Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 85

This was the first time Lu Yiyao discussed his life direction with friends in the industry—not family, lovers, childhood friends, or agents, but friends from the entertainment circle.

Though he was reserved about parts involving Ran Lin, he was open about his own transformation, overall career thoughts, and future plans.

He never thought this day would come.

He didn’t even deliberately socialize with Xia Xinran or Gu Jie, but when he looked back, everything had happened naturally.

As fellow artists, Xia Xinran and Gu Jie had a different perspective from family and agents, even different from Huo Yuntao, who worried about his future. But these two…

Xia Xinran: “To transform is to become a boss. I’m envious…”

Gu Jie: “If you like it, go for it. It’s rare to live life once. Follow your feelings!”

Lu Yiyao felt relaxed and somehow lighter.

He was aware of the risks and challenges ahead, but sometimes he needed such blunt encouragement to “boldly move forward”.

“Ran Lin, when does your contract end?” Xia Xinran, after expressing his envy, got to thinking.

“End of next June,” Ran Lin replied honestly.

Xia Xinran nodded, warning him. “From my bitter experience, the company won’t let you go easily. You need to prepare early.”

Just as Ran Lin was about to reassure him, Lu Yiyao’s phone rang.

The three fell silent, watching as Lu Yiyao answered, smiling naturally after seeing the caller, then stood up to head to the corridor. “I’ll take this call.”

As Lu Yiyao left, the private room door closed again. Gu Jie shrugged and continued eating, but Xia Xinran raised an eyebrow at Ran Lin—?

Ran Lin slightly shook his head, indicating he was also clueless.

In the hallway, Lu Yiyao, standing under a wall painting, replaced his smile with surprise: “You’re here too?”

“Yeah.” His sister’s voice was soft and sweet on the phone. “I’m at a girls’ gathering, and I heard someone say they saw a guy who looks just like you, so I called to check.”

Lu Yiyao was puzzled; he hadn’t left the private room since they started eating. Where was there a chance to “be seen”?

But then he thought maybe he was spotted entering the place. He was used to being recognized, so it wasn’t strange.

“Brother, is Xia Xinran there too? My friends said they saw him.” His sister used strategy A while speaking of B, a typical Lu Yimeng tactic, especially when her brother wasn’t suspicious, making it an effective smokescreen.

Sure enough, Lu Yiyao followed her lead. “Do you like him?”

Lu Yimeng replied almost without thinking, “I really like him!”

Lu Yiyao wondered if he’d been neglecting his sister. Otherwise, how could he have missed this?

“Brother, don’t misunderstand; it’s just a fan’s adoration for their idol, not asking you to introduce me to a boyfriend.” Seeing her brother’s silence, Lu Yimeng quickly reassured him.

Lu Yiyao was embarrassed; he hadn’t even considered that.

Lu Yimeng didn’t give her brother much time to think, lest her ruse be uncovered. After reassurance, she cooed, “Brother, is it crowded there? If it’s just a friends’ gathering, can I come over for a few minutes? Just me. I promise to be good. Just a few words with my idol, get an autograph, then I’ll leave!”

Lu Yiyao hesitated.

He was always unconditionally doting on his sister, but his friends weren’t obliged to entertain this. He had to consider their feelings. “I’ll ask for you. If Xia Xinran agrees, I’ll let you come over, okay?”

Lu Yimeng understood her brother’s thoughts and didn’t push further. “Then you better speak well of me…”

After hanging up, Lu Yimeng sighed in relief, her heart still pounding with the thrill of a childhood mischief.

But she meant no harm; she just really wanted to see the one her brother liked up close, chat a little, even if it was about nothing important, so next time her brother came home, she wouldn’t have to lie on the floor eavesdropping—it was really hard!

Lu Yiyao returned to the private room, and all eyes turned to him. The third pair of eyes was a few seconds slower but also looked over after putting down the chopsticks.

“My sister.” Lu Yiyao got straight to the point.

