Chapter 246: (Washing Machine's Wit and the Shura Field Instance — bonus for every 300 monthly votes)

At 8:30 in the morning, after finishing his morning training, little Liu disguised herself and strolled to the front of the Ice Cellar Wang Fu.

According to intelligence, the Washing Machine should have flown back yesterday; why hadn't he answered his phone?

She decided to just barge in and mooch a breakfast.

Since they were catching a flight to Yinchuan together today, she had stayed at the courtyard house last night.

A-Fei opened the door: "Sister Yifei, so early?"

"Where's Lu Kuan? Still sleeping?"

A-Fei's brain stalled for a moment; he racked his brains trying to recall how his boss usually bragged.

Why hadn't the boss arrived yet?

"Hey, begging for food so early in the morning?"

Lu Kuan strolled over from the side of the alley, his eyes still heavy with sleep.

Yesterday, Bingbing happened to be in Beiping as well; Boss Lu, having labored all night, drove back himself. It was a case of "better to arrive early than to arrive at the right time."

"What have you been up to?"

Little Liu scrutinized him suspiciously from head to toe, then stepped a bit closer.

"I went to exercise! Just like you, morning training!"

"Liar, you're wearing leather shoes to exercise? You haven't even broken a sweat."

Boss Lu waved a hand: "Tsk! You clearly don't understand."

"Do you know what kind of person is the most badass on the court? The old grandpas in flat-soled shoes."

"Poor students have too much stationery; the better the gear, the worse the skill, get it?"

"I'm traveling light, acting on impulse."

Liu Yifei didn't believe his nonsense, but she hadn't found any solid evidence, and the scent on him was normal.

The two walked into the courtyard, where the early-arriving Huaiyang cuisine chef was preparing breakfast.

"What are we eating today?"

"Eel noodles. You're on a diet, you can't eat this, it's too high in calories."

Liu Yifei protested: "I came all the way to your place to mooch this delicious meal, I even trained for an extra half hour on the machines this morning. I must eat it!"

Boss Lu carried hot tea and led her to the kitchen, watching the master chef operating with practiced ease.

"Director Lu, one moment, this broth needs to simmer a bit longer."

Chef Qiao was 55 this year, but he maintained himself well and looked no different from a 40-year-old.

He was the nephew-in-apprenticeship of Wang Yinzeng, a famous Huaiyang cuisine state banquet master from Yancheng, Su Province.

The latter had served for years at the Jin Ling Hotel and had twice been stationed as a head chef at the American Embassy.

It was just that old Qiao hadn't taken over his uncle's position because he had retired to care for his wife's health and his children's education; he was currently experiencing a bit of a lull.

Boss Lu paid him a monthly salary of 10,000, with the requirement that he be on call, and the remuneration for each meal was calculated separately based on the scale of the occasion.

Chef Qiao was naturally endlessly grateful, as he could properly care for his sick wife and children.

A simple breakfast like today's naturally wasn't calculated separately; everyone was a person of class, and these minor details weren't pursued.

Little Liu watched the chef's fluid, cloud-like movements from the side, filled with curiosity.

Actually, she wanted to learn some culinary skills.

"Chef Qiao, why do you use crucian carp to make eel noodles?"

Old Qiao looked at the female star who had no airs at all and explained patiently: "The crucian carp is used to simmer the broth and enhance the freshness."

"Boss Lu likes to eat eel, but the water quality here in the capital isn't great, and the quality of the eel is quite average."

"So I use the crucian carp to make a broth base and simmer it together with the eel bones first, filter out the bones, and then stir-fry the eel shreds before boiling the noodles. That way, it tastes better."

Eel noodles were a very home-style dish, found everywhere in Su Province; it was just a bowl of noodles topped with shredded eel.

It was just that a state banquet chef's broth base was more particular; he had already arrived an hour early to simmer it.

Lu Kuan saw Liu Yifei watching intently, her mouth almost watering: "Little Liu, you're such a foodie, you could do a show in the future."

"What kind of show? You want to trick me into working for you again, right?"

