Looking at the person next to him,⦠he appeared fair and tidy, dressed in a way that revealed taste in every aspect. A single glance was all it took for the words âtall, wealthy, and handsomeâ to instantly leap into mind.
Although Xu Qingyan had been poor for twenty years, he happened to know a dog tycoon. So he held no prejudices against the tall, wealthy, and handsome, nor did he feel any discomfort.
When Chen Niannian saw Xu Qingyan, her eyes lit up and she called out in a forthright manner. But when she looked at Zhou Mian, her gaze became noticeably more complex.
âTeacher Xu, Brother Mian, what are you doing here?â
âAh, just happened to have some time, just chatting,â Xu Qingyan said with a smile, glancing at the man beside her, âYour boyfriend?â
There was nothing wrong with asking; Zhou Mian was already married. Now, if things were still dragging on like this, it was purely her own problem. It was perfectly normal for Li Zhi to have a boyfriend.
The world isnât crazy; most people are ordinary. Who would wait around a year and a half like a Japanese anime heroine just to catch a main characterâs fancy?
âNot really, weâre just friends for now,â Chen Niannian said shyly.
âMaybe in the future, but for now, Iâm still pursuing Niannian,â the young man said with a laugh, his face beaming with sunshine, âHello, my name is Jian Jiadong.â
âHello,â Xu Qingyan gave a brief introduction of himself and casually included Zhou Mian as well.
The poor guy only managed an awkward smile, his face turning somewhat unnatural. Counting on him to say a few words was most likely wishful thinking.
Xu Qingyan hadnât expected to run into such a soap opera scene when meeting with someone.
âWhere are you guys headed? If youâre not busy, would you like to sit down and chat?â
He had just said it casually; he was actually preparing to leave. He thought that these two looked like they were on a date and that they wouldnât want to stop for coffee.
Unexpectedly, Chen Niannian hesitated for a moment, actually pondering over it seriously. A few seconds later, she looked to her male companion with a bit of conflict and asked,
âThe reservation at XX should be fine, right? Can we?â
Jian Jiadongâs mouth twitched slightly, clearly not too keen on having coffee with Xu Qingyan and what seemed to be a haggard Zhou Mian, especially not in a low-end place like this.
But out of politeness, he still smiled and said,
âPlenty of time, of course, we can, Niannian.â
Thus, the two-person meeting became a foursome, with the small table feeling a bit crowded. Chen Niannian went to get the coffee she ordered, leaving the three men at the table outside.
Jian Jiadong had not been pursuing Chen Niannian for long and didnât know much about her friends, let alone the so-called âTeacher Xuâ and the worn-out man.
As a man, he intuitively sensed something off about Chen Niannian.
Normally, when meeting acquaintances in such situations, youâd chat a bit and then leave. After all, this was a date, and there was no reason to sit down for coffee.
And doing so in this kind of café, sitting outside⦠it was just too degrading. If acquaintances saw them, it would be embarrassing.@@novelbin@@
There must be a reason for the abnormality; Chen Niannian must have stayed because of one of these two men. An ex-boyfriend? Or some other relationship?
Jian Jiadong scrutinized the two men, quickly dismissing Zhou Mian. The manâs age was not small, he looked haggard, as if he had spent the night hauling bricks in a dark kiln.
Chen Niannian surely wouldnât stay because of him, so that left onlyâ¦
He examined Xu Qingyan carefully, narrowing his eyes slightly. This man had the face of a scoundrel, grinning like a Cheshire cat.
Combined with Chen Niannianâs enthusiastic reaction to âTeacher Xu,â it was possible that these two really had some history.
âHello,â Xu Qingyan, noticing Jian Jiadong sizing him up, felt puzzled and decided to ask outright, âWhat do you do for work?â
âI am a new director in the film industry,â Jian Jiadong said with a gentle smile, but his voice involuntarily raised a notch.
âA film director, a young talent,â Xu Qingyan chuckled, âI write songs and dabble in screenplays, I do whatever makes money.â
âHeâs pretty much like me, works in a production crew,â Zhou Mian said.
âEveryone is hustling for a living, itâs tough indeed,â Jian Jiadong nodded in agreement.
His words were not wrong, but when combined with his outfit worth tens of thousands and the watch on his wrist valued at several hundreds of thousands, it seemed a bitâ¦
Xu Qingyan didnât seem to mind, but Zhou Mian beside him felt somewhat uncomfortable. Having just stubbed out a cigarette, he suddenly wanted to light another.
âYeah, tough for everyone,â Xu Qingyan echoed absentmindedly.
When Chen Niannian returned with the coffee and saw Jian Jiadong and Xu Qingyan chatting, she glanced unintentionally at Zhou Mian, who was silent, and felt a bit uncomfortable too.
âHere, your xxxx,â she said.
âThank you, Niannian, you still remember my favorite taste,â Jian Jiadong thanked with a smile.
âHaha, itâs not that hard to remember,â Chen Niannian shrugged it off and once seated, began chatting with Xu Qingyan, âTeacher Xu, how have you been recently?â
âPretty good, nothing much happening,â he replied.
Jian Jiadong smiled to himself, thinking that the film and music industries are two separate worlds. If it werenât for mutual friends, he would barely know those who write lyrics and compose music.
He was not familiar with the name Xu Qingyan, nor did he remember his face, and he didnât believe someone looking like Xu Qingyan would be writing songs.
Probably some small idol, writing songs just to gild his own face.
âSpeaking of songwriting, Iâve been considering making a movie recently,â Jian Jiadong suddenly interjected, âIf Teacher Xu doesnât mind, you could try writing a song for the movie.â
At these words, both Chen Niannian and Xu Qingyan couldnât help but look towards him. Even the always silent Zhou Mian looked up, his face full of astonishment.
Seeing this, Jian Jiadong thought they were shocked by his generosity in offering such a resource. After all, offering songs for a movie comes with higher rates than the usual TV series gigs.
In the industry, this is offering a resource. Although he said they could try, he had not made a final decision, as itâs still up to him whether they get through or not.
âWrite a song?â Xu Qingyan exclaimed with a sound of surprise.
âTeacher Xu, heâ¦â Chen Niannian was about to make excuses for her companion, but she heard Xu Qingyan say,
âSorry, my schedule is fully booked for the near future. And⦠I have regular collaborators already and am not considering this at the moment. I hope we can have the chance to collaborate in the future.â
Jian Jiadongâs face showed a slight change as he was rejected. The price he offered for a movie theme song was honestly not low, and yet it was turned down, and in such a⦠manner.
All that about having regular collaborators and a full schedule just seemed like a show-off in front of a girl, totally unnecessary, dude, youâre really putting on airs.
âItâs a rare opportunity, are you sure you donât want to reconsider?â Jian Jiadong said without looking at Chen Niannianâs expression, âThe remuneration is 120,000, which is considered a high price in the industry.â
âIndeed, itâs a good offer, but Iâll leave the opportunity for others,â Xu Qingyanâs smile grew even brighter as he turned an inquisitive gaze towards Chen Niannian.
Her face flushed, she tugged at Jian Jiadong, and explained,
âDongzi, those who collaborate with Teacher Xu are all top-notch divas and Lin Chuanâs peers, not the kind to take on this kind of⦠job.â
Upon hearing this, Jian Jiadong turned his head, and it was his turn to be utterly astonished.
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