Chapter 54 "I'm Here"

The atmosphere on set became quite subtle the moment Xu Shaoting arrived. Those not of his rank who needed to deal with him greeted him respectfully. Those qualified to deal with Tianxu's manager took advantage of the opportune moment and presented their business cards directly to Xu Shaoting.

He accepted them one by one.

"This is our top screenwriter, Su Jianyun." After introducing the staff members one by one, Wen Jia arrived at the decision-making level.

Su Jianyun usually keeps to herself and is immersed in her creative work. Even when Yu Jianshan wanted to revise the script, he would only hold an online meeting to communicate. Before today, most of the crew probably had never seen her in person.

She calmly shook hands with Xu Shaoting, adding a few words of thanks for his support of the film.

After greeting the other two, Wen Jia turned to the other side and said, "This is Producer Lin."

"Chairman Xu, I've heard so much about you."

Lin Zhongyuan smiled broadly and patted himself warmly, "What bad luck, I didn't give out my business card today."

“It’s no big deal,” Yu Jianshan said as he walked out of the film set side by side with Shen Zhiyun, his voice growing louder as they approached. “I’ll just be your business card, won’t I? I still have some influence with Chairman Xu.” He finished speaking and laughed heartily.

He and Xu Shaoting were old friends meeting again. They deliberately didn't shake hands, but just exchanged pleasantries for a while.

After they had finished talking, he turned his gaze slightly and looked at Shen Zhiyun beside him.

Aside from Wen Jia, he was the only one at the scene who knew about the relationship between Shen Zhiyun and Xu Shaoting. He was about to speak when Shen Zhiyun spoke first:

"Shao Ting, we meet again."

This name caused the air in the area to freeze for a few seconds.

As he felt the woman in his arms stiffen, Xu Shaoting skipped the pleasantries and spoke up in front of everyone, "Director Shen, just call me by my full name."

His expression was calm, but his eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, a hint of displeasure at being overstepped flashing in his pupils—dangerous enough, but fleeting.

Lin Zhongyuan hadn't expected this, and the words slipped out: "Zhiyun knows Chairman Xu?"

“I know them,” Xu Shaoting said calmly, “but we’re not close.”

Shen Zhiyun couldn't tell whether it was Xu Shaoting's arm around Wen Jia that was too glaring, or his words that were too harsh. Her smile froze on her face, and she forgot to even react, turning her gaze away.

She still held onto a sliver of hope for her relationship with Xu Shaoting; this situation was far too embarrassing for her.

Fortunately, Yu Jianshan was there, so the awkward situation wouldn't last long. He called out to the people around him, "Everyone, get ready, we're about to start work!"

The crowd then dispersed.

"I'm going to film now." Wen Jia wanted to tiptoe and kiss him, but there were too many people, so she could only look up at him for a moment before following Yu Jianshan's steps.

Xu Shaoting stared at her retreating figure, a helpless smile unconsciously creeping onto his face.

How generous of her! Knowing full well that Shen Zhiyun was there, she still so confidently left without a second thought. He didn't know whether to praise her for her open-mindedness or be pleased that she trusted him.

For a moment, only he and Shen Zhiyun remained in the corner.

She took a small step forward, about to speak, when the man saw through her:

"Excuse me first."

He set off and headed towards Wenjia.

The staff returned to their posts, ready to begin filming.

Old Fang, being perceptive, moved a chair over to Xu Shaoting. Xu Shaoting calmly sat down, his eyes fixed on her and another man whose name he didn't know, not letting them out of his sight for a moment.

There's nothing else to it; it's the first time he's seen her while she's filming, and he finds it all quite novel.

This scene features Wen Jia and Qin Jiawen as partners. Although there is some taboo love and hate entanglement, they are not very intimate.

Xu Shaoting watched from the side, feeling inexplicably irritated for some reason.

"Do you have any cigarettes?" He suddenly stood up, walked out of the film set, and asked Lao Fang.

