Chapter 25

Zhou Jingyu was working overtime.

With Zhou Jingyu’s help, Zhou Jiarong had successfully reclaimed his land ownership. This led to a strained relationship with Zhou Jiaxin, almost resulting in a fight between the two brothers during a meeting.

The temporary alliance was unstable and, due to the land dispute, the cooperation was completely broken.

After benefiting substantially from Zhou Jingyu, Zhou Jiarong realized that Zhou Jingyu was more useful than a combined effort. Why not use him to put pressure on Zhou Jiaxin?

As a result, Zhou Jingyu was busier than ever.

But despite his busy schedule, he always found time to chat with Wen Tang every day.

When he saw Wen Tang asking him about his schedule for joining the crew, Zhou Jingyu paused for a moment. He set aside his work and leaned back in his chair.

After Gong Yue joined the crew, she would probably find out soon enough.

How would she react then?

After a while, he replied.

[Y: It’s not set yet.]

[Candy: Oh.]

[Candy: Senior, are you busy? Your reply was so slow. Anyway, since you’ll be joining the crew in a couple of days, I look forward to seeing your good performance!]

[Y: Mm.]

*

Gong Yue arrived at the crew one day earlier.

Filming continued as usual the next day. On the third day, Wen Tang had other commitments in the morning and no scenes scheduled. She arrived at the crew in the afternoon and had just sat down in the makeup chair when Ke Xin rushed over.

Ke Xin had been in a hurry and headed straight to the restroom upon arriving at the crew. But this short trip was enough to surprise her greatly!

“Tang Tang, Tang Tang!” Ke Xin was excited, pointing outside the makeup room, “You don’t know yet, but Gong Yue is here with the crew! I just saw him, along with someone who might be his manager. They’re at the director’s office!”

Wen Tang blinked.

…Gong Yue arrived?

When they chatted last night, he hadn’t mentioned anything.

“He’s here, so should we go find him?” Ke Xin asked eagerly. She had been looking forward to Gong Yue joining the crew for a long time!

Yang Yang, however, disagreed with Ke Xin’s suggestion. Rolling her eyes at Ke Xin, she said dismissively, “Why should we go find him? If he wants to meet, he should come to us!”

Wen Tang’s position in the industry should not make her chase after anyone. Besides, if they were to date, it shouldn’t be this way. The boy should be proactive!

Ke Xin, upon hearing this, felt Yang Yang’s words made some sense and immediately agreed, “You’re right. We shouldn’t go!”

Turning to Wen Tang, she said seriously, “We’ll wait and see when Gong Yue comes to find Tang Tang on his own!”

Thus, the plan was neatly arranged.

Wen Tang, the person involved, had little to do with it.

Wen Tang looked at the two assistants in disbelief and chose to ignore them.

Meanwhile, the makeup artist listening to their conversation couldn’t help but reveal a knowing expression.

A week ago, the crew had initially planned to replace Gong Yue. The financier even brought a new actor to visit the crew, but this matter was eventually dropped and forgotten.

Why?

Naturally, it was because of Wen Tang!

There are no walls that don’t let the wind through, and that dinner with the investors wasn’t attended by only Wen Tang. The news had long spread privately.

It was well known in the industry that Wen Tang, while filming, always engaged in a crew romance, being the talk of the town. When the drama started, everyone was watching eagerly.

A month had passed, and the filming was almost a third complete. However, Wen Tang had been silent about her side of the romance. The male actors in the crew were already restless and trying everything to win her favor, but she seemed oblivious and unshakable.

Could the rumors be false?

But after that dinner, the news of Wen Tang supporting Gong Yue spread, and the crew realized that it wasn’t the rumors that were false, but rather the person had yet to be seen.

But when did Wen Tang start showing interest in Gong Yue?

He hadn’t been to the crew for the entire month, except for the opening ceremony. Just this short period…

The reputation of a “playgirl” is indeed well-earned!

While everyone was privately discussing this matter, Gong Yue, the other party involved, was the last to find out.

The filming of “Charge Forward” was delayed by a week, and since Gong Yue couldn’t leave early, his manager, Yang Fan, had no choice but to call the crew to request leave. As Gong Yue was a new star highly promoted by the company, they hoped the crew would give them some leeway. A week’s delay should be manageable. However, when the call was made, they were notified the next day that the contract was terminated. The role of the male third character was to be recast, and a suitable replacement had already been found.

This was a bolt from the blue!

The male third character in “Hear Your Heart” was the best film and television resource Gong Yue had, and the result of the company’s efforts. It was a supporting role in a drama guaranteed to be a hit, far better than any unknown lead in a sinking TV series.

Playing this role well could make Gong Yue popular. Even if not a huge hit, it would certainly boost his visibility.

After being told about the contract termination, Yang Fan was frantic. He made call after call, trying to pull strings and plead for Gong Yue. Despite his efforts, the crew remained firm. Yang Fan spent a sleepless night worrying, only to receive a call the next morning saying that things were sorted out and Gong Yue could join the crew on time in a week!

Hanging up the phone, Yang Fan was almost in tears of joy!

But why did the crew suddenly change their mind after initially being so resolute?

Yang Fan was puzzled and made inquiries, only to find out that Wen Tang had intervened on Gong Yue’s behalf.

Unlike many speculations, Yang Fan, as Gong Yue’s manager, knew very well that there was nothing between Gong Yue and Wen Tang. He had even asked Gong Yue directly, who confirmed there was no interaction—no phone calls, no WeChat messages, just a brief encounter at the opening ceremony where they hadn’t even exchanged a word.

So why did Wen Tang help Gong Yue?

Despite not understanding, it didn’t change the fact that they were beneficiaries. Thus, the first thing Yang Fan did upon arriving at the crew was to meet the director, and the second was to thank Wen Tang.

