It wasn’t a joke about going to South Africa to film lions.
About half a month ago, Ye Zhou received a call from a close professor he knew in college, asking if he had time to go to South Africa to help film lions.
The reason was that a director in his team had accidentally contracted a parasite during filming and had to return to the country urgently for treatment, but the filming couldn’t be terminated because of one person. With no choice, the professor could only extend invitations to acquainted friends and colleagues.
However, due to the harsh filming environment in South Africa and the risk of filming lions, which were highly territorial and aggressive large beasts, the risk was too high, and safety was difficult to guarantee. Therefore, after several recruitment attempts, they were unable to find a suitable director.
They did not hold much hope when sending an email to Ye Zhou. Rather, it was more of a shot in the dark.
Ye Zhou enjoyed documentaries, but in his previous life, he rarely attempted such endeavors because the conditions at the time did not permit him to do so. Animal documentaries had a small audience and high production costs, yet rarely sold for high prices, so they were not within Ye Zhou’s considerations.
Now, having been given a second chance at life, he planned to try things he once wanted to do but couldn’t for various reasons.
The idea of filming documentaries had been there for a long time, but Ye Zhou had not made up his mind before due to his involvement with Boss Jiang and Zhaixing. Now that he and Boss Jiang had ended their relationship, and Zhaixing had successfully gotten on track, Ye Zhou naturally had no more concerns.
Furthermore, the recent discussions with Ren Zi’an about the plot of “Thriller Circus” further solidified Ye Zhou’s determination to go to South Africa. He believed that not only could this trip fulfill his dream of filming documentaries, but it could also provide valuable experience for the upcoming filming of “Thriller Circus.”
Thus, the decision to go to South Africa to film lions was made.
After this impromptu meeting, Ye Zhou began preparing his luggage for the flight to South Africa, departing on schedule on Wednesday.
At this moment, in the president’s office of Jingzhe, Jiang Tingyuan stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing through it at the sky, as if watching something, yet not really.
The silence in the office was broken by a knock on the door. After receiving permission, the secretary entered and stopped behind Jiang Tingyuan, respectfully saying, “Mr. Jiang, Mr. Ye’s flight has taken off and is expected to land at 11:30 PM tomorrow night.”
“Everything in South Africa has been taken care of. The investment in Mr. Su Huai and his production team has been transferred. The guides are Mandela and West, who have served the ‘Exploring Africa’ team before. With them around, it’s like taking out the best insurance for the team.”
“Apart from the guides, they have also invited a famous zoologist who specializes in African wildlife research, as well as local armed forces. With their assistance, this filming should proceed very smoothly, and the risks have already been minimized to a controllable level.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Tingyuan nodded slightly but remained silent.
The secretary glanced at him and flipped through the schedule on the tablet, then cautiously spoke up, “Mr. Jiang, there’s one more thing…”
Jiang Tingyuan turned his head, his jet-black eyes devoid of light, his cold and indifferent gaze making it difficult to discern his current emotions. The secretary instinctively shrank back.
However, considering the importance of this matter, after much hesitation, he still reported to Mr. Jiang.
“Mr. Yu’s flight arrives at 3 PM today. Should we send someone to pick him up, or will you go in person?”
Upon hearing Yu Qiuze’s name, Jiang Tingyuan’s gaze grew even colder, his voice as chilling as if ice shards were spilling out with every word.
“No need. Just inform Jiang Yu.”
The secretary was taken aback but wisely refrained from saying anything further. After responding with a “Yes,” he respectfully bowed to Jiang Tingyuan before turning to leave.
After the office door closed, the secretary leaned against the wall, clutching his chest and gasping for breath. He had thought the working Mr. Jiang was already terrifying enough, but he never expected that Mr. Jiang without Mr. Ye’s presence would be the most terrifying.
Mr. Ye, please come back soon. I kowtow to you. TAT
The secretary prayed with tears in his eyes. After wiping away his tears, he regained his usual sharp and efficient demeanor, executing Jiang Tingyuan’s order and notifying Jiang Yu.
—
Ever since receiving a phone call in the morning, Cheng Ran noticed that Jiang Yu had become increasingly distracted and frequently zoned out.
Jiang Yu had stepped out to take the call and returned with an evasive expression, causing Cheng Ran’s heart to sink further. Although he didn’t hear the content of the call, counting the days, he had a sneaking suspicion that Jiang Yu’s white moonlight had returned.
Not long after Cheng Ran had this idea, Jiang Yu, who had been worried all morning, finally couldn’t hold his breath anymore. “I have something to take care of in the afternoon, so I may need to go out for a bit,” Jiang Yu said, clearing his throat and attempting to sound natural as he glanced at Cheng Ran sitting on the sofa.
“What’s wrong, Ah Yu?” Cheng Ran looked up, and although his heart twisted like a knife at the confirmation of his suspicion, he suppressed the bitterness and feigned ignorance, his tone full of concern. “Is there a problem at the company? Is there anything I can help with?”
Normally, Cheng Ran’s obedience would have greatly pleased Jiang Yu, but not this time. With his white moonlight, whom he had been thinking about for many years, about to return to the country, Jiang Yu’s heart and mind were solely occupied by Yu Qiuze. How could Cheng Ran’s few words dissuade him from his intention to pick up his beloved?
As the saying goes, when someone loves you, your every move appears beautiful and adorable in their eyes. But once they no longer love you, even your breathing might become an excuse for their dislike.
This saying was exemplified in Jiang Yu and Cheng Ran’s situation. Jiang Yu now viewed Cheng Ran in that light.
