“Spring Awakens” officially started production, and the lead male role was cast as Cao Yuanye. The rest of the cast members were all alumni of Director Lu Zhuo, saving a large sum in actor fees.

Other than confirming Cao Yuanye for the lead role, Yu Yan did not interfere with Lu Zhuo and Sun Lei’s casting decisions. He only requested that they conduct background checks to ensure that none of the actors had any criminal records or moral flaws, to avoid any issues that could jeopardize the show’s airing.

After consultations with an international expert team, Cao Yuanye’s mother was discharged from the hospital. She only needed to undergo dialysis once a week from now on, and her condition was stable with no major issues.

Cao Yuanye rented a small house near the hospital to live with his mother. To thank Yu Yan, his mother made several bags of marinated food and sent them to the company, vacuum-sealed.

Yu Yan kept half and had the company cafeteria staff process it, while the other half he took home.

“Spring Awakens” didn’t attract any other investments, and at the opening ceremony, Yu Yan’s name appeared after “producer,” which made him feel a bit strange, as if he had transformed from an employee into the boss.

Being a small-budget web drama, the production didn’t generate much buzz. Additionally, with no big-name actors, directors, or screenwriters, it drew even less attention.

The props team was setting up the scene, and Cao Yuanye had already completed his styling.

Yu Yan walked around a bit before leaning against a pillar.

Lu Zhuo handed him a cigarette, but Yu Yan waved it off, “I don’t smoke.”

Lu Zhuo paused for a moment with his lighter, “Would you mind if I smoked?”

“I don’t mind,” Yu Yan shook his head, watching several actors rehearsing.

Lu Zhuo lit the cigarette, took a deep drag, and said, “To be honest, I’m really not confident. I used to smoke half a pack a day, but now it’s two packs a day.”

Yu Yan suddenly smiled, “What’s the matter? A while ago, when you wanted me to invest, weren’t you so confident, saying that the audience was tired of idol dramas and that ‘Spring Awakens’ would be a breath of fresh air?”

“That was just to attract investors,” Lu Zhuo awkwardly laughed, “No one can predict the public’s tastes. Even with the same genre and crew, some projects flop. I’ve put all my hopes into this one. If it fails, I’ll be begging on the streets. When that happens, will you toss me a bun?”

“Not likely. Didn’t people criticize ‘Twenty Years’ before it aired? But it still became a huge hit,” Yu Yan responded, not as anxious because he already knew the show wouldn’t flop, and he even had the mind to comfort Lu Zhuo.

Lu Zhuo shook his head, “This is different. ‘Twenty Years’ was a big production, directed by Director Fang. Right now, several period dramas are starting production just to ride on that heat. ‘Spring Awakens’ has a different theme, so it can’t benefit from that.”

“The different theme is good. By the end of the year, when all these period dramas air at once, the audience will still get aesthetic fatigue,” Yu Yan said.

“Mainly…” Lu Zhuo sighed, “I’m worried no platform will buy ‘Spring Awakens.'”

After all this buildup, it turned out he was waiting to hear this.

Yu Yan understood, “Just focus on filming, I’ll handle the rest.”

“Thank you, Mr. Yu. With your words, I’m reassured.” Lu Zhuo took out another cigarette.

Yu Yan waved his hand, not really concerned, “Isn’t there a lot of other productions shooting here?”

“Dozens of them. As long as they don’t rely heavily on sets, most productions shoot here. It’s cheap,” Lu Zhuo answered.

“I don’t visit the set often, so please take care of Cao Yuanye and make sure no one bothers him.”

When he was wandering around earlier, Yu Yan saw Chen Hao’s figure. He thought Chen Hao had come to cause trouble for Cao Yuanye, but after asking, he learned that Chen Hao’s new drama was also shooting here.

There was only one film base near Jing City, so running into him wasn’t surprising. Still, Yu Yan thought it was better to stay cautious.

Yu Yan trusted Cao Yuanye to a certain extent, and since he wasn’t staying at the set, he ate a lunchbox with the extras and planned to head back to the company.

Just a few steps out of the set, Yu Yan ran into Qi Mo.

After sending a message to Qi Mo after the new year, the two would occasionally exchange a few words, but it was always a matter of testing each other, both cautious and guarded, without revealing much.

At first, Yu Yan had wondered how it seemed like Qi Mo suddenly grew a brain, but now he understood.

The person beside Qi Mo was named Qi Ke, his older brother.

Unlike Qi Mo, who was a clueless second-generation heir, Qi Ke had a gloomy personality, cruel methods, and entered the company right after coming of age. He had a lot of influence within the company.

On the surface, Qi Ke appeared more composed and spoke little, but his cold, slanted eyes gave off a feeling of discomfort, like a snake lurking in the dark—cold, slimy, waiting for the perfect moment to strike its prey.

“Young Master Yu, long time no see.”

Qi Mo greeted first, but Yu Yan could sense the unfamiliarity and caution in his words.

“Long time no see. What are you doing here?” Yu Yan looked at him suspiciously.

“My brother invested in a drama that just started production, so I came to take a look. This is my brother, Qi Ke. You should have met him before,” Qi Mo introduced.

The “before” Qi Mo mentioned referred to when the original Yu Yan was still working at Changxing, so Yu Yan didn’t have any particular memory of him.

Qi Ke extended his right hand, “Hello.”

After a brief hesitation, Yu Yan extended his hand, “Hello.”

