2 First Encounter
Ye Zhenzhen changed her clothes and took the private elevator downstairs, where she saw a black Maybach parked at the door.
"Madam, please." The driver opened the back door.
"Thank you." She thanked him and sat down, where she saw Gu Tingshen in the back row, making a phone call.
He was tall and muscular, and the arm holding his phone, its muscles taut and defined, was encased in his shirt. His long legs, visible through his trousers, made the spacious back seat of the SUV seem somewhat cramped.
Ye Zhenzhen thought to herself, "He really is a cold and aloof domineering CEO. The top button of his shirt collar is fastened, and his sharp and imposing eyes are full of pressure."
"Yes, I've received it. I'll head back now. Okay, don't worry."
A deep, magnetic male voice rang out from close range, and her ears instantly turned red, even her scalp tingled. She was particularly sensitive to sounds; how could this man debut as a voice actor just based on his voice?
A faint scent of cedar filled the air, much like Gu Tingshen himself—his presence was extremely strong. She resisted the urge to rub her ears and moved slightly to the side.
Gu Tingshen hung up the phone and chuckled inwardly at her little actions. She was really childish; she had to wear her dislike on her sleeve so the other person could see it.
He explained why he had come to pick her up today: "My father and mother are going on a business trip abroad tomorrow, so we're going back to the old house today to bring Si Nan back to Mantingfang to stay for a while."
Mantingfang is an upscale villa district located in the city center, where the couple lived after their marriage. Gu Tingshen was busy with work and had no time to take care of Gu Sinan, so Gu Sinan lived with her grandparents in the Gu family's old house in the southern district of City A.
Upon hearing this, Ye Zhenzhen, ignoring her burning ears, abruptly turned to look at Gu Tingshen and calmly agreed. She had been worrying about how to bring the male lead to her side to take care of him, and this was truly a godsend.
Gu Tingshen was slightly surprised by her attitude.
Although the Ye and Gu families were old friends, and Ye's mother and Gu's mother were even best friends, the two had hardly met before their marriage. After all, they were eight years apart and had almost no interaction growing up.
The marriage was arranged by both sets of parents, and Gu Tingshen had no objections; for a family heir like him, a marriage alliance was perfectly normal. Ye Zhenzhen, however, was extremely disgusted at the time and never gave him a kind look after the marriage.
I came to pick her up from the company today without discussing it with her beforehand, and I thought she would definitely throw a tantrum. I didn't expect her to agree so easily, and she even seemed quite happy.
Maybe he was in a good mood today. He stopped thinking about it and looked down at the documents in his hand.
The car smoothly merged into the evening rush hour traffic. The driver looked in the rearview mirror at the two people sitting on either side of the back seat, with enough space between them for another person to sit. He thought to himself, "This couple is really estranged. Every time they ride in the same car, they don't exchange a single word."
The atmosphere was relatively peaceful today. The boss had his usual serious face, while Miss Ye's delicate features were framed by a gentle smile, unlike her usual cold expression. He admired her inwardly, thinking, "She's definitely someone who can be a star; her looks and demeanor are truly extraordinary."
Ye Zhenzhen was delighted to be meeting the male protagonist of the book, her mission target, soon, and forgot her earlier unease. She unlocked her phone with her fingerprint, ready to kill time while stuck in traffic.
She saw dozens of unread messages on WeChat and quickly opened them, only to find that it was Zhao Nanqiao, the original owner's best friend, who couldn't reach her and was spamming the chat.
[My dear lady, say something! Are you going to participate in "I Am an Actor" or not?]
…
Are you really going? Paparazzi photographed you leaving the Apple Media building, and you're trending again!!
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[My dear, I've already found you an acting teacher. If you really want to go, we're not afraid. We'll train hard and crush those snowballs!!]
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Trending on social media?
The original owner, as a top-tier rich second-generation, made a high-profile entry into the entertainment industry after marriage, frequently trending on social media, but rarely had her PR department control the comments. Song Chengcheng was used to her being on the trending topics from time to time, and since she was busy with investment plans today, she didn't even remind her.
She opened Weibo, and the top two trending topics were #YeZhenzhen《I Am an Actor》 and #YeZhenzhen vs. BaiXue. When she clicked on them, she saw a screen full of flame wars. BaiXue's fans, who called themselves Xue fans, were fighting fiercely with her Tao fans. Anyone who didn't know better would think they had some deep-seated hatred.
