“Mr. Jian, I heard Yangyang Real Estate recently acquired a plot in the western district. May I ask what your plans are? What will it be used for?”
“Mr. Jian, you’re thirty-one this year. Any plans regarding marriage? I’ve heard the new mainland actress Mu Xiaorui has expressed interest in you multiple times. Are you two secretly seeing each other? When will it be public?”
“Mr. Jian…”
Reporters swarmed around the man, firing questions nonstop, but he remained expressionless. Flanked by bodyguards, he left the mall without a word, quickly getting into a car and driving off.
Inside the vehicle, a young man with delicate features and gentle temperament glanced at his cold expression and laughed lightly, teasing.
“Big Brother Jian, your popularity is still as strong as ever. I feel a bit embarrassed—here I am, promoting your company’s projects, yet your popularity outshines mine.”
He joked lightly, but a flicker of coldness passed through his eyes.
Jian Feishuo frowned. “Don’t say that. You’ve helped Ayang a lot, and the promotion was effective. It’s just that the reporters are unprofessional.”
He paused, his brows tightening.
“Ultimately, this industry is shallow and opportunistic. I don’t understand why Ayang insisted on joining it. Wouldn’t it have been better to stay in the company and help?”
The young man was momentarily speechless. So, the industry is opportunistic? What does that make someone like him, also in the industry? Opportunistic too?
Though he had known that Jian Feishuo had low emotional intelligence, being called out like this face-to-face was still slightly embarrassing.
Yet he thought, well, the publicity will boost his popularity anyway, so he masked his irritation with a springtime smile.
“Ayang is still young and naive. The industry is indeed tricky. Didn’t we agree he should experience it for himself? Once he hits a wall, he’ll naturally come back seeking your guidance.”
Jian Feishuo’s brows knitted tighter. “Didn’t you say he would know when to give up? It’s been so long—why hasn’t he called me?”
He was a thousand times against his younger brother entering entertainment.
Yet the little star he had unknowingly met, Jing Yuan, had a point—Ayang didn’t understand the industry’s depth, so he was drawn to it. Once he hit obstacles, he’d learn.
Still, the pace seemed slower than expected.
Jing Yuan’s smile faltered at the question.
So long?
Ayang had only been in the industry for two months, filming for less than one month—hardly a long time.
Seeing Jian Feishuo’s expression, Jing Yuan realized this protective older brother was probably overreacting.
His thoughts flickered, and he spoke slowly.
“He doesn’t have much fame yet. With the assistant you arranged around him, he’ll be fine. If you like, I could create some minor difficulties for him?”
“No…”
Jian Feishuo began to refuse, but Jing Yuan continued pleasantly,
“Don’t worry. I won’t make things hard for Ayang. To show him the dangers of this industry, I don’t need to target him directly. He has an assistant. I can make things slightly difficult for the assistant, and Ayang will learn about the harshness of the industry.”
His voice was extremely cordial.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be subtle.”
The car fell silent for a while. After some time, Jian Feishuo’s low voice responded,
“Then don’t be too harsh—don’t make Ayang unhappy.”
Jing Yuan’s lips curved in a smile, but his eyes were icy.
Even a minor assistant dared to interfere with his placement in the crew? Such a pest couldn’t remain beside Jian Feiyang.
If Jian Feiyang reconciled with Jian Feishuo, how else would he gain favor from him?
As for not letting Jian Feiyang be upset? An assistant is nothing. Once gone, would Jian Feiyang even remember him?
Recently, many in the crew felt that something was subtly different, though they couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was.
Only the assistant director seemed increasingly on edge.
After the lunch box incident, he had no choice but to step up for Jian Feiyang. Fan Qing was indeed assertive, but it was also undeniable that the catering staff had tampered with things. He couldn’t risk offending the Jian family over a lunch box, especially since Fan Qing wasn’t someone to be trifled with. In the end, he fired the catering staff and replaced them with a careful, attentive young woman.
But ever since then, he had started paying more attention to Fan Qing. He couldn’t explain why—it was just an inexplicable intuition.
And the more he noticed, the more uneasy he became.
This Fan Qing… in just a few short days, he had changed so much.
Jian Feiyang, of course, had noticed too.
After finishing a scene, he couldn’t help but linger around Fan Qing, curiosity bubbling.
