Chapter 869 Waiting for the fish to bite (10,000-word update)

There's a saying: "If you don't have the skills, don't take on the job."

Lu Yanhe has always felt that, if not outstanding, he has made significant progress over the years.

How come he thought of a way to get revenge on Chen Pinhe and Zhang Yuezhen? He thought about it for so long, and he felt that he combined the personalities of Chen Pinhe and Zhang Yuezhen, and also found the motive of buying the prize. From the psychological state of the characters to the logic of their actions, everything was solid. But Chen Ziyan hit the weak point with a word and found that it was not feasible.

Lu Yanhe didn't feel sad, just a little depressed.

He asked Chen Ziyan: So how do you plan to use this mole?

Chen Ziyan: Just like you, I used him to deliver messages, but the messages were ones that didn't require us to do anything more. Once we needed to do more, the loopholes would become bigger. One lie requires countless lies to cover it up. It's the same with acting. A play that allows us to sit back and watch the tigers fight is the most skillful.

Lu Yanhe: Uh, I understand, but I don't understand how to do it.

Chen Ziyan: Option 1, Zhou Pingan.

Lu Yanhe: What does this have to do with Zhou Pingan?

Chen Ziyan: We're going to use the news that Zhou Pingan has privately reconciled with you and reached a consensus, intending to expose your past malicious suppression and blacklisting by Xingyu Entertainment through Zhou Pingan's mouth, forcing Xingyu Entertainment to apologize to you. This is precisely what Chen Pinhe fears most, because he's involved in Xingyu Entertainment's actions back then. To silence Zhou Pingan, they'll definitely use coercion and bribery. Zhou Pingan's departure from Xingyu was already unpleasant; if we interfere further, he won't suffer any loss. Choosing Zhou Pingan is essentially sowing discord, making them fight each other. The best outcome is mutual destruction; the worst is that they both get into trouble. No matter who suffers, we'll be happy.

Lu Yanhe: What about option two?

Chen Ziyan: Let Chen Pinhe and Zhang Yuezhen fight.

Lu Yanhe: For example?

Chen Ziyan: For example, Chen Pinhe has contacted you privately, wanting to acknowledge you and reconcile. He also claimed that the persecution you have suffered over the years was all instigated by Zhang Yuezhen without his knowledge, and that he had blamed it all on Zhang Yuezhen. As a result, you showed signs of forgiving Chen Pinhe.

Lu Yanhe understood, and suddenly realized: This was to sow discord between Chen Pinhe and Zhang Yuezhen?

Chen Ziyan: That's right.

Lu Yanhe: Chen Pinhe will definitely deny it.

Chen Ziyan: Of course, the key to this move is whether Zhang Yuezhen will believe Chen Pinhe's denial, or whether she will harbor doubts about him. Your blood relationship with Chen Pinhe is both a stain you want to erase and a thorn that Zhang Yuezhen can never let go of or fully trust. You know you will never reconcile with Chen Pinhe or let go of the past, but Zhang Yuezhen will always worry that you and Chen Pinhe might reconcile.

Lu Yanhe: It's a psychological tactic.

Chen Ziyan: That's right.

Lu Yanhe: Is there anything else?

Chen Ziyan: These are the only two I can think of for now.

Lu Yanhe: I truly understand now what it means to specialize in one's field.

Chen Ziyan: Thank you for the compliment.

Lu Yanhe: You're welcome.

-

Lu Yanhe lay in bed, pondering for a long time which method he should choose.

The former option is uncertain and difficult to control; Zhou Ping'an might not actually fight Chen Pinhe and Zhang Yuezhen, as there are too many uncontrollable factors. Of course, according to Chen Ziyan, the possibility of them actually fighting is still quite high.

Because Zhou Ping'an wasn't the contact person for Chen Pinhe and Zhang Yuezhen's initial dealings with Xingyu. Now that Zhou Ping'an has left Xingyu, he has every motive to join forces with Lu Yanhe. Given Chen Pinhe and Zhang Yuezhen's nature—they habitually stay behind the scenes and don't take action themselves—they will most likely still try to "take care of" Zhou Ping'an through Xingyu.