However, Wen Tang wasn’t at the crew at the moment. Upon hearing that Wen Tang had arrived, Yang Fan quickly led Gong Yue over.

Yang Fan had been with Gong Yue since he joined the company. Gong Yue signed with Starfire Media at nineteen, and now he is twenty. His personality was somewhat aloof and cold, different from other young people, but the company saw it as a selling point and didn’t ask him to change. Though Gong Yue was reserved, he was easy to manage and followed instructions well.

Upon arriving at the crew, Yang Fan directed him to meet the director and then to thank Wen Tang.

Although Yang Fan wasn’t a particularly famous manager, he had been in the industry for years and had heard of Wen Tang’s style. Recently, many had been asking him about Wen Tang and Gong Yue, giving him a new understanding of Wen Tang’s help. As they walked, Yang Fan said to Gong Yue, “Wen Tang is currently the most popular female star in the industry. Her face is natural, untouched, and widely recognized as a beauty standard. If she genuinely has any feelings for you, you wouldn’t be at a loss. Consider it a two or three-month relationship. Don’t tell me you have no feelings for her—no one will believe that.”

Gong Yue walked beside Yang Fan, tall and with an impressive presence, easily standing out in a crowd. No wonder he received strong support from the company upon joining Starfire Media.

He listened to Yang Fan’s words with indifference. At twenty, he was still in his rebellious phase. He entered the entertainment industry out of interest and followed company instructions because they were reasonable and aligned with his principles.

However, when it came to romance, it was a matter of principle. Unless he was willing, no one could dictate his feelings.

He wasn’t interested in older women, regardless of who they were.

Yang Fan continued to talk about Wen Tang, but Gong Yue paid little attention, focusing instead on the filming happening in the distance.

Meanwhile, Wen Tang had started her makeup routine, with Ke Xin and Yang Yang waiting nearby. Ke Xin was still very concerned about whether Gong Yue would arrive, occasionally glancing towards the door.

Soon, she excitedly tugged on Yang Yang’s sleeve and pointed to the door. “Look, Gong Yue is here,” she whispered.

Yang Yang turned to look and saw Gong Yue and his manager approaching. She was also filled with excitement.

Despite their excitement, both Ke Xin and Yang Yang remained composed, maintaining a calm demeanor as if they were meeting a stranger.

Yang Fan led Gong Yue to Wen Tang, showing great respect. “Miss Wen, hello.”

At this moment, Wen Tang was getting her eye makeup done. With her eyes closed for about ten seconds, she finally opened them slowly. Her appearance was naturally aloof, often perceived as distant due to her beauty. While she was still getting her makeup done, it did not detract from her beauty, and everyone’s attention was on her.

Wen Tang’s first glance naturally fell on Gong Yue.

“You’ve come.”

She spoke softly, her tone unusually familiar.

Gong Yue and Yang Fan exchanged puzzled looks.

Although they didn’t understand, they couldn’t ask directly as it would be impolite. Their priority was to express their gratitude to Wen Tang for her help in getting Gong Yue back into the crew.

This was the second time Yang Fan had met Wen Tang. The first time, like Gong Yue, was at the opening ceremony. At that time, Wen Tang left a deep impression on Yang Fan—arrogant and high-profile. During such an important event, she had arrived more than an hour late, making everyone wait.

“Miss Wen, we are truly grateful for your help in allowing Gong Yue to continue with the crew,” Yang Fan said, explaining their visit. “We would like to invite you to dinner. Do you have time?”

As soon as he finished speaking, Yang Fan closely observed Wen Tang, guessing she would likely accept the invitation.

However, Wen Tang didn’t look at him. Instead, she glanced past Yang Fan at Gong Yue. She noticed that when Yang Fan mentioned the dinner, Gong Yue had noticeably frowned. Furthermore, Gong Yue’s gaze remained elsewhere, not resting on her at all.

What’s going on?

Does he have a problem with her?

Doesn’t he want to have dinner with her?

Seeing Gong Yue, Wen Tang’s racing heartbeat quickly returned to its normal rhythm.

Gong Yue didn’t know her—he only knew Wen Qing, the person he chatted with on WeChat every day.

He seemed to have no feelings for her and even appeared somewhat resistant.

Wen Tang wasn’t sure where this resistance was coming from.

She had originally considered accepting the invitation but suddenly lost interest.

In reality, seeing Gong Yue suddenly made it hard for her to reconcile the person in front of her with the person on the other end of the WeChat messages. The person she communicated with online was composed, confident, and knowledgeable. Every word he typed, even a simple “Hmm,” seemed to carry affection and care, making her feel like she could be endearing to him without any sense of awkwardness. But the person before her now was youthful, naive, and stubborn, with his thoughts written plainly on his face.

He should be mature, calm, and strong, but that wasn’t the case.

All she saw in Gong Yue was youth, naivety, and stubbornness.

“No need to thank me,” Wen Tang said, slowly withdrawing her gaze from Gong Yue. She didn’t even bother to look at Yang Fan and said, “I just didn’t want the investors to get their way. It was a small favor.”

With that, she turned her head back to face the makeup artist, closing her eyes to continue with her makeup.

Yang Fan and Gong Yue’s attempt to thank her felt rather awkward due to her indifferent attitude.

This result was far from what Yang Fan had anticipated!

He thought that Wen Tang’s assistance was at least partly because she had some interest in Gong Yue!

He had heard that Wen Tang hadn’t socialized with any actors during the month since the show started. Was she waiting for Gong Yue to join the crew since the opening ceremony?

After Wen Tang closed her eyes, Gong Yue finally looked directly at her.

He frowned.

What does she mean?

Is she saying they’re being presumptuous?!