Chinese entertainment: What's wrong with actresses wanting to improve?

Chapter 78, 8 hexagrams

Fu Yibai leaned back in the seat, looking down at his phone, showing no intention of speaking.

Gao Yuanyuan's grip on the bag strap loosened and tightened repeatedly.

She could tell she was in a terrible state; her eyes were probably swollen, her makeup was likely ruined, and she looked far too disheveled for a public figure.

Sitting right next to her was the young director who had just won the Berlin Golden Bear and was the talk of the town.

She took a deep breath and tried to make her voice sound normal.

"Director Fu, thank you for taking me home."

Fu Yibai turned his head and glanced at her.

"You're welcome. Your current condition is definitely not suitable for driving alone."

Gao Yuanyuan gave a wry smile and said nothing more.

The car drove smoothly through the night, passing several intersections before turning into a relatively quiet street.

Liu Yan glanced at the back seat in the rearview mirror, then looked away and focused on driving.

"Ms. Gao, is it the neighborhood over there?" she asked.

"Yes, it's the one with the guard post at the entrance."

Gao Yuanyuan pointed ahead.

The car stopped at the entrance of the residential area.

Gao Yuanyuan pushed open the car door, hesitated for a moment before getting out, and turned to look at Fu Yibai.

"Director Fu, what's the cost of the car repairs...?"

"Liu Yan will contact you."

Fu Yibai looked at her, his tone indifferent.

"Go home and rest early."

Gao Yuanyuan nodded, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just whispered "thank you" and closed the car door.

She stood by the roadside, watching the black Mercedes slowly drive away, its taillights fading into the night.

The night breeze ruffled her long hair. She stood there for a long time until the car completely disappeared from sight before turning around and walking into the residential area.

Inside the car, Liu Yan glanced at Gao Yuanyuan, who was getting further and further away, through the rearview mirror.

"Mr. Fu, should I have someone handle her car tomorrow?"

"Okay, contact the 4S store and let them know when it's fixed."

"OK."

Liu Yan agreed, paused, and then said softly.

"She seems...not quite right. Her eyes are red, like she's been crying."

Fu Yibai leaned back in the back seat, his gaze fixed on the flowing night view outside the window.

Everyone has their bad days.

Liu Yan stopped talking and focused on driving.

The car drove into the villa area and stopped in front of Fu Yibai's detached villa.

The two got out of the car, and Liu Yan followed him inside, carrying her briefcase.

The entryway light turned on automatically, its warm yellow glow dispelling the darkness of the room.

Fu Yibai took off his coat and handed it to Liu Yan. She took it, hung it up, and then took out slippers from the shoe cabinet and placed them beside his feet.

"Mr. Fu, please take a rest. I'll go cook."

"Um."

Fu Yibai walked into the living room and sat down on the sofa.

Forty minutes later, Liu Yan came out carrying two dishes and a soup.

Stir-fried tomatoes and eggs, shredded pork with green peppers, and seaweed and egg drop soup are all simple home-style dishes, but the plating is very thoughtful.

"Mr. Fu, dinner is ready."

Fu Yibai got up, walked to the dining table, sat down, and picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks.

Liu Yan stood beside him, watching him nervously.

"How is it?"

"good."

Fu Yibai nodded.

"Sit down and eat together."

Liu Yan then sat down opposite him and ate her meal in small bites.

The restaurant was quiet, with only the soft clinking of bowls and chopsticks.

After finishing her meal, Liu Yan cleared the dishes and went to the kitchen to wash them.

Fu Yibai then returned to the bathroom to take a shower.

When Fu Yibai came out of the bathroom in the master bedroom after taking a shower, Liu Yan was already standing in the room wearing a bathrobe.

Her long hair was still a little damp, draped over her shoulders, and the ties of her robe were loose, revealing a section of her fair collarbone.

"come over."

Liu Yan walked over and was pulled into his arms.

The ties of the bathrobe were untied and slipped to the floor.

Liu Yan bit her lower lip and put her hands on his shoulders.

Fu Yibai lowered his head and kissed her, his hands caressing her smooth back.

Liu Yan's body trembled slightly as she responded to his kiss, soft moans escaping her throat.

It was late at night, and the lights in the master bedroom were off, leaving only the faint moonlight from outside the window.

While Fu Yibai and Liu Yan were releasing their energy, a post titled "Whose car did Gao Yuanyuan get into late at night?" quietly appeared on Tianya.

The poster, "Entertainment Pioneer 008," posted three photos.

First picture: Fu Yibai stands in front of the car door, inviting.

Second photo: Gao Yuanyuan gets into the back seat of a black Mercedes.

Fourth photo: A black Mercedes drives into a high-end villa area.

The caption is concise yet profound.

"At 7 p.m. tonight, I ran into Gao Yuanyuan getting into director Fu Yibai's car."

What is their relationship? Where were they going, traveling together late at night?

The post received over 10,000 views within half an hour of being published.

At 1 a.m., it was reposted to the entertainment sections of major portal websites.

At 2 a.m., the comment section exploded.

"Gao Yuanyuan? Fu Yibai? When did these two get together?"

"Isn't there another woman in the photo? The driver? Or someone else?"

"Entering the villa area at dawn, those who know, know."

"Two in one night? Can Boss Bai handle that?"

"Is Fu Yibai getting cocky right after winning the Golden Bear?"

"I never expected Gao Yuanyuan to be this kind of person."

As expected, there's no clean stuff in this industry.

.........

Fu Yibai, who was still fast asleep, was unaware of the online discussions among night owls.