After Divorce, I Can Hear the Future-Chapter 441: The Human Peach
The night grew deep, and Lu Liang bid farewell to the three of them, staggering to Phoenix City at Sanyuan Bridge. ๐๐ณ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ฏโด๐ฃ๐ฆ๐.๐ค๐๐
His tolerance for alcohol used to be quite good; half a liter of liquor was no problem, mainly because of social interactionsโno choice but to drink despite oneโs reluctance.
But over the past two years, as his wallet grew fatter and his social status rose, no one dared to force him to drink if he didnโt want to, which led to his decreasing alcohol tolerance.
"Little Love, Iโm here~~โ
Lu Liang got the house key from under the plants at the doorway, pushed the door open, and planned to give Zhang Tianโai a surprise.
However, when he saw the situation inside,
He was completely stunned.
There were a lot of people in Zhang Tianโaiโs home.
She was chatting on the couch with a certain actress, accompanied by five or six people like cameramen and lighting technicians.
The sound of the door opening
Also drew the attention of everyone in the room.
They all turned their heads one by one, their eyes widening in shock as if theyโd seen a ghost: โLuโฆ Lu Liang?โ
In the middle of the night, a well-known businessman visiting a famous actressโs home, it didnโt take a genius to guess the nature of their relationship.
Lu Liangโs appearance, like a top-ranking brother suddenly showing up during a live broadcast, also confirmed the rumors circulating online.
Zhang Tianโaiโs career trajectory always involved Lu Liang, and there were persistent rumors online that she was his lover.
Now it was proven beyond a doubt.
"Youโre filming a show?โ
Lu Liang smiled and waved a greeting, as long as he wasnโt embarrassed, it was everyone elseโs problem.
Zhang Tianโai got startled, jumped up from the sofa, and ran barefoot to Lu Liang, pulling him to the doorway with a look of distress on her face: โLiang, didnโt you see my message?โ
"What message?โ Lu Liang subconsciously pulled out his phone, to which Zhang Tianโai said, โFor the National Day on the 2nd and 3rd, Iโm participating in a reality show, to film the life of a single actress.โ
Lu Liang glanced at his phone and chuckled bemusedly: โNow I see it.โ
There were so many people in his WeChat, so many messages every day, how could he have time to look at them all.
For important matters, people generally called him; messages werenโt considered important.
Zhang Tianโaiโs face displayed disappointment, her words on the tip of her tongue only to be swallowed back, eventually turning into a sigh.
Now he sees the message, but it was too late.
"Then youโre busy, Iโll be off.โ
Lu Liang smiled wryly, touched Zhang Tianโaiโs cheek, and decided to find a hotel to stay in for the night.
The reason for returning to the city center was that he had to attend DiDiโs board of directors meeting tomorrow.
Staying too far away meant having to wake up early, and that could dull his mind.
"Actually, weโre almost done.โ
Zhang Tianโai suddenly held on to Lu Liang, not wanting to miss their time alone. If Lu Liang didnโt mind, he could stay in the kitchen and watch; it would be over in less than half an hour.
"Thatโs fine.โ
Lu Liang agreed, following Zhang Tianโai inside. The showโs director was very astute; his palm rested on top of the camera, which had already been covered.
He was all smiles: โMr. Lu, hello, Iโm Fan Yong from Mango TV, and weโre shooting the first look of โThe Flower of Youth.'โ
Out of all the satellite stations across the country, their Mango TV was the most powerful, and โThe Flower of Youthโ had reached its third season. Thanks to the success of the first two seasons, there was no shortage of sponsors or funds.
But personally, he lacked much, as every director has dreams of becoming a director. Familiarizing Lu Liang with him early on could be important for his future career.
"Director Fan, sorry to disturb you, carry on with your work, donโt mind me.โ
Lu Liang smiled and easily made his way to the kitchen, sitting at the dining table, supporting his chin with one hand, playing with his phone.
Zhang Tianโai had mentioned in her message that she was participating in a self-travel reality TV show.