"Eh, this is for your own good. In this show, you could eat different delicacies from all over the country every day, all original and authentic."

Boss Lu laughed: "I have an idea: to make a food culture show called 'A Bite of China'. Didn't you just promote traditional Chinese clothing in Paris?"

"Food is also a part of our culture going global."

"For example, there's a food in Suide County, Northern Shaanxi, called Huang Momo. The show would involve stars participating in the production of original, authentic food."

"Not only introducing the production process and flavor characteristics of Huang Momo, but also telling the life story of the old man who makes them and his persistence in this traditional craft."

"Allowing the audience to understand the food while also feeling the life attitude and emotional world of ordinary people, deeply excavating the philosophical thoughts contained within Chinese food culture."

Liu Yifei and old Qiao were both stunned by his wild imagination.

Old Qiao said excitedly: "This show is great! Not to mention other places, just in my hometown, Su Province, with its thirteen prefecture-level cities, we could film at least 130 episodes!"

Super loose-packed, right?

"Also, when I used to cook for foreign guests, those foreign devils would meticulously ask about the ingredients and methods for every dish they ate. They are very curious about Chinese food."

Liu Yifei looked at it from the perspective of an ordinary audience member: "First show the food, then tell the story. If it were me, I think I would be quite receptive."

"When are you making this show? I want to sign up!"

Boss Lu laughed: "We'll see. I was just mentioning it off the cuff."

At the current point in time, the popularity and entertainment value of such a show weren't very high.

It could work on Travel Satellite TV, but it would be better to use it to drive traffic to the video website he was about to establish.

On Mytube, it could be used to attract foreigners interested in Chinese food;

On the domestic video website he was about to launch, he could open up communication and exchange through the bullet comment function, which would be much more effective than airing it on television.

The foodie in Liu Yifei's stomach could no longer be suppressed; she sat at the dining table and began to taste the delicacy.

"I didn't bring my hair tie, so annoying!"

The young girl gathered her hair to one side and gently stirred the noodles with her chopsticks, letting the eel shreds and noodles mix thoroughly.

Then she picked up a small bundle of noodles, hanging with fresh eel shreds and rich broth; the chewiness of the noodles and the tenderness of the eel intertwined in her mouth.

A beauty and a delicacy—it was a refreshing sight.

"You really are a good dining partner."

Little Liu looked up in the midst of her busy eating: "What's a dining partner?"

"It means that when I eat with you, I can eat two extra bowls even if it's dog shit."

"Go to hell, that's disgusting!"

Liu Yifei pouted and threw a crumpled napkin at him; Boss Lu had already finished a bowl in a whirlwind.

Lu Kuan stood up and stretched, standing outside the foyer smoking, watching Liu Yifei happily go to serve herself another bowl.

She can really eat; who could afford to support her in the future!

In 2004, Beiping didn't yet have the severe air pollution of later generations; Boss Lu leaned against the foyer, watching the sky, blue as if washed, and leisurely blew smoke rings.

A fish tank under the eaves, a pomegranate tree, a gentleman, a fat dog, and a chubby girl.

At this moment, the artistic conception in the courtyard was complete.

Retiring when the time was right and living a life like this wouldn't be bad at all.

At 2:00 PM, the flight from Beiping to Yinchuan landed; the *Exotic* crew, along with Tian Zhuangzhuang, headed from Hedong Airport to the hotel.

Lu Kuan and Tian Zhuangzhuang were both award presenters.

If *Exotic* weren't participating in the selection, Lu Kuan could probably have squeezed into the jury panel with his status as Vice Chairman of the Directors Association, but it would have been meaningless.

Yinchuan had a history of over 1,300 years as a city, leaning on the Yellow River to the east and the Helan Mountains to the west, also known as the "Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall."

This was the first time the country's highest film awards were being held in a city in the northwest interior; along the way from the airport to the hotel, film festival promotional advertisements and banners were fluttering.

Lu Kuan and Tian Zhuangzhuang chatted in the Coaster.

"Is the post-production for *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* finished?"

"The domestic part is almost done, but some shots still need to be reshot, and then it needs to be taken to Hollywood."

