Jian Yang had just picked up his chopsticks when the director was about to speak. Recalling the lesson from the white porridge at the Jian family, which he had passed by three times without touching, Jian Yang pressed his index finger to the director’s lips the moment he opened his mouth. “Don’t say anything. If you do, it would be impolite.”

The director tightly pressed his lips together, his fingertips moving on the table as he slid his business card over.

Jian Yang took a deep breath. “Finally, this world has become quiet.”

He picked up the nearest pigeon soup in front of him and slurped it up, followed by steamed shrimp dumplings, blanched bok choy… All the light and nutritious ingredients disappeared completely.

Finally, unable to resist, he ate two oil-braised giant prawns.

After relieving his hunger, he switched to automatic blocking mode for the raw seafood and spicy Sichuan dishes on the table.

As long as I can’t see it, it doesn’t exist.

Jian Yang waved his hand, forcing himself to keep quiet.

If his sister were here, she wouldn’t allow him to eat recklessly when sick, especially not seafood. But now, after having skipped a meal, he wouldn’t pass up any opportunity to eat.

After finishing his meal, Jian Yang’s eyelids began to droop. His body wasn’t well, and after eating, he felt drowsy and needed about half an hour to digest before his brain could start working again.

At this moment, he could only engage in a silent staring contest with the director.

The director’s eyes were nearly popping out of their sockets.

Jian Yang, already tired, thought the director was hinting for him to stay alert and show the focus from the acting class where they practiced eye contact. He suddenly widened his eyes, making them gleam brightly.

The low-grade fever made his eyes slightly blurred and moist. When he widened his eyes, it looked like a ray of sunlight hitting a lake after rain, creating a misty and sparkling effect.

The director paused, shaking his head in confusion.

Quickly, he averted his gaze. This was something not to be desecrated.

Jian Yang tilted his head, following the director’s gaze. He leaned his large face in front of the director. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

The director made a zipping motion in front of his lips.

“Oh.” Jian Yang suddenly understood. “You can speak now. I just didn’t want you to disturb me while I was eating. You’re so obedient, not saying a word when I told you not to.”

The director was anxious but didn’t dare to show it too much, afraid of offending Jian Yang. “Mr. Jian, what brings you here?”

Jian Yang sincerely replied, “I’d like a box of cold medicine. And if possible, I’d like a bottle of eye drops as well.”

The director: “… Why don’t you eat a bit more? I think you might not have eaten enough just now.”

Jian Yang patted the director’s shoulder, thanking him for his concern. “It’s fine as long as I take medicine with something in my stomach. I have to maintain my figure, otherwise I won’t look good on camera.”

The director lowered his head helplessly, a look of knowing in his eyes, and said in pain, “Mr. Jian, you don’t need to hint at me like this. The script I have doesn’t match your status. If you want to act, with Mr. Guan’s resources, there’s nothing he can’t provide. Even a script picked out of a trash can at Fu Entertainment would be better than mine.”

Jian Yang reiterated his request, “I really just need a box of cold medicine. As for Mr. Guan… Fu Entertainment’s resources don’t concern me.”

“How can it not concern you?” The director pulled up a news article about Jian Yang spending three hours with Guan Ciyan, placing it on the table. “Isn’t this a big deal?”

Silence.

Endless silence.

The director spoke again, “Mr. Jian, what do you think?”

Jian Yang remained silent.

The director explained, “Of course, I’m not saying I want to reject you. It’s just that I don’t have a script here that matches your status. What do you think?”

“I think I should reconsider my career path. Being an actor is exhausting, but being a gossip reporter is much easier.”

Today, this news had rendered his mouth useless twice.

The director spoke seriously, “Are you threatening me? I can’t handle threats. My next play’s script is still pending, there’s no funding, and the actors haven’t been finalized. The male and female leads have signed contracts, and I can’t afford to pay the penalty. There are just a few minor roles left to fill. Mr. Jian, please be merciful.”

Jian Yang noticed the director’s business card while checking his phone. The director had worked on variety shows and web dramas, but there hadn’t been much of a splash. However, judging by the lighting arrangement and stage management earlier, the director wasn’t a complete amateur.

Jian Yang was displeased. “Are you afraid I’ll use Guan Ciyan’s influence to get you to open the back door for me?”

The director panicked. “Who would open the back door for you? I didn’t, don’t make such baseless accusations. I’m innocent.”

Even if he didn’t want Guan Ciyan, no one dared to touch her.

Moreover, decades ago, there was just one piece of scandal surrounding Guan Ciyan.

“Are you questioning my acting skills?” Jian Yang gave the director an intense stare and spoke earnestly, “My eye acting is flawless, okay?”

The director whipped his head around like a wet dog. “That’s close. You got me.”

Jian Yang proudly said, “Of course. I’m the idol drama king.”

Mainly because in his past life, he didn’t have the resources, so he could only take on idol dramas, historical idol dramas, modern idol dramas, and republican-era dramas, all of which involved endless love stories.

A lifelong solo, eight years of romantic experience.

The director moved his chair closer to Jian Yang. “You really don’t like Guan Ciyan?”

“Who would like someone who could punch you to death at any time? She’s too love-brained.”

