"Hey! Look, it's a misunderstanding, isn't it? You forgot what I told you before?"

"Before? When? What did you say?"

Chu Tian wasn't playing dumb; he genuinely couldn't remember. Mainly, Hou Yichuan had been vague, so how could he know what it was about?

"I'm talking about the gathering Wei set up before, remember?"

"Oh, right!" Chu Tian slapped his forehead, nearly forgetting about it.

Hou Yichuan had indeed mentioned it before, and Chu Tian had agreed. If Hou Yichuan hadn't reminded him, he wouldn't have remembered at all.

"When? Are we leaving now?"

"Yeah, it's about time. The meeting is at six, and it's almost five. It'll take us a while to get there."

"Alright, let's go. I'll get ready."

Chu Tian took this gathering quite seriously. Although he didn't often come to the company, Wei Liangxiao was someone he had personally recruited and knew quite well. Moreover, the two of them kept in touch privately, occasionally getting together for a drink and a chat.

Chu Tian also had a general understanding of Wei's family situation.

Speaking of Wei Liangxiao, he was also considered a second-generation member of the circle; his father was a well-known film director. Otherwise, he wouldn't have reached his position at such a young age, and Lemon TV wouldn't be so concerned about him. The title of 'genius director' was indeed deserved, but without a solid foundation, even a genius wouldn't have achieved so much so young. Ability was part of it, but family background was also a factor.

So Chu Tian valued Wei's network resources, which was something Wei had spoken about before. To expand the company's resources and break new ground as soon as possible, it was necessary to meet more people from the circle.

After getting ready, Chu Tian and Hou Yichuan went downstairs, got into the car, and set off.

The venue for the gathering was in a hutong, also known as a courtyard house. The proprietor was supposedly a descendant of imperial chefs. The over 400-square-meter siheyuan wasn't large, but not small either. It had few tables and an expensive price tag, but the privacy was excellent, making it ideal for celebrities' private gatherings.

By the time they arrived, Wei was already waiting there, though to their surprise, there was someone else with him.

"Wei? Where is everyone?"

They had already sent a message when they arrived, so Chu Tian and Hou Yichuan came straight in, but Wei Liangxiao was nowhere to be seen.

Just as they were looking around, a waiter approached. Before he could speak, Wei Liangxiao hurried out from the main room. "It's alright, you can get back to your work," Wei Liangxiao told the waiter. "I'll take care of them." Only then did he turn to Chu Tian and Hou Yichuan.

"You guys are early. Come on in, let's have some tea inside. The others will arrive soon."

"Not bad, Wei. You've chosen a nice place, all traditional and quaint. If I hadn't known the address, I definitely would have missed it. Is this the kind of place celebrities like for their private meet-ups?"

Although Hou Yichuan had entered the circle, he still carried the gossip-loving gene from his previous internet industry background. He instantly wanted to get some juicy stories upon meeting, almost scaring Wei to death.

"Oh, for crying out loud! When we go inside, please don't call me Wei, okay? Call me Liangxiao, or my full name, just not Wei."

"What's the matter? Haven't we always called you that before?"

Hou Yichuan looked at him with an odd expression. Why was it okay before but not now?

Wei Liangxiao, while leading him, whispered stealthily, "Lower your voice, President Hou. The real Wei is inside. I don't want to get beaten."

"What do you mean?"

Hou Yichuan hadn't grasped the situation yet. However, Chu Tian, an outsider in this, seemed to have realized something and leaned in, eager for some gossip.

"No big deal. My father is here, inside. With him around, he's the real Wei, not me. If you call me that, I'm sure to get a beating when I go home."

"Pfft! HE HE HE... Your dad's here? HA HA, Wei, you're actually afraid of getting beaten up?"

Watching Hou Yichuan cackle like a goose, Wei Liangxiao's forehead darkened. He glanced at Chu Tian, who was also struggling to keep a straight face, and decided to let them laugh their fill first.

"Alright, that's enough. But how come your dad showed up all of a sudden?"

After the laughter subsided, it was time to talk business. This dinner was meant for networking, but with Wei Liangxiao's father's arrival, its nature might have changed.

Speaking of which, Wei Liangxiao was also speechless.

"This is going to be a long story..."

The three of them stood in the yard, whispering, and slowly Chu Tian also came to understand what was going on.

Originally, a host from Lemon TV named Chen Sheng was in the area on business. He had a good relationship with Wei Liangxiao, so they decided to have a meal together. Wei Liangxiao remembered what Chu Tian had told him; this could also be an opportunity. Since it was all about eating anyway, why not make it a bigger event and meet more people? The other party also thought it was a good idea, so they each invited three or four friends—not too many—just to gather and get to know one another.

Wei Liangxiao invited Hou Yichuan and Chu Tian, along with another actor friend.

However, it turned out that the host had a friend who was a professor at the film academy, and he had known Wei Liangxiao's father for a long time. When he casually mentioned to Wei Liangxiao's father that it was a gathering organized by Wei Liangxiao, his father, who just happened to be at home, became interested and insisted on joining the fun.

After listening, neither Chu Tian nor Hou Yichuan showed much reaction. It was just one more person at the event, and since this person was a famous director, it didn't make much of a difference.

The only one who probably wasn't too pleased was Wei Liangxiao himself. Having his father sitting there was like sitting on needles, like having a thorn in his side; this wasn't a dinner party, it was clearly torture.

His divorce, it turned out, was not looked upon favorably at home. He'd been nagged countless times by his parents, and his father had been looking for an opportunity to discipline him. Otherwise, why would he be so eager to leave and work? It was simply because he couldn't stand being at home any longer. Who would have thought he'd end up back in this situation?

As the three stood under a tree in the courtyard muttering, a man in his fifties walked out of the main entrance, glanced around, and, seeing the three under the tree, shouted irritably, "Liangliang, what are you loitering there for?"

At the sound of this voice, Wei Liangxiao instinctively shuddered, then turned around and said, "Dad, we're just chatting here for a bit. We'll be over in a moment."

However, the man didn't buy his excuse.

"What's there to chat about? When guests arrive, shouldn't you bring them into the house first? What are you doing out here?"

After speaking, he stopped paying attention to him and turned to smile at Chu Tian and Hou Yichuan. "You are Liangliang's friends, right? Come in and sit down. The tea is ready. Come in and drink while we chat. You can't just stay out here."

"Okay, Uncle, we're coming!"

Chu Tian hurriedly replied, pulling Hou Yichuan towards the house, leaving Wei Liangxiao with a gloomy face following behind.

He had no choice. Wei Liangxiao was the man's son and could afford to be impolite, but they couldn't. After all, the man had approached them amiably; it would be too disrespectful not to listen. Moreover, judging by the man's attitude, it was clear he was only harsh with his own son but quite nice to others.

"That's better. Come on in. The tea has just been made; it's perfect for drinking now."

Once they were seated, the group made their introductions and the conversation began to flow.

"My name is Wei Chuan. I prefer people to call me Wei. Since you're friends with Liangliang, you can call me Uncle or Wei."

Wei Chuan, one of the fifth-generation directors in China, is quite famous and holds considerable sway in the film industry.

"So, you two are Liangliang's colleagues? Chu Tian? Hou Yichuan? Right?"

Wei Chuan looked at the two with a friendly face as he spoke, and they quickly responded.

Regardless, this was a famous and respected senior. Even though he'd just scolded Wei Liangxiao like any father would, he was amiable toward Chu Tian and Hou Yichuan. This was likely out of consideration for Wei Liangxiao. With anyone else, he might not have been so pleasant. After all, as a director known for being a tyrant on set, how many of them truly are?

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