Chapter 15

Chapter 15

More than twenty days flew by. Ning Yuyi spent his days cooking, gaming, and sleeping, never feeling too bored.

As the "victory" appeared on his phone screen, Ning Yuyi, satisfied, exited the game, upvoting his team players. But back in the lobby, he found he had been reported and lost two points.

？？！

Checking the report, he saw it was from his previous game's performance of 1-13-6.

Thinking of the previous game where he was thoroughly outplayed by the opposing team's player, Ning Yuyi just sighed, feeling the report was justified.

Tsk. The consequences of being a noob!

Ning Yuyi, who was bad at the game but still enjoyed it, wiped away an imaginary tear. Just as he was about to start another match, he found his credit score too low to continue.

...A real-life tragedy.

Zhou Erhe entered and nudged Ning Yuyi, who was lying on the sofa, "Stop lazing around. It's time to get to work."

"Feels like I just started my break though," Ning Yuyi protested, reluctantly putting his phone aside.

"The film crew has finished their part and returned. They're in touch for the dubbing process," Zhou Erhe smirked, "You've been on break for over twenty days. Aren't you satisfied?"

"...Very satisfied."

"But there's no rush for dubbing. They'll probably wait until post-production. I've received several variety show offers for you, but they don't seem too good. I'll review them and discuss further," Zhou Erhe explained, "When it's time for dubbing, I'll remind you. Director Zhang doesn't like using dub artists, so remember to prepare your lines in advance."

Ning Yuyi nodded absentmindedly, moving to the kitchen to fetch the porridge he'd made earlier, "Want some, Zhou?"

"Sure, and add some pickled beans."

"Alright then."

Zhou Erhe wasn't satisfied with any of the variety show options laid before him. Just as he was about to delve deeper, a rare call from his parents prompted him to return home for dinner.

His family resided locally in Hai City, so a drive back didn't take too much time. He'd just been swamped with Ning Yuyi's affairs at the company recently.

Considering he hadn't been home for quite some time, Zhou Erhe took a day off and went home that afternoon.

As he opened the door, he was greeted by the sight of Zhou Erna, legs propped up, engrossed in watching TV.

"Holy cow, you're back too?" Zhou Erhe expressed his astonishment, "The workaholic remembers where home is?"

"Erhe is back!" His mother emerged from the kitchen, "Go wash your hands. Dinner's almost ready."

"What brings you home all of a sudden?" Zhou Erhe settled on the couch, casually flipping through a fashion magazine by the side.

Zhou Erna rolled her eyes, "If I didn't come back, mom was about to storm my office. Turns out, all this fuss was about meeting Wang Uncle's son."

"A matchmaking setup, huh?" Zhou Erhe smirked mischievously.

"Exactly," Zhou Erna replied with a sly grin, "And aside from Wang Uncle's son, Ye Uncle's daughter is also returning tonight."

Zhou Erhe was taken aback.

"It's exactly what you're thinking. Neither of us has room to laugh at the other."

……

Somehow getting through dinner, Zhou Erhe made a swift exit, using the excuse of needing a walk.

Zhou Erna followed suit, and there the siblings were, squatting by the roadside, sharing a smoke.

"That artist you signed, Ning Yuyi, right?" Zhou Erna exhaled a smoke ring, "Good choice. He's got potential."

"Of course," Zhou Erhe replied, puffing his chest out in pride... and taking another drag from his cigarette.

"Nurture him well. Once you become a top-tier agent, you won't have to return to being an assistant."

"Isn't that obvious? I have faith in Ning Yuyi. Once 'Jiandao' airs, he'll surely get some recognition."

Zhou Erna raised an eyebrow, "That confident?"

Zhou Erhe hummed, "Absolutely."

"I have a variety show proposition here." Zhou Erna produced her phone and handed it to Zhou Erhe, "It's a permanent spot on a slow-paced variety show. You're aware of the audience feedback from the last two episodes. Due to unforeseen circumstances this year, the two regulars are stranded abroad and can't return. The director is keen on collaborating with Fenghua since they're part of this investment."

"Two regulars?" Zhou Erhe scanned the information and caught the director's ulterior motive, "This director's ambitions aren't small, ey? They're eyeing Xie Yezhou as well."

