Chapter 56 "Would you like to meet my parents?"...
After seeing Xu Yishu off, Xu Shaoting returned to the bedside and saw Wen Jia wrapped up like a rice dumpling.
Why didn't you remind me? I thought you had already come in.
Her cheeks were flushed, whether from the steam in the bathroom or something else, it was hard to tell.
“It’s nothing,” he said gently. “She’s no outsider, and she’s known about you for a long time. Even if we don’t see each other today, we will in the future.”
"Does she only know that I exist, or does she know who I am?"
“Everyone knows.” He chuckled as if remembering something. “Actually, she was the first person besides my mother to know about you.”
"Why?"
“When you were angry about Shen Zhiyun before, I asked her some questions.”
“I’m angry because of Shen Zhiyun,” she said, not quite understanding, “Why did you ask her for advice?”
He bent down, leaning closer to her, his voice slow and deep, almost accusing, "I asked her, what does it mean when a girl doesn't answer the phone? What does it mean when she doesn't reply to messages?"
The moment he brought up that matter, an invisible pressure spread, and Wen Jia felt incredibly guilty. "You're not allowed to bring up my past."
She buried her head in his chest and said in a muffled voice, "Now my image in her eyes is completely ruined. I threw a tantrum and made a fool of myself."
Xu Shaoting lifted the blanket, glanced down meaningfully, and said, "No, it's beautiful."
"You scoundrel, you bastard."
He chuckled, "Alright, now you've met my mother, my two younger sisters, and my father. There's still one younger brother you haven't met yet. When are you planning to come back with me to meet him?"
"Isn't it too fast?"
“No,” he saw through her concerns, “It’s just a meeting as my girlfriend. They’re curious about my dating life.”
It is indeed very novel.
Outside the door, Xu Yishu was still in shock from the scene she had just witnessed when her finger unconsciously tapped the three-person group chat on her phone.
This group was created by Xu Yitang on her first day infiltrating the film crew, specifically for her intelligence reporting. Scrolling up the chat history, it was all content that her older brother couldn't tolerate.
Xu Yishu: "Guess who I saw?"
Xu Yitang: "Sister-in-law?"
Xu Yancheng: "Sister-in-law?! Why? Even Xu Bozheng has met her, but I'm the only one in the whole family who hasn't?"
Xu Yitang: "When you meet her, don't say anything. Just keep calling her 'sister-in-law,' and your brother will give you a huge sum of money as a 'change of address' fee."
Xu Yishu: "You called her 'sister-in-law'? You've given yourself away?"
Xu Yitang chuckled twice on his end of the screen: "Spy mission failed, caught red-handed, so embarrassing..."
Xu Yishu sighed, "I was actually quite embarrassed when I met her just now. I hope you can meet with her normally, Second Brother."
"No, you should act normal when you meet her."
Xu Yancheng ignored his sister's complaints and asked directly, "How does it compare to Shen Zhiyun?"
Xu Yishu: "Completely two different types"
Hsu Yi-tang: "Completely two different types"
After finishing her sentence, Xu Yishu added, "But I feel that my brother has definitely failed. He asked me before what it meant when a girl doesn't reply to messages, doesn't answer calls, and won't even meet in person."
Xu Yitang: "What?! He asked me that too!"
-
Xu Shaoting canceled all the client meetings his company was scheduled to have during this period and stayed in Yungang for almost a week.
However, he rarely goes to the film set and spends most of his time handling official business in his hotel suite.
These past few days, Wen Jia has been well taken care of by him, and her cold and fever have healed quickly. Only after seeing that she was fully recovered did he prepare to set off back to Linzhou.
Before officially returning home, he went to the film set at 6 p.m.
Wen Jia happened to be chatting with Yu Kaiqing and Xu Yitang in the RV. He went over, picked her up, and put her on his lap. The two of them sat back to back, chest to chest.
"Kaiqing, take her out first," he instructed.
