Ye Fan initially planned to return home for dinner, but the unexpected delay meant it was already late by the time she was on her way back. Worried that Dudu might get hungry along the way, she decided to stop at a nearby children’s restaurant.

After what had just happened, Dudu clung to Ye Fan even tighter, wrapping his little arms around her neck and refusing to let go. Despite the ache in her arms, Ye Fan continued to carry him.

It was only when they reached the restaurant and sat down that she finally set Dudu down on the chair.

Ye Fan had thoughtfully brought along a bib. Before the food arrived, she tied it securely around Dudu’s neck.

The dishes came out piping hot. Dudu, having cried earlier, was now ravenously hungry. As soon as the food was placed in front of him, his little tummy growled, and he clumsily grabbed his chopsticks, ready to dig in.

“Let Mommy blow on it first,” Ye Fan said gently. She took a small portion and placed it in a little bowl in front of Dudu, blowing on it several times to cool it down before letting him eat.

“Mommy, eat,” Dudu said, noticing that Ye Fan hadn’t touched her food. He pointed at the noodles in front of her.

Unable to refuse his insistence, Ye Fan quickly took a few bites while still helping Dudu with his food.

By the time they got home, Dudu’s mood had completely bounced back to normal.

That evening, Ye Fan received a call from Dai Jinshan. “There will be a fan meet-and-greet event for Undercover on the Bund in a few days,” Dai Jinshan said. “You should attend.”

Ye Fan was taken aback. “Me? Are you sure?”

“You weren’t originally required to attend, but the character Jin Tan has gained a lot of popularity. The production team decided at the last minute to include you.”

Dai Jinshan had always felt signing Ye Fan was a very wise decision.

With just one drama, she had already sparked widespread discussion. She was undeniably beautiful, diligent in her work, and undoubtedly had a bright future ahead.

“This is a great opportunity,” Dai Jinshan emphasized. “Make sure to seize it.”

Ye Fan understood exactly what he meant. “Got it.”

…..

Elsewhere, manager Guan Rui stepped into the room and addressed the man standing by the window.

“Han, take a look at these scripts.”

At that moment, He Han stood with his back to Guan Rui, his tall figure exuding a cold, aloof presence. When he heard the sound, He Han turned around and looked toward him.

His expression was neutral, lips pressed into a straight line. When he was silent, there was a faint, detached curve to his lips.

He Han took the scripts and lowered his head to read them, his gaze slowly sweeping across the pages. His long fingers tapped lightly on the table, once, then again.

Guan Rui continued, “These scripts are all quite good. Take your time and decide which movie you’d like to do.”

At that moment, He Han looked up suddenly and said, “A while ago, didn’t Amanda Wang send over a few dresses?”

Amanda Wang was a niche luxury brand, known for its exceptional quality and simple yet elegant designs.

Hua Rui, in collaboration with certain brands, often received clothing for its artists, and Amanda Wang was one of those brands.

Guan Rui was puzzled as to why He Han brought this up: “Yes, that’s right.”

He Han spoke slowly, his tone calm, yet each word was clear and deliberate: “For the fan meet-and-greet, choose a dress and send it to Ye Fan.”

Guan Rui thought he had misheard: “Send it to Ye Fan?”

He Han appeared unaffected, his deep voice slowly filling the silence. “Make sure to choose a simple, solid-colored dress, nothing too flashy.”

At the fan meet-and-greet, Ye Fan would be there, but she wasn’t the main focus—she shouldn’t overshadow others.

Suddenly, He Han’s mind conjured up an image of Ye Fan’s face. Her features were stunning, and her aura was cool and composed.

He Han’s lips curled into a faint smile.

With her looks, it didn’t matter what kind of dress she wore—she could pull it off effortlessly.

Guan Rui glanced at He Han, his tone laced with meaning. “You’re quite attentive to Ye Fan.”

Guan Rui thought to himself, He Han had been the one to sign Ye Fan on his own, and now he was specifically picking out a dress for her. He wondered what was going through He Han’s mind.

He Han’s expression didn’t change. He casually responded, “She’s an artist of Hua Rui now.”

