CH 54

Zheng Baozhu's Weibo quickly got the verified yellow V badge. She shared her Weibo in the small group that Meng Yaxin had originally invited her to and announced: Sisters, my actor Weibo is ready! Everyone go follow it! 

Meng Yaxin: As soon as you posted it, I followed!

Zheng Baozhu: Reliable! 

Cen Tongtong: I'm relieved to hear you call Qu Zhi 'sister'.

Zheng Baozhu: ......

Qu Zhi: @Zheng Baozhu, can we meet at 9:30 tomorrow morning?

Cen Tongtong: ? What are you two going to do?

Qu Zhi: Check out the house renovation.

Cen Tongtong: Whose house? What house?

Meng Yaxin: I'm guessing it's the wedding house.  Tongtong, do you still have time to chat here? Weren't you rushing to sell your keyboards? 

Zheng Baozhu: If you have time to chat here, why not find a job? 

Meng Yaxin: Soon, soon.

Zheng Baozhu: ...Goodbye.

She exited WeChat and locked her phone.

The next morning at 9:30, Zheng Baozhu and Qu Zhi went to Golden Jade Mansion. Some of the units were already draped with red cloth, indicating they were under renovation. Zheng Baozhu parked the car at the entrance and asked Qu Zhi, "Did you buy a parking space?"

Qu Zhi nodded, "Yes."

Zheng Baozhu said, "Then should we go through the underground garage?"

"Sure."

Zheng Baozhu hadn't seen the underground garage on her first two visits, so today she finally took a look. The underground garage was brightly lit, and the floor was coated with epoxy paint, so there was not much dust.

"Not bad," They followed the signs and found Qu Zhi's parking space. She parked the car in the designated space, which was close to the residential block. Zheng Baozhu murmured as she got out of the car, "When they open the second batch, won't all the good parking spots be gone?"

Upon hearing this, Qu Zhi asked after closing the car door, "Are you still planning to buy a house here?"

"Yes." Zheng Baozhu slung her bag over her shoulder and nodded, "I like the layout of this place, and the price-to-value ratio is high. Don't just judge it based on the current market. Once the South City develops completely, the property prices in this area will definitely rise significantly."

Qu Zhi chuckled, "Yes, that's what they all say in real estate sales."

Just as he finished speaking, they saw a fluffy thing swiftly running past them. Qu Zhi froze for a moment and stood still. Zheng Baozhu also saw the creature and immediately reassured Qu Zhi, "Don't worry, it's a cat, not a dog!"

Just then, a small head popped out from behind a pillar, and the little creature meowed at them.

Qu Zhi seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and the tension on his face eased, "Probably a stray cat nearby. Let's go."

"Okay," Zheng Baozhu followed him while observing his expression, finding it somewhat amusing, "You're so afraid of dogs. What will you do if your girlfriend has a dog in the future?"

Qu Zhi remained silent for a moment before saying, "She doesn't have a dog."

"Huh?" Now Zheng Baozhu was puzzled. What did Qu Zhi mean by that? Did he already have a girlfriend?

Shocked, she asked, "Who's that girl? When did you start dating?"

Qu Zhi, however, didn't elaborate further and appeared evasive. Seeing him acting like this, Zheng Baozhu couldn't help but guess on her own.

According to Qu Zhi's own words, he didn't have any girlfriends abroad, so he must have met this girl after returning to China. Dr. Qu's daily life was quite simple; when he wasn't at work, he was on his way to work. If he had made friends, the most likely possibility was his colleagues!

"I know, is it someone from your research lab?" She asked curiously.

Qu Zhi glanced at her and denied, "No."

"Not from the lab?" Zheng Baozhu furrowed her brows in doubt and then widened her eyes, covering her mouth with her hand, "Could it be a male colleague?"

Qu Zhi's gaze looked as if he were looking at a fool, "Can you think of something useful in your head?"

Zheng Baozhu said, "Well, you're always at the company, so how could you find time to meet anyone?"

