Superstar Assistant [GL] - Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Li Ziyu’s father, Li Hongcai, was acquainted with Zhao Qing. He waved Zhao Qing over to sit by him, but instead, she sat next to Li Ziyu. Leaning in, she whispered, “I heard from my dad today that your father is trying to set you up on a blind date, so I rushed over to the rescue. Pretty good friend, right?”

Li Ziyu’s gaze remained fixed on Zhou Tiantian. “Even if you hadn’t come, I could have handled it myself.”

Zhao Qing glanced at Zhou Tiantian as well. “Did you think saying that would make me leave? It’s a good thing I came today, otherwise I would have missed this chance to see Dong Minsi.”

Sitting on Li Ziyu’s other side, Zhou Tiantian could vaguely hear them talking. She turned toward Li Ziyu, hoping to be included in the conversation, as she felt somewhat awkward sitting there.

Li Hongcai waved a server over and handed them the menu. “I didn’t expect a few more young ladies to join us. The food I ordered won’t be enough; go ahead and order some more.”

Li Ziyu took the menu and handed it to Zhou Tiantian. “See if there’s anything you’d like.”

Zhou Tiantian hurriedly took the menu and tried to pass it to the others, but Li Ziyu insisted firmly, “You order first. After you’ve picked something, we’ll see what they like.”

Li Hongcai felt that Li Ziyu’s tone was a bit strange—perhaps too forceful—so he smiled at Zhou Tiantian and said, “It’s quite alright. Just order whatever you like, young lady.”

Only then did Zhou Tiantian nervously begin to browse the menu.

Dong Minsi, sitting beside Zhou Tiantian, leaned over to look at the menu with her, recommending the restaurant’s specialties and helping to ease her awkwardness.

Li Ziyu’s expression darkened even further.

Seeing Dong Minsi and Zhou Tiantian flipping through the menu, Xue Junying chimed in, “You should try the seafood; they do a great job with it here.”

Li Ziyu, Dong Minsi, and Zhao Qing all turned their gaze toward Xue Junying and said almost in unison: “She’s pregnant, she can’t eat seafood.”

Xue Junying: “…”

He was suddenly struck with embarrassment.

The table fell silent once more; even Li Hongcai didn’t know how to strike up a conversation with these youngsters.

Zhao Qing leaned in toward Li Ziyu again and whispered in her ear, “Do you think Zhou Tiantian is here today to catch you ‘cheating’?”

Li Ziyu jolted and looked at Zhao Qing.

Zhao Qing added thoughtfully, “It’s highly possible, don’t you think? Have Zhou Tiantian and Minsi become close enough to go out for dinner just the two of them?”

Li Ziyu turned to look at Zhou Tiantian, a complex look in her eyes. Zhao Qing continued whispering, “Think about it. She’s carrying your child. Even if you haven’t officially acknowledged a romantic relationship, the baby is still yours. And here you are on a blind date—what would you do if you were her?”

I’d rush to the scene and beat the blind date’s head in, Li Ziyu thought.

She turned to look at Xue Junying again, suddenly feeling that this man might as well just drop dead.

Xue Junying felt completely bewildered. Why was it that after Zhao Qing whispered a few words, Li Ziyu began looking at him as if he were a mortal enemy?

Observing all this, Li Hongcai was equally confused. Are Xue Junying and Zhao Qing enemies? Why does Ziyu hate him so much after talking to her?

In the meantime, Zhou Tiantian and Dong Minsi had finished ordering. Dong Minsi then leaned close to Zhou Tiantian’s ear and whispered, “What exactly is going on? Why does the atmosphere feel so strange?”

Zhou Tiantian kept her eyes down. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s a business gathering? Are they discussing corporate secrets? Maybe we shouldn’t be here.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Dong Minsi glanced at Zhao Qing. Sensing the gaze, Zhao Qing immediately straightened her back, assuming a composed and cold expression—the very image of a domineering, high-cold “Top.”

Dong Minsi had invited Zhou Tiantian out today under the pretext of letting her “thank” her for buying those things at the company the other day. Of course, she intended to pay for the meal herself. Her ultimate goal was to find out more about the relationship between Li Ziyu and Zhao Qing. If Zhou Tiantian didn’t know, she could at least learn more about Li Ziyu to better defeat her as a love rival.

Who knew her choice of venue would be so poor? Not only did she run into Li Ziyu, but Zhao Qing was there too. What was more disheartening was seeing the intimate interaction between the two; it left her feeling sour and stifled.

