Chapter 819
Mysterious Gift: The Reclining Chair
"Are you so engrossed in some romantic haven that you've almost forgotten about me?"
"How could that be? I was just thinking about you."
Qin Luo replied without batting an eye, his tone natural.
"Hmph, I'd be a fool to believe you!"
Yang Mimi gave a soft hum, then her tone became lighter.
"Seriously, I just got back to Mindu and am at your place now. I'm moving some things, and by the way... I brought you a 'mystery gift,' I guarantee it will 'open your eyes'!"
"In my house?"
Qin Luo's heart skipped a beat! Ai Yiqian should have left this morning, right? If she ran into Yang Mimi... he couldn't even bear to imagine what would happen.
"What gift? Wait a minute, I'll be right back!"
"Oh dear, why are you in such a hurry? Is someone hiding in your house?"
Yang Mimi's words were tinged with teasing.
"Don't talk nonsense, I'm coming right now!"
Qin Luo didn't explain any further, hung up the phone, and floored the accelerator!
A deep, violent engine roar suddenly erupted, and the black Koenigsegg shot off like a black lightning bolt tearing through the air, speeding towards the direction of Mindu Yipin.
Along the way, Qin Luo pushed the sports car's performance to its limits, overtaking other vehicles and running several yellow lights, getting back to his neighborhood in the shortest possible time.
Before the car had even come to a complete stop, he pushed open the door and strode towards the elevator. Reaching his apartment door, he took a deep breath and unlocked it with his fingerprint.
The moment the door was pushed open a crack, a soft, fragrant figure wrapped in a white bathrobe pounced on him like a swallow returning to its nest, landing precisely around his neck!
"Honey! I missed you so much!"
Yang Mimi's sweet voice rang in my ears.
Qin Luo instinctively caught her, his hands landing on her soft, exquisite body beneath the bathrobe.
She had clearly just taken a shower; her long, wet hair was casually draped over her shoulders, exuding a familiar, sweet scent of shower gel. Her bathrobe was loosely tied, the neckline wide open, revealing her delicate collarbone and a patch of fair, smooth skin.
She wasn't even wearing slippers; her fair and delicate feet were bare, and the hem of her bathrobe only reached mid-thigh, completely exposing her long, straight calves to the air, dazzling to the eye.
Qin Luo's heart tightened, and he quickly scanned the living room—he didn't see Ai Yiqian, and her usual bag and shoes were gone. It seemed she had indeed left that morning.
He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and his tense nerves relaxed.
"So eager to throw yourself into my arms?"
Qin Luo steadied himself, held Yang Mimi who was clinging to him like a sloth, closed the door behind him, walked into the living room, and gently placed her on the soft sofa.
"I miss you!"
Yang Mimi sat on the sofa, the hem of her bathrobe riding up a little more with her movements, but she didn't care at all. She swung her fair legs and pouted.
"Moreover, I can only stay in Fujian for six hours. My flight is at 5 pm to Shanghai. I have a variety show to record. Time is extremely tight."
"Only six hours?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Luo couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed.
The two rarely saw each other, making each meeting all the more precious.
"That's right, so every minute and every second must be used!"
As Yang Mimi spoke, she slid off Qin Luo, her bare feet stepping onto the soft carpet, and pointed excitedly to the corner of the living room.
"Look! My surprise gift!"
Qin Luo then noticed that there were two stacked, rather large cardboard boxes near the balcony in the living room.
"what is this?"
Qin Luo walked over and looked at the cardboard box with curiosity; there were no product labels on it.
"Open it and see for yourself!"
Yang Mimi moved closer to him, blinking her big eyes, her face flushed with a hint of mischief and anticipation.
Qin Luo bent down, removed the sealing tape from the top cardboard box, and opened it. Inside were some foam padding. Pushing aside the padding revealed a rather peculiarly shaped...chair?
He took the object out of the box and placed it on the carpet. The overall structure looked a bit like a rocking chair in a park, but with smoother and more graceful lines. The material seemed to be a combination of some kind of high-grade alloy and genuine leather, and the workmanship was exquisite.
The backrest is adjustable, and the design of the seat and armrests shows a sophisticated ergonomic approach, but no matter how you look at it... it doesn't look like an ordinary lounge chair.
Qin Luo frowned, his gaze falling on a folded instruction manual at the bottom of the box.
He picked it up and unfolded it.
With just one glance, his expression became incredibly complex, first puzzled, then astonished, and finally turning into a strange sense of disbelief.
