The meeting to decide on the next project for their studio was getting dragged on, to the point where the group had to take a break in the middle.
The managerial employees trudged out with exhausted faces to take a puff outside. Meanwhile, Ji Fanyin and Zhang Ning used the short break as an opportunity to have a small chat.
They started talking about work, but the two of them were so familiar with each other's working style and ideas that they were able to cut right through the negotiation phase and come to a consensus.
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Having settled their urgent business, they moved on to the next topic.
Zhang Ning took a puff of smoke and began gossiping, "I heard the new intern comes from a formidable background. I don't even know how much I should offer him for wages."
"150 a day," replied Ji Fanyin without hesitation. (23 USD per day)
"Whoa!" exclaimed Zhang Ning. "Are you a demon? Even a watch worn by young masters like him is easily worth several million dollars!"
Ji Fanyin closed her file and took a sip of water before refuting, "Exactly. Do you think that it would make a difference to him if he's making 150 a day or paying us 150 a day to work here?"
Zhang Ning burst into laughter. "You really are a demon. I'll order some coffee. What do you want?"
"Iced vanilla latte," Ji Fanyin casually answered.
Zhang Ning fumbled around with her phone for a moment, but barely a few seconds later, she placed it back on the table.
Ji Fanyin eyed her quizzically, "You're done ordering?"
"Someone already beat me to it." Zhang Ning winked at Ji Fanyin.
A few minutes later, Chen Yunsheng popped up outside the meeting room.
The meeting room featured glass walls all around, making anyone standing outside the meeting room extremely visible.
Even so, Ji Fanyin was so absorbed in reading her documents that she didn't notice him.
On the other hand, Zhang Ning stifled her laughter and curled her finger to beckon Chen Yunsheng over. Halfway through her movement, she thought that her finger curling gesture wasn't exactly appropriate, so she switched to waving instead.
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Chen Yunsheng directed a nod at Zhang Ning before entering the meeting room. He placed the several paper bags of Starbucks coffee he was carrying on the table.
The disturbance finally drew Ji Fanyin's attention, prompting her to raise her head. She made it just in time to see Chen Yunsheng placing a cup of iced latte in front of her.
Not wanting to disturb Ji Fanyin in the midst of her work, he glanced at Zhang Ning to check if the choice of drink was appropriate, but the latter was too absorbed into enjoying the real-life romance drama before her to respond to him. In the end, he could only turn to Ji Fanyin and ask in a low voice, "If I recall correctly, iced vanilla latte is one of your favorites, right?"
"That's right. Thank you." Ji Fanyin picked up the iced latte and took a sip.
Zhang Ning tactfully took a cup from the paper bag herself as she said, "Yunsheng, you can make a claim at the Finance Department with your receipt."
"It's okay, I'm treating everyone." Chen Yunsheng shook his head.
"Treating 'everyone'?" Zhang Ning looked at him with an amused smile. "Let's not conflate work expenses with private expenditure. Any expense you incur at work should be borne by the studio. Even if you don't lack money, we can't let you treat us for free."
"It's really alright…"
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Ji Fanyin interrupted Chen Yunsheng mid-sentence, saying, "Let him treat us if he wants to. Go drink your coffee."
"Hmph!" Zhang Ning pouted in indignance. She uncapped her cappuccino and gulped down a huge mouthful. Then, she turned to Ji Fanyin and protested in a high-pitched tone, "Darling, you're being too biased! Is it because I'm not as good looking as your little friend here?"
Ji Fanyin ignored her. She looked at Chen Yunsheng and said with a much gentler tone. "Ignore her. Go do your own stuff."
A smile formed on Chen Yunsheng's lips, revealing a small dimple in his left cheek. "Big sister, all the best for your work."
He walked out of the meeting room afterward. For some reason, his tall departing figure seemed to be beaming.
Zhang Ning dropped her high-pitched tone and remarked contemplatively, "Maybe I should find a youngster to date too."
Ji Fanyin ignored her.
"I mean it." Zhang Ning nudged Ji Fanyin with her shoulder. "It might just be a cup of latte now, but once you set this precedent, there's no stopping it anymore."
"There are no precedents I can't put a stop to," replied Ji Fanyin with her eyes still locked on the documents.
Zhang Ning burst into laughter. "Orh. What about the young master from the Bai Family?"
"… I nearly forgot. There's him too." Ji Fanyin took a moment to consider the matter.
Do I have to report Bai Zhou's employment here to Mrs. Bai?
She should be fine with it. It's unlikely that Bai Zhou can take the grind anyway. He'll probably be gone in a few days.
Ji Fanyin checked the time and saw that there were still a few more minutes left before the resumption of the meeting. So, she took out her phone and quickly composed a message to inform Mrs. Bai of the matter.
As expected, there was no reply.
The break soon ended. The team members poured back into the meeting room, having energized themselves for the next round of debate.
…
Bai Zhou had no work experience.
He had never had any superiors other than his own parents.
To make things worse, this was Ji Fanyin's workplace. Bai Zhou dared not put on airs here. His gut feeling told him that he was a mere excuse away from being fired by Ji Fanyin.
However, what annoyed him the most was none other than Chen Yunsheng.
Considering that they were born just a year apart from each other, it was likely that Chen Yunsheng had only joined the studio not too long ago. Yet, the competency he displayed in his work was far beyond that of Bai Zhou's.
The two of them had the same nasty scowl permanently etched onto their faces, but for some reason, Chen Yunsheng was much more popular than him amongst the staff members.
Throughout the day, the employees from other departments kept dropping by to chat with him.
"Are you free today? Let's play basketball after work!"
"I just bought an insanely fun game recently. You definitely have to try it out too!"
"Have you heard? X band is holding a concert soon. Let's go together!"
… He could still grudgingly accept it if it was just these.
But Chen Yunsheng was popular with the girls too!
One of them came over with a beaming smile, saying, "I tried the 'sure-kill' recipe you sent me, and the food was really yummy! A huge huge thank you for that! I'll be rooting for you!"
Bai Zhou thought about the three pots he had already destroyed on his arduous route to becoming the next Masterchef, and he clenched his fists tightly under the table.
… Shit! There's no way there could be such a huge gap between me and Chen Yunsheng.
Determined to pull his weight too, Bai Zhou marched up to the art director, whom Shen Qi had introduced him to earlier, and said, "Give me…Cough. I mean, please arrange some work for me to do."
The fifty-year-old man raised his head to look at him. There was a brief moment of thought before he started going through his desk.
Bai Zhou waited patiently while looking around. In his peripheral vision, he saw Chen Yunsheng from the opposite sector receiving a phone call before subsequently walking out of the office.
Less than a minute later, Chen Yunsheng returned with a few paper bags with the Starbucks logo imprinted on them. He placed the bags on the communal table, informing the people around to help themselves to the beverages.
Bai Zhou scoffed in disdain:Tsk. Bootlicker.
"Is Yunsheng treating us to coffee?" The art director looked over before turning to Bai Zhou. "Bai Zhou, help me get a cup. You'll have to hurry, or else it'll run out before you know it. Remember to get one for yourself too."
A tight frown formed on Bai Zhou's forehead, but he eventually walked over with a resigned look on his face. On his way there, he saw Chen Yunsheng picking up one of the paper bags and walking away.
Bai Zhou stared intently at Chen Yunsheng's back as the latter navigated his way toward the meeting room. He spent a moment peeping in from outside before heading in.
"..."Ji Fanyin hasn't left that meeting room since early morning, right?
He stared sharply at the meeting room door until someone approached him and carefully asked, "Bai Zhou, what are you looking at?"
"…" Bai Zhou tried his best to mellow down his tone before replying, "Chen Yunsheng entered the meeting room."
"Oh…" The enquirer secretly reached for the last two cups of coffee while Bai Zhou wasn't paying attention. "Sometimes it takes a pretext to make a move, y'know? It's kind of similar to how you can't just give a packet of snacks to one person in class; the whole class will protest and make things awkward."
