Be reborn and be happy to the fullest

Although the conflict between Jung Se-young and Lee Seok had passed, their animosity remained. Han Hyo-joo felt a chill run down her spine upon hearing this and carefully replied, "It's just a new project organized by SBS; the director was chosen by the television station..."

Han Xiaozhou's worries were unnecessary. Even if Li Shuo wanted to deal with Zheng Shirong, he wouldn't ask her to do anything. Moreover, Li Shuo usually didn't care much about such second-generation rivals. Otherwise, he could easily deal with that guy by simply giving Lin Shiya a slight hint.

At this moment, Li Shuo was taking advantage of the conversation to keenly discover what Han Xiaozhou cared about—since he said he would "take you two to play together," he would take action to achieve this: Nam Gyu-ri was relatively weak in front of him, to the point that she would do whatever pose he asked her to do, so now all that was left was to win over Han Xiaozhou.

"Oh? Since it was chosen by a TV station, the project must be really good. What's it called?"

"It's called...it's a rather old-fashioned romance drama..."

Is the only investor a television station?

"Of course not. The three major television stations have numerous projects, and they subcontract 90% of them, collaborating with partners at various levels to film them..."

Han Xiaozhou was talking about something that Li Shuo had never heard of before, so he didn't actually want to invest. The reason he kept asking was that Han Xiaozhou's expression and spirit became obviously excited as he asked her questions. This woman seemed to be very concerned about her career.

The more eager she appeared, the more indifferent Li Shuo became, only offering a cursory glance before quickly turning to Nan Guili: "My Guili, do you have any new projects lately? Tell your husband about them..."

The self-reference of "husband" made Nam Gyu-ri's smile even brighter, and she said in a smooth and sweet voice, "The project I'm currently filming is called '49 Days,' and there's another project coming up called 'Haeundae Lovers.' Also, my agency gave me a script, which is the Korean version of 'Heartless City,' which I think is pretty good, but that project will probably be approved next year, so it's still a long way off..."

Upon hearing this answer, Li Shuo was also taken aback, because he had actually heard of all three of these Korean drama names!

Although none of them are top-tier or most popular Korean dramas like "Brilliant Legacy," they are all popular dramas that have been broadcast overseas and are popular throughout Asia. In his previous life, Lee Seok had either seen the names or watched a couple of episodes with a girlfriend!

Even after Nam Gyu-ri mentioned these names, Lee Seok thought of her appearance in "49 Days," which was the most "identical" "silicone doll," the absolutely beautiful kind!

"It all sounds pretty good. Who's the investor? I'll have my company contact them and put some money in..."

"Huh? Really? Oppa's going to invest in Korean dramas?"

"It wasn't a serious investment, but I know the ecosystem of the South Korean entertainment industry. If actresses don't have investors backing them up, they'll suffer and be wronged..."

"Oppa~ Thank you"

Nam Gyu-ri laughed and threw herself into Lee Seok's arms, the sweetness between the loving couple almost overflowing.

In this situation, even though Han Xiaozhou was good at controlling her expressions, her smile became "forced." Being a third wheel is very uncomfortable, especially when there is a man she likes among them.

Fortunately, this was Chinese food. Once the greasy dishes that Li Shuo had selected were placed on the table, it was hard to feel any romance anymore; all that remained was appetite…

"Ugh, I'm so full! Wow, this meal probably wiped out all the weight I've lost in the past six months!"

After lunch, Nam Gyu-ri rubbed her stomach in a very unladylike manner and sighed.

Li Shuo happily ruffled her hair and praised, "But this is what I like. Being too thin isn't good either. It's better to be chubby like this, it feels so fleshy to the touch..."

Nam Gyu-ri rolled her eyes at him and whined coquettishly, "Tch, how annoying! I don't want to be voluptuous!"

Han Xiaozhou, who hadn't eaten much, finally couldn't hold back any longer and stood up to say goodbye: "Chairman, thank you so much for bringing me into this court proceedings. This is an experience I've never had before in my life..."

Before she could finish speaking, Li Shuo waved his hand and interrupted, "Hyoju, we're friends, so don't be so polite... Also, I'm free this afternoon and I'm going shopping with Nam Gyu-ri. I'd like to invite you to come along. With your star's eye, could you help me pick out some clothes and shoes?"

While it's said that they're "helping me choose," it actually implies that they're giving me luxury clothing, a meaning that any South Korean woman would understand and appreciate.

As mentioned earlier, South Korea has the most materialistic and impoverished social environment. Due to the endless worship of luxury goods, people will keep changing their luxury items regardless of their ability. This has resulted in the fact that, apart from the chaebols, even top-tier celebrities cannot afford the expenses of constantly changing luxury goods.

Han Xiaozhou was no exception, so upon receiving this invitation, she almost immediately forgot how she felt as a third wheel and readily agreed.

Nam Gyu-ri blinked, not objecting to Lee Seok's suggestion, but she was somewhat unhappy.