Guan Rui didn’t push further. “Got it.”

….

Later that day, Ye Fan arrived at the makeup room. Someone came up to her, ready to do her makeup and styling.

Today was Ye Fan’s first public appearance, and Dai Jinshan had already picked out a dress for her. Just as he was about to hand the dress to Ye Fan, someone stepped forward and blocked his path.

Dai Jinshan recognized the person as a staff member from He Han’s side.

The staff member handed him a box and said, “Miss Ye Fan should wear this dress.”

He emphasized, “It’s from He Han.”

Dai Jinshan was a bit taken aback. The staff member then added. “But there’s no need for Miss Ye Fan to know about this.”

Dai Jinshan recalled that it was He Han’s decision to sign Ye Fan with Hua Rui. Now, He Han was sending her a dress. In hindsight, it no longer seemed that surprising.

Dai Jinshan took the dress and had the stylist help Ye Fan change into it. Ye Fan had already finished her makeup and sat quietly, waiting as the stylist finished adjusting her outfit.

Time passed quickly, and the fan meet-and-greet was about to begin.

The director led the actors on stage, and the spotlight immediately focused on them. The reporters were ready with their cameras, and the sound of shutters clicking echoed in the air.

Fans in the audience shouted their idols’ names excitedly.

He Han remained calm, while Tang Jin’s lips curved into a smile.

As the male and female leads of Undercover on the Bund, Tang Jin naturally stood next to He Han.

He Han caught the strong scent of makeup and perfume on Tang Jin, and his brow slightly furrowed, though the expression was so subtle it went unnoticed.

That brief flicker of emotion quickly faded and wasn’t detected by anyone.

Although He Han and Tang Jin were the lead characters of the show and stood together, they barely exchanged any words. The reporters didn’t find it strange.

They all knew that He Han had a cold personality, and aside from filming, he kept everything else at arm’s length.

He Han was very professional—he gave his all in every scene—but once the cameras stopped rolling, he distanced himself from everyone.

As the male and female leads, He Han and Tang Jin stood in the center. The reporters’ eyes naturally went first to them, but soon their attention was drawn to another person.

Ye Fan.

Even though they had seen Ye Fan on television, seeing her in person still left them in awe—she was even more beautiful than she appeared on camera.

Today, Ye Fan wore a simple white dress. Its style and color were incredibly plain. A dress like this would usually make others appear too ordinary, even dull, but on her, it radiated a quiet elegance.

But Ye Fan’s beauty not only complemented the simplicity of the dress but also made her fair skin appear even more radiant.

She resembled a delicate flower in full bloom, her aura unique and ethereal.

She captivated everyone’s attention, impossible to look away from.

In contrast to Tang Jin’s extravagant outfit, her appearance seemed overly deliberate, almost cliché.

Tang Jin noticed the reporters’ gazes and knew they were looking at Ye Fan. A surge of jealousy twisted inside her.

She was furious but had to conceal her emotions, forcing a smile that, despite being maintained, felt stiff.

A reporter turned to Director Wang and asked. “Director Wang, since the premiere of this drama, the viewership ratings have remained incredibly high, constantly breaking records. What’s your take on this?”

Director Wang smiled and replied. “The success of this drama is a result of everyone’s collaboration.”

The reporters then turned to ask several questions to He Han, who answered each one with perfect poise.

At that moment, one reporter asked. “Miss Tang, we’ve heard that you have many action scenes in this drama. You must have faced quite a bit of hardship, right?”

Tang Jin smiled. “To deliver the best performance for our fans, every effort is worth it.”

“For instance, the scene where I slid down the mountain—it was tough, but I filmed it many times to ensure it was perfect.”

Her implication was clear—she had done all the stunts herself, without a stunt double.

Upon hearing this, a hint of mockery flashed in He Han’s mind.

No stunt double.

Heh.

He Han’s face remained impassive, though his eyes darkened slightly.

Each member of the cast had their own thoughts.

They all knew that Tang Jin’s words were completely false. In reality, whenever there were tough or demanding scenes in the drama, it was always Ye Fan who took on the challenge.