Qu Zhi replied, "I don't spend 24 hours a day at the company. I go back to the hotel too."

Now even more shocked, Zheng Baozhu exclaimed, "You actually flirted with one of my hotel staff?!"

Qu Zhi: ...

At that moment, the elevator door "dinged" open, and Qu Zhi stepped out, "We've arrived."

Zheng Baozhu followed him, still wanting to ask about the girl, but Qu Zhi skillfully changed the subject like a male celebrity avoiding paparazzi questions, "The water and electricity have been set up right before the holiday. We're going to install floor heating soon."

The house had changed significantly since Zheng Baozhu's last visit. Qu Zhi had altered the structure, making the living room look even more spacious. After going through the house, Zheng Baozhu complimented, "Your contractor did a good job with the water and electricity."

Qu Zhi said, "The project manager is a friend of Qi Sheng's. He's in charge of both mine and Qi Sheng's houses."

"Oh...good," If it's Qi Sheng's friend, then they probably won't be cheated. They looked around the house for a while, took a few more photos, and left without encountering the stray cat from earlier.

On the way back, Qu Zhi casually asked Zheng Baozhu, "Do you want to have lunch together?"

Zheng Baozhu replied, "I already have plans for lunch."

Qu Zhi raised an eyebrow and asked, "Who did you make plans with?"

"Gao Boyun," Zheng Baozhu turned her head at the intersection, "He said he wanted to introduce a manager for me, so we're meeting for lunch at our hotel."

"Our hotel?" Qu Zhi unintentionally repeated her words. Zheng Baozhu glanced at him playfully and said, "You really don't hold back. The hotel is 'ours' now?"

Qu Zhi awkwardly cleared his throat, "I was just repeating what you said."

"Alright, alright," Zheng Baozhu said while driving, "Gao Boyun mentioned before that he wanted to come to our hotel for a meal. Finally, he found the opportunity today. I've booked a private room, so we won't go out for lunch."

Qu Zhi nodded, "Okay, then let's plan for another time."

"Sure," Zheng Baozhu agreed, but then she suddenly realized something was off. How did she end up making plans with Qu Zhi?

After they arrived back at Starlight Farm, Qu Zhi unbuckled his seatbelt, opened the car door, and said, "You better not drink alcohol during lunch."

Zheng Baozhu looked at him with some defiance, "Why? I have a good alcohol tolerance. Last time, those CEOs were the ones who couldn't keep up with me!"

Qu Zhi didn't say anything, and suddenly, several images flashed through Zheng Baozhu's mind—the exposed neckline under Qu Zhi's open collar and her lips brushing against his mouth.

"..."

Her face turned red.

"It seems I don't need to help you remember," Qu Zhi said, then glanced at her and got out of the car. After closing the door, Zheng Baozhu watched his back through the rearview mirror and mumbled, "Hmph, clearly, before you came back, I was perfectly fine after drinking."

Indeed, Qu Zhi always wins.

But today, she was just meeting a manager, so there was no drinking involved. She had no intention of drinking. Returning to her room, she changed her clothes and went downstairs early to wait for Gao Boyun.

As it was close to noon, customers who had reserved tables for lunch started to arrive one after another. Zheng Baozhu was originally sitting on the sofa in the lobby when she overheard some people talking about her. She looked up and saw a few customers waiting in the lobby, continually glancing at her.

Wei Zhen hurriedly walked over and handed her a mask, saying, "Miss Baozhu, it seems like they recognized you as Zheng Baozhu, the actress who is playing Ye Ling. You'd better not sit here."

Zheng Baozhu: "..."

She didn't expect that even as a minor supporting role, she would receive such treatment now! Being part of a big IP was truly amazing!

With her mask on, Zheng Baozhu prepared to wait directly in the private room for Gao Boyun. The customers who had been watching also seemed to want to follow, but they were intercepted by Wei Zhen, "Excuse me, your private room is ready. You can go to the room and wait."

