Chapter 14 Chapter 14

The man dropped his bag, strode forward, and embraced her, effortlessly spinning her around before setting her down. An Jiyue looked her around, her brows furrowed with a smile as she teased, "You've gotten a lot darker. What mountain have you conquered lately?"

Liang Sinan laughed heartily, removing his ill-fitting hiking hat to reveal his wheat-brown complexion. His brows were rugged, his features broad and wide, and his skin, weathered by years of mountaineering, bore traces of varying depths. His long years of outdoor exercise had shaped his physique into a well-proportioned frame. Even a few steps revealed his unusually light and agile demeanor.

"Let's go get a midnight snack." He put his arm around her shoulders and held her forward. An Jiyue knew his whereabouts were often erratic, so she shrugged and stopped asking questions. She dutifully played the role of host and recommended a delicious restaurant.

Liang Sinan was someone her father valued highly back then; it's said she'd even played with him as a child. Later, he was sent abroad to study at a young age and never returned for many years. An Jiyue only reunited with him while studying abroad. By then, Liang Sinan was already a successful businessman on Wall Street, and he volunteered to help manage Anshi Capital's overseas business.

When An Jiyue inherited Anshi Capital, she faced numerous crises. It was thanks to her two right-hand men, Liang Sinan and Yue Hui, that she was able to find her footing. Initially, she questioned him about every detail. When Liang Sinan grew tired of his questions, he would politely retort, "Use your brain more." She simply turned her back, stuck out her tongue, and made a face, never taking it seriously. To her, Liang Sinan was more like a brother she could rely on unconditionally, guiding her on her journey, showing her the game of capital, and providing a last-ditch support when she ran out of options.

Once everything was running smoothly, she proposed returning to China to start her own career as a director and editor. After careful consideration, Liang Sinan agreed without hesitation. He then entered a semi-retirement state, first spending a few months in the gym, and then becoming fascinated with outdoor sports. All year round, he was either hiking or on the way to his next destination.

"How long has it been since we last met?"

"Three years? I haven't seen you since you returned to China." Liang Sinan refilled her tea and looked at her innocent face. "Why are you like a child when you are with me? Yue Hui clearly said that you are now very calm and capable of holding your own."

"She never praises me like this to my face." An Jiyue complained deliberately, "She always accuses me of being ruthless and ungrateful to Anshi, and not caring enough. God is my conscience, I really do squeeze in time to look at the project. Besides, isn't it enough for Anshi to have her?"

"If you ask me, her assessment is quite accurate. When have you ever sent me a message in these past few years? Isn't that heartless and ungrateful enough?"

An Jiyue smiled awkwardly, but she knew that Liang Sinan wouldn't care about such trivial matters. She diligently picked up the large piece of freshly roasted beef and put it on the bone china plate opposite her, making a false apology amid the sizzling sound of oil.

"You rarely come back to China. How long will you stay? Have you arranged where to stay?"

"It's hard to say. That uncle suddenly made a big fuss about changing his will and insisted that I be present, so I will go back in a few days. But where to live," Liang Sinan looked at her with a smile, "didn't Yuehui tell you? I'll live in your house."

An Jiyue was startled, and then she understood Yue Hui's intention of messing with the empty room a few days ago. She naturally wouldn't mind Liang Sinan living with her. After all, the house was empty, and having more people added a lot of warmth. In comparison, the first half of his sentence, although just an understatement, was even more heartbreaking -

"Is that uncle going to die soon?" she asked cautiously.

"Who knows?" Liang Sinan sneered, as if he didn't care about the other person's life or death. He poured the sauce on the beef, rolled it up with a fork, and handed it back to An Jiyue. "It won't taste good if it's cold."

An Jiyue chewed the beef intently, lost in thought as she gazed across at the man flipping the grilled meat. Liang Sinan's family and hers were old friends, but after Liang Sinan's father died young and his mother remarried, their interactions dwindled. For years, he remained indifferent to his stepfather, calling him only "that uncle." After his mother gave birth at an advanced age, he chose to study abroad alone.

An Jiyue had heard most of these past events unfold from her father's heartbroken recountings. Her vague memory was simply that a good-tempered older brother had suddenly gone abroad to study. Back then, she had naively asked her father how long it would take for him to return home. When he learned that he could only return during the holidays, she frowned in disgust. "Then I won't go abroad in the future," she thought.

He was only 12 years old when he left that year, carrying his suitcase, like a defeated soldier fleeing in panic. Now he has returned lightly, like a lion wandering freely, looking calm and composed, but ready to strike a fatal blow at any time.

"Let's not talk about this anymore," she recalled with a sore nose, and hurriedly smiled gently, raising her glass to Liang Sinan, "Brother Nan, I toast to you."

——

Lu Ye hasn't had a hangover for a long time.

He only drank to the point of gastric bleeding during his early days in the industry, often accompanying his bosses to drinks while they courted business. During a roadshow, he was delivering brilliant analysis and answering questions, gracefully thanking representatives from various institutions, only to collapse on stage the next, terrifying everyone present.

That time, the department head personally came to visit Lu Ye in the ward and promised him that he wouldn't need to drink at social events from now on. He accepted this privilege, but he only politely thanked him with a hoarse voice, his eyes empty and lifeless. After a long while, he forced a smile and saw the department head off.

