Inside the private Heaven No. 1 Room at Zuixian Pavilion, two men were already seated.
Both appeared to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old.
One of them had short hair and wore a white shirt with the top buttons casually undone. His sleeves were rolled up to his forearms, revealing sun-kissed skin. With his deep, expressive eyes, high-bridged nose, and perfectly sculpted lips, his features seemed as though they had been crafted by God himself.
This was Shen Yuan, the young owner of Zuixian Pavilion.
The other man had a fair, chiseled face with sharp, handsome features. His thick eyebrows arched slightly upward, giving him a rebellious air. Beneath his long, slightly curled eyelashes were a pair of dark, captivating eyes that exuded both wildness and charm.
His nose was straight, his lips as soft and rosy as flower petals, and his entire presence radiated an untamed charisma.
He was Wang Zhinan—a top-tier celebrity known for his singing, dancing, and acting.
Tonight’s dinner had been organized by Mo Junlin.
Shen Yuan had been waiting upstairs in his office, but when he heard that Wang Zhinan had arrived, he came down to the private room.
“Well, look who’s here,” Shen Yuan teased the moment he entered. “Our big star actually has time for us today? Usually, we have to beg you to show up. President Mo really does have some influence.”
Wang Zhinan had already removed his mask.
He glanced lazily at Shen Yuan.
“If this were your dinner party, I’d probably still be on set.”
Shen Yuan was unfazed by the remark. Taking a seat beside him, he grinned.
“Let me guess—you’re curious about what our Brother Mo’s new wife looks like?”
“I already have their wedding photos on my phone.”
Though Wang Zhinan didn’t finish his sentence, the meaning was clear.
Shen Yuan choked on his own words for a moment before changing the subject.
“So what have you been up to lately? No one can ever find you anymore.”
Ever since childhood, Wang Zhinan had dreamed of becoming a singer and performer.
His family, however, didn’t consider the entertainment industry a respectable career and wanted him to follow Mo Junlin’s example by joining the family business.
Fortunately for him, the Wang family was different from the Mo family.
He had an older brother to carry on the family responsibilities.
Determined to pursue his dream, Wang Zhinan borrowed money from his friends to establish his own studio, partnering with Mo Junlin’s entertainment company.
He debuted through a talent competition, quickly rose to fame thanks to his exceptional singing and dancing skills, and later starred in several films, even winning a Best Supporting Actor award.
Since becoming famous, finding time with him had become nearly impossible.
He was either filming a show or working on a movie set.
Anyone wanting to see him had to work around his schedule.
Leaning back comfortably in his chair, Wang Zhinan replied, “I just finished filming Wei Han’s movie. I should be able to rest for about half a month—assuming nothing unexpected comes up.”
The moment he mentioned Wei Han, Shen Yuan’s interest was piqued.
Wei Han was a race car driver, and rumors had been circulating that he was producing a movie about racing.
Shen Yuan was an avid racing enthusiast himself.
“Is it the racing movie?” he asked excitedly, nudging Wang Zhinan’s shoulder.
Wang Zhinan raised an eyebrow.
“Your information network is pretty impressive. Where did you hear that? You really are obsessed with racing.”
“So when’s it coming out?” Shen Yuan pressed.
Wang Zhinan clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“Hard to say. Wei Han’s still looking for an OST. He hasn’t found anything suitable yet.”
“What’s this about not finding something suitable?”
The door opened, and Mo Junlin walked in with Qin Ruoyao beside him.
Both Wang Zhinan and Shen Yuan immediately stood up.
Leading Qin Ruoyao to his side, Mo Junlin introduced her.
“This is Shen Yuan. You met him briefly at the wedding. He’s the owner of Zuixian Pavilion.”
Qin Ruoyao greeted him with a smile.
Just as Mo Junlin was about to introduce Wang Zhinan, she interrupted him.
“I know who he is. He’s on the billboard at the shopping mall.”
She turned to Wang Zhinan with a grin.
“Top star Wang Zhinan. One of my friends is a huge fan.”
Then she added playfully, “You’ll have to give me an autograph later, Mr. Celebrity.”
Seeing such a beautiful sister-in-law, Wang Zhinan hurriedly replied modestly.
“That’s easy. I can give you signed photos and albums too. I’ll ask my assistant to prepare them later. Thank you to your friend for supporting me.”
Wrapping an arm around Qin Ruoyao’s shoulders, Mo Junlin said simply:
“My wife, Qin Ruoyao.”
