The Secret Realm of Time, His and Her Life Through the Changes

Chapter 261 An Upset

Six months later.

Thanks to Zhou Zihang's active organization, the group finally managed to put aside their work and get together at the doctor's house this weekend.

From the moment they decided to get together, the foodies had been ordering food in their WeChat group. Zhou Zihang counted, and there were already more than thirty dishes. It seemed like they were going to have a Manchu Han Imperial Feast at his house.

Hong Yun wasn't going to tolerate her friends' sarcastic remarks. She launched a fierce counterattack in the group chat, "Shut up, you guys. That's enough. How many mouths do you have? How big is your stomach to eat so much? Do you really think my PhD is a chef?"

Zhou Yanruo and Shang Yibo in the group chat didn't pay any attention to her except for continuing to order food.

On the weekend, Zhou Zihang started getting busy early in the morning.

Hong Yun was helpless. She had to rely on her own people to care for her and come over to help early in the morning, but what could she do? She ended up making things worse by turning the dishes upside down.

Zhou Zihang knew all along, but he happily taught her this and had her do that, and the "young couple" were in the kitchen, loveily preparing for their get-together.

Zhou Yanruo arrived around noon.

When Hong Yun saw Zhou Yanruo come in alone, she asked, "Where's Yibo? Why isn't he here yet?"

Zhou Yanruo replied while looking for her slippers, "He has an online interview, he'll come over after it's over. Huh? Where are my slippers?"

Hong Yunyi stood by the wall and said, "I threw away the women's slippers. Only my things should stay in this house."

Zhou Yanruo shook her head with a smile: "I know, Zhou Zihang has finally met his match. I have to congratulate him properly, hahaha."

The two walked into the kitchen while talking.

Zhou Zihang was marinating pork ribs when he turned his head and asked, "Yibo still needs to go through an interview? What kind of interview is it?"

"He passed the written test for the New York School of Finance, which he applied to. He will proceed to the second stage of assessment, which requires an online interview. After that, he will have to go to the school for an in-person interview."

"He's planning to go back to school?"

"This is Yibo's plan. In order to fulfill his long-cherished wish, he also wants to give himself an explanation."

"Just let me know if you need any help in New York. Haha, I forgot, it's not even my turn to help, and you've already taken care of everything. After all, you have quite a few resources in New York."

"He handled everything himself; I just received a notification." Zhou Yanruo washed her hands and stood behind Zhou Zihang. "Do you need my help?"

Hong Yun pushed Zhou Yanruo out of the kitchen, saying, "You don't need to come here. Go sit in the living room, you can use your phone or listen to music, it's up to you."

Zhou Zihang said to Hong Yun affectionately, "Go and keep Yan Ruo company. I don't need your help here."

“Alright, let’s discuss the follow-up business matters,” Hong Yun said to Zhou Yanruo. “I want to hear your thoughts.”

Zhou Yanruo was pushed by Bobo Candy Pictures to participate in the variety show "Sisters Gone Wild," which premiered two months ago. The show became an instant hit, and as the buzz continued, Zhou Yanruo was initially met with skepticism, with numerous negative articles circulating online, and her past controversies were dug up by netizens.

[Intentionally sticking close to a top celebrity and spreading rumors about a relationship with Shang Yibo.]

【The Cunning Woman's Rise to Power: A Clue】This trending topic stayed on Weibo for three whole days, and Zhou Yanruo, who was implied in the topic, was labeled a "scheming woman" by netizens.

Even industry insiders are criticizing the show for bringing in ordinary people to fill in the blanks, accusing the show of being unprofessional in order to attract attention.

Coincidentally, at this time, Shang Yibo, after participating as a guest on the variety show "I Am an Actor", announced his retirement from the entertainment industry in the form of a video message, which immediately boosted the show's popularity.

Shang Yibo is, after all, a top star with a huge fan base spanning a wide age range and having diverse fan demographics. His sudden announcement of his retirement from the entertainment industry has caused immense pain and chaos among his fans.

Immediately, some malicious individuals seized upon this incident to label Shang Yibo as an arrogant and rude rich kid who disrupts the rules of the entertainment industry, inciting cyberbullying. In an instant, Shang Yibo attracted the full force of online trolls and became a universally condemned, low-quality idol.

However, this relieved the pressure on Zhou Yanruo's side.

Zhou Yanruo's performance on the show surprised everyone with her singing and dancing skills.

With a huge fan base, it was considered a major upset by so-called industry insiders. Based on data from last weekend's broadcast, Zhou Yanruo has become one of the most popular candidates for the center position.

As soon as Hong Yun sat down, she said seriously, "Yan Ruo, there are only four episodes left before this variety show ends. With your current popularity, debuting in the group is a certainty. If you perform normally, it's not impossible for you to stand in the center position. What are your plans for the future?"

Zhou Yanruo looked at Hong Yun, who was intently watching her, and thought to herself, "This must be part of the gathering today." After all, she had only signed a contract with Bobo Candy Pictures for this one variety show, and to be fair, she had taken Shang Yibo's carefully considered suggestion. She had originally participated in the recording with a "last resort" mentality and just for fun, but no one had expected such a huge response after it aired. She definitely needed to think carefully about her future plans. These past few days, she had been trying to find an opportunity to discuss it with Shang Yibo, but they had both been too busy to find the time. Now that Hong Yun was pressing her for an answer, she didn't know how to respond.

Just then, Zhou Yanruo's phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID and saw, "Yibo is calling. He's probably arrived."

“Just come right up when you get here. It’s not like you don’t know your own house. Why do you need to notify us? Do you think you’re some kind of celebrity, putting on airs?” Hong Yun was asking a crucial question when she was interrupted by a phone call, her tone full of reproach.

Zhou Yanruo answered the phone: "Yibo, where are you?"

Shang Yibo: "I've arrived at the entrance of the residential area, but I'm blocked at the gate and can't get out of the car."

Zhou Yanruo: "We're already at the door, why can't we get out of the car?"

Shang Yibo: "You can see the main entrance from the balcony. See for yourself."

Zhou Yanruo got up and went to the balcony, and Hong Yun followed her to the balcony.

At the entrance of the residential area, a black Rolls-Royce was parked, surrounded by several people holding cameras with lenses of various sizes. Not far away, a few girls stood scattered around, holding what looked like light boards, but the words on them were illegible due to the distance.

Seeing this, Hong Yun glanced at Zhou Yanruo and said jokingly, "Hehe, the top star's pomp and circumstance are still there."

After saying that, he took the phone from Zhou Yanruo's hand and said, "Yibo, don't get out of the car. Have the driver drive directly to the elevator lobby in the underground parking garage. You can get in the elevator as soon as you get out of the car, and those people won't be able to keep up."

Shang Yibo replied with an "Okay" and hung up the phone.

Zhou Yanruo turned and walked towards the door, "I'll go to the basement and press the elevator button to meet him."

Hong Yun spoke up before Zhou Yanruo could, "Forget it, if you go out and those people see you, do you think they'll let you off the hook? Don't forget, you're only four episodes away from being a top star. Stop causing trouble and think about your future plans. Let's talk when I get back."

She spoke as she went out the door.