Shen Muyang is the most cautious person, even when chatting on WeChat, he makes sure not to leave any traces.

He didn’t directly scold Shen Yuming but casually mentioned that Shen Yuming had intercepted the investment for his new project.

To put it simply—he hopes that Yu Yan can invest, and it would be even better if he could use Chaoxing’s resources to pull in more investments for him. He’s willing to share some equity with Yu Yan.

How could this person still have such a sneaky mindset?

He actually dared to provoke that terrifying person, does he not value his life?

Yu Yan impatiently clicked his tongue and, with practiced ease, sent countless loan app links from major platforms.

[Yu Yan: Take it easy, don’t borrow from high-interest loans, those things are really harmful.]

[Shen Muyang: ……]

“What are you doing?” Shen Yuming noticed that he had put down the yarn and was now playing with his phone.

Yu Yan didn’t even raise his head, “Replying to messages, Shen Muyang is too annoying.”

“What did he do this time?” Shen Yuming’s hand tightened around the mouse without realizing it.

“Asked for money.”

Yu Yan was about to delete him, but after hesitating for a while, he decided not to, just in case it would come in handy later.

After ending the chat, he stretched lazily.

“Brother Chen, did you used to work overtime for this long?” Yu Yan lowered his eyelids, looking a bit tired.

Since the office moved upstairs, this is the first time he’s seen Shen Yuming work overtime for such a long period.

“About the same.”

“Do you have social events after overtime?”

“Occasionally.”

“Where do you stay? If it gets too late, do you stay in the lounge?”

Shen Yuming’s office has a small lounge, but Yu Yan has never been in.

He wouldn’t invade this private space without permission.

Shen Yuming suddenly smiled, “Are you checking my household registration?”

“I was just asking casually. If it’s inconvenient, then never mind,” Yu Yan realized he had said too much.

“I have a place in a nearby neighborhood. If I work too late, I’ll just stay there for a while.”

Yu Yan’s eyes widened, “Really? Can I go check it out?”

“Next time. Let’s eat first.” Shen Yuming stood up and draped his coat over his arm.

Yu Yan yelled, “Long live!” hastily shoved the half-knitted scarf into his pocket, and headed outside.

“Western food, want to eat?”

“Sure, I’m starving and could eat a whole cow.” Yu Yan nodded casually.

As soon as they exited the building, a bone-chilling wind rushed into their collars, making them shiver uncontrollably.

This was Yu Yan’s first winter in the north, and he was still a bit unaccustomed to it.

“I’ll try to finish knitting the scarf in the next couple of days, so you can wear it before it snows.”

“I’m going on a business trip the day after tomorrow.”

Yu Yan froze, “Where… where are you going? How long will you be gone?”

The cold wind had made his face stiff, and he was struggling to speak clearly.

“Half a month.”

“Half… a month?”

His voice dropped several tones. Yu Yan pursed his lips, lowered his head, and stared at his shoes for a moment.

“It was supposed to be only five days, but my mom’s birthday is in half a month, so I’ll stay a few more days to celebrate with her before coming back,” Shen Yuming explained.

“Oh, that makes sense, you should stay a bit longer.” Yu Yan nodded slowly, “Have you prepared a gift for her?”

“I had someone make a qipao for her.”

“Alright.” Yu Yan nodded absentmindedly, “Then when you come back, you can wear the scarf I knitted for you.”

“Okay.”

…

At a private cinema near the CBD.

Yu Yan squatted on the ground leaning against a stone pillar, staring at Song Yunqing and Jian Ran, both of them glaring at each other.

Song Yunqing pulled down her mask, “Where’s He Zhiyu? Still not here? Why are they rushing us to come?”

“Watching a movie.” Yu Yan pointed to the private cinema behind them.

“Is his big movie releasing? Why are we at a place like this?” Song Yunqing wasn’t saying the private cinema was bad, but considering He Zhiyu’s flashy personality, he would have preferred to rent out a regular theater to invite everyone to watch. It was very strange that he brought them here.

Yu Yan thought for a moment, “It’s a web movie, it’s not being released in regular theaters.”

“The Rebirth of Me as a Zombie and Then Reversing the Fate with Mecha Farming in Space” is a web movie that doesn’t even require a fee to unlock.

The movie was online just a few days after it was finished filming. He Zhiyu shares his handsome photos in the group about eight hundred times a day, urging everyone to watch the movie and give reviews.

What was once a lively group chat suddenly became just He Zhiyu chatting alone these past few days.

Because of this, he personally called everyone out, saying he would treat them to an offline movie.

Before coming here, Yu Yan thought they would watch it in a regular cinema with everyone, but after arriving and waiting for so long, he realized the movie would only start when He Zhiyu brought the DVD himself.

“Yo, everyone came pretty early, huh?” He Zhiyu said casually, his necklaces clinking around his neck.

Yu Yan glanced at the time, expressionless, and spoke, “You’re late.”

He Zhiyu laughed, “That was for a good reason. I got a spokesperson for Xiaoqing and Xiaoran, for a sportswear brand under our company.”