"Fuck." Bai Zhou cursed under his breath.
… I knew it! Chen Yunsheng is trying to court Ji Fanyin too!Why is he such a bootlicker?!
… Shit. I should have thought of buying coffee too!
"…" The colleague was about to swipe away the last two cups of coffee when he heard Bai Zhou's curse. Intimidated, he put back the two cups with trembling hands. "Y-you can have it. I don't need them anymore."
Bai Zhou angrily picked up the two cups of coffee, but he continued staring through the meeting room's glass door till Chen Yunsheng finally exited the room. The latter was radiating rainbows and sunshine, to the point where his image as a cool guy was on the verge of unraveling.
Their gazes happened to meet mid-air then. Sparks flew from their eyes.
Bai Zhou's angry-o-meter hit the max whereas Chen Yunsheng's smile slowly faded.
The Art Department happened to overcome a huge problem that very night. Overjoyed, they used welcoming the new intern as a pretext to have dinner together.
The studio was rather tight-knitted with each department being on close terms with one another. It didn't take long for news to travel, and the number of attendees swiftly snowballed.
Unfortunately, Zhang Ning was in a rush to return home to switch to a gown for a social gathering. As for He Shen, there was no way someone who had to video-conference in for an important company meeting would voluntarily participate in a gathering.
In the end, Ji Fanyin checked her schedule with Shen Qi before coolly waving her hand and saying, "Let's go. Dinner's on me."
"Long live our boss!"
"Thank you, Sister Yin!"
"Big sister, you're awesome!"
All sorts of compliments rained down on Ji Fanyin, especially from the girls.
Bai Zhou: "..."
Chen Yunsheng isn't the only one who calls Ji Fanyin 'big sister' in the studio!
Bai Zhou had always disliked crowds, so he wasn't planning on joining the gathering. However, he changed his mind right away when he learned that Chen Yunsheng was going to participate in the gathering.
What if Ji Fanyin got drunk? I can't possibly let Chen Yunsheng send her home!
Ji Fanyin was extremely thorough in keeping her new address under wraps, such that Bai Zhou wasn't able to find the slightest clue of it despite having asked around. That left him incredibly frustrated.
But there was nothing he could do. The current Ji Fanyin wasn't someone he could treat carelessly.
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There were many attendees at the gathering, so they had to split into multiple groups. Some of them had their own cars while others hailed taxis. Bai Zhou happened to drive over, so he took on the responsibility of ferrying his colleagues from the Art Department to the restaurant.
Bai Zhou felt that his temper had improved greatly after his relationship with Ji Fanyin. He responded to his colleagues when they tried to strike up a conversation with him, albeit perfunctorily.
"Yunsheng? He's a smart and hardworking person." An elder from the Editing Department shot out a huge thumbs up. "He doesn't have any experience in movie production, but he was able to quickly pick up the ropes by taking the initiative to learn. If only all our interns were like him!"
Someone from the CGI Department gave his two cents on the matter too. "It's rare for someone of his age to be so mature. If he stays with our studio, I bet he'll reach a managerial role within a few years. "
Another female colleague from the Scriptwriting Department buried her face in her hands and murmured dreamily, "Totally agreed! Men with personalities like his tend to be loyal to their partners. It's highly unlikely that they'll fall for others or have an extramarital affair."
Bai Zhou was tempted to retort, but he stopped himself before words could roll off his tongue.
… What right do I have to comment on this?
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It was then he caught sight of Ji Fanyin walking out of the studio building with a group of people. Chen Yunsheng was right beside her.
Ji Fanyin got into her sports car. Chen Yunsheng said something to her before climbing into the passenger seat.
Bai Zhou tightened his grip around the steering wheel.
"What about you, Bai Zhou?" Someone suddenly asked, "Why did you join our studio? I'm from the Human Resource Department, but I don't remember receiving your job application or resume."
"I…" Bai Zhou stuttered. There was a stifled feeling in his chest that he couldn't get out. In the end, he had to close his eyes for a brief moment to calm down. "… I wanted to get closer to someone."
"Ah, you must be a hardcore fan. I guess it's much easier for people in our trade to meet stars."
"But working with them will burst your fantasy's bubble."
"That's true…"
Bai Zhou's eyes remained glued to Ji Fanyin's car.
All of a sudden, he noticed Shen Qi walking over and knocking on his car window. Thinking that there was some important information about their gathering, he wound down the window.
Shen Qi bent down slightly and asked, "Did you see that?"
"See what?" Bai Zhou was confused by Shen Qi's incomprehensible question.
Shen Qi pointed at Ji Fanyin's car, and Bai Zhou's face darkened.
Shen Qi assessed Bai Zhou's reaction before nodding in satisfaction. "Make sure to take a closer look if you can. It'll be best if you think about it too."
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Bai Zhou felt an urge to bellow at him.
What's wrong with this fellow?
Meanwhile, Ji Fanyin was in the midst of revving her car engine. She glanced at Chen Yunsheng and reiterated, "This is the last time you're buying your way into my car with a cup of iced latte."
"Mm." Chen Yunsheng nodded his head obediently.
"Don't bother trying other beverages either."
"... Orh." Chen Yunsheng retracted his gaze from the rearview mirror, where another expensive looking car was seen. He buckled up his seatbelt and said, "I remember hearing Bai Zhou's voice in one of my phone calls with you."
Ji Fanyin couldn't recall this incident at all, so she offhandedly replied, "Is that so?"
"Mmhm. It was on the day following your birthday, when you returned my call." Chen Yunsheng placed his hands on his thighs, assuming an unusually obedient position. "I heard his voice in the background right before the call disconnected."
Memories of her time in Greece with Bai Zhou came to Ji Fanyin's mind.
"You told me it was work-related," said Chen Yunsheng, "so I thought Bai Zhou was also working for the studio."
"It was from my other job," Ji Fanyin briefly explained.
Chen Yunsheng did not reply.
Many thoughts ran through his mind that very instant. To be frank, Ji Fanyin didn't deliberately conceal the matter from him, and Bai Zhou had revealed some crucial information during their previous confrontation.
Chen Yunsheng had once obliquely broached the subject with her, but he didn't dare probe any deeper. He did have a conjecture in mind, but he never made any attempts to verify it.
Is this a good time to do so?But it might unravel the obedient image I have been putting up in front of her…
At a loss as to what he should do, Chen Yunsheng traced his finger across the seams of his pants. Eventually, he raised his head and flashed a smile at Ji Fanyin. "I'll be graduating from my cooking class in a month's time."
"Mmhm." Ji Fanyin glanced at him. Having seen through his intentions, she replied with a chuckle, "I haven't forgotten about it."
Those words were more than enough to lift Chen Yunsheng's spirit. He relaxed his clenched fingers and tossed He Shen, Song Shiyu, and Bai Zhou into the depths of his mind.
To hell with them!
He knew that it didn't matter what others did. Ultimately, the only one with the power to make the final decision was Ji Fanyin herself.
While Ji Fanyin was the one who often gave out red packets in their work chat group, as well as the youngest of the three bosses, the employees still maintained a level of respect for her even though they would joke with her from time to time.
For one, they were aware that Ji Fanyin had driven here, so no one tried to pressure her into joining their drinking session.
Soon, the waiter came over to take the orders from them.
Ji Fanyin took the menu and ordered some of her favorites before pushing the menu toward Shen Qi. However, on second thought, she passed the menu to the young ladies sitting on the same table instead.
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Let's indulge the girls a little.
Shen Qi wasn't too bothered with Ji Fanyin skipping by him. Propping up his glasses, he made use of the opportunity before the food arrived to inform Ji Fanyin of some work-related issues.
Ji Fanyin sipped some plain water while listening, occasionally nodding her head in acknowledgment.
Noticing their conversation, the others at the table subconsciously lowered their volume.
Cheng Yunsheng and Bai Zhou were seated with their respective departments, but their attention was hardly on their own table.
