It was lunchtime, and the two sides were locked in a standoff in the corridor. The restaurant manager quickly arrived.
Bai Yanxiu looked at his elder brother's bleeding hand, then at Huo Yuzhou's gloomy face, and paced back and forth in a dilemma.
It wasn't until someone nearby raised their phone that Bai Yanxiu finally mustered the courage to pull Qin Mubai along.
"Bro, that's enough, don't get photographed."
"Can't we contact each other again if we have something to say? It's not like we have to say it now. Don't you have a meeting later?"
"They're gone, they're gone--"
Bai Yanxiu pulled him with all his might, but Qin Mubai didn't budge.
He stared at the figure held in Huo Yuzhou's arms, his voice calm.
"Drag Big Brother off the blacklist, Qingqing."
The child, who was usually the most obedient to him, refused to communicate and actually pressed his cheek against Huo Yuzhou's chest, trying to avoid him.
Qin Mubai's pupils trembled, and his face turned extremely ugly.
" My Qingqing..."
Nan Qing covered her ears.
Huo Yuzhou glanced at him with a dark expression, the meaning in his eyes unfathomable.
The next instant, he took off his coat to cover Nan Qing's face, picked her up in his arms, and strode away.
Watching his figure disappear at the end of the corridor, Qin Mubai, who had been expressionless, slowly turned his head and stared at Bai Yanxiu.
You lied to me.
A flicker of panic Bai Yanxiu's eyes, but he remained defiant.
What did I lie to you about?
" Nan Qing is perfectly fine, isn't she? Eloquent and lively, how could I have lied to you?"
Qin Mubai's profile was taut.
"You knew he was with Huo Yuzhou all along?"
Bai Yanxiu somewhat wronged, but not entirely. He stubbornly maintained his composure and spoke in a defiant tone.
"How would I know? I don't know how to tell fortunes."
"As you know, there's been a lot going on at home lately, it's a complete mess. I'm already overwhelmed Ruanruan my own affairs, let alone worrying about this imposter—"
Meeting Qin Mubai's cold, hard face, Bai Yanxiu his words, " Nan Qing."
"But you weren't surprised at all when you just saw Huo Yuzhou."
Bai Yanxiu a chill in his heart.
"I'm surprised! I'm actually very surprised!"
"But didn't this little brat bite your hand? I'm more concerned about you, bro!"
"Come on, let's go to the hospital to get it bandaged up while we still have some time before the afternoon meeting."
Bai Yanxiu reached out to grab his sleeve, wanting to examine his wound.
Qin Mubai, however, kept a cold expression, avoiding the other party's movements, his voice indifferent.
"Need not."
-
Huo Yuzhou carried Nan Qing into the car.
Neither of them spoke.
Huo Yuzhou raised his hand and gently patted him. Nan Qing lowered his eyes, seemingly lost in thought.
After a long while, the boy, who had been nestled in Huo Yuzhou's arms, finally spoke softly.
" Huo Yuzhou, find me a good agent."
His voice was somewhat muffled, and because of his low tone, it sounded soft and delicate.
I want to be a big star.
Huo Yuzhou placed his large hand on his back and answered gently.
"Good."
The boy's breath fell on his neck, and he snuggled closer to him, his voice soft, as if he were whispering in his ear.
"I'm going to work hard and earn lots and lots of money, enough to last me a lifetime."
"To live independently, without worrying about changes in family and friends, and to become a towering tree that one can rely on."
Huo Yuzhou responded softly, as if coaxing him.
"Our Qingqing was born to be a big star."
The boy, who had pressed his cheek against his neck, chuckled softly, finally sitting up straight and smiling.
" Huo Yuzhou, you are my best friend for life!"
Her eyes, glistening with tears, were clear and bright; her long, wet eyelashes clung to her snow-white eyelids; only the redness around her eyes lingered.
Huo Yuzhou raised his hand and gently touched his cheek, his deep voice carrying a coaxing tone.
"I'm so honored, my wife."
-
Nan Qing's afternoon nap plan was ruined.
He had just told Huo Yuzhou that he wanted to find a new agent, and an hour later he met Zhou Guangliang in Huo Yuzhou's private conference room.
A top agent in his forties with over 20 years in the industry, he has managed five award-winning actors. He has extensive connections, access to excellent fashion resources, and is friends with many editors-in-chief of leading magazines.
Even the name "Guangliang" (meaning "bright" or "bright") implies a bright and promising future, which sounds very auspicious.
Zhou Guangliang is a veteran, and his previous artist was a well-known film emperor in the industry. He hasn't mentored any newcomers for nearly 5 years.
Nan Qing was a little nervous and called out, "Brother Zhou."
Zhou Guangliang cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards him, "Young Master, please don't be so polite—"
He jokingly gestured for Nan Qing to look to the side, but Huo Yuzhou remained unmoved. Lawyer Guo adjusted his black-rimmed glasses.
"Both of these great figures are here. If it weren't for the inappropriate age, I'd have to call you 'brother'!"
Nan Qing felt a sense of relief, smiled at him, and joked:
"Then from now on, we'll each call each other brothers, no matter who we're on our own?"
Zhou Guangliang slapped his thigh, "I think it'll work!"
After signing the contract in the conference room, Nan Qing finally belatedly looked at Huo Yuzhou.
"Does this count as a breach of contract? The company doesn't know yet."
"They already know. Mona personally took Lawyer Guo on a trip, and your agency contract was signed separately."
Nan Qing smiled at him, her eyes crinkling.
The tears that had welled up in her eyes at noon had long since disappeared; her eyes were now bright and sparkling, and even her smile was adorable.
Huo Yuzhou really wanted to kiss him, but with so many people around, he simply looked away from Nan Qing's lips.
"Don't worry, I'm here."
Looking at the contract he had just signed, Zhou Guangliang felt a strong urge to put his skills to good use.
"Now that the contract is signed, I won't stand on ceremony."
As he spoke, he opened his briefcase and took out a full schedule.
"Haha, I'm starting now!"
Nan Qing looked shocked. "Huh?"
Zhou Guangliang snapped his fingers at him, "I've made a 10-year plan for your career. Of course, this plan isn't set in stone; we'll adjust it based on how things develop. It's basically a general outline..."
"I'll explain this to you in detail later. This table shows your schedule for the next six months. It looks like a lot, but it's actually not much at all. Young people should take the initiative and push forward!"
"I'll explain that later, for now look at this one--"
Zhou Guangliang pulled out a form from the bottom and slapped it on the table.
"Tomorrow morning you'll attend an acting training class. At noon, come with me to meet the editor-in-chief of Esquire China, the one Yiviya wants to put you on the magazine cover. Tomorrow evening you'll attend the SP Fashion Gala and walk the red carpet while you're at it..."
"Go to the film crew for auditions for two roles the day after tomorrow and the day after that. I'll give you the scripts later. Don't be idle in the meantime; I've asked Mr. Huo to find you a French teacher. There's a big-budget film next month with global auditions, and you'll be auditioning for a French-Asian role. There's a requirement to speak French..."
Nan Qing was dumbfounded.
He stared at the pages of paper slapped in front of him, listening to Zhou Guangliang's incessant, impassioned speech.
Zhou Guangliang exuded a powerful aura, even more energetic than his younger self.
Nan Qing stared blankly at Huo Yuzhou across from her.
Huo Yuzhou raised an eyebrow at him and mouthed something.
The big star is about to be completely drained.