Chapter 163: Chance Encounter with Ying Zhicheng

Regarding the specific details of future cooperation, Li Luo and Yuan Wanqing only chatted casually over lunch, without delving too deeply.

After all, it's still too early to discuss these matters now.

They haven't even begun their first interview collaboration, and the effectiveness of this approach remains unclear.

Everything still depends on how public opinion and traffic develop before any proper judgment can be made.

So, after lunch, the group rested briefly on the living room sofa, and Yuan Wanqing suggested setting out.

She instructed the cook to clean up, then led them downstairs, where her private chauffeur car had already been waiting.

Qianzhou glanced around curiously and followed them into the car.

This was his first time ever riding in a celebrity's chauffeur car.

The entire vehicle was a stretched luxury business car; after opening the door, a small opposite-seating space greeted them, with two rows of seats on each side.

Yuan Wanqing naturally sat on the right-side soft seat near the driver, Yan Zhusheng took the seat opposite her, then patted the seat beside him, inviting Li Luo to sit down.

When Qianzhou entered the car, he glanced at the empty seat beside Yuan Wanqing but didn't dare sit there, so he slipped into the rear row behind Li Luo and Yan Zhusheng.

The assistant closed the door and took the front passenger seat: "Sister Yuan, shall we head to the company?"

"Mm, let's go." Yuan Wanqing nodded. "Have the Wenxue Group people arrived?"

"They've already arrived." The assistant nodded. "They're preparing in the interview room; once we get there, we'll go to the makeup room first, then begin the formal interview."

As Li Luo sat in the car, about to be interviewed, he felt a slight nervousness.

After all, in both his past and current lives, he had never experienced being interviewed alongside a celebrity.

Fortunately, Qianzhou had already sent him all the questions Wenxue Group had prepared in advance, giving him ample preparation.

They were all fairly routine questions.

At least nothing as sharp as the ones Yuan Wanqing had asked over lunch.

With the Memory Palace at his disposal, Li Luo wasn't worried about any mistakes.

After all, interviews are recorded; if he says something wrong, they can just re-record it.

……

Huayue Film and Television.

Ying Zhicheng sat in his office reviewing documents; when it neared one in the afternoon, his secretary knocked and entered, whispering beside him: "Director Ying, your flight is at three this afternoon; you can start preparing to leave."

"Mm." Ying Zhicheng nodded, finished signing the documents, twisted his neck in his chair, and said, "Let's go."

He stood, put on his suit jacket, walked ahead, and his secretary followed closely, briefly reporting the rest of the schedule.

Ying Zhicheng listened as he walked, occasionally nodding, then asked: "How's Yuan Wanqing doing lately? 'Nianlun' has been very popular, right?"

"Ms. Yuan's schedule is packed with engagements lately," the secretary replied, clearly aware that Yuan Wanqing's comeback was personally supported by Ying Zhicheng, so he kept close tabs on her; now he spoke easily of her status.

"Today she has an interview at the company."

"Oh?" Ying Zhicheng paused, glanced at the time on his watch, "Would it be alright to spend a few minutes to take a look?"

"Yes, there's still enough time." The secretary nodded and quickly led Ying Zhicheng in the direction of Yuan Wanqing's interview room.

Following the secretary to the makeup room next to the interview room, Ying Zhicheng knocked, then pushed the door open.

Inside the makeup room, Yuan Wanqing sat before the mirror, with a makeup artist and hairstylist assisting her with her look.

The assistant and Yan Zhusheng sat on the nearby sofa waiting.

As for Li Luo and Qianzhou, they were currently in the adjacent interview room, confirming the interview content with Wenxue Group's host, so they weren't here.

As soon as Ying Zhicheng stepped in, Yuan Wanqing saw him in the mirror and smiled: "Director Ying, what brings you here?"

"I'm catching a flight this afternoon, so I had a little free time." Ying Zhicheng smiled, walked behind Yuan Wanqing, and looked at her reflection, "You've definitely stabilized your position now, right?"

"Just luck." Yuan Wanqing shook her head with a wry smile. "It was a twist of fate—I owe you thanks for recommending 'Nianlun' to the 'Yaochi Xianyuan' production team; otherwise, I wouldn't have such a good opportunity now."

"Opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared." Ying Zhicheng patted her shoulder. "Only those with real ability can turn opportunities into advantages."

Here, Ying Zhicheng paused, then asked: "I heard that during your music department's recent meeting, Zhai Senlei said something?"

"It's nothing major." Yuan Wanqing smiled faintly. "My new album didn't perform well, so some skepticism is natural."

"But I did come across two decent songs—I couldn't resist acquiring them."

"Same lyricist and composer as 'Nianlun.'"

