Pan Yu was subtly criticized by Xu Zifan, and netizens were so angry that he dared not go out. His new song flopped, and nobody listened to it. Pan's mother was naturally furious. She had a big argument with Pan's father and told him to teach his eldest son a lesson for bullying him without any evidence. She warned him that she would sue him to death.
Mr. Pan had grown accustomed to a comfortable life. Lately, the police had come to investigate, and the atmosphere at home had become increasingly oppressive. He couldn't take it anymore. Although he cursed his doting mother for spoiling her son, he still felt more resentful towards his eldest son, whom he hadn't seen for many years. He felt that ever since this eldest son reappeared, there hadn't been a moment of peace at home. Could it be that he was here to cause trouble?
Mother Pan thought the same way, which is why she encouraged Father Pan to deal with Xu Zifan. She wasn't worried about Xu Zifan causing trouble; what she was worried about was that now that Xu Zifan was a celebrity while her own son's reputation was ruined, what if Father Pan had a brain fart and recognized Xu Zifan as his son to claim a share of the inheritance? Of course, she had to strike first and make Father Pan and Xu Zifan have a conflict.
Pan's father was a daring and enterprising man. Now his company was quite successful in Beijing, with an office building and over a hundred employees. He also had a capable assistant. He didn't take Xu Zifan seriously at all, and simply sent his assistant to call Xu Zifan to see him, planning to arrange a time to have a meal and talk with him.
The assistant couldn't reach Xu Zifan at all. Knowing that the Beidou Star Boys were going to record a program at the TV station, he rushed over to find him. However, Xu Zifan was always surrounded by people and wouldn't let him get close. He then found Xu Zifan's assistant, Ma Hui, to pass on a message to Xu Zifan.
Xu Zifan was getting his hair and makeup done backstage when he found out. He closed his eyes and took the time to rest, saying nonchalantly, "Tell him I have no interest in seeing irrelevant people and ask him not to bother me."
The assistant, upon receiving this remark, reported it back to Mr. Pan, infuriating him. In his view, Mr. Pan had already shown Xu Zifan considerable respect by proactively seeking him out. The assistant tried several more times but failed to arrange a meeting, so Mr. Pan had to intervene personally. He had someone check Xu Zifan's schedule, avoiding group engagements, and waited outside the film set when Xu Zifan arrived. As soon as Xu Zifan emerged, his assistant and driver approached him.
"Mr. Xu, Mr. Pan would like to invite you to come to the car for a chat."
Xu Zifan glanced at the black sedan not far away, and Ma Hui beside him hurriedly said, "Excuse me, Zifan has a schedule to attend to and doesn't have time. Please move aside."
Pan's father's assistant and driver not only refused to let him pass, but also stepped forward to block Xu Zifan's way, saying, "Mr. Xu, President Pan has been waiting for a long time, please be sure to go through."
"Want to say a few words? Then say them, as long as he doesn't regret it." Xu Zifan smiled. His mission didn't include anything about Pan's parents, but if Pan's father came looking for trouble, he wouldn't blame him. He hoped Pan's father had a strong enough heart, after all, he was the one who had once driven his scumbag father to his death.
Xu Zifan got into the car and casually glanced at Pan's father. "I heard you were looking for me? What's up?"
Mr. Pan said with a stern face, "You should know the relationship between us. Is this how you treat me?"
Xu Zifan shook his index finger in front of him, "No, no, no! I have nothing to do with you. Your surname is Pan, and mine is Xu. I have absolutely no interest in who you are. Please don't bother me again. If that's all you have to say, I have other things to do, so I'll have to take my leave."
Xu Zifan reached for the car to start, but Pan's father shouted, "Wait! Are you blaming me? Back then, your mother disappeared without a trace with you. She wouldn't let me see you and even changed your surname. I had no idea where you went all these years. If you want to blame someone, blame her, not me."
Xu Zifan raised an eyebrow, turning to look at him with a half-smile. "I've seen plenty of shameless people, but someone as shameless as you... I've never seen anyone like you before. Mr. Pan, you and your mistress and illegitimate child are living happily, and my mother and I are also enjoying our own happiness. We've been doing this for so many years, could you please have some self-awareness and stop bothering me?"
"Enough!" Mr. Pan glared at him. "Is this how your mother raised you? You have no manners at all! No wonder you were able to frame Pan Yu. Whatever you want from me, let me tell you, it's impossible. You should just give up on your own life and stop trying to take advantage of Pan Yu."
Xu Zifan narrowed his eyes and stared at him, saying, "Whatever your precious son has done, the police will find out sooner or later. You can wait to visit him in prison. As for you, you came from the countryside and have become a big boss today. Do you think you're so great that everyone wants to cling to you? But you should know that if a person is too shameless, he will be punished sooner or later. Even if you become a big boss, you can go back to square one. Coming to me today is the biggest mistake you've ever made in your life."
"What did you say?!"
Ignoring Pan's father's anger, Xu Zifan opened the car door, got out, and called Ma Hui to leave. Pan's father immediately followed, getting out of the car and shouting, "Stop him! Xu Zifan, explain yourself! What are you trying to do?"
At this moment, Bai Xingchen emerged from the film set with her assistant and bodyguards. Seeing them, she walked straight over. She stopped in front of Xu Zifan, glanced at Pan's father, and asked, "Do you need any help?"
