Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Liu Niang and the Scholar
Liu Mianmian held her forehead and said helplessly, "Stop laughing. Just separate these flowers and put one on each table."
A'lin smiled and said, "We knew you wouldn't want them, so we secretly discussed it a long time ago. We'll give one flower to each of us, and put the others in the vase on the dining table. Thank you, Miss Liu, for letting us take advantage of you!" She winked at Liu Mianmian mischievously.
I don't know if Manager Chen carefully selected his employees, but the people in the restaurant, from the chefs to the cashiers to the waiters, were all very nice. No one was a gossipmonger or a troublemaker. That's why Mr. Li had been sending roses for several days without much gossip.
Of course, it may also be influenced by Manager Chen, and everyone's minds are relatively open. After all, Manager Chen also said, "It's just giving flowers to a beautiful girl, it's normal."
When the piano was being played, Liu Mianmian saw the waiter Tian Miaomiao bring a list full of song titles. She knew without a doubt that Mr. Li had come to dine again today.
Whenever he came to dine, she wouldn't have to play the music she had prepared, as she might not have enough time just to play the music he ordered.
Since the order was placed, Liu Mianmian naturally had to play the dish. Besides, why wouldn't she be happy about earning a few dozen more dollars for a meal?
It was not until two o'clock in the afternoon when the restaurant closed that Mr. Li walked over from the table in the corner.
Mr. Li's full name is Li Yaoming. He is in his thirties, with a gentle appearance and a hint of shrewdness. He wore a loose-fitting grey suit with a pinstriped T-shirt underneath, giving him a casual Hong Kong style. On the streets of mainland China in the 1980s, he was at least three blocks ahead of those men wearing permed hair and bell-bottom pants.
He noticed Liu Mianmian. Besides her beauty and piano playing, he also noticed that she had a great sense of fashion. She always managed to create a casual, comfortable look with clothes that were common in mainland China, which perfectly matched his aesthetic.
"That's the fashion sense of a natural-born superstar."
This is how Li Yaoming understood it.
Liu Mianmian was also helpless. Although Li Yaoming sent her roses, ordered songs, chatted with her, and promoted Hong Kong movies, he was well-spoken and humorous, and never said anything offensive. Apart from being too persistent, he was really not annoying.
"Miss Liu, you are still as beautiful today." Li Yaoming said with a smile while standing three steps away from the piano.
She knows how to praise people, has high emotional value, and is very generous. Even when he knew that she had distributed roses to the guests' tables, he was not angry at all.
Liu Mianmian smiled helplessly, stood up, and walked out with him. "Mr. Li, I really haven't thought about becoming a star. Besides, although your Hong Kong city has a developed film and television industry, the security environment is not good. I heard that there are stars who were forced to shoot with guns pointed at their heads, and some were tricked into filming erotic films. Not only do I disagree, even my in-laws wouldn't agree to it."
In order to persuade Liu Mianmian to go to Hongcheng, Li Yaoming had said all the good things about Hongcheng. Now, after hearing what Liu Mianmian said, he shook his head helplessly, remembering that the owner and manager of the western restaurant were from Hongcheng, and there were some things he couldn't hide even if he wanted to.
"Miss Liu, the situation you described does exist, but my family is a big shot in the Hong Kong entertainment industry, so it won't happen. Besides, as long as you become a big star and have your own connections, even the government will give you face."
Liu Mianmian didn't believe his nonsense. She had read a lot of gossip in her previous life. It wasn't uncommon for big stars to be forced to make movies.
Having already said so many rejections, Liu Mianmian was too lazy to say anything more and changed the subject, asking, "Mr. Li, do you have any projects in the pipeline?"
Li Yaoming thought she was persuaded and interested, so he said quickly, "I want to make a ghost movie, a story about a female ghost and a scholar. The title is 'Liu Niang and the Scholar'. The script is very good. If the author and I weren't old friends, this script would not have come to me. The script is still being polished, and the team is still being assembled. Miss Liu, you are very suitable for the role of Liu Niang. You see, you both have the surname Liu, this is fate."
After all, this world is a fictional world. Many of the Hong Kong movies that Liu Mianmian watched in her previous life are not in this world.
There were no classic ghost movies or police and gangster movies from the 1980s and 1990s. There were only movies with similar themes, which were also excellent, but different from the ones Liu Mianmian had seen in her previous life.
As for the film "Liu Niang and the Scholar" mentioned by Li Yaoming, the plot is somewhat similar to the "A Certain Ghost" that Liu Mianmian had seen in her previous life. Moreover, in the original book, this film later became a phenomenal hit, one of the classic examples of a low-budget film that turned into a big production in Hong Kong film history.
After the heroine Jiang Yingxue in the original book got her first pot of gold, she started a clothing business and opened a clothing factory in Guangzhou. Because she happened to recruit a very talented designer, the clothing factory business was very popular and she earned millions in a short time.
Coincidentally, at this time, she met a producer from Hong Kong and invested some money in a low-budget horror film.
