The first time Chu Rong saw Mi Tu's paintings, what drew him in were the two characters in the inscription. For some inexplicable reason, they felt familiar.
After growing fond of those two characters, he gradually began to discern different emotions from the paintings. Through the vibrant colors, he could sense the restless heart beneath the artist's bright and beautiful exterior.
Her paintings, much like her stage name, exuded a sense of remembrance, solitary courage, and unwavering return.
She was right there, by his side.
With this thought, the gloom that had shrouded Chu Rong for five years instantly vanished, and his heart was once again filled with tenderness.
He got up and went to the kitchen, warming two cups of milk and placing them on the dining table. A moment later, the sound of the electronic lock opening came from the door.
Mimi and Tutu entered the house carrying lunchboxes, only to freeze at the sight of Chu Rong standing at the door, smiling at them.
"Uncle, are you sick? Why are you wearing a hospital gown?" Mimi asked, her big eyes wide with surprise.
Tutu quickly fetched slippers. "You're not even wearing shoes. What happened?"
Chu Rong slowly crouched down, wrapping his arms around the two children and holding them close. He was as gentle as a spring breeze.
Mimi and Tutu exchanged a bewildered glance. Just as they were about to ask, Chu Rong released them, smiling. "There's milk on the table, just warmed up."
Both children loved milk. After setting down their lunchboxes, they each picked up a cup and began to drink.
"Uncle, what's wrong?" Mimi still looked worried, her voice filled with concern.
"It's alright now," Chu Rong said gently.
Fish-flavored shredded pork, Kung Pao chicken, hot and sour shredded potatoes, and seaweed and egg drop soup. Chu Rong smiled as he looked at the dishes in front of him, taking a deep breath. The taste was still familiar.
How could he not have realized? Just as there are no two identical leaves in the world, how could there be identical tastes in food, unless they were made by the same person?
Mimi and Tutu, drinking their milk, were filled with suspicion. The two little ones quietly began to whisper to each other.
"He's acting strange, seems a bit mentally unstable."
"He's wearing a hospital gown, he must have snuck out of the hospital."
"Should we call 120? What if he gets sick again?"
...As they were discussing heatedly, a soft gaze suddenly fell upon them.
Tutu couldn't help but shiver and looked at Mimi with determination: "Sis, maybe we should call 120."
"What does your father do for a living?" Chu Rong suddenly asked.
The siblings exchanged a look. Mimi replied, "He's an entrepreneur. Why are you suddenly asking about our father?"
"I'm curious what kind of person could give birth to two adorable little angels like you," Chu Rong said with a warm smile, his eyes seeming to be fixed on the children.
Tutu proudly lifted his chin. "We're so smart, so our dad must be even smarter."
Chu Rong nodded, chewing his food slowly. Then, as if remembering something, he got up and walked to the display shelf, taking a wooden box from the top tier.
"This set of Luban locks is for you," he said, opening the wooden box and placing it in front of Mimi and Tutu.
The two children loved puzzle games, so they naturally adored the intelligent toy that was the Luban lock.
Tutu immediately exclaimed, "Wow, this looks fun!"
He took out a twenty-four-section lock, sniffed it, and opened his beautiful big eyes. "It's made of Pterocarpus santalinus. This set must be very expensive."
Chu Rong patted Tutu's head. "It's only valuable if you like it. Otherwise, it's worthless."
The warm, heavy sensation on his head made Tutu pause for a moment. It felt so secure, and he instantly thought of Mount Tai.
If he had to make a comparison, his father would be Mount Tai, and his mother would be the vast ocean. Tutu mused to himself.
Chu Rong sat back down to eat.
Mimi observed him carefully. After a moment, she finally stated with certainty to Tutu, "There's definitely something strange going on."
"Then... what should we do?" Tutu played with the Luban lock in his hand, reluctant to put it down.
"Let's watch and see for now," Mimi said, putting down her milk cup and letting out a satisfied burp.
"Uncle, please eat slowly. We're leaving now," Mimi said, standing up.
