Chapter 7 - Too Difficult
He might be extremely stupefied but thinking that this might be the peak of his life, Zhang Xiaoyuan quickly clicked onto the hot topics to see what happened.
“My baby is so good that he can’t go and sell noodles!”
“Baby, Mom won’t let you do that!”
“b.a.s.t.a.r.d Zhang Xiaoyuan, wanting to run with my baby!”
Looking at the hot topics full of scolding, Zhang Xiaoyuan excitedly clapped his hands. It was said that fans scolding an agent meant the agent was successful. Was he finally reaching the peak of life?
He didn’t have time to call Li Zhao to ask about the details when his phone was bombarded with WeChat messages and calls from strange numbers. All of them were inquiring about the future work plan of his family’s Zhao Zhao!
Zhang Xiaoyuan hadn’t made a name for himself in the past few years but he had seen many people who held onto those who were high and trampled on those who were low. People who usually didn’t want to see him were now asking him about Zhao Zhao’s news and speaking a lot of flattering words, making him more cautious.
Inside a luxury restaurant.
Li Zhao looked at the table full of food hesitantly. Yan Ting saw Li Zhao had something to say and asked the waiter to go out. “What’s wrong? Is the food not to your liking?”
“No, that isn’t it.” Li Zhao glanced at the lobster that was bigger than his harm. “I can eat whatever. These things are too expensive.” Last time, he had been willing to help Yan Ting for several reasons. Firstly, the strong wine encouraged him. Secondly, he couldn’t bear to see Yan Ting bullied by a greasy middle-aged man. In any case, he hadn’t wanted to continue being in the entertainment circle at that time and acted without any scruples.
“You don’t like it?” Yan Ting slightly frowned. “Then we will eat in another place.”
“I didn’t mean that.” Li Zhao laughed and explained. “The two of us can eat anything. Why waste so much money? You might be young and gained a lot of money from the demolition but there are many places to spend money in the future. You shouldn’t squander it indiscriminately.”
Yan Ting handed him a hot drink. “Money doesn’t matter. You will like these.”
“Who says that money doesn’t matter?” Money can help people.” Li Zhao took a sip of the hot drink. “I know you want to thank me for helping you last time but I’m not a particular person. I’m fine with eating barbecue or hot pot with kebabs. There is no need to spend so much money on me.”
Thinking about how Yan Ting had no relatives, Li Zhao was really worried that this person would be tricked into spending money. However, they only had a friendship of helping each other and the most taboo thing was too talk intimately while being strangers. Thus, it wasn’t good for him to say too much.
“You can eat till you’re full now and won’t be hungry. There are many places to spend money on when you get married and have children.” Li Zhao lamented. “You can’t have a disease or lose your money, that can’t happen in the future.”
“Okay. However, it has already been ordered today…”
“Then it can’t be wasted.” Li Zhao rolled up his sleeves and was ready for the big job. “Come on, let’s eat more.”
“This is for you and this is for me.” Li Zhao opened the lobster with pliers and gave half the meat to Yan Ting. “Last time, the producer invited everyone to dinner and there was a bit lobster on the table. However, the others didn’t move their chopsticks so I couldn’t reach out for it.”
Yan Ting saw Li Zhao take out the lobster meat and then dip it in the restaurant chef’s secret sauce. It looked very sweet. Yan Ting silently put down the knife and fork in his hands and learned from Li Zhao’s appearance, eating it.
The food went down his throat into his esophagus and for once, it didn’t make him feel sick and bored. Li Zhao ate really quickly but he still looked good while eating. It even made people feel that the food he ate must be delicious.
Li Zhao found that Yan Ting was eating slowly and didn’t like to talk. The magical thing was that even if the other side didn’t speak, he didn’t feel that the atmosphere was awkward. Maybe it was because the other side was too gentle and good-looking when eating, giving Li Zhao a sense of food security? Still, Li Zhao refused to admit that he was such a superficial person.
“Thank you very much for the thing last time. I didn’t call you because I didn’t want to disturb your work.” After eating the shrimp that Li Zhao gave him, Yan Ting didn’t eat anymore. The soup in front of him was no longer hot.