Upon receiving the order, Yu Kaiqing swiftly grabbed Xu Yitang's wrist and pulled the girl out of the RV.
Xu Shaoting wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, caressing her skin with obvious affection, and began to kiss her cheek tenderly. "Why did you finish work so early today?"
She was held tightly in the man's arms. "Yu Jianshan is taking me to a dinner party tonight."
"A dinner party?" He frowned. "What kind of dinner party?"
"Yu Jianshan and Su Jianyun have collaborated on another script, which has already been acquired by a production company. He wants me to play the female lead, but it's not finalized yet, so he wants to take me to meet the producer and investors of that drama."
"Nothing's certain? Do you want to act? If you do, I'll invest some money."
Wen Jia laughed and nuzzled his chin, "Are you asking me to bring my own investment to the production again?"
"Yu Jianshan chose you because I just wanted to save you unnecessary trouble. Of course, if you want to fight for it yourself, I will respect your decision. It's up to you."
"Of course I want to act in it, but there's no rush. Right now, we've only sold the script, and there are still many variables. It's not too late to decide when the time comes."
"I'll listen to you," Xu Shaoting nodded, then asked, "Are there any others?"
"I've already been cast as the female lead, Pan Yunwen is tentatively cast as the second female lead, and Yu Jianshan is... torn between Song Yanlin and Qin Jiawen. He says Song Yanlin's acting is better, but Qin Jiawen's image is more suitable for the male lead. I think he wants to just bring the whole cast over."
Xu Shaoting chuckled, his tone a bit cold, "He is indeed objective."
Wen Jia sensed something was wrong. "You're not going to stop me from acting, are you?"
"Act, you can act," he said after a long silence, as if pondering, before finally speaking, "If Song Yanlin is still the male lead, how about I send bodyguards?"
"..."
“It’s not that serious. If you’re really worried, why don’t you come visit me on set? I’d rather see you than have bodyguards.” She turned around in his arms, wrapped her arms around his neck, and gave him a quick kiss.
Xu Shaoting was pleased by her sweet words, "Do you want me to go with you, baby?"
"What?"
"A dinner party."
"Aren't you going back to Linzhou?"
"I can go back tomorrow."
"Let's forget it. If you go, everyone at the table will just be watching your every move, which is unfair."
"They may not know me."
She gave a forced smile and hummed twice, "I don't know you, but I recognize your aura."
"..."
“Okay,” she began to comfort him, putting the cart before the horse, “You’re busy at work, go back to Linzhou first, there won’t be any problems.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Shaoting's eyes darkened, a hint of unease appearing in them.
The two spent some time cuddling in the RV, and Xu Shaoting didn't leave the set until seven o'clock.
Yu Jianshan and his three prized students got into the van.
Qin Jiawen looked around and asked, "Isn't Brother Yanlin coming?"
“He still has one more take to film. Let’s go first. I’ll have Zhiyun stay on set.”
The dinner was arranged at a Chinese restaurant, and the private room was elegant, quiet, and unique.
When they opened the door, everyone had already arrived, but the private room was spacious and not full.
Yu Jianshan took his seat in the chair next to the main seat, briefly apologized for his lateness, and then introduced the three people he had brought with him.
Seated at the head of the table was Hu Baiyin, an investor, a middle-aged man with a round face who greeted everyone with a smile. Yu Jianshan shook hands with him and then exchanged pleasantries with the man beside him, "Producer Zhao, it's been a while."
Wen Jia and the others were brought by Yu Jianshan, so they didn't have a chance to exchange pleasantries. She listened and watched quietly.
Glancing down, Xu Shaoting sent a new message:
"Drink less alcohol, and call me if you feel unwell."
Producer Zhao values efficiency; after a brief opening, he gets straight to the point.
"I'm an old friend of Lao Yu, so I won't beat around the bush. This time, screenwriter Su wrote a solid script, and Lao Yu also put in a lot of effort. Our company is very confident. I invited everyone here today to meet the main actors and hear your thoughts. President Hu also attaches great importance to this and came all the way from Beijing."