After watching the two children leave, Chu Rong finally put down his chopsticks. He went to the kitchen and took out two self-sealing bags, placing the two cups from the table into one bag, and his toothbrush into another.
Then, he dialed Wang Xiao's number.
...
Lu Lian was still sleeping soundly under his covers when his phone suddenly rang, startling him awake.
He half-opened his eyes and fumbled for his phone. Seeing the time, it was not yet seven o'clock.
Reluctantly answering the call, Lu Lian mumbled, "Old Bai, calling so early. I almost thought you were calling to rush me to a gig."
Bai Lin's excited voice immediately came through the phone, "Quick, check the trending searches! You can terminate your contract now."
Lu Lian, groggy, froze for a few seconds before suddenly sitting bolt upright. "What? Terminate my contract?"
He grabbed the laptop by his bed and opened the search interface. The first trending topic was #Hei Li Entertainment Evades 1.5 Billion in Taxes, Legal Representative Yang Qiang Arrested#. The entire trending list was filled with news related to Hei Li.
Lu Lian was stunned. "What's going on? Is this real?"
Bai Lin laughed excitedly. "If the person has been arrested, how can it be fake? Investigations are underway, it's absolutely true. Many of Hei Li's contracted artists are now causing a scene at the company, demanding to terminate their contracts. Hurry over here, let's meet at the company." With that, he hung up the phone abruptly.
Lu Lian sat there blankly for a moment before regaining his senses. He quickly got out of bed, dressed himself in a flash, and put on his hat, sunglasses, and mask before heading out.
...
Outside the Hei Li Entertainment building, a crowd of reporters had already gathered, but they were being held back by security guards.
Lu Lian pulled down the brim of his hat and struggled to push through the crowd to reach the entrance.
But even though he was covered up meticulously, the reporters immediately recognized him.
"Lu Lian, it's Lu Lian."
Instantly, all the microphones were pointed at Lu Lian, and the flashing lights of the cameras made it impossible to open his eyes.
"Lu Lian, you haven't had any activities for over a year. Were you really shelved by the company?"
"Now that Hei Li Entertainment is in trouble, aren't you glad you can finally terminate your contract smoothly?"
"Why were you shelved by the company?"
"Where are you planning to go after terminating your contract?"
...The barrage of sharp questions hit Lu Lian like cannonballs. Lu Lian hurriedly showed his ID to the security guards, who then let him into the company.
However, once inside the company, the commotion did not subside. In the lobby, a large group of celebrities, big and small, were gathered, holding their contracts and arguing with the HR department.
"Lu Lian, over here, over here!" Bai Lin spotted Lu Lian and quickly waved him over.
Lu Lian squeezed his way through. Looking at the enraged celebrities around him, he still felt a sense of unreality.
"What exactly happened? Why were they suddenly investigated?" Lu Lian asked curiously.
Bai Lin, however, covered his mouth and whispered, "I don't think this is a coincidence."
"You mean..." Lu Lian's eyes widened in shock. A beautiful face flashed in his mind – such a beautiful person, who spoke kindly and politely, and carried herself with grace, could bring down the mighty Hei Li Entertainment in an instant?
Bai Lin made a shushing gesture, then, holding up his contract, joined the commotion with the others.
This commotion, under the pressure of reality, finally concluded at one o'clock in the afternoon with the celebrities successfully terminating their contracts.
Lu Lian looked at the termination letter in his hand. The breach of contract penalty of six hundred million yuan had been reduced to zero liability, and he was even considered a victim. This transformation had happened in just one week. The sheer, unbelievable power of it made him tremble just thinking about it.
"We're finally free," Bai Lin sighed with relief, a long exhale escaping his lips.
Suddenly, Lu Lian's eyes welled up, and a stream of tears uncontrollably overflowed.
He had once thought his acting career was over, but now, the termination letter was truly in his hand, like a rebirth.
"Let's go to Chu Xin Culture and sign the contract," Bai Lin said, nudging Lu Lian as they left Hei Li Entertainment.