A little over a month after the release of Winter’s Scorching Sun, it concluded its run with an impressive performance. The film achieved both high box office sales and excellent reviews, once again proving Li Lin’s reputation for producing masterpieces. The leading actors also saw their value soar along with the film’s success.

Among them, Yun Yuexian, who played the fourth male lead, gained a lot of attention for his scenes with Liang Zichen. Their chemistry on screen was explosive, and Yun Yuexian’s popularity surged, even surpassing that of the female lead.

With this rise in popularity, positive feedback flooded the internet. Not only did Yun Yuexian gain a significant number of new fans, but it was rumored that work offers were pouring in, with multiple scripts and endorsement deals coming his way.

Even after the film had wrapped, Yun Yuexian and Liang Zichen continued to interact on Weibo, fueling fan speculation. Their close off-screen relationship led to an explosion of CP (couple) fans who couldn’t get enough of their dynamic.

Although the solo fans of both actors, especially Liang Zichen’s, were not so thrilled and subtly insinuated that Yun Yuexian was riding on Liang’s popularity, this didn’t dampen the overall enthusiasm.

Even some gossip accounts started speculating whether they had developed feelings for each other during filming, given their ongoing interactions even after the promotion period ended. However, these rumors quickly disappeared, perhaps thanks to someone’s intervention.

Zhou Yang shared all these bits of gossip with Qin Mingyuan during their work breaks, but Qin Mingyuan barely paid attention, not caring at all about the ongoing developments between these two protagonists.

At this point, Qin Mingyuan felt that he had essentially broken free from the original storyline of the novel. As long as these people didn’t come to bother him, he wasn’t interested in their love or hate dramas.

What concerned him more was that it had been a while since he’d last heard from Yun Pei.

It wasn’t like they were in constant contact before, but they’d exchange a few words now and then. The conversations were brief, yet their chat history had accumulated over time.

Now, though, their last exchange remained from the night of the celebration party, when Yun Pei had asked him if he had gotten home safely. After Qin Mingyuan had replied, there had been no further response from Yun Pei.

Work had been busy for Qin Mingyuan lately, so he hadn’t thought much of it. But when he realized today how long it had been since their last contact, it struck him as odd.

Since when had he started caring about how long it had been since he last contacted someone?

Growing up, his life had made him more independent than other kids his age. He had always done things on his own without asking others for help.

His grandfather was a serious man, and when they sat together, they rarely had much to say to each other, let alone communicate through texts or calls.

As for his parents, well, there was no need to explain that situation.

Unlike other children, he wasn’t into video games. He would often leave his phone in his pocket, almost forgetting its existence.

After starting work, the only calls or messages he received were business-related.

When he first arrived in this world, the person who made him frequently use his phone was Yun Yuexian—the trouble left behind by the original protagonist.

Each message from Yun Yuexian was met with annoyance. For Qin Mingyuan, it was nothing but a headache, something he didn’t want to deal with but had to.

But… Yun Pei was different.

With Yun Pei, Qin Mingyuan felt anticipation and enjoyment in their exchanges. For the first time, he realized that casually chatting with someone, sharing small details of life, wasn’t a waste of time.

“President Qin?”

The slightly louder voice snapped Qin Mingyuan out of his thoughts. He looked up, his face calm as usual, “What is it?”

Zhou Yang hesitated, unsure if he had seen it wrong, but for a moment, it seemed like his boss had zoned out in the middle of the work report.

With nothing more to say, Qin Mingyuan lowered his gaze again, “Continue.”

Zhou Yang, thinking he had made a mistake, touched his nose and resumed his report.

At the end, he hesitated for a moment and glanced at his boss’s expression, “The subsidiary is about to launch a new skincare line. They want to know if you have time to attend the launch event.”

Qin Mingyuan’s gaze landed on Zhou Yang’s face, sensing there was more to this, “What else?”

“As the brand ambassador for our skincare line, Yun Yuexian will likely attend and participate in the promotional shoot for the new products,” Zhou Yang replied in a formal tone.

Qin Mingyuan had almost forgotten that Yun Yuexian was still the face of the subsidiary’s cosmetics line. It reminded him of the first time he had encountered this novel’s protagonist, back when they were filming promotional photos.

“How long is his contract with the subsidiary?”

Zhou Yang hesitated again, lowering his eyes, “It’s a lifetime contract.”

“What?” Even someone as composed as Qin Mingyuan showed a rare moment of surprise.

Zhou Yang dared not meet his eyes, feeling a bit helpless, “You personally drafted it.”

In all fairness, Zhou Yang had tried to advise against it at the time, but his boss had been adamant, determined to give the person he liked a generous gift.

Qin Mingyuan couldn’t help but rub his forehead. For the first time, he marveled at the power of a protagonist’s halo. The original character had left him with a massive headache.

A lifetime endorsement? Even at Yun Yuexian’s value at the time, the endorsement fee would have been in the billions. And given how much the original character cared about him, the price had likely been set even higher.

Though a few billion might not be much to the vast Qin Corporation, it was the principle of it. The fact that all this money was going to Yun Yuexian made Qin Mingyuan feel exasperated.

Plus, the contract also stipulated that a portion of the sales revenue from the cosmetics would be shared with him every year, meaning a steady stream of money would keep flowing out. Cutting ties with him would be difficult.

Even if Qin Mingyuan proposed terminating the contract now, he’d have to pay a massive penalty.

