As the words fell, Yu Chen on the other end of the call went silent, and the atmosphere instantly turned quiet.

Shen Yuming added, “Do you need me to wake him up?”

“N-No need…” Yu Chen stammered, “In a few days, the project at Bishuiwan will start. Are there still houses available?”

“Yes,” Shen Yuming nodded.

“Reserve two adjacent villas in a good location for me.”

Shen Yuming raised an eyebrow slightly, “Planning to live apart after getting married?”

“What? No, it’s for my younger brother as a New Year gift. Kids might seem simple-minded, but they’re actually very sensitive. My parents said we need to treat them equally, so whatever I have, he should have too. I figured buying two villas next to each other would make things easier.”

Shen Yuming gently rubbed his fingertips but didn’t respond immediately.

He didn’t fully understand the “fairness” standards in the Yu family. If it was based on contribution, Yu Chen had put in far more effort and deserved more. But if it was based on “making a fuss,” then everything should go to Yu Yan.

However, Yu Yan was, after all, the biological child of Yu Lin and Jiang Mo. Even if the entire Yu family estate went to him, no one would say anything.

“By the way, keep this a secret for me. Don’t tell my brother,” Yu Chen reminded him again.

“Got it,” Shen Yuming agreed. “You don’t need to buy your marital home. I’ll gift it to you.”

“Oh? So generous? Are you serious?” Yu Chen teased.

“Yes, go pick it yourself in a few days.”

The houses at Bishuiwan were still in the soft furnishing stage, and most hadn’t been sold yet, so the prime locations were still available.

Yu Chen didn’t stand on ceremony, “Thanks, brother. When you get married, I’ll gift you a top-tier, fully customized set of furniture from Chaoxing.”

Shen Yuming casually responded, seemingly not very interested.

Yu Chen shifted the topic, “But judging by the current situation, I might not even get the chance to give you that smart home system. Will I get to attend your wedding before I’m buried?”

Shen Yuming let out a light scoff and hung up the phone.

A single villa was worth around 30 million, but the profits Yu Chen had let him take far exceeded that amount.

---

The next day, Yu Yan groggily opened his eyes, greeted by unfamiliar gray curtains.

The morning sunlight streamed through the window, but it offered no warmth.

It took him a while to realize where he was. He yawned and got out of bed.

The bed was empty, with only a perfectly smooth, wrinkle-free quilt remaining.

Following Shen Yuming’s habits, Yu Yan folded the quilt and placed it neatly on the bed, giving the pillow a little shake in the process.

Shen Yuming, fully dressed, seemed to have been awake for quite some time.

“Good morning, Brother Shen.”

“Good morning.”

With a disposable toothbrush in his mouth, Yu Yan brushed past him into the bathroom, scrolling through Weibo as he brushed his teeth.

The names Lu Yan and Jian Ran were once again trending, but this time, there was nothing defamatory attached.

#LuYanLawyerLetter#

#JianRanStatement#

[Lu Yan V: Regarding recent rumors spread by marketing accounts and paparazzi, which have severely affected my reputation…]

Lu Yan posted a lawyer’s letter, suing all the rumor-spreading marketing accounts, paparazzi, and even malicious netizens.

In contrast, Jian Ran’s statement was more understated and formal. It simply clarified that the two were just ordinary friends and reserved the right to pursue legal action against the paparazzi. At the end of the post, he also took the opportunity to promote Twenty Years and Hello, Friend.

Jian Ran’s post wasn’t written by him but by his PR team.

With everything resolved, Yu Yan felt relieved but couldn’t help feeling a little melancholic.

When Jian Ran wasn’t famous, even people in the company looked down on him and were reluctant to spend money removing the slander from trending searches.

The bathroom door was knocked on, and Yu Yan immediately rinsed his mouth.

“Just a moment.”

“Your clothes have arrived. I’ve placed them in your room.”

“Thanks, Brother Shen,” Yu Yan replied quickly.

The clothes Shen Yuming prepared were simple yet sophisticated in design, not Yu Yan’s usual style. They seemed more like Shen Yuming’s own style, giving him an unfamiliar feeling when he wore them.

“We’ll eat at the company later.”

