The group was having a lively time when the private room door was suddenly knocked on. Before they could even respond, the door was pushed open.
The smiles vanished from Ling Chun and Zhang Qian's faces, while Liang Zhou and Zhao Zhi frowned. What was wrong with this restaurant's service? Entering without permission was so unprofessional.
As it turned out, they had wronged the restaurant. The person who entered wasn't a server, but a beautiful woman.
Zhao Zhi's expression darkened considerably. "Yang Lin, what are you doing here?"
"I'm having a gathering with friends nearby. I heard Brother Liang and President Zhao were dining here, so I came to say hello." Yang Lin seemed completely unfazed by Zhao Zhi's coldness. She spoke softly on her own accord, smiling and nodding at Liang Zhou. Her eyes sparkled, carrying a hint of shyness and admiration. "Hello, Brother Liang. I'm Yang Lin. We'll be working at the same company from now on. I hope you'll look out for me."
Zhang Qian hated her hypocritical act the most and snorted coldly. "Liang Zhou can't bear you calling him 'brother.' He's only twenty-three." The implication was clear: this older woman should stop trying to cozy up.
Yang Lin's smile stiffened for a moment. She forcibly covered up that flicker of awkwardness by raising her hand to adjust her bangs, maintaining her smile. "My mistake. President Liang, please don't mind me. My friends are still waiting for me, so I'll take my leave."
No one acknowledged her.
Once the private room door closed, Ling Chun chuckled softly and nudged Zhao Zhi with his elbow. "She didn't even acknowledge you, her former boss. Any thoughts?"
"Utterly ridiculous," Zhao Zhi snorted, unwilling to discuss it further.
"Wasn't she trying to cling to some other big shot? With that attitude today, has she decided to stubbornly stay at Rong Guang after all?" Ling Chun turned to look at the silent Liang Zhou.
"Only if she can manage to stay," Liang Zhou replied, also disliking her character. Although entertainment companies inevitably had opportunistic artists like her, seeing too many of them was still grating.
"If she ever finds out that the real boss behind Jia He is Liang Zhou, I wonder how spectacular her expression would be," Zhang Qian said with a grin, instantly forgetting the blow to his ego from the earlier height comparison.
Zhao Zhi, however, looked somewhat worried. He turned to Liang Zhou to remind him, "That woman has grand ambitions. Now that you're not only a film emperor but also a director at Rong Guang, she'll inevitably set her sights on you. At Jia He, all the other artists knew I was married and kept their distance around me. Only she would stick to me every time, impossible to shake off. Be careful on your own."
Liang Zhou nodded. Zhang Qian laughed even louder. "Hahaha, no wonder that woman ignored you! So she wanted you to 'sponsor' her back then but failed, and now she's resentful and embarrassed! Hahaha!"
After the meal filled with laughter and chatter, by the time Liang Zhou got home, it was already past ten o'clock.
He walked upstairs quietly. Passing Yu Shulin's room, he saw the door was slightly ajar. Frowning, he knocked but got no response, so he gently pushed it open.
"Shulin?" Only a floor lamp was on in the room. A small lump was visible under the covers on the bed. He leaned over to look and saw the other was already sound asleep. His expression softened a little. He reached out and gently tucked the blanket around him.
A few test papers had fallen on the floor. He picked them up quietly, gathered them simply, and placed them on the desk. Just as he was about to leave, his gaze was caught by the words "Parent-Teacher Conference" on a form in the corner. He picked it up to look, his eyes scanning the "Guardian Signature" section, only to find Uncle He's name boldly signed there.
How preposterous! How could his little brother have a parent-teacher conference and not call his own brother, but have the butler go instead? Liang Zhou's face darkened. He took a pen from the pencil case, swiftly crossed out Uncle He's name, and signed his own. After signing, he squinted at it—still very handsome—and finally satisfied, put down the pen, placed the form right in the center of the desk, and walked out thoughtfully.
By the way, what should one wear to a parent-teacher conference to appear more mature and reliable?
The next day, Yu Shulin dawdled for a long time before coming out of his room. Clutching the parent-teacher conference invitation form, he looked at the signature section over and over, rubbing his forehead with a pained expression.
Careless. He shouldn't have left the form directly on the desk.
