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

Chapter 554 Extra Chapter 2: Mai Mai's Overnight Stay
Early summer, graduation season.

Today, the Central Academy of Drama campus is filled with graduates in their graduation gowns, taking photos in groups.

Compared to previous graduates, the class of 2020 felt particularly melancholic. Their exams coincided with a flu outbreak, and they had to spend most of their four years on campus, naturally making them more attached to the place than their seniors.

"MaiMai, come take a picture!"

While tidying up her graduation cap, Zhao Jinmai heard her classmate call her name, quickly answered, and then hurriedly ran over to take a happy group photo.

Compared to her classmates, she was exceptionally busy today. After all, out of the twenty-odd students in the entire Central Academy of Drama's 20 acting class, she was the only one who could be considered a star, and everyone wanted to take pictures with her.

After a busy day, she finally managed to take care of all her classmates. But her work wasn't over yet; her team's PR agent and assistant were already prepared to take a set of graduation photos to post on Weibo for their fans.

"It's not ready yet—"

Zhao Jinmai pouted and said to her manager in a coquettish tone, "Nine-grid photos will be enough, it'll get dark if we keep shooting."

"Alright, alright, last group."

The PR agent deftly pressed the shutter, capturing the girl's coquettish expression, and then said with satisfaction, "Very good, that's fine."

"Wow—we're finally done filming!"

Zhao Jinmai cheered and ran over to quickly glance at the photos she had just taken: "They're beautiful!"

"I'll go back and pick some more, and then send them out as soon as I've chosen them."

"Okay, sister, thank you for your hard work!"

Zhao Jinmai smiled and said, "Actually, there's no need to rush. Let's go eat first."

"Heh, come on, do you think I don't know who you're going to see later?" the PR agent chuckled sarcastically. "You're saying you're going to have dinner together, but you're probably just hoping we'll leave already."

No, there isn't.

Zhao Jinmai's cheeks flushed red, and she stammered a reply, pursing her lips somewhat shyly.

Well, that's exactly what she was thinking.

After seeing off her team, Zhao Jinmai returned to her dormitory to change her clothes. After hesitating for a while, she finally chose a pleated mini dress to pair with white boots.

Looking at the sky outside, which seemed rather gloomy, she pulled out another coat before finally feeling at ease to begin applying makeup.

Summer days usually see darkness fall late, but today it was a bit overcast, so night soon enveloped the area.

"Ding~"

A notification sounded, and Zhao Jinmai glanced at the screen. When she saw the message notification that read "boyfriend," her joy exploded. She put on her coat and prepared to go out.

"Going out, MaiMai?"

"Ah, yes, a friend is looking for me."

"Oh, it looks like it might rain tonight, be careful."

"I understand, thank you... Um, I won't be back tonight."

"Ah? Oh..."

After hurriedly saying a few words to her roommate, Zhao Jinmai walked out of the school gate as the last rays of sunlight lingered on the horizon.

Although it's not graduation day today, there are still quite a few cars parked outside the school gate.

Amidst the bustling crowd, Zhao Jinmai, wearing a mask and hat, went unnoticed and soon arrived at a black SUV. After glancing at the license plate, she opened the back door and climbed inside.

As soon as the car door was closed, before she could even sit down, a bouquet of flowers was presented to her.

Happy graduation!

Holding a bouquet of flowers, Meng Bai smiled at his girlfriend and said, "Sorry, I had something to do at the company during the day and couldn't come."

"Oh, I know, it's okay!"

Zhao Jinmai took the bouquet and said, "Mmm, it smells so good... What kind of flowers are these?"

"Lilies, gardenias, and roses—the florist said that giving these as graduation gifts is a way of wishing you a bright future."

"Roses too?"

"The roses represent a gift from my boyfriend."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jinmai's face immediately lit up with an undisguised smile. She glanced at the driver's seat and, finding that the front and rear of the car were separated by the central partition and could not be seen at all, she immediately leaned forward with relief and kissed Meng Bai on the cheek.

Caught off guard, Meng Bai touched the corner of his mouth, where the fleeting touch of the girl still lingered. Seeing the girl's happy expression, he said nothing, simply pressing the call button to instruct the driver to start the car.

After driving for a while, the car stopped outside the gate of a quaint courtyard.

Zhao Jinmai opened the door and got out of the car, then followed Meng Bai inside. Just as they turned a corner, the view opened up, revealing an elegant Ming-style garden.

"Brother Mengbai, what's this for?" the girl asked curiously, following closely behind her boyfriend.

"It's a place to eat, recommended by a friend." Meng Bai said casually, "It's a members-only place, basically not open to the public, so it's relatively quiet, and you don't have to worry about being photographed or disturbed by others."

"Oh, is this one of those private club restaurants in novels where you have to book well in advance and they only accommodate one or two tables of guests at a time?"

