Chapter 23 - What a Coincidence
Yan Ting bowed down to eat the orange Li Zhao gave him. A sudden sour taste filled his mouth and he looked expressionless.
“Did you swallow it?” Li Zhao saw that Yan Ting didn’t frown and hastily pulled a piece of candy out of his pocket, giving it to Yan Ting. “I’m teasing you. This orange is so sour that I almost lost my teeth.”
Eating this green orange was like playing a good luck turntable. Some were moist and sweet while some were sour and made people cry. Li Zhao didn’t expect that Yan Ting could swallow an orange with such a sour taste without changing his expression. He immediately felt admiration. “You are too powerful.”
“This is good.” Yan Ting pulled out a yellowed orange and put it in Li Zhao’s hand.
“It’s sweet at first glance” Li Zhao peeled it and ate it. “This time it is really sweet. You taste it.”
Seeing that Yan Ting didn’t want to eat the orange he handed over, Li Zhao hugged his pillow and sat cross-legged on the sofa. “Yan Ting, you are too sincere. What if I cheat you again?”
“It doesn’t matter.” Yan Ting chose two yellow oranges and placed them in front of Li Zhao.
“It’s over. I feel guilty about bullying honest people.” Li Zhao’s body fell on Li Zhao. “Ting Ting, you can’t be so obedient with people in the future or you will suffer losses.”
Li Zhao’s anti-fraud and anti-theft class started. After telling Yan Ting several stories about friends cheating other friends, Li Zhao drank two mouthfuls of water to moisturize his throat. “These are true. You must bear it in mind in the future, you know?”
“I know.”
“That’s right.” Li Zhao patted him on the shoulder with satisfaction. “You sit first. I will go to the kitchen to check the broth.”
Once Li Zhao went into the kitchen, Yan Ting picked up the piece of candy Li Zhao had placed on the table. He peeled the wrapper and put it in his mouth. The sugar was very sweet. In the evening, only two people were eating. Li Zhao only cooked several dishes but Yan Ting gave him face and filled his stomach with a whole bowl of rice.
After eating, Yan Ting said goodbye and Li Zhao sent him out. Yan Ting stood in the night, the night wind blowing his clothes. He stopped and looked back at Li Zhao sitting in the light. “When will you come back?”
historical
“Before the Spring Festival.” Li Zhao smiled, his eyes curving. “Shall we spend the New Year together?”
There was infinite darkness in his deep eyes. Yan Ting placed a hand in his jacket pocket and nodded slowly. “Okay.” He turned and walked out the gate, stepping into the darkness that the streetlights couldn’t reach.
“Wait!” Li Zhao stopped him. He ran back inside and took out a cute waist cushion, handing it to Yan Ting. “This is something the organizers sent me when I participated in an event. You sit in the office every day and will be more comfortable if you have this cushion.”
Yan Ting looked at the smiley doll embroidered on the waist cushion and reached for it. “Thank you.”
“What is thanks between brothers?” Li Zhao waved his hand. “Go back and sleep early. Next month, we’ll keep in contact by phone.”
“Yes.” Yan Ting walked back with the pillow in one hand.
“Don’t go where the light is dim and watch your steps.” Li Zhao called out from behind to remind him.
Yan Ting stopped. He looked at the street lights shining just two steps away from him and then back at Li Zhao. Li Zhao stood under the light of the gate and looked at him with concern. Yan Ting paused for a moment before slowly moving into the light. The lights were a bit harsh and he didn’t like it, but he could live with it.
The next morning, Li Zhao carried his suitcase and took the car to the airport. Once he boarded the plane, he met Song Yu in first class.
“Brother Song, what a coincidence.” Li Zhao gave Song Yu a brother smile. He came, he came. There would be tasty midnight snacks and milk tea.
Facing Li Zhao’s eyes full of enthusiasm, Song Yu felt a bit tired although he hadn’t yet found the reason for his tiredness. Maybe it was because Li Zhao was too unsightly?
Li Zhao rushed to the Sky Song drama crew and was once again warmly welcomed. Their attitude wasn’t as exaggerated as last time but Li Zhao still felt the influence of money.
“Mr Li, the crew here has arranged a lounge for you and Mr Song. Due to the limited conditions of the crew, we have to wrong you to share a lounge with Mr Song.” The crew brought Li Zhao to the exclusive lounge shared with Song Yu. “If you see anything you need to purchase then I will have the crew manager arrange it for you.”
“It’s very good. There is no need to trouble everyone anymore.” Li Zhao saw the rest room was equipped with all types of things and even had two computers. Thus, he knew the crew had spent a lot of energy on receiving him and Song Yu.
The crew was relieved when they saw Li Zhao talk so well. The actors arranged by the management were very wealthy people that the crew couldn’t offend if possible. Once Song Yu walked into the lounge and saw Li Zhao sitting inside, the smile on his face broke down. The staff member behind him warmly explained, “The crew here heard that Mr Song and Mr Li are good friends so we specifically put you two together...”
He didn’t want to talk, he just wanted quiet.
On the day of the launch ceremony of Sky Song, Li Zhao registered a Weibo account and forwarded the crew’s publicity post. The fans looking forward to Li Zhao’s Weibo were so excited that they almost cried on the spot.
“Grandma, come out quickly. Your idol has finally opened a Weibo.”
