The wealthy military officer spoils his wife excessively

An awkward expression flashed across Xiang Ru's face. She coughed, took the money, and quickly put it into her bag.

She looked at her mother and said, "I signed a three-year contract with the company, and the signing bonus has already been paid. With the salary from my last film, it should be enough to buy a two-bedroom apartment in the suburbs. Let's move in a while; living in that kind of place all the time isn't a solution."

For the past three years, housing issues have become a major concern for Suwen. Endless power outages, blocked drains, low water pressure that often prevents hot water from reaching her, and the fact that she took cold showers even in the dead of winter—she still remembers the chill that made her teeth chatter.

Xiang Ru was stunned for a moment, then a smile appeared on her lips. She didn't forget to advise her, "You've only just started earning money, so save some for later. Don't run out of money when you urgently need it. There's no rush about the house."

Suwen nodded: "I know, Mom. I have some things to take care of, you should go home early."

After seeing Xiang Ru off, Su Wen remained frowning. When she returned to her office, Xue Shaofeng came over for a visit.

She greeted him and joked, "Brother Feng, you've been quite free lately, haven't you?"

"There was a problem with the visas of some staff members in my team, and they're working on it these past few days, so I naturally took a vacation." He leaned back on the sofa, sipping his coffee, looking quite relaxed.

She knew that this guy had recently landed an endorsement deal with a major international cosmetics brand, and that even the promotional video was filmed in Sweden.

"I heard you're interested in Director Wei's film?" Xue Shaofeng received the news quickly.

She nodded, but lacked confidence: "I'm just going through the motions, playing a supporting role to Queen Ji."

Xue Shaofeng laughed and flicked her forehead: "You're already making a fool of yourself before you've even finished your training. Compared to Ji Xuan, I'd much rather collaborate with you. We've already sung together, but we haven't tried acting yet."

Suwen touched her forehead, feeling a little embarrassed. Since Yezi was there, she casually asked if she had received her payment for her previous film.

Yezi helped her with the contract signing. She only glanced at the payment, and she didn't even know how much she actually received after the company took its cut.

Ye Zi was quite surprised: "I rarely see you care about money?"

Newcomers are only interested in getting screen time and are happy with the pay. She didn't care at first, but now that she's buying a house, she has to be more careful with her money.

She told Ye Zi about her plans, and Ye Zi suddenly realized: "Now that you've debuted, it's really not appropriate for you to keep renting."

Where are you planning to buy? Is there anywhere you like it?

Suwen shook her head. She didn't pay much attention to the real estate market, only knowing that housing prices in the capital had skyrocketed in recent years. To be honest, she was ashamed to admit that her salary for one episode of a drama was less than the price of one square meter of land. Even if she filmed thirty episodes, it wouldn't be enough for her to buy thirty square meters of land.

She was extremely distressed: "Sigh, Yezi, can you introduce me to some jobs that pay well?"

Ye Zi glanced at her, but Xue Shaofeng suggested, "I have a few commercial performances and department store events this month. Would you like to come and take a look? I can introduce you to some of the businesses there."

Her eyes lit up: "Brother Feng, you're the most loyal one."

Ye Zi's face hardened: "So I'm not being loyal enough? I even found you an assistant to take care of you."

"Me? Assistant?" Suwen pointed to herself, still in disbelief. When she went out to film, sometimes the company would send a car to take her, and sometimes she would take a taxi herself. She carried all her own clothes and accessories.

Ye Zi went out and called a girl in. She was the same girl who had come up to call Su Wen earlier. She was a year older than Su Wen, wearing a plaid shirt, black-rimmed glasses, and a ponytail. She looked very much like a student and actually looked quite good standing next to Su Wen.

"Her name is Xiao Ai. When you go out to film or attend events, just ask her to come with you. If it's not important, just discuss it with Xiao Ai, and she will pass it on to me."

Ye Zi is also a very busy person, and it's impossible for her to keep an eye on a newcomer all day long.

Suwen smiled, stepped forward, and extended her hand: "Hello, I am Nie Suwen. Please take care of me in the future."

When shaking hands, Xiao Ai was quite shy, but once she sat down, she earnestly took out her schedule and read it to her, line by line. Su Wen exclaimed that she had a headache.

Since there was nothing else to do, she planned to go home early. Xue Shaofeng walked into the elevator with her: "Where are you going? I'll give you a ride."

She smiled and said, "Brother Feng, if you showed up at the market, it would cause a sensation."

Xue Shaofeng glared at her: "Why don't you just ask Xiao Ai to buy it?"

"That's not a good idea. It's such a small thing to bother them."

The elevator stopped on the basement level, in a huge parking lot where their voices echoed.

"Actually, you need a car more than a house," Xue Shaofeng suggested.

"I still have to learn to drive, it's too much trouble." The key issue is that once she learns to drive, she won't be able to sit in the passenger seat anymore.

