Tao Ran was walking leisurely in the lobby of the first floor of Starlight Building with his coat in one hand and his neck being rubbed by the other. He happened to see Long Qiu talking to a man. The man who seemed to be less than thirty looked handsome in a suit and tie with leather shoes. Tao Ran asked the system, "Xiaomei, is he Bai Shaohui?"
"Yes, he is Bai Shaohui."
"He’s really good-looking. It's no wonder he could be a male lead." Tao Ran observed from the side.
Bai Shaohui and Long Qiu said a few words before Bai Shaohui left. Long Qiu, who was smiling while saying goodbye to Bai Shaohui suddenly had a sullen face when she turned around.
Isn’t this the most typical expression of a vicious female villain? Long Qiu has already turned into a wicked woman. This is not good. While Tao Ran was still thinking about what to do, Long Qiu had already left the building. Too late! Thanks a lot for dawdling. Tao Ran hurriedly chased after her. If you want to prevent Long Qiu from turning into a wicked spurned woman, you’d have to get closer to her first. Tao Ran had already wasted a lot of time.
Long Qiu was walking away so fast, and Tao Ran jogged to catch up. "Hey, wait a minute."
Long Qiu didn't respond.
Tao Ran continued to shout, "Wait a minute!"
Long Qiu turned around as she heard the shout and looked back at Tao Ran. She asked, "Are you calling me?"
"Yes." Tao Ran smiled, "Do you remember me? I went to the audition that day and you were the chief examiner.”
"It's you." Long Qiu remembered Tao Ran, "I remember you, you are the Little Apple.”
"Well, my name is Tao Ran." Tao Ran reached out his hand and said, "Can we be friends?"
Long Qiu looked at Tao Ran with suspicion. "Do you know who I am? Why do you want to be friends with me? What do you want from me?”
Tao Ran said with a quick smile. "I don't want anything, I just want to be friends with you..."
There were a few unruly teenagers who were skateboarding on the sidewalk. Just as Tao Ran was talking, one of the teenagers lost control of his skateboard. The skateboard under his feet whizzed and flew out, precisely aimed at Long Qiu.
Long Qiu was getting impatient listening toTao Ran. She took out her sunglasses and raised her chin, looking exquisite and cold.
"I'm the CEO of Star Entertainment, and you're not qualified to talk to me alone. That's all for today. If you really need anything, please contact my assistant."
Tao Ran caught a glimpse of the skateboard flying their way. In desperation, he pulled Long Qiu behind him. "Be careful." Then, as the skateboard flew over, he habitually covered his chest with both hands to protect “her” key parts.
"Uh-oh!"
The skateboard accurately hit the “other” key part between Tao Ran's legs. Tao Ran instantly knelt down while clutching his front. For the first time in his life, he understood what the most unbearable pain in a man's life was.
Long Qiu looked at Tao Ran who was kneeling on the ground. She reached out her hand to help, "How are you?"
Tao Ran covered his crotch with both hands, and his face turned red. "It's still... OK?"
"Really?" Long Qiu said, "The veins on your forehead are bursting out."
Can't you see I'm in pain? Tao Ran's lips trembled for a moment and told the truth. "I'm dying of pain."
The teenagers who were skateboarding were stunned by this scene. They stood in front of Long Qiu and Tao Ran with scared and helpless faces. Long Qiu scolded them in a displeased tone. "Who allowed you to skateboard at the entrance of Starlight Building?” She looked at Tao Ran and with a worried expression and asked, “Little Apple, do you need to go to the hospital?"
"I don't have to go to the hospital. Just help me to Starbucks for a rest." Long Qiu supported Tao Ran to stand, "And do not call me Little Apple. My name is Tao Ran. Tao Yuanming's Tao and Meng Haoran's Ran."
Long Qiu helped Tao Ran sit down in Starbucks and asked again, "How are you doing?"
Tao Ran relaxed on his seat. "I feel much better."
"But you still look a little bad."
"Probably because of hunger." Tao Ran said, "I haven't eaten anything since I had a piece of bread at noon, and I've been dancing for six hours."
In view of Tao Ran's injury, Long Qiu turned to the bar and bought coffee and cakes for Tao Ran. Long Qiu looked at Tao Ran who was devouring the cake shamelessly, and said with disgust. "Isn’t it a bit rude for a man to eat like this in front of a lady?"
With a layer of cream on his lips, Tao Ran explained, "I don't usually eat like this. But today, I'm just too hungry, and the cake you bought is so delicious."
Long Qiu twitched the corners of her mouth and changed the subject. "Do trainees practice dancing for such a long time every day?"
Tao Ran finished the piece of cake in three bites and took a sip of coffee, "No, it's just that I practiced for two hours longer than others."
Long Qiu was a little moved and said, "You are very hardworking, different from what I imagined."
