I was criticized on a dating reality show, but I retaliated and became an internet sensation.

Lanman's tone remained unchanged:

"Whether you fight for it or not, if you act well, no one will say anything. If Director Fei dares to use you, then you should dare to act."

She paused, then added:

"By the way, after signing the contract tomorrow afternoon, the crew has arranged a dinner party in the evening. Director Fei, the producer, the screenwriter, and the lead actors will all be there to have dinner together and get to know each other beforehand."

Shu Zi nodded: "Okay, I understand."

After Lan Manwen finished speaking, she hung up the phone decisively.

Shu Zi took out her phone and searched for Qu Xuan's information.

The woman in the photo has delicate features, a cool temperament, and a sense of aloofness in her eyes. Her resume is indeed impressive, with several of her overseas works receiving high ratings.

She looked at it for a while, put down her phone, and looked up at Gu Yan across from her.

Gu Yan had already put down his chopsticks and was looking at her.

"Is it settled?" he asked.

"Um."

Shu Zi nodded. "The lead actress will sign the contract tomorrow afternoon."

She bent down, picked up a slice of beef, dipped it twice in the pot, and then continued:

"However, Qu Xuan was originally slated to be the lead, but Director Fei replaced her with me at the last minute."

Gu Yan picked up the water glass beside him and took a sip. His expression didn't change much; he simply gave a faint "hmm."

Shu Zi sensed something was off, tilted her head, and looked at him: "You know Qu Xuan?"

Gu Yan put down his water glass and said calmly, "We've met a few times before, but we're not close."

Shu Zi rested her chin on her hand, her gaze sweeping over his face: "A few meetings? What kind of few meetings?"

Gu Yan looked up at her, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Baby, are you interrogating me?"

Shu Zi didn't deny it, and looked at him with a smile: "Yes, I'm interrogating you, so tell me the truth."

Gu Yan paused for a moment, then said, "She pursued me when we were abroad."

Shu Zi blinked, paused for a moment, then exclaimed "Whoa!" and leaned back.

"So that's how it is. Mr. Gu's in-demand, huh? What's the story behind it? Tell us!"

"No story."

Gu Yan immediately replied, speaking much faster than usual:

"I refused on the spot, and my attitude was very clear, leaving no room for negotiation."

Shu Zi clicked her tongue, picked up a piece of tripe, dipped it in the pot, and slowly asked:

"That girl is so outstanding and beautiful, why won't you say yes?"

Gu Yan looked at her, his tone unwavering: "I don't like it, so I won't agree."

Shu Zi gave an "Oh," drawing out the last syllable, then bent down to rummage through the pot, picked up a slice of potato, poked it in her bowl, and spoke with a hint of sourness in her voice:

"I don't like it, so I won't agree. But what if I do like it?"

Gu Yan put down his chopsticks and looked at her face: "No, I don't want to."

Shu Zi wouldn't let him off the hook, tilting her head and smiling as she pressed on:

"You never know. What if one day you're walking down the street and bump into a stunningly beautiful, incredibly talented woman who can drive a Ferrari with one hand? Are you sure you wouldn't be tempted?"

Gu Yan looked at her, remained silent for two seconds, then slowly curled the corners of his lips into a smile, his voice lowering slightly:

"Baby, you don't want to sleep tonight, do you?"

Shu Zi's heart skipped a beat, her smile instantly crumbled, and the potato she had just picked up fell back into her bowl with a "plop".

Oh no, we've gone too far.

Gu Yan added slowly, with a lazy smile in his voice:

"Since you're so worried, baby, I'll let you experience tonight whether I'm even tempted."

Shu Zi's ears suddenly burned. She quickly picked up a piece of beef and stuffed it into her mouth, waving her hand indistinctly:

"Don't worry, don't worry, I'm not worried at all! Let's eat, just pretend I just farted."

Gu Yan's smile deepened as he watched her cower so quickly.

He slowly picked up a slice of beef and put it in his bowl, as if he were letting her off the hook.

Shu Zi secretly breathed a sigh of relief, lowered her head and focused on eating her rice, not daring to pick up any more dishes, for fear of stirring up some conversation again.

Gu Yan looked at her obedient three-part response of "I was wrong, I'm eating, don't look at me," and smiled slightly. He didn't tease her anymore, but just occasionally put a piece of food into her bowl.

The hot pot meal ended in a subtle silence.

Shu Zi quickly finished the last few bites of rice, put the bowl on the table, wiped her mouth, grabbed her phone, and almost knocked over the chair when she stood up.

She grabbed the back of the chair, said, "I'm full, I'm going upstairs first," and before Gu Yan could reply, she had already slipped out of the restaurant and ran upstairs in her slippers.

She heard Gu Yan chuckle softly behind her, and she ran even faster.

Back in her room, she closed the door behind her, leaned against it, and let out a long breath, finally feeling alive again.

She stood by the door for a few seconds, patted her burning cheeks, slowly moved to the beanbag chair, and sank into it.

Her phone vibrated, and when she picked it up, she saw several messages from Lan Manwen.

The boss: "I've sent you the electronic version of the contract. I've highlighted the key clauses in yellow. Go through it first."

Big Sister: "See you at the film set tomorrow afternoon at 3 PM. Also, the location for the dinner party tonight was chosen by the production team; I'll go with you."

Big Sister: "By the way, I've compiled a link to some clips from Qu Xuan's works. Take a look when you have time to get to know her acting style, since we'll be acting together later."

Shu Zi replied "Received", opened the contract and quickly browsed through it. After confirming that there were no outrageous clauses, she exited the page.

She watched some clips of Qu Xuan's work for a while and found that she was indeed a talented actress with delicate emotional transitions and a good sense of camera presence.

After reading it, she turned off her phone, rubbed her eyes, and got up to take a shower.

Hot water gushed down, and steam filled the entire shower room.

Half an hour later, she came out of the shower, changed into a loose cotton nightgown, her half-dry hair draped over her shoulders, and plopped herself onto the bed.

She lay on the bed, propped up on her elbows, holding a tablet in her hands, her legs raised, her ankles crossed and swaying in the air.

She clicked on a show she'd been watching recently, intending to use it to clear her mind.

The plot was reaching its climax, and she was so engrossed in watching that she didn't even react immediately to two knocks on the door.

"Nuonuo?"

Shu Zi, her eyes still glued to the screen, casually replied, "The door isn't locked."

The door was pushed open a crack, and Gu Yan stood in the doorway holding a glass of warm milk.

He glanced at the woman lying on the bed holding a tablet, his gaze lingering for a moment on her expression, which was completely absorbed in the story, before walking in.

"Since you ate spicy food tonight, drink some milk so you don't have an upset stomach in the middle of the night."

Shu Zi's attention was still on the plot, and she didn't even look up.

"Mmm, mmm, let's leave it there."