Chapter6

Although Meng Fanchuan had many friends in Hu City, he had just arrived a few days ago, and not many people knew about it. Moreover, it was unlikely anyone could find him at Zhongshi.

"Did she say what she wanted from me?" Meng Fanchuan didn’t pay much attention to the unfamiliar number.

He had encountered situations like this too many times. For example, when he went to Singapore to watch a race by a familiar driver, after the event, he found a pile of napkins and cards with phone numbers left on his seat.

Meng Fanchuan was indeed good-looking, with a standard three-part face and five eye-lines. His brows were high, and when his narrow eyes lifted, his gaze was both lazy and sharp.

Compared to his older brother Meng Qinghuai, who was mature and steady, Meng Fanchuan had always been rebellious and unruly. While everyone thought he should enjoy the luxury of being the Meng family's young master, he couldn’t care less and never liked to be confined to high-rise buildings.

That innate arrogance had never been tamed by anyone.

The secretary thought for a moment and replied, “No, she just said to contact her when you arrive.”

Meng Fanchuan paused, the action of tossing the note into the trash suddenly stopped mid-motion.

A dust bag?

A figure suddenly flashed in his mind, leaving Meng Fanchuan surprised.

Could it be her?

Wen Hui noticed the change in his expression and teased, “Is it an old acquaintance from Hu City?”

Meng Fanchuan didn’t respond, but the note he had planned to throw away was now carefully tucked back into his jacket pocket.

He smoothly skipped over the topic and walked further in, asking, “Where’s Wang Yuan?”

Wang Yuan, the deputy general manager of Zhongshi, who had received the news a little late, had already arrived at the 22nd floor.

“Mr. Meng!” Wang Yuan bent over and reached out his hand enthusiastically from a few meters away. “Why didn’t you give us a heads-up before coming?”

Meng Fanchuan casually shook his hand and pulled away. “What, are you going to roll out a red carpet for me?”

Wang Yuan awkwardly smiled. As Zhongshi’s deputy general manager, he frequently visited the headquarters in Beicheng, so he had heard a lot about this second young master’s deeds and methods.

He was very aware that Meng Fanchuan was like a blade without a sheath, incredibly sharp and needed to be handled with extreme caution.

As they conversed, all the company’s executives received the news and gathered, standing in a neat row, offering their welcome, “Welcome, Mr. Meng, to Hu City. Mr. Meng, you’ve worked hard.”

But Meng Fanchuan furrowed his brows, clearly uninterested in such flattery. “Cut the crap.”

Wang Yuan quickly dispersed the group and led Meng Fanchuan, “Mr. Meng, your office is ready. This way, please.”

The office prepared for Meng Fanchuan had a 360-degree view of the river, but for him, no matter how good the scenery was, it still felt like a prison.

He hated the lifestyle his older brother lived: sitting in endless meetings, reviewing piles of documents, and having a marriage that was nothing more than a business alliance. Every step of life was pre-planned, unbearably dull.

So after spinning lazily in his office chair, he asked, “Anything important? If not, I’m off.”

Wang Yuan was stunned. “Huh?”

Wen Hui knew Meng Fanchuan wasn’t interested, so she tried to mediate. “Why don’t you listen to the company’s recent work plan?”

Wang Yuan wiped his sweat and quickly reported, “The company recently partnered with the British FIN channel to shoot a financial documentary. We’re also working on distributing several foreign films in the mainland. But right now, the most important project is the International Ski Festival in Mingzhou this January. The local government is placing great emphasis on it, and they want us to make a promotional video. We plan to collaborate with renowned director Xie Qingzong…”

“Alright, I got it.” Meng Fanchuan rubbed his temples, clearly uninterested.

Wen Hui had already discussed the work with Wang Yuan days ago and took out a notebook, reminding Meng Fanchuan, “So I’ve already scheduled a meeting for you with Director Xie.”

Meng Fanchuan lazily responded, “Huh? I’m not interested in auditioning for the male lead.”

Wen Hui was speechless. “Focus. If this promotional video satisfies the Mingzhou government, it could help calm down half of Mr. Meng’s anger.”

Wen Hui had hoped mentioning Meng Songnian might change Meng Fanchuan’s attitude, but unexpectedly, he paused for a moment, looked up, and nonchalantly replied, “Is that all?”

Wen Hui & Wang Yuan: “…”

Meng Fanchuan stood up and started putting on his coat. Wang Yuan didn’t dare stop him. Initially, he thought he could let the young master amuse himself and go through the motions, but since Mr. Meng had given clear orders to make sure Meng Fanchuan remained low-key and introspective, Wang Yuan couldn’t afford to let him stir up trouble in Hu City.

After thinking it over, Wang Yuan finally spoke up, “Mr. Meng, just a moment. Last night at the Hua Mansion... that Ceng Zhen, what’s your relationship with her?”

