5. Integration

"Be careful!" Gu Tingshen had already noticed that she wasn't in a good condition, so he immediately caught her. When he saw that she still wanted to stand up on her own, he simply picked her up and carried her inside. "Don't move your feet yet, I'll carry you inside."

She had previously thought of her mother, resonating with the remaining emotions of the original owner. Now, chaotic memories kept flashing through her mind. One moment she was seeing the original owner crying outside the intensive care unit when her mother was seriously ill; the next she was seeing her parents' suppressed sobs as she was wheeled into the operating room in her previous life, her consciousness fading. The double pain left her head spinning and her consciousness confused.

In a daze, she was firmly supported by two strong arms. The faint scent of cedar lingered around her nose, and the warmth of his skin through her shirt dispelled the bone-chilling coldness of her memories. This warm embrace was so real and so desirable that she nestled obediently against the man's chest, closing her eyes to listen to his powerful, vibrant heartbeat.

After transmigrating into the book, she felt like a wandering ghost, detached from the world, watching it like a movie, lacking any sense of reality. But now, the memories of the two lifetimes are gradually merging, and she has truly inherited the original owner's memories and emotions.

They all promised their mother that they would live well.

From that moment on, she was the real Ye Zhenzhen, and she would live on for her own part.

Gu Tingshen felt her body relax. Without stopping, he walked from the courtyard into the living room, placed her on the sofa, supported her calf with one hand, took off her high heels, and checked the condition of her ankle.

Ye Zhenzhen shrank back her legs shyly, but the man's hand was very steady and she couldn't break free at all. "It must have been a sudden jolt..." Being barefoot and having her ankle examined by a man she wasn't very close to made her feel a little embarrassed.

She had always been sensitive to cold, even in the sweltering summer. When the man's hot palms were pressed against her calves, she felt a little burned and helplessly curled her toes.

Gu Tingshen was relieved to find that her ankle was only slightly swollen and not serious.

Startled by her curling-up motion, his fingers reflexively tightened. He then realized the icy touch beneath his hand; her slender ankle, so delicate it could be encircled with a single hand, appeared even more exquisite and white against his large hand, like a sculpture of white jade. Her anxiously curled toes, tinged with a faint pink, looked round and adorable.

"It's a little swollen. Apply an ice pack and spray some medicine, and it'll be fine in a few days." His tone was steady, without any inflection, as he turned to get the ice pack and wound spray.

Ye Zhenzhen was about to say thank you when the man turned and walked away. She looked at her high heels and was a little troubled. Her slippers were still at the door. How was she going to get there?

Suddenly, a pair of slippers, the familiar fluffy pink bunny ones, were placed on the ground in front of her. She looked up and saw that the man had returned, holding an ice pack and Yunnan Baiyao spray.

"Thank you, if it weren't for you, I would have fallen to the ground just now," Ye Zhenzhen quickly thanked her.

The man hummed in response, saying nothing more. He picked up the ice pack and gestured to her, "It'll be a little cold, just bear with it."

"Hiss," Ye Zhenzhen shivered from the cold despite being prepared.

"Bear with it, applying ice will reduce the swelling and pain." Gu Tingshen gently held her leg still, preventing her from moving around.

"Yeah, it's okay, I can manage." Ye Zhenzhen smiled at him. Although she was very sensitive to pain, she had been enduring pain constantly in the later stages of cancer, so her pain tolerance was quite high. This little injury was nothing to her.

After applying ice and spraying medication, she felt much better. She put on slippers and tried walking around, being careful not to put weight on her right foot so she wouldn't be late for her afternoon appointment with Apple Media. However, climbing the stairs was a bit difficult. The villa only had three floors, and since there were no elderly people living there, an elevator hadn't been installed.

Butler Li accompanied the young master to his skateboarding lesson and wouldn't be back for lunch. She tiptoed to the first-floor restaurant, ate her lunch, and decided to simply stay in her guest room instead of going upstairs for lunch.

As a result, Gu Tingshen simply carried her upstairs. Her weight of just over 100 pounds was practically negligible to the man. She was placed on the sofa in the bedroom, and the man even poured her a glass of water and placed it beside her.

"I'm going to the Apple Building this afternoon to discuss some business. If you need anything, I can have someone from the company pick you up," Ye Zhenzhen asked as the man prepared to leave.

"It's alright, I'll take you." The man's voice was deep and pleasant, and his answer was straightforward.

Gu Tingshen returned to his room, took off his coat, and relaxed, leaning back on the sofa. He closed his eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, and his right hand opened and closed a few times before finally clenching into a fist.

He had never had any intimate contact with anyone before, and this was the first time he had ever been carried in a princess carry.

The moment he embraced her, a faint floral and fruity scent enveloped him, causing him to unconsciously take a deep breath and his heart to race. She nestled quietly in his arms, her lowered eyelashes like butterfly wings dampened by the morning mist, each tremor stirring his heart.

She was much lighter and thinner than he had imagined, yet she strangely filled his embrace, and the lingering soft touch in his hands lingered for a long time.