Normally, contracts have a clause stating that if the ambassador’s image damages the brand, the contract can be terminated unconditionally, and in severe cases, the ambassador might even have to pay damages.

But knowing the original character, Qin Mingyuan figured there was no way such a clause existed in this contract. It was probably a one-sided agreement benefiting Yun Yuexian.

Qin Mingyuan closed his eyes, pressing his forehead as he experienced the first real feeling of frustration in a long time.

“President Qin, although the contract was drawn up, it hasn’t been signed yet.”

Qin Mingyuan paused and opened his eyes to see his assistant looking at him, somewhat sheepishly.

Sensing the sharp tension in the air, Zhou Yang began to sweat. He quickly explained, “You intended to give the lifetime contract as a birthday gift to Yun Yuexian, to surprise him. That’s why you didn’t tell him about it. At the time of the shoot, he only signed a regular endorsement contract as a cover. You planned to personally present this contract on his birthday.”

But before that day came, the original “Qin Mingyuan” had been replaced.

Seeing his boss remain silent, Zhou Yang continued, “You didn’t bring the contract that day, and I should have reminded you, but I thought it was inappropriate, so I kept quiet. Afterward, you never mentioned it again, and as we got busy, I forgot about it too…”

His voice trailed off, growing quieter as he felt more and more guilty. Finally, he bowed deeply, “I apologize, it was my failure.”

Zhou Yang stayed bent over for a long time without hearing a word. Anxiety crept in—could this mistake end his career?

“Zhou Yang.”

The neutral tone reached Zhou Yang’s ears, making him tense up. He carefully looked up, only to find his boss wearing a surprisingly mild expression.

For the first time, Qin Mingyuan felt satisfied with this assistant and forgave him for the earlier scare, “You’ll get double your bonus this year.”

Zhou Yang was stunned, dumbfounded by the unexpected reward.

“Now go bring me that contract,” Qin Mingyuan said, giving him no time to process the news as he gestured for him to get back to work.

Feeling like he had narrowly escaped disaster, Zhou Yang eagerly fetched the absurd contract from the records and laid it on the desk.

Qin Mingyuan quickly read through it, his expression confirming what he had expected. The original character hadn’t let him down—this contract was so favorable to Yun Yuexian it almost made it seem like he was the client. Every clause prioritized his interests.

“What was the contract the subsidiary had him sign?” Qin Mingyuan asked.

Zhou Yang replied, “A standard contract based on Yun Yuexian’s market value at the time, set for a one-year partnership. It’s set to expire at the end of January next year.”

With just over three months left, Qin Mingyuan’s fingers tapped on the desk. If they initiated the termination, they’d have to pay a penalty, but it would only amount to a few million at most. Still, he disliked losing money.

“Tell the subsidiary to delay the product launch. Wait for my instructions,” Qin Mingyuan ordered. Perhaps they would soon have a new spokesperson.

Yun Yuexian’s recent high-profile actions showed he hadn’t learned his lesson from the last incident. He seemed eager to flaunt his relationship with Liang Zichen, as if afraid no one would notice.

This behavior was a bit different from how the character acted in the book. In the story, Yun Yuexian was more low-key during this period. Qin Mingyuan suspected his own indifference might have triggered this shift, making Yun Yuexian anxious to grasp onto something, fearful of ending up empty-handed.

In the original novel, the protagonist pair confirmed their feelings for each other around New Year’s. After that, Yun Yuexian faced fierce opposition from Gao Qing, including a drop in work opportunities and a wave of negative press, which led to a period of career stagnation.

But judging by the current situation, Qin Mingyuan thought they might not even need to wait until then.

With Gao Qing’s personality, she wouldn’t tolerate Yun Yuexian repeatedly acting so recklessly. This time, she might just crush him completely.

Liang Zichen’s ability to help was limited since he hadn’t yet fully escaped his own mother’s control.

Zhou Yang was about to leave when his boss called him back.

“Put this through the shredder,” Qin Mingyuan said, handing over the contract he no longer wanted to see.

Zhou Yang took it and left, leaving the office in silence.

Qin Mingyuan glanced at his phone sitting nearby, hesitated, but ultimately didn’t reach for it. Instead, he picked up the unfinished documents on his desk.

As if responding to some unconscious expectation, the previously silent phone suddenly rang. It wasn’t a message, but a call.

Seeing the name on the screen, Qin Mingyuan was a bit surprised. Usually, he and Yun Pei communicated through text, rarely calling each other.

Perhaps… Yun Pei also felt they hadn’t been in touch for a while and decided to be more proactive?

A faint smile unknowingly formed on Qin Mingyuan’s lips as he answered the call and put the phone to his ear, “Hello?”

“Qin Mingyuan…”

The voice on the other end was hoarse, with a faint nasal tone. The way Yun Pei called his name sounded as if he was grasping for a lifeline.

Qin Mingyuan’s smile faded instantly. He stood up from his chair and walked toward the floor-to-ceiling windows, his voice soft, “What’s wrong?”

After he asked, there was a long silence on the other end. Qin Mingyuan waited patiently, not pressing for an answer.

Both sides were quiet, with only the sound of each other’s soft breathing coming through the phone.

“Can I… ask you for a favor?”

The voice finally came through again. Without hesitation, Qin Mingyuan responded, “Of course.”

Another long pause followed before Yun Pei spoke again, “Are you free right now? I’d like to meet with you. I want to talk about this in person.”