“Do I look like someone with that much free time?” Wen Lin’s words were laced with sarcasm, but Ming Che was satisfied with the outcome. He wiped his mouth.

“Then I won’t disturb you any longer. I’ll be leaving.”

It’s not a good idea to have any more interactions with Wen Lin at this point.

“Ming Che.”

Wen Lin called out to him.

“Don’t you have anything to say to me?”

“Haven’t we already caught up?”

“Is that enough?” Wen Lin stood up and walked towards him, his gaze fixed intently on Ming Che.

“Do you remember what you said?”

Ming Che feigned confusion. “It’s been five years. Honestly, I don’t really remember. But I think… we didn’t have any grudges, right?”

Ha?

Wen Lin thought this person was truly something. The emotions he had suppressed for so long were unleashed by a simple sentence. For countless nights, he still dreamt of that incident.

And the culprit claimed he didn’t remember.

“What about this? Does it jog your memory?”

Wen Lin trapped Ming Che in the chair, staring into his eyes.

Playing dumb now wouldn’t be wise. Ming Che nonchalantly smiled.

“If you’re still bothered, I can let you touch me back.”

“…”

Wen Lin gritted his teeth. “No need.”

“Then can I leave? I don’t want to keep my agent waiting.”

Wen Lin stepped back, turning away from Ming Che.

The sound of footsteps gradually faded as Ming Che left.

…

Lu Hai, who had been waiting downstairs, grew increasingly anxious as time passed. When Ming Che finally returned, he eagerly asked about the situation.

“How did it go? Did you get along?”

Ming Che didn’t plan to reveal much. “It was alright. Just like you said, we had a meal. Let’s drive back; I’m tired.”

Lu Hai agreed, relieved, and drove Ming Che back to the hotel.

That evening, Ming Che took a shower and relaxed on the sofa, eating ice cream he had just taken from the fridge.

[Host, are you okay?] 977 asked worriedly. In their plan, they hadn’t intended for the main character gong to meet him again.

[I’m fine. Just thinking I might have chosen the wrong profession back then.]

He had thought that after distancing himself from Wen Lin, he wouldn’t be involved in the subsequent plot. But it turned out there was still a scenario where Wen Lin would find him.

It’s too late to quit the industry now, and besides, he quite enjoyed his job.

[Oh well, once he meets the other main character, everything should fall into place.]

If Wen Lin came looking for him again before that, he’d just have to…

Play it by ear.

With an early shoot the next day, Ming Che finished his ice cream, brushed his teeth, and went to bed.

The schedule on set was tight. Ming Che filmed intensively all morning and finally got a break for lunch.

In the trailer, his assistant had prepared his meal. Although he had a physique that didn’t gain weight easily, he still watched his diet during filming.

For convenience, his long hair was tied back. After lunch, Ming Che rested in the chair for a bit before resuming the afternoon shoot.

The following week followed the same pattern. Ming Che had long forgotten about Wen Lin. Today’s schedule showed his last scene ending at 3 PM, leaving the afternoon and evening free for rest.

It was a scene with the female lead, where her character, a new disciple, accidentally trespasses into a forbidden area. Ming Che’s character, the senior brother, goes in to find her. The area is fraught with danger, and when the female lead gets injured, the senior brother carries her to safety.

The actress was petite, and even in heavy costume, she was easy to carry. Ming Che completed the scene effortlessly. After greeting the director, he planned to leave but was stopped.

“A major investor is visiting. Could you show them around?”

It wasn’t unreasonable to suspect the investor’s true identity, especially given the timing. But what if it wasn’t?

“I’ll go remove my makeup.”

“Director Chen.”

The voice shattered Ming Che’s last hope. Who else could it be but Wen Lin?

“Mr. Wen, let me introduce you. This is—”

Wen Lin spoke first. “Ming Che.”

“You know each other?” Director Chen asked.

“We’ve known each other for a while. Director Chen, you don’t need to worry about me,” Wen Lin said, prompting Director Chen to leave with a smile, patting Ming Che on the shoulder.

“What a coincidence. I didn’t expect you’d invest in our production.”

Wen Lin looked at him. “Not a coincidence. I decided to invest because you’re in it.”

Ming Che paused. “Hmm?”

“Just kidding. Investment decisions are made by professionals after thorough research, and it’s not my department.”

Alright then.

Ming Che smiled slightly. “What brings you here? I didn’t think you’d be interested in a film set.”

“I’m not here out of boredom.”

“…”

“Can I take that as you coming specifically for me?” Ming Che remained unaffected, smiling flawlessly.

Wen Lin glanced at him, a quick smirk of mockery on his lips.

“You think highly of yourself.”

“It’s not about me. It’s about Director Chen. You must be here because of him, right? Whether I’m here or not doesn’t matter, does it?”