Ran Lin understood instantly, getting why Lu Yiyao smiled when he saw the caller—among the many labels on his lover, “sister spoiler” was a prominent one.

Xia Xinran and Gu Jie were more surprised. “Your sister?”

Lu Yiyao felt the uniform questioning sounded odd but elaborated anyway. “Yes, same father, same mother, my sister.”

Lu Yiyao’s candid demeanor dispelled Xia Xinran’s surprise, leaving only curiosity. “Does your sister look like you?”

Speak of the devil.

Lu Yiyao moved to the empty seat next to Xia Xinran, without hesitation sitting down, smiling. “Want to see for yourself?”

Xia Xinran, startled, instinctively scooted towards Gu Jie. “Teacher Lu, you’re giving off a ‘no good intentions’ vibe right now…”

Lu Yiyao laughed, no longer teasing, and got serious. “My sister and some friends are here too. She’s your fan and wants to meet you, say a few words, get an autograph. Just her, do you mind?”

“Your sister is my sister, bring her over!” Xia Xinran didn’t hesitate.

Lu Yiyao swallowed, observing his friend’s “curious” aura, unsure who the meeting was really for.

Gu Jie was purely excited for the upcoming spectacle.

Ran Lin, however, tensed up at the mention of Lu Yiyao’s sister coming over. The food in his mouth suddenly lost its flavor. He put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, subtly straightened his clothes, and checked his face and hair on the phone’s dim screen.

Lu Yiyao called his sister Lu Yimeng back, this time not avoiding everyone. Within two minutes, at most, after ending the call, there was a knock on the private room door.

Lu Yiyao immediately got up to open it, and soon a tall girl entered. By Lu Yiyao’s standards of attractiveness, the girl’s features might not be stunning, but she exuded a healthy, beautiful vibe, like someone who enjoys sports, full of positive energy.

“This is my sister, Lu Yimeng.” It was the first time Lu Yiyao was introducing his sister to his friends, a mix of novelty and nervousness in his demeanor. He hoped his sister would behave appropriately and not do anything outrageous.

“This is Xia Xinran, this is Gu Jie…” After introducing his sister, Lu Yiyao hurriedly introduced his friends. When it came to Ran Lin, he felt a subtle happiness, as if introducing his partner to his family. “And this is Ran Lin.”

Lu Yimeng greeted everyone with a bright smile, her gaze lingering on Gu Jie’s face for an extra second.

Gu Jie had dark, short hair, tanned skin, and muscles that were well-defined but not overly exaggerated, visible under his sleeveless vest. His camo pants and high-top military boots added a rugged charm to his already sturdy demeanor.

“So, I hear you’re my fan?” Xia Xinran spoke up, feeling the need to assert himself lest Gu Jie steal the spotlight, as the visit was supposed to be about him!

“Yes, I really like you!” Lu Yimeng said, decisively turning her attention back to Xia Xinran.

“Let’s all sit down and talk,” Lu Yiyao suggested, seating his sister next to Xia Xinran. Now, the seating arrangement around the six chairs was Gu Jie, Xia Xinran, Lu Yimeng, himself, Ran Lin, and one empty seat.

Xia Xinran felt something was off about Lu Yimeng, but when he asked what works of his she liked, she rattled off his entire acting career almost without taking a breath. Xia Xinran then felt ashamed for being overly suspicious.

Lu Yimeng, on the other hand, was taking a deep breath in relief inside, thankful that she had come prepared.

Xia Xinran was sitting next to Gu Jie, so as Lu Yimeng and Xia Xinran were talking, Gu Jie was also pulled into the conversation—

“I’ve seen <The Willow Mystery> and <Windless Desert>…”

These two works, one being Gu Jie’s breakthrough TV drama and the other his debut film, were extraordinarily significant to him.

Gu Jie didn’t expect Xia Xinran’s fans to pay such close attention to him, and he said gently, “Have you seen them all?” Xia Xinran rolled his eyes internally, realizing he still preferred Gu Jie’s more abrupt and brusque demeanor, finding this sudden gentleness difficult to get used to.