She's been sick these past few days, and to keep the air fresh for her, he threw away all the cigarettes he'd brought.

Old Fang seemed a little flattered. He pulled a pack from his pocket and handed it to him, saying, "This is all I have. Do you like it? If not, I'll have someone buy you some. What brand do you prefer?"

Old Fang was about to call for help when Xu Shaoting stopped him, saying, "It's no trouble."

He took the cigarette, lit it with the light Old Fang offered, and held it up to the wind.

I strolled outside and took a deep breath.

The cigarettes he usually smokes are not commonly found on the market; they are custom-made and specially supplied. There is no such industry in China; they are all imported from Cuba. They are filled with high-quality nicotine, which is not harsh but has a pleasant aroma.

The one in his hand wasn't his favorite flavor, but it was enough to kill time.

He frowned and exhaled the smoke.

In the cold wind, the cigarette butt between his fingers burned halfway down. He heard light footsteps behind him, followed by a woman's voice.

"Shao Ting".

Xu Shaoting glanced casually at the newcomer through the swirling smoke, "I told you, call me by my full name, or by Yu Jianshan's name. Just don't use the last two characters, the rest is up to you, she'll misunderstand."

"Her?" Shen Zhiyun raised an eyebrow, seemingly unconcerned. "She's not here right now, is she?"

Xu Shaoting held the cigarette between his long, slender fingers, took another deep drag, and the scarlet glow flickered for a moment in the cold wind.

He looked up at Shen Zhiyun, his eyes deep and intense.

"She's not here, so what? You think this is an opportunity?"

"When did you become so naive?" Xu Shaoting's expression seemed impatient and sarcastic.

"You won't even call me by my name anymore."

“I’ve said it before, titles don’t represent opportunities,” he said in a steady voice, yet with an unyielding distance. “The only point of contact between us is business, and Yu Jianshan.”

He looked at the woman, and the words she had said to provoke Wen Jia floated into his mind. Although they hadn't actually hurt him, they seemed to have taken their toll on him tenfold, making him feel extremely uncomfortable.

"How come you've changed so much? You weren't like this before."

"Rather than saying I've changed, it's more accurate to say you've never truly understood me."

Shen Zhiyun lowered her head as her voice fell, as if she were aggrieved, "It's because you never let me understand you."

Little did they know they had fallen into his trap. "Yes, it was intentional."

Shen Zhiyun raised her head, her lips slightly parted, her breathing labored, and wisps of white breath escaped her lips in the cold wind. "Do you hate me that much?"

"I wouldn't say I dislike it."

It takes some skill to evoke any emotion in him.

"It's just that you haven't reached that level with me yet."

Shen Zhiyun understood his words and gave a self-deprecating laugh.

To him, I am but a speck of dust falling into a deep pool, unable to even cause the slightest ripple, sinking to the bottom where no one can see me.

“Chairman Shao… Mr. Xu,” she paused, then asked bluntly, “Will you marry her?”

"meeting."

"Will your dad agree?"

Whenever Xu Bozheng is mentioned, Shen Zhiyun's tone always carries a sense of desperate anticipation, a last-ditch effort, and a sense of侥幸 (a lucky break).

"You don't need to worry about it. If he agrees, it's icing on the cake; if he doesn't, it won't change the outcome, it'll just make the process a little more complicated."

“But I heard from Yi Tang that my uncle still mentions me.”

“Yes,” Xu Shaoting said casually, “so he could only mention you.”

Perhaps the biting wind was too strong, forcing Shen Zhiyun to take a half-step back. Her inherent pride and stubbornness made her stop in her tracks, and also prevented her from lowering her head:

"I will compete with her fairly."

Xu Shaoting's laughter rang out the next second, "Should I praise your confidence, or say that you are overestimating yourself?"

"You have no chance of winning against her, and you can't be fair. You have your own methods, don't you?"

He still gave her some face and didn't use the word "little tricks." He had seen through all the schemes she had played years ago, but he hadn't chosen to expose them until today.

