Chapter 67 The Dinner Party [VIP]

Chapter Summary: Just became famous, no money on hand, just wait.

The largest restaurant in the northern part of the city.

The meeting place was requested by the original owner's parents, who said that since they rarely came to Beicheng, they heard that the food here was the best and wanted to try it.

Ji Binghe went to some trouble to book a private room.

Mu Zhi and her agent arrived at the restaurant.

Ji Binghe told Mu Zhi to sit and wait in the private room while she waited for Mu Zhi's parents to come in from the lobby.

Recently, Mu Zhi has become famous. She's been spotted by paparazzi following her car while shooting commercials, going to her company, and even shooting a magazine cover today. It's possible that there are paparazzi watching her from outside.

So when you come to see your parents, you have to avoid the paparazzi.

After all, the original owner's parents were ordinary people, and they didn't want them to attract the attention of paparazzi.

Mu Zhi waited in the private room for 10 minutes.

The door to the private room was pushed open, and the agent walked in first.

Following them in were the original owner's parents and a man who looked two years younger than the original owner's father, a young man in his twenties with dyed blond hair.

The original owner's parents had a heated argument on the phone because they were unhappy that Mu Zhi didn't bring a computer worth over 10,000 yuan home for her younger brother during the Chinese New Year.

We haven't been in touch for several months.

Upon entering the private room, the original owner's parents looked around with shining eyes. They knew that eating at this place was expensive, and they felt proud to be there, but they were also a little nervous because they had never seen anything like it before.

Mu Zhi stood up and invited them to sit down.

The couple then turned their attention to their daughter, whom they hadn't recognized while watching the show on their phone. Now that they saw her in person, their mouths dropped open; they simply couldn't believe their eyes. Was this their daughter? Their eyes were filled with shock.

"My goodness, it's only been 3 years, and you've completely changed. You've really become a big star."

If I ran into you on the street, I wouldn't recognize you.

The original owner's parents had very interesting expressions. Some were proud and happy, while others were ashamed and annoyed. They were afraid that Mu Zhi would hold a grudge and embarrass them, but they didn't want to lose face, so they didn't dare to step forward for a moment.

The two people who came with the original owner's parents greeted Mu Zhi warmly and familiarly, as if they had always had such a good relationship with her.

From them, Mu Zhi learned the identities of the two men.

One of them is the original owner's father's younger brother, whom Mu Zhi has to call uncle.

The younger one was the uncle's son, a few years older than Mu Zhi, and Mu Zhi was asked to call him brother.

Mu Zhi searched her memory for the relatives of the original owner's family. She had studied in a dance class run by a relative for free for two years when she was a child. The relative was from the original owner's mother's side.

As for the uncle in front of me, his family is the best among all our relatives.

Before the original owner's family was relocated, they were afraid of being associated with that poor family, so they never had any contact with them.

After the demolition, their living conditions improved, but they had less contact with each other and looked down on their family.

In particular, the original owner was unaware that her family had savings, and her parents did not support her going to university. When she had nowhere else to turn, she even went to this uncle to ask for a loan with an IOU, but was refused.

Mu Zhi listened as her uncle and cousin spoke with pride: "Now the whole city knows that a big star has emerged. Everyone is wondering when you can come home to visit your family so we can have a banquet with dozens of tables to celebrate."

Xiaozhi, you've really made the Mu family proud! I brought your parents to Beicheng this time, firstly to discuss going back to town to visit relatives and hold a banquet, and secondly...”

Turning to look at her son, she wanted Mu Zhi to find him a job in Beicheng.

"Look at your cousin, he's handsome, studied street dance for a few years, can rap, and is a well-known internet celebrity in town. Girls have been lining up to date him since his school days..."

I want Mu Zhi to introduce my cousin to a company so he can also enter the entertainment industry and become a star.

Mu Zhi glanced at her cousin. His nose looked very fake, and his appearance wouldn't even rank among the top in the entertainment industry, which is full of handsome men. He had a big gold chain and a large tattoo on his arm.

He looked away, feeling a bit of a headache.

If she had known that these two relatives were with her parents, she wouldn't have agreed to come and meet them.

The original owner's parents favored sons over daughters, were greedy, and exploited their daughter. They constantly talked about money with their daughter. Their greedy and ugly side was exposed in a naked and unvarnished way. Such people are easy to manipulate.

This father and son, who are related by blood, shamelessly tried to use the original parents to achieve their own goals.

After the food is served.

Ji Binghe and Mu Zhi didn't touch their chopsticks, watching their parents and others eat heartily without any politeness.

Ji Binghe excused herself to go to the restroom and glanced at Mu Zhi.

Mu Zhi also got up and went out.

The two arrived at a deserted recreational area.

After learning about the two relatives from Mu Zhi, Ji Binghe...

Ask Mu Zhi what she thinks.

Things didn't turn out the way I expected.