In fact, Bai Zhou wasn't even a fan of hot pot in the first place. While perfunctorily answering a couple of technical questions posed by his colleagues, he specially picked out a seat that provided the best view of Ji Fanyin.
He suddenly felt that something was amiss about the scene before him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. He must have eaten with Ji Fanyin almost a hundred times now, but there was something incongruous about her actions right now
What could it be?
He pondered for a very long time till he finally saw Ji Fanyin fishing out some cooked spinach from the boiling broth.
… Ji Xinxin doesn't like spinach, claiming that it tastes weird.
Bai Zhou stared at the scene with widened eyes. The sheer impact from it left his chest feeling congested.
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He had always deluded himself into thinking that the interactions Ji Fanyin had with him as a stand-in were at least, to a certain extent, genuine, but to think she was that thorough with her act…
Ironically, the two female colleagues beside him began discussing the lousy storyline of the recently released music video of 'The False Truth'.
He had hired Ji Fanyin to play the person he liked, but he ended up falling in love with the actress beneath the persona.
How did something like this even happen?
Bai Zhou suddenly found himself losing his appetite. He put down his chopsticks and started scrolling through his photo album. It didn't take him long to find the neoprints he had snapped a photo of.
Just then, the Art Director downed another cup of wine before curiously peeking over to see what Bai Zhou was staring at. He lurched in shock at what he saw and exclaimed, "Isn't that…"
"It's not her. That's her younger sister," replied Bai Zhou coldly.
After saying those words, he gritted his teeth and tapped on the 'Delete' button.
The middle-aged Arts Director couldn't comprehend the complexities behind Bai Zhou's actions. He simply scratched his head and replied with a casual "Oh" before calling out to his buddies for another round of alcohol.
Bai Zhou stuffed his phone back into his pocket and flipped over the empty cup in front of him. "I'll drink too."
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"Hoh!" The Art Director expressed his acknowledgment. "You have backbone, Bai Zhou! Don't worry, I'll pay for your valet later on!"
"Would he even mind that bit of money? I mean, just look at the car he drives…" someone whispered.
Bai Zhou was no stranger to alcohol, but this was the first time he was using it to drown his sorrows. It didn't help that there were three old geezers at his table who were skilled at getting him to drink more. It hardly took any effort for them to knock out the youth.
It was only when they tried to call a valet for Bai Zhou that something very important finally dawned on them.
… No one knew where Bai Zhou lived.
Heck, he hadn't even submitted his resume to the company yet!
Someone suggested checking Bai Zhou into a hotel room, but the idea was quickly shot down. It was inappropriate to leave an intoxicated person alone in a hotel room.
Unable to find any good solutions, the team eventually sought Ji Fanyin's advice.
Ji Fanyin shot a glance at Shen Qi.
Shen Qi immediately caught her drift. "I know where Bai Zhou lives."
It went without saying that Shen Qi didn't know Bai Zhou's address, but Ji Fanyin secretly sent the address to him, so all he had to do was to forward it to the team.
Everyone heaved a sigh of relief, lavishing praises on the almighty Assistant Shen.
"Give him a lift home," Ji Fanyin told Shen Qi.
Mrs. Bai would be hopping mad if something were to happen to Bai Zhou while he was drunk. Shen Qi was the administrator of the reservation app and knew the backstory here, so there was no one more appropriate to do the job.
Shen Qi replied with a nod and supported Bai Zhou out of the restaurant.
Bai Zhou wasn't the only one who was knocked out by the wine, so his departure with Shen Qi wasn't abrupt at all. Everyone simply laughed it off and continued with whatever they were doing.
When the meal was finally over, the relatively sober Ji Fanyin footed the bill with a swipe of her card.
The intoxicated Art Director happened to be walking behind her. He learned from the other youngsters and raised his hands up high, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Thank you, boss!"
Ji Fanyin laughed at the absurd sight. "That's enough of you. Hurry back home and sleep!"
The Art Director shouted once more like a broken record, "Thank you, boss!"
His daughter who came to pick him up keeled over with laughter. "Sure sure, dad. Can we leave now?"
Chen Yunsheng trailed behind the crowd, his twinkling eyes fixated on Ji Fanyin.
"Did you drink too?" Ji Fanyin shot him a glance as she made her way out of the restaurant.
Chen Yunsheng quickened his footsteps to take his position beside her. "Just a cup."
His voice was singing with happiness, almost as if a musical note would float out from him the next moment. It put his listeners in a good mood.
"Have all of you gotten a cab yet?" Ji Fanyin asked the employees waiting on the sidewalk.
"Yes!"
"Argh, I got one that's quite far away. Ahh, nine more minutes till its arrival…"
Chen Yunsheng bent down to whisper into Ji Fanyin's ear, "I'll wait for you to get into your car before flagging a cab."
Ji Fanyin looked at the youth who looked a little tipsy after drinking a mere cup of wine and chuckled.
Her car was parked just by the roadside, not far from where they were standing. She looked at the time before waving the crowd goodbye. "Make sure you all rest early when you get home. If you have nothing urgent to work on, you're allowed to come in an hour later tomorrow."
"Really?! Whee! I get to enjoy nine full hours of sleep!"
"I just want to ask. Can we have more of such team bonding sessions?"
Ji Fanyin flashed them a smile before leaving those drunkards behind for her car. While she was turning out of her parking spot, she glanced at the rearview mirror and saw a group of people standing under a lamp post, vigorously waving at her car.
On her way home, Ji Fanyin received a call from Bai Zhou. Thinking that he was safe in Shen Qi's hands, Ji Fanyin rejected it.
Soon after that, her phone rang again. This time, it was from Shen Qi. "I sent Bai Zhou home safely. His father was there."
Ji Fanyin's eyebrows shot up.
Bai Zhou's father was a mysterious figure to her. Despite having heard about him from many different people, she hadn't met him in person thus far. Her 'encounters' with him had mostly been limited to finance news, in which he was a frequent guest.
But for someone who could introduce his illegitimate son to his lawful son, he was definitely not a simple person.
"How did he react to the drunk Bai Zhou?" asked Ji Fanyin.
"He was quite upset," replied Shen Qi. "It would appear that he visited Bai Zhou after hearing that he was in a bad condition lately."
Bai Zhou's drunken state further lent credence to the claim that he was in a 'bad condition. Mr. Bai must be fuming after seeing that.
It didn't take much for Ji Fanyin to figure that this was the doing of Mr. Bai's mistress. The latter had started to fan the flames.
"Are you still there?" asked Ji Fanyin as she turned a corner.
"No, I've left."
"Let Bai Zhou be. He can resign whenever he wants. Until then, his pay will be the same as the other interns."
"I understand."
Right before she was about to hang up, she suddenly recalled the call she received from Bai Zhou. Thus, she asked, "Did you know Bai Zhou called me earlier?"
Shen Qi replied calmly, "I was not aware of that."
Ji Fanyin raised her eyebrows. "Noted. Rest well when you get home."
Upon reaching home, Ji Fanyin washed up and headed off to bed. She was exhausted having worked for an entire day. It was a relief that she didn't have much work the following day, so she was prepared to sleep all the way till the next afternoon.
Unfortunately, her sweet plan was cruelly shattered by the ringing of her phone at midnight. It was from Secretary Fan.
Ji Fanyin: "…"
It took a great deal of effort for her to crack her eyes open and look at her phone. She noticed a message from the bank dated a minute ago.
A competent secretary indeed. He chose to transfer the money before making the call.
It was just that Ji Fanyin was exhausted after going through an entire day of meetings. She wasn't in the mood to entertain Li Xiaoxing to relieve his phantom pain.
Besides, Li Xiaoxing was practically a 'perpetual emotion machine' for her by this point. She would rake in huge amounts of Emotion Points from him even if she didn't bother with him. There was no need for her to push herself tonight.
Thus, she rejected Secretary Fan's call and refunded the money. Then she switched off her phone and returned to bed. It took only two minutes for her to complete this series of actions.
