Chapter 73 Su Ye didn't even eat...

Su Ye stopped eating. She slowly put down her chopsticks and looked at Ning Yun, who was silent beside her. Gao Wei was still talking to Jiang Huaichuan about the crew's arrangements and post-production plans and publicity, while several assistant directors were trying to liven up the atmosphere.

No one noticed what was happening here.

Su Ye lowered her voice: "You really don't know?"

Ning Yun: "...It's been officially announced?"

"Otherwise what? Last year, President Jiang fought tooth and nail just to get a formal title." Su Ye paused, then pulled her phone out from under the table. "Never mind, I'll send you a link. You'll understand once you see it."

"Yes, Teacher Ning and Teacher Su are old partners, I believe they will work together very well."

Gao Wei's voice came from the side. Being suddenly called out felt like being back in school when they were caught using their phones in class by the teacher. Su Ye and Ning Yun, who were keeping their heads down, almost dropped their phones.

The two men awkwardly stood up and raised their glasses.

When Ning Yun met Jiang Huaichuan's deep, unfathomable eyes, a cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

He was unsure if he would be replaced as the male lead. If he was, his reputation in the industry would definitely be affected, and his future career would be severely damaged.

Jiang Huaichuan's gaze fell on the two people standing there, and he tapped the table lightly with his fingertip: "Okay."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ning Yun's shoulders relaxed a little.

Gao Wei raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp, secretly letting out a sigh of relief.

At 9 p.m., the dinner party ended, and Gao Wei offered to escort Jiang Huaichuan to his room, but Jiang Huaichuan waved his hand and refused.

As soon as they entered the elevator, Jiang Huaichuan, who had been standing ramrod straight, seemed to have lost all his strength and instantly slumped against Shen Li.

"Headache?" Shen Li touched Jiang Huaichuan's burning face with his backhand. He saw the man's slightly furrowed brows reflected in the clean and bright elevator door.

"Um……"

Jiang Huaichuan rested his head on Shen Li's shoulder, rubbing it gently twice, his half-closed dark eyes reflecting Shen Li's reddened earlobes.

The warm breath he exhaled brushed against his neck, sending a tingling sensation through him. Just as Shen Li was about to suggest ordering a hangover soup, he suddenly shuddered, his brown eyes widening in shock.

My earlobe was held in the mouth by a warm tongue, which gently nibbled and sucked at it.

What are you doing?

Jiang Huaichuan: "Hmm...playing the hooligan."

Shen Li's face flushed bright red.

"Didn't someone think I was bullying you and harassing you?" Jiang Huaichuan chuckled. "I need to solidify that reputation."

Shen Li was helpless. The elevator doors opened, and he walked towards the room with the large ornament on his back: "Stop messing around. I have a scene to shoot tomorrow morning. If I can't get up, people will laugh at me."

Jiang Huaichuan gave two coquettish hums.

"Bear with it, I'll make it up to you when we get back." Shen Li swiped her card to enter the room. "Ten more days."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Huaichuan stood up straight in shock. His gaze fell on Shen Li's face, and he said incredulously, "Shen Li, who gave you the illusion that I can endure for ten days?"

"I trust you." Shen Li wrung out a hot towel. "Be good, let me wipe your face."

"Ugh...don't interrupt me." Jiang Huaichuan's stubborn voice came out muffledly from under the towel.

The assistant had already pushed the suitcase into Shen Li's room during dinner. Shen Li bent down, took out his pajamas, and nudged Jiang Huaichuan: "Go wash up quickly."

That night, Shen Li lay in bed, the bedside lamp shining on the two of them. She looked away from the script and onto Jiang Huaichuan, who was sitting on the sofa with a dark look in his eyes, clearly hiding something. Shen Li's fingertips paused.

"What's wrong?"

Jiang Huaichuan looked up from the tablet, the light shining on his face, creating a play of light and shadow: "Jiang Zhirong has escaped from the mental hospital, and the police are currently searching for him. I'm afraid he might target you."

