The apartment complex where Tong Ya lived was a very elegant and unique one, with rental prices starting at 6,000 yuan per month.
The average wage-earning class couldn't afford to live there.
"Oh, my dear Miss Tong Ya, you've finally deigned to return!"
As soon as Tong Ya walked through the door, Tang Xiaowei grabbed her arm, her eyes full of anticipation, "What about that little girl? Didn't you bring her back with you?"
Ever since Tang Xiaowei had seen Tuan Tuan's photo, she had been utterly smitten.
Tong Ya rolled her eyes, "What do you think she is? Something you can just bring back with you? And by the way, how long has it been since you washed your clothes? The paint on them smells!"
Tang Xiaowei was a cartoonist, who hardly ever went out and dealt only with her drawings and paints.
Sometimes, when she painted, she would become so engrossed that she'd neglect food and sleep, and naturally, her personal hygiene took a back seat.
"Oh, come on, I'm sacrificing for my art! So, how did your first date go? Did you get anything out of it?"
Tong Ya blinked, then lifted up the bag she was carrying.
"Behold, ten fried pastries!"
"No way!"
Tang Xiaowei looked at her with disdain, "You're really prioritizing your love life over friends, huh? Don't forget, you blew off my hotpot dinner to go fishing for a sugar daddy! And this is what you placate me with?"
"These fried pastries are specially made, don't you want to try them?"
"Eat, how could I not!"
Influenced by Tong Ya, Tang Xiaowei was also inadvertently trying to keep in shape, so she seldom indulged in such greasy foods.
Stuck at home alone all the time, she had had her fill of takeout, and the pastries were a nice change of taste.
But when she took a bite, she was stunned.
Although the pastries had cooled down, they didn't have that cloying feel that ordinary pastries have when cold.
Instead, they were perfectly soft and chewy, almost like eating a delicacy.
"Could this be a new dessert from Baxiangzhai?"
Tong Ya hung up the bag in her hand, "Baxiangzhai?"
"Yeah, the pastry shop I took you to last time, where they sell a mint pastry for two hundred yuan."
A sense of satisfaction suddenly filled Tong Ya's heart, as she saw this as Tang Xiaowei's approval of Chen Yu.
"I don't have time to go to Baxiangzhai just to buy something special for you! It was made by my man god!"
Tang Xiaowei's eyes widened, "No way! Your man god has this kind of skill? No wonder you're so devoted to him. With this kind of talent, he could keep you for the rest of your life!"
Tong Ya shrugged her shoulders, "That's why I've made up my mind!"
"Made up your mind about what?" Tang Xiaowei asked instinctively.
"To marry him!"
"I agree!"
Tang Xiaowei did a complete one-eighty in her attitude, "As long as he brings me pastries every day, it doesn't matter if you become someone else's stepmother, even if it involves the Tong family, I'd figure something out for you."
"You're selling me out for a few pastries!"
"I really can't help it, Ya Ya, they're just too delicious!" Saying so, Tang Xiaowei hungrily grabbed an entire pastry and stuffed it into her mouth.
"He can make much more than just pastries!"
Tong Ya suddenly blushed for no reason, "Right, from now on, I will leave a bit earlier in the morning and won't come back for dinner in the evenings!"
"What are you going to do?" Tang Xiaowei was instantly taken aback.
"It's not easy for him to take care of the child alone; from now on I will help him drop off and pick up the child from school."
"You can't be serious! We've barely started and you're already ditching me?" Tang Xiaowei made a pitiful face.
"Didn't I say I would bring you fried cakes every day?"
At the mention of fried cakes, Tang Xiaowei suddenly became serious.
"Go ahead, girlfriend, for the sake of your happiness, I'm willing to make a sacrifice!"
...
At a business dinner, Fang Yuan stood with a wine glass in a deliberately conspicuous spot, displaying her slightly seductive posture to its full extent.
"Miss Fang, sorry to keep you waiting."
A somewhat short and middle-aged man, with a sleazy smile, leaned in beside Fang Yuan.
Although Fang Yuan felt extreme disgust, she still put on a smiling face.
"What are you saying, Mr. Huang! You are the investor of our play, the big financial god of the whole crew. We actors can afford to wait for someone like you," retorted Fang Yuan with a smile.
"Not only is Miss Fang beautiful, but she also speaks so elegantly and gently; no wonder she has achieved her current status."
As he spoke, Mr. Huang tried to touch Fang Yuan's hand, albeit intentionally or unintentionally, but she skillfully dodged it.
"You flatter me too much, Mr. Huang! By the way, I heard that Mr. Huang is about to invest in a big-budget commercial film. I wonder if I might be fortunate enough to take part in it?"
"Of course! With the rapport between Miss Fang and me, playing a minor role is no big deal. However, if Miss Fang would honor us by taking our relationship a step further, not just a minor role, but even the female lead wouldn't be a problem!" Mr. Huang no longer hid his intentions, placing his hand directly onto Fang Yuan's shoulder.
"Oh my, Miss Fang! What brings you here? There are several shots over there waiting for you to make up!"
The agent appeared just at the right time and pulled Fang Yuan back a little.
"Oh dear, Mr. Huang, I'm really sorry. My Yuan Yuan has a lot of advertising commitments these days, and she has to rush off right away. Please forgive us," said the agent politely.
After making small talk for a few moments, the agent promptly pulled Fang Yuan out of the business venue and onto the nanny car parked by the roadside.
Only then did Fang Yuan let go of the smile on her face, her expression turning to one of distaste.
"Wasn't this Mr. Huang said to be successful and promising when he was young? What's with this guy?"
The agent quickly tried to soothe her, "That's how it is in the entertainment circle. Many investors are even less presentable than Mr. Huang! Luckily we left quickly. If the paparazzi had snapped photos of that scene just now, who knows what kind of big news it would have caused."
Fang Yuan waved her hand in front of her face, trying to calm herself down.
"Don't let me meet with such people again! By the way, how is the arrangement for stirring up the CP (celebrity pairing) going?"
"Don't worry, it's all set. The other party's studio has already responded! You can make a subtle announcement on your social media account in a few days, but don't be too certain. It will be more convenient when you disband the CP in the future."
"Got it, got it!" Fang Yuan suddenly felt somewhat irritable.
Although she was now very popular, if she wanted to survive in the entertainment industry, she had to spend a lot of time and energy ingratiating herself with various capital bigwigs to get resources.
Even to maintain popularity, she had to stir up some scandals with little-known popular celebrities she had never met.
After all, in this business, without investment and public popularity, mere traffic can't be monetized.
For some reason, Tuan Tuan's image suddenly surfaced in Fang Yuan's mind.