The wealthy military officer spoils his wife excessively

“Okay, count me in when you invest.” He closed the documents and said it casually.

Xiao Rong was taken aback. She was about to ask him which celebrity he had his eye on when she suddenly realized something was off. Everyone she knew knew that Young Master Lu had an extreme aversion to women and never hired female escorts when they went out drinking. It couldn't possibly be this obscure little company. Could it be that he had changed his ways?

Thinking back to the woman Lu Zheng chased after yesterday, he chuckled and asked, "Last night... did things go well afterwards?"

Lu Zheng picked up his coffee, a smirk playing on his lips, and gave him a cold laugh.

After her acting class ended, Suwen strolled out of the academy, only to be stopped by a professional woman in a suit. The woman wore sunglasses, and her gesture of handing over her business card was concise and efficient.

"I am Ye Sheng from Huayi Brothers Media Corporation's talent agency department. You can call me Ye Zi."

Suwen respectfully accepted the business card, already having a general idea of ​​what was going on, and smiled calmly: "Sorry, I don't have a business card."

"It doesn't matter. When you become famous, your face will be your calling card. Miss Nie, right? Would you like some coffee? It's on me." The other person familiarly took her hand and led her into the coffee shop next door.

Starry Sky Entertainment, Huayi Brothers, and Universal Music are the three major entertainment companies in China. Currently, Starry Sky Entertainment may have a dominant position, but Huayi Brothers, with pop diva Ji Xuan at its helm, should not be underestimated. Ye Zi was there to sign someone, so she wore a formal suit to appear more formal; normally, she'd be much more casual.

Suwen glanced at the menu; the coffees were all high in calories, so she only ordered a glass of lemonade.

Ye Zi smiled and looked her over. She was clearly an ambitious and strong-willed girl who knew how to be self-disciplined. The entertainment industry is not lacking in newcomers, but it lacks this kind of drive.

She's not bad-looking either. Although she's not the kind of strikingly beautiful woman like Ji Lan, she has a unique personality and a refined air. Aren't there plenty of beautiful women in this industry? But how many can have the presence of international stars like Zhang Ziyi and Gong Li? What she needs is a distinctive feature that makes her instantly recognizable.

After this observation, Ye Zi had already given the girl a rough score of 90 in her mind. No wonder the higher-ups specifically requested that she come and sign the contract herself.

The coffee and lemonade were served, but Suwen only took a sip, afraid that if she drank too much her face would puff up and she wouldn't look good in the photos.

These days, actresses are so thin they're practically unrecognizable, and people still say they have round faces when they're on camera. No wonder everyone wants to get bone-shaving surgery and go to South Korea for plastic surgery.

"Our company signs many new employees from your school every year. Ms. Nie, you're graduating soon, right? So, do you have a company you like?"

She shook her head and said honestly, "We're all destined to be chosen; we don't have the luck to select our own companies."

"What do you think of Huayi Brothers? We've planned several female-centric films this year, all with newcomers in mind, and a new owner will be investing soon. Needless to say, the production quality will be huge." Ye Zi coaxed patiently, proving that she was a professional in the industry, her words a mix of sweet talk and gentle persuasion.

Suwen hesitated for a moment, then gripped the cup in her hand tightly. She didn't show her delight on her face: "This... I don't know much about it yet."

“It’s alright. I brought some introductions to our company and artists here. You can take them back and read them at your leisure.” Ye Zi said, taking a file folder out of her bag. “However, I must say a few things upfront. Our company is so big, but our resources are limited. We won’t promote a newcomer without any talent for no reason. As far as I know, Ms. Nie doesn’t have any actual screen experience yet. The company conducts rigorous assessments for every newcomer we sign. I wonder if Ms. Nie is confident enough to accept the challenge?”

She tried to persuade Suwen gently, but Suwen, perhaps still holding back, became somewhat unconvinced after being provoked like this: "What kind of challenge is it?"

"Old ginger is spicier." Ye Zi smiled slightly and took out a flyer from the pile of documents; it was for a talent show.

Suwen's eyes widened: "You want me to participate in this?"

"That's right, prove your strength in this competition. Can you do it?"

Su Wen stopped smiling; she even keenly sensed a hint of deliberate obstruction. No matter how fancy these talent shows were, they were still essentially singing competitions. What was she, a film school student who was tone-deaf, supposed to do, compete for the title of a singing competition?

Ye Zi, of course, understood why Su Wen's expression changed so quickly. In fact, she didn't understand why the higher-ups had added such an extra regulation; she was just relaying the message.

"It's okay, think it over again and call me when you've made up your mind." She raised her hand, called the waiter to pay the bill, and as she took out her wallet, she suddenly remembered something and pushed two envelopes in front of her: "Someone from your school has signed with Xingchen, right? Xingchen's signing ceremony and the press conference for their new movie are being held together this time, and many big names will be there. I have two invitations here, go with your friends."

