"We're here." Director Mu had been teaching him numbers, but as she continued, she lost the energy to speak.
She hadn't exercised for eight hundred years, and every organ in her body had become rusty. Now, as she moved, she creaked like a clunky machine.
Chu Xijin noticed his aunt's discomfort and felt a bit guilty. He encouraged himself that he shouldn't be afraid of taking the elevator next time.
Now on the basement floor, with many cars displayed, Chu Xijin was very curious, "Auntie, what's this?"
"Cars and motorcycles, you get to choose. Whichever you like, we'll take."
Mu Ran liked playing with racing cars and motorcycles.
There were quite a few sports cars and motorcycles on display.
But there was only one proper car, a Land Rover.
"That one!" Chu Xijin stood on his tiptoes, pointing at the sleek black motorcycle.
Mu Ran raised an eyebrow, "You have good taste. Then it's settled, let's go, Auntie will take you for a ride!"
She helped him with the helmet, got him on the bike, and said in front, "Hold onto me tight, or else you'll fall off, and if you fall, there will be nothing left of you."
"Alright!" Chu Xijin nodded emphatically, hugging his aunt tightly, eyes filled with anticipation.
What was the transportation of a thousand years later like, and was it faster than Uncle's black horse?
When Chu Xijin's body leaned back, he knew it was fast, and not just a little bit fast!
A thought sprouted in his mind.
He wanted to tame this mount!
Mu Ran was always ready to catch him, but seeing his quick reaction, she rode boldly.
The motorcycle's incredible speed allowed Chu Xijin to feel the close contact with the wind, and he could see many unique urban landscapes.
The high-rise buildings that can't be seen in one glance, the dazzling shops, and the variety of people.
Everything here was unfamiliar to him.
He was indeed happy to have the adventure of arriving in the Otherworld a thousand years later, but all of it was strange to him, completely different from Daqi.
Chu Xijin's lips pressed slightly, with a sense of emptiness in his heart.
But upon seeing people dressed revealingly.
All thoughts disappeared. He quickly closed his eyes, repeatedly chanting not to look at the impudent.
But when he opened his eyes again to the new crowd, he found they were still wearing clothes that exposed their arms and legs.
He and his aunt were wearing the most!
The weather was hot now.
Could it be that everyone dressed like that?
Before he could think, the motorcycle stopped at the front of a shop, and Chu Xijin could recognize the three words on the ancient-looking signboard, "Yue Xin Pavilion."
Red lanterns hung high at the entrance of Yue Xin Pavilion, and the building, resembling an inn, was much more exquisite, with arched glass, allowing one to see the warm wooden tables and chairs inside. The lighting inside was elegant, with carved screen partitions between seats, giving a poetic and artistic feel.
"It looks nice."
"Glad you like it. Let's go in and see what you'd like to eat." Mu Ran chose this restaurant precisely because of its rich traditional elements.
For instance, the decor, and the menu.
The menu had illustrations, but each dish name was handwritten in a calligraphic style.
Perfect for Chu Xijin to order.
Also, Cantonese cuisine, light and famous for its delicious dim sum, is quite suitable for children.
"Order whatever you like to eat."
"Okay." Chu Xijin, unsure about current prices, ordered two dishes conservatively.
Worried that his aunt might spend too much money.
When his aunt opened her purse, he closely observed her expression as she looked at the jade pendant, jadeite, and red and green gemstones. Her expression was calm, except for her reaction when she saw the phoenix hairpin inlaid with gold and red gems.
This indicated jadeite wasn't valuable.
Gold was valuable!
He guessed right. Gold has been a hard currency since ancient times, so he hid two pieces of gold.
At that time, he thought, even if his aunt didn't like him, he could live for a while with two pieces of gold.
Now he carries the gold with him.
He decided to watch how his aunt paid later, so he could understand the currency situation.
Mu Ran took the menu and also ordered two dishes while explaining social rules to him: "Here, we have no emperor, everyone is equal. You need not kneel to anyone, nor will anyone kneel to you, understand?"
