CH 19

Plop.

Qu Zhi distinctly heard the sound of his heartbeat, like a thunderclap exploding in his ears. He slightly stiffened, feeling somewhat at a loss.

Unaware of all this, Zheng Baozhu, with her head tilted, seemed as though she had fallen asleep, leaving only a slender and enchanting side profile.

Qu Zhi's facial expression tightened slightly. Then, he heard two firm knocks on the door, which finally allowed him to regain his composure.

He swiftly moved away from the sofa and stood aside.

Wei Zhen, at the door, coughed lightly, and walked in, "Thank you for your help, Mr. Qu. I'll take it from here."

"Mhmm." Qu Zhi responded, quickly leaving Zheng Baozhu's room.

Back in his own room, his heartbeat was still beating fast. He thought it must have been due to the alcohol he just consumed; the alcohol's effect, surely.

Indeed, he couldn't attend such dinner parties.

Zheng Baozhu, on the other hand, slept peacefully. When she woke up, it was close to noon the next day. Though her head ached a little, she felt much clearer than last night. After taking a quick hot shower and feeling refreshed, she thought about what happened last night. She could only recall drinking the other executives of the Euro Grand Hotel under the table; they were all eventually helped into their cars.

However, how did she get back later?

Zheng Baozhu shook her head and didn't dwell on it further. She picked out a dress from the wardrobe, changed, and decided to do her makeup before heading downstairs for lunch. As she picked up the lipstick from the dressing table, her phone beeped. She glanced at the screen and saw a message from Qi Sheng.

Her slender fingers lightly tapped on the screen and Qi Sheng's message appeared.

Qi Sheng: Miss Baozhu, are you awake now? 

Zheng Baozhu: What's up? Do you want me to buy your robots again?

Qi Sheng: Seems like you're awake now. 

Qi Sheng: [Video]

Seeing herself on the video thumbnail, Zheng Baozhu sensed that something was off. She opened the video, and an enthusiastic voice erupted from the phone - "Warrior, transform!"

Zheng Baozhu: "…………"

In the video, she started to hum the theme song of the warrior and then danced along to her own rhythm.

Zheng Baozhu: "……"

Help! I want to move to another planet overnight!

As the video progressed to over ten seconds, a well-defined hand moved the camera lens, and then Qu Zhi appeared in the frame, trying to take her away from the scene.

Zheng Baozhu: "……"

Qu Zhi was also at the scene?!

Death from embarrassment, the ultimate death from embarrassment. :)

For the next whole year, I don't want to see Qi Sheng and Qu Zhi together. :)

Zheng Baozhu: I'll buy your robots, now immediately delete the video for me. 

Qi Sheng: 

Qi Sheng: It's not that serious. If you don't like it, I'll delete it.  I thought it was quite good, hahaha.

Zheng Baozhu: If the one dancing in the video was you, I would also think it was good. 

Qi Sheng:  I've already deleted it.

Qi Sheng: But I sent it to Qu Zhi.

Zheng Baozhu: ……Who else did you send it to?

Qi Sheng: No one else, just Qu Zhi. He definitely won't share it.

"……" That's not necessarily true! Qu Zhi is not known for being discreet!

Zheng Baozhu: You make sure he deletes it too! I'll buy your robots!

Qi Sheng: I'll do it right away!

Zheng Baozhu took a few deep breaths, reassuring herself that it's okay, it's okay, she actually danced pretty well.

After calming herself down, she finished applying her lipstick when her phone beeped again.

This time it was Meng Yaxin.

Meng Yaxin had already finished her annual leave and returned to work a few days ago. Though she was physically gone, her spirit remained with the hotel staff—ever since the day she had a talk with Liang Huihui and Xiao Yu, she joined the hotel's CP fan group.

The CP, of course, was Qu Zhi - Zheng Baozhu.

Last night, Manager Wei sent an explosive message in the group, causing everyone to type excitedly.

Meng Yaxin was puzzled. Weren't they supposed to be at work? 

Meng Yaxin: [Chat history]

Meng Yaxin: Take a look.

Zheng Baozhu curiously opened the chat history; the first message was from Wei Zhen.

