Ning Qiuxiu was definitely cheered up by Zhan Qingyue.

But Zhan Qingyue didn’t have a good reputation with her.

Since unusual behavior usually means something is up, Ning Qiuxiu couldn’t help but be wary of him, just as he often tricked her.

Was he implying that she was immature?

That might be the case.

After thinking about it, Ning Qiuxiu decided to reply: “Qingyue, you’re just like a 20-year-old guy, forever young~”

When Zhan Qingyue saw this message, he couldn’t help but laugh.

He replied: “Qiuxiu, I’m already 30.”

He wasn’t like a young girl who liked empty flattery.

The difference between being 30 and 20 was significant.

He was self-aware and realistic.

Ning Qiuxiu: “Mr. Zhan, are you feeling insecure about being an older man with a younger woman?”

Zhan Qingyue was taken aback by this message.

At 30, a man is at the peak of his life, with a successful career and plenty of confidence, more mature than a 20-year-old and younger than an older man.

Insecure?

Sorry, that word didn’t exist in his vocabulary.

After thinking for a moment, he replied: “But with a 6-year difference, if you say it’s an old cow eating tender grass, then…”

Ning Qiuxiu quickly responded: “Then what?”

Zhan Qingyue almost typed, “then the grass isn’t that tender,” but then he remembered what Zhan Qingyuan had said about flattering women.

The essence of flattering is to compliment them.

If he didn’t flatter her and criticized her for not being tender, he’d be asking for trouble!

So, he deleted his draft reply: “Then I’ll just have a few more bites.”

When Ning Qiuxiu saw this message, she couldn’t stop smiling. “Wow, Mr. Zhan is suddenly so sweet today! Did this straightforward guy secretly take some lessons in charm?”

She was so flattered that she felt weak and couldn’t type anymore.

So, she sent a “blushing silly face” emoji.

Usually, given Zhan Qingyue’s personality, if she sent that emoji, he would definitely reply with something like “quite vivid,” implying she was being foolish.

But today, Zhan Qingyue seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood.

He replied with the same “big heart” emoji she had just sent.

— To be fair, Zhan Qingyue rarely used emojis in their conversations.

He only sent a smiling emoji when he was angry, which made people shiver.

It was quite rare, and Ning Qiuxiu was touched, almost moved to tears.

This man!

Zhan Qingyue didn’t make any mistakes today; in fact, he received several “love beam” and “giant heart attack” emojis from his wife, silently giving Zhan Qingyuan a thumbs-up.

It seemed that women were indeed quite easy to please; he had overcomplicated things in the past.

The only downside was that he couldn’t bicker with his wife anymore, which took away a lot of fun.

Well, once he won her over…

Back at the hotel, the assistant responsible for Ning Qiuxiu’s daily needs had already prepared dinner, and they all sat down to eat.

After a busy afternoon, Ning Qiuxiu was starving.

She washed her hands, took up her chopsticks, and was about to serve herself when Xiao Chi suddenly shouted, “Wait!”

Everyone was startled.

Ning Qiuxiu blinked and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I need to test for poison first,” Xiao Chi said, pulling out a small rectangular box.

Then… she took out a silver needle, often seen in palace drama series, and said proudly, “Ta-da!”

Everyone: “…”

Ning Qiuxiu was stunned by her dramatic actions. “Isn’t this a bit over the top? We live in a society governed by law. How could anyone just poison food at random? Besides, how would a silver needle detect poison?”

“…”

Xiao Chi was silent for a moment before saying, “Well, just to be safe. Even if it’s not poison, at least I’m sure this needle is sanitized and clean!”

The living assistant, feeling a bit wronged, said, “Sister Xiao Chi, I personally packed this meal from the hotel; no one else handled it. If there were to be poison, I would be the most likely person.”

Xiao Chi: “Did you watch the chef make it?”

“… No.”

“Then that’s just right.” After Xiao Chi finished testing, and seeing the needle still shiny and unchanged, she finally allowed them to eat.

She added, “I’ve strictly checked everything given to Autumn today, and only after confirming it was safe did I dare to give it to her.”

Qu Hua handed Xiao Chi a pair of chopsticks and said with a smile, “No need to be so nervous, Xiao Chi. Don’t worry, it might just be a prank. I’ve already increased the precautions. As long as the beautiful sisters don’t go out alone at night, no one can hurt you.”

“That’s not enough,” Xiao Chi said, clenching her fist. “What if it’s a mentally extreme pervert? It’s always better to take proactive measures than to just wait passively.”

“Speaking of which,” Qu Hua said while eating, “I had someone check on Zhen Paohui’s schedule. He’s been flying all over the country these days. Even if he’s behind it, it’s hard to find direct evidence.”

Ning Qiuxiu nodded, “I guessed as much. I’m just suspicious.”

Even if it’s related to Zhen Paohui, he wouldn’t personally get involved in gathering evidence.