She had invested money on impulse simply because the script was so moving and poignant. However, she had no idea that the film would become an overnight hit after its release, and she, who had invested 20% of the money, had made a killing.
Even after becoming a billionaire, Jiang Yingxue would mention this movie in interviews, admitting that it was one of the investments with the highest return in her life.
The movie invested by Jiang Yingxue is "Liu Niang and the Scholar".
Thinking of this, Liu Mianmian glanced sideways at Li Yaoming. The original book mentioned that the producer had bought the script from a branch of Li Entertainment, who had been defrauded in a business deal and nearly lost everything.
So, the Li family branch member who nearly lost everything in the original book and even sold the copy of "Liu Niang and the Scholar" seems to be Li Yaoming?
Li Yaoming looked smart, but unexpectedly he was actually a silver-plated spearhead!
According to the original book's timeline, Liu Mianmian speculates that Li Yaoming might not have been scammed yet, or that he was scammed not long ago, so she indirectly asks Li Yaoming what business he is in. Li Yaoming thinks that Liu Mianmian doesn't trust his financial strength and wants to show off his strength, so he introduces several of his business projects to Liu Mianmian in detail.
Combining the fragments mentioned in the original book, Liu Mianmian quickly found something amiss. "Are you saying that you snatched this batch of goods from another large company, and the price was 10% lower than the market price? The large company made a mistake because they had internal problems, and your friends happened to have information and connections related to this matter?"
She spread her hands and said helplessly, "Mr. Li, this is just as unreliable as you telling me that Hong Kong is full of gold and you can become a big star if you go there, right?"
Li Yaoming hesitated: "...but my friend and I grew up together, and we are close friends."
Liu Mianmian chuckled, "How many betrayals stem from life-or-death friendships? Mr. Li, business requires reason and judgment. The most taboo is mixing in emotions."
Li Yaoming naturally understood this principle, but they were all in the same circle and would meet each other every day. Unless the other party didn't want to stay in Hong Kong anymore, there was really no need to lie to him about such things.
Besides, he is not a greenhorn, he has also investigated it carefully.
"If they really want to set up a scheme, it definitely won't be done by one or two people, so they naturally won't be afraid of investigation." Liu Mianmian reminded, "But some things can't be investigated at the time, because they were kept secret at the time. As time passes, the flaws will slowly become apparent."
For some reason, Li Yaoming suddenly felt a cold sweat on his back. He thought for a moment, his expression becoming serious. "I'll investigate further. I only paid the first installment, and I still have two more to pay. I'll be very careful."
He said seriously, "Miss Liu, thank you for your reminder."
Liu Mianmian smiled and said, "Mr. Li, you're welcome, but please don't send me roses next time. You know, I have a husband, and he lives in the mainland. This matter may cause me trouble."
Li Yaoming shook his head. "Miss Liu, you are so beautiful and play the piano so well. I truly admire you. Beautiful flowers and beautiful ladies are a perfect match. But since you said so, I won't give you a gift next time. I may have to go back to Hong Kong soon. I will bring you a gift when I return. Please accept it then."
Liu Mianmian smiled but did not answer whether she would accept it or not.
If Li Yaoming can resolve his business crisis and is ready to continue investing in the filming of "Liu Niang and the Scholar", she doesn't want to play a female ghost, but she wants to invest a little money.
With such an opportunity to make a fortune right in front of you, it’s hard not to be tempted!
If we become partners by then, it’s okay to accept a small gift from him. At most I can give him one in return.
The two of them walked and talked, and before they knew it, they had reached the alley outside the western restaurant. Liu Mianmian said, "Mr. Li..."
She wanted to say that she would talk about "Liu Niang and the Scholar" next time she came back, but a familiar voice interrupted her: "Liu Mianmian."
When Liu Mianmian turned around and saw Shen Weizhou standing by the wall, she looked very surprised: "Why are you here?"
Shen Weizhou choked and then said, "I was passing by after get off work."
Liu Mianmian: "..." The research institute is on the north side of Qiuzhi Lane, and the western restaurant is on the south side of Qiuzhi Lane. How could he pass by there after get off work? He wouldn't pass by here, right?
Shen Weizhou looked at Li Yaoming and asked, "Who is this?"
Liu Mianmian realized belatedly that if Shen Weizhuo had been standing at the door, he should have heard the conversation between her and Li Yaoming... including Li Yaoming's words that he truly loved her, that the beautiful flower and the beautiful lady were a perfect match, and that he would bring her a gift when he returned from Hong Kong City.
Liu Mianmian had long known that Li Yaoming was a talkative person, probably because he had one foot in the entertainment industry. He casually said things like "admiration" and "love you", but Liu Mianmian didn't take it seriously at all.
But thinking back, how other people would hear these words...hiss, why did it feel like she was cheating on Shen Weizhuo?
She observed Shen Weizhuo's expression. Well, it was his usual expressionless face, and she couldn't tell anything.
Or maybe, they are just "bedmates" and he doesn't care whether she cheats on him or not?
