“Wait.”
Fan Qing deliberately stepped back a little, giving space as he continued tying Nie Luo’s tie.
Then he spoke calmly, without hurry.
“I’m Nie Luo’s new assistant, Fan Qing. This is Nie Luo’s lounge. May I ask who you two are? Staff? If you’re here to notify Nie Luo about the audition, please wait a moment—I just need to finish tying his tie first.”
A flash of annoyance passed through Jing Yuan’s eyes, but it quickly smoothed over.
Nie Luo, meanwhile, looked slightly surprised, his gaze subtly studying Fan Qing.
No one spoke for a moment, except the one naïve person in the room who finally piped up.
“Ah? No, we’re not staff—we’re also here to audition.”
Foolish, useless.
Jing Yuan cursed silently, but made no sound.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, scanning Nie Luo’s expression.
“System, are you sure the buff I exchanged has already been applied?”
“Please do not doubt the system’s accuracy or timing. It is certain: Nie Luo has already received the buff.”
“Really? Then tell me, why can’t I see even a trace of desire from him?”
“The system can confirm the buff has been successfully applied, but cannot answer the host’s questions. Please explore for yourself.”
Useless, just like before!
Jing Yuan cursed inwardly.
Distracted at a crucial moment? Talking to the system attached to him?
Trying to confirm if the buff worked?
Fan Qing, observing Jing Yuan, quickly drew a conclusion—apparently, the “plan” had not succeeded. The protagonist seemed quite disappointed.
Jing Yuan happened to look up.
Their eyes met.
Fan Qing casually averted his gaze, showing no trace of embarrassment.
Jing Yuan, appearing equally composed, even offered Fan Qing a faint smile.
Something’s off.
Jing Yuan was taken aback.
This Fan Qing… there’s something strange about him.
He was well aware of the agent’s plan. Even the “clean-up” plan concerning Fan Qing was part of his arrangement.
Yet now, Fan Qing felt… too unusual.
Jing Yuan recalled what he knew of Fan Qing—brooding, twisted, obsessed with secretly gathering gossip and fabricating rumors.
But now, that didn’t seem to fit at all.
A flicker of caution passed through his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.
The situation was unclear; better not to stir the pot.
It seemed today might be a wasted trip.
Oh? At least he was cautious.
Sensing Jing Yuan’s change, Fan Qing slightly toned down the smile on his face.
It seemed… this wasn’t just about relying on the system.
What’s going on?
Why did it feel like everyone here had their own agenda?
The only person completely clueless, Qi Leyue, froze for a moment before cautiously asking,
“So… are we going to audition now?”
Jing Yuan reacted first.
Audition?
If Nie Luo is fine, what chance does he have to compete?
Since that’s the case, why not give Nie Luo a little advantage?
At that thought, Jing Yuan’s smile brightened.
“Nie Luo, shall we go together? I managed to get a lucky audition for the lead role, and I’ve been practicing hard, but honestly, I mainly came to watch your audition. I know the lead role will definitely be yours!”
Qi Leyue beside him looked impressed.
“Jing Yuan, you really are a fan of Nie Luo! I also think the lead role will be his!”
Jing Yuan’s expression stiffened.
At that moment, Nie Luo, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.
“Mm.”
Mm?
Jing Yuan blinked, slightly taken aback, then quickly composed himself.
Interesting.
Fan Qing, watching the scene, nearly laughed silently.
Nie Luo glanced at Jing Yuan, then added,
“You’re not the only one working hard on your acting.”
Then he looked at Fan Qing.
“Let’s go. Follow me.”
Fan Qing fell in step behind him. Passing Jing Yuan, he deliberately offered a slight smile.
“Then we’ll go first.”
Provocative.
This was definitely a provocation!
Jing Yuan’s smile remained, but in his mind, the warning lights were blaring.
Seeing them leave, Qi Leyue froze.
After a moment, he looked at Jing Yuan, excitement written all over his face.
“I think Nie Luo is different from what you said! He’s so cool! Even though I didn’t get his autograph, this is the first time I’ve seen him with his full aura—it’s amazing! He’s really handsome! Totally my idol!”
Jing Yuan gritted his teeth, silently insulted by the praise yet forced to smile in agreement.
“I’ve only heard about Nie Luo from the agent, but yes, he really has an imposing aura. That’s something I can’t match.”
Qi Leyue didn’t catch the subtle hint and patted his shoulder in reassurance.
“It’s fine. Maybe your agent doesn’t know Nie Luo that well. After all, they have so many people to manage—don’t blame yourself for not understanding him.”
Jing Yuan’s chest tightened with frustration.
For a long moment, he didn’t know what to say, and could only change the subject.
“After Nie Luo, it should be our turn. Let’s go too.”
The audition proceeded exactly as Nie Luo had described.
Jing Yuan’s performance clearly showed effort, careful preparation, and dedication.
But with Nie Luo as the standard, that sense of realism—like a character stepping straight out of the script—instantly eclipsed Jing Yuan.
Fan Qing, for the first time, witnessed Nie Luo’s acting in person.
