Although Jiang Pengyi wasn’t as famous as Bu Hongfang, he had still been in the industry for no less than five years and had acted in many television dramas and films. How could he really be short on money to buy internet trolls?
In his words: “If you’re going to kick someone when they’re down, it only feels satisfying if you do it with your own hands.”
“Aren’t you afraid of getting exposed? Your fan filter will shatter completely.”
Jiang Pengyi looked completely unconcerned. “I’m already kicking them when they’re down. What am I pretending for?”
Bu Hongfang patted his shoulder after hearing that and gave him a thumbs-up.
Honestly, it did make a lot of sense.
After they chatted for a while, the group walked together to the script rehearsal room. Zhang Cong stared at Jiang Pengyi and Fu Yu’s dark circles for a long time, then asked the nanny to brew two cups of coffee.
After the morning script read-through ended, they ate lunch together. Zhang Cong thoughtfully gave them a little over an hour of rest. The weather outside was perfect. Bu Hongfang moved a few chairs around the stone table in the garden and called everyone, including Huai Manyun, over. Then he said to Ming Qi, “If you didn’t feel anything from the video I sent you yesterday, hurry up and ask them while they’re free.”
Huai Manyun asked curiously, “Ask what?”
Bu Hongfang said succinctly, “Kissing scenes.”
The moment the words “kissing scenes” came out, not only Ming Qi but even Jiang Pengyi and Fu Yu all looked over at the same time. Everyone’s eyes were full of interest.
Jiang Pengyi said, “I remember Manyun-jie had a kissing scene with Movie Emperor Ji that went super viral.”
Huai Manyun nodded. “Yeah. After working with so many actors, Movie Emperor Ji still has the best kissing technique.”
Jiang Pengyi / Fu Yu / Ming Qi: Is this something you can just say out loud?
Huai Manyun was quite curious about Ming Qi and asked, “Why are you suddenly interested in this? Do you have a kissing scene coming up?”
He definitely did not.
He only had one script in hand—Undercover.
He didn’t tell the truth and only said, “Just curious. Manyun-jie, do you get embarrassed or nervous filming kissing scenes?”
“Of course I did at first. I filmed my first kissing scene when I was eighteen. I hadn’t even dated before then. Suddenly acting opposite a male actor I wasn’t very familiar with—I couldn’t sleep the entire night,” Huai Manyun said, resting her chin on one hand as she reminisced. “After forcing myself through it, it was fine. Later on… after actually dating and kissing someone enough times, it’s just mouth-to-mouth contact. No big deal.”
Ming Qi also rested his chin on his hand and thought—
Given the agreement, he definitely couldn’t date or practice kissing with anyone.
That meant he could only grit his teeth and push through it.
Huai Manyun could basically guess what he was thinking from his expression, so she continued, “It’s just like your first time acting on stage. Push through it, get used to it, and it’ll be fine. If you’re really too shy, you can drink a bit to loosen up—but not too much.”
Got it.
Once he was mentally prepared, he would go find some alcohol in Yu Qinchuan’s wine cellar.
…
In the following days, Ming Qi continued going out early and returning late with Yu Qinchuan.
Three days before the script rehearsal ended, Ming Qi was lying lazily on his bed when he saw a message in the Shangtiluoyin residential community owner group. The group was usually very active—residents chatted all day and complained about property management. Ming Qi usually muted it because it was too noisy.
Today, it stood out because the group owner had @-mentioned everyone.
Dog Property Management Who Loves Money (Group Owner): It’s been confirmed. There have indeed been people lurking outside the neighborhood these past two days. We called the police today, but the person was quite alert and ran off before the police arrived. The surveillance only caught a man in black clothing wearing a hat and mask. It’ll probably be difficult to track him down. However, after today, he probably won’t come again. @everyone
Dog Property Management Who Loves Money (Group Owner): [Video]
Ming Qi clicked on the video. As the group owner said, the man’s face couldn’t be seen clearly. Only his broad, sturdy build was visible.
7 Building 1302: Damn, I’ve seen him in our building’s elevator.
7 Building 1504: ? I’ve run into him in our 15th-floor emergency stairwell more than once.
These two sudden messages made Ming Qi pause slightly.
He used to live in 7 Building 1503, and 1504 was his neighbor.
Perhaps because he was overly sensitive due to his profession, and because of what 1504 had just said, Ming Qi naturally associated the situation with himself. He pressed his lips together and sent a screenshot to Meng She.
Meng Ma: Damn, could it be a stalker fan? Showing up right at your doorstep—it’s unlikely to be paparazzi. More likely a stalker fan.
Meng She felt uneasy and immediately called Ming Qi: “Good thing you moved to Westview Bay. Yu Qinchuan is basically your lucky star.”
Ming Qi fully agreed.
If Yu Qinchuan hadn’t suggested they live together back then, he probably would’ve been scared half to death by now.
Ming Qi found Yu Qinchuan’s WeChat and skillfully tapped on it, sending him the screenshot along with a sincere message: [Cat thanking emoji.jpg]
Yu Qinchuan frowned slightly after receiving the message, his gaze lingering on the man in black for a moment. He asked Ming Qi: Have you encountered things like this before?
77.: Not really. I used to be too obscure.
77.: Back then, if I walked up to them, they probably wouldn’t even bother filming me.
Y: Don’t worry. The security at Westview Bay are trained bodyguards. No stalker fans will get in here.
Even so, Yu Qinchuan quietly kept it in mind.
