Ziyan's Dominance

Ziyan was the woman Li Cheng had set his sights on, so of course he had to use a few tricks. At Imperial Dynasty Entertainment, whenever Li Cheng wanted someone, he had never failed to get her!

After hearing Ziyan's words, the director turned to look at her and sneered:

"Ziyan, Ziyan, don't you have any idea what state you're in? How can an outdated star make a comeback without paying some price? Don't even mention a mere kissing scene—even an intimate scene is something you have to accept. As a veteran of the entertainment industry, don't you understand such a simple principle?"

Hearing the director's scolding tone, a faint smile flashed deep in Li Cheng's eyes.

Ziyan's expression remained unchanged. In a cold voice, she said, "I understand the principle, but I won't shoot kissing scenes. Besides, the company sent you here to cooperate with me on filming the MV, not to teach me how to do things. If you insist on adding a kissing scene, then we might as well not shoot this MV!"

"What did you say?"

The director's face darkened completely. For a moment, however, he had no idea what to do. He hadn't expected Ziyan to be so forceful. He secretly glanced at Li Cheng, wanting to see what he thought.

Seeing the atmosphere turn tense, Li Cheng finally spoke. "Ziyan, how about putting a protective film over my lips for the kissing scene? What do you think?"

A protective film was like a layer of plastic. It was sometimes used when filming kissing scenes, but most people avoided it for the sake of realism.

What Li Cheng had in mind, however, was that the protective film could be removed with a little teasing during the kiss. Wouldn't he still end up kissing her then?

Looking at Ziyan's exquisite cheeks and alluring figure, Li Cheng felt a sudden heat rise in his heart. He was especially eager for the upcoming scene because of Ziyan's red lips.

But Ziyan's reply left him stunned.

"I won't shoot any kissing scenes," Ziyan rejected him coldly and stiffly.

Her tone was extremely firm. No one doubted that if the director insisted on a kissing scene, Ziyan definitely wouldn't shoot it.

"Not even with a protective film?"

Li Cheng's expression became awkward. With everyone watching, Ziyan had rejected him three times, making him feel humiliated.

Li Cheng was, after all, the son of a member of Imperial Dynasty Entertainment's board of directors and occupied a high position. Ziyan was merely an outdated star. If not for her beautiful face, he wouldn't even have bothered with her. Yet now she had openly embarrassed him. How could he not be angry?

"No!" Ziyan rejected him coldly once again.

She had refused to shoot intimate scenes in the past simply because she didn't want to. Now that she had Mengmeng, she had one more reason.

"Fine."

Li Cheng's gaze darkened. With a fake smile, he said, "Shoot it however you want."

After saying that, Li Cheng strode away.

"You..." The director glared at Ziyan. "Hmph! Then shoot it yourself!"

After saying this, the director turned and hurried after Li Cheng.

"Then we'll shoot it ourselves. Who do you think you are? Idiot." Zhou Fei shot the director a fierce look and shouted, "Come on, come on, follow my directions. And he calls himself a director? It makes no difference whether he's here or not."

The director, walking ahead, nearly stumbled when he heard that. He turned around and glared fiercely at Zhou Fei twice before flicking his sleeve and leaving.

Liang Mengqi lived in a luxurious room in a high-rise apartment overlooking the sea.

It was in the same residential complex where Xue Qian lived. The only difference was that Xue Qian had bought his place, while Liang Mengqi rented hers.

At that moment, Liang Mengqi was lying on the bed with her phone in hand. She sent a message to the group chat:

"Guess who I ran into today?"

"A handsome guy?" replied someone named 'Old Niang is Very Beautiful.'

The profile picture of Old Niang is Very Beautiful was a man who looked rather refined. Anyone who had heard him speak, however, knew that he was perfectly suited to that screen name.

He was the sissy whom Zhang Han had encountered with the others at the beach last time.

"No, it should be her ex-boyfriend," replied someone whose screen name was 'Big Sister is Very Cool.'

Big Sister is Very Cool was the other woman among the three. She had short hair and looked a little like a tomboy. Her personality was also very straightforward.

"What ex-boyfriend? Do you remember that cute little girl on the beach, the one I gave a cold drink to?" Liang Mengqi replied.

Old Niang is Very Beautiful: "Of course I remember. How could I forget such an adorable little baby?"

Big Sister is Very Cool: "Can you stop being so disgusting? You're making me sick. Mengqi, don't tell me you ran into that little girl?"

"That's right, I ran into that father and daughter. Hehe, guess what that man does?" Liang Mengqi replied.

Old Niang is Very Beautiful: "Looking at how mean he is, is he an artist from the slums?"

Big Sister is Very Cool: "I'm guessing... a gangster who runs security at some venue? He's a little mean, but he's very manly—much better than a certain sissy."

Mei Mei Mei: "The person above is right."

Seven Seconds Fish: "The person above is right."

The group chat had more than a dozen people, all from the same circle of friends. The only ones who frequently chatted were Liang Mengqi, the sissy, and the short-haired woman. The others only joined in occasionally. After all, Liang Mengqi was unemployed, while the sissy and the short-haired woman worked short hours, so the three of them had more free time.

