A-Chao glanced at Ming Qi, who had already gone stiff like a corpse, and poked at his weak point again. “Also, I saw him pacing around the hotel entrance this morning. A couple of minutes later, you came down.”
Ming Qi: “……”
You really shouldn’t lie.
Ming Qi looked at Bu Hongfang, trying to convey through his eyes a deep friendship so he would just let him off and pretend nothing had happened. But clearly friendship couldn’t win against Bu Hongfang’s thirst for gossip.
“So that means Boss Yu was already here a couple of days ago. Then my gift wasn’t delivered wrong after all,” Bu Hongfang said.
Ming Qi: “?!”
No, how do you even know he’s Yu Qinzhou?!
Probably because Ming Qi’s eyes were too wide and his shock too obvious, Bu Hongfang patted his shoulder. “Don’t be so surprised. I noticed him during the script read-through. Even though you always arrived first and left last, don’t forget I was staying at Director Zhang’s place. From that window… I could even see you two kissing.”
Ming Qi: “?!”
Bu Hongfang coughed. “Okay, that might be a bit exaggerated, but you get the idea.”
Ming Qi, however, did not want to get the idea. He felt like his entire soul had left his body.
So it turns out all his sneaking around had been completely pointless… no, at least Meng She hadn’t noticed.
While Ming Qi was still reeling, Bu Hongfang had already turned to his assistant with a condemning look.
“You knew something this big and didn’t tell me?”
A-Chao said expressionlessly, “Because I don’t know when I’ll randomly get blamed for something again, right, Bu-ge.”
Bu Hongfang: “……”
…
After Bu Hongfang finally let him go, Ming Qi returned to his small chair. He looked around but didn’t see Yu Qinzhou. Only when he glanced toward Director Zhang did he spot the man standing casually beside him.
Yu Qinzhou was watching the monitor, while Zhang Cong was pointing at the screen and speaking quietly. Yu Qinzhou occasionally nodded.
Ming Qi thought for a moment, then walked over.
“Director Zhang, what are you discussing?”
“We’re showing your man some of your earlier scenes,” Zhang Cong said casually.
The phrase “your man” made Ming Qi’s expression awkwardly stiff. He instinctively glanced at Yu Qinzhou.
But the man only curved his lips slightly and said, “Mr. Ming’s acting is really good.”
Being praised in front of others made Ming Qi’s face flush. “There’s still room to improve.”
Zhang Cong looked between the two of them and came to the conclusion that they were just here to show off their relationship. He rolled his eyes in exasperation.
“Get ready,” he urged.
The first scene of the day began quickly.
Captain Old Xu of the criminal investigation team came to the forensic identification center to find Shen Yushan. Shen Yushan had just finished a call with his superior. Facing Old Xu, he showed no guilt or nervousness whatsoever. He was calm in a way that felt almost unnatural.
His slender, pale fingers pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses as he stood and poured tea for Old Xu. “My tea isn’t great. Please bear with me.”
Old Xu didn’t care. “When have I ever cared about tea quality? How’s the autopsy report going?”
“The one who stitched the body is very experienced, and the tools used were all very professional,” Shen Yushan said slowly. “Compared to that, the method used to remove the internal organs was crude and sloppy.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means the organs they took out—like kidneys—aren’t necessarily intact. They may not be sellable.”
Old Xu frowned deeply, as if he had already guessed something. After a moment, he said, “I understand,” then stood to leave. But just as he stepped out the door, he suddenly looked back.
“What perfume are you wearing today? It’s so strong.”
Shen Yushan raised a brow slightly.
He lifted his wrist, pressed it lightly under his nose, and sniffed. “Is it really that strong? I only used a bit of men’s fragrance.”
“So flashy?”
“I’m not like you. I have a date tonight.”
The second scene was Shen Yushan’s date.
Shen Yushan was the perfect lover in every woman’s eyes. Everything he did was polite, every action landing exactly where it would make someone fall for him—booking the restaurant in advance, planning the route, arriving on time, choosing flowers the other person liked. Just those small gestures alone were enough to make someone lose themselves.
But no one knew that behind that gentle, refined exterior was nothing more than a scumbag using charm as a tool.
“Cut.”
The camera froze on Shen Yushan leaning against a black car after sending his date home, staring at the light glowing on the twelfth floor.
Ming Qi didn’t smoke, so after Director Zhang called cut, he immediately extinguished the long cigarette prop and tossed it into the trash.
Then he walked over to Zhang Cong’s side to review the playback together.
In the corner on the other side, Meng She caught a glimpse of Yu Qinzhou’s serious expression out of the corner of his eye and said proudly, “How is it, Qi cub’s acting is great, right? Back then he ranked first in his major for three consecutive years. After entering the industry, he worked even harder. Other people watch movies for the plot and faces, but he studies acting. I once saw him taking notes—he filled several thick notebooks and kept them in his study.”
Meng She gestured with his hand, suddenly a bit emotional. “Fortunately, he acted in Death Preview and met very good directors and seniors.”
In the distance, Ming Qi was pointing at the screen while talking. It wasn’t clear what he said, but Zhang Cong, who had always kept a stern face, slightly relaxed and gave a faint smile. Ming Qi then also pursed his lips and smiled. Yu Qinzhou quietly looked at him, recalling the time long ago when the two of them sat on a street-side flower bed. The small Ming Qi held a candied hawthorn stick in his hand, pointing at the huge screen showing Lu Fengjing, and said to him, “I want to become an actor in the future.”
