The Rise of Chinese Entertainment in 2008

"I toast to General Manager Zhang."

"Respectfully, Mr. Wang."

Tiger bone wine is believed to strengthen muscles and bones, invigorate the kidneys and lower back, and dispel wind and cold.

In its early years, it was incredibly popular throughout the country, which also led to a large number of fake tiger bone wines appearing.

Gu Ning had heard this from a friend who used to work in a pharmaceutical factory in her previous life.

Their factory used to produce tiger bone wine; they did have tiger bones, but they were always locked up and never used.

However, what Old Zhang treasures certainly can't be fake.

Of course, his frequent toasts weren't because he wanted to drink more of Lao Zhang's wine. Compared to the two of them, he was the junior, so he naturally had to take the initiative to toast them.

"Alright, sit down now."

Old Zhang said helplessly, "You can't drink too much of this stuff. If you like it, I'll give you a bottle later."

"Although I don't need it, I would be impolite to refuse Mr. Zhang's kind offer," Gu Ning said with a smile.

After drinking a small glass of tiger bone wine, Old Zhang switched to red wine.

Gu Ning drank two small cups, which were about three ounces each.

At first I didn't feel anything, but as I ate, I felt hot all over.

Holy crap, this thing is so powerful?

Seeing that Gu Ning's expression was a bit off, Lao Zhang hurriedly ended his meal and asked President Wang to arrange for Gu Ning to rest.

Gu Ning declined Lao Zhang's offer and, after parting ways with them, took a taxi and left the hotel.

Although he hadn't drunk much and was still quite clear-headed, Gu Ning valued his life and still didn't drive himself.

On the way, Gu Ning took out her phone and called Liu Yifei.

Where are you now?

"I'm staying with Changchang. We haven't seen each other in a long time. I'll stay at her place tonight and have a good chat," Liu Yifei said.

Gu Ning said, "Then let's not chat for too long. Go to sleep early. I'm done here and going back to rest."

"Um."

Liu Yifei felt a surge of joy. She had debuted early and had been in the entertainment industry for many years.

No matter how well a mother protects her child, she will still know some of the messy things.

Social engagements like Gu Ning's inevitably involve putting on an act.

But Gu Ning finished so early and even told her, which made her very happy.

"You should go back and rest early too."

Because Shu Chang was still around, she felt embarrassed to talk to Gu Ning too much, since she hadn't told Shu Chang about her relationship with Gu Ning yet.

Liu Yifei hung up the phone and, seeing Shu Chang looking at her, explained somewhat awkwardly, "It was my mother calling."

Shu Chang didn't bring it up, and asked, "Did Auntie say when she'll be back?"

"It will take a few more days, mainly because I don't have much work right now," Liu Yifei said.

Just as Shu Chang was about to speak, her phone on the table vibrated.

She picked it up and glanced at it, then casually put the phone away. After watching TV for a while, she made an excuse to go to the bathroom.

…………

"Master, go..."

Gu Ning received a text message from Shu Chang and quickly provided a new address.

Tiger bone wine is incredibly effective, but it's not a drug, so it doesn't necessarily require a woman.

Gu Ning was young and had drunk so much that she was feeling very uncomfortable.

Given Liu Yifei's personality, she would have had a hard time agreeing to come out if we had asked her to.

Gu Ning could only try to find a solution through Shu Chang.

When the car arrived at Shu Chang's residential area, Gu Ning paid the fare and got out of the car.

He waited outside in the cold wind for a while before entering the residential area after receiving a text message from Shu Chang.

After taking the elevator to the floor where Shu Chang lived, Gu Ning took out a key from under the doormat.

He turned around and opened the door to the house opposite Shu Chang's.

Using the faint light from her phone, Gu Ning found the switch and turned on the light.

"I never expected that Shu Chang would actually buy the house next door as well."

Gu Ning looked around at the interior layout, which was very similar in style to another house, but there were no signs of life inside, and two of the rooms were empty.

Only the master bedroom's wardrobe contained bedding and some clothes.

Gu Ning checked and found that the bedding was clean and still smelled of Shu Chang.

He took out the bedding and spread it out, then, feeling hot all over, went into the bathroom to take a shower.

It's May now, and the nights are still a bit chilly, but Gu Ning doesn't feel the slightest bit cold when she takes a cold shower.

Lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, I resisted the urge to message Shuchang several times.

Shu Chang had mentioned in a previous text message that she would come over after Liu Yifei fell asleep.

Gu Ning was also worried that if she sent a text message to urge him now, it would be a big problem if it got discovered.

After an unknown amount of time, Gu Ning heard a slight noise outside the room. Just as she was about to get up to check, the door was pushed open.

"ah."

Shu Chang pushed open the door and saw Gu Ning completely naked, with a certain part of her body bristling with anger. She gasped in surprise, covered her eyes, and scolded, "Why aren't you dressed?"

"My clothes smell of alcohol, I can't wear yours after I shower."

Gu Ning looked at Shu Chang, who was wearing a black spaghetti strap nightgown, stepped forward and hugged her, teasingly saying, "We're an old married couple, why are you still shy?"

Shu Chang pinched his waist angrily and said, "You know perfectly well that Qianqian is with me, yet you still come to see me. Do you just enjoy humiliating me?"

Women are very sensitive. When Liu Yifei was still on set, she secretly went to see Gu Ning and clearly felt that Gu Ning was more excited than usual.

Shu Chang felt that Gu Ning liked that kind of vibe. Knowing that Liu Yifei was with her, he still came to see her, just looking for a thrill.

"You've really wronged me."

Gu Ning picked up Shu Chang, sat down by the bed, and recounted the dinner he had with Lao Zhang that evening.

"Is there something wrong with that wine?"

Shu Chang also felt the heat emanating from Gu Ning's body and said with some concern.

"It's nothing, it just has a stronger aftereffect, but it's only good for your health, not bad."

As Gu Ning spoke, his mind began to wander, and his hands started to get restless.

Shu Chang was worried that Gu Ning would hurt himself, so she wrapped her arms around his neck and climbed up to him.

More than an hour later, Gu Ning, still tense, carried the limp Shu Chang out of the bathroom.

After lying down in bed, he held Shuchang without saying a word.

"Turn off the light," Shu Chang said.

Gu Ning did as instructed, and then felt the person in his arms slowly move down.

…………

The next morning, Gu Ning was sleeping soundly when she felt someone snuggle into her arms.

"Sissi is gone?"

"Um."

Shu Chang leaned against Gu Ning's chest and said apologetically, "Did I wake you up?"

"No, I've almost slept too."

Gu Ning touched Shu Chang's face, enjoying the smooth texture, and said, "Would you like to come to the company with me today?"

Shu Chang didn't speak, but looked up at Gu Ning and asked, "Do I look very different from Qianqian?"

"Why are you suddenly bringing this up?" Gu Ning asked in surprise.

"It's just that when I saw Xixi's bare face when she woke up this morning, I felt that there was a big difference between us." Shu Chang was a little downcast.

"Everyone looks different, and they give off different vibes."

Gu Ning said seriously, "You don't need to compare yourself to others. I think you're fine as you are now. Don't even think about getting plastic surgery."

He suddenly remembered that in his previous life, there were rumors online that Shu Chang's face was swollen because she had undergone plastic surgery.

Although she has denied it many times, the rumors circulating online are quite detailed. In addition, she did gradually fade out of the public eye and felt that the reason she couldn't get roles was because of her appearance. It's normal for her to have anxiety about her appearance.