Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Ultimately, Ye Weian agreed to create a set of grape-themed emojis for Zhou Huaichen. He felt Zhou Huaichen was more akin to delicious grapes than a centuries-old grapevine stump.

Ye Weian added, "I'll also have someone design a set of piggy emojis for you."

—"Piggies suit the Zombie King better!"

Zhou Huaichen: "...Alright."

Since piggies suited the Zombie King better, he could only smile and accept it.

Afterward, Zhou Huaichen drove Ye Weian back to the company.

As soon as Ye Weian entered his office, Long Jie knocked to report on work matters.

Like the Zhou Group, the Ye Group also held a minor stake in the entertainment industry. Ye Weian had numerous tasks daily, and African projects required his personal approval.

Ye Weian, accustomed to a laid-back life, felt his composure slipping: "..."

He decided he'd better start thinking about how to poach Zhou Huaichen's key personnel.

After Long Jie finished her report and had Ye Weian sign several documents, she finally brought up the troublesome fans, saying, "Lemon Entertainment's official blog has already issued a statement. As for the specific handling, we await your decision."

Many of those fans were young, still students.

If Ye Weian insisted on pursuing the matter and involving their schools and parents, those fans would undoubtedly face severe consequences.

Ye Weian calmly stated, "You make the call."

Whether to punish the fans harshly or let them off, he was indifferent.

Long Jie, a trusted aide left by Elder Ye, took Ye Weian’s safety very seriously. She immediately decided to teach the fans a harsh lesson, making an example of them to deter future disturbances from Yan Qing’s fans.

Ye Weian had no objections.

After Long Jie departed, Ye Weian checked online.

Lemon Entertainment’s announcement clearly stated that Yan Qing’s fans had caused trouble offline, and the police had found dangerous items in their bags. The company sternly condemned the fans’ disruptive and harmful behavior.

Netizens flocked to the comments, joining the chorus of criticism.

"These celebrity fans are terrifying, like they’re possessed."

"Indeed, fans these days are a bit unhinged. They’re manipulated by celebrity studios and incited to cause trouble. Unfortunately, many are minors who can only be educated, not jailed."

"So the most despicable are these celebrity teams that exploit minors. It’s disgusting."

Most netizens criticized the phenomenon, while a smaller portion targeted Yan Qing directly.

Coupled with Yan Qing’s rivals secretly deploying paid trolls to smear him, public criticism gradually shifted toward him.

Eventually, even official media outlets stepped in to publicly criticize him by name.

Yan Qing was so enraged his face turned green, and he viciously smashed his phone: "Ye Weian, you’ll regret this!"

He was truly furious and determined to teach Ye Weian a lesson.

He immediately contacted Bai Yuan to vent his frustrations.

Bai Yuan sympathized with him and comforted him, saying, "Don’t worry, I’ll help you get revenge."

…

Meanwhile, Yan Qing’s actual boyfriend, Zhou Yongnan, was not by his side.

That evening, he returned to the Zhou family’s ancestral home and faced a family interrogation.

Old Master Zhou tapped his cane on the floor and declared, "During this period, you will intern with your uncle at the company. You are not to see that celebrity!"

Zhou Yongnan, who wished he could be with Yan Qing every moment, couldn’t bear the thought of separation and immediately protested, "I won’t—"

Before he could finish, his father reprimanded him, "Nonsense! Just listen to your grandfather!"

Zhou’s father was not particularly capable. He had married the daughter of a family friend as arranged by Old Master Zhou and fathered Zhou Yongnan.

He knew he couldn’t manage the vast Zhou family business and always felt he had failed his father’s expectations.

Fortunately, his mother gave birth to Zhou Huaichen, his capable younger brother, when she was forty.

Zhou Huaichen took control of the Zhou family as soon as he graduated, displaying a shrewdness and skill that rivaled seasoned veterans.

Zhou’s father admired him deeply and held Zhou Huaichen in high regard.

Zhou Huaichen, in turn, respected his older brother. Because of their close relationship, he was also quite tolerant of his nephew Zhou Yongnan.

However, Zhou Yongnan was clearly under Yan Qing's influence. As an elder, Zhou Huaichen felt compelled to offer a warning.

He glanced coolly at Zhou Yongnan and said, "I have a hotel merger and acquisition project. If you handle it well, I’ll grant you one request, which could include persuading the family to accept Yan Qing."

