The very next morning, Xu WanZhi was woken up by a urgent ringer from her cellphone. She looked at her phone and it was from the director of "Blossoming Us". She cleared her throat and picked it up.
"WanZhi. Our entire team have been working on 'Blossoming Us' for almost two months and poured in all of our hard work. Now you are telling me that you won't be coming to the premiere event?" The director could not control his temper and started yelling right away. "What the heck is going on?"
Xu WanZhi had purposefully placed the strategy for the premiere event on the coffee table purposefully where Mu ZhenYu could see and, sure enough, the control freak did not disappoint. Xu WanZhi smiled but maintained a surprised and apologetic tone when she said, "Pardon me, Director. I am not sure I understand what you are talking about."
"I got a call from Fang Lin early this morning telling me that you have other arrangement on 'Blossoming Us's premiere day. What could you possibly have that is more important? As far as I can tell, the audition of 'Plainness' is not for a while longer."
"Did you say Fang-jie is the one who notified you?" Xu WanZhi raised her voice, making her sound even more surprised. "Perhaps there are other arrangements from the company's side. I haven't heard anything from them yet."
"Bullsh*t!" The director had lost it and cussed. "You own 30% of Silver Star's stock. Silver Star's stock had been going up and up, Miss Major Shareholder. You can't just take the money without doing the deeds and forget about those who got you there."
Xu WanZhi hadn't expected the director knew even that.
She pulled the phone away some and prevaricated. "Let me give Fang-jie a call right now and find out what is going on. Just calm down for now."
Having said that, she quickly hung up on the phone and went back to sleep.
It hasn't been long since she hung up on the previous call when her phone rang again. This time it was Shen Yi.
She hadn't had any contact with this male lead since the filming of "Blossoming Us" was over. Pursing her lips, she picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"Hi, WanZhi. It's been a while." Shen Yi sounded much calmer than the director. "I heard that you won't be able to make the premiere event. May I ask why?"
Xu WanZhi sighed helplessly. "I have just explained it to Mr. Director. This was from the company. It wasn't my decision."
"Really?" Shen Yi was skeptical, leaning mostly toward disbelieving. "I thought you cancelled it because it mentioned advocating you and I as a couple for a while."
Xu WanZhi said purposefully, "The plan is for us to be a couple? I wasn't aware of that. What a bummer."
Hearing that, Shen Yi chuckled. Finally, he said, "WanZhi, you are a very bad liar."
Xu WanZhi rolled over and placed the phone directly on her face. "Thank you for your complement. I have always been an honest person."
Shen Yi went silent for a little bit before he said to her solemnly, "No, seriously, if you don't want to be 'coupled' with me, I will go and tell the director that I already have a girlfriend and get you out of it. I haven't seen you since the filming was over and I didn't dare to call you. I truly miss you."
"I am fine. Thank you." Xu WanZhi was very good at being diplomatic. "If you really miss me, you can follow my Weibo. I post my pictures on there quite regularly."
"You don't think that I am following your Weibo already? I have saved all the pictures that you have posted already."
Xu WanZhi couldn't help but called him a creep in her mind. Before she could say anything else, her bedroom door was swung open.
Mu ZhenYu walked inside with his electric toothbrush still inside of his mouth and walked over briskly. He snatched the phone from her face and shouted into it. "Stop keeping others from resting so early in the morning!"
He then hung the phone up and tossed it over to the end of the bed.
"You are certainly busy with work early in the morning, WanWan," said Mu ZhenYu as he looked at her with is piercing eyes.
"Thanks to you." Xu WanZhi pulled her blanket up some and curled up underneath it as she grumbled softly, "A bunch of people called me this morning asking why I won't be able to attend the premiere event. So what is it that you need me for that day, Mr. Mu?"
"Thanks to me?!" Mu ZhenYu sneered. He walked over and plopped onto her bed. "Here I thought you put the strategy plan on top of the end table on purpose so I can turn it down for you. You are not just a genuine person; you are also very good at showing your loyalty and kissing up."
His words made Xu WanZhi chuckled. Cocking her head, she asked, "How's my kissing up?"
Mu ZhenYu casted her a glance and said, "Mediocre."
Hearing that, Xu WanZhi feigned a surprised look.
Mu ZhenYu pulled her blanket down and said, "Aren't you hot? Covering yourself up like that?"
Her skin was white like snow, the straps of her pink pajama fell loosely over her shoulder. Between the white and pink, she looked translucent and exquisite.
He eyes darkened. "I heard that you ran into my grandmother over at Tianna's yesterday?"
Xu WanZhi nodded. "I didn't exactly run into her. I think she wanted me there purposefully."
"Grandma asked you to go and watch the premiere of 'Blossoming Us' over at her place." He reached out his fingers and stroked the strap of her sleepwear. "What do you say?"
"You've already turned down my premiere event, can I really turn this down?" Xu WanZhi grumbled softly. Then, looking up, she looked straight at him. "My only question is, is it the old madam who wanted me to watch it with her or is that Mr. Mu's excuse to take me home with him?"
