Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Yan Father is called Yan Rujing. The meaning of the character “Jing” is the luster of jade. His personal hobbies happen to match this name—he prefers fine jade and porcelain.

After reaching middle age, Yan Rujing became increasingly fond of collecting these famous wares. Coupled with having a solid family background and no worries about funding, in recent years he has grown even more excessive in this pursuit.

This time he went out of town, half for business and half for leisure. Along the way, he even attended a colored-glaze auction and brought back two large pieces.

When Yan Huai said this, he had just sat down, holding and admiring the treasure he had bought at a high price.

Yan Rujing handled it with great care, eyes shining. He hadn’t planned to seriously listen to Yan Huai’s reply, but when that sentence entered his ears and then sank deeper into his mind, it took him several seconds to react.

The treasure in his hands almost slipped out, but fortunately he reacted quickly, hurriedly holding it steady and placing it back on the coffee table. “Brought her back?”

Yan Rujing turned his head to glance toward the stairs, still not quite daring to believe it. “You really brought her back?”

Yan Huai also glanced over, a faint smile flashing in his eyes, and gave a low acknowledgment.

“Still sleeping?” Even though they were far apart and someone sleeping on the second floor wouldn’t be disturbed, Yan Rujing still subconsciously lowered his voice. “What did you do to your little girlfriend yesterday? She still hasn’t gotten up?”

As he spoke, Yan Rujing glanced at his watch. “It’s almost eight already!”

He had already imagined a beautiful and indulgent night. His old face reddened as he earnestly advised, “Ah Huai, I thought you were different from your younger brother, that you knew moderation…”

Yan Huai picked up his cup and took a sip of water, offering no explanation.

The excitement in Yan Rujing’s eyes flickered repeatedly, almost bursting out. Though the lines around his eyes were already deep, they couldn’t conceal the vigor on his face.

As far as he knew, Yan Huai had never had a girlfriend. His private life was clean, basically the complete opposite of Yan Chen.

Yan Rujing had always believed that if a man couldn’t even control his lower body, he probably wouldn’t achieve anything significant.

This was also one of the reasons he favored Yan Huai more.

No one dislikes a child who causes them no worry.

Especially since Yan Huai was the child he had with his first love. The feelings were naturally deeper than for Yan Chen, the product of a polite, arranged marriage.

Yan Rujing’s gaze was almost glued to upstairs. When he spoke again, he still hadn’t turned his head back. “Ah Huai, won’t you call my future daughter-in-law down for breakfast? She can go back to sleep after eating… the whole day’s plan depends on the morning. Skipping breakfast definitely won’t do!”

His gaze shifted from the second floor to the third, eyes straining with anticipation.

Yan Huai set down his cup. “Dad, she’s already left.”

Yan Rujing was stunned and immediately turned his head back. “When did she leave?”

“Just now.”

“Alright then, there’ll be another chance next time anyway…”

He hadn’t connected the “girlfriend” Yan Huai mentioned with He Wei, who had just become Yan Chen’s ex-girlfriend. He simply assumed it was another young girl who felt shy about staying overnight and left early.

After a few seconds, Yan Rujing asked again, “By the way, Ah Huai, do you know what’s going on between your brother and that girlfriend of his?”

Yan Huai frowned and corrected him, “Ex-girlfriend.”

Yan Rujing: “……”

As long as it’s understandable, was there really a need to correct him?

Yan Huai lowered his brows, expression indifferent. “Don’t know.”

Why should he care what was going on between He Wei and Yan Chen? As long as they broke up, that was enough.

The rest isn’t important.

“There’s something at the company, Dad. I’m heading out first.”

“Go on. Don’t push yourself too hard either—take care of your health. A man, once he has a girlfriend, needs to start paying attention to that aspect…”

As he got older, Yan Father became more and more nagging. Watching his son’s tall, straight back, he said, “Another day, I’ll have Aunt Yun prepare some tonics for you.”

“……”

Yan Huai’s brow twitched slightly. He didn’t respond. Only after he left the house and reached the garage did he suddenly think of something and send a message to Cheng Yan.

The content was just one line, plus a piece of punctuation—

【He Wei didn’t eat breakfast.】

When He Wei got into the taxi, it was right during the morning rush hour.