“A-Qing, have you been doing skincare lately? I feel like your complexion looks much better than before.”
He reached out, trying to touch Fan Qing’s head. “And you look more energetic too. Is it because of your hairstyle?”
“Men’s heads aren’t to be touched casually.”
Fan Qing casually raised a hand, blocking Jian Feiyang’s reach. He looked at Jian Feiyang’s curious eyes and smiled faintly.
“Didn’t I tell you? I started cooking for myself to regulate my health. You compliment me like this—it seems my effort hasn’t been wasted, huh?”
“Touching a little is fine, humph.”
Jian Feiyang muttered, but his smile was genuine.
“Then that proves your effort works! Not bad, A-Qing, you’re really talented. Regulating your health sounds like a lot of work!”
It was indeed troublesome.
But compared to his previous frail body, which had been weak and sickly, his body now, after careful care, was noticeably more relaxed and healthy. Under this stark contrast, Fan Qing naturally didn’t mind the effort.
He glanced at Jian Feiyang and smiled.
“Not troublesome. Compared to acting, this is much easier.”
Jian Feiyang froze, then felt a little embarrassed.
“That’s because you’re a genius, A-Qing. These things come easy to you. My acting isn’t good, so it feels harder—can’t compare.”
He wasn’t unaware of himself. Since joining the crew, he had the most NG takes of anyone—he knew that.
So Jian Feiyang was aware of his own limitations? Then why insist on this path?
Fan Qing studied his expression thoughtfully.
Aside from regulating his health, the other thing he’d been doing these days was observing Jian Feiyang.
Jian Feiyang had almost no acting talent.
This was obvious to the whole crew. Multiple NG takes, even with the director explaining scenes personally, he still didn’t grasp them. Fan Qing could tell the director had recently started giving up—allowing his scenes to pass without insisting on NGs.
Yet privately, no one could say Jian Feiyang wasn’t trying.
He wasn’t in every scene every day—what could a male sixth lead’s screen time amount to?
But he arrived first and left last every day. Whenever others were filming, he studied seriously; whenever others rested, he studied while resting.
As Jian Feiyang’s assistant, Fan Qing saw it all.
He also saw the truth: Jian Feiyang genuinely couldn’t grasp acting.
Fan Qing thought for a moment, then asked,
“By the way, your agent hasn’t contacted you recently? Your filming is almost done. Did they mention any arrangements afterward?”
“Huh?”
Jian Feiyang scratched his head, eyes confused.
“I don’t know. Isn’t that decided after filming? They should continue arranging work for me, right?”
So his agent hadn’t contacted him at all?
Fan Qing pondered, then asked again.
“And… do you want to continue acting?”
Jian Feiyang fell silent.
He gripped his water bottle, then spoke softly after a while.
“A-Qing, if I say I don’t want to act anymore… would you think I’m being dramatic?”
He had chosen this path himself.
Fan Qing looked around, grabbed a tissue to sit on, and plopped down beside him.
“And if I said you’re really not cut out for acting, would you want to hit me?”
Jian Feiyang’s eyes widened.
Fan Qing smiled calmly, unflinching.
They stared at each other for a moment, then laughed together.
Jian Feiyang scratched his head, snorting.
“You’ve been with me so long, and you say I can’t act—that means even you noticed. I know it too, I just can’t learn how others act. Maybe I’m really not suited for this path.”
A trace of disappointment lingered in his eyes.
He had chosen this path, even argued with his older brother over it, and now faced this result—no wonder he felt a pang.
Fan Qing looked at him.
“Thinking of giving up?”
“No.”
Jian Feiyang replied instantly, his previous disappointment replaced with energy.
“No talent is no talent. I never expected to become famous as soon as I entered the industry. This is just the beginning!”
He was still young.
Fan Qing studied him, unsurprised.
This was Jian Feiyang, exactly as he expected.
And this was the Jian Feiyang who made him start asking a question:
How could someone with such a background have an agent completely neglect his career development?
Just then, his phone, which had been silent the whole time, suddenly rang.
Fan Qing glanced at it.
Coincidentally, the screen displayed the three characters: “Agent.”
He stepped outside a few paces before picking up the call.
“Agent?”
“Why are you so slow to answer? Slacking off again? Forget it, we’ll settle that later. You’ve been at the set these past few days, right? I have something I need your help with, listen carefully…”