"A little bit of both." Mu ZhenYu didn't try to hide. "But when grandma found out that you will be there, she invited Mu XiYuan as well. She said she wanted the whole family together and that she'd like you to spend the night."
"Mu ZhenYu? What a bummer." The corners of Xu WanZhi's lips dropped immediately. "It was awkward enough to watch myself acting in a coaxing voice in front of the whole family and Mu XiYuan is going to be there too? That's annoying. But… I guess the old madam wanted Mu XiYuan and I have to have face-to-face? I think even though your brother is lucky enough to make a full recovery, he's still not someone that we can take lightly. I am sure he had talked negatively about me a lot in front of the old madam. She might say that she loves both of her grandson equally, but truth was she favors the younger one more, am I right?"
"This is all secondary. You better have a plan in mind." Mu ZhenYu pulled his toothbrush out of his mouth and said, "That traditional doctor that you've sent played a supporting role in 'Blossoming Us', right? If I am not mistaken, he was in episode one of 'Blossoming Us' and you'd be caught red handed immediately."
"Don't worry. That is all part of my plan." Xu WanZhi winked at him. "I won't embarrass you."
"Better not," said Mu ZhenYu with a mouthful of foam from the toothpaste. The toothpaste was bought by Xu WanZhi, peach and mint flavor. Even his voice was sweetened by it. "WanWan, you watch that foxy eyes of yours; otherwise, I can't guarantee what would happen early in the morning."
Xu WanZhi blushed all of a sudden and pulled the blanket over her head.
On the premiere day, Xu WanZhi put on the casual clothes made by Tianna, bought a lot of nutritious food, and went home with Mu ZhenYu.
When they've arrived at the Mu's and, just when they have gotten out of their cars but before they have gotten to the front door, they could see Aunt Wu walking out of the house with two extra large suitcases in tow looking very unhappy.
Recalling how this old lady had asked her to go do dishes like she was a servant, Xu WanZhi couldn't help herself but stomped in front of her arrogantly in her high heels and blocked her way. "Aye, Aunt Wu, where are you going with all that stuff? Did the old madam give you a paid vacation?"
When Aunt Wu heard that, her face immediately turned a charcoal color. She didn't want to mess around with Xu WanZhi so she took a step to the left and was about to walk around her. Low and behold, Xu WanZhi, too, took a step and blocked her again. "So are you going to New Zealand or Maldives?"
"I am not going to New Zealand or Maldives. I am being sent home. Are you happy now, Miss Xu WanZhi?" Aunt Wu slammed her suitcases onto the ground and said loudly. "I knew it was you told the old madam that my birth date conflicts with Second Young Master. You better be careful, Miss Xu. What goes around comes around."
Her anger made Xu WanZhi happy. She chuckled and nodded. "You are right. What has gone around is coming around. So lucky for us that the old madam finally saw through what kind of a person you are."
Aunt Wu was enraged and she started yelling. "Xu WanZhi, don't push it."
Before she was even done talked, two men in black walked out of the Mu's residence and picked Aunt Wu up from both sides of her. "You should look around and see where you are before you started yelling."
Xu WanZhi bobbed her head complacently as she watched Aunt Wu being carried away.
"Happy now?" said Mu ZhenYu as he walked up to her and straightened out her collar.
"Very." Xu WanZhi nodded honestly. "But… don't you think the timing is very curious? I mentioned the conflict of her birth date to Butler Lin days ago but she was just being sent away today."
Mu ZhenYu snickered. "Obviously, Grandma did that in front of your on purpose, to show you your importance."
Xu WanZhi nodded and put her arm in his. The two of them walked toward the Mu's residence. "Exactly. She's so sweet."
"How ironic. Last time you were here, you had to try to butter up to her. This time, it was her turn to butter up to you. WanWan." Mu ZhenYu lowered his head and, immediately, he was able to see her curly hair and her charming side profile. "Are you trying to conquer all members of the Mu's, one by one?"
There was subtext in his words but Xu WanZhi didn't want to think about it. She lowered her eyes and didn't respond to him.
When the two of them walked inside, both the old madam and the aunt was waiting by the foyer, as though they were there to welcome them. When they were exchanging pleasantries, Mu XiYuan, sitting in the living room and watching the financial report by himself was displeased and cranked up the volume of the TV.
Xu WanZhi couldn't be bothered by him and didn't even look over where he was.
Over dinner, Mu Ling was being very friendly. She was constantly refilling their wine glasses and putting food in their bowls. The old madam only watched on silently without saying a word. Mu XiYuan, on the other hand, stared at her the entire time with a very loaded look, obviously coming up with ways to get back at her.
Xu WanZhi merely eat quietly and with seriousness. She ate all the chicken that she loved on the table as he stared at her viciously.
By 8 PM that night, with entire family with the exception of Mu XueLin, including Wang LiZhen, sat around in front of the TV and waited for "Blossoming Us" to begin. The old madam was already so emotional that her eyes were watery by the time the theme song had begun.
Low and behold, as soon as the "Episode One" caption faded away, the supporting character traditional doctor appeared immediately.
Mu XiYuan chuckled and paused the show with the remote. "Looking, Grandma. Does this actor look somewhat familiar?"