"Wait a moment, I'll go get the car."

At this moment, Li Shuo went to the other side of the road, and Nan Guili finally couldn't help but turn to look at Han Xiaozhou:

"I thought you finally had a change of heart and wouldn't disturb your best friend's date with her boyfriend, and were going to leave. I didn't expect you to stay. Han Xiaozhou, what exactly are you trying to do? Does my good life make you uncomfortable?"

Han Xiaozhou raised her eyebrows, but a best friend is a best friend, not an enemy, so she patiently explained, "Gui Li, you've misunderstood me. I might occasionally make you uncomfortable, but I have no intention of stealing your man. In fact, most of the men you admire actively pursued me..."

"Pah! If you didn't keep hanging around Oppa like this, would you have seduced him?" Nam Gyu-ri questioned.

Han Xiaozhou shrugged and said calmly, "Like today's situation, it was Chairman Li who invited me here. I had just said goodbye and left, but he persuaded me to stay. Considering that I haven't received much sponsorship from major luxury brands recently, I'm staying to look at clothes. It's my right."

"Nam Gyu-ri, you can't let your best friend avoid your boyfriend all the time just because you're cowardly, insecure, and lack confidence, can you?"

"Who's cowardly, insecure, or lacking confidence! Han Xiaozhou, you're the one who has the guts to do it but not the guts to admit it..."

"Fine, think what you want, I'll only do what I like..."

"you!"

Just as the argument was about to escalate, Li Shuo drove over...

The argument ended, and because of it, the two were no longer as "ambiguous" as before. During the shopping trip, Nam Gyu-ri was like a proud swan, constantly showing her status as the "mistress" in front of Han Hyo-joo!

"Oppa, this outfit is so expensive... Can we give the free gift that came with it to Hyoju?"

"Han Xiaozhou, this limited edition outfit is too expensive and doesn't suit you, Oppa, what do you think..."

Statements like "I am the female lead" and "You are just a sidekick" are actually a clear message to Li Shuo: Han Xiaozhou can only be my maid.

Han Hyo-joo was furious about this, because before Nam Gyu-ri met Lee Seok, she was Han Hyo-joo's "follower" and "supporting role". Now, she's turned the tables on him!

However, Han Xiaozhou ultimately endured it, and even followed Li Shuo all the way, acquiring countless luxury bags, clothes, and accessories that she desired...

It wasn't that she was particularly tolerant, but rather that Li Shuo, as a seasoned veteran of romantic entanglements, had already grasped Nam Gyu-ri's weaknesses. Therefore, when faced with Nam Gyu-ri's "difficulties," he would either use gentle persuasion, saying "okay, okay," while actually showering her with kisses and hugs, naturally ignoring her requests while she was in a daze. Or he would give her the cold shoulder, turning to Han Hyo-joo to chat about random things, and gradually, Nam Gyu-ri would obediently come closer…

This resulted in a less than satisfactory outcome for Li Shuo: after an afternoon of shopping, Han Xiaozhou, whom he had tried to tame, remained unchanged, at best becoming his friend. On the other hand, Nan Guili, who had already been tamed, was tamed once again...

Since he was dissatisfied with the result, Li Shuo was bound to cause trouble again:

“Guri, didn’t you say you reserved afternoon tea? Where is it? Let’s go there now…”

This time, he didn't mention Han Xiaozhou again, as if he wanted to get rid of him.

"Okay, okay, Oppa, wait a moment, I'll go change into a dress that's suitable for eating desserts..."

Nam Gyu-ri's eyes lit up as she returned to the Chanel fitting room, where she had just bought a limited-edition early summer polka dot dress, perfect for occasions like dessert shops.

After she entered the shop, Han Xiaozhou hesitated for a moment, then said to Li Shuo with a hint of resentment, "Chairman, I also have an afternoon tea restaurant here..."

"Next time……"

Li Shuo spoke vaguely, his attitude ambivalent.

This attitude finally made Han Xiaozhou feel a little threatened. After thinking for a moment, she took the initiative to move closer to Li Shuo, grabbed his arm, and said with a smile:

"Hehe, are you afraid that Nam Gyu-ri will be jealous? That girl is very petty. She's been on guard against me all afternoon!"

That's more like it. If you want your best friend's man, you should be bold and make a move.

Li Shuo mentally gave Han Xiaozhou a thumbs up and verbally encouraged her, "No, I think that girl is very broad-minded... Well, another reason is that you are beautiful enough and a top star, which puts a lot of pressure on her."

"Oh? And what about the president? How does she view us? In your heart, am I prettier and more charming than Nam Gyu-ri?"

One was eager to seduce the other, and the other was eager to indulge; the conversation quickly progressed to a stage of mutual flirting.

"Haha, actually, I don't need to say it. The entire South Korean people have already made their choice: your fame and influence far surpass Nam Gyu-ri's..."

"Haha, the president is really cunning, using my past achievements to answer the current question. You know perfectly well that I'm asking for your own opinion..."