Fan Qing quickly received the driver’s number from the agent.
The message came almost impatiently—clearly, the agent had much to learn.
Fan Qing contacted the driver immediately and headed toward the audition site where Nie Luo was located.
He arrived early and sent a quick message to the agent confirming his arrival.
The agent replied with the location—Nie Luo’s private lounge.
Fan Qing wasn’t entirely surprised. At Nie Luo’s level, a personal lounge was perfectly normal. Otherwise, waiting at the audition site could easily cause a stir.
Fan Qing paused, choosing not to enter immediately. He bought a pack of decent cigarettes outside—not because he had any interest in smoking, but because he understood the occasional utility of such a prop.
After purchasing, he slipped down a side path he had previously scoped, moving toward the lounge.
Halfway there, his attention was caught by a few words carried on the wind.
The voice was faint, almost lost in the air, but he caught a few key words:
“drug”, “Nie Luo”, “humiliation”, “audition role”.
In that instant, Fan Qing recalled a pivotal scene from the novel: Nie Luo was the ultimate antagonist the protagonist needed to defeat. To do so, the protagonist exploited his knowledge of the plot and secretly drugged Nie Luo.
Was this… happening now?
A cold sweat ran down Fan Qing’s spine.
Nie Luo’s assistant had resigned, and Fan Qing had just become his temporary assistant. At the exact same time, Nie Luo was at risk of being sabotaged. The consequences could be catastrophic.
Fan Qing’s mind raced. He had to act—immediately.
Nie Luo’s location should now be…
[Nie Luo had almost instantly sensed something amiss. His eyes reflected stunned disbelief, yet in a fraction of a second, he regained control, found an excuse, and hurried back to his lounge.]
Fan Qing glimpsed the direction the voice had come from, quickly noting the distinct characteristics, and dashed toward the lounge.
He remembered the novel: the protagonist’s plan had worked, shattering Nie Luo’s spotless reputation. Never before touched by scandal, Nie Luo’s career nearly plummeted overnight.
Recalling this knowledge, Fan Qing’s face darkened as he ran through multiple contingency plans. He had underestimated the importance of the novel’s “information.” Nie Luo could not be allowed to fall victim now.
As he pushed open the lounge door, a vision hit him: a body radiating restrained power and raw sensuality, a figure never before glimpsed by anyone, perfectly sculpted.
Fan Qing froze. All prior plans evaporated. One thought consumed him:
“Brother… I’ve got you?”
Nie Luo looked up sharply, eyes reddened.
Within them burned a mix of near-mad rationality, vigilance, and confusion—entering a territory he had never trod.
Fan Qing felt as if the gaze gripped his throat.
So beautiful.
He couldn’t help but follow those eyes, yet fiercely restrained his own expression.
“I’m Fan Qing. The agent should have told you—I’ll be your temporary assistant for the next few days.”
He quickly recited the agent’s and driver’s numbers. The initial wariness in Nie Luo’s posture visibly softened.
Fan Qing composed himself, closing the lounge door behind him, and stepped closer.
His proximity triggered a flicker of alert in Nie Luo. The man reached for the zipper, but Fan Qing’s hand covered his eyes first.
“Sorry, brother. This is sudden—I didn’t mean to offend.”
What was he planning?
Nie Luo’s mind raced.
Seconds later, Fan Qing’s palm radiated heat, far more intense than expected.
What was he doing? Was he insane?!
Nie Luo’s shock deepened as a tie now covered his eyes, the chest behind him flat and solid, the breath tinged with aftershave. At that moment, he sensed a distinctly masculine presence unlike any other.
Fan Qing’s voice cut through:
“Brother, if I’m not mistaken, your audition starts in half an hour. I’ve just ordered a milk tea—it’ll be here in fifteen minutes at most. I’ll ‘accidentally’ spill it to create a small problem here, but… Brother, I’ll need your cooperation, alright?”
Nie Luo’s body shifted from resistance to stiff acceptance.
If Fan Qing hadn’t been pressed to his back, he might have missed the muffled sounds escaping Nie Luo’s teeth.
Fan Qing pressed closer, hidden behind Nie Luo’s form, licking his lips unconsciously.
Truly… top-tier male allure.
Fifteen minutes later.
Fan Qing spilled the milk tea over the tie and his own right hand. Nie Luo’s forehead was dotted with a fine layer of sweat, yet his body and expression betrayed nothing.
Fan Qing used his left hand to take the tie from his own neck and draped it around Nie Luo’s.
Standing before the nearly 1.9-meter-tall Nie Luo, he was exactly at nose level. As he leaned closer, a scent—half cologne, half aftershave—wafted straight into Nie Luo’s nose.
Instinctively, Nie Luo grabbed the tie and stepped back.
Fan Qing’s expression paused for a beat, then shifted to one of understanding.