"I need a ride. My car hasn't arrived yet. Can I hitch a ride with you?"
Bai Xingchen smiled and said, "Of course, let's go."
She gave her bodyguard a wink, and the bodyguard immediately stood in front of Mr. Pan's driver and assistant, glaring at them menacingly. They, of course, dared not confront the tall, strong bodyguard, and could only look to Mr. Pan for his instructions. Mr. Pan's face darkened, and he said in a deep voice, "Our family matters are none of your business, as an outsider."
Bai Xingchen asked in surprise, "What family matters? I remember Zifan only has one very beautiful and kind mother. Who are you?"
"Could it be that scumbag who abandoned his wife and children?" She looked Pan's father up and down, her face showing disgust and revulsion. "These days, scumbags are so self-righteous? It's really disgusting."
Bai Xingchen tugged at Xu Zifan's sleeve, "Zifan, let's go. Standing with people like this makes even the air stink!"
Xu Zifan chuckled and followed Bai Xingchen to her car. Pan's father, constrained by his status, couldn't shout for them or chase after them himself, so he could only suppress his anger and watch them leave. Then, he glared at his assistant and driver and said irritably, "Get in the car, let's go back!"
Xu Zifan looked down at Bai Xingchen and said, "Thank you for helping me again. It seems like you've been helping me ever since we met. Do you usually like to mentor newcomers?"
Bai Xingchen thought for a moment, "No, although I appreciate talent, there are very few people I find truly talented. Let me think, you must be the first one. Others probably ask me for help through intermediaries."
"I feel honored." Xu Zifan glanced at his watch. "Professor Bai, would you mind having dinner with me to express my gratitude?"
"Sure, I've got nothing to do back home. What do you want to eat?"
What do you like to eat?
Bai Xingchen tilted her head slightly and thought about it carefully. "Let's have barbecue. It's been a long time since I've had barbecue. I want to eat it."
"Then let's have barbecue." Xu Zifan turned to Ma Hui and said, "You go back first. Professor Bai and I will go home after we finish eating. Everything will be as usual tomorrow."
"Okay, Brother Fan." Ma Hui replied, nodded, and left. At the same time, Bai Xingchen also told her assistant and bodyguard to go back first. She wanted to have a pleasant and comfortable meal without anyone else around.
Bai Xingchen drove Xu Zifan to her favorite restaurant, asking her on the way, "Do you have a driver's license?"
Xu Zifan shook his head, "I'm planning to take the test sometime and save up enough money to buy a car."
"By the way, you haven't signed with a management company yet, so you don't have a company to provide you with a car. Wouldn't that be very inconvenient for you every day?" Bai Xingchen glanced at him and asked with a smile, "Want to come to my studio? I have high hopes for you and I'll definitely promote you."
Xu Zifan glanced up at Bai Xingchen's face in the rearview mirror. She looked relaxed and had a smile on her face. It seemed like she was just asking a casual question, but it made her look especially beautiful. She was deliberately showing off her charm!
Xu Zifan curled his lips and looked thoughtfully out the window. "I don't know much about your studio yet, so it's hard for me to make a decision."
"Shall I take you to visit my studio? When are you free?"
"Let's finish filming tomorrow."
"Then it's settled. Tomorrow I'll wait for you after work so we can go to the studio first and then have dinner together, okay?"
"OK!" Bai Xingchen's smile was reflected in the car window. Xu Zifan's gaze fell on it, and his smile deepened. He had felt that Bai Xingchen liked looking at him while filming, and it seemed that it wasn't his imagination, nor was there any other reason. It was simply because Bai Xingchen had taken a liking to him. Interesting.
Bai Xingchen had booked a private room. When she got out of the car, she put on a hat and glasses and went inside to eat under the cover of a waiter, without being recognized by other customers. The two chatted while grilling meat. Xu Zifan was quite surprised by how knowledgeable Bai Xingchen was; she could usually respond to most of what he said, and even when she didn't know something, the conversation flowed smoothly. She was a very good conversationalist. She talked more about romantic tourist spots, regretfully saying, "It's a pity I haven't been to any of these places. Being a celebrity, even if you're publicly dating, you can't just go out and play, otherwise you'll be mobbed by passersby. I can only travel abroad. Actually, I really want to explore China properly."
"There will always be opportunities. There are so many reality shows now, some of which are filmed in famous locations. You can try participating," Xu Zifan suggested to her as he slowly ate his barbecue.
Bai Xingchen rested her chin on her hand and smiled at him, "Do you want to participate in a reality show? I heard there's a reality show that's currently inviting guests. The first season had great ratings, and the second season should do well too. It'll probably involve going to various beautiful and interesting places. Are you interested?"
Xu Zifan thought for a moment. Participating in reality shows was one of the ways to quickly increase one's fame, which was great for newcomers. He looked up and asked, "What kind of reality show can be filmed and played at the same time?"
Bai Xingchen met his gaze and smiled, "Have you heard of 'Romantic Trip for Couples'? Would you like to join us?"
Xu Zifan looked into her smiling eyes and slowly raised the corners of his lips. "I've heard of it, but it seems none of the couples in it ended up together. Will anyone watch the second season?"
"Of course it will. Just because it didn't happen in the first season doesn't mean it won't happen in the second season. What if there's an exception?"
"Okay, let's go on a trip together."