Entertainment: I just want to be the boss behind the scenes

Chapter 552 Peach blossoms and spring breeze, a cup of wine; Jianghu night rain, ten years of lamplight.
Early summer, northern Beijing, Wanda Cinema in Chaoyang CBD.

As the largest commercial cinema in the core urban area, this venue has hosted numerous film premieres. Today is no exception; the premiere of "All or Nothing," co-produced by Arc Light Films, the Golden Shield Center of the Ministry of Public Security, and Ruyi Pictures, will also take place here.

There was still plenty of time before the event started, but the area outside the cinema was already packed with people and cameras. Among them were invited film bloggers, entertainment media reporters, and fans of the film's stars who were lucky enough to get tickets.

The reason they stayed outside and didn't go in was mainly because they wanted to wait and see which celebrities would be there.

"Guo Fan just passed by, and now Chen Sicheng is here too. Hey, I was thinking he also has a similar movie coming out this summer."

"It's normal. The investors behind both films are Arc Light and Ruyi, and their release dates don't conflict. It's normal for a family to support each other."

"One of the people who came with him is Ni Ni, right? Who's the other one?"

"Isn't that Janice Man? She acted in 'Detective Chinatown 3' before, and it seems she's also one of the main actors in 'The Vanished' this time."

"Hey, look who's here."

The noise from the crowd outside the red carpet suddenly rose a few decibels. Li Qin, dressed in a white dress and short skirt, walked out from the end of the road, smiling and waving to everyone.

The atmosphere is significantly more lively now than when the directors entered earlier. This is due not only to the popularity of the celebrities themselves, but also largely to Li Qin's status.

For so many years, various true and false rumors have circulated, and since the parties involved have never denied them, her relationship with Meng Bai has basically become a fact that everyone has accepted.

Meng Ziyi, the lead actress in today's film "All or Nothing," is the only relative of Meng Bai whom he has publicly acknowledged their relationship. Li Qin's public support for Meng Ziyi's work inevitably sparked some speculation among the audience.

Is it possible that this situation means that Li Qin's identity is about to be recognized by Meng Bai's family?
It's a pity she came alone; otherwise, if they could have taken a photo together, it would have been a great way to attract attention.

As Li Qin walked into the cinema lobby, the entertainment reporters outside finally put down their cameras.

"Hey, do you guys think the other one might be here today?"

"Hey, you know what, it might actually be true. Haha, then things are going to get really interesting inside today."

"Holy crap! You've got some serious skills, you actually managed to get it!"

The scene, which had just calmed down, suddenly erupted into chaos again, even more intensely than before.

A figure in a red dress walked in from outside, her signature crescent-shaped eyes slightly curved, and a sweet smile on her face.

Without a doubt, this is Li Yitong.

The reporters present were truly excited. These two, who were known in the industry as "kings who never meet," were both here today. Who knows if the premiere would turn into a scene of "rivals meeting and being extremely hostile"?

As everyone raised their cameras and snapped photos rapidly, they began to anticipate the arrival of the male lead.

Everyone had been waiting with this feeling for a long time, and thankfully the result did not disappoint. At the last moment before the premiere began, Meng Bai finally appeared with the main cast and crew of "All In".

"Wow—"

A commotion erupted, and the entire theater instantly became noisy.

"Wow, our movie is really popular!"

Meng Ziyi followed behind Meng Bai, waving to the camera with a big smile, and whispered to Zhou Ye beside her, "Suddenly I have confidence in the box office."

“I told you a long time ago that there was no problem! The pre-sale box office has already exceeded 500 million, so the total box office should be at least 2 billion!” Zhou Ye said, “After the movie is taken off the screens, you should be the highest-grossing actress of 1995.”

"Keep a low profile, keep a low profile, we'll see when the time comes."

Meng Ziyi interrupted her friend, but the smile on her lips betrayed her undisguised smugness.

However, she should be excited, since no one in the entire crew could have imagined that the movie would generate such high popularity, with pre-sales alone reaching 500 million.