The car moved in stops and starts the whole way. He Wei didn’t have the time to buy breakfast at all. By the time they reached the south gate of the film studio, as soon as the taxi stopped, she handed over the money. After thanking the driver, she didn’t even wait for change, pushed the door open, and dashed out of the car.

Although He Wei’s foot had recovered quite a bit, it still couldn’t handle overly intense movement. She half-walked, half-ran all the way to the filming location.

On the way, she even had the mind to think that if she were made to participate in a racewalking competition right now, she might even take first place.

Quite a few people had already arrived on set. Cheng Yan was holding a pen, making marks and notes on the script.

He Wei took a few deep breaths. Just as she was about to head toward the dressing room, Cheng Yan lifted his head slightly. “Weiwei, come here for a moment.”

She stopped in her tracks, paused for a few seconds, then walked over.

Cheng Yan set the script aside. “Have you eaten breakfast?”

He Wei shook her head. “Not yet.”

“Nuo Nuo hasn’t eaten either. I had someone buy two portions. When you go to do your makeup later, you can take hers over to her as well.”

As he spoke, he handed over two packed bags from the table. “No need to rush. Eat slowly.”

He Wei frowned, wanting to say something but stopping herself.

Filming was about to officially start. The first scene today was hers. If she alone wasn’t ready, it meant everyone would have to wait for her.

He Wei didn’t want to delay everyone. Just as she was about to speak again, Cheng Yan seemed to know what she was thinking and smiled. “Yesterday, one of the male and female lead’s scenes wasn’t very satisfactory. We plan to reshoot it today. Your scene will probably be scheduled for half an hour later.”

Cheng Yan cleared his throat and reminded her, “Remember to eat breakfast.”

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to explain things to Yan Huai.

He Wei had no idea about this behind-the-scenes arrangement. She thought Cheng Yan was simply being considerate. Her eyes curved as she gave him a friendly and gentle smile. “Thank you, Brother Cheng Yan.”

Cheng Yan: “……”

Fortunately, Yan Huai wasn’t here today. Otherwise, the vinegar jar would definitely have overturned again.

He Wei didn’t notice the complicated expression on his face. Taking the breakfast, she headed straight for the dressing room.

Cheng Nuo had just finished applying makeup for the third female lead. With nothing to do at the moment, she took out a sheet of paper and was drawing on it with cosmetics.

When He Wei walked over, she had already drawn half a face. Hearing the movement, Cheng Nuo looked up, quickly capped the lipstick and tossed it aside, then teased with a half-smile, “Thanks to our Weiwei, I get to eat a hot breakfast today too.”

He Wei rolled her eyes at her. “Isn’t it thanks to you that I get to eat?”

After all, the breakfast was bought by Cheng Yan.

Cheng Nuo curled her lips, tearing open the packaging bag as she retorted, “Cut it out. When I came earlier, my brother asked if I’d eaten breakfast. He said if I hadn’t, he’d get mine along with it.”

He Wei didn’t quite believe it. “Stop joking.”

To Cheng Yan, one of them was his younger sister, and the other was just a not-so-close friend of his younger sister. By both logic and emotion, Cheng Nuo should come first and she second.

Cheng Nuo rolled her eyes as well and looked up at the ceiling. “It’s true. That’s exactly what he said. Weiwei, you know what? When my brother said that just now, I even thought I wasn’t his biological sister.”

After a pause, Cheng Nuo turned to look at her again. “Wait, that’s not right. How did he know you hadn’t eaten breakfast?”

As she spoke, she looked toward He Wei’s stomach. “Weiwei, you really didn’t eat?”

He Wei shook her head.

At first, He Wei thought Cheng Nuo was joking, but after those few exchanges, she realized something.

Cheng Yan really had bought breakfast for her, and only brought his own sister’s portion along the way.

So why would he know she hadn’t eaten breakfast?

He Wei wasn’t stupid. Thinking about how she had just left the Yan residence on an empty stomach not long ago, and not long after that Cheng Yan had prepared breakfast for her… even with her toes she could figure out who had instructed it.

He Wei steadied her breathing, her hand still resting on the box of porridge.

She hadn’t expected Yan Huai to be this attentive toward her.

Cheng Nuo had already started eating first. When she spoke, her mouth was stuffed, making her words a bit unclear, “Weiwei, could it be that my brother has taken a liking to you?”

He Wei: “……No.”

Cheng Nuo looked at her suspiciously. “Why are you so sure?”

Why was she so sure?