Mu Zhi changed her mind: "I gave all the money I had to my parents, hoping to sever my ties with them in one go, but now it seems that's not a good idea."

Although this amount of money was more than the original parents could ever earn in their entire lives.

Now that they've received the money, they're naturally willing to agree to cut off all contact.

But that father and son, along with other relatives, might instigate them to come back to Mu Zhi and ask her for money once the original parents have converted the money into real estate and their savings are running low.

“I plan to find a trust institution and send them a sum of money every month, as a way of fulfilling my filial duty as a daughter.”

I don't want to have too much contact with them.

Ji Binghe nodded, agreeing with her.

As for Mu Zhi's relatives: "Your uncle and cousin are thinking too highly of themselves. Not everyone can enter the entertainment industry; there are entry requirements."

Through the past six months of spending time with Muzhi.

Ji Binghe learned that Mu Zhi was a straightforward young woman who was focused on developing her career, single-minded, and not very tactful in dealing with people.

As an agent, in addition to arranging and resolving work-related matters for the artists, you also need to handle their personal lives.

"Leave this to me, I'll take care of it."

After they reached an agreement, the two returned to the private room together.

During the meal, neither Mu Zhi nor her agent ate much.

After the parents and the father and son, who were relatives, finished eating, they put down their chopsticks with satisfaction.

Mu Zhi explained that she had taken on some work after her new drama aired, and her agent's schedule had been quite busy lately, so she might not have time to spend with them.

Ji Binghe echoed that Mu Zhi's recent schedule has indeed been very busy.

I'm going to Shanghai in a couple of days to shoot an advertisement.

But he smiled at Mu Zhi's parents and said, "Uncle and Aunt have come all this way to Beicheng, so you must stay and have some fun in Beicheng for a few days. I will arrange a tour guide to take you around Beicheng and let you eat some local delicacies tomorrow."

"After you've had your fun, I'll arrange for someone to take you back by plane, so Muzhi can rest assured and focus on her work."

Mu Zhi's parents heard that their daughter hadn't been in Beicheng for the past few days.

I was thinking that I might not see anyone again after I finished eating.

Regardless of how awkward the situation was, they immediately asked for money.

"We worked so hard to raise you to adulthood, and now you've made something of yourself and become a big star. The entertainment industry is so lucrative! Your dad and I have already quit our jobs, and we're just waiting to enjoy your good fortune."

A few days ago, your dad went to register for his driver's license test. We discussed buying a car so it would be more presentable and convenient for picking up and dropping off your younger brother at school. As his celebrity sister, wouldn't that make you look good? We don't want people laughing at you for not being willing to spend money on a car for Mom and Dad, do we?

The uncle, adopting the air of an elder, earnestly agreed, saying that as a girl, Muzhi's social circle was chaotic, and he was afraid that she would be led astray by others and spend money recklessly. He suggested that it was better for her to keep her earnings with her parents.

Her parents take care of her.

Mu Zhi sneered inwardly: This uncle is rarely seen except during the Chinese New Year. He always says: "I manage a large company with over a hundred people. I'm very busy."

The fact that the original owner's parents were brought to Beicheng so attentively inevitably led people to maliciously speculate that the company was facing a financial crisis.

If her money ends up in the hands of her original parents, who knows where it will end up?

They really think everyone else is a fool.

Mu Zhi looked at the original owner's parents and said, "I'm not even an adult yet, but I have to work during winter and summer vacations to earn my living expenses. I want to go to university, and you say you don't have the money."

For the past three years, they haven't given me a single penny. They're afraid I'll ask them for money, so they don't dare contact me.

I signed with a company to participate in the talent show, and now that you've seen me, you're all coming to me asking for money again...

At this point, Mu Zhi gave a mocking smile.

"But blood is thicker than water, and I have parents like you. But my money doesn't grow on trees. I've just become famous and I don't have any money on hand. You want me to help you buy a car? Fine, wait and see. We'll talk about it when I've saved up enough money."

Upon hearing this, the original owner's parents' expressions immediately darkened, and they were about to lash out.

Ji Binghe stepped in to smooth things over.

He explained to Mu Zhi's parents, "Uncle and Aunt, Mu Zhi's contract with her previous company had not expired, so she terminated the contract and had to pay a penalty of 5 million yuan. This money was advanced to her by Lanxing Media."

In other words, Mu Zhi has to repay this money.

Then, she gave a general overview of Mu Zhi's income and expenses since her debut through the talent show: "During the period when Mu Zhi was signed with Xinghe Culture, she filmed one drama called 'The Bell Ringer,' took on one endorsement, and appeared on two variety shows. At that time, her status was low, and she and the company split the profits 20/80..."

When Muzhi terminated the contract and left, Xinghe Culture claimed that it had spent a lot of money on marketing, and that all of it had to be deducted, leaving very little money in her hands.

