From then on, everyone on set noticed that Lu Yuchen had done a complete about-face in how he treated Ai Xuan.
During a break in filming, Lu Yuchen bought milk tea for everyone and made a point of ordering fruit tea for Ai Xuan. The assistant director was reviewing the scenes Ai Xuan had shot that morning.
He knew better than to praise her for fear of upsetting Lu Yuchen. He searched desperately for a flaw and finally managed, “The look in her eyes could be a little more precise, and the emotion could come through more strongly.”
“What’s wrong with the look in her eyes?” Lu Yuchen glanced at the footage, then glared at him in annoyance. “It’s already good. What more do you want?!”
The assistant director was baffled. All he could do was nod and bow as Lu Yuchen scolded him.
He got yelled at for praising her and yelled at for holding back. Why were rich people so hard to please?
Everyone expected Lu Yuchen to drag Ai Xuan into it and scold her too, or at least make a few snide remarks. Instead, he raised his voice and declared, “Ai Xuan’s with me. From now on, I’ve got her back!”
Everyone on set stared. “???”
Ai Xuan took a sip of fruit tea and nearly choked. She pressed a hand to her forehead.
“Anyone who messes with her messes with me!” Lu Yuchen added.
Everyone on set stared. “?!!!”
Ai Xuan’s mouth twitched. Watching him act like an overdramatic teenager, she almost wished he’d go back to being his usual unhinged self. So this was what it felt like to have someone backing her.
Thanks ever so much. She could do without it.
Everyone looked over at Ai Xuan. The polite smile on her face seemed a little strained, as though she was just going through the motions.
Ai Xuan might not have been particularly enthusiastic, but Lu Yuchen was convinced he had to look out for her. It was his mission!
The crew watched the whole surreal scene in disbelief.
What had happened that they didn’t know about? Hadn’t Lu Yuchen said just a few days ago that Ai Xuan wasn’t all that good? Wasn’t he making a fool of himself now?
Lu Yuchen had tried to avoid getting on Jin Yan’s bad side before. Things were different now.
When Daheng contacted him again, he didn’t mince words. “Have you fallen so low you need a slice of our pie? Don’t you ever get tired of this? No, no, and no. I’ve got plenty of money. I’m just doing this for fun!”
After hanging up, he blocked Jin Yan’s number too.
Jin Yan actually thought he could steal someone away from Third Brother? He had no idea who he was up against. Lu Yuchen would have to keep a close eye on Ai Xuan.
Soon, Xingyao Entertainment, founded by the Gu Group, officially launched. It quickly made inroads in the industry, signing a large number of newcomers and poaching quite a few A-list stars from major companies. The company was expanding aggressively.
Daheng was caught off guard by the upheaval, and Jin Yan was run off his feet. When he learned that Xingyao had invested in Ruyan, the series Ai Xuan was in, he was both puzzled and irritated.
So that was why Lu Yuchen had kept him out. He already had the Gu family behind him.
Gu Heng had kept a low profile for years and took particular care of his reputation. No one had expected him to make such a big move so suddenly.
Filming was picking up speed, too. With plenty of funding, the production could be downright extravagant.
Ai Xuan changed into her heavy period costume, and the makeup artist put the ornaments borrowed from the museum in her hair. They went through this routine every few days.
Everyone had been nervous about handling the pieces at first, but by now they were used to it. Ai Xuan was discussing the script with the producer.
Once they’d settled on the revisions, they went to let Lu Yuchen know.
Lu Yuchen glanced at her and said without a second thought, “Do it however you want.”
The assistant director and the producer: “…”
He didn’t have to be quite so blatant about letting her have her way.
Seeing that he’d become a director in name only, Ai Xuan simply told him, “Make sure nothing gets overlooked in post-production. The investor’s money didn’t fall out of the sky.”
Lu Yuchen shrugged and looked up at her.
Third Brother made money faster than it could fall out of the sky.
Ai Xuan looked back at him, then glanced at the game he was playing. Her expression grew a little more serious.
“Fine, fine, fine.” Lu Yuchen gave in. “You really have me figured out. Whatever makes you happy.”