"Guess again. He owns a restaurant!" Liang Mengqi gave a light snort, no longer planning to keep them in suspense. Her fingers flew across the phone as she typed, "I'll tell you. His restaurant is called Mengmeng's Leisure Restaurant, and his daughter is named Mengmeng. Doesn't it sound so loving?"

Old Niang is Very Beautiful: "So loving, ohhh. So that guy is actually the owner of a little restaurant."

"Hmph, his restaurant is very unique. I'd never seen anything like it before. The interior is decorated like a home. And don't think he's some small-time owner. The restaurant's TV backdrop is made of jade, and there's also a Steinway piano. Each one costs at least a million."

Old Niang is Very Beautiful: "Oh my! He's a tycoon! Tycoon, let me hug you."

Big Sister is Very Cool: "That's disgusting. You damn sissy."

Seven Seconds Fish: "That's disgusting. You damn sissy."

Mei Mei Mei: "That's disgusting. You damn sissy."

"That's not the main point!" Liang Mengqi replied. "The main point is that the food he makes smells so good—so good, so good, so good. It's important, so I have to say it three times. It was the first time in my life that I'd eaten food that fragrant. Oh my, just thinking about it makes me hungry and drool."

Old Niang is Very Beautiful: "Hmm? Really? Miss, your standards are so high. I've never seen you praise anything like that."

Seven Seconds Fish: "What food? What food? Tell us quickly!"

"Egg Fried Rice!" Liang Mengqi replied.

Big Sister is Very Cool: "Pfft... Are you kidding me?"

"I'm not joking." Liang Mengqi replied, "His egg fried rice really is incredibly fragrant. And the milk was the best I've ever had, too. Do you know what's so unique about this owner? He only opens for a short while when he's cooking for his daughter. I had to wait a while before I got to eat. And a serving of his egg fried rice costs 280 yuan, while a glass of milk costs 80 yuan. But I think that even if his egg fried rice cost 2,800 yuan, I'd eat it without hesitation! It's just that delicious."

Liang Mengqi typed out a long message, leaving the others momentarily stunned.

Big Sister is Very Cool: "Really? Is it actually that delicious?"

Mei Mei Mei: "/sticks out tongue, 280 yuan for a serving of egg fried rice and 80 yuan for a glass of milk? That's so expensive!"

Old Niang is Very Beautiful: "Hmph, I don't believe it. Isn't egg fried rice just egg fried rice no matter how you make it? Did he fry his egg fried rice in heaven?"

"If I'm lying, may I be a puppy!" Liang Mengqi gave a light snort and replied, "Believe it or not, I'm going to bed now. I'm afraid I won't be able to get up at seven tomorrow. If I miss his egg fried rice, I won't even have the appetite to eat anything else."

Big Sister is Very Cool: "Seven o'clock, right? I'm coming too!"

Old Niang is Very Beautiful: "Count me in!"

"Then call me before seven. I'm going to sleep." After replying, Liang Mengqi prepared to rest.

"Ding..."

Her phone suddenly rang. Liang Mengqi picked it up and saw that it was her older brother, Liang Hao, calling.

"Brother, why are you calling so late?" Liang Mengqi asked.

"Mengqi, are you in Hong Kong?" Liang Hao asked with a smile.

"Yeah."

"I'm going to Hong Kong too," Liang Hao said slowly.

"Huh?" Liang Mengqi was slightly stunned. "What are you coming for? Aren't you managing those two companies in Singapore?"

"I'm preparing to hand them over to our second uncle and the others. I've been in charge of the companies for two years, and doubling their market value is enough. Next, I'm going to Hong Kong for a long vacation." Liang Hao chuckled.

"Tsk! It's strange that the people at home are actually letting you leave. It's fine if you're coming. I've been pretty bored here by myself anyway."

"I'm not going there to play this time. Well... I'm going to look for Ziyan." Liang Hao smiled faintly, and his voice became gentler as he spoke.

"Ziyan?" Liang Mengqi was slightly stunned. "What are you looking for her for? Haven't you two lost touch?"

"I'm twenty-six now, and my family keeps trying to arrange a marriage for me. I refused, but Dad told me to solve my girlfriend problem within a year. After thinking it over, I still feel that Ziyan suits me best. Besides, I heard that she isn't doing very well in Hong Kong right now, so I can help her while I'm there." Liang Hao spoke slowly.

"When are you coming to Hong Kong?" Liang Mengqi asked.

"At the earliest, a month from now. The exact time hasn't been decided. I'll go after I've dealt with the company matters," Liang Hao replied.

"Oh, all right. I'm hanging up. I have to get up early tomorrow to eat egg fried rice. Bye-bye."

After Liang Mengqi hung up, Zhang Han's figure inexplicably drifted through her mind before she went to sleep, along with his elegant posture as he played the piano!

That guy is actually pretty handsome.

Liang Mengqi mumbled drowsily before falling into a deep sleep.

A little after six the next morning, Zhang Han and Mengmeng had already gotten up and washed.

When they came downstairs, Zhang Han opened his Apple laptop and played some pleasant music. He put the rice on to cook, beat the eggs, and began preparing breakfast.

Ten minutes before seven, a customer arrived at the restaurant—or more precisely, an employee from the neighboring restaurant.

"Boss, may I ask what your restaurant sells?" the plain-looking woman in her early thirties asked curiously.