It feels good to skip work.
Happy.
Meanwhile, Secretary Fan saw the bank message informing him of the refund. He tried dropping a call to Ji Fanyin again, but the call wouldn't connect.
He let out a deep sigh before turning to look at Ji Xinxin.
Ji Xinxin looked flustered. "What should we do? Xiaoxing looks like he's in a lot of pain. Should we send him to the hospital? I'm afraid something bad might happen at this rate…"
Secretary Fan looked like he was about to suggest something, but he didn't think that it was appropriate for him to do so. In the end, he hesitantly murmured, "… I know that it isn't right, but I think this might be the only way."
"Do you have an idea in mind?" Ji Xinxin noticed hush hesitation and immediately pressed on. "You can say whatever you have in mind. We brought in an entire team of doctors the last time, but they couldn't do anything at all…"
"I have a terribly demeaning proposition in mind," Secretary Fan nervously fiddled with his nose, "and it's likely to be something you don't want to hear."
Ji Xinxin's heart sank.
Before her mind could process what Secretary Fan was driving at, her subconscious had already started feeling a tinge of unease.
She nervously chewed on her lips and asked, "… What is it?"
Secretary Fan frowned, his internal struggle apparent from his expression.
The nerve-racking screams of pain echoing from the master bedroom hadn't ceased over the past hour. It sounded like the cries of a criminal undergoing death by a thousand cuts; the sheer agony relayed through his voice sent chills down the spine of anyone listening.
Secretary Fan paced around the room for another two minutes before he finally made up his mind. He turned to Ji Xinxin and said, "Mr. Li… had also engaged the services of your older sister, Miss Ji Fanyin."
Ji Xinxin's eyes widened in surprise.
She did have her suspicions about it. There was no way she wouldn't have any.
She was aware of a missing link in her knowledge of events:How did Ji Fanyin and Li Xiaoxing come to know each other?
But if Li Xiaoxing had engaged Ji Fanyin as a stand-in too, everything would make perfect sense.
Ji Xinxin was stunned for a brief moment, but she quickly calmed down. "Was it… to act as my stand-in?"
"…" Secretary Fan chose to offer an ambiguous response. "I was able to see it up close twice. Her rates are exorbitant, but her acting is on the mark. It can be easily confused for the real thing."
Ji Xinxin felt blood rushing into her head. Without careful thought, she blurted out the question weighing heavily on her heart, "How much did she make from Xiaoxing?"
Song Shiyu said that Bai Zhou had spent at least a few hundred millions on Ji Fanyin. What about Li Xiaoxing, who was even richer than Bai Zhou?
Secretary Fan: "… That's not important."
Ji Xinxin yelled, "… That's not important?!"
Secretary Fan quickly added, "What's important is that you could have the ability to act as a stand-in for your older sister to soothe Mr. Li's pain."
Ji Fanyin leaped up from her seat, unable to believe what she had just heard. "You want me to be Ji Fanyin's stand-in?!"
… I've spent many years trying to imitate her, only to lose it all to her within months. How could I possibly substitute her?
Having anticipated Ji Xinxin's reaction, Secretary Fan showed no surprise at all. Instead, he looked at her with absolute composure and said, "It's not as if you have never done it before."
If words were weapons, a sharp sword would have pierced Ji Xinxin's chest there and then.
She wanted to rebuke Secretary Fan for what he had said, but the latter cut in before she could.
"Haven't you been pretending to be your older sister before Mr. Li all this while?" Secretary Fan paused for a brief moment before adding, "Especially when you revisited Evergreen Nursing Home with him."
Ji Xinxin was so infuriated that her hands were shaking with anger. It wasn't easy, but she forced her rage down and swallowed her indignance.
… Secretary Fan is Li Xiaoxing's right-hand man. I can't go against him. Not yet.
Ji Xinxin took a deep breath and swallowed the humiliation.
She weakly placed her hand on the nearby wall to support herself and squeezed her eyes shut. After a short pause, she murmured, "Alright. I'll give it a try."
"Even if it doesn't work out… there's no need to take it to heart." Secretary Fan consoled her.
However, those words did little to soothe Ji Xinxin's heart. She ignored Secretary Fan and walked briskly toward the master bedroom with clenched teeth.
She instinctively wanted to call him 'Xiaoxing' as she usually did, but she stopped herself at the last moment upon remembering her mission. She took a moment to recompose herself before attempting to mimick Ji Fanyin's polite yet distant tone. "Mr. Li."
There was no response, so Ji Xinxin pushed the door open and entered.
It was dark inside. The unbearable pain torturing Li Xiaoxing only continued to sear with greater fervor as the night deepened. His agonized but feeble moans were unsettling.
Ji Xinxin waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness before shambling toward the bed.
Li Xiaoxing didn't seem to have noticed her arrival.
Her first thought was to gently stroke his hair, but she swiftly abandoned the notion, knowing that Ji Fanyin wouldn't do that.
What would Ji Fanyin do?
How does she interact with Li Xiaoxing?
Ji Xinxin ran through all possibilities almost as if she was possessed, but she eventually chose not to do anything at all. Instead, she lowered her tone to mimic Ji Fanyin's pitch and called out, "Mr. Li?"
Amidst faint gasps of air, Li Xiaoxing opened his eyes and groggily looked at the silhouette in his room. "… Ji Fanyin?"
"It's me." A smile curled on her lips. She was gaining confidence from his acknowledgment, thinking that it wasn't as difficult as she thought it out to be. "Secretary Fan called me here."
"…" Li Xiaoxing propped himself up using his elbows. He looked a little more awake now. "Can you stay with me a bit longer today? Money is not an issue."
Ji Xinxin: "…"
Despite knowing that it wasn't a good time for that, she couldn't help herself from asking, "How much are you prepared to pay me?"
"Any amount you want." Li Xiaoxing's eyelids were drooping down. "… I remember you complimented my private jet. I'll buy you one."
Ji Xinxin was relieved that the room was only illuminated by a sliver of moonlight peeping through the curtains, or else she wouldn't have been able to conceal the slip in her expression.
"Alright," replied Ji Xinxin replied, "What would you like to hear from me today?"
"Continue from where you left off." Li Xiaoxing languidly raised his head to look at her. "You only told me half the story."
Ji Xinxin was stumped. How could she know what Ji Fanyin told Li Xiaoxing in their hour-long phone call?
Ji Xinxin had no choice but to improvise on the spot. "I do not want to tell that story today."
She regretted it as soon as those words left her mouth.
Li Xiaoxing was the type of person who expected absolute obedience to his commands. He wouldn't take another person refuting him well.
Ji Xinxin scrambled to find a solution to salvage the situation, but an obedient "Mm" from Li Xiaoxing threw her off.
What was that? That was abnormal.
Is he too weak to blow his top because of the pain?
Unable to make sense of the situation, Ji Xinxin intended to probe a little deeper to see what Li Xiaoxing meant, but the latter spoke up before she could.
"You don't have to do anything," said Li Xiaoxing softly. Every word he uttered sounded laborious, but he still managed to enunciate each word clearly. "As long as you stay by my side."
Ji Xinxin had never heard such submissive words from Li Xiaoxing before.
"… Alright?" asked Li Xiaoxing pleadingly.
Ji Xinxin wasn't able to hold back her sneer. The situation was too ironic and unbelievable for her. Li Xiaoxing was no different from a tamed dog before Ji Fanyin!
… How did Ji Fanyin do it?!
Ji Xinxin took a calming breath before answering, "Alright. Go to sleep."
Li Xiaoxing didn't even dare to hold her hand. He lay back down on the bed and swiftly fell silent. The only thing that could be heard in the room was his laborious breathing.
Minutes later, Li Xiaoxing suddenly piped up, "Are you still there?"
Ji Xinxin replied coldly, "Yes."
The reply seemed to have assured Li Xiaoxing as he fell quiet once more.