“Yes, I’ve seen them and really liked them!” Lu Yimeng replied to Gu Jie, but her glance darted to her brother. As expected, surprise flashed in her brother’s eyes. Although it was only for a moment, he couldn’t escape her sharpness.

Unaware of the “fan’s” distraction, Gu Jie humbly chuckled, a bit embarrassed. “I was young then, not quite understanding the nuances of acting.”

Xia Xinran sullenly finished his now-cold tea, reminding himself that fans are fickle and not to take it personally.

Lu Yiyao, meanwhile, was still processing. He knew of Gu Jie’s TV drama but was unaware of the film, which wasn’t very famous. He was surprised his sister knew even about that. Was her true love Xia Xinran or Gu Jie?

Lu Yimeng withdrew her gaze from her brother, not needing to dwell further. The situation was clear: Xia Xinran and Ran Lin were completely unaware of their brother’s and Gu Jie’s relationship; otherwise, they wouldn’t be acting so naturally.

But…

Lu Yimeng glanced at Xia Xinran and Ran Lin again. One was stunningly beautiful and lively, the other pale and delicate, warm, and comforting. The latter was more her type, reminiscent of a boy she had liked during her school days.

So, how did her brother choose between the immortal-like Xia Xinran and the campus heartthrob Ran Lin to end up with the rugged Gu Jie? It felt like ignoring vanilla, mango, strawberry, and chocolate flavors to pick a chili-flavored ice cream…

Nevertheless, Lu Yimeng accepted reality and, to be fair, found Gu Jie to be a decent person, straightforward and simple, the kind who says what he thinks. Perhaps in the complex entertainment industry, such a character is more appealing.

The ding dong sound of a water droplet notification in the lively private room was easy to miss.

However, as the phone was on the table, Ran Lin immediately saw the screen light up and picked it up. It was a message from Lu Yiyao—[What do you think of my sister?]

Ran Lin stealthily glanced at Lu Yiyao, who was leisurely eating as if the message had nothing to do with him. He silently put the phone on silent mode before replying—[She’s cute.]

Once the message was sent, as expected, Lu Yiyao’s phone remained silent, the wily lover having already turned off the ringtone.

Lu Yiyao—[Let’s formally introduce you to her sometime.]

Ran Lin smiled at the new message—[Don’t we need to come out first?]

Lu Yiyao—[Come out and introduce you as a sister-in-law. Two birds with one stone.]

Ran Lin—[……]

Lu Yiyao—[😀]

Xia Xinran glanced at the two, still engrossed in their phones, wishing he could remind the girl engrossed in conversation with Gu Jie that her brother was openly flirting right in front of her. Was Gu Jie that captivating?

Lu Yimeng knew her visit was brief, as intended. She was well aware this was her brother’s dinner, and while a bit of charm was fine, overstaying would be awkward. So, after a satisfying chat with Gu Jie, she took out an antique paper fan for Xia Xinran to sign.

Comforted, Xia Xinran readily signed, glad the girl hadn’t forgotten she was a fan of his. Lu Yimeng, satisfied with the autograph, stood up to leave voluntarily. “Brother, I’ll go first. I don’t want to disturb you guys.”

Lu Yiyao nodded and stood up to see his sister off. At the door, Lu Yimeng turned back for a long, unguarded look at Gu Jie, her gaze clear with understanding—Don’t worry, I understand everything.

Gu Jie received the fleeting glance of his friend’s younger sister but failed to decode it—Huh?

Lu Yimeng left the private room with her brother, unaware of the confusion on Gu Jie’s face.

Xia Xinran, however, deciphered his sister’s look, which clearly conveyed, “From today on, if I’m going to be a fan of anyone, it’s going to be you.”

As the door of the private room closed, Xia Xinran, with a gloomy face, sought arbitration from a bystander. “Ran Lin, Gu Jie is stealing my fans…”

Outside the room in the corridor, Lu Yiyao smiled and patted Lu Yimeng’s head, saying, “Are you satisfied now?”