One of the customers stared at Zheng Baozhu's retreating figure and asked Wei Zhen, "Wasn't that Zheng Baozhu? The actress who's playing Ye Ling!"

"Yes, yes, we all think she looks more and more like her. She's really beautiful! Is she here to have lunch as well?"

Wei Zhen replied, "I'm sorry, we can't discuss our customers' private matters. How about you go to the private room first and have some tea? Our tea is also famous."

"Alright!" the customers were persuaded to the private room by Wei Zhen.

Zheng Baozhu waited in the private room until Gao Boyun arrived. He was accompanied by someone who looked a bit older than Zheng Baozhu but exuded an air of competence, making her seem very reliable.

Gao Boyun entered and removed his scarf, then introduced this person to Zheng Baozhu, "This is Zhou Xiaonan. You can call her Sister Xiaonan. She used to work at Starlight Entertainment and managed Tang Shiran and B·I·G. Although they were all idol singers, she's excellent at what she does. She'll be more than capable of managing you."

Tang Shiran and B·I·G were both idols from Starlight Entertainment, Zheng Baozhu had heard of them. However, they had been on a downhill trend in the past two years, and their influence had gradually diminished.

Zheng Baozhu smiled and invited them to sit down, "You both can sit first and have some tea. I've already ordered the dishes. We can chat while eating."

"Okay," Zhou Xiaonan sat down on the chair and glanced around, "I heard from Director Gao when I came here that this hotel belongs to Boss Zheng?"

Zheng Baozhu smiled, "You can just call me by my name. No need for 'boss'. I am indeed in the business and only started acting a few months ago. I hope Sister Xiaonan won't look down on me."

"Not at all," Zhou Xiaonan took a sip of tea and said, "In such a short time, you were able to go from an extra to play the role of Ye Ling. It shows that you have both talent and luck. Your appearance is outstanding too, I heard you're also studying under Teacher Ge. You have great potential."

Gao Boyun, sipping his tea on the side, commented, "So, are we in the stage of mutual praise now?"

Zhou Xiaonan chuckled and looked at him, "I'm speaking the truth. If I didn't think highly of her, why would I be so concerned about her business?"

Gao Boyun replied, "I'm just looking out for you, Sister Xiaonan. You have an artist in need of a manager, while you are in need of an artist. Isn't that a perfect match? I'm just helping to make connections, but in the end, it's up to you to decide."

Zheng Baozhu looked at Zhou Xiaonan and asked, "I saw someone on the forum claiming that you left Starlight Entertainment. Is that true?"

Zhou Xiaonan nodded and said, "I wasn't the top manager at Starlight, but I did groom B·I·G from the beginning. However, after they became popular, I found that my principles and the company's principles were getting further apart. I said that if B·I·G wanted to last, they needed to transform, and the same went for Tang Shiran later on. The company only wanted to maximize their value when they were popular and didn't plan for their long-term development. You know that Starlight Entertainment is best at selecting and creating stars. If this group is no longer popular, they'll just bring in the next batch. They never worry about not having talents. I also raised concerns about this model with the higher-ups, but they didn't care because this model has the lowest risk. As long as one person becomes successful, they've made a profit."

Zheng Baozhu listened attentively while nodding slightly. Starlight Entertainment had created many groups over the years, most of which were short-lived. Of course, there were some that stood out and remained popular until now, just as Zhou Xiaonan mentioned, the ones the company "profited from". However, the others declined over time, and their resources became scarce, leading to a vicious cycle.

"Starlight Entertainment is indeed not that great, it was right for you to leave," Gao Boyun commented from the side, "Back then, both Tang Shiran and Ding Meng were from the same selection round. One went to Starlight Entertainment, while the other went to Guangchen Records. Look at Ding Meng now; she's already one of the top female singers in the industry, able to compete with Sima Xiaoxiao. As for Tang Shiran? She's about to disappear from the radar."

Zhou Xiaonan sighed, "Actually, Tang Shiran has talent. The main problem lies in the company's planning and packaging. I clashed with the higher-ups multiple times because of these issues, which led to me being sidelined at Starlight in the past two years. So I decided to resign."