*Beep*—A car headlight illuminated the empty parking lot. Su Wen paused, then turned back to take a look.

Xue Shaofeng asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Just then, her phone rang, and when she saw the name on the screen, her smile deepened.

Lu Zheng's voice echoed deeply in her ears through the radio waves: "Where are you?"

"At the company."

"Have you finished everything?"

"Ah."

"Do you want me to come pick you up?"

"No need, I'm just hitching a ride with a friend, and I'd like to buy some groceries on the way."

"Xue Shaofeng?"

"..." Su Wen was taken aback and suddenly glanced at Xue Shaofeng with her phone.

He stood a few steps away from her, waiting politely and distantly for her to finish her call.

"How could you..." Su Wen hadn't finished speaking when she heard the sound of wheels rolling over the anti-skid strip. From the oncoming headlights, Su Wen could vaguely see Lu Zheng in the driver's seat.

He changed cars after the accident, to a white Maserati, so much so that Suwen didn't recognize it when the headlights came on just now.

The car pulled closer and the engine was turned off. Xue Shaofeng was slightly surprised to see the face revealed through the lowered window. His gaze swept over Nie Suwen beside him almost imperceptibly, but he quickly regained his composure: "Mr. Lu, what a coincidence to come to the company?"

Huayi Brothers is just a small company invested in by his group, and he doesn't work here most of the time.

Lu Zheng smiled and asked, "Whose ride do you want?"

This was clearly said to Suwen.

Xue Shaofeng was unaware of their conversation on the phone, but Su Wen felt somewhat guilty. Lu Zheng had already opened the passenger door for her; she gave Xue Shaofeng an apologetic smile, turned, and got into the car.

The white Maserati sped away.

Lu Zheng, focused on reversing the car, asked casually, "Where are we going later?"

"Hmm..." Suwen was still in a daze, a little unable to come back to her senses.

Lu Zheng turned to look at her, then shook his head helplessly: "What are you thinking about so intently? What are your plans for tonight?"

"Oh... let's watch a movie," she replied casually.

She was still replaying that scene in her mind, and she couldn't shake the feeling of unease. It was like a woman being caught cheating by her husband! Even though she and Xue Shaofeng had nothing going on, she could answer Lu Zheng's questions honestly, but he deliberately didn't ask, which only made her feel more and more uneasy.

Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow, a playful look flashing across his face: "Didn't we say we were going to buy groceries? Why do you want to go to the movies now?"

"Huh?" Suwen was completely out of it and said in a daze, "I'm a little tired and don't want to cook. Let's go see a movie and eat out afterwards."

He smiled faintly and said, "Okay."

He turned the car around at the next highway exit and headed towards the crowded and bustling area.

She was busy filming for a while, living and eating on set, while Lu Zheng was hospitalized and the company had a lot of work piled up. The two hadn't been together for a long time, so it was a rare opportunity for them to go on a date like a normal young couple.

It was rush hour, and the parking lot was packed with people queuing to enter and exit. Lu Zheng's car cut into the queue, and with its conspicuous and arrogant license plate, it drew stares from passersby and nearby drivers.

Su Wen sat calmly in the passenger seat, shaking her head with a smile: "Darling, my vanity has been completely satisfied."

I thought you didn't care.

Suwen deliberately retorted, "How could I not care? I'm a woman too, and every woman has vanity, okay?"

Lu Zheng laughed: "Then I'll pick you up from the film set every day from now on, and I'll use a different car every day."

"Well, I'll lose my job then. I can't afford that kind of vanity."

They had already forgotten the awkwardness in the parking lot as they chatted and laughed. As they got out of the car, Lu Zheng habitually took her handbag, noticed the script tucked inside, and asked, "Are you interested in Wei Liao's new play?"

Judging from his tone, Lu Zheng must have something to hide: "You know Director Wei?"

"I've met him once, at the Hong Kong Film Festival last year. He happened to be sitting next to me, and we chatted for a bit and exchanged business cards."

"So..." Suwen translated the meaning behind his words, "If you want to flatter Director Wei, you have to please you first?"

Lu Zheng gave her a look that said, "You're teachable," and tapped her little nose: "I'm just pointing you in a shortcut. As for the specifics, it depends on how you perform."

How to perform? Of course, in bed.

If they weren't in public, she would have jumped up and bitten him.

"Wei Liao is a native Shanghainese, born and raised in Shanghai. He didn't apply for a Hong Kong identity card and move to Hong Kong until he won an international film award at the age of 32. However, he deeply misses the culture of old Shanghai, and the film he's going to make this time is also set in Shanghai in the 1930s and 40s. To get this role, you first have to be familiar with Shanghai culture and convince Director Wei that you are a typical Shanghai woman. Then you'll have succeeded."

After the intense exercise, Lu Zheng leaned against the bed and analyzed the script with her.