"Which painting, the landscape painting?"
"Yes!" The other party happily picked up her words, "You're right, it's because my dad likes to paint that he gave me this name. Although his own paintings aren't very good, he has countless famous calligraphy and paintings collected at home. I don't like it, but through osmosis, I've also gained some artistic accomplishment. If you like it, we can exchange ideas. Oh, we've gone off topic, let's get back to business. This variety show, hmm, it's not clear over the phone. Shall we meet up somewhere to talk?"
The words seemed jumbled and illogical, not quite fitting the demeanor of a program executive, but Shi Xinxin didn't have any objections upon hearing them. Instead, she felt quite happy.
She had been cherished like a pearl by her family since childhood, and those around her treated her sincerely. Moreover, she didn't lack money.
If a girl possessed these few qualities, she would naturally not be like some girls from problematic families, who engaged in constant scheming, perhaps worrying all the time and never finding joy.
Such optimistic and cheerful girls often gravitated towards optimistic people.
Although they hadn't met yet, the two already felt a connection. She was very willing to interact with this new acquaintance, so she readily agreed to meet at a well-known and reputable coffee shop that both of them knew.
Liu Hua held the slip of paper in her hand.
Sometimes her memory wasn't very good, so when interacting with people in this circle, if they made any arrangements or had any keys, she would write down the information on paper and carry it in her front pocket, in case she forgot.
At this moment, she had just alighted from the car and was taking out the paper from her pocket to look at it. Yes, the location was correct, and the time was also correct. It was precisely six o'clock, dinner time.
Although there were more people, they had disguised themselves, making them indistinguishable from the crowd, and no one would think they were celebrities or people from the entertainment industry.
She put the slip of paper back into her clothes. If others saw these things, they might form biases against her.
At the same time, she took out her phone from the side pocket of her clothes, unlocked it, and started opening Weibo to pass the time. She walked in while looking at Weibo.
The reason she did this was that usually, people she had met before would either deliberately put on airs, making it common for them to be one or two hours late, or they would have other commitments or announcements that prevented them from arriving on time.
At the very least, they would be 10 to 15 minutes late.
Someone arriving on time was as fresh as the sun rising from the west. She had grown accustomed to such things.
She even wondered in her mind, how long would this person be late this time?
However, no matter what, she had to earn a living, so she had to wait for these young masters and ladies without complaint.
But as soon as she walked into the coffee shop, she heard someone call her name. The voice wasn't loud, but the enunciation was clear, and the voice was pleasant, making her unable to help but look up.
Someone was sitting by the window, with a drink on the table and another opposite. At this moment, they were wearing a hat and sunglasses, but no mask, revealing shapely lips as they waved at her. It seemed they were waiting for her.
They had even thoughtfully ordered her drink for her.
She was a little surprised. Had she mistaken someone? Or had the other person mistaken her?
At first, she didn't think at all that this was the person she was waiting for, the future partner for the variety show she was responsible for.
But as soon as she sat down, she immediately confirmed that this was the person she was looking for. If nothing else, when two people have similar temperaments, it's easy to discern their aura and identity.
Even though it was their first meeting, the two were already chatting very congenially within a few words.
However, getting along well was one thing, and not letting it interfere with work was another. This outing was meant to be a brief escape from work, a chance to discuss business. The two ordered some drinks and enjoyed themselves for a rare moment.
Halfway through their conversation, Liu Hua suddenly remembered if she had kept the other person waiting. She didn't want to say it at first, but then she couldn't help but ask Shi Xinxin.
Shi Xinxin not only didn't hesitate but laughed heartily, saying without reservation, "Yes, I always come early and don't make others wait for me. Isn't this something we learned in elementary school etiquette class? What, is it that strange?"
Strange, strange, you don't know how normal this is in this circle. Liu Hua thought to herself, but ultimately didn't dare to say it out loud, so she just laughed it off and muddled through.
However, in her heart, Shi Xinxin's status instantly rose by more than a few notches. She immediately fell in love with this naive and cheerful girl. She was also secretly glad that she was her next partner.
She finally understood why Shi Xinxin, upon returning to the country, had stirred up such a commotion in the entertainment industry, even becoming a popular idol among young boys and girls.
After all, in this era of information overload, it wasn't easy to capture people's attention.
Work was completed in a pleasant and efficient atmosphere, with the two of them discussing matters in a few words.
The two had already become friends, the kind who could share their personal affairs. They left with laughter and planned to meet up for shopping another day.
As they parted, Shi Xinxin suddenly remembered something and casually asked, "Do you know who else is partnering this time? Has it not been decided yet? It's okay if you don't know."
Liu Hua had no intention of hiding this from anyone. In a casual tone, she delivered the news, which would be earth-shattering for some people, to Shi Xinxin.
"Hmm, you don't know? It's Sheng Chenjin."
Good heavens, she didn't know. How could she possibly know?
Liu Hua's unintentional words, though only three short words, had already made Shi Xinxin restless and unable to eat or sleep.
On her way home, and even after returning home, changing clothes, and sitting on her bed, she kept thinking about these things, replaying Liu Hua's tone when she said those words. It was self-torment, endless.
She had to admit that at this moment, even just mentioning the other person's name.
Even knowing that they would be participating in a variety show together was enough to cause such a great upheaval in her emotions, making her agitated and unable to concentrate on anything else.