At night, Jiang Yinyin lay on his bed with his hands crossed over his stomach, closing his eyes to sleep. After a long while, he opened his eyes and let out a soft sigh.
Giving up on the idea of forcing himself to fall asleep, he got out of bed and walked outside, planning to warm up a cup of milk. Growing up this big, it was his first time experiencing insomnia and being unable to sleep.
As he stepped out of his room, he noticed light seeping through the crack of the study’s door. Jiang Yinyin walked over and knocked, and after hearing a voice tell him to enter, he pushed the door open and went in.
“Older brother, still not sleeping?” he asked.
Jiang Siyu looked somewhat surprised. “My schedule conflicted, but we just finished negotiating it. What about you? It is already eleven o’clock. Why are you still not asleep?”
His younger brother had been pedantic and serious since childhood. He used to go to bed reliably at ten o’clock, rain or shine, and would not even film night scenes when working on a project.
Jiang Yinyin pressed his lips together. “Brother, it feels like I am being followed by a ghost. Time keeps speeding up and rewinding.”
Jiang Siyu: “?”
For a split second, he thought his brother had become possessed, but looking at Jiang Yinyin’s serious expression, he did not immediately refute him.
Instead, he stood up, felt Jiang Yinyin’s forehead, and tactfully said, “Is the pressure from balancing your studies and acting getting a bit too high? Should I help you find a therapist?”
Jiang Yinyin: “…”
“Which courses in your sophomore year are giving you a hard time? I can help you out,” Jiang Siyu said with concern.
Jiang Yinyin: “…”
“Brother, you should just rest,” Jiang Yinyin dropped those words, turned around, and walked toward his bedroom.
Back in his room and lying on the bed, Jiang Yinyin still could not fall asleep. He spent the entire night wide awake, and the next day, taking advantage of Jiang Siyu leaving the house, he directly hired a Taoist priest.
The priest strolled around the room a few times, finding nothing. Then he circled around Jiang Yinyin a few times and still found nothing.
“Little friend,” the priest said, “no evil spirits were detected inside the room or around your person.”
However, since he had already made the trip, he could not leave empty-handed. Looking at the stern-faced person before him, the priest chuckled and pulled a peace amulet out of his bag. “Perhaps your stress is simply too high lately. Would you care to purchase an amulet?”
Jiang Yinyin: “…”
The priest continued his sales pitch, “Our amulets are…”
His words suddenly sped up, and because he spoke so quickly, not a single word was intelligible. His movements also accelerated; he pulled out his phone to pay, snatched the amulet, and completed the entire process in one smooth motion.
Once things returned to normal, Jiang Yinyin looked at the amulet in his hand, fell silent for a moment, and said, “Time just sped up. Did you feel that?”
The priest scratched his head in confusion. “No, not at all. It seems your stress levels are really quite high.”
With that, he pulled a stack of peace amulets from his bag. “I have everything you could possibly need. Want them?”
Jiang Yinyin: “…”
In the end, Jiang Yinyin bought the entire stack of amulets and plastered his bedroom walls with them. As soon as he finished pasting the last one up, his speed accelerated; he tore the paper charms down and frantically glued them back on all over again.
Jiang Yinyin: “…”
Why time could be fast-forwarded remained a mystery he had yet to solve, but he had figured out one thing for certain.
That Taoist priest was a complete charlatan.
Meanwhile, Le Zhiyi was currently being scolded by his father. He blinked his tear-rimmed eyes and nodded, putting on an obedient expression of remorse, though internally he had already used up all his acceleration charges.
This old bastard keeps nagging about the same things. So annoying.
“You said you did not want to join the company and wanted to become a director instead, and I agreed. But what have I gotten in return?” Le Sheng said, looking at him with a mixture of disappointment and exasperation.
Every day, watching the online commentary cursing his son made him both angry and heartbroken. He had intentionally kept his hands off, hoping Le Zhiyi would face the difficulties and retreat on his own.
Instead, Le Zhiyi had charged straight into the adversity.