Given that both sides have already experienced many unpleasant incidents due to Zhou Ping'an's departure, especially since Zhou Ping'an is going to bring up the old "incidents," Xingyu's approach to "dealing with" Zhou Ping'an will certainly not be a "peaceful" one.

Zhou Ping'an was no pushover either.

When the time comes, as long as Chen Ziyan gives Zhou Ping'an a heads-up, letting him know that Chen Pinhe and Zhang Yuezhen are behind it all, Zhou Ping'an won't just sit and wait to be beaten without fighting back.

This is not Zhou Ping'an's style.

The second method proposed by Chen Ziyan is more direct and effective in disgusting Chen Pinhe and Zhang Yuezhen. Moreover, it will definitely plant a thorn in Zhang Yuezhen's heart that she can't remove, truly driving a wedge between the two.

However, Zhang Yuezhen may continue to endure it.

Even if Chen Pinhe really wants to reconcile with Lu Yanhe, Zhang Yuezhen might not necessarily choose to break off relations with Chen Pinhe. Instead, she would continue to sabotage the relationship between Chen Pinhe and Lu Yanhe, which means she would take measures to deal with Lu Yanhe.

Moreover, Lu Yanhe couldn't bear to act out a scene where he was willing to reconcile with Chen Pinhe.

Both approaches have their merits.

Lu Yanhe thought about this so much that he couldn't sleep.

-

"Are you alright? You don't seem to be doing well today." Yan Liang came to Lu Yanhe's side and asked, "You keep yawning, what's wrong? Did you stay up late writing the script again last night?"

"No," Lu Yanhe shook his head. "It's something else."

Yan Liang said, "Insomnia?"

"Mm." Lu Yanhe nodded.

"Could it be that he's struggling with his conscience again because of something?"

“Oh, no, there wasn’t a single struggle of conscience, only thoughts about how to best achieve my goals.” After saying that, Lu Yanhe asked, “How has your mother been lately?”

"Yes, we're just waiting for the surgery." Yan Liang nodded. "Her condition is very stable. Luckily, she fainted, otherwise we might not have been able to discover her breast cancer so quickly."

"Didn't the aunt faint because of breast cancer?"

"No, it's low blood sugar. She's been eating less to lose weight." Yan Liang sighed. "She was looking for something, and after squatting for a long time, she felt dizzy when she stood up suddenly. She lost her balance and fell, hitting her head on the head, and then passed out."

Lu Yanhe was shocked.

He always thought that Yan Liang's mother fainted because of breast cancer.

"So... this is actually a pleasant surprise?"

"Yes, you could say that," Yan Liang said. "Luckily, because of that moment of dizziness, I had a full-body checkup."

Lu Yanhe: "Yes, it's a good thing."

Yan Liang asked, "You yourselves must also remember to have regular check-ups to prevent problems before they arise."

"Mm." Lu Yanhe nodded.

Yan Liang asked, "By the way, what's the deal with 'Love is Not Blind'? Why was it suddenly scheduled for release? I didn't ask you before."

“Sigh, Li Zhibai has been targeted by paparazzi recently. Someone discovered that he is in a relationship. So, I’m thinking of releasing ‘Love is Not Blind’ as soon as possible. Otherwise, movies with this kind of romance theme are more easily affected by the emotional state of the main characters.”

“No wonder.” Yan Liang nodded. “I was wondering why Li Zhibai had suddenly become so well-behaved lately, returning to Ziyuan Bridge every night.”

Lu Yanhe laughed.

Yan Liang: "So, how's the preparation for the release of 'Love is Not Blind' going?"

"We're working on it at a breakneck pace," Lu Yanhe sighed. "It's definitely not easy. I hope the movie will do well at the box office."

As they were talking, Wang Biao suddenly exclaimed "Ah!" from the side.

Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang both turned to look.

Wang Biao held up his phone and said, "Brother Bai is trending on social media. Someone leaked that he's in a relationship."

Lu Yanhe was taken aback.

He suddenly became a little nervous.

Wang Biao said, "However, we didn't get a picture of who the woman was; we only got two figures."

Lu Yanhe immediately took out his phone and looked at what had been posted online.

The paparazzi captured two videos. One showed Li Zhibai entering a hotel alone at night, without any team around, and not leaving until the next day. However, neither when he entered nor when he left was he accompanied by anyone else, and the paparazzi did not capture any suspicious women.