Wei Zhen: When I went to look for Miss Baozhu, Mr. Qu was holding her on the sofa. The atmosphere between the two was ambiguous and enchanting, making people blush and their heart race.

Zheng Baozhu: "…………"

What the heck! Manager Wei couldn't be that kind of person!

Zheng Baozhu: What is this group?

Meng Yaxin: It's your hotel's group chat. [Picking Nose Emoji] Liang Huihui created the CP fan group.

Zheng Baozhu: "……"

Zheng Baozhu: But why are you in there too?

Meng Yaxin: Liang Huihui invited me in. [Picking nose] Not only me, but Cen Tongtong is also in it. I specially invited her so we could be the first to know how far we are from becoming keyboard warriors in the live chat.

Zheng Baozhu:……

Meng Yaxin: Did you have fun with Qu Zhi last night?

Zheng Baozhu: Rumors are just rumors, believe it or not.  Wise people don't spread or believe rumors. 

Meng Yaxin: [Picking nose]

Zheng Baozhu put down her phone and covered her face with her hands.

Qu Zhi sent her back to her room last night?

After watching the video that Qi Sheng had just sent, it was indeed Qu Zhi helping her back. But... what scene was it on the sofa? Why did she have no recollection of it at all?!

...Fake alcohol is harmful. :)

She went through the chat history that Meng Yaxin had sent. Initially, she just wanted to see which employees had so much free time, but after reading it, she realized that Liang Huihui, the group owner, never appeared in the chat.

Zheng Baozhu couldn't help but worry. Liang Huihui didn't reply to the message she sent yesterday either, and now her phone was turned off. She dialed Liang Huihui's number again, but it was still unreachable.

Feeling anxious, she opened the door, and suddenly Tan Yao's voice came through, "Good afternoon, Miss Baozhu. Do you have time to have lunch with me?"

Tan Yao was wearing his best black leather jacket and his hair was styled with hair wax. He leaned against the corridor wall with one hand and looked very cool.

Zheng Baozhu stared at him for a moment, thinking it might be a good opportunity to ask about Liang Huihui. She nodded and said, "Sure, I was just about to go downstairs for lunch."

"Then let's go together," Tan Yao said, and like magic, he produced a rose from behind and handed it to Zheng Baozhu, "This is for you."

"Thank you," Zheng Baozhu took the rose and walked downstairs with him. When the restaurant staff saw them together, with Zheng Baozhu holding a rose, they couldn't help but speculate.

Wasn't Miss Baozhu still having a passionate moment with Mr. Qu last night? Why did things suddenly change?

Zheng Baozhu didn't care about their thoughts and found an empty table with Tan Yao to sit down. Because she had previously agreed to treat him, she ordered several signature dishes from the restaurant, all of which had the best reputation.

"Take a look and see if there's anything else you'd like to eat, don't be polite," Zheng Baozhu just handed over the menu when she saw Qu Zhi and Qi Sheng coming to the restaurant for lunch.

Without a second thought, she grabbed Tan Yao's hand and pulled him into an empty private room, and then "slammed" shut the door.

"..." Qi Sheng looked at the closed door of the private room and fell silent for two seconds, "What's going on? Is that Miss Baozhu's boyfriend?"

Qu Zhi also looked in the direction of the private room, but he didn't answer Qi Sheng. He just sat down silently at the dining table.

Inside the private room, Tan Yao still hadn't recovered from the surprise. Why did Miss Baozhu suddenly become so passionate? Could it be that she finally noticed his charm?

He knew it; Tan Yao's charm was irresistible.

"Let's eat here," Zheng Baozhu smiled at Tan Yao and sat down on the chair, "I'll have them bring the dishes here."

"Sure," Tan Yao followed and sat down on the chair, "It's more private in the private room."

"You're right," Zheng Baozhu nodded, "I actually wanted to talk to you about something personal."

Tan Yao's mind raced, preparing himself for Zheng Baozhu's confession, "Go ahead."

Zheng Baozhu said, "Actually, it's like this. Do you remember the last time I asked you to inquire about Li Yifan?"

Tan Yao: "......?"

