Chapter 76
The next morning, early in the morning.
Meng Yuanjie got up early to make a cup of coffee, and pricked up his ears to listen to Zhang Xiya talk about what happened yesterday.
Qiao Yi, who had just returned to work after taking a few days off, was also listening attentively.
"You didn't see it, we were all scared to death when that man appeared!" Zhang Xiya said dramatically.
"What happened next, what happened next!" Meng Yuanjie urged.
Zhang Xiya: "Then that man confessed everything! Jiang Kening's face turned pale. When she was taken away, she kept shouting 'Jiang Keyan'..."
"What a pity!" Meng Yuanjie slammed the coffee heavily on the table, "I should not have skipped work yesterday!"
He deliberately didn't go yesterday because he thought it was too late. Ren Zongshun happened to not notice either. As a result, he missed such a good show!
Meng Yuanjie regretted it deeply.
Qiao Yi also sighed, "Fortunately it was found out. How difficult it must have been for Li Zhen when they ganged up on her and wanted to fire her."
"Don't worry, our little Zhen'er is tough," Zhang Xiya said proudly.
"Also..." Zhang Xiya looked around with a grin and whispered, "Did you see the Meng Nan Shen Qun group? Yesterday, Boss Lu was waiting for her at the entrance of the IF Mall in front of everyone, so sweet!"
"I saw it, the whole group was full of crazy emojis." Meng Yuanjie was half asleep last night at midnight, but was woken up by the barrage of emoji messages in the group.
Everyone in the group speculated about the relationship between Lu Yanming and Li Zhen.
In just one night, at least a dozen versions of their story had come out!
Even a new female employee in the HR department wrote a fanfiction about them in the middle of the night...
Sigh...
Quite romantic...
But today it was much quieter, just like two days ago when everyone spread the rumor that Boss Lu was still chasing Qiao Yi. There was some gossip but no substantial melon, so things died down.
-
When Li Zhen arrived at the company, Meng Yuanjie and Qiao Yi surrounded her and asked her all kinds of questions.
Especially Meng Yuanjie, who wished Li Zhen could repeat yesterday's events eight hundred times.
Finally at noon, after lunch, Li Zhen fled like a gust of wind into the elevator to escape from Meng Yuanjie and the others, and went to the parking garage to find Lu Yanming.
Lu Yanming was already waiting for her by the car.
Lu Yanming had one hand in his suit pants pocket, and the other hand holding his phone, looking down at the screen. Unlike his usual nobility, this pose seemed more relaxed and casual.
As Li Zhen approached, she curiously peeked at his phone screen, "What are you looking at, Boss Lu?"
"Nothing." Lu Yanming put away his phone and opened the car door for her, "Let's go."
Li Zhen glanced at his phone again. Why did she feel like he was acting dodgy? Was there something on his phone he didn't want seen?
The place they were going was not far.
Li Zhen looked up, the five characters "Jincheng Grand Theater" made her slightly stunned.
"Boss Lu, if you want to take me to a show, it wouldn't be in the middle of the day, would it? The time is too tight."
"I'll take you to watch next time, not today." Lu Yanming chuckled lightly and strode into the theater.
Li Zhen followed him in, puzzled.
Inside the theater, a man in a shell-shaped hat was directing the people on stage.
"No, your expression is too exaggerated. Pay attention to the inner struggle of the character!"
"Lines, lines! I've said it hundreds of times! Not a single word can be wrong!"
"Director Meng." Lu Yanming patted the middle-aged man on the shoulder.
The man turned back, his frown relaxed a little, "Yanming, you're here."
Li Zhen was surprised.
This was...Meng Changsheng? The national first-class director, now the master of the drama world. What was Lu Yanming doing here looking for him in the middle of the day?
"Deputy Director You, watch them redo it again." Meng Changsheng gave simple instructions and led Lu Yanming and Li Zhen to the seats in the auditorium.
Meng Changsheng looked Li Zhen up and down repeatedly.
This familiar gaze instantly reminded Li Zhen that this was the man who had watched her for two minutes yesterday at the IF Mall. At that time Meng Changsheng was wearing a mask and she didn't recognize him for a moment.
"Director Meng." Li Zhen respectfully greeted this senior.
Meng Changsheng: "You have good looks, well-defined features, very natural. Great potential. A good seedling."
Li Zhen listened in confusion and turned to look at Lu Yanming.
Lu Yanming saw the puzzlement in her eyes and explained, "The lead actress in Director Meng's latest play got sick and they couldn't find a suitable replacement at the last minute, so I recommended you."
Director Meng was also an alumnus of A University, and a good friend of Lu Yanming's college mentor.
The lead actress in his latest play "The White Snake", was painstakingly chosen by him after auditioning many candidates.
When she got sick, Meng Changsheng felt there was no one left who could play the White Snake.
Originally when Lu Yanming recommended Li Zhen, he agreed to take a look with a trying mindset, but unexpectedly, she caught his eye.
Meng Changsheng spoke directly, "Yanming said you still have a day job, so come after work. But time is tight, you'll have to pull several all-nighters."
Li Zhen almost couldn't believe her ears, "Me? You want me to play the leading role in your play?"
Meng Changsheng's plays were very popular and sought after.
Even many big stars wanted to participate in his casting calls, just to add a golden touch to their resumes.
And now, Meng Changsheng wanted her to be the lead?
Impossible, she couldn't do it.
She wasn't capable anymore.
Before she could refuse again, Meng Changsheng had already dismissed them, "Alright, I have to get back to work. Remember to come after you're off."
"Okay, Director Meng." Lu Yanming agreed.
As soon as Meng Changsheng left, Li Zhen immediately frowned, "Boss Lu, I can't do it. I'm no good at plays."
As Li Zhen spoke, she paced back and forth, getting more and more agitated, and began to speak incoherently.
"Besides, I haven't done any acting for three years. How could I possibly be in Director Meng's play! Impossible, impossible."
"I'm just a hand model..."
"How could a hand model possibly play Director Meng's leading role!"
"Zhen'er," Lu Yanming grasped her slender shoulders, stopping her pacing, and met her flustered gaze. "Zhen'er, you can do it."
Lu Yanming's voice was steady and powerful, carrying an irresistible convincing force.
He looked at her silently, enunciating each word: "You can do it, because you are Li Zhen."
Because she was Li Zhen?
Li Zhen's heart thumped loudly in her chest.
Her thoughts drifted far away. Below the stage of "The Song of Everlasting Sorrow", many people had shouted her name as well: Li Zhen.
But it had been so long ago that the memories had faded.
Lu Yanming's words that night carried her youthful dreams, forcefully crashing against her heart that had been numb for years.
"What a great age, just 26."
"It's just the right time for our Zhen'er to punch shadows and kick big stars, standing in the brightest spotlight."
"While everyone else gazes up at you from below the stage."
"Zhen'er," Lu Yanming called back her wandering thoughts and pointed to the stage, "That's where you belong."