Dramatic changes in the movies and TV shows

Chapter 1296 Initial Signs of Whereabouts
“Really?” Jane smiled broadly upon hearing this, as if she had received the most authoritative approval. “I also think this red dress is most suitable for today’s occasion!”

She quickly changed into a dress, twirled in front of the mirror, and the hem of the dress drew a beautiful arc.

"I've decided, I'll wear this to my date tonight!"

After saying that, as if afraid of wasting time, she hurriedly walked out, even giving the excuse that:

"To ensure tonight's plans go smoothly, I'll go to the venue first for a rehearsal and familiarize myself with the environment!"

Shen Man watched her disappearing figure through the doorway, and muttered helplessly to herself:

"I believe you as a ghost..."

······
At 6:30 p.m. that evening, at a beach restaurant.

A gentle sea breeze and flickering candlelight created an atmosphere of unparalleled romance.

Jane arrived on time. She wore a red, low-cut, high-slit evening gown that she had chosen during the day, paired with dark makeup and sky-high heels.

He then strode confidently, exuding an aura of power, radiating not the sweetness of keeping a date, but a resolute air of almost "crashing the party."

That's right, she's here to "crash the party"!

In her opinion, tonight's scene of seducing Lin Hao was the most enjoyable and cathartic scene she had experienced since approaching her target as Li Muzi!
She was determined not only to perform well, but also to return all the grievances and frustrations she had accumulated over the past few days with interest!
Lin Hao leaned back in his chair with a relaxed posture, his fingertips lightly tapping his wine glass, his gaze fixed on Jane across from him, with a hint of barely perceptible amusement.

"Hi, beautiful, wanna have dinner together?"

Lin Hao stood up gracefully and smoothly, pulling out a chair for her with impeccable gentlemanly manners.

"Dong dong dong..."

However, this simple gesture made Jane's heart race uncontrollably and her cheeks flush slightly.

"Jane! Wake up! You have a mission!" she warned herself sharply in her heart, forcibly suppressing the inexplicable pounding in her chest.

She stepped forward, trying to maintain her initial momentum: "I didn't expect you to be so good at picking a place."

"Of course." Lin Hao smiled slightly, his smile quite charming in the candlelight.

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly reached out and wrapped his arm around Jane's slender waist, applying a slight pull—

"what!"

Caught off guard, Jane let out a soft cry, instantly lost her balance, and fell into Lin Hao's arms.

"What...what are you doing?! Let me go!" She struggled instinctively, but her efforts were more like a coquettish plea.

Her previous "aggressive" aura had vanished. Now, she resembled a pitiful little lamb, imprisoned by a domineering handsome man, unable to vent her anger.

"Tsk tsk, that acting is so natural and professional." Lin Hao thought to himself.

Through these few days of "deep and shallow" understanding, he had long since figured out her stubbornness. No matter how much she had been bullied before, he had never seen her show such weakness.

Indeed, good looks are a valuable asset in any world.

A typical example is the ending of those two classic scenes after a hero saves a damsel in distress. If the savior is a handsome man, the woman has no way to repay him and can only offer herself to him.

If the hero who saved her was ugly, then the woman would have no way to repay him, and in her next life she would repay him by repaying his kindness, by serving him as an ox or a horse.

"My good wife..." Lin Hao gently stroked her long legs, which looked even more lustrous against the backdrop of her red dress.

He then leaned close to her ear, his voice low and teasing, "What, you don't recognize your husband anymore after only half a day?"

Jane steadied herself, knowing that a direct attack would be futile and that she had to feign weakness and take a roundabout approach.

She leaned into his arms without struggling further, instead wrapping her arms around Lin Hao's neck, her tone tinged with a hint of resentment and probing:

"There are so many people here, can't you give me some face?"

"Hiss~!" This woman is starting to flirt openly.

Since they had already put it that way, Lin Hao certainly couldn't continue being so "indecent," so he had no choice but to let go and let Jane sit back down.

Lin Hao then sat down opposite Jane again, the candlelight on the table flickering, illuminating the exquisite dishes.

"Honey~!" Jane cut off a small piece of steak, but didn't put it in her mouth immediately. Instead, she looked up, her eyes filled with just the right amount of tenderness and a hint of melancholy.

"I feel like you're always distracted when we're together," she said with a soft sigh.

Are you still bothered by what happened before?

Jane didn't directly inquire about Li Muzi's whereabouts, since Lin Hao already knew her identity and everyone was putting on an act. Therefore, she asked a question with a double meaning.

