Chapter 244: Chapter 68: Torrential Rain, Inside the Car, Ding Muchen
The next day, Sun Dasheng felt clear-headed and refreshed after spending the day visiting the film set. The novel experience was quite enjoyable, piquing his interest in Hengdian, the renowned film and television city. He decided he would wander around and explore it further.
Since the three girls were busy with work during the day and didn’t have time to accompany him, he strolled around on his own. He visited many places, spotting several TV regulars wherever he went. It’s true, you don’t realize just how many celebrities there are until you come to Hengdian, he thought.
Unexpectedly, he ran into Ding Muchen. He was the first to greet her, "Teacher Ding, what brings you here?"
Beside Ding Muchen stood a beautiful woman, though she was completely disguised in a mask and a baseball cap. But this is Hengdian, where celebrities are as numerous as the hairs on an ox; she’s probably a star, he mused. Besides, Ding Muchen had graduated from the Shanghai Theatre Academy, so it was perfectly normal for her to have celebrity friends and classmates.
"Brother Sun, you’re in Hengdian too?" Ding Muchen greeted, then leaned over to whisper something in her companion’s ear. The beautiful woman looked up at Sun Dasheng and smiled. Sun Dasheng returned a polite smile of his own.
Then he said to her, "My company has a few productions filming here, so I came to take a look."
"Is that so?" Ding Muchen replied. "Brother Sun, a chance meeting is better than a formal invitation. It’s almost lunchtime, why don’t you let me treat you to a meal?"
Sun Dasheng naturally couldn’t refuse. "In that case, it would be rude of me to refuse."
His elegant charm prompted the beautiful woman beside Ding Muchen to glance at him a few more times.
They went to a private kitchen known for its excellent discretion. It wasn’t crowded, and they chose a quiet private room. After all the dishes were served, the waitress asked if they needed anything else. When they declined, she withdrew, gently closing the door behind her.
"Wei Wei, you can take off your mask now. There are no outsiders here," Ding Muchen said.
The woman, who had been thoroughly disguised, removed her mask and hat. "I was about to suffocate!" she gasped. "Hello, my name is Tian Xiwei."
Sun Dasheng felt as if the entire room had suddenly brightened. So beautiful! he thought. The faint dimple on her cheek made her appear even more charming and lovely.
"Hello," Sun Dasheng said. "I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before."
Ding Muchen, sitting beside them, couldn’t help but giggle. "Brother Sun, this is my former classmate from the Shanghai Theatre Academy, and she’s a big star now. It’s no wonder you find her familiar."
"Even if you haven’t specifically followed the dramas she’s in, you’ve almost certainly seen clips of her or some of her commercials online."
As Ding Muchen spoke, it dawned on Sun Dasheng. Tapping his fingers on the table, he said, "I think I’ve seen a drama you were in. It was a costume drama, co-starring that actor they call King Jiji... What was it called again...?"
"Brother Sun, are you thinking of *My Dearest*? Wei Wei played the role of Li Wei in it," Ding Muchen supplied.
"Yes, yes! That’s the one! It was great, I was hooked," Sun Dasheng said supportively.
"So does that make this my own private fan meeting?" Tian Xiwei joked. In private, she was quite lively and not at all shy with new people.
With a common topic to discuss, the initial awkwardness between the three of them faded away. They started chatting about entertainment industry gossip, with the two women leading the conversation while Sun Dasheng mostly listened. However, he would occasionally chime in with an insightful observation, which made Tian Xiwei see him in a new light.
"Oh, I haven’t properly introduced you two," Ding Muchen said to her old classmate. "The man you’re sitting with is the CEO of an investment company. He’s invested in countless firms; just off the top of my head, I know he backs several entertainment and influencer agencies."
"Wow! Such a powerful magnate?" Tian Xiwei exclaimed. "My apologies, I had eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai. Please, allow me to toast you!"
Celebrities naturally favored patrons who could advance their careers. Hearing that Sun Dasheng was both an industry insider and an investor, Tian Xiwei’s attitude became even more enthusiastic, and she proactively raised her glass for a toast.
After she finished the first glass, she moved to pour a second, but Sun Dasheng stopped her.
"I’m a very easy-going person," he said. "When it comes to drinking, it’s a personal choice. I never force anyone. If you enjoy it, drink more. If you don’t, drink less. Not drinking at all is fine too."
"Wei Wei, we’ve only just met today, so you don’t know what I’m like yet. Let me be clear: you don’t have to be so formal around me. Your classmate, Ding Muchen, is a very good friend of mine, so there’s no need to apply your work etiquette to our dinner."
Tian Xiwei was genuinely touched by Sun Dasheng’s frank words. As a celebrity, especially a popular actress, she might appear glamorous on the surface, but who could know the hardships she endured behind the scenes? A single phone call from her company could force her to go entertain clients with drinks. As the company’s cash cow, accompanying them for drinks was as far as it went; unlike lesser-known starlets, she wasn’t expected to sleep with them. Still, doing it so often left her with a deep-seated disgust. It was agonizing to constantly plaster on a smile and act subservient.
"Mr. Sun, you’re completely different from the other big bosses I’ve met," Tian Xiwei said. "I won’t say any more. I’ll drink one last toast to you, as thanks for showing me such respect."
She drained her glass in one go, and Sun Dasheng drank along with her. Ding Muchen then took her wine glass away and poured her a soft drink instead.
Sun Dasheng smiled and held up his own glass. "Teacher Ding, could you pour me some of that too?"
The spring flowers were blooming, and the weather had finally warmed up. Ding Muchen had already switched to a pretty summer outfit: a black tank top paired with navy blue, ultra-short denim shorts.