Lu Xianqing was precious. Though He He hadn’t made special requests, Zhou Changjiang still didn’t dare act recklessly, rearranging the filming schedule to let him rest.
Qin Sizheng, currently without work, stayed to keep him company.
Lu Xianqing, ever spoiled and wary of being teased, insisted on accompanying Qin Sizheng to the set every morning, claiming that in future projects, he couldn’t always act opposite him and would have to work with others.
At breakfast, Lu Xianqing set down his cup coldly. “Who are you acting with? Should I add a few ‘unfilmable’ scenes?”
Qin Sizheng was baffled. When had he said he was acting with anyone, and what were “unfilmable” scenes?
Lu Xianqing picked up his cup again, soothing himself. “It’s fine. From now on, I choose the scripts you act in. If I don’t allow it, don’t even think about it.”
Qin Sizheng banged his head on the table. How could this man’s possessiveness be so overwhelming?
“You have an opinion?”
“No, no… If our Lu Laoshi doesn’t allow it, then at least I’ll keep two meters away from others when I go out, okay?”
Lu Xianqing thought for a moment. “Three meters. Two meters is too close.”
“…” Qin Sizheng was speechless for a long moment and just buried his head in his meal, ignoring him.
An Ning wanted to interject but, remembering his own guilty status, forced himself to stay silent.
When they arrived on set, Qin Sizheng noticed everyone was laughing in some inexplicably sly, conspicuous way, leaving him baffled. He turned to Lu Xianqing to ask what was going on.
Lu Xianqing reached out to adjust his collar, lowering his head. “The hickey is showing.”
Flustered, Qin Sizheng tugged at his collar, intending to change into a turtleneck, but Lu Xianqing pulled him back, lifted his chin, and swept his gaze across the room. “What are you doing? Never seen people being affectionate before?”
Zhou Changjiang, giving directions to the actors, turned sharply at the remark and glared. “Could you have a little shame?”
Lu Xianqing was unrepentant. “Which single dog is so sensitive? Can’t even speak the truth—what kind of world is this?”
The assistant director covered his face with the script, stifling laughter, and Zhou Changjiang rolled his eyes and returned to directing.
Qin Sizheng felt utterly mortified. He muttered, “Fourth Brother, you should thank the law that you’re still alive. I really want to strangle you.”
Lu Xianqing turned, incredulous. “Murdering your husband? Planning to break the law?”
Qin Sizheng tilted his head in despair. “Don’t speak.”
Lu Xianqing beckoned him closer with a finger. As he approached, he teased, “Like last night’s way of killing me? Turns out my Yan Yan is so… eager, even in broad daylight. Tsk.”
Qin Sizheng clamped his hand over Lu Xianqing’s mouth and dragged him to a spot to watch the filming. “No talking!”
After a while, he started asking about how Lu Xianqing would portray certain scenes and began mimicking and exploring them himself.
Lu Xianqing leaned over to touch his ear.
Qin Sizheng, still focused, seemed to have grown accustomed to these touches, no longer reacting like a startled bird as before.
Lu Xianqing withdrew his hand, offering explanations and teaching him acting techniques from time to time.
“Do you want to see the peak of this industry?”
Qin Sizheng turned and nodded.
“Good. I’ll take you to the highest place.”
He reached out, taking Lu Xianqing’s hand in the sunlight, lifting his head to look into his eyes as if confessing: “I want to be by your side.”
Lu Xianqing paused slightly. Qin Sizheng added, “I want to be worthy of you.”
Lu Xianqing lowered his head, holding him gently. “Yan Yan, it’s me who’s unworthy of you.”
Because everyone on set was used to seeing them together, he could easily respond to the occasional teasing from Fourth Sister.
After a week, Lu Xianqing’s arm had almost fully healed.
Xu Zhiliang tried to fight back, but no channel would give him a voice, finally letting him realize how formidable Ming Fei was—like a bandit, unstoppable.
Instead of breaking the situation, he had trapped himself even further, looking at his two hands that might never fully recover, utterly despairing.
He had lost.