Thinking of this, Meng Ziyi took a few steps forward and smiled at Meng Bai, saying, "Uncle, how much do you think our movie will gross at the end?"

Meng Bai glanced at her, but didn't say anything.

Seeing this, Meng Ziyi grinned and quickly put on a flattering smile: "Don't be angry, Uncle. I really didn't realize it at the time. By the time I remembered, Sister Qinqin and Sister Tongtong had already finished their calls, so I couldn't cancel the invitation."

She felt incredibly guilty, after all, it was because of her momentary carelessness that her uncle had to face such a predicament today.

"I'm not angry with you."

Meng Bai finally spoke up: "I was just imagining what might happen later, so I could be mentally prepared."

Hearing her uncle's relaxed tone, Meng Ziyi finally felt relieved.

"Actually, Uncle, if you didn't want to see this scene today, you didn't have to come."

"No need. I've seen countless storms, this is nothing. Besides..." Meng Bai said, "This is your first movie as the female lead, so I should support you."

"Hehe, I knew you were the best, Uncle!"

"Hehe, don't be so happy yet. I'll settle the score with you slowly after the premiere."

"..."
-
Although he wasn't worried about a "battle royale," Meng Bai still made some preparations in advance.

For example, he would arrange the two girls' seats on the left and right, while he himself would sit in the very middle, perfectly balanced.

To his surprise, just as he greeted Chen Sicheng and Guo Fan on either side of him and sat down, he saw a red figure walking over.

"Hello, Director Chen."

Li Yitong smiled at Chen Sicheng, who was sitting on her right, and said, "Excuse me, I have something I'd like to discuss with President Meng. Would you mind if we switched seats?"

"It's convenient, sister-in-law, please take a seat."

Without a second's hesitation, Chen Sicheng immediately stood up. He turned back and gave Meng Bai a gloating look, then walked away happily.

Li Yitong gracefully took her seat, then turned to Meng Bai: "Hello, President Meng, is it convenient for me to sit here?"

“Haha, you…”

"Director Guo, would it be alright if we switched seats?"

Meng Bai was interrupted by a clear voice before he could finish speaking. He sighed, turned to look to his left, and sure enough, Li Qin was standing there.

Guo Fan, who had been watching the commotion, quickly stood up to offer his seat when he realized he was about to be caught in the crossfire. He then gave Meng Bai a "take care, brother" look before hurrying away.

Li Qin walked to her seat, glanced at Meng Bai, and then jumped onto the woman next to him.

"Hi, Yitong, long time no see."

"Hello, Qinqin, your clothes look so pretty today."

"hehe."

"hehe."

The two girls greeted each other with bright smiles, then sat down across from Meng Bai.

Caught in the middle, Meng Bai was keeping his eyes down and looking serious, seemingly unaffected by the two women's behavior.

With one person on the left and one on the right, one in white and one in red, plus Meng Bai sitting in the middle in a black suit, the whole scene was surprisingly harmonious.

……

"Sister Meng, I think things seem pretty peaceful on your uncle's side. It's not as serious as you're making it out to be."

From her seat in the front row, Zhou Ye cautiously glanced back at the three people in the center of the back row and whispered to her friend beside her.

“You don’t understand. It’s like a balloon blown up to its maximum size. It looks calm, but it could burst at any moment!” Meng Ziyi wrinkled her nose, looking like she knew everything.

"Yeah, that's true. Just thinking about that scene gives me a headache."

Zhou Ye nodded in agreement, then turned around and glanced back: "Tsk, I must say, your uncle has quite the presence. Just sitting in the middle makes everyone around him seem intimidating. There's a reason why Sister Li Qin and Sister Yi Tong are so willing to like him together."

Meng Ziyi raised her head: "Of course, who can compare to my little uncle!"

She said it proudly, then couldn't help but turn around to look. She then took out her phone and snapped a picture of the three of them together.

Looking at the exceptionally harmonious image on the screen, she pursed her lips and stared at it for a while before abandoning the idea of ​​cropping the sides and saving the photo.

