Superstar Assistant [GL] - Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Li Ziyu’s words left Zhou Tiantian momentarily stunned. “I’m posting on Weibo to help promote you. Why do I need to trade something for it if you won’t let me post?”

Li Ziyu was slightly taken aback, not expecting to be countered by Zhou Tiantian. Li Ziyu chuckled softly, raising an eyebrow at Zhou Tiantian: “Tiantian, we were classmates for so long, and you’ve been my assistant for half a year. Why would you still think I’m a reasonable person? If I were reasonable, would I have skipped class and fought in high school?”

Zhou Tiantian was instantly speechless.

Li Ziyu chuckled softly again, the sound seeming to resonate from her chest, making Zhou Tiantian’s heart race.

Zhou Tiantian’s ears reddened uncontrollably, and her voice unconsciously lowered, as if she were back in their school days. She whispered, “Then what do you want in exchange? I’ll give you money?”

Li Ziyu shook her head slightly. “Do you think I lack money?”

Of course not. Since Zhou Tiantian had followed Luo Na to negotiate several contracts, she knew how much Li Ziyu was earning now. Those were sums she hadn’t even heard of in her previous life.

Zhou Tiantian raised her hand to cover her belly. “Then what do you want?”

Li Ziyu shook her phone, pretending to be nonchalant. “You should say a few nice words first, shouldn’t you?”

Nice words? Zhou Tiantian suddenly felt a pang of embarrassment. This caused the blush on her face to slowly spread from her ears to her cheeks. She felt as if she had a fever, and her heartbeat quickened significantly.

She swallowed and stammered, “You… you look very beautiful today.”

Li Ziyu raised an eyebrow in dissatisfaction. “Just beautiful? If I wasn’t beautiful, could I be a celebrity?”

Zhou Tiantian racked her brain and continued, “You are also a very kind person…”

Li Ziyu immediately stopped her. “Are you planning to give me the ‘nice guy’ card?”

Zhou Tiantian bit her lower lip. “Then how do you want me to talk?”

Li Ziyu was genuinely amused by her. “It seems I have no virtues in your mind.”

Zhou Tiantian was even more at a loss. Finally, she thought, what could Li Ziyu do to her anyway? Since they met, no matter how fierce Li Ziyu was to outsiders, she had never been fierce to her, not even laying a finger on her, even when she fought and put others in the hospital.

Thinking this, Zhou Tiantian gained courage and said to Li Ziyu, “Then I won’t post it. You can keep the phone yourself. Anyway, you bought it for me.”

With that, Zhou Tiantian turned and walked away.

Li Ziyu was both angry and amused. She quickly stood up and said to Zhou Tiantian, “You’re trying to throw a tantrum at me? Did I spend money just to have someone come back and throw tantrums at me? Stop right there!”

Zhou Tiantian walked into her room and slammed the door shut. Before closing the door, she said to Li Ziyu, “I won’t stop. You wouldn’t dare hit me anyway.”

Li Ziyu looked at the tightly closed door and started rummaging through cabinets for the key. While searching, she muttered, “She’s really gone too far, daring to throw a tantrum at me!”

After finding the key, Li Ziyu walked triumphantly to Zhou Tiantian’s door and knocked. “Zhou Tiantian, open the door!”

Zhou Tiantian replied, “I’m going to sleep. Rest time is here.”

“Are you going to open the door or not? If you don’t, you’ll get a beating, believe it or not!” Li Ziyu could imagine that Zhou Tiantian would definitely come and open the door when threatened like this. However, she found herself secretly hoping that Zhou Tiantian wouldn’t open the door, because a Zhou Tiantian who would resist her was something she had rarely seen, and this Zhou Tiantian made her feel incredibly excited, as if it could ignite certain desires within her body.

In the end, Zhou Tiantian lived up to expectations and did not open the door.

Li Ziyu rubbed her hands together, inserted the key into the keyhole, and opened the door.

When Zhou Tiantian saw the door opened by Li Ziyu, she froze in place, looking at Li Ziyu in disbelief.

Seeing her expression, Li Ziyu was finally satisfied. Crossing her arms over her chest, she raised an eyebrow and said triumphantly, “Come here. Let me give you a good spanking.”

Zhou Tiantian looked at Li Ziyu’s expression, thought for a moment, and said to Li Ziyu, “You don’t actually want to hit me.”