The person in front of her was a Crown Prince from the Eastern Palace, served by countless people. Mu Ran thought supporting a child wasn't a big issue; the main thing was whether his feudal mindset was deeply ingrained.
If it was deeply ingrained.
She'd leave it to someone else.
If he was normal, keeping him around wouldn't be impossible.
"Uh-huh!" Since arriving in the Otherworld, Chu Xijin naturally wouldn't consider himself a Crown Prince, one person below millions above.
He was just an ordinary kid now.
Click—
Paparazzi hidden all over Hai City snapped shots of Director Mu dining with the child.
The online attitude toward Mu Ran was extremely negative.
Her first short film won the Cannes Film Festival Short Film Unit Director's Award, leading people to suspect her background.
Lately, paparazzi indeed caught her dining and staying at a hotel with the Dan Heng Entertainment CEO.
The internet was in an uproar.
Everyone was condemning her, and even Dan Heng Entertainment's clarifications were to no avail. Nobody wanted to believe it wasn't true.
Because Mu Ran's subsequent achievements.
Became increasingly dazzling!
Her second satirical festival short film swept domestic film festivals.
The third was a Republic-era tragic romance film that also went viral, every frame stunningly beautiful.
The most significant were the explicit scenes, amplifying the film's male and female leads' sexual tension.
The drop of sweat during their ambiguous scenes could evoke humanity's most primal desires, not to mention the lead male's large hand holding the female lead's slender waist, arousing everyone, male or female.
Though everyone watched.
It didn't stop them from scolding her, filming against movie release standards, yet swiftly gaining screenings in prime time. Few believed she had no backing!
To make matters worse, Mu Ran was caught dining with the Dan Heng Entertainment CEO again!
How could the netizens pass up the opportunity for ridicule, dragging her reputation through the mud?
Even so, she continued making films. Last year, her comedy topped the annual box office with a hefty 4.7 billion!
Thus criticized for reeking of commercialism, losing aura, though winning awards, was scorned to the top of trending searches.
People wondered why a commercial film director could win one of the domestic film industry's top three Best Director Awards!
Recently, she began promoting a new film, a black comedy, criticized for unnecessary sentiment even before release.
The attention she drew wasn't only due to talent but her radiant beauty, outshining industry actresses.
And her explosive temper!
Anyone who collaborated with Mu Ran was scolded by her.
No wonder her fans disliked her!
But who could foresee the infamous Director Mu embroiled in online battles, now dining with a child, a child excessively exquisite and handsome.
Resembled so much…
Her and some tycoon's illegitimate child!
Hahaha.
Even if not, this topic would surely explode online!
#Director Mu's Illegitimate Child Exposed#
Quickly surged to the top of trending topics.
Among the industry, the only Director Mu everyone was curious about was Mu Ran.
Yesterday she caused a sensation; today, such news spread, capturing netizens' interest.
In footage, Mu Ran dressed casually, showing unprecedented tenderness, even serving the child food!
Recall her dark history of scolding a young actor to tears, causing nightmares for five consecutive days.
Now she was so gentle?
If not her child, nobody would believe it!
[I said why she refused the film festival interview and left; turned out, she went to see a child. Having such an old child at twenty-three, impressive, the coolest director and best mom are you!]
[Wow, she didn't lose her temper; it's indeed a once-in-a-lifetime series!]
[Your marketing accounts go too far; they're just having a meal, exaggerated to this point!]
[Is it the Dan Heng Entertainment CEO's?]
[If not him, who else?!]
[Off-topic, did the paparazzi apply a filter to those two? How are they so eye-catchingly beautiful!]
[Disrespecting actors, relying on behind-the-scenes forces to maliciously compete with predecessors, winning awards under the table is bad enough; now gaining traffic through unmarried childbirth is disgusting!]
...
The online debate was intense.
Mu Ran, not having time for Weibo, naturally remained unaware, but when Feng Qikuo opened Dan Heng Entertainment's page and saw his sister-in-law's trending topic.
He naturally clicked on it.