“Get lost.”
Shen Xingfeng’s affectionate address of “Junior Yan” was met with Yan Chi’s reluctance to engage further.
“Is Mr. Shen so free that he has time to supervise the work?” Yan Chi adjusted the lighting on his own.
Shen Xingfeng waited for a moment, but when no response came, he didn’t feel embarrassed. He simply lowered his hand and said, “Not too bad. I occasionally have time to check on how my subordinates are working.”
He smiled, his expression relaxed and amiable.
After the two exchanged a few words, Nie Tao finally walked over, standing beside Shen Xingfeng with a hint of hostility. “Brother Shen, do you know Teacher Yan too?”
As he spoke, he subtly brushed his hand against Shen Xingfeng’s arm, his coquettish intent unmistakable.
Shen Xingfeng chuckled. “Yes, I was Yan Chi’s senior in high school. We were quite close back then.”
Yan Chi rolled his eyes inwardly.
He despised alphas who inexplicably tried to act familiar and loved to flatter themselves.
“Mr. Nie, are you ready? If there are no issues, we can start shooting. Let’s not keep everyone waiting too long,” Yan Chi said, all business.
Nie Tao shot him a sidelong glance before leaning closer to Shen Xingfeng. “Brother Shen, I just returned from filming elsewhere these past few days and rushed straight here to shoot this commercial. I’m so tired. Teacher Yan is really strict. Was he like this back in school too?”
Shen Xingfeng only smiled at Yan Chi without answering.
Yan Chi was speechless.
He recalled the end of a physical education class in his second year of high school, when a group of alphas had closed in on him step by step. They formed an impenetrable wall, their expressions playful, with Shen Xingfeng as their leader, the basketball team captain.
Years had passed, but his gaze remained as nauseating as ever.
Seeing Yan Chi’s expression darken slightly, Shen Xingfeng finally feigned displeasure and patted Nie Tao’s lower back. “Stop fooling around, Tao. We’re working. We can talk about other things later.”
Nie Tao, thinking he had gotten his revenge on Yan Chi, finally felt triumphant and leisurely walked back.
Yan Chi couldn’t be bothered to argue with fools. He adjusted his emotions in two seconds and continued guiding the photography team, never once glancing at the alpha standing nearby.
The video shoot proceeded relatively smoothly. Although Nie Tao had a mediocre temper, he was still a celebrity with decent performance skills. However, Shen Xingfeng remained standing on the sidelines, making Yan Chi feel as if the air had become unbearably polluted.
Having been busy since early morning, Yan Chi hadn’t eaten much and now felt slightly dizzy under the dazzling lights, a sign of low blood sugar.
Qin Siming noticed his pale lips and asked with concern, “Teacher Yan, should I buy you a chocolate bar? There’s no perfume blending task today, so having a piece of candy occasionally is fine.”
“Alright, thank you,” Yan Chi said, pursing his dry lips before pausing. “Siming could you also buy me a bottle of water while you’re at it? The xx brand, chilled.”
“Huh? Oh, sure, I’ll go right away.” Qin Siming, though confused, dashed off and quickly returned, handing Yan Chi the water he had requested.
It was an old brand of mineral water, its packaging unchanged for over a decade.
The bottle Ji Yueting had handed him in high school looked exactly like this, and so did this one now.
Yan Chi twisted open the cap with a click, his fingertips dampened by the cold droplets on the bottle’s surface. He took a large gulp, the coolness sliding down his throat, significantly easing the nausea.
The air conditioning in the venue was insufficient, likely to prevent the actors from catching a cold in their light clothing, so the airflow was weak. Yan Chi wiped the sweat from his forehead and issued his commands.
“Keep filming, adjust the lighting angle from earlier a bit more, turn it to the right,” he set down the water bottle, his gaze focused. “Dim the front light a little, make it closer to that hazy autumn feel.”
“Right, that definitely enhances the effect,” the photographer gave a thumbs-up.
The lighting technician chimed in, “See, we still need our Mr. Yan.”
Yan Chi was a professional when it came to aesthetics. Fashion was a cycle, and having dealt with countless fragrance companies and even international luxury brands, his eye was naturally sharp. The video and poster photos had just been shot, and even the raw footage already had a strong atmosphere, earning praise from everyone who saw it.
Nie Tao glanced over, his facial muscles twitching slightly, still unable to let go of his pride. “It’s alright, mainly because I look good.”
“…” No one in the room responded, leaving everyone feeling rather awkward.
Yan Chi let out a cold snort. Before packing up to leave, he instructed, “Remember to come to the RH studio tomorrow. There’s still a segment of your original voiceover to record.”