"The difficulty of the facial makeup special effects is too high; Butian Yinghua doesn't have the technical capability yet."

This referred to making Lu Kuan's face into different age states and projecting them onto actors of different heights; for those too young or too old, only special-type actors could be used.

Liu Yifei listened silently from the side, wishing she could grow enough to handle the female lead in his films, so she could act in any movie she wanted.

Old Tian still had an expression like an ancient well without ripples, nodding: "Prepare your graduation thesis; I'll arrange for you to graduate early next year."

"As for your plans after graduation, whether you want to hang on as a graduate student here or whatever, think about it yourself."

"Okay, I understand."

Lu Kuan enrolled in 2002; graduating in three years was reasonable.

Mainly, Old Tian would become the Dean of the Directing Department at Beidian next year; he and Zhang Huijun had pondered it and decided to arrange for Lu Kuan to graduate early, then tie him down with the name of a graduate student or by having him stay on to teach.

They wanted to tie this stubborn donkey to Beidian, tie him down tight.

For Boss Lu, having the status of the Beidian system naturally had many conveniences, mainly regarding the censorship process.

However, he had a rather shocking plan, but it was still in the planning stages; he was prepared to communicate with Old Tian and Zhang Huijun after the New Year.

Liu Yifei teased: "Teacher Tian, why is Lu Kuan able to graduate early? Have you properly examined his ideological and moral character?"

Old Tian rarely cracked a joke: "As for ideological and moral character, I'm afraid it can only be examined by Comrade Lu Kuan's future lover."

"How about you, Little Liu, do a favor for the school?"

Everyone around laughed good-naturedly.

Little Liu was caught off guard by the teasing from the serious-faced Old Tian and turned bright red.

The truth from an honest man was just that plain and simple, but uniquely lethal.

She glanced again at Lu Kuan, who was sitting calmly to the side, not knowing what he was thinking.

Dinner was quite lively, with a few more old acquaintances:

Li Shaohong and Li Xiaowan brought Zhou Xun, Chen Kun, and Yang Mi over to sit at a table.

Tian Zhuangzhuang first introduced the two bosses of Rongxingda to Lu Kuan and the others.

Li Shaohong and Li Xiaowan's Rongxingda was a breath of fresh air in the early days of the domestic entertainment industry, possessing both creative ability and the ability to cultivate actors.

Li Shaohong was responsible for directing and creation, controlling the artistic style, shooting techniques, and plot direction of film and television works;

Li Xiaowan served as the producer, responsible for the planning, strategy, and artist management of film and television works.

Boss Lu shook hands with the two he was meeting for the first time with a smile, seemingly having forgotten the recent incident where Liu Yifei was smeared and Rongxingda demanded that artists collectively register on Sina blogs.

The world of adults is full of sophistication; Rongxingda watching from the sidelines couldn't be said to be entirely wrong; if it were Lu Kuan, he would have done the same.

After all, Liu Yifei had blocked the path of many young starlets of the same age.

Li Xiaowan also intended to be friendly, keeping a very low profile, while Zhou Xun, Chen Kun, and Liu Yifei were all old acquaintances.

Chen Kun was the first to show goodwill: "It's been two years, and Yifei is already going to win Best Actress. Truly impressive!"

It was a foregone conclusion that *Exotic* would sweep all the awards at this festival; it was just a matter of whether there would be double winners or how much would be left for other films.

Little Liu was humble for a few words, then hugged Zhou Xun and started whispering.

Li Xiaowan didn't forget the main purpose of today: "Director Lu, Chen Kun and Zhou Xun are both very excellent actors, and there's also Mimi."

"I heard you've already met, right? Hehe."

"If there are suitable projects later, please take care of them."

Boss Lu naturally agreed with his mouth; this was all for the sake of Old Tian.

Tian Zhuangzhuang and Li Shaohong were classmates from the Beidian Class of '78, and their families were both old seniors in the previous generation of the film industry; classmates, peers, and in the same circle, their relationship was very good.