The second shot is taken through the room window and curtains. Because the curtains weren't fully drawn, there's an angle that clearly captures Li Zhibai's face sitting on the edge of the bed. Through the gauze curtain, a girl's figure flashes by, and you can see that she's not wearing an outer garment. The next second, Li Zhibai suddenly notices that the curtains aren't fully drawn, so he gets up and draws them tight.

Lu Yanhe: "..."

Mysterious girlfriend.

Yan Liang: "Fortunately, they went to high-end hotels, so the paparazzi couldn't sneak in and could only take pictures from this distance."

“But even after all that, nothing else was photographed. The security measures for their entry and exit are really good,” Yan Liang added.

Lu Yanhe had to admit this as well.

Seriously, they managed to get photos of people at the hotel, but they couldn't get any photos of Jiang Yuqian coming out of the hotel.

In just a short while, everyone around saw the news and started whispering among themselves.

Yin Xincheng was the first to come over and ask the two of them what was going on.

Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang both said they didn't know either.

-

Li Zhibai said to Lin Suyang in frustration, "I tried to prevent it all, but I still got photographed."

Lin Suyang said, "Fortunately, Jiang Yuqian was not photographed."

"Hmm." Li Zhibai nodded. "But, are they just impatient? They only got a picture of me, and they're already going to release it?"

“That’s enough,” Lin Suyang said. “I guess they were trying to dig out Jiang Yuqian before, but they couldn’t. They also need to eat, and they don’t have that much money to keep going with you. So they can only expose what they have on hand first.”

Li Zhibai: "Didn't they come to us to buy these things?"

"No." Lin Suyang shook his head. "It's strange. Generally speaking, when this kind of news breaks, the artist's team will be contacted at the beginning to earn money to have the article taken down, but I have never received any contact from beginning to end."

Li Zhibai: "Didn't you contact that dog who contacted Ji Miao's agent before?"

“It wasn’t that paparazzi. He just heard that Ji Miao likes you, so he wanted to try and trick Ji Miao’s agent,” Lin Suyang said. “He does have some ambiguous photos and videos, but they’re all from when you and Ji Miao were on set. There’s nothing solid or conclusive.”

Li Zhibai: "Damn it."

Lin Suyang said, "But—"

He suddenly realized.

"Oh no, this is bad."

"Huh?" Li Zhibai was taken aback.

Lin Suyang: "Those things were nothing in themselves, but after this revelation, if the paparazzi releases those things again, everyone will naturally assume that this person is Ji Miao."

Li Zhibai's face immediately turned ugly.

Lin Suyang immediately hung up the phone and went to deal with the matter.

Half an hour later, Lin Suyang called back angrily, saying, "That guy is asking for an exorbitant price of one million to buy it from us."

Li Zhibai: "Buy his mother's mother's name, let him send it."

Lin Suyang: "Are you sure?"

Li Zhibai: "I have absolutely no connection with Ji Miao, so let him do whatever he wants."

Lin Suyang: "Okay, but if we do that, the public opinion will escalate wildly, and Ji Miao will also be dragged into it."

"Let him post it. I'll deny it once he does." Li Zhibai sneered. "Are you afraid of him? If I really give him that million, it'll make it seem like I'm having an affair with Ji Miao, and that will be solid evidence against me."

“Indeed, that’s what I was worried about,” Lin Suyang said. “Then that’s settled.”

Another hour passed.

Li Zhibai was already at the top of the trending search list when suddenly another account posted some somewhat ambiguous photos of Li Zhibai and Ji Miao on the set of "Even Faking Death Is Not Allowed".

To be honest, the ambiguous atmosphere between the two people cannot be explained by a purely "pure" working relationship.

As expected, Ji Miao was identified by everyone as the girl who appeared behind the curtain.

burst.

Li Zhibai posted directly on Weibo: First, it's not Ji Miao, so don't slander that girl's innocence; second, secretly filming my private life, isn't that illegal? I will hire a lawyer to handle this; third, whatever you filmed, and whatever you film in the future, that's my private life. You can publish it, but I can tell you now, I won't respond, and I won't let it go unpunished. If your actions are legal and compliant, I have nothing to say. But if your actions are culpable, don't blame me for being meticulous. Anyway, I'm petty, have a bad temper, and have money; I can play along with you.