Wang Yuan had also been invited to the banquet the previous night.

Meng Fanchuan didn’t expect him to bring up Ceng Zhen and frowned. “Why are you asking about her?”

Wang Yuan carefully weighed his words, warning, “She’s a small actress, but she offended an investor in the Hu circle. Now, those directors and crews are avoiding her, not wanting to cause any trouble. Since you’ve just arrived in Hu City, it’s better to stay low-key.”

Although Meng Fanchuan’s status was too high for anyone like Shen Zesheng to touch, his trip here was for personal growth, and Wang Yuan privately felt that it was better to avoid getting involved in such messy situations.

However, after hearing this, Meng Fanchuan lowered his head for a few seconds, then unexpectedly smiled.

This smile left both Wang Yuan and Wen Hui puzzled, but the second young master of the Meng family was always hard to read. One moment he was smiling, and the next, he stood up, fastening his coat. “If that’s all, then I’m off for the day.”

Wang Yuan: “…”

After leaving the office, Meng Fanchuan got into his car and took out the note left by the receptionist.

To confirm whether Ceng Zhen had come to find him, a single call could clarify.

But deep down, Meng Fanchuan, with his pride as a young master of a prestigious family, felt that the person could be Ceng Zhen, or it could be someone else. Until he was certain of the identity, he restrained his curiosity.

The note was casually tossed into the storage compartment, but after a few minutes, Meng Fanchuan picked it up again.

It seemed today, his curiosity couldn’t be controlled.

He didn’t call directly, but instead sent a text message: "Meng Fanchuan is at the company."At that moment, the text message reached Cen Zhen as she just entered her house. Seeing the message, she turned around immediately: "I'll be there soon, tell him to wait for me."

Meng Fanchuan naturally asked the key question: "Which of his friends are you?"

The girl on the other side was completely unguarded: "Tell him my surname is Cen."

It really was her.

Upon seeing this message on the screen, Meng Fanchuan's lips subtly curved, and the irritation and impatience from earlier in the company suddenly vanished.

Cen Zhen waited for two days but did not receive any further messages from the secretary. After she mentioned her surname, she was told that Meng Fanchuan had left the company again. The missed opportunity made Cen Zhen frustrated. She saved the secretary’s number in her phone and asked every morning: "Has Young Master Meng come to the company today?"

The reply was always a simple one-word response: "No."

She still felt uneasy with the suit and the brooch that hadn't been delivered, as if there was an unresolved relationship lingering in her mind, constantly bothering her and preventing her from finding peace.

Today, Cen Zhen had an audition.

The renowned filmmaker Xie Qingzong, who had been silent for three years, was making a new reality-based film. The movie would explore the dark side of human nature through the twisted emotions of a restructured family. His team made it clear that the film was aiming for the Cannes Film Festival in two years, so many actresses had come for the audition.

The audition took place in the multimedia hall of a star-rated hotel. The entire floor was booked by the film crew, and they had been seeing actresses for a month.

When Cen Zhen arrived, many people were already waiting in the corridor outside the hall, most of whom were familiar faces from television. Cen Zhen found a spot to stand. Occasionally, people would glance at her, curious if this unfamiliar face was a newcomer from a big company or someone with connections.

As usual, she sent a message to the “secretary”: “Hello, may I ask if Young Master Meng came to the company today?”

As soon as she finished sending it, a voice came from behind her—“Cen Zhen? Is it really you?”

Cen Zhen looked up and recognized her old university classmate, Gu Ying.

They weren’t particularly close, but Cen Zhen nodded, "Long time no see."

"It really has been a long time," Gu Ying looked at Cen Zhen's flawless face, which still appeared perfect without any makeup. The phrase "Heaven rewards those who work hard" suddenly made sense to her. Her tone couldn't help but carry a hint of envy, "So, you're auditioning for Director Xie's movie too?"

Cen Zhen replied with a simple "Mm."

Gu Ying gave a half-smile, "But today is the audition for the female lead."

Her words were a reminder that even established actresses were lining up for the female lead role. It was rare for someone like Cen Zhen, who hadn't even started filming six months after graduation, to be considered for the part.

Cen Zhen wasn’t humble, nor was she arrogant, "I'm here for the female lead. Is there a problem?"

"No problem," Gu Ying smiled ambiguously, patting her shoulder twice, "Good luck."

Everyone could tell that her "good luck" was more like a prelude to watching Cen Zhen fail.

Though her words hadn’t left a bitter taste, after Gu Ying left, Cen Zhen still fell into a brief moment of emotional downturn. She knew she was most likely going to fail, just like before. But even so, she still wasn’t willing to give up. She wanted to try.

Just then, her best friend Qiao Tingting called, which distracted her from her thoughts, "Baby, how's the audition for Director Xie's movie?"