Old friends meeting, Lu Kuan and Zhou Xun and the others were also familiar, and laughter continued at the dinner table.

Chen Kun clinked a few glasses with Lu Kuan, and Yang Mi followed up with a wheel-battle.

Last time Lu Kuan left too hurriedly, even Liu Yifei didn't know, so she was naturally caught off guard.

She had wanted to plan slowly, but plan what?

"Director Lu, thanks to your guidance on the *Return of the Condor Heroes* set last time, I didn't have a chance to thank you. This time, I must toast you a few more glasses."

Today, Yang Mi was dressed much more openly; although she was only one year older than Liu Yifei, unlike Little Liu's youthful appearance, she already had the charm of a mature woman.

The Washing Machine swept a glance over her without changing his expression.

Tsk! Why drink for thanking me? There are plenty of ways.

If you, Little Yang, had dressed like this earlier, I might have really had to properly guide your acting!

Saying he didn't change his expression, in fact, Liu Yifei opposite him had seen all of his dead-pan look.

"Sister Xiaowan, your Rongxingda's female artists are all quite good at drinking, aren't they?"

"Sister Xun's capacity isn't small, and this eighteen-year-old girl is also so capable of drinking?"

Zhou Xun was a party animal; recently, news of Wang Fei and the Duck Shed getting married next year had come out, and she had suffered another setback in love.

She slammed the table: "Lu Kuan, don't bully my junior sister Mimi, I'll drink with you!"

Boss Lu declined: "I won't drink with you; you're the type who brushes your teeth with white liquor and drinks beer like tea."

"Little Liu, although you don't drink, you can use milk to toast your Sister Zhou Xun, right? Why don't you have any sense of the situation?"

Liu Yifei said mischievously: "Sister Zhou Xun just said it, thanks to you I had the opportunity to come to the film festival to receive an award."

"Director Lu~~~ I should toast you first with this glass!"

Saying this, she walked over holding a glass of hot tea, and obediently picked up the decanter to pour Boss Lu a glass of wine; her table etiquette was quite thorough.

Everyone at the table burst into laughter.

Tian Zhuangzhuang teased: "Some little comrade, now you've become a lonely man."

He knew Lu Kuan's drinking capacity didn't need anyone else to worry about.

Boss Lu helplessly took a small sip, but Liu Yifei was relentless: "Eh! Why did you only take a sip?"

"Just now when Mimi toasted you, didn't you drink it all?"

"Why? Is our relationship shallow, so you just lick it?"

"Could it be that the wine Mimi toasted you with was sweet, and the wine I toasted you with is bitter?"

Liu Yifei looked at him with burning eyes, her gaze dissatisfied as it wandered between Lu Kuan and the big breasts.

This wine... wasn't sweet, nor was it bitter; Boss Lu actually smelled a sour scent.

He drank it all to treat everyone equally: "Is that okay now?"

"Hey, they're all coming at me!"

"What do you mean coming at you?"

A man's voice laughed as he pushed the door open; it was Zhang Weiping and Zhang Yimou.

"Zhuangzhuang, Shaohong, I've come to toast you two old classmates!"

Tian Zhuangzhuang and Li Shaohong both stood up with a smile, knowing Zhang Yimou had an easygoing nature; classmates didn't care about status in the world.

Everyone in the private room greeted each other; Zhang Weiping was clearly more interested in Lu Kuan.

"Boss Lu, we've known each other for quite a while, let's find an opportunity to cooperate!"

"Sure, that's easy to say."

"If Director Yimou's film needs special effects, just come to me, I'll give you a discount!"

Zhang Weiping feigned anger: "Hey, you know that's not what I meant, right? Haha!"

Zhang Yimou interjected: "Weiping, don't play games with him, be careful of falling into his trap!"

"That's right, Boss Zhang, be careful I don't poach Director Yimou from New Pictures!"

Zhang Weiping listened to his half-true, half-false words with some suspicion, and only after a long while did he laugh awkwardly: "You poaching Gao Jun, that really opened the eyes of everyone in the industry!"

"I really don't know how Han Shanping was willing to let go; you really have connections."

