On the other side, Xu Lin and Ai Gao had huddled together. Under the pretext of organizing materials, their eyes kept darting towards the reception area.
Xu Lin whispered excitedly, "Wow! He's even more handsome up close! This aura, this figure, it's just perfect!"
Ai Gao echoed in a low voice, "Yeah, and it feels like when he was talking to our Zhaozhao, there was less of a sense of distance..."
"The way they were chatting about the design looked so professional and pleasing to the eye."
In the reception area, Meng Ruozhao had quickly gotten into work mode. She took out her sketchbook and tablet, and listened attentively to Qin Mu's thoughts on the event background, personal preferences, and the style of the dress. From time to time, she raised professional questions and offered suggestions.
The afternoon sun shone through the glass window and landed on the two of them. One was talking eloquently, and the other was listening intently, creating a harmonious and focused picture.
However, beneath this seemingly pure work - related conversation, there seemed to be some subtle emotions surging quietly. Especially when Qin Mu stared at Meng Ruozhao, he wasn't exactly a different person from his usual self, but he was obviously much softer.
His gaze was no longer as sharp as when he faced his work partners. Instead, it carried an imperceptible focus and admiration, as if the whole world only consisted of the two of them. Whenever Meng Ruozhao looked up and met his eyes, she could always catch a fleeting smile in them.
What a nice personality.
Meng Ruozhao sighed in her heart.
The communication about the design plan went extremely smoothly. Qin Mu had a clear train of thought, and Meng Ruozhao was professionally sharp. They hit it off on many details. When the last point about the choice of fabric was also finalized, the sky outside had already taken on a warm orange hue.
"The discussion today was very pleasant. Boss Meng's ideas always hit the nail on the head," Qin Mu looked at her, his tone filled with sincere approval. "I wonder if Boss Meng would do me the honor of having dinner with me? It's also a celebration of our cooperation again."
Hearing this, Meng Ruozhao instinctively wanted to decline politely. "Mr. Qin, you're being too kind. It should be me thanking you for your trust. How could I let you spend money..."
Qin Mu seemed to have anticipated her response and calmly took over the conversation. "When I first came in, I seemed to hear you discussing *National Elegance Collection: Beautiful Garments*?"
He paused for a moment. Seeing Meng Ruozhao nodding in surprise, he continued, "Coincidentally, I'll also be participating in this program as a special guest. We might as well talk about some details of the program over dinner."
A faint smile curved his lips. "I have great confidence in Boss Meng's design."
"You're participating too?" Meng Ruozhao was truly surprised this time. "I haven't seen any relevant news at all before."
"Yes, the program team requires confidentiality, so it hasn't been announced to the public yet." Qin Mu explained.
At this point, it would seem affected to decline again. Meng Ruozhao had no choice but to agree. "Well... okay, then I'll have to trouble Mr. Qin."
But she immediately added, "But I must be the one to pay for this meal. Thank you for taking care of and supporting our studio."
Qin Mu looked at her determined eyes and finally just smiled without arguing further.
Xu Lin and Ai Gao still had work to do and couldn't go with them. So, together with Qin Mu's assistant, the three of them went to a well - known and relatively quiet restaurant near the studio.
When ordering food, Meng Ruozhao noticed that the dishes Qin Mu ordered were highly consistent with her own taste preferences and food taboos. She couldn't help but smile and exclaim, "What a coincidence. These are also the dishes I usually like to eat."
Qin Mu's hand holding the teacup paused slightly. He looked up at her intently. His gaze was complex, as if it contained many unspoken words, but in the end, he just let out a soft "um" without saying much.
During the meal, the atmosphere was harmonious. It was mainly Meng Ruozhao and Qin Mu chatting. The topics revolved around the format of *National Elegance Collection: Beautiful Garments*, the possible challenges, and interesting anecdotes in the industry. Qin Mu talked a lot more than usual. His words revealed a deep understanding and unique insights into traditional culture, which benefited Meng Ruozhao a lot.
The little assistant sat quietly on one side, dutifully pouring water and passing things, with a very low sense of presence. But no one knew the shock in his heart.
No wonder Brother Mu took the initiative to tell the agent that he wanted to participate in this program after returning from Haicheng last time. At that time, the agent was also very surprised and asked him why he was going to participate in a variety show when he usually didn't.
He said that people should always try some new things, and he was very interested in national - style culture. The agent didn't think much of it at the time, because Qin Mu really liked to study these things when he was free. So the agent contacted the program team. The program team was of course overjoyed and eager for it, and the contract was quickly finalized. It hadn't been announced to the public yet.
No one expected that Brother Mu would take the initiative to tell Meng Ruozhao about it. For some reason, the little assistant always felt that his participation in this program had something to do with this Boss Meng. But he didn't dare to make wild guesses, because Qin Mu usually had a strong sense of boundaries and was very cautious about his feelings. The company had suggested several times that he engage in hype, but he had refused.
However, the calm was soon broken. A sharp - eyed fan recognized Qin Mu, whose star - like aura was hard to hide even with a hat on. The fan excitedly stepped forward and wanted to take a photo. The assistant immediately stood up and politely but firmly blocked the fan.
"Sorry, this is a private trip. It's not convenient to take photos. Thank you for your understanding."
The fan was quite reasonable. Although a bit disappointed, they still left. But no one expected that such a brief episode had been captured and quickly spread.
As the meal was coming to an end, while Meng Ruozhao was listening intently to Qin Mu's views on the design of a segment in the program, a bomb that would detonate public opinion had exploded on the Internet.
The trending topic #Qin Mu Suspected of Being in Love# rushed to the top of the hot search list at an astonishing speed. The accompanying pictures were a few slightly blurry but recognizable photos: Qin Mu and Meng Ruozhao walking into the restaurant one after another. One of the photos was especially "ambiguous" - it happened to be the moment when Qin Mu stood sideways and very gentlemanly held open the heavy glass door for Meng Ruozhao, and Meng Ruozhao looked up and smiled at him. Due to the angle, the two looked very close and their postures were intimate.
The breaking news was written vividly: "Top - tier star Qin Mu's suspected relationship has been exposed! It is reported that Qin Mu specially took a leave from the filming crew and returned to Haicheng recently to secretly meet his girlfriend."
"The two are quite down - to - earth. They chose to have dinner in an affordable restaurant. During the meal, they chatted happily. Qin Mu even thoughtfully opened the door for her, showing great care."
"Qin Mu, who has had zero scandals since his debut for several years, has suddenly 'come down to earth'. Is this really his first love?"
As soon as this news came out, the comment section instantly exploded.
"I don't believe it!!! Brother should stay single and be beautiful!!!"
"It's fake! It must be a cooperation partner! Waiting for the studio to refute the rumor!"
"Who is this woman? She looks quite ordinary. What does she have to offer?"
"Watch your mouth, the one above! Can't you just focus on the works?"
"To be honest, although the picture is blurry, the girl has a good temperament."
"Actually, it's quite normal. Qin Mu is of the right age. How could he not have a love life?"
"I'm unfollowing. Heartbroken. I didn't expect you to be a love - struck fool..."
"Hey, the one above, stop acting crazy, okay? It's just having a meal with the opposite sex. How can you call him a love - struck fool?"
The three people in the restaurant were completely unaware of the storm on the Internet. The meal ended in a pleasant atmosphere. Meng Ruozhao insisted on paying the bill, and Qin Mu didn't insist anymore.