She nodded haughtily. "Then tell me, was it because of her that you were so determined to break off the engagement?"

"You don't need to worry too much about this issue. Even without her, there would be other factors that would prevent us from getting married."

Tell me your reasons.

"Because we're simply not a good match."

"You've not even spent any time with me, yet you know we're not a good match?"

“That’s what I originally thought too. If you hadn’t done anything, I might have been able to get along with you peacefully.” He paused for a moment. “But your mistake was that you shouldn’t have said those things in front of Wen Jia.”

He didn't even want to repeat those words, let alone imagine how Wen Jia would feel if she heard them.

Because of Shen Zhiyun's words, she avoided and concealed things from him. She knew right from wrong, was pragmatic, and was so sensible that it both pained and annoyed him.

Shen Zhiyun was visibly taken aback. "I'm telling the truth. Aren't I?"

"I'm willing to solve this for her sake."

Any difficulties?

"yes."

Shen Zhiyun smiled contemptuously. She had never imagined that a man who was unmoved by anything would go to such lengths for a woman.

"If, and I mean if, we really got married, and you met Wen Jia again, would you waver?"

She was desperately searching for a lifeline, and also for evidence—evidence that even if he were married, he would still be attracted to other women.

This means that he would also be unfaithful to Wen Jia, which at least comforts her and makes her feel a little better.

"Won't."

Why did those two simple words both disappoint and delight her?

"If I really married you, I might still be a good husband."

As Shen Zhiyun listened, her expression was extremely inscrutable, a mixture of doubt, joy, and helplessness.

She smiled.

“But this kindness is not out of love,” he looked at her, “it’s just out of responsibility, or rather, obligation.”

"But the fact is that I've met her, so there's absolutely no other woman who could make me lose my mind."

“It’s out of love.” Her voice trembled.

“Yes, love,” he added, “and responsibility.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a "click" sounded from the loudspeaker on set.

Taking advantage of the moment when Xu Shaoting turned around to put out his cigarette, Shen Zhiyun took a half step towards him.

She kept glancing to the side until she saw a beautiful figure appear at the corner, and she immediately stood on tiptoe.

As Wen Jia walked out of the film set, she saw a man and a woman standing against the light. Taking advantage of the moment, Shen Zhiyun leaned forward, seemingly wanting to grab his shoulder and pull herself into his arms.

But she didn't succeed, because Xu Shaoting had already turned around before her. He was sharp enough that in the blink of an eye, he decisively took a step back.

There was no physical contact.

He looked down at her coldly, almost condescendingly, offering words of comfort and admonition: "Miss Chen, love yourself a little more."

He immediately stepped to the side, creating a significant distance between them.

The words dissipated in the cold wind, constantly lashing at Shen Zhiyun's body. She lost her balance and stumbled forward, about to fall.

Fortunately, a hand appeared just in time, slender and fair, but surprisingly strong, pulling her back and stabilizing her balance.

Wen Jia was still wearing her costume. She only let go of her after seeing that Wen Jia had regained her footing.

But she just smiled at Shen Zhiyun and said nothing.

Shen Zhiyun bit her lip, her eyes were lowered, but her neck was held high, refusing to lower it even slightly.

She broke free from Wen Jia's hand, looked at no one, and resolutely turned to walk towards the film set, her heels clicking loudly.

Wen Jia looked away, feeling the man take her hand, and looked back at him, "What did you say to her?"

"It's nothing, I was just telling the truth."

Song Yanlin only arrived at the set when the scenes for the male and female leads were about to start filming.

The production assistant came out calling out, "Sister Wen, Song..." He stopped mid-sentence when he saw Xu Shaoting, and then stopped himself, "Sister Wen, hurry up, hurry up, we're starting filming."

"I'll go right away." She glanced at him guiltily. "Isn't the company busy today?"

Xu Shaoting replied calmly, "Not in a hurry."