The handshake was cold and firm, and the brief contact made Yu Yan feel a physical sense of revulsion. He had to suppress the disgust he felt.

“Are you here to visit the set?” Qi Mo asked curiously.

“Yeah.”

“What a coincidence. It’s just around mealtime, how about we go eat together? I tried to arrange something a couple of days ago, but you said you were busy,” Qi Mo chuckled, glancing at Qi Ke’s face as he spoke.

Qi Ke’s gaze was like an anchor, fixed on Yu Yan’s face. Even when Yu Yan deliberately glared back, the other person didn’t avert his eyes at all.

The predatory look made Yu Yan feel even more disgusted, and he didn’t feel like playing along anymore.

Yu Yan’s expression darkened slightly, “No need, I’ve already eaten.”

“So early?” Qi Mo’s tone hesitated.

“I have other things to attend to, I’ll be leaving now.” Yu Yan quickened his pace, ignoring the two of them still standing in place.

Qi Mo withdrew his gaze. “Brother, he’s too smart. He even tricked me into giving him a lot of supplies before, under his own name, to donate to an orphanage.”

“That’s because you’re stupid.” Qi Ke gave him a sideways glance.

Qi Mo muttered a few words, but in the end, didn’t say anything in rebuttal. He could only vent his frustration on Yu Yan, cursing him as “a bastard with no father to raise him.”

He had lost over a million’s worth of goods for nothing, hadn’t received any news, and was scolded for it. His New Year had been ruined.

When Qi Ke looked over at him, Qi Mo quickly changed his expression, “He’s very cautious. He won’t take the bait easily.”

“A prey that resists is more interesting,” Qi Ke tilted his head slightly, his eyes fixed on the car driving away, not retracting his gaze for a long time.

Qi Mo wanted to say something, but fearing he would be scolded, he held his tongue.

On the other side, after getting in the car, Yu Yan still felt uneasy.

Qi Ke’s disgusting gaze lingered in his mind, impossible to shake off. Just thinking about it made him physically nauseous.

During this time, he had been trying to extract some information from Qi Mo, but there had been no progress. He could only pass the message on to Yu Chen. Yu Chen had probably found some information, but hadn’t told him anything yet.

He had overlooked Qi Ke, the key figure in the original story who caused the Yu family’s bankruptcy.

Qi Ke didn’t have much screen time, he was more of a behind-the-scenes big boss, delegating everything to others. Qi Mo was his younger brother, a knife in his hand.

In the original story’s business battle, Yu Chen had gained the upper hand multiple times, almost sending the Qi family to their downfall. But in the end, it was Qi Mo, who couldn’t even get into the company’s front door, that ended up taking the fall.

After arriving at the company, Yu Yan found that Shen Yuchen wasn’t in the office, and the conference room was empty. He then made a phone call, and luckily, it was quickly answered.

“Brother Chen, aren’t you at the company?”

Shen Yuchen’s voice came through the phone, “I’m out negotiating some things.”

“Am I disturbing you? I can call you back later.”

“No need, wait a moment.” Shen Yuchen moved to a more convenient spot to talk, “What’s up?”

Yu Yan returned to his office and paced around. “Is your allergy better? Have you been to the hospital?”

“No need, after applying the medicine, it’s almost healed.” Shen Yuchen gently rubbed the red rash on his neck with his fingertip, no longer feeling any discomfort.

“Is it… all better?” Yu Yan hesitated with his words.

He remembered that Shen Yuchen had some rashes on his back too, but at the time, he hadn’t let him apply any medicine. He wondered how it was now.

If Shen Yuchen hadn’t let him apply it, he probably wouldn’t let anyone else do it either, right?

“Yeah.” Shen Yuchen replied, “Do you need something from me?”

Yu Yan snapped out of it. “Do you have time to have dinner together tonight?”

Shen Yuchen paused for a second before correcting him, “Do you need a favor?”

“Kind of. Nothing gets past you, Brother Chen.”

“What is it? Let me see if I can do it, I don’t want you to waste a meal for nothing.” Shen Yuchen laughed lightly.

“Treating you to a meal isn’t a waste. Even if you don’t help, I’ll still treat you to as many meals as you want.” Yu Yan briefly mentioned meeting the Qi Ke brothers earlier. “Let’s talk more about the details at dinner tonight. Just help me look into them; something doesn’t feel right.”

Yu Yan didn’t visit the set often, and he was there today because of the “Fengchun” drama’s launch. He didn’t believe meeting the Qi Ke brothers there was a coincidence.

“Okay.” Shen Yuchen tightened his grip on the phone and agreed.

Yu Yan chuckled softly. Just then, he heard a familiar voice from the phone. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, “Was that my brother talking just now?”

“Yeah, Minghua and Chaoxing are preparing for a long-term collaboration. They’re still in the discussion stage.” Shen Yuchen confirmed.

Yu Yan immediately felt alarmed, “Brother Chen, don’t let my brother know about this just yet.”

“Why?” Shen Yuchen raised an eyebrow, not agreeing immediately.

“If he finds out, he definitely won’t let me get involved. He might even keep me at home and not let me leave the house.” Yu Yan added, “Brother Chen, please.”

Shen Yuchen swallowed twice before answering, “Alright.”

“Thank you, Brother Chen. Remember to come alone for dinner tonight, don’t bring my brother. I’ll order the food first.”

Yu Yan laughed again and, after hearing Shen Yuchen agree, hung up the phone.