He slowly raised his head, looked at Yang Mimi beside him who was pursing her lips and secretly smiling, her cheeks flushed, waved the instruction manual in his hand, and asked in a questioning tone.
"A... a reclining chair? What... what's this for?"
Time always flies by in intimacy and tenderness.
The brief two-hour reunion felt like just a few breaths before the inevitable parting had to begin.
The warm, ambiguous atmosphere in the living room had not completely dissipated. Qin Luo held Yang Mimi, who was leaning against him, his fingers unconsciously twirling a strand of her slightly damp hair. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke.
"Mimi, there's something I'd like to ask you for a favor."
Yang Mimi, who had been lazily squinting, slightly opened her eyes, looked up at him, and her long eyelashes fluttered like small fans.
"Hmm? What is it? My young master would need a favor from a lowly woman like me?"
Her tone was joking, but her eyes were serious.
Qin Luo carefully considered his words before speaking slowly.
"I want to help a female friend realize her dream of becoming a star. She has always wanted to enter the entertainment industry, to be an actress, or to become an idol."
"Oh?"
Yang Mimi raised an eyebrow, her eyes showing a hint of curiosity and inquiry.
"Helping someone debut? That's no easy task. Resources, connections, packaging, opportunities... all are indispensable. Your 'female friend'..."
She deliberately dragged out her words, her beautiful eyes darting around Qin Luo's face.
"Your relationship with her... is quite close, isn't it? Could it be that you've secretly taken on another girlfriend and are now planning to launch her into the entertainment industry?"
His tone was clearly sarcastic, with a hint of barely perceptible sourness.
Qin Luo smiled helplessly and gently pinched her cheek.
"What are you thinking? She's not my girlfriend, just... a friend who has been kind to me."
"Did you do me a favor?" Yang Mimi became even more curious.
"Ah."
Qin Luo nodded, a hint of reminiscence flashing in his eyes.
"She once risked her life to save my girlfriend, Xiang Siyi, at a crucial moment. I've always remembered that favor. Her biggest dream is to stand on stage, so I wanted to help her out."
Upon hearing the name "Xiang Siyi" and hearing Qin Luo say "not my girlfriend," the barely perceptible jealousy in Yang Mimi's eyes dissipated considerably, but she deliberately made an even more jealous expression on her face, pouting as she spoke.
"Hmph, you're so eager to repay my kindness after I saved your girlfriend? What about me? I've been so good to you, why don't you promote me as an international superstar?"
Qin Luo was amused by her charming appearance. He hooked his finger and gently lifted her chin, making her look into his eyes.
"Aren't you a big star now? Do you still need me to promote you? Besides, you're different to me."
His eyes were smiling, and his voice was deep and gentle.
Yang Mimi blushed slightly, slapped his hand away, and said reproachfully.
"Don't give me that. I'm not one of those girls who gets all swayed by sweet words."
She paused, her playful smile gradually fading, replaced by an expression that blended maturity and honesty.
"Qin Luo, we've known each other for quite some time now. I've been in this industry for a while and seen a lot of people and things. I know in my heart that a man like you can't possibly have only one woman in his life."
Since I, Yang Mimi, have chosen you, I've already prepared myself mentally. As long as you reserve a place for me in your heart and don't forget me, everything else... I can share and understand.
Her words were direct and clear, devoid of any girlish affectation or fantasy, displaying only the sobriety and weighing of a mature perspective. Then, she shifted her tone, her voice becoming light and firm once more.
"Besides, this time you're not helping your girlfriend, but a friend who has been kind to you. I should help you out of both obligation and reason, and I will definitely help you."
Qin Luo looked at her, a slight stirring in his heart. Yang Mimi's clarity and open-mindedness were perhaps one of the reasons why she was able to gain a foothold in the complex entertainment industry and maintain this special relationship with him.
"Thank you."
Qin Luo said earnestly.
"Don't thank me yet, tell me the details."
Yang Mimi sat up straight, adopting a professional attitude as if she were discussing serious matters.
"What's your friend's name? How old are you? What do you look like? Do you have any talent? Do you want to pursue an acting career or an idol career? The way you promote someone is completely different depending on the career path. If you want to pursue an idol career, your appearance must be outstanding; that's a hard requirement."
Qin Luo recalled what Chen Mengqi looked like and said.
"Her name is Chen Mengqi, and she should be... twenty-two or twenty-three years old, right? Her looks and figure are quite good, at least in my opinion, she's outstanding. As for her talents... she graduated from the Mindu Film and Television Academy, so she has formally studied acting and should have some foundation."
