Chapter 33: Little Liu, have you read the *Zhuangzi*?

Jiang Qinqin did not take the bait; the straightforward and fiery personality of the Shancheng girl led her to throw a direct pitch.

"Little Lu, are you deliberately distancing yourself from me just because you like younger girls?"

Boss Lu felt a jolt in his heart! Although your process for solving the problem was wrong, the result is correct...

Jiang Qinqin's desire for control was too strong; it was merely a fleeting romance, yet she had already begun to restrain and interfere in his private affairs.

The key was that with Lu Kuan's current social status, the woman still felt it was only natural.

This was naturally not the plot the public relations company boss from his past life had hoped for.

For a reborn person, treating the people and things of this life felt like viewing all things as straw dogs; everything was disenchanted, making it very difficult to immerse himself in it.

If rebirth were a game, for him, the main quest would be nothing more than starting a career and realizing his film dreams.

"Sister Jiang, there is nothing between her and me."

Before a glimmer of hope could rise in Jiang Qinqin's eyes, she heard his even more heartless words.

"The same as with you."

There was confusion, there was humiliation, there was unwillingness.

Jiang Qinqin felt a heart-wrenching pain; knowing she might see Lu Kuan today, she, who usually didn't wear heavy makeup, had specially drawn her brows, applied powder, and painted her lips.

Deserving of being called the "number one tragic heroine in the country," Lu Kuan felt a twinge of pity looking at her tear-streaked face.

Jiang Qinqin didn't know how to describe this grief of hers.

She couldn't understand how a mere nobody of a Daoist priest, a newcomer to the film and television circle, had the right to reject the goodwill of a popular actress like her.

She felt humiliated that her sincere heart, which she hadn't even expressed yet, seemed to have died in the womb before it could be spoken.

She was also unwilling to accept the bumpy road of her love life, ending in nothingness time and time again like a moth to a flame...

If one were to teach the eyes to have no parting sorrow, one would not believe there are white-headed people in the world.

Lu Kuan knew this best, which was why he dared not give Jiang Qinqin even a shred of hope.

Having lived two lives and seen too much of the filth in the great dyeing vat of the entertainment industry, he truly could not look directly at these preferences.

The greatest procedural justice in the entertainment industry is equivalent exchange, but if all you invest is emotion...

You might only get tears in return.

"I lost one; I'll return this one to you."

"Little Lu, you've taught me a lesson."

Jiang Qinqin seemed to have run out of tears; with a hoarse voice, she took out an earring, shoved it into his hand, turned, and went downstairs to leave.

Zhou Xun and the other two were enjoying the gossip from afar; seeing that things had gone awry, they hurriedly chased after her, and when passing Lu Kuan, they raised their eyebrows with a mischievous interest.

He understood the meaning; this was revenge for him making Li Yapeng make a fool of himself at the wrap party.

Fan Bingbing walked over gracefully; she had originally wanted to offer a few words of comfort, but seeing his indifferent expression, she froze.

"Bingbing, accompany me outside to get some air."

"Alright!"

The elevator was crowded with prying eyes, so Lu Kuan led Fan Bingbing to the emergency exit to take the stairs, and in a dark corner, he suddenly clamped onto her soft, delicate body.

Fan Bingbing let out a soft "yingning," her body melting into his arms like a puddle of mud, their warm breaths mingling.

"You've got quite the nerve, daring to follow me in the pitch black."

Fan Bingbing covered Lu Kuan's chest with both hands, blocking any further possibility between them, and giggled, "I saw you were sad, so I'm just comforting you."

"Because of you, my companion was angered away; I have no one to accompany me tonight. What do you say?"

"Sister Qinqin is already so old; let her go. You're like a little wolf dog."

She hadn't been in the entertainment industry for just one day; she knew she could let a man take some advantage, but she must never be swallowed whole, or there wouldn't even be dregs left.

She had already learned of the prowess of this young man before her; compared to those powerful tycoons, he was no less formidable—they were all the type to eat people without spitting out the bones.

Just look at Jiang Qinqin from earlier and you'd know.

A leading actress of Qiong Yao dramas, even the Ziwei in the hit *My Fair Princess* was written by Qiong Yao with her in mind, yet she didn't even care to act in it.

If someone of that status ended up being eaten clean and suffering a defeat at his hands, what kind of onion was she? One careless move and she would truly end up with nothing.