Ying Zhicheng nodded as he listened, but when he heard the end, his expression turned skeptical.

In his memory, "Nianlun" was written by Yuan Wanqing's daughter, wasn't it?

"Your daughter wrote a new song?"

"Huh?" Yuan Wanqing was momentarily stunned, then realized, and burst out laughing.

She waved toward the sofa: "Zhusheng, come here."

"Oh." Yan Zhusheng obediently walked over to Yuan Wanqing's side and greeted Ying Zhicheng: "Hello, Uncle."

"This is my daughter," Yuan Wanqing introduced. "You probably met her a long time ago?"

"That was over a decade ago." Ying Zhicheng looked at Yan Zhusheng and couldn't help exclaiming, "I suspected it when I walked in, but I didn't expect it was really your daughter."

"Mm." Yuan Wanqing nodded, then said, "'Nianlun' wasn't written by Zhusheng—it was written by one of her classmates."

"We have a small recording studio at home; her classmate wrote the song, so Zhusheng invited them over to record it."

"Later, it was sent to Luo Fei, and we heard it."

"So that's how it was." Ying Zhicheng nodded in understanding. "Then this classmate must be quite talented? Did they write another new song?"

With "Nianlun" having gone viral, this lyricist-composer already had a solid achievement backing him.

Although a song's success involves many factors, it didn't stop Ying Zhicheng from showing him greater respect.

"Yes," Yuan Wanqing said. "If Director Ying is interested, you could listen to it when you have time."

"I trust your judgment," Ying Zhicheng smiled. "I'm not a professional in this area; if you think it's good, that's enough."

At that moment, the secretary leaned close to Ying Zhicheng and whispered: "Director Ying, time's almost up."

"Oh, okay." Ying Zhicheng nodded and said, "Then I'll go first—I still need to catch a flight."

"Take care, Director Ying," Yuan Wanqing said. "Next time you're free, let me treat you to a meal."

"Alright, I'll remember that."

Ying Zhicheng waved his hand and left the makeup room, then followed his secretary downstairs.

But he had barely taken two steps when he bumped into Li Luo, who was just coming out of the interview room.

Ying Zhicheng stepped back half a pace, frowned, and was about to say something—when his gaze landed on Li Luo's face, and he froze.

"Li Luo?"

"Uncle Ying?"

The moment Li Luo saw Ying Zhicheng, his mind went blank—he never expected to meet him here.

But the next second, he realized something, and his expression changed instantly.

"What are you doing here?" Ying Zhicheng asked, puzzled. "Isn't that an interview room inside?"

"This... uh..." Li Luo grabbed Qianzhou behind him, signaling him not to speak, then forced himself to calm down. "I'm classmates with Miss Yuan's daughter. Today I went to visit her house, and just happened to hear Miss Yuan was coming here for an interview, so I tagged along to see the sights."

"Is that so?" Ying Zhicheng gave Li Luo a thoughtful look but didn't press further—after all, he still had to catch his flight.

So he nodded and said, "I've got things to do—I'll leave first. Enjoy yourself here."

"Yeah, yeah..." Li Luo nodded frantically, and only after watching Ying Zhicheng leave did he finally exhale.

"Who was that just now?" Qianzhou asked curiously.

"Uh... a relative of mine."

"Then why didn't you tell the truth?"

"If you'd written a novel like mine, would you say it?" Li Luo rolled his eyes at him.

Qianzhou fell silent at the question.

He had to admit—it really was hard to admit.

After all, Qianzhou himself was a devoted reader of Li Luo's novel and knew exactly how many cars the kid had driven in it.

If a relative found out, it would be the ultimate social death...

At this moment, Li Luo was already numb.

He knew Ying Zhicheng worked somewhere in Yuhang City, and vaguely that it was some film or TV company.

But he had no idea which one.

Who could have imagined such a coincidence—that he'd just run straight into it?

Yuan Wanqing was actually a singer under the film company where Ying Zhicheng worked.

If he'd known that earlier, Li Luo probably would've reconsidered whether to accept the interview at all.

After all, if Ying Zhicheng found out what kind of novels he wrote and casually mentioned it to Ying Chanxi, he felt he wouldn't survive.

But just as Li Luo thought he'd gotten away with it, inside the elevator on the other side, Ying Zhicheng was deep in thought.

After stepping out of the elevator and reaching the underground parking lot, Ying Zhicheng got into the car and told his secretary:

"When I get back from my business trip, look this up for me."

"Find out which of Miss Yuan Wanqing's daughter's classmates wrote the lyrics and music for her songs."

The secretary paused slightly at the order but didn't ask further—only nodded and replied, "Yes, Director Ying."