"After signing with Lanxing Media, I filmed one movie and participated in one variety show. The breach of contract penalty that the company advanced has not yet been paid back."

Over the past six months, Lanxing has invested a lot in publicity for Muzhi, as well as a large amount of monthly expenses for the entire team. Oh, and there are also Muzhi's personal expenses, such as rent, living expenses, and the clothes she needs to buy after becoming famous.

What Mu Zhi just said was absolutely true; she's currently in debt and hasn't started earning money yet.

The original owner's parents were heartbroken after hearing this, but they believed it to a large extent.

We know that celebrities earn a lot of money, and we also know that they have many places where they need to spend money.

But they finally made it to Beicheng, and they didn't get a single penny. Did they have to spend all their money on round-trip airfare, accommodation, and food?

Ji Binghe acted as a mediator, helping them come up with a solution. She said that Mu Zhi would have some income from shooting an advertisement in a couple of days, and they could apply to the company to send Mu Zhi a sum of money every month so that Mu Zhi, as a daughter, could support her parents.

If Mu Zhi's parents wanted to buy a car, it would take them at least one or two months to get a driver's license and save up for several months before buying it.

Mu Zhi softened her tone at the right time and agreed that when she had money later, she could regularly transfer her brother's tuition and living expenses to his special card.

The original owner's parents valued their son the most, and upon hearing their daughter's words that she wouldn't abandon her younger brother, they were immediately overjoyed.

Seeing this situation, the uncle and his son realized that things were not going well. If they only received 100,000 or so yuan a month, it would only amount to about 1 million yuan a year, which was too little. They wanted to persuade their brother and sister-in-law to let Mu Zhi find a way to raise a large sum of money and get it in her hands before they could be sure of getting it.

Ji Binghe tried to divert the attention of her uncle and son by saying that Lanxing Media currently only signs professional actors, but if Mu Zhi's cousin wanted to enter the industry, she could introduce him to another company to try.

"However, it will take time to arrange this..."

The plan was to let the father and son stay two days longer than Mu Zhi's parents. By the time Mu Zhi's parents returned home, the cousin's job interview results would be less than satisfactory, and he wouldn't be able to persuade Mu Zhi's parents to change their minds.

After seeing Mu Zhi's parents and their party off,

Ji Binghe told Mu Zhi not to think too much.

"They shouldn't bother you for the next two years."

"Some family ties cannot be forced. Take it easy, focus on your career, and live your life well."

"kindness."

No matter which world she's in, she seems unable to establish any close family bond with her parents.

I've long since come to terms with it.

After the broadcast of "The Bell Ringer", Mu Zhi became popular.

Zhou Jingzhu and Liu Cai sent their blessings to Mu Zhi multiple times in their small group chat, genuinely happy for her.

Mu Zhi should treat everyone to a big meal.

That evening, all three of them were free, so a get-together was arranged.

When Zhou Jingzhu and Liu Cai arrived, Zhang Mengyu also came along.

Zhou Jingzhu explained, "We met at the restaurant entrance. Mengyu was stood up by the person she was supposed to meet. She heard from us that she had made plans with you, so she came over to say hello."

Zhang Mengyu walked towards Mu Zhi with a smile, her smile carrying a hint of flattery: "Zhizhi, congratulations! Your first drama has become a huge hit, that's amazing!"

It's especially enviable.

Zhou Jingzhu walked over and took Mu Zhi's arm, praising, "I finally managed to find the time to finish watching 'The Bell Ringer' the other day. My darling Zhizhi, you're such a good actress!"

Liu Cai nodded: "I've finished watching it too. The show is great, and I really like A-Ying."

I asked Mu Zhi if she could help me sign a few photos; a friend asked her to.

"Okay, I'll sign it for you in a bit."

Zhang Mengyu said she came over to say hello, but after sitting down, she showed no intention of leaving.

Mu Zhi and the others naturally wouldn't drive Zhang Mengyu away.

The three-person game turned into a four-person game, and Zhang Mengyu spoke very little during the meal.

Mu Zhi noticed that Zhang Mengyu's gaze had been looking in her direction several times, as if she was paying close attention to her behavior. Was she waiting for something?

Zhou Jingzhu suggested having a drink again.

When Zhang Mengyu stood up, she lost her balance and leaned towards Mu Zhi, causing some of the red wine she was holding to spill onto Mu Zhi's arm.

Although my clothes weren't soiled, my arms still felt a bit sticky after wiping with a tissue.

Mu Zhi got up and said she needed to go to the restroom.

As soon as he stepped out of the private room, he noticed someone following him and immediately came out.

Mu Zhi turned around and saw Zhang Mengyu.

[Author's Note]

Zhibao: I've only just become popular. (Smiling) Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 00:35:37 and 23:44:04 on June 23, 2022!

Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: Jiu, 59192014 (1 bottle);

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!