……

Like Zhou Ye and Meng Ziyi, many people at the scene saw Meng Bai and the other two. Some people couldn't contain themselves and pointed their cameras at them, pressing the shutter frequently. They almost forgot the main purpose of the event they came here for.

It's no wonder, really. There are at least 80 or 100 movie premieres every year, and they're all the same old stuff. They don't generate as much buzz as celebrity gossip.

Especially a scene where two rumored female protagonists are facing each other is even more rare to see.

Many people even secretly hoped that the two female leads would fight on set.

Of course, such expectations were destined to be dashed. Both are seasoned artists with many years of experience, and neither of the two girls has a particularly strong or fierce personality, so it's impossible for them to have a public conflict.

However, this doesn't mean that things are harmonious behind the scenes.

Meng Bai was "attentively" listening to the host's opening remarks when he suddenly felt his phone vibrate. He took it out and glanced at it, only to find it was a WeChat message from Li Yitong.

Li Yitong: [How does it feel, President Meng? Having two women on either side, how comfortable is that?]

Meng Bai turned her head and glanced at the girl, only to see her raise an eyebrow at her with a mischievous smile on her face.

He looked down and tapped a few times on the screen before replying.

Meng Bai: [How dare Boss Li slander me? I'm sitting here obediently, when did I ever have women on my left and right?]

Li Yitong pursed her lips and was about to type when she suddenly felt a hand sweep past her from behind, then a hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her towards the middle.

"You, what are you doing?"

"Having one on each side, I've only just started to have one now."

"..."

Li Yitong rolled her eyes at him and struggled a few times in a flustered manner. However, the premiere had already started, and only the host was speaking; the venue was quite quiet, so she didn't dare to make any big movements.

She twisted her waist a few times but found she couldn't get rid of it, so she had no choice but to bite the bullet and pretend nothing had happened and stay quiet.

However, although her movements were subtle, they were not entirely unnoticed.

For example, Li Qin, who was only one body length away.

Although she appeared to be sitting quietly to the side, her attention was actually focused on Meng Bai. First, she noticed his WeChat message and seemed puzzled, then she noticed the unusual activity on the other side.

She glanced back and to the side, and her anger flared up instantly.

Well, they actually try to pull some tricks right in front of me.

She reached one hand towards Meng Bai's waist, intending to let this bastard man experience what "the power of fingertip muscle rotation" meant.

What she didn't expect was that Meng Bai seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. Her hand had just reached out and hadn't even touched him when it was grabbed by a large hand.

She immediately tried to break free, but how could her thin arms and legs compare to Meng Bai's strength? After trying for a long time, she was completely unmoved.

"open!"

Li Qin said something in a low voice.

"You reached it out yourself. If I'm not mistaken, Teacher Li was just about to attack me, so I'm acting in self-defense now."

"Then let go of that one over there!" "No."

"you……"

Li Qin's face was flushed, whether from anger or anxiety, it was hard to tell.

After a long pause, she finally asked, "What are you going to do?"

"Having women on both sides, I rarely have the chance, I have to enjoy it."

"Meng Bai, you are truly... shameless!"

After holding it in for a long time, Li Qin finally managed to squeeze out a sentence.

"Thank you for the compliment." Meng Bai, who had been scolded, didn't take it to heart at all and said leisurely, "I've recently come to realize a truth: a man shouldn't be too concerned about his reputation; life will be happier that way."

"Wrong sense!"

Li Qin rolled her eyes, tried again, and found that she really couldn't break free, so she finally gave up resisting in despair.

Throughout the premiere, the three remained "connected" in this strange state. They only separated at the end, when the movie trailer and clips were shown and guests were invited to give their blessings.

"Alright, that concludes today's premiere of 'All or Nothing'. Thank you all for coming..."

With the host's closing remarks, the premiere ceremony finally came to a close.

