Sun Li had already finished her graduate school exams and was completely relaxed. Although the results weren't out yet, she felt confident she had it in the bag.
When she heard that Zhou You was coming, she was overjoyed and tidied up the house early on.
Lately, she'd been keeping up with news about Zhou You. Even though they didn't meet in person, they stayed in touch through phone calls and video chats.
Miao Xia's attitude toward her had also grown increasingly warm and considerate.
Though Miao Xia would be her advisor in the future, their relationship felt more like friendship now.
Winter in the capital was cold and bleak. Most of the leaves had fallen from the trees, leaving bare branches behind.
Yet the city remained bustling, with traffic and crowds packed together in an endless flow.
The season didn't mean much to a big city—unlike the northern countryside, where people mostly stayed indoors during winter and rarely went out.
In a metropolis, whether scorching summer or bitter cold, work went on as usual.
Sun Li had dressed up specially today. She'd originally thought about growing her hair long, but since Zhou You said he liked her short hair, she'd kept the style.
A red scarf, a brown trench coat with a stand-up collar, tight leather pants, and knee-high heeled boots.
With sunglasses on, she was a striking, spirited beauty.
Standing at the airport exit, she stood out among the crowd of people waiting to pick up arrivals.
Zhou You was dressed casually, in clothes he'd picked up at random from the mall. But his demeanor had changed a lot lately. Though he'd bulked up considerably, it was hard to tell under the thick winter layers.
As the ancients often said, "When one carries a sharp weapon, the urge to kill arises."
Zhou You was currently in that phase. Feeling capable of fighting, he looked at the people around him differently, sometimes with a hint of aggression.
There was no helping it—he'd have to wait until things settled down.
With his short, buzzed hair and fierce eyes, the glasses he wore were the only thing keeping him from looking like a straight-up bodyguard.
Just as he stepped out of the arrival gate, he saw a striking figure rushing toward him. The red scarf looked especially warm in the cold winter.
Sun Li hugged Zhou You tightly, feeling the warmth of his body. She was wearing heels today, so she was almost as tall as him.
Zhou You was still reserved. He couldn't bring himself to act all lovey-dovey in public, so he took Sun Li's hand and led her to the car.
As soon as they got in, Sun Li pinned him against the seat.
Passionate and overwhelming.
Hard to resist.
A beauty's favor was the hardest to bear.
They finally made it home. Winter had arrived—could spring be far behind?
The place was a mess, a scene of utter chaos.
This was one good thing about the north: central heating in winter. The room was warm and cozy, perfect for getting things done.
Zhou You had come a few days early this time because there was nothing left to do at school. The students were mostly on break.
He planned to finish up his business here and head back home just before the New Year.
He wasn't sure what Sun Li would do for the New Year—stay in the capital, go back to Luzhou, or visit her parents.
When there's nothing on your mind, every day is a good day.
The two of them, with nothing to do, couldn't get enough of each other's company. It wasn't until Shi Wenxiu and the others came back that Zhou You finally had some free time.
Sun Li and Shi Wenxiu went shopping together, and Zhou You couldn't be bothered to join.
He was in the capital now to shoot a few supplementary scenes, which would take a few days. Once those were done, the production would wrap. He planned to wait until the wrap party to join the crew.
Just as Zhou You was getting bored at home, a message came in that got him excited.
"You ge, I heard you're in the capital. I'm here too. Got time to meet up?" How did Bai Baihe find out? Probably from Miao Xia casually mentioning it.
What cat doesn't like fish?
Perfect timing—they weren't home. Zhou You went out to see what was up.
A year had passed, and her demeanor had changed too. She'd been a bit green before, but after a year of settling, she'd grown more mature, especially with that confidence she carried. After all, she was a rising star now.
She'd thoughtfully sent him the hotel room number. How could Zhou You refuse?
After all, they'd shared a night together.
The past year had been hectic for her too. She'd shot two movies, but neither had made much of a splash.
She'd originally planned to stop seeing Zhou You, but then she remembered what he'd said over dinner that day. She decided to keep it up—she still wanted to soak up some of his luck, just in case it worked.
Stealing a taste of sweetness, dashing and charming.
"You ge, I'm going to drain all your luck!"
Zhou You didn't care, but seeing Bai Baihe acting silly, he couldn't help saying, "We're three meters apart. Sucking like that won't do anything."
But Bai Baihe didn't dare get any closer. Zhou You's stamina was terrifying now. Even though he was young and strong, no one could keep up with a perpetual motion machine.
"You ge, there's another movie coming up. Interested in investing? Director Feng's film. I'm one of the leads."
"Does his movie really need investment?" Zhou You was curious. It shouldn't, right?
"It doesn't, but you've made a name for yourself in the entertainment circle lately. Your eye and your luck are scary. Everyone wants a piece of that good fortune. No one can guarantee box office success."
Seeing Zhou You's curiosity, Bai Baihe massaged him as she spoke. "Maybe the investment share isn't big, but it's about being part of it. The backer asked me if you're interested."
Zhou You roughly understood. They really wanted to leech off his luck, or treat him like a lucky charm.
"Not interested for now. Let's talk later. I've got a movie coming out next year. We'll see after that."
He didn't have much bargaining power yet, since he was just getting started. If that next movie blew up, he'd probably get better investment opportunities. Either way, it was just for fun. He'd throw Shi Wenxiu in as a side gig if he invested.
No unknowns, no scams, no guaranteed losses—he was all about superstition, a blind faith in his own luck.
He was slowly building his personal reputation as an investor.
That way, whether he was picking up bargains or following others' leads, he wouldn't lose.
So for now, Bai Baihe was the lucky one. She was about to skyrocket. Where else could he find someone like her? She gave him her body and her money—what a kind soul!
Even though he wasn't as free as before, this thrill was something he couldn't explain to outsiders.
They had lunch in the room, ordering room service.
In the afternoon, Zhou You only stayed two hours before leaving. Seeing Bai Baihe lying motionless on the bed, he felt like he was the one who'd come out on the losing end.
Since he was in the capital, he visited a few old friends, caught up with Zhang Yiming, and met up with Baoqiang too.
They'd been running around doing roadshows and were exhausted. Seeing the movie do well, everyone in the cast was all smiles.
With that experience under their belts, the road ahead would be much smoother.
Zhou You also noticed more and more enthusiasm. Besides that, many people came to visit him out of admiration, mostly to get close, build connections, or ask for investments.
Unfortunately, he hadn't come across any movies he'd heard of or famous directors, so he turned most of them down. Still, he'd expanded his network quite a bit.
Zhou You finally understood why so many people lost money investing in movies. These people really knew how to spin a tale, painting grand pictures left and right.
Several times, Zhou You was almost swayed, but he held himself back.
People in the entertainment industry could talk the dead back to life.