PCMWF Chapter 194

Under the brilliant night sky, a grand cocktail party was being held. Hua Zhao drove herself. After handing the car keys to the valet, she entered the gate.

“Hua Zhao, over here!”

A short-haired woman not far away looked at her, waving her over.

“Sister Shilan.”

Wang Shilan handed her the small tray she was holding, with two delicate little pastries on it. Today’s cocktail party had an overall Chinese style, and the tea snacks were Chinese too. The pink lotus pastries on the tray had layer upon layer of petals, delicate and small, just the right size for one bite.

“Sister, these pastries are really good. Can I pack some? I’ll bring a couple back for Qiqi and Youyou to try.”

Wang Shilan laughed. “Who does that? The party hasn’t even started and you’re already thinking about packing pastries for the kids.”

Hua Zhao smiled sheepishly and looked around. The guests at today’s party were all women. Although the tea break area’s pastries and food were exquisite, few people actually ate. Everyone wore luxurious evening gowns, holding champagne glasses and chatting in the hall. Classical piano music played leisurely. A tall woman in a long dress walked over gracefully, a jade hairpin swaying gently in her bun.

The moment the woman in the long dress appeared, people gradually surrounded her, raising their glasses to greet her. “Teacher Leah, you look so beautiful today.”

Leah smiled, fine lines appearing at the corners of her eyes. She was over fifty this year. Her life after retirement was quiet and leisurely. She had shed the sharpness of her runway days, gaining a calm, otherworldly air. The flattery was true and false. She accepted it all with a smile, clearly used to such compliments.

“Hua Zhao, let me take you to say hello to Sister Leah.”

Hua Zhao had just eaten two pastries and was holding a small cup of tea, sipping. Leah was surrounded so tightly. She shook her head, not wanting to go over. Wang Shilan actually didn’t really want to go either. Although she was a producer and an investor, she didn’t know much about the fashion circle. She didn’t quite understand why Leah had invited her. They had only met twice at events.

Hua Zhao leaned in. “Sister, do you know what people said about you when I went to shoot a magazine the other day?”

Wang Shilan raised an eyebrow. Someone was talking bad about her behind her back?

“It’s not bad. Whoever dares say bad things about you, I’ll be the first to not forgive them.”

“Then what?”

Hua Zhao gave a strange laugh and lifted Wang Shilan’s chin with her fingertip. “Everyone says you’re a big female lead.”

Wang Shilan had substantial assets and numerous businesses under her name. She was also the producer and investor with the sharpest eye. No project she was involved in wasn’t a hit. After her divorce scandal, Wang Shilan’s clean handling made netizens exclaim: “Tearing apart the scumbag, Sister is domineering.”

Wang Shilan was now one of the richest women in Beicheng. If not top three, definitely top five. So it wasn’t surprising that Leah wanted to get to know Wang Shilan.

Wang Shilan coughed lightly and reproachfully pushed Hua Zhao. “You and your sweet mouth.”

Hua Zhao winked at her. “Sister, you’ll have to look out for your little sister in the future.”

The two were laughing and talking when Leah, who had just been surrounded, stood before them with a smile.

“Producer Wang, Hua Zhao, it’s an honor to have you here.”

Facing this former top supermodel up close, Hua Zhao became much more reserved, quickly putting down the small plate in her hand.

“Teacher Leah.”

After greeting her, Leah didn’t leave. Instead, she invited the two of them to a booth on the other side. The booth was hidden, with an antique screen in front of it. The view was surprisingly good. Leah sat on Hua Zhao’s right, her words and demeanor showing her appreciation. When she learned Hua Zhao had chosen to return to China for love, she didn’t think Hua Zhao was lovesick.

Hua Zhao was flattered, saying thank you several times. She could really feel that Leah genuinely liked her. All three had children, and the conversation naturally turned to them. It was then that Leah learned the little child model who had filmed the commercial with Hua Zhao was Hua Zhao’s nephew.

“His nickname is Qiqi, right?”

Hua Zhao nodded. “Mm, he was born on the seventh day of the seventh month.”

Although Leah no longer walked the runway, she hadn’t completely faded from the fashion circle. She and her friends had also opened several entertainment companies and signed many child models. So when she heard Pei Xu was Hua Zhao’s nephew, she wanted to sign him and train him herself. The child’s bone structure and temperament were excellent. He would definitely be even better looking when he grew up.

Hua Zhao politely declined. After the commercial aired, many agencies had approached them. Leah wasn’t the first. The family of three had held a family meeting. Pei Qiqi had experienced standing under the spotlight, being surrounded by everyone. Many things were enough to experience once. It wasn’t that he liked it much.
If he became a full-time model, Pei Xu’s life and studies would definitely be affected. Whether a model or an actor, it required day after day of training, giving up many things. Pei Yi had no big expectations for his nephew. His brother’s death had hit him too hard. Qiqi’s life just needed to be safe and healthy. There was no need to work so hard.

Although Leah regretted it, she understood Hua Zhao’s feelings. Feeling Hua Zhao’s care for her nephew like her own son, Leah’s impression of her improved further. She immediately took her hand and called her sister. Just then, someone accidentally bumped into the screen. The sound of the screen moving made the three of them look back.

“I’ll go check.” Leah smiled and nodded, getting up to go over.

Hua Zhao picked up her bag, linked her arm with Wang Shilan’s, and stood up. No Chinese person would want to miss a piece of gossip. Actually, nothing had happened. Someone had accidentally bumped into the screen, but the person who bumped into it seemed very unhappy, repeatedly emphasizing it was the other’s fault for not watching where they were going. Hua Zhao had just come out when she heard someone call Fang Qin’s name. She had only seen photos of Fang Qin, never the real person.

Ha.

Today she finally met her. Hua Zhao rolled up nonexistent sleeves and walked out from behind the screen. The Fang Qin before her wasn’t as proud and arrogant as she’d imagined. Today was a Chinese-style cocktail party. Fang Qin wore a blue-and-white gradient qipao that fit the theme. It had a strong blue-and-white porcelain vibe. Exquisite makeup, downcast eyes, very pretty. The young woman who had bumped into Fang Qin seemed very unhappy with her, cursing something.

Hua Zhao held back and didn’t go over, wanting to see how Fang Qin would respond.

Fang Qin waited until the woman finished cursing, then said lightly: “I wasn’t watching where I was going. Sorry.”

The young woman was so angry her face turned red, pointing at Fang Qin’s nose, “You, you, you” for a long time without saying anything substantial. The people nearby had started discussing. Hua Zhao caught a bit. Everyone was saying the young woman bumped into someone and then blamed them.

“Alright, it’s all a misunderstanding. Everyone, continue.” Leah came out to smooth things over. The crowd gradually dispersed.

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