It's just that they have money.

"Of course I can settle this debt on my own, but what you've given me is not just an opportunity, but also a glimmer of hope," Zhang Siyuan said, becoming more and more agitated. "To be honest, the setback last time was a huge blow to me. If I couldn't get over it, I might really have to be someone's deputy for the rest of my life."

"Mr. Fang, let me toast you."

"it is good."

The two drank from a cup of water, like two non-drinkers performing an ancient ritual.

Water may be less flavorful than wine, but the heart is as sincere as water.

The dishes are here.

Fang Chen picked up a piece of food, chewed it twice, and swallowed it.

Zhang Siyuan also picked up his chopsticks, but ate very little, taking only one bite of each item.

"You eat so little?" Fang Chen asked.

Zhang Siyuan put down his chopsticks: "I'm used to it. When filming, we don't eat on time, so my stomach has shrunk."

"Health is the foundation of everything. I'm helping you balance your accounts because I hope you'll work for me. I don't want to see your health ruined."

"clear."

The two chatted for a while while eating, discussing the script, casting, and filming schedule.

Fang Chen paid the bill and walked out of the restaurant with Zhang Siyuan.

It was getting dark outside, and the streetlights cast long shadows of the two people, one taller and the other shorter, lying parallel on the sidewalk.

"Mr. Fang, I'll go back and wait for your message."

"it is good."

As Fang Chen watched Zhang Siyuan leave, before he could even turn around and head to the parking lot, he received a call from Zhao Xiaole.

"Brother Chen! Uncle Wang doesn't need me anymore, I'm unemployed now! Are you still in Jiangcheng? I'm coming to find you!"

"Come."

Zhao Xiaole arrived the next morning.

Fang Chen went to pick him up from the hotel. Zhao Xiaole was carrying a backpack, wearing a flashy short-sleeved shirt and sunglasses. He looked like he had just returned from a beach vacation.

Fang Chen parked his car in front of him, rolled down the window, glanced at him, and couldn't help but laugh.

"What are you wearing?"

Zhao Xiaole looked down at his floral shirt and said confidently, "I'm officially giving myself a few days off, a vacation vibe."

Fang Chen said irritably, "This is the inland area."

Zhao Xiaole opened the car door, got in, threw his backpack into the back seat, and fastened his seatbelt: "Do you still have a car? I'd like to pick you up and drive for a few more days."

"what?"

Zhao Xiaole took out his phone, scrolled through it, and suddenly laughed.

"What are you laughing at?"

Zhao Xiaole turned her phone around to show him. On the screen was a photo of a girl with long curly hair, big eyes, exquisite makeup, wearing a white dress, standing by the sea.

It's Chen Wenqian, whom I had dinner with last time.

"All done?" Fang Chen asked.

Zhao Xiaole put his phone back in his pocket, leaned back in his chair, and put his hands behind his head, looking like a victorious general.

"She's graduating soon, her thesis is finished, but her defense hasn't started yet, so I have to wait for her in Jiangcheng for a few days. I need to have a car to drive during these days, right?"

Fang Chen remained noncommittal: "Your dad doesn't care about you anymore?"

"Why should I care? Uncle Wang doesn't need anyone, and I'm just sitting at home doing nothing anyway," Zhao Xiaole said matter-of-factly. "Besides, I'm finding him a daughter-in-law, okay?"

Fang Chen didn't reply and started the car.

Seeing that he didn't say anything, Zhao Xiaole moved closer. "Brother Chen, my dad ate the blueberries you sent me last time."

Fang Chen raised an eyebrow: "Didn't you say you didn't want to be with your dad?"

"Of course you should give good stuff to my dad. Besides, your brand is just starting out, and you still need connections to promote it. My dad knows a lot of people. The people in my dad's circle may not have much else, but they're discerning. If you can get their opinions, your brand will be established."

Fang Chen smiled.

He didn't explain this to Zhao Xiaole, but he still took the initiative to do it.

Zhao Xiaole may look like a playboy second-generation rich kid, but he knows a lot about things.

The two sat down facing each other at a decent restaurant.

"Where is your dad lately?" Fang Chen asked.

"Hengdian, of course. Where else could he be? His film is almost finished with preparations, but he's short on funds. He's been having dinner with investors every day, but it's not really about the food; it's about saving face. He'll have dinner and drinks, and then they'll say they'll think about it some more, and he'll have to wait. He'll invite them again after that, and then wait again."

"I don't want to live like him, it's exhausting."

"So what do you want?"

"Carefree and happy."

"A carefree and happy life?"

"Yes, carefree and happy."

"You seem to be having a pretty carefree and happy time right now."

"No, it's not that I don't have money."

As soon as he finished speaking, they both laughed.

It's not that they're so poor they can't afford to eat.

Maintaining this carefree and happy life actually comes at a considerable cost.

Zhao Xiaole scrolled through her phone for a while, then suddenly looked up.

"Brother Chen, could you please change the packaging of your blueberries?"

"How do I change it?"

"Be more generous. When it comes to gifts, the packaging is what matters. Your blue and white packaging is fine for personal consumption, but it's not good enough for gifting. People in my dad's circle don't look at what's inside when they give gifts; they look at the box."

Zhao Xiaole gestured with his hand to indicate the size: "Make a gift box, red and gold, lined with velvet inside, with the fruit arranged one by one, like jewelry."

"You do know a thing or two."

"I don't understand. I've seen my dad receive gifts for so many years, I've figured it out by now."

Zhao Xiaole chuckled twice, as if mocking himself for how the things he had been exposed to since childhood had finally come in handy.

"By the way, have you two officially become boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"It's just one step away from success."

Fang Chen still felt there was a possibility that Zhao Xiaole might be targeted by the old man, so he changed the subject: "What was she studying again?"

"New Media, I want to do live streaming after graduation."

"Unreliable."

"Yeah, what live streaming business is reliable? The streamers scam the big spenders, and the companies scam the streamers."

Fang Chen thought to himself that this wasn't what he meant by "unreliable".

But judging from his expression, he didn't point it out.

"How much did you spend to pick up girls before?"

"The most I ever opened was a dance training class, but I didn't lose money," Zhao Xiaole said thoughtfully for a while. "If you only count the money I received and the expenses, it was only a little over 100,000 yuan."

"It's alright, just don't spend too much."

That's all for this.

"Then I definitely know."

Fang Chen didn't know if he really knew.

"But this time seems different," Zhao Xiaole suddenly said.

"Oh?"

"In the past, it was just a matter of having a meal, giving someone a bag, booking a hotel room, and that was it. Next time, we'd find someone else, and the process was the same." Zhao Xiaole's voice wasn't loud, and her speech was much slower than usual. "She's different. I get a little nervous every time I see her, just like when I was in middle school."

"Alright."

If the two are truly in love, any further words from Fang Chen would make him look like a villain.

Fang Chen took the car keys out of his pocket and tossed them over.

Zhao Xiaole caught it, and the key tapped against his palm, making a crisp sound.

He gripped the keys and laughed, but it wasn't his usual carefree grin.

Thanks.