Hu Baiyin's round face creased with deeper wrinkles. "Good scripts are hard to come by, and good teams are even rarer. I trust Director Yu's team." His gaze swept over the three actors Yu Jianshan had brought, lingering on Wen Jia and Pan Yunwen for a few seconds. "If I'm not mistaken, Miss Wen should be the lead actress?"
Yu Jianshan nodded, "I think it should be decided like this."
Hu Baiyin chuckled, “Miss Wen is even more beautiful and refined than she appears on screen. Director Yu has a sharp eye; you do indeed have the temperament of a leading lady… gentle on the outside but strong on the inside.”
Wen Jia smiled and nodded politely, "Mr. Hu, you flatter me."
Yu Jianshan chimed in at the opportune moment, "She's quite quick to learn and willing to put in the effort. I'm at ease entrusting this role to her."
The waiters began serving the dishes, and the atmosphere gradually warmed up. After several rounds of toasts, the conversation gradually veered off-script and focused on the people.
Hu Baiyin and Yu Jianshan drank together, then he filled his glass again and held it out to Wen Jia.
"Miss Wen, you're the female lead in Director Yu's new film, a major role, so you must be under a lot of pressure. Come on, I have high hopes for you. Let me toast you first and wish you a successful collaboration!" Without waiting for a reply, he filled the small wine glass in front of Wen Jia with white wine. "You have to finish this glass. If you don't, you're not giving me face."
When he spoke, the private room quieted down a bit, and everyone's eyes darted between the two men.
Wen Jia looked at the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and suddenly remembered what Yu Jianshan had said in the car: this Hu Baiyin was practically a producer. He started out as a director on set, holding an umbrella and moving chairs for him. Now, countless people are begging him to even glance at their scripts. He's arrogant and snobbish. Today he might praise you as a goddess, tomorrow he might say you don't fit the market. If you don't follow his rules, he can immediately move on to another table of people to choose from.
Men are all like that; once they gain a bit of status or position, they like to show off, either through words or drinks, and they especially love to find a sense of self-worth in women. At this dinner party, apart from the three main figures, everyone else was part of the decision-making team.
This drink was a test, and also a show of force.
Yu Jianshan patted Wen Jia under the table, signaling her to refuse and not to drink.
Wen Jia smiled and raised her glass. "Mr. Hu, I can't hold my liquor, I'm afraid I'll spoil your fun."
“Hey, that’s not right,” Hu Baiyin leaned back, adopting a lecturing posture. “In this industry, drinking capacity is something you develop through practice. How can you act freely if you can’t drink? How can you connect with the senior actors and actresses? Director Yu, don’t you agree?”
He smiled and threw the question to Yu Jianshan, but his eyes were fixed on Wen Jia.
Yu Jianshan chuckled twice, trying to smooth things over, "Well then, Mr. Hu, Wen Jia is someone I chose and brought. Shouldn't I drink this wine for her..."
Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted. Hu Baiyin tapped his finger on the table, making a soft tapping sound. "Miss Wen, I'm a straightforward person, it's all about attitude. If you drink this glass of wine, then I'll consider it my approval regarding the matter of becoming the female lead. How about it?"
The private room fell silent for a moment.
Pan Yunwen and Qin Jiawen exchanged a glance, their expressions tense. The latter was about to get up to block them when Wen Jia stopped her.
No one can drink this wine; if she doesn't drink this cup, countless cups will be waiting for her.
Having figured this out, she nodded to Qin Jiawen to indicate that she was alright, then picked up the wine glass filled with wine, clinked it with Hu Baiyin's, and drank it all in one gulp.
The spicy liquid burned her as it traveled from her throat to her stomach, making her wince.
Seeing that she drank it all so readily, Hu Baiyin's smile became more genuine, and he nodded.