After everyone was seated, he continued, “It’s just the four of us tonight. Chenzi had to leave for an urgent assignment.”
“Again?”
Shen Yuan sighed.
“I don’t think I’ve seen him in nearly a year. He didn’t even come home for the New Year.”
Mo Junlin nodded.
Then he handed the menu to Qin Ruoyao, gesturing for her to order whatever she liked.
From across the table, Shen Yuan immediately chimed in.
“Sister-in-law, our Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is a must-try. The seafood here is excellent too—we air-freight it in as soon as it reaches shore. It’s incredibly fresh, and with our family’s secret recipes, people travel here just for the taste.”
Wang Zhinan nodded in agreement.
“He’s right. This guy’s an amazing chef. His family’s been passing down imperial recipes for generations.”
“Really?”
Qin Ruoyao smiled and set the menu back down.
“Then I’ll leave it to our host. I’m not picky.”
Shen Yuan beamed.
“Since you trust me, I’ll take care of everything.”
He immediately headed out to place the order.
Mo Junlin let them chat while quietly taking care of Qin Ruoyao, pouring her a cup of green tea.
Only then did he turn his attention to Wang Zhinan.
“What were you two talking about before we arrived?”
Wang Zhinan had been watching the way Mo Junlin fussed over Qin Ruoyao in disbelief.
Is this really the same cold and indifferent Mo Junlin?
He had never seen his friend this gentle—not even during his university romance.
People really did change.
Snapping out of his thoughts, he replied, “Nothing much. We were talking about my new movie.”
“Whose movie?”
“Wei Han’s. We spent a month filming at the racetrack.”
“When’s it coming out?”
Wang Zhinan shook his head.
“No idea. Wei Han’s still looking for the theme song. It’s been difficult.”
Qin Ruoyao looked interested.
“What’s the story about? Can you tell us a little?”
There was no harm in sharing.
He trusted Mo Junlin and the others not to leak anything.
“It’s about a race car driver who returns to his hometown after achieving success. When he gets back, he finds that the island is about to be demolished, and his best friend—a teacher—is being transferred away.”
“He decides to personally accompany his friend on one last journey. Along the way, they experience disappointment, confusion, inspiration, passion, and excitement before finally reaching their destination.”
After Wang Zhinan finished explaining, Qin Ruoyao fell into thought.
Seeing her silence, he worried that he’d said something wrong and glanced at Mo Junlin.
Mo Junlin shook his head just as the door opened again.
Shen Yuan returned with the servers.
One after another, they carried in dish after dish.
The first was the famous Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.
Then came a giant lobster, its bright red shell gleaming enticingly.
Next were abalone and sea cucumbers.
There was also braised chicken in an iron pot and many other delicacies.
Soon, the table was covered with over a dozen dishes.
The rich aromas and vibrant colors were enough to make anyone hungry.
“As expected of our host,” Qin Ruoyao praised. “You’re impressive.”
Shen Yuan grinned from ear to ear.
“Not at all. I’m just glad you like it, Sister-in-law. Feel free to come by anytime.”
Mo Junlin picked up his chopsticks and placed a piece of lobster into Qin Ruoyao’s bowl.
“Let’s eat first. You can think about it afterward.”
She took a bite.
“Mmm, delicious. You know what I’m thinking about?”
“Of course.”
He smiled.
“You’re thinking about the song. If you want to write it, then go ahead.”
Shen Yuan and Wang Zhinan exchanged surprised glances.
“Sister-in-law writes songs?”
“Ruoyao’s very talented,” Mo Junlin said proudly. “She wrote two songs for Director Zhang Peisheng today.”
Both men knew Director Zhang’s reputation.
Anyone who could impress him was undoubtedly talented.
Wang Zhinan quickly asked, “Are you thinking about writing a song for my movie?”
“I have a few ideas,” Qin Ruoyao replied with a nod.
“When it’s finished, I’ll send it to you. If you like it, you can use it.”
With so much delicious food in front of her, however, she quickly set aside thoughts of songwriting and focused on eating.
Wang Zhinan raised his glass.
“Sister-in-law, whether it works out or not, thank you anyway. Let me toast you.”
Qin Ruoyao picked up her juice and clinked glasses with him.
The man beside her had already made it clear that alcohol was off-limits.
The meal lasted more than two hours.
After exchanging contact information, everyone went their separate ways.