Chapter 2:

Chapter 2:

Ning Yuyi was currently living in a company-provided apartment. As his manager, Zhou Erhe had a spare key, so he let himself in the next morning.

"I brought you breakfast. Hey, Ning Yuyi, are you up yet?"

"Mm-hmm." Towel-drying his hair, Ning Yuyi appeared. "What did you get for breakfast?"

"Tofu pudding and soup dumplings, got them from downstairs." Zhou Erhe placed the food on the coffee table, taking the towel to help Ning Yuyi dry his hair. "Can't you dry your hair in the bathroom first? It's windy today; you might catch a cold."

"I'll be fine," Ning Yuyi dismissed, plopping onto the sofa and eagerly digging into the breakfast.

After eating, Ning Yuyi lounged on the couch, full and content, insisting on resting a bit longer before leaving. However, this brief rest extended until after lunch, and the two only set out for the set in the afternoon.

The production team had set up at a film studio in a neighboring city, just a three-hour drive from Haimarket.

Even with their delayed departure, they arrived at the set around dinner time.

"Do we head to the hotel or go straight to the set?" Zhou Erhe asked, holding the car keys and glancing back at Ning Yuyi, who was engrossed in his phone. "Put your phone down before you strain your eyes."

"You sound just like one of my old teachers," Ning Yuyi chuckled, pocketing his phone. "Let's head to the set and greet Director Zhang."

The two headed towards the production crew, encountering numerous crew members packing up and preparing to grab a meal along the way.

Director Zhang was huddled with the assistant director, reviewing the footage. They discussed intermittently.

"Director Zhang," Zhou Erheo slightly curled his lips and, with Ning Yuyi in tow, approached him.

Hearing his name, Zhang Xueyong looked up. "Ah, Ning! Feeling better?"

"Mhm," Ning Yuyi replied, hands pocketed in his jacket, "Hello, Director Zhang."

"Good to hear you're well," Director Zhang waved his hand, indicating the assistant director to go ahead for the meal.

"Director Zhang, can I stay on set tonight to observe the acting?" Having not spent much time on set, Ning Yuyi had limited memories of the crew. He wanted to investigate who might be out to harm him.

"Alright, I'll have my assistant bring you an extra meal later," replied Zhang Xueyong as he stood up to leave. Renowned as one of the industry's top directors, he had chosen the newbie Ning Yuyi for a role many A-listers vied for, simply because he loved his face.

Zhang Xueyong had set his eyes on Ning Yuyi during a graduation ceremony, instantly recognizing him as the perfect fit for a character in "Jiandao", and immediately signed him on.

However, as a capitalist at heart, he wished for peace and harmony on set. He'd privately address any issues but wouldn't tolerate further complications.

After Ning Yuyi's incident, he gave him a week off to recover. Despite Zhou Erheo's persistence in investigating, he didn't permit it.

Ning Yuyi hid his emotions and chuckled softly, heading to the lounge.

The temporary rest area wasn't far from the shooting location. Zhou Erheo excused himself to use the restroom, leaving Ning Yuyi alone. Out of boredom, he pulled out his phone to check trending topics.

Today's top trend was a photo of the popular celebrity Xie Yiezhou at the airport, who was also the lead actor of this drama. Ning Yuyi checked out the photos. Undeniably handsome with a golden ratio physique and long legs. Stunning!

Absorbed in viewing, he didn't notice someone approaching from around the bend and walked right into them.

The impact pushed Ning Yuyi back a step. Before picking up his fallen phone, he clutched his forehead, apologizing, "I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking. My bad."

"It's fine," a deep, magnetic voice resonated above him, reminiscent of a gentle cello melody.

Ning Yuyi, a lover of captivating voices, was immediately drawn to the sound. He looked up to see the person he had bumped into.

Dressed in a sharp black suit with dark red sleeve edges, the man's outfit accentuated his upright stature. His deep, black eyes seemed to conceal mysteries, and his thin lips were firmly pressed together.

"I'm genuinely sorry," Ning Yuyi exclaimed, clenching his fist, a momentary pain from his nails grounding him.