Because Ye Zhenzhen's name comes from the poem "Peach Blossom" in the Book of Songs, her fans think she is as beautiful and charming as a peach blossom, so they call themselves "Peach Blossom Fans" and affectionately call her "Little Peach Blossom".
The original owner entered the entertainment industry out of spite against her father and didn't care much about her acting career. However, whenever she was attacked online, there were always fans who rushed to her defense. The original owner cherished her fans and often asked Song Chengcheng to give them gifts.
Snow fans mocked Ye Zhenzhen for overestimating herself and lacking self-awareness, insisting on participating in an acting variety show. Peach fans also didn't want Ye Zhenzhen to participate in the show and be criticized, but they still wanted to protect their idol and tear apart the group of green tea bitches who wanted to step on their idol to rise to the top.
Ye Zhenzhen ate some melon for a while, thought about it, and then called Song Chengcheng, asking her to reassure the fans that she was not planning to participate in "I Am an Actor," and that these online battles would no longer concern her.
He picked up his phone again and replied to Zhao Nanqiao's message, so as not to make her anxious or upset.
I took a nap this afternoon and didn't check my phone. They invited me to join them, but I declined.
She rummaged through her memories; this was the original owner's best friend, someone she'd known since childhood. In the story, when the original owner was down on her luck, this friend would often come to visit and comfort her. She added a few more words.
[This show seems good, I think it has the potential to be a hit. I'm planning to invest some money and make a profit. Are you interested?]
The person on the other end was probably holding their phone and replied to the message instantly.
[Oh my god, you've finally appeared! I was so anxious!]
[...It's fine if you didn't participate. A senior of mine was on their filming crew, and she said their production team was amazing. They completely recreated the set setup. During the competition, you had to get it in one take, and there were audience members watching. The whole process was recorded on camera. With our acting skills, we shouldn't bother trying.]
[Investing is out of the question. Do you think everyone's like you, making hundreds of millions?]
Both the Ye and Gu families are among the top wealthy families in the country. Ye Zhenzhen owns Fengming Jewelry Company, which was left to her by her mother, and she also owns Taoyao Film and Television. After marriage, she has nearly 1 billion yuan in savings, not counting real estate, jewelry, and other valuables under her name. She is a true rich woman.
The Zhao family is also a wealthy family, but they are not as wealthy as the Ye and Gu families.
Zhao Nanqiao has an older brother who inherited the family business. They are usually well-off, but not to the point of making reckless investments. She is also a graduate student majoring in directing at a drama academy and has a deep understanding of how poor the original owner's acting skills were. She had advised her many times not to participate in "I Am an Actor".
The two chatted for a while longer and agreed to go shopping together on the weekend.
Ye Zhenzhen downloaded the mobile version of Plants vs. Zombies again, and when she got really into it, her expression relaxed.
The car quickly passed through a wrought-iron gate, and after driving a while, it arrived at the gate of a villa. To Ye Zhenzhen, it looked more like a manor than a villa.
The road was filled with all sorts of green plants that Ye Zhenzhen couldn't name, and as far as the eye could see, there were no neighboring buildings in sight, which showed how large the area was. It was hard to imagine that this was in the southern district of City A, where land was extremely valuable.
Gu Tingshen was tall and had long legs. He walked a few steps to the door, paused, and waited for Ye Zhenzhen to come in with him.
Ye Zhenzhen was a little nervous. She took a breath and followed him to the huge living room in Chinese style. There she saw Mr. and Mrs. Gu sitting on the sofa, watching TV with a 5 or 6-year-old boy.
Ye Zhenzhen took a few more glances; this must be her mission target, the male lead, Gu Sinan.
In the corner of the living room, there were several suitcases of various sizes, one of which was a cartoon suitcase with a distinctly different style.
"You're back, Zhenzhen. Come and sit down, let Mom see if you've lost weight again?" Before the two could speak, Mother Gu greeted Ye Zhenzhen. After she sat down, she took her hand and examined her closely. "You have lost weight, but your complexion is still good. You can't lose any more weight. Your health is the most important thing. Tonight I made all your favorite dishes, so you have to eat more later."
"Okay, Mom, I'll definitely eat more." Ye Zhenzhen smiled sweetly. The Gu mother in front of her was slightly thin and had somewhat sharp features, but her expression was gentle and concerned, which made Ye Zhenzhen relax.
