Su Xiao looked at her, puzzled. Her reaction was strange; usually, if she had no plans, Shen Tong would return to the company with him. Today seemed different. He recalled Chen Xiaoyong's odd smile, which made the situation even more peculiar when combined with Shen Tong's behavior.
"Um... I have something to do," Shen Tong said, unconsciously averting her gaze. "You should head back first!"
Su Xiao stared at the unusually strange Shen Tong before him, but said nothing more and turned away proudly. His personality wouldn't allow him to pry further.
In the distance, the director and Chen Xiaoyong wore identical, smug smiles.
Chen Xiaoyong's face was full of self-satisfaction. She thought to herself, "Just wait until you accept the director's invitation. I bet you won't come out unscathed, and it'll ruin your image in Su Xiao's eyes. It's killing two birds with one stone!" Her eyes brimmed with confidence. She was certain Su Xiao would show up for the appointment today!
....
1:30 PM. Sunset Western Restaurant.
Su Xiao and Chen Xiaoyong entered the restaurant together. Even with large sunglasses, their star presence was unmistakable.
"Booth," Chen Xiaoyong said proudly, her face showing smugness rather than joy.
"This way, sir and madam," the waiter smiled, leading them to a booth.
Su Xiao casually ordered a few dishes, while Chen Xiaoyong followed his lead.
Chen Xiaoyong stared directly at Su Xiao, her eyes filled with undisguised affection. With a seductive smile, she said, "You must be curious why I invited you here."
"If you have something to say, say it quickly," Su Xiao replied emotionlessly, looking as if he wanted to leave.
"How dare you be so imperious when you're inferior to me in every way?" Chen Xiaoyong snapped, unable to contain herself any longer. "Why should I lower myself like this?"
Unmoved, Su Xiao responded, "If that's all you wanted to say, I'll have to excuse myself." He started to stand up, his indifferent expression further agitating Chen Xiaoyong.
"Don't you want to know about Shen Tong?" Chen Xiaoyong said sharply. "I know her true face!"
Su Xiao settled back into his seat, looking at Chen Xiaoyong haughtily, waiting for her to continue.
After a long silence, Chen Xiaoyong composed herself and resumed her usual air of superiority. "Don't you want to be famous?" she asked.
"I do," Su Xiao replied calmly, openly expressing his desire.
"You do? But as Shen Tong says, none of your actions show any desire for fame," Chen Xiaoyong said critically. "Isn't that right?"
Su Xiao ignored her words. Some things he never bothered to explain. He just looked out at the scenery, presenting only his proud profile.
"Didn't you experience the benefits of fame from the recent rumors?" Chen Xiaoyong couldn't help but ask.
"There were benefits," Su Xiao stated plainly, without a hint of excitement.
Chen Xiaoyong could barely contain her excitement. With a smug smile, she eagerly looked at Su Xiao and said, "If you were to have a rumored relationship with me, I guarantee you'd be even more famous than you are now! No, twice as famous!"
Su Xiao's cold, proud expression didn't change. He was wondering when they would start talking about Shen Tong.
"As long as you agree to a rumored relationship with me," Chen Xiaoyong repeated, suddenly putting on a shy expression with a hint of a blush, "and if it were to become real, I... I wouldn't mind!" Chen Xiaoyong was feeling triumphant inside, thinking that other male celebrities would immediately agree upon seeing such an expression, eager to both gain fame and win a beautiful woman.
Su Xiao looked at the chattering woman before him, starting to feel irritated. He coldly said, "I refuse."
Chen Xiaoyong's expression froze. She looked up at the proud man in disbelief, unable to understand where she had gone wrong after being rejected repeatedly. She grabbed Su Xiao's hand and said urgently, "If you just agree to be my boyfriend, I can pretend I never heard any of that."
Su Xiao coldly withdrew his hand and refused without hesitation: "I decline!" His words were righteous, and his expression was resolute.
"Why?" Chen Xiaoyong couldn't help but ask, even though she felt the question was stupid.
"Because I don't like you!" Su Xiao frowned slightly.
"But you can't become famous in the entertainment industry based on your preferences alone," Chen Xiaoyong looked at him, puzzled, and asked sharply, "What gives you the right to be so arrogant?" Perhaps it was precisely this arrogance that attracted her.
"We'll see!" Su Xiao said casually, as if not becoming famous didn't matter to him.
Chen Xiaoyong laughed strangely, her laughter growing louder until tears came to her eyes. "Haha, do you think Shen Tong is such a good person? Do you think she's some kind of saint?"
Su Xiao frowned as he looked at her, very much disliking Chen Xiaoyong's current tone and expression. "What do you mean?"
