Chapter 71: The CEO and His Little Male Servant

Chapter 71: The Overbearing Boss and His Young Attendant

After Xiao Chun completely left the crew, Jian Ye became even more focused on acting, with very few retakes (NGs). Jian Ye halved the filming time for scenes originally scheduled to take half a month.

A week later, his role—which only appeared in the male lead’s memories in the first few episodes—was officially wrapped.

"Congratulations, Xiao Ye, on wrapping your role! Come on, everyone, give him a round of applause!" Director Wu had his own biases, and he was particularly fond of this hardworking and talented kid. His favoritism was unapologetic.

Jian Ye hadn’t been with the crew for long, but in just a week, Director Wu had developed a deep appreciation for him.

"Thank you, Director, and thank you to all my colleagues in the crew for taking care of me. I hope we’ll meet again in the future!" Jian Ye held the bouquet everyone had bought for him, beaming.

Hearing those last words, Director Wu’s eyes lit up. "Xiao Ye, are you planning to enter the entertainment industry in the future? That’s great! Come to my agency."

"You know Mr. Huo too," he whispered to Jian Ye, not wanting others to think Jian Ye had relied on connections when he had genuinely got the role on merit.

Director Wu’s thoughtful gesture touched Jian Ye. "Director Wu, my priority right now is my studies. If I ever seriously consider acting, I’ll personally call you. I might bug you nonstop then!"

"Annoying? I’d be thrilled if you bothered me! I wasn’t joking earlier—you’re truly a rising star. If I could have you by my side, I’d focus on training you and taking you to bigger stages!"

"You flatter me, Director. I’m still a greenhorn when it comes to acting, with much to learn. But the bigger stage you mentioned—I’d love that. I hope your words come true."

"Xiao Ye, I have a good eye for talent. That day will come for you!" Director Wu smiled warmly, speaking with conviction.

Jian Ye’s likeable demeanor made him well-liked by the crew, and his sudden departure left everyone sorry to see him leave.

Noticing their disappointment, Jian Ye decided to give each person a small gift.

The gifts were naturally arranged with a single phone call from his CEO partner back home.

Considering that most of the crew were ordinary people, Jian Ye put thought into the gifts—nothing too extravagant, but thoughtful, practical items tailored to each person based on his observations.

The photographer received a pair of headphones, the makeup artist got a set of face masks, the assistant got a percussion massager, the lighting technician got sunglasses, and Director Wu received a neck massager... Each gift was unique.

This heartwarming gesture further endeared Jian Ye to everyone, and they flooded Weibo with posts to express their gratitude.

Jian Ye himself posted a photo on Weibo—a picture of him holding a bouquet, throwing up a peace sign at the camera with an ear-to-ear grin.

Instantly, fans swarmed the post.

In no time, fans online caught wind of the news and swarmed in.

"Aaaaaah! My fave wrapped filming so quickly! Seems like his role in this drama really isn't much!"

"Luo Ying was always a supporting character in the show, of course he wouldn't have heavy screen time. This drama feels more like the male lead's coming-of-age story, from youthful timidity to mature world-weariness in middle age."

"Congrats on wrapping early, little bro! Time to go home and rest—perfect timing with summer break, how sweet is that!"

"Did you guys see the posts from the crew members? OMG! Jian Ye gave everyone a little gift—so thoughtful! I'm actually crying!"

"Never seen so many staff members posting about someone together. Seems Jian Ye really got along well with everyone on set!"

"My child, you haven't even entered society yet—how are you already so good with people? Way better than this numb, withered office drone like me."

"Just proves Jian Ye's got great people skills. I checked—the gifts were all under ¥2,000, nothing fancy, so even if people want to return the favor, it's manageable."

"Wait up, sis above me—under ¥2,000 is still beyond what ordinary folks like us can afford! And Jian Ye gave gifts to the entire crew! That just proves—(someone take it from here!)"

"—That just proves Jian Ye's family background isn't bad either. What kind of perfect novel protagonist is this? Handsome, talented, AND rich! I want a boyfriend like Jian Ye!"

"Nonsense, we want a wife like Jian Ye! *whining* Come to mama, wifey~ (*heart eyes*)"

...

Jian Ye didn't have time to see the online comments. After wrapping up filming, he was whisked away back to Yunjing by Yi Siyu.

Yi Siyu had accompanied him for so long that paperwork had stacked up at the company awaiting his signature.

They took an evening flight back and arrived home after dark.

Jian Ye had been energetic on the plane, but he suddenly crashed once they got home. Seeing him struggling to keep his eyes open, Yi Siyu kissed his forehead.

"Go wash up and sleep. I still have some work to handle—you rest first."

"Mmm... okay, but don't stay up too late either." The boy yawned halfway through, looking extra adorable.

The man chuckled in agreement before heading to the study.

Yesterday, a small problem came up in company operations. Since Yi Siyu was away, everything got handed off to Special Assistant Xu.

Tonight, he needed to hold an online meeting to go over the problems Special Assistant Xu had reported over the past few days.

Though it was already late, the execs were waiting for this meeting—final decisions still required the boss's approval.

Firing up his laptop and connecting to the video conference, Yi Siyu began listening to his subordinates' reports.

In the bedroom.

After showering, Jian Ye's stomach let out a huge growl.