Meng Bai went to greet everyone, and Li Qin and Li Yitong, who had escaped the "clutches," both breathed a sigh of relief. Then, hearing each other's movements, they exchanged a glance, and then turned and left with complicated expressions.

As Li Qin walked out of the theater, she was prepared to "torture" that scoundrel, but she didn't expect to receive a WeChat message from Meng Bai as soon as she got into her car in the parking lot.

[Back at the villa, there's something very important I need to tell you.]

Li Qin frowned, wanting to refuse but hesitating for a moment before instructing her assistant to drive towards the villa.

Hmph, let's see what this bastard has to say!
Back at the villa, she instructed her assistants to leave before entering.

Looking at the familiar scene in the courtyard, she felt a little more relaxed. Although she also had a house in northern Beijing, she didn't know why, but every time she returned here, she felt like she was truly home.

Just as she was about to go inside, she suddenly heard the doorbell ring outside the courtyard wall. Puzzled, she went to the door, opened it, and immediately froze in place.

To everyone's surprise, it was Li Yitong standing at the door!
The other person also seemed surprised to see her and was equally stunned.

But then, the two of them realized at the same time that Meng Bai must have deliberately called them together.

Li Qin held the door firmly with one hand, her expression somewhat indifferent. This wasn't a premiere; there were no cameras or outsiders around, so she could freely express her feelings.

After a long standoff, Li Yitong finally smiled and said, "Aren't you going to invite me in for a bit?"

"……come in."

Li Qin made room for the other person to come in.

"The environment here is quite nice."

"It's alright, it's just that the yard is a bit small, after all, we've lived here for many years."

"Really."

Li Yitong smiled, her gaze suddenly falling on a small flowerbed in the yard. She said with a smile, "Oh, you like jasmine too? He moved a pot of jasmine over there before, and I must say, it looks quite similar to yours."

"Really? That's quite a coincidence..."

Li Qin had just responded when she suddenly remembered something and frowned.

Like her, Li Yitong also realized what was happening. Without a doubt, the jasmine flowers that guy had moved there must have come from here.

Haha, great, you really know how to make two dishes out of one.

"Scumbag!"

"Scumbag!"

The two cursed in unison, then looked at each other and for the first time felt they had something in common.

A cool breeze blew by, and the once clear weather turned gloomy, with a sultry atmosphere permeating the air.

"It looks like it's about to rain," Li Qin said. "Let's go inside."

"Thank you."

The two girls entered the villa and sat down on opposite ends of the sofa across the table.

"He...he sent you?" Li Qin asked.

"Yes."

"What to do?"

"I don't know. He just said he had something to say and then sent me his location. What about you?"

"Just like you."

"That's it..."

Li Yitong responded, and seeing Li Qin looking over with a puzzled expression, she explained, "I thought you lived here."

“He comes over sometimes, but he usually lives here by himself.”

"Well……"

Li Yitong nodded, feeling much better.

At first, she thought this was where Li Qin and Meng Bai lived together, and she felt a bit awkward, like a submissive wife entering the main house. Now that she heard it was Meng Bai's own house, she felt much better.

The sky outside grew increasingly overcast, and sporadic wisps of mist began to appear. Inside, silence reigned; occasionally someone would utter a word, but the silence would quickly return.

The awkward atmosphere was finally broken when Meng Bai returned.

"I chatted with Director Chen about the situation of 'The Vanished She,' which took up a little time."

Meng Bai walked in, stood between the two girls, and spread his hands: "I probably don't need to introduce you, right?"

The two women rolled their eyes at him simultaneously, and Li Qin couldn't help but say, "Speak, what is it? I have a schedule tomorrow and need to go back later."

"No rush, it's almost lunchtime, let's eat and chat," Meng Bai said. "Besides, I asked your team, they don't have any plans for tomorrow."

After saying that, he immediately turned to Li Yitong on the other side: "You too, the promotion for 'Raging Storm' is over, and you're on vacation recently."

An artist's team has an obligation to keep their artist's schedule confidential, but that depends on who the other party is. No one would dare to keep anything from Meng Bai, the big boss.

