Chapter 118

Jenny pulled Song Haowen aside, looking unfriendly, and asked, “Why did you leave without saying goodbye last time? Miss Zhong didn’t eat a single bite of dinner because of you. She treats you so well, but you never take it seriously.”

Song Haowen felt embarrassed and said, “I left because I saw she was busy and didn’t want to disturb her work. Besides, I had some urgent matters to attend to that day.”

“Humph, all excuses. If you wanted to leave, couldn’t you spare a moment to say goodbye? Are you afraid we wouldn’t let you go or what?” Jenny questioned persistently.

Song Haowen felt his face burning. He knew that Jenny had seen through his careful thoughts about not getting too emotionally involved with Zhong Lizhi. He felt exposed and awkwardly laughed, “What are you talking about? I’m here again, right? I’m tied to the crew now. Whenever I have time, I’ll come over. It’s not like it’s been ages since we last met.”

Jenny glared at Song Haowen and said, “Who is that Miss Gu to you? Did you change your girlfriend again?”

Song Haowen, annoyed, pointed at Jenny’s forehead with his finger and scolded, “Your brain seems to have a problem. Why do you always jump to conclusions? Miss Gu is my classmate who has helped me a few times. She asked me to help meet an idol, and I can’t refuse, can I?”

“Don’t think I can’t see it. With my woman’s intuition, her feelings for you are not ordinary. Don’t deny it,” Jenny said through gritted teeth.

Song Haowen felt a bit exasperated. “If you want to think that way, I can’t stop you. However, you better not stir up trouble in front of Miss Zhong, or you might end up upsetting her.”

Jenny was left speechless for a moment. Just then, Tang Wen walked over. “Mr. Song, Director Wang asked me to tell you that no matter what, please stay for dinner tonight. He has something to consult with you.”

After thinking for a moment, Song Haowen said, “Okay, I won’t leave. Please tell Assistant Tang to inform Director Wang that there will be four of us, including Miss Zhong.”

Tang Wen smiled, “No problem. In addition to the four of you, including Director Wang and me, there will be six. Do you have any specific requests for the restaurant?”

“No, we’re like a family, just order casually.”

“Alright, I’ll go arrange it. I’ll come back to invite you all once it’s settled.” After saying that, Tang Wen greeted Jenny and left.

Jenny glared at Song Haowen discontentedly. “I thought you were going to invite Miss Zhong for dinner tonight alone, but unexpectedly, you brought someone else along.”

Song Haowen chuckled, “What does it matter who invites whom? It’s settled. Tonight, we’ll have dinner together with Miss Zhong. I’ll go tell her now.” Without waiting for her response, he turned and walked towards Gu Ziwei and Zhong Lizhi, informing them about the dinner plans. Both of them readily agreed.

The dinner was arranged in a luxurious private room at the Wang Mansion Hotel. Seeing the high level of hospitality, Gu Ziwei found it somewhat unbelievable. In her eyes, Song Haowen was just the lead actor of the movie.

However, the one hosting the dinner was the renowned director Wang Bolong from Hong Kong, and not everyone had the privilege to be on good terms with him.

It was already a rare occasion for Wang to attend an event, let alone hosting it. Moreover, the extravagant treatment left her feeling a bit perplexed. If she had known that Song Haowen was the sole investor in this film, she might not have been so surprised but rather shocked.

When the dishes were served, Wang Bolong raised a cup filled with Maotai liquor and stood up. He respectfully toasted Song Haowen three times, representing the company, the crew, and himself, thanking Song Haowen for his substantial assistance during a critical moment, which had revived the film project.

Due to the recent events involving Zhong Lizhi, Song Haowen had some opinions about Wang Bolong. However, out of courtesy, he had to feign politeness.

Seeing the renowned director humbling himself like this and voluntarily hosting the dinner, combined with his generally good treatment, Song Haowen let go of some of his resentment and stood up to accept the gratitude.

Next, Wang Bolong walked to Zhong Lizhi. To everyone’s surprise, he bowed deeply to her, apologizing for the company’s indifference and his own selfishness.

He promised that both the company and he personally would fully support her work in the future, ensuring her protection from any external disturbances. He toasted her twice, expressing his sincere apologies and respect.

Wang Bolong’s words were clearly understood by everyone present, but due to the sensitivity of the topic, no one dared to discuss it openly. Zhong Lizhi’s eyes turned slightly red, and she tried to control her emotions, preventing tears from falling.

She stood up, took a small sip from her cup, and spoke softly, “It was my voluntary choice, and I can’t blame anyone else. I appreciate your intentions, thank you.”

Hearing Zhong Lizhi’s thank-you, Wang Bolong’s emotions surged, feeling a myriad of emotions. He thought about the things he had done in the past, some even more extreme than this, although he hadn’t willingly participated.

