Chapter 88: Tianyu Extends an Olive Branch

Long before their arrival, Long Jia had instructed his assistant to reserve a private room in advance. When Mo Qi and her group arrived, an attendant led them straight to the suite.

The representatives from the other talent agencies, who were scheduled to meet for dinner, had yet to arrive. Taking the initiative, Long Jia ordered a generous spread of cold dishes, along with a variety of drinks—clear, red, and beer—ensuring the table would be well-stocked.

Having learned from last time, Lin Zheng immediately followed Mo Qi into the room and selected a discreet corner seat. This time, for reasons unclear, Zhao Jianglin entered the suite with a broad smile and trailed behind Mo Qi and Lin Zheng, showing none of his previous enthusiasm for taking the lead or livening up the atmosphere.

Because of what had happened with Li Qingqing, both Mo Qi and Lin Zheng harbored a poor impression of Zhao Jianglin.

Lin Zheng, always forthright, saw no reason to feign politeness. “Zhao Jianglin, why don’t you go hang out with Zhou Tingzi and the others? What are you doing here?”

Zhao Jianglin crossed his legs and replied with a carefree grin, “My throat’s a bit sore today. I’ll just sit quietly and chat with you two.”

His nonchalance irritated Lin Zheng even further, prompting her to say bluntly, “I want to have a private conversation with Mo Qi—girl talk. Can you move aside?”

Zhao Jianglin knew Lin Zheng was straightforward, but he hadn’t expected her to be so direct in this setting, not even bothering to spare his dignity. For a moment, his smile faltered, awkwardness flickering across his face, almost unable to maintain his composure.

Mo Qi suddenly let out a soft laugh, her eyes glinting with mischief. She teased, “Jianglin, Lin Zheng is really looking out for you. We’re about to discuss women’s monthly remedies—are you sure you won’t feel awkward listening in?”

“Uh.” Zhao Jianglin scratched his nose, chuckled dryly, stood up, and said, “That would be quite ungentlemanly of me. I’ll go check in with Tingzi and the others.”

As Zhao Jianglin walked away, Lin Zheng rolled her eyes at his back and muttered under her breath, “Even if he’s a gentleman, he’s a rogue at heart.”

Mo Qi patted her gently and smiled, resigned. “He probably just wanted to suss out whether we’d received any news from the agencies, since we rode over with the director, or maybe he thinks we’re favored and wanted to stick close.”

“It’s exactly because I know what he’s up to that I find him so off-putting. I don’t even know what Li Qingqing saw in him—she’s so fake herself, and he’s not the least bit reliable.”

Zhao Jianglin, who had just walked off, suddenly paused and turned back. Mo Qi pressed Lin Zheng’s arm and smiled at him.

“I seem to have left my wallet where I was sitting,” Zhao Jianglin said, pointing to the spot.

Mo Qi turned and saw a coffee-colored designer wallet—its simple, elegant design and bulging shape made it clear it wasn’t cheap—lying in the crevice of the sofa. She picked it up, didn’t even glance inside, and handed it to him with a smile.

“Thank you.” Zhao Jianglin took the wallet with some embarrassment and nodded before leaving.

He had deliberately stuffed his wallet full of cash today and left it near Mo Qi, but she hadn’t even looked at it, not at all like those women whose eyes light up at the sight of money.

“What’s he playing at?” Lin Zheng raised her chin irritably. “Showing off? Trying to humiliate us with money?”

Mo Qi laughed lightly. “If I didn’t spit a mouthful of soda in his face and burst his bubble, I’d be doing him a favor.” With that, she lifted her wine glass and took a delicate sip, her manners impeccable.

Lin Zheng burst out laughing, nudged Mo Qi’s waist, and said, “Do you think anyone who sees you smiling and behaving so elegantly would believe you just said something so crude?”

“Was it really that crude?” Mo Qi blinked innocently. “Should I ask the waiter to bring you a cup of chrysanthemum tea? It’s great for cooling you down—perfect for summer.”

“You win.” Lin Zheng, disgusted by the image in her own mind, raised a white flag in surrender.

“What are you two up to, laughing so hard?” Zhou Tingzi came over with her wine glass, settling beside Lin Zheng with a cheerful smile.

“We were just talking about chrysanthemum tea—it’s cooling and detoxifying. Want a cup?” Lin Zheng asked.

Completely unaware of the context, Zhou Tingzi nodded enthusiastically. “Sure! I love iced chrysanthemum tea.”

After she spoke, she noticed Lin Zheng’s expression was hard to describe. Puzzled, she turned to Mo Qi and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Her face is just twitching,” Mo Qi said with a smile, deftly changing the subject. She raised her glass to Zhou Tingzi. “Congratulations on advancing to the next round.”

Zhou Tingzi lifted her glass in response. “And congratulations to both of you as well.”

Seeing Zhou Tingzi chatting and laughing with Mo Qi and Lin Zheng, the other contestants couldn’t resist joining in, eager to get closer.

With King Shen backing Mo Qi, many had wanted to befriend her, but previously Wang Min had constantly made trouble for Mo Qi, which had given them pause.

Besides, while Mo Qi seemed courteous, warm, and attentive—always smiling and easy to approach—a closer acquaintance revealed a polite but distant warmth, her eyes always smiling yet separated by an invisible barrier. She wasn’t easy to truly befriend.

Still, as the other contestants drew near, Mo Qi chatted with them amiably, her smile unwavering.

With Long Jia and Hu Zhong both outside receiving the agency representatives, the suite was left to just the contestants, making for a much more relaxed atmosphere.

After a while of laughter and conversation, the door finally swung open. Long Jia and Hu Zhong entered, accompanied by several unfamiliar men and women.

Everyone instinctively fell silent, standing to greet the newcomers.

Long Jia made introductions. “This is Mr. Ma from Tianyu Entertainment, this is Ms. Liu from Royal Entertainment, and…”

Handshakes and polite greetings followed, establishing the first connections.

“All right, everyone, please be seated,” Hu Zhong called, summoning the waiter. “You can bring out the dishes we ordered earlier.”

“Certainly, just a moment.”

The suite was spacious, with a long rectangular table surrounded by sofas.

Long Jia deliberately arranged for Mo Qi and Lin Zheng to sit next to Mr. Ma from Tianyu Entertainment; everyone present understood the significance of this arrangement.

A few of the other contestants felt a twinge of jealousy but hid it well, smiling as they introduced themselves to the other agency representatives.

Mr. Ma from Tianyu Entertainment promptly handed his business card to Mo Qi and Lin Zheng. “I’m an agent with Tianyu Entertainment. My surname is Ma.”

“Mr. Ma,” Mo Qi and Lin Zheng replied, accepting his card with polite smiles.

Mr. Ma grinned. “I’m a straightforward person, so I’ll get right to the point.”

Mo Qi and Lin Zheng listened attentively.

“Our company would like to sign both of you. Here’s a preliminary draft contract for your review.” As he spoke, Mr. Ma retrieved two contracts from his briefcase and handed them over.

Mo Qi and Lin Zheng accepted them.

At the very beginning, the contract clearly stipulated that Tianyu Entertainment intended to debut Mo Qi and Lin Zheng as a duo, starting with an album release.

“I’m sorry.” Mo Qi closed the contract and handed it back to Mr. Ma.