The film and television city starts from the courtyard

That day, Zhao Shucheng finally finished a novel and was reading the readers' comments when Mo Xiaomin pushed open the door and came in.

"What are you doing?"

Zhao Shucheng said, "It's nothing. I'm a freelancer. Besides sitting at home, typing and writing, and occasionally going out for a walk, what else can I do?"

Mo Xiaomin thought Zhao Shucheng was angry about Amy's online criticism of him before, so she sat on Zhao Shucheng's lap, put her arm around his shoulder, and said:

"Oh, come on, why are you still angry with Amy? Don't be so petty. I have good news for you, Amy doesn't dislike you anymore."

Zhao Shucheng looked at Mo Xiaomin with a half-smile and said, "Really?"

"Of course it's true. I told her that I genuinely like you, and that no matter whether she likes you or not, I want to be with you. So even if she wanted to hate you, she couldn't, because she's my best friend and will definitely support my decision."

Zhao Shucheng did not tell Mo Xiaomin that the reason Amy was acting this way was because he had already spoken to Amy, so she would not continue to target him.

"Let's go out for dinner later, and I'll invite Amy over too. You two can have a good chat, okay?"

"It's not good. It's just the two of us on a date. What's the point of you bringing your best friend along as a third wheel?"

"Oh, just this once. From now on, when we go on dates alone, I promise I won't call Amy."

Zhao Shucheng nodded and said, "Alright, just this once."

"You said it yourself, 7 PM. I'll send you the address later."

That evening, Zhao Shucheng arrived at the restaurant according to the address given by Mo Xiaomin, only to find that it was a Japanese restaurant.

After looking around, Zhao Shucheng said, "Why did you decide to eat here?"

"What, don't you like it?"

"Not really, it's just that it's okay to try it once in a while, but the taste is still a bit inferior to Chinese food."

Hearing Zhao Shucheng say that, Amy rolled her eyes at him and said, "It's your business if you don't like it. Xiao Min and I think it's pretty good. Waiter, bring us some sashimi, tempura, salmon sushi, tuna sushi, and this. If that's not enough, we can order more."

After Amy finished ordering, she handed the menu back to the waiter, looked at Zhao Shucheng, and said with a smile, "Teacher Gu, you don't mind that I ordered so much, do you?"

Zhao Shucheng smiled and said, "Of course not. After all, when you come to eat, you should eat your fill; money doesn't matter."

"That's good. I was worried that Professor Gu would feel bad. Speaking of which, Professor Gu hasn't been posting much on his blog lately. Could he be working on some great piece?"

Zhao Shucheng said, "Not really. I just finished a novel, so I've been free lately and have nothing to do. I can only sit at home idly. I can't compare to you guys who do physical business."

Amy thought of the methods Zhao Shucheng had mentioned for dealing with her, and gritted her teeth, but still had to smile and look at Zhao Shucheng as she said:
"No, no, we small business owners are already satisfied if we can break even. Do you know what we fear most? We fear being plotted against by villains who stab you in the back. That's something you can't even guard against."

Zhao Shucheng said, "I think if there were no conflict, others wouldn't deliberately target you, right?"

"Yes, that's why we have to be careful. But speaking of which, I only heard from Xiao Min that you're a freelancer, writing scripts for people, including TV dramas and sitcoms. Could you tell me which TV station they air on, Mr. Gu? I'll look for them later."

Zhao Shucheng smiled and said, "Then you might be disappointed. Most of my works are low-budget productions, so they can only be broadcast on some small TV stations. You can't see them in Shanghai yet. But if you really want to know about my works, I can tell you the titles of the novels, and you can find them online."

"That's great, I really do want to read Professor Gu's works."

Mo Xiaomin hadn't expected Amy and Zhao Shucheng to be arguing so fiercely, and not wanting them to continue their confrontation, she quickly tried to smooth things over by saying:
"By the way, Xiaobai, didn't you say your work just finished? Has any publishing house helped with the publication and printing?"

Zhao Shucheng shook his head and said, "It might not be appropriate now. After all, I wrote a popular novel, and it's a fantasy novel. The publisher still has some doubts about it, and it will take some time before it can be published."

"Oh, that's a real shame. I still prefer reading physical books; reading on the computer just doesn't feel right."

