A perfect life begins with changing the timeline.

Chapter 196 Xiao Chu and Mi Mi

"Boss, are you free right now?"

"?"

"I'm submitting a request; I have a dinner engagement tonight."

"Who is it?"

"Zhou Xun's agent, Huang Feng, said he was going to visit me before the Lunar New Year, but I turned him down. He just contacted me and said he's in Guangzhou and will treat me to dinner tonight."

"Aren't you in Macau? Can you go back?"

"It's over. Brother Bie and I just landed."

"Oh, Zhou Xun is here too?"

"No, she started a new drama called 'Baby in Love' and went straight to the set."

"Just Huang Feng by himself? You two are eating together?"

"Hmm. So, boss, is it approved?"

"Haha, approved. Perfect opportunity for you to experience their hospitality style. Remember to tell me if the girl is pretty."

???

Li Mu was stunned when he saw his girlfriend's message.

I wondered what he meant by that.

"What girl?"

"The girl who's drinking with you, you don't actually think she's just entertaining you because it's just the two of you, do you? That would be so boring."

"??? Dude, did you send this to the wrong person?"

"Haha, no. Don't be shy. Besides, it's not like you haven't tried before."

"?"

"Don't deny it. Last time you were drunk, I went to pick you up, and you were sleeping soundly with your head on that girl's lap."

"How can that be the same? I don't remember anything from the hotel."

"Same this time, just remember to drink less and don't black out."

"That's not what I meant. There's no one else here tonight, just the two of us."

"I know, but you're underestimating the entertainment industry's hospitality style, honey. Putting everything else aside, I've been there too. When investors come over, if you don't have a drink with them, why would they choose you?"

"???"

"Okay, I don't blame you anymore. There will be plenty of things like this in the future. I believe you, but you need to take care of yourself."

"I've had too much to drink this time, so I can't pick you up."

Li Mu thought his girlfriend was talking about something outrageous.

But as it turns out—

He was still naive.

After saying goodbye to Brother Bie, he returned home, took a shower, and changed his clothes.

After tidying up, it was just past 6 o'clock.

So they set off.

When he arrived at the hotel called "Zhenhai Yipin", he realized that Huang Feng had arranged a truly high-class establishment.

Although it was his first time at this restaurant, from the decor to the hostess who personally guided him as he entered, and the overall ambiance of the restaurant, it was definitely a place for high-end business banquets.

When he was led by the hostess and pushed open the door to the private room, his lips twitched when he saw the two women and one man inside.

have to.

My girlfriend was right.

It's exactly the same, down to the last detail.

"Haha, Reporter Li, hello, hello, I'm Huang Feng."

Seeing Huang Feng stand up to greet him, Li Mu quickly snapped out of his daze, smiled, and extended his hand: "Manager Huang, hello, I'm Li Mu. Sorry to keep you waiting."

He didn't have time to pay attention to the two girls next to him, and gave Huang Feng a polite smile.

Huang Feng quickly stepped forward and grasped Li Mu's hand.

With a beaming smile, he said, "Not at all, not at all. You're being too polite, Li Ji. We just arrived—come, come, Xiao Chu, Mi Mi, come here, let me introduce you. This is Li Mu, a formal reporter for our *Southern Metropolis Daily*, the judge of the 'Four Little Actresses,' and also the only reporter to cover the 9/11 attacks. You can just call him Brother Li. Li Ji, let me introduce you. These two girls are also actresses from Rong Xinda. The older one is named Zhang Jingchu, a graduate of the Central Academy of Drama. The younger one is named Yang Mi, a child star. She's a print model, actress, and one of the go-to models for *Ruili* magazine."

"Hello, Brother Li."

Zhang Jingchu, who gives off a very quiet and gentle vibe, was the first to greet people and extended her hand.

"----Hello."

Li Mu responded politely, gave her a brief handshake, and then let go.

Next was the girl next to her, whose face looked incredibly youthful—she looked like she hadn't grown up at all, named Yang Mi.

"Hello, Brother Li, I'm Yang Mi. It's an honor to meet you. You can just call me Mimi~"

"Yes, hello, hello."

Li Mu responded politely as always.

But upon hearing the girl's sweet, childlike voice, coupled with her face—

He thought to himself, "This girl—could she still be a minor?"

"Li Ji, the two of them happen to be in Guangzhou these days filming for 'New Vision' magazine, so I brought them along. Otherwise, it would be less fun if it was just the two of us eating."

Huang Feng's words were incredibly tactful.

Li Mu ————

He didn't care.

To put it bluntly, he figured he might as well make the best of it. Besides, he was determined not to drink much today, so even if there were ten more people, it wouldn't matter much.

It doesn't even matter whether these two people came for a magazine shoot or came specifically for this purpose.

And to put it even more bluntly.

These two girls—one is a top student from the Central Academy of Drama, and the other is a child star and print model.

But when it comes to looks—

They're still miles apart, no matter how much you compare.

After nodding to indicate that he understood, Huang Feng invited them to sit down.

"Li Ji, please. Xiao Chu, you can sit next to your brother Li. Mimi, tell the waiter to bring the dishes. Xiao Chu, open the wine."

After Huang Feng finished speaking, he said to Li Mu with a hint of apology, "I don't know what Li Ji's tastes like, so how about we drink Moutai this time?"

"Sure, but I can't drink much."

Li Mu smiled and nodded: "I actually have a very low alcohol tolerance; one glass is enough to knock me out."

"Haha, that's alright. The wine is light, but our friendship is deep."