…
Wang Liu parked his car on the roadside about eight hundred meters across from the small villa. Several cars were already parked within the marked parking line, and his black car blended in inconspicuously.
Sitting in the driver’s seat, he looked at his reflection in the rearview mirror. The cap and mask couldn’t hide the anxiety and irritation in his eyes.
That guy named Ming Qi really was something. He had been staking out Shangtiluoyin for days without a single sighting. When he called his employer to ask what was going on, the employer only said: “The information says he lives there.”
He didn’t know what the exact information was—he only knew that Ming Qi hadn’t shown up for several consecutive days.
“You’re the ones who gave me wrong intel, and you even told me to beat him up and break his legs? Am I supposed to beat the air?” Wang Liu snapped in frustration. “Even if you paid a lot, you’re just wasting my time.”
There was a brief silence on the other end. Then the voice said, “I’m more anxious than you are.” Half an hour later, they sent him another address—the small villa district not far away.
He glanced down at the time. It was 7 a.m.
Still early. The entire road was empty. Wang Liu sat there like a statue, his gaze fixed on the row of small villas, barely moving at all. Time slowly passed until it was past 8 a.m., when a black Maybach pulled up in front of one of the villas.
A figure leaned down and got out of the car.
Wang Liu had spent the past few days staring at Ming Qi’s photos, afraid he wouldn’t recognize him even if he saw him in person. But reality proved otherwise—one glance was enough for him to confirm the identity.
The car window rolled down. Ming Qi said something to the person inside with a smile, then waved and turned toward the villa.
Click.
Wang Liu took a photo and sent it to his employer.
The reply came quickly: It’s him.
Wang Liu narrowed his eyes, and the cold, tense expression he had maintained for days finally softened slightly. He let out a mocking laugh, thinking to himself that he had finally caught him.
He didn’t act immediately. Instead, he waited until evening. When he saw the same Maybach return to the villa again, he quietly followed behind as it drove away.
Inside the Maybach.
Yu Qinchuan put down his laptop and tilted his head slightly. “If we come again tomorrow, will it be the last time?”
Ming Qi nodded. “The day after tomorrow I’ll go for the costume fitting photoshoot, then I’ll officially join the production.”
The filming location for Undercover was set in Jiang City’s film studio. With Ming Qi’s role as the third male lead, it would take at least two to three months to finish.
And that was only the best-case scenario.
“Can I visit the set?” Yu Qinchuan asked, glancing at him lazily. “Of course, I’ll keep a low profile and continue being the excellent man behind a successful actor.”
Ming Qi looked at him for a moment, then couldn’t help laughing. “Then I’ll take you around the set.”
Last time Yu Qinchuan had taken him to the Yu Corporation building; it was only fair that he return the favor by bringing Yu Qinchuan to his workplace.
But—
Yu Qinchuan raised a brow. “If you bring me around the set, won’t everyone find out?”
Ming Qi was unyielding. “Don’t worry. I’ll have Brother Meng prepare a mask for you.”
Yu Qinchuan chuckled softly.
Not surprising at all.
Halfway through the drive, the driver suddenly said through the rearview mirror, “Mr. Yu, there’s a car following us.”
Both Yu Qinchuan and Ming Qi immediately turned their attention back.
Ming Qi looked behind them, but couldn’t see clearly from the distance. Yu Qinchuan, on the other hand, said calmly, “Don’t mind him. Drive straight back to Westview Bay.”
“Could it be a paparazzo? Or…” Ming Qi hesitated. “The stalker from Shangtiluoyin a few days ago?”
“Either is possible,” Yu Qinchuan said. “We’ll know tomorrow.”
Behind them, Wang Liu frowned as he watched the Maybach enter Westview Bay. He knew exactly what place this was. It was one of the best residential areas in the entire capital city. He had heard the security guards here were trained professionals—there was no way he could get in.
He pulled out his phone and messaged the employer:
“This is going to be difficult. He lives in Westview Bay and is always driven in and out by car. I can’t get close to him.”
When Shi Yong saw the words “Westview Bay,” he froze.
For a moment, he even thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.
He typed back: Where? Westview Bay? The villa district?
Wang Liu: Yes.
To prove it, he even took a photo of the entrance of Westview Bay and sent it over.
Under the wide-angle lens, the exquisite villas and lush greenery beyond the gate came into view. But Shi Yong couldn’t understand—
How could Ming Qi possibly live in Westview Bay?
He was a barely-known eighteenth-tier actor with almost no resources. Where would he get the money to live there? More importantly, Westview Bay had long stopped selling units—it wasn’t a place where money alone could get you in.
After a long silence, a cold laugh escaped his throat.
Lu Siyan walked in and noticed Shi Yong’s mocking expression. He paused and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Shi Yong said. “Just found something interesting. I thought he was so clean and upright, but in the end, he’s just a kept man.”
Lu Siyan immediately understood he was talking about Ming Qi.
Unlike Shi Yong’s mockery, the first thought that flashed through his mind was: “So he’s got backing now? Doesn’t that make things worse for me?”
Shi Yong sneered. “Backing? That’s not backing. That’s scandal.”
He didn’t say anything more to Lu Siyan and turned back to Wang Liu.
“Keep watching him for two more days. If you can complete the original deal, good. If not, just get photos of him entering and leaving Westview Bay.”
Wang Liu thought to himself that this guy was treating him like a paparazzo.
Early the next morning, he followed the Maybach leaving Westview Bay back toward the villa district.
But just as he rolled down his window and lifted his phone to take a photo, a black car suddenly pulled up beside his parking spot, completely blocking the exit.