Tao Ran lowered his head guiltily and explained, "It's not like that, because my movements were too bad, so the teacher punished me to practice for two hours more than others."
Long Qiu: “...”
She had never complimented anyone, let alone saying words of comfort. Long Qiu never comforted anyone. Everyone had to follow and look up to her, so she didn't need to learn how to comfort people. But her sarcasm was excellent. She said, "You are the only one that was punished? Oh, that's too bad. To tell you the truth, you may not have any talent in this field..."
Tao Ran didn't pay attention to Long Qiu's sarcasm, because panda Xiaomei was calling his attention.
"Host, look to the left. The one in the green dress is Cui Xiao."
Tao Ran turned to see a thin girl in a green skirt standing at the traffic lights outside Starbucks. She had a pretty face and very fair skin. But her overall image and temperament were not comparable to Long Qiu. Bai Shaohui likes this kind of girl?
Long Qiu had been talking for a long while before she realized that Tao Ran was not listening to her. She was a little annoyed because she felt that even if she was saying criticisms and being sarcastic, others had to listen attentively. She followed Tao Ran’s line of sight and saw Cui Xiao standing there.
"Cui Xiao..." Long Qiu said with an unclear expression. "Do you know Cui Xiao?"
"Ermm… Yes." Tao Ran said. "She was my high school classmate. I didn't expect to meet her here. I haven't seen her in several years."
Tao Ran did not lie. Tao Ran and Cui Xiao in the novel were indeed high school classmates. Otherwise Long Qiu would not have chosen Tao Ran, a newcomer, to seduce Cui Xiao.
Everything seemed to be destined. Long Qiu looked at the 21-year-old boy in front of her and suddenly realized how handsome and cheerful he was. An idea sprouted in her mind, and she couldn’t get rid of it.
"Little Apple." Long Qiu said, "Do you want to stop dancing in the practice room?"
"I am not called Little Apple. To be honest, I really don't want to practice dancing anymore. What's the matter, do you want to transfer me?" Tao Ran asked.
Long Qiu carefully recalled Tao Ran's information. "You graduated from XX Film Academy. Is your acting OK?"
Tao Ran took the coffee cup to cover up his face and said, "Ahem, it’s fairly so-so."
"Now there is an opportunity in front of you. Star Entertainment is preparing to make a big IP movie. I can let you be the male lead." Long Qiu said with temptation in her cold eyes. "But this is conditional."
Tao Ran knew her conditions. To be honest, he didn't really want to do it, so he silently put his hands on his chest and said, "I know you are the CEO of Star Entertainment and also my boss, but I still want to say that I will not accept the bribe.”
Long Qiu: “...”
Long Qiu had never met someone who would refuse her offer so bluntly. She held the cup and was silent for a long time before she spoke.
"Who wants you? Who do you think you are?” Long Qiu lifted her chin with pride and said, "Do I need to use bribery to get you?"
"Isn't that the case?" Tao Ran said. "You just said that you could give me the lead role, but there are conditions. Isn't the meaning of this sentence is, you want to buy me off with the lead role so I’d do some unknown things with you?"
Long Qiu stared at Tao Ran fiercely and said, "So what?"
"This is the unwritten rule." Tao Ran looked righteous and awe inspiring. "I will never accept these shady rules."
"Well, you can keep dancing then. I'll find someone else for the lead role. I remember you signed a five-year contract with Starlight, right? You can wait and dance for five years.” Long Qiu stood up, turned around and left.
"Oh no, wait a minute. You are abusing your power for personal gain and revenge. You can't do this..." Tao Ran chased after her.
Long Qiu quickly got in the car, and Tao Ran tapped his hands on the car window, "You can't do this to me. I almost broke my eggs just for you. Don't leave. Let's discuss it again..."
Long Qiu opened the window and looked at Tao Ran coldly. "Either accept the conditions that I am going to set for you or your career will be forever buried in obscurity.”
"This..." Tao Ran said, "President Long, I just graduated from college. What do you see in me?"
Long Qiu looked at Tao Ran and said, "Of course it's your youth and handsomeness." If it wasn't because you were more handsome than Bai Shaohui, I wouldn't have thought of letting you seduce Cui Xiao.
The car driver glared from the front seat. Ah, the rich woman openly wants to buy off this young man. Is this the disappearance of human nature or the decline of morality?
Tao Ran was still hesitating, and the driver cheered for him in his heart. Come on, boy, don't succumb to power!
"All right." Tao Ran said. "We have a deal."
The corner of Long Qiu's mouth evoked a sarcastic smile, "Get in the car."
After Tao Ran got into the car, the driver stepped on the accelerator and sped out. At this moment, the driver's mood was very complicated. He had just witnessed the degeneration of a pure soul. As expected of this materialistic society. If there is money, you will become corrupt. When he was young, he was also a good looking man, but why is it that there was no rich woman who offered to buy him like this?