He sat on the sofa for a long time before getting up to go to his study to handle company affairs. Although his father had given him a break, many decisions within the group still required his approval, and he couldn't truly abandon his responsibilities.

When Ye Zhenzhen read the original book, she remarked that Gu Tingshen, a domineering CEO, although outwardly serious and aloof, was emotionally stable, thoughtful, and very caring. Now, experiencing it firsthand, she confirmed her assessment of him; he truly was a gentleman with a cold exterior but a warm heart.

She limped into the dressing room and opened the safe next to the jewelry cabinet. Inside the cabinet were various accessories for everyday wear, different styles of women's watches, and various precious metal jewelry inlaid with diamonds and colored gemstones, arranged somewhat haphazardly.

Inside the safe were truly valuable items: multi-million dollar watches and priceless jadeite rough stones, neatly arranged. She pulled out the top drawer, where a pair of filigree gold phoenix hairpins shimmered quietly with dazzling brilliance; the lifelike phoenix feathers were hard to believe were made of gold wire.

The tassels on the pair of filigree palace lantern earrings next to it were still trembling.

The drawers below contain gold-engraved necklaces and rings, filigree-inlaid ruyi locks and bracelets, etc., all of which were treasures from various dynasties that Ye's mother had Fengming's master craftsman replicate for the original owner's dowry.

She has now completely merged with the original owner of this body, and seeing these things reminds her of the loving yet reluctant look in her mother's eyes back then.

She picked up the pair of palace lantern earrings, the auspicious cloud-patterned necklace, and the phoenix-and-peony gold lock and set them aside. Then she went to a cabinet and found a cheongsam that her mother had made for her. After looking at the light green cheongsam, she took out a full-green jade bracelet to match.

In the afternoon, in an office on the 16th floor of the Apple Building, Li Fengnian, the chief director of the "I Am an Actor" program, was sitting behind his desk looking at the documents in his hand when the door was suddenly pushed open.

Then his old classmate Jiang Wei stormed into the house, kicked the door shut, sat on the sofa, and started cursing, "Damn Qian Meng! My show is about to be officially announced, and he's revealing his affair right now!"

Li Fengnian got up helplessly and poured him a glass of water. "Calm down. Ah, it hasn't been officially announced yet, so let's just replace him."

"Changed? You make it sound so easy. I spent five whole months searching to get these four groups of guests together. We finally got everything agreed upon, and we were even about to take the official photos! Where am I supposed to find another family of three now?"

Jiang Wei clenched his fists, wishing the culprit wasn't right in front of him. He really wanted to punch him. That bastard, living off his wife and still unable to control his lustful desires, he's a disgrace to men!

Both being involved in variety shows, Li Fengnian could understand his anger. Jiang Wei's project, "Let's Travel Together," focused on family travel. The guests were families of three: the parents had to be in the entertainment industry with a certain level of fame, and the child had to be between 5 and 7 years old with a distinctive personality. They finally managed to gather four families. Then, Qian Meng was exposed for cheating on his wife during her pregnancy, using her earnings to support his mistress.

With everything prepared and the filming location rented, all that was left was for the guests to arrive. Every day of delay was costing him money; how could he not be anxious and frustrated?

"Alright, I'll keep an eye out for you too. You've had quite a few that weren't selected before, so how about we just take pictures with the ones that are close enough?"

Just then, the assistant knocked on the door and came in. "Director Li, Miss Ye and the others will be here soon. President Lin is already waiting and wants you to go quickly as well."

"Why did President Lin personally go to pick them up?" Li Fengnian asked in surprise.

Ye Zhenzhen, this top-tier rich second-generation, is a frequent topic of trending searches. He had invited her before, but she declined. He was somewhat disappointed, but it was also expected. After all, he had hyped up the show quite a bit, but in reality, everything was uncertain before it aired, and so far, it hadn't attracted much investment; everyone in the industry was still watching and waiting.

Unexpectedly, Chairman Ye first told President Lin that his beloved daughter was interested in investing in his little program, and later said she wanted to have the well-known domestic brand Fengming Jewelry as the title sponsor. But Ye Zhenzhen wasn't representing the Ye Group, so there was no need for Apple's CEO to greet her.

"I heard that Miss Ye's husband, the heir of the Gu family, is also coming, which is why Mr. Lin was alerted. Please stop asking and come with me. Mr. Lin will be waiting anxiously." The assistant said hurriedly as he pulled him outside.

"Gu Tingshen? What's he doing here? Let's go, let's go!" Li Fengnian rushed out upon hearing this, not even caring about Jiang Wei anymore. "Old Jiang, we'll talk about it later."

Unlike other wealthy second-generation heirs who are constantly embroiled in scandals, Gu Tingshen is the true heir who holds real power. He only appears occasionally in financial news, keeping a low profile and remaining mysterious.

It's a pity Ye Zhenzhen didn't want to participate in "I Am an Actor," what a great opportunity for a breakout!