After three more rounds, Yu Jianshan and Qin Jiawen helped her deflect the drinks she could, and she forced herself to drink the ones she couldn't.
She wasn't drunk, but her stomach was churning. She greeted Yu Jianshan and, taking advantage of the lull, slipped out of the private room and escaped to the restroom.
She had been to many such drinking parties. At first, she drank honestly, but later she became smarter and would sneak in a drink to avoid drinking too much.
She waited outside for about twenty minutes, intending to go straight back to the private room, but halfway there, she remembered Hu Baiyin's wrinkled face and stopped.
The burning sensation in her stomach hadn't subsided, and her throat was dry and tight. She suddenly felt extremely tired, not physically, but somewhere inside her, as if something was weighing her down, making her feel like she was sinking.
She hesitated for a moment before taking out her phone to call Xu Shaoting.
She really needs him right now.
However, after making the call, the mechanical voice kept playing for a long time without being answered. She called again after a few minutes, but there was still no response.
Perhaps he was busy, or perhaps he didn't hear her, she comforted herself with excuses and switched to WeChat.
However, more than ten messages have passed, and they have all disappeared without a trace.
She glanced at the time one last time, thinking he should already be on the plane. Although it was within her expectations, she still felt a strange sense of grievance.
Seeing that she had been outside for too long, it would be impolite not to go back soon. Forgetting about feeling wronged, she walked to the door of the private room, calmed herself down, and went to push the door open.
The moment she opened the door, a burning gaze fell upon her, and she looked back in that direction.
Their steps faltered instantly.
The man who should have been on the plane or on the other end of the phone was instead sitting openly at the table, being toasted.
For a moment, she forgot to breathe and blink.
Fortunately, the noise in the private room didn't subside, and no one noticed her unusual behavior.
Xu Shaoting looked at her and shook his head very subtly.
Wen Jia snapped out of her daze and understood what he meant.
He wanted her to pretend she didn't know him.
Hu Baiyin was arrogant and, being the host, was displeased to see Wen Jia leave for so long and began to put on airs.
While making things difficult for her, he didn't forget to curry favor with Xu Shaoting.
"Miss Wen, this is Chairman Xu of Tianxu Group, a true Midas touch. If you perform well and satisfy Chairman Xu, you won't have to worry about good resources coming your way in the future. Here, you must toast Chairman Xu with this glass, and show him your best..."
Before he could finish speaking, Xu Shaoting interrupted, "Miss Wen was personally selected by Director Yu, and her professional ability speaks for itself. This drink is unnecessary."
Hu Baiyin was already tipsy, and his smile was fading. He had spent most of his life in this circle, relying on his ability to read people and his self-righteous drinking culture.
Having been publicly humiliated, she dared not lash out at Xu Shaoting directly, yet she was unwilling to back down. Her shrewd eyes swept around the room before finally settling on Wen Jia.
“Wen Jia,” he deliberately drew out his words, “it’s your good fortune that Director Yu is promoting you. But in our industry, whether an actress can make it big or not, the quality of her acting only accounts for about 30% at most.”
The remaining 70% depends on your interpersonal skills and how to please key figures. A little something extra from a benefactor can save you ten years of hard work.
His gaze lingered unabashedly on her face and body. "Being pretty isn't enough; you have to be sensible. It's gentlemanly of Chairman Xu not to let you drink, but you can't just sit there motionless. Is this teapot on the table just for decoration? Everyone here deserves your offer of a toast. As the host, I don't even have the honor of having a drink with you?"
Wen Jia gently put down her chopsticks and smiled: "Mr. Hu, hearing you say that reminds me of what Director Yu said. The most important thing for an actor is to have backbone and be able to stand firm. If the backbone is too soft, even the best play cannot be supported."
She picked up her teacup but didn't drink immediately. "As for offering tea, I should indeed do so. However, not for what you mentioned, but to express my gratitude to Director Yu for recognizing my talent and to all the teachers present for their professional guidance. After all," she smiled slightly, "in our line of work, only those with real skills can make a living in the long run, don't you think?"
