The meal was eaten in silence.

It was also the first time today that Guan Ciyan didn’t scold him for being useless, though he did scold someone else.

Jian Yang found the food tasteless, and after finishing the meal, he politely said goodbye to Guan Ciyan, “Sir, I’m going upstairs to sleep. I woke up very early this morning.”

“Go ahead,” said Guan Ciyan. Recently, he had been spending more time in the living room. Summer clung to him to play, while Little Sun watched from the side, gradually leaning toward the enemy. From time to time, Summer would walk past him, rubbing against his body, leaving cat fur behind.

Jian Yang, seeing the harmonious scene of one person, one cat, and one dog, paused for a moment when he reached the stairs and looked back.

Unconsciously, he had been in this world for almost half a month. Things had started going downhill, but since moving into Guan Ciyan’s house, everything had gone smoothly, and there had been… unexpected privileges.

Guan Ciyan wasn’t as dangerous as he had seemed when they first met; he just liked to tease him.

Did he really want to break this hard-earned peaceful situation?

Guan Ciyan had both old and new whip scars on his body. Maybe in the Guan family, he wasn’t as capable as described in the book. Old Master Guan clearly favored Guan Jingyu, and if Jian Yang went to find Guan Jingyu, it would be like returning to the plot of the original book, and Guan Ciyan would die with regret.

“Die with regret” flashed through Jian Yang’s mind.

He was so excited that he used only his waist strength to sit up from the bed.

Guan Ciyan was going to die?! No, it couldn’t happen.

He didn’t want Guan Ciyan to die anymore.

How could he? After all, Guan Ciyan had been providing him free meals for some time.

And what about Director Xu? He had rejected the theater’s golden schedule, essentially tearing ties with the Jian family.

Ah—

Jian Yang silently screamed.

How could this happen?

The star-shaped lights on the ceiling blinked, like the soft whisper of the wind, lulling him to sleep.

Jian Yang gritted his teeth, secretly taking out a business card and staring at it for two minutes.

He took out his phone and quickly sent a message to Guan Jingyu.

[Tomorrow at three o’clock, see you at Poly Sports Arena.]

Guan Jingyu didn’t reply.

Jian Yang waited until the early morning, but gradually, he felt a sense of relief.

If Guan Jingyu gave up colluding with him, then he wouldn’t have to push Guan Ciyan toward death.

The next day, he still had the driver take him to the Poly Sports Arena, where he rented a court to play tennis.

At 3:15, Guan Jingyu entered, wearing a baseball cap, with sunglasses covering half of his face. His upper body was in a classic Nike sports jacket, and he wore black sneakers under his cargo pants. As soon as he walked into the arena, people couldn’t help but glance at him, both men and women.

As expected of the protagonist’s male lead.

Even with 80% of his face covered, you could still tell he was handsome.

Handsome really is a kind of feeling, Jian Yang thought to himself.

When Guan Ciyan saw him, he extended his arm to wave. Jian Yang’s admiration for his beauty quickly faded, and he muttered to himself, “What a pity, he’s a fool. Even if he’s cured, he’ll still be drooling.”

Jian Yang immediately turned around and focused on playing tennis. Guan Jingyu circled around him, saying, “Yang Yang, you finally decided to contact me.”

“Yang Yang, I’ve been looking for you for a long time.”

“My uncle didn’t make things difficult for you, did he?”

Jian Yang kept his eyes on the tennis ball, his lips not moving but directly cursing, “Are you stupid? Don’t talk to me like that. Go change your clothes.”

Jian Yang ran to the right, and Guan Jingyu followed him.

“Yang Yang, let’s sit down and talk properly.”

Jian Yang missed a shot, and his racket was just in time to hit Guan Jingyu’s head. “If that happens, Guan Ciyan will know we met tonight. Go change and play tennis.”

“I’m not afraid of him,” Guan Jingyu said with righteous confidence.

It was probably the self-assurance of a protagonist.