Yu Yan glanced at the time. “I’m visiting the set today to discuss the advertisement shoot. I won’t be going to the company.”

“Suit yourself.”

Overnight, the snow on the roads had been cleared entirely, leaving only the white patches on the shrubs in the flower beds.

While waiting for the car, Yu Yan removed his wool gloves and carefully grabbed a handful of snow from the bushes, pressing it gently with his fingertips.

The large clump of snow gradually shrank into a small ball as he clasped his hands together. Holding it in his palm, he felt an odd sense of satisfaction.

Yu Yan became engrossed and squatted down to slowly build a small snowman, about the size of his hand. He added two twigs for arms.

Pleased with his handiwork, he took over a dozen photos and posted a collage of nine on his social media.

After finishing, he stood up leisurely, only to see Shen Yuming standing a few steps away, hands in his pockets, seemingly having been there for a while.

Shen Yuming always seemed to care about his appearance. Even in sub-zero temperatures, he refused to wear a down jacket, opting instead for a cashmere coat. His tall and straight figure stood out sharply, completely unlike everyone else.

“Brother Shen, didn’t you go to work?”

They had left the house together, and Yu Yan clearly remembered Shen Yuming heading to the company.

Shen Yuming nodded, “I forgot a file.”

“Oh, then you should hurry and go.”

Shen Yuming didn’t say anything, turned around, and left.

After getting in the car, Yu Yan took out his phone and saw that Shen Yuchen had liked one of his posts.

Today was the first day of filming for Twenty Years. Yu Yan had just managed to make it to the opening ceremony.

The filming location was indoors, a newly constructed set that was relatively warm.

The first scene was a dialogue between Lu Yan and the lead actress, while Jian Ran observed and learned from the side. Yu Yan, on the other hand, sat in the back, casually chatting with Song Yunjing.

Song Yunjing gave him a once-over. “That outfit isn’t really your style today.”

“Is it? What style do you think suits me?” Yu Yan asked casually.

Song Yunjing pondered for a moment. “He Zhiyu’s kind of style—covered head-to-toe in logos, so many you can’t count them all on one hand.”

Yu Yan gasped. “That’s a bit much, isn’t it?”

Not a single one of those clothes had been bought by him—they were all the original owner’s.

“By the way, how’s that… movie review coming along?” Yu Yan ground his teeth in frustration. “I sent it to He Zhiyu last night. He said it wasn’t long enough and guilt-tripped me into writing more. I had to stretch it out by over 100 words.”

“You actually wrote it?” Song Yunjing looked at him with sympathy.

Yu Yan was confused. “What else was I supposed to do?”

“For 200 yuan, you could’ve hired a college student to write you several thousand words.” Song Yunjing rummaged through her bag and handed him an A4 sheet of paper. “Three thousand words, handwritten, 500 yuan. Guaranteed to have no duplicate sentences from Baidu.”

The review was full of references, sincere words, and unrelenting praise for the movie.

Looking at it, Yu Yan even doubted if he had watched the same film.

“Didn’t you say 200 yuan? Why did you pay 500?”

“Oh, the student said the movie was so unbearable it ruined their appetite for dinner, so I added 300 as emotional damage compensation,” Song Yunjing said as she put the paper away, fearing He Zhiyu might ask for the hard copy as a keepsake.

After a brief pause, Yu Yan decisively took out his phone. “Give me the student’s contact.”

Song Yunjing made an OK gesture. “I’ll send you their WeChat.”

Yu Yan sent a friend request to the student, and it was accepted almost instantly.

[Yu Yan: Hello.]
[Broken Heart: Is this about a handwritten review?]
[Yu Yan: Yes.]
[Broken Heart: I can’t do it. The movie was too disgusting.]
[Yu Yan: I’ll pay 1,000.]
[Broken Heart: Not even for 1,000. My brain’s been attacked; money can’t fix it.]
[Yu Yan: 2,000.]
[Broken Heart: Tell you what, I’ll let my roommate do it. He once won first prize in a national elementary school essay competition.]
[Yu Yan: Deal.]
[Broken Heart: Payment upfront.]

Without hesitation, Yu Yan transferred 2,000 yuan. Moments later, a new WeChat contact was sent over. He sent a friend request, and it was also accepted immediately.