Le Zhiyi sniffled and hugged Le Sheng’s arm. “Dad, I know I was wrong, but this is my dream. I love writing and directing my own films; it gives me such a great sense of accomplishment.”
He rested his head on Le Sheng’s shoulder. “I will definitely watch my words and actions from now on and stop running my mouth. Please do not be angry anymore, Dad.”
In the book, the villainous supporting character’s father was both a dutiful and negligent parent. After his original wife passed away, the illegitimate child turned out to be older than the legitimate son, yet he still doted quite a bit on the original son. Normally, he would listen to the whispered gossip of the illegitimate son and his mistress and lose his temper at the protagonist, but the moment anything happened to Le Zhiyi, he would panic.
Therefore, the villain’s extreme behavior and desperate craving for love were partly rooted in his dysfunctional family background.
Le Zhiyi had a fitting summary for this father: An old bastard who sprinkles gold coins whenever you talk sweetly to him.
Sure enough, looking at his son acting coquettishly, Le Sheng immediately lost his temper. “Now you know how to act spoiled! Later, I will have Xiao Li transfer some money to you so you can go out and clear your head. Still, I ultimately hope you will come join the company.”
“Alright, I will listen to Dad,” Le Zhiyi nodded obediently.
Le Sheng contentedly patted Le Zhiyi’s head. “Alright, go eat. Auntie Liu made your favorite pork rib soup with daikon.”
“Mm, mm. I am going to wash my hands first.”
As soon as Le Zhiyi stepped into the bathroom, his expression vanished. He lowered his gaze, pumped some hand soap, and leisurely worked it into a lather.
Pork rib soup with daikon? How could he possibly remember this being the illegitimate son’s favorite soup, while the original owner detested white daikon more than anything else?
Tsk.
“Why are you treating him so nicely?” the system asked, its dissatisfaction practically overflowing.
Le Zhiyi raised an eyebrow and retorted, “What else should I do? Give him a cold shoulder, throw tantrums, piss him off, and drive him straight to the illegitimate son so the latter can reap all the benefits without lifting a finger?”
He dragged out his tone, letting out a soft, amused murmur. “How boring would that be?”
The system choked.
Le Zhiyi continued, “It is much better to say what he wants to hear. Within a few sentences, I get his money and win a wave of favorable impressions. Later, when he is no longer of any use, well…”
He hummed a tune, pulled out a tissue to dry his hands, and headed out. The moment he stepped out of the bathroom, he instantly switched back to his obedient persona.
The system digested these words, unable to snap out of its shock for a long time.
It finally understood.
Within the span of a single meal, Le Zhiyi managed to sweet-talk Le Sheng into securing an investor and pocketing five million yuan. After sending the old man off, he contentedly stretched out on the sofa and yawned.
Using his phone, he ordered a cake for three thousand yuan and conveniently bought one for Shen Qing as well.
[Le Zhiyi]: Qingqing, I ordered a cake for you. Remember to pick it up!
Shen Qing: Thank you, Zhiyi! You are the best. What a coincidence, I was just about to message you. A lifestyle reality variety show invited me, and I plan to recommend you so we can go together.
Shen Qing: We can use the variety show to wash away our bad reputations. The netizens cursing you just do not understand you properly. Participating in a live variety show will fix everything!
[Le Zhiyi]: Okay, I will listen to A-Qing.
Shen Qing: [Patting your head emoji]
He had used Le Sheng’s money to buy a cake for Shen Qing and secured a variety show opportunity in return.
System: “…”
It understood once more.
Shen Qing collected the cake, took a photo to send to Le Zhiyi, and posted it on his social media feed.
Shen Qing: The cake Zhiyi bought. So sweet.
Le Zhiyi and Jiang Siyu both left comments underneath.
[Le Zhiyi]: Do not just take pictures of the cake. Take a picture of the pretty A-Qing eating the cake instead.
Shen Qing replied: The Zhiyi who bought the cake is very pretty too!
[Jiang Siyu]: The auntie at home made some lemonade. I am having someone send some over to you and Zhiyi so you can cleanse your palate after the cake.
