Chapter 88 - Foolishness ("At least when he still needs me") (1)
"Blossoming Us", with its advantage in its topic, not only was its post-production completed quickly, even the submission for review went smoothly. It progressed faster than many other web shows that had completed filming before it that were still waiting for the review to be approved. A month or so later, announcement on the pilot date has even been released on its official website.
Ever since Xu WanZhi became popular from the red-carpet event, Brand B had, once again, announced their sales report. Any jewelries that Xu WanZhi had worn were way ahead of any other series. Her show hasn't even been aired yet and she was already the "Queen of Sales". A few other luxurious brands who had given her the cold shoulders in the past and refused to lend her high-end custom gowns also reached out to her. Some of them even suggested for her to be their spokesperson.
Xu WanZhi turned down none of them: With her employers making a comeback date nowhere in sight, she had no intention to turn away money.
A couple of days later, even Tianna reached out to her and invited her to be their model for a series of magazine cover shot for their brand. Even though Xu WanZhi had never met Tianna before, but her gown to her couldn't have been timelier. In addition, her reposting Xu WanZhi's red carpet picture along with her praises had also helped Xu WanZhi out incredibly. As such, Xu WanZhi was already sitting in Tianna's personal studio the day after she had received the call, having her measurements taken for the custom gowns.
Tianna's real name was Zhou Ye. She was already 38 years old but was walking in the front-end of fashion.
After Xu WanZhi had arrived at the studio and was still exchanging pleasantries before they started taking her measurements, two more people entered.
Xu WanZhi looked over and it was Old Mrs. Mu and Butler Lin.
Xu WanZhi looked back over at Tianna and noticed that she wasn't surprised at all. Contrarily, it was as though she was expected the Old Madam, she casually led them to their seats and had tea served to them. By now, Xu WanZhi realized that Old Mrs. Mu was the one who wanted her here. She couldn't very well invite Xu WanZhi to their place, so she went through Tianna to set up this meeting.
As for the purpose of the meeting, Xu WanZhi wasn't too sure for the time being.
Sitting inside the guest parlor sipping at their tea, Xu WanZhi remained silent after she had greeted the Old Madam.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before the Old Madam started. "What has Miss Xu been busy with lately? I've heard that the filming of 'Blossoming Us' has already been completed and just waiting to be aired."
"Yes, I hope the final outcome will measure up to the amazing screen writer and the director." Xu WanZhi emphasized that as she knew that Old Madam loved the screen writer back when she accepted the role. She noticed that the old lady looked happy after hearing her words.
Old Madam exchanged a look with Butler Lin before she nodded and said to Xu WanZhi, "You are so young still. Your acting will become better and better with experience." Having said that, she looked up at Tianna, who had been keeping herself busy, and said, "Miss Zhou, after you are done with taking the measurements today, why don't you make a few casual summer wear for Miss Xu as well? Put that on the Mu's tab. Don't make the dresses too short though. Being in the entertainment circle, appearance matters."
Tianna gave a slight smile and said, "Miss Xu has such a nice body and is born for this. She's here for cover shots for me. I should give her a few sets of casual outfits. Not to mention that all of the Mu's ladies have their gowns made here. I will take care of this."
What they said sounded like business exchange when, in fact, they were meant for Xu WanZhi.
Tianna stressed that all of the Mu's women had their clothes made there. That was to stress that the old madam has already considered Xu WanZhi as part of the Mu's.
Chapter 89 - Foolishness ("At least when he still needs me") (2)
She must say, the older the wiser. Old Madam Mu's subtleness was impeccable.
But Xu WanZhi could tell that curing Mu XiYuan had worked.
Xu WanZhi smiled and said, "Well then, thank you, Old Madam. Thank you, Tianna. It's my duty to assist both ZhenYu and XiYuan. This really will not be necessary."
Hearing that, the old madam raised her brows. Even her crow's feet at the corners of her eyes seemed to have softened. Her right hand, which has on a gold bracelet, trembled when she put down the tea cup in her hand. She blotted the corners of her mouth with a napkin and said, "Miss Xu is a smart person so I am not going to beat around the bush. I admit, I am old and stubborn and was biased about Miss Xu's background and career. I had thought that actresses are lesser than girls from prestigious families. Mu Ling tells me all the time that my way of thinking is wrong. And I will admit to that too. But, Miss Xu, you haven't been with ZhenYu for a very long time and don't know him all that well. He lost his mother when he was very young and he hated his father from the bottom of his heart. That, and along with his rambunctious way that he was when he was in school, he did not return to the Mu's until the year that his grandfather passed away. His is inevitably boring, tyrannical, and unpredictable. If you want to stay with you, you should be prepared mentally."
The old madam gave a long speech but Xu WanZhi got what she was trying to say to her. That the old madam would no longer interfere with the two of them being together. But Mu ZhenYu had bad temper and she might not be able to handle being with him in the end. It's best if they split up.
Xu WanZhi had no intention to marry into a prestigious family. The only reason she had been buttering up with the Mu's was to prevent Liang ZhiQuan from making her way in and joining forces with the Mu's to go against her. Once her contract was over in 6 months' time, she would just walk away. Whether Mu ZhenYu was tyrannical or ruthless would have nothing more to do with her.
