Tan Dingsong’s lips twitched slightly. “Tingnan, looking at you like this, are you thinking of…” The man leaned in closer. “Silencing me?”
“Hahaha…” Xie Tingnan let out an awkward laugh. Was it really that serious?
Whether it was or not, he didn’t have much of a feeling about it at the moment.
The proud and arrogant Xie, who had been that way for thirty years, how could he possibly have his mind controlled by a little girl?
However, his subconscious instinct to protect that girl did surprise even himself.
Xie Tingnan quickly regained his composure, adopting an air of treating women as mere clothes, not worth mentioning. His phoenix eyes glanced sideways at Tan Dingsong, his thin lips pressed together.
Tan Dingsong smiled. “Secretary Wang only brought people to sign the contract with your permission, right? Otherwise, with the level of secrecy you maintain, even your own brothers wouldn’t get to see a single strand of that little girl’s hair.”
Xie Tingnan had actually forgotten about that.
He was a hundred percent at ease with Yu Wanwan going to Tan Dingsong’s place.
Among their circle of brothers, each came from official families, and their mouths were as tight as could be. They never let slip a word about matters between men and women.
The man’s expression finally lost its initial wariness, and he responded indifferently, “She’s timid. I’ll nurture her a bit more before bringing her out.”
This was indeed unusual. Given Xie Tingnan’s nature, aside from family, no woman had ever made him this patient.
Tan Dingsong couldn’t help but recall the scene when he first saw Yu Wanwan.
That girl was too outstanding, like a breath of fresh spring breeze, unforgettable at first sight. That was Tan Dingsong’s eight-word evaluation of her.
For a moment, Tan Dingsong even felt a tinge of regret.
For a woman like Yu Wanwan, she held a fatal attraction for men.
And the men she encountered in their circle could offer her lofty money, connections, vanity, and even affection, but the one thing they could never give her was an open and legitimate status. She would forever live in the shadows, an invisible presence.
Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, no one could judge. It was all her own choice.
Tan Dingsong felt an inexplicable sense of pity for Yu Wanwan, who had chosen this path.
However, it had to be admitted that her taste was truly excellent.
The noble and imposing man opposite, Xie Tingnan, was hailed as the pinnacle of looks among the Beijing circle’s younger generation of that year.
In a word: incredibly tasteful and charismatic.
The big-name actress Bai Bingbing, who had red wine spilled on her and was teased like that, still occasionally cast flirtatious glances his way.
Such things happening to Xie Tingnan were not at all surprising.
Taste and style weren’t always directly proportional to money and status.
In their circle, there were quite a few who wore shirts worth hundreds of thousands but made them look like they cost only a few dozen.
Take the one who just walked in, for example—tall, big, with a loud voice, a tanned complexion, and muscles all over.
As soon as he entered, he raised his eyebrows, let out a few hearty “ha-ha” laughs, revealing snow-white teeth against his light brown skin, his face full of wild abandon.
Seeing the stunningly beautiful women, he casually whistled in their direction.
The delicate actresses in the room all looked up, giving him sidelong glances and eye rolls.
Who was this? Li Kui time-traveling? Did he walk into the wrong room?
It wasn’t until Director Zhang greeted him with a respectful, smiling face, “Young Master Xing, come, come, this way, please.”
Xing Rufei curled his lips. “Just got back from hiking Mount Everest yesterday. If it weren’t for Old Xie and Old Tan being here today, I wouldn’t lift a finger even if you sent an eight-man sedan chair for me.”
“Yes, yes, yes.” Director Zhang smiled obsequiously, gesturing with his eyes for the actresses over there to come closer.
Xing Rufei glanced at the little flower who was approaching with an affected, coy demeanor and gave a sharp tug with his large hand.
The T-shirt worth several hundred thousand instantly tore in two, revealing his wheat-toned, sculpted muscles.
The little flower hadn’t expected this and let out a startled “Ah!”
Xing Rufei curled his lips: “Acting all shy like that, have you never seen a man before?
Girl, if you’re in the entertainment industry, don’t pretend to be some innocent little white flower. You’ve got plenty of ‘glow-in-the-dark scripts’—and from what I know, they’re all real.”
The little white flower was on the verge of tears, her secrets completely exposed.