Li Ziyu walked up to Zhou Tiantian, slowly bending down and leaning closer. Zhou Tiantian was sitting on the bed. Seeing Li Ziyu lean closer, she leaned back. Finally, Li Ziyu placed both hands on the bed, looking down at Zhou Tiantian lying on the bed. The distance between them was very close; they could even hear each other’s breathing.

Li Ziyu laughed softly. “Since you know I won’t hit you, what are you afraid of?”

Zhou Tiantian replied, “I’m not afraid.”

Li Ziyu chuckled, lightly tapping her on the head. “You’ve really improved a lot compared to before. You even dare to talk back to me and lock me out. If it weren’t for your pregnancy, I wouldn’t let you off so easily today.”

Then she handed the phone to Zhou Tiantian, smiled softly, and turned to return to her room.

…

In early December, Zhou Tiantian was two months pregnant, and this was the time when morning sickness was the most severe.

Today, she accompanied Li Ziyu to a company meeting and felt nauseous as soon as she arrived.

Li Ziyu handed her a water cup. “Feeling like throwing up again?”

Zhou Tiantian nodded, turned around, and walked towards the women’s restroom nearby.

She threw up in the restroom for a while until her stomach finally felt better. When she looked up, she saw someone next to her. It was Dong Minsi, the female lead in Li Ziyu’s upcoming costume drama.

Seeing that she was finally finished, Dong Minsi couldn’t help but feel relieved. “You’re throwing up so terribly. Are you pregnant? Or is your stomach upset?”

She said this while handing Zhou Tiantian a pack of tissues and a bottle of water.

Zhou Tiantian took the tissues and water and thanked her. After rinsing her mouth, she told her, “I’m pregnant.”

Dong Minsi smiled slightly, genuinely saying, “Then congratulations! Morning sickness during pregnancy can be bothersome, but I heard eating something sour helps. Do you have any sour snacks with you?”

Zhou Tiantian hadn’t thought of that herself and shook her head. Dong Minsi considered it for a moment and said to Zhou Tiantian, “It’s okay. I’ll ask my assistant to buy some for you.”

Zhou Tiantian quickly said, “No need. I can buy some myself after work.”

Dong Minsi smiled faintly. “You don’t need to be polite with me. After all, my assistant is buying it, not me. Besides, you’re pregnant now. I think eating something sour might help control your morning sickness. If you throw up less, won’t the baby absorb more nutrients?”

Only then did Zhou Tiantian say to Dong Minsi, “Thank you very much.”

Dong Minsi indicated it was no big deal and then left the restroom for the meeting room.

When she walked into the meeting room and saw Li Ziyu’s face, Dong Minsi felt a surge of anger. Li Ziyu, the second female lead, happened to be sitting below her. After sitting down, she carefully observed Li Ziyu, feeling that this person looked stronger than herself and clearly wasn’t someone easy to mess with. So, why was such a person a bottom?

After the meeting began, the director first asked if they had read the script, and then began discussing script-related content with the crew members.

Dong Minsi flipped through the script and looked at Li Ziyu. Finally, she said to the director, “Director Sun, after reading the script, I feel that the second female lead is not wicked enough. Because her wickedness is incomplete, some of the female protagonist’s actions seem a bit forced and not very logical. Do you think it’s necessary to revise the character of the second female lead?”

Li Ziyu slowly focused her attention on Dong Minsi. She hadn’t expected Dong Minsi to suggest this, but in her opinion, the second female lead in the script was already wicked enough and didn’t need any revision.

Director Sun thought for a moment and then looked at Li Ziyu. “Ziyu, you’ve read the script too, and you’re playing the second female lead. Do you think the character design of the second female lead needs revision?”

Li Ziyu said, “Director Sun, I think it doesn’t need to be changed. The Noble Consort didn’t become evil from the start; she was kind-hearted initially. If she is made too wicked, the whole character’s personality development will be problematic.”

Dong Minsi smiled faintly. “I suggested this because of that consideration. In the final period before the Noble Consort’s death, her wickedness is not significantly different from before. But that period should logically be when the Noble Consort is most thoroughly ‘blackened.’ Therefore, she should be wickeder in the last two incidents of framing to fit the character design.”