Ming Che was still in costume, a simple yet elegant outfit with only a jade hairpin, but it couldn’t hide his noble aura. His slight frown as he spoke to Wen Lin drew attention to his every move.

Wen Lin couldn’t bring himself to say the harsh words on his tongue, but he hated the feeling of being manipulated.

“But we were friends once.”

Ming Che leaned closer, tilting his head slightly.

“I can show you around on behalf of Director Chen, right?”

So close, he could see every lash, dense like butterfly wings, as if they might land in someone’s palm at any moment.

“Since it’s a cultivation setting, our set has a lot of scenery. Look at that,” Ming Che pointed to a nearby palace.

“That’s where our disciples practice swordsmanship. Next to it are the dormitories, where we sometimes film nighttime conversations.”

Ming Che talked a lot, and Wen Lin listened quietly, suddenly asking, “Tired?”

The question surprised even Wen Lin.

“No, if I’m not running a stall, this is what I want to do.” Ming Che led him past crew members carrying boxes, onto a wide path, and let go.

“That’s about it for this area. There are other sets, but they’re farther away, so let’s skip them.” Ming Che twirled a lock of hair on his shoulder.

“I need to go to the makeup room to remove my makeup and take off the wig. Let’s call it a day.”

Ming Che led him to the parking area. His assistant waved from the car, and Ming Che walked over. Before he could take a few steps, a strong grip caught his wrist.

“Is it polite to leave halfway through hosting? I haven’t seen the makeup room yet. Let’s go together.”

So persistent. This guy’s strength had grown. Ming Che didn’t bother to struggle, conceding.

“The car’s over there.”

The assistant watched Ming Che bring a stranger into the car, silently questioning him with a look.

“Investor. Director Chen asked me to show him around.”

The assistant quickly greeted, “Hello, hello.”

Wen Lin: “Hello.”

Once seated, the driver started the car. At the destination, Ming Che changed out of his costume, and the makeup artist removed his makeup and wig.

Soon, Ming Che was ready. His own clothes were casual, with a black baseball cap covering his head, revealing only the lower half of his face. At a glance, it felt like a journey through time.

“Brother Ming, are we heading back to the hotel?”

Ming Che looked at Wen Lin. “I’m a bit tired.”

“No problem. The hotel is worth a look.”

Can’t shake him off, huh? Ming Che felt a headache coming on, rubbing his temples.

“Let’s go.”

Eventually, he brought Wen Lin to his hotel room.

“I’m going to shower. Make yourself comfortable.”

Ming Che took his clothes into the bathroom. The glue in his hair was bothersome, so he washed thoroughly, emerging refreshed.

Wen Lin sat on the sofa, the TV playing commercials. Ming Che joined him, leaning against the sofa, propping his head with his hand.

“I’m going to sleep. There’s nothing interesting to watch, right?”

Wen Lin ignored him. Ming Che glanced at him, sleepiness washing over him like a wave.

So sleepy.

…

Wen Lin watched him from the corner of his eye, noticing when he fell asleep, then turned to look.

His gaze softened as it landed on Ming Che’s sleeping face.

This person had simply found what he wanted to do, which was why he left back then.

Wen Lin found himself thinking he wasn’t wrong.

His thoughts became chaotic. Staying here, he couldn’t think clearly. Wen Lin looked away, stood up, and left.

…

When Ming Che woke, the room was empty. He rubbed his face.

[977, when did he leave?]

[Shortly after you fell asleep, but he watched you for a while before leaving.]

[Watched me?]

Wen Lin’s recent behavior was indeed unusual. Where had things gone wrong?

The question soon slipped from Ming Che’s mind. Wen Lin didn’t appear again for a long time, and life returned to normal.

Ming Che got along well with the two leads in the crew. They chatted and joked on set. The drama had been filming for a month, with another month to go.

One day, the crew wrapped early, and the leads planned a meal for everyone. The restaurant was near the hotel. Ming Che showered and went to join them.

Outside of filming, everyone was relaxed. A bit of alcohol loosened tongues, and conversations flowed. Ming Che rarely drank, but he couldn’t refuse and had a few beers.

“I really want to fall in love!!” the female lead suddenly wailed, clutching a bottle.

“Have you all dated before?”

“Yeah, but I broke up before signing with the company,” the male lead replied.

With an answer, the female lead turned to Ming Che. “What about you, Ming Che?”

“Nope.”

“???”

“I don’t believe it.”

Ming Che held his glass. “I guess you could say I was rejected.”

Gossip was human nature. No one expected Ming Che to have experienced such a thing, and they pressed for details, but he laughed it off.

By 9 PM, assistants arrived to take everyone home. Ming Che returned to the hotel, unsure how much he drank, but he could walk fine and felt clear-headed, though his vision seemed a bit blurry.

Who was standing at his room door?