Li Yitong used to be able to cook, but she stopped for many years after becoming busy with her debut. As for Li Qin, the most difficult dish she's ever made is tomato salad with sugar.

So even though the kitchen was fully stocked with ingredients and utensils, they still ended up having someone deliver the food.

Raindrops began to fall outside, then gradually grew larger.

This is the first rain of early summer in northern Beijing.

"This is the first time we've all sat down to eat together, so it's quite meaningful."

Meng Bai poured a glass of red wine, then raised his glass: "Come on, let's start with this first glass to commemorate this moment."

Nobody would commemorate something like this!
Li Qin and Li Yitong both glanced at him speechlessly, but did not refute him. They simply picked up their wine glasses and took a sip.

Watching the two girls down half a glass of wine, Meng Bai's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile.

For the rest of the time, he rambled on about random, unrelated things, never mentioning anything important he had to say. He also subtly encouraged the two of them to have a few more drinks.

The red wine stored by Meng Bai is different from what you can buy outside. It comes from limited cellars of some wineries, and its biggest feature is that it has a stronger flavor and a higher alcohol content.

Therefore, it wasn't long before Li Qin and Li Yitong's faces flushed, and their eyes and consciousness gradually became less clear than before.

"Oh!"

Suddenly, Li Qin slammed her hand on the table and looked at Meng Bai with a blurry gaze: "Hey, do you even remember what day it is today?"

"remember."

Meng Bai replied naturally, "If we count from the first time we met, it's been almost ten years."

"Hehe, you have a good memory."

Li Qin smiled with satisfaction, then looked at Li Yitong opposite her and said in a boastful tone, "Ten years!"

"That's it?" Li Yitong scoffed dismissively, then turned to stare at Meng Bai: "Tell her, how long have we known each other?"

"Hey, what's the point of comparing these two?"

Meng Bai waved his hand dismissively, but then added, "It's been about eleven years, probably eleven and a half."

Upon hearing this, Li Yitong's eyes immediately crinkled into crescent moons with laughter. Conversely, Li Qin on the other side couldn't help but pout.

The two girls already disliked each other, and with Meng Bai stirring things up, they found it even harder to control their emotions. They poured the wine faster and faster, and their eyes became increasingly glazed.

However, Meng Bai did not let the two girls push themselves too far, keeping them on the edge of maintaining a sliver of sobriety.

This just goes to show that having experience is definitely a good thing.

Last time at the villa in Sheshan, Shanghai, he tried it with Bai Lu and Yang Chaoyue. Unfortunately, the two girls were too drunk and ended up falling asleep almost afterwards.

For Meng Bai, getting drunk and passing out was pointless; it was like being a doll.

This time, he timed it perfectly. When he carried Li Qin and Li Yitong to the bed, both girls were still somewhat conscious.

"Meng Bai...you, let go...I want to go back..."

At this moment, Li Qin finally understood the scoundrel's plan. She tried her best to sit up, but she couldn't use any strength in her arms and could only watch helplessly as he and another woman were placed together.

On the other side, Li Yitong also looked at Meng Bai with blurry, drunken eyes, muttering, "Meng Bai...you bastard!"

"It's truly gratifying to see the two of you reach a consensus!"

Meng Bai smiled, looking at the two girls in front of him, feeling a sense of comfort from the inside out.

Finally, I've accomplished my last goal: to get Teacher Li and Boss Li together.

As for what will happen after I wake up tomorrow, we'll talk about that tomorrow.

Thinking this, Meng Bai grinned and leaned down to embrace the two girls—the night was too short, and he had to hurry up and do what he needed to do!

Li Yitong has a lower alcohol tolerance, so she got even more drunk this time. Aside from a symbolic wave of her little fist, she didn't make any other movements.

As Li Qin felt her clothes being torn off, she finally gave up resisting and closed her eyes.

In the end, I was still fooled by this scoundrel!
“Meng Bai…”

"fraud!"

(End of this chapter)