Because she knew the person who truly cared about whether she had eaten breakfast wasn’t Cheng Yan. He Wei didn’t say more, only gave Cheng Nuo a speechless smile, pulled out a chair, sat down, opened the food container, and scooped a spoonful of porridge into her mouth.

It was fresh and fragrant upon entry, unexpectedly suited to her taste.

Cheng Nuo had already finished her bowl of porridge. “So good. But this doesn’t seem like the breakfast shop my brother usually buys from…”

He Wei: “……”

For a few seconds, she suddenly felt that Yan Huai would probably be a qualified boyfriend or husband in the future.

Only for those few seconds—once she realized what she was thinking, her shoulders shook slightly, and she quickly shook her head.

No, no, no.

Even if he were a boyfriend, he wouldn’t be hers.

Let alone a long-term identity like “husband.”

Men are all dogs.

There was absolutely no way she would change her opinion of Yan Huai just because he thoughtfully bought her breakfast once!

He Wei peacefully filmed for several days.

Strangely enough, ever since the previous “bed scene” incident, Mu Sheng had unexpectedly not made things difficult for her these past few days. Every time they acted in opposing scenes, Mu Sheng seemed eager to finish in one take, then stay as far away from her as possible.

He Wei couldn’t have asked for more. After several days of things going so smoothly, she almost forgot at one point that she was supposed to be the tragic female lead of a melodramatic story.

After a few days, He Wei’s scenes had also increased somewhat. Although there was still quite a gap compared to the female lead and second female lead, since the screenwriter was a top figure in the industry, every added scene maximized the shaping of her character. So if this drama was filmed well, she could gain quite a lot from it.

Not just in terms of fame and profit—the most important thing was experience.

He Wei was still too young and had never expected to rise to the top in one step.

This pace was just right.

In the blink of an eye, it was Saturday.

That day, He Wei only had scenes in the morning. This scene required filming her residence palace catching fire, starting from a little after four in the morning.

Tong City was a northern city. At this time in early April, let alone the sun, you couldn’t even see the shadow of a streetlamp.

He Wei had gone to bed late the night before and woke up early the next day. By the time she arrived on set, she was yawning nonstop, one after another without pause.

But no one would wait for her drowsiness to pass.

Society nowadays already moves at a fast pace, not to mention on a set like this. The female lead was a rising star, the male lead was an award-winning Best Actor, and there were several well-known veteran actors. Unlike He Wei, each of their schedules was tightly arranged—delaying even a day, or even an hour, was not possible.

The moment He Wei thought of this, she became much more alert.

Before putting on makeup, she deliberately washed her face with cold water. Only after completely suppressing her drowsiness did she sit down and let Cheng Nuo do her styling.

Cheng Nuo worked very quickly, holding a makeup brush and sweeping it across her face with swift strokes. Noticing the dark circles under He Wei’s eyes, she first tapped them lightly with her fingers, then said with concern, “Weiwei, you can close your eyes and nap for a bit first. I’ll wake you up later.”

He Wei blinked. “I’m not sleepy anymore.”

Cheng Nuo clicked her tongue. “That’s only because you’re young. Even with two dark circles, you still look like a fairy. If it were someone else, they’d need layers of powder.”

He Wei sighed.

Being an actor was exhausting—especially for someone like her, a bottom-tier nobody. She couldn’t be late for filming, didn’t dare delay or pressure scenes, and had to be careful not to offend this person or provoke that one.

More tiring than an ox, yet earning very little.

But there was no helping it. This was the path actors without backing had to go through.

The corners of He Wei’s mouth drooped slightly as she watched in the mirror while her face gradually took shape. After a few minutes, she suddenly thought of something and looked up at Cheng Nuo. “Nuo Nuo.”

“Mm? What is it?”

“I suddenly remembered—I have a Tang Dynasty plate at home.”

After leaving the Yan residence that day, she had come straight to the set. That plate had been carefully protected by her the entire time, without the slightest damage, and she had safely brought it back home.

Cheng Nuo raised an eyebrow. “A family heirloom?”

He Wei shook her head and vaguely said, “A gift from someone.”

“Oh?” Cheng Nuo smiled. “Did you help some chairman’s elderly mother cross the street, or send a fainted CEO’s grandmother to the hospital? Such a grand gesture?”

He Wei: “……”

When it came to banter, she could never win against Cheng Nuo.

