The door to the private room was suddenly pushed open, and Tangtang quickly lowered her head to avoid being recognised.
Ye Qiu felt a surge of irritation, who was so tactless as to interrupt his meal with Tangtang?
He turned to look.
Ye Qiu froze, seeing a woman standing at the door.
To be precise, a very beautiful woman.
She looked under thirty, with striking features, heavy makeup, and wavy hair adorned with an elegant hat.
She wore a black fur coat, a jade pendant around her neck, oversized Cartier earrings, and carried a limited-edition Hermès bag, exuding wealth.
Her high-heeled boots accentuated her tall, slender figure, making her look like a supermodel.
Before Ye Qiu could ask who she was, the woman strode into the room, exclaiming excitedly, “My gosh, it really is you, Tangtang!”
Hearing her voice, Tangtang looked up, surprised, “Sister Xiaoru!”
The woman smiled, “I passed by your room when the waiter was serving and thought I saw you, so I came to check, didn’t expect it was really you.”
“Tangtang, it’s been ages.”
“You’re getting prettier.”
Tangtang laughed, “It has been a while, Sister Xiaoru, are you eating here too?”
“Yep!” The woman glanced at Ye Qiu, smiling, “But I’m not as lucky as you, no one to keep me company.”
Tangtang said, “Sister Xiaoru, if you don’t mind, join us, we haven’t started yet.”
“Oh, I couldn’t possibly,” the woman said, closing the door and sitting down.
Ye Qiu found it amusing, if she felt so hesitant, why sit?
“Tangtang, I’m not interrupting, am I? Should I leave, and we’ll catch up later?”
Though she said this, she stayed firmly seated, showing no intention of leaving.
Ye Qiu thought, what a hypocrite.
Tangtang smiled, “Sister Xiaoru, don’t be shy, it’s been so long, let’s chat.”
“Great, I’ve got loads to tell you,” the woman said, slipping off her fur coat.
Instantly, her figure was revealed, striking.
Like two bright headlights.
“Pity they’re fake,” Ye Qiu mused.
Under the coat, she wore a low-cut, seductive qipao, showing off ample skin.
“Tangtang, who’s this handsome guy?” the woman asked, glancing curiously at Ye Qiu.
“My friend,” Tangtang replied.
“Boyfriend?” the woman pressed.
Tangtang shook her head, “No.”
The woman chuckled, clearly unconvinced, “It’s the holidays, and you’re dining together, that’s no ordinary relationship.”
“Tangtang, be honest, is he your boyfriend?”
“I won’t tell anyone.”
Tangtang explained, “Sister Xiaoru, Ye Qiu and I are really just friends.”
Hearing Tangtang repeatedly stress they were just friends, Ye Qiu guessed her relationship with this woman wasn’t as close as it seemed.
“Tangtang, who’s this lady?” Ye Qiu asked.
The woman looked surprised, “You don’t know me?”
Ye Qiu thought, why should I?
Tangtang quickly said, “Sister Xiaoru, my friend’s a doctor, always busy saving lives, doesn’t follow entertainment news.”
“Ye Qiu, let me introduce, Sister Xiaoru’s a singer, like me.”
“But she debuted before me and was already a diva, with countless hit songs. Recently, she performed at Hong Kong’s 25th anniversary gala.”
“Plus, she’s ventured into film and TV, winning best actress awards multiple times.”
“In short, Sister Xiaoru’s a superstar with beauty and talent, my idol.”
Ye Qiu could tell Tangtang was exaggerating, so he smiled at the woman, “I’m Ye Qiu, pleased to meet you.”
“Hi, I’m Zhang Xiaoru.”
Her attitude toward Ye Qiu was cold, and after introducing herself, she ignored him.
“Sister Xiaoru, let’s eat hotpot?” Tangtang said.
“Then I won’t hold back,” Zhang Xiaoru picked up chopsticks and started eating.
The two women ate and chatted, looking like close sisters.
Ye Qiu became invisible, eating quietly on the side.
“By the way, Tangtang, have you heard? Jie Jie’s in trouble,” Zhang Xiaoru said mysteriously.
“What happened to him?” Tangtang looked clueless.
Zhang Xiaoru lowered her voice, “Rumour has it, Jie Jie evaded taxes worth hundreds of millions, dragging his company down with him.”
“The authorities have taken him away.”
“And I heard he’s involved in harming minors, he might be locked up for good this time.”
She sighed, “Jie Jie had it rough, trained for years in Korea, became a top star back home, only to fall so fast, fate’s cruel.”
“Now the industry’s on edge, everyone’s worried the authorities will use Jie Jie as a starting point to investigate our taxes.”
“Tangtang, you should prepare, just in case.”
Tangtang said, “I’ve always been law-abiding, an investigation wouldn’t find anything.”
Zhang Xiaoru’s expression faltered, then she said, “Just a heads-up, don’t overthink it. I wouldn’t say this to just anyone, only because we’re close.”
“Thank you, Sister Xiaoru,” Tangtang said politely.
“No need for thanks between sisters,” Zhang Xiaoru said, “When you debuted, I said you’d be a huge star, and I wasn’t wrong.”
“Tangtang, I heard you’re starring in a movie soon, is that true?”
“Yep,” Tangtang nodded.
“What’s the movie called?” Zhang Xiaoru asked.
Tangtang answered, “‘Allure of a Nation’.”
“Is the director Zhang Yi?” she asked again.
“Yes,” Tangtang said, “Director Zhang Yi approached me recently, and I agreed.”
“Congrats, Tangtang, Zhang Yi’s films are both artistic and meaningful, you’ll be a star after this,” Zhang Xiaoru raised her water glass, “I toast you with water.”
Tangtang clinked glasses lightly and sipped.
Just then, Zhang Xiaoru put down her glass, scooped a spoonful of scalding hot oil, and suddenly splashed it toward Tangtang’s face.