The man remained silent, expressionless.

Sensing the awkwardness, Ning Yuyi contemplated leaving but heard Director Zhang's voice, "Mr. Fan, what brings you to our set unexpectedly?"

Zhang Xueyong hurriedly approached from behind, positioning Ning Yuyi behind him. A whispered inquiry came from an assistant hiding behind Zhang, "That's the CEO of Fan Corporation, our major investor. I hope nothing went wrong?"

Just as Ning Yuyi wanted to share about the accidental bump, an assistant-looking person behind Mr. Fan spoke, "Mr. Fan had a meeting nearby and decided to drop by afterward."

Fan Corporation invested three hundred million in this production, making them the largest investor. It was perfectly normal for them to inspect the production set.

Fan Zhongchuan didn't even glance at Zhang Xueyong. He maintained a stern expression, but occasionally, seemingly nonchalantly, he glanced at the young man who had accidentally bumped into him. The soft apologetic tone of the youth replayed continuously in his mind.

Ning Yuyi was subtly led away by the assistant director. Before leaving, he stole another look at Mr. Fan, once again marveling at the man's good looks.

Rich and handsome. Pure envy.

Ning Yuyi kept his composure, turned, and followed the assistant director.

"Where did you go?" Zhou Erheo jogged over. "I looked everywhere for you."

"Took a wrong turn," Ning Yuyi replied, idly kicking a small stone. He told the assistant director, "You can go about your work. I can make my way to the lounge."

"Alright, dinner will be delivered to you. If you don't like it, you can order takeout. But our assistants will have to fetch it since deliveries aren't permitted on set." The assistant director found himself fond of Ning Yuyi - a handsome young man with a pleasant demeanor, and so, he couldn't help but treat Ning Yuyi like a younger sibling.

"Thank you."

After the assistant director left, Zhou Erheo nudged Ning Yuyi towards the lounge, "I could tell from your guilty look that something happened."

Ning Yuyi took out his phone to check his reflection. "Do I look that guilty?"

"…I was just teasing," Zhou Erheo tugged at his sleeve, "So, did something really happen? You didn't have a spat with the director, did you?"

"No, I just bumped into someone accidentally."

"Oh, I thought it was something serious." Zhou Erheo nonchalantly said, hands on his hips, "Was it a crew member or another actor? I can get them a bubble tea as an apology."

"Uh, it was Mr. Fan."

"Someone named 'Mr. Fan'?" Zhou Erheo's voice trembled slightly.

"The CEO of Fan Corporation," Ning Yuyi clarified, "The main financial backer of this project. And yeah, I bumped into him."

Zhou Erheo's arms started to tremble.

"Zhou...are you alright?" Ning Yuyi touched his nose, "Mr. Fan didn't seem mad."

"He didn't mention banning you from the industry?"

"It's the 21st century. It was just a minor accident. You're jumping to conclusions." Ning Yuyi gave him a sidelong glance, "So, what's for dinner?"

"I saw the meals being brought in earlier. I think I'll order something for myself."

"No need."

"Alright, I'll just order for myself then. This place is famous for its dishes. Maybe some sweet and sour fish, some veggies, and fruit. And also..."

"Zhou," Ning Yuyi interrupted Zhou Erheo's ramblings with a smile, "I've changed my mind. I'm not a fan of the set meals here. Order something for me too."

Raising an eyebrow, Zhou Erheo quickly adjusted the order to include two meals with additional dishes, then proceeded to confirm payment.

"Let's head to the lounge." Zhou Erheo began walking but froze when he spotted someone walking in their direction, muttering, "Holy cow."

"Am I seeing things? Wasn't Xie Yiezhou on leave today?"

"Why is he here?!"

Author's Note: Cherish these fleeting moments of our protagonist's appearance; he might be scarce in the upcoming chapters. A big thank you to the angels who generously supported me between 2020-09-11 20:43:12 and 2020-09-12 00:10:06!

Special thanks to the angel who sent a surprise gift: 1 of them.

I deeply appreciate all your support, and I promise to continue delivering my best!