For all the lousy films he’d made, Lu Yuchen had managed to hold on to his industry connections. He really did know how to promote and market a project.
When filming wrapped, the series set off another wave of excitement online. Both the original novel on the fiction site and its print edition shot back up the bestseller charts.
With a grand wave of his hand, Lu Yuchen announced that they’d hold the wrap party back in City A. He’d pick an upscale club where everyone could let loose and celebrate the premiere in advance.
Li Ping hurried back to the studio first to take care of some business. Ai Xuan and Lu Yuchen returned with her. Zhang Xiaoru looked back at Lu Yuchen, who was following behind, then at Ai Xuan.
Could Director Lu have developed feelings for her idol?
Lu Yuchen had nothing that complicated on his mind. When the plane landed, he took off his sunglasses and asked Ai Xuan, “Is Third Brother picking you up?”
“Mm,” Ai Xuan replied.
Gu Heng had told her a couple of days ago that he would.
“Oh.” Lu Yuchen leaned back again. “Are you hungry?”
“Are you?” Ai Xuan turned to look at him.
“Not really.” Lu Yuchen put his sunglasses back on and closed his eyes to rest.
After landing at the airport in City A, Lu Yuchen and Ai Xuan came out together, with Zhang Xiaoru following behind. They made their way to the underground parking garage.
Lu Yuchen recognized the black Bentley at a glance. Gu Heng opened the door and got out, and Lu Yuchen’s eyes lit up with excitement. Just as he was about to head over, Secretary Pei appeared. “Young Master Lu.”
“Pei Nan!” Lu Yuchen scowled at the man blocking his way.
Thanks to him, Third Brother had given Lu Yuchen a death stare for several minutes until his knees went weak. The memory still made him shudder.
“Your car and Assistant Zhang’s is over here.” Secretary Pei stepped to one side and gestured toward a black Lexus LS parked nearby.
“Are you doing this just to spite me?” Lu Yuchen couldn’t hold it in anymore.
Secretary Pei remained respectful. “The Third Young Master is very busy today. This way, please, Young Master Lu.”
Normally, when the Third Young Master had nothing going on, he’d let Young Master Lu tag along and simply ignore him if he got annoying. Miss Ai was back today, though. There was no chance of that.
When the Third Young Master’s moods were unsettled, life got harder for everyone.
“It’s almost dinnertime. Can’t I even have a meal with them?” Lu Yuchen gritted his teeth. “I’m hungry!”
He hadn’t seen Third Brother in ages. He’d finally gotten to see him again. Was it really so hard to have one meal together?
Secretary Pei was unmoved. “The Third Young Master has no time today. If you’re hungry, I can have the hotel prepare dinner. The driver will take you there.”
“No need!” Lu Yuchen forced the words out and stalked off toward the other car, scowling.
Secretary Pei stepped aside and addressed Zhang Xiaoru. “Assistant Zhang, please get in with Young Master Lu. The driver will take you home.”
“Thank you.” Zhang Xiaoru nodded, still glancing back out of the corner of her eye. When she saw the man they called the Third Young Master open the car door for her idol, her heart sped up and her eyes lit with excitement.
She might have just discovered something huge!!!
She was so excited! She wanted to tell every single Xuanxuan fan, but she couldn’t. Sob~~
Inside the black Bentley.
Secretary Pei was back to serving as their chauffeur, quietly driving without a word.
Ai Xuan looked down at her phone and sent Zhang Xiaoru a message asking her to let her know when she got home. Once she got a reply, she set her phone aside, glanced out the window for a moment, then looked away.
“If you’re tired, close your eyes for a bit,” Gu Heng said. He pressed his thin lips together before adding, trying to sound casual, “It’s rush hour. We’ll be in the car for a while yet.”
It had been nearly a few months since she’d last been back.
She’d stayed at Silver Sea Bay before because she was recovering. This time, he hadn’t asked where she wanted to go, and Secretary Pei had taken it upon himself to drive her to Silver Sea Bay.
Gu Heng had never felt so nervous.
Ai Xuan leaned back and closed her eyes briefly. Then she opened them lazily and turned to look at him. “I’m hungry,” she said, drawing out the words in a soft voice.
