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The first day of the Lunar New Year.
Jiang Huali was woken up by her alarm clock just as the morning sun was peeking out.
When she woke up, her mind was foggy and confused. She struggled to sit up in bed, her face still bearing the red marks from sleeping.
Jiang Huali bent her knees and hugged her legs, trying to clear her mind.
However, it turns out that when people are extremely tired, they can fall asleep sitting up.
With a "thud," she fell back onto her soft, warm bed, her consciousness gradually fading.
She was half asleep and vaguely thought she was still filming on set. Then, remembering the alarm clock she had just heard, she suddenly woke up and jumped out of bed.
Jiang Huali only came to her senses when she picked up her phone from the bedside table and saw the date on it.
She had set the alarm for work as a daily reminder, but she forgot to turn it off.
The system was still fast asleep in its little nest. When it heard the noise, it just turned over and the little blanket covering it slid off its round body.
It was only a little before eight in the morning. Jiang Huali rubbed her face, turned off the alarm, tucked the blanket around the sleeping system that was smacking its lips, and yawned.
She lay back down on the bed, burying her head in the soft pillow, intending to sleep a little longer.
But the faint sounds coming from outside the room chased away her drowsiness a little. Jiang Huali frowned, got out of bed sleepily, slipped on a pair of big-eyed monster plush slippers, and opened the door.
Following the sound into the living room, I could vaguely see a tall figure busy in the kitchen, and a rich aroma of rice wafted out from the kitchen.
A question mark slowly appeared above Jiang Huali's head. She walked to the kitchen door, saw the scene before her, rubbed her eyes, and hesitated before asking, "Meng Zhiling? Why are you up so early?"
I just stayed up all night to celebrate the New Year, who gets up this early on the first day of the Lunar New Year?
Hearing the noise, Meng Zhiling turned around. His brows were furrowed, his hair fell smoothly down, and a few strands of hair fell across his forehead, partially obscuring his eyes, making him look extremely docile.
Hearing Jiang Huali's question, he said, "I was thinking of getting up to cook you breakfast."
Did I disturb you?
Jiang Huali wanted to nod, but she still said tactfully, "No."
The soundproofing in this house wasn't very good. Since Jiang Huali was already awake and Meng Zhiling had almost finished cooking breakfast, she felt embarrassed to say that she didn't have the habit of eating breakfast on holidays, so she turned around and went back to the master bathroom to wash up.
By the time she finished washing up, Meng Zhiling had already served the cooked porridge to the table.
The porcelain bowl contained steaming hot beef and lettuce porridge, probably made from leftover ingredients from last night's hot pot.
Jiang Huali took a bite; it was thick, flavorful, and delicious. Drinking a bowl of it on a winter morning was indeed a treat.
Now she was certain that Meng Zhiling's cooking skills were truly excellent.
Meng Zhiling sat opposite Jiang Huali as usual. The two sat facing each other, exchanging a few words occasionally, and ate their first breakfast of the new year together.
After finishing breakfast, Meng Zhiling left, reminding him as he departed, "I'll pick you up at nine o'clock tomorrow morning."
Jiang Huali nodded. "Okay."
-
8 PM, Xingyao Club.
A luxury car with a special license plate stopped, and a waiter stepped forward to open the car door. When Cheng Liu got out of the car, the waiter bowed and greeted him, "Young Master Cheng."
Xingyao is a high-end club with many important people. The most important thing when working here is to be careful with your words and actions. Don't say what you shouldn't say, and just do your job conscientiously.
Cheng Liu entered the club, which was owned by his family. He had a private room there, which he used specifically for gatherings with friends.
After walking down the long corridor, a waiter opened the door for him. When Cheng Liu saw who was in the private room, he was a little surprised and said jokingly, "It's a rare sight to see Young Master Meng here so early today. I've known you for so long, but this is the first time you've been so supportive."
Meng Zhiling sat on the sofa with its backrest. Hearing this, she looked over but ignored his teasing. Her voice was indifferent: "I have things to do tomorrow, so I won't stay here too late."
Cheng Liu sat down next to him, poured himself a cup of tea, and said meaningfully, "Oh, still so busy during the New Year? You even have to check the time to have a meal or play cards with friends?"
Yuan An walked over, patted Cheng Liu on the shoulder, and said, "You rascal, you're so late today. Come and sit down, and Brother Meng too. I haven't eaten anything all night. I said I'd treat you to dinner, but I'm the last one here."
As he spoke, he kicked Cheng Liu.
Cheng Liu nimbly dodged and begged for mercy, "It's my fault, it's my fault, I'll call the food right away."
The three of them grew up together, practically inseparable since childhood. Cheng Liu was lively and carefree, Meng Zhiling seemed gentle but was actually cold, and Yuan An was the mood-maker among the three.
During dinner, Cheng Liu casually mentioned Gu Huayu, saying that he planned to have Gu Huayu be the spokesperson for his hotel in the next episode.
Meng Zhiling did not express an opinion, while Yuan An frowned but said nothing.