He's incredibly arrogant.

However, everyone thought it was normal—

This is the Li Zhibai they know.

In the comments section, someone said, "With such a bad temper, why did you become an artist?"

Li Zhi retorted: Then you should become a representative of the National People's Congress and suggest that a policy or regulation be introduced that people with bad tempers cannot be entertainers.

Some people say, "Aren't you going to take responsibility for that girl?"

Li Zhi retorted: "You start by labeling people with hats, how rude of you! Have you taken responsibility for your parents and teachers? Don't you know you're bringing shame upon them?"

Some people asked, "Why don't you dare to go public?"

Li Zhibai: Why don't you dare to go online with your real name? Are you afraid that the people around you will find out that you are a real idiot?

...

Over the next hour, Li Zhibai lashed out at people online with hundreds of posts.

That was... a bloody and brutal affair.

The incident caused a stir and trended on social media, with marketing accounts jumping on the bandwagon to gain attention.

Then, everyone knew that Li Zhibai was in a relationship, but no one knew who the person was.

Some people agree with Li Zhibai's sarcastic remarks, while others criticize him, but Li Zhibai doesn't care at all.

His current mindset is that he hasn't done anything wrong, so what is he afraid of?

Strangely enough, seemingly because of his battles against online trolls and keyboard warriors in the comments section, his fans were not shocked that he was secretly dating and no longer single. Instead, they joined him in fighting against online trolls and keyboard warriors.

-

Was "Love is Not Blind" affected?

"I don't see it now; judging from the data, there's no impact."

Li Zhibai breathed a sigh of relief.

Lu Yanhe said, "I suddenly feel that when the audience goes to see 'Love is Not Blind' and sees the character Wang Xiaojian, they probably won't think that it's a breakthrough in your acting career, but rather that it's just you playing yourself."

When it comes to verbal skills, neither of them can lose to the other.

Li Zhibai: "When I was acting, I actually had the same feeling, even though my style is different from his."

Come to think of it... the actor who played Wang Xiaojian actually has quite a temper in private.

Lu Yanhe quickly shook his head.

What are you thinking? The two of you are actually completely different.

Lu Yanhe asked, "How are things between you and Sister Yuqian? Have you been affected by these recent rumors?"

Li Zhibai said, "How could that be? She knows what's going on, she just finds it funny."

"Sister Yuqian is currently busy promoting 'Love is Not Blind,' and she keeps getting asked about your rumored relationship with Ji Miao during the promotional trip. Do you think Sister Yuqian really finds it funny?" Lu Yanhe said, somewhat speechless.

Li Zhi was stunned.

Lu Yanhe: "No matter what she says now, it will be very awkward when your relationship with her becomes public in the future."

Li Zhibai's expression froze, as if he had been stuck in a daze.

"Then... what should we do?"

Lu Yanhe: "I don't know either, but if I were you, I would quickly go and apologize to Sister Yuqian and admit my mistake. No matter what, that would make her feel better."

Li Zhi looked up at the sky and roared.

Lu Yanhe: "Can you keep your voice down? This is my lounge. If you shout so loudly, people will think I'm the one who's having a fit."

Li Zhi looked at Lu Yanhe with a sorrowful and resentful expression.

Lu Yanhe raised his hands and held them in front of him.

"Don't look at me like that. You got caught on camera by accident, so you have to take the blame."

Li Zhibai: "I'm truly impressed."

Lu Yanhe: "You are all seasoned veterans, so you have the ability to withstand pressure. Be glad that this didn't happen when you first started out. Besides, Sister Yuqian's mental fortitude is much stronger than ours."

-

Jiang Yuqian is indeed a veteran of many battles.

She already had a variety of talking points to use when facing the media, to deal with all sorts of tricky questions.

As her status in the entertainment industry rose, the media actually asked her fewer and fewer tricky questions.

I'm also afraid of being "criticized" by her.

Jiang Yuqian is no longer the person who needed to please the media for attention.

However, regarding Li Zhibai's matter, she felt guilty and thus somewhat tied her hands, unable to remain calm and composed.