"Why don't you come and rest in my RV... It's warm and quiet inside."

"Need not."

"How about..." Wen Jia tried to find a reason, but Xu Shaoting leaned close to her ear and kissed her earlobe, threatening, "What? Filming with Song Yanlin? Is there anything I can't watch?"

There's nothing wrong with watching it; it's just a rather... intimate scene.

She cleared her throat, not daring to look at him. "Then promise me... if you see this, you're not allowed to retaliate against me tonight. I have to film early tomorrow morning..."

I promise you.

Wen Jia took his arm and led him inside.

But he stopped beside Yu Jianshan, behind the monitor, and did not accompany her into the filming area.

"Teacher Wen is here! Get ready!" the stage manager shouted.

Upon hearing this, Song Yanlin looked up at her.

This action was caught by Xu Shaoting from a distance. He subtly furrowed his brows and fixed his gaze on Song Yanlin. His gaze was calm yet carried an invisible pressure, like a fully drawn bow suspended in mid-air.

He stood quietly behind the scenes, without uttering a word, yet his body temperature suddenly dropped.

He took the crumpled script from Yu Jianshan's hand and glanced at it.

This scene is related to the previously filmed hospital wedding scene, where Chen Xu is proposing to Feng Yingxue.

The dialogue is ambiguous, and the body language is even more so. Feng Yingxue is being held by Chen Xu, and the two are about to kiss but haven't yet.

The crew didn't film in chronological order. In order to recapture that feeling from the beginning, Yu Jianshan gave the two main actors some time to get into character.

"Aren't you going to avoid this for once?" This drama fanatic was unusually considerate.

"Avoid what?" Xu Shaoting put away the script and gave a threatening laugh. "Yu Jianshan, tell me, do you think I'm such a petty person?"

Yu Jianshan silently withdrew his gaze and muttered to himself, "It's hard to say."

Xu Shaoting's arrival made the atmosphere on set a little tense.

Wen Jia was about to film intimate scenes with another man right under his nose.

In fact, they had seen this situation many times before, but perhaps because of Xu Shaoting's identity, they were all terrified for her, and they consciously kept quiet about the subtle noises they used to make.

"Photography, lighting, script supervisor, sound recording, all in position."

At her post, Wen Jia turned her head for one last time, staring blankly. The crowd surged like a sea, but she spotted Xu Shaoting immediately.

He was watching her even through countless figures and noise.

She saw his lips move, silently uttering a sentence:

"I'm here."

Wen Jia pursed her lips, nodded slightly to him, and dared not look at him again.

The clapperboard snapped shut.

Feng Yingxue, dressed in a loose, soft old sweater and a long cotton skirt, sat in a wheelchair.

Chen Xu stood behind her, took the paintbrush from her hand, and said, "Yingxue, I have something to say to you."

Feng Yingxue maneuvered the electric wheelchair and slowly turned around. The sunlight outlined her slender face, and her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness. "Chen Xu, pick me up."

Chen Xu took a deep breath and bent down.

Her body was so light, with a fragile, delicate quality that made his heart tighten.

She guided him, slowly backing a few steps to a workbench, where she was easily lifted onto the surface.

This position was extremely intimate and made full use of the last bit of strength she could still control, allowing her to break free of her powerless legs and gain a peculiar, temporary sense of control.

Chen Xu instinctively placed his hands on her waist, not daring to exert force or let go, for fear that she might lose her balance in the slightest.

"Reflecting Snow..."

He had barely opened his mouth when she gently pressed her fingertip against his lips to stop him.

"I know what you want to say, but don't say it."

She breathed a slight sigh of relief, fine beads of sweat on her forehead, but her gaze remained fixed on him. She raised her still-functioning hand, her fingertips gently tracing his brow bone and the bridge of his nose, finally resting on his lips.

"Why won't you let me speak?" He finally dared to tighten his grip on her waist, pulling her closer into his embrace, and whispered in her ear:

"Yingxue, let's get married."

