Nan Qing turned her head to look at the falling leaves outside the window, not at him.
Fan Muzhi tried to clear his throat and thanked Qin Mubai very politely and sincerely.
" Nan Qing is a very nice person; all the staff in our crew like him very much."
"Yeah?"
Qin Mubai showed great interest in the topic, and Fan Muzhi also mustered up the courage to talk to him about the daily life on set.
Qin Mubai listened from time to time, then glanced at the cup he was stirring in his hand, and occasionally looked out the window at Nan Qing.
The other party did not speak.
Her light blonde hair, originally meant to express her individuality, was dyed black for acting, and now lies softly and obediently against her fair skin.
However, he has never been a patient child, and he was no exception. Even though he tried his best to appear calm, he couldn't help but drink something every now and then and pick at his fingers every now and then.
It's very similar to the years he attended parent-teacher conferences.
Even when the other party makes a mistake, you try your best to appear calm, but subtle hints of anxiety will reveal that you're wagging your tail too fast.
Qin Mubai and Fan Muzhi talked for nearly 10 minutes.
Qin Mubai wasn't a very talkative person, but his conversation skills were quite clever. Fan Muzhi's face turned red with excitement as he talked, from the role of Nan Qing to the filming schedule, and then from the director's praise of Nan Qing to his legendary boyfriend who supposedly had connections everywhere.
"Actually, when filming first started, the director was a little worried, and the other child actors in the crew were also scared, but Nan Qing's performance was completely different from what we were worried about. He's a really nice person!"
"Her boyfriend is great too! He always picks him up from get off work and stays by his side when he's filming night scenes. Their relationship is very sweet!"
Fan Muzhi sighed sincerely, while Qin Mubai still wore a smile on his lips.
"Yeah?"
Fan Muzhi nodded.
"Although same-sex relationships are gradually becoming more accepted, there are still many people who oppose them. Mr. Qin's respect for Nan Qing's choice truly makes him a wonderful older brother."
Qin Mubai chuckled softly, his long, straight eyelashes drooping and brushing against his pale skin. His voice was calm.
I'm not a good older brother.
His love life,
After a subtle pause, Qin Mubai raised his eyes.
"Parents can't always go against their children's wishes; what can they do when they like something?"
Nan Qing had already started eating with his head down, while Zhou Guangliang had his head buried even lower than him and would occasionally play on his phone.
" Qingqing-- "
Along with the sound of the wind outside the window, a pleasant, cheerful male voice drifted in, carrying a hint of surprise.
What are you doing here?
The four people at the table turned around at the same time and saw Xi Juan, who hadn't Xi Juan on screen for a long time, wearing a black overcoat over a flashy burgundy suit, greeting them with a look of surprise.
"Haven't seen you for a long time!"
A few minutes later, Xi Juan took off his black overcoat, quite openly asked the waiter to add a chair, and greeted the people at the table with a smile.
"So it's Mr. Qin! I've heard of you before, but never had the chance to meet you. I've admired you for so long, and today I'm finally meeting you in person!"
"It's strange, but I felt an instant connection with Mr. Qin the moment I met him. Mr. Qin, if you don't mind, may I call you 'Big Brother' like Qingqing does?"
"Is Teacher Fan here too?"
Xi Juan's gaze swept over Nan Qing almost imperceptibly, then his eyes crinkled into a smile.
"I heard that Ms. Fan broke up with her boyfriend. How is it? Have you adjusted yet?"
"Ah... I'm out of the loop. It turns out it was half a year ago. But I heard you two dated for a year and your relationship was pretty good. How could you bear to break up?"
"I'm sorry, I was being too blunt."
"Brother Zhou, it's not good to use your phone while eating—"
Xi Juan smiled and helped Zhou Guangliang turn off the screen; his voice was clear and bright.
"It's a pleasure to see everyone here today, so I'm hosting."
"This restaurant happens to be mine. Let's have our own people try it first. How's the food?"
Qin Mubai's gaze lingered on him for a moment before he continued to ask:
"I heard the Xi Family is involved in the processing and manufacturing of precision instruments. I didn't expect Mr. Xi to also be planning to get into the catering industry."
Xi Juan smiled and gestured for the waiter to serve Nan Qing the dishes, then gave a very appropriate reply.
"Yes, the family business is in precision instruments, but I'd like to try something different and see if it works. I had this idea when I was an actor, and I brought some people along today to investigate..."
Xi Juan lowered his voice, as if he were talking about a secret.
"There are quite a few business opportunities here, brother, would you like to come with me?"
The two exchanged a few words in hushed tones, but Nan Qing didn't intend to listen.
He had previously met with business partners with Qin Mubai, and the two of them had a great time chatting there, but Nan Qing listened as if it were gibberish, completely confused and uninterested.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw what appeared to be a car speeding past in the distance.
Nan Qing, who was struggling with her steak, was drawn to the spot and looked up, only to see a fleeting afterimage.
He had a vague feeling that it was familiar, but also felt that it couldn't be.
Huo Yuzhou said he had a multinational conference at noon today and wouldn't have a chance to come over for lunch; he simply wouldn't show up.
Besides, he had dinner with a male colleague today without telling him. Huo Yuzhou is a jealous man, and if he finds out, he's doomed.
Nan Qing had just turned his head when he saw Xi Juan smiling at him, addressing Qin Mubai as a brother.
"Brother, you know what happened to me before. There are many people in my family, and I don't know how many people are waiting to see me make a fool of myself when I come home this time. I have to make something of myself."
"That way, even if I have the opportunity to date or get married in the future, I'll have a solid foundation."
"My brother may not know, but I value marriage very much and am very open-minded. If I really meet someone I like, I'm perfectly willing to bring my family fortune and move in with them."
Zhou Guangliang choked on those words and coughed so badly he was on the verge of death.
Nan Qing almost spat out her water and quickly raised her hand to cover her mouth.
Qin Mubai paused, his hand holding the cup still, his gaze falling on Xi Juan's face.
"Mr. President Xi's idea is indeed rare."
Xi Juan smiled, took a sip of water from his glass, glanced towards the door, then quickly looked back at Nan Qing.
" Eldest Miss, what do you think?"
Before Nan Qing could speak, she heard a noise behind her—
Fan Muzhi, sitting opposite him, looked up, his eyes filled with shock.
Qin Mubai, who was to the side and slightly in front of him, also raised his eyes, his gaze deep and unfathomable.
Xi Juan smiled faintly, holding the cup as if waiting for something.
Nan Qing had a bad feeling. Before he could turn his head, Zhou Guangliang grabbed his arm with a "whoosh".
" Qingqing!"
Zhou Guangliang lowered his voice, " President Huo is here!"
Nan Qing panicked and turned her head—
It's over!
Her husband really came!