“Then you tie it yourself, brother. I’ll go borrow some cleaning supplies and make sure nothing inappropriate is left behind.”
He said this and turned to leave, but the corner of his eye quickly flashed a glimmer of excitement.
Nie Luo—he hadn’t expected such a surprise!
Inside the lounge, Nie Luo held the tie, his brows drawn tight. The odd heat in his body had subsided, but another kind of warmth—entirely new to him—lingered, subtle but persistent.
Fan Qing, relying on his social skills and polite smile, quickly borrowed cleaning supplies.
He meticulously wiped every surface that might have come into contact with the “evidence” three times before returning the supplies.
As he returned them, he casually remarked,
“I wonder if there were any cameras. The tea spilled under the table—my crawling under there to clean it up must not have been seen, right? That would be… embarrassing.”
The girl accepting the supplies reassured him kindly,
“Don’t worry. This lounge is prepared for someone of Nie Luo’s status; there’s definitely no surveillance. No one will see.”
Fan Qing let out a genuine sigh of relief.
“That’s good. Thanks—if there’s a chance, I’ll treat everyone to a meal.”
The girl just responded with a few affirming hums and went back to work.
A few steps later, another thought struck Fan Qing—if there were no cameras, then how did the original protagonist in the novel manage to make Nie Luo miss the audition?
Before he could dwell on it, a few voices reached him.
“Jing Yuan, are we really doing the right thing? I mean, I want Nie Luo’s autograph too, but isn’t it a bit forward to go bother him?”
“What’s wrong? Afraid he’ll get angry? Don’t worry—we share the same agent, remember? Nie Luo is reasonable, and as long as we’re polite, just asking for an autograph won’t be a problem. Or are you going to miss such a great opportunity? I should say, Nie Luo is extremely busy normally. I just happened to meet him while auditioning—if we miss this, who knows when we’ll get another chance?”
“But…”
“If you’re really scared, I’ll go myself. Waiting too long might mess up the audition—can’t waste time like that.”
“All right, then I’ll come too.”
I see. Using the autograph as a pretext to bring people here… in order to expose Nie Luo’s “embarrassment”?
And that earlier conversation—emphasizing both that Nie Luo wouldn’t get angry and that his schedule was tight—was precisely calculated to give them the courage to approach.
This must be Jing Yuan, the novel’s protagonist.
Fan Qing quietly recited the name in his mind, then quickly recalled another fact:
The drama was “Mountains and Rivers, the World”, a production flawless from director to writer to investors. In the novel, the series became an instant hit, even gaining international recognition.
Because of this, nearly every actor in the cast enjoyed a significant boost in popularity, and the lead, Jing Yuan, catapulted directly into top-tier fame.
Fan Qing’s suspicions began to sharpen.
Same agent, yet why are both Jing Yuan and Nie Luo auditioning for the same production? If Jing Yuan will eventually be the lead, what role is he auditioning for now? Second male lead? Or… the main male lead?
Furthermore, why did Nie Luo’s assistant just quit, conveniently replaced by him, a minor eighteen-line actor?
And why, when the agent spoke of him, was there an undercurrent of displeasure toward Nie Luo?
These thoughts flashed through Fan Qing’s mind in an instant.
But the most pressing matter: he had to get back to the lounge.
His steps quickened; he needed to return before the others arrived.
Pushing the door open, Fan Qing paused slightly. Nie Luo was still inside, holding the tie.
Fan Qing: “Brother, you’re still here?”
Nie Luo’s brows furrowed as he glanced at him.
For a fleeting second, their eyes met; Nie Luo suspiciously averted his gaze, but within a heartbeat, he snorted and turned back, grabbing the tie. He stepped up to Fan Qing, chin slightly raised.
“Tie it for me.”
Fan Qing’s eyes flickered with surprise, then narrowed slightly in amusement.
Nie Luo… couldn’t tie his own tie?
What a pleasant surprise.
Fan Qing leaned half a step closer, looping the tie around Nie Luo’s neck.
The pose was intimate—so close that his chest was just a breath away from Nie Luo’s.
The clean, crisp scent of Fan Qing’s breath brushed against Nie Luo’s neck. Instinctively, Nie Luo wanted to step back but held himself still.
His gaze dropped slightly, hiding his inner bewilderment.
Too coincidental.
Fan Qing becoming his assistant, arriving at this precise moment… was it really just chance?
Neither of them spoke. They were so close that when Jing Yuan pushed open the door, he couldn’t help but feel a flicker of delight at what he saw.
He didn’t even have time to think, just as he was about to speak, a loud voice exploded right by his ear.
“Who are you? This is Nie Luo’s lounge! Even if you’re staff, please knock before entering!”
Jing Yuan froze.
Instinctively, he glanced over, just in time to meet Fan Qing’s gaze.
Fan Qing’s expression slowly spread into a small smile.
Surprised? Excited? Or caught off guard?