Feng Yingxue remained silent for a long time, gazing deeply at him. "Look, even holding you like this took all my strength."

There was a slight, almost imperceptible tremor in her voice, not from illness, but from surging emotions.

Chen Xu's heart felt as if it were being squeezed tightly, aching and indescribable. He looked into her eyes, and there was a silent cry, a defiance of a frozen fate, and the most direct and burning desire for him.

"That's precisely why I want to marry you. A moment of recognition is better than a lifetime of regret."

Their noses touched, their breaths mingling. The scent of turpentine in the air seemed to become even more fragrant and alluring.

Feng Yingxue's fingers continued to trace the shape of his lips, her eyes hazy yet focused. She spoke in a breathy voice, "And then? You'll be at your wedding... holding a bride who can't even stand up? Chen Xu, I don't want our love to be surrounded by pity from the very beginning."

“I don’t care!” he said almost urgently. “We can forgo the wedding, or have a wedding just for the two of us. Yingxue, let me take care of you, legitimately…”

Feng Yingxue lowered her eyes, tears falling silently, her smile fragile. "How can I, as your wife, watch you change my clothes, feed me, and even breathe for me? That would be too cruel to you."

Tears welled up in Chen Xu's eyes. "That's not cruelty. That's all I have. Yingxue, give me an identity, so I can rightfully walk with you through every step of the way, even... the last step. Let me be your husband, not your boyfriend." He looked up and gently wiped away her tears with his fingertips. "I need this. I need this identity to anchor myself."

More tears dripped into his palm.

Feng Yingxue shook her head, "Chen Xu, don't waste any more time on me."

Her smile was almost transparent in the sunlight, breathtakingly beautiful. She slowly closed her eyes, tilted her face up, as if asking for a kiss, or as if offering herself up.

Chen Xu cupped her face in his hands and tilted his head.

"Click—"

The script ends at this scene. Yu Jianshan stopped without hesitation and nodded in satisfaction.

Once Wen Jia finds her rhythm, she's unmatched. Song Yanlin, considered a semi-talented actor in the industry, found himself somewhat unable to keep up with her performance in this scene.

In the dead of winter, Yu Jianshan took off his hat and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

He didn't see Xu Shaoting's expression, nor could he, because the instant he yelled "cut," Xu Shaoting had already snatched the long down jacket from Yu Kaiqing's arms and steadily stepped into the shooting area.

Wen Jia was unable to detach herself from her identity as Feng Yingxue and was still crying, but she was unwilling to lean on Song Yanlin. Without any support, she could only cover her mouth and cry alone, her whole body trembling.

Xu Shaoting strode forward, almost forcefully placing his body between her and Song Yanlin.

Song Yanlin was pushed back by his aura.

Only after confirming that the person in front of her was Xu Shaoting did Wen Jia feel at ease leaning into his arms, clinging tightly to his shoulders, almost wrinkling his trench coat.

He covered the back of her head with one hand, gently stroking it, and whispered the same words he had before filming began in her ear:

"I'm here."

Hearing this, she finally relaxed, surrendered herself to him, and nestled on his shoulder, weeping.

With Xu Shaoting there, no one on set dared to disturb her. Seeing that she couldn't recover for a while, he looked down to look at her.

She buried her head even deeper, "Don't look..."

"Why?"

"Your makeup is ruined."

"So we have to stay here?"

“I want to go to the RV,” she sobbed, “carry me there.”

He covered her completely with his down jacket, easily picked her up, and carried her out of the film set.

Song Yanlin wiped away her tears from his palm and looked at the man's back from a distance. He didn't recognize Xu Shaoting and hadn't even had a chance to see his face clearly.

He gave a soft, cold snort, his expression a complex mix of resentment and discontent.

Yu Kaiqing quickly led Xu Shaoting to the RV.

The space was huge, and the heating was on. He sat down on the sofa and pinned her to his lap.