As Yu Qiuze’s substitute, due to their similar appearances, Jiang Yu had almost transferred all his feelings for Yu Qiuze onto Cheng Ran during Yu Qiuze’s absence from the country. But now that the real person had returned, those transferred feelings naturally reverted back.
Jiang Yu felt somewhat guilty since Cheng Ran had been with him for so many years, and he did have feelings for Cheng Ran. However, those feelings were ultimately overshadowed by his longing for his white moonlight. Additionally, Jiang Yu was accustomed to being dominant around Cheng Ran, so his guilt quickly transformed into irritation.
“Mind your own business, and don’t meddle in things that don’t concern you!” Jiang Yu snapped impatiently, raising his voice. “Since when did my affairs require reporting to you?!”
Cheng Ran’s nails dug deeply into his palms, and he was almost in tears from Jiang Yu’s yelling. Unable to contain himself any longer, he asked accusingly through his sobs, “Yu Qiuze is back? Are you going to pick him up this afternoon?”
Upon hearing Yu Qiuze’s name, Jiang Yu’s initial reaction was surprise. After a few seconds of stunned silence, he reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, his fury erupting.
“Cheng Ran, you dare investigate me? Who the hell do you think you are to investigate me?!” Seeing his secret exposed, Jiang Yu chose to conceal his guilt with rage, as if the angrier he became, the more justified he felt.
As the words left his mouth and he saw Cheng Ran’s face drain of color, Jiang Yu grew even more aggressive. He stormed up to Cheng Ran, grabbed the front of his shirt with one hand, and forced Cheng Ran to stand on his tiptoes to face him.
Cheng Ran had already been in a foul mood lately, and the issue with Yu Qiuze had pushed him to the edge of anxiety. Originally, he had intended to drive a wedge between Ye Zhou and Jiang Tingyuan, allowing Ye Zhou to deal with Yu Qiuze. But who would have thought that Ye Zhou was practically a lunatic!
Cheng Ran had been so direct, but that fool remained unperturbed. Just a few days ago, he had even heard that Ye Zhou had happily gone to South Africa to film lions!
Film lions, my ass! Brother, have you really grasped the situation? He sees you as a substitute and a source for his heart transplant! How can you not be angry? How can you really not be angry?!
Ye Zhou must be a Buddha in disguise! Even monks could hardly possess such generosity!
The original plan had fallen through, and the company was in chaos due to the recent launch of the Battle City 2 project. Cheng Ran was overwhelmed, not only exhausted from the daily grind but also constantly on guard against Jiang Yu’s white moonlight. To describe him as mentally and physically drained would be an understatement.
If Jiang Yu had handled this matter in a way that eased Cheng Ran’s mind, he might have endured it. However, not only did Jiang Yu fail to comfort him, but he also added to Cheng Ran’s distress.
Jiang Yu’s yelling caused Cheng Ran’s eyes to instantly redden. Without uttering a word, large teardrops streamed down his face. When the scalding tears rolled onto Jiang Yu’s wrist, he recoiled as if burned and released his grip on Cheng Ran’s collar.
Seeing Cheng Ran’s miserable state, a flicker of regret flashed across Jiang Yu’s eyes. He opened his mouth, intending to console him, but the words that came out were a curt, “Don’t overthink things. We’re just friends.” He then hastily left.
After the resounding slam of the door, the room fell silent once more.
Staring at the door slammed shut by Jiang Yu, Cheng Ran felt both aggrieved and angry. Burying his head in a pillow, he could no longer hold back his sobs.
That afternoon, he ultimately failed to stop Jiang Yu.
At the airport.
A handsome young man in a white down jacket repeatedly dialed the same number, but no matter how many times he called, he was met with the same cold electronic voice.
“Sorry, the number you’ve dialed is currently unavailable…”
Yu Qiuze’s already pale complexion turned even more ghastly due to Jiang Tingyuan’s refusal to answer his calls.
He couldn’t understand what had happened, and why Jiang Tingyuan’s attitude toward him had changed so drastically. Although Jiang Tingyuan had always been rather cold to him, barely responding to ten of Yu Qiuze’s sentences, he had never before refused to answer his calls like today.
As Yu Qiuze pondered over where things had gone wrong, he suddenly heard a voice behind him.
“Qiuze-ge!”
The voice sounded familiar, but Yu Qiuze couldn’t immediately recall whose it was. As he turned his head, he saw a figure rapidly approaching him. Before he could make out who it was, the person had already embraced him tightly.
Yu Qiuze struggled, but the other person was too strong for him to break free. The desperation caused him to start coughing violently.
The intense coughing finally snapped Jiang Yu back to his senses. He hastily released Yu Qiuze and anxiously looked him over, patting his back while asking, flustered, “Qiuze-ge, are you alright? Are you feeling unwell? Do you need me to call an ambulance?”
Yu Qiuze had almost stopped coughing when Jiang Yu’s overly forceful patting caused him to cough even more violently, nearly choking.
After finally catching his breath, Yu Qiuze’s pallid face was flushed from the intense coughing fit, and his complexion slightly improved compared to before.
Finally recognizing Jiang Yu’s face, Yu Qiuze recalled who he was and tried to inject some surprise into his voice, “You’re…Xiao Jiang Yu, right?”
Seeing that Yu Qiuze recognized him, Jiang Yu couldn’t hide his broad smile, revealing a mouthful of white teeth as he vigorously nodded.
Yu Qiuze patted his shoulder and asked, as