Zoe shook her head and said, "I don't know, this is the first time I've heard of it."
"Well, never mind. At least now that we know about this, we can relax a bit. He Yong won't be able to pressure us as much as before."
Zoe nodded, giving a soft "Mm."
Her phone suddenly buzzed.
It was a call from Song.
Zoe got up and moved to the other side to answer. "What, coming to complain about me again?"
Song's tone was serious. "I'm filming an ad right now, and I'm on a break. I've got two things to discuss with you."
Zoe straightened up. "Go ahead."
"About 'Heart of the Matter,' I've already spoken to my company and Yuehai Network. Please finalize the contract with us as soon as possible. Sign it soon, because the longer we wait, the more likely things could change."
"Alright, Lan Jie said the same thing. She's already gotten approval from the company. Should I have her contact Luo Yuhu?"
"No, send me Lan Jie's WeChat, and I'll have Yuehai's people get in touch with her. You can communicate directly with them."
"But isn't this drama produced by your company? Shouldn't we be signing with your company?"
"It's a bit complicated, I'll explain later." Song said. "Also, I've managed to arrange a meeting with that person. He just replied, and he's available tonight."
Zoe understood that Song was talking about the cover-up situation.
"Okay." Zoe said, "No problem. Send me the address, and I'll come."
"Got it."
After hanging up, Zoe told Zhou Lan and passed her WeChat contact to Song.
She felt something was off—why was Song taking charge of so many things himself? It felt like he was specifically avoiding Luo Yuhu.
In the afternoon, Zoe put on a slightly more formal dress, wore sunglasses, and got ready to leave.
Suddenly, Song called again. "Send me your address, I'll come pick you up."
Zoe was a little confused. "Oh?"
They had originally agreed to meet directly at the restaurant. Why was he picking her up now?
Half an hour later, Song called again. "I'm downstairs."
Zoe went downstairs, walked to the parking garage, and looked for Song's car by the license plate number.
She thought Song was driving himself. But as soon as she opened the passenger side door, she heard Luo Yuhu's familiar, sarcastic voice. "Miss Zhou, long time no see."
Zoe jumped in surprise. Looking at Luo Yuhu sitting in the passenger seat, she was speechless for a moment.
Song was in the back seat.
He opened the door and said, "Come to the back."
Zoe closed the passenger door and got into the back seat, making a silly face at Song.
Song's expression was somewhat complex.
"Miss Zhou, didn't you say before that you have no romantic interest in our Song? That all the rumors were false? Then why are you getting in his car now?" Luo Yuhu turned his head, looking at her with a knowing, mocking smile.
Zoe furrowed her brow.
"Brother Hu, enough." Song's voice was low, "Zoe and I are just friends. Don't make things up. We're just having dinner tonight to discuss work."
Luo Yuhu grumbled and fell silent.
"I'm just saying, if the paparazzi catch you again, it'll be impossible to clear up all these rumors."
The driver started the car.
Zoe took out her phone and asked: "Is Luo Yuhu staying for dinner tonight too?"
Song replied: "No, he just came along because he didn't trust me. He wanted to check if I was really meeting you, but I didn't expect him to be so paranoid."
Zoe understood immediately—Song wanted her to cover for him, and the person he was trying to hide things from was Luo Yuhu.
She asked: "What about the driver?"
Song replied: "It's fine."
Zoe wasn't entirely sure what "it's fine" meant. Was the driver trustworthy, or did he just not care about what was going on?
Since Luo Yuhu was sitting in the front, she didn't want to ask further.
After understanding the situation, Zoe put her phone away.
She pretended to chat with Song about work for a while. At one point, Luo Yuhu got out of the car, and before leaving, he reminded them: "Let me know when you're back."
Song simply hummed in acknowledgment.
After driving for about twenty more minutes, they arrived.
It was a place Zoe had never been before, and it didn't seem like a restaurant. It looked more like a private courtyard.
Two men in black suits stood at the entrance, like security guards.
It seemed like they knew Song. One of them slightly bowed and led them through the gates into a long corridor.
The sun was still setting, casting a beautiful glow over the courtyard. As they walked deeper, the path wound through artificial hills and green plants, and there was a small pond in the middle of the courtyard. The whole space gave off an ancient and elegant feel.
They entered a room with bright lights, and one entire wall was made of glass, offering a full view of the courtyard. The other walls were decorated with calligraphy and ink paintings. A row of antique shelves separated the room from the entrance. The furniture had a modern Chinese style—an elegant mix of ancient charm and light, bright tones.
"Director Jiang has arrived, let me go greet him at the door." Song told the person leading them.
"Got it, Mr. Song."
Once the person left, Zoe finally spoke up. "Who are you meeting tonight? This all seems so secretive."
Song replied, "Director Jiang Xin."
Zoe's eyes widened. "Director Jiang?"
Jiang Xin was one of the top directors in China, known for his ability to attract fans even without a hit film.
Zoe didn't quite understand. If Song wanted to meet Director Jiang, why did he need her to cover for him?
Song briefly explained. "The company wants to invite Liang Hengjun, someone I've worked with before. I also want to invite Director Jiang, but although they claim to respect my opinion, they haven't pushed things forward. So, I had to invite Jiang myself. I don't want them to know about this until it's all set in stone."
"You want to invite Director Jiang for 'Heart of the Matter'?" Zoe asked.
"Yeah."
Zoe began to understand the situation.
"Okay, don't worry. I won't spill the beans."
"Also, it's good for you to meet the director in advance. You're going to be in the film anyway." Song said.
Zoe's eyes brightened. "I'll make sure to do a good job!"
"Just don't offend Director Jiang."
"You're awful."
They waited for about thirty minutes. Finally, someone sent a message saying Director Jiang's car had arrived.
"I'll go greet him. Stay here for a moment." Song said.
Zoe had planned to go with him but nodded in agreement.
About ten minutes later, Song returned with a man and a woman.
Both were familiar faces. The man, wearing a traditional Chinese jacket, had a calm demeanor and looked scholarly. The woman, with black hair tied neatly at the back, wore a sharp, well-tailored suit. Her makeup was light, with just some eyebrow pencil and lipstick.
Zoe stood up politely and greeted, "Director Jiang, Professor Song."
"Oh, you know me?" The woman looked surprised as she gazed at the beautiful woman in front of her.