Lu Kuan denied it flatly: "What connections could I have? Market economy, the free flow of talent is the normal phenomenon."

"I heard Director Yimou's *Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles* is about to start filming? When the time comes, think of our Inquiry Realm for special effects and distribution, okay?"

Tian Zhuangzhuang laughed: "You guys stop chatting with him; if you don't watch out, you'll be stuffing money into his pockets."

Everyone laughed.

Zhang Yimou politely patted Lu Kuan on the shoulder: "Little Lu, this time the General Administration submitted *Exotic* to participate in the Oscars, I am happy for you, I hope you can achieve something!"

Zhang Weiping's expression changed slightly.

Old Mouzi and Lu Kuan had a deep relationship; he had the magnanimity, but that didn't mean Zhang Weiping did.

The Oscars weren't just Zhang Yimou's honor to him, but also New Pictures' honor; it was the manifestation of his, Old Zhang's, personal status in the industry.

From 2002 to 2004, the General Administration submitted domestic martial arts films three times in a row, all of which failed.

This year's *Exotic* could be said to be the one that beat the domestic film industry in every aspect, from word-of-mouth to box office; there was no controversy about Han Shanping operating the submission to the Oscars.

The controversy was all in the minds of individuals with their own agendas.

This time in the United States, Boss Lu had already communicated with Harvey about the lobbying work for Best Foreign Language Film.

It was just throwing money at it, but one had to have connections like Harvey's, otherwise, you couldn't even market it.

"Thank you, Director Zhang! I toast you!"

Boss Lu was still quite respectful toward Zhang Yimou; like Tian Zhuangzhuang, he was an old senior and elder who took good care of him.

Zhang Weiping had a massive capacity for alcohol; he pulled him over to drink heavily, and started bragging again.

Lu Kuan couldn't be bothered to play along with him, used the excuse of nature calling to leave the table first, and strolled toward the restroom.

Yang Mi swept a glance at Liu Yifei, seeing that Zhou Xun, who was drinking excitedly, was still pulling her to talk, she thought it was a good opportunity.

She prepared to find an opportunity to have a "chance encounter" with Boss Lu and chat a few more words to deepen their relationship.

Just now, the young director's substantive gaze had swept across her chest; as the person involved, she naturally felt it.

Tonight's reception dinner was at the only five-star hotel in Yinchuan, the Ningxia International; the third floor was basically booked by the organizing committee, and it was sparsely populated.

Boss Lu walked to the small window at the corner, smoking to dissipate the alcohol.

"Lu Kuan?"

A cold female voice sounded behind him; it was actually an old friend from the world of *Wu Xia* long unseen.

"Sister Jiang, how are you?"

Jiang Qinqin seemed to have drunk a bit too much, her face flushed: "I wanted to find you and Zhou Xun, but I didn't know which private room you were in."

This year, because of her role as Niu Hongmei in the art film *Sister's Dictionary*, she had received a Best Actress nomination at the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Awards.

"Shall I take you there?"

"No!"

Jiang Qinqin's voice was abruptly loud; perhaps alcohol gave the beauty courage?

Lu Kuan knew at a glance that she had drunk too much; Jiang Qinqin walked closer and snatched the cigarette from his mouth, putting it in her own.

The strong scent of alcohol mixed with perfume hit his nose; the Shui Ling'er, who had suffered many wounds in love, pulled him into the linen room next door.

Locked from the inside.

Yang Mi, who had just found an excuse to come out, watched from afar, dumbfounded; who was that woman?

She couldn't suppress her curiosity and walked closer as if unintentionally.

Jiang Qinqin was impulsive for a moment, but after truly dragging this long-yearned-for sweetheart into the dim room, she felt a bit of lingering fear...

What am I doing?

Lu Kuan reached out to touch the light on the wall, but was pulled back by Jiang Qinqin: "Don't! Don't turn it on!"

She didn't want her embarrassment to be seen.

This dark, boundless environment seemed to give her courage again; only the little spark of the cigarette in her hand allowed her to see the man's sharp-angled side profile beside her.