Powerful, composed, and with an unhidden passion for his craft.
Fan Qing covered his mouth, concealing the action of licking his slightly dry lips.
He wanted him.
For the first time, he felt such an intense desire, such an urge to claim someone.
He had never imagined that the partner he longed for would be such a formidable man.
No.
Fan Qing quickly denied the thought.
Perhaps, deep down, the partner he had always wanted was exactly this type.
That explained why, in his past life, his side had remained empty.
Thinking of this, a delighted curve appeared at the corners of Fan Qing’s eyes.
What could be more thrilling than discovering exactly what you want immediately after gaining a new life?
A subtle gaze fell on Fan Qing.
Nie Luo’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Let’s go. Back.”
In the car, the two rode in silence.
When Fan Qing returned to his small rented apartment, he immediately received a call from his agent.
The voice almost dripped with disapproval and curiosity.
“What happened today? Did something happen? Why did Nie Luo say you don’t need to go see him anymore? What exactly went on?”
Instead of interrogating him, the question seemed designed to nip the problem at its root.
Fan Qing was genuinely surprised by Nie Luo’s straightforwardness.
But…
Nie Luo was smart.
A person at the top, sharp and discerning.
Seeing Fan Qing as too insignificant, perhaps he had no desire to probe further, choosing the simplest solution instead.
Fan Qing thought about it carefully, realizing a sense of ultimate arrogance in this approach.
“Hey, hey! Are you listening, Fan Qing?”
A bit loud.
Fan Qing glanced at the phone number and replied casually,
“Not sure. Maybe he thought my presence was embarrassing. Hung up.”
Arrogance?
That alone showed he had a sharp eye for people.
If it were him, he would also look down on his current self.
But, in that case… a coincidence.
Fan Qing slightly curved his lips, his eyes flashing with determination and resolve.
Some plans could now slowly begin.
Embarrassing?
What did that mean?
Meanwhile, the agent, having been hung up on, was furious, nearly throwing the phone.
He needed to ask Jing Yuan—today, being with Nie Luo, he should know what happened.
And as for Fan Qing… there would be time to deal with him later!
Fan Qing returned to the set after just one day, surprising Jian Feiyang a little, though his joy showed.
He picked a moment when no one was around to quietly ask Fan Qing,
“Ah Qing, didn’t you go to Nie Luo’s side? How come you’re back so quickly?”
Wasn’t he supposed to stay there for a few days?
Just one day?
Fan Qing didn’t respond immediately, instead carefully studying Jian Feiyang from head to toe for a long moment.
Jian Feiyang’s scalp tingled under the scrutiny.
Finally, Fan Qing spoke,
“I’ve been practicing my cooking lately. Starting tomorrow, I’ll bring meals for you.”
“Ah?”
Jian Feiyang blinked, scratching the back of his head.
“You’re really going to do that?”
He had thought it was just a casual remark.
He muttered to himself,
“Honestly, the set’s boxed meals have been fine recently. No need for special ones, right?”
“That’s because I found a little leverage against the assistant director.”
Fan Qing spoke bluntly.
Before Jian Feiyang could react with surprise, Fan Qing quickly recounted the recent minor incidents to him.
At the end, he hinted pointedly:
“Even being transferred just now—I think you need to consider who you might have offended.”
Jian Feiyang’s emotions oscillated from shock, to disbelief, to subtle guilt.
After a while, he lifted his head with determination.
“Then Ah Qing, you bring me meals.”
Fan Qing was a little surprised.
“You’re not asking why?”
Jian Feiyang paused, then smiled.
“I don’t think I need to. I can’t see all that you’ve done for me, and I probably can’t guess what you plan to do. I just know that whatever you do, it’s for my benefit.”
Now Fan Qing was truly surprised.
“You’re not afraid I might have other intentions?”
Jian Feiyang grinned, showing a perfect row of teeth.
“Then Ah Qing, you sell me off, and I’ll count the money for you. I’m already an adult—whatever I decide is my choice.”
“…Selling off, maybe not. Counting money, though, you can look forward to.”
Fan Qing ruffled his head again. Jian Feiyang’s eyes behind his glasses remained calm.
Since Jian Feiyang was willing to trust him, Fan Qing naturally would not betray that trust.
“Tomorrow, don’t eat anything for breakfast—not even water. I’ll bring everything to you.”
With that, Fan Qing pushed up his glasses and left quickly.
Once his figure disappeared, Jian Feiyang’s usually sunny expression turned obscure.
He hesitated over the phone for a long moment, then finally dialed the number.
The call was answered almost instantly, and the male voice on the other end couldn’t hide his surprise.
“Ah Yang? You actually took your brother off the blacklist?”
Jian Feiyang started to speak but stopped midway, ultimately saying something else.
“Brother, I don’t think my current assistant is very good…”
“Is that so? That’s normal. I’ve told you before, the people in this industry aren’t clean. You should just listen to me and come back home to work…”
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Jian Feiyang froze.
Sure enough, his brother had a hand in this.
He grabbed his hair and crouched down, all his words rolling around in his head until they condensed into one frustrated expletive.
“Damn it!”