Chinese entertainment industry has been booming since 2008.

Although Liu Xiaoli is already fifty years old, her years of dance practice have given her an excellent figure. She has a slender waist, sculpted shoulders, and a full, round bottom. Her mature yet charming demeanor makes her look at least twenty years younger.

If Liu Yifei is a daffodil bud waiting to bloom, then she is a peony swaying in the wind.

As someone who's been through it all, Liu Xiaoli knows that what girls fear most isn't meeting an honest man, but rather a cunning and manipulative scumbag.

Rumors about Zhang Yang's affairs with female celebrities such as Fan Bingbing, Yang Mi, and Jia Qing are rampant. In her opinion, flies don't land on eggs without cracks, so Zhang Yang must have something going on. It's just that he's so clever that no one has caught him red-handed.

Although her mentally challenged daughter debuted at the age of fourteen, she had always lived under her protection, and Liu Xiaoli was afraid that she would be deceived.

"If only I hadn't been so strict with her a few years ago, I would have let her have a relationship."

"I have absolutely no experience right now, and I'm facing a scumbag with incredibly sophisticated methods..."

Liu Yifei and Shu Chang walked hand in hand like best friends, reminiscing about the fun they had while filming "The Story of a Noble Family".

"Changchang, I remember when we were filming 'The Story of a Noble Family,' I was so nervous that I couldn't even say my lines properly. You were the one who quietly handed me water and told me not to be afraid."

Hearing Liu Yifei's words, Shu Chang smiled gently, her voice carrying a distant sense of reminiscence: "In the blink of an eye, so many years have passed."

The two chatted like this, and soon the car arrived at the hotel entrance. They exchanged a few more quiet words before saying goodnight to each other.

Looking at Shu Chang's retreating figure, a trace of loneliness flashed in Liu Yifei's eyes. The once pure friendship had changed.

Back in her suite, Liu Xiaoli smiled and said, "Qianqian, would you like some fruit?"

"I want to eat some grapes!"

"good!"

A moment later, Liu Xiaoli returned to the living room with the washed grapes. She sat down next to Liu Yifei, hesitated for a moment, and then asked with a mother's characteristic wariness, "Qianqian, Mom has something to ask you. What... do you think of that Zhang Yang?"

Liu Yifei paused in her drinking, looked at her mother with some confusion, and objectively commented, "Zhang Yang? He's very good. Professional, serious, and full of ideas."

"Oh, that's not what I'm asking. I mean... has he done anything inappropriate to you in private? Or... made any inappropriate advances?"

The entertainment industry is a big melting pot, and with her daughter being so outstanding, she, as a mother, couldn't help but have many thoughts, especially since her co-worker was a young, promising man like Zhang Yang, who also had a strong presence.

Upon hearing this, Liu Yifei was almost speechless for a moment. She swallowed the grapes in her mouth and said in a coquettish tone that was both funny and exasperating, "Mom, what are you thinking? Zhang Yang is... as well-behaved as can be."

She recalled Zhang Yang on set, always immersed in his creative work, his focused gaze when discussing the script, his clear and calm tone when directing actors, and how he would usually stay quietly in front of the monitor or look at his phone during breaks, never once making any inappropriate remarks or actions.

"Aside from work-related communication, we have almost no private interactions."

After saying that, Liu Yifei added, "He treats everyone the same, his mind is entirely on acting, so please don't worry about it."

Liu Xiaoli carefully observed her daughter's expression. Seeing that she looked calm, even a little impatient, she felt slightly relieved, but still couldn't help but murmur, "It's good that it's not, it's good that it's not. Mom was just worried about you. The entertainment industry is too chaotic. As a girl, you have to be careful about everything..."

"Okay, Mom, I'm in my mid-twenties, not a child anymore!"

"No matter if you're in your mid-twenties or your mid-thirties, in my eyes you'll always be a child."

Liu Xiaoli tapped Liu Yifei's forehead with her finger: "Besides, you're not a mind reader for Zhang Yang, how would you know what he's really thinking?"

"Mom, why do you think so badly of everyone?"

Seeing that Liu Yifei was a little angry, Liu Xiaoli pinched her pretty face: "Alright, alright, this old stubborn guy won't say anything more, okay?"

The reason Liu Xiaoli didn't belittle Zhang Yang was naturally because she understood her silly daughter. Besides, everyone has a rebellious streak. Liu Yifei had already said that Zhang Yang had no other feelings for her. If she, as his mother, deliberately belittled him, wouldn't that be saying that she thought her daughter's judgment was bad?

When the time comes, if Zhang Yang says a few words like "your mother is doing this for your own good," his silly daughter will be moved to tears in no time. Besides, she will also think that her mother is being unreasonable.

Liu Xiaoli was heartbroken for her mentally challenged daughter: "Alright, alright, my Qianqian is so beautiful, I don't believe Zhang Yang wouldn't be tempted."

In response to Liu Xiaoli's teasing, Liu Yifei replied arrogantly, "So what if I'm attracted to him? There are plenty of men who have their eyes on me, I don't need another one."

"But Zhang Yang is no ordinary man. Rumors in the industry say he's a womanizer."

Looking at Liu Xiaoli's serious face, Liu Yifei blinked: "What man isn't fickle? I believe I can use my charm to make him change his ways."

"It's not as simple as you make it out to be."

"Mommy, you just said you believed in my charm."

"..."

Liu Xiaoli then realized that she had shot herself in the foot while carrying bricks.

No one knows a daughter better than her mother. She looked at her naive daughter with some suspicion: "Qianqian, do you like Zhang Yang?"

"What, is that not allowed?"

Liu Yifei's question made Liu Xiaoli's expression even more serious, and a hint of earnestness appeared in her eyes: "Qianqian, are you serious?"

Seeing her mother's alarmed expression, Liu Yifei hesitated slightly before saying, "I have a good impression of her, but I wouldn't say I like her."

Liu Xiaoli was puzzled. Although Zhang Yang was very handsome, her daughter wasn't the type to be easily swayed by handsome men. "Tell me why?"

Liu Yifei counted on her fingers: "Humorous, witty, good conversationalist, good acting skills, talented, very confident..."

Liu Xiaoli interrupted her as she counted on her fingers: "Alright, stop talking. I admit Zhang Yang has many good points, but with so many scandals surrounding him, don't be fooled by him, you..."

Liu Yifei interrupted her mother, walked over, gently put her arm around her shoulder, and led her towards the bedroom: "Mom, what you're saying is all baseless. Zhang Yang and I are just colleagues right now. Okay, get some rest. We have to get up early to film tomorrow."

After persuading her mother to return to her room, Liu Yifei stood alone by the living room window, drawing the curtains to block out the night.

She admired Zhang Yang's talent and had a slight liking for him, but that was all.

In Liu Xiaoli's view, the things she was considering were completely unnecessary. She was no longer the little girl who needed to be closely protected. She knew how to maintain her boundaries and stay clear-headed in this complex circle.

Besides, Liu Yifei believed that if she really started dating Zhang Yang, she would definitely be able to win him over with her charm and make him only have eyes for her.