The screenwriter then spoke up, “I have also considered the issue raised by Teacher Dong, but I have a concern. People watching TV dramas often get easily invested. I’m afraid that if the character is written to be too wicked, the audience might project their negative emotions towards the character onto the actress, thereby affecting Teacher Li’s life outside of the production.”

Dong Minsi smiled lightly and looked at Li Ziyu, her eyes clearly carrying a hint of provocation that only Li Ziyu could see.

Dong Minsi suggested this for two reasons. One was what she just said: the Noble Consort’s character needed layers, and her wickedness should have a more explosive presence towards the end. The other reason was that people truly get invested when watching TV dramas. Many times, they can’t separate the actor from the TV image. So, if Zhao Qing were to watch this drama, would she feel uncomfortable with Li Ziyu herself because of the overly malicious image of the character?

Li Ziyu truly didn’t know why Dong Minsi was provoking her, but how could Li Ziyu not retaliate after being provoked? So, she smiled faintly and said to the screenwriter, “You don’t need to worry about my image outside of the production. My company will handle those things for me. If you feel that being wickeder in the later stages can highlight the character’s personality and traits, you can revise it according to your initial idea. I have no problem with it.”

The meeting ended. Li Ziyu felt a knot of frustration because she didn’t know why Dong Minsi was targeting her like this.

After the meeting, Li Ziyu walked out of the conference room, wanting to see Zhou Tiantian as soon as possible to adjust her current depressed mood.

To her surprise, when she saw Zhou Tiantian, Dong Minsi was also standing next to her, giving Zhou Tiantian some candies and snacks.

Li Ziyu instantly felt her heart being flooded with vinegar. That bitter, sour emotion was simply too unbearable.

She walked up to Zhou Tiantian and saw Zhou Tiantian peeling a preserved plum to put into her mouth. Li Ziyu glared at Zhou Tiantian. “Why are you taking things from anyone who offers them? Aren’t you afraid there’s poison in them?”

Zhou Tiantian was bewildered and a bit wronged by her scolding. “Miss Dong saw me throwing up in the restroom today and had her assistant buy me some sour snacks, saying they would help.”

Li Ziyu thought, this has nothing to do with Zhou Tiantian. Why am I taking my anger out on her? She shook her head, softening her tone. “Li Xuan is inviting us to dinner tonight. Come with me.”

Zhou Tiantian followed behind her. “Who is Li Xuan? I don’t know her. Is it okay for me to come with you for dinner?”

Li Ziyu forcefully pulled her hand. “Why wouldn’t it be okay? Would they dare to chase you out? Are you suggesting I eat and drink well outside and leave you alone at home to eat in the cold and quiet?”

Then the two arrived at the parking lot and got into the car.

Because Zhou Tiantian was pregnant and Li Ziyu was busy with filming, the company had assigned them a driver. However, Li Ziyu’s mother was uneasy about the company’s driver, so she returned him and hired a driver and bodyguard for Li Ziyu herself.

So, even though there were people in the car, Li Ziyu didn’t shy away from talking to Zhou Tiantian.

She cleared her throat first, then looked at Zhou Tiantian and said, “I have something I want to discuss with you.”

Zhou Tiantian, hearing her serious tone, looked at her intently.

Li Ziyu spoke seriously and sincerely. “I was negligent during the first two months. Now it seems there are many things to watch out for during your pregnancy. So, I suggest that starting today, we move into the same room to live together. This way, it will be easier for me to take care of you.”

Zhou Tiantian hadn’t expected her to be so serious about this topic and was momentarily unsure how to react.

Li Ziyu then took the initiative to nod and said to her, “Then I’ll move your things up tonight. We’ll sleep together starting today.”

Zhou Tiantian suddenly felt uneasy. She reached out and grabbed Li Ziyu’s wrist. “No need. I can take care of myself living alone. Living with you will affect your rest.”

Li Ziyu’s attitude was firm. “Tiantian, the child in your belly is mine. So, pregnancy isn’t just your business. I was too negligent in the first two months, which is why you’re having morning sickness now. And the snacks in your hand were bought by someone else. That means the food my child is eating now was bought by someone else. How do you expect me, as the mother, to feel?”

Zhou Tiantian nervously glanced at the driver and bodyguard in the front.

