But clearly, Mo Jinnian was overthinking things again.

The signs were already evident at the wrap party a few months ago.

Mo Jinnian deliberately got slightly tipsy, his face flushed with the alcohol, and sidled up to Zi Xi, asking hesitantly in a low voice, "Teacher Zhao, are you free tomorrow? I know a really good private restaurant..."

"I'm busy."

Zi Xi was replying to messages with her head down. Upon hearing this, she didn't even look up, leaving Mo Jinnian's performance unnoticed. She then gave a flirtatious look to the blind teacher Zhao.

"And the day after tomorrow?"

Mo Jinnian, unwilling to give up, reached out and tugged at Zi Xi's sleeve.

"Teacher Mo, the filming is finished."

Zi Xi finally looked up at him, her gaze as calm as if she were looking at a stranger.

The implication is that once filming is over, there's no need to stay in touch.

"I thought we were already friends..."

Mo Jinnian was stunned, watching as she picked up her bag, politely said goodbye to the director and producer, and then left without looking back.

He didn't even have a chance to say "I'll take you."

After a 90-day tug-of-war, Mo Jinnian used every trick in the book.

He instructed his agent to contact Zixi under the pretext of reshooting important scenes, but the response on the other end of the phone was a businesslike refusal: "Appendix 3, Clause 12 of the contract clearly states that there is no obligation to cooperate with additional filming."

Undeterred, Mo Jinnian waited outside Xingyao Media, where Zixi had just signed a contract, until late at night. Even the security guards couldn't help but explain to the young man who was pursuing her: "Mr. Mo, Teacher Zhao came once last week and hasn't come back since..."

Mo Jinnian wrapped his coat tightly in the cold wind, his hair frosted with ice, looking just like an abandoned Samoyed.

Even the stray cats on the street rubbed against his trouser leg with pity.

"Young Master...why don't we start working first..."

For the nth time, agent Lao Yang flipped through the empty schedule, his expression strange. This was the first time his young master, a workaholic in the entertainment industry, had been so unenthusiastic about work.

"The more she acts like this..."

"This only proves that my teacher, Ms. Zhao, is the most special girl in the world!"

Mo Jinnian stroked the costume photos of Zi Xi from her previous drama on his phone screen, his eyes filled with tenderness.

How could those ordinary girls compare to her? They would only scream at his endorsement posters, while Teacher Zhao wouldn't even add him on WeChat!

He clicked on the video he had watched a million times for the 37th time. Zi Xi's long hair, whipped up by a spinning kick, was like Cupid's golden arrow, shooting into his pounding heart.

"If one day... Teacher Zhao is willing to hold my hand..."

"That must be because..."

"She discovered the soul that loved her most in the world! It was me!!"

He suddenly spread his hands out upwards.

The delivery guys passing by looked at me like I was crazy and went around me.

Mo Jinnian was already lost in his fantasy.

Their child should ideally resemble her, and be named Mo Muxi.

If Teacher Zhao doesn't want to, you can call me Zhao Aimo!

Old Yang gave him a look that seemed to ask, "Are you alright?"

Love-struck people are terrifying; look what they've done to their child.

*

Mo Jinnian sank into the leather sofa, his slender fingers rapidly swiping across the phone screen.

Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating his disheveled hair; clearly, this top-tier actor had been maintaining this pose for quite some time.

"The 37th one..."

He muttered to himself as he saved Zixi's latest airport photo to an encrypted album called Xiguang.

This album already contains thousands of photos, from stills of Zi Xi in the drama to behind-the-scenes photos, and even candid shots taken by fans, leaving no one out.

"Damn it, weren't you supposed to be going to read the script today? The director's been waiting for half an hour!"

When the agent, Lao Yang, pushed open the door, he saw his artist staring at his phone like a lovesick fool.

"It's been pushed."

Mo Jinnian didn't even look up.