While the reporters were asking questions, Ye Fan remained quietly seated. She didn’t try to dominate the conversation or seek the spotlight, but even without doing anything, she was a picture of grace.

At that moment, one reporter suddenly turned to Ye Fan and asked. “Miss Ye, this is your first drama, and the character of Jin Tan has been so successful. Do you have anything you’d like to say?”

The cameras immediately focused on Ye Fan, and the sound of shutters filled the air. At this moment, everyone turned to look at her.

Even though it was Ye Fan’s first time in the spotlight, she remained calm and composed. Her fair, delicate face carried an expression of poise.

After a moment of thought, Ye Fan slowly spoke. “First of all, thank you all for your love and support. While it may seem that Jin Tan’s success is due to me, I believe it’s more about how well the character was written and developed in the script.”

“And of course, I still have a lot to learn and areas where I need to improve.”

Ye Fan was fully aware of her position, and every word and action was perfectly measured. As a result, many people’s impression of her grew even more favorable.

While she spoke, the crew members turned to look at her. He Han also shifted his gaze towards Ye Fan.

Unlike before, when he seemed indifferent, his eyes were now focused and intent, as he listened to her words with full attention.

At that moment, the reporter turned the microphone back to He Han and asked. “After the drama aired, some people mentioned that, compared to Tang Jin, the chemistry between you and Ye Fan is stronger.”

The reporter teasingly asked. “Who do you think you’re more compatible with?”

He Han remained silent, and the room was filled with an awkward, almost palpable stillness.

The reporter, thinking He Han wouldn’t respond, was about to change the subject when, in the next second, the usually indifferent Best Actor spoke.

He Han’s lips parted slightly, and he spoke slowly.

“I trust the judgment of the fans.”

He kept his gaze fixed straight ahead, his eyes as dark as ink.

His tone was calm, but there was an inexplicable, almost cryptic undertone.

He Han had naturally seen the fan-made compilation videos online. The view count for the CP videos featuring him and Ye Fan had already reached millions, far surpassing the view count for the videos with Tang Jin.

This view count made it clear: the fans believed that he and Ye Fan had better chemistry.

A faint smile flickered in He Han’s eyes, and for the first time, there was a hint of emotion on his usually impassive face.

His words were deliberately ambiguous. On the surface, it seemed like He Han was just supporting his fans’ preferences, acknowledging that if fans felt he and Ye Fan were more compatible, he agreed with them.

But in reality, He Han had already made his stance clear: in this drama, he and Ye Fan were the true couple.

His words were heard clearly by everyone present.

Most people assumed that he was simply indulging his fans, while only a few noticed the underlying meaning. However, they didn’t dwell on it.

…

At the Tang family mansion.

A gracefully dressed woman sat on the sofa, watching the fan meeting for Undercover on the Bund on the television screen.

This woman was Jian Lan, Tang Jin’s mother, who was watching her daughter’s latest public appearance.

The world knew that Tang Jin had been pampered and doted on since she was a child. However, only Mrs. Tang, Jian Lan, truly understood her own feelings towards her daughter.

Jian Lan loved Tang Jin and always tried to accommodate her in everything but deep inside, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she couldn’t truly connect with Tang Jin.

Jian Lan knew this feeling was odd. After all, what mother would feel distant from her biological daughter? Because of this, she had never mentioned her feelings to her husband.

In an attempt to make up for it, she showered Tang Jin with even more affection. Yet, as Tang Jin grew older, Jian Lan increasingly felt like she was losing touch and struggling to keep up.

Fortunately, Tang Jin preferred spending time outside and didn’t come home often. Otherwise, Jian Lan was afraid that someone might notice her strange feelings.

“Ye Fan, how do you perceive the character you play?” A reporter was interviewing a supporting actor from Undercover on the Bund who sat on the other side of Tang Jin.

The actor had a calm expression, and their demeanor was steady and composed.

As soon as Jian Lan saw Ye Fan, she immediately sat up straighter. She shifted her gaze away from Tang Jin and focused on Ye Fan instead.

Although she had never met Ye Fan before, something about her seemed strangely familiar.

=^_^=