Lu Yimeng nodded vigorously, sincerely saying, “They are all very nice.”

Lu Yiyao felt a vague sense of pride. “My friends, of course, are not bad…”

As someone approached in the hallway, Lu Yiyao’s intended words, “Which private room are you and your friends in? Should I come over to say hello?” were swallowed up. He naturally pulled Lu Yimeng closer to make way in the middle of the corridor.

Having moved Lu Yimeng next to him, Lu Yiyao looked up, only to recognize the familiar figure approaching. A man in his late thirties, handsome, tall, dressed casually but with a business-like flair, in black casual pants and a light-colored shirt with rolled-up sleeves, and a modest but expensive watch on his wrist.

Ding Kai!

Lu Yiyao’s eyes narrowed quickly as he finally matched the odd familiarity with the information in his brain. He had never met Ding Kai in person, but after hearing about this harasser from Ran Lin, Lu Yiyao made a point of looking up this person’s information, including a photo, and memorizing it like a script in his mind.

He couldn’t say he’d recognize him turned to ash, but at least in such an unexpected encounter, he would not mistake him.

Ding Kai felt like the man standing at the door of the private room two meters ahead seemed to be staring at him. He hadn’t noticed at first, but the other’s gaze was too intense to ignore. So he also looked up, curious to clarify.

But when he recognized the other, Ding Kai was surprised… If he wasn’t mistaken, this was Lu Yiyao?

Ding Kai had never collaborated with Lu Yiyao, but they were in the same circle, and Lu Yiyao’s striking handsomeness was hard to forget. It wasn’t strange for Ding Kai to recognize Lu Yiyao, but for Lu Yiyao to recognize him was quite rare.

No, if Lu Yiyao did recognize him, shouldn’t he be more cordial? What was with the obvious “dislike”?

Just as Ding Kai was about to pass Lu Yiyao, the door to the private room suddenly opened, and then Ding Kai heard a familiar voice—

“Lu Yiyao, your sister forgot her phone…”

Lu Yiyao, Lu Yimeng, and Ding Kai—all six eyes and three gazes shot over simultaneously.

Ran Lin was holding Lu Yimeng’s phone, frozen at the door.

The moment he opened the door and found Lu Yiyao and Lu Yimeng hadn’t left, Ran Lin was almost joyfully vocal, but now, the situation seemed… a bit off.

Wait.

Looking over the shoulders of his lover and future sister-in-law, Ran Lin widened his eyes in surprise; he seemed to see… Ding Kai?!

Ding Kai was also confused. Ran Lin and Lu Yiyao in a private room… together? And with Lu Yiyao’s sister?

“What a coincidence, to meet here.” Ding Kai greeted Ran Lin, ignoring Lu Yiyao and Lu Yimeng.

Once addressed, Ran Lin could only politely smile. “President Ding.”

With the door ajar, Ding Kai could vaguely see others inside and asked, “A gathering with friends?”

Ran Lin nodded, then remembered why he had come out in the first place, quickly handing over the phone. “Mengmeng, here’s your phone.”

This “nickname” was what Lu Yimeng had everyone call her, as they were all close friends of her older brother, making it too formal to use her full name.

“Thank you.” Lu Yimeng took the phone, smiling in gratitude, avoiding further conversation as she clearly felt the atmosphere was a bit tense.

“Brother, I’ll head back first,” Lu Yimeng said, not familiar with this President Ding but understanding that he must be an industry connection. As an outsider, it was inappropriate for her to linger.

Lu Yiyao nodded, not forgetting to remind his sister, who turned any drink into a weapon of mass destruction. “No alcohol.”

“Don’t worry.” Lu Yimeng rolled her eyes at him, waved goodbye to Ran Lin, and then hurried off.

The three men left standing at the door were silent.

In fact, if Ding Kai had just greeted and walked away, the situation wouldn’t have been so awkward, but now it was Ding Kai himself standing there, seriously sizing up the two male artists, neither of whom felt right saying, “What are you looking at?”