Ah? Is she talking about that?

Zheng Baozhu didn't notice his change of mood and continued, telling Tan Yao about Liang Huihui and Li Yifan's situation. After listening, Tan Yao remained silent for a while. Just as Zheng Baozhu was about to speak, he suddenly slammed the table and loudly cursed, "Scumbag! He's so shameless!"

"..." Zheng Baozhu nodded, "You're right."

"Don't worry, I'll have my cousin find someone to bring that scumbag Li Yifan to you!"

"No need for that, I'm just worried that Huihui might be taken advantage of over there. Her phone is off, and I can't reach her. Can you help me ask around and find out how Huihui is doing?" If it's not possible, she might have to go to H City herself.

"Okay, don't worry. If she's still at the campus, they probably won't dare to do anything," Tan Yao created a group and added his cousin and Zheng Baozhu. He wanted to share any information they found in the group.

Tan Xin: Don't worry, Miss Baozhu. I've already informed my roommate and his friends. We're going to look for Li Yifan together!

Zheng Baozhu: Thank you, little brother. 

Tan Yao: You guys can directly go ask Li Yifan. If Liang Huihui did go to H City, she must be looking for him.

Tan Xin: Okay, we'll do that.

Tan Xin: This Li Yifan is really disgusting!  He's tarnishing the reputation of our H University students!

Tan Xin: How could our university produce such a scumbag! He even fooled the campus belle!

While Tan Xin vented his anger, they didn't neglect the main task. They worked efficiently, and half an hour later, they replied to Zheng Baozhu, "We didn't find Liang Huihui, Li Yifan said he hasn't seen her either. We questioned him for a long time, but he doesn't seem to be lying."

Zheng Baozhu: It shouldn't be. Huihui should have gone to find him. She doesn't have many friends outside our town.

Liang Huihui was a girl from a small town, and her circle of friends was limited to the people from her town. Although the internet was well-developed now, it's unlikely that she would take two days off to meet someone she met online. The only person she would make such an effort to meet was Li Yifan.

Tan Xin: We'll keep looking. Meanwhile, you can try calling her. If there's still no news, then you should report it to the police.

Zheng Baozhu: Alright, I guess that's the only option now.

She was now worried that Huihui went to find Li Yifan, saw something she couldn't bear, and did something impulsive.

She tried calling Liang Huihui several times, but her phone was still off. Finally, she had no choice but to report it to the police. Initially, she didn't want to make this matter public, as it was Huihui's private affair. But now that the police were involved, other employees would naturally come to know about it.

Liang Huihui had done a really good job of keeping her relationship with Li Yifan a secret. After hearing about Li Yifan's behavior, he was criticized by everyone. The police were also looking for her, but they hadn't found any information yet.

In the evening, Xiao Yu exclaimed while looking at the hotel entrance, "Huihui is back!"

Liang Huihui was taken aback by everyone's presence. Zheng Baozhu hurriedly looked over; although Huihui seemed physically fine, she looked downcast, and her eyes were slightly swollen, indicating she had been crying.

Wei Zhen frowned and approached her, adjusting his glasses on his nose, "Huihui, where did you go? Your phone was off! You have no idea how worried everyone was about you. Miss Baozhu even reported it to the police to find you."

Although Zheng Baozhu was the hotel owner, she was usually easygoing and didn't interfere much with the employees' affairs. As a result, everyone was more afraid of the strict Manager Wei. Hearing Wei Zhen's scolding, Liang Huihui's eyes started to well up again. Zheng Baozhu stepped forward to comfort her, "It's alright now, as long as you're back safely."

Liang Huihui choked up and burst into tears, hugging Zheng Baozhu tightly.

Wei Zhen: "..."

Is he really that scary?

Liang Huihui returned safely; Zheng Baozhu reported the same to the police. Then, she took Liang Huihui to the employee lounge. She handed her a cup of hot milk and asked, "Huihui, where did you go these past two days? Did you go to find Li Yifan?"

Liang Huihui choked on her milk, nodded, and replied, "I asked him on WeChat, but he denied having any relationship with that woman and blamed me for not trusting him, then he got angry with me."

