Chapter 25: Hospitalized

“Xue Li, the shoot’s started, and this paparazzi shot looks so good. Take a look at how it turned out,” Cheng Du held up his phone showing a high-definition picture of Ji Xue Li to Duan Qingyu.

Duan Qingyu casually glanced at it, then responded, “I heard Ji Yan Zhou sent someone in.”

“Yeah, what do you think he’s up to? After all, she’s his ex-girlfriend. Does it have to be this confrontational?” Cheng Du couldn’t quite understand.

“He’s not being confrontational,” Duan Qingyu picked up his wine glass and took a sip while looking out the airplane window.

“Then what is it?”

Duan Qingyu lazily squinted, “He wants to prove that he’s not inferior.”

Cheng Du was a bit confused, but he vaguely understood that it had something to do with Ji Xue Li signing with START Entertainment and possibly angering him.

“Do you think Ji Xue Li can sense his thoughts?” Duan Qingyu responded to a message on his phone, his interest piqued.

“She probably can. Maybe Xue Li is just pursuing you to spite Ji Yan Zhou,” Cheng Du connected the dots, his eyes suddenly lighting up with realization.

It made sense…

Another message popped up: “Oh, so Guan Ru was sent in by Ji Yan Zhou? Are they having an affair?”

Duan Qingyu raised an eyebrow. He actually thought she hadn’t noticed at all, and she had completely misunderstood.

As for spiting Ji Yan Zhou…

If that were the case, it would be even more interesting. He would have to keep playing along with her.

— “Ji Yan Zhou doesn’t sleep with celebrities.”

Such a direct message made Ji Xue Li click her tongue as she looked at Duan Qingyu’s reply.

So there was no affair, and he probably still liked that assistant. As for Guan Ru, she was likely just a pawn the company wanted to promote.

Just as Duan Qingyu thought, Ji Xue Li didn’t take any of it personally.

“Xue Li, tomorrow we’ll shoot the final look photos. Today, stick to light meals,” Han Chen said after chatting with the director, then returned to the van to tell her.

Ji Xue Li nodded and put her phone down. “Okay, tonight we’re still going to the film academy.”

“Isn’t what they taught you abroad not working?” Han Chen questioned, wondering why she kept seeking out teachers for lessons.

Could it be that the foreign instructors only taught theory, not practical skills compared to the ones here?

It wasn’t that the foreign teachings didn’t work; she hadn’t actually gone. Ji Xue Li kept a straight face and replied, “Some things were wrong. I want to make some adjustments.”

After all the crash courses, she finally understood that acting isn’t just about skill; it’s about emotional immersion. A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work.

She sighed quietly, hoping she could overcome this challenge…

It seemed like the foreign teachings didn’t work after all; it was troublesome. Han Chen nodded, somewhat understanding. Then he noticed her phone screen light up and reminded her, “Oh, you have a call, Xue Li.”

Ji Xue Li looked at her phone, then answered with a sigh. “Mom, I’m about to go to class, what now?”

These past few days, her mother had been constantly calling her—either asking her to go to the company to have dinner with Ji Yan Zhou or warning her about his assistant.

“Yan Zhou’s in the hospital. Do you know?” Her mother’s first words immediately held her attention.

“He’s sick? Why is he hospitalized?” Ji Xue Li was surprised. The last time she saw Ji Yan Zhou was during that meal with Duan Qingyu.

Even though her mom had called, Ji Xue Li had only promised verbally and didn’t take it seriously.

She couldn’t even be bothered to take calls from Duan Qingyu, let alone waste time with the second male lead.

“According to Aunt Ji, it’s a stomach illness. I’ll send you the address. You should go visit him. By the way, I’ve made some porridge, and I’ll have Xiao Zheng bring it to you later.” Her mother urged.

Since he was sick, she couldn’t refuse this time.

Ji Xue Li hung up the phone, reluctantly canceled her plans, and said, “Let’s go to the First Hospital.”

“Alright, I’ll have someone check if there are paparazzi. We can’t let them take pictures at this time,” Han Chen, who had overheard their conversation, said.

A young man with a stomach illness—maybe he was working late like a CEO.