“Why are you two standing at the door?” a friend’s loud voice came from inside.

Ding Kai paused and blurted out. “Gu Jie?”

“Lu Yiyao, are you calling me?” Gu Jie was already curious and stepped forward. “What’s going on—”

As Gu Jie arrived, the door was wide open, and then he froze. “President Ding?”

Still sitting inside, Xia Xinran suspected the doorframe of the private room had a strong magnetic field; otherwise, why were his three brothers all stuck there motionless?

“What are you doing here?” Gu Jie, never one for awkward silences, directly asked.

Ding Kai regained his composure, smiling politely. “Just came to eat with friends.”

“Oh.” Gu Jie casually draped his arm over Ran Lin’s shoulder. “Us too, a rare chance to have a meal together.”

Ding Kai’s gaze swiftly moved between Gu Jie, Ran Lin, Gu Jie’s arm, and Ran Lin’s shoulder, then confirmed there was nothing suspicious between the two.

After confirming, he felt a bit foolish.

Gu Jie had acted in two films his company invested in; they were somewhat acquainted. If Gu Jie was gay, then there were no straight men left in the world.

Ding Kai didn’t continue the small talk or ask Gu Jie to introduce everyone inside to him. Chance encounters outside of work weren’t his preference. “Enjoy your gathering. I won’t disturb you.” With that, his gaze swept over Ran Lin one last time before leaving.

Gu Jie, confused, shrugged his shoulders and turned back nonchalantly.

Lu Yiyao leaned closer to Ran Lin and whispered, “Do you think he figured out our relationship?”

Ran Lin was taken aback. “Are you afraid he did?”

Lu Yiyao gritted his teeth. “I’m afraid he didn’t.”

……

The gathering continued until 2 a.m., and as the four men left the club, Lu Yiyao keenly noticed paparazzi—not just one but a whole car of them.

This club always had paparazzi stationed around, which wasn’t usually a big deal, but the idling engine made it clear they were prepared to follow, which was annoying.

The four huddled together to discuss—

Xia Xinran: “Who are they following?”

Lu Yiyao: “Can’t be sure.”

Gu Jie: “Shouldn’t be me, right?”

Ran Lin: “We’re just having a meal, there’s nothing much to capture.”

“It’s not about whether they capture anything problematic.” Xia Xinran frowned. “It’s annoying to be followed, and I feel super unsafe thinking they’ll follow me right to my doorstep.”

“Why not just shake them off then?” Gu Jie didn’t see it as a problem.

Xia Xinran rolled his eyes. “Easier said than done. Their car is even slicker than mine. Not entering F1 would be a waste of their talent.”

Being followed by paparazzi is a part of celebrity life, so while it wasn’t unbearable, it certainly wasn’t a pleasant end to an otherwise enjoyable evening.

Gu Jie looked up at the car. Through the windshield, he could almost see the driver’s smug “what are you going to do about it” eyes. After a moment’s thought, Gu Jie cracked his knuckles and asked, “Want to get a little exercise?”

Ran Lin and Lu Yiyao remained silent.

Xia Xinran hesitantly said, “It’s not advisable to resort to violence.”

“…” Gu Jie felt like he’d be working out the “understanding” issue with these three forever.

After a three-minute secretive discussion, Gu Jie suddenly got into the driver’s seat, and the other three quickly followed—Xia Xinran in the passenger seat, Ran Lin, and Lu Yiyao in the back.

In less than five seconds, Gu Jie started the engine and sped off! The paparazzi van, surprised to see all four celebrities in one car, didn’t have to worry about who to follow anymore and set off after them.

“Buckle up!” Gu Jie reminded as he merged onto the main road.

Xia Xinran had a bad feeling and warned, “Speeding over 50% leads to an immediate 12-point deduction and retraining, you know…”

“Speeding? Violating traffic rules? I never do such things,” Gu Jie scoffed. “Hold tight—”

Xia Xinran felt immense pressure, as if he were about to be launched into space. Lu Yiyao, on the other hand, was excited about the impending thrill, gripping the car window’s upper handle with one hand and embracing Ran Lin with the other. “We’re ready.”