The project required going abroad, meaning he wouldn’t be able to see Yan Qing for at least half a month.

But Zhou Yongnan dared not defy his grandfather, father, or uncle, so he reluctantly agreed, "Understood."

…

After Bai Yuan received Yan Qing’s call, he went to see Xie Siming.

Xie Siming had just finished filming a major male-led movie and was resting at home.

Bai Yuan got straight to the point: "Yan Qing has been bullied. What do you suggest we do?"

Xie Siming, dressed in casual home clothes and holding a cup of coffee, looked at him lazily: "Just state your business directly."

Bai Yuan wasted no words and laid out his plan: "I’ve placed people in 'The Year the Wind Rose' crew. Once filming officially begins, I’ll have them orchestrate an accident to scuttle the production. Ye Weian will likely incur a significant financial loss."

"As for you, I hear Ye Weian is also producing another major male-led TV series, 'Nine Heavens.' You can take the male lead role."

Xie Siming looked at him: "Why should I be the male lead?"

Bai Yuan: "You’ll be our insider. Get close to Ye Weian so we can track his movements in real time."

Xie Siming looked at him as if he were an idiot: "Do you think the CEO of the mighty Ye Group would constantly monitor a single production crew? I could be on set for months and never see him once."

Bai Yuan: "Then sabotage it! Make sure 'Nine Heavens' gets scrapped too!"

Xie Siming: "..."

With such a useless teammate, he felt utterly exhausted.

He slammed the coffee cup heavily onto the table and said, "You don't deserve to like Qingqing."

Bai Yuan glared at him in displeasure, "What kind of talk is that?!"

Xie Siming ignored him and showed him the door. "I will personally avenge the wrongs Qingqing suffered, but there's no need for us to collaborate."

Bai Yuan sensed his disdain and stormed off in a huff.

As soon as he stepped outside, he contacted his informant planted in "The Year the Wind Rose" crew: "Proceed with the plan as arranged."

...

A few days later, Qi Zhangbai agreed to direct "The Year the Wind Rose," and filming officially commenced.

Following the earlier recasting drama involving Yan Qing and Lin Chang, as well as the online clash between Yan Qing's fans and Ye Weian, the series had garnered significant attention.

Ye Weian was invited by Qi Zhangbai to attend the opening ceremony, and Ye Weian brought Zhou Huaichen along.

Zhou Huaichen had also invested in this production. As the first collaborative project between their two companies, Ye Weian took it quite seriously and assumed Zhou Huaichen felt the same.

Zhou Huaichen agreed without hesitation.

It was autumn, and the weather was pleasant, with warm, bright sunlight.

The cast and crew devoutly made offerings to the gods, took numerous photos holding lucky red packets.

Ye Weian and Zhou Huaichen observed from the sidelines, staying out of the spotlight.

After the ceremony, Qi Zhangbai approached them and said, "We have a scene scheduled for this afternoon. Would you two executives like to stay and watch?"

Ye Weian, who had never been on a film set before, was intrigued and nodded, "Sure."

Zhou Huaichen naturally stayed with him.

The afternoon scene was crucial.

The male lead, fresh out of prison, reunites with the female lead, who comes from a wealthy background. After much internal struggle, he realizes he can't let go of his feelings for her and decides to confess.

However, on his way to the café, he is struck by a car on the sidewalk.

The female lead stands at the entrance of the café, watching in horror as he is hit and thrown into the air.

It was a very common trope, but for an art film, such emotional elements were essential.

To help the leads quickly get into character, Qi Zhangbai chose such a demanding scene for the first shoot.

He instructed the camera operators to adjust angles and called the leads over to discuss the scene.

Ye Weian watched with great interest as Qi Zhangbai worked.

—"Clearly could've been an idol with those looks, but chose to rely on talent to become a director. So admirable!"

He had previously looked up Qi Zhangbai on Weibo and found this comment from one of his fans.

Zhou Huaichen shot him a quiet look, then scanned Qi Zhangbai's face.

...Could those looks really make him a star?

So, in Ye Weian's eyes, Qi Zhangbai was very attractive?

Ye Weian had no idea what Zhou Huaichen was pondering, and his eyes drifted to Lin Chang.