When the food arrived, Dong Minsi placed some in Zhou Tiantian’s bowl. Seeing this, Li Ziyu did the same. Zhao Qing looked at them both and eventually added some food to Zhou Tiantian’s bowl as well.

Li Hongcai watched this, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him. He almost felt like adding food to her bowl himself. Despite the bizarre atmosphere, he didn’t forget his primary goal.

“Ziyu, you know, Junying is quite a catch…” Li Hongcai started, but he was interrupted by his daughter.

Li Ziyu stood up and placed some food on his plate. “Dad, try their signature dish; it’s quite good.”

Li Hongcai looked at her hesitantly, then at Xue Junying.

Xue Junying immediately spoke up. “Uncle Li, would you like a drink? I can join you.”

It was clear they didn’t want him to continue that line of conversation. Li Hongcai sighed inwardly.

The meal was exceptionally strange. Dong Minsi was taking care of Zhou Tiantian, while Zhou Tiantian was under Li Ziyu’s constant “control.” Zhao Qing interacted with Li Ziyu from time to time, while Xue Junying spent most of the time staring at Dong Minsi.

After dinner, Li Hongcai offered to drive Li Ziyu and Zhou Tiantian home. Li Ziyu initially wanted to decline, but then she realized that if she did, Dong Minsi might offer to take Zhou Tiantian home. It was better to take her father’s car; surely Dong Minsi wouldn’t try to tag along with an elder.

So, she agreed. Li Hongcai immediately forgot about her poor performance at the blind date, and with a happy smile, he went to get the car.

The others walked to the entrance. Dong Minsi made a “call me” gesture to Zhou Tiantian and waved. “Let’s stay in touch!”

Li Ziyu immediately pulled Zhou Tiantian into her father’s car and urged him to leave quickly.

Xue Junying walked up to Dong Minsi. “It’s late. Why don’t I drive you home?”

Dong Minsi was about to give a polite refusal when Zhao Qing, standing beside them, lowered her voice coldly. “Miss Dong, I’m heading that way anyway. Would you like a lift?”

Dong Minsi’s expression softened instantly. She gave Zhao Qing a faint smile. “Then I shall trouble you, Miss Zhao.”

Zhao Qing gave a cold “mm-hmm,” took her keys from the valet, and led Dong Minsi to her car.

Xue Junying was left shivering alone in the cold wind, wondering what on earth had happened that night. Why did everything feel so abnormal?

Once inside Zhao Qing’s car, Dong Minsi’s breathing slowed down. Her voice became soft and delicate. “Thank you so much, Miss Zhao.”

Zhao Qing had originally wanted to ask her why she didn’t go with Xue Junying—was their relationship not what it seemed?

But remembering her goal to maintain her “Top” aura, she kept her mouth shut. After all, she was playing the role of a domineering, cold CEO type.

Dong Minsi looked out the window and then at her phone, feeling she should find something to talk about to avoid the awkward silence.

Yet, she didn’t dare speak easily, as she wanted to maintain the image of a shy, gentle “Bottom” for Zhao Qing.

Thus, they remained silent all the way to Dong Minsi’s apartment building.

After getting out, Dong Minsi gave Zhao Qing a sweet smile and waved. “I’ve really troubled you. Thank you for driving me home.”

The corner of Zhao Qing’s mouth twitched into a cold smile. “It was on the way. Don’t worry about it.”

Internally, Zhao Qing was weeping as she drove away without looking back.

Dong Minsi watched the car disappear and then punched the air in frustration.

She stomped into her building, fuming. The thought of sitting in the same car as Zhao Qing and not saying a single word made her blood boil!

She decided that once she joined the film crew, she would consult the screenwriters about “character settings.” She needed professional advice to create a better persona for herself; otherwise, if this happened again, she feared she would snap and turn into a domineering, aggressive “T.”

Meanwhile, Zhao Qing pulled over around a corner and sat in her car, wallowing in regret. She felt she needed to go to a web novel site and pay an author to help her redesign her persona. The one she had come up with herself was absolutely fatal!

In the car with Li Ziyu and her father, Li Ziyu hadn’t spoken a word to Zhou Tiantian. Although she felt guilty about the blind date, she truly hadn’t known about it beforehand.

However, Zhou Tiantian had met Dong Minsi privately. If she hadn’t run into them, would Zhou Tiantian have spent a sweet “date” with her?

The thought of her “pregnant with my child” partner going out with another woman made Li Ziyu angrier the more she thought about it.

To make matters worse, Li Hongcai asked while driving, “Do you think Xiao Xue is not good enough? You ignored him the whole dinner. If you don’t like him, Dad can introduce someone else next time.”