Zheng Baozhu raised an eyebrow, "He's using a typical tactic to play the victim. Truly despicable."

Liang Huihui held back her tears and continued, "Then I thought I might have misunderstood him and wanted to go to H University to find him. But when I got there, I happened to see him with that woman from the picture right outside the dormitory building. He even kissed her," Liang Huihui's eyes turned red again as she spoke, "I was afraid they'd see me, so I quickly ran away. I didn't even notice that my phone had run out of battery."

Zheng Baozhu patted her head reassuringly, "It's alright, let it all out. It's good to see the true face of that scumbag. This is a blessing in disguise."

Liang Huihui sniffled, "I can't figure it out. He used to be so good to me. Does he think I'm not worthy of him just because I'm a waitress?"

"Hmph, it's ridiculous," Zheng Baozhu interrupted, "He thinks you're not worthy of him, yet he's been using your money all this time? You may be a waitress, but you live a dignified life, which he's not worthy of."

Liang Huihui was comforted by her words, and she hugged Zheng Baozhu again, shedding more tears.

Zheng Baozhu patted her back and thought it was essential to sort out the money issue with Liang Huihui, "Break up with that kind of person, but what about your money? He needs to pay you back."

Liang Huihui said, "I deleted all his contact information, and he doesn't have any money either..."

"Even if he has no money, make him sign an IOU. He can repay it slowly after getting a job. You can't let him off the hook, right?"

Liang Huihui thought about it and shook her head. "I don't want to have anything to do with him anymore. Consider that money lost."

Zheng Baozhu understood her point. Who would want to maintain contact with such a scumbag? Besides, compared to the money, it was better for Liang Huihui to sever ties with him definitively, "You're right. It's best not to have any contact with that kind of person. But if he comes back and tries to coax you again, you must not fall for it."

Liang Huihui wiped her tears and replied, "I won't."

"I'm afraid he might say a few things to convince you and you might be convinced by his act."

Liang Huihui smiled self-deprecatingly, "He won't come to beg me. He has already found someone better than me. I saw the girl myself; she was even more beautiful than in the photo and must be smart to get into H University. Why would Li Yifan come back to me?"

Zheng Baozhu furrowed her brows. The girl from H University probably didn't know about Li Yifan's girlfriend back in their hometown. Sighing, she comforted Liang Huihui, "That's for the best. Huihui, you're wonderful, and you'll definitely meet someone better than Li Yifan. Remember what we talked about today; even if he comes to find you, you can't be swayed!"

Liang Huihui wiped her tears and nodded, "Okay."

Zheng Baozhu patted her head, "Cry as much as you want today. Tomorrow, when the sun rises, don't shed another tear for this scumbag!"

"Alright, Miss Baozhu. Sob..."

After these two days of rushing around and crying, Liang Huihui quickly became tired. Zheng Baozhu told her to rest early and returned to her room. Tan Yao had a family gathering, so he left early. Zheng Baozhu informed him via WeChat that Liang Huihui had returned safely.

As soon as the message was sent, someone knocked on the door. Thinking it was Wei Zhen coming to discuss something, Zheng Baozhu walked up and opened the door.

Qu Zhi, wearing a black coat, was standing outside.

Zheng Baozhu was silent for a moment, recalling the scene of her dancing with him last night. Feeling embarrassed, she couldn't just back away in front of Qu Zhi! She slightly raised her chin, brushed her fingers against her hair, and put on a seemingly indifferent expression, "What's up?"

Qu Zhi's gaze inadvertently swept over her neck and then shifted away, "I heard that Liang Huihui is back. How is she doing?"

"She's fine; I've already deleted that scumbag from her contacts."

"Okay, that's good. Then, I'll go now," Qu Zhi finished speaking and quickly left Zheng Baozhu's room, as though he was afraid of staying there for an extra second. Zheng Baozhu watched his departing figure and felt puzzled. Was he avoiding her? Wasn't he quite enthusiastic last night?

With a light tsk, she returned to her room and closed the door.

After a good night's sleep, Liang Huihui felt more stable and went back to work. However, Zheng Baozhu was still worried, so she asked others to keep an eye on her to prevent any impulsive actions.