Suwen accepted the invitation, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

The press conference for Starry Sky was held in the grand conference hall of the Sheraton Hotel. The welcoming area, red carpet, media area, speaking area, and banquet hall reception were all meticulously arranged. Zhou Mo held the invitation card adorned with gold foil in her hand: "Tsk tsk, they're afraid people won't know this is a grand affair."

Starry Sky Entertainment is one of the investors in this remake of "The Return of the Condor Heroes," so they made the most of it by combining the film's launch press conference with the signing ceremony for new actors. They used the popularity of the new film to promote their own newcomers. Moreover, Xing Manzi also has a role in the film, playing Guo Xiang, a very likable character.

As they were talking, a surge of people appeared at the entrance, and all the cameras, whether telephoto or zoom, were pointed at the people coming.

It's the diva Ji Xuan!

She's the actress playing Little Dragon Girl in this adaptation of "The Return of the Condor Heroes." She appeared in a silver-white, sequined, floor-length fishtail dress with a low-cut design—both eye-catching and marketable. She entered arm-in-arm with a man…whom Su Wen felt looked familiar.

What's even more surprising is the other person who entered right after Ji Xuan and the man—Hong Kong superstar Xue Shaofeng!

This is a true A-list celebrity, a superstar who excels in film, television, and music. He has been in the industry for eight years and his popularity remains high. In the past two years, he has stopped releasing albums and has instead focused on filming in mainland China.

"Brother Feng, I heard you didn't participate in the filming of 'The Return of the Condor Heroes' this time. What brought you here?"

The king smiled broadly: "Ji Xuan is the female lead. We're all from the same company, and even the boss is here to support us. How could I dare not show up?"

These words revealed a lot of information, and reporters all stretched out their microphones: "So it's true that you're going to sign with Huayi Brothers?"

"Is the person who appeared with Ji Xuan tonight your company's new boss, Rongxin Group's young master, Young Master Xiao?"

Su Wen suddenly realized that when she looked at the man next to Ji Xuan, those narrow, almond-shaped eyes were the same man who had handed Lu Zheng a cigarette in the private room that day.

She glanced around instinctively, but there were flashes of light everywhere. She was momentarily bewildered, then chuckled: "He's probably bewitched. How could he possibly be interested in a situation like this?"

Just then, her phone vibrated; it was a call from "home." She gestured to Zhou Mo and quietly went to a corner to answer it.

"Susu, why aren't you back yet? Your Aunt Fang introduced you to a boyfriend, and he's waiting for you at home. Let me tell you, this one's in sales, and he makes a lot of money. He doesn't mind that you're from the Film Academy; he says it's prestigious to take you out. You'd better come back soon..."

Suwen couldn't help but plug her ears.

After the rambling on the other end of the phone had subsided, she picked up the phone and said, "Mom, I have to rush to a night shoot tonight, and I won't be done for a while. You can tell him to go ahead. I'll apologize to Aunt Fang myself tomorrow." Then she hurriedly hung up the phone.

Looking out from here, in the banquet hall, Xing Manzi, dressed in a glamorous Chinese red, moved among celebrities and dignitaries, chatting and laughing, clearly a rising star. She looked down at her old and worn-out cell phone and couldn't help but let out a bitter smile.

Different people have different fates. No matter how hard she tried, she could never catch up with the naturally gifted Xing Manzi. But she refused to give up. She didn't go to film school to marry a "rich man" in her mother's eyes and then live a mediocre life as a wife and mother.

She will prove herself.

On the way back, she was clearly not in the mood. As she turned a corner, a hand suddenly reached out from behind a large Roman column, grabbed Suwen, and pulled her behind the floor-length curtain. Before she could even cry out, another hand covered her mouth.

Her heart pounded wildly, and the man's scent emanated from his palm, instantly calming Su Wen's heart.

"Are you looking for me?"

The unhurried voice, in this cramped space, was filled with a captivating magnetism.

"Lu Zheng, I know it's you..."

"Oh?"

"Taste," the subtle sparks flew from the friction between their tightly pressed bodies, and every syllable she uttered sounded like an ambiguous breath in his ear.

"My scent?" He lowered his body, trapping her tightly between his chest and the wall, his lips almost touching her forehead, lightly caressing her. "Then tell me, what does it taste like?"

Mint, tobacco, youth, conquest—a deadly scent that would disarm her.

Reason told her she should push him away, but her body involuntarily wanted to hug him tighter.

Lu Zheng watched her quietly in the darkness, as if he could see the struggles and contradictions in her heart. Suddenly, he lowered his head and bit her lips. He really bit her, just like three years ago, without any skill or method, like a wild beast biting wildly.

Her lips were still incredibly soft, fragrant and sweet like honey. He bit her lip, initially only to punish her, but he was captivated first. In the process of subduing her fierce struggles, he became addicted, almost greedily licking the sweet and pungent taste, until finally she stopped moving, numbly allowing him to plunder her at will.

When he released her, the only sound in the quiet space was their intertwined breaths.

"Envious of people outside?"

She was startled and looked up at him for no apparent reason.

He seemed to chuckle, his cold lips close to her ear, his breath soft as he whispered, "Sleep with me once, and I'll help you debut, make movies, all in one go, how about it?"