As the room fell silent, Ji Xinxin started to feel uncomfortable. The air felt so heavy that she felt like she was going to be crushed under it.
She simply couldn't understand how Ji Fanyin was able to tame Li Xiaoxing to his current state.
Did she do it by stoking his feelings of fondness, love, and gratitude? If that's the case, why has Li Xiaoxing never been so obedient before me?
"Ji Fanyin, are you still there?" Li Xiaoxing asked yet again.
Ji Xinxin was tempted to kick Li Xiaoxing back into his abyss of pain, but she managed ti suppress her urge at the final juncture. She took in a deep breath and replied coldly, "Yes."
Li Xiaoxing's breathing slowly relaxed, becoming slower and deeper.
It was as if he was a drug junkie who had finally received his dose of medication. The gratification he received from the placebo slowly guided him toward a deep sleep.
By then, the sun had already started to rise.
Ji Xinxin was already at her limit after everything that had happened over the course of the night. She confirmed once more that Li Xiaoxing had fallen asleep before rising to her fee, prepared to leave the area.
Yet, the moment she sat up from the bed, Li Xiaoxing roused from his sleep and desperately grabbed her hand. "Where are you going?"
His sudden hand grab shocked Ji Xinxin. A little scream escaped from her throat.
She anxiously turned around and found herself met with Li Xiaoxing's intense gaze. Cold moonlight scattered in from the window, causing his glacial eyes to glow in the darkness.
"… Ji Xinxin," he called out her name with great displeasure.
Ji Xinxin felt a lurch in her stomach as her heartbeat quickened.
"You…" Li Xiaoxing frowned. He tightened his grip around her hand and questioned, "Why is it you…"
Pain surged through Ji Xinxin's hand, telling her loud and clear that the plan had gone awry.
She desperately racked her mind for a solution, and an idea soon surfaced. She quickly interjected, "Have your pain subsided?"
A placebo worked by tricking the patient into thinking that the ineffective drugs he had been consuming were real medicine. The goal was to convince the patient's mind and body that his condition was improving.
Li Xiaoxing's pain had lightened when he mistook Ji Xinxin for Ji Fanyin, but when he realized that it was all a lie…
Li Xiaoxing's muscles suddenly clenched up as the piercing pain in his legs returned with a vengeance. It was so excruciating that he had bit down hard on his lower lip, unable to continue the conversation.
That gave Ji Xinxin an opportunity to shake off his hand and run out to get Secretary Fan.
Secretary Fan had been standing guard outside all this while. He glanced at his watch in confusion, remarking, "You were in there for a long time. I thought the plan worked."
"He recognized me." Indignance showed on Ji Xinxin's face. "Your plan idoesn't work."
Secretary Fan let out a sigh. "Maybe your acting was not convincing enough."
Ji Xinxin stared at Secretary Fan in disbelief as the latter walked past her into the room. She couldn't believe what she had just heard.
… My acting was not convincing enough?!
Is he insinuating I am inferior to Ji Fanyin both as a person and an actress?
Ji Xinxin swiveled on her heels to look into the room. The sight of Li Xiaoxing struggling to sit up in bed due to sheer pain sparked a tinge of twisted joy in her.
There were so many men she could have picked to be her husband, but she chose Li Xiaoxing of them all. But instead of treasuring her, Li Xiaoxing kept demeaning her again and again.
This was his retribution.
Secretary Fan tried various ways to contact Ji Fanyin for help, but it was futile. As a last resort, he had no choice but to call a doctor to inject Li Xiaoxing with a tranquilizer. Slowly, Li Xiaoxing slipped into a deep sleep with a frown still persisting on his face.
"This is not a long-term solution," the doctor said with a sigh. "Mr. Li's body will not be able to withstand the continued usage of tranquilizers or the searing phantom pain in his legs. I'd advise Mr. Li to put aside his work for the time being and receive specialized care at the hospital."
It took some time for the information to sink in before Secretary Fan answered, "That is not a decision I can make."
The doctor knew about Li Xiaoxing's identity and circumstances, so he didn't refute Secretary Fan. He shook his head and asked, "How about getting a psychiatrist?"
"… Mr. Li said that's not required. He knows what he needs."
Secretary Fan walked the doctor to the door and bade the latter farewell. On his way back, he passed by the living room and saw Ji Xinxin sitting on the sofa in a daze.
If one were to ask whether Secretary Fan felt sympathetic to Ji Xinxin or not, the answer was 'No'. On the contrary, he even considered buying the book, The Cultivation of an Actor, for her.
(This is a foundation book viewed to be a necessary read for all budding actors in China.)
He had seen the rehearsals Li Xiaoxing had with Ji Fanyin before. The latter's acting was exquisite. She played out not just Ji Xinxin's actions and dialogues but her disposition too, creating a resemblance so uncanny that it was nigh impossible to tell them apart.
… It's no wonder why she could confidently charge such a high rate.
Secretary Fan was touching his balding head absentmindedly when Li Xiaoxing's phone suddenly rang in the distance. He made his way over to take a look.
It was a call from Li Mingyue. "I saw the doctor dropping by earlier. How is my brother doing?"
Secretary Fan was shocked by how fast news was traveling. He recounted everything that had happened earlier to her truthfully before ending off, "... Mr. Li is now asleep."
"Got it," replied Li Mingyue. "Tell me when he's awake. There's something I have to discuss with him."
Secretary Fan assented.
There was a brief pause before Li Mingyue added, "What about Ji Xinxin? How is she doing?"
She's no help at all,Secretary Fan thought.
However, he rephrased his thoughts in more palatable terms, "She's the same as usual."
"I understand," Li Mingyue answered decisively. "Take good care of my brother. I'll take over his work for the time being."
Secretary Fan was stunned to hear those words. "That…"
"I'll get straight to the point. My parents intend to send my brother overseas get treated. They'll be sending someone over today afternoon." Li Mingyue wasn't giving him a chance to refute at all. "His health is more important than anything else."
"… I understand."
…
It was no easy feat to have to take over Li Xiaoxing's work all of a sudden. Li Mingyue had to go on overdrive in order to barely cope with the workload.
As if that wasn't enough, her assistant took it upon herself to inform her that someone was planning to take over Ji Fanyin's studio.
Li Mingyue massaged her temples to alleviate the headache caused by the massive increase in workload. "She can handle that herself. You don't have to report that to me."
Be it to sell or not to sell, someone like Ji Fanyin would never allow herself to be on the losing end of a bargain.
"… The buyer is Gao Huai Entertainment," explained her assistant. "The one behind the acquisition is Bai Zhengye."
Li Mingyue's pen stalled to a halt.
Bai Zhengye… That's Bai Zhou's father.
… A malicious takeover?
Even if it's a malicious takeover, there isn't anything to worry about. They have Ji Fanyin and Zhang Ning there, Li Mingyue thought.
As affluent as the Bai Family was, the Zhang Family wasn't to be made light of either.
"Got it. There's no need to meddle in their affairs."
The Li Family already had enough on their plate. They had no spare energy to get involved with other people's affairs.
"Your brother is also aware of the matter," the assistant continued.
"So?" Li Mingyue replied without looking up from her documents.
The assistant nervously gulped before adding, "He refused to leave the country."
Li Mingyue's movements stalled to a halt once more. Unable to bear it any longer, she closed her eyes for five whole seconds before slowly letting out a long breath.
The assistant dared not to let out even the slightest squeak.
"Get Secretary Fan on the line for me," Li Mingyue ordered.
"Yes."
"As for Ji Xinxin," Li Mingyue added before her assistant could leave the room, "get her back to school if she isn't able to offer any help. How long of a break is she planning to take?"
"Understood." The assistant wiped the cold sweat off her forehead and hurriedly left the room.
Once the assistant was out of the door, Li Mingyue put down her work and sunk into her chair, closing her eyes for a brief rest.
It's exhausting.
…
The culprit behind this mess, Bai Zhengye, actually didn't have malicious intentions in mind when he first made the decision to purchase the studio.