He initially planned to ignore it and just collapse into bed, but the hunger won.

No way—he had to eat first. His stomach wouldn't tolerate this injustice.

Slipping downstairs to the kitchen in slippers, he deftly turned on the stove. After boiling water, he dropped in a small bundle of dried noodles.

Thinking Yi Siyu might also be hungry, he cooked a bit extra and cracked two eggs into the pot.

Just before it was done, he tossed in some greens for texture. After seasoning the bowls, two steaming servings of noodles were ready—drizzled with sesame oil and sprinkled with scallions, the smell was amazing.

It's not advisable to eat greasy food at night—a light noodle soup is sufficient.

He grabbed a small tray, placed both bowls of noodles on it, and carefully carried it upstairs, making sure not to spill the broth.

Arriving at the closed study door, Jian Ye could see the light seeping through from inside.

However, the soundproofing of the door was excellent, so he couldn’t hear any noise inside and had no idea Yi Siyu was in a meeting.

Jian Ye: "Props are all ready. Don’t you think it’d be a waste not to roleplay now?"

System 748: "How does the host want to play?"

Jian Ye: "Hehehe, how about *Obsessive CEO and His Pathetic Little Manservant*?"

System 748: "Will the host use green tea tactics to play the manservant?"

Jian Ye: "Hey! That’s a great idea! The pathetic manservant pretends to be meek, but he’s actually scheming—his manipulative sweet-talk perfectly manipulates the control-freak CEO."

Jian Ye took a moment to get into character outside the door. When he raised his eyes again, they were slightly moist.

He nudged the door handle with his elbow, pushed it open sideways, and called out softly as he entered, "Young Master, I’ve made noodles for you. You’ve worked so hard—you must be starving by now."

The moment he spoke, the room fell silent. On the computer screen, a department manager who had been presenting the monthly report froze mid-sentence.

But this was only the beginning.

Next, all the executives in the video call watched in shock as the boy set the noodles down on a nearby coffee table, then dramatically slid into a kneeling position.

"I’m sorry, Young Master! I accidentally spilled your favorite beef sauce and broke your beloved porcelain dish. I’m so clumsy and useless..."

"I messed up again this time. Can't you lock me in the dark room for fewer days? It’s so stuffy in there—I can’t do anything. Can't you punish me some other way?"

"I promise… I’ll never make the same mistake again. If I do, you can hit or scold me however you want..."

By the time he finished his lines, Jian Ye had genuinely gotten into the act, even squeezing out a few tears, on the verge of tears, looking utterly pitiful.

Jian Ye lowered his head and waited, but when no response came, he peeked up to check Yi Siyu’s reaction.

Instead, he heard the man say in a restrained voice, "Let’s end the meeting here. We’ll continue the rest tomorrow when I’m in the office. That's all for today."

With that, he swiftly closed the laptop.

Meanwhile, the boy on the floor froze like a statue, his face completely mortified.

*Fuck!*

Yi Siyu had been in an online meeting?!

*Fuck fuck fuck fuck!*

Jian Ye: "You fucking Er Tong! Why didn’t you warn me?!"

System 748: "You never asked! I thought you wanted to perform for everyone! You were amazing—the system detected green tea elements and awarded extra Green Tea Points!"

Jian Ye: "Amazing my foot! I just fucking socially humiliated myself!"

Which idiot suggested roleplaying again?!

*Ahhhh, the clown was me all along!*

Jian Ye didn’t even dare to lift his head, frozen in place, wishing he could perform a mole digging act and vanish into the ground right then and there.

Forget it—just give him a coffin; he’d die peacefully.

A shadow fell over him.

Jian Ye knew it was Yi Siyu standing in front of him, looking down. He was too ashamed to face anyone, let alone meet his gaze.

At this moment, Yi Siyu indeed wore an expression mixing amusement and helplessness.

He had thought Jian Ye would go straight to bed after washing up—who knew this sleep-deprived pup still had the energy to pull off such a stunt?

Knowing the “little dog” was now burning with embarrassment, the man patiently crouched beside him.

Yi Siyu extended a finger, lifting the “little dog’s” chin, smirking slightly. “You just said that next time you make a mistake, no timeout in the dark room—just another punishment instead?”

Jian Ye: “...”

“Alright then. I’ll punish you by keeping you in bed for three days. How about that?”

Jian Ye: “!!!”

At this moment, Jian Ye hated everything in the world equally—including himself.

Why couldn’t real-life conversations have a two-minute unsend feature like WeChat messages?

He desperately wanted to erase Yi Siyu’s memory—or perhaps just wipe out his own.

If other people’s memories won’t fade, then why couldn’t he just disappear instead?!

After silently repeating in his heart a hundred times, “If I’m not embarrassed, then the embarrassment belongs to others,” Jian Ye finally looked up, wearing a pitiful expression.

Accompanied by the growling of his stomach, he whimpered, “Honey, I’m hungry~”

Author’s Note:

Jian Xiaogou: Gone to the afterlife, do not disturb or @ me. (angel pup.jpg)

CEO Yi: Welcome to *My Cringe-Worthy Wife*. Today’s keyword: dark room—remember to take notes.

Years later—

CEO Yi: Baby, wanna play dark room? <(￣3￣)>

Jian Xiaogou: GO AWAY!!! (/>皿<)/

(Haunted by cringe memories)