Liang Zhou was reading the newspaper. Seeing him come downstairs slowly, clutching a piece of paper, he frowned. "Go eat breakfast quickly. You must finish the milk, no leaving any."
"Um, brother..." He held out the parent-teacher conference invitation form, hesitating. "The signature on this..."
"I signed it last night," Liang Zhou said, turning a page of the newspaper nonchalantly. "I'm free that day. No need for Uncle He to go in my place."
"But your injury..." Yu Shulin's brow furrowed, clearly not very keen on him going. "Uncle He going is the same. Parent-teacher conferences are crowded and chaotic, and you're an actor. If someone recognizes you..."
"Are you dissatisfied with my profession?" Liang Zhou's face darkened again, feeling somewhat frustrated. Did Shulin think taking him to school would be embarrassing? He shifted uneasily, trying to make him see his good points. "I'm not just an actor now; I'm also the chairman of Rong Guang. I won't embarrass you." As he spoke, his tone even became a bit stiff—his little brother was starting to have his own little secrets now... Was this how all teenagers in puberty acted?
Where did this bizarre conclusion even come from? Yu Shulin felt helpless. He was now quite adept at reading his brother's moods. Seeing him frowning, leaning back on the sofa, not turning a page of the newspaper for a long time, he knew he was secretly unhappy again.
"It's not like that, brother." He sat down next to Liang Zhou, their shoulders touching. When speaking, they could feel each other's presence. "I'm incredibly proud of you; how could I be dissatisfied with your profession?"
"Then why don't you want me to go to the parent-teacher conference?" Liang Zhou was somewhat comforted and finally put the newspaper down.
"I'm just worried about your injury." Yu Shulin reached out and touched the area around his ribs, concerned. "Your injury can't withstand bumps or vigorous movement. Parent-teacher conferences are so crowded, and you're an actor on top of that. If someone recognizes you and everyone crowds around for autographs and photos, what then? If it gets too crowded and someone accidentally bumps into you, that would really not be worth it."
The gentle touch on his chest was so brief it was almost imperceptible, but Liang Zhou's body stiffened, his heart uncontrollably pounding a few times—was he really still unable to get used to this kind of physical contact that could happen at any time? No, this was his little brother's way of showing closeness. He had to accept it.
"That's not a problem. The parent-teacher conference at City No. 2 High School is held in the small auditorium. It's very crowded. With a little disguise, I won't be recognized." He shifted slightly, putting a little more distance between himself and Yu Shulin, his expression growing even colder and stiffer.
"But..." Yu Shulin was still hesitant.
"No more 'buts.' I'm going to the parent-teacher conference. It's settled." Liang Zhou cut him off, making the decision decisively. "Now go eat your breakfast. Remember to ask Aunt Liu to reheat your milk for you."
"...Alright." Yu Shulin relented, silently deciding in his heart—on the day of the parent-teacher conference, he would definitely leave early! Teacher Gao knew his brother anyway; he was sure he would understand!
The brothers spent the weekend without going anywhere, lounging leisurely at home for two days. Any work was delivered to the house by He Long. Ling Chun also came by for a visit, bringing Yu Shulin a pile of snacks. The ripples caused by Liang Jian setting up his own shop gradually subsided, and Rong Guang, after undergoing some restructuring, was also running smoothly again.
Without any filming to do and with Zhao Zhi helping out with company affairs, Liang Zhou's days were quite leisurely. No one was happier about this than Aunt Liu. Seeing Liang Zhou at home every day, and with his injuries still on her mind, she made soup for him three times a day.
The day before the National Day holiday break, the parent-teacher conference was held.
Liang Zhou got up early and stood in front of the wardrobe, picking and choosing. He finally settled on a conservatively styled shirt and put it on. After some thought, he rummaged out a camel-colored cardigan to wear over it. His pants were the most ordinary black, and for shoes, he chose a pair of casual short boots. He stood in front of the mirror, gave himself a once-over, and nodded. Then he tousled his swept-up bangs, letting them fall loosely to cover his forehead. He rummaged through a drawer, found a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, and put them on.
When he stood before the mirror again, his appearance had completely transformed.
—Perfect. He looked very scholarly, approachable, and easy to get along with. He nodded, finally satisfied.