There was no way Bai Zhou's improvident squandering could have escaped the notice of his family… though it was not as if Bai Zhou was planning to hide his venting spending from them.
Bai Zhengye had heard much about it from his secretary, but he simply thought of it as his son's rebellious phase. He didn't think that there was a problem with it as long as Bai Zhou didn't overstep his boundaries. Thus, all he did was to instruct his secretary to keep a close eye on Bai Zhou.
Not to mention, Bai Zhengye had gone even more overboard in his younger days. He thought that it was only normal for his son to be like him.
A pity it was that others did not share his sentiments.
During his occasional visit to his mistress to let off some steam, the latter gently expressed her worries about Bai Zhou's ability to manage the Bai Family's business empire.
Despite having an illegitimate son outside, Bai Zhengye had no plans of falling out with the Meng Family by appointing a new successor. His intention was similar to the mindset harbored by ancient Chinese emperors.
If the crown prince could get along well with the other princes, the other princes could later become kings and assist the new emperor in his work.
That was why he secretly arranged for Bai Zhou to meet his illegitimate son despite holding on to the pact he had with his wife to make Bai Zhou their successor.
The outcome of that was disastrous.
Bai Zhengye was only glad he was not present when the meeting took place, or else he would have been caught in the crossfire.
Nevertheless, he persisted in his ideas. He thought that Bai Zhou was simply too young to understand his foresight, and the latter would understand his intentions in the future.
Which men don't have their fair share of relationships outside? Not to mention, Bai Zhou himself also has multiple love interests too.
Bai Zhengye's trip to Lakeside City happened by sheer coincidence.
An important meeting had ended earlier than expected, freeing up some time on his schedule. It just so happened that Lakeside City was in the vicinity.
He thought about how his son hadn't called him even once over the past six months, so he made a spontaneous decision to instruct his secretary to take him to Bai Zhou's apartment.
Bai Zhengye didn't know Bai Zhou's current address, but there was no way his secretary wouldn't know. After all, he was one of the two emergency contacts stated in Bai Zhou's university records, with the other one being Mrs. Bai's assistant.
Upon arrival, they chanced upon the sight of a drunk Bai Zhou being carried out of a car by a man.
Bai Zhengye clicked his tongue and asked, "Who's that?"
The secretary took a quick look at the man and smoothly answered, "He's an employee from the studio the young master is interning at."
"Bai Zhou went on an internship?" Bai Zhengye rubbed his lower jaws in gleeful surprise. "That's good news! Get him over to Yandu and intern at the main company instead. He'll learn much more there. Inform his university that he will be withdrawing from his studies."
His secretary assented.
"Tsk tsk. Look at his unseemly state. It's fine for a man to drink, but not to this extent." Bai Zhengye shook his head in disapproval.
He tidied up his suit before stepping out of his car. He might have just been thinking too much, but he had a feeling that Shen Qi had shot him a glance the moment he opened the car door.
As he approached the duo, Shen Qi suddenly stopped and greeted him, "Mr. Bai."
When he was near them, Shen Qi stopped to greet him, "Mr. Bai."
Bai Zhengye looked at him with a dour face. "Do you know me?"
"Yes," replied Shen Qi impassively. He tossed Bai Zhou over to Bai Zhengye and said, "I'll leave your son to you."
This was the first time in his life that Bai Zhengye had an adult man thrown into his arms. He stumbled a little trying to support his son, who had grown taller than him at some point in time. He couldn't help but notice the scent of hotpot lingering on the latter.
"I'll be taking my leave now since I've gotten him home safely." Shen Qi directed a nod at the two men before taking his leave. His words were so stoic and mechanical that he felt like an emotionless robot.
Bai Zhengye frowned. He waved his secretary over to help him support Bai Zhou.
Just then, Bai Zhou groggily awoke from his sleep and saw Bai Zhengye. Without any hesitation, he raised his arms and pushed Bai Zhengye away, causing the latter to stagger backward and nearly fall to the ground.
Bai Zhengye immediately hollered at Bai Zhou, "Are you so drunk you can't even recognise your own father?!"
Bai Zhou swept a glance at him, but he swiftly turned his eyes away and continued walking toward his apartment.
Bai Zhengye was infuriated by his disrespectful attitude. He followed Bai Zhou and bellowed, "What's with your attitude? Do you know whose money you are spending?"
"My mother's," Bai Zhou answered coldly.
Bai Zhengye's heart congested from the anger. "Are you siding with your mother now, huh?"
"At least she didn't bring her bastard in front of me."
Bai Zhengye nearly gave Bai Zhou a tight slap there and then… and he would have if Bai Zhou hadn't caught his hand mid-air.
It was at that moment Bai Zhengye realized in astonishment that his son had grown stronger than him.
"Nothing good ever happens whenever you visit," Bai Zhou sneered. "Get on with it. What do you want this time?"
"Is this how you treat your father who took time off to visit you?" No matter how cool Bai Zhengye was in his social circle, he couldn't keep his composure when dealing with his rebellious son. He thundered, "I specially came here to check on you because your stepmother told me that you have been drowning yourself in alcohol lately. Take a look at yourself! You're really a hopeless case!"
Bai Zhou's senses were dulled by alcohol. It was only after Bai Zhengye finished his speech that he noticed a particularly jarring term that the latter used. "Stepmother?"
That question choked Bai Zhengye. His airs weakened for an instant, but he quickly regained his confidence and forcefully refuted, "Haven't you met her before?"
Bai Zhou mocked, "Have I ever acknowledged her? Does the law acknowledge her? You said that you specially came here to check on me. Am I supposed to feel honored by your annual visits? I would have thought that I didn't have a father if you didn't come by today!"
Right as the quarrel was about to further escalate, the secretary interjected, "Pardon me, but the lift is here."
Bai Zhou shook off Bai Zhengye's hand and strode into the lift. "Don't follow me, I am going to bed."
After the lift door closed, Bai Zhengye turned to his secretary and sheepishly asked, "Has it really been a year?"
"Do you really want to know?" asked the secretary.
Bai Zhengye scratched his head awkwardly. "It really is?"
The secretary shook his head. "It has been more than two years now."
Bai Zhengye: "…"
In a rare bout of introspection, Bai Zhengye thought about how he could make up with his son on his way back to the hotel. Based on his years of coaxing women, he believe that a gift was necessary.
"What do you think I should get Bai Zhou?" Bai Zhengye asked his secretary.
His secretary replied obliquely, "I don't think a gift is what the young master is looking for."
But Bai Zhengye was so deep in his thoughts that he paid no heed to his secretary's words. "You mentioned earlier that he's interning. Where is he interning at? Give me an overview of the company."
The experienced secretary did a quick search. Within minutes, an overview of publicly released information on Ji Fanyin's studio was in Bai Zhengye's hands.
"A screenwriting studio?" Bai Zhengye casually browsed through the documents, thinking it was mere child's play. "Their first production just aired not too long ago… Oh? The earnings look passable."
His secretary eyed him through the rearview mirror, wondering whether he should correct Bai Zhengye's judgment by telling him that the film was one of the front runners for box office champion this year. He eventually decided against it.
"How about this?" Bai Zhengye casuallu browsed through the document again. "I'll buy this studio for Bai Zhou so that he can be his own boss. That's enough sincerity for an apology, no?""
The secretary struggled internally for a moment before obliquely hinting yet again, "Would you like to consider other options too?"
"What's there to consider? He's the one who chose this place to intern at!" Bai Zhengye waved his hand dismissively. "It's just a newly established studio. Go prepare the acquisition plan."
Seeing that Bai Zhengye's mind was already made up, he could only do as he was told.
"When did this little chap start taking an interest in the entertainment industry…" Bai Zhengye mumbled while he continued browsing through the information on the tablet. "Haven't he always looked down on celebrities and idol singers, saying they are mere performers?"
That brat even got into a fight with me when I appeared on gossip magazines over an affair with a celebrity a few years back.