So much time had passed, but Ming Qi had forgotten him—yet he had not forgotten that final dream.
After watching Ming Qi for a long while, he curled his lips and softly said, “He shines when he’s acting.”
Meng She thought to himself “oh wow” and figured, as expected of a fan—he really knew how to talk.
Although their voices weren’t very loud, Huai Manyun and Zheng Liang, who were standing nearby appreciating Ming Qi’s acting, heard everything clearly. The two of them almost simultaneously looked at Yu Qinzhou’s eyes, then after a few seconds withdrew their gazes and crossed eyes with each other. Zheng Liang returned to Bu Hongfang’s side. Seeing him eating fruit, he unceremoniously grabbed the biggest guava slice and said while chewing, “Is he really just Ming Qi’s fan?”
Bu Hongfang paused slightly while picking at the guava and asked curiously, “Why do you ask that?”
Zheng Liang said, “The way he looks at Ming Qi really has nothing to do with innocence.”
Bu Hongfang thought to himself that his observation was pretty sharp, but knowing that Ming Qi had hidden things from them before, he probably didn’t want more people to know about his relationship with Yu Qinzhou, so he casually said, “Isn’t that normal? A fan wanting to become a boyfriend? I’ve run into that kind before.”
Zheng Liang: “…What you said actually makes some sense.”
Bu Hongfang said, “When have I ever said something that didn’t make sense?”
Zheng Liang didn’t bother with him anymore and looked down at the time. It was already lunchtime. As expected, after Zhang Cong and Ming Qi finished talking, Zhang Cong gave everyone a one-hour lunch and rest break. But unexpectedly, the person delivering lunch boxes today was very unfamiliar. The other person wore a very noticeable uniform, and the lunch boxes all looked very “expensive.”
“What’s going on?” Zheng Liang asked in surprise.
Bu Hongfang immediately threw down his toothpick and dashed out.
When a big boss is treating, you run first.
Only a fool would still be asking what’s going on.
Ming Qi was handed a lunch box. Just one look and he understood everything. He turned to look for Yu Qinzhou, but saw that Yu Qinzhou was still standing in the same spot. He walked over and whispered in his ear, “You spent so much money?”
Yu Qinzhou’s hand pressed on the top of his head as he spoke lazily, “What does this count as spending money? Do you not understand your husband’s financial situation very well?”
After that, Yu Qinzhou used actual actions to tell Ming Qi—he could still spend more.
Before the entire crew had even finished eating, coffee and drinks were delivered again. Although it was already March and there was no longer the biting cold of deep winter, a cup of hot milk tea or hot coffee could still warm someone up from head to toe. In an instant, the staff’s gaze toward Yu Qinzhou changed.
At first, they only thought Yu Qinzhou wearing a mask made him mysterious and good-looking. But now—alright, alright, so he’s a sugar daddy!
“Speaking of which, don’t you think the upper half of the sugar daddy’s face looks a bit like that Yu family guy?” At the restroom entrance, a staff member whispered while washing his hands to the person next to him.
The other person said “huh,” “How is that possible? If it were really that Yu family guy, why would he be hiding his face?”
The staff member thought seriously. “That’s true. If I had a fan like Yu Qinzhou, I’d definitely take his mask off… I’d make sure everyone knew he was Yu Qinzhou.”
The two finished washing their hands and slowly walked back to the set. Soon after, Ming Qi came out and quietly looked at the man following behind him. The two of them found a secluded place. Ming Qi frowned and said, “Is your mask uncomfortable?”
With his long fingers, Yu Qinzhou hooked the side of the mask and took it off. Without the black mask covering him, that striking face hit Ming Qi directly. Yu Qinzhou raised his brows slightly and said with amusement, “I’ve worn it all morning. Only now you ask if it’s uncomfortable? Mr. Ming, you really don’t care much about your fan.”
Ming Qi’s face turned red, and then he heard Yu Qinzhou continue, “If you really feel sorry for me, should I take it off this afternoon?”
Ming Qi was silent for a few seconds, then took the initiative to put the mask back on his face, saying seriously, “Actually, it’s not that uncomfortable, right?”
Yu Qinzhou: “……”
Ming Qi glanced at him. “Don’t look at me like that. I still have an account to settle with you.”
“Oh? What account?”
“Last night when you took out delivery you ran into A Chao and didn’t tell me?”
“I was worried you’d overthink,” Yu Qinzhou said calmly, without the slightest panic or guilt. “If you knew we ran into each other, you wouldn’t even be able to sleep tonight. With so many scenes to film today, could you handle it?”
Ming Qi: “……”
That actually sounded very reasonable.
Alright then, he believed it.
Only…
Ming Qi thought of the two staff members’ conversation and asked Yu Qinzhou hesitantly, “Are you staying at the set this afternoon?”
“Worried I’ll be discovered?”
Ming Qi answered honestly, “A little. But Zhang’s crew signed confidentiality agreements. I’m also worried you’ll be bored, and that it’ll affect your work.”
“I do have something to handle this afternoon,” Yu Qinzhou said, glancing at his watch. “I’ll come back tonight to accompany you.”
Hearing this, Ming Qi felt a strange sense of relief in his heart. Just as he was about to ask when Yu Qinzhou would leave, the man pressed him against the cold white wall with one hand and negotiated, “Want to kiss?”
Ming Qi: “……Why do we suddenly need to practice kissing?”
Yu Qinzhou had a very solid reason: “Ever heard of a farewell kiss?”