They laughed heartily, but Du Yujie was displeased. With a sullen face, she felt out of place. Anyone who had been swindled out of five million yuan wouldn't be in a good mood.
Five million yuan wasn't a lot of money to her, a mere drop in the bucket, but it was money wasted. It was more foolish than throwing money into water just to hear the splash.
She had tried to steal a chicken but ended up losing the hen and the eggs.
Du Yujie abruptly stood up. Du Feiyang immediately asked, "What are you doing?"
"I'm not doing anything, can't I just go back?"
With that, she turned and left. Du Feiyang clapped his hands in celebration, "You should have left long ago. You brought this upon yourself."
She insisted on coming to someone's house to cause trouble. Du Feiyang couldn't understand her. If she was interested in Xie Sui, that wasn't how one pursued someone. This was just making an enemy and being annoying.
He couldn't fathom a woman's mind.
With Du Yujie gone, everyone became more relaxed. Xie Sui was cooking, and they were all excited to see him in action. They had long wanted to taste his cooking but never had the chance. Today, they finally would.
Xie Sui wasn't stingy with his true friends. Sweet and sour pork ribs, pickled cabbage fish, stir-fried pickled cabbage with pork, Mao Xue Wang, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and Mapo tofu – all dishes that went well with rice.
The aroma of the dishes wafted through the courtyard. Just then, Hu Pan entered, exclaiming happily, "Manager Xie is cooking! I'm in luck! I'm starving, haven't they eaten yet?"
Lin Wanwan replied, "Not yet. You're just in time. Help me entertain our guests. Young Master Du, you know him. This is Guan Zhizhi, the big star..."
Hu Pan, being younger than Lin Wanwan, was an even bigger fan. Seeing Guan Zhizhi, she started jumping with excitement, "Is it really Guan Zhizhi?
Alive, oh my god, she's right in front of me. I'm actually seeing a live celebrity."
She even poked her cheek, "So smooth, your skin is amazing! How do you maintain it? Oh, I'm sorry, Miss Guan, I'm just too excited."
"It's okay. Do you need an autograph?"
"Yes, yes, where's my notebook?"
Lin Wanwan chuckled as she saw Hu Pan fumbling, "Slow down, there's no rush. Miss Guan isn't going anywhere, she has plenty of time to sign for you."
"Oh, I see. Miss Guan, please have a seat and some tea. I'll just calm down for a bit."
Guan Zhizhi, seeing such an enthusiastic and genuine fan, was also in a good mood. "Is this lady a member of your family?"
"You could say that. She manages our other factories. She's a university student and very capable. Xie Sui says she's a strong woman, a future CEO."
Hu Pan finally found her notebook, "Miss Guan, please sign here. Can you write some words of encouragement, a blessing?"
"Of course. 'Wishing Miss Hu more beauty, success in all your endeavors, and eternal youth.' How's that?"
"That's perfect! Thank you, Miss Guan."
Du Feiyang felt a pang of jealousy. Guan Zhizhi had stolen the spotlight. Hu Pan was a fan of celebrities.
The Hong Kong entertainment trend had already arrived, and most young people enjoyed stars and watched movies. Following celebrities and watching films was one of Hu Pan's few forms of recreation.
"Miss Hu, why do you like a woman? If you like someone, I can get Brother Fa for you."
"Brother Fa? Young Master Du, stop joking. I wouldn't dare dream of Brother Fa. Seeing Miss Guan is already enough satisfaction for me."
"As long as Miss Hu says the word, I'll get him for you at any cost."
Hu Pan shook her head, "No need. He's doing perfectly fine. Why would you go get him? Isn't that forcing someone to do something they don't want to do? That's disrespectful. I follow stars, not people. Whether I see them or not is unimportant."
Xie Sui came out with a dish, "Well said, Pan'er has grown up. You're not as fixated as you used to be.
Stars are best admired on walls, on screens. When you actually meet them, the illusion shatters.
People on screen don't fart or burp. In reality, if he farts, doesn't that shatter all your beautiful fantasies?"
Hu Pan exclaimed indignantly, "Manager Xie, don't talk nonsense. Brother Fa isn't like that! Actually, I prefer Autumn Officer. His Chu Liuxiang was the best."
"You're quite the romantic. You like so many people."
Hu Pan replied, "So what? It's like I like sweet and sour pork ribs, and I also like pickled cabbage fish. Both are my favorites."
Du Feiyang said, "Miss Hu is right. Let's start eating. I'm starving."
Lin Wanwan sat at the head of the table. She was the family's hero, and Xie Sui personally served her. Hu Pan entertained the guests. The meal was lively and lasted for two hours.
Lin Wanwan was tired. Xie Sui helped her to rest. The others continued to chat and drink tea in the courtyard, enjoying themselves.
Hu Pan kept pestering Guan Zhizhi, showing great interest in filmmaking.
Xie Sui said, "If you like movies, I just started a film company. Would you like to take a look?"
Hu Pan replied, "With so many factories here, if I leave, wouldn't it be chaos? I didn't study this either. An outsider managing professionals, you're really bold."
Hu Pan knew herself. The young girl was becoming more insightful. Experiencing setbacks always led to great enlightenment.
Guan Zhizhi liked her very much and said, "You can come and play for a few days. You're welcome to visit, and I'll host you. Sodu Novel Network.
There are many fun things to do in Hong Kong, like dance halls, parties, charity banquets, auctions, malls dozens of stories high, office buildings. You'll definitely like it."
Hu Pan gasped, "How much would all that cost? Thank you for the offer, I'll definitely go if I have the chance."
As the mayor's daughter, she couldn't just leave. She could only dream.
Du Feiyang knew her background and found her even more appealing. She was low-key and kind. The second-generation officials and rich kids in Hong Kong walked around with their noses in the air. How could she compare to such a good person?
Tang Ling noticed Du Feiyang's gaze constantly fixed on her and asked, "Do you like her?"
"I do, but she's not easy to pursue. This girl is independent and doesn't care about my money. She's the first girl I haven't been able to win over."
He Mengchao said, "Don't ruin a good girl. You're too rotten for her."
He changed girlfriends every three months, a playboy. How could he dare to think of such a pure, kind, and capable girl?
Du Feiyang retorted angrily, "Can't this prodigal son have a change of heart?"