The seated man lifted the corner of his mouth slightly: “Rufei, that’s enough. Don’t scare her.”
Xing Rufei raised an eyebrow and strode directly toward Xie Tingnan.
He was the unconventional genius among the elite families, passionate about outdoor adventures and global travel.
The Xing family patriarch supported his hobbies, and now, Xing Rufei was a director of a globally renowned high-end outdoor group.
Whether it was hiking, cycling, travel, horse racing, racing clubs, or extreme sports, he had top-tier planning teams spread across the world.
He simply loved the outdoors and nature so much that he had transformed himself from a fair-skinned, rosy-lipped youth into the rugged, wild image nature had casually carved him into.
This film required shooting across several countries, and all international arrangements were handled with just a word from Xing Rufei.
The three men sipped fine wine, relaxed and casual, chatting idly.
Just as Xie Tingnan was taking out his second cigar, Director Zhang approached, bowing slightly to light it: “Chairman Xie?”
The man clenched the cigar between his teeth, his phoenix eyes deep and unfathomable: “No outsiders here. Speak.”
“There’s a scene to shoot tomorrow,” Director Zhang weighed his words carefully.
He was referring to Yu Wanwan’s scene but didn’t dare say it outright.
The man’s expression darkened: “Shoot it. She’s a person, not a god. Treat her equally.”
Director Zhang’s eyes flickered: “It’s… a romantic scene…” The favored concubine of a warlord in the Republican era—without romantic scenes, could she even be called a favored concubine?
Xing Rufei’s face suddenly turned cold.
A moment later, he laughed: “Director Zhang, let me put it this way—there are some things I’d mind even if a male mosquito bit them.”
Perfect!
Director Zhang understood: “Chairman Xie, you carry on. I’ve got it.” (Internally miserable: Damn it, another all-nighter revising the script.)
Xing Rufei was completely baffled. He glanced at Tan Dingsong beside him, who was calmly savoring his wine as if he hadn’t heard a thing.
Xing Rufei was never one to hold back: “Tingnan, what’s going on? Could it be… Wen An’an?”
Xing Rufei frowned: “Don’t jinx it. Penalty of three drinks.”
Xing Rufei grinned: “I’d accept a whole bottle as a penalty, but you have to tell me—who is this ‘deity’ you’d even mind a male mosquito for?”
Then, he slapped his forehead: “No wonder—this is your first time investing in a film, right? To promote your little sweetheart? Who is it?”
Under the light, the man’s handsome face looked sensual, his lips curling faintly: “Just a… fool.”
…
The “fool,” Yu Wanwan, arrived early at the film set the next day.
When Director Zhang saw the Ferrari drive in, he hesitated, wondering which big-name actress it was. The car door opened, and Yu Wanwan stepped out.
For easier costume changes, the young woman wore a white T-shirt and denim shorts, revealing her snow-white, long legs, smooth and delicate as fine jade.
Her long, beautiful hair was tied into a ponytail, swaying with each step she took, vibrant and captivating.
The early-arriving crew members on set stared in awe: “Director Zhang, which actress is this? When did Beijing produce such a stunning beauty?”
Director Zhang kicked the man fiercely: “Take another look, and you’ll risk having your eyes gouged out.”
Holy shit? The man quickly closed his eyes and stuck out his tongue.
Having worked with film crews for years, he was adept at reading people.
From Director Zhang’s single sentence, he knew this kind of woman was best avoided at all costs—a thousand percent a femme fatale with powerful backing.
Director Zhang stepped forward: “Miss Yu, you’re here so early?”
Yu Wanwan smiled gently: “Good morning, Director Zhang. I’m inexperienced in acting, so please guide me more.”
Yu Wanwan was actually being polite; her acting skills were quite impressive. She was only inexperienced with romantic scenes.
Especially since there was a kissing scene in the script. Before coming, she had already decided to discuss the kissing scene with Director Zhang.
Due to the contractual nature of her relationship with Xie Tingnan, she assumed Xie Tingnan must not have read the script.
Otherwise, such an arrogant man would never be so generous.
“Director Zhang,” Yu Wanwan smiled sweetly, “about today’s kissing scene…”
“I’ll handle it.”