As a first-time male lead, Lin Chang appeared very nervous, repeatedly practicing the points Qi Zhangbai had mentioned, including stage movement, expressions, and body language to get into character.

Ye Weian stroked his chin.

—"Lin Chang looks quite handsome when he's serious, and his watermelon energy is even stronger."

—"Ah, I'm craving some watermelon."

It was autumn, and watermelons were out of season.

Ye Weian felt a little down.

He didn't notice Zhou Huaichen checking out Lin Chang.

Handsome.

Watermelon vibe.

Zhou Huaichen pondered these two words, then lifted his gaze slightly and softly asked Ye Weian, "Which is better, grapes or watermelon?"

Ye Weian answered without hesitation, "Grapes!"

—"Though watermelon is also delicious..."

Zhou Huaichen's eyes darkened.

Ye Weian didn't notice his expression and suddenly excitedly tapped his shoulder, saying, "It's starting!"

Over there, Qi Zhangbai had yelled "Action!"

The first scene was Lin Chang lying in a pool of blood, gazing at the female lead from a distance.

Lin Chang's first take was not very smooth.

When making eye contact with the female lead, he was supposed to convey memories of the past, despair over losing the future, and heartache at not wanting the female lead to suffer.

But Lin Chang's expression just wasn't right.

Qi Zhangbai asked him to reflect further and decided to shoot the female lead's part first.

The female lead was an accomplished actress and quickly got into character.

Facing the camera, she started weeping within three seconds.

Ye Weian: "!"

—"Is this what skilled acting looks like?"

—"I'll have Sister Long poach her for Lemon Entertainment! Poach, poach, poach! We must have her!"

Zhou Huaichen: "..."

Ye Weian probably didn't know yet that this female lead was an artist under Ziyun Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Zhou family.

The previous female lead had been recommended by Bai Yuan, and when Bai Yuan left, she left too.

During the recasting, Qi Zhangbai personally requested this actress.

The system knew about this situation and couldn't help but be impressed.

The host is truly amazing—not long ago, he had his eye on Big Boss Zhou's core assistant team, and now he wants to steal talent from Big Boss Zhou's company.

One day, the entire Zhou empire is bound to catch the host's eye!

The system had a sudden panic: "..."

Could it be that one day, Big Boss Zhou is destined to bring a dowry and offer himself to the host?!

Over there, Lin Chang, inspired by the female lead, gradually got into character.

The first scene went smoothly.

Qi Zhangbai began arranging the second scene, where Lin Chang would get hit by a car.

First, they filmed the car driving quickly toward the crosswalk, with a dummy placed on it. Later, they would shoot Lin Chang falling.

Ye Weian watched from the side as Qi Zhangbai commanded the crew with full authority, nodding inwardly.

—"A focused man really is the most handsome."

Zhou Huaichen watched intently at Qi Zhangbai.

Tall, dark, and handsome—this was Ye Weian's praise for Qi Zhangbai.

He suddenly started to wonder if introducing Qi Zhangbai to Ye Weian was a good idea.

Ye Weian was still checking out Qi Zhangbai.

—"So handsome—should I take some photos to sell to his fans?"

—"I heard Qi Zhangbai has a rich fan who buys photos for thousands apiece."

—"I'll split the money with Qi Zhangbai half and half."

Zhou Huaichen: "?"

Zhou Huaichen chuckled softly, suddenly feeling he still didn't understand Ye Weian well enough.

It seemed he needed to make more time to spend with him.

Lately, both had been busy, only exchanging a few voice messages daily.

Zhou Huaichen had agreed to come today mainly because he hadn't seen Ye Weian in days.

Zhou Huaichen's gaze softened as he looked at Ye Weian and whispered, "Dinner together tonight?"

Ye Weian turned to him, eyes sparkling: "Sure!"

—"Appetizing! Appetizing!"

Zhou Huaichen: "..."

Lin Chang is handsome, with a watermelon vibe.

Qi Zhangbai is handsome, a talented, good-looking, and dedicated director.

And him... he's just eye candy.

Well, at least in Ye Weian's eyes, he's a feast for the eyes.

Ye Weian continued watching the filming.

A driver positioned the car for the shot, and Qi Zhangbai was telling him when to hit the brakes.

Ye Weian stared at the driver, his eyes suddenly narrowing.