Two days later, they received a package at the front desk, addressed to Liang Huihui. Xiao Yu noticed that it was from H University and became alert. Not knowing what was inside, she didn't dare to give it directly to Liang Huihui and called Zheng Baozhu instead.

Zheng Baozhu took the package and checked the address; it was indeed from H University, but the sender's name was an unfamiliar one. She shook the package lightly and confirmed it wasn't heavy or suspicious, "It shouldn't contain anything dangerous. Couriers are strictly checked."

Xiao Yu asked, "Should we give it directly to Huihui?"

Since it was Liang Huihui's package, they couldn't open it themselves. Zheng Baozhu thought for a moment and sent a message to Tan Xin.

Zheng Baozhu: Is the H University girl Li Yifan was with named Chen Danni?

Tan Xin: Yes, how do you know?

Tan Xin: We told her about Li Yifan and Liang Huihui. They seemed to have had a big fight. I heard they broke up.

Zheng Baozhu: He got what he deserved. 

"Miss Baozhu?" Xiao Yu noticed Zheng Baozhu was silent and asked again. Zheng Baozhu put away her phone and said, "Bring Huihui over."

"Okay," Xiao Yu sent a message to Liang Huihui.

Liang Huihui, who wasn't on duty at the moment, quickly arrived after hearing about the package. Seeing it was sent from H University, she hesitated. Zheng Baozhu informed her, "I asked earlier. It's indeed from the H University girl, Chen Danni."

Liang Huihui frowned and looked at Zheng Baozhu, "How did she know about me?"

"Tang Xin told her about you and Li Yifan. They seem to have broken up."

As Zheng Baozhu finished speaking, Liang Huihui didn't show much reaction, but Xiao Yu pounded the table, "Ugh, he deserves it!"

Liang Huihui took the package, shook it twice, and then took out a small knife from the front desk. She opened the package, and inside, there were no dangerous items, just a scarf and a jewelry box. The jewelry box contained a necklace with a delicate gold chain.

Zheng Baozhu raised an eyebrow; she recognized this necklace. It was a well-known jewelry brand's Christmas limited edition. The scarf was also no ordinary item; it was a collaboration between Bunny and a popular IP.

Apart from these two accessories, there was also a small card. Liang Huihui picked up the card and read it before telling Zheng Baozhu and Xiao Yu, "That girl said these are gifts from Li Yifan. She knows he spent my money, so she sent these things to me. She also said that she didn't know Li Yifan had a friend back in his hometown, but now that she did, they have broken up."

Xiao Yu couldn't hold back her anger and cursed, "Li Yifan is truly despicable! He's playing both sides! Does he even deserve you? Bastard!"

"Alright, Xiao Yu, calm down. It's not worth getting upset over such a scumbag," Zheng Baozhu comforted her and then turned to look at Liang Huihui, asking, "What do you plan to do with these things?"

Liang Huihui furrowed her brows. These were all gifts Li Yifan gave to the other girl, she naturally didn't want to keep them. However, he had spent her money on these items, so throwing them away felt like a waste...

Zheng Baozhu seemed to understand her dilemma and offered a suggestion, "How about selling them on a second-hand website? These items still look new, so you should be able to sell them and recover some of your losses."

Liang Huihui thought it was a good idea, "Alright, I'll look into it later."

Xiao Yu chimed in, "What's there to look into? I'll do it! I have an account, I'll help you list them!"

"Wow, thank you so much, Xiao Yu!"

"Don't mention it!"

With the matter resolved, Zheng Baozhu didn't linger at the hotel. She had to go to the Film and Television City today to participate in a supporting role audition.

The audition was held at the Actor Service Department. When Zheng Baozhu drove there, there was already a long queue outside. Wang Jingyi was also there to audition today. She had previously taken the audition once, so she could give Zheng Baozhu some advice, "We are now queuing to get the topics for the preliminary round. One is improvisation; the other is monologue."

Zheng Baozhu nodded. She had been taking acting classes during this period and had mainly practiced these two aspects. However, while waiting in line, she inquired around and found out that most of them were graduates of acting majors, which made her feel less confident.