Sometimes, Jiang Yuqian needs to make herself appear "temperamental and unwilling to answer."

"Go ask Li Zhibai about his matter. Why are you asking me?"

Sometimes, Jiang Yuqian needs to take a roundabout approach.

"Please respect everyone's private life."

Sometimes, Jiang Yuqian was directly asked about her relationship status.

"Of course I won't talk about this kind of thing. If you ask me, whether I'm single or not, I'll just stay silent. I don't want to deceive you, but I also don't want to lay my life bare for people to judge and scrutinize. No one can withstand scrutiny, and I don't want to ruin my life."

Sometimes, Jiang Yuqian is also asked for her opinion on Li Zhibai.

"He's a really nice person, a very genuine person. He's not difficult to deal with. Difficult people are those who are arrogant. He's not arrogant; he just has a bit of a temper. In fact, everyone has their own circle of friends. In your circle of friends, are the difficult people those who have a bit of a temper, or those who seem to have a mild temper but actually have a lot of problems and are arrogant?"

...

Anyway, the topic of Li Zhibai has been a hot one for almost a week.

Even as "Friends" was nearing completion of filming, and two episodes had already aired, the show's popularity began to wane.

Meanwhile, Lin Suyang's actions did not stop; he filed lawsuits as required.

The paparazzi's act of taking photos without permission is indeed illegal.

Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang both breathed a sigh of relief.

The fact that Jiang Yuqian hasn't been exposed after waiting for so long shows that the paparazzi really haven't discovered her.

On the day filming wrapped, Chen Ziyan came.

Not only Chen Ziyan came.

-

"I am Huang Yunlan, hello."

The woman before me, true to her name, was like a delicate orchid, with a gentle appearance and fair skin.

She is Yin Xincheng's fiancée.

"Hello." Lu Yanhe was the first to greet him.

Everyone else was more or less scrutinizing—thinking they were hiding it, but in reality they couldn't hide it at all.

It wasn't for any other reason than that Yin Xincheng and Zhan Yun were together before, and they both genuinely believed that the two of them, having finally gotten together, were family members from "Friends".

But now, another person has appeared by Yin Xincheng's side.

They can't say they're opposed, but they certainly can't immediately welcome them either.

Especially with Zhan Yundu still present.

On the surface, everyone still greeted Huang Yunlan in a friendly manner.

Huang Yunlan seemed completely oblivious to the "distance" in everyone's attitude. She was warm and cheerful, saying, "I'm so glad to finally meet everyone. I've been telling Xincheng that I want to find an opportunity to get to know you all. I like you all so much. I'm a big fan of Friends."

Yin Xincheng himself was also a little embarrassed.

He was well aware, of course, that his companions were not so comfortable in front of Huang Yunlan.

“We’ve met now,” Yin Xincheng said. “After this season of Friends finishes airing, we will announce our marriage. Everyone must come and attend if you have time.”

Everyone nodded.

Huang Yunlan immediately added, "Everyone is welcome to bring their families!"

Her smile was very sweet.

Lu Yanhe noticed that her gaze finally landed on Zhan Yun.

At that moment, Bai Jin suddenly exclaimed.

"What's wrong?"

Bai Jin said, "I suddenly remembered that I left my script in the dressing room, and I have to go get it right away."

She turned to look at Zhan Yun.

"Xiaoyun, come with me."

Zhan Yun nodded and said okay.

The two girls turned and left.

After turning around, Bai Jin gave Wen Minglan a look.

Wen Minglan understood and immediately smiled at Yin Xincheng and Huang Yunlan, saying, "You two are making such a fast pace that we haven't even had time to react."

Huang Yunlan was suddenly interrupted and paused for a moment before saying, "We... are not Yin Xincheng yet. When he met me, he often drowned his sorrows in alcohol, and I happened to run into him several times."

Wen Minglan shook her head helplessly and said, "No wonder."

As for what she was "no wonder" about, that remains unknown.

Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang exchanged a glance.

They could all sense the awkward atmosphere at that moment.

"In short, I wish you happiness," Wen Minglan said with a smile, completely oblivious to the fact that she hadn't noticed anything amiss.

-

"I feel like people don't really like me," Huang Yunlan said softly, holding Yin Xincheng's hand.