“Then don’t be afraid. Take off your sunglasses and cap,” Jian Yang rolled his eyes and pushed Guan Jingyu away to fetch the ball.

Guan Jingyu grumbled while changing into a short-sleeve sports shirt, still wearing his cap and sunglasses. Jian Yang said with concern, “Oh, aren’t you not afraid?”

“Yang Yang, what’s wrong with you? You weren’t like this before.” Guan Jingyu tried to grab Jian Yang’s hand.

Jian Yang shoved the racket into his hand, “Play tennis.”

Right now, Guan Jingyu’s momentum wasn’t as strong as Jian Yang’s. He followed Jian Yang to play tennis, only speaking a few words in between.

Well, that’s how it was with Guan Ciyan standing next to them, and neither of them heard what they were saying.

Guan Jingyu smiled, “Yang Yang, you’ve become smarter.”

Jian Yang didn’t look at him, but Guan Jingyu’s familiar tone made him feel more guilty toward Guan Ciyan.

“Where did you get the business card from Teacher Wen Ye?” Jian Yang didn’t want to waste any more words.

“Yang Yang, I haven’t been able to contact you recently. Did Guan Ciyan control your phone? Did you get the message I sent you last night?”

…

Slap—

Jian Yang fiercely hit a ball and ran away from Guan Jingyu.

“Whether you received it or not, I came to tell you something serious. If you don’t want to talk, I’ll leave.”

“Wait, Yang Yang.” Guan Jingyu stopped playing and came to Jian Yang’s side.

Jian Yang gave him a slap and went to the car to grab another ball. Guan Jingyu continued, “I’ll tell you. The business card was given to me by the male lead of the movie Teacher Wen Ye won an award for. This year, he won the Silver Laurel Award for Best Actor, Bai Shun. He and Teacher Wen Ye had some contact two years ago.”

“Two years ago?” Jian Yang’s confidence dropped by half. “Now, whether we can contact him is another matter.”

“So, I need you,” Guan Jingyu looked at Jian Yang, his hand lifting as if to grab him but then pulling it back. “My uncle is also gathering information on Director Wen Ye. If you find out anything, let me know. I’ve already prepared the audition clips, and Bai Shun and I will act together. As long as we can meet Director Wen Ye, with Bai Shun’s reputation, we can definitely get him to come out of retirement. Yang Yang, we’ll succeed.”

“We?” Jian Yang asked, “What do I get out of this? Why is it ‘we’?”

As Jian Yang ran past Guan Jingyu, he threw a parting line, glancing at him from the corner of his eye. Guan Jingyu seemed to be struck by an electric shock.

In his memory, Jian Yang had always been gentle, soft, always looking at him. No matter what he said, Jian Yang would agree. Some things he couldn’t say, but Jian Yang would understand his meaning and take the initiative to say it, saving him from being the bad guy.

Just now, Jian Yang glanced at him, seemingly with disdain and doubt. His fair neck turned pale from the exercise, and his lips were flushed, looking strikingly red. His proud expression and tone, combined with his beautiful and fragile figure, exerted an effort to release a sense of strength while swinging his racket.

He gave his all, yet remained small and powerless.

Guan Jingyu looked at Jian Yang seriously for the first time and realized that Jian Yang was actually quite good-looking. True to his name, his almond-shaped eyes always sparkled, especially when he looked at him from behind, his warmth almost overflowing. Guan Jingyu’s heart began to race.

Things he had once overlooked now flashed before his eyes—Jian Yang’s expressions.

As cute and soft as a little lamb.

He had once thought this was something the Jian family had specially crafted, enjoying it but not paying much attention.

Now, Jian Yang was angry with him, unwilling to call him “we,” and his warm almond eyes no longer held just his figure, making Guan Jingyu unable to stop paying attention.

Jian Yang was still angry, and Guan Jingyu treated him like a fool. He had asked him to help harm Guan Ciyan, yet didn’t want to give him anything in return.

Was he really that cheap and stupid?