Li Ziyu said to her, “They’re fine. They were sent by my mother and have been informed.”

Zhou Tiantian finally breathed a sigh of relief, but she felt very anxious about the impending cohabitation. It wasn’t that she hadn’t lived with anyone else. In her previous life, she lived with her husband after marriage, but that left her with very bad memories, so she had a bit of a psychological shadow.

Of course, she was more afraid of disturbing Li Ziyu. After all, Li Ziyu’s work was increasing, and she wanted Li Ziyu to get enough rest.

So, Zhou Tiantian shook her head and said to Li Ziyu, “I still think it’s good for us to live separately like this. Suddenly moving in together might make both of us uncomfortable.”

Li Ziyu slowly leaned closer to Zhou Tiantian, her face growing darker. “What do you mean ‘suddenly moving in together’? How is it sudden?”

Zhou Tiantian slowly retreated, realizing that she was quite spineless. She could feel that after her rebirth, she had indeed become much firmer when dealing with certain matters and people, but why did she instinctively become weak and retreat whenever Li Ziyu got tough?

Zhou Tiantian’s eyes flickered. Li Ziyu curved her lips into a dangerous smile. “Say one more time that you are unwilling.”

Zhou Tiantian bit her lower lip, feeling like her fingertips were about to dig into the leather seat of the back row.

When the car slowly stopped, Zhou Tiantian looked out and said to Li Ziyu, “We’re here.”

Li Ziyu raised her hand and ‘wall-pinned’ her against the seat. “It doesn’t matter. Let them wait. We’ll clarify this first. Are you going to let me take care of you? Are you going to let me enjoy my right as the child’s mother?”

Zhou Tiantian, cornered in the back seat, finally nodded. “Fine.”

Li Ziyu was satisfied. She returned to her seat, opened the car door to step out, circled the car, and then opened the door for Zhou Tiantian.

Zhou Tiantian cautiously got out of the car, following behind Li Ziyu like a meek wife. If the people in the company whom Zhou Tiantian had stood up to saw this, they would definitely doubt if the Zhou Tiantian they knew was real.

…

This banquet was a gathering of Li Ziyu and her close circle of friends. The atmosphere was very relaxed, with no messy people around.

As soon as Li Xuan saw Li Ziyu approaching, he smiled and greeted her. “Finally got to meet you! You’re so busy even before graduation. Will you be flying non-stop every day after you graduate?”

Li Ziyu glanced at him, her eyes carrying a subtle sense of superiority. Li Xuan looked behind Li Ziyu and suddenly understood Li Ziyu’s expression. “You were just here two months ago drinking and complaining to me, and now you’ve sealed the deal? Good for you!”

Li Ziyu lifted her chin higher, slightly tilting her head as if to share a secret. Li Xuan immediately brought his ear closer. “What? Are you going to tell me something incredible?”

Then, he heard Li Ziyu say, “Sealed the deal? She’s carrying my child in her belly, two months along.”

Li Xuan froze in place. He looked at Li Ziyu, then at Zhou Tiantian, and then said in astonishment, “You used the medicine my mom gave you?”

Li Ziyu nodded.

Li Xuan was completely impressed with Li Ziyu now. He thought she was going to lose at the starting line, but she had run faster than any of them.

At this moment, two more people walked over, smiling and asking Li Ziyu and Li Xuan, “What are you whispering about? Why is Ziyu only talking to Li Xuan and ignoring us as soon as she arrives?”

Li Xuan laughed heartily and said to the two, “Ziyu brought her wife, and she just told me that her wife is two months pregnant with her child. Hurry up and prepare your red envelopes! If the red envelopes aren’t enough, Ziyu will beat you up!”

This news instantly exploded the entire room. Everyone excitedly walked over to Li Ziyu and Zhou Tiantian, asking about the details of their relationship and marital status.

The details of their relationship and marital status were a bit difficult to answer. Li Ziyu said to everyone, “She’s shy, so don’t tease her. If you make her anxious, I won’t be happy!”

Everyone laughed again when they looked at Zhou Tiantian, noticing that her face was indeed completely red.

Zhou Tiantian was very uncomfortable being the center of attention. She tugged at Li Ziyu’s sleeve and said to her, “I have something to tell you.”

Li Ziyu sighed helplessly and said to everyone, “Oh, she wants to tell me something private. You all enjoy yourselves first.”