—"Such an overpowering lemon smell, so unpleasant, so uncomfortable."

—"Even worse than Yan Qing!"

Zhou Huaichen was taken aback, following his gaze.

The driver was likely a prop master from the crew, listening attentively to Qi Zhangbai's directions with nothing seeming out of place.

But Ye Weian still narrowed his eyes.

Yan Qing also had a lemon scent he disliked, but it had never made him this intensely uncomfortable so suddenly.

Still, it was just a fleeting moment.

Soon, the driver's lemon scent vanished, becoming colorless and odorless again.

Ye Weian tilted his head.

Maybe it was his imagination?

But after ten years in the apocalypse, his sense of danger was highly attuned.

He watched the driver for a while longer, and when the scent didn't return, he finally turned his attention away.

—"Maybe I overthought it."

He turned to Zhou Huaichen and suddenly asked, "Is Zhou Yongnan doing alright?"

The lemon scent had reminded him of Yan Qing, which naturally led him to think of Zhou Yongnan.

Last time, Zhou Yongnan was summoned back to the old house by Zhou Huaichen—who knew if he'd been put in his place.

Zhou Huaichen said, "He took on a project and went abroad for business."

Ye Weian: "Oh."

—"Confirmed, Zhou Yongnan got disciplined."

Zhou Huaichen smiled lightly.

Ye Weian asked again, "Has Yan Qing contacted you?"

Lately, Bai Yuan had quieted down, and so had Yan Qing.

But he felt that with Yan Qing's personality, it was unlikely he'd give up so easily. He suspected Yan Qing had been pestering Zhou Huaichen.

Zhou Huaichen said, "I'm not sure."

He had instructed his people to show Yan Qing the door if seen, so he didn't know if Yan Qing had tried to reach him.

Ye Weian nodded, thinking to himself that Zhou Huaichen truly was the big boss immune to Yan Qing.

While musing, the system suddenly sounded an alarm: "Host, trouble's brewing!"

Ye Weian knit his brows: "Go on."

System: "In thirty seconds, the car being used for filming will have brake failure. Lin Chang will be killed in a crash."

System: "Host, go save him, quick!"

Ye Weian cocked his head.

As a zombie king, he had no instinct to save humans.

System: "..."

The system could only reason with him patiently: "If Lin Chang dies, the film crew will definitely disband, and your investment will go down the drain... You have to save him!"

Hearing that his investment might be wasted, Ye Weian immediately shot up anxiously.

Save him, he absolutely had to!

He sprang to his feet and bolted toward the spot.

Zhou Huaichen was a bit startled, unsure of what he was doing.

The two were about thirty meters away from the accident spot. Under normal circumstances, Ye Weian couldn't outrun a car.

But he was the zombie king!

Before anyone could react, he had already sprinted forward at an incredible speed.

By then, the car was out of control, barreling right at Lin Chang, who was only half a meter away.

Everyone screamed in terror.

Lin Chang was also frozen in fear, standing motionless.

In his mind, he knew he had to run, but his legs felt as heavy as lead, unable to move an inch.

Just then, Ye Weian lunged forward, tackling Lin Chang out of the way.

He even slyly used his leg to block the car.

Miraculously, the car came to a stop.

Everyone: "!"

Ye Weian pushed himself up with his arms and looked down at Lin Chang. "Are you okay?"

Lin Chang: "..."

Others: "..."

The scene fell into dead silence.

Even Zhou Huaichen, who had followed closely, stood outside the crowd, staring at Ye Weian in astonishment.

Ye Weian had some scrapes on his arms, and his face was grazed from the ground, stinging a little.

Seeing everyone gawking at him oddly, and Zhou Huaichen gazing at him intently from the fringes of the crowd, he couldn't help but frown.

His first reaction was to feel his face.

—"What's wrong, what's wrong? Is my face messed up? Am I not beautiful anymore?"

—"I need to get to the hospital! How could my gorgeous, handsome face be wrecked!"

Zhou Huaichen: "..."

System: "..."

Host, your concern is whether your face is still pretty?

You're going to the hospital because you're afraid of being disfigured?

That's so you!

Author's note: Ye Weian: Beauty is the zombie king's bottom line.

Wishing everyone a happy Mid-Autumn Festival! (Belated wishes, facepalm)

Thank you all for your support, I will continue to work hard!