Li Ziyu gritted her teeth. “Dad, I’m only 21. Do you think I’m never going to get married?”

Li Hongcai explained, “I just want you to have more choices. If you start now, it might take a year or two to choose, then another year or two of dating. You’ll be 24. After getting married, you’ll want a few years of just the two of you, so you won’t have kids until you’re 27. How can I not worry?”

Li Ziyu laughed coldly. “No need to worry. My future is already settled, and you don’t need to worry about grandchildren either.”

Li Hongcai got excited. “What? Do you have good news? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Zhou Tiantian had been listening to their conversation. She had been surprised and slightly upset about the blind date, but hearing the topic of children made her lower her head in embarrassment.

Seeing this, Li Ziyu told her father, “Anyway, stay out of my love life.”

When they arrived home, Li Ziyu said goodbye to her father and pulled Zhou Tiantian into the elevator. She kept a cold face and didn’t speak.

Zhou Tiantian looked at her, tilted her head, and eventually had an epiphany. “Ziyu, your father is just looking out for you. That’s why he arranged the date. If you just talk to him clearly, he won’t do it again. Don’t be mad at him.”

Li Ziyu looked at her in disbelief, unsure whether to be angry or laugh at her denseness. “They say pregnancy brain lasts three years… you can’t even tell why I’m actually mad.”

Zhou Tiantian felt even more confused. “Aren’t you mad at your father?”

The elevator dinged at their floor. Li Ziyu stepped out toward the apartment, and Zhou Tiantian followed quickly, still wondering what was wrong.

Inside the apartment, Li Ziyu couldn’t hold it in anymore. She turned to Zhou Tiantian. “I told you to stay home and eat the food the housekeeper made. Why did you end up at the restaurant with Dong Minsi the moment I left to see my dad?”

Zhou Tiantian quickly explained, “She said she had something to ask of me.” Then, looking down, she added, “And she was asking about you all night. I think she likes you and wants to pursue you.”

“Huh??” Li Ziyu’s anger turned into pure bewilderment. “What did you say? She likes me? Impossible! There is zero chemistry between us.”

Zhou Tiantian walked past her. “You never know. Feelings are hard to predict.”

Li Ziyu followed her. Seeing Zhou Tiantian heading toward her own room, Li Ziyu grabbed her hand and pulled her into her own bedroom. “What do you mean by that? Are you saying that even though you’re carrying my child, I’m going to go out and have an affair with some actress? Regardless of how she feels, she is just an ordinary friend to me.”

Zhou Tiantian turned back to look at her. “What about the blind date then?”

“I didn’t even know my dad was…” Li Ziyu stopped mid-sentence and narrowed her eyes. “Are you jealous?”

Zhou Tiantian’s face turned bright red. She shook her head reflexively. “No, I’m not. I’m not trying to stop you from being with anyone else. It’s just… if you really decide to be with someone else, can you let me keep the baby?”

Li Ziyu’s temper flared again. She clenched her fists but didn’t move toward Zhou Tiantian. Instead, she turned and stormed into the bathroom. She felt that if she stayed with Zhou Tiantian a moment longer, she would explode, and she didn’t want to upset the pregnant woman and then have to feel guilty about it later.

They didn’t speak to each other that night. Zhou Tiantian slightly regretted moving into Li Ziyu’s room; when they had a conflict, sleeping in the same bed was incredibly awkward.

Fortunately, by the next morning, they had both gathered their emotions and returned to their usual dynamic. Li Ziyu realized she couldn’t be too blunt with Zhou Tiantian, or the girl would immediately try to push her away.

Before the filming of the TV series began, Zhou Tiantian received a notice from Luo Na to come to the company for a meeting.

Once there, Luo Na told Li Ziyu, “Mengjiao Cosmetics will sponsor all the makeup for this series. They will also choose one person from the supporting cast to sign an endorsement contract until three months after the premiere. I think this is a rare opportunity we should fight for.”

Then, turning to Zhou Tiantian, Luo Na said, “Tomorrow we have a dinner with the General Manager of Mengjiao. I hope we can secure the endorsement then.”

Zhou Tiantian nodded and asked, “Sister Luo, should we do some pre-promotion for Ziyu on Weibo? Like a makeup tutorial video?”

Luo Na thought for a moment. “Not yet. We’ll wait until the endorsement is confirmed, then coordinate with the company for promotion.”

Li Ziyu looked at Zhou Tiantian with concern. “Sister Luo, should I go too?”