The director scratched his chin. “Then I can’t use you either. Although your acting… is interesting, I’ve already signed contracts with other actors. And if you don’t like Guan Ciyan, well, you two… it’s a fact.”

The director gave Jian Yang a thumbs-up, but Jian Yang slapped it away. “Stop thinking about that yellow trash. Who said that three hours in a hotel must be… that?”

Jian Yang began pointing at his own fingers.

The director, as if tasting a shocking gossip, exclaimed, “Are you saying Guan Ciyan can’t do it??? Three hours and she still doesn’t have a kid?”

Jian Yang covered the director’s mouth. “I didn’t say that. Stop talking nonsense. Do you want to die?”

The director nodded in agreement.

Humans are like this—once they share a common gossip subject, the distance between them shrinks quickly.

As soon as Jian Yang let go, the director whispered, “So it’s you who can’t do it?”

“I had a bit of alcohol. You know, men can’t perform after drinking.”

“Oh my god.” The director clutched his chest. “I didn’t expect Guan Ciyan to be the one on top.”

Jian Yang slowly realized that last night, he had assumed he was the one on top and drank half a bottle of red wine. But… perhaps… Guan Ciyan wasn’t the one on top?

Faced with the director’s intense curiosity, Jian Yang chose to remain silent.

Between the two evils, choose the lesser one. Compared to spreading rumors, it’s better to just remain silent.

Just then, someone delivered cold medicine and eye drops. Jian Yang took the medicine and discussed with the director, asking for a small role. The salary would be according to the crew’s standards.

Jian Yang ate, took his medicine, and prepared to give it his all.

For the first scene, the first take, the light swept over his face, then dimmed, leaving only a row of white teeth and a face that was dark as charcoal.

For the second take, he crashed into the cameraman while rushing, almost causing an injury.

For the third take, the lead actor went to complain to the director, saying, “As long as this person is still here, I’m going to rest in the car!”

It wasn’t a threat to the director to show off, it was just that Jian Yang had messed up too many times. When he tried to apologize to the lead actor, he accidentally spilled a drink on them, and they had to rush to the bathroom.

The director looked at Jian Yang, sighed deeply, “So you still want to be the main lead.”

Jian Yang: “I don’t! I’m not! Don’t say that.”

But his actions made his denial unconvincing.

A glass of water made someone diarrhea. Even without being drugged, it couldn’t be explained away.

While the main lead rested, everyone else took a break. Out of respect for Guan Ciyan, the director arranged a VIP lounge for Jian Yang.

However, Jian Yang didn’t feel right going, especially since he had delayed everyone’s schedule. The whole day had been unlucky for him, even making mistakes in his strongest skill, acting. He felt something was off but couldn’t pinpoint what.

Jian Yang couldn’t figure it out, so he sat by the roadside and pulled out his phone.

With things having come to this point, he decided to play a game.

“Things have come to this” was Jian Yang’s life safety phrase. It was his secret for surviving 21 years with his sister. No matter how bad or difficult things got, as soon as he said those words, he forced himself to move forward.

His game preference was the same as his reading habit.

“Rose Meteor Garden”—a romance strategy game.

And he had a new player gift pack! Ten pulls for the male lead’s limited card!

This game was pretty similar to the one he played before entering the story, so he quickly found his way to the forum and searched for beginner’s strategies. He couldn’t waste the gift pack.

The forum said that new players were guaranteed to get a seasonal limited card.

The current limited card was the male lead’s beast form, and the forum was already filled with discussions about it.

Good, this was very much in line with Xiao Jian’s taste.

Jian Yang pulled five times in a row, but all he got were unremarkable three-star cards.

“It shouldn’t be like this?” According to general game settings, a beginner should at least get a card of five stars or higher, not limited ones.

Jian Yang grumbled as he walked toward the lounge, thinking that maybe his eyes were affecting his luck. He needed to get the eye drops. Maybe when his eyes improved, his luck would change, and his filming would go more smoothly.

The Jian family’s unique psychic victory method.

Believe that good things will definitely happen!

Jian Yang continued walking and pulling, even getting two two-star cards.

Only one chance left.

Jian Yang stopped.

His eyes, which had just been exposed to the light, started to blur, reminding him that not only had good things not happened, but his eye condition was severely affecting his acting career.

He couldn’t get them wet, couldn’t expose them to bright lights, and his golden eyes limited the roles he could take.

Jian Yang felt a slight sense of loss, but he deliberately suppressed the discomfort. He couldn’t dwell on the sad things.

He rubbed his eyes and walked forward, muttering, “This time, I’m definitely going to get the limited card.”

Splash—”

“The phone was knocked to the ground by someone coming towards him. Jian Yang’s vision was blurry, and he was slower than the other person in picking up the phone. At a not too far nor too close distance, he could only see the pink and green roses on the screen. He sniffled and asked, ‘I can’t see clearly, can you help me check which card I pulled?’

‘Is it you?’

Jian Yang felt the blurry vision in front of him crash into his mind, with lights and shadows overlapping, forming Guan Ciyan’s face.

Before entering the story, he had imagined countless times how good it would be to hear Guan Ciyan’s deep, husky, heavy, magnetic voice.

Now that his eyes couldn’t see clearly, his ears were more sensitive.

—It was really pleasant to hear, but also truly frightening.”