The banquet was held on the top floor of Zhao Qing’s family hotel. The top floor had a large glass conservatory. Li Ziyu led Zhou Tiantian outside the conservatory. As the cool breeze blew over them in the flower arrangements, Li Ziyu looked at Zhou Tiantian. “Are you cold? I’ll give you my coat.”

She was about to take off her clothes, but Zhou Tiantian stopped her. “I’m not cold. Don’t take it off; you might catch a cold.”

Then Zhou Tiantian looked at the others inside the glass conservatory, frowning slightly. She said to Li Ziyu, “Why do you always tell them about my pregnancy? Is it okay for so many people to know I’m pregnant?”

Li Ziyu was a bit confused. “They are all my good friends. What’s the problem with telling them? Are you afraid they will talk about it? Don’t worry, this matter will only spread within our circle. Everyone knows the boundaries.”

Zhou Tiantian nervously twisted her hands. “I know you trust them, but what if it’s overheard by someone with bad intentions and gets leaked?”

Li Ziyu shrugged carelessly. “It’s fine. What’s the big deal? Even if it spreads, it’s the truth. We’ll just admit it.”

“But you’re a celebrity in the entertainment industry!” Zhou Tiantian felt she was panicking more than the emperor.

Li Ziyu smiled. “It’s okay. Since the country has allowed this research to exist, it means they allow our existence. What we are doing now is contributing to this research. Besides, even if I can’t be a celebrity and am completely blacklisted, I can still go home and inherit my dad’s company.”

“Huh?” Zhou Tiantian was a little confused by her words, not expecting that inheriting the company was her fallback plan if she couldn’t be a celebrity.

However, in just a moment, she understood. Li Ziyu had always been this courageous. She had never been afraid of anything.

Zhou Tiantian finally sighed and said to Li Ziyu, “Alright.”

Then she suddenly remembered something else. “But you still need to clarify our relationship with them. We are not lovers and are not married. They keep misunderstanding us, and this is bad for you…”

“What, are you afraid of their misunderstanding?” The expression on Li Ziyu’s face, which had been gentle, immediately darkened when she heard Zhou Tiantian say this. “Then what do you say our relationship is? We are definitely in an awkward situation right now. We have a child together, yet we are only in a superior-subordinate relationship, aren’t we?”

“No,” Zhou Tiantian looked at Li Ziyu anxiously. “We are not just superior and subordinate. We are also friends, aren’t we?”

Li Ziyu was practically choked with laughter. “Friends? Have you ever seen friends sleep together and have a child together?”

Zhou Tiantian’s face went pale. “That was just an accident.”

Li Ziyu’s demeanor grew colder. She put her hands in her pockets and slowly walked towards Zhou Tiantian. She took a deep breath and said to Zhou Tiantian, “Fine, we are just friends now. Friends it is. Am I afraid of you? It’s just a title.”

“Ziyu…” Zhou Tiantian had a headache and didn’t know how to handle this issue. But she knew her feelings for Li Ziyu were only those of a friend, and Li Ziyu was a celebrity with a big career ahead of her. She didn’t want their being together to affect Li Ziyu’s career.

At this moment, Li Xuan, who was eavesdropping nearby, was very surprised. He knew Li Ziyu had complained to him earlier that Zhou Tiantian had never considered her a girlfriend in high school. So how was it that Zhou Tiantian was two months pregnant when Li Ziyu arrived today? Calculating it, it meant she got pregnant shortly after Li Ziyu had complained to him last time.

Now, listening to them, he understood. Zhou Tiantian still only saw Li Ziyu as a friend, and Zhou Tiantian’s pregnancy must have been an accident.

But Li Ziyu couldn’t swallow her pride. She was about to turn and leave when she suddenly thought of another issue. “Then do you still want to move in with me?”

Li Xuan, listening in, twitched his mouth. Aren’t they friends? Why would friends move in together?

But what surprised Li Xuan even more was that Zhou Tiantian nodded, saying to Li Ziyu with a hint of shyness, “We already agreed to live together, so we’ll live together.”

Li Ziyu finally nodded in satisfaction and brought up another issue. “You need to know that if we don’t get married, we can’t get a birth certificate.”

