When He Yan returned to Jingjiang Villa, Jiang Mingcheng was sitting on the sofa downstairs.
He wore a white shirt, its top two buttons undone. If one cared to look closely, the faint outline of his collarbone was visible.
Across from him sat a man in a suit—clearly discussing business. At the sound of her return, Jiang Mingcheng looked up, his gaze settling on her.
He Yan tactfully nodded in his direction and immediately tried to slip back to her room.
She hadn’t made it far when a chef passed by, heading out. He Yan called out to him, “Chef Li, what’s for dinner tonight? Light dishes? I haven’t really noticed any spicy options around here.”
“Cantonese cuisine. The young master prefers lighter flavors. Madam, do you enjoy spicy food? I could prepare a few spicy dishes for you.”
He Yan glanced toward the sofa. Jiang Mingcheng was still deep in conversation, seemingly oblivious to their exchange.
“No need to trouble yourself. I like light food too,” she said, waving it off. After all, she was a guest in someone else’s home, it wouldn’t be right to disturb their habits.
With that, she went upstairs and into her room.
Some time later, Jiang Mingcheng concluded his conversation. The suited man rose respectfully. “President Jiang, I’ll take my leave now.”
Jiang Mingcheng gave a slight nod. The man turned to go, but before leaving, his gaze briefly swept toward the staircase.
That woman just now… what was her relationship with President Jiang?
Jiang Mingcheng leaned back, settling somewhat lazily into the sofa. Just then, Chef Li returned from his errand. He smiled at Jiang Mingcheng and was about to head into the kitchen.
“Chef Li.”
The cool voice halted him. Chef Li turned to face Jiang Mingcheng.
“You can prepare a few spicier dishes.”
Chef Li paused. The young master didn’t usually care for spicy food. Had his tastes changed?
Then he remembered, hadn’t Madam just asked about spicy dishes?
Ah, so that was it. The young master was thinking of Madam!
A broad smile spread across Chef Li’s face, and he respectfully acknowledged the request.
By dinner time, He Yan noticed several vividly spicy dishes had appeared on the table. One glance was enough to make her mouth water.
A spark seemed to ignite in her eyes. She ate a full bowl of rice with pure satisfaction.
It was the happiest meal she’d had since transmigrating. At the set, her assistant kept a strict watch over her diet—every meal was bland and unappetizing. And now, even back here, the food was still light and plain.
She never expected that a single casual remark would be picked up so quickly by Chef Li.
“Is it good?” Jiang Mingcheng’s voice, cool and clear, broke the silence from across the table, a quiet reminder of his presence.
He Yan finally turned her attention to him.
She’d been so focused on the food that she hadn’t noticed. Now she saw that the dishes before Jiang Mingcheng were still mild and light, a stark contrast to the fiery spread in front of her.
Thinking he might want to try something spicy, He Yan gently pushed the plate of spicy chicken toward him. “This is really good. Want to try?”
Jiang Mingcheng’s gaze drifted from her slender fingers pushing the plate to the dish now before him.
He’d always preferred light flavors. It was healthier. He wasn’t one to indulge in cravings, so he’d logically chosen the healthier option.
Now a plate heavy with oil and spice sat in front of him, practically shouting “unhealthy.”
And across from him, a young girl looked up with eager expectation, her bright eyes shimmering like they held water.
Jiang Mingcheng reached out, picked up a small piece, and put it in his mouth. The spiciness slowly spread across his tongue.
“Good, right? Isn’t it good?” The girl across from him waited expectantly for his verdict. He paused for a second, his control slipping, and the heat rushed into his throat. He coughed uncontrollably.
“Are you okay?” He Yan hadn’t expected a single bite to hit him so hard. Flustered, she poured him a glass of water and handed it over.
Jiang Mingcheng reached out to take it. In the brief moment of contact, his fingers brushed hers—soft, smooth.
The heat subsided. His expression cooled again, returning to its usual detachment. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. But you really can’t handle any spice at all?” What a shame—so much good food, and he couldn’t enjoy any of it.
“I’m just not used to it,” Jiang Mingcheng said, lifting his gaze to capture every subtle expression on He Yan’s face.
He Yan nodded in understanding and said nothing more. But from then on, she didn’t invite him to try any of the dishes that were exclusively hers.
After dinner, He Yan washed up contentedly and went to rest.
The next morning, she woke early, hastily packed her things, and headed back to the film set.
In the car, Xiao Li spoke to her excitedly. “Sister Yan Yan, you’re on the hot search again today.”
“Huh? What hot search?” He Yan looked confused.
“The one about you and Film Emperor Pei!”
He Yan frowned, unlocked her phone, and opened Weibo.
Sure enough, the top trending topic was #Pei Yanchuan He Yan Intimate Conversation#.
She clicked on it and saw several photos taken of her and Pei Yanchuan talking, shot from carefully chosen angles.
From the photos, it did look rather intimate.
He Yan called Sister Jingyi.
“Sister Jingyi, didn’t I say I wanted to take the serious acting path? Why are there still scandals?”
“Yan Yan, I know you want to go that route, but these things take time. Even if I believe you, the company executives still need convincing.”
He Yan understood that, of course. She was just afraid the rumors would blow up too big and that Jiang Mingcheng might see them.
Now all she could do was pray that workaholic Jiang Mingcheng never looked at entertainment news.
He Yan opened Weibo again and, for the first time, faced the comments head-on.
[Ugh! Always clinging to Pei Yanchuan like a stubborn patch of weeds!]
