A writer has arrived in the Chinese entertainment industry.

In fact, the investment fund of Shanghai Film Renewal was already a pretty good choice, but An Wenxiu was not greedy enough and always wanted to wait and see if she could find a more perfect candidate.

Investors are not a priority right now; Fusion Culture hasn't reached the point where it can't survive without investment. Rather, if it weren't for An Wenxiu's statement about "needing connections at higher levels," Fusion Culture could thrive entirely on its own.

Su Liu had to keep his appointment with Chen Duling. As early as the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, she had excitedly called him to ask when he would come over.

However, the need to establish a subsidiary and deal with people from Alibaba caused a few more days of delay.

In mid-February, the weather on Xiamen Island has become quite pleasant.

While Shanghai is still shrouded in winter, the sea breeze here already carries a hint of spring. The sunlight, thin and gentle, falls on the ring road, not scorching, but carrying a touch of sea moisture.

Su Liu walked out of Terminal 3 of Gaoqi Airport, holding his mobile phone and talking to Chen Duling.

"I've arrived, where are you?"

"Here, here!"

Her voice rang out simultaneously on the phone and in real life. Su Liu looked in the direction of the sound and saw Chen Duling waving at him.

He hung up the phone and jogged through the crowd of people leaving the station.

The afternoon sun shone on her. Chen Duling wore a beige knitted cardigan, with a white collared shirt peeking out from the neckline. Her long hair hung loosely over her shoulders, and her smile was particularly clear in the sunlight.

When Su Liu stopped in front of her, she lowered her hand and gave him a slightly playful look.

"Now he's something else entirely, not only a great writer, but also a great director."

"I was just coasting on set, you know that."

"That's impressive too," Chen Duling said, tugging at his sleeve as she gestured. "Let's go, let's get a taxi."

She led Su Liu briskly toward the taxi queue area.

"Speaking of which," Su Liu couldn't help but ask, "When you said your mother wanted to see me, were you joking or serious?"

Chen Duling nodded slightly with certainty, "Of course it's true, you're my only connection in the entertainment industry."

Su Liu was taken aback. What did this have to do with the entertainment industry?

"What's wrong?"

"Actually, at the end of last year, several film crews wanted to cast me in their productions." Chen Duling's voice was shy, as if she had done something she was embarrassed to say.

"Last year? Why didn't you tell me?"

"My mom said it was definitely a scam and told me to ignore it. But I was so busy studying that I forgot about it."

"No matter how busy you are, can you be busier than me? I haven't forgotten to tell you anything."

"Hey, whose fault is this?" Chen Duling curled her lip. "If you hadn't forbade me from getting tutoring from male classmates, I wouldn't be studying until midnight every day."

"Then...then you can ask a female classmate!"

"Big brother, do you even understand?" Chen Duling helplessly spread her hands. "There are only four girls in our School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, including me. Everyone is busy."

"If you ask me, it's mainly your school's fault. They drag you to stand up for every single activity."

"What do you mean by 'pulling me in'? I participated voluntarily."

"He's destined for a life of hardship," Su Liu muttered to himself.

"What did you say?"

"It's nothing."

The journey from Gaoqi Airport to Siming District, where Chen Duling lives, almost crosses the entire island of Xiamen.

The car drove south along Shugang Road and onto Lujiang Road. Chen Duling turned to the side, pointing out the scenery outside the window and enthusiastically introducing it to Su Liu.

"Look at that art museum, I used to come here often."

"And over there is Xiamen University."

Chen Duling's voice is usually low and soft, yet with a slightly harsh quality, which is why she often feels her voice isn't gentle enough. But at this moment, her tone is light and cheerful, her gestures constantly shifting as the buildings outside the window rush past.

Su Liu looked in the direction she pointed. To the right were some old-style arcade buildings and some newly built office buildings, while to the left was a vast sea.

"Why didn't you go to Xiamen University back then?" Su Liu asked.

She gave me a "does this even need asking?" look. "Of course I want to live far away from home, my mom is so strict with me."

"So your mom is going to Nanjing to be with you again next semester."

"There's nothing I can do about it, otherwise she'll be very worried. Besides, it's really inconvenient for me to stay in the dormitory now."

Now that film crews are actively seeking us out, it's really not suitable for us to stay in the dormitory anymore.

"Which two film crews are you referring to?"

If we calculate the time, could it be Zuo Er? But then Chen Duling uttered two names that Su Liu had never heard of before.

"Never heard of it."

"If you've never heard of it, then even if it's not a scam, it's definitely not a good production crew."

Chen Duling's family isn't particularly opposed to the entertainment industry; on the contrary, they're puzzled as to why anyone would want their daughter to act in a movie.

It's like when an ordinary person suddenly encounters something good, they become wary first.

The car turned off Lujiang Road onto a side street and eventually stopped at the entrance of a residential complex.

Chen Duling pushed open the door and led Su Liu into the room.

This is a small three-bedroom apartment of 90 square meters. You can see the entire living room as soon as you enter. The furniture is arranged neatly, but it feels a bit cramped due to the limited space. Several cushions are neatly stacked on the wooden sofa against the wall.

"Where are your parents?" Su Liu asked softly.

"You went to buy groceries, didn't you?"

Chen Duling excitedly pulled Su Liu into the house, saying, "Let me show you my collection!"

Pushing open the door, I saw a corner of the room crammed full. Several makeshift racks were covered with numerous wigs and colorful cosplay costumes. The desk next to it also took up most of the space, piled high with all sorts of hats, including more than a dozen baseball caps in different colors.

Wow, your mom actually puts up with you.

"Every time my mom comes in to clean, she nags me, saying that these things are only used once and then discarded, and that piling them up here is a waste of space," Chen Duling said with a grin. "But there's nothing I can do about it; they were all bought with money, and she can't bear to throw them away."

She stretched her arms and yawned, then lay down on the bed in a starfish shape, sinking into the soft bedding, her legs, clad in white leggings, dangling gently off the edge of the bed.

Su Liu sat down in the chair at the desk, her elbow accidentally bumping into a book on the table.

It was a rather thick collection of essays, with the title "Along the Seine to Florence" printed on the cover. He picked it up casually and flipped through it; the edges of the pages were naturally curled, clearly indicating that it had been read many times. It was the work of an elderly painter, recording his observations and reflections while sketching in Europe.

Why would Chen Duling, a young woman, like a collection of essays by a ninety-year-old man? That remains a mystery.

"Do you like Europe that much?"

Chen Duling turned her head and saw Su Liu flipping through her book. Her eyes lit up. "This is it. It was after reading this book that I really wanted to travel to Europe."

She smiled and continued, "We even gave up our plans to travel abroad just to host you."

"Oh my, I'm so honored." Su Liu said with a half-joking bow.

"No, no, it's an honor for us that such a great writer and director have come to our home to guide our work."

As she was speaking, the sound of a key turning in a lock came from the entryway, followed by the dull thud of a heavy object being placed on the floor.

"Hey, they're back!"