"They escaped?" Shen Li suddenly sat up. With this level of surveillance, how could they have escaped?

Jiang Zhirong was cautious in his actions and didn't leave many clues, but the two incidents involving Zhou Lan and Jiang's father alone were enough to warrant a death sentence. In the end, he was sentenced to death with a one-year reprieve.

Shen Li pondered: "Is someone waiting for him outside?"

“Yes.” Jiang Huaichuan, “He has been very quiet for the past six months. Apart from taking medicine and getting check-ups, he has just been lying in bed. Nobody knows when he made the preparations, bribing a caregiver to pass on the information.”

Jiang Zhirong's people were strictly checked when they came in and out. They couldn't bring in a single piece of paper or a single hair. But somehow, the paper used to pass messages was wrapped in plastic wrap and stuffed there, and it was brought out.

Shen Li also fell silent; this method was indeed something no one had thought of.

Yesterday, the mental hospital experienced a sudden power outage. Although the police and others reacted immediately, locking Jiang Zhirong's ward and surrounding it.

Although the backup power came on in less than five seconds, Jiang Zhirong had already disappeared. The police reviewed the case and concluded that Jiang Zhirong was still mixed in with the crowd and slipped away quietly while everyone was in a panic about his disappearance.

At the moment of the incident, all exits of City A were blocked, but Jiang Zhirong's whereabouts have not yet been found.

Remembering that Jiang Zhirong had attacked Shen Li more than once before, and considering that the crew was a mixed bag, Jiang Huaichuan was worried and rushed over immediately. Only when he saw Shen Li at the door of the private room did his heart finally settle down.

No matter how fast Jiang Zhirong is, he can't outrun the orders issued immediately after the incident. As long as Jiang Zhirong doesn't leave City A, he will eventually be exposed under the close scrutiny during this period.

Jiang Huaichuan's only fear was that if he was pushed to the limit, he would resort to desperate measures.

"It's alright." Shen Li climbed off the bed and sat on Jiang Huaichuan's lap, gently smoothing his furrowed brows. His gentle eyes held a captivating light and a deep sense of dependence. "Isn't it you here?"

Jiang Huaichuan slowly tightened his arms around Shen Li's waist. His eyes were fixed on Shen Li's healthy complexion, and her soft lips were no longer pale, but a healthy pink. Jiang Huaichuan gazed at her for a long time, then closed his eyes and whispered, "I will protect you."

——

At one o'clock in the morning, Su Ye stared wide-eyed as she pulled the person at the door into the room like a thief.

Su Ye nearly smashed the coat rack by the door on someone's head: "Are you crazy? You're knocking on my door at this hour?? If we get caught, we won't be able to explain ourselves even if we're in the right!!"

"Am I too shocked?" Ning Yun's mature and handsome face emerged from under the brim of his hat. He waved the script in his hand, clearly realizing that he was a little embarrassed. "I brought props."

Su Ye: Is there something you need? Isn't this just like trying to hide something obvious?

Ning Yun sat down opposite Su Ye: "Let's get down to business. Is Shen Li really the young master of the Shen Group?"

Su Ye wrapped a thin shawl around her shoulders: "Yes, the paternity test results have already been sent out."

"Are he and Jiang Huaichuan a legally married couple?"

"Yes, the Jiang Group's official account has a photo of their marriage certificate on it."

"They have a good relationship?"

"They get along very well. If you glance at Shen Li even once, you'll be met with President Jiang's death stare the next second."

Ning Yun choked: He believed that.

"If he's rich, handsome, and has a husband, why would he drug you?"

Su Ye: ? ?

"What do you mean by drugging me?" Su Ye was confused. How come she didn't know that Shen Li had drugged her? "I asked you before, is there some misunderstanding between you and Shen Li?"