"How many people pass the audition for supporting characters?" she asked Wang Jingyi.

Wang Jingyi shook her head with a bitter smile, "When I took the audition last time, there were a lot more people in the queue compared to now, but only a little over ten passed in the end!"

Zheng Baozhu: "…"

The competition was indeed too fierce.

Zheng Baozhu wrapped her down jacket around her and stomped her feet to keep warm while waiting in line for nearly two hours before they finally received the topics for the preliminary round.

Zheng Baozhu's improvisation was to act as a scene where she was making a bowl of fried rice. She raised an eyebrow. This was a coincidence as she had a background in the culinary industry. Then, she looked at the monologue topic, and she was even more surprised by her luck. It was a scene from a movie starring Su Ming, her aunt.

When Zheng Baozhu was a child, she watched Su Ming's movies with her parents, but she was too young at the time. Apart from thinking that her aunt was beautiful, she didn't remember much. Later, Su Ming passed away, and all the posters in their house were torn down, even the DVDs were stored away somewhere she didn't know.

She knew that her family did this because they were afraid that she would be influenced, so they stored away everything related to Su Ming. However, she didn't agree with this decision because those were proof of her aunt's existence.

Though her aunt's life was short, she lived those twenty-five years more brilliantly than many people could live in a lifetime.

When she grew up, Zheng Baozhu secretly rented Su Ming's movies and TV dramas from the DVD store. Su Ming's company even released a commemorative edition of her movie collection, so Zheng Baozhu used all her saved pocket money to buy the box.

The monologue she was set to perform was from one of the movies from that collection.

Su Ming played the role of a well-behaved young lady in the movie, someone who had been strictly disciplined since childhood, always following the rules in her actions and words. The monologue Zheng Baozhu received was the only scene where the character experiences an emotional breakdown.

The monologue had intense emotional ups and downs, which added to the difficulty of delivering the lines—many actors tend to stumble when they get emotional.

After receiving the topics, Zheng Baozhu had only five minutes to prepare. She took the script and silently rehearsed the lines, getting herself into the right mood.

She entered the audition room before Wang Jingyi. Wang Jingyi made a cheering gesture from behind and watched her go in.

Inside the audition room, two teachers sat in front of Zheng Baozhu. She greeted them before starting the improvisation. Zheng Baozhu's appearance and temperament were outstanding and she added more charm to her performance - the teachers appreciated her appearance and were looking forward to her performance.

The improvisation scene with her cooking presented no difficulty for Zheng Baozhu. She was someone who had cooked before and her performance showed it with meticulous details. The teachers nodded after watching, then they moved on to the monologue.

The lines could be read directly from the script. Zheng Baozhu held the paper in her hand, took a deep breath, and quickly got into character, "Dreams? Are you talking to me about dreams? How ridiculous! I am nothing but a puppet pulled by my family's strings. When they want me to laugh, I laugh. When they want me to cry, I cry. To survive in this suffocating family, I have to kill myself over and over in my heart! Do you think I could have any dreams? Is escaping from this horrifying family considered a dream?"

This movie was a social drama that reflected the appalling discipline in large families through the protagonist's experiences.

Zheng Baozhu's performance was excellent, her emotions were on point, and her enunciation was clear. The teachers praised her and almost without hesitation, gave her a pass. Zheng Baozhu didn't expect it to go so smoothly and thanked the teachers repeatedly.

The teacher on the left looked at her and said, "You really look like Su Ming."

Zheng Baozhu touched her nose and smiled, "People often say that."

"Then go and prepare for the final audition. You'll have a callback later."

"Sure, thank you, teacher."

Zheng Baozhu went to the designated area and received the callback script.

The final audition required two actors to perform together in a scene. Zheng Baozhu was assigned a quarrel scene, fortunately, not the kind of scene with shouting. Instead, it was a scene with sarcastic and witty exchanges, written in an interesting way.

This time, they had forty minutes to prepare and they had to perform from the script. Zheng Baozhu found her partner, a handsome young man who was also tall. He had been standing there rehearsing lines, but when he saw Zheng Baozhu approaching him, his ears turned a bit red.

