A perfect life begins with changing the timeline.

"Hey, I just finished filming, hehehe, just one last scene left before I wrap up! Wait for me, I'll be there around 6 PM, get ready and wait for me!"

What incredibly vulgar and offensive language!

Li Mu closed the book "Atonement" and smiled:

"Don't worry, we have plenty of ammunition!"

"Get lost, you're so irresponsible!"

After saying that, Fan Bingbing couldn't help but laugh out loud:

"Hey hey, where are you?"

"I'm having lunch with Chen in the dorm. You know her, right?"

"Didn't you ask her to play ball with you yesterday?"

For some reason, a sense of vigilance rose in Fan Bingbing's heart.

"Yeah... Oh, right, I've found a place to play tennis! It's the Capital Indoor Stadium we went to yesterday, it's a really nice place. Lots of privacy, the courts..."

"Baby, tell me first, what's going on between you and Chen?"

"ah?"\

"No, answer me now!"

"We're fine. What kind of question is that? We only met yesterday, what could possibly be going on between us?"

"So you still saw her today!?"

"I'm returning her tennis bag."

Li Mu was both amused and exasperated.

"We bought the same tennis bag, but we mixed them up yesterday. I took hers instead, so I have to return it today. She seemed to have something to do this morning, so we asked to have lunch together. Oh well, I won't eat there. I'll just tell her, drop off the books, and leave."

"……real?"\

Why would I lie to you?

"...Hmph, who knows if you're telling the truth. But, okay, I'll believe you this once. Lunch is the only option, understand? No alcohol! And no..."

"Sister, aren't you overestimating your boyfriend's charm?"

"Bullshit! You're underestimating yourself."

"Keep playing, I really like it."

"...Hehe, then you wait for me to come back."

"Hiss~ Is the exceptionally talented flutist coming?"

"Hmph, I'll have to go back and check the goods first, see what's good of them. Who knows if you've done anything wrong?"

"Ha, well, just you wait and see. If I can get you out of bed today, I'll consider myself incompetent."

The sweet and erotic language exchanged between the young couple, separated for two months, now felt incredibly real.

But the girl on the other end of the phone beamed with joy:

"Then wait for me... I can't chat with you any longer, or we'll break character. You stay home and wait for me!"

"Um."\

After hanging up the phone, Li Mu loosened his sweatpants.

He'd been holding back for two months, and it was incredibly stifling for him.

It's all Liu Xiaoqing's fault!

Um!\

……\

Li Mu stayed in the dormitory until after 11 o'clock. Just as he received a call from Chen and was about to leave for the famous "Old Mo" Western restaurant in Yanjing, Sui Kuan hurriedly returned.

"Oh? You actually decided to come back?"

Looking at Fatty Sui's smug expression, Li Mu made a joke.

Sui Kuan chuckled:

"Hehe, I won't be back for a few days, we're going to Sanya for fun... You're not going this Golden Week, are you?"

Li Mu was speechless for a moment.

"You two are making such a quick progress? Also, where is Sanya?"

"By the sea, in Hainan Province."

"...Who's paying?"

"It's definitely Huayi Brothers, is there even a question?"

"..."\

Li Mu remained silent and waved his hand:

"Go ahead."

"Alright, I'll bring you some local specialties when I get back. Where are you going?"

"Let's go have dinner with Chen."

"Chen?... Holy crap! 'Postmen in the Mountains'?"

"Hmph, you'd better go to the beach with your Miss Feng. I'm off to dance with the Dong girls~"

"……Oh shit."\

envious!\

Amidst Sui Pangzi's envious gaze, Li Mu picked up his bag and quickly walked out of the dormitory.

I flagged down a taxi and headed straight for the Old Mo Restaurant.

Unfortunately, he didn't know the address; Beijing was still a somewhat unfamiliar city to him.

Upon arriving at Lao Mo's place, he spoke to the waiter and was immediately led to a private room, where he saw Chen, who was wearing light makeup.

It must be admitted that her appearance was indeed very attractive to the opposite sex, and Li Mu was no exception.

Fortunately, while Li Mu might lack other skills, he possessed excellent self-control. So, after a brief moment of slight amazement, he quickly suppressed his smile.

Chen, who had been all smiles, was taken aback...

I wondered, what's going on?

But as the door closed, she saw reporter Li quickly approach her, stand beside her, and lower his voice, looking down at her:

"Did you bring the goods?"

"..."\

Chen's lips twitched.

I wondered to myself, are we exchanging some shady stuff?

But as an actress, she also lowered her voice in agreement:

"Where's the money?"

"Here."

Li Mu patted the tennis bag in his hand.

So, Chen casually picked up the bag from the chair next to him:

"Let's inspect the goods."

"Hmm. You'd better not try anything funny!"

"You... pfft... you too!"

Amidst the beautiful woman's suppressed laughter, the two completed the exchange of gym bags.

Of course

After they opened their books and glanced at each other, Chen's face instantly darkened:

"You're playing me? This isn't what we agreed on."

"Do I have to be on guard against you?"

Li Mu lifted his jacket and handed over the book he had been tucking under his arm.

"Haha... Li Ji has a real talent for acting."

In an instant, the dark clouds dispersed.

Li Mu chuckled:

"Really? I think so too. Is this book personally signed by the author? I took it out this morning and looked at it; it even had a signature on it?"

"right."\

Chen nodded:

"Ian McEwan, he's one of my favorite authors. This copy of *Atonement* is an autographed copy that I had a friend in England queue up to buy for me!"

"There's no Chinese translation yet?"