Zhou Tiantian frowned immediately when she heard this. If the child didn’t have a birth certificate, they couldn’t register the child’s household.

Li Ziyu looked at Zhou Tiantian and said, “So, we might need to go abroad to get a marriage certificate so the child can be registered normally.”

This was beyond Zhou Tiantian’s expectations, another technical problem bothering her after the cohabitation. She frowned and looked at Li Ziyu. “Is there any other way? Can we pull some strings?”

Li Ziyu replied, “I don’t have those connections. You can try to find some.”

If Li Ziyu couldn’t find connections, how could Zhou Tiantian?

But then, Zhou Tiantian also wanted to say to Li Ziyu, “Let’s wait for a while and see. Maybe we can find connections by then. After all, the baby isn’t due for another eight months.”

Li Ziyu gritted her teeth, not wanting to push her too hard. She thought about giving her a heads-up now. Later, when the baby was about to be born, Zhou Tiantian might soften up and marry her. With the child and the marriage certificate, let’s see if Zhou Tiantian could still say they had no relationship.

Thinking this, Li Ziyu’s mood brightened. She took Zhou Tiantian’s hand and walked back into the conservatory. “Alright, let’s go in. The wind is quite strong outside. Too much exposure isn’t good for you.”

As they walked into the conservatory, they saw Li Xuan standing at the entrance, looking at them meaningfully. Li Ziyu saw Li Xuan’s expression and knew he had been eavesdropping. She said coldly to Li Xuan, “What is that look? Are you tired of living? How dare you eavesdrop on me.”

Li Xuan laughed gleefully. “I’m just enjoying the gossip.”

Li Ziyu glanced at Li Xuan again, then took Zhou Tiantian’s hand and led her to the nearby buffet.

During the meal, people occasionally came over to chat with Li Ziyu. When Li Ziyu chatted with her friends, she also kept an eye on Zhou Tiantian, taking care of her. Li Ziyu always introduced Zhou Tiantian very formally and sometimes included her in their conversations so Zhou Tiantian wouldn’t feel awkward or bored.

After eating, Li Ziyu didn’t stay long and took Zhou Tiantian home because she wanted Zhou Tiantian to go home early and move into her room.

Zhou Tiantian didn’t say anything when moving. She even helped her pack her things. But when they got to Li Ziyu’s room, Zhou Tiantian felt a bit unaccustomed.

Li Ziyu had changed the duvet cover. After showering, Li Ziyu was already lying in bed, looking at Zhou Tiantian, who had just come out of the bathroom. “Why aren’t you getting in? Are you shy? We used to sleep together in high school, didn’t we?”

Zhou Tiantian thought the same. She had forgotten that they had slept together before. She slowly walked to the bedside, lifted the blanket, sat down, then scooted into the covers and slowly lay down.

Li Ziyu saw the huge gap between them and sneered inwardly, but she didn’t say anything. She only asked softly, “Did the preserved plums Dong Minsi gave you today help? Do you feel better in your stomach?”

Zhou Tiantian nodded in reply. “They did help. I didn’t like sour things much before, but when she bought them for me today, I thought they tasted quite good.”

Li Ziyu slowly moved closer to Zhou Tiantian. “That’s good. Since they taste good, I’ll buy you some more to keep at home. Carry some of these snacks in your pocket too, and eat them whenever you feel uncomfortable.”

Zhou Tiantian thanked her softly.

Then Li Ziyu said, “Don’t thank me for things like this anymore. You’re already working hard being pregnant. What I do is just my duty.”

After scolding Zhou Tiantian, Li Ziyu gave her a piece of candy. “We’ve just been messing around for the past few months. Tomorrow, I’ll call my mom and ask her to find a good housekeeper to cook for us at home. You can’t just eat anything. From now on, we need to pay attention to these things and make sure the baby grows up healthy.”

Zhou Tiantian felt a warmth in her heart when she heard her say this. In her previous life, having the child was her own business. Even when the child was lost due to her husband’s domestic violence, it was considered her fault and had nothing to do with her husband. She knew better than anyone what “widow-style pregnancy” meant.

This pregnancy, however, made her feel very warm. Everything Li Ziyu did for her slowly left beautiful imprints in her heart.

Zhou Tiantian slowly drifted off to sleep amidst Li Ziyu’s constant chatter, having completely forgotten the initial awkwardness of sharing the bed.