Her words were loaded with meaning, neither humble nor arrogant.
Hu Baiyin was taken aback by her words, which were soft yet barbed. His smile vanished, and he was about to lash out when he saw Wen Jia calmly finish her small cup of tea and gesture to him.
He was facing Wen Jia and didn't see Xu Shaoting behind him slowly raise his head, narrow his eyes, and his face became increasingly dark and dangerous.
The atmosphere became tense; everyone put down their chopsticks and dared not move.
Hu Bai was feeling suffocated and drunk; his inherent flaws were finally exposed, and he brought his sexist rhetoric to the forefront.
"Male actors need to have backbone, that's true. But women need to play to their strengths. Being a little softer and sweeter is more effective than any acting skill. If you don't have this basic skill of being gentle and yielding, even if Director Yu promotes you to the top, you won't go far."
He climbed up from the bottom, and while his wealth followed, his understanding didn't. He almost tore off all pretenses, laying bare the unspoken rules and his narrow-minded ideas that objectified women.
Pan Yunwen and Qin Jiawen's faces were already very ugly. Yu Jianshan frowned and was about to speak to stop them when Xu Shaoting's voice came out first.
"Mr. Hu."
Yu Jianshan felt a sense of relief instantly.
"Chairman Xu, please speak," Hu Baiyin said earnestly.
Xu Shaoting didn't look at him. Instead, he slowly wiped his hands, walked to his side, calmly poured him a full glass of wine, and spoke in a tone as calm as if he were talking to an old friend:
"It's not your fault that you didn't know Miss Wen was my girlfriend."
"What..." Hu Baiyin's murky, drunken state vanished instantly, and the wine glass in his hand trembled slightly before being steadied by Xu Shaoting's slender fingers.
"What's the rush?" He chuckled lightly, then looked at him, emphasizing each word, "You seem to be quite adept at teaching people how to do things? Especially teaching women how to toast?"
Before anyone could answer, he clinked his wine glass against Hu Baiyin's.
Enjoying the other person's almost terrified expression, Xu Shaoting leaned in and whispered in his ear, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear:
"Who do you think you are? Do you think you're worthy of having her toast you?"
The entire private room fell into a deathly silence; you could hear a pin drop.
Xu Shaoting stared back at Hu Baiyin, who was holding a glass but looked lost. The latter's mouth was slightly open, but he couldn't say a word.
Under the shocked gazes of everyone at the table, Xu Shaoting tilted his wrist and slowly, almost solemnly, poured the overflowing wine from his glass onto the ground at Hu Baiyin's feet.
As she poured the wine, she looked up at his frozen expression, a playful smile playing on her lips, but her eyes held an extreme chill.
The gesture was so elegant that it gave this insulting act an air of unquestionable authority.
The wine spilled onto the expensive carpet.
It left a mark resembling the character '一'.
"Mr. Hu, you seem to enjoy being toasted so much," he said casually, "this toast is for you."
Several seasoned veterans, with their eyes wide open, could hardly believe what they were seeing.
They had only ever seen this way of toasting during memorial ceremonies.
-
Wen Jia was led away from the private room by Xu Shaoting. She didn't dare to speak until they got into the car.
The last time I saw him like this was on a cruise ship. His aura was so cold and stern that the surrounding air seemed to be frozen by his low pressure.
She tilted her head back and nuzzled his chin with her head.
His aura softened slightly only after I felt the touch of his hair.
He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. "Did I scare you?"
She nodded, her voice soft, "Yu Jianshan told you, didn't he?"
"Hmm," he patted her back, "It's good that he told me."
Yu Jianshan already disliked drinking culture, and seeing that Hu Baiyin was not an easy person to deal with and only took advantage of actresses, he immediately sent a message to Xu Shaoting when Wen Jia had drunk her third cup.
The driver was halfway to the airport when he was ordered to turn back. He floored the accelerator and made it there.