"I can't wait any longer."

Upon hearing this, Li Mu casually replied:

"That teacher, Mr. Chen, has very good English."

It would have been better if he hadn't brought this up.

Upon hearing this, Chen immediately recalled their conversation on the phone that morning about the book's title containing theological terms, and said:

"My English is actually quite average. To be honest, I read this book very slowly. When I encounter unfamiliar words, I have to look them up in the dictionary, and it might take me half an hour to read just one page."

"Well……"\

Li Mu was speechless for a moment, recalling his reading speed, thinking to himself that he could only finish a page in two or three minutes.

You'll read for half an hour?

That would mean...

You don't recognize most of the content on that page, do you?

Suddenly, his eyes lit up with a strange look.

Chen also noticed Li Mu's strange look, and as an actress, she clearly understood his unspoken message...

So, out of curiosity, I asked:

"Li Ji's English is very good, isn't it?"

"good."\

"Are you able to communicate normally with foreigners?"

"Yes. Communication, reading, and even writing are all fine."

"Wow? That's amazing?"

Chen's eyes were filled with surprise, and he subconsciously looked at the book beside him:

"So the content of this book isn't a problem for you either?"

"Hmm. Where is Teacher Chen looking?"

"I just started reading. I haven't even finished the first chapter yet... You started reading this morning?"

"I read it. I got to the part where Cecilia and Robbie are entangled in a relationship. Chapter 3~"

"stop!"\

Chen quickly interrupted him:

"Don't spoil it! Don't spoil it! I'm not listening!"

"ha."\

Li Mu smiled and nodded.

Chen asked again:

"What do you think of this book?"

"It's alright, but I'm not very sensitive to Western literature... how should I put it, I'm not very sensitive to it. Or rather, stories told from a female perspective don't appeal to me very much. Maybe I'm a bit chauvinistic, but I prefer stories that begin with a male protagonist, like *The Count of Monte Cristo*."

Once these topics were discussed, Chen suddenly became wide awake:

"What kind of books does Li Ji usually like to read?"

"Hmm, quite a lot."

Li Mu recalled the books he had read in Guangzhou some time ago, and said:

"If we're talking about more story-driven books, the one I recently read is *Crime and Punishment*. I read a wide variety of books, not just novels, but other kinds too. But unfortunately… because of Liu Xiaoqing's situation, I haven't had that kind of quiet time to read for a long time."

"ah?"\

In an instant, a glint appeared in Chen's eyes:

"So, Li Ji also enjoys reading?"

"Yes, reading, playing chess, tennis... those are currently my three biggest hobbies."

"You can play chess? What kind of chess?"

"Go."

"You can play chess too?"

Seeing the older woman's eyes shining like light bulbs, Li Mu chuckled:

"You can do that too?"

"Hmm! But... my skill level is just average."

"That's unfortunate, my skill level is actually quite low. But I just love pondering things; Go is... pretty addictive."

"Yes, it's incredibly addictive. The decisions—giving, taking, advancing, and retreating—are all made on that small chessboard."

"The chessboard may be small, but it's like a vast world, isn't it?"

"Yes, yes, yes! That's such a perfect description!"

Suddenly, Chen felt as if he had met a kindred spirit.

If the initial purpose of arranging lunch was simply to build a relationship...

But as they started talking, she suddenly realized that they had so many things in common!

My interest was piqued immediately.

Then, there was a knock on the door of the private room.

Old Mo's men started serving the food.

First up was the salad. Li Mu didn't know what Chen had ordered, but since he was already there, he figured he might as well go with it. But when the dish, called "Waldorf Salad," arrived, he was immediately taken aback.

"...Are you sure this is a Waldorf salad?"

As the waiter announced the orders, Li Mu instinctively asked...

The waiter nodded:

"Yes, this is our new salad."

"...Is this black vinegar?"

Li Mu pointed to the thin ring of black sauce on the surface of the salad.

As he spoke, he picked up the plate and sniffed it…

It's Italian balsamic vinegar.

Waldorf Sands

"Pshaw, mayonnaise with balsamic vinegar, are you sure?"

"Uh...yes, sir, that's how it's paired."

"...Okay, got it."

Li Mu nodded politely, but Chen asked curiously:

"What? Is there something wrong with this salad?"

Upon hearing this, Li Mu shrugged:

"Try it, be careful, it might be sour."

Chen, half curious and half doubtful, picked up some food and put it on his plate, then tasted it.

Instantly, a rich, fruity tartness combined with the tartness of mayonnaise filled my mouth.

It made her facial features distorted into a jumbled mess.

"It's so sour!"

"Ballad vinegar is indeed a perfect match for salads. But because its own sweet and sour, rich flavor, with the fruity aroma of grape juice and the complex layers of oak aging, is so distinct, it clashes particularly well with salads made with mayonnaise. Waldorf salad is a signature salad in New York, with a base of apples, celery, and mayonnaise, and then they add balsamic vinegar... That's why I just asked her if she was sure it was made that way."

"Hiss~"

Chen quickly took a sip of water to wash away the sour taste in his mouth.

But looking at the man sitting across from her, curiosity resurfaced in her eyes:

"Li Ji...can you cook?"

"Um."\

This time, Li Mu did not feign modesty:

"My cooking... if it's at Lao Mo's current level..."

He pointed at the salad and chuckled:

"Ha, I'm ten times stronger than it."

Looking at the man whose eyes and brows radiated confidence and arrogance… suddenly, a previously nonexistent emotion stirred within Chen…

A deep sense of curiosity.

She grew increasingly curious about the man before her.