Fan Bingbing's boneless, soft hand brushed across the hem of his suit as if unintentionally.

Lu Kuan watched her "green tea" style of flirting with cold eyes; with his blood boiling, he pinched her butt once, his five fingers sinking deep.

"Ah!"

Bingbing was caught off guard by the "Claw of Lushan" and let out a startled cry; after the soul-stirring exclamation, she hurriedly covered her mouth and gave Lu Kuan a light punch.

"Forget it for today; we'll talk about anything else later!"

The door to the emergency exit was tightly shut; Liu Yifei watched the two young people return, separating with calm expressions, Bingbing's face still carrying a trace of a blush.

She was lost in thought.

Boss Lu went to his seat and picked up his chopsticks; he hadn't even eaten a few bites of the food on the plate, all because of this mess.

Looking at Liu Yifei dining quietly across from him, it's all your fault, you little girl!

"Why are you looking at me? Eat!"

The little girl smiled and teased, "I'm not eating; I'm already full from watching the show."

"Hey, did you have some ambiguous relationship with that Sister Jiang from earlier?"

"I've seen many of her TV dramas! Tell me about it!"

The little Daoist priest denied it flatly: "Nonsense, we are pure and innocent."

"Is that so? Then why was she looking at you with anger on her face earlier, and left in tears?"

"And that Fan Bingbing, coming in and out with you, her face was almost as red as a piece of floral cloth!"

Little Liu, like a mudslide in the interviews of the future, directly exposed him: "You're a heartless flirt, and you even lied to me saying you were some Daoist priest."

"I'm going to tell my mom! You cheated her out of 200,000 yuan!"

Lu Kuan put down his chopsticks unhurriedly, thinking to himself that Liu Yifei had a good eye, so why didn't she use it well on observing acting?

"Little Liu, have you read the *Zhuangzi*?"

"I've read a little, why?"

Boss Lu suddenly switched back to that otherworldly demeanor with a sense of detachment: "The *Zhuangzi* says, 'Hide the world in the world, and there will be no place to escape.'"

The little girl rested her chin on her jade hands, listening to his nonsense with suspicion on her face.

"Zhuangzi believed that cultivation requires one to be able to blend into the world, to become one with the world, to temper oneself in the mortal world after coming down from the mountains, and to break through various obstacles in the dusty world—only then can one be considered a 'True Man'."

"Daoism also has the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance; what you just saw was merely me breaking my own inner demons, cultivating my body and mind."

Liu Yifei was stunned; how could she, a half-baked student, understand the profound words of the *Zhuangzi*?

Yet, seeing him speak in prophetic maxims and wearing a look of detachment and tranquility, she was somewhat half-believing.

The two chatted and laughed for a while longer, and the little girl was taken away by Liu Ayi.

The meal had been incredibly dramatic; Lu Kuan returned home, took a shower, and lay on the bed when he received a call from Zhou Xun.

"Little Lu, want to come out for a drink again?"

"Sure, call that guy of yours; today I'm determined to drink until he's under the table again."

Zhou Xun laughed and scolded: "Go to hell!"

Immediately after, she teased: "Hey, I'm asking, do you like older sisters, Little Lu? Why are you always at odds with Yapeng? If you like me, just say so; it's not like I can't consider it."

Lu Kuan was familiar with her, so his banter was merciless: "You? You're as flat as a board; if you had a kid, you'd have to cook for yourself."

"Get lost, no personal attacks!" Zhou Xun was somewhat broken.

"Haha!" Lu Kuan felt a bit more refreshed: "By the way, could you please help me contact Zhang Yadong? A friend wants to consult about releasing a record."

Zhou Xun was a sharp person; she immediately asked: "Fan Bingbing, right?"

"It's not that I'm badmouthing her behind her back, but that girl has deep cultivation; don't fall head over heels into it."

Heh, wasn't Boss Lu just planning to fall head over heels into it, the kind where you pull out the radish and bring out the mud?

Although there were some accidents while bumming a meal today, there were finally some gains.

He glanced at the text message Zhang Songwen sent, calculating how to plot a role for him in *Blind Shaft*.

This was also a good actor who could be used immediately, had certain teaching abilities, and was hardworking; he belonged to the "jack-of-all-trades" tool-man category.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 34 =====