She hadn’t felt hungry before, but Lu Yuchen had put the idea in her head, and now she was.
“There’s food ready at home,” Gu Heng replied at once.
Ai Xuan broke into a smile, her almond-shaped eyes curving into crescents.
He’d answered her right away, and her spirits lifted. Having something to look forward to made her feel a little less tired.
The car pulled into the familiar grounds of the villa.
The moment Ai Xuan stepped inside, she caught the aroma of dinner. Hot dishes were already laid out on the table, and Sister Wang came out of the kitchen with a glass of freshly squeezed apple juice for her.
“Thank you, Sister Wang.” Ai Xuan smiled, her clear voice a little sweeter than usual.
All her favorite dishes were on the table. Happiness welled up and spread through her like a clear stream running gently through her heart. She was simply happy.
She felt like a bird returning to its nest, warm and snug.
Gu Heng ladled out some soup for her, a faint smile still on his lips. He listened to her soft chatter and chimed in every now and then.
Ai Xuan’s room had been cleaned, but it looked just as familiar as it had before she left.
“You’ve had a long few days. Wash up and get to bed early,” Gu Heng said gently from the doorway.
“Mm.” Ai Xuan tilted her head and smiled. “See you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow.”
…
After Gu Heng turned and left, Ai Xuan shut the door, looked around the room, and went into the walk-in closet.
She opened a cabinet and froze again. Whatever drowsiness she’d started to feel vanished.
She moved along the wall and opened the other cabinets too. Rows upon rows of clothes in the latest styles greeted her. She put a hand to her forehead, at a loss. There were quite a few more handbags in the cabinets as well.
The sheer number of them made her head spin.
Her thoughts wandered in the shower. She’d kept her schedule fairly light and would be working in the city for now. She’d come back here because so many of her things were still here. The houses and villas she owned had been empty too long for her to move into any of them on short notice.
She couldn’t stay here forever.
With Gu Heng doing things like this, she hardly knew what to do. She’d feel ungrateful if she turned him down, but she couldn’t keep imposing on him either.
She’d been busy lately and felt sleepy as soon as she got into bed. Still, with so much on her mind, she slept lightly.
In her sleep, she felt someone pull the covers over her. She struggled to open her eyes and thought she saw a blurry figure turn back to look at her. Strangely, she wasn’t frightened at all.
She also heard a low, mellow voice gently calling her name. It was rather pleasant to listen to.
Ai Xuan woke up a little late that morning.
She hadn’t turned off her phone alarm, so she’d woken briefly at six thirty. When she remembered Li Ping had given her two days off, she’d gone straight back to sleep. Hadn’t she sent Gu Heng a message around then?
She opened her phone and was puzzled to find that her most recent chat was with Li Ping. She tapped on it.
She’d sent Li Ping a voice message at six thirty, and Li Ping had sent one back. Her heart sank. She had a bad feeling about this.
Ai Xuan couldn’t bring herself to play it. She quickly backed out and opened her chat with Gu Heng. Their last message was from the previous afternoon. Her expression froze.
She took a deep breath and played Li Ping’s reply. Li Ping laughed twice before saying, “Who were you talking to in that sweet little voice first thing in the morning? It made me go weak all over.”
Ai Xuan covered her eyes as a blush swept over her fair cheeks. How was she supposed to face anyone after this?
She’d sent the message half asleep, so drowsy she’d barely been able to open her eyes. She couldn’t even remember what she’d said. She stared at the voice message she’d sent Li Ping at six thirty, unable to work up the nerve to play it.
Clutching her phone, Ai Xuan sat on the sofa and bit her lower lip, torn and miserable. Finally, she steeled herself and tapped the message.
A second later, she heard her own voice. “Gu Heng, I can’t get up. I’m so sleepy. Don’t wait for me for breakfast. I wanna sleep~~~”
“What did I do? This is so embarrassing!” Ai Xuan tossed her phone onto the sofa and got up to pace the room, covering her face with her hands. Her cheeks grew hotter by the second, and she broke out in a sweat.
She could hardly believe that sweet, drawn-out voice was hers. She’d been outright pouting for his attention.
And she hadn’t even tried to hide it.
How was she supposed to face anyone?