Gu Sinan watched TV attentively, not interrupting their conversation.
On the other side, Gu Tingshen turned to his father, and the two chatted about the company's recent situation.
Mr. Gu glanced at the two women who looked like a mother and daughter, then at his silent and cold son, sighed inwardly, and advised, "Your mother and I are going to the US this time to handle some issues with the branch company. Take good care of Zhenzhen and Nannan."
After hearing his son respond with a sound but then fall silent, I couldn't help but give him a few more words of advice.
"There's not much going on at the company lately, so I'm giving you time off. Spend more time with them."
"Um."
Gu Tingshen verbally agreed, but his mind was not on the conversation.
Ye Zhenzhen was different today. She was already beautiful, and usually had a cold and aloof expression, but now her smile was like the first ripples of spring water, radiating a lively vitality that made it hard to look away.
Seeing his son's absent-mindedness, Gu's father became angry and shook his head, saying nothing more.
"The food is all set in the restaurant. Let's go and eat first." Gu's mother took Gu Sinan's hand and urged everyone to get up and go to the restaurant.
The family members, according to their age, sat around a traditional Chinese mahogany round table. The scene resembled something out of an old movie from the Republican era. The old master and madam were at the head of the table, the master and madam in the middle, and the young master at the foot. The family observed the rule of not speaking while eating and ate in silence.
Turning her gaze to the dining table, Ye Zhenzhen had no time for idle thoughts. The round table was laden with a variety of delicacies, each one a feast for the eyes and the palate, making one's mouth water. There was tender, flavorful braised beef brisket with tomatoes, sweet and sour pork tenderloin coated in sauce, delicately fragrant cashew shrimp, and crisp, refreshing garlic greens…
The chef's skills were superb; each dish was rich in flavor yet retains a homely touch. After the first bite, Ye Zhenzhen was so moved that she almost cried. In her previous life, she had fought cancer to the very end, unable to eat anything and only able to survive through IV drips. Now, being able to eat such delicious food, she felt that her life had truly been worthwhile.
She ate with great relish, but due to a habit formed from years of illness, she ate slowly and deliberately, stopping when she was only about 70-80% full. Seeing her expression of enjoyment, Gu Tingshen couldn't help but eat a little more than usual. Gu Sinan also found it very relaxing and enjoyable to eat next to her new mother.
After dinner, Gu's mother didn't keep them any longer. "Zhenzhen, your father and I are taking a flight tomorrow morning. You should pick up Nannan tonight. Her luggage is already in the car. Your car doesn't have a child safety seat, and the trunk is too small. Take the family van with you."
"Okay, Mom, you and Dad be careful on the road. Don't worry about leaving Nannan with us." Seeing that Gu Tingshen didn't speak, she readily agreed, then squatted down to look Gu Sinan in the eye. "Nannan, how about coming home with Mom and Dad?"
Gu Sinan looked up at his grandparents and felt his grandmother gently push him from behind. He nodded and said, "Okay."
"Then let's say goodbye to Grandpa and Grandma and wish them a safe journey?" Ye Zhenzhen stood up, took his little hand, and waved to Mr. and Mrs. Gu.
"Goodbye, Grandpa and Grandma, I'll be good." Gu Sinan curled her fingers, feeling her new mother's soft, cool hand. She didn't pull her hand away, letting her hold it.
As they were about to say goodbye, Gu's mother looked at the three of them, her gaze passing over her silent son before sadly looking away.
Ye Zhenzhen found the awkwardness between Gu's mother and Gu Tingshen rather strange. She nudged the tall man beside her with her elbow and gestured for him to say goodbye.
"Don't worry." Gu Tingshen glanced at her and finally spoke, as always, sparing with his words.
"Oh, oh, we're very relieved." Upon hearing this, Gu's mother looked up in surprise and agreed repeatedly.
Ye Zhenzhen's ears felt hot again. The man's voice was right above her head. She tried her best to ignore it, but secretly glanced at him, thinking that this aloof persona really couldn't be broken even in front of her family.
Gu Tingshen looked down sharply and saw his young wife pulling Gu Sinan and saying goodbye to Gu's parents. For some reason, her small, delicate ears, nestled among her hair, were red like pieces of blood jade. Against her fair profile, they looked both pitiful and adorable, making one want to touch them.
He flicked his fingers, then turned and went outside.
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