MMH Chapter 4

He Jing first went to deliver vegetables and meat to Aunt Ye, and it just so happened that Zhou Nianyuan and Guan Pan were also at the Zhou family’s old residence.

Whenever he had some free time, Zhou Nianyuan would return to the old residence to accompany Aunt Ye. Now that he was married to Guan Pan, he naturally accompanied him.

Although Zhou Nianyuan was the son of Aunt Ye’s younger cousin, Aunt Ye had no biological children of her own. When he was very young, she brought him to live with her, treating him as her own child. Zhou Nianyuan’s relationship with Aunt Ye was even better than that with his biological mother.

Aunt Ye offered He Jing tea and expressed her sincere gratitude for his parents’ kindness. After that, she went to the kitchen with Guan Pan to personally organize the items He Jing had brought.

In the living room, only Zhou Nianyuan and He Jing remained.

He Jing poured a cup of tea for his boss and calmly said, “Xiao Ting sent me a WeChat message.”

Zhou Nianyuan raised an eyebrow.

He Jing continued, “He’s playing a dead body.” Without thinking, he knew it was his boss trying to teach the kid a lesson. So his next question was, “What did he do?”

It must be something that irritated his boss to the point of making him play a dead body.

Zhou Nianyuan gave him a sidelong glance.

This right-hand man had always been sharp and clever. He had decided to treat He Jing as a comrade after observing him for just a month, all thanks to He Jing’s exceptional intelligence.

Taking a sip of tea, he casually mentioned, “Last night, both Ah-Pan and I were about to sleep, but he came over to our house and wanted to chat with Ah-Pan.”

He Jing’s eyes lowered slightly.

He understood.

That kid Ye Ting must have gone there to be a third wheel again, leading Zhou Nianyuan to send him to the film and television city.

In the end, it was his fault.

It was because he got rejected, and the kid felt upset, so he went to disturb Zhou Nianyuan and Guan Pan to alleviate his sorrow.

He Jing sighed softly and said, “I’ll apologize on his behalf.”

Zhou Nianyuan suddenly perked up and looked at him playfully. “Who are you to apologize for him?”

He Jing pursed his lips and remained silent for a while.

Zhou Nianyuan wasn’t in a hurry and took a sip of tea, waiting for He Jing to speak.

Suddenly, He Jing called out, “Cousin.”

Zhou Nianyuan’s tea cup trembled, and he spilled water on his thigh. “…”

He was calling him cousin directly now?

His right-hand man was still so mysterious, and he had this side to him that was shameless…

He Jing smiled slightly. “You should go change your pants to avoid anyone seeing it and thinking you wet yourself.”

Zhou Nianyuan: “…”

He Jing stood up and said, “I have something to attend to, Mr. Zhou. See you on Monday.”

Zhou Nianyuan pointed at him without saying much. He just said, “Go ahead.”

It seemed like his cousin’s love life was going to be smoother now.

That’s good, as it would prevent his cousin from coming to disturb him and Guan Pan whenever he felt upset, forcing him to come up with ways to deal with him.

However, he was curious about one thing: how did his subordinate, who was so clueless about romance, suddenly become so enlightened overnight?

And he even started calling him cousin directly… Tut tut.

He wasn’t worried that He Jing would play with Ye Ting. Someone like He Jing, once he got serious, wouldn’t leave himself a way out.

He Jing took his car, turned on the navigation, and drove south.

The film and television city was in the southwest direction of Haicheng, about a three-hour drive.

***

Ye Ting had been lying on the ground for most of the day, and the scene had just finished. The director kept calling for retakes, and the actors’ emotions weren’t in the right place, so he had to keep lying on the ground and playing a corpse. If it weren’t for the noisy set, he would have fallen asleep.

Finally, the shooting ended, and he quickly got up and rushed to the dressing room.

He had decided to run back to Haicheng immediately and settle scores with his cousin, without even taking the pay.

In fact, he had wanted to run away during the day, but when he arrived, the director had persuaded him into signing a contract in a daze. The director said he had to finish shooting before he could leave, so he endured it until now.