"Mm-hmm," Zhou Erna nodded, the streetlights casting shadows over her curly locks, "I spoke with Xie Yezhou. He agreed on the condition that another regular spot goes to Ning Yuyi. Otherwise, this opportunity wouldn't have come your way."

"Deal," Zhou Erhe responded without hesitation. "Such a great opportunity shouldn't be missed. I'll bring Ning Yuyi to the company later to sign the contract."

"Alright."

"Now that Xie Yiezhou is on board, can we negotiate some terms with the director at the company?"

Zhou Erna gave him a "spit it out" look.

"For this variety show, can we invite Yu Sihan as a guest?" Zhou Erhe proposed with a mischievous smile, resembling Zhou Erna's expression.

"Done," Zhou Erna extinguished her cigarette, stood up, and tossed it into the trash can.

It's merely a matter of allowing or not allowing a secondary or tertiary actor to participate.

Besides, she knows her younger brother's character all too well. He wouldn't be this antagonistic without good reason.

"Where are you heading?" Zhou Erhe called from behind.

"To get some fresh air and clear out the smoke."

By the time both returned home, the faint smell of smoke on them was noticeable, leading to unsuccessful matchmaking on both sides.

"You two should pack up and leave," their mother said emotionlessly, crossing her arms as she sat on the sofa. "Don't come back, not even for Mid-Autumn Festival or National Day."

"Mom, please..." Zhou Erna said, sounding guilty.

"Both the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day have come, and you two are still single. One is twenty-eight, and the other is already thirty-one."

"I'm sorry, Mom."

"Go on, focus on your careers from now on. I'm not your mother anymore."

Their father stepped out of his room, handing them their luggage. Seeing their pitiful expressions, he silently mouthed, "I can't help it."

Ejected from their home, Zhou Erna and Zhou Erhe exchanged glances. Without further words, they headed to their respective cars.

They drove back to the company together.

The very next day, Ning Yuyi was informed about the variety show by Zhou Erhe.

"If you haven't seen previous episodes, watch them first. The show has always had impressive viewership, though it can be a bit exhausting," Zhou Erhe advised over the phone.

"Am I joining with Xie?" Ning Yuyi asked, searching for the show on his tablet. "Oh, 'Countryside Life'?"

"With Xie Yiezhou. This show opportunity was partly secured thanks to him. Besides you, the other participants are all industry giants," Zhou Erhe said, still very enthusiastic about the opportunity. "Spend the next few days watching. The filming starts soon."

"That soon?"

"Yes, the market hasn't been great this year. The director has been on a break for quite a while. Now that there's an opportunity, they want to start filming immediately. Two of the guest participants can't make it on short notice; they're stuck overseas," Zhou Erhe explained.

"Fine, as long as it's profitable," Ning Yuyi remarked, taking a bite of his apple. "Zhou, how about coming over for dinner tonight? I'm thinking of preparing hotpot."

"Sure, just get extra beef slices and beef tripe."

But when Zhou Erhe arrived at Ning Yuyi's home that evening, he was unexpectedly greeted by Fan Zhongchuan.

Confronted with Zhou Erhe's puzzled expression, all Ning Yuyi could do was shrug.

How could he explain the chance encounter with Fan Zhongchuan at the apartment complex's entrance? Lord knows Ning's astonishment at seeing Fan wasn't any less than Zhou's.

What was this tycoon, who manages trillion-dollar companies, doing at their building anyway?

Fan Zhongchuan found himself seated on the couch by Ning, watching TV and snacking on fruits.

Even though the TV was on right in front of him, his attention was entirely focused on the busy figure in the kitchen.

His impulsive visit to Ning Yuyi's neighborhood was uncharacteristic. The typically composed mogul in the business world seemed to lose control when it came to Ning.

Zhou Erhe cautiously approached Fan Zhongchuan, but couldn't bring himself to sit. Every glance he stole at Fan was intimidating. Eventually, he just took off his jacket and went to help in the kitchen.

He took the opportunity to quietly ask Ning about why Fan Zhongchuan would show up outside their ordinary apartment complex.

"He might have just been passing by. After all, this complex was developed by Fan's corporation," Ning mused, adding, "And is our neighborhood really that ordinary? Look at the villa section behind our building before you say that."

Their residential area was designed like a circle, with the outer ring comprising commercial zones and high-rise apartments. Beyond these structures lay a sprawling villa estate.