Jiang Qinqin's hand unconsciously placed itself on him, finely feeling this longing that haunted her dreams.

Three years; she still often remembered that crazy night.

"Little Lu."

"Hmm?"

Boss Lu couldn't help but laugh dumbly; he had been wall-pinned by a female star for no reason.

And it was Sister Jiang, the first one he had a relationship with in this life.

"Are you... because I wasn't a virgin, because of what happened before, despising me?"

"So you like girls like Liu Yifei, like a clean girl?"

Lu Kuan was dumbfounded: "Uh..."

Jiang Qinqin's voice carried a hint of sobbing: "Three years, do you know how I spent these three years!"

"I... I can't forget you, I can't stand you treating me like that!"

"Wuwuwu..."

Lu Kuan felt his chest get wet; damn it!

It's easy to have a fling, but hard to escape the debt!

He had broken it off back then precisely because he was afraid of Jiang Qinqin being this "sticky" and impossible to shake off.

If only all female stars were as rational as Bingbing, how good that would be.

Boss Lu didn't know that in the heart of the rational Bingbing he thought he knew, a poisonous weed named ambition was also growing wildly.

Jiang Qinqin's consciousness was already regaining some clarity, but she didn't want to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

If she could take down this number one director in the mainland, why would she bother going to film those damn TV dramas!

Unbuckling his belt, she reached out and grabbed the "egg and ham."

"Do it here, or give me your room card, you choose!"

Jiang Qinqin's hand suddenly felt the vibration of the mobile phone in his trousers pocket; she helped him take it out, and Boss Lu's expression changed at the sight of it.

5 minutes ago.

"Xixi, we actors are truly miserable; don't ever think about having real feelings."

Zhou Xun, who had drunk too much, wouldn't let go of the young girl, rambling and pouring out her grievances.

Keep your spirits up, don't lose face; you, Zhou Xun, are the harvester of male stars in the domestic entertainment industry!

Liu Yifei was a bit anxious; she watched Lu Kuan go out for ten minutes and not return.

Coincidentally, Yang Mi wasn't there either.

Having long been on guard, her vigilance exploded; she had no choice but to hold Zhou Xun's hand and comfort her softly for a few words.

Escaping, going out.

After leaving the private room door, not a single figure could be seen in the third-floor corridor; Liu Yifei walked while taking out her phone to dial.

Lu Kuan in the linen room was startled by the caller ID; it wasn't that he was afraid of Liu Yifei, but this damn thing was truly stimulating!

Here or go to your room?

He had almost blurted it out just now!

Calm down, must stay calm!

"Sister Jiang, let's go out first; it's not safe here. I don't care if I'm discovered, but you'll be finished."

"I!"

Jiang Qinqin hated it in her heart, but there was no other way; she had to follow him out.

Boss Lu almost died of fright the moment he opened the door; why was there another one here?!

Mimi was stuck to the door eavesdropping; caught off guard, she lost her balance and bumped her head into Lu Kuan's chest.

Why is it wet? Were they inside?

Yang Mi hurriedly wiped her face.

Dirty, I'm dirty.

Boss Lu hadn't reacted yet when Liu Yifei walked over from the other side of the corridor in her little leather boots, *click-clack, click-clack*; the phone in her hand was still vibrating.

The linen room door closed again.

Only two people had become three.

Yang Mi: "You guys..."

Jiang Qinqin: "You..."

The two women looked at each other, both feeling guilty, avoiding eye contact and not speaking.

Yang Mi lowered her head; the light from Lu Kuan's phone screen flickered, and she clearly saw that hideous bulge.

The little Beiping girl suddenly realized what the two had just been doing inside, her pretty face slightly red as she turned to the side.

Jiang Qinqin was even more shocked into a cold sweat, completely sobered by the alcohol.

Only the faint breathing of the three remained in the linen room.

"Don't speak, wait a while and go out."

The phone kept buzzing, and Little Liu's leather boots kept *click-clacking*.

The three people in the linen room had different thoughts.

Boss Lu: If Liu Yifei catches us, I don't know how much effort and cost it will take to coax her.