[Unrestrained Love: Writing a review, right?]
[Yu Yan: Yes. Make it heartfelt.]
[Unrestrained Love: Don’t worry. I’ll watch the movie today and make sure your 200 yuan is well spent.]

Two hundred? The middleman markup was outrageous!

Recalling the seven hardest hours of his life, Yu Yan felt a pang of sympathy for the student and transferred an additional 800 yuan.

[Unrestrained Love: Did you send the wrong amount? My roommate already gave me the money.]
[Yu Yan: Keep it. Consider it emotional damage compensation.]

Feeling lighter after resolving the matter, Yu Yan asked, “How long will filming this series take?”

Song Yunjing put down her script. “The director mentioned yesterday during the script reading that it might take four to six months. But I don’t have many scenes, so I’ll be done in about half a month. Jian Ran has more scenes and might need two to three months.”

“I just watched Jian Ran filming. His performance was better than I expected, and Director Fang didn’t say much.”

The person Yu Yan worried most about was Jian Ran, which was why he came to visit today. Partly to check on him, and partly to show his support.

But after arriving, Yu Yan realized his concerns were unnecessary. With Lu Yan around, there was no need for him to intervene.

Not only Yu Yan—even Director Fang couldn’t give Jian Ran directions without Lu Yan watching over him.

“Jian Ran mainly needs to overcome psychological hurdles. I heard Lu Yan specifically hired a psychologist for him, and he’s doing much better now,” Song Yunjing explained softly.

Yu Yan was surprised. He hadn’t expected Lu Yan to go so far as to hire a psychologist.

“That’s good,” Yu Yan said, relieved.

“I heard you invested in this drama?” Song Yunjing suddenly asked.

“The company allocated 20 million yuan,” Yu Yan replied.

Song Yunjing nodded. “I see. No wonder Director Fang hired me.”

“You’re talented, good-looking—of course they’d cast you,” Yu Yan said with a slight raise of his eyebrow.

Song Yunjing thought for a moment. “Before filming and casting started, Twenty Years faced significant setbacks. Many people thought it was cursed, and even big names in the industry were pessimistic about it. But anyone who’s read the script knows it has the potential to be a hit—even the minor characters spark discussions.”

“Yesterday, during the script reading, a supporting actress mocked me, saying my fame and acting skills weren’t as good as hers, so why did I get more scenes? Director Fang scolded her, and that’s when I found out Xinghai had invested.”

“I got lucky. I never thought I’d get to act in a film my own company invested in.”

Yu Yan smiled faintly. “You’ll have more of these opportunities in the future. Perform well, and go shoot that sportswear commercial on the weekend. By the way, there’s a literary film offering you the female lead role. Interested?”

Since he hadn’t heard of the movie, it likely wasn’t a major success. However, it was still a lead role in a film, so Yu Yan decided to ask for Song Yunjing’s opinion rather than making the decision himself.

After all, she didn’t have a notable TV drama to her name yet, and stepping into a lead role on the big screen would be a significant leap.

“Female lead? Me?” Song Yunjing asked incredulously.

“Yes.”

“What’s your opinion?” she asked.

Yu Yan thought for a moment. “Looking at the past decade of films, the hits are usually patriotic or comedic. The market for literary films is small and rarely sees big successes.”

Song Yunjing immediately caught the implication. “Let’s pass on it. It’s not suitable.”

“Are you sure? It’s the female lead role in a movie,” Yu Yan confirmed again.

After some thought, Song Yunjing said, “I don’t have much public attention or any standout works right now. Why would they approach me? I think it might have something to do with the news about Director Fang’s new film securing premium screening slots leaking.”

Yu Yan suddenly realized. No wonder the caller had been so vague—they were aiming for those coveted screening slots!

“So that’s why they approached me.” Yu Yan muttered. “Never mind, I’ll find you another role.”

Before Twenty Years aired and before Song Yunjing gained widespread popularity, Yu Yan knew he had to seek out resources for her himself.

Yu Yan stepped out for some air and bumped into Lu Yan, nearly losing his balance.

Lu Yan ignored him and walked straight to a group extra in a tattered army-green sweater, slamming the person against the wall.