[Can’t act, just leeching off others for fame!]
[He Yan has some nerve. Pei Yanchuan’s studio already made it clear they’re not involved, and she still forces herself on him!]
[Honestly, what right did He Yan have to attend that awards ceremony? Does she have no self-awareness?]
[Why was He Yan sitting next to Pei Yanchuan?]
[Someone’s backing her, obviously.]
In the entertainment industry, a beautiful actress with nothing but her looks yet somehow seated beside Pei Yanchuan clearly meant someone had orchestrated it.
Anyone with half a brain could see it was deliberate hype.
He Yan turned off her phone, leaned back in her seat, and resigned herself to the public ridicule.
Meanwhile, Pei Yanchuan’s agent had launched into another round of sarcastic tirade.
“This He Yan really is impossible to shake off!” Brother Xiu, Pei Yanchuan’s agent, fumed. “And her team, they’re just as insane!”
“And you! Yanchuan, why’d you even talk to her in the first place?”
Pei Yanchuan held his phone, carefully zooming in on their photo together. Finally, he found a clear view of He Yan’s profile.
“This scandal, do you think He Yan willingly went along with it, or was it her team’s idea?”
He studied several more images. In each one, He Yan’s lips curved faintly upward, as if they had been sharing something amusing.
“What the hell difference does it make? Whether she wanted to or not, isn’t it the same?” Brother Xiu was losing patience.
“It’s not the same,” Pei Yanchuan said firmly.
Brother Xiu was baffled. He honestly couldn’t see the difference.
As for Jiang Mingcheng, just as He Yan had guessed, he had neither the time nor the interest to follow entertainment news.
But that didn’t stop the people around him from paying attention.
“Have you seen the trending topic on Weibo? He Yan’s with Pei Yanchuan again.”
“Seriously? Didn’t they deny it before?”
“Looks like it might be real, they’ve been spotted together several times.”
“How could it be real? It’s all just publicity stunts. This is how the entertainment industry works.”
Jiang Mingcheng passed by the break room just in time to catch that conversation.
Back in his office, he picked up his phone and downloaded Weibo.
The moment he opened it, He Yan’s name was right there on the trending list.
He clicked in. Several slightly intimate photos came into view.
The comment section was flooded with sarcasm, mockery, and outright insults. All of it reached his eyes.
He navigated to He Yan’s Weibo homepage. Nothing new. Her latest post was from half a month ago.
Would she see those comments?
Her face surfaced in his mind—fair, delicate, those eyes that always seemed to shimmer, carrying a hint of fragility.
And yet, that very face was always smiling. She’d trot around the villa, cheerfully calling out to Aunt Qian, Chef Li—or, once, Jiang Mingcheng himself.
Only once.
He had been standing on the balcony, letting the wind pass over him. Down in the garden, Aunt Qian was chatting with He Yan.
“Madam, don’t let his cold demeanor fool you. He has a very soft heart.”
“You mean Jiang Mingcheng?”
Her voice was pleasant, clear.
Jiang Mingcheng pulled himself back from the memory and made a call.
“President Jiang, you’re looking for me?” The voice on the other end was deferential.
“The top trending topic on Weibo. Take it down.” Short, decisive. His usual style.
Meanwhile, in the makeup room of the True and False Heiress production, someone had already noticed.
“Hey, hey, hey? Why is the trending topic gone?” Yuan Yuan, He Yan’s assistant, exclaimed in surprise.
“The trending topic’s gone? Mine?” He Yan’s eyes crinkled slightly as she asked hopefully.
“Yeah. It just disappeared.” Yuan Yuan pouted.
“Hmph—” Lin Jingxi, who was getting her makeup done nearby, let out a disdainful snort.
No need to guess, it had to be Pei Yanchuan who pulled it. Only someone as shameless as He Yan would keep throwing herself at him like this.
So, what if she was prettier? Did Pei Yanchuan even glance her way?
A vase, just a vase. And a brainless one at that.
But He Yan was genuinely relieved. She assumed it was Pei Yanchuan’s team who’d removed the trending. Still, if they were willing to take action and pull the story, then there was less chance Jiang Mingcheng would ever see it.
They’d really done her a favor.
Once her makeup was done, He Yan continued filming with focus.
Over the past few weeks, the crew had grown accustomed to her improved acting and her unexpectedly easygoing nature.
Someone had once asked why she’d been so distant at first. He Yan brushed it off, saying she was slow to warm up and had been too shy initially.
Luckily, now that they knew her better, everyone believed it.
Even Lin Jingxi had settled in and stopped racking up NGs constantly. Only during emotionally intense scenes did she still feel overpowered by He Yan’s performance, leading to a few extra takes.
During a break in filming, He Yan sat on a small stool in a corner, intently watching a video on her phone.
It was a masterclass in acting performance, which she had asked Sister Jingyi to find for her. She had to learn as quickly as possible, so the company would recognize her strength and abandon the aggressive hype-driven strategy.
Lin Jingxi wandered around the set, her gaze occasionally drifting toward He Yan.
What was she watching, so absorbed?
A thought crossed her mind. She took out her phone, angled herself with her back to He Yan, and snapped a selfie.
In the corner of the frame, He Yan appeared to be idly scrolling through her phone. Behind her, crew members busied themselves with equipment. On the other side, a few young actors rehearsed lines together.
Lin Jingxi posted on Weibo:
Hard at work filming! Everyone’s working so hard!
Attached: the selfie she just took.
**