Miao Miao, with a confused look on her face, was held in Ning Qiuxiu’s arms.

As a lively Siberian Husky, she usually just wanted to run around on the ground when she got out, not be held like a baby.

But in front of Zhang Qingyue, she didn’t dare to resist.

Plus, she had missed her owner so much that she wanted to lick Ning Qiuxiu’s face naturally.

Just as she was about to stretch out her tongue, her brain, which might have been influenced by Zhang Qingyue’s training, quickly glanced at him before she licked.

As a result, she got a sharp look from her owner.

Miao Miao: “!!!”

This is bad!

Feeling wronged, she lay still in Ning Qiuxiu’s arms and didn’t move.

“Miao Miao has gained weight again,” Ning Qiuxiu said, weighing the silly dog in her arms, “Life seems pretty good.”

Zhang Qingyue found the situation between the person and the dog quite amusing.

Sometimes he really wanted to open up Ning Qiuxiu’s head and see what was inside because her way of thinking was so different from others’.

But then again, if she were just like everyone else, he probably wouldn’t like her as much.

Ning Qiuxiu’s quirky personality and behavior were what attracted him to her.

“She’s been bothering Grandpa every day. He probably gives her extra food secretly,” Zhang Qingyue said.

They were only a few steps away from the car, so if she wanted to hold the dog, he was fine with it.

Ning Qiuxiu held Miao Miao with one hand and pinched her face with the other. “Be careful you don’t turn into a piggy Husky.”

Miao Miao: “……”

If she understood human speech, she would be thinking: Is 60 pounds really that fat? Stupid humans!

San Tiao knew that Ning Qiuxiu had a strong persona, but their dog was well-nourished and quite large, at least 60 pounds.

Wasn’t it a bit too casual for Ning Qiuxiu to hold her so easily?

And holding her with one hand didn’t seem to take much effort……

Compared to those fake personas like foodies or top students, Ning Qiuxiu seemed genuinely pure and natural.

San Tiao observed the new artist calmly for a moment and then asked, “Is Qiuxiu’s strength natural or did she train for it?”

Neither!

It’s an external bonus!

“Natural,” Ning Qiuxiu shamelessly said, “It’s not extremely strong. Sister San Tiao, please don’t hype this persona too much, it’s easy to fall apart.”

Zhang Qingyue: “……”

You didn’t say that when you were holding me like a princess!

Thinking about that princess carry, Zhang Qingyue’s expression twitched.

What’s more frustrating is that his body hadn’t fully recovered yet, so he couldn’t carry Ning Qiuxiu like a princess.

“No hype,” San Tiao said, seeing her dislike for the persona, “I think your current image is quite good and natural, but try not to be so harsh on Weibo.”

Ning Qiuxiu knew that when San Tiao mentioned “recently,” she was referring to the incident with Qu Hua.

Although she recognized that her actions then were quite irrational, Ning Qiuxiu felt that if given a second chance, she would still handle it the same way.

“Okay,” Ning Qiuxiu nodded. “Before doing anything irrational, I’ll try to discuss it with you.”

“Try” implies it’s not guaranteed.

San Tiao chuckled lightly.

This artist was quite interesting, but she had the capital to be headstrong, given her backing was Zhan Qingyue.

As they spoke, the four of them arrived at the parking area.

Zhan Qingyue had already instructed Xiao Chi to call the other two assistants and the driver to join them for a meal.

Xiao Chi and the other assistants took the shuttle car, while Ning Qiuxiu and San Tiao rode in Zhan Qingyue’s car.

San Tiao wisely took the front seat, leaving Ning Qiuxiu and Zhan Qingyue in the back, with Miao Miao proudly occupying the space between them, effectively becoming a 10 million-watt lightbulb in Zhan Qingyue’s way.

“You said you’ve been so busy lately, how come you suddenly showed up?” Ning Qiuxiu suddenly remembered Zhan Qingyue had mentioned this on WeChat a few days ago.

Zhan Qingyue replied seriously, “This is more important than work.”

San Tiao: “……”

She shouldn’t be here, she should be underneath the car.

Ning Qiuxiu was delighted by his words, but she still had a bit of modesty in front of others.

She reached out to pet Miao Miao’s back, feeling the smooth and shiny fur. “I thought you were going to say Miao Miao missed me.”

Zhan Qingyue: “It only dares to miss its dog mom.”

“……” Ning Qiuxiu hadn’t yet processed what this meant when she suddenly felt a touch that didn’t belong to a dog on her hand.

She froze—it was Zhan Qingyue’s hand.

Yes, the man’s sinful big pig hoof!

The big pig hoof lightly tapped on her hand.

Ning Qiuxiu thought he was going to hold her hand, but then his hand withdrew.

Instead, his pinky gently hooked onto her pinky.

“……” Ning Qiuxiu turned to look, seeing Zhan Qingyue’s pinky entangled with hers, their fair hands standing out against Miao Miao’s black fur.

Meanwhile, Zhan Qingyue sat calmly, as if he wasn’t the one doing this.

Ning Qiuxiu: “???”

Zhan Qingyue, are you being… too pure?

It was just holding hands, did it really need to be… so formal?

Ning Qiuxiu couldn’t help but want to laugh at how this scheming man could be so innocent.

She mischievously withdrew her finger, feeling Zhan Qingyue’s pinky hold onto hers for a moment longer before she let go.

Then, Ning Qiuxiu placed her hand over Zhan Qingyue’s hand, grasping his defined hand, and playfully scratched his palm with her fingers.