…

With the first night of cohabitation, the following days became normal again. A new housekeeper joined the household. Besides cooking, she could handle all other tasks, significantly easing the pressure on both of their lives.

These days, Li Ziyu was discussing her plan to join the film crew with Zhou Tiantian when her father called, asking her to attend a dinner party.

Li Ziyu, hearing her father ask her to go out for dinner, expressed some dislike. “I hate your insincere dinner parties. Don’t ask me to go. I might start arguing with your old partners again.”

Li Ziyu’s father, Li Hongcai, also had a big temper. He snapped at Li Ziyu, “What old partners? I told you, it’s just me this time, no other elders. Aren’t you joining the film crew soon? Can’t you even have one dinner with me? Why do you visit your mother so frequently every day!”

Li Ziyu finally agreed to Li Hongcai’s request.

Li Ziyu’s parents ended their marriage on the day she was admitted to university. Their marriage had been nominal for a long time because they simply couldn’t get along. Li Ziyu had encouraged them to divorce throughout high school, but they felt they should try to provide Li Ziyu with a complete family until she reached adulthood before divorcing. So, they waited until Li Ziyu went to college to finalize the papers.

Furthermore, their educational philosophies were very different. Li Ziyu’s mother believed that Li Ziyu should do whatever she liked. Life is short, and being able to do what you love makes life happier. However, Li Ziyu’s father hoped that his only daughter would inherit his business and company, and not spend all her time earning hard-earned money in film crews.

On the day they went out for dinner, Li Ziyu repeatedly instructed Zhou Tiantian, “You must rest more, okay? Don’t do whatever you want just because I’m gone. You must put your phone down. Work isn’t that important. Since you’re sleepy now, sleep more.”

Zhou Tiantian nodded repeatedly. “I know. If you don’t leave now, you’ll be late.”

Only then did Li Ziyu let the driver take her to the restaurant. However, upon arriving at the restaurant, Li Ziyu almost turned around and left. Her father did not have other elders with him, but there was a peer, and Li Ziyu found the person very familiar.

After sitting down, Li Ziyu remembered that he was the person who had been standing with Dong Minsi at Zhao Qing’s hotel opening that day, named Xue Junying.

Li Hongcai laughed heartily when he saw Li Ziyu. His smile was even a bit silly, not at all like the CEO of a listed company.

Li Ziyu looked at Li Hongcai impatiently. “Why did you ask me to come today?”

Li Hongcai cleared his throat, trying to look more serious. “I brought you here to meet someone.” Then he pointed to the person next to him. “This is Xue Junying. You should already know him. He is 25 years old, four years older than you. You are quite a match.”

Li Ziyu’s mouth twitched. She looked at Li Hongcai and said, “Did you call me here for a blind date?”

Li Hongcai quickly explained to her, “What blind date? I just want you to meet a friend. If you two develop feelings, I would be very pleased.”

Li Ziyu chuckled twice and stood up, about to leave. However, her movement froze. She stopped not because of Li Hongcai’s pleading, but because she saw two people.

At this moment, Zhou Tiantian and Dong Minsi appeared together at the restaurant entrance, their eyes meeting Li Ziyu’s. Close behind them was Zhao Qing, who had somehow also come to this restaurant.

Li Hongcai also followed Li Ziyu’s gaze and saw the people gathered at the door. He waved to Zhao Qing, the only person he recognized. “Xiao Qing, come over here!”

Zhao Qing nodded to Li Hongcai, slowly walked up to Dong Minsi and Zhou Tiantian, and focused her eyes on Dong Minsi. “Why are you here?”

Dong Minsi suddenly became nervous, and her demeanor subconsciously softened. “I came here to eat with a friend.”

Li Ziyu’s mood instantly sank when she saw Zhou Tiantian and Dong Minsi appear here. She looked at Dong Minsi with cold eyes, while Dong Minsi turned to Zhou Tiantian and asked, “Where do you want to sit and eat?”

Li Ziyu spoke up at this moment, “Tiantian, come over here.”

Zhou Tiantian was very grateful that this restaurant was membership-only and that ordinary people couldn’t enter. She turned to look at Dong Minsi, who shrugged, indicating it was fine.

Thus, these five people with complicated emotional entanglements sat down at the same table.