From the morning until around three or four o'clock in the afternoon, Joyno only ate a bucket of instant noodles. During this time, Director Cao Can sent another message, criticizing Joyno's *Till the End of the Red Carpet* again.
Meanwhile, Joyno received another piece of news. The preparation for this drama had already started. When discussing the script, the producers and investors expressed strong opinions about it.
What made Joyno even more frustrated was that there were only three days left until the start of filming.
Joyno was on the verge of a breakdown. Fortunately, the parts that needed to be revised were relatively few compared to before.
After all, Director Cao Can had very strict requirements for the script. He was Joyno's superior. For a screenwriter, the workplace meant following the arrangements of the director and producers. She was like a secretary in the workplace.
After finishing part of the revisions, Joyno received a call from Luo Yize. They agreed to meet at a Western restaurant in Hualian Building near Luo Yize's home.
This place was extremely familiar to Joyno. She had been there about three or five times and had almost explored the whole area. At that time, she was at the lowest point of her life. If she hadn't met Luo Yize's cousin here and hadn't regularly come here to get to know the people in Luo Yize's team, she might have chosen to commit suicide a long time ago.
It took her a full hour and a half to take the subway with one transfer. When she got off at the subway station, she heard a familiar and gentle male voice say, "Sister Nuo!"
Joyno stopped in her tracks and turned around. It was actually Ah Hai.
The next second, Joyno showed a horrified expression. She couldn't wait to quicken her steps and get away from this guy as far as possible.
"The hundred ways of dealing with a broken heart include going out for a breath of fresh air," Ah Hai said.
Joyno sighed helplessly. Why was her enemy so good at understanding her thoughts?
"Sister Nuo, I'm not saying this to be mean, but when looking for a partner, you should keep your options open. Don't hang on to one tree. If it's not a good fit, there's no need to keep pestering and wasting your time," Ah Hai said sarcastically.
Joyno didn't even look at him and coldly replied, "Thank you for your concern, but this is my business. You have no right to interfere."
She was about to take a step forward when she saw Ah Hai still standing there. Then she added, "If you eat up all the sweet things, I'm sure one day you'll end up tasting bitterness and sourness just like me."
After walking out of the subway station, Joyno took a taxi. It only took a few minutes to reach Hualian Building. Actually, Joyno was very familiar with the terrain here. She could have ridden a bike here instead of taking a taxi.
However, there were very few shared bikes here. All the intact ones had been taken, and the remaining ones were all damaged by some immoral and uneducated people. No one bothered to repair them or take responsibility.
If she walked, she would have to pass countless traffic lights. It was better to ride a bike if possible.
When she got off the taxi, she checked the time. It was just half past five.
She was纠结 whether to wander around the first floor of Hualian Building or go directly to the restaurant to wait for them. Finally, she decided to go directly to the restaurant. She took the elevator and walked in the direction of the Western restaurant. When she reached the door of the restaurant, without asking the waiter if there was a Mr. Luo who had reserved a private room, she just stood there waiting.
She started playing with her phone. As soon as she turned it on, she received a call from Luo Yize. Luo Yize told her the exact location. Joyno immediately went in. She walked around the restaurant and finally found several semi - enclosed private rooms at the innermost part.
The second one on the left was the one Luo Yize had reserved.
At the dinner table, there were not only Luo Yize and Hou Lei but also that greasy middle - aged man in his forties who had been at the blind date dinner the day before.
"Take a seat!" the man patted the seat next to him.
But at this moment, Hou Lei and Luo Yize moved aside to make room. Joyno chose to sit between them.
The man seemed to notice the look in Luo Yize's eyes towards him. Then he looked at Joyno. He picked up one of the two menus on the table, flipped to the beverage section, and said, "Miss Qiao, what would you like to drink? I'll order for you."
Luo Yize grabbed the remaining menu on the table and said, "No need. I know what she likes to drink."
The man gave Luo Yize a sideways look. "In terms of seniority, I'm twenty years older than anyone of you here. You should call me uncle, right?"
"Why should I call you uncle? You don't deserve it!"
Just then, the waiter came to take their orders. After ordering, as soon as the waiter stepped out, Hou Lei started, "I've investigated your information. As a public servant, you've harassed countless female colleagues in your department, whether they're married, single, or even those who have broken up. You're overly interested in all kinds of women. I don't think you're qualified to be called uncle, nor are you qualified to get close to my childhood friend and best friend, Joyno."
After hearing this, the man seemed to be at the end of his patience.
Hou Lei continued, "Do you want to know where I got this information? I know a lot of reporters, lawyers, and investigators. It's not difficult for me to obtain your information."
As he said this, he took out an old newspaper from years ago and put it in front of Joyno. "Yino, if you don't believe me, you can take a look at this newspaper. The reports on it are all true, not just tabloid news."
Joyno picked up the newspaper. The information on it was very clear. This man was Wang Zhipeng. He was indeed a public servant and did have properties both at home and abroad. But the reason he was so rich now was similar to Ah Hai's.
His family background was not good. His parents were farmers, and he only had a junior high school education. Nowadays, for those in public service or career - related positions, a college or even a postgraduate degree is required.
Like Ah Hai, he made a fortune by scheming and calculating others, trying every means to please his superiors, and finally climbed up to the position of a section - level cadre and also served as the office director.
What was even more unexpected was that Wang Zhipeng was actually a married man, but he was separated from his original wife and had a history of domestic violence.
What's the difference between such a man as a blind - date partner and a nominal couple in a contractual marriage without love?