Yin Xincheng knew the reason, but he couldn't tell Huang Yunlan directly—in fact, Huang Yunlan must have known as well.

He said, "People don't know you well yet, it's not that they don't like you."

That's the only way to put it.

Huang Yunlan: "What if they never like me?"

“I’m the one filming with them, not you,” Yin Xincheng said. “You won’t need to have much contact with them in the future.”

“But they’re probably your closest friends in the entertainment industry, right?” Huang Yunlan said. “How could I not be familiar with them?”

Yin Xincheng: "It would be great if we could get to know each other, but if we can't, there's nothing we can do. And it doesn't matter if we can't get to know each other."

Huang Yunlan: "No way, I don't want to be someone who can't fit into your life. We're going to get married."

"Baby, you can't force these things."

Huang Yunlan pouted unhappily, "Could it be that someone deliberately rallied others to ostracize me?"

Yin Xincheng: "Huh? Who would do that?"

Huang Yunlan: "Who else do you think there is?"

Yin Xincheng was puzzled for a moment before he realized who Huang Yunlan was talking about.

“How could that be? You’re overthinking it,” Yin Xincheng said. “Zhan Yun isn’t that kind of person.”

Huang Yunlan's expression suddenly changed.

Do you still like her?

Yin Xincheng frowned.

"Why are you here again?"

Huang Yunlan's eyes immediately turned red.

"I knew it, you still like her in your heart." Huang Yunlan's tears fell quickly.

Yin Xincheng could only helplessly relax his brow.

He hugged her.

"How could that be? The person I love now is you."

-

“I don’t like her,” Bai Jin said confidently to Zhan Yun. “I didn’t like her the moment I saw her.”

Zhan Yun showed gratitude, but said, "No need for that. Yin Xincheng and I are in the past. We are still friends and colleagues."

Bai Jin: "This has nothing to do with Yin Xincheng. Although he's not a good person either, I just don't like that girl. She gives me a bad feeling. She's not as frank as you."

Suddenly remembering something, she asked, "Xiaoyun, you don't still like Yin Xincheng, do you?"

Zhan Yun did not speak.

Bai Jin slapped his forehead.

"OMG!"

Zhan Yun: "It's all in the past now."

Bai Jin sighed.

"Damn Song Buluochun!" she cursed.

Zhan Yun looked blank and asked, "Who is Song Buluochun?"

Bai Jin shook his head and said, "A trash author who forgot how he wrote the beginning of the story, directly separated a couple, and then had to try every possible way to patch it up."

Zhan Yun: "There's nothing I can do now; I have to accept the fact that we're breaking up."

Bai Jin: "But actually, Xiao Yun, it's okay. There are many men in this world, not just Yin Xincheng. He broke up with you not long ago and got together with another woman, and even got her pregnant so quickly. Humph, what a scumbag."

Zhan Yun: "At that time, my fans were all criticizing him, and he was under a lot of pressure. I understand. He was in a very bad state during that period. He drank almost every day. Many times, he called me, but I didn't answer."

"Why?" Bai Jin asked, puzzled. "Since you still like him, why can't the two of you persevere?"

“Persistence is just painful.” Zhan Yun shook her head. “He has never been a very determined person. He is kind and warm-hearted, but he is not determined. I know he is in pain. He cannot turn a blind eye to those humiliations, sarcasm and attacks. At first, we all thought that love and courage could overcome all difficulties, but... maybe people just can’t always move forward.”

Bai Jin opened his arms and hugged Zhan Yun.

“Hey, Xiaoyun, it’s okay, really it’s okay,” she said. “Since you two aren’t together, it means you’re not meant to be. Your true love is still waiting for you in the future. You have to firmly believe that. That’s what I believe.”

Zhan Yun laughed.

-

Wang Meng shook his head.

"What a chaotic scene," he laughed. "I reckon Huang Yunlan is here today to assert her dominance."

The others laughed too.

"However, Yin Xincheng is indeed fast. He has only been broken up with Zhan Yun for a short time, and he has already found someone else."

"That girl is quite pretty, and she looks delicate."

Wang Meng: "Forget it, it has nothing to do with us. Even if these big stars have ten girlfriends, it has nothing to do with us. We are just working people earning a salary."

