Chapter 26: Fan Bingbing

"You aren't even 40 yet; you can absolutely continue to pursue love freely, haha."

It is lonely at the top. Ever since reaching the pinnacle of the Xiangjiang entertainment industry, Mui Yim-fong had rarely experienced such warm concern. She wiped away her tears and regained her heroic, spirited demeanor.

"Xiao Lu, well said. Sister Mui thanks you!"

Lu Kuan waved his hand dismissively and laughed: "Arriving without a trace, departing without a shadow; the coming and going are one and the same. Why ask about the affairs of the floating life? This floating life is but a dream."

"Life is as illusory as a dream, with no self and no permanence. One must treat the changes in life with calm, indifferent to staying or leaving, and know how to let go."

Mui Yim-fong burst into a laugh: "Xiao Lu, how is it that a Daoist priest like you is stealing a monk's job? This isn't the learning of your Daoist school, is it?"

"Haha, anything that is Sinicized is national learning. It's all the same, all the same."

Mui Yim-fong felt much better after his guidance and was just about to call the servant to prepare a meal when her assistant suddenly shouted from the first floor: "Sister Mui, Mr. Hung has arrived."

"Anita, I heard you are unwell." The booming voice arrived before the man himself.

Sammo Hung walked onto the second-floor terrace with a graceful young woman. The woman held a bouquet of fresh flowers, placed them obediently on the small glass table, and bowed to greet Mui Yim-fong.

She glanced at the young and handsome Lu Kuan standing to the side, paused slightly, then curled her lips into a sweet smile and nodded to acknowledge him.

"Big Brother, sorry to trouble you to come see me." Mui Yim-fong smiled as she stood up, confident and elegant, as if the person who had just been on the verge of tears was someone else entirely.

The Xiangjiang entertainment circle is small; Mui Yim-fong's close friends all called her Sister Mui, and those with a close relationship simply called her 'woman'.

Sammo Hung held a transcendent status, so Mui Yim-fong calling him Big Brother was also a courtesy.

"And this is?"

Sammo Hung acted as if he had just realized it, pretending to introduce her: "This is Miss Fan Bingbing from the mainland; she is currently collaborating with me on a television series."

"Bingbing, say hello."

Fan Bingbing was dressed in a slim-fitting brown long dress today, draped in a fur coat, her large wavy hair making her look noble and imposing.

Yet in front of Mui Yim-fong, she could only humble herself: "Sister Mui, it is a pleasure to meet you. Please take care of me!"

Lu Kuan looked at the twenty-something Fan Bingbing and clicked his tongue in admiration—so lush!

As mentioned earlier, in his previous life, Boss Lu had once visited this actress who claimed to be a 'wealthy family' in Wuxi and had a collaboration with her.

It was just that back then, he only observed from afar and didn't get to 'play' with her.

Thinking of the television series Sammo Hung mentioned, it should be "Dragon Force" which he collaborated on with mainland director Li Jing.

Around the year 2000, the Xiangjiang film market was in a continuous slump, and many Xiangjiang filmmakers began to try their hand at shooting television series.

"Taiji Master" and "Little Li Flying Dagger," directed by Yuen Woo-ping and starring Wu Jin, as well as "The Duke of Mount Deer," directed by Wang Jing and starring Dicky Cheung, were all works from this period.

As for the reason she appeared in Xiangjiang, it was simple: in 2000, Fan Bingbing could no longer bear the humiliation, roared that a great woman should not live under others for long, and went bankrupt to pay the breach-of-contract fee to leave Qiong Yao.

After switching to the country's top agent, Wang Jinghua, the latter formulated a development route for her of "getting on CCTV and taking good roles." Unexpectedly, after several dramas like "Young Justice Bao II," she remained lukewarm.

In desperation, she chose another direction to break through: entering the Xiangjiang film and television circle.

Thus, she ended up participating in the television project of Sammo Hung, whom even Jackie Chan had to call 'Big Brother'.