It must be admitted that people who can become talent agents are indeed quite adept at speaking and behaving.

Immediately afterwards, Huang Feng expressed his apology.

Zhou Xun couldn't come because she joined the film crew early. She should have come in person to thank them, etc.

For Li Mu, "The Four Little Actresses" was something from last year, so whether people came or not really didn't matter.

Then, Zhang Jingchu personally brought over a wine vessel and poured a cup for Li Mu.

At this moment, Li Mu noticed that there was no wine in front of the girl named Yang Mi, so he offered, "Mi Mi, why don't you have some juice?"

Yang Mi was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Thank you, Brother Li."

Li Mu responded and turned to Huang Feng, asking, "Is 'New Vision' the magazine that's about to launch under Modern Books?"

"Yes. That's it. If all goes well, it'll be published in April. Does Li Ji know about it?"

"Well, Guangzhou is only so big. When someone launches a new magazine or newspaper, the news always spreads very quickly in our industry."

"Haha, definitely. This time, 'New Vision' needs some models who can be regulars in the magazine, so I brought Xiao Chu and Mi Mi along. With a new magazine launching, there are always more opportunities."

"Um----"

Although it was their first time meeting, they managed to find something to talk about regarding the topic of "New Vision".

That's how the Bureau of Commerce works.

They present it with great fanfare and praise—but the core of it is mostly empty.

No matter how much two strangers laugh and joke around, they'll only exchange polite words.

Soon, the waiters started serving the dishes.

The restaurant is called "Zhen Hai Yi Pin," and as the name suggests, it mainly serves seafood.

When Li Mu saw the large, plump shrimp that were served first as a cold dish, he knew that this dish must be expensive.

Especially when the waiter introduced that these shrimp were all wild-caught —

Wild shrimp the size of a palm — whether it's real or fake is another matter, the name alone is enough to scare people.

Four cold dishes were served, and the banquet began.

Apart from Yang Mi holding a juice glass, the other three picked up wine cups and drank their drinks in one gulp.

Li Mu picked up a piece of corn kernels called "Golden Jade Abundance" with a dish similar to Longjing shrimp. He had just scooped up a spoonful when Zhang Jingchu next to him filled his glass with wine.

Then, after pouring the wine, Zhang Jingchu silently put on a pair of disposable gloves.

After Li Mu and Huang Feng had exchanged a few words, a large shrimp was placed on the plate: "Brother Li, please try this shrimp."

"Well----"

Li Mu looked at her in surprise, then politely thanked her, "Thank you."

"Haha, Li Ji, you don't need to worry about anything, just let Xiao Chu handle it."

Huang Feng laughed and then asked, "Speaking of which—Li Ji, I saw in your article that the 'Four Little Actresses' competition will be reviewed again every two years?"

Li Mu knew what he wanted to ask, or rather, what the essence of the question was.

So he smiled and nodded: "Yes, but definitely not this year or next. These kinds of awards are really about quality over quantity. So—according to my plan, the next selection will probably be in 2005 or 2006. Maybe even later. This selection only included those who debuted after 1995. I reckon the next selection will be for the year 2000 or later."

"I see."

Huang Feng nodded and picked up his wine glass again.

In fact, Li Mu could have stated the timeframe earlier, such as saying he would select again in 03 or 04—even if he didn't actually intend to select another candidate, saying it would have attracted even more attention once the news reached the actresses' circle.

Unfortunately, he had no desire to be tied to the entertainment reporter circle.

At first glance, it seems quite enjoyable. Like today's drinks, he didn't even have to peel the shrimp himself—

According to his girlfriend, it was common for him to have women on both sides of his body.

but----

In the entertainment industry, you can't even get a seat in the second or first row.

He knows it perfectly well.

As for what Huang Feng will think after receiving this news, that's his own business, and even Rong Xinda's own business.

It has nothing to do with him.

I didn't actually drink that much alcohol.

Li Mu had said from the beginning that he couldn't hold his liquor, so the three of them only drank one bottle of Moutai during the meal.

But—it must be admitted—Li Mu was well served.

Someone peels the shrimp, and someone serves the vegetables.

This girl named Zhang Jingchu—all I can say is that she knows how to get things done.

On the other hand, the girl named Yang Mi was quite restrained.

-

But—when Li Mu, emboldened by alcohol, found out her age and discovered she was only fifteen, he understood.

I was peeing there when I was fifteen — oh wait, no, that's not right either.

Fifteen years old, you've grown up a lot.

With a touch of melancholy, just as he thought the matter would end after finishing his drink, Huang Feng suddenly waved his hand: "Li Ji, I happen to have a friend who opened a place specializing in imported wine tasting. I've made all the arrangements there. How about we go relax a bit?"

Before Li Mu could refuse, he waved his hand and said, "Xiao Chu, take Mimi back with you."

"OK."

Zhang Jingchu nodded, and after Huang Feng persuaded Li Mu, she took the initiative to support Li Mu's arm: "Brother Li, let me help you, please take it easy."

Li Mu, who had drunk a total of three ounces of liquor and was otherwise perfectly fine, suddenly stiffened.

But he immediately softened, pretending to stumble, and nodded with a smile: "Okay."

Next, Huang Feng paid the bill, and the driver was waiting at the bottom of the hotel steps.

Zhang Jingchu helped Li Mu out of the car step by step, holding the back door open for him. After watching him get in, she said softly, "Brother Li, could you leave me your contact information?"

"----OK."

Li Mu smiled and handed over his second phone: "Make the call yourself."

Zhang Jingchu's eyes lit up.

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