“It’s done.”
Yu Qinzhuo’s voice pulled Ming Qi back to his thoughts. He quickly lowered his head and brought his attention back to his palm. The slightly cool ointment felt a bit mildly stinging when applied, but it was still bearable. Ming Qi looked at it, then curved his eyes and said, “Thank you.”
“This is what a partner should do.”
Yu Qinzhuo stood up and walked with long strides to put the ointment back into the bedside cabinet. By accident, he turned his head and noticed the young man in the reflection of the transparent window, head lowered. He looked a bit like a small animal accustomed to curling up tightly to gain a sense of safety—pitiful and endearing.
Returning to his side, Yu Qinzhuo asked him, “What are you thinking about?”
“About the commercial shoot.” Ming Qi looked up, revealing a delicate and beautiful face. “It’s my first time shooting a commercial. I’m pretty excited.”
“I’ll send you there then.”
“It’s just a small thing, Brother Meng can handle it.” Ming Qi hesitated a moment and asked him, “Aren’t you busy recently?”
Previously, Yu Qinzhuo had been traveling almost every day, but after Ming Qi finished filming and returned from the set, he seemed to have gone back to being that idle head of the Yu Corporation. During the time Ming Qi was resting his right hand, Yu Qinzhuo had basically stayed by his side every day and barely even gone to the company.
“I already finished the things I needed to handle while you were filming. Besides, if I have to do everything myself, then what am I hiring those people for? To just take my money?” Yu Qinzhuo’s tone was lazy. “Also, there’s something you need to pay attention to—”
“W-what is it?”
He sounded so serious that Ming Qi became a little nervous.
But Yu Qinzhuo just smiled and said, “Sending you to work isn’t a small matter.”
…
After Yu Qinzhuo left the room, Ming Qi lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
He lay there for half an hour, then finally couldn’t suppress the chaotic emotions rising in his chest. He picked up his phone and found Bo Hongfang’s contact.
77.: Brother, brother, brother, are you there!
Bo Senior: “What are you doing, calling ‘brother’ like you’re laying eggs? What’s up?”
Ming Qi didn’t care about the teasing. He awkwardly touched his nose and asked quietly: Are you free now? I have something I want to ask you.
Based on the timing, Bo Hongfang should still be filming. Ming Qi didn’t know the shooting schedule after leaving the set, so he was worried he might catch him at a busy time.
Luckily, the other replied: I’m free. I’m in the lounge removing makeup right now.
Good.
Ming Qi let out a small sigh of relief, then gathered his courage and asked: Brother, when you act, do you ever get too deeply into character and can’t get out?
Bo Senior: Yeah. When I acted in Death Notice, I saw too many real-life references for the psychopath role. After filming ended, I was still in a daze and had to be dragged by Brother Zheng to see a psychologist.
Bo Senior: Didn’t you watch our roadshows?! We even talked about it there.
Ming Qi: “……”
With so many roadshows, he couldn’t possibly watch every single one.
Bo Senior: It even trended.
Ming Qi: “……”
This was awkward.
He coughed lightly and decisively used his usual method of dealing with Yu Qinzhuo—changing the topic.
77.: I’m not talking about playing a psychopath. I mean during romance scenes.
Bo Hongfang actually liked chatting with Ming Qi. He quite liked him and treated him almost like a younger brother. Today was the same. After the makeup artist finished removing his makeup and left, he brewed himself a cup of tea and began solving Ming Qi’s emotional confusion.
But he never expected Ming Qi to ask something like this. He choked on his tea, face instantly flushing red as he slapped his chest.
Damn.
Bo Senior: That kind of thing is NOT something you should get too into! Are you trying to cheat on Yu Qinzhuo?!
Ming Qi: “……”
He quickly explained: It’s not me, it’s a friend of mine.
Bo Senior: Oh, that’s better. You scared me.
After calming down, Bo Hongfang thought back to Ming Qi’s relationship with Yu Qinzhuo. Since Ming Qi hadn’t been filming lately, this “friend” was probably real. So he answered seriously: Yeah, it happens. My first relationship started because I got too into a romance scene and couldn’t get out of it.
77.: Then how did you get out of it later?
Bo Senior: Simple. Just remind yourself of the other person’s flaws.
Ming Qi carefully thought about Yu Qinzhuo’s flaws.
After thinking for a long time, he couldn’t come up with any.
What flaws could Yu Qinzhuo even have? He had looks, money, a clean private life, and was gentle and considerate toward him.
Ming Qi: “……”
He couldn’t find any.
He replied awkwardly: My friend said that man doesn’t seem to have any flaws.
Bo Hongfang sighed and sent a voice message: How can a person not have flaws? If you can’t find big ones, find small ones. Like snoring while sleeping and disturbing you, or smelly feet and not washing socks, not doing housework.
Bo Senior: If that still doesn’t work, disliking cilantro counts too.
77.: ? How can disliking cilantro be a flaw? That’s clearly a plus!
Bo Senior: Oh wow, so you’re a cilantro lover. Then let’s fight.