Zhao Shucheng said with a smile, "This is because most people haven't developed the habit yet, but soon online reading or mobile reading will become more and more common, while paper books will become less and less convenient to carry."

When Amy saw Zhao Shucheng chatting with Mo Xiaomin, his eyes were gentle, but when he looked at her, he was very indifferent. She couldn't stand it and said, "Teacher Gu, I think it's especially important for a woman to find a reliable man. What do you think?"

Zhao Shucheng said, "I think it varies from person to person. After all, everyone is different and has different opinions. But one thing is very important: having or not having. That's the difference between the poor and the rich, and between the rich and the poor who have no money at all. If I had no money at all, I think I'd rather be dead."

Amy naturally knew that Zhao Shucheng was implying that she didn't have a boyfriend, which was why she was clinging to Mo Xiaomin. She immediately smiled at Zhao Shucheng.

But if others knew Amy, they would know that Amy wasn't really smiling. If looks could kill, Zhao Shucheng would probably be riddled with holes by now.

Mo Xiaomin had initially thought that Amy truly meant what she said—that she wouldn't target Zhao Shucheng. But now, before they'd even started eating, the two were already at odds, making Mo Xiaomin feel like she'd made a mistake—that she shouldn't have let them meet.

"Um, I need to go to the restroom first."

She originally wanted Amy to come along so she could tell Amy not to continue like this, but Amy showed no intention of leaving.

After Amy walked away, she looked at Zhao Shucheng and said, "You just wait."

"I'm waiting right now."

"You are dead."

Zhao Shucheng said with a smile, "Then you might be disappointed. I work out every day and don't go out much, so it's unlikely that I'll encounter any danger. The only possible way for me to die is probably in bed. It's a pity that Xiao Min and I are still in a sweet relationship. If you have to wait, it will be a very long time."

"go to hell!"

Zhao Shucheng said, "What, are you jealous? I'm not saying I can't give you a chance to kill me in bed first, but the condition is that Xiao Min doesn't find out. I'm afraid she'll break up with you then."

"Gu Xiaobai, aren't you afraid I'll tell Xiao Min about you flirting with me?" "Of course you can tell her, but I don't know if she'll believe me. After all, your attitude towards me makes it hard for Xiao Min not to think you're deliberately slandering me."

"Gu Xiaobai, you're such a bastard."

Zhao Shucheng laughed and said, "Thank you for the compliment. I also think it's good to be a scoundrel. At least you don't have to suffer moral condemnation and you can do whatever you want."

As they were talking, Zhao Shucheng saw Amy stop not far away, with a boy standing opposite her, who seemed to be Mo Xiaomin's ex-boyfriend.

Mo Xiaomin didn't expect to run into Jack here. She immediately turned to look at Amy and knew that it must be Amy's doing.

"Xiao Min, so you eat here too. It turns out we've bumped into each other again, just like the first time we met. People say that people whose fate has run its course will never meet again..."

Seeing that Mo Xiaomin didn't respond, Jack continued, "Xiaomin, are you alright? I really miss you so much. I think about you every day, and it hurts me so much. You can hit me, you can yell at me, but please don't ignore me. I'm so worried about you."

Mo Xiaomin turned her head, only to see Jack still talking to her:
"Xiao Min, how many times have I carved your name in the sand, and then a sandstorm has started. I've carved your name in the sky, and then it rains..."

Mo Xiaomin asked, "How did you become so eloquent?"

Jack pointed at Amy and said, "She taught me."

Zhao Shucheng couldn't stand it anymore. Mo Xiaomin hadn't come back yet and was chatting with her ex-boyfriend. He couldn't possibly become a part of their romantic relationship.

He stood up, walked over to Mo Xiaomin, put his arm around her shoulder, and said, "Hello, I'm Mo Xiaomin's new boyfriend, Gu Xiaobai. I don't know why you two broke up, but since you broke up, you shouldn't keep bothering each other. After all, a good ex should be treated like they're dead."

Looking at the somewhat dazed Mo Xiaomin, he said, "I know you're a soft-hearted person, but sometimes you should cut ties cleanly. Lingering attachments are never a good thing. If you don't like them, don't give them hope; it hurts both of you."

Mo Xiaomin said nervously, "Xiaobai, don't misunderstand, I didn't..."

