Chapter 71 This was the umpteenth time Zhou Ting had been distracted in front of him.

Two suitcases went, nine suitcases came back. Apart from the formal wear being customized and two pieces of jewelry that were too valuable and required customs clearance by a professional shipping company before being sent into the country, Xia Mian had a very fruitful trip and had enough clothes to wear for a short time.

Back at the duplex, Chestnut and Big Yellow helped him prepare a room specifically for storing his spoils. Zhao Wei also asked the housekeeper to do a thorough cleaning so that everything would be in its best condition for the upcoming filming.

"Our Little Life" mainly showcases the daily lives of the guests. There was no need for concentrated filming in the early stages. The day before filming began, the director treated the guests who lived in Beijing to a meal so that everyone could get to know each other.

Being the capital city, the guests present that evening made up almost half of the total number of attendees. Aside from Xia Mingzhao and Zhou Ting, there was another couple, and the well-known internet celebrity Rebecca.

Rebecca was the first to arrive. Her smile seemed to be welded to her face. She greeted everyone who came in, including the staff, very politely, poured hot water for everyone, and handed out wet wipes. She was easygoing and knew how to handle social situations well.

Zhou Ting and Xia Mingzhao were the second to arrive. Zhou Ting had once gained some popularity after a female student secretly took a picture of him and posted it online, earning him the title of "Most Handsome Senior." His aloof, academic aura was quite eye-catching.

Needless to say, Xia Mingzhao has a natural protagonist aura, which made the director's eyes pop out. He secretly decided to include more of Xia Mingzhao's scenes when editing the film.

Xia Mian was the third to arrive. He pretended not to know Zhou and Xia, greeted them politely, and sat down next to Rebecca.

At the large round table, he sat furthest away from Zhou Ting, directly opposite him. They were so far apart that he had to crane his neck to be heard, so that Xia Mingzhao wouldn't misunderstand that he was seducing Zhou Ting.

On the contrary, Zhou Ting would glance at Xia Mian every now and then, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

The last couple to come in was interesting—the tall one, Xia Mian, had actually met him before.

It was at the Nangang Charity Gala that Liu Yicheng, the second son of the Liu family, was playing mahjong with Cheng Qi and Zhou Pingchuan!

The Liu family mainly operates in the real economy. Their family background is better than the Xia family's, and they have a rich family history. They are traditional old money, but their development in recent years has not been satisfactory, and they have shown some signs of decline.

Xia Mian didn't recognize the boy he brought; he had long, almond-shaped eyes and looked quite arrogant. When greeting people, his gaze lingered on each person for no more than three seconds.

They spent quite a bit of time on Xia Mian. When they saw his decorative ring, they snorted. When they saw the earring in his left ear, they snorted again. When they saw his face, their noses practically reached the sky in a huff!

“This is Xu Ning,” Xia Mingzhao whispered to Zhou Ting on the other end, “He is a true second-generation rich kid—he only became rich in his father’s generation. His father made his fortune in the seafood business and broke into the circle of wealthy people in Beijing in just a few years. He can be considered a nouveau riche.”

“I remember Liu Er’s reputation was so-so,” Zhou Ting said.

"Yeah, he's quite the womanizer. He often goes to international waters to throw multi-person sex parties. But he seems to have a good relationship with Third Master."

Upon hearing the words "Third Master," Zhou Ting seemed to have triggered something, and reflexively looked towards the other side.

Xia Mingzhao continued gossiping: "The Xu family has a weak foundation and needs to stabilize its position, while the Liu family needs financial support. Their union is a common example of a new and old alliance. This time, Liu Er brought Xu Ning into the public eye, so their wedding is probably imminent... Ah Ting?"

This was the umpteenth time Zhou Ting had drifted off into thought in front of him.

Xia Mingzhao had learned not to ask too many questions. He followed Zhou Ting's gaze and looked over silently.

Across the round table, the boy with grape-like eyes idly fiddled with his ring, occasionally turning his head to say a word to Rebecca. Even though he was silent, the spotlight seemed to be shining on him.

"Ah Ting, have some mango," Xia Mingzhao put a piece of fruit on Zhou Ting's plate. "I wonder how long the director wants to finish eating. We have to go to the wedding venue for rehearsal tomorrow."

Zhou Ting paused, his hand holding the fork still.

The metal fork head hit the bottom of the pan with a dull "clink".