping herself occupied could she forget the unpleasant things.