Peninsula: The sharp-tongued producer is forced to work.

Chapter 13 Infinite Possibilities!

It must be said that while Tian Xiaojuan's aesthetic sense can be occasionally outrageous, her spending spree is undeniably impressive. Wearing this new outfit, Liu Yu felt even the breeze she stirred with her steps seemed a few percentage points more expensive.

"Considering you've had a hefty bill today, I've decided to show you mercy this once in a while." Liu Yu glanced at Tian Xiaojuan, who was still sulking to the side, and waved his hand generously, "Let's go, I'll treat you to dinner. So, Korean beef or barbecue? I'm in a good mood today, as long as it doesn't exceed three digits of Korean won, order whatever you like."

"You call spending three digits of Korean won a treat? That's only enough to buy a lollipop, the kind you've already licked!" Tian Xiaojuan retorted irritably, but her previously tense face visibly relaxed a lot.

When Zhao Meiyan called Song Yuqi, Song Yuqi's scream on the other end of the phone almost ruptured Liu Yu's eardrums: "What?! Liu Yu is treating?! The sky is falling! This is definitely a harbinger of the end of the world! I'm going to die of hunger in Liu Yu's wallet today, even if it's the end of the world!"

Twenty minutes later, in a private room at a very secluded private barbecue restaurant in Mapo-gu.

Song Yuqi and Zhao Meiyan looked like two groundhogs who had just escaped from a disaster area, their eyes practically glowing green as they stared at the menu.

"Since it's Liu the stingy one treating, then we won't stand on ceremony." Song Yuqi waved her hand generously. "Boss, five servings of premium Korean beef, the kind with a perfect marbled texture, the kind that seems to sing when it's on the grill! And one serving of soybean paste stew, with lots of meat, no vegetables!"

Liu Yu's eyelids twitched violently, and he clutched his pocket tightly: "Song Yuqi, are you treating this place like a buffet?! I'm treating you, not sending you here to stock up on goods!"

"Don't be stingy." Zhao Meiyan smiled as she rested her chin on her hand, looking at the refreshed Liu Yu. "You look really good in this outfit today. If you ask me, you were just wasting your face before."

The dinner party began amidst a lively exchange of playful banter.

While skillfully flipping the grilled meat, Liu Yu debated with Song Yuqi about the philosophical question of "which has more soul, duck neck or pig's trotters?"

Just then, Liu Yu reached for the spice jar, and his fingertips accidentally touched the back of Tian Xiaojuan's hand, which was picking up meat.

In that instant, Liu Yu felt as if he had been struck by a 10,000-volt high-voltage electric current. He jerked violently, and his hand was pulled back at a speed that defied physics and was so fast that it even bumped into a water glass next to him, splashing water all over the table.

"Damn it..." Liu Yu cursed under his breath, pretending to look up and examine the ventilation openings on the ceiling.

Tian Xiaojuan was stunned for a moment, then acted as if nothing had happened and stuffed the piece of meat into her mouth with her chopsticks. While chewing, she mumbled, "Hey, Liu Yu, are you sick? Am I poisonous or have thorns? If you're trying to stage an accident, please find a place with surveillance cameras."

"I was worried about getting oil from your hands on my new clothes!"

"I bought that!"

"Once I buy it, it's mine!"

This scene, however, was viewed quite differently by Song Yuqi and Zhao Meiyan, who were standing nearby.

The two exchanged a glance. Song Yuqi swallowed a mouthful of Korean beef and suddenly spoke up, seemingly casually: "Seriously, Lao Liu, you look quite presentable now that you've dressed up. You'd be considered an elite man in Seoul. Haven't you ever thought about dating?"

Tian Xiaojuan's chopsticks froze in mid-air.

She stopped moving and even her breathing became cautious.

Liu Yu looked at Song Yuqi as if she were an idiot, his tone full of sarcasm: "Dating? Song Yuqi, have you been filming too many variety shows lately and lost your mind? Look at me now, I live alone, I can sleep whenever I want, drink as much liquor as I want, spend all the money I earn on myself, and nobody cares what I edit in post-production. This kind of life is heaven, and you want me to date? Are you trying to send me to a tribulation?"

"How can that be the same!" Song Yuqi slammed her hand on the table in exasperation. "Sweet romance! Having a girl text you every day to ask if you've eaten, having someone to hug you when you're upset, having someone to warm your hands in winter—isn't that good?"

Liu Yu sneered and began his classic trash-talking mode: "What a load of rubbish! Dating costs so much money? Buying bags costs money, holidays cost money, and if you argue, you have to buy gifts to apologize. And it takes so much energy! I can spend an entire night perfecting the arrangement of a song three times, or getting a pentakill in a game. Dating? I have to spend three hours listening to her complain about her broken nail polish or which colleague wore the same clothes as her. Only someone with a brain drain would do something with such a low return on investment."

Tian Xiaojuan gripped the chopsticks tighter and tighter, almost breaking them in half.

"Besides," Liu Yu said, taking a sip of barley tea, adding a startling remark, "there's a whole forest in the world, why should I hang myself on one tree? What if I meet someone prettier tomorrow? What if I meet someone more musically savvy the day after? Staying single means staying single means staying open to endless possibilities."

"Snapped!"

Tian Xiaojuan's chopsticks didn't break, but the sound of her slamming the bowl down on the table silenced the entire private room for a second.

"I'm full." Tian Xiaojuan stood up expressionlessly, grabbed her coat, and said, "Let's go, we have practice tomorrow. Liu Yu, thank you for your 'charity,' I wish you find your colorful forest soon."

"Huh? They're leaving already? I'm not full yet!" Song Yuqi shouted, but she moved very quickly, grabbing the last piece of meat and stuffing it into her mouth.

……

Inside the nanny van.

Tian Xiaojuan sat in the last row, arms crossed, radiating a low-pressure aura, the surrounding air so cold it was almost freezing.

"Forest... infinite possibilities... infinite damn possibilities!" Tian Xiaojuan gritted her teeth and punched the air.

Song Yuqi, sitting in the front row, turned around and cautiously observed the captain's expression: "Unnie, well, you know Lao Liu, he's just like that, he can't keep his mouth shut, he's a typical guy who's afraid of marriage and having children but talks big..."

"I don't care what he's afraid of!" Tian Xiaojuan suddenly raised her head, her tone sharp and rapid. "He said he doesn't want to hang himself on one tree, right? Fine! Let him go hide in the woods then! I refuse to believe that any other woman can put up with his lousy temper!"

She took a deep breath, and as if having made up her mind, she growled angrily, "Even if he wants to find the forest, I'll be the biggest tree in the forest! I'll be the kind of tree that can entangle him, strangle him, and make sure he can never fly away again! I'll strangle him! Let's see how he can still do it!"

Song Yuqi, who was sitting next to her, was completely shocked.

She opened her mouth wide, and the duck neck she had pulled out before leaving fell onto her lap.

"Big sister...no..." Song Yuqi gestured incoherently, "Isn't your focus a little off-topic? You're not angry that he wanted to mess around, but that you weren't on his list when he wanted to have multiple relationships?!"

"Shut up!" Tian Xiaojuan shouted, her face flushed, and turned her head to stare intently at the night passing by outside the window.

The van drove smoothly along the riverside avenue.

Tian Xiaojuan's mind was filled with Liu Yu's words, "Why hang yourself on one tree?"

Alright, Liu Yu. You want to see the forest, right?

Then I'll cut down this whole forest, leaving only this one tree. Let's see how tough you are then!