"Mindu Film and Television Academy? They're from a professional background, which saves you the trouble of mastering the basics."
Yang Mimi nodded.
"But it's not enough for you to just say it. I need to see the real person or photos and videos to judge their potential and malleability. The entertainment industry is never short of beautiful women, but those who become famous often need to have a highly recognizable and audience-friendly appearance."
Qin Luo took out his phone and started talking as he operated it.
"I don't have any photos of her on my phone. But it seems like she's doing a live stream, let me see..."
He typed "Mengqi" into the Douyin search bar, and soon, an account named "Mengqi is not a dream" appeared in the search results, with a profile picture of Chen Mengqi's pure yet alluring face. The account indicated that it was currently live streaming.
Qin Luo clicked into the live stream. Chen Mengqi in the video seemed to be at home, with a wall covered in star stickers in the background.
She was wearing a light blue knitted sweater, her hair flowing smoothly over her shoulders. She was smiling at the camera and interacting with the few viewers, occasionally singing a few lines of a song or telling a joke.
The live stream only showed a little over 180 viewers. A few small gifts floated across the top of the screen.
Qin Luo glanced at the live stream duration; it had already been running for over three hours.
"She didn't sign with a guild?"
Yang Mimi leaned closer to look at the screen and asked.
"I don't think so. I've heard her mention it; she seems to be a personal streamer."
Qin Luo answered.
As an industry insider, Yang Mimi immediately saw through the trick.
"For individual streamers, the platform takes half of the gift revenue. She streamed for more than three hours, and I saw that the total value of the gifts in the upper right corner was only a little over 400 yuan, which means she only received a little over 200 yuan."
Even if she broadcasts every day, after deducting the platform's share, she'd be lucky to earn a little over 20,000 yuan a month, and that's extremely unstable. For someone with formal training and dreams of becoming a star, this is hardly a good path; it's barely enough to make ends meet.
As she spoke, she carefully examined Chen Mengqi on the screen. The beauty filter wasn't overdone, but it still revealed her original features to be very delicate, with small, three-dimensional features, fair skin, and large, bright eyes. She had the kind of pure and sweet look that was pleasing to the eye at first glance, yet she also exuded an indescribable allure, creating a unique attraction.
"Beauty filters cover up a hundred flaws. She looks pretty under this filter, but I don't know what she looks like in real life."
Yang Mimi said truthfully.
"Many online celebrities look like goddesses on live streams, but they're a disappointment when they meet in real life."
Qin Luo said with certainty.
"This is what she looks like in real life, even... a little prettier than on camera. I've seen her."
"Oh?"
Yang Mimi glanced at Qin Luo in surprise, then turned back to stare at the screen carefully, her eyes gradually filled with astonishment.
"If the real person is really as you say, even more beautiful than on live stream... then that's incredible. With that kind of looks, she'd be in the top tier even in the entertainment industry. With a little packaging, she might actually become famous, maybe even... more impactful than that top female star known for her beauty."
She then noticed that Chen Mengqi's profile stated "a senior graduate of the Performance Department of Mindu Film and Television Academy," and nodded.
"She has formal training, a foundation in acting, and such outstanding physical attributes... It's not actually that difficult to make her famous. What she lacks is opportunity and resources."
At this point, Yang Mimi suddenly sighed softly, a hint of helplessness and determination on her face.
"Qin Luo, there's something I need to tell you first."
She put down her phone and looked at Qin Luo.
“I’m currently having a conflict with my company, ‘Jiaxing Media.’ The company initially promised me a lot, but in reality, I only own 15% of the shares. Most of the resources and profits have been taken by the company and other shareholders. I’ve worked my butt off all these years, but in the end, the lion’s share has gone into other people’s pockets. So, I’ve made up my mind to leave and start my own studio.”
Qin Luo frowned slightly.
"Then you now..."
"At this critical juncture, I haven't even established myself yet. My studio is still in preparation, and my resources and connections are in a period of flux, so it's not suitable for me to immediately mentor newcomers."
Yang Mimi said frankly.
"My idea is to let Chen Mengqi first gain experience at a friend's company in Fujian. My friend runs a legitimate artist management company, medium-sized but well-regulated. We can have Chen Mengqi sign a short-term trainee or newcomer contract to receive some systematic training, while also exploring some small resources to test the waters and gain some experience. (End of Chapter)"