"That's right."

"Filming wrapped up today, now I can finally get some rest," Wang Meng said. "Want to grab a drink together tonight?"

"Okay," the others nodded.

Wang Meng said, "OK, I'll go check with Director Bai first, and then I'll send the location to the group chat."

"OK."

As one of the three assistant directors of this drama, Wang Meng has a strong presence in the production team.

Before becoming an assistant director, he had already participated in the filming of several seasons of "Friends" and was already a veteran in the crew.

"Are you out of your mind? You actually went with Chen Pinhe—" A woman's voice suddenly stopped.

Chen Pinhe?

Wang Meng paused in his steps.

It's quite unusual to hear the name Chen Pinhe here.

He immediately followed the sound and saw Chen Ziyan pulling Lu Yanhe away to another place.

Wang Meng immediately followed.

-

In Hu Siwei's producer's office, Bai Jingnian picked up a wine glass, took a sip, and let out a satisfied sigh.

"This season is finally finished filming, thank goodness, there were no more mishaps," Bai Jingnian said. "These days I've been worried that something might happen to Yan Liang's mother and we wouldn't be able to film anymore."

Hu Siwei: "Yan Liang is quite dedicated; he didn't ask for another day off after that."

Bai Jingnian shook his head. "It's only because Lu Yanhe covered for him and his words carried weight. Otherwise, with Yan Liang's methods, the scandal would definitely have been exposed."

Hu Siwei: "Lu Yanhe is truly exceptional in his regard."

"Having a friend like Lu Yanhe is enough to make this life worthwhile," Bai Jingnian said with a smile. "He'll give you whatever you need and help you with whatever you require."

Hu Siwei: "Indeed, when you think about it, didn't we also benefit from his success?"

Bai Jingnian: "Yes, but alas, this time regarding Wang Meng, it's my fault. I misjudged people."

“You can’t see into someone’s heart, who could have imagined it? Don’t blame yourself too much.” Hu Siwei shook his head. “Nobody wants something like what happened to Wang Meng to happen. Fortunately, it didn’t have too serious consequences because it was discovered relatively early.”

Bai Jingnian: "But why not fire him immediately? Why let him stay on set?"

Hu Siwei: "Yan He probably has other plans. There must be someone behind Wang Meng, not just someone selling information to make money."

"Human greed is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. He's already an assistant director, yet his vision is so short-sighted." Bai Jingnian frowned, clearly feeling that Wang Meng's behavior was too short-sighted, or even that he was not thinking clearly. "His future was originally very bright."

Hu Siwei smiled.

"People can't all be that smart. Most smart people are just being clever for their own good."

-

"You've reconciled with Chen Pinhe? You've buried the hatchet? You believe him?"

"How can you be so naive? Yan He, have you forgotten how they treated you before? Do you really believe what Chen Pinhe told you?"

"To be honest, you might as well believe what Zhou Ping'an told you. At least he really broke up with Xingyu. He and Ma Zhongquan are now completely estranged. In that respect, he and you do have common interests."

"Chen Pinhe said that Zhang Yuezhen did all the work without his knowledge, and you actually believed him? You've been in this industry for so long, how can you still be so easily convinced by what others say?"

...

Each word struck Wang Meng's heart firmly.

Wang Meng only remembered to record the conversation halfway through when he suddenly remembered to take out his phone to record it.

He crouched under the window, listening intently while glancing around to avoid being seen.

The words coming from inside the room terrified him.

Lu Yanhe suddenly said, "Sister Ziyan, I'm willing to believe him this once." Then, Chen Ziyan said angrily, "You will pay the price for your blind faith. I'm telling you this right now, Yanhe, I'm really disappointed in you." It seemed that someone had left, and there was a heavy sound of a door closing.

There was no sound.

Wang Meng then carefully moved a few steps and left.

-

When Wang Meng arrived at the front, he saw several people looking at the parking lot with surprised expressions.

"What's wrong?" Wang Meng asked them.

"Chen Ziyan stormed off just now, I don't know what happened."

Wang Meng: "Really?"

He suddenly asked, "Where's Director Bai?"

"I don't know." The others shook their heads.

Wang Meng then pretended to turn around and go look elsewhere.

