Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Xie Yiezhou, the very man Ning Yuyi saw trending today, is not only the lead actor of this drama but also sits atop the entertainment industry's popularity pyramid. Boasting tens of millions of fans, endless endorsements, and commendable acting skills, he thrives in the film world.

Most importantly, Xie Yiezhou is also the second young master of the Xie family conglomerate, a genuine scion of wealth.

Wanting to avoid Xie Yiezhou's gaze, Zhou Erheo quickly tried to steer Ning Yuyi away. It's common knowledge that the young heir has a temper, and Zhou Erheo didn't want Ning Yuyi to get on his bad side.

But they were too late; Xie Yiezhou reached them first.

Ning Yuyi, not being entirely familiar with Xie Yiezhou, acknowledged that he lived up to his superstar reputation with striking looks. After admiring him, Ning Yuyi proceeded to the lounge, not quite following Zhou Erheo's line of thought.

If they couldn't avoid him, they might as well face him head-on.

Seeing Xie Yiezhou approach, Zhou Erheo released Ning Yuyi's hand, focusing straight ahead without giving any sidelong glances.

Still, Zhou Erheo couldn't miss the alluring voice Xie Yiezhou was famous for.

"Ning Yuyi," Xie Yiezhou stopped a couple of steps in front of him, suddenly removing his sunglasses.

"Yes?" Ning Yuyi was taken aback, not expecting to be addressed directly.

"Are you feeling better now?" Xie Yiezhou's gaze was complex. From the first moment he laid eyes on Ning Yuyi, he felt a peculiar urge to care for him.

"Uh, much better, thanks for asking," Ning Yuyi replied, slightly baffled by the unexpected concern.

"Good." Reassured that Ning Yuyi was alright, Xie Yiezhou nodded and headed towards his exclusive studio.

"Xie Yiezhou seemed quite pleasant just now. The internet can be so unreliable," Ning Yuyi recalled the recent online comments about Xie Yiezhou's reputed temper and arrogance.

"Well, those comments aren't entirely baseless."

"What?" Ning Yuyi turned around to find Zhou Erheo frozen, still staring in the direction Xie Yiezhou had left.

"It's true, Xie Yiezhou has a short fuse. Few dare to cross him," Zhou Erheo whispered, "His father is the current CEO of the Xie Group, and his brother heads Fenghua Entertainment. In the entertainment circle, they're untouchable. Xie Yiezhou respects the older generation, but he's known for his harsh demeanor with others."

"But he seemed rather kind just now, even asking about my health."

"Exactly," Zhou Erheo replied stiffly, "I need to check if the sun rose from the west today."

Ning Yuyi: "..."

Due to the investment from the Fan Group, this production set was much more "luxurious" compared to others. Besides the extras, almost everyone had a small private lounge.

Shortly after Ning Yuyi returned to his lounge, Zhou Erheo's takeaway arrived. He stepped out to collect it since Ning Yuyi was still technically on leave and didn't have a makeup artist in his lounge.

With some spare time, Ning Yuyi browsed the internet for news about Xie Yiezhou and Fan Zhongchuan.

Fan Zhongchuan, as the CEO of the Fan Group and currently the youngest trillionaire in the world, keeps a low profile. There were very few photos of him available online, and most articles reused the same few old pictures. Some distant shots were so blurred they might as well have been pixelated.

In contrast, as a celebrity, there was an abundance of photos and information on Xie Yiezhou. Ning Yuyi skimmed through the details, confirming what Zhou Erheo had said earlier, before setting his phone aside.

Zhou Erheo returned with the food, laying it out on a small table. "Let's eat."

Not far from Ning Yuyi, in a larger private lounge, Xie Yiezhou sat freshly dressed in costume, letting the makeup artist work on his face.

"Lower the air conditioning a bit." After a short while, Xie Yiezhou opened his half-closed eyes, instructing his assistant.

"Sir, it's already at 25 degrees Celsius. Any lower and you might catch a cold," the assistant adjusted his glasses, glancing at the air conditioner. He then realized it had turned off unexpectedly.

"Hmm." The assistant approached the air conditioner, attempting to restart it with the remote, and then his phone. He finally concluded, "It seems the air conditioner is broken, sir."

Xie Yiezhou, feeling the weight of his costume, tossed his phone onto the table, visibly irritated. "Contact maintenance. We need it fixed."

"Should I check with the director for an available lounge?" Having worked with Xie Yiezhou for years, Yao Yao knew his temperament and felt it was best to avoid potential confrontations by finding an alternative space.

"No need. I doubt any lounges are free now," Xie Yiezhou said, rising from his seat, "I'll go to Ning Yuyi's lounge for now. We'll see after this gets fixed."

Before Yao Yao could suggest erecting a temporary one,

She was caught off-guard by Xie Yiezhou's next statement.

"Are we going now?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yes." Without further ado, Xie Yiezhou headed straight for Ning Yuyi's lounge.

Ning Yuyi and Zhou Erheo chatted about industry gossip over their meal until a knock interrupted them.

"Hold on, I'm coming." Zhou Erheo placed his bowl down, casually wiped his mouth, and opened the door, "Can I help... Xie, Xie Yiezhou?"