“We’re all family, it doesn’t matter whether you’re late or not,” Yu Yan immediately performed a Sichuan opera face-changing act.

“Of course, I brought the contract,” He Zhiyu patted his bag.

“Thank you.” Jian Ran finally spoke up.

Song Yun Jing leaned over, “Where’s the contract? Let me take a look.”

“What’s the hurry? I’ll give it to you after the movie’s finished.”

The owner of the private cinema seemed to be a friend of He Zhiyu and had reserved the largest room for them. The room was stocked with drinks and snacks.

The group slouched on the sofa, watching He Zhiyu fiddle with the equipment.

Yu Yan, with nothing else to do, looked up the movie’s rating on his phone and his eyelids twitched. “That… actually, forget it, we can watch it at home.”

He Zhiyu suddenly turned around, adopting a fierce look. “No one is leaving today. You’re all staying here to watch it properly.”

Yu Yan shut up and let He Zhiyu handle things.

After a while, Song Yun Jing asked, “Why don’t you just cast it directly?”

“Right, a brain that hasn’t been beaten works so well, just like new,” He Zhiyu said as he took out his phone and began casting the screen.

Song Yun Jing: “…”

The movie officially started, and He Zhiyu took out a bottle of red wine and four wine glasses. “Want a drink?”

Yu Yan swallowed a few times, “Sure, pour some.”

The movie was strange and bizarre, passing through his mind like math, but it just wouldn’t stick.

Half an hour later, Yu Yan stood up, wanting to get some air. As soon as he moved, six eyes instantly landed on him.

Yu Yan’s throat moved, and he said awkwardly, “I’m going to the bathroom.”

He Zhiyu quickly nodded and hit the pause button. “Go ahead, we’ll wait for you.”

“No need to… wait for me.”

“How can that be? Don’t worry, we’ll definitely wait for you,” He Zhiyu waved his hand.

After taking a few steps, he was suddenly grabbed by both wrists. He glanced sideways at Song Yun Jing and Jian Ran.

Song Yun Jing’s eyes glistened with tears. “You have to come back, you have to.”

“Remember to come back,” Jian Ran also had a hopeful look.

Yu Yan nodded with difficulty, “Okay.”

After blowing the wind on the terrace for five minutes, Yu Yan regained his composure and returned to the room.

At that moment, He Zhiyu was passionately explaining the movie’s plot.

Seeing the scene on the screen, Yu Yan’s eyelids twitched.

Why was the movie still playing forward?

“You’re back, just in time. I was telling them the dangerous story of the wire work. Want to hear it?”

“No, I don’t act,” Yu Yan’s eyelids twitched again.

He Zhiyu looked regretful. “Alright then, let’s start from here.”

Yu Yan: “…”

Jian Ran: “…”

Song Yun Jing: “…”

From then on, whenever the movie reached an exciting part, He Zhiyu would stop and explain frame by frame, detailing how dangerous the filming process was, though he had overcome each challenge.

The entire movie lasted three hours, and those three hours were the toughest seven hours of Yu Yan’s day.

When the ending theme played, Yu Yan’s eyes were moist.

“It’s over, it’s over.”

After sitting for seven hours, his legs went numb. When he stood up, he staggered two steps, nearly falling.

“You’re so moved, you even cried?”

Compared to the three slumped bodies, He Zhiyu was unusually excited and stopped the others from leaving.

“I’ll treat everyone to a meal, and then we can talk about the movie’s plot.”

Yu Yan waved his hand. “No thanks, I have a curfew at home.”

Song Yun Jing took a deep breath. “I’m dieting, can’t eat.”

Jian Ran quickly followed. “I… have an appointment.”

“An appointment? Who is it with?” He Zhiyu got excited.

“It’s a secret.”

Yu Yan guessed that “appointment” was an excuse, and immediately changed the topic. “By the way, where’s the contract? Let’s sign it first.”

He Zhiyu gave a sly smile. “You watched the movie, right?”

“Yeah.”

“You watched it carefully, right?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“That’s good. Write a review and send it to me, the sooner the better. I want to post it on Weibo.”

“Yeah… huh?”

Yu Yan’s eyes widened instantly. “What?”

“The review, of course. The words must be heartfelt. Don’t copy those clichés from the internet. I can tell the difference.” He Zhiyu held up the rolled-up contract, like a school disciplinarian. “I won’t set a word count, but remember, the more heartfelt, the more words. If it’s handwritten, then our bond will be unbreakable!”

Yu Yan: “…”

Jian Ran: “…”

Song Yun Jing: “…”

“When I get the review, I’ll give you the contract,” He Zhiyu glanced at the time. “It’s getting late, so let’s head home. Xiao Ran Ran, do you need me to give you a ride to your date?”

“No… No need,” Jian Ran said, a bit scared.

Yu Yan thought carefully. He didn’t need to sign the contract, and confirmed again, “Do I have to write one too?”

“Of course! We’re brothers who share life and death!”