Someone once said that people would die if they didn’t eat.
He also said that if you couldn’t decide what to eat, you might as well figure it out when it’s time to eat.
??? When the hell did I ever say that?
How dare you slander me, little girl???
When the time came,
Xu Mo left his home.
He went downstairs,
choosing not to take the executive elevator reserved for the top floor.
Instead, he squeezed in with the ordinary employees.
It wasn’t out of some twisted amusement or unhealthy mindset.
But if he knew his life only had a few short days left,
then the remaining time
should be spent on things he found meaningful.
Having grown accustomed to the life of the wealthy,
Xu Mo now wanted to return to simplicity.
After all, before crossing over to this world, he had been an ordinary person.
If he drowned in the vastness of his fortune,
how could he ever go back to living as a commoner?
It’s easy to adapt from frugality to luxury, but hard to go from luxury back to frugality.
Having experienced so much, Xu Mo had long since grown indifferent to it all.
And just before Xu Mo entered the elevator,
the off-duty employees were already buzzing excitedly about one topic.
“Did you hear? The movie Xu Mo filmed with Lin An’an just crossed 10 billion in domestic box office these past few days.”
“What’s so surprising about that? Xu Mo’s acting is straight-up god-tier!”
“Exactly! It’s insane—his looks crush all those pretty-boy idols, and his acting is Oscar-worthy!”
“Hahaha… I’ve seen the movie too. It’s amazing. Honestly, Xu Mo’s walking the path of a superstar and leaving no room for actual celebrities.”
“It’s not just popular domestically! I checked foreign forums recently, and you know what?”
“Oh? Tell us.”
“Xu Mo and Lin An’an’s ‘Agent Couple’ is blowing up overseas! It’s getting rave reviews internationally, especially in Western countries—it totally fits their taste.”
“It’s just as good domestically, okay?” a female employee retorted indignantly.
“I think it’s just Xu Mo’s abs that got you hooked,” her female coworker teased.
This quickly drew laughter from the group.
Just then, Xu Mo arrived.
Instinctively, they clamped their mouths shut.
Not because Xu Mo was usually harsh on them,
or because he was particularly strict.
No, it was nothing like that.
Their reaction was more like when a homeroom teacher suddenly walks into the classroom during study hall.
Even if the teacher is usually kind and lenient,
the students still freeze in terror.
After all, what if they get caught playing with their phones?
Or snacking, whispering, daydreaming…
Basically, anything except studying.
“What were you all talking about? Did I come at a bad time?”
Xu Mo smiled warmly, his expression like a spring breeze.
The group paused for a second,
then, led by the more outgoing ones,
quickly resumed their chatter.
“Boss Xu, we were just talking about your movie!”
“Boss Xu, would you ever consider collaborating with Goddess Lin An’an again? Your acting talent shouldn’t go to waste!”
“Oh please, like Boss Xu needs the money?”
“Boss Xu, could I trouble you for an autograph? My wife keeps pestering me for one.”
“My kid wanted one too, but I smacked some sense into him—he’s a boy, after all. This one’s for my wife. What’s a brat doing chasing celebrities anyway? Aren’t Ultraman and the ‘Warriors of Light’ cool enough? Little punk’s losing faith in the light—pisses me off.”
“I believe in the light, but I also believe Boss Xu could make another amazing movie. My friend was an extra on set, and she said you acted effortlessly, like it was just another day at work—or even easier.”
The group chattered away, talking over each other.
Xu Mo simply smiled and listened.
Most of the time,
they were the ones speaking.
Xu Mo barely got a word in.
But he didn’t mind.
The lively atmosphere was nice.
By the time the elevator reached the ground floor,
they’d gotten so carried away
that they even forgot to ask for autographs.
“Boss Xu, riding the elevator with you and chatting like this was so much fun!”
“I never knew you were this funny in real life!”
“It’s like there’s nothing Boss Xu can’t do. You’ve changed so much!”
“Damn, who knows when we’ll get to talk like this again…”
Their emotions weren’t faked.
Xu Mo could tell they were being genuine.
At the same time, he found it a little awkward.
From the moment he’d entered to the moment he left,
he’d spoken fewer than five sentences.
And even those were just to keep the conversation going.
The employees had done all the talking.
But as long as they were happy,
Xu Mo didn’t care about such trivialities.
With a wave, he bid them farewell,
leaving without taking so much as a wisp of cloud with him.
Xu Mo slipped into his flashy red sports car.
The green one was now a thing of the past,
left to gather dust in the garage at home.
Once inside, he finally checked his phone,
returning a missed call.
The elevator had been too loud earlier,
and he hadn’t wanted to kill the mood.
If he’d taken the call then,
the whole group would’ve fallen silent instantly.
“Hello? Lin An’an, what’s up?”
Xu Mo chuckled lightly.
The call was from Lin An’an,
though he wasn’t sure why she’d called.
Lin An’an’s voice was tinged with excitement.
“Our movie is a huge hit overseas! Director Liu went abroad a few days ago, and apparently, there’s a real chance it’ll be nominated for Best International Film this year. And as the lead, you might even be up for an Oscar!”
She paused, then added with a wry laugh:
“Assuming, of course, no better movie comes out globally this year.”
Xu Mo nodded. “Hm.”
After a brief silence,
when Lin An’an didn’t continue,
he asked, “Just calling to share good news? Nothing else?”
Lin An’an hesitated, biting her lip.
“I wanted to invite you out to dinner, but… never mind. Since you’re already—”
“Sure,” Xu Mo replied.
As if sensing her hesitation, he added:
“It’s just a meal. My wife won’t mind.”
Only then did Lin An’an relax.
After all, Zhou Qiaoqiao had said the same thing.
“I’ve already picked a place. Just show up.”
“Alright. Send me the address—I’ll head over now.”
Xu Mo smiled.
After getting the details, he hung up
and drove toward the location.
In both his past life and this one,
Lin An’an had left a decent impression on him.
Their collaboration in the movie—meant to spite that Crooked-mouthed Dragon King—
had gone exceptionally well.
Xu Mo could still vividly picture it:
The glorious sight of that smirking dragon king's head practically glowing green.
Then again,
Xu Mo’s goal now was to repay the female leads for their past efforts.
That way, he’d leave this world owing nothing to anyone…
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❤️❤️❤️^_^