As netizens would say, the high-rises facing the main road serve as noise barriers for the inner villas.

A sad realization, indeed.

[CryingCatEmoji.JPG]

Zhou Erhe nodded quietly, then whispered, "You're right. I've always been on the outer ring and nearly forgot about the inner villas."

Meanwhile, Fan Zhongchuan was texting his assistant.

—— Get me a property in Qing'an.

Qing'an is Ning Yuyi's residence, known for its excellent inner views. Naturally, properties here are expensive.

—— But the inner views are exclusive to the villa section.

Their high-rises aren't distinct from other regular residential buildings. Fortunately, the soundproofing is commendable, and given that it's in a quieter part of the city, the noise isn't bothersome. Even though residents of the high-rises can't enjoy the villa section's landscape, the property prices here are slightly lower than the city's average, attracting many buyers.

The assistant wasn't sure why their CEO suddenly desired a Qing'an property but could guess it had something to do with Ning Yuyi.

After all, their boss hasn't been subtle about his feelings for the young celebrity.

Acquiring a Qing'an property wouldn't be an issue. A residence in the complex had been reserved and luxuriously furnished for Fan Zhongchuan. It only required some cleaning before one could move in.

Unaware of Fan's intentions, Ning Yuyi continued preparing the food. With Zhou Erhe's assistance, they began serving it to the table.

The most intricate part of having hotpot is the broth. While ready-made hotpot bases are available, Ning Yuyi prefers concocting his own bone broth.

Aromatic scallions, garlic, spices, bean paste, and chopped peppers are sautéed in oil to release their fragrance, then enriched with beef fat. This mixture is then blended with the beef bone broth he had been simmering since morning, resulting in a divine flavor.

The tantalizing aroma was so potent that Zhou Erhe nearly salivated the moment he lifted the pot's lid.

Ning Yuyi slapped Zhou Erhe's hand away, "Serve it first! How could you drool with Mr. Fan right outside?"

"I wouldn't dare," Zhou Erhe chuckled, carefully carrying the pot to the table. "I also got some beers, but with Mr. Fan here, perhaps I should run down and grab some wine instead?"

He certainly wouldn't dare serve beer in Fan Zhongchuan's glass.

"Red wine with hotpot?" Ning Yuyi gave him an incredulous look.

In the end, Zhou Erhe didn't fetch the wine, as Fan Zhongchuan gracefully poured himself a beer.

With such refined motions, Ning Yuyi almost felt they were sipping on a vintage 1992 Lafite rather than beer.

The hotpot was spicy, but Fan Zhongchuan ate with impeccable manners.

While Ning Yuyi's approach was more spirited, he still appeared charming to onlookers, resembling a spoiled young lord—outwardly boisterous yet inherently elegant.

Zhou Erhe felt slightly clumsy in comparison.

Covering his spice-reddened lips, he gasped for air as if experiencing an asthma attack.

By the time they finished, night had fallen. Zhou Erhe, having work commitments, departed but not before washing all the dishes.

Fan Zhongchuan then took a call.

It seemed work-related.

Ning Yuyi propped his chin, stealthily observing Fan Zhongchuan.

"Mm-hmm." Concluding the call, Fan Zhongchuan produced a box from his pocket. "A dinner gift."

Ning Yuyi replied, "It was just a meal, after all."

"I live just behind here," Fan Zhongchuan said, placing the velvet-wrapped box in Ning Yuyi's hands. "I saw this and thought it would suit you."

However, Ning Yuyi was captivated by Fan's prior revelation, "Wow, Mr. Fan, you live right behind?"

"Yes," Fan Zhongchuan considered for a moment, "You're welcome to visit."

"There's a gaming room upstairs. Rarely used."

"A gaming room?" Ning Yuyi's excitement surged. No boy can resist the allure of video games!

Absolutely none!

"What, you're suggesting Fan Zhongchuan could help?"

"Ah, Fan Zhongchuan... He's beyond human comparison."

"Want to go now?" Fan Zhongchuan tempted.

Ning Yuyi considered for only a moment before nodding excitedly, rushing to his bedroom to change.

Author's note: The bold and sultry character makes his appearance.

Some have wondered why Yu Sihan continues to trade his body for resources.

I'll explain shortly.