"The filming base is in the neighboring province, only about two and a half hours by car!"
"Alright then, I was worried it might be too far and I wouldn't be able to get back the day after tomorrow!" That was also something Liu Yifeng was concerned about.
"Don't worry about that, it won't delay your return. So, it's settled then.
Look, we've been so busy talking, we've hardly eaten. Eat up, or it'll get cold and won't taste as good." At this moment, Director Wang's heart had eased by more than half.
Just then, the seafood congee that Tongtong had ordered was also served.
"Tongtong, here's your seafood congee, eat up!" Director Wang asked the waiter to place the clay pot in front of Tongtong.
The pot wasn't large, and the portion was just enough for an adult.
However, Tongtong had already eaten quite a few grilled skewers and couldn't finish all the congee. She looked at Xia Qianqian and asked, "Auntie Xia, do you want some congee?"
"Tongtong, you can't finish it all?" Xia Qianqian asked with a smile.
Tongtong didn't lie and immediately nodded, "Yes, it's a bit too much for me, I can't finish it!"
"Okay, then Auntie Xia will help you out!" Xia Qianqian said, taking a clean bowl and serving herself a small bowl of congee.
But there was still quite a bit left in the pot. Tongtong then looked at Liu Yifeng and Director Wang, "Daddy, Uncle Wang, do you want some?"
"Tongtong, you eat it yourself. Uncle Wang has had quite a bit of rice wine, my stomach is really full." Director Wang patted his belly; he was indeed getting full.
Liu Yifeng also disliked waste, so he helped Tongtong finish half of it. In the end, a little more than half a bowl remained.
"Tongtong, you need to finish this. It's a bit hot, though, so let it cool down a bit!" Liu Yifeng helped Tongtong put away the remaining congee, otherwise, it wouldn't cool down anytime soon.
"Okay, thank you, Daddy!" Tongtong nodded.
After finishing their late-night snack, it was already eleven o'clock. Director Wang went out to pay the bill, and then they all left together.
They thought that by eleven o'clock, the guests in the lobby would have significantly decreased.
To their surprise, the lobby was even more crowded than when they had arrived, with many people waiting for a table.
Liu Yifeng was taken aback. Was the catering business this profitable these days?
However, most profitable catering businesses succeeded because of their taste and unique features.
This restaurant met both criteria: it had unique flavors and excellent taste, coupled with good service. It was only natural that it was making money.
As they walked out of the restaurant, Liu Yifeng planned to call a taxi back. Director Wang had been drinking and couldn't drive, so Liu Yifeng intended to have Director Wang take a taxi back and pick up his car the next day.
Unexpectedly, as soon as Director Wang heard this, he immediately pulled Liu Yifeng towards where his car was parked.
"You came out to eat with me, and you expect me to let you take a taxi back?
That would be looking down on me. Don't worry, when I was paying, I called for a designated driver, and they should be arriving soon."
"Director Wang, why did you call a designated driver? It's so hard to find parking in the underground garage, what if the driver gets lost?" Liu Yifeng said.
In his opinion, it would have been more convenient for everyone to take separate taxis back.
"If they can't even find the place, what kind of designated driver are they? Let's go!" Director Wang said, taking Tongtong's hand and walking ahead.
Seeing this, Liu Yifeng could only go along with it.
Director Wang was good in all aspects, except that he was too formal.
Actually, taking a taxi back wouldn't have been an issue, and he wouldn't have felt that the hospitality was lacking because of it.
However, since Director Wang had already called for a designated driver, it would have hurt his feelings if he had insisted on taking a taxi.
With that thought, he called out to Xia Qianqian and followed.
Soon, they arrived at the parking area. The designated driver hadn't arrived yet, and the underground parking lot was a bit chilly.
They sat in the car to wait. Director Wang started the car and turned on the air conditioning, and it immediately felt much warmer.
"Why isn't the designated driver here yet? They won't really be lost, will they?" Director Wang said, sounding somewhat disbelieving.
Just as he was about to call to inquire, the designated driver's call came through.
On the phone, the driver said he had arrived but didn't know the exact location of the car, asking him to honk the horn.
Director Wang, sitting in the passenger seat, immediately reached out and pressed the horn on the steering wheel.
Soon, a man on a foldable electric scooter appeared, wearing the uniform of the designated driver company.
After placing the scooter in the trunk, the designated driver got into the driver's seat, skillfully started the car, and drove towards the hotel where Liu Yifeng and Xia Qianqian were staying.
Generally, designated drivers are familiar with the routes in the city.
Therefore, he didn't use navigation and drove directly to the hotel.
"Director Wang, it's so late, I won't invite you up for a visit. You should also go back and rest early!" Liu Yifeng said to Director Wang.
Director Wang turned and looked at the three people in the back seat, "Eating late today took up a lot of your time. Go up quickly, wash up, and get some sleep.
You have to go to the TV station to record a program early tomorrow morning!"
"Oh, and I won't be taking the bus arranged by the TV station tomorrow. I'm driving my own car. I'll drive tomorrow.
Do I need to report this to anyone? Otherwise, the whole bus will be waiting for us."
Director Wang immediately said, "Leave this to me. I'll send a message to the station tonight: that should be fine, and the driver won't call out your names tomorrow.
Qianqian, you're riding with Yifeng, right?"
Xia Qianqian was about to say that she would take the bus and didn't want to trouble Liu Yifeng.
Liu Yifeng's voice rang out first, "Yes, she's riding with me!"
Since he was driving anyway, one more person wouldn't make much difference, especially since she had promised to help take care of his son.
"Alright, I understand. Go upstairs quickly!" Director Wang nodded.
Tongtong immediately waved her hand, "Thank you, Uncle Wang! The grilled skewers and seafood congee today were delicious!"
"You're welcome. If you want to eat them again, just tell Uncle Wang, and Uncle Wang will take you again!" Director Wang said with a smile.
Then the three of them got out of the car, waved goodbye to Director Wang, and the designated driver drove away.
As soon as they got out of the car, a chill rose from the ground. Liu Yifeng wasn't afraid of the cold, but Tongtong was still young, and it wouldn't be good if she caught a cold.
He quickly held Tongtong's hand and walked towards the hotel. Xia Qianqian instinctively took Tongtong's other hand.
From a distance, the three of them looked like a family of three.
This scene was witnessed by Yun Duoer.
She knew that the TV station had arranged for the contestants, their families, and special guests to stay at this hotel. So, after leaving the TV station, she had driven and waited outside the hotel.
Then she saw this scene, and her hand gripping the steering wheel involuntarily tightened.
Clearly, she was Tongtong's biological mother, yet Xia Qianqian looked more like Tongtong's mother.
And Tongtong didn't reject this woman at all. If this continued, Tongtong would eventually belong to her.
Fortunately, Sister Jin had just called to say that the company had negotiated with the head of the TV station.
They had agreed to make the questions for Tongtong more difficult.
Once Tongtong couldn't answer correctly, she would be eliminated immediately.
As long as Tongtong was eliminated, Xia Qianqian would no longer be Tongtong's special guest, and she would have no reason to get close to her son.
As long as she was in the entertainment industry, Xia Qianqian would never get a chance to shine.
She would never allow this woman to surpass her one day.
With that thought, she revealed a venomous look before starting her car and driving away from the hotel.
She was being foolish, waiting there for over an hour just to see this irritating scene.