Xixi mentioned there was a strange old man, and the word "strange" was spot on. She had been playing in the shop earlier, and through the floor-to-ceiling glass, she spotted an elderly man wandering around outside, looking around.
When Yang Yi heard his daughter say this, he turned to look and saw an old man in a loose, dark blue cotton and linen Tang suit and a light gray bucket hat already standing at the door.
Where did this old man come from?
Could he be a customer of the coffee shop?
Considering Murphy's special identity, Yang Yi stood up and walked to the door, just as the old man pulled it open, their eyes meeting.
"Sorry, sir, our shop isn't open today," Yang Yi said apologetically.
He was secretly surprised—this old man was no ordinary person! His weathered eyes were slightly cloudy, as expected at his age, but they still held a sense of authority, as if he had long been in a position of power.
"Not open in broad daylight?" The old man frowned, scrutinizing Yang Yi's build and frame, and asked, "Aren't you the owner of this shop?"
"Yes, as you can see, the sign isn't even up yet. The school's on break recently, so there aren't many customers, and I didn't plan to open," Yang Yi said with a slight smile, maintaining a respectful tone.
If it weren't for the fear of exposing Murphy's identity, Yang Yi wouldn't have minded inviting the old man in for a sit.
However, Murphy walked over on her own, staring intently at the old man's face. Up close, she confirmed his identity and asked in surprise, "Director Chen? What brings you here?"
The exclamation of "Director Chen" revealed Chen Fengchen's identity. He was also startled, turning to look at Murphy. At first, he didn't recognize her without makeup and in casual home attire, but since they had worked together before—Murphy had sung the theme song for one of Chen Fengchen's TV dramas, and she had been quite famous a few years ago—Chen Fengchen eventually identified her.
"Murphy? Little Mo?" Chen Fengchen was just as surprised as Murphy.
"It's me!" Murphy laughed. "Last time I was recording a show at the TV station, I ran into you and said hello!"
So they knew each other, and judging by the title, it seemed they were acquaintances in the entertainment industry, so there shouldn't be a problem with identity exposure. Yang Yi breathed a sigh of relief and quickly stepped aside—he couldn't keep the old man standing at the door!
"Director Chen, please come in and sit down," Murphy said, taking on the air of a hostess. She nudged Yang Yi and whispered, "Go make some tea for Director Chen; he doesn't drink coffee."
They did have tea in the shop. Although Yang Yi hadn't planned to sell tea at the coffee shop, he often drank it himself.
As Yang Yi turned and headed to the counter, Chen Fengchen looked at Murphy with a strange expression, as well as the little girl behind her, clutching her mother's clothes and peeking out.
His original purpose was momentarily set aside as Chen Fengchen couldn't help but ask with some curiosity, "Little Mo, is this... you here?"
Murphy felt a bit embarrassed, but since it was Chen Fengchen asking—if she were in the film industry, she would respectfully call him "teacher"—she admitted it openly: "Yes, this is my daughter, and... he's my husband. By the way, my husband is a fan of yours; he's been watching your TV series lately... But we haven't made our relationship public yet, so I'd appreciate it if you could keep it a secret, Director Chen."
After saying this, Murphy glanced at Yang Yi behind the counter and gritted her teeth inwardly: "That guy must be secretly gloating! Hmph, thinking he can get away with it? It won't be that easy!"
Chen Fengchen was initially a bit shocked—after all, there had never been any news of Murphy getting married in the entertainment industry, so how did she have a daughter this old?
Still, he wasn't overly surprised, as hiding relationships and marriages wasn't uncommon in the entertainment world.
But when Murphy mentioned that last part, combined with his own reason for coming, Chen Fengchen looked at Yang Yi, who was approaching with a freshly brewed cup of tea, with a peculiar expression.
Murphy was naturally reserved and not great at socializing, so after her confession, the conversation with Chen Fengchen hit a lull. Chen Fengchen was preoccupied with his own thoughts and didn't mind, but Murphy was struggling, unsure of what to say next.
After Yang Yi set the tea down and sat beside her, Murphy finally came up with something to say. She asked, "Director Chen, are you here today to look for actors at Jiangchuan University?"
Aside from that possibility, Murphy couldn't think of any other reason for Chen Fengchen to leave Beijing and come to Jiangchuan Media University.
Yang Yi wasn't very interested in entertainment industry matters. He had brewed the tea and brought it over to the old man, already planning to take his daughter away and not interrupt Murphy's conversation.
However, Chen Fengchen's expression turned odd as he pointed at Yang Yi and said, "If I'm not mistaken, your husband is named Yang Yi, right?"
Murphy looked surprised, unable to fathom how the old man knew Yang Yi's name. But she wasn't cunning and nodded, "Yes, how do you know?"
Yang Yi, however, had already caught on—few people knew his name!
He studied Chen Fengchen, whose demeanor and attire were somewhat old-fashioned, and asked tentatively, "Director Chen, are you Chen Fengchen, the director?"
Chen Fengchen smiled calmly and said, "That's right, I'm here to find him!"
Before arriving, Chen Fengchen had been worried, unsure of what kind of temperament the author Yang Yi had. But now that he saw Murphy and knew Yang Yi was the "husband" of someone familiar, he felt half at ease, thinking things were likely settled!
"Huh? Looking for Yang Yi?" This time, it was Murphy's turn to be surprised.
Chen Fengchen didn't explain to Murphy but looked up at Yang Yi, smiling. "This young brother Yang should know why I'm here. Sorry for the sudden visit, but it's because you've written such a good book!"
Murphy was still confused. Yang Yi sat down beside her and whispered in her ear, "I've published two books, remember? He's here to buy the film and TV rights."
So that's it! Murphy understood, and in that moment, many details clicked into place, including some of her earlier words, which made her feel a bit embarrassed.
Since it involved him, Yang Yi decided to stay. He looked calmly at the other man, maintaining a respectful tone but speaking with neither humility nor arrogance: "Yes, the publisher informed me. But I didn't expect you to come in person. I was planning to wait until after this month, when my daughter starts kindergarten and I have some free time, to visit you."
"No need for that; I'm not that old-fashioned. Your book is indeed good. Name a price—I want to buy the rights to both and turn them into TV dramas," Chen Fengchen said, waving his hand and cutting straight to the chase. His directness wasn't exactly blunt, but it subtly revealed the commanding presence of a top director.
If Murphy weren't there, Yang Yi could have responded assertively to counter the pressure Chen Fengchen was exerting. But with Murphy present, he felt it would be much more complicated to handle.
He turned to Murphy, exchanging a look with her: "Will this affect you?"
Murphy understood his meaning, feeling a warmth in her heart, but she responded with a firm gaze: "Do what you think is right; don't worry about me!"