“I’m not that busy.” Li Zhao coughed. He was embarra.s.sed to let the other person know that he hadn’t received a role for two months and was running around delivering takeaway.
“Last time we met, you said you’re a professional at acting.” Yan Ting’s slender, white fingers rested against the cup. “Are you an actor.”
Li Zhao nodded and gave an embarra.s.sed smile. “If I’m not good then I’ll change to another job.”
The warm drink slid into his mouth. Yan Ting held the cup in his hand and used a bit more force as he put the cup back in place. He suddenly said, “You’re good.”
“Eh?” Li Zhao paused while reaching for a sandwich.
“You act very well.” Yan Ting wiped the corners of his mouth with a handkerchief and his pale lips seemed a bit more b.l.o.o.d.y.
“I’ll take your word for it.” Li Zhao grinned. He had wanted to make a lot of money when he first learned that Sister Xia was ill. Now that he was popular, he had no idea what to do.
After dinner, Yan Ting insisted on sending Li Zhao home. Li Zhao couldn’t refuse and had to agree.
“I was very happy to have dinner with you.” The black car drove through the crowded streets, the b.u.mpy road making the car jolt a bit. Yan Ting looked at the crowds outside the window and the dusty storefronts, his entire person seeming out of tune with the world.
Li Zhao felt that when the other person said he was happy, his expressionless face wasn’t very convincing.
“it has been a long time since I’ve quietly eaten a meal with someone like this.” He suddenly turned to look at Li Zhao, long eyelashes leaving a shadow on his pupils.
He suddenly handed his phone to Li Zhao. “Can you add an account where I can contact you at will?”
“WeChat?” Li Zhao was startled before took out his mobile phone. He saw Yan Ting directly hand his mobile phone over and gestured to the WeChat icon on the desktop. “Can I scan you?”
Yan Ting nodded and placed his phone directly into Li Zhao’s hand.
Li Zhao, “……”
Wasn’t this being too unguarded? How could a mobile phone be casually handed over to others? He opened WeChat, pressed the avatar icon and found that the other person still used the default WeChat grey icon. He verified himself as a friend and handed the phone back to Yan Ting.
“Don’t give your phone to someone else in the future.” Li Zhao remembered that many young people liked to leave their homes and said, “If I got out to play in the future then I’ll call you.”
Yan Ting opened WeChat and saw Li Zhao’s WeChat name.
Good Luck is Coming to Zhao Zhao.
“Okay.” Yan Ting grabbed his mobile phone. “Next time, you must call me.”
“You can park the car here.” Li Zhao glanced out the window and quickly said. “There are many local farmers who set up small stalls in the alley and it isn’t good to drive a car in.”
“Brother, thank you for the meal. I’ll treat you next time.” Li Zhao patted Yan Ting’s shoulder and then opened the door to get out. Before he left, he didn’t forget to bring the boxes containing the leftovers from the meal.
“That’s right.” He took two steps before turning back and looking down at Yan Ting through the window. “Remember to call me if you have anything. My phone is turned on 24 hours a day.”
Yan Ting looked at the smiling face against the window and nodded slowly. “Okay.”
“See you next time.” Li Zhao waved and turned into the alley that was a bit dirty.
Yan Ting watched him slowly disappear into the alley and the only warm colour on his face disappeared without a trace. He reached out to touch the window and then closed his eyes, leaning back against his seat. “Go back.”
The vehicle quietly crossed one street after another and was about to enter a gate when a man rushed over.
“Mr Xu, Mr Xu.” The middle-aged man looked haggard and threw himself on the front of the car to beg for mercy. “Mr Xu, please forgive me. A few months ago, I was senseless and offended Mr Xu…”
“Sir.” The driver looked back at the expressionless Yan Ting.
Yan Ting looked calmly at the middle-aged man who was like a dog. He put on a pair of white gloves and opened the window.
“Mr Xu!” Seeing that the window was open, the middle-aged man ran to the window and knelt down. “Sir, the thousands of mistakes are my fault. Please be generous and let me go.”