The streets were empty at midnight, making the accelerating engine sound particularly clear.

Gu Jie indeed didn’t speed, always staying just at the edge, and they drove out of the sixth ring road like that.

It’s unknown at which ring the paparazzi lost them or if they got lost outside the sixth ring, but the four had a thrilling ride, and by the time Gu Jie dropped each of them off, dawn was breaking.

……

However, by evening, the paparazzi dutifully posted their stakeout results on Weibo—

[One Net Entertainment Studio: Brotherhood reunion, dodging reporters, the four-man group speeding! [Video Link] Yesterday, reporters spotted Lu Yiyao, Xia Xinran, Gu Jie, and Ran Lin at a certain club for dinner. At 2 a.m., as they left, they seemed to notice the reporters, and all entered Gu Jie’s car, which eventually drove out of the sixth ring, disappearing into the night… [Read more]]

Within five minutes of posting, the studio retweeted with a note—

[Friendly reminder, midnight drives are dangerous. Please choose areas with good mobile signal in case you get lost and need GPS navigation [Don’t ask me how I know.jpg] // @One Net Entertainment Studio: Brotherhood reunion, dodging reporters, the four-man group speeding! [Video Link]…]

The entertainment studio led the narrative, making the topic quite hot. The video didn’t capture much except for their arrival at the club and later departure. The rest was just following, following, until… they were lost.

Ran Lin felt a bit sorry seeing the end.

Comments were unanimously in the “haha” vein; there wasn’t any big news, so the focus was on the studio’s cute blunder. The studio deliberately cultivated this quirky image, hence the obvious repost of the friendly reminder.

Apart from that, many expressed envy of their friendship, especially since “National First Love Drifting Story” had been over for two years. In two years, the entertainment industry could change dramatically, but the relationships formed during the show had only deepened, which was a beautiful thing for fans who had been genuinely invested in the show.

But there was always a question whenever there was news of the “Drifting Team” reunion.

[Why is it always the four of you in the news of a Drifting Team reunion? What about Zhang Beichen?]

[Didn’t everyone get along well during the show? Why is Zhang Beichen never at these gatherings?]

[It’s so obvious you’re excluding Zhang Beichen. Even a passerby like me can’t stand it 🤷]

[Just watch the show. Do you really believe what’s shown? Ran Lin and Lu Yiyao collaborated on Fallen Flowers, and with Gu Jie on <Dyeing Fire>, so now they’re showing off their friendship.]

[And the one above, how cynical are you? Just because they collaborated on projects means they have to show off friendship? What about Xia Xinran? What has he filmed with these three?]

[I don’t understand why everyone says they’re excluding Zhang Beichen. If everyone doesn’t want to hang out with you, shouldn’t you reflect on yourself?]

[I can’t stand it. Wherever there’s a group, there’s this hugging and excluding. If you’ve been bullied at school, should you also reflect on yourself?]

The initial curiosity eventually devolved into online arguments.

That’s the nature of online gossip; no matter the news, discussions can easily turn into debates.

Moreover, some bored gossip marketers started to set the rhythm, with almost identical Weibo content—[Again one of five missing. Why is it always Zhang Beichen? Digging deep into the love and hate of the National First Love… [Read more]]

It was simply ridiculous.

Someone maliciously tagged Zhang Beichen in a mocking comment. Following the tag, Ran Lin clicked into Zhang Beichen’s page and discovered he had posted twice today: one for event promotion and one a street snap.

In the street snap, Zhang Beichen wore a retro plaid shirt and shorts, with round sunglasses perched on his nose, slightly lowered to reveal mischievous eyes peering at the camera as if interacting with someone off-picture, creating a youthful and interesting look.

However, the text accompanying the photo was distant and indifferent, suggesting a calmness in watching clouds roll and unfold. [Joy follows the solitary clouds. My heart disappears with the returning birds.]