"Well, if you put it that way, it's pretty much true." The waiter led the two into the private room they had reserved in advance, and Meng Bai sat down on one side. Zhao Jinmai initially sat down opposite him subconsciously, but after hesitating for a moment, she casually got up and sat down next to her boyfriend.

"Don't you find it crowded?"

Meng Bai watched her attempt to cover up her blunder and asked with amusement.

The girl blushed when her thoughts were exposed, but she didn't back away and remained firmly seated there.

The dishes were all pre-ordered, so they were served one after another shortly after the two sat down.

Meng Bai had been to this place a few times before. The chef's skills were definitely not a problem, but compared to other high-end restaurants, it wasn't particularly outstanding. The main reason he came here was because he valued the privacy and quiet.

"Ding~"

With a crisp sound, the two wine glasses lightly touched in the air. Zhao Jinmai downed the red wine in her glass in one gulp, the bitterness of the alcohol immediately making her frown. She quickly took a sip of tea to cleanse her mouth.

"I told you to change your drink if you don't like it. Aren't you uncomfortable forcing yourself to drink this?"

Looking at the little girl's wrinkled face, Meng Bai couldn't help but say.

"No, I'm just not used to it because I haven't drunk it much before," Zhao Jinmai said firmly. "I've already graduated, I'm not a child anymore, it's okay for me to drink a little."

She has her own reasons for insisting on this.

Although she usually calls Meng Bai "boyfriend" and "girlfriend," and they can hold hands or hug when no one else is around, and she can even steal a kiss when he's not looking, Zhao Jinmai knows in her heart that he is just indulging her and playing along.

Even now, he still sees himself as a child.

However, Zhao Jinmai didn't want to continue this "playing house" style relationship; she genuinely wanted to be Meng Bai's girlfriend. To make him understand this, the first thing she needed to do was to show herself that she was no longer a schoolgirl, but a real, independent adult woman.

Like now, Meng Bai originally wanted to give her some juice, but she insisted on drinking red wine with her, even though she had hardly ever drunk any.

Moreover, she had an even bigger plan for going out tonight besides a date and dinner. She was afraid she would be embarrassed if she were sober and hadn't drunk any alcohol, but if she had a little, she might be more daring if she was a little tipsy.

With this in mind, she took the wine bottle from the table and poured a full glass for each of them.

"This toast is to celebrate my university graduation!"

"This drink is to thank my boyfriend for celebrating with me!"

"This, this cup... um, I hope to get more good roles in the future!"

"..."

wow——

A series of crackling sounds came from outside the window, followed by a muffled clap of thunder. After a day of brewing, the first rain of early summer finally fell.

Inside the room, Zhao Jinmai leaned back in her chair, her cheeks flushed. Although she was using a small cup, three cups were still quite a challenge for someone who hadn't drunk much alcohol before.

"You can't drink properly and you drank so fast, now you're feeling terrible."

Meng Bai said casually, then reached out and took the cup away from her: "I know you're something else, don't drink anymore tonight."

"okay."

Zhao Jinmai responded, though she didn't really want to drink anymore. She was already feeling a bit disoriented, and if she drank too much and passed out, she would miss this rare opportunity tonight.

She didn't touch the bottle of red wine again, but instead started chatting with Meng Bai about various topics. One minute she was talking about her college life, the next about her daily life with her roommates, and then she was talking about the new movie she was filming... In short, she was just trying to stall for time.

For a seasoned player like Meng Bai, he had long since figured out what the young girl was thinking. However, he didn't expose her, but patiently chatted with her about all sorts of random things.

They chatted on and on like this all night. Zhao Jinmai secretly glanced at the time on her phone, and finally a look of joy appeared on her face.

"Hey, it's almost ten o'clock!"

Zhao Jinmai said in a rather exaggerated tone, "If I go back to school now, the dorms will probably be closed by the time I get there. I've also drunk a lot of alcohol, so going back will probably disturb their rest."

Hearing the girl's affected tone, Meng Bai almost burst out laughing. Seeing her secretly glancing at him, he coughed lightly and said in a cooperative tone, "Yes, it's getting late to go back now, what should we do?"

Seeing Meng Bai's cooperation, Zhao Jinmai was overjoyed. She turned to the man, suppressing her shyness, and said, "Um... Brother Meng Bai, if it's convenient for you, could you let me stay for the night?"

After saying that, as if afraid that Meng Bai would refuse, she hurriedly held up her finger: "Just one night is fine."

Seeing the tension on the girl's face and the expectation in her eyes, Meng Bai felt a tremor in his heart.

He took a deep breath, then smiled and said, "Sure, come stay at my place tonight."

"it is good!"

Zhao Jinmai's face instantly lit up with a cheerful expression, and she hurriedly stood up: "Then let's go!"

"What's the rush? My house isn't locked."

Meng Bai stood up and went out, returning shortly with a large black umbrella: "Let's go home."

"Ok!"

Zhao Jinmai jumped up excitedly and followed Meng Bai like a little tail, walking into the fine rain.

(End of this chapter)