Chapter 48: So Impatient

Li Xiaoping was still the same: long black straight hair, black clothes, and skin that was dark, but it looked healthy enough.

She sat across from them, stood up, and poured tea for both of them: "Have you two ever thought about making a movie?"

"We're preparing to shoot." Fang Hong didn't hide it—anyone could find out about this.

They wanted to invest because they saw how high the box office was for their films, hoping to replicate the same success.

This is what happens when you've made it—people come to pour tea for you!

"Oh! Still a youth campus theme? That genre's hot right now—if you keep making similar films, you'll definitely make money." Li Xiaoping became interested.

"Not the same type—it's a romance about heartbreak." Fang Hong said.

"That's fine too. Do you still need investment? This time, rest assured—we won't touch your script, you'll have full creative control."

Li Xiaoping thought about the theme—it was just moving the campus setting into society, pretty much the same thing.

Fang Hong paused, then said gently: "I'm sorry, General Manager Li, but I need to be clear: this film already has investors—the funding's been secured, we don't need more."

Beside him, Chen Zhixi turned to look at him, but said nothing.

Just go with Fang Hong's idea!

Actually, she still preferred multiple investors—who knows if the next film will make money? What if it flops?

"Oh, I see."

Li Xiaoping was disappointed, but still said: "Alright, then let's collaborate next time."

Several film companies, like Li Xiaoping's, had come to invest in Fang Hong's movies—even Guo Xiaosi reached out, wanting him to keep making similar films.

But Fang Hong had politely turned them all down.

Yesterday they ignored you; today you're too good for them.

Why let these people take a share of a clearly profitable film?

Guo Xiaosi isn't just a director writing novels—he also invests, like in the films *Master* and *Zhi Zhi Hua Kai*.

Behind TV series like *Shao Shuai* and *Clara Lovers*, there's also his investment.

Today is August 25th—Liu Tianxian's birthday.

Fang Hong wanted to call her, but picked up his phone and put it down again—he didn't understand why she was angry at him, and he still had some pride.

Lately, even meals tasted bland—he picked up an egg from his instant noodles and placed it in Yu Xian's bowl.

"Eat more!"

"What about you?"

Yu Xian slurped his noodles and unhesitatingly swallowed the egg whole.

They'd been eating nothing but instant noodles lately—the egg had become their luxury.

There was no choice—no money, and what little they had kept shrinking.

"I'm fine. I'm strong and healthy. You burn through so many descendants every day—you need the nutrition more." Fang Hong said.

It sounded like he was driving, but Yu Xian was deeply moved.

"Ding ding ding!"

As they ate their noodles, Fang Hong's phone rang—he picked it up, saw an unknown number, assumed it was Li Min, and answered immediately.

He'd left his number in the email so they could contact him easily.

"Hello, are you, are you the Principal?"

The voice on the other end sounded nervous.

Fang Hong didn't confirm—he asked: "Who is this?"

Logically, Li Min shouldn't know his title as Principal, so he didn't know who this person was.

"It's me—Lu Dabo. Principal, don't you remember me?" Lu Dabo's voice was anxious.

"Oh, it's you. I remember."

Fang Hong recalled: "What do you want?"

"I got fired. That day I was taken away by the police. Now I have no job." Lu Dabo sounded miserable.

He'd only ended up like this because he believed Fang Hong's nonsense.

"You didn't name me, did you?"

Fang Hong's tone quickened—he cared first about himself.

If he went to jail, it'd be a lifelong stain!

"No, I didn't say anything about you. I'm already out—they didn't pressure me." Lu Dabo said.

Good. Fang Hong relaxed—he was still loyal.

"But no other film crew will take me." Lu Dabo added.

"No problem. If they won't take you, I will. I'm about to start a new film—come handle logistics." Fang Hong was loyal too.

"Thank you, Principal."

On the other end, Lu Dabo's face lit up—he'd done that thing hoping the Principal would take him in, give him a stable anchor.

Over the phone, Fang Hong learned how Lu Dabo had been taken away.

He thought he'd been discreet, but the *A Chinese Ghost Story* crew had found out that very night and called the police.

Lu Dabo was arrested the next morning.

That timing—it was the same morning Liu Tianxian kicked him out.

Thinking of it, Fang Hong suspected: had Liu Tianxian guessed he'd been the one inciting it, and rushed to get him gone so he wouldn't get caught?

Liu Tianxian was always smart—it was normal for her to guess.

But why didn't she say it outright?

That night, the *A Chinese Ghost Story* crew held a simple birthday ceremony for Liu Tianxian and wheeled in a birthday cake.

The director, lead actors, and crew of the production team formed a circle, all eyes on the focal point—Liu Tianxian.

Yu Shaoqun held out a bouquet of celestial flowers and presented them, saying, "Yifei, happy birthday!"

"Thank you!"

Liu Tianxian took them and gave a polite smile.

Then, in the warm atmosphere, surrounded by everyone's well-wishes, she blew out the candles stuck in the cake.

That simple—just a little ceremony.

Afterward the group dispersed; the remaining scenes still needed to be filmed.

Liu Tianxian returned to her own bedroom, leaned against the headboard, and picked up her phone again. Right then she wanted to call someone, to ask what that person was up to.

To ask that person—weren't they supposed to be friends? How could they not even call on her birthday.

Yet the reserve a woman ought to have made her hesitate.

"Beep beep beep!"

Hearing the phone ring, Liu Tianxian instinctively pressed the answer key.

"Hello, Xixi, happy birthday." The voice on the other end was a woman's.

"Mom, why are you calling at this hour?" Liu Tianxian, hearing it was her mother's voice, felt a measure of disappointment.

Liu Xiaoli asked, puzzled, "What, are you still filming at this hour?"

"No, I'm already resting." Liu Tianxian gathered her composure.

Mother and daughter chatted for a while; there wasn't much to talk about—just family matters and private topics unfit for outsiders.

Family is family; some topics aren't meant for outsiders to hear.

Liu Tianxian hung up the phone, fiddled with it for a while, then set it down and prepared to wash up.

As for that dead man—get lost!

"Beep beep beep!"

The phone rang again. Liu Tianxian, hearing it, walked back, picked up the phone, and had a look.

Seeing it was that man's number, the corner of her mouth curved into a slight arc.

She didn't rush to answer, letting the other side "beep" for a while. Calling only now clearly showed no sincerity.

Sometimes she could be quite childishly temperamental.

After letting it "beep" for a while, Liu Tianxian figured the timing was about right. Just as she was about to press the answer key, the phone screen suddenly went dark—the other party had hung up.

She stamped her foot: "How can this person have so little patience."

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(End of chapter)