Yes, Xie Yiezhou?

Ning Yuyi paused, craning his neck to get a view of the visitor.

In costume and half-finished makeup, Xie Yiezhou looked comical up close. If not for his inherent good looks, he would've looked ridiculous.

"Hello, hello." Yao Yao stepped forward, "Our lounge's air conditioner broke down. May we use your lounge for a bit?"

After such a polite request, Zhou Erheo felt compelled to agree, "Of course, come on in."

Ning Yuyi quickly finished his meal, tidied up the table, and settled on a side stool, offering the makeup chair to Xie Yiezhou.

"Thank you." Yao Yao smiled warmly, pulling out a chair and waiting for Xie Yezhou to sit down. In the midst of it, she sneaked a glance at the obedient Ning Yuyi, feeling a surge of maternal affection.

Such a well-behaved child, and so handsome too!

Xie Yezhou pressed his lips together, taking a seat, but his gaze never left Ning Yuyi.

The more Xie Yezhou looked, the deeper his frown became, causing Yao Yao to feel anxious, wondering what the little darling had done to upset him.

"Yao Yao," Xie Yezhou finally spoke.

"Huh?" Yao Yao was brought back to reality.

"Get a cup of milk."

"What? Oh, okay." Yao Yao, looking puzzled, left to buy the milk.

Why would this big devil suddenly want milk? Did seeing the young and tender appearance of the little one make him want to drink more milk to reminisce about his own youth?

Could it be?

Yao Yao had a million questions in her mind, but she knew she had to fulfill Xie Yezhou's request.

After dinner, the other actors went for makeup touch-ups, delaying the next scene.

Ning Yuyi and Zhou Erhe sat on small stools, playing a duo mobile game.

"Hey, hey, Brother Zhou, cover for me! Their jungler is coming for me!" Ning Yuyi's fingers rapidly tapped on his phone screen. "Bro, bro, help me out here!"

"I'm on it, don't go too far! I told you not to dive the turret." Zhou Erhe, controlling a bulky character named Zhang Fei, moved towards Ning Yuyi's marksman. He shielded him just in time, "Quick, get out! I've got you covered."

"I'm out, that was close." Ning Yuyi was playing as Luban Seventh, a fragile marksman who'd been severely damaged by the turret while attempting a kill. He was now hiding in a bush to recall.

"Don't overextend next time; I might not make it to save you." Zhou Erhe wiped the sweat from his palms. "Let's team up; the opponents have been wiped out."

A minute later, their team had pushed and destroyed the enemy's nexus. As the word 'Victory' flashed on the screen, Ning Yuyi exited the game summary, intending to start another round, when the door to the rest room opened.

Yao Yao, clutching the freshly purchased milk, rushed back in, breathlessly announcing, "Brother Xie, I got the milk."

"Mm." Xie Yezhou, nearly done with his makeup, looked up. "Give it to Ning Yuyi."

Yao Yao was taken aback: "What?"

Zhou Erhe, startled by the sudden command, mistakenly exited the game room.

Ning Yuyi looked up with a 'what just happened?' expression. "What's going on?"

Yao Yao glanced at Ning Yuyi, then back at Xie Yezhou. Assured he wasn't joking, she approached Ning Yuyi, took his phone away, and handed him the milk. "Drink it while it's warm."

Ning Yuyi: ???

Xie Yezhou finally spoke up, "You're too thin. Drink more milk."

Not only thin but also short.

Keeping the latter in mind, as it might hurt a man's ego, Xie Yezhou chose not to vocalize it.

Still, Ning Yuyi felt as if he'd been "offended". He glanced down at his physique then looked back at Xie Yezhou with a saddened sniff, "Where am I thin?"

"You've lost a bit of weight," Zhou Erhe, having heard Xie Yezhou's explanation and considerably less shocked now, unusually sided with him. "I tried getting you to drink milk before, and you refused. Drink it now, and from here on, I'll get you a cup every day."

"I don't want it." Ning Yuyi's eyes widened upon hearing this.

A man shouldn't be drinking milk every day!!!

"While on the set, Yao Yao will bring you a cup daily." Xie Yezhou began to raise his hand, then subtly lowered it, his fingers caressing each other.

Xie Yezhou's somewhat forceful statement made Ning Yuyi stiffen.

He generally had a favorable impression of Xie Yezhou, always feeling a faint sense of familiarity. Even now, he knew Xie's assertive approach was for his benefit.

Unsure how to retort, Ning Yuyi hesitated for a moment, then defiantly gulped down the entire milk.

He then set the cup down on the table with a crisp sound, clearly still peeved.

Xie Yezhou appeared unbothered by Ning Yuyi's act of defiance. Seeing that all the milk had been consumed, his facial expression visibly relaxed. "Let's go. Weren't we going to watch a scene?"

"Huh?" Ning Yuyi, still sulking, was caught off-guard by the comment.

"The filming is about to start. The director just informed us in the group chat. Want to come?"

"..." Ning Yuyi pondered seriously, "Yes!"

Author's Note: ... Suddenly after the exams, I relaxed too much and joyfully played a card game in my dorm.

And then... inadvertently played all night and forgot to update.

I'm so sorry QAQ.