He instructed his secretary to call He Xing, offering to sell Qin Sizheng for a million, with one condition.
He Xing asked, “Speak.”
Xu Zhiliang said, “Please, Fourth Brother and President Ming, show mercy.”
He Xing: “Wouldn’t it have been easier to do this from the start?”
Xu Zhiliang could almost see the victorious smirk on her face, cursing silently, yet he remained respectful, afraid to be insolent.
“I didn’t even touch Qin Sizheng that day, yet he beat me. You all know what he’s capable of. I’ve treated him well over the years. Please tell Fourth Brother to overlook it, spare me, and I’ll disappear from this circle forever.”
He Xing said, “Three days from now, I’ll collect Qin Sizheng’s contract.”
After finishing, she called Lu Xianqing to inform him the contract could be terminated. Qin Sizheng stayed silent, not commenting.
“Not happy?”
Qin Sizheng shook his head.
He just thought people could endlessly yield when money was involved. Xu Zhao had truly treated him well once, but in the end, even he couldn’t resist the temptation of profit.
Xu Zhiliang had once bared his teeth in the office, demanding payment, yet he had to bow, apologize to Lu Xianqing, and beg, becoming submissive.
Lu Xianqing asked, “Willing to go with me? I have a contract for you…”
“I am.” Qin Sizheng nodded before he could finish, making He Xing smile. “So eager, signing a contract like it’s a marriage vow—pathetic.”
Qin Sizheng was embarrassed by her teasing. Lu Xianqing leaned back, grinning. “Better than a marriage certificate. Legally binding in China. He can’t run. Wherever I go, he goes. Whatever scripts I pick, he acts in.”
Right—he could attend events with him, go everywhere together…
Qin Sizheng fantasized for a long moment, feeling a weight on his head as Lu Xianqing’s hand rested there. “Yan Yan, signed into my hands—you’re mine now.”
Qin Sizheng nodded demurely.
Lu Xianqing’s eyes curved slightly. “Let me be clear: I’m far worse than Xu Zhiliang, far better at bending the rules. If you resist, I’ll hide you until I’m done being mad.”
Qin Sizheng gently pushed him. “He Xing is still here.”
He Xing reminded at the right moment: “Ahem!”
Lu Xianqing pretended to sigh. “Ah, He Xing is more important than me.”
Qin Sizheng countered lightly. “No.”
“Then who do you say is important?” Lu Xianqing, in pure childishness, insisted on making him choose—eventually even asking a life-or-death question of whom to save if both fell into a river.
Qin Sizheng seriously considered for a moment, then looked into the camera. “He Xing, can I pay you to go learn swimming?”
He Xing coldly snapped, “Hurry back and sign the contract!” and hung up quickly.
Qin Sizheng looked miserable. “Lu Sanyan, I’ve offended He Xing just for you. Tonight you can’t use this as an excuse to bully me.”
Lu Xianqing let out a playful “Wow” and pressed him onto the sofa. “Not bullying—just hurting you.”
Qin Sizheng immediately held up his hands to block him, but Lu Xianqing caught them, kissed the palms, yanked them away, and then finally bit his fingertips.
“Now that you’ve offended He Xing, you’re not thinking of offending me too, right?”
Qin Sizheng realized that Lu Xianqing could always find some twisted justification if he wanted.
But right now, he was ready to take it.
Qin Sizheng grabbed Lu Xianqing’s uninjured left hand, twisted it backward, and nimbly slipped away from under him.
“Go play by yourself! I’m going to chat with Chen Qiu. Don’t follow, or I won’t come back tonight!”
Lu Xianqing rolled up, rubbed his arm, and grabbed his phone to make a call.
The studio preparations were almost complete—just waiting for Ming Fei’s final nod.
Lu Xianqing called him, and Ming Fei, lounging with his legs crossed, responded lazily with a half-hearted “Mm,” clearly restless.
“Look at you, so listless. Starved for affection, huh? Poor thing.” Lu Xianqing tutted twice, then sighed again, exaggerating so much that Ming Fei nearly toppled out of his chair.
“I lacking affection? Believe it or not, if I snap my fingers, thousands would come to sleep with me.”