"Have you cried enough?"

Her nose was bright red, which made her look less pale and more innocent and pitiful.

She gave a listless "hmm" and nestled against his chest.

"Thank goodness you were here, otherwise it would have been so embarrassing for me to be crying alone..."

"Do you often have these kinds of crying scenes?"

"It's not often, it's just that I have this problem myself. When I'm in a crying scene, it's hard for me to break character."

Her acting style is extremely mentally and physically demanding. When dealing with emotionally intense scenes, she needs to immerse herself in the character with two or three times the emotional intensity. Sometimes, she's filming a cheerful scene one second and then jumping into a sad situation the next.

The exhaustion caused by such a huge emotional shift cannot be compensated for by a short rest.

“Especially those kinds of clips,” she added softly.

"What segment?"

"A scene where two people can't be together...can't get married..."

Upon hearing this, Xu Shaoting stared at her in silence for a while.

The first time he saw her cry so sadly was in a play. He heard her say "cannot get married," and he felt a complicated mix of emotions.

He couldn't even tell whether she was sad because Feng Yingxue and Chen Xu couldn't get married, or because of something else.

“Tell me, are you getting into character?” he asked.

"No."

He rephrased it, "Are you projecting yourself onto the situation?"

"No."

"Yu Jianshan said you are."

Under his gaze, Wen Jia remained quiet for a while.

"You have to immerse yourself in the character to experience their emotions; otherwise, it feels very empty."

"Then what are you projecting?" he asked in an extremely gentle tone.

"I projected myself onto it."

"Your own what?"

He gently coaxed, "Is it because you've projected your feelings for me onto this?"

Wen Jia nodded, then shook her head. "I can't say that I projected our feelings onto the role, after all, there's a difference between a play and reality. I just... connected it to our relationship."

Using empathy to act out crying scenes is a technique in itself. However, she's so talented and skilled that the audience can't tell what's causing her tears.

"Then tell me," he asked step by step, revealing what was on his mind, "were your tears for the role, or for our relationship?"

Wen Jia fell silent again.

“You’ve projected yourself onto the situation,” he changed his wording, “and associated it with something that’s why you’re crying so hard?”

"If I'm not mistaken, you're crying so hard because you're thinking that we can't be together, right?"

She answered in her heart.

yes.

That damned Shen Zhiyun, she just had to whisper sweet nothings in her ear, but she had to admit that Shen Zhiyun's ability to subtly influence people was too superb.

She pushed those words into her body as if she were pushing a syringe.

The idea that Xu Bozheng would not accept was ingrained in her very being.

She forced herself not to believe it, but she found she couldn't; it had almost become a subconscious habit.

She was acting out a scene where they couldn't be together, and she was portraying it with that kind of emotion in mind, imagining the scene of parting from him.

As I thought about it more deeply, tears began to flow.

Why would you make that connection?

"I'm just assuming."

"I don't believe it. You can cry about anything else, but why are you insisting that we have no future? Are you so sure we won't be together, Wen Jia?"

She sniffed, lowered her eyes, and her eyelashes were wet.

"Was it someone's words that made you have this thought?"

He asked directly, "Did Shen Zhiyun tell you anything else, right?"

Xu Shaoting originally wanted to ask indirectly, but he couldn't wait a moment longer. Yesterday she avoided the question, and today he wanted her to face it directly.

"No. She only said your father is difficult to deal with."

Xu Shaoting remained silent and closed his eyes.

She's so sensible.

He doesn't need her to be so sensible.

“I know everything.” He seemed disappointed. “I know everything she told you.”

Wen Jia stared at him with wide eyes.

He wiped away her tears. "Why won't you tell me? Why did you try to hide it and run away?"

Wen Jia did not answer her, perhaps she was organizing her thoughts, or perhaps she didn't know how to begin.