Although Liu Mianmian felt that this possibility was unlikely, she really couldn't figure out Shen Weizhuo's thoughts. It was like she had been making up a plan in her mind, ready to come up with a high-sounding reason when Shen Weizhuo asked for sex, but in fact, Shen Weizhuo seemed to have no such needs at all.
Is it because of poor health and inability to do it?
Or was he simply not interested in her as his childhood sweetheart, and marrying her only out of helplessness?
Liu Mianmian thought of the heroine Jiang Yingxue. The original book used a lot of words to describe Jiang Yingxue's love and nostalgia for Shen Weizhuo, the white moonlight, and used this to torture the hero Shen Weihong to death, but did not mention Shen Weizhuo's feelings for Jiang Yingxue.
It couldn't be that they were childhood sweethearts, inseparable, and had feelings for each other, but were unfortunately separated by her, their childhood engagement partner?
But in a split second, thousands of thoughts raced through Liu Mianmian's mind, but she didn't forget to answer Shen Weizhou's question: "This is an old customer of our restaurant, Mr. Li Yaoming. Mr. Li came from Hong Kong."
After a pause, she said to Li Yaoming, "This is my lover, Shen Weizhou."
Seeing the person in front of him, Li Yaoming's eyes lit up and he took the initiative to extend his hand: "Mr. Shen is so handsome."
He glanced at Liu Mianmian again and said, "Oh, you two, you really are Liu Niang and the scholar. When I finish my work, will you come together to make a movie for me?"
Shen Weizhou: “???”
Liu Mianmian quickly refused on Shen Weizhuo's behalf, saying that Shen Weizhuo had a proper job and their company would never let him make a movie. Li Yaoming expressed great regret and repeatedly stated before leaving that Shen Weizhuo could not play the role of a scholar, but Liu Mianmian must come to play the role of a female ghost for him.
After Li Yaoming walked away, Shen Weizhuo couldn't help but ask: "Do you want to make a movie?" Or play a female ghost.
Liu Mianmian shook her head repeatedly: "No, no, I am a little interested in his movie, but I'm not interested in becoming a female ghost."
Shen Weizhou looked at her calmly: "What are you interested in?"
Liu Mianmian calculated the assets she had on hand and felt that with the money she had now, if she dared to say that she wanted to invest in a movie, she would probably be laughed to death, so she said reservedly: "I'm quite interested in that script." It's a good script and it will definitely make money.
Li Yaoming had just briefly explained what the story of "Liu Niang and the Scholar" was. Shen Weizhuo thought about it and connected it with what Liu Mianmian had said before, thinking that she was moved by the love story between the female ghost and the scholar.
Thinking of what Li Yaoming said, "The scholar loves the female ghost, and does not care about the secular view, nor does he care about the different paths of humans and ghosts", and then naturally thinking of the sentence "I really love you" that he heard, Shen Weizhuo suddenly frowned.
"The scholar's love for the female ghost is just based on lust. If it's a beauty or a skeleton, he'll naturally fall in love with it, but not necessarily with a skeleton. A man's sweet words should never be trusted." After a moment's silence, Shen Weizhuo said.
Liu Mianmian was still thinking about how to make more money to invest in "Liu Niang and the Scholar". Hearing this, she looked up at Shen Weizhou in surprise: "...You are right."
Liu Mianmian actually didn't quite understand why Shen Weizhuo suddenly said these things. What about the Red-Powdered Skeleton? Was it something that someone like him, who only had research tasks in his mind, would think of?
Perhaps, it was mainly to remind her not to be fooled by sweet words again?
Since she couldn’t figure it out, Liu Mianmian stopped thinking about it.
I was reminded of Zhu Yongqi, that scum who used sweet words to deceive people. I heard that the police followed the clues and arrested another group of human traffickers, as well as the middlemen upstream and downstream.
Oh, and Liu Jinshi, it is said that she has recovered from her injuries and returned to the military industrial compound. I don’t know how the military factory will deal with her.
Liu Mianmian was thinking about a lot of random things and didn't notice the thoughtful look Shen Weizhuo occasionally gave her.
When she returned to Courtyard No. 9 after get off work at noon the next day, Liu Mianmian looked at the roses filling the windowsill of the east wing with a bewildered expression: "No, Aunt Liu, why are there so many flowers at home suddenly?"
Aunt Liu had an ambiguous expression, as if to say, "Oh my, why are you still pretending?" She said, "Wei Zhou asked someone to buy these for you. He said you liked them, and there are not only these on the windowsill, but also a lot in your bedroom. Oh my, I wonder if he bought all the roses at the flower market!"
Liu Mianmian: “…”
Somehow, my face felt a little hot and my heart was beating fast.
What does Shen Weizhuo mean?
Is it to remind her that wild flowers are not as fragrant as domestic flowers?
However, other people have bunches of roses, but he has pots of roses.
Liu Mianmian couldn't help but want to laugh: "Where are the others?"
Aunt Liu also really liked these roses and had been counting the buds nearby. She replied, "There's an emergency at the research institute. It seems there's a problem with a report, so they sent a car to pick him up."
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