77.: [Forty-meter-long sword.jpg]
Their conversation drifted further and further off-topic. Just then, the faint sound of footsteps unique to Yu Qinzhuo came from outside the slightly open bedroom door, so Ming Qi simply let the conversation continue drifting all the way to the horizon.
“What are you looking at? Smiling so happily?”
Ming Qi thought of what Bu Hongfang had just said, turned over, lay half-prone on the bed, and looked at Yu Qinzhou, asking curiously, “Do you like eating cilantro?”
Yu Qinzhou was surprised that his question was so random, but still answered truthfully, “I do.”
“What about scallions and ginger?”
“I don’t like them.”
Ming Qi: “……”
Finished, it seemed even more compatible, all positives.
Was he really going to fall into Yu Qinzhou’s hands?
Ming Qi pursed his lips. When Yu Qinzhou looked at him with a doubtful gaze, asking the reason for these questions, his fingers unconsciously pinched the corner of the blanket and he softly explained, “I was just asking. I just had a fight with Brother Bu Hongfang about cilantro.”
“Then next time invite him to our house for a meal.”
“Huh?”
“Let Cen Jing prepare a cilantro feast for him.”
Ming Qi couldn’t help but laugh out loud, and sent Bu Hongfang a message: Yu Qinzhou said to invite you to our house for a meal, and make you a cilantro feast.
Bu Hongfang’s mouth twitched slightly: You people with partners really bully those without partners like this? Shameless!
77.: [grinning emoji.jpg]
…
The day Ming Qi went to shoot an advertisement for the niche perfume brand Bitter Orange, the weather was very good.
Although Yu Qinzhou said he would send Ming Qi to work, as his agent, Meng She still had to follow closely. Now sitting again in that Rolls-Royce Cullinan he had longed for, Meng She was already extremely calm. As soon as he got in the car, he said to Ming Qi, “I heard Zhou Xingxiu has returned to the country, and he’s preparing a literary film he plans to submit for awards. Do you want to try it?”
Hearing Zhou Xingxiu’s name so suddenly, Ming Qi paused for a moment, then nodded after a while, “A literary film?”
“It’s just rumors. The actual script won’t be disclosed to us. If you’re interested, I can sign you up.”
“Okay.”
Meng She made an OK gesture and grinned at Ming Qi, “What I wanted to say is done. Next I’ll be transparent. You two say whatever you want, do whatever you want, no need to mind me.”
Ming Qi was speechless.
He had already told Meng She his real relationship with Yu Qinzhou, so Meng She saying this was probably teasing him.
On the other hand, Yu Qinzhou smiled faintly and naturally picked up the conversation, “How long does it take to shoot one advertisement?”
Although Ming Qi had never shot one before, even if he hadn’t eaten pork, he had seen pigs run. Moreover, when things had gotten ugly with Shi Yong back then, Le Siyan would always deliberately come to show off in front of him whether he had taken a role or shot an ad. Ming Qi had heard so much his ears were calloused.
“Hard to say. It could be within a week. But at least two days for my part,” Ming Qi said softly while flipping through the brand’s documents, explaining to Yu Qinzhou, “We’ll shoot in the studio today, and tomorrow we’ll go to Tongshi for seaside filming.”
Tongshi and Jing City weren’t far apart—three hours by high-speed rail. If rushed, it could even be a round trip in one day.
Yu Qinzhou raised a brow. “I won’t go into the studio today. Would you mind if I go with you to Tongshi tomorrow?”
Huh?
Ming Qi blinked at him.
Before he could answer, Meng She in the back seat couldn’t hold back anymore. He had originally promised not to disturb them, but now he blurted out, “What’s there to mind? Worst case we just don’t go with the brand tomorrow. Even though Tongshi is close to Jing City, I don’t think Qi Bao has ever been there to play, right? Perfect—you two can take a little vacation?”
While speaking, he pulled out his phone. “I know a hotel in Tongshi with very good privacy. Want me to send it to you?”
“Send it to me,” Yu Qinzhou said, turning Ming Qi’s head back from where he had been about to speak to Meng She. He leaned slightly toward Meng She and smiled, “Then I’ll trouble you, Mr. Meng.”
“It’s just sending a hotel. Not troublesome.”
Meng She smiled brightly.
He knew it—
He knew this damn arranged marriage was definitely not simple.
The night he returned from the filming base to Jing City, he had gone to a web novel site and binge-read a pile of arranged-marriage BL novels. Eighty percent of arranged marriages were one side deliberately planned; even if not, they still followed the rule of falling in love after marriage. Come on, their Ming Qi was so good—Yu Qinzhou falling for him was normal!
And from what Ming Qi had told him and Yu Qinzhou’s usual behavior, he was sure Yu Qinzhou had ulterior motives toward their Qi Bao.
So, if he could help, he would. After all, he was quite satisfied with Yu Qinzhou as a son-in-law.
Arriving at the photography building arranged by the brand, Ming Qi put on a mask and got out of the car. Meng She followed and looked back, asking Yu Qinzhou, “Are you leaving now, Mr. Yu?”
The Cullinan parked outside the studio was indeed too eye-catching. But it was close to the Nanyang Club, so Yu Qinzhou said, “I’ll be nearby. Call me when you’re about done.”
Meng She quickly nodded in agreement.