Some of the people in the group didn't recognize Xu Shaoting when they saw his face, but Yu Jianshan said, "Chairman Xu, a director of Tianxu Group, is another investor I've brought in."
Then everyone understood.
Xu Shaoting arrived late and was new, which was against the etiquette of the banquet, but because of his name, no one, including the host Hu Baiyin, dared to have any complaints.
Everyone's face lit up with smiles, and they all toasted him.
Wen Jia belatedly realized her grievance and said, "Actually, I already told you. I just sneaked out to call you, but you didn't answer. I sent you messages, but you didn't reply either. I sent so many messages..."
"I was already inside at that time. I got off the bus in such a hurry that I didn't even bring my phone."
He rushed to the private room in a frenzy. When he arrived, she was nowhere to be seen. It was only a look from Yu Jianshan that put his mind at ease.
Wen Jia nestled in his arms, listening to his explanation, feeling increasingly aggrieved.
"I'm sorry." He kissed her. "What would you have done if I hadn't come?"
He was actually a little scared. Even if it was just a small glass of wine, he didn't want her to face any discomfort alone because of his own negligence.
“If you don’t come, I’ll throw the wine in his face,” she declared righteously.
Xu Shaoting paused, chuckled, and praised her with a hint of satisfaction in his voice, "Well done."
"Did you anticipate this situation, which is why you asked if I wanted to come to the dinner party with you?"
"Yeah, I was worried about you on the way to the airport," he tapped her nose. "From now on, if anything happens, call me immediately, okay?"
Wen Jia nodded obediently in her arms.
Xu Shaoting put his arm around her, turned to look out the window, and a smile appeared in his eyes.
Finally, she wasn't so stubborn and headstrong anymore, and she was willing to call him for help.
at the same time.
The Xu residence in Yunxi Bay, Linzhou, is far from the city center, covering an area of over 7,000 square meters. It is quiet during the day and even more tranquil at night.
Xu Bozheng sat in his study, not uttering a single word, clearly suppressing a surge of anger—
He had just returned from Fushan Avenue, but hadn't seen a single person.
It's obvious that this unfilial son of his is going off to find women every few days again.
Butler Yang came in to report, "I've asked around. The young master originally planned to come back tonight, but something has held him back."
Xu Bozheng let out a snort. He knew without a doubt that the second time he was tripped up by a woman.
How long did he stay in Yungang?
Yang Bo broke out in a cold sweat. "One...one week."
Xu Bozheng dismissed the housekeeper and then made a phone call.
They were picked up very quickly.
"Uncle?" Shen Zhiyun's voice came through the receiver.
-
Xu Shaoting's flight was delayed, so he had to leave the following morning.
Wen Jia started her performance at nine o'clock. At 5:30 in the morning, she felt the arm she was using as a pillow being pulled away, followed by a kiss on her forehead. She immediately forced herself to open her eyes and pulled the man back.
With only one percent of her mind clear, she subconsciously mumbled, "I need to take you to the airport..."
"Be good, sleep a little longer."
Wen Jia uttered a reluctant single syllable, wrapping her arms around his waist, "I want to go..."
She couldn't bear to take a nap in the car and kept talking to Xu Shaoting.
"How much longer until filming is finished?" he asked.
"It's still a long way off, but this speed is already considered fast for Yu Jianshan..."
He nodded. "The New Year is coming soon, does the film crew have a holiday?"
"It's hard to say."
Seeing her helpless expression, Xu Shaoting chuckled, "How about I talk to Yu Jianshan and I'll come pick you up on New Year's Eve to go back to Linzhou?"
"Little Lunar New Year's Eve?"
"Yes, my younger brother and sister will come to the manor on New Year's Eve."
"Why didn't you come to pick me up on New Year's Eve?" After asking the question, she realized something. "You're going to your parents' place on New Year's Eve, right?"
He hummed in agreement, paused, and then asked:
Would you like to meet my parents?
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