“Seriously, Weiwei, what do you want to do?”

He Wei didn’t even blink. “I want to sell it.”

“Short on money?”

“Not really.”

Mainly because that thing was useless to her. She didn’t have any hobby of collecting antiques. Moreover, the small apartment she rented—decades of rent probably wouldn’t even add up to the value of that plate. Keeping it at home meant having to guard it in constant anxiety every day.

She might as well sell it.

As long as she didn’t run into a shady dealer, she should be able to sell it for a considerable amount.

He Wei was just afraid that if she sold it blindly, she’d get cheated, which was why she thought of asking Cheng Nuo for help.

After all, Cheng Nuo was the daughter of the Cheng family and knew quite a few wealthy people.

Most importantly, she was the only person He Wei truly trusted. If she helped ask around, He Wei would feel more at ease.

Cheng Nuo understood. “Got it. I’ll keep an eye out for you these next few days.”

She picked up a lipstick and carefully applied it to He Wei. “Nowadays, those rich people don’t care about land anymore. They all want to collect antiques. Some genuinely like them, and some just want to wait for them to appreciate in value. There should be plenty of buyers.”

He Wei nodded. “Don’t say it’s me who wants to sell it.”

If Yan Rujing heard about it, it would be a bit awkward.

Cheng Nuo grinned and agreed with a “Got it,” then didn’t ask further and continued her work.

A few minutes later, the lipstick was done. It served as the perfect finishing touch. The shade was slightly deeper than pure red, making He Wei’s entire face look like blossoming peach flowers.

Cheng Nuo sighed. “The emperor must be blind, leaving such a beautiful fourth female lead unused and insisting on that plain and bland female lead.”

He Wei’s lips curved slightly. “The female lead is good in bed.”

“……”

Cheng Nuo froze for a moment. “What?”

He Wei repeated it word by word, “Good in bed.”

It was mentioned in the script. Although only in a few brief lines, it was indeed there.

Moreover, the Mu Pingting she played had no ability to bear children. Over time, the emperor—who needed heirs to inherit the throne—would inevitably begin to lose interest in her.

Men—after all—their desires were direct and naked, but also fleeting.

What they might want was just a sense of novelty.

For example, Yan Huai toward her.

He Wei pressed her lips together slightly, the smile in her eyes fading, and quickly erased that person from her mind.

She hadn’t seen Yan Huai for several days.

This was a good sign.

He Wei let out a light breath, forcefully suppressing that faint discomfort stirring in her heart.

The morning scene was a confrontation scene between He Wei and the male lead, Su Mu.

It depicted the emperor and Mu Pingting parting on bad terms because of the female lead. As the emperor flicked his sleeve and left, Mu Pingting rushed forward and hugged him from behind.

It was He Wei’s first time filming a scene involving close physical contact with the opposite sex. She felt somewhat unaccustomed. Even though she tried her best to control it, she still stumbled slightly when she hugged him.

Cheng Yan called out, “Cut.”

“Student He Wei, are you trying to knock the emperor to the ground?”

He Wei tugged at the corner of her lips awkwardly. “Sorry, Director Cheng. I’ll pay attention next time.”

Su Mu, standing to the side, spoke up for her instead: “Director Cheng, am I really as weak as you say?”

Cheng Yan smiled. “Again.”

The group started filming from the beginning once more.

This scene took place after the palace caught fire. The emperor had finally begun to feel a bit of pity for Mu Pingting again, and naturally, she needed to seize that opportunity well.

She couldn’t be too eager, nor too slow.

During the second take, He Wei silently repeated that line to herself several times. When they filmed again, she wasn’t as uncomfortable, and the scene was completed quickly.

This time, as soon as Cheng Yan called “Cut,” He Wei immediately let go of Su Mu’s waist.

The man turned to look at her, smiling fairly gently. “Junior sister, have you never hugged a man before? So nervous?”

They had attended the same university, even sharing the same counselor.

He Wei curved her lips into a smile but didn’t answer directly.

“If there’s anything you don’t understand or need help with, you can come find me.”

Su Mu was just over thirty, with a dignified appearance and solid acting skills. He Wei actually had a fairly good impression of him.

She nodded, answering sincerely and obediently, “Thank you, senior.”

Su Mu glanced at her again, smiled, and then went off to prepare for the next scene.

He Wei also had another scene, but it was after nine in the morning.