Ning Yun hesitated for a moment, then looked away.

"When I came in this morning, I saw him pour something into your cup, shake it, and then give it to you."

Morning?

Su Ye thought for a moment, then suddenly remembered something. She was both amused and exasperated. She stood up, walked to the bedside table, opened the drawer, and took out several blue-green packages.

Is this what you're seeing?

Ning Yun nodded.

"This is throat-soothing tea. My throat hurt during the scene I filmed yesterday. When we finished filming yesterday, I mentioned that my throat hurt. Shen Li said he brought some throat-soothing tea, and this is what he gave me this morning." Su Ye handed Ning Yun a packet. "Keep it. It works really well. You should be able to use it for your crying scene later."

Ning Yun, holding the tea bag, said, "...Thank you. But wait, why did he make it for you?"

Su Ye shrugged: "He said he's used to soaking in water and knows exactly how much water to add, so I asked him for help. Who would have thought you thought he was drugging me?"

Realizing he had misunderstood, Ning Yun looked embarrassed and scratched his head sheepishly, saying, "I'll apologize to him tomorrow."

His attitude towards Shen Li that day was quite terrible.

“I do have to apologize, but…” Su Ye pulled her shawl tighter and looked out the window at the bustling night view in the distance, “Some things, so much time has passed, I’ve let them go, and you… can let them go too.”

Ning Yun didn't speak; he kept his head down in silence.

After a long while, Su Ye heard him say—

Ning Yun: "But I can't let go."

Su Ye was speechless.

Ning Yun stood up: "I'm leaving. You should get some rest too. Sorry to bother you tonight."

After Ning Yun left, Su Ye sat on the sofa for a long time.

The incident he mentioned happened five years ago.

Back then, her status in the industry was far lower than it is now; she was only somewhat famous. So when she received news from the company that she would be collaborating with the film emperor Ning Yun, Su Ye was so excited that she couldn't sleep for several days.

That was the first time the two had worked together on a campus drama. At that time, Ning Yun had just won the Best Actor award, and his status and influence were at their peak. Su Ye was afraid of being accused of riding on Ning Yun's coattails, so she didn't dare to have too much interaction with him.

Besides the male lead, she interacted more with the third male lead, who played her younger brother in the drama. The boy had just graduated from university, was good-looking, and had immature acting skills, but was willing to learn, so Su Ye taught him some acting techniques.

Who would have thought that at the final wrap party, this guy drugged her drink and hired some gossip reporters, hoping to blackmail Su Ye into giving him resources by taking explicit photos of her.

The boy's actions were not clever; Ning Yun, who happened to be passing by, saw him drugging the girl. At the time, Ning Yun was being taken by her agent to talk with the investors of her next drama.

"Brother Pi, that one from earlier."

Piggy naturally saw it too, but if he tried to stop it now, he would definitely miss the meeting with the investors.

Pi Ge's eyes flashed: "I know, I'll have someone remind Su Ye."

Ning Yun was relieved. After meeting with the investors, he learned that Su Ye had almost gotten into trouble. Looking at the agent's evasive eyes, Ning Yun realized that he hadn't asked anyone to notify him. If Su Ye hadn't realized something was wrong and used his last bit of strength to lock the door, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

This incident became a thorn in Ning Yun's side. When he arrived at the film set today and saw Shen Li pouring powder into Su Ye's everyday cup, the anger and guilt that Ning Yun had been suppressing welled up and he immediately drew a conclusion about her.

The next morning, when Shen Li appeared on set, everyone paused for a moment in unison.

The reason was simple: Shen Li's former short assistant was gone, replaced by a tall man, who, although wearing a mask, was...

Everyone is familiar with these eyebrows and eyes.

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Author's Note: Dear readers, are the commas also displayed incorrectly when you read this? [Crying][Crying] Why do they all look different when typed in the same software? It's the same when I copy it to the writing assistant! [Cracking][Cracking]