He knew full well that this privilege granted to him was not only a favor earned through his own strength, but also a great means of publicity. The venue was in an uproar that day. Various organizations had already been discussing the clearly distorted drinking culture within the industry. Now, promoting him, a newcomer, as an example was excellent PR.

Back then, he had been so arrogant and proud, saying countless times that he didn't trust these drinking-table friendships. Now, with his outstanding strength, he had finally managed to make up for it a little.

The splitting headache from last night had eased considerably, and Lu Ye slowly walked to the bathroom to wash up. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. He opened the door handle with a toothbrush in his mouth. An Jiyue was standing less than a meter away from him, and the two of them stared at each other.

The air seemed to freeze suddenly. The humming electric toothbrush vibrated between his lips and tongue, and toothpaste foam flowed from his teeth, not being noticed until it dripped from his chin onto his chest. Lu Ye hurriedly reached out to wipe it away, but he ended up dropping the toothbrush and the rest of it to the floor. He turned around, grabbed a handkerchief, and wiped the foam off his face.

"Good morning." An Jiyue looked even more embarrassed than him and greeted him quickly.

"What's wrong?"

Lu Ye spoke directly, his tone distant and indifferent. The crisp scent of mint lingered between them. He was distracted by the electric toothbrush bouncing slightly on the ground and didn't even want to call him "Director An."

He guessed she probably didn't have any filming assignments today, as she was wearing a short sweatshirt and soft, comfortable sweatpants, her long hair casually pulled into a ponytail, her youthful and energetic appearance a stark contrast to his. Lu Ye looked down at his beige pajamas and baggy shorts, and the faint smell of alcohol in his throat. He felt like a slovenly, unkempt old man, while An Jiyue was a bright, youthful intern.

"I'm collecting letters from male guests to their exes last night..."

The more she spoke, the less confident she felt, fearing she was being too deliberate or too casual. She simply happened to be early; her team had worked overtime the previous night and were all off this morning, so the assistant's duties fell to her.

“I didn’t write it.”

Lu Ye said flatly, then retreated to the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and left her at the door. Amid the rush of water, he heard her seem to be startled for a moment, then said a dry "Okay" in a voice and quietly closed the door and left. He walked out and accidentally glanced at the crumpled paper on the floor in front of the desk he had forgotten to clean. His mental defenses, which had been tense all morning, suddenly felt extremely tired.

Today's recording theme is "A Weekend to Cultivate Your Mind and Soul." The "cultivating your mind" activity is fishing, and the "cultivating your body" activity is playing tennis. Guests can team up in pairs, regardless of gender, to earn points. Rongrong sat down and clapped, "Fishing requires concentration, and people like me who sit in front of a computer all day have a real advantage."

Zhu Ling nodded in agreement: "That makes sense. Then I'll be on your team."

As she spoke, she stepped forward and took Rongrong's hand. Then, as if remembering something, she turned around and asked, "Shu Jun, do you mind?"

The others smiled but said nothing. Shu Jun, who was a bit slow, already replied blankly, "It's okay, it's okay." Guan Haifu also took the initiative to show her advantage: "I play tennis pretty well. Teacher Lu, would you like to team up with me?"

Hai Fu looked at Lu Ye, her eyes filled with admiration and anticipation, but much more naturally and generously than last time. The screenwriters were excitedly whispering to each other, "Little White Rabbit has finally gotten it," "We can continue writing about the brave pursuit of love," and their voices even reached the backstage. The shift director, Wu Wu, gave them a stern look, silencing them, and the crew finally quieted down.

The camera zoomed in to Lu Ye's front, accurately capturing his rolling Adam's apple and clenched fists. Lu Ye seemed unprepared for her sudden invitation. He lowered his head, pondering for half a second, then gave Hai Fu an agreeable smile.

Guan Haifu's heart was finally at ease, and she stretched out her hand eagerly. This time, Lu Ye did not hesitate and gently high-fived her to cheer her on.

The weather was fine, with a gentle breeze. An Jiyue had no filming duties today, so she found it relaxing and enjoyable to join the production crew. She brought a small stool and mingled with the writers, listening to a lot of gossip about the guests' interactions.

Shu Jun is a somewhat unintelligible straight man, while Rongrong is often capable of delivering sharp and pointed venom. These two possess a natural, happy-enemy vibe, leaving the screenwriters with little to no effort. An Jiyue glanced up and happened to see Shu Jun humbly asking Rongrong for advice on fishing, unfazed by her jokingly mocking remarks. Their respective partners, Zhu Ling and Zhan Nianqing, exchanged a glance, a silent smile, and each focused on their own fishing rods.

"As for Lu Ye, his love life is still unclear." Editor Tang looked thoughtfully at the man who was teaching Hai Fu how to bait. "But that also means he has a lot of possibilities. Hai Fu is too student-like for him, and although Zhu Ling looks like a good match for him, she's much more mature than him. It would be great if we could combine these two characteristics. We made a mistake when choosing the guest."

An Jiyue put on the hood of her sweatshirt silently, fearing that the imaginative editor Tang would turn around and find a ready-made candidate next to him.

"The most important thing is that he hasn't expressed his preference yet."

An Jiyue hurriedly pulled the hat string again.