Sammo Hung had naturally noticed the sharp-featured young man beside Mui Yim-fong long ago and asked with a smile: "Anita, is this a new boyfriend?"

He was more than ten years older than Mui Yim-fong and knew she could take a joke, so he wasn't afraid of offending her even if he spoke without restraint.

Unexpectedly, Mui Yim-fong changed her usual demeanor and said sternly: "Big Brother, don't talk nonsense. This is my younger brother, Lu Kuan."

She immediately added: "Without him, the Mui Yim-fong of today might not be here in another two years."

Lu Kuan calmly accepted her intimacy and favoritism; there was no need to be hypocritical after the battle was already settled. He reached out his hand without any affectation: "Mr. Hung, nice to meet you!"

Sammo Hung was a bit puzzled as to why Mui Yim-fong was being so serious today, but he smiled and shook hands with Lu Kuan.

He had come today because he couldn't resist Fan Bingbing's pleading; he used the excuse of visiting the sick to bring her to meet the 'big sister' of Xiangjiang actresses. In a society based on human relationships, that is how connections are made.

Fan Bingbing said in surprise: "Lu Kuan! I remember now!"

"Sister Mui, the rumor in the circle now is that a mainland Daoist priest was the first to see that you were unwell. It's him, right!"

Lu Kuan remained silent. As mentioned before, he didn't want to appear as a charlatan; he only wanted to use his predictive ability as a bargaining chip for cooperation.

He hadn't expected that in Xiangjiang, where people firmly believe in Feng Shui, gossip, and even Southeast Asian witchcraft and voodoo dolls, news would spread so quickly.

Mui Yim-fong understood in her heart that this must have been spread by her 'good' mother and two 'good' brothers. As soon as they found out the result, they claimed their daughter was blessed and that a master had predicted it long ago, thinking this was gilding her reputation.

Sammo Hung's trip was just to help Fan Bingbing get familiar with people, so after sitting for a while, he took his leave.

They say opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared; Fan Bingbing obediently took down Mui Yim-fong and Lu Kuan's numbers, handling herself perfectly in every way, extremely attentive.

Lu Kuan appreciated her graceful departing figure with a bit of a wicked interest—this waist-to-hip ratio, this 'cannon' frame...

He wanted to have no women in his heart, but that didn't mean he wanted no women by his side!

"Xiao Lu, I just said you were my younger brother, you don't mind, do you?"

The two sat down in the dining room. Qin Meijin seemed to have gone to connect with her two vampire sons, leaving them a pleasant space to dine.

"Not at all, I should thank Sister Mui for her high regard."

The two chatted while eating, and Mui Yim-fong began to ask about his general situation.

"Xiao Lu, I heard from Vincent Zhao that you are in a television crew in the mainland?"

Lu Kuan struggled to cut his steak: "Yes, I have no parents and grew up in a Daoist temple since I was a child. This is my first time coming down the mountain."

He immediately joked: "I have to temper myself in this rolling red dust."

Mui Yim-fong, having received his favor and his guidance, already regarded Lu Kuan as a very close person in her heart.

Hearing his pitiful background, and being twenty years older than him, she sadly put down her knife and fork: "Xiao Lu, from now on you are my, Mui Yim-fong's, little brother. I'll cover you!"

"Ah?" Lu Kuan was stunned, looking up at Mui Yim-fong, whose maternal instincts were overflowing.

This was a typical case of the misfortune of her original family being projected onto her adult personality—an extreme craving for love, and after becoming famous, having no one around she dared to truly trust or rely on.

Plus, being nearly twenty years older than Lu Kuan, it was hard to say if she wanted to treat him as a younger brother or a son...

Mui Yim-fong looked a bit dejected at his hesitant appearance; perhaps it was just her own wishful thinking.

Lu Kuan smiled: "Sister Mui, aren't you afraid that I'm just a villain trying to climb the social ladder?"

Mui Yim-fong beamed and took out the talisman he had hand-carved.

"If you wanted to cheat me out of my money, this alone is worth at least 10 million."

(End of chapter)