He quickly changed out of the tattered costume in the dressing room, washed the paint off his face in the bathroom, and rushed out of the studio.

But halfway there, the director stopped him and said, “Master Ye, where are you going?”

Ye Ting replied, “I’m going home.”

The director exclaimed, “That won’t do. You have to stay on the set for six more days.”

Ye Ting frowned at him.

The director took out the contract and handed it to him, saying, “Take a look yourself. You signed it and even put your thumbprint on it. You have to act for a full seven days.” He pointed to the signature area and added, “Every day, you’ll be playing a corpse.”

Ye Ting: “…”

He stared wide-eyed, unable to believe it.

The director patted his shoulder sympathetically.

This time, the investor was Gu’s young master, Gu Jingchen. Logically, Gu Jingchen and the powerful figure in the Zhou family were childhood friends, and the Gu family had a good relationship with the Ye family. There was no reason to trap the young master Ye like this.

Ye Ting stared at the contract, his face turning red with anger, almost losing his temper.

He thought without expression; his struggle with his cousin was not going to stop.

Fighting with others was quite enjoyable.

He and his cousin were destined to be archenemies in the future.

Of course, he was the fearless young master of the Ye family, and he couldn’t just ignore this contract.

He wiped his face and accepted the reality.

But he decided that after seven days, when he returned to Haicheng, he would pack his bags and move in with his cousin’s family. He would stay there until the start of the school year! Every evening, he would engage in conversations with his sister-in-law, from poetry and songs to life philosophy!

Zhou Nianyuan had no idea that his scheme to tease his younger cousin had only fueled Ye Ting’s determination. He still hoped that He Jing would divert Ye Ting’s attention so that he and Guan Pan wouldn’t be bothered.

The director had a big reputation in the industry and held a certain status, but he didn’t dare offend the scions¹young masters of influential families. He eagerly handed a room key card to Ye Ting and said, “We’ve already booked a room for you, the top-floor presidential suite. You can rest there for now.”

Ye Ting maintained his polite demeanor in front of outsiders, displaying the grace and elegance of a young master from the Ye family. He accepted the key card with a smile and replied, “Thank you, Director.”

It wasn’t until he left the set, distancing himself from the crew, that he flipped the middle finger at the air and muttered, “Cousin, you just wait for me!”

He took out his phone, intending to vent to He Jing.

But before he had taken many steps, someone suddenly blocked his way, calling out, “Hey!”

Ye Ting was already quite irritated, and seeing someone blocking his path with such an arrogant attitude only added to his annoyance.

Looking up, he saw that it was Hao Yunlong, the second male lead in the production. Rumor had it that he was a powerful figure in the industry, brought in by a wealthy sponsor with financial backing.

The name Hao Yunlong sounded pretty imposing, but in reality, he had somewhat effeminate features and was rather pleasant to look at. However, Ye Ting had grown up surrounded by attractive and elegant cousins and relatives, so he wasn’t particularly obsessed with appearances.

He ignored the guy, finishing his message to He Jing before asking, “What’s up?”

Hao Yunlong felt slighted by Ye Ting’s indifference and, in turn, was annoyed. He pointed at the room key card Ye Ting was holding and said, “I just saw that the director gave it to you.”

Ye Ting was still puzzled.

Hao Yunlong looked him up and down, his eyes leering, and said, “Upon closer inspection, you are quite good-looking. No wonder the director noticed you. It’s a shame the director is too stingy, only giving you a corpse role. How about you come with me? I can get you the role of the male supporting actor.”

Ye Ting wasn’t a fool. In fact, he had grown up with his older brothers and cousins from the Ye family and had spent a lot of time with Zhou Nianyuan, so he had broadened his horizons and was highly intelligent. He immediately understood what Hao Yunlong was getting at.

He pointed at his own nose and asked, “You want to sponsor me?”

Hao Yunlong cast a contemptuous glance at him and said, “You’re not even qualified for me to sponsor you. Let me spend a night with you instead.”