That being said, Xu WanZhi still responded politely. "I have thought about all those before and I appreciate your telling me that."
"Oh, don't think you do." The old madam waved her hand and dismissed the butler before she said to Xu WanZhi in a low voice. "Do you know how ZhenYu's mother died?"
Xu WanZhi was taken aback a little. She shook her head.
"When ZhenYu was 14 years old, my husband was gravely ill. ZhenYu was kidnapped and we received a demand for a large ransom." The old lady's eyes narrowed. Her eyelids, already drooping, almost covered up all of her eyes. "The kidnappers called up his father and told him that they have his son. At that time, his father was already with another woman – XiYuan's mother Wang LiZhen. You've met her before. When his father received the call, I had no idea what had gotten into him. He took a look at his precious second son Mu XiYuan and said, nonchalantly, 'My son's right here next to me. I don't know what you are trying to pull.'"
By this point, Xu WanZhi was almost dumbfounded. Did that mean... that Mu XueLin had just forgotten about Mu ZhenYu, his other son? And he just hang up on the call like it was a prank call? What the heck?
The old madam sighed and continued in her old and raspy voice. "During that time, his father was vacationing in Maldives and didn't pay the call any attention. ZhenYu's mother called him many times and he wouldn't even pick up. At the time, all of the Mu's finance was in his hand. ZhenYu's mother cried day in and day out and tried to pull any strings that she could find, the police, and tried to come up with enough money for the ransom. Within three short days, she cried so much that she went blind. We have all thought that ZhenYu would be a lost cause by that point. Except for his mother, even though she could no longer see, she never gave up hope. She would be gone all day trying to get money. She got into a car accident that night and was killed on the spot."
Chapter 90 - Foolishness ("At least when he still needs me") (3)
By this point, even the old madam who had been through many vicissitudes in life had to choke back her tears. "She couldn't see out of her eyes, how would she know to avoid cars? And how'd she be able to avoid the car. I knew what was going through her mind... she blamed herself. She was with ZhenYu when he disappeared. She was only distracted for a second and he was gone. She blamed herself not holding onto him the entire time, to have him within her sight the entire time. Aye. The day after his mother's accident, ZhenYu returned on his own, with injuries on his back. When he got home, he still had a small knife in his hand that he refused to put it down."
Having said that, Xu WanZhi recalled the day when Mu ZhenYu explained to her about where his scars came from and how nonchalant he was. She felt her heart tightened.
He had not mentioned a word about his mother.
But he beat up the man sent by his dad to spy on him the day she snuck out of Bai FeiChen's birthday banquet. All because he thought she, too, might be kidnapped.
"I just don't like people that I like disappearing from my sight, get it?"
That what he said to her at the time. Perhaps because he let his mother disappeared from his sight, and he had never seen her again.
Seeing that Xu WanZhi was deep in thought, the old madam went quiet as well. After a while, she continued. "Just think about it. How sad he felt when he found out what had happened. His grandfather was in critical condition in the hospital. His mother lost her sight and was killed in a motor vehicle accident. His own father, on the other hand, was still vacation with another woman and his precious second son on an island. He probably wants his father dead even in his dreams. The reason I am telling you all this was because I want to ask you whether you still to be with my grandson after learning about his past."
Xu WanZhi sat up straight and nodded earnestly. "I had never taken being with him lightly."
She could still clearly recall how Mu ZhenYu had confined and tortured the original owner, had her watch him climb all the way back up before completely destroying her in the original novel.
"But, I think as it try harder, I will be able to do it." She looked down, picked up the teapot and refilled the old madam's cup. Her attitude was neither that of servitude or arrogance. "He doesn't lie others disappearing from his sight, I can always let him know where I will be. He hates his father, then I won't bring him up. I will be able to do that, at least during the time when he still needs me."
She would cautiously avoid letting him turn villainous. At least, in the next 6-months.
Sitting across from her, a shred of surprise crossed the old madam's doddered face followed by a hint of a smile. "All these years that I have been alive, I have never seen a kid as foolish as you."
The old madam stood up and said toward the outside, "Lao Lin, it's time to go."
Butler Lin opened up the door immediately and helped the old madam out of the guest area.
When she got to the door, the old madam turned back around and added with a smile, "I can't wait to watch your 'Blossoming Us'."
After her measurements were taken, Xu WanZhi had Xiao Yuan confirmed the photo set time with Tianna's assistant before they left the studio. Inside the car, Xiao Yuan handed her a stack of information. "WanZhi-jie, this is the agenda for the premiere of 'Blossoming Us'. The production crew sent them over. I have just printed them out and they are still warm from the printer."
Xu WanZhi flipped open the document and saw the first sentence on the first page.
Focus: Interaction between the male and female leads.
In layman's term: stir up news as a couple.
Everything went dark in front of her all of a sudden. She had just vowed to be loyal to Mu ZhenYu. How did this happen?
She felt helpless thinking about Shen Yi's look. Had Mu ZhenYu found out that she was involved with Shen Yi again, he would for sure go ballistic all over again.
When she got home, she mulled over it and finally, with a stroke of genius, left the premiere strategy at the most obvious spot on the end table.