Lin Chen opened the door with a dark expression.
At first glance, he didn’t see anyone. Only when he lowered his eyes the second time did he spot the child the family had picked up, standing at the entrance of his room and grinning foolishly.
When she saw Lin Chen, Lin Nuonuo’s face lit up. She rummaged in her pocket for a long moment before pulling out two clumps of something and offering them to him.
“This is for you.”
Her soft, delicate voice sounded.
Hearing that voice, Lin Chen paused.
The servants seemed to have said before that this child couldn’t speak. This was what they meant by unable to speak?
But he didn’t bother dwelling on it. His attention shifted to the two clumps in her hands.
Two wads of tissues— in truth, tissues wrapped around something unidentifiable, with faint traces of oil seeping through.
The corner of Lin Chen’s mouth twitched. What on earth……?
Lin Nuonuo, confused by his refusal to take them, looked up, only to find him staring at the objects with clear disdain and a hint of puzzlement.
She hurried to unfold the outer tissues so he could see what was inside.
Because she had squeezed them too tightly earlier and also kept them in her pocket for a long time, the food inside had already been compressed into two deformed lumps, their original shapes impossible to make out.
Relying solely on their colors, Lin Chen barely managed to recognize them as buns and several pieces of pastry from dinner.
“For you to eat.” Lin Nuonuo moved the food closer, offering it proudly.
When Lin Chen came back, the others had already begun eating. He had barely taken two bites before leaving the table in anger after arguing with Lin Chaojiang.
Worried he would go hungry, Lin Nuonuo had secretly swiped some pastries from the dining table for him.
Unfortunately, Lin Chen didn’t appreciate the gesture at all. After shooting her a cold look, he shut the door in her face.
As for those two lumps, he had no desire to look at them a second time.
Back in his room, he called downstairs, telling someone to come take the child away.
When Auntie Liu came up, she found Lin Nuonuo squatting pitifully by Lin Chen’s door, nibbling absentmindedly at the two clumps of food in her arms. Her cheeks puffed out, unclear whether it was from anger or grievance.
“Nuonuo, why did you run here? Come with me.” Auntie Liu said, pulling her up. She added sternly, “Don’t come here again, understand?”
In this house, no one had a worse temper than the second young master.
And with the long-standing tension between the second and eldest young masters, and with this child being adopted by the eldest young master, if she annoyed the second young master and the eldest young master didn’t step in, the child would suffer.
Auntie Liu thought her warning would work. Instead, Lin Nuonuo proved as resilient as a cockroach. By the next morning, she had once again run straight to Lin Chen’s door.
Hearing the knocking sound identical to last night’s, Lin Chen could guess who it was without opening his eyes.
Sure enough, when he opened the door, there she was, staring up at him with bright eyes.
Good morning, Dad!
The words nearly slipped out.
But thinking that if she said it, he might truly consider her an idiot, Lin Nuonuo forced herself to swallow the greeting.
“It’s time for breakfast.” She whispered.
She had no intention of staying in the Lin household long-term, but after growing up in an orphanage, she had memorized the meal schedule on her very first day.
She and Lin Chen— one an invisible extra, the other practically a temporary lodger— were the type no one would wait for. If they didn’t go down to eat, people might not even notice they were missing.
So she had come to remind him not to skip a meal.
But all she received in return was a chilly look and the sound of the door slamming shut.
Staring at the closed door, Lin Nuonuo was stunned.
Was she disliked again?
And she had even changed clothes today……
Per Gu Mingming’s orders, the servants had prepared only the plainest outfits for her— drab and unnoticeable.
She had assumed Lin Chen disliked her before because she looked ugly, so today she had painstakingly chosen the best items from the ‘plain’ pile— a gray-blue T-shirt that wasn’t impressive but had a cute little yellow duck on the front. She had even tied her hair neatly into a bun.
Yet her careful effort went completely unnoticed by Lin Chen.
Lin Nuonuo lingered outside a little longer until she heard the sounds of breakfast downstairs, then reluctantly headed down.
Inside, Lin Chen felt not the slightest guilt. If he went down to eat, the others wouldn’t enjoy their meal. And he had things to do anyway, so he wasn’t planning to eat at home.
As for the child……
Not his problem.
────ρя
Half an hour later, having set a meeting time with his manager, Lin Chen prepared to leave.
The moment he opened his door, he froze.
On the floor lay three neatly arranged tissues, each holding food— buns, pastries, and half a stick of fried dough.
His mouth twitched violently.
He didn’t need to guess who had put them there.