He’s not foolish.

Xiao Chi said, “The police had me look at the surveillance footage today. The person was barely visible, wrapped up tightly in the crowd. All I could see were his eyes. It was useless. So frustrating!”

“We’ll see if they make any more moves. If they show up again, we’ll likely catch them.”

For now, dealing with the intimidation gifts had to be put on hold.

The filming of Campus Bully was progressing smoothly.

Once everyone got into the groove, things moved quickly.

The crew was very professional, and the atmosphere was great.

They finished early almost every day, making the filming surprisingly easy.

“So, you guys stayed behind to catch up with me, and now you want to leave without asking if we agree?”

Transfer student Song Lian, who had become the new heartthrob among the girls due to his looks and excellent exam results, was blocked by three classmates after school.

They were jealous of his popularity.

“Ming Ge, come in!” Xiao Sheng called out.

Ning Qiuxiu, who had been contemplating what to eat while holding a volleyball, immediately got into character.

She walked over to the classroom door and casually asked, “Did you ask if I agreed to this?”

She spun the volleyball on her finger, showing off the skills she’d practiced for two days.

The three boys looked at her with uncertain expressions.

“Get lost, and don’t let me see you again, or else,” Ning Qiuxiu said coldly, displaying her “school bully” traits.

The boys exchanged glances and left.

Only Ming Ge and Song Lian remained in the classroom.

“Thank you,” Song Lian said quietly.

“No need to thank me,” Ning Qiuxiu waved it off nonchalantly, then grinned and said, “By the way, Song Lian, why don’t you help me with some tutoring too?”

Song Lian paused for a second and kindly reminded her, “Your grades are better than mine.”

“That’s different. Helping you,” Ning Qiuxiu winked at him and said cheekily, “will make my grades even better.”

…

“Alright, cut!” The director called after their scene.

“Wow, Ning Qiuxiu, you’re so skilled at flirting with a decent guy,” Song Chu, who had just stepped out of his cool persona, teased Ning Qiuxiu, “Do you flirt with men every day?”

“You’re the one who flirts every day! I’m a serious actress!” Ning Qiuxiu retorted.

The director watched the replay and announced that the scene was good.

Ning Qiuxiu didn’t bother with Song Chu’s teasing and returned to her dressing room to prepare for the next scene.

Soon, her dressing room door was knocked on by a crew member delivering a gift box.

“Mr. Fan from the investment company has arranged afternoon tea for everyone today,” the crew member said, “He’s given you a special luxurious set for working hard.”

Ning Qiuxiu was taken aback.

She had no intention of accepting the gift.

“I’m on a diet, so I won’t be eating this. Please distribute it to everyone else,” Ning Qiuxiu said, unwilling to accept the gesture.

“The General Manager insisted it be delivered to Ms. Ning directly. He also mentioned that if Ms. Ning felt it wasn’t sufficient or if she didn’t appreciate it, he’d come personally next time.”

“???” What’s wrong with this person?

Ning Qiuxiu had no choice but to let Xiao Chi take it.

Xiao Chi had been particularly cautious lately.

Although she knew Ning Qiuxiu wouldn’t eat it, she still carefully checked the package for any signs of foul play.

What if it were a bomb?

It wasn’t.

It was just an ordinary cake and some milk tea.

Fan Yanliang had sent a strawberry mousse, which was exquisitely made, soft and delightful, full of a youthful charm.

Just seeing it, with its faint creamy and strawberry aroma, made one eager to take a bite.

However, Ning Qiuxiu found it quite obtrusive.

Just as she was about to have Xiao Chi deal with it, there was a knock on the lounge door.

This time, it was another staff member and a delivery person.

The filming location was completely sealed off, and delivery people usually couldn’t get in.

This delivery person must have had some connections to get inside.

He saw Ning Qiuxiu and smiled, “You must be Miss Ning. Mr. Zhan asked me to bring you some afternoon tea, personally delivered to you.”

Mr. Zhan? Zhan Qingyue?

“Thank you.” Ning Qiuxiu took the items, wondering what Zhan Qingyue was up to.

After the delivery person left, Xiao Chi looked at the box in Ning Qiuxiu’s hand and then at the one Fan Yanliang had sent.

She said, “It seems these two deliveries are from the same place and the same product.”

Indeed, both cakes were identical, like twin strawberry mousses.

Their filming location was relatively remote, and there was only one high-end afternoon tea shop nearby.

This cake was likely their specialty, so…

Ning Qiuxiu looked at the two cakes, her eyes twitching.

At the same time, Ning Qiuxiu received a message from Zhan Qingyue.

【Black-hearted Onion: I ordered a mousse for you, said to be the most popular flavor among girls. Hope you like it.】

Ning Qiuxiu: “……”

So, men’s thoughts are actually all the same?

And why did Zhan Qingyue suddenly become… so considerate?

Is he like a genetically modified black bean now?