Meanwhile, Guan Ciyan and his friend stood in the VIP lounge, having a clear view of the situation outside.

“So, this is the kid you raised at home? What’s his last name, the one with the surname Jian? He’s out here flirting with men behind your back, and it’s Guan Jingyu, too. Is he trying to take advantage of both the Guan family’s uncles and nephews?” The man stood half a step behind Guan Ciyan. “Your little nephew’s eyes are almost popping out.”

Guan Ciyan gave an ambiguous smile. “Isn’t this interesting? Guan Jingyu has always thought that I took what was rightfully his since the day he was born.”

“Shit, you’re serious about this?”

“When have I not been serious?”

His friend’s eyes lit up, and he put his hand on Guan Ciyan’s shoulder. “Let’s see how long you can hold out this time.”

Guan Ciyan tilted his head, his gaze falling on the hand on his shoulder. His friend quickly withdrew it with a forced smile. “The Guan family was always meant to be yours.”

Guan Ciyan didn’t deny it, raising his hand to call the ball boy. “Send some orange juice to Court No. 2, and tell them it’s provided by the venue.”

Kids love these sweet drinks, and since he came, the fridge has always been stocked with all kinds of fruit juice.

Jian Yang indeed fell for it. His health wasn’t great, and after a while of playing, he got tired and needed to replenish his sugar. He drank the juice, one sip after another, and before long, he needed to go to the bathroom.

Guan Ciyan watched the two figures leave the court and told his friend, “Wait here, I’m going to the bathroom.”

“Isn’t there a bathroom in the lounge?” His friend stared as Guan Ciyan walked out to the public restroom.

“Yangyang, it’s not like that. If I could act in a movie with Director Wen Ye, I’d be the lead, and I’d definitely give you a role,” Guan Jingyu said, pulling Jian Yang outside the restroom. “I’m not asking you to sacrifice for me.”

“Guan Jingyu,” Jian Yang didn’t feel his sincerity or respect and had already lost interest in the idea of cooperating. “Have you ever considered that the things you can offer, Guan Ciyan can give me too, maybe even more.”

“It’s different. The Guan family will eventually be mine,” Guan Jingyu said firmly.

Jian Yang chuckled. “The Guan family will eventually be mine. Didn’t my kindergarten teacher teach me that good things should be shared with everyone?”

“No,” Guan Jingyu said urgently. “Guan Ciyan’s mother isn’t my dad’s real sister. His mother is a third-rate actress. Grandpa went to the public office there, and his mom got him drunk, slept with him, and Grandpa was furious. He punished her severely and locked her up. But unexpectedly, she got pregnant with Guan Ciyan. You saw it at the old house that night. Grandpa doesn’t like Guan Ciyan. He’s just temporarily entrusted some assets to him, but it’ll all be mine in the end. Yangyang, I can give you everything.”

This time, Jian Yang was truly stunned, staring at himself in the mirror, and the doubts in his mind unraveled one by one.

Why did Guan Ciyan willingly accept the beating without resisting?

Why couldn’t he become the protagonist?

Why did he end up dying so miserably, with no one even collecting his body?

Clearly, he was a thousand times more outstanding than Guan Jingyu.

“Yangyang, do you still want to choose Guan Ciyan?” Guan Jingyu asked again, but with no trace of doubt in his tone.

Jian Yang felt uneasy. “What about Guan Ciyan’s mother now?”

“Someone like her, Grandpa can’t stand. No one dares to care about her.” Guan Jingyu finally grabbed Jian Yang’s arm. “Yangyang, help me, please. I won’t let you down. As long as I get the information about Director Wen Ye from Guan Ciyan, I’ll take you out.”

Jian Yang slowly and heavily said, “Okay.”

Actually, Jian Yang had chosen a very good location. The sports arena was noisy, and everyone wore similar clothes. Even if Guan Ciyan had planted spies around him, they wouldn’t know who he was playing with. It was just bad luck that Guan Ciyan happened to be at the court today.