“Yes, exactly. I’m thinking, while this drama is still hot, I’ll hold a small press conference to get everyone informed,” Director Wang’s voice came over the phone. Yu Junqing listened quietly, not saying anything at first.
Today happened to be the premiere day of his new drama. He understood what Wang meant—basically, he wanted to use the drama’s current popularity to promote his next project. Normally, that wouldn’t be a big deal, and Junqing would have agreed without hesitation.
But…
A deep tinge of regret flickered in Junqing’s eyes as he glanced at the ingredients already laid out in the kitchen. He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly; he hadn’t expected things to turn out this way.
Last night, Ruige had said he would be coming back, and Junqing had deliberately found an excuse to stay home to watch the first episode, trying to hide, hoping to surprise Ruige. But it hadn’t worked—his plan to give Ruige a surprise had ultimately failed.
“小于?” Director Wang’s voice carried a trace of unease. To be honest, this was the first time he had tried this kind of approach. He had never done something like this before. It was a clever move, but for someone of his status, it felt a little shameless.
But he had no choice. That hopeless kid at home was his son, after all. Not only was Wang a director, he was also a father.
“Alright, Director Wang, I don’t have a problem with it. It’s at 7 PM tonight, right? I’ll be there on time.” Junqing agreed, though a sense of emptiness lingered in his chest. The regret and disappointment washed over him, but he couldn’t refuse Wang’s favor.
Hearing Junqing’s agreement, Director Wang laughed heartily on the other end. “Good, good, I knew you’d be reliable, Xiaoyu. Come early, and I’ll introduce you to my family so you can get acquainted.” He even gave his son, slumped on the couch, a playful kick, scolding him with a fond expression.
Wang Shilin, already feeling exasperated by his father’s antics, thought to himself that he didn’t need someone to boost his career. Everyone goes through failures when they’re young, and his dad was just overthinking, insisting on meddling and attaching himself to his reputation—so foolish!
Shilin silently grumbled in his head but maintained a polite smile and nodded obediently. Director Wang, seeing his son’s behavior, couldn’t help but laugh and lightly scold, “You little rascal.”
If he hadn’t known his son was a good kid, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths. Since he only had this one son, he had to keep an eye on him; otherwise, his late wife might scold him in heaven.
Director Wang wiped his eyes and went upstairs to prepare for tonight’s promotion. Wang Shilin, seeing his father’s action, felt a pang of jealousy mixed with affection. In his years abroad, he had had multiple relationships, most of which ended badly, but back home, at least people were sincere.
Meanwhile, Director Wang began preparations. Junqing, on his end, stared at the kitchen counter crowded with ingredients and felt a headache coming on. Should he cook or not?
If he cooked, he wouldn’t be able to pick up Ruige, and the food would go to waste. If he didn’t cook, he would feel regret. He had come up with a plan…
Wait—Junqing paused. What had he come up with a plan for?
Thinking for a moment, he realized he couldn’t remember.
Probably… to surprise Ruige? Junqing felt a little wronged as he looked at the neatly arranged ingredients.
It had taken him considerable effort to research and figure out how to cook the dishes Ruige liked.
A wave of disappointment swept over him, and he quietly wrapped the ingredients back up and put them in the fridge. He comforted himself: next time, he would give Ruige the surprise. It would also be a good chance to improve his cooking skills before presenting them.
After several minutes of self-reassurance, Junqing finally focused on preparing for tonight’s work.
Since it was a small press conference, he would need to get styled. He went to the bathroom to tidy up. With enough time, he could complete his full styling routine.
“Brother Yu, what’s up?” Xiao Yitong answered Junqing’s call excitedly. He had been bored to the point of near madness lately, as Junqing had been busy with the drama promotion and he hadn’t had much to do. He felt like the laziest freeloading person in the company.
“Yeah, I’ll send you the address. Come pick me up. There’s a small press conference tonight that I need to attend, and I need to get styled first.” Junqing’s tone changed immediately when talking about work. He straightened his outfit in front of the mirror—he had to make sure no one would recognize him outside, remembering Ruige’s warning about the nearby neighborhood’s safety.
“Got it!!!” Xiao Yitong practically jumped. Finally, he would be doing some work! He grabbed the car keys and headed out, thinking sadly about how rarely he got to use the company car.
Junqing didn’t wait long before Xiao Yitong arrived. Styling took quite a while, and by the time he was ready, it was just after 6 PM, and he had already reached the venue Director Wang had mentioned.
“Brother Yu, should I wait here?” Xiao Yitong asked, glancing at the event setup. He suppressed his urge to take photos and gossip, showing impressive self-restraint.
Junqing glanced for Wang and casually replied, “No, go eat first. It’ll take a while; I’ll call you when I’m done.” Then his eyes caught a familiar figure in the crowd, standing next to a particularly tall man, easily over six feet tall—an uncommon sight.
Xiao Yitong, seeing Junqing’s focus, drove off to take care of his meal, not knowing how long the event would last.
Junqing quickly joined Director Wang backstage, taking a seat with three chairs. Director Wang, unusually cheerful, patted Wang Shilin’s shoulder and introduced him.
“This is my hopeless kid, Shilin. Just returned from abroad, full of foreign habits.”
Shilin, silently cursing his father, remembered he was here because this drama’s male lead would be working with him. For the sake of appearances, he kept polite. Extending his right hand with a standard smile, he said, “Hello, I’m Wang Shilin. I look forward to working with you.”
Junqing caught something in Shilin’s gaze but didn’t mention it, merely nodding and shaking his hand. “I’m Yu Junqing. It’s I who should ask you to take care of me.”
“Enough, this little rascal… learning all that foreign swagger only to put on a show here,” Director Wang muttered, watching his son’s antics and feeling a toothache from the exaggeration.
Shilin slumped in his chair, feigning exhaustion. “Fine, Daddy, noted.”
Junqing smiled at him, acknowledging his charm. He had noticed something in Shilin’s appearance—he had the rare, classical elegance of an Eastern beauty. If he stood tall instead of slumping, he resembled a gentle Jiangnan-style beauty.
Junqing’s mind flashed to someone else—Ren Qingyun, similar in appearance, though Ren was flamboyant and attention-grabbing, while Shilin was understated. Both were beautiful, but their mouths caused trouble.
Thinking of this, Junqing laughed quietly. Director Wang, thinking he was laughing at them, felt slightly embarrassed.
Shilin, facing Junqing, noticed his amusement and asked curiously, “What are you laughing at, beauty?”
Junqing thought for a moment and decided to speak freely. “I just thought of someone who resembles you—both elegant in appearance but with a rather unique personality.”
“You could just say ‘two-faced,’ I still remember my Chinese,” Shilin replied, unconcerned. Abroad, he had learned to live freely without caring about others’ opinions.
“Hmm, that works too,” Junqing mused. The description fit—certainly two-faced, unlike Ruige, who was straightforward and candid in personality.
Junqing’s thoughts wandered. He wondered if Ruige had arrived home yet. Missing this chance, he might not get another opportunity to surprise him.