"Of course I know, and I understand. But as your man, I'm very unhappy with you doing this, so I'm going to punish you."

Seeing that Mo Xiaomin hadn't pushed Zhao Shucheng away, but instead was flirting with him, Jack looked at Mo Xiaomin with a hint of sadness and said:

"Xiao Min, did you arrange this on purpose?"

"Huh?" Mo Xiaomin looked at the other person in confusion.

"You deliberately orchestrated this whole thing to hurt me? You know perfectly well that I love you, respect you, cherish you, and admire you. To me, you are so noble, so sublime..."

Mo Xiaomin looked at Zhao Shucheng somewhat awkwardly and said, "I, I didn't, this isn't me, why would I do this to myself..."

Zhao Shucheng said, "You've misunderstood Xiao Min. It's all Amy's fault. She fell in love with me at first sight, but Mo Xiao Min is already my girlfriend. That's why she wanted you to get back together with Xiao Min so she could pursue me. But she didn't expect that Amy and I are a perfect match and won't break up because of anyone."

Amy, who had been watching the spectacle from the sidelines, couldn't sit still after hearing Zhao Shucheng's words and quickly came over to say:

"No, I didn't, Gu Xiaobai, please stop making things up. Xiao Min, believe me, I don't like Gu Xiaobai, I just... I just..."

Zhao Shucheng waved his hand and said, "Amy, I know I'm fine, but right now my heart only belongs to Xiao Min. Don't try to explain, because explaining is just covering up, and covering up is the truth. The truth is that you have a crush on me, but you can't express it because of Xiao Min, so you can only try to get my attention by being confrontational. But I want to tell you, this will only push me away from you, not make me like you."

Jack originally wanted to win back Mo Xiaomin by using the love poems Amy taught him, but now the three of them are at odds, and he is completely ignored.

"You, you're so cruel, so heartless." After saying this, Jack glanced at Mo Xiaomin with tears in his eyes, then covered his face and left, sobbing.

The waiter chased after him, saying, "Sir, you haven't paid your bill yet!"

"Make them pay for my tragedy!"

Mo Xiaomin looked at Amy, then at Zhao Shucheng, and went straight back to doing her micro-business, without saying a word, her face ashen.

Because of what Zhao Shucheng had just said, Amy didn't dare to face Mo Xiaomin, so she could only sit down and eat, hoping that this would make Mo Xiaomin stop pursuing the matter.

Unfortunately, running away wouldn't solve the problem. After a moment of silence, Mo Xiaomin finally snapped.

"What do you mean?"

Amy said, "No, don't take your anger out on me."

"You dare say this wasn't your doing? You knew we were coming here for dinner, yet you notified Jack to come and ambush me. Could it be that what Xiaobai said is true, that you fell in love with him at first sight, and that's why you're trying to get me back together with Jack?"

Amy quickly waved her hand and said, "That's just him spreading rumors. Believe me, how could I possibly do something like stealing my best friend's boyfriend?"

Mo Xiaomin looked at Amy with suspicion and said, "Something's wrong with you, something's very wrong with you. Now that you think about it, the first time you met Xiaobai, you were very hostile towards him. This is not like you at all."

“I believed your explanation before, that everything was for my own good. But now that I think about it, there are some things that don’t hold water. For example, when I was with Jack, you didn’t approve either, but you never objected as much as you have ever. Even when he cheated on me and I wanted to break up, you supported me.”

"But ever since you met Xiaobai, you've suddenly changed. You've tried every means to get me back together with Jack, and those shortcomings you used to criticize have become virtues. You even said you have no ulterior motives?"

Amy was stunned and realized that she had really done something wrong, but she found that no matter how she explained, Xiao Min would not believe her.

"Gu Xiaobai, look at the nonsense you just said! You've made Xiao Min misunderstand."

Zhao Shucheng smiled and said, "I don't think it's necessarily a misunderstanding. Liking me isn't anything shameful. I'm just dating Xiao Min right now, so you can still compete with her fairly. But don't use such methods next time; it will hurt your friendship."

"Gu Xiaobai, go to hell! How could you be such a person? I don't like you at all. I would never like you, no matter who I like."

"Yes, yes, you're right, of course I believe you. Xiao Min, the food's all served, it would be a waste if we didn't eat it, so hurry up and eat, don't let her eat it all by herself." (End of Chapter)