She noticed the usually composed Zhan Qingyue visibly stiffened.

Ning Qiuxiu had a mischievous smile.

Zhang Qingyue probably didn’t remember or didn’t know that the second time they met, Ning Qiuxiu had already held his hand and taken advantage of him.

Unfortunately, this warm moment didn’t last long.

The silly dog Miao Miao noticed her parents playing around behind her and, seeing their joined hands, became happy.

Miao Miao knew what to do!

She turned around and placed her paw on their hands, scratching a little to show that they were a close family.

Ning Qiuxiu: “……”

Zhang Qingyue: “……”

Until they got to the restaurant, Zhang Qingyue was still thinking about what kind of dog meat hotpot to eat.

There were seven of them in total, including the driver.

They reserved a big table.

Zhang Qingyue paid for the meal, while Ning Qiuxiu ordered a large spread of dishes.

After that, she asked, “Do you want some wine?”

Zhang Qingyue asked, “Aren’t you filming this afternoon?”

“There are still two more scenes, but you guys should drink. Sister San Tiao, do you drink?”

San Tiao replied, “I can drink anything.”

“Then let’s get a bottle of red wine. Xiao Chi also drinks.”

Ning Qiuxiu ordered a bottle of red wine.

After ordering the food, San Tiao, seeing that Zhang Qingyue and Ning Qiuxiu had finished their flirting, took the chance to discuss business, worried that if she didn’t bring it up now, she might miss the opportunity.

This couple was even more clingy than she had expected.

San Tiao didn’t like managing artists who were in early relationships, especially female artists.

It wasn’t gender discrimination; it was just that men and women handle relationships differently.

Even if a man is in a relationship, unless he’s infatuated, he tends to stay focused and balanced, keeping work and romance separate.

Sometimes, work even takes priority over romance.

For women, especially younger ones, once they’re in a relationship, most of their focus shifts to love.

San Tiao understood this well from her own experiences.

Even a single missed message from a partner could make them lose focus and affect their work.

Once married, many women focus on family, letting their careers take a backseat.

Some even have children during their peak career periods, which can cause significant delays in their professional lives.

San Tiao had seen many such cases and was quite clear about these issues.

Taking on Ning Qiuxiu as a client was partly because, when she signed on, Ning Qiuxiu hadn’t mentioned having a boyfriend.

Also, Zhang Qingyue had money.

With money and resources, most problems could be solved.

“Your current agent doesn’t have any direct conflicts with you, right?” San Tiao asked.

“No, we have a good relationship.”

“Okay, then have him send me your upcoming work schedule. I need to see what you have coming up, as well as any plans. Also, if possible, have him send me a list of resources from your current agency—what can be taken and what can’t. Please have him mark that.”

“Everything can be taken,” Ning Qiuxiu said. “I’m a shareholder in my current agency, and I recently transferred some resources there.”

The resources she got from Lin Yihan earlier were unused and given to her current company, which had no other artists needing them at the moment.

San Tiao: “……”

“Damn rich people,” San Tiao thought, shaking her head.

“Okay,” San Tiao, a seasoned professional, quickly composed herself from the shock of the rich man’s grandeur. “My working style is straightforward and no-nonsense. I won’t beat around the bush or flatter excessively. This might be a bit different from your previous agent’s style, so you might need some time to adjust.”

Ning Qiuxiu could sense that San Tiao’s personality was direct and efficient. Smiling, she replied, “Alright, San Tiao, I’ll do my best to adapt quickly.”

San Tiao smiled back and said, “Of course, this is about work. Personally, I hope we can be friends. If you have any problems or concerns, big or small, you can always talk to me. Don’t worry about bothering me; if I don’t get involved, I won’t be effective.”

Ning Qiuxiu agreed to this, already getting a sense of San Tiao’s professional style.

Zhan Qingyue listened to their conversation without interrupting, showing a hint of admiration in his eyes.

As a boss, he appreciated San Tiao’s efficient and straightforward approach.

When the conversation was over, the food arrived.

The dishes were excellent, prepared to everyone’s liking, and the meal was thoroughly enjoyable.

In the afternoon, San Tiao had no further tasks and didn’t want to stay and witness more of the “dog food” (i.e., public displays of affection).

She decided to leave early.

Since Ning Qiuxiu had more scenes to shoot, Zhan Qingyue chose to visit the set again, observing Ning Qiuxiu’s “monkey show” (i.e., her performance on set).

The young crew members recognized Zhan Qingyue as the “head of Zhan Qingyue” who had been rumored to be dating Ning Qiuxiu.

They were thrilled to see that the rumors were true and wondered if this visit was a step towards making their relationship public.

Zhan Qingyue remained calm amidst the scrutinizing gazes, handling work matters on his phone.

After sending a document, he noticed Ning Qiuxiu sneaking up to him.

She sat down next to him, pulled a plastic bag from her coat, and took out… three steamed buns.

She handed one to Zhan Qingyue.

Seeing the less-than-appetizing buns, Zhan Qingyue felt no real appetite but accepted it out of courtesy, asking, “Where did these come from?”

“From the props,” Ning Qiuxiu grinned and explained with a touch of experience, “I’m saving the skin for later use in the scene. We need to use them in the shoot.”

Today’s scene involved the male lead bringing her breakfast with three buns, so the crew had bought three meat buns from a nearby shop.

Zhan Qingyue thought: “Mrs. Zhan, we’re not exactly at a point where we’re this impoverished.”