Chapter 174 I Can Bully Your Father
“I really don’t understand why the company gave me an endorsement for a brand I’ve never even heard of, and brought me to this shithole,” Bai Ruoning complained. “Cars, luxury goods, even sanitary napkins would be better than this. Only grandmothers would use this stuff.”
“Alright, stop complaining. Why are you doing this? Of course, it’s for the money. Do you think it’s for charity? Mr. He from Love Media values this cooperation a lot, so the endorsement fee is much higher than those of the big brands.”
“Besides, as far as I know, this advertisement might be broadcast on several high-rating TV stations simultaneously. Everyone will see you then, and it’ll be hard for them not to remember your name, Bai Ruoning. So, my little princess, stop complaining,” Ji Lan said.
Although Bai Ruoning had been in the industry for two years and was still quite popular, she had hit a bottleneck and struggled to climb higher. If the rumors were true, this advertisement would greatly help her popularity and future prospects.
“I know you’re doing this for my benefit, but you know I don’t like social events. I’ve never even heard of this brand before, and I bet the boss is a nouveau riche,” Bai Ruoning said.
“I don’t know if he’s a nouveau riche, but we’re just meeting for a meal. You’ve been in the industry for two years now, and you should be used to these things. As long as they don’t cross the line, it’s fine,” Ji Lan replied.
“Alright, have you arranged the schedule?” Bai Ruoning asked, pouting.
“Yes, it’s all set. The meeting is tomorrow at noon, at Emperor Hall. Remember to dress up nicely and be patient. Don’t mess it up,” Ji Lan reminded her.
“Aren’t you coming with me?” Bai Ruoning asked.
“I can’t predict what kind of people we’ll meet in this shithole. If you’re with me, we can deal with any unexpected situations, and I’ll feel more at ease,” she said.
“You’re a big star now, not some third-rate girl. They’ll be flattering you, so there’s nothing to worry about.”Content © copyrighted by NôvelDrama.Org.
After thinking for a moment, Ji Lan agreed, “Alright, I’ll go with you tomorrow.”
“Thank you,” Bai Ruoning said with a smile.
He Guangji arranged for Bai Ruoning to meet with Xiao Shun specifically to please him. He had offered Love Media to cover the advertisement cost, but Xiao Shun had refused, so He Guangji had to try another approach.
As a beautiful and unattainable superstar, Bai Ruoning was the kind of woman any man would want to conquer. Whether or not Xiao Shun could win her over would depend on his abilities.
When Xiao Shun received the invitation from He Guangji, he hesitated for a moment. Having just been slapped by Bai Ruoning today, their meeting tomorrow would surely be awkward. However, he figured it would be best to meet and explain everything, as it was just a small misunderstanding, so he agreed to go.
At Pearl International, Yao Cen had initially booked a table at the restaurant for dinner, but her parents were tired of eating out and wanted to cook some home-cooked meals. So, she canceled the reservation.
Xiao Shun was playing chess with Yao Jianguo in the living room, while Liu Yunxiang busied herself with dinner in the kitchen. This showed that Xiao Shun’s position in the family had improved significantly.
When Yao Cen returned home in the evening, she brought back two pig’s hands.
“Mom, I bought two pig’s hands. Let’s braise them,” Yao Cen suggested.
Liu Yunxiang glanced at her with a stern face, not responding to her, still angry at her. The villa’s kitchen was open-concept, so Yao Cen placed the pig’s hands on the kitchen counter and then walked over to the living room, standing behind her father and facing Xiao Shun.
She crossed her arms, seemingly watching the chess game, but her beautiful and complex eyes were fixed on Xiao Shun. “You’re back?” Xiao Shun noticed her and casually greeted her.
“Mm-hmm, I bought two pig’s hands for you,” Yao Cen said with a slight smile, raising her eyebrows.
Xiao Shun looked up at her, puzzled, feeling there was more to her words. “You seem to need them,” Yao Cen said with a sly smile.
“Cen, why did you suddenly buy pig’s hands? It’s time-consuming,” Liu Yunxiang said from the kitchen at that moment.
“I bought them for Xiao Shun. He needs them. Remember to add more salt,” Yao Cen said, raising her voice.
Xiao Shun finally realized that she was teasing him. He had already explained the situation to her in the afternoon, but she just wouldn’t let it go. Fine, if she wanted to mock him, her father would pay the price.
Xiao Shun picked up a chess piece and slapped it onto the board. “Check!”
“Oh, my good son, can you let me…”
“No, no, you’ve already taken back several moves.”
Yao Cen: “…”
Emperor Hall was a hotel owned by the Song family. Even during the family’s turbulent times, it had not been significantly affected. After all, wealthy people still needed to eat, and the rich and powerful were accustomed to their services, which could not be changed overnight.
The next day at noon, when Xiao Shun arrived, He Guangji and Bai Ruoning had not yet come. However, he ran into Song Lianghai’s son, Song Yun. “Mr. Xiao? Are you meeting someone here?” Song Yun asked, somewhat surprised upon seeing him.
“Rose Park,” Xiao Shun replied, nodding and smiling.
Upon hearing this, Song Yun looked at him with a strange expression in his eyes. Song Yun had heard about the room, and it seemed that the famous star Bai Ruoning would be using it. He had also seen the news at the airport yesterday. Xiao Shun had just met the superstar and had already arranged a meeting with her today. Mr. Xiao was indeed… quite efficient.
However, he didn’t say much more. They were both men and could understand each other. “Since your guest hasn’t arrived yet, Mr. Xiao, why don’t you come to my office and sit for a while? I have good tea there. It would be boring for you to wait in the private room alone. When your guest arrives, I’ll have the receptionist notify us,” Song Yun said after confirming with the front desk that Bai Ruoning had not yet arrived.
“Alright,” Xiao Shun agreed after some hesitation.
Before they had finished a pot of tea, they received a call from the receptionist saying their guests had arrived. Song Yun accompanied Xiao Shun to the Rose Park room, and just as they approached the door, they heard a sharp scream.
Song Yun’s expression changed slightly, fearing that something had gone wrong with the guests. Emperor Hall had always catered to high-end customers, and Bai Ruoning was a public figure; they couldn’t afford to damage their reputation.
He quickened his pace and pushed the door open. He saw a disheveled reception girl kneeling on the floor, her cheek swollen and red, apologizing repeatedly. Next to her stood a woman in her thirties, wearing dark red-framed glasses, hands on her hips, angrily scolding the girl: “Do you know how much our clothes cost? Over 300, 000! You couldn’t afford it even with a year’s salary! Tell me, are you out of your mind?”
Slap!
She delivered another slap to the reception girl’s face. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it was my fault. I wasn’t careful. Miss Bai, please forgive me. I will definitely pay for this,” the reception girl apologized, her voice choked with tears, as she covered her face.