When Nan Qing's audition photos were sent to Bai Ruanruan's phone, Bai Ruanruan had just finished being scolded.
His remarks yesterday caused a huge mess.
Even Zheng Ming, who had always been polite to him, cursed at him.
He said that if he offended people in the fashion industry, he would never be able to get a luxury brand endorsement again, and that he wouldn't even have the chance to appear in magazines. His remarks implicated Huading Entertainment. His influence was too great; the company's top female star had already lost a luxury brand endorsement she was in talks with because of him.
Bai Ruanruan rolled her eyes.
It can't be that serious.
Huading Entertainment is not what it used to be. The company's influence in the industry has declined considerably in recent years. Maybe they didn't want to cooperate in the first place, and now they've found a mistake on him and are trying to pin the blame on him.
It wasn't until Zheng Ming pushed over Givenchy's termination contract that Bai Ruanruan's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You just signed the contract yesterday and you're terminating it today? You're the first person in history to do that!"
Zheng Ming gritted his teeth, "You've made me lose all face!"
"The mistake was indeed yours. They were acting in accordance with the contract. They should pay the compensation they are entitled to. After you've paid, come with me to see me. Let's try to minimize the impact."
"Compensation?"
Looking at the string of numbers that followed, Bai Ruanruan finally felt a sense of panic.
"How can there be so much money? I don't even get this much for my endorsements!"
Zheng Ming: "Who told you to show off and insist on talking about those things? Aren't you rich? Hurry up and pay up to settle this."
" Bai Ruanruan, I'm warning you, you'd better stop causing trouble lately and finish filming ' Journey through Luo ' properly, otherwise the company won't keep investing so much money in you!"
Bai Ruanruan's face turned pale when she saw that string of numbers.
Zheng Ming slammed the door and left. Bai Ruanruan slumped into a chair, feeling utterly defeated for the first time.
He wanted to check if Huo Yuzhou had replied to his messages, but as soon as he opened his phone, he saw that Nan Qing had auditioned for a new role.
Why is he the one who gets to audition for new roles while I'm stuck here getting yelled at?
Bai Ruanruan was indignant and gritted her teeth.
He pulled out the invitation to tonight's wine tasting again, a dark glint in his eyes.
His idiot future husband has gone mad; he can no longer pin his hopes on Xi Juan.
It seems he can no longer feign modesty.
He has to win over Huo Yuzhou tonight.
-
At 8 p. m., the Gu Family's private dinner was held at the Gu Group Winery, which is far from the city center.
Although it's called a wine tasting, it's just a social gathering that everyone in the circle knows is a place to finalize some kind of cooperation or reach some tacit understanding on the front lines over drinks.
As night deepened, the lights illuminated the night as bright as day, the water rippled at the fountain, and the melodious strains of Schubert's C major drifted from the magnificent hall, exuding an air of elegant nobility and extravagance.
Bai Ruanruan arrived very early.
He was quite excited about the large number of guests present today.
Especially when faced with many unfamiliar faces who seemed ordinary, Bai Ruanruan quickly adopted a delicate expression when the system's mechanical voice announced that the other party was an entrepreneur or an ambassador.
However, he wasn't showing his vulnerability to everyone. When someone mentioned being a writer or an artist, he would quietly hide his disdainful expression.
Bai Ruanruan went through a lot of trouble, getting to know many powerful and influential people through the system, but they didn't know him and weren't interested in his attempts to befriend her.
It seems that beauty isn't a guaranteed currency.
Bai Ruanruan changed her strategy and started waiting for Huo Yuzhou again.
A long table adorned with vibrant, subtly fragrant flowers sat on a black and gold background. The room's lights shone through, creating a rich ambiance reminiscent of a medieval Europe mural, exuding a certain retro elegance.
A tall figure passed by the long table. His well-fitting suit accentuated his upright posture, and the dark color made his already deep features even more striking.
A man holding a clear wine glass approached him and struck up a conversation, but Bai Ruanruan's expression changed drastically, and she quickly hid to the side.
What's Qin Mubai doing here?
He didn't want to confront Qin Mubai at this time, and Qin Mubai wouldn't give him any face either; he was a very difficult problem to deal with.
Bai Ruanruan quickly turned around and heard another familiar laugh.
"Yes, then we have the opportunity to cooperate..."
Xi Juan was wearing a royal blue suit, and his already handsome features shone brightly under the lights.
Bai Ruanruan gets angry whenever she sees him.
But just as he was about to turn around, Xi Juan's gaze swept over him lightly.
" Ruanruan, what are you doing here?"
Several pairs of eyes, which were standing with Xi Juan, swept over and landed on his face.
Bai Ruanruan quickly straightened her chest.
Xi Juan is an actor, and so is Xi Juan himself.
Moreover, he's the most popular and innocent girl in this world. Since they can get along with Xi Juan, they can definitely get along with me too.
"Hello everyone,"
Bai Ruanruan took a wine glass from the tray of a waiter wearing white gloves, intending to clink glasses with him.
The people Xi Juan remained motionless, while Bai Ruanruan, who was holding a cup, froze in place and reluctantly withdrew her hand.
Who is this?
When someone inquired about his identity, Xi Juan nonchalant.
"A younger member of the industry, with his own unique insights into fashion."
Bai Ruanruan's smile vanished. " Xi Juan, don't go too far!"
" Mr. Huo's car has arrived--"
Another voice rang out at the same time, quickly diverting Bai Ruanruan's attention.
His eyes lit up, and then he heard whispers nearby.
" Mr. Huo? Could it be that person?"
"But this person usually keeps to himself and doesn't often attend these kinds of social events, why is he making such a rare appearance today?"
" Mr. Huo and Young Master Gu have a very close relationship; he probably came because of Mr. Huo."
"Rumor has it that this gentleman didn't come alone today..."
Bai Ruanruan vaguely heard the word "boyfriend." When he tried to listen more carefully, the other person noticed his obvious movement, and the group fell silent again.
They remained silent, which only fueled Bai Ruanruan's excitement.
He was unaware that Huo Yuzhou was planning to pursue him today.
Could it be a confession on the spot?
Bai Ruanruan's spirits lifted.
In his prophetic dreams, there was no wine tasting event like today. The villainous boss Huo Yuzhou confessed his feelings to him because he was Xi Juan, and the two almost got into a fight over him.
His gaze swept over Xi Juan beside him, and he suddenly realized.
No wonder Xi Juan is here too.
It seems the plot has returned to square one.
He looked excited, straightened his clothes in front of the mirror, and walked a few steps toward the door with great composure.
The next instant, a very strong gaze fell upon him.
Bai Ruanruan subconsciously turned around and saw the man coming down the stairs.
Standing over 1.8 meters tall, dressed in a black suit with a dark red shirt, the two buttons undone exuding a lazy and unruly air, he strode down the street while watching him with a half-smile.
" Young Master Gu is here!"
"Thank you for your hospitality today, young master!"
"Everyone says the young master and Mr. Huo have a good relationship, and the rumors are indeed true. The young master came downstairs as soon as Mr. Huo's car arrived."
Gu Xingchen nodded to everyone with a smile.
We have some good wines tonight, please help yourselves.
Gu Xingchen stepped down the stairs, put his arm around the girl's slender waist, walked past Bai Ruanruan, then stopped.
"Hello, Young Master Bai."