"Do you really think she's as pure and kind as she appears?" Chen Xiaoyong's eyes were full of jealousy, her expression twisted with resentment. "She's capable of anything!"
"What exactly do you mean?" Su Xiao's tone had become unfriendly, even urgent.
But at this moment, Chen Xiaoyong said nothing, just staring straight at the entrance of the restaurant, as if waiting for something. Su Xiao, however, didn't have such patience. After waiting a while without getting an answer, he was about to leave.
"Wait a bit longer. I told you I'd show you something interesting," Chen Xiaoyong smiled strangely, with a mix of vengeful satisfaction.
Su Xiao sat down again, not knowing why he became so irrational when it came to matters concerning Shen Tong, even obediently waiting for what Chen Xiaoyong called a "show."
.....
1:45 PM. Film set.
After tidying up her things, Shen Tong sat tiredly in a chair. An inexplicable worry clung to her. She took out her phone, wanting to call Liang Xiaoyuan, but remembering her tone earlier today, she sighed and slowly put her phone away, feeling that she had indeed been too harsh.
The director waited outside, most of the staff had left, but Shen Tong still hadn't come out. Worried that she might have left while he wasn't looking, he quickly walked into the room. Seeing Shen Tong still there, he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Little Shen, why aren't you ready yet?"
Startled, Shen Tong quickly said, "Oh, I'm coming, I'm coming. Just let me tidy up a bit more!"
"Don't bother tidying up, let's go!" the director said impatiently.
Shen Tong was silent for a moment before saying, "Alright."
The director opened the car door for Shen Tong, as if afraid she might run away. "Please, get in."
"Thank you," Shen Tong said.
During the journey, it was mostly the director chatting and laughing in the car, with Shen Tong occasionally responding. The atmosphere was quite awkward. In fact, Shen Tong's mind was racing.
They arrived at Sunset Western Restaurant at exactly 2 PM.
The director opened the car door for Shen Tong, and the two walked into the restaurant in silence.
"Booth, please!" the director said.
"Certainly, sir. This way," the waiter smiled, leading them to a booth that happened to be diagonally across from Chen Xiaoyong.
Chen Xiaoyong's lips curled into a smile as she said, "The show is about to begin."
Su Xiao followed her gaze and was surprised to see Shen Tong with the director.
Chen Xiaoyong said sarcastically, "Did you really think Shen Tong was so pure? It's just that you couldn't see it. Look, in places you can't see, she can dine with these directors? Do you think it's just an innocent meal?"
Su Xiao was stunned, staring blankly at Shen Tong and the director chatting animatedly in the booth.
"Do you see now? She's that kind of person, willing to do anything for her own benefit," Chen Xiaoyong continued to bombard him, seemingly intent on destroying his image of Shen Tong. "How is she any different from me?"
"Remember those invitation cards Xia Zixuan sent before?" Chen Xiaoyong sneered and continued, "Those were all obtained by Shen Tong seducing Xia Zixuan. After joining the company, they maintained an ambiguous relationship until recently when Xia Zixuan got married. Only then did they break contact! So Xia Zixuan stopped providing help, and now she's switched targets to this famous director."
Su Xiao remained silent, but the disbelief in his eyes provoked Chen Xiaoyong. "Why don't you believe it?" He couldn't believe Shen Tong was capable of such things.
"You don't believe me?" Chen Xiaoyong scoffed. "Let me show you some juicy evidence. See if you still say the same thing after this."
Chen Xiaoyong took out several photos from her bag. They showed Xia Zixuan cornering Shen Tong in an elevator, looking very intimate. There were also intimate photos with Liang Xiaoyuan. "These are the evidence of Shen Tong's schemes to make us famous, seducing company management."
Chen Xiaoyong paused before continuing, "Heh, don't think Shen Tong is really doing this to make us famous. She's just using us to gain more benefits and money for herself. She'll do anything for money. Back in England, she used tricks and manipulation to extort a large sum of money from Liang Xiaoyuan, then used her vixen charms to seduce him too. She's got two of the company's top managers wrapped around her finger. Some pure girl she is, huh?"
After finishing, Chen Xiaoyong tilted her head to look at Su Xiao's grim expression, her eyes filled with undisguised triumph. She thought to herself, "This is enough to make Su Xiao look down on you. Let's see how you can get Su Xiao's attention now!"
Su Xiao's mind was in turmoil, as if thousands of troops were marching through his thoughts. His proud expression had turned to disbelief, with a hint of scorn in his eyes. He couldn't bring himself to believe that Shen Tong was someone who would sell herself for money. But the photos of Shen Tong and Liang Xiaoyuan were right there, and Shen Tong didn't look like she was being forced. Her smile in the photos seemed to have turned into mockery, mocking him for thinking of her as a pure and kind girl.