Lu Xianqing casually said, “Sleep with ten thousand, still won’t kill you.”
Ming Fei hissed, “How come you’re such a jerk now? Acting all high and mighty just because you’re dating? I won’t let you go, and your damn studio won’t open either.”
“You’re jealous of me.”
“Jealous my ass.”
Lu Xianqing was silent for a moment. “A man pent up and frustrated is truly pitiful. Ming, find someone to relieve yourself, or one day you’ll end up a zero.”
Ming Fei cursed at him, “Get lost! If I end up a zero, I’ll be the first on your bed!”
Lu Xianqing propped his head up, tone teasing, “Why so angry? Good advice is bitter to the ear, Ming. Can’t ignore a loyal minister’s words.”
“You loyal minister? You’re a treacherous little pest destroying the country.”
Lu Xianqing sighed. “See? You’re cursing again.”
Ming Fei couldn’t argue further, paused, then reclined in his chair again, leisurely saying, “You asking me to release the contract, huh?”
“Not asking—just negotiating.” Lu Xianqing replied.
Ming Fei coldly: “I don’t agree.”
Lu Xianqing watched him quietly. Ming Fei shivered under the gaze. “W-What are you staring at? Speak! I only like my little feral cat.”
“Your little feral cat likes my Qin Laoshi.”
Hearing this, Ming Fei’s head spun. Recently, every time he opened his mouth, it was always about Si Zeng, and a few days ago, Qin Sizheng had gotten upset because he hadn’t signed.
He blamed himself for spoiling him with this temper—he should’ve learned from Lu Xianqing: first, bully a little, then see how obedient Qin Sizheng becomes.
“Fourth Brother, doing proper things won’t shorten your life.”
Lu Xianqing said, “People only want to behave when they’re restrained. Do you want to behave in front of Si Zeng? No. And I don’t need to behave in front of him either.”
Ming Fei fell silent for a moment, actually thinking it made sense.
Lu Xianqing continued, “If you won’t let me go, I’ll bring Qin Sizheng to your company. Then he’ll be Si Zeng’s junior, seeing him every day. I don’t mind—at home, I can spoil Qin Laoshi slowly. You, however, will be miserable… stuck at home alone.”
Ming Fei ground his teeth, cursing him, “Lu Xianqing, you idiot!”
Lu Xianqing sighed heavily. “I’m doing it for your own good—why still curse?”
Ming Fei slammed the phone down, immediately grabbed it to have his secretary draft Lu Xianqing’s termination contract.
He couldn’t let him stay at the company; otherwise, Si Zeng would eventually be spoiled.
Thinking of Si Zeng sticking to Qin Sizheng every day while ignoring him made his blood pressure skyrocket. He clutched his head, yelling “No!” Just then, Si Zeng walked in, confused. “No what?”
Ming Fei straightened up, serious. “I’m planning to go swimming, but it’s boring alone. Want to come? Can work on abs too.”
Si Zeng’s face lit up with excitement. “Yes!”
After Qin Sizheng returned to Jiangcheng, Lu Xianqing went back to set to prepare for filming. Zhou Changjiang repeatedly checked if he still felt any pain, insisting they could wait if necessary—the crew couldn’t afford more complications.
Lu Xianqing said, “It’s fine. Filming comes first.”
Zhou Changjiang’s eyes filled with tears of relief. In this superficial industry, so few people were willing to risk their own pain for work.
Though Lu Xianqing could be reckless, his professionalism was undeniable.
He sighed, muttering, “Annoying to be separated by distance. Hurry and finish filming and come home. Time drags, filming never seems to end—can people even live a normal life?”
Zhou Changjiang couldn’t hold back his tears.
Lu Xianqing, surprised: “Why are you crying? You agree with me?”
Zhou Changjiang wiped his eyes, stiff-necked, and walked away.
Lu Xianqing looked puzzled. “Why? Cry and be done—why have an attitude? Shy at your age?”
Hearing his voice, Zhou Changjiang turned, glaring at him, eyes still red from earlier. “Makeup quickly! Shooting starts in an hour!”