“Oh.” Yan Ting suddenly smiled softly but there wasn’t a smile in his eyes.
Looking at the sudden expression on Yan Ting’s face, the middle-aged man felt terror. He squirmed and his throat seemed to be blocked, not allowing him to make a sound. Yan Ting glanced at the frightened middle-aged man, put away his cold smile and closed the window.
Through the slowly closing window, the middle-aged man seemed to see a devil from h.e.l.l and he shivered. It was said that he was an evil person to be able to subdue the Xu family’s father and mother, that he was cold and ruthless. The rumours must be true…
The phone rang and he unknowingly picked it up.
“Old w.a.n.g, did you see that gentleman?”
“I-I saw him.” The middle-aged man’s teeth were chattering. “However, Mr Xu wasn’t even willing to say a word to me. Brother, I am finished this time, really finished…”
Since he went home drunk a few months ago, his business had repeatedly suffered. Even his usual regular customers had cut off business dealings with him. Seeing that his company was on the verge of collapse, he asked around to find out which G.o.d he had offended. Only then did he know that he had offended this person.
“What did you call him?” His old friend on the phone suddenly exclaimed.
“M-Mr Xu.” The middle-aged man had some doubts. How could he get this person’s last name wrong? He might’ve been greedy in these years but his brain was okay.
“Don’t you know that this gentleman hates being called Mr Xu?”
The middle-aged man hadn’t expected the other person to have so many strange habits. He became dumbstruck. The weather was cold. His w.a.n.g family would go bankrupt.
“However, you still have a glimmer of hope. Didn’t you discover that the gentleman left with a handsome young man?” His friend on the other side of the phone was still coming up with ideas. “As far as I know, Mr Ting never lets outsiders near him. This young man and Mr Ting certainly have a relationship. You can try to go to him.”
The middle-aged man was in a hurry to seek medical treatment. “It isn’t too late now?”
“You must do your best and let fate determine it.” His friend on the phone sighed. “There might be a courtesy rescue.”
The middle-aged man, “…”
Courtesy rescue?
In his rental house, Li Zhao was sitting on the bed and listening to Zhang Xiaoyuan while watching the Green Pepper Video recording. “Little Xiaoyuan, there are so many people who like me?”
“The affection of face con dogs is like a Queen of the Night cactus opening (it blooms rarely and only at night). The face con dogs are strong as iron and there are many beautiful men and women.” Zhang Xiaoyuan collated the information of the film and television companies and handed it to Li Zhao. “Face con dogs like beautiful men like the emperor’s harem concubines. They might like you today but tomorrow it might be Zhang Fei or Li Fei.”
Li Zhao touched his own face and suddenly realized. “So I rely on beauty to become the near darling fo their hearts?”
“Think about it more. You should be a pretty girl who entered the palace by virtue of your beauty and talent.” Zhang Xiaoyuan through a thick stack of information on popular artists in front of Li Zhao. “Look, this person isn’t only good-looking but also has a magic koi physique. The works he appears in are particularly successful. I heard he is also a member of the Calligraphy a.s.sociation. In addition, he has excellent acting skills, is good at singing and composing music, is good at martial arts, plays musical instruments and his family owns a mine…” (TL Note: Person he is talking about is the protagonist of a previous novel)
Zhang Xiaoyuan listed the characteristics of the popular artists and then looked at Li Zhao. “However, you have one thing over them.”
“What is it?” Li Zhao’s eyes were bright.
“You are poor.”
Li Zhao hugged himself in pain.
“Even so, we aren’t without a chance.” Zhang Xiaoyuan patted Li Zhao’s shoulder in comfort. “At least you have a good-looking face. As long as there is a reliable company and resources, you might not be able to mix with the empress of the face con palace but you can at least be number one among the concubines.”
Li Zhao, “……”
The entertainment circle was too difficult and it was too difficult to be a man. He should go and open a noodle store.
At least he had another place to eat with Yan Ting and he didn’t have to waste money.
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Zhao Zhao: It is too difficult…