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The more people want something, the less likely it is they’ll get it.
Fang Yimeng held the number three in her hand, her smile clearly forced.
The host had been waiting for such a dramatic moment and quickly asked,
“Ms. Fang, how do you feel about drawing the number three right now?”
Fang “wounded and speechless” Yimeng: “…”
Seeing her expression, the host—who had been worried about the energy of the segment—finally relaxed.
“Alright! That settles it—Min Qing will be in the four-person group!”
The host cheerfully shifted the topic and waved toward the big screen.
“Let’s take a look at what prompts our new trainees have drawn!”
Fang Yimeng took the number “4” she’d pulled earlier and handed it to Min Qing as they returned to the judge’s table.
“Consider it a favor. I’ve helped eliminate the special group option for you. No need to thank me.”
She joked, playing off her supposed “good luck.”
Min Qing, an outgoing and candid girl, accepted the number graciously.
“A three-person group isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The theme might even be better.”
“Then I’ll take that as a blessing,” Fang Yimeng chuckled, lightly teasing back.
As she returned to her seat, the group assignments for the trainees appeared on the screen.
While the theme for the three-person group was revealed immediately, the four-person groups required another random draw to determine pairings with the mentors.
Fang Yimeng accepted the performance script handed over by staff and gave a crooked smile.
It was a palace intrigue scene from a historical drama. Her assigned co-actors were an interesting pair: Zhu Rong, a female trainee from Liao Ran’s camp, and Ou Xiangchen, her only trainee.
After the assignments were announced, filming for the day officially wrapped.
As Director Zheng called it a day, Fang Yimeng picked up her script and was just about to leave when Lu Jingshan emerged from the crowd. He had a suit jacket over his arm and car keys in his hand.
“I’ll take you home,” he offered, extending his hand.
Without hesitation, Fang Yimeng handed him her script and turned to wave goodbye to the other judges.
Just as they were about to exit the studio, a voice called out from behind:
“Ms. Fang!”
“I… I have something I’d like to talk to you about,” Min Qing had clearly worked up her courage to call out.
“Can I… talk to you privately?” she added, glancing nervously at Lu Jingshan.
Lu Jingshan and Fang Yimeng exchanged a glance. He looked into her clear eyes and said,
“I’ll wait for you at the entrance.”
After Lu Jingshan left, Fang Yimeng followed Min Qing to a quieter corner.
She gestured for her to go ahead.
“There was a dinner with the judging panel recently… and you weren’t invited,” Min Qing began.
Fang Yimeng wasn’t surprised.
“During the dinner, Senior Liao said some bad things about you to Director Zheng. She even suggested you be removed from the show. I don’t think you’re anything like what she described, so I just… thought I should warn you…”
Min Qing was still a fresh graduate, untouched by the ruthlessness of the industry. She naively confided this to someone she barely knew.
Fang Yimeng looked at the girl with a soft smile and gently patted her on the shoulder. Leaning forward, she said quietly:
“I appreciate the warning, but in this industry, kindness and softness don’t get you far.”
Min Qing suddenly realized she may have done something stupid. She quickly covered her mouth, her round eyes wide with panic.
“Liao Ran and I are long-time enemies. I’m not surprised by anything she does.”
Fang Yimeng reassured her gently, then pulled out her phone and opened her WeChat QR code.
“We’ll be working together for a few more episodes. Mind if we add each other?”
“Not at all!”
Grateful for Fang Yimeng’s kindness, Min Qing quickly pulled out her phone and scanned the code.
After they added each other, Fang Yimeng excused herself politely, saying she had other things to do.
When she walked out of the studio, Lu Jingshan had just put away his phone.
“Say, aren’t you a big CEO? How do you have so much free time every day?”
Fang Yimeng teased him playfully.
Lu Jingshan gave her a once-over—her thin blouse and velvet skirt clearly not suited for the evening chill—and draped his jacket over her shoulders.
“This counts as work too,” he said. He had come to understand her well—how bold she was with her words, yet how cautious she was in action. A true little coward at heart.
Fang Yimeng snuggled into the jacket without shame and huffed,
“I’m not going home. I’m heading to the trainee camp to go over the script with them. I’ll probably be going there a lot these days.”
As they chatted, they arrived at Lu Jingshan’s car. Fang Yimeng smoothly opened the passenger door and got in.
Lu Jingshan buckled up, tapped the screen to set the destination, and drove out of the garage.
When they arrived, Lu Jingshan didn’t get out with her this time. He rolled down the driver’s window, rested his arm on the edge, and looked at Fang Yimeng.
“Our company’s launching a new product soon. I’ll be busier.”
He paused briefly before adding,
“If anything urgent comes up, call me directly. And if you plan to retaliate against Liao Ran, let me know first.”
The message was clear: don’t act recklessly just to hurt yourself.
Fang Yimeng pouted at the subtle warning. She flicked her wavy hair and looked anywhere but at Lu Jingshan.
Her bratty little act was both adorable and exasperating.
“You nag more than my brother. Got it.” She waved her hand dismissively.
“Drive safe. Bye-bye.”
Before he could respond again, she turned around, her long curls drawing a graceful arc in the air as she strutted into the office building in her heels.
Sitting in the car, Lu Jingshan watched her walk away without a backward glance. He couldn’t help but laugh in frustration, biting his cheek and chuckling quietly.
After Fang Yimeng left, silence briefly filled the car—until a WeChat notification chimed, breaking the calm.
He picked up his phone casually and, after glancing at the screen, dialed a number.
“Send me the original video. I’ll review it personally before we start editing.”
A crisp, professional voice responded from the other end of the line.