Chapter 8: Cola and Stardom

“Look, look! There’s actually a family amusement park inside the mall!”

Like a cheerful lark, Guo Zimu tugged at Tong Xingyao—who looked like an exquisitely crafted doll with no expression at all—and peered through the spotless glass curtain wall.

The colorful facilities and the children’s laughter were brimming with childish delight.

“Tch, the design is pretty thoughtful,” Guo Zimu commented critically, though a trace of longing flickered in her eyes.

“Too bad my mom… she’s a total workaholic. All she sees are her company and projects. She’d never care about this kind of kid stuff.”

She shrugged, a little disappointed.

After a few seconds, she seemed to realize something.

“Xingyao, I… no, um…”

Tong Xingyao simply shook her head.

Her face remained devoid of emotion.

Those cool, distant eyes calmly observed the playground inside, as if it were merely a backdrop unrelated to her.

Guo Zimu immediately understood what she meant.

“Right.”

Guo Zimu let out a breath of relief, then indignantly added, “Even if that stingy bad man who keeps controlling you is unreliable, at least… at least he didn’t do something as outrageous as your biological mother did!”

“…Leaving you by the roadside in a snowstorm. That’s just insane!”

Tong Xingyao remained unmoved, as though the topic had nothing to do with her.

“Forget it. Let’s go, let’s go. We’re getting something delicious. This time we’re eating expensive food. We’ll make that bad man pay and reimburse everything.”

“I know a place. I heard there’s a branch here too. Come with me.”

With that, Guo Zimu took Tong Xingyao’s hand and walked ahead.

They arrived at the mall’s top-floor dining area and soon entered an elegantly decorated, upscale restaurant.

This was a place Guo Zimu had carefully assessed as within Tong Xingyao’s means.

As far as Guo Zimu knew, Wang Yan seemed to have additional income sources, and not a small amount either.

Yet he only gave Tong Xingyao a tiny allowance—just 100 yuan per week.

Because of that, Tong Xingyao never participated in any school gatherings.

She simply did not have the financial means.

And Guo Zimu had always stayed by her side, never attending any gatherings either.

The more she thought about it, the more it seemed like that bad man’s fault.

After sitting down, Guo Zimu skillfully ordered several signature dishes but did not order any drinks.

The waiter looked slightly surprised.

“Miss Guo, are you sure you don’t want to try our Snow-Capped Emerald? Many customers come specifically for it.”

Guo Zimu shook her head.

The waiter did not press further.

Compared to the signature dishes Guo Zimu ordered, Tong Xingyao only ordered a salad and a small cake.

As the dishes were gradually served, a well-dressed, capable-looking middle-aged woman at the neighboring table was elegantly savoring a cup of hand-brewed coffee.

“Hm? Zimu?”

She had noticed the soft pshh sound of a can tab being pulled open next door.

Looking over, she recognized one of the girls.

A familiar smile spread across her face.

“What a coincidence. You’re here too. And this is?”

Guo Zimu also noticed her.

“Auntie Zhang!”

She responded gracefully, clearly recognizing her.

“What a coincidence. This is my best friend, Tong Xingyao. We’re having breakfast here.”

At the mention of her name, Tong Xingyao merely turned her head calmly and nodded, saying nothing more.

Guo Zimu smiled apologetically.

“Sorry, that’s just how she is.”

Zhang Wei nodded politely at Tong Xingyao, then asked about the drink that had made the pshh sound.

“Oh, you mean cola? I don’t know where it’s from either. Anyway, Xingyao has lots of it at home.”

Tong Xingyao showed no intention of hiding anything.

She took another bottle from her backpack, placed it on the table, and pushed it over.

“So it’s called cola. What a wonderful name.”

Zhang Wei’s thoughts stirred as she opened it and took a sip.

“This… this flavor.”

She immediately sensed its commercial potential.

That icy, stimulating fizz.

The complex taste with its distinctive caramel-like sweetness.

It was an unprecedented novelty, completely different from any beverage she had ever tried.

She instantly realized this would absolutely be a best-seller, whether for its name or its taste.

Her gaze returned to Tong Xingyao.

“May I ask, these drinks of yours…”

“They’re from her dad. He put them in the fridge. Anything more can’t be disclosed.”

“It’s their family’s trade secret.”

Before Zhang Wei could finish, Guo Zimu smoothly cut in.

She had already realized something.

After all, with a strong businesswoman mother, she had picked up a few things herself.

Shielding the somewhat blank-looking Tong Xingyao behind her, Guo Zimu handled the conversation alone.

Zhang Wei smiled awkwardly.

“This is my business card. I believe we’ll have opportunities to cooperate.”

She held the card out in midair for quite a while.

Tong Xingyao showed no sign of accepting it.

Unbothered, Zhang Wei placed the card on Guo Zimu’s table instead.

Then she looked eagerly at Tong Xingyao.

“Auntie would like another bottle. Could you spare one more for me?”

At that moment, a woman beside Zhang Wei—who had been quietly observing, wearing a baseball cap and black-rimmed glasses—set down her tablet.

A professional smile appeared on her face as she placed her own business card on the table.

“Apologies for the interruption, Ms. Zhang, and you two students. I’m Chen Yi from Xinghui Pictures.”

She had taken notice of Tong Xingyao’s icy temperament.

That distant, thousand-miles-away gaze was far too unique.

“Student Xingyao, your aura perfectly matches an important role in our upcoming film. And Student Guo Zimu’s sunny and cheerful personality is very audience-friendly as well. Would you two be interested in learning about film production?”

Guo Zimu’s eyes lit up with excitement.

She gently tapped the back of Tong Xingyao’s hand.

“Xingyao, it’s Director Chen. She has a sharp eye. She personally came to recruit us.”

What young girl in her twenties did not have a heroine’s dream?

Whether it was becoming a marquis or prime minister in a feudal dynasty, or a great general conquering battlefields.

Even the most cliché domineering-CEO stories had countless male fans.

Guo Zimu was curious about film too.

In the end, Tong Xingyao and Guo Zimu walked out of the mall together.

Before leaving, the director said she would wait for their call.

And Auntie Chen left with an unopened can of cola in hand, smiling brightly.