Zhou You looked at Sun Li and found her more adorable the more he looked at her.
He leaned close to her ear, breathing warm air as he whispered, "I invested in this movie. Want to go meet them?"
Sun Li didn't even turn her head. "I don't like men who brag. Only losers boast to attract women." She finished speaking and hugged Zhou You tightly, resting her head on his shoulder. "Besides, you don't need to brag. You're already impressive."
Seeing that Sun Li didn't believe him, Zhou You pulled out photos from the film set and pictures with the cast to show her.
"Really? That's Zhang Jiayi—I like him too." As soon as she said it, she noticed Zhou You's expression shift.
"Haha, I meant I like his acting. You're actually jealous?"
"You Ge, you're amazing. You even invested in a movie?"
This genuinely surprised Sun Li. She had always thought Zhou You was just a university professor, maybe with a side hustle at most. Who would've guessed he could invest in a film? To outsiders, that seemed like a big deal. Being on TV was already something to brag about, let alone being a behind-the-scenes big shot.
"In a few days, I'm heading to Beijing for a celebration banquet. Want to come with me?" Zhou You stroked her short hair, watching her grow more playful and cute, seamlessly shifting from spirited and sharp to shy and endearing.
"You're taking me? Not your other girlfriend?" Sun Li's face showed disbelief.
Hearing this, Zhou You felt a twinge of guilt. "In my eyes, you're all the same. There's no difference. My love for you is equal."
"Pfft, you jerk. You make cheating sound so refined and detached." Sun Li straightened up and shot him a sidelong glare.
"Can't help it. I can't control my feelings." Zhou You took her hand. "Next time we're together, don't think about the others, okay? You're ruining the mood."
Sun Li was just a bit put off by his words. The great atmosphere had been spoiled by her own comment, and she felt a little annoyed. She gripped Zhou You's hand tightly. "Fine, I won't bring it up again. I just couldn't help it this time."
For the past few days, Sun Li had been wrestling with how to handle her relationship with Zhou You. She didn't want to wreck his other relationship, but seeing him like this, he clearly wasn't a saint. Since she was happy now, she figured she had no reason to feel guilty.
"You Ge, besides being a university professor, what other side hustles do you have?" Sun Li asked curiously. The more she learned, the more mysterious Zhou You seemed. Just when she thought she had him figured out, she discovered there was so much she didn't know.
"Haha, being a university professor is my side hustle. My main gig is having fun. I've invested in quite a few projects. I'll tell you about them slowly when I get the chance." Zhou You brushed it off. Explaining many of those projects would be too complicated.
When the movie ended, Zhou You drove Sun Li home. At the entrance to her apartment building, she stayed in the passenger seat, wrapping her slender arms around his neck. "Want to come up and see? No man has ever been there."
They'd been together many times, but Zhou You had never been to Sun Li's place. To her, her apartment was her safe haven, her sanctuary. Inviting him in now meant she had accepted him emotionally.
"Sure, I'll check out your boudoir." How could he refuse a beauty's invitation?
He parked the car, and they took the elevator up together. It stopped on the 21st floor—pretty high up. The building was an apartment complex with narrow hallways, dim lighting making the corridor feel a bit oppressive. There were at least ten units per floor, and Sun Li's was at the very end.
She opened the door, and the layout resembled a hotel suite. The hallway connected to the bedroom, with the kitchen and bathroom near the entrance. The bedroom was at the far end, covering maybe 40 to 50 square meters at most.
The room was tidy—much cleaner than Zhou You's. Clothes hung by the window near the bed, with underwear and bras swaying in the breeze. The place was simply furnished, without any of the typical girly pink touches.
It perfectly matched Sun Li's clean and straightforward personality.
Still, living in such an environment long-term could feel a bit stifling.
"Your place is nice. Very cozy."
"Come on, you're just saying my place is small in a roundabout way. No wonder you're a university professor." Sun Li caught the subtext.
Zhou You didn't push further. They hadn't known each other long, and it wasn't the time for deep talk. Even though they were intimate, he had to take it slow. Going too far could hurt her pride.
The next day, they slept until the sun was high in the sky. The apartment had poor soundproofing. Last night, Zhou You had listened to the bed creaking upstairs for ages. As the saying goes, you can lose the battle but not the face. Zhou You wasn't about to back down.
He'd been at it for half the night too. Only after the upstairs went quiet did he show off by going another half hour before sleeping.
It wasn't until today that he realized the upstairs couldn't hear him.
Ah, forget it. The poor guy downstairs must've suffered!
The celebration banquet date was already set. Realizing it was almost time, Zhou You took Sun Li on a flight to Beijing. High-speed rail wasn't available yet, or that would've been more convenient.
Sun Li had studied art, not at some prestigious academy, but she still saw herself as a fringe figure in the entertainment world.
After graduation, she'd basically left that circle behind, only occasionally singing with friends. Now, through Zhou You, she could reconnect with the industry, and she was thrilled.
She chattered the whole way: Was the director strict? Did the actors act like divas? How was their acting? Were they pretty in real life? It gave Zhou You a headache.
"They're all nice people. The director's great, the actors are great. They all smile at me."
"You're the investor. Of course they're nice to you!"
"Exactly. So why ask me? I don't see their other side."
The celebration banquet had arranged airport pickup. As soon as they landed, Teng Huatao was waiting for Zhou You.
This project had really launched him. His influence had been mostly in TV dramas, but now he'd proven his film chops too.
He'd also won over more investors and actors.
When they met, Zhou You noticed he'd lost weight. "Director Teng, you've been working too hard. Take care of yourself. There's plenty of time ahead."
"Haha, I can't compare to you, President Zhou—young and successful. I do need to watch my health. Often, the will is there, but the body isn't." Teng Huatao didn't mind the jab.
They walked and chatted, with Sun Li staying quiet beside them. Teng Huatao noticed Zhou You hadn't introduced her, so he didn't ask. A young, wealthy man changing girlfriends often was perfectly normal.
At the car, a driver was waiting. Teng Huatao took the front passenger seat, while Zhou You and Sun Li sat in the back.
Once settled, Zhou You pulled Sun Li close and said to Teng Huatao, "This is my girlfriend, Sun Li. I brought her along for the fun."