Ye Ting blinked and asked, “Don’t you have a sponsor?”

Maybe he was too direct in his question, appearing naive and sincere, which nearly made Hao Yunlong choke.

Though he did indeed have a sponsor, he was aware of the private discussions within the crew. However, these people never dared to embarrass him openly.

The young man in front of him seemed fearless, daring to mention the word “sponsor” in his presence.

Hao Yunlong was infuriated and started to say, “Why are you, a background actor, interfering in…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Ye Ting kicked him out.

Ye Ting had trained in kickboxing since childhood, and his martial arts skills were formidable.

Hao Yunlong didn’t stand a chance, and he rolled on the ground, holding his head and crying out in pain.

Ye Ting had initially considered using his fists to pummel the guy but changed his mind, thinking that he hadn’t brought gloves and didn’t want to dirty his hands. So he refrained from further physical aggression.

He decided to throw his shoes away when he got back to the hotel.

But now, he was regretting that he didn’t bring his driver and bodyguards to the film set today. He had thought that the film crew, being connected to his cousin’s friend, would not dare to mess with him. Yet here he was, with his cousin leading the way in bullying him and the director misleading him into signing a seven-day contract!

As he thought about it, he became angrier and kicked Hao Yunlong even harder.

Hao Yunlong, clutching his head and screaming, said, “Do you want to kill me? How dare you hit me… Ah, my stomach hurts so much! Please stop, stop!”

He thought Ye Ting was just a small fry, young and easy to bully. Little did he know that Ye Ting had grown up in a world of privilege and had never been afraid of anyone except his family and He Jing.

He kicked Hao Yunlong in the stomach again and sneered, “If I don’t kill you today, I’m not a Ye!”

But the next moment, his wrist was grabbed, and he heard a deep, rich male voice in his ear, saying, “Don’t say ‘I’m not a Ye.'”

He turned around in pleasant surprise.

It was indeed the person he had been thinking about, and he immediately pounced on him, exclaiming, “Jing-ge!”

Seeing the person he adored, he felt like he finally had a place to pour out his grievances, and he was so distressed that tears welled up.

This time, He Jing didn’t push him away but instead touched his face, saying, “Alright, don’t cry. I’m here, aren’t I?”

Ye Ting froze on the spot.

He sensed a change in He Jing’s attitude.

In the past, He Jing would definitely have pushed him away and would never have touched his face or made such an intimate gesture.

Was he hallucinating?

Ye Ting bit his lip, discreetly assessing He Jing, then tilted his head upward and tentatively touched He Jing’s face with his lips.

The older man still didn’t push him away!

Ye Ting’s eyes gleamed like a little wolf in the night.

This time, his courage grew even stronger, and he went in to kiss He Jing’s mouth directly, openly taking advantage of the situation.

He Jing was both exasperated and amused. He knew this kid was a master at pushing boundaries.

He gently dodged, pushed the young man away, and said, “Stop messing around. Let’s deal with the situation here first.”

When he had come, he had brought Ye Ting’s driver and bodyguards with him, and by now, the bodyguards had already apprehended Hao Yunlong.

Hao Yunlong’s face was covered in blood, and he was still shouting, “Who are you? Tell me your names, I’ll make sure you all go to the police station…”

He Jing paid no attention to him. His full attention was captivated by the young man beside him.

The boy’s face was filled with joy as he played with He Jing’s fingers, and He Jing’s fingers felt a slight tickling sensation. He wrapped the boy’s mischievous hand in his own palm and then instructed one of the guards from the Ye family, “Ask him who the person behind him is.”

Before the guard could take any action, Ye Ting raised his hand and said, “I know, I know. His backer is named Jin Peng, the CEO of Jin Xin Technology.”

Although he had only spent one day on the film set, his charming appearance and cheerful personality had made him many extras as friends, and he knew most of the gossip on the set.