Back then, Bai Zhou was only thirteen years old.
As the years went by, Bai Zhengye learned how to avoid his son so as to avoid getting into such arguments, especially now that his son was in his rebellious phase.
Boys will grow up on their own even if I let him be.
It had never been Bai Zhengye's intention to have an illegitimate son since he knew that it could complicate the situation. It was just that his mistress told him that it was a girl, and he thought that it would be good to have a daughter around. Due to that, he allowed her to keep the child.
It turned out to be a boy in the end.
It was already too late to do anything by then, so he could only turn a blind eye to the situation and let things be.
Thinking about it, he had hardly met Bai Zhou ever since the latter left for Lakeside City. Instead, it felt like he was often meeting with his illegitimate son.
"What time are we leaving tomorrow?" Bai Zhengye suddenly asked.
"1 PM."
"I'll visit the studio that chap is interning at tomorrow morning," said Bai Zhengye. "Drop a call to the person-in-charge. Make sure that chap doesn't learn about our visit."
His secretary subtly advised for the third time, "I think you should reconsider the matter."
"I'm just visiting my son's workplace. What's wrong with that?" Bai Zhengye was convinced that there was nothing wrong with what he was doing. "Besides, it's only right that I conduct a field study before the acquisition."
His secretary let out a quiet sigh. "I understand."
Bai Zhengye's secretary proceeded to look up the details of the three founders.
The first one to be struck off the list was He Shen, who was hardly involved with the affairs of the studio. He hesitated between the other two for a moment, but he eventually chose to go with Zhang Ning as he felt that Ji Fanyin was a ticking time bomb.
Without further hesitation, he took out his phone and dialed Zhang Ning's number. He briefly explained the purpose of their visit. To which, Zhang Ning graciously accepted.
News made its way to Ji Fanyin moments later.
"Bai Zhou's father?" Ji Fanyin was about to go to bed when she received a call from Zhang Ning. "What does he want?"
"It sounds like he's planning to tour the company his son is interning at," replied Zhang Ning with a soft chuckle. "But I've heard a lot about his business maneuvers. He might just be thinking of taking over our studio for Bai Zhou to toy with."
Ji Fanyin thought of Zhang Ning's schedule. "You won't be around tomorrow?"
"Yeah, I don't think I can be there in the morning."
"I'll meet him then," Ji Fanyin answered.
"Be careful. You can use Bai Zhou as a shield if you ever find yourself in a spot. I doubt that Bai Zhengye will go too far in front of his son," said Zhang Ning.
Bai Zhengye's secretary was completely thrown off by the 'personnel swap'. When Ji Fanyin, instead of Zhang Ning, came to greet them the following morning, he felt his heart skip a beat.
… The reason why I contacted Zhang Ning is to prevent a meeting between Bai Zhengye and Ji Fanyin!
If Bai Zhengye were to make even a single mistake here, it could very well raise a raging inferno in the Bai Family's courtyard!
On their way here, Bai Zhengye learned from his secretary that Zhang Ning had a stake in the studio, and she would be the one taking them around today. Thus, he was surprised when the person who appeared before him wasn't Zhang Ning.
"Aren't you the Ji Family's…"
Ji Fanyin introduced herself with a polite smile, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bai. I am Ji Fanyin, one of the founders of this studio."
Realization dawned on Bai Zhengye. He mumbled, "Twins."
"That's right." Ji Fanyin wasn't surprised to see that Bai Zhengye was aware of Ji Xinxin's affairs. She wouldn't be surprised either if he was aware that Bai Zhou had spent a few hundred million on her.
On the contrary, it would be more surprising if Bai Zhengye was oblivious to that.
"What a coincidence." Bai Zhengye casually shook Ji Fanyin's hand, not thinking much of it. "I'm here today to…"
Before he could finish his sentence, the lift doors behind them opened. Walking out was Bai Zhou with a motorcycle helmet in his hand. He had a scowl on his face, clearly from the lack of sleep.
He raised his head, only to witness the sight of his father shaking hands with Ji Fanyin.
Disbelief was the first emotion that registered to him, but it was swiftly overtaken by rage. He strode toward the two of them and grabbed Bai Zhengye's wrist tightly. "What are you doing here?"
"Can't I take a look at the place where you are interning at?" Bai Zhengye countered.
"Spoken as if you truly care," Bai Zhou sneered at his father's claims. "I don't need your feigned concern. Just don't bother me ever again!"
Ji Fanyin alternated her gaze between Bai Zhengye and Bai Zhou before slowly retracting her hand.
The shield activated on its own accord before I could do anything.
Judging by how things were panning out, Ji Fanyin thought that there was nothing to worry about the acquisition.
At least for this matter, Bai Zhou is here to hold the fort even if the sky falls.
Bai Zhou was on the verge of losing his mind over Bai Zhengye's maneuvers, but a glance at the quietly smiling Ji Fanyin told him that it wasn't a good time to burst out. So, he clenched his teeth and first explained things to Ji Fanyin first, "This isn't my idea."
Ji Fanyin did not reply. All she did was to blink her eyes in response.
This interaction piqued the interest of Bai Zhengye's secretary. He looked at Ji Fanyin and Bai Zhou with a look of contemplation, but he tactfully chose not to interject here.
"…" Bai Zhou first took a deep breath to calm himself before he continued speaking to Ji Fanyin awkwardly. "You can go back first, I'll handle the situation here."
"Mr. Bai is a guest of our studio," replied Ji Fanyin. "It would be rude of us to allow an intern who joined a day prior to bring him around."
A furrow formed on Bai Zhengye's face. "Miss Ji, the intern you are speaking of is none other than my son. He has the right to receive any guest."
There was a condescending edge to his voice, almost as if he was berating a subordinate.
… My son has graced your studio with his presence, but instead of taking good care of him, you're treating him like a regular intern?
Bai Zhengye had spoken those words with conviction. He was confident that his son would be touched that he was standing up for him. However, the results were the complete opposite of what he had expected.
Bai Zhou's face couldn't get any livider.
With clenched jaws, he squeezed out his words, "Father, let's find somewhere else to talk."
… This chap has even learnt to talk professionally.
With such thoughts in mind, Bai Zhengye graciously agreed with a nod. Before leavingwith his son, he shot a glance at his secretary to prompt the latter to proceed with the acquisition negotiation with Ji Fanyin.
Bai Zhou briskly strode toward the currently empty smoking area beside the washroom. He felt as if there was a pool of searing lava bubbling in his mind, threatening to explode at any moment. Yet, he somehow felt oddly calm at the same time.
He stopped at the destination and turned around to face Bai Zhengye. He suppressed his rage and asked, "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to take a look at your work environment," replied Bai Zhengye matter-of-factly.
There was no way he would reveal his true intention right away, so he went with an excuse that was not completely untrue.
… It's true that I'm taking a look at the work environment. I need to learn more about how this studio works before acquiring it.
"Is that so?" Bai Zhou scoffed. "You sure are showering me with care and concern after so many years. I guess your other son isn't meeting up to your expectations, after all."
Bai Zhengye lashed out angrily, "I am your father. Is there anything wrong with me caring for you? Look at your clothes, your house, your car! When have I ever short-changed you before?"
"Money is the one thing that worths next to nothing to you. You wouldn't even bat an eyelid even if I dump a wad of it into the dumpster," replied Bai Zhou dismissively. "You only know how to solve your problems with money."
"Money has the power to solve all problems." Bai Zhengye shrugged nonchalantly. With a matter-of-factly tone, he said, "You shouldn't forget that it's with money that you were able to grow up in such a comfortable environment."
He gestured toward Bai Zhou's figure.
"… Take a look in the mirror. Haven't you grown up well, strong and healthy? Don't speak as if I owe you anything."
Bai Zhou snorted in irritation. "What is your true motive for coming here?"