While they were chatting, the dishes were served one by one. Today, Gao Boyun specially chose this place for the delicious stir-fry. Zheng Baozhu had ordered a variety of dishes, and the aroma filled the air. Gao Boyun called over the server, saying, "Bring us some drinks."

Zheng Baozhu glanced at him and asked, "You want to drink?"

Gao Boyun replied, "Eating without drinking is boring, right? Do you want to drink? I know Sister Xiaonan has a good tolerance for alcohol."

"Just average," Zhou Xiaonan waved her hand, "A beer will do for me. I'll drink a bit with you."

"Okay," Gao Boyun ordered some beer. Zheng Baozhu hadn't planned to drink, but the atmosphere at the table was great, and as everyone got carried away, she unknowingly started drinking too.

The three of them finished all the beer Gao Boyun had ordered, but luckily, no one seemed drunk, at least not visibly. They discussed the collaboration briefly, exchanged contact information, and decided to talk in more detail later. After seeing off Zhou Xiaonan and Gao Boyun, Zheng Baozhu arranged for a designated driver to take them home. As she turned around, she saw Qu Zhi standing behind her.

"..."

Zheng Baozhu paused, "What are you doing here?"

Qu Zhi replied, "I just came down for a stroll and happened to see you."

"Just came down? Happened to see me?" Zheng Baozhu looked at him, "Why do I find that hard to believe?"

Qu Zhi didn't answer but asked, "Have you been drinking?"

"No, not at all," Zheng Baozhu replied, trying to appear sober.

Qu Zhi looked somewhat helpless as he glanced at her, "You still haven't learned your lesson. Let's go, I'll take you upstairs."

"No need," Zheng Baozhu waved him off, "I'm not drunk."

"Oh," Qu Zhi responded, and they walked together towards the elevator. On the way, Zheng Baozhu continued updating Qu Zhi on her progress in finding a manager, "I think Sister Xiaonan is nice and we get along well. I told her about my idea of starting a studio, and she supports it. We'll discuss how to set up the studio and even recruit people."

Qu Zhi smiled and said, "You're acting like a star without making money but spending a lot."

Zheng Baozhu replied, "It's all an early investment; you wouldn't understand."

"Oh," The elevator doors opened; Qu Zhi and Zheng Baozhu walked out together. Qu Zhi reached his room's door, opened it, and found Zheng Baozhu still following him. He turned to look at her, "Your room is over there."

Zheng Baozhu looked up at him and said, "Can't I come to your room for a while?"

Qu Zhi: "..."

He can't guess what crazy things Zheng Baozhu had in mind today. :)

Without waiting for his reply, Zheng Baozhu went into Qu Zhi's room by herself. Qu Zhi sighed in resignation and followed her, closing the door behind them.

Zheng Baozhu kicked off her shoes and sat on Qu Zhi's sofa, "Just now, Sister Xiaonan asked me to eat less. My goodness, saying that stars always have to eat lightly, and I eat too much."

Qu Zhi lightly furrowed his brows as he walked over and sat on the side, "You're already thin; why do you need to eat less?"

"Hehe," Zheng Baozhu chuckled and leaned closer to Qu Zhi's ear, whispering, "Let me tell you a secret. During these past few days of the New Year, I gained two pounds."

Qu Zhi: "..."

Zheng Baozhu's breath tickled his ear, turning his earlobe a bit red. He abruptly stood up and walked to the side, "Let me get you something to drink."

When Zheng Baozhu visited last time, she complained that Qu Zhi only had plain water. This time, Qu Zhi had prepared some drinks. He took out a bottle of beverage and heard Zheng Baozhu murmuring from behind, "Qu Zhi, do you think if a person gains weight, their head will also become bigger? Why can't I take off my clothes anymore?"

Qu Zhi: ?

He quickly returned to the living room with the drink and saw Zheng Baozhu struggling to take off her shirt.