As he was walking forward, he saw Jiang Wei following behind. "Come on, I haven't met Prince Gu yet, I'll go and see him too."

Jiang Wei's ears perked up as soon as he heard the words "Ye Zhenzhen, husband, Crown Prince Gu." He's particularly sensitive to this now.

Both of them are ratings guarantees on their own, and I heard Gu Tingshen has a son too, so that's a family of three! If I could persuade them to participate in my show, I'd hit the jackpot!

The black Cayenne stopped in front of the Apple Building. Gu Tingshen got out of the car, opened the passenger door, and reached out his hand to Ye Zhenzhen.

Ye Zhenzhen had already changed into flat shoes. She paused slightly, then took his hand and got out of the car. Her foot had felt much better after her midday rest, but she still couldn't put much weight on it. Just as she was worrying about how embarrassing it would be to walk with a limp, she saw the man standing beside her, extending his arm. She took his arm, using it for support to walk forward, and her footing became much more stable.

Song Chengcheng and her group had been waiting on the side for a while. After they met up, the group walked in in a grand manner, attracting countless gazes, both overt and covert.

"Who's that guy with Ye Zhenzhen? He's so tall and has such a commanding presence. Is he some kind of celebrity?"

"She looks so beautiful! Did you see those earrings and choker? Gold can be so exquisite!"

"Earrings are nothing compared to that jade bracelet on her wrist, wow, it's all green, imperial green! How many houses does she own that bracelet?!"

"That guy wouldn't happen to be her boyfriend, would he? Ye Zhenzhen is holding his arm!"

Ye Zhenzhen is a familiar face to many, but few people know Gu Tingshen. Their grand wedding was a private affair, attended only by close friends and family, with no media coverage allowed. They haven't appeared together since, and very few people online even know they are a couple.

Someone secretly took out their phone, took a picture, and posted it online, which immediately attracted a lot of attention.

Apple Media CEO Lin Feng personally came out to greet him. Although Gu Tingshen said he was only accompanying his wife today, CEO Lin did not dare to neglect him and entertained him in the reception room.

The Gu Group's business spans multiple sectors including commercial real estate, cultural tourism, film and television production, healthcare, mining, and financial networks. Like the Ye Group, it is a veritable behemoth, far beyond the reach of his small film and television company.

The negotiations went smoothly. "I Am an Actor" was very welcoming to the sponsor who invested money, and Song Chengcheng and her elite team reached a preliminary agreement without much effort.

Fengming Jewelry secured the naming rights for 50 million yuan and will subsequently provide jewelry and accessories for the program. Two artists from Taoyao Film and Television will be guests and will sign the contract tomorrow before starting their participation in the preliminary recording.

Li Fengnian stood up and shook hands with Ye Zhenzhen, expressing his gratitude to his sponsor. With the money in place, his program could start filming immediately.

"Ms. Ye, thank you for your company's trust in 'I Am an Actor.' Rest assured, we will not let you down. Our publicity team will develop a special advertising plan to promote your company's products, ensuring that everyone sees the beauty of Fengming Jewelry. Please feel free to make any requests you may have, and we will definitely find a way to fulfill them for you."

"Director Li's abilities are widely recognized in the industry. I look forward to your 'I Am an Actor' becoming a hit across the internet and bringing Fengming Jewelry to new heights!" Ye Zhenzhen felt relieved after finalizing the cooperation, and smiled sincerely as she shook hands with Li Fengnian.

After seeing the two off, President Lin was immediately blocked by the tall and strong Jiang Wei.

The moment he saw the fawning smile on the kid's face, his head started to ache. "Old Jiang, what are you doing blocking this way? If you need more people, go find them yourself. I recommended three groups to you, but you rejected them all. Get out of here."

Jiang Wei wasn't annoyed. He chuckled and leaned closer, "President Lin, it seems like Prince Gu and Miss Ye have a good relationship. I heard Prince Gu has a son?"

"You're quite the insider, aren't you? You do have a son, I heard he's about 5 or 6 years old. You wouldn't want them to come on your trip, would you?" Mr. Lin's first reaction was that it was impossible. He was a family man with an old-fashioned style and didn't like dealing with the entertainment industry.

But then she thought, judging from Gu Tingshen's attitude towards Ye Zhenzhen today, maybe there's a chance.

Seeing that President Lin seemed somewhat interested, Jiang Wei stepped forward and persuaded him, "With Prince Gu's wealth and status, he's willing to spend time accompanying his wife to discuss a small contract. I heard he personally drove her and even walked arm in arm with her. Tsk tsk tsk, he clearly has an extraordinary fondness for Miss Ye. If they were willing to come to our program, the ratings would skyrocket."

Upon hearing this, President Lin was also somewhat tempted. These were the Gu and Ye families, top-tier wealthy families in the country. "Why don't you try to make contact and sound them out first? If there's a chance, we'll do our best."

Jiang Wei agreed and went off with great enthusiasm.

Meanwhile, a set of photos went viral on Weibo.