She returned to the dressing room, set an alarm, then flattened the reclining chair and closed her eyes for a short nap.

At 8:30, the alarm rang.

A few minutes later, Cheng Nuo pushed the door open and came in. “Weiwei, if you’re free this afternoon, give me that plate first. I’ll take it and ask around.”

He Wei responded, “Have you found someone?”

“Not yet,” Cheng Nuo reassured her. “Don’t worry, we’ll definitely be able to sell it.”

Of course He Wei wasn’t worried.

That very afternoon, she took the time to deliver the plate to Cheng Nuo.

Less than two hours after she returned home, she received a call—from Cheng Yan.

As soon as she answered, he went straight to the point: “Weiwei, do you have any plans tonight?”

He Wei answered honestly, “No.”

“Then come with me to a banquet tonight. Consider it helping promote our production. I just checked the schedule—only Su Mu and you don’t have scenes tonight, so I’m planning to take the two of you.”

He Wei: “Do I need to wear high heels?”

Cheng Yan still remembered her sprained foot. He paused for a few seconds before asking, “Is your foot better?”

“Almost.”

“It’s best if you still wear them.”

She was the only female actor attending, more or less representing the image of their production team. He Wei wasn’t very tall to begin with—if she didn’t wear high heels, she might easily be overshadowed by others.

He Wei agreed with a soft “okay.”

After hanging up, she rummaged through her wardrobe before finally pulling out a dress she had kept at the very bottom—a deep blue gown with a large skirt, the hem scattered with fine silver sparkles.

From a distance, it looked like the night sky, or like the sea beneath it.

Stunningly beautiful.

This belonged to the original female lead.

The original female lead might not have had many strengths, but she had good taste.

He Wei then found a pair of silver high heels. She did her makeup first, then changed into the dress and shoes, and finally let her hair down, curling it slightly so it draped over her shoulders.

Before leaving, she looked at herself in the mirror.

Very good—extremely beautiful.

If luck was on her side, she might catch the attention of some brand or producer tonight and perhaps even land an endorsement.

She had no backing, so she could only rely on herself.

He Wei adjusted her hair, smiled at her reflection, then blinked—her expression both innocent and alluring at the same time.

A graceful young woman, swaying with charm.

Only then did she leave, satisfied.

He Wei left early and arrived fifteen minutes before Cheng Yan and the others.

She didn’t have an invitation, so she found a café to sit and wait. Before long, Cheng Yan called and told her to come over.

He Wei still wasn’t completely used to walking in high heels, but it wasn’t to the point of stumbling. Her ankle still felt a bit uncomfortable, so her steps were small. It took her five minutes to reach the hotel lobby.

When she pushed the door open, both Cheng Yan and Su Mu’s eyes lit up at the same time.

Cheng Yan, being more familiar with her, spoke without too much restraint and praised her directly, “Weiwei, you might be the center of attention tonight.”

He Wei’s eyes curved as she smiled and thanked him.

The three of them soon went in together.

This banquet wasn’t particularly formal. Cheng Yan took the two of them to meet several investors and producers. Midway through, he received a phone call and stepped aside to answer it.

He Wei didn’t know many people. Since she was wearing high heels, she didn’t feel like moving around much. She took a glass of juice and stood to the side, sipping it slowly.

Not far away, Cheng Yan hung up the phone. Just as he was about to walk back, his gaze caught a man a few meters away, and he paused. Changing direction, he walked over with his wine glass and clinked it with the man’s. “Oh? President Yan actually decided to come to a place like this?”

Yan Huai glanced at him, then shifted his gaze forward, landing on He Wei.

“Beautiful, right?”

Yan Huai responded with a quiet “Mm.”

Of course she was beautiful.

It was just—his gaze lowered.

She was wearing high heels.

Yan Huai frowned slightly. “Is your foot healed?”

Cheng Yan let out an “oh.” “I was the one who told her to wear them…”

He glanced over as well, noticing that He Wei’s high heels had a silver base with blue ripple patterns. Instantly, he remembered something Cheng Nuo had asked him about. “Oh right, Ah Huai, doesn’t your dad like collecting antiques?”

As Cheng Yan spoke, he took out his phone and pulled up a photo Cheng Nuo had sent him. “He should like this kind, right?”

In the photo, the blue-and-white porcelain plate that He Wei had taken away a few days ago was clearly visible.

Yan Huai: “……”