What was that child trying to do? Lay out offerings? Honor ancestors? Feed a beggar?
Grumbling inwardly, he walked off with a dark expression, got in his car, and left the villa.
……
Lin Chen arrived at the agency.
The moment he saw his manager, he asked without preamble, “Where’s the contract?”
“Ahem, you really don’t waste time.” Chen Yi rolled his eyes. Was a simple greeting too much to ask?
“But are you sure you want to take 《Attending Physician》? You don’t want to consider the others?” He asked.
Yesterday, he had sent Lin Chen five scripts. He expected Lin Chen to choose the crime drama, or at worst, the high-budget fantasy web drama. Never in his life did he imagine Lin Chen would choose the worst one.
Meeting his manager’s doubtful expression, Lin Chen countered, “You think this project is bad?”
“Well…… not exactly……”
The drama 《Attending Physician》 focused on medical treatment and doctor–patient relationships. It fit current social themes, and the cast consisted of veteran actors and talented younger ones. Even if it didn’t become a hit, it wouldn’t flop.
But Lin Chen’s role……
“Mo Hai doesn’t have much screen time, and he’s not very high in the billing.” Chen Yi said seriously.
In the other scripts, Lin Chen could at least play the third male lead. In this one, he wasn’t even a main character— just a notable supporting role.
“Can it be filmed within two weeks?”
The sudden question stunned Chen Yi. Then he nodded. “More or less. About ten days.”
“Good. I’ll take this one.” Lin Chen chose it purely because of the short filming schedule.
“You’re in a rush?” Chen Yi asked.
“My grandfather’s birthday is next month.” Lin Chen replied casually.
That surprised the manager.
Lin Chen had never made his background public. Even his own manager knew little. This was the first time Chen Yi heard anything about Lin Chen’s family.
And whoever his grandfather was, he must be impressive if Lin Chen had to clear his schedule for a birthday banquet.
Chen Yi thought privately but still nodded.
“Alright, we’ll sign this one first. When you’re done with that family matter, let me know, and I’ll find your next project.”
He paused, then suddenly remembered something.
“By the way, there’s a variety show. Are you sure you don’t want to consider it?”
“Variety show?”
“Yeah. Normally, I wouldn’t bring it up, but this time it’s Blue Channel’s 《Adventure Game》. Their team suddenly lost a guest because Wei Dong got injured while filming. It’s a rare opportunity, and you—”
He was about to elaborate on the benefits. But before he could finish, Lin Chen cut him off, “I’m not doing it.”
Chen Yi had expected that answer, but he still didn’t want to give up.
“Think again. Under normal circumstances, 《Adventure Game》 would never drop into your lap—”
Whatever he wanted to say next died under Lin Chen’s cold stare.
He shut his mouth.
He felt utterly defeated.
He had been in the industry for years. If anyone found out he behaved like a coward in front of his own artist, he wouldn’t know where to hide his face.
But there was nothing he could do. Whenever he faced Lin Chen, he inexplicably caved.
As if Lin Chen wasn’t his artist, but the boss who paid his salary.
Chen Yi sighed silently and looked at Lin Chen with a disappointed expression.
Lin Chen had been in the industry for eight years— handsome, talented, skilled, and given decent resources. Online, he had hordes of fans. He should have already become a top-tier actor. Yet he remained stuck in mid-tier limbo.
The problem was his reputation.
Back when he first became popular, the company planned to promote him heavily. But suddenly, the internet exploded with scandals. #SleepingWithFans, #SecretMarriageAndChild, #Cheating, #GroupActivities, #BackstageConcubineSelection, and so on…… There were absurd rumors of every kind. His name had been dragged through the mud.
Chen Yi had exhausted himself trying to clarify the rumors, yet Lin Chen— the one involved— didn’t care at all. His attitude of indifference led the public to assume the rumors were true. His reputation tanked, and the industry no longer dared to invest heavily in him.
Chen Yi had tried controlling the online comments, but every time he attempted a cleanup, it felt like an unseen force was blocking him.
He then tried the route of reality shows. Many tarnished celebrities regained public favor through them.
But no matter what program he found, or how hard he tried to persuade, Lin Chen’s answers remained the same— ‘Not going’ or ‘Not interested’.
Chen Yi hesitated again.
“You still have something to say?” Lin Chen asked.
“No. I’ve checked the contract for 《Attending Physician》. If you’re sure, you can sign it. I’ll send you the full script later. You start filming in two days.” Chen Yi said gloomily.
“Also……”
“What?”
“Tonight, there’s an ESLA fashion gala……”
“Not going.”
“……” As expected.