-

Half an hour later, Lu Yanhe finally came out of his rest room.

He went to find Yan Liang.

Yan Liang had already packed everything.

"Are you going straight to the hospital?" Lu Yanhe asked.

Yan Liang nodded.

"I'll be at the hospital with my mom for the next few days; she's going to have surgery soon."

"Yes," Lu Yanhe said, "It's the day after tomorrow, right?"

"Yes," Yan Liang asked, "You're going to America tomorrow, right?"

“Yes.” Lu Yanhe nodded. “I have to go to the public relations and publicity for ‘Dingfeng No. 1’. There are several jobs waiting for me.”

Yan Liang patted Lu Yanhe on the shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I can't be there to support you this time."

“Auntie’s health is the most important thing. You’re still thinking about this? That’s enough.” Lu Yanhe shook his head. “Filming has finally wrapped up. You don’t have to juggle both things anymore. By the way, I asked Wang Biao to inquire before. There are still a few houses for sale near Ziyuan Bridge. Remember to take a look when you have some free time. Didn’t you say you wanted to buy a house so your parents could stay when they come to visit?”

"Okay." Yan Liang nodded. "Alright, Wang Biao has already told Ning Luo."

"That's good." Lu Yanhe smiled. "Auntie's surgery will go smoothly. Even if you can't help but worry, don't show it in front of her. Your attitude will determine her mindset towards the surgery. It's really not a high-risk surgery, so mindset is very important."

"Understood, I will perform well," Yan Liang said.

The two parted ways on set.

-

Lu Yanhe Huiziyuan Bridge.

Chen Siqi was waiting for him.

When he got home, the sun hadn't even set yet.

As soon as I entered, I smelled the aroma of pork ribs.

It should be stewed soup.

Lu Yanhe changed into slippers and came to the kitchen door.

Sure enough, Chen Siqi was busy in the kitchen—

Although she doesn't have much talent in cooking, she seems determined to make up for her lack of talent through hard work. She has been practicing diligently for the past year and her skills have improved a lot.

"You're back!" Chen Siqi turned around, saw Lu Yanhe, and smiled. "Are you hungry?"

"I'm fine, not hungry. What did you make?" Lu Yanhe walked into the kitchen and glanced around.

Chen Siqi: "I bought roast duck and braised dishes, but I only made a soup and stir-fried some lily bulbs and shrimp."

Lu Yanhe: "Do you need my help?"

“Don’t interfere with my work,” Chen Siqi said. “Get out.”

Lu Yanhe laughed.

"By the way, how did your scene with Sister Ziyan go today? Did it go smoothly? Did you laugh during the scene?"

"Laughing? Who do you think you are? You're a professional," Lu Yanhe said.

Chen Siqi: "So now we just sit back and wait for the fish to bite?"

"That's right."

"Okay, then I'll wait and see."

“Okay.” Lu Yanhe said, “Then I’ll go change my clothes and pack my things. I’m leaving for New York again tomorrow.”

"Okay," Chen Siqi said. "I've packed everything for you. The list is on the table. Take a look and see if there's anything you want to add."

Lu Yanhe was overjoyed.

"good."

Chen Siqi's preparations were very meticulous.

They even prepared a medicine kit for him, just in case.

"Yan He, your flight is tomorrow afternoon, right?" Chen Siqi suddenly asked from the kitchen.

"Yes," Lu Yanhe asked, "What's wrong?"

"My grandparents are coming here tomorrow morning. If it's convenient for you, would it be alright if we could have lunch with them?"

“Sure, of course,” Lu Yanhe said. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Was the restaurant already booked?”

“I’ve already made the reservation,” Chen Siqi said. “They’re here for a checkup, and they’ll go back afterward, so I didn’t tell you specifically.”

Lu Yanhe suddenly felt a little guilty.

Under normal circumstances, when the elderly are going for check-ups, shouldn't Chen Siqi's boyfriend accompany them?

Chen Siqi, however, has never made such a request.

Although there are objective reasons.

Lu Yanhe asked, "Are you going with your grandparents tomorrow?"

"Okay, I'll go with them tomorrow. We can meet at the restaurant at noon."

“I’ll go with you this morning,” Lu Yanhe said. “I don’t have anything else to do.”

(End of this chapter)