Shen Qing replied: Thank you!
Celebrities in the industry quietly left likes without commenting, feeling rather puzzled. It seemed Le Zhiyi was not as mentally unstable as the rumors claimed.
Moreover, Le Zhiyi possessed incredible aesthetic sense. Having only directed two films so far, both of them had successfully propelled Jiang Siyu and Shen Qing to stardom. Celebrities in the entertainment circle were sharp as tacks and quickly began silently keeping tabs on Le Zhiyi’s upcoming new dramas.
They planned to cozy up to him the moment his public reputation improved slightly.
After finishing the cake, the doorbell rang precisely on cue, presumably the lemonade delivery.
Le Zhiyi hummed a cheerful tune as he opened the door, but the moment it swung wide open, an involuntary grunt escaped his lips.
The lemonade had indeed arrived, but it had practically been delivered straight out of a freezer.
Jiang Yinyin stood there with an icy, distant expression, handing over the item. The moment Le Zhiyi took it, Jiang Yinyin turned around and walked away without a word.
Holding the glass container, Le Zhiyi shivered slightly. Whoa, this lemonade is freezing cold, as frosty as the freezer boy himself.
Back inside his room, Le Zhiyi eagerly poured the drink into a cup and even thoughtfully added two ice cubes for aesthetic flair.
He took a sip, and yuck.
The sweetness instantly made him spit it out.
Making a face, Le Zhiyi took another sip and nearly gagged again.
Just how much sugar had been dumped in here? Taking a single gulp felt like it would fast-track him straight to diabetes.
Weighing the possibilities, whether the auntie had accidentally gone overboard with the sugar or Jiang Yinyin was deliberately messing with him, he did not hesitate for a second. With a wry smile, he pulled out his phone and messaged Shen Qing.
[Le Zhiyi]: Qingqing, save a cup of your lemonade for me and have a delivery rider send it over, alright?
Shen Qing agreed readily, and shortly after, a delivery runner dropped it off. Le Zhiyi took a sip; it was pleasantly sweet and refreshing.
Hah, just you wait, Jiang Yinyin.
Back in his room reciting his script, Jiang Yinyin suddenly sneezed. Glancing at the iced coffee in his hand, he decisively stood up to grind a fresh cup of hot coffee instead.
Then he went back to memorizing his lines.
Two days later, the reality variety show The Truest Self released its lineup of participating celebrity guests.
There were six members in total. Four had their identities revealed, while two remained shrouded in mystery. Among the four revealed guests were Shen Qing and Jiang Siyu.
Shen Qing and Jiang Siyu shared a massive fanbase, and the moment the news dropped, their CP fans went completely wild.
In an instant, the show gained massive popularity while retaining plenty of suspense.
[Luosifen Plus Bomb]: Four people have been revealed and I am already screaming!
[Science Is Hard]: Oh my god, Shen Qing and Jiang Siyu are the biggest trending stars right now, plus idol Su Anlin and the newly crowned best actor Qi Li. The lineup is way too stacked, I am so excited for the other two.
[Dissertations Begone]: It is New Year’s Day for CP fans!
[Absolute Refusal]: Won’t Le Zhiyi die of anger? My CP is going on a variety show together, so he better be tactful and stop clinging to Jiang Siyu.
[I Am Actually Exploding]: The person above is right. Shen Qing is just too nice. I hope Le Zhiyi has some self-awareness.
The moment comment sections bearing Le Zhiyi’s name popped up, the public sentiment flipped, and everyone began mocking him relentlessly.
Until a single comment stood out from the rest.
[Keep Your Delusions Away]: The other two unrevealed guests, surely Le Zhiyi is not one of them, right?
The comment section immediately flooded with question marks.
[Dead Potato No Smiling]: Hey upstairs, what did I ever do to you?
[Looks Sick 68]: No way, absolutely no way. Le Zhiyi is a director, why would he go on a variety show?
[Sino-Western Girl Mary Jane Shoes]: Please spare us, help me, spare us!