Jiang Qinqin: Today was just a hair's breadth away, really just a hair's breadth!

She had even thought it through: just let it stay inside, what if I get pregnant...

Big Mimi: Why the hell am I here? The timing choice was completely wrong!

However, she had a new understanding of the Washing Machine's deep-rooted bad habits; with her own conditions, maybe she could...

Yang Mi hadn't decided whether to make such a sacrifice; what young girl didn't have romantic fantasies of growing old together with her lover?

She didn't want to make such an exchange in such an unclear way, and she didn't know what she would get in return.

Judging by Jiang Qinqin in front of her, it was clear that this young director was the most heartless type.

Otherwise, what was the "three years" she had just heard about?

Played with her for three years? What a beast!

Yang Mi was letting her imagination run wild, secretly praying for Liu Yifei to walk away quickly.

Shock!

She suddenly felt her little buttocks being pinched; subconsciously, she wanted to turn around and give Lu Kuan an elbow—this was the self-defense technique her policeman father had taught her since she was a child.

Lu Kuan's right hand reached into her back pocket, and his left hand wrapped around her chest, locking Yang Mi's two arms tight.

The two arms, one big and one small, were tightly squeezed together, and the white, greasy snow-white breasts were about to pop out.

"Don't move! I'm helping you turn it off!"

He was experienced, after all; Boss Lu had thought it over and found only this one loophole:

Yang Mi and Little Liu were "besties"; maybe she would call her phone to look for people.

Mimi then realized she had misunderstood, but she was now equivalent to being tightly held in the man's arms, and that hideous...

The girl was 1.66 meters tall, and Lu Kuan's warm breath came from the back of her neck, making her neck itch.

Don't know if it was because she drank alcohol or some other reason, Yang Mi's throat was dry, and her two thighs couldn't help but rub and entwine together; it felt like a bug was crawling on her body.

Itchy, so itchy.

Jiang Qinqin watched this scene with cold eyes, feeling a sense of déjà vu.

"Eh, why did Mimi turn off her phone?"

Liu Yifei's doubts deepened; she had no choice but to return to the private room first to see if anyone had returned.

Her feeling was bad, very bad.

The deathly echo of the *click-clack* gradually faded; Boss Lu decisively opened the door and came out, then turned back to instruct Yang Mi: "You go back first."

He turned his face to sweep a glance at the heart-dead Sister Jiang; this interruption had killed all his sexual interest.

Lu Kuan didn't know what to say, nodded, and lifted his foot to leave without a trace of lingering attachment.

Only Jiang Qinqin was left in the linen room; at this moment, she only felt her legs were filled with lead, weighing more than a thousand pounds.

The five-star hotel was brilliantly lit, but in her eyes, it had all turned black and white, leaving only endless wailing in her heart.

From now on, no heart to love the good night, let the bright moon go down the west building.

... (Note 1)

"Little Lu, why is your chest wet?"

Boss Lu was wiping the chest of his white shirt with a napkin while pushing the door into the private room, just in time to bump into Old Tian who was about to go out.

"Don't mention it, just now a waiter delivering tea bumped into me at the corner, and my clothes got soaked."

Lu Kuan smiled bitterly, speechless; his eyes didn't dodge, and his emotions were very stable.

He sat in his seat with a natural expression, accepting at least two gazes carrying scrutiny, and continued to hold his cup leisurely: "Where were we drinking just now?"

He then took out his phone as if unintentionally: "Eh? You called me, Little Liu?"

Yang Mi felt a chill down her spine; she only felt that this was a person with two skins.

Even with a God's-eye view to nitpick, she couldn't see even a trace of a flaw in his performance.

Liu Yifei's suspicion hadn't been dispelled; she brought over a tea cup of hot soup, covered with a bowl, probably afraid it would get cold.

She wanted to get closer and observe carefully.

If there was a problem, at least there would be a woman's perfume on him, right?

"Here, you went out just now, I saved you some hot and sour soup, to sober up."

Having had a romantic tryst outside, there was still a devoted little girl saving a bite for him when he returned.