It was unclear whether Nie Tao heard him or not, as he had already glued himself to Shen Xingfeng’s side and started scrolling through his phone. Shen Xingfeng, still smiling, looked toward Yan Chi from afar and mouthed:
“Junior, want to make plans with me?”
Yan Chi replied mercilessly:
“Get lost.”
When he returned home in the evening, Ji Yueting was also just about off work.
Perhaps because they hadn’t seen each other in many days, Ji Yueting was particularly enthusiastic about Chi Chi, sending Yan Chi photos of the cat every now and then.
He didn’t expect Yan Chi to reply to anything though it would be better if he did.
Yan Chi had encountered idiots today, and not just one, so his mood wasn’t exactly pleasant. But looking at the plump, white “steamed bun” on his phone screen, he couldn’t help but let the corners of his mouth curl up.
He sent a voice message: “Ji Yueting, can we video call? I want to see the cat.”
The alpha didn’t hold back, teasing even in a simple reply: “Just the cat? What about the cat’s owner?”
“Oh, does that cost extra?” Yan Chi replied.
Ji Yueting chuckled, “No charge, free of charge.”
Free of charge. Well, that wasn’t necessarily something to turn down.
Yan Chi pressed the answer button, only to see that this time Ji Yueting had adjusted the camera angle, capturing both himself and Chi Chi in the frame.
He was sitting somewhere, his pajamas buttoned up neatly, with a soft white cat sprawled across his lap a rather eye-catching sight.
“Why is Chi Chi lying down?” Yan Chi asked lazily from the couch.
“I kept making it run earlier, so it’s exhausted,” Ji Yueting scratched the little cat’s chin. “Yan Chi, have you ever seen a pig run? If not, I’ll make it run for you next time.”
Chi Chi let out an angry meow.
“How can you bully a cat like that? Be careful it sleeps on your chest tonight and gives you nightmares,” Yan Chi stood up for the little cat.
Ji Yueting replied honestly, “I used to have nightmares often when I was abroad, but since returning to the country, it’s happened less.”
“Really? Is the feng shui abroad not good?”
“I don’t know,” Ji Yueting lifted the cat’s paw, waving it in front of the camera. The pink paw pads looked especially soft. “Maybe it’s because the people I’ve met here are good. It has a special effect specifically curing nightmares.”
Yan Chi didn’t think too deeply about it and casually said, “Then you should stay in the country a bit longer, at least until the problem is fully resolved.”
Ji Yueting pondered for a moment. “I will.”
I will. But for how long? What about America? Not going back?
Yan Chi thought of something, his heart feeling as if it had been pinched by a fingernail. His mouth opened and closed, unsure of what to say next.
Chichi was the first to break the silence, yawning wide like a rattlesnake from the western frontier, revealing two long, sharp fangs.
Ji Yueting cleared his throat softly. “It’s getting late. You should rest early.”
“Mm,” Yan Chi nodded, hesitating before asking, “You’ll come tomorrow, right?”
“What are you worried about, Teacher Xiao Chi?” Ji Yueting’s camera shook slightly. “I promised you, I’ll definitely be there.”
The next day, Yan Chi woke up before 5:30 a.m. again.
The reason was simple: Nie Tao’s team had communicated that they had other commitments that day, so the recording needed to be done as early as possible.
The journey from the city center to the suburbs was not short. Although Yan Chi could have delegated the task to others, he didn’t feel at ease. When it came to his own work, he preferred to oversee it personally.
His eyes were sore and watery, but Yan Chi paid no mind. Shaking his head to clear the drowsiness, he prepared the equipment in the studio, waiting only for Nie Tao to arrive.
Yet half an hour passed, then an hour, and still no one showed up.
The liaison officer, seeing Yan Chi’s exhausted state, grew furious. She made call after call, but none were answered.
Eventually, Yan Chi stopped her, shaking his head. “Don’t bother calling anymore. They’re clearly giving us the cold shoulder.”
“But how can that be? You’ve been waiting here for so long. They at least owe us an explanation.”
As a leader, Yan Chi was impeccable skilled in every aspect, gentle and reasonable with his subordinates, and capable of taking charge. Everyone respected him. The liaison officer knew how busy he had been lately, and seeing him caught up in this mess only made her feel worse for him.
“You’ve all worked hard waking up so early today. I’ll treat everyone to dessert this afternoon,” Yan Chi patted her shoulder. “Go rest for now.”
The liaison officer didn’t quite understand what he meant at first.
“Just one more thing please gather all communication records with Haihui and the video footage from yesterday’s shoot,” Yan Chi said calmly, a faint smile on his lips.
“Teacher Yan, you mean.”
