A leisurely life starting in a bar after being reborn

Fu Yan groaned softly, his tense muscles slowly relaxing. Xu Wenshu's technique wasn't professional, but the temperature was just right. The cool cream applied to his burning skin felt like drinking a sip of ice-cold soda on a hot summer day—comfortable from the inside out.

"Will you still find it too hot later?"

"It's not hot anymore, I'm not soaking anymore." Fu Yan rolled over, letting her rub her chest. "If you're happy, you can soak it yourself."

Xu Wenshu curled her lips slightly and continued wiping.

After wiping him down, Fu Yan lay limply on the bed, like a dried-out salted fish. Xu Wenshu leaned against him, reading a magazine, occasionally reaching out to pat him, as if flipping him over.

"How was your day?" she asked.

"That's great, I ran into an old classmate I hadn't seen for seven or eight years, we bumped into each other in the parking lot."

"What a coincidence?"

"And that's not all—" Fu Yan recounted the events of the day from the beginning, including Zhang Lei, Wang Mengmeng, Guan Chao, Zhao Xue, and Zhao Xue's alumni relationship with Fu Xiao.

Xu Wenshu blinked in surprise after hearing this: "You mean Guan Chao's wife is your sister's senior from school?"

"Yes, he's from the English Department of Yenching Normal University, two years ahead of Fu Xiao."

"This is too much of a coincidence..." Xu Wenshu put down the magazine. "Don't you think there really is such a thing as fate in this world?"

"I don't know." Fu Yan put his arm on the pillow. "Anyway, after going around here today, I feel like it's all fake."

"What's fake about it? This is fate." Xu Wenshu poked his stomach. "It just means you're a lucky person."

"Lucky people won't soak in a 43-degree bathtub for half an hour."

"Higher water temperature is needed to relieve fatigue, don't you understand?"

Fu Yan was too lazy to argue with her, so he closed his eyes and smiled.

-

The following evening, Fu Yan went to the bar as usual.

The business at Gui Chu has stabilized. There aren't too many people on weekdays, but it's not deserted either, with about 70-80% occupancy—not bad, not good. Qiu Kai was wiping glasses behind the bar; he hadn't arrived yet at midnight. The resident singer was a young man playing guitar and singing folk songs. His voice was alright, but his song choices were too depressing, each song more melancholic than the last.

Fu Yan sat in his usual spot, a glass of whiskey beside him, sipping it intermittently.

Around nine o'clock, five people came in through the door.

Leading the group was Xu Zheng, whose bald head shone so brightly it reflected the dim bar lights. Behind him were four men, two tall and two short, dressed in various styles, but all sharing one thing in common—they all wore expressions that said, "We need your help."

As soon as Xu Zheng entered the room, he looked around and quickly located Fu Yan's position. He then pulled a few people behind him and rushed over.

"Brother Fu!"

Fu Yan put down his wine glass, glanced at Xu Zheng, and then at the four people behind him. He recognized two of them first—Wu Jing and Deng Chao.

Wu Jing still looked like a tough guy, with a buzz cut, a black T-shirt, and the muscles in his arms stretched the sleeves taut. Deng Chao, on the other hand, was all smiles, dressed casually, and looked like the kind of person who could strike up a conversation anywhere.

"Wu Jing? Deng Chao?" Fu Yan stood up and shook hands with the two of them. "How did you two end up together?"

"Brother Fu, seeing is believing!" Deng Chao was very outgoing, shaking hands as if he were seeing a brother. "Xu Zheng said you opened a bar in Houhai, and I've been wanting to come and support you. I finally got the chance today."

"Hello, Brother Fu." Wu Jing didn't say much, but his handshake was very strong, almost crushing Fu Yan's hand bones.

"No, no, no, you're older than me. I grew up watching your TV dramas, so I can't call you 'brother'."

Hahaha~~

Fu Yan rubbed his hands and looked at the other two middle-aged men.

One looked to be in his fifties, with a square face, glasses, and slightly graying hair. He wore a dark gray jacket and looked quite refined. The other was about the same age, tall and thin, with a bit of a beard, wearing a faded denim jacket, and had a bit of an artist's vibe.

"These two are director Cao Baoping and director Liu Jiang," Xu Zheng introduced, his voice noticeably lower than usual.

Fu Yan's gaze towards Xu Zheng changed.

Xu Zheng shrank back under his gaze and chuckled dryly twice.

"Brother Fu, about this matter..."

"We'll talk about it later." Fu Yan raised her hand to interrupt him, then nodded to Cao Baoping and Liu Jiang, "Hello, directors. Please, have a seat. What would you like to drink?"

The group sat down at Fu Yan's table, and Qiu Kai quickly brought over the drinks. Fu Yan didn't rush to ask anything, but chatted with Wu Jing and Deng Chao for a bit first—Wu Jing was currently preparing to film a military drama, and Deng Chao had just finished attending an event; they were just idly chatting about whatever came to mind.

After a round of drinks, Fu Yan finally looked at Xu Zheng.

"Speak, what is it?"

Xu Zheng held his wine glass, his expression subtle—a little guilty, a little embarrassed, and a little helpless.

"Brother Fu, I admit I was dishonest in this matter." He admitted defeat first. "Last time when we were signing the contract for Yang Qing's movie, I was drunk and bragged to them that I knew an investor who was generous and didn't ask for much..."

Fu Yan raised an eyebrow.

"Then they wouldn't let me go," Xu Zheng said with a bitter face. "Wu Jing and Deng Chaoxian contacted me, saying they also needed investment and asked me to help make connections. I didn't want to mention you, but these two kept calling me every day..."

"I didn't do it every day!" Deng Chao shouted. "I only hit it three times!"

"Three times isn't enough?" Xu Zheng glared at him, then turned back to Fu Yan and said, "Later, Director Cao and Director Liu heard about it and came over too—Brother Fu, I really couldn't take it anymore. These grown men took turns harassing me, so I could only..."

"They sold me off like a fat sheep."

"I wouldn't say I'm selling..." Xu Zheng's voice trailed off, "It's just that I noticed you really like movies... so I thought I'd make an introduction."

Fu Yan stared at him for a few seconds, and Xu Zheng felt his scalp tingle from his gaze, holding his wine glass and not daring to move.

Cao Baoping and Liu Jiang exchanged a glance, the atmosphere becoming somewhat tense. They had no choice; finding investment was incredibly difficult these days, especially for directors like them with little fame. They'd run around with their scripts, only to be completely ignored. Having finally heard of such a generous investor, even if it was through a "recommendation," they had to bite the bullet and go for it.

Fu Yan sighed.

"Okay, I understand." He took out a few business cards from his pocket and handed them to the people present. "However, we won't talk about business tonight, just drinking and chatting. If you want to attract investment, come to my office tomorrow. Call ahead and Lin Xiaochen will arrange a time for you."

The group breathed a sigh of relief and accepted the business cards.

Deng Chao was the first to raise his glass: "Brother Fu, you're so generous! Come on, let's have a drink!"

Without saying a word, Wu Jing picked up the glass and downed it in one gulp, then poured himself another glass—this man drank alcohol like it was water, without the slightest hesitation.

Cao Baoping and Liu Jiang were no slouch either; the two middle-aged men had an astonishing capacity for alcohol, drinking one glass after another without batting an eye. Xu Zheng, sitting beside them, was also forced to drink until his bald head shone even brighter.

Deng Chao was a natural at making friends, quick-witted, and could tell a string of inside jokes, making everyone at the table laugh. Wu Jing was a man of few words, but every sentence he uttered was to the point, and his occasional dry humor was even more effective than Deng Chao's long-winded speeches.