“My family’s Zhao Zhao finally knows there is a software in the world called Weibo? Mother is crying loudly.”
“Baby, you have the ability to register an account then you have the ability to take a selfie!”
“Ahhhh, my baby actually joined the Sky Song crew!”
“Baby, act well. We’ll wait for your new drama.”
As Overbearing Female President gained more clicks on the Internet, Li Zhao’s popularity also gradually increased. If Strawberry Entertainment didn’t have such strict control over endorsements then many businesses would’ve already come to his door.
Song Yu secretly opened Weibo and saw that Li Zhao’s forwarding of the publicity post had even more comments than the original. His heart suddenly turned into a lemon and it became sour. At noon, his agent called him and praised him. “You finally understand how to maintain a friend. You actually liked Li Zhao’s first Weibo post.”
Like? What was this compliment?
Song Yu opened his Weibo to check and many fans in the comment area were discussing his friendship with Li Zhao. After Li Zhao made the Weibo account, Song Yu was the first in the cast of Overbearing Female President to follow and praise Li Zhao.
He didn’t, his hand just slipped.
Then looking at the list of follows, Li Zhao didn’t follow him back? Even if Song Yu’s hand had just slipped, shouldn’t Li Zhao immediately follow him back or he would be too embarrassed?
“You go and tell Li Zhao to follow me immediately.” Song Yu shouted to his assistant. “He set us up as good friends so don’t let others see me as a joke.”
The assistant was speechless. Didn’t Li Zhao say there were good friends to help Song Yu? However, he didn’t dare say this. If he did say it, Song Yu’s dog temper meant he would definitely tear down the dressing room.
Song Yu’s assistant went to see Li Zhao, who was acting with a veteran actor. This veteran actor didn’t take many TV series but he was a national level actor with excellent skills.
Li Zhao had a face that old people and girls liked. Thus, Song Yu saw the veteran actor smiling while seriously telling Li Zhao his experience with acting. Li Zhao was listening very seriously, probably to please the veteran actor. It wasn’t until the assistant came to Li Zhao that the actor stopped talking.
“Think again about this scene. Ask me if you have any questions.” The veteran actor put his hand behind his back and left with satisfaction.
This veteran actor had a problem. Whenever he saw a young actor with aura, he wanted them to act better. This led to some actors saying behind the scenes that he liked to be a teacher.
In recent years, he had restrained himself a lot until he met Li Zhao. From his point of view, Li Zhao’s acting skills were wild and there were many areas that weren’t refined enough. However, acting skills could be learned. It was very difficult for an actor to bring their own aura. His heart became excited and he made an old mistake.
Fortunately, Li Zhao liked learning. The two people hit it off and within a few days, there was a sense of finding an old friend.
The veteran actor went away and Song Yu’s assistant smiled. “Teacher Li, Brother Song asked me to buy milk tea. Do you want to drink it? Shall I bring a cup back for you?”
“How can I do that?” Li Zhao politely refused but his heart had the taste of milk tea.
“It is just on the way. Do you want me to buy the vanilla flavour you used to love?”
“Okay.” Li Zhao nodded. “The vanilla taste is good.”
“Good.” The assistant’s smile became a bit unnatural. “Mr Li, I heard that you opened a Weibo account. Brother Song was very happy and followed your account just now.”
Then hurry and follow back! If Li Zhao didn’t follow back then Song Yu’s dog temper would break out!
“The account was set up by my assistant and I’ll go see the fans’ comments later.” Li Zhao looked up at the sky. “It is getting dark. You should go early so you can come back early.”
The assistant felt that Li Zhao might not have understood his hint at all...
The furthest distance in the world wasn’t life and death but that he wanted Li Zhao to follow Brother Song’s Weibo account while Li Zhao’s mind was only on the cup of milk tea that hadn’t been brought back.
“Okay, once you look at the fan comments, remember to follow the people in our crew.” Song Yu’s assistant didn’t give up. “We have to work together for two or three months. If you don’t follow each other then people might think there is a conflict between actors.”
“Okay, thank you for reminding me.”
Thus, you should buy milk tea.
The eyes of the two men met under the evening sky as they showed a smile, thinking that the other person had understood their meaning.
Song Yu’s assistant left and Li Zhao grabbed his phone from Da Ke. He found that his fans had passed half a million. “Is my popularity so high? I’ve only opened a Weibo account for less than a day and there are already 500,000 fans?”
“Yes, it is cheap to buy fans now. In order to not arouse the fans’ suspicion, the company only bought 400,000 fans and there are 100,000 real fans.” Da Ke was very satisfied with Li Zhao’s fan growth.
Li Zhao, “......”
It turned out that only one in five fans were real and the rest were fake fans?
“Don’t be depressed. After 8 p.m. is the peak time for netizens to look at Weibo. The company can help you operate it and also increase the number of live fans.” Da Ke looked at the filming schedule. ‘You have a few night scenes. Once they are over, I’ll take a photo of you and put it on Weibo.”
“I want to chat with my friend after the shoot.” Li Zhao raised the phone to his face, took a photo and started to edit his Weibo. “Send it now.”
Ancestor! Stop for the sake of your idol image! This was the angle of death for a selfie. You aren’t using a beauty filter or retouched it! Don’t send it!