“If they don’t want to cooperate, then we won’t cooperate.”
Yan Chi’s expression remained unchanged as he stood up and tore the script he had prepared for Nie Tao.
The liaison officer’s eyes widened.
“Let the legal department handle the rest. Our collaboration with Haihui Entertainment ends here. There’s no need to continue. As for who’s at fault, I doubt they have the nerve to argue with me.”
Hearing this, the liaison officer felt invigorated, as if she were starring in a short drama. Even work didn’t feel tiring anymore. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it right away! Everything will be handled properly!”
Another twenty minutes passed before Nie Tao and his manager finally arrived, fashionably late.
After waiting a while with no one to receive them, the manager stepped out to take a call, leaving Nie Tao alone to look around aimlessly.
In the vast company, everyone had their own tasks to attend to. For a collaboration that was already set to end, Yan Chi saw no reason to waste any more time.
But when he returned to his studio and saw the uninvited guest, his expression instantly turned cold.
Yan Chi’s studio was at the end of the corridor. Ordinary employees and perfumers wouldn’t enter without permission, yet Nie Tao had come uninvited. He had even taken the liberty of opening the glass cabinet where Yan Chi kept his collection, casually playing with the glass bottles inside.
“Who gave you permission to come in here?” Yan Chi’s voice was icy.
Nie Tao was startled to see him return, letting out an “Ah!” “I saw no one was here to receive me, so I took a walk around. None of these were locked. Oh dear, this wouldn’t be Teacher Yan’s office, would it? My apologies, I must have gotten lost by accident.”
“Put down my things and leave,” Yan Chi said tersely. “Our collaboration has already ended. From now on, I have no obligation to receive you. If you refuse to cooperate, security will escort you out.”
“What nonsense are you talking?” Nie Tao thought he was just making empty threats and paid no mind.
He couldn’t believe anyone would reject a rising star with such great potential and commercial value.
Seeing his stubbornness, Yan Chi directly dialed security.
“Is this how RH treats its partners? I’ve truly seen it all now. And this isn’t anything particularly rare, is it?” Nie Tao said with displeasure.
His being here had nothing to do with getting lost it was purely personal.
Since yesterday, Nie Tao had disliked this overly beautiful beta, not to mention the way Shen Xingfeng looked at him, which stirred an unprecedented sense of crisis in him.
What senior and junior? Could it be they were here to compete for the same patron?
Under Yan Chi’s disgusted gaze, Nie Tao shrugged and raised his hand to place the glass bottle back.
But just before setting it down, his fingers loosened.
The glass bottle hit the floor with a crisp shatter, transparent shards flying everywhere. The double-flowered tuberose from Ji Yueting suddenly fell into the mess.
“Oops, how careless of me. My hand slipped,” Nie Tao said with a mocking grin. “How much is it? I’ll compensate Teacher Yan, how about that?”
Just a flower and a broken bottle, how much could it possibly be worth?
Nie Tao’s provocative, indifferent expression filled Yan Chi with unprecedented anger. He clenched his fingers, his knuckles cracking.
Had he been too gentle and reasonable, allowing such a person to act so arrogantly in front of him?
“Teacher Yan, you must be angry now, right?”
Yan Chi forced down his rage as he picked up the tuberose. Just as he stood up to confront Nie Tao, he suddenly noticed that the previously smirking Nie Tao had abruptly changed expression.
“Traffic was bad, so I’m a bit late.”
A large, warm hand landed on Yan Chi’s shoulder, enveloping his slight trembling as if to soothe him.
The newcomer was Ji Yueting.
Nie Tao looked up in a daze, staring at the alpha before him who was even taller and more imposing than Shen Xingfeng, unable to believe his eyes. Working in the entertainment industry, it was impossible not to recognize the CEOs of well-known companies matching faces to names was a required skill.
In this circle, you couldn’t afford to offend people.
Because you might just run into someone you couldn’t afford to offend.
Ji Yueting held Yan Chi close, casting a cold glance at the trembling omega.
“You… you’re from Changying”
Before he could finish, the alpha’s pheromones instantly pressed down, devoid of any hint of intimacy, filled only with undisguised disgust and fury.
Pheromone suppression the most direct expression of an alpha’s emotions.
Under the immense pressure, Nie Tao felt as if every bone in his body was creaking. The high-level alpha pheromones seeped in like sharp blades, slicing through every blood vessel, tormenting him to the point where he wished he could faint on the spot.
This alpha he truly wanted to crush him.
Amidst the ringing in his ears and the excruciating pain, Nie Tao’s hands and feet turned icy cold. All he could hear was the alpha’s frigid voice:
“Get out.”