The two stared at each other in silence for a long while. Suddenly, the roar of a sports car engine came from outside the RV, followed by light footsteps. Finally, the RV door opened, and a girl's voice came from afar:

"Sister Wen—"

Xu Yitang's voice and footsteps came to an abrupt halt, as he was caught off guard by the scene before him.

She saw her older brother sitting calmly on the sofa, his long legs stretched out, with Wenjia in his arms, their foreheads touching.

What's worse, he blatantly placed one hand on her buttocks, kneading it gently rather than intimately, as if it were a silent, possessive comfort.

Xu Shaoting was not surprised by her intrusion. Instead, he leisurely raised his eyes and enjoyed the shocked expression on her face.

Xu Yitang felt rooted to the spot, and his face was flushed.

Although she knew about their relationship beforehand and had mentally prepared herself, seeing her aloof, reserved, and celibate older brother intimately embracing a female celebrity on his lap was still too much of a shock...

She raised her hand to cover her eyes and began to feign blindness in an exaggerated manner:

"Sister Wen...is this your boyfriend...he's really handsome, rich, and devoted! You two must stay together forever! I've come at a very inopportune time, but I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I'll go out now!!!"

Wen Jia's sadness turned to joy, and she smiled, even introducing Xu Shaoting thoughtfully: "This is the little girl I mentioned to you, the one who came to the set to learn. Isn't she quite cute?"

"..."

Xu Shaoting lazily looked up at Xu Yitang's back.

Her younger sister is quite the actress. She's a domineering and lawless figure at home, but now she's being described as cute. What kind of spell has she cast on her?

She leaned close to his ear and said, "She's been asking a lot about you. How about... we get to know each other now?"

Before he could answer, she turned to the girl's retreating figure and began to negotiate between the two, "Eva, didn't you always say you wanted to meet my boyfriend? He just happened to be visiting the set today, could you come over and say hello?"

Xu Yitang shook her head vigorously, waving her hand, "No, no, Sister Wen, I was just kidding!! You guys continue! Pretend I was never here!"

“She seems a little shy,” Wen Jia said, now acting like a caring older sister. “Maybe she’ll be fine in a bit.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Yitang wished he had eight legs and desperately strode towards the RV door.

Just as her hand was about to touch the doorknob, a deep and unquestionable command came from behind her:

"stop."

In an instant, it was as if a vacuum had been drawn out of the RV, and all sounds came to an abrupt halt.

The two women froze simultaneously.

Wen Jia looked at Xu Shaoting, then at Xu Yitang who had instantly turned to stone. Her gaze darted back and forth between them countless times, but she still couldn't understand the situation.

Xu Yitang resignedly and slowly turned around, forcing out a smile that was more like a grimace.

"Call her sister-in-law," Xu Shaoting ordered her.

She had addressed her as "sister-in-law" countless times in private, but this was the first time she had called her that to Wen Jia's face. She stammered, "...Sister-in-law...hello."

'Snap—'

A crisp sound.

The three people inside the RV simultaneously turned their gaze to the doorway and saw Yu Kaiqing with her mouth slightly open.

In her extreme shock, she spilled the cup of hot milk she was holding all over the floor.

"What's going on? No, what's going on?" Her voice suddenly rose, her eyes widening.

"You call her sister-in-law??? Then who are you—"

Yu Kaiqing's mouth hung open in awe as she asked directly, "What's your surname? And your Chinese name?"

“…Xu.” Xu Yitang lowered his head and spoke in a barely audible voice.

Yu Kaiqing almost fainted: "...Holy crap."

The little girl she's been "bullying" for so many days is actually Xu Shaoting's most beloved younger sister...?!

It was like being struck by lightning, leaving her utterly scorched and terrified.

Wen Jia sat on Xu Shaoting's lap and suddenly laughed. She thought of two names he had mentioned before, but she wasn't sure which one it was.

"So you're Xu Shaoting's younger sister, Xu Yi...?"

She waited for her to add more details.

“…Tang.” The voice carried a tragic air, as if it were a death sentence.