Both were former classmates, but not all of them were like Gu Ying, looking down on others. Qiao Tingting had stumbled into a girl group competition in her senior year of university. Unexpectedly, her outgoing personality had made her popular, and she went down the idol path, now thriving in her career.

Cen Zhen answered, "It hasn't started yet, but I ran into Gu Ying."

"Ah? That's really bad luck," Qiao Tingting was clearly not a fan of Gu Ying. "I ran into her at an event recently. She came up and hugged me, calling me ‘darling,’ and I almost had goosebumps."

"Please, do we know each other that well?"

"I also heard from a friend that she failed a chin surgery, and now she looks like a witch. Did you see her? Is it true?"

Qiao Tingting kept gossiping, making Cen Zhen laugh despite herself.

"Baby, you need to be confident. Your acting skills are already on the next level compared to hers. Just wait for the right opportunity, maybe Director Xie will recognize your talent?"

Cen Zhen nodded, "I hope your words come true."

Though Qiao Tingting’s words were comforting, they were enough to make Cen Zhen temporarily forget her doubts and pressures.

Maybe her luck wasn’t great, but even if others saw it as overestimating herself, she still wanted to give it a try.

Meanwhile, upstairs in the hotel suite.

Sunlight poured in, and steam rose from the freshly brewed spring water. Xie Qingzong poured the tea leaves into the pot and stirred it gently with a spoon. After a while, he poured two cups of tea, handing one to Meng Fanchuan with a smile, "Try it."

The green tea in the cup looked like a misty blue rain. Taking a small sip, it seemed as if one could feel the broad-mindedness and generosity accumulated through years of life experience from the tea master himself.

From Wen Hui, Meng Fanchuan had learned about Xie Qingzong's life. It was much like this tea, steeped through several rounds, weathering many ups and downs, enduring numerous storms, to finally settle into the glory he had now.

Though Meng Fanchuan had no interest in the promotional video, as a son, when his mother, Zhuang Jiayu, called him last night saying she had a headache and felt unwell, he immediately understood. She couldn’t be unwell at home when she was spoiled by his father, even in her fifties.

The headache was clearly something only he could see.

Although Meng Fanchuan and his father often disagreed, he did listen to his mother to some extent.

That night, he read the plan for the promotional video and, now facing Xie Qingzong, decided to go along, "It's truly a pleasure to drink tea made by Director Xie."

Xie Qingzong smiled and shook his head, "It's just simple tea, Young Master Meng is too kind."

Although others said Meng Fanchuan was carefree and unruly, Xie Qingzong knew that the children raised in the Meng family, despite their rebellious nature, would never lack proper upbringing and refinement in their bones.

Meng Fanchuan said again, "It is an honor for us that you are directing this promotional video."

"Rest assured," Xie Qingzong refilled his cup, "I already have some ideas. Once the auditions for the movie are over in the next couple of days, I’ll discuss them with you in detail."

"Okay."

As he noticed his phone vibrating, Meng Fanchuan glanced down to see another message from Cen Zhen.

He had been away for a few days, and it was clear that the girl was still thinking about him. He quickly replied, "I’ll be there in the afternoon."

At that moment, the assistant director, responsible for managing the actors, entered with a stack of documents and said, "Director Xie, here are the profiles of all the actresses auditioning today. You can have a look in advance."

Xie Qingzong took the documents and turned to Meng Fanchuan, "Young Master Meng just entered this industry. I have an audition today, would you like to come with me and observe?"

Meng Fanchuan put his phone away and smiled lightly. Before he could say anything, he noticed that Xie Qingzong had accidentally dropped some of the documents.

The assistant director bent down to help pick them up, and Meng Fanchuan’s gaze involuntarily fell on the papers, where he recognized a familiar photo.

It seemed that the assistant director also noticed Cen Zhen’s profile. He frowned and muttered, "How did she get in here?"Xie Qingzong didn’t hear clearly, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.” The assistant director naturally pulled Cen Zhen’s form away, “One of the actresses can’t be used, I’ll take it off.”

The initial screening of the actresses was the assistant director’s job. Besides considering factors like height, looks, and how well they suited the role, some subtle interpersonal factors were also part of the selection criteria.

After all, there were those who brought money into the group, and inevitably, there were also those who would find ways to prevent others from joining.

The assistant director said she couldn’t be used, and Xie Qingzong didn’t think much of it. However, when he was putting the stacked documents back on the desk, the page he was holding was suddenly and gently pulled away.

The assistant director was taken aback and looked toward Meng Fanchuan.

The man lazily took Cen Zhen’s audition form, raised his eyebrows to glance at it, then slowly and steadily placed it at the very front of the pile of documents on the desk.

“We’ll only know if she can be used after seeing her,” he said.