Seeing this, Cheng Liu quickly put on a shield for himself: "This was not my decision. I have never interfered with these family businesses. I heard about it from my sister during dinner the other day."
The true heir to Cheng Liu's family business is his sister. She has a sharp business mind and is very adept at doing business.
Although they knew Gu Huayu, their relationship was only casual.
To be honest, Yuan An and Gu Huayu had a bit of a grudge.
Yuan An's fiancée is Gu Huayu's ex-girlfriend.
Gu Huayu is a bit of a womanizer and not very focused. When he broke up with Yuan An's fiancée, the reason he gave was that he had found someone he truly loved.
Although they didn't break up, Yuan An couldn't interfere and get what he wanted, but he still disliked Gu Huayu.
Of the three, only Cheng Liu and Meng Zhiling are still single. Thinking of this, Cheng Liu's eyes were filled with sorrow and his mouth was sour: "I think our trio of single nobles will soon become a one-man group."
Yuan An chuckled and said, "Don't worry, I'll definitely ask you to be my best man when I get married."
Meng Zhiling laughed without giving him any face.
Cheng Liu: "..."
Meng Zhiling and Jiang Huali had made plans to visit Sprite the next day, so Cheng Liu and the others wisely didn't try to stop them.
Sprite lives in a villa in the mountains. The villa has a large yard, which provides the dog with plenty of space to play.
Jiang Huali's heart was captured by the cute puppy the moment she saw Sprite.
Samoyeds truly deserve their title of "smiling angels"; their smiles are so endearing they make you want to melt.
Meng Chu was also at her cousin's villa today. She was there to deliver the dog. Usually, Xuebi would stay at her house for a whole week during the Chinese New Year. However, since she knew that her future cousin's wife wanted to meet Xuebi, it was no big deal.
Meng Chu was quite surprised when she first learned that her cousin actually had someone he liked. What surprised her even more was that the other person was the actress who played Jue Li in "Above the Clouds".
She wondered if her cousin had fallen in love at first sight. When she called to ask, he said the other person was perfect for the role and told her not to spend all her time online and to focus on her studies.
It seems she was the matchmaker who brought them together.
The moment Meng Chu saw Jiang Huali, she realized no wonder her brother liked her.
She's so beautiful, with a cool and aloof appearance that makes her seem unapproachable, but in reality she's gentle, kind, and very polite.
Meng Chu has truly had her eyes opened today; she'll definitely brag about it to all her aunts and uncles when she gets back.
Meng Zhiling is almost twenty-eight years old. Meng's parents are quite open-minded and don't care much about whether their child is dating or not, nor are they in a hurry to have grandchildren.
But their relatives, one by one, were scrambling to establish a connection with the family, as if they were eager to sell their daughter.
Meng Zhiling received a phone call and had to leave for a while.
Meng Chu ran to Jiang Huali's side and played fetch with her while playing with Xuebi.
If you throw the ball out of your hand, Sprite will excitedly catch it, and then wag its fluffy tail and run back with the ball in its mouth.
The two people and the dog were having a great time playing together. Meng Chu looked at Jiang Huali and asked casually, "Sister-in-law, do you often see Gu Huayu on set?"
Meng Chu secretly patted his chest, realizing he had almost mispronounced the name.
Jiang Huali didn't pay attention to the abrupt ending of the address. When she heard Meng Chu's question, she raised her eyebrows and said, "Yes, quite a few scenes were filmed together."
Meng Chu traced circles on the lawn with her fingers and asked, "Was that rumor about him from a while ago true?"
After saying that, she felt that asking the question was a bit abrupt, so she quickly explained, "My deskmate is a fan of Gu Huayu. She was really upset when she saw that rumor, so I asked for her."
Jiang Huali: "It must have been fabricated by the media."
Meng Chu's eyes lit up when she heard this, thinking that her dear classmate was saved. She then saw her future cousin-in-law with a gentle smile on her face and speaking in a gentle tone.
"However, he does have a lot of scandals."
Meng Chu nodded in agreement. She wasn't a fan of celebrities, but she knew that the entertainment industry was a complex and murky place.
Although she knew that her cousin knew Gu Huayu, it was clear that Meng Zhiling would not talk to her about Gu Huayu's rumored girlfriend.
While the two were talking, Sprite, with its chubby dog head, sniffed around Jiang Huali's hand.
Meng Chu patted Xue Bi's head. "Okay. I'll go back and tell my deskmate to find a different celebrity she likes."
Jiang Huali smiled but remained silent.
Meng Chu had a feeling that her future cousin-in-law must know something secret, but before she could figure it out, her brother came back.
Meng Zhiling, who just returned: ?
When Meng Zhiling returned, he overheard Jiang Huali and Meng Chu talking about Gu Huayu. He raised an eyebrow, remembering the person his childhood friends had mentioned the night before.
He is fickle and doesn't take relationships seriously.
Meng Zhiling then remembered that Jiang Huali seemed to be in the same film crew as Gu Huayu.
He smiled and said to Meng Chu, "Your aunt is urging you to go back."
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