He Jing thought about Jin Xin Technology, a company that had gained tremendous momentum in the past two years with IPOs and financing, and its CEO Jin Peng had risen to the top ten of the rich list. However, in the face of a family that had stood for hundreds of years, such a company was not considered much.

He quickly made up his mind and said to Ye Ting, “Come with me first.”

Ye Ting, thinking that the older man was taking him home and perhaps even had some other intentions, nodded happily. However, he soon changed his mind and pouted, saying, “No.”

He Jing raised an eyebrow.

The boy had a mischievous look on his face, clearly willing to go with him.

Ye Ting sighed and explained how his cousin’s friend had tricked him into signing a contract to act as a corpse.

He Jing contemplated for a few seconds and asked, “Is the friend of Mr. Ye, Gu’s eldest son?”

Gu’s family had an entertainment company, and Gu Jingchen could easily interfere with such matters.

Ye Ting nodded listlessly and seized the opportunity to complain, “Chen-ge must have been instructed by my cousin… My cousin is so wicked.”

He Jing smirked and ruffled the boy’s hair, thinking that such a small matter was nothing. If the boy knew about his boss’s tactics in the business world, he would probably lose sleep for days.

Of course, he had been part of many of the boss’s business conquests.

He changed the subject and said, “Aren’t you hungry? Let’s go eat first.”

Ye Ting had just sent him a WeChat message, and even in text, he seemed pitiful: [Gege, the shooting just ended, and I’m about to starve!]

It was already early evening, and it was the perfect time for dinner.

The film crew did provide boxed meals for the extras, but Ye Ting had initially planned to return to Haicheng and had not considered getting one.

Ye Ting patted his stomach and said, “Sure.”

He gazed at He Jing with a smile, his bright black eyes reflecting He Jing’s image.

In the summer evening, a gentle breeze caressed the youth, and his robe fluttered as he smiled with his eyes bent.

The film studio was adorned with red lanterns, which lit up as the night fell, casting a striking red glow on the beautiful young man.

He Jing lowered his gaze, concealing the amazement in his eyes.

After getting in the car, he first sent a WeChat message to Gu Jingchen and then drove to the city. He found a hotpot restaurant, reserved a private room, and let Ye Ting eat to his heart’s content.

An hour passed, and suddenly, the door to the private room was knocked, and a handsome man walked in.

Ye Ting, with a round belly from eating, looked up in surprise and exclaimed, “Chen-ge?”

The newcomer was indeed Gu Jingchen.

A faint smile played at the corners of his mouth as he greeted Ye Ting.

Having been deceived by him for a day and with six more days of deception to come, Ye Ting couldn’t hide his emotions upon seeing the real person. He immediately complained, “Chen-ge, you’re so unreasonable!”

Gu Jingchen glanced at He Jing and offered a sincere apology before quickly explaining, “Xiao Ting, please don’t blame me for this. I was also instructed by your cousin.”

This statement was actually directed at He Jing.

Gu Jingchen couldn’t help but feel helpless. Just an hour ago, he was discussing a project in the neighboring city when he suddenly received a message from He Jing, saying they needed to talk about Ye Ting’s situation.

Originally, he was just helping Zhou Nianyuan deal with Ye Ting, as they were used to causing trouble for each other. However, He Jing intervened, wanting to support Ye Ting.

He Jing, although not originally from their prestigious family circles, had become the second-in-command of the Zhou family and was the most trusted confidant of Zhou Nianyuan. Furthermore, He Jing held shares in the Zhou Corporation.

The Zhou family had been established for hundreds of years, and they were not publicly traded or publicly disclosed. Ownership was limited to direct descendants, with other collateral relatives only receiving the corresponding inheritance.

Being able to own shares in the Zhou Corporation showed just how capable He Jing was.

For someone of his caliber, Gu Jingchen did not want to offend him, so he came in person to apologize.

 

The author has something to say:

I added an extra thousand words, so the update is a bit late.

For new readers, Zhou Nianyuan and Guan Pan are the main characters of “After Marriage”. Gu Jingchen also appeared in “After Marriage”.

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