Zheng Baozhu chatted with him and learned that he was a student majoring in performing arts. Knowing that he was a professional performer, Zheng Baozhu felt relieved. If the scene partner couldn't keep up, it would definitely affect her performance. However, this young man seemed reliable, and he might become a good partner.

They quickly went over the lines together and rehearsed the scene twice before they were called in for the audition.

Their performance during the official audition was the best they had done. It was quite remarkable to develop such chemistry in just forty minutes of preparation. The teachers approved of both of their performances, and they both passed.

Although the supporting character audition wasn't a life-or-death situation, the acceptance rate was still quite low. Now that both of them passed together, they were thrilled. When parting, the young man even asked for Zheng Baozhu's WeChat.

Zheng Baozhu felt that this young man was promising and had good acting skills. He might become popular in the future.

Passing the audition meant they could join the drama group as supporting characters. From now on, they could take on supporting character roles, starting with a minimum salary of four to five hundred. Most importantly, with a special contract, they had officially stepped into the acting industry, and "celebrity" was no longer an unattainable dream.

Overjoyed, Zheng Baozhu immediately announced in the group chat that she would cook dinner when she returned to the hotel, so everyone should keep some room in their stomachs.

As she finished sending the message, she saw Wang Jingyi coming out too. Wang Jingyi had also made it to the callback this time. Zheng Baozhu rushed over and asked, "How did it go? Did you pass?"

"Sniff, sniff, I still didn't make it. I failed in both attempts!" Wang Jingyi felt a bit frustrated, "But at least I passed the initial audition this time, so I guess it's progress!"

"Uh-huh, keep that attitude, and you'll pass the callback next time!"

"Taking your good wishes!" Wang Jingyi hugged Zheng Baozhu and said, "You passed in one go, so let me soak up some of your luck!"

"Sure thing."

While Zheng Baozhu was participating in the audition, Qi Sheng came across the video of Zheng Baozhu's business interview in the office. After watching it, he called Qu Zhi and said excitedly, "Old Qu, the interview you mentioned last time has been broadcasted on TV!"

Zheng Baozhu appeared on the morning news, which ran from six to nine o'clock daily. Naturally, Qi Sheng didn't watch the live TV broadcast; he watched the recorded version on the internet. He sent the video link to Qu Zhi and added a comment, "Last time, you only hear the part where she talked about selling the car for money, didn't you? What she said afterward shows that she has ideas. Honestly, do you think someone without thoughts and soul can succeed in entrepreneurship? Parent's wealth wouldn't be enough for such a venture."

Qu Zhi: "..."

He temporarily put aside his work and clicked on the video link to watch it. The video was edited, only showing all the highlights. Zheng Baozhu talked about the difficulties she faced while setting up her restaurant, including times when she had to endure hardships, and even the situation when the head chef left halfway through. However, she persevered through all of that, which eventually led to the success of her hotel at Starlight Farm.

Qi Sheng: After watching it, don't you feel a little guilty?

Qu Zhi: "..."

He pursed his lips, closed the video, and continued working.

Today, he worked overtime again until nine o'clock. When he left, he was the only one left in the company. Returning to the hotel, he smelled the aroma of food and guessed that the front desk staff was having a late-night snack.

"Mr. Qu," Xiao Yu saw him come back and greeted him, "Are you just off work?"

"Yeah," Qu Zhi nodded.

Xiao Yu asked, "Did you have dinner yet? It's quite late now."

Qu Zhi had only eaten a little bit earlier, so now he was indeed feeling a bit hungry, "I'll order takeout later."

"Hey!" Xiao Yu waved at him and said, "No need for takeout. Miss Baozhu is in the kitchen making food right now! She passed some kind of exam today and is so happy that she is preparing some late-night snacks for us."

Qu Zhi was surprised, "Zheng Baozhu? She's in the mood for cooking?"

"Yeah," Xiao Yu continued, "She made so much food that we can't finish it all. You should go and have some too; otherwise, it'll go to waste!"

Qu Zhi thought for a moment, nodded, and headed toward the direction of the kitchen.