“Cut.” Wang Shilin called out once again, his patience threadbare as he looked at Yun Qi, who was still frozen on set. His face had darkened to the point that it seemed it could drip with anger.
This entire morning had basically been ruined by this woman. They’d spent the whole morning shooting a single scene, and yet it went nowhere. The script in his hands was now crumpled into a worthless mess. The look he gave Yun Qi was lethal.
Everyone present could feel the heat radiating off him; some even stepped back cautiously, wary of getting caught in his storm.
Yun Qi, however, completely ignored his gaze. Her own fury boiled inside her. How dare they make her wait at the entrance for so long? Her status and popularity far surpassed that of Yu Junqing—why should she suffer for his incompetence? Who did this guy think he was? Being outshined by someone like him—her pride would never allow it.
Lin Qing sat behind Wang Shilin, silently smirking at Yun Qi’s brazen disregard for the director.
Still too inexperienced, he thought. Otherwise, how could a woman dare to act so recklessly?
Wang Shilin glared at Yun Qi’s unbothered expression and made up his mind: a woman like this was useless. Unlike his father, who might still care about appearances and social niceties, Wang Shilin had no such constraints. Sometimes, giving face depended on whether the other person was willing to reciprocate.
“All right, that’s enough for this morning. Let’s wrap it up and go eat,” Wang Shilin said, letting his anger subside as he walked out first, not forgetting to take Lin Qing along.
More than anything else, he wanted to have a proper talk with the one who had been smirking at him all morning.
Lin Qing didn’t bother warning him about what others might think of them walking off together. This guy still hadn’t learned to think ahead—well, it wasn’t his problem.
They arrived at Wang Shilin’s hotel room, and Lin Qing immediately noticed there was more than one person staying there. His expression darkened further.
The room had only one bed. It was obvious where they’d sleep. Lin Qing took a deep breath, feeling that agreeing to come back to the country for this person had been absurd.
Wang Shilin turned and saw Lin Qing’s increasingly cold expression. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He had assumed that after all this time, seeing Lin Qing in person would make it easy to speak, yet Lin Qing’s icy expression froze him.
“Director Wang is thriving back home, huh? Don’t worry, I won’t forget why I came or what I need to do. Just tell me directly,” Lin Qing said irritably. “But for now, I need to sort out where I’m staying. Bye.” He tossed the words over his shoulder and left without engaging further.
At the door, he ran into Yu Junqing.
Yu Junqing had been chatting with Rui Ge but had to return to set for the afternoon shoot. He was slightly surprised to see Lin Qing.
Lin Qing, however, interpreted Yu Junqing’s surprise as something else entirely. He took one look at the person standing motionless inside, then another at Yu Junqing, whose presence radiated unusual charm, and his desire to leave grew.
“Lin Qing, you…” Yu Junqing began, intending to ask when he had returned and what happened to the scar on his face, but Lin Qing walked away without a word.
Yu Junqing found it odd. When did Lin Qing become so blatantly rude? This was unlike the meticulous, well-mannered Lin Qing he knew.
“Do you know Lin Qing?” Yu Junqing asked cautiously, sensing tension between Lin Qing and Wang Shilin.
Wang Shilin looked up. “You know him too?”
“Yes, we were classmates. He originally wanted to be a director, but something went wrong during the entrance exams, so we ended up in the same class,” Yu Junqing explained.
“Lin Qing and you met abroad?” Wang Shilin asked, nodding lightly.
Yu Junqing added, “Yeah, more or less.”
Seeing Wang Shilin’s expression, Yu Junqing couldn’t help but ask, “Aren’t you going to chase after him?”
Wang Shilin shook his head. “He won’t even speak to me. What’s the point?”
Yu Junqing, always the onlooker, munched a piece of beef given by Borui and ventured, “According to scripts, after a couple fights, the chance of chasing and resolving things is ninety percent. If you don’t chase, it’s basically a ninety percent chance of breaking up. You sure you won’t go after him?”
Wang Shilin gave him a strange look, then bolted. “Wait, lend me the room for a moment!”
Yu Junqing calmly continued his snack, watching a human sprinter—Lin Qing—being literally carried back. Lin Qing barely had time to shoot a Σ(°△°) glare before the door slammed shut.
Inside the room, Wang Shilin carried Lin Qing in without a word and immediately pressed on.
“Don’t come near me,” Lin Qing said, his face shadowed and eyes sharp.
“Qing…” Wang Shilin looked at him, emotions flickering in his eyes, finally exhaling a sigh. He knew Lin Qing was mad and also knew his own problem: all talk but no action around Lin Qing.
The two stood, tension taut, until Lin Qing finally snapped.
“You still have nothing to say?”
Wang Shilin’s gaze fixed on the scar above Lin Qing’s eye, voice hoarse. “I…”
The phone rang, startling him—it was the hospital.
Meanwhile, Borui casually played with Yu Junqing’s hair, amused, and Yu Junqing nodded, eating his beef as he continued his gossip.
Lin Qing had once been a top student, from a distinguished family. His presence at the academy was unusual and had helped Yu Junqing, an orphan, gain opportunities he wouldn’t have had otherwise.
Borui teased him, making sure Yu Junqing got some food, but not too much to replace a proper meal.
Meanwhile, on Weibo, news of Yun Qi’s repeated NGs had gone viral. The crew quickly figured out that Lin Qing had orchestrated her removal cleverly, giving her no chance to fight back. Yun Qi’s company, seeing the facts, didn’t interfere either.
Back in the room, Lin Qing efficiently sorted his things, even placing his own pillow on the bed.
“You’re still bringing that?” Wang Shilin asked.
Lin Qing turned, smiling slyly, hiding his relief. “Of course. Otherwise, how would I have survived the nights while you were gone?”
Wang Shilin choked on the comment, torn between nostalgia and the inconvenient truths of their past agreements—including who slept where.
Lin Qing noticed his conflict and went back to humming, arranging the room, his satisfaction obvious.
It was all payback, he thought. Once he had clung to Wang Shilin desperately, only to be left behind. Now, things had reversed. Wang Shilin could finally relax, grateful he had taken Yu Junqing’s advice and brought Lin Qing back.
If he hadn’t, he might have regretted sneaking away without confessing his feelings.
Now, though… Wang Shilin winced, recalling the hospital call about his father waking. And to top it off, Lin Qing had stashed lubricants and condoms under his pillow. He debated whether to mention that this was a hotel well-stocked in such things.