Lin Hao smiled slightly, neither confirming nor denying: "Really? Maybe it's just too comfortable here, making people relax."

“Yes, it’s so peaceful.” Jane followed his words, trying to steer the conversation in a deeper direction.

“I remember you said you would take me to a place where no one would bother me, where I could only see the starry sky and the sea, and spend a few quiet days there.”

She put down her knife and fork, placed her hands on her chin, and gazed wistfully at the distant, dark sea, asking:

"Like... a very high observation deck, or... well, a place where you can get really close to the sky."

"Do you think there might be a place like this around here?" Jane casually inquired.

In her words, she carefully packaged concepts such as "starry sky," "high ground," and "observation platform" within the couple's memories and future aspirations, attempting to pry open a crack in the relationship.

Lin Hao picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and the red wine reflected the flickering candlelight in his eyes.

“There are always beautiful places.” He answered ambiguously, his gaze sweeping over her, seemingly lost in some kind of “memories.”

"However, there are some places that, once visited, have become less memorable."

“It’s like…memory automatically filters what it wants to remember.” He cleverly avoided specific locations, instead vaguely throwing the question back to feelings and memory.

Jane felt a pang of anxiety, as if she had hit a ball of cotton.

Undeterred, she leaned forward slightly, lowered her voice, and asked with a hint of coquetry:

"So... have you dreamed about anything recently, or... unintentionally remembered any particular place?"

"It's that kind of place you suddenly really want to go, or that you feel...it's very important?" She tried to uncover any possible flaws in his subconscious.

"Important places?" Lin Hao repeated, a slight smile curving his lips, his eyes appearing somewhat unfathomable in the candlelight.

“For me, where I am right now is the most important thing.” His gaze fell on Jane, with a kind of scrutiny, yet also seemed like simple appreciation.

“For example, right here, it’s perfect.” Lin Hao casually pointed to the desert lighthouse not far away. His response was watertight, neither denying nor confirming, and offering no substantial information.

What others didn't know was that Lin Hao had already revealed what Shen Man and Jane wanted, but because they were constantly arguing with Lin Hao, they overlooked this important piece of information.

Especially Jane, whenever she felt they were about to cross the line, Lin Hao would always manage to gently steer the conversation away with an ambiguous look, a vague word, or a gesture like serving her food or pouring her a drink.

This conversation was like a silent struggle; Jane tried her best, but could never break through his composed barrier.

Hidden in the shade of a palm tree in the distance, Shen Man listened through her earphones to the two flirting like they were playing Tai Chi, and her brows furrowed more and more tightly.

She felt that Jane might be too immersed in her role as a wife, which was causing the slow progress, and therefore she felt very uncomfortable.

At that moment, she suddenly realized that there seemed to be no sound in her headphones. She looked up at Lin Hao's dining table and saw that the two of them were drinking a toast together.

Although I'm anxious, seeing that the two seem to be getting along quite well, I think I can wait a little longer.

However, after Lin Hao and Jane talked for a long time, they ended up kissing.

Adding to the fact that the headphones seemed to be malfunctioning, and she had no idea what they were talking about, Shen Man suddenly felt like she was going to explode.

But one thing is certain: Jane hasn't sent any messages. It seems more like she's engrossed in playing a couple's game with Lin Hao.

Finally, seeing the two of them so lovey-dovey, Shen Man couldn't stand it anymore, and her patience finally ran out.

So she got up and walked towards Lin Hao and the other person. She was ready to take matters into her own hands and didn't want to beat around the bush with Lin Hao anymore.

Just as Jane was about to launch another test with "I remember you said...", a cold voice shattered the false warmth:
"It seems you enjoyed your meal quite a bit."

Shen Man, dressed in a sharp black pantsuit, emerged from the shadows. Her face was devoid of any pleasantries or smiles; her gaze was sharp as a knife, fixed directly on Lin Hao.

Jane's face paled instantly, and she instinctively clenched her napkin. She hadn't expected Shen Man to barge in so abruptly.

Lin Hao seemed completely unsurprised by Shen Man's appearance; he even made a rather gentlemanly "please" gesture.

"Attorney Chen, oh no, Ms. Shen Man, would you like to have lunch together?"

Shen Man ignored his insincere pleasantries and didn't even look at Jane, walking straight to the dining table.