The timing of this Weibo post almost coincided with when the entertainment studio released their gathering post, so Ran Lin couldn’t be sure if this was a response, a simple expression of mood, or perhaps the post was managed by Zhang Beichen’s publicity team and had nothing to do with him personally.

Yet, many of his fans beneath the post preferred to believe it was their idol’s response—

[Not forming cliques, not putting on a show, I just like this natural side of you.]

[Your level is so much higher than theirs ❤️]

[So handsome, I want the same glasses! 🤩]

[Have you guys noticed how blatantly Ran Lin is clinging to the others for fame? From Drifting Story to collaborating with Lu Yiyao in Falling Flowers, now with Gu Jie in a movie, I’m afraid he’ll leech off my idol next 😡]

[I’m a fan of both Beibei and Ran Lin, and the comments here are so complicated 😞]

[Some fans really overdo it, right? Gathering means forming cliques. Not gathering means being excluded. Can’t they just have their own lives?]

[Hope Beibei fans don’t disparage other artists. Let’s just focus on our own 😘]

Logging off Weibo, Ran Lin slumped into the sofa.

He hadn’t contacted Zhang Beichen for quite a while, but he couldn’t even remember how long it had been. Life gets busy, and it’s easy to neglect things until they suddenly resurface, leaving only melancholy.

……

“Tomorrow is the XX program interview. The day after tomorrow you have two event appearances, and the day after that is a fashion gathering for XX publication, with top executives from well-known brands attending. It’s a rare opportunity. After that…”

“Stop.” Zhang Beichen interrupted his agent with an impatient glance. “You’re spouting off so much. Who can remember all that? Just tell me what to do, and I’ll cooperate.”

Wu Xuefeng frowned but held his tongue.

Ever since Zhang Beichen landed <Mint Green> by some miracle, his temper had been worsening. Of course, the artist’s character was never that great to begin with, but Wu Xuefeng could tell that the current changes stemmed not from his innate personality but from external pressures. He didn’t know what deal Zhang Beichen had struck with President Qin or what had happened, but since President Qin helped him secure <Mint Green>, his mood had been deteriorating.

Especially noticeable in the last half-year, this state caused him to miss out on a great opportunity—another movie project lined up by President Qin following <Mint Green>, with stronger ties to the financiers. However, due to Zhang Beichen’s poor audition, they still said no; after all, investments need returns. They can be low, but not so low that even the principal isn’t safe.

President Qin was furious about this, but whether they argued or fought, Wu Xuefeng didn’t know—Zhang Beichen wouldn’t say, and President Qin had no obligation to inform him. What was evident was that since then, President Qin hadn’t found any more resources for Zhang Beichen. For half a year, Wu Xuefeng was almost single-handedly scrambling to find opportunities for him, feeling almost no different than before Zhang Beichen’s association with President Qin.

No, Wu Xuefeng thought it was worse than before. At least back then, Zhang Beichen was stable, not as capricious as now. As a result, Zhang Beichen’s career nearly stalled in the last half year. Despite a full schedule, his appearances were of little value, further exacerbating his negative state, creating a vicious cycle.

Wu Xuefeng now hoped for two things. First, that President Qin would quickly break ties with Zhang Beichen. Since there were no more resources coming his way, and there seemed no chance of a revival of their past intimacy—or perhaps they were never that close to begin with—it was better to let go sooner than later. Ideally, they should part peacefully; harboring a grudge would only lead to future suppression. Second, that <Mint Green>, releasing early next year, would be a box office and critical hit. Zhang Beichen was clearly on a downward trajectory, and whether he could reignite his career depended on this film.

In the late-night airport VIP lounge, only Wu Xuefeng, calculating in his mind, and Zhang Beichen, scrolling through his phone, were present.

They were like two separate worlds, not paying attention to each other.

Outside the window, the runway had been quiet for a long time, with no planes taking off or landing, creating a haunting silence.

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