A man with a conscience: I deserve to die! I really deserve to die!

Washing Machine: Damn it! Don't let her find out!

Lu Kuan had a plan; he pretended not to hear, stood up to toast, and carelessly knocked over the whole bowl of soup.

"Oh my, are you okay, Little Liu?"

Liu Yifei was very agile; she stepped back and dodged it, but the hot soup all spilled onto Lu Kuan.

"Look at this, today is just an unlucky year for me."

"Forget it, I'll go upstairs to my room to change clothes first, you guys keep drinking."

Zhang Weiping, who had drunk too much, wouldn't let him go: "You hurry back, don't think about slipping away."

Little Liu watched Lu Kuan leave, thoughtful in her heart.

Yang Mi slowly closed her eyes, pursed her lips, and leaned powerlessly against the back of the chair.

That night, I witnessed the birth of a Best Actor.

Liu Yifei walked toward Yang Mi.

"Mimi, why didn't you answer when I called your phone just now?"

"Ah... did you? Must be out of battery."

Yang Mi looked at Liu Yifei, who was looking at her with a smile on her pretty face, and hurriedly took out her phone to flip it open in a panic.

"Look, it's out of battery, Xixi."

Little Liu nodded, returned to her seat, and her expression instantly turned cold.

Yang Mi has a problem!

I asked you why you didn't answer the phone; shouldn't the normal reaction be to take out the phone and look at it first?

Why did you, Yang Mi, boldly "assume" it was out of battery first, and then take it out to verify?

Not answering the phone could be because you didn't hear it, or the signal was bad; this was very normal in 2004.

You just insisted it was out of battery?

It was just that it wasn't suitable to dig deeper, otherwise she would inevitably have forcibly turned it on to see.

Are you really out of battery, or did you turn it off yourself?

Liu Yifei wrote this "bestie" she had known for less than a month into her Death Note.

In her heart, she ranked only after Fan Bingbing.

Evidence?

No evidence needed.

She had watched *Fahrenheit 9/11* that Lu Kuan had bought.

Did George W. Bush talk about evidence when he went after Saddam?

If you find weapons of mass destruction, you deserve to die!

If you don't find weapons of mass destruction, you die in vain.

If you find evidence, you, Yang Mi, are a class enemy who betrayed your bestie, a green tea!

If you don't find evidence, sorry, we are still friends, let the past be the past.

After the banquet, everyone returned to their homes.

Watching the starlight outside the window in the Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall in the northwest, Liu Yifei tossed and turned in bed.

Over the past three years, the complex facets of Lu Kuan's humanity played out in her mind like a parallel montage:

He was promiscuous by nature; she didn't even want to count the names of those female stars.

Liu Yifei hated his ugliness of thinking he was romantic and his bottomless sexual impulses.

Yet she was unable to escape her obsession with Lu Kuan.

Liu Yifei felt that he was the purest artist in the world when he was working; every move he made on set made her feel worship and longing.

He led her into the door of acting, despite the countless scoldings and curses mixed in between.

He was extremely realistic, yet carried a trace of idealism; just because of a chance meeting with Iris Chang in Berlin, he didn't hesitate to spend a large amount of time and money to make a film about the massacre.

Strolling with him on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, escaping with him in the cinema on Valentine's Day.

On the snowy night after the Spring Festival Gala, lying on his shoulder from 2003 to 2004.

Time and again destroying his "good deeds," throwing tantrums to get a late birthday gift.

Unknowingly, she already had so many cherished memories.

And the one most deeply engraved in her heart: the most helpless moment when she was swallowed by black material that night, suddenly turning her head to see him, dusty and tired, standing at the door.

15 to 18 years old, the age when a girl's heart first awakens, full of longing for the beauty of love.

Her resentment and obsession with Lu Kuan inevitably became a fixation, a heart demon.

She made up her mind to wash this smelly, hard stone clean, warm it up, and tuck it into her own arms alone.

Life is the best movie, it's just that Liu Yifei's...

Don't know if the ending is a tragedy or a comedy.

(End of chapter)