He braced his hands on the edge of the table, leaned forward, adopting a highly intimidating posture, and stared at Lin Hao, saying:

"Mr. Lin, I have no interest in watching you two put on this act of marital bliss. My patience is finite. Tell me, where exactly is Li Muzi?"

Her words were like ice cubes hitting the ground, mercilessly tearing away everyone's pretense tonight.

Jane felt an embarrassing heat rise to her cheeks. Shen Man's rude intervention was tantamount to negating all her previous efforts and performance, making her feel like a clown who had been exposed on the spot.

Faced with Shen Man's probing questions, Lin Hao's smile deepened slightly. He leaned back in a relaxed manner, as if he were enjoying an interesting performance.

“Miss Shen, you’re always in such a hurry!” he said slowly. “Is the location… that important?”

"Perhaps she just went to a place where she wanted to be quiet."

“Jingjing?” Shen Man’s tone rose. “A perfectly healthy person just vanished for half a month, and you’re telling me she just went to be quiet?”

"Lin Hao, do you think I'm a three-year-old?" Shen Man roared angrily.

"Human hearts are unpredictable, sometimes harder to find than a place!" Lin Hao said, swirling his wine glass in an irritating tone.

"Perhaps she's not far away, or maybe she's always been there, but she's just tired of certain... tangled relationships."

"You...!" Shen Man's chest heaved with anger. She glared at Jane, whose face was pale, and asked sharply:
"And you? Don't you have anything to say? Or have you been so captivated by his appearance that you've forgotten who you are?!"

Jane was filled with shame and indignation after being publicly criticized by Shen Man, and couldn't help but blurt out, "Manman... what's wrong with you?"

Shen Man sneered at the microcomputer: "What kind of madness could I possibly have? Can't you see he's just playing us?"

"I think you've fallen for him and are just waiting to confirm Li Muzi's disappearance so you can live happily ever after with him!"

Hearing Shen Man's harsh words, Jane was equally angry. She had been trying to help, and had even gotten herself into trouble, only to be wronged for doing good deeds.

“Shen Man was the one who asked me for help back then, and she even sacrificed herself for it. Instead of being grateful, you said such nasty things.”

"What do you take me for? A slave who comes when summoned and goes when dismissed?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Man was at a loss for words. After all, she was the one who had wronged Jane. She had lost her temper and said hurtful things without thinking.

Seeing that Shen Man remained silent, Jane glanced at Lin Hao one last time, tears welling in her eyes, and left.

Actually, Lin Hao wanted to pursue Jane, since she was quite innocent and completely different from Shen Man.

Looking at the two fighting amongst themselves, Lin Hao felt a little bored.

He glanced at Shen Man, whose eyes were red with anger, and then at Jane, who left with a sense of grievance and despair. Shen Man had ruined his good mood and made him lose interest.

He then gently put down his wine glass, the sea breeze ruffling the stray hairs on his forehead, his eyes appearing exceptionally deep in the candlelight and starlight.

We've already played cards together, and I was planning to reminisce about it tonight, but given the current situation, since I promised Shen Man today, I might as well grant her wish.

Lin Hao tilted his head slightly, his gaze fixed on the distant, somber lighthouse, and said softly in a metaphorical tone:

"The last place she mentioned to me was the underwater starry sky, there..."

He paused, sketching out the beautiful scene in words, then slowly uttered a name:
"That's it, the desert lighthouse!"

Shen Man and Jane followed Lin Hao's gaze and looked at the lighthouse not far away.

As soon as Lin Hao finished speaking, he looked away from Shen Man, picked up the wine bottle and his clothes, and headed towards the hotel.

At this moment, the beach fell into a brief silence, with only the tireless sound of the waves crashing against the shore.

"The starry sky at the bottom of the sea!" Shen Man murmured to herself, remaining motionless.

Recalling Lin Hao's words, she suddenly realized that Lin Hao had said before that Mu Zi wanted to see the underwater starry sky in the end.

He thought it was a joke or a perfunctory response, but he didn't expect Lin Hao to have already said it; he just hadn't noticed.

Moreover, Mu Zi had mentioned this to herself and even sent her a photo.

So he immediately took out his phone and checked the photo Mu Zi had sent him; sure enough, it was a starry night underwater.

Even though you're on the seabed, there are circles of fish spinning above your head. Through the gaps between them, you can see the starry sky looking out from the seabed. The three elements together create a beautiful scene.

"So, Mu Zi is right here!" Shen Man looked towards the lighthouse.