“Very good.” Wen Jia turned to the man with a charming smile and nodded. “Sending your most beloved little sister as a spy, Chairman Xu, you really have a clever way of doing things.”

"Very good, very good..." She propped herself up on her arms, preparing to get off him, but the man grabbed her and pressed her back to the spot.

He started to coax, "Listen to me."

Before Yu Kaiqing could fully grasp the situation, she wisely grabbed Xu Yitang's arm and led him out of the RV.

Finally, only the two of them remained.

Wen Jia refused to listen to him and started to make a scene, saying, "She's absolutely wonderful! I was wondering why I felt so familiar with certain aspects of her. No wonder you Xu family members have me completely fooled."

She broke free from his embrace, but after taking only a few steps, she was pulled back by an arm.

The man said with a laugh, "Listen to me, baby, I didn't ask her to come."

"I don't want you to touch me! You're not allowed to touch me!" Wen Jia was furious at his calm and collected manner, as if he had just tricked her. "You mean she begged you to let her come, right?"

“That’s how it is,” Xu Shaoting said, holding both of her wrists with one hand, “she asked me to say hello to Yu Jianshan so I could sneak in.”

Wen Jia was practically fuming!

She started to wriggle and struggle even more in his arms.

But he also knew that she wasn't really angry. If she were, she would have refused to say a word to him, just like last time.

After figuring this out, Xu Shaoting became a scoundrel. The more "furious" she became, the more at ease he became, almost enjoying all her anger and taking advantage of the gaps in her outbursts to kiss her.

After playing along with her antics for a while, she finally ran out of energy and glared at him breathlessly.

Xu Shaoting then slowly turned her face and kissed the corner of her mouth, saying, "I'm sorry, I really shouldn't have kept it from you."

Wen Jia snorted indignantly, "Your apology is not believable at all."

“My mistake. But,” he said, a slight smile playing on his lips, “didn’t you notice anything amiss?”

"I should have noticed sooner, your two English names are so similar!"

Xu Shaoting paused, then smiled, "That's true."

Xu Yitang chose her English name herself, deliberately picking one similar to the name of her most admired older brother. She never imagined that this would become evidence.

"But why don't you two look alike at all?" she hesitated, "same..."

"Yes, we share the same parents," he confirmed, taking out his phone as he did so.

Just seconds later, the girl, still shaken outside the RV, received yet another staggering sum of money to change her story.

Xu Shaoting put down his phone, sat on the sofa, and hugged her to soothe her. It took him a long time to finally calm her down. He gazed at her intently and tidied her hair, which was disheveled from her fuss.

Wen Jia's anger subsided, and she finally spoke to him:

"So you just said that you knew what Shen Zhiyun told me, and that was all from her, right?"

"Um."

Her heart felt like it was being soaked in bitter water, bitter and blocked. There was a kind of embarrassment at being seen through, and a kind of relief at finally being able to take off her disguise.

She nestled back against her chest, letting out a sob, "She's so mean. She always says things that hurt me."

"And you actually listened to that, didn't you?" He softened his tone. "Why wouldn't you tell me? Were you prepared to bear it all alone?"

Seeing how sensible she was, he felt an indescribable sense of helplessness and heartache.

"No, I don't believe what she said."

"If you don't believe what she said, why are you crying? Why are you so sure we have no future? And why are you crying so bitterly?"

Wen Jia remained silent.

Did she tell you that her family wouldn't approve of the two of us? And that her father wouldn't accept your status?

Wen Jia nodded.

"Then why won't you tell me? You're running away, aren't you?"

She was avoiding talking about his family, which made him uneasy and made him feel that she didn't have him in her future plans.

"Don't run away from this; it's a problem we'll have to face sooner or later."

“You said it yourself, sooner or later…” she hesitated, “It’s a bit unrealistic to bring it up now.”

"Why isn't it realistic?" Xu Shaoting cupped her face in his hands.

"I want to marry you, Wen Jia."