In October, shooting at home on the 2nd and 3rd to capture the first look, then traveling abroad on the 28th for a 20-day trip.
Just reading about it, he felt somewhat envious; taking home a few million in pay and having fun, enjoying exotic cultures.
The executive director clapped his hands to grab everyoneโs attention: โGet ready, weโre starting to shoot again.โ
Zhang Tianโai took a deep breath, got back into character, and resumed chatting up the actress next to her about her concerns for the trip.
The actress, with or without intent, glanced at Lu Liang, and returned to the scripted situation, comforting Zhang Tianโai.
"Reality shows, in the end, are all about the show.โ
Lu Liang watched them stop and start filming, checking the script, even the touchy-feely part was all acted out.
It was well known that Mango TV was the most successful in terms of commercialization, truly a station worthy of birthing transformational shows like โDad! Where Are We Going?โ.
From the investorโs perspective, he agreed with this approach because improvisation involved too many uncertainties.
Time ticked by, and before long, it was the early hours of the morning.
With a snap, the shoot finally came to an end.
Fan Yong beamed: โThank you for your hard work, teachers. Thereโs some narration and dubbing left, which weโll do next Saturday when we gather in Star City.โ
He also smiled politely at Lu Liang and then led the crew out, leaving only Lu Liang, Zhang Tianโai, and the other actress in the room.
Zhang Tianโai glanced at Lu Liang with a smile and then murmured quietly, โMi, why arenโt you leaving yet?โ
"Ai Bao, thatโs not nice, just now you said youโd treat me to a late-night meal, and now youโre rushing me out?โ
The actress came up to Lu Liang with a beaming smile, introducing herself: โMr. Lu, hello, my name is Yang Mi.โ
"Hello Miss Yang, Iโve seen โThe Three Fairiesโ that you were in.โ
Lu Liang nodded with a smile and served the pot of congee that had been heated on the stove onto the dining table: โHow about we all have a little to eat then?โ
It seemed to be the takeout that Zhang Tianโai had ordered in advance, prepared to dine with Yang Mi after the shooting ended.
"Sure, thanks, Mr. Lu.โ Yang Mi said with a smile, not considering herself an outsider as she eagerly started to clear the dishes.
Zhang Tianโai puffed up her cheeks in a huff, hurriedly offering her help, โHow about I stir-fry a couple more dishes?โ
"Sure.โ
Lu Liang nodded and sat down at the table with Yang Mi.
Yang Mi didnโt refuse, kindly serving Lu Liang a bowl and cautioning, โMr. Lu, careful, itโs hot.โ
Watching this scene, Zhang Tianโai felt her head nearly explode with frustration, getting an uncomfortable sense of being reduced to a maid.
She was supposed to simply pick out the vegetables without needing a knife, but she unconsciously grabbed the kitchen knife and furiously started chopping on the cutting board.
"Little Love, do you have a problem with me staying?โ Yang Mi couldnโt help but chuckle.
Although her marriage was in name only at this point, she still maintained some semblance of propriety on the surface.
Starting as a child star, sheโd struggled through the years, always looking for a way to reach out to capitalists and striving to become one herself.
Lu Liang was one of the rare few at the pinnacle of that realm, and bumping into him tonight was an opportunity she couldnโt bear to miss.
After all, if it were any other occasion, even if she were lucky enough to meet Lu Liang, he probably wouldnโt give her the time of day.
The higher she climbed, the deeper her insights became; despite the adulation of being a star, in the end, an actor is still looked down upon.
"Iโm not upset~~โ
Zhang Tianโai replied in a muffled, grumpy voice, her accent slipping out.
Lu Liang said with a smile, โLittle Love is young; itโs normal for her to be jealous.โ
Yang Mi complimented, โThat just goes to show how charming Mr. Lu is.โ
"Miss Yang, just speak your mind.โ
Lu Liang drank his clay pot porridge, which had been stewing for too long and had become a bit mushy.