Bai Zhengye decided to stop beating around the bush and come clean. "I know that I have neglected you for not having visited you in such a long time, and I do feel guilty over it. I'm guessing that you're fond of this studio since you chose to work here, so I'm considering buying it as an apology gift to you."
Up to this juncture, Bai Zhengye was still convinced that he was the bigger man here. His very tone revealed his 'You should be thanking me' sentiment.
Bai Zhou: "…"
He could hardly believe what he was hearing from his father.
You've neglected me for two years and forced me to meet your mistress and illegitimate son. Are those not enough? Why do you have to appear right now and sabotage me?
"Can't you do something good for once?" Bai Zhou roared in sheer anger. "Why must you sabotage me at a time like this? Do you know how hard I had to work…"in order not to be blacklisted like Song Shiyu!
Bai Zhou didn't speak the latter half of the sentence aloud. He was so furious that he was tempted to crack Bai Zhengye's skull open to see if what's inside was as dense as the Earth's core.
… Had this happened half a year ago, he might have really done so. It was just that the time he had spent with Ji Fanyin had smoothened out his thorns, putting him in greater control of his own emotions.
"How is that not a good thing?" Bai Zhengye frowned at the unexpected outburst from Bai Zhou. "You'll be taking over your mother and my business empires in the future. This is a good opportunity for you to gain some experience running a business. It's just a small studio anyway. It doesn't matter even if you bankrupt it."
Bai Zhou squeezed his eyes shut. He felt the blood in his body gushing up to his brain, screaming at him to hurl a punch at the asshole standing before him.
"No." He squeezed a single word out from between his teeth.
"Why not? As long as the price is right and the owners are fine with it…"
"No!" Bai Zhou smashed his helmet on the ground, producing a deafening crash that echoed in this enclosed space.
The sheer force caused the helmet to rebound to around half the height of a man before slowly rolling away on the ground.
The violent show of might shocked Bai Zhengye. He roared in anger, "What kind of attitude are you showing me?"
Bai Zhou took another deep breath. His temples had been throbbing nonstop for a while now, and his puffy eyes felt uncomfortably swollen.
It was at this moment that an epiphany dawned upon him.
… This is where all of my bad habits came from.
Bai Zhengye did as he pleased because he had the means to do so. I judged others as I pleased due to my own past experiences. We're ultimately the same kind of people at the core.
Bai Zhengye had a flawed perception of love and kinship. That was why he leaped from a mistress to another. The woman he loved was always the next one to come.
On the other hand, Bai Zhou grew up in a family that lacked love. That was why he swiftly fell heads over heels for Ji Xinxin when she treated him gemtly despite his horrible attitude.
Bai Zhou could almost hear a voice in his head mocking him. It was telling him:As expected of father and son.
… The only difference between them was that Bai Zhou met Ji Fanyin.
Bai Zhengye still hadn't met the person who could slap him back into reality and teach him how to open his eyes wide and view others as equals.
To be honest, Bai Zhou couldn't tell whether it was a good thing or not. He took yet another deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
"… Ever since I was young, you have never asked me anything about myself. You raised me just like how others would raise a pet. It's not just once or twice that I've stumbled upon your affairs as a child. Do you even remember when my birthday is? Forget it, those doesn't matter anymore." Bai Zhou glared at Bai Zhengye with reddened eyes.
"I don't need your care and concern now. I'm no longer the little child who craved fatherly love from you!"
Despite his overflowing anger, Bai Zhou still managed to express himself calmly and coherently.
Bai Zhengye had long since gotten used to Bai Zhou's nasty temper, so it was a breath of fresh air to see Bai Zhou suppressing his anger and attempting to reason things out with him.
It was just that his anger overshadowed all other emotions he felt. "Have you forgotten who's the one who raised you?!"
"You will have to ask my mother how much credit she's willing to share with you." Bai Zhou paused before reiterating impatiently, "Don't touch this studio. I won't accept it even if you give it to me."
What's the point of staying here if Ji Fanyin really sold the studio? She's the one who likes movies, not me.
Bai Zhengye hesitantly made another offer, "Then… why don't I get you something else?"
This person is beyond help, Bai Zhou thought.
He grabbed his dented helmet, placed it under his arm, and left the scene.
Bai Zhou returned to the office and took a look at Ji Fanyin's office.
The door that was opened earlier when he headed off with his father, but it was now closed. This could only mean Ji Fanyin and his father's secretary had brought their conversation into her office.
Bai Zhou tightened his grip around his helmet, feeling uncertain about the results of the talk.
… Would Ji Fanyin really sell her shares if Bai Zhengye offered a sufficiently high price? She had been going on and on about her lack of money for quite a while now.
Ten billion dollars…
While Bai Zhou was deep in thought, Bai Zhengye belatedly returned to the office too.
Coincidentally, the door to Ji Fanyin's office opened. Ji Fanyin and Bai Zhengye's chief secretary walked out one after another.
Bai Zhou was aware of how competent his father's chief secretary was, so he couldn't help but worriedly scrutinize Ji Fanyin's expression in hopes of figuring out her thoughts.
… I can't read anything from her expression.
Ji Fanyin had always been an incredible actress, capable of playing any role flawlessly. Not once had Bai Zhou ever succeeded in finding any faults in her acting.
This made Bai Zhou frustrated.
Ji Fanyin had always taken a perfunctory attitude toward him, almost as if he was a rascal from a distant relative.
"Are you done with your talk?" Ji Fanyin asked the two of them.
"Yes, we are done. They will be leaving now," Bai Zhou snorted impatiently.
The secretary took a quick glance at Bai Zhengye's face and noticed the latter's downcast expression. It didn't take a genius to figure what had gone down in their confrontration. So, he let out a light cough to remind him that they were in public space.
Bai Zhengye swiftly snapped out of his thoughts. Feeling greatly displeased from having his kind intentions snubbed, he walked off with a darkened face.
He didn't think that there was any need for him to engage in pleasantries with a young junior like Ji Fanyin, not to mention that she was a woman.
His secretary was much more polite in contrast. He bade Ji Fanyin farewell before following Bai Zhengye out of the office.
It was barely 9.30 AM by then. Most of those who had attended the gathering the day before weren't in the office yet, making it look emptier than ever.
Bai Zhou nervously traced the inner lining of his helmet while struggling to find the words to explain this incident to Ji Fanyin. However, his thoughts were interrupted by Ji Fanyin's ringtone.
Taking out her phone, she first glanced at the caller ID before accepting the call right in front of Bai Zhou. "Hello."
Intrigued, Bai Zhou stared at Ji Fanyin's phone.
Ji Fanyin is speaking with a formal tone?Who is on the other end?
Ji Fanyin quietly listened for a few seconds before chuckling, "News sure travels fast. That's right."
It's a calm and polite tone, mixed with a tinge of respect, Bai Zhou analyzed.
A moment later, Ji Fanyin raised her eyebrows and asked, "Does that mean we can end it now?"
Perhaps too engrossed in their conversation, Bai Zhou somehow lost his grip on his helmet and it fell to the ground with a loud bam.
He quickly bent down to pick it up, but as he was doing so, he heard Ji Fanyin speaking on the phone with a smile on her lips, "Don't worry about that. It's quite a coincidence. He happened to drop something in front of me."
Taken aback by the mention of him, Bai Zhou's eyes shot up to stare at Ji Fanyin in bewilderment.
"Don't worry, I understand." Ji Fanyin paused briefly before continuing, "This is probably our last meeting. I wish you all the best in life."
With that, she hung up the phone. As she put down her phone, her gaze slowly fell on Bai Zhou.
He immediately stood upright and asked with a deep frown, "Who were you talking to?"
Ji Fanyin smiled at him and said, "Let's take this conversation elsewhere."
Bai Zhou followed her, but an ominous feeling was swiftly growing in his heart.
When they finally entered Ji Fanyin's office, Bai Zhou lost patience and urged, "Who was that?"
Ji Fanyin picked up the cup of coffee on her table and took a sip. Then, she nonchalantly replied, "It's your mother, Mrs. Bai."