It was for the sake of the company’s interests, but no matter how he justified it, he was still an accomplice, involved in a sort of crime. Feeling embarrassed, he couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat, realizing how much he had tarnished his reputation.

Wang Bolong had always held Zhong Lizhi in high regard and didn’t want to harm her. In the recent withdrawal of investment by Sato Ichiro, he was forced to exert pressure through his assistant Tang Wen to make Zhong Lizhi try to persuade Sato to change his mind.

Although he didn’t force her to fulfill Sato’s unreasonable requests or even go to bed with him, he couldn’t help but feel remorseful. Fortunately, the matter was stopped in time, preventing harm to Zhong Lizhi.

Unexpectedly, this incident led to the arrival of Song Haowen as a significant investor, turning the situation around. It was an unexpected delight.

To conceal his embarrassment, Wang Bolong walked over to Gu Ziwei’s seat. After a brief exchange, he learned from Song Haowen that she was an intern journalist from “Beijing Evening News,” and the behind-the-scenes report on the movie’s Tai Chi filming was written by her.

Wang Bolong raised a toast to her, inviting her to be in charge of the publicity and media coverage for the film. He promised her full cooperation in interviews and praised her work.

Hearing the invitation, Gu Ziwei was so happy that she almost jumped up. She glanced at the smiling Song Haowen, then promptly accepted Wang Bolong’s invitation.

She mentioned that after the dinner, she would like to use half an hour of his time for a brief interview and asked if it was possible. Wang Bolong, eager to please Song Haowen, didn’t hesitate to agree and even assured her that the interview time was unlimited.

Curious about the sudden invitation, Song Haowen asked if Wang Bolong had something to discuss that evening. Wang Bolong, patting his head with his hand, expressed regret, saying, “Mr. Song, I’m a bit useless. After a few drinks, I forget everything. I remember you mentioned last time that you were in charge of the theme and insert songs for this movie. How are the preparations going?”

Song Haowen, amused, replied, “You can rest assured about that, Director Wang. I promised to take it seriously, and I won’t let you down. I’ve already started working on it; it’s just not finalized yet. In a few days, I’ll bring the two ‘demo’ songs for your critique and suggestions.”

Wang Bolong quickly corrected him, saying, “What are you saying? Mr. Song, you’re a universally recognized musical genius. Your compositions are bound to be masterpieces. We’re just here to appreciate them; we don’t qualify to critique or suggest anything. You’re being too modest.”

Song Haowen shrugged it off, saying, “Director Wang, you’re an expert in the film industry. I value your opinions.”

Gu Ziwei agreed, saying, “Although Xiao Song has great talent in music, from what I know, this is his first time composing for a film. Even if he’s talented, he still needs some postnatal learning to handle movie composition. After all, he wasn’t born with it, right?”

The table burst into laughter at Gu Ziwei’s words, and Zhong Lizhi chuckled, “Indeed, Reporter Gu understands Mr. Song the best.”

Blushing, Gu Ziwei said, “Stop making fun of me! I won’t say anything more!”

The laughter continued for a while. The dinner concluded in a pleasant atmosphere. Afterward, Gu Ziwei conducted a half-hour interview with Wang Bolong.

During this time, Song Haowen and Zhong Lizhi chatted for a long time, exchanging suggestions on the filming of “Tai Chi,” discussing the current domestic and international film markets, and sharing childhood anecdotes. Even after Gu Ziwei’s interview ended, the two were still engrossed in conversation, wishing it could go on all night.

Gu Ziwei walked over, patted Song Haowen on the shoulder, and asked, “I have to go back to school. Are you staying, or shall we leave together?”

Even if Song Haowen wanted to stay, he didn’t dare to say it outright. After all, it was late, and he didn’t want Gu Ziwei to take a taxi alone. So, he decided to leave with her. They bid farewell to Zhong Lizhi, Wang Bolong, and the others before leaving.

On the way, Gu Ziwei was still immersed in excitement. She had gained a lot today, meeting her idol and getting an exclusive interview with the renowned director.

What made her even happier was being assigned the publicity coverage for the “Tai Chi” film. She and Song Haowen sat in the back seat, with her tightly holding onto his arm and leaning her head on his shoulder. She kept talking non-stop, leaving him with a headache. He remained silent, listening to her chatter.

According to the plan, the taxi should have dropped Gu Ziwei at the school gate first, and then Song Haowen would walk back by himself. However, when the taxi was still a street away from the school gate, Gu Ziwei asked to get off, saying she wanted to walk a bit. Song Haowen couldn’t refuse and got off with her.

They strolled along the road towards the school gate. With few pedestrians at this hour, Gu Ziwei appeared even more relaxed. She held onto his arm with one hand and wrapped the other around his waist. Feeling extremely uneasy, Song Haowen worried about meeting some of her classmates and sparking another wave of rumors about their relationship.

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