“No need,” Luo Na replied. “Tomorrow’s dinner is just a feeler. If they are truly interested in making you the spokesperson, we’ll set up another meeting. Going tomorrow might lower your status in their eyes.”

The next day, Li Ziyu’s driver took Zhou Tiantian to the company, and from there, she and Luo Na headed to the hotel to meet the GM of Mengjiao.

On the way, Luo Na looked at Zhou Tiantian and finally asked, “Are you pregnant?”

Zhou Tiantian was startled. She hadn’t publicized it or told anyone at the company, though she hadn’t hidden her morning sickness either. She wasn’t surprised that Luo Na knew, but rather that she asked so directly.

Her heart sank slightly. “Sister Luo, don’t worry. Even if I’m pregnant, it won’t affect my work.”

Luo Na couldn’t help but chuckle. “I didn’t say it would. In fact, I think you’re too hardworking. Work is important, but for a woman, pregnancy should still come first.”

Zhou Tiantian was touched. “Thank you for your concern, Sister Luo.”

Luo Na smiled. “We’re colleagues, and you’re someone I value. As a woman, I won’t make things hard for another woman. Don’t worry, I won’t target you because of this. But do take care of yourself. Ziyu is still in school, so I haven’t put all my focus on her yet, but her fame and resources are growing. Once she graduates, her schedule will explode, and your workload will increase. You need to balance work and family.”

Zhou Tiantian nodded, though she was worried about this too.

Li Ziyu’s mother had her own major research projects, and her father was a CEO. Neither could help with childcare. That left only her side—her mother would be perfect, but then there was her stepfather…

Zhou Tiantian decided she needed to deal with her stepfather’s situation before the baby was born.

Then there was her brother in prison. She had sent several letters and supplies to Zhao Xiaoran, and he had written back.

In this life, she had let Zhao Xiaoran go to prison to get him off drugs. Her rebirth had changed his fate, but what kind of person would he be in three years? She hoped the letters would help change him; she had realized recently that he wasn’t as bad as she had remembered—at least not yet.

They arrived at the hotel. Zhou Tiantian cleared her mind and followed Luo Na upstairs.

When they entered the private room, the GM of Mengjiao hadn’t arrived yet, but two other people were already there.

Luo Na’s expression stiffened for a second before she smiled broadly. “It’s been a long time.”

A man stood up and nodded to her. “I didn’t expect to see you here, Sister Luo. It seems you really care about this endorsement.”

Luo Na gave a faint smile and didn’t reply.

After they sat down, the man didn’t let it go. “Technically, with your status, you should have plenty of resources. I’m surprised you’re here to compete with us for this one.”

Luo Na’s smile remained unchanged. “The brand value and status of Mengjiao in the industry make it well worth the competition. Unless, Mr. Zhang, you’re suggesting that Mengjiao isn’t a high-quality resource?”

Mr. Zhang didn’t dare say more. He hadn’t expected his attempt to belittle her to backfire so quickly.

Just then, the GM of Mengjiao and two other managers entered.

Luo Na stood up. “President Qin, hello.”

After greetings and introductions, they sat down to eat and chat, avoiding the topic of the endorsement for the time being. No one seemed to be in a rush.

Halfway through, Luo Na’s phone rang. She checked it and apologized, “A call from the office. I’m sorry, President Qin, I need to step out for a moment.”

President Qin nodded, and Luo Na left the room.

Zhou Tiantian had been quiet, and Luo Na had mentioned earlier that she couldn’t drink because she was pregnant. No one pushed her. But with Luo Na gone, the manager named Mr. Zhang joked, “Sister Luo sure is a busy person.”

President Qin nodded. “I’ve heard she manages many stars. It’s no wonder she’s busy.”

Mr. Zhang nodded in agreement and then added with a playful look, “Since she has so many stars, who knows if this endorsement might end up with someone else entirely?”

Zhou Tiantian’s heart skipped a beat. He was implying that if the contract went to Luo Na, she might give it to one of her other artists instead of Li Ziyu.

She glanced at the door, and seeing no sign of Luo Na returning, she took a deep breath. Putting on a sweet, innocent smile as if she were also joking, she said, “Sister Luo would never do that. This endorsement was originally a collaboration with ‘The Legend of Yuan Nü.’ She wouldn’t bypass the production to give it to someone else.”

Mr. Zhang’s smile turned a bit cold. “I was just joking.”

Zhou Tiantian’s smile grew even more sincere and sweet. “Of course, I know you wouldn’t think that of our Sister Luo. I’m joking too. But really, even if she did switch artists to someone like Sister Liang, at the same price point, wouldn’t you be getting a great deal, President Qin?”