There are many ruthless people in the domestic entertainment industry, and Yang Mi was definitely one of them.
Some time ago, Little Wang sent him a video.
As a gossip enthusiast, Little Wang had thoroughly dug into this story, and all Lu Liang needed to do was swallow it down.
The person was indeed who she claimed to be, delivered into someone elseโs hands by her own husband, but restricted by her reputation and the antiโgambling agreement sheโd signed.
All she could do was grind her molars and swallow the bitter pill, letting public opinion ferment, playing the game of the Crown Prince Swap.
The authenticity of the video didnโt really matter; as long as it wasnโt proven, it was considered fakeโjust like Daqiangzi.
For a mere actress to achieve this was truly remarkable, surpassing most males.
"Mr. Lu, the thing is, last year I established my own media company, which has since produced several famous works.โ
Yang Mi talked about how she wanted to register her Jiaxing World Media on the New Third Board, but had been rejected by the Securities and Futures Commission.
Though her company had produced stars like Reba, who became a top-tier actress, it was all but name without actual capital, unlike the success of corporations like Huayi and the Wang familyโs ascendancy.
Lu Liang laughed, โI remember a while ago, Mr. Zhang from Mahua also asked me this question; they wanted to list on the Growth Enterprise Market. At that time, I had a friend inquire about it.โ
Yang Miโs eyes lit up with hope.
Lu Liang shook his head slightly, โThe entertainment industry needs rectification. Give it a few more years.โ
Last yearโs ban on Korean entertainment, this yearโs salary capโthese were just the prelude. With something bigger on the horizon, the Securities and Futures Commission was unlikely to approve.
If approved enterprises got embroiled in issues, it would simply be inviting trouble. It was better to wait for the tide to recede and tackle it later.
Yang Mi fell silent; although she had heard some rumors, hearing it directly from Lu Liang was as good as confirmation.
"Mr. Lu, thank you for enlightening me.โ She bowed deeply to Lu Liang, her face earnest.
Lu Liang smiled nonchalantly, โMiss Yang, please sit down and eat. If it gets cold, it wonโt taste good.โ
At that moment, Zhang Tianโai came out of the kitchen with two dishes, looking bewildered, โMi, what are you doing?โ
"Nothing.โ Yang Miโs gaze towards Zhang Tianโai couldnโt hide her envy; having connections was indeed an advantage.
As the night deepened, Yang Mi had only eaten half a bowl of the clay pot porridge and seeing it was getting late, she prepared to leave.
Before leaving, she plucked up the courage to ask, โMr. Lu, could I have your contact information?โ
"Do you want to scan mine or shall I scan yours?โ
"Iโll scan yours.โ
After Yang Mi left, Zhang Tianโai wore a look of quiet resentment, โLiang, do you like Mi?โ
"The beauty of a juicy peach is indeed very attractive.โ
Lu Liang rarely used the term โfeminine charmโ to describe a woman, since every woman has it to some extent.
But Yang Mi was different; she truly deserved the title of the earthly juicy peach. At 31, she was ripe to perfection.
Zhang Tianโai protested with dissatisfaction, โIโve got peachy buttocks too, and even abs that Mi doesnโt have.โ
"But you, you lack a filter,โ Lu Liang said with a laugh. He had not only watched โXian Sanโ but also โAlone on a Desert Island.โ
In his eyes, Yang Mi, like Anne Hathaway and Megan Fox, had a light filter on her.
Different from them, whose filters would shatter the moment you meet them offline, Yang Mi seemed even prettier than when she was younger.
Some flowers, through trials and tribulations, not only donโt fade but become even more dazzling.
That was why Lu Liang was willing to talk a little more.
Liking her was secondary; admiration was the primary reason.
"After this variety show ends, Iโm going to take on some acting roles too. Iโll definitely leave you with a thick filter.โ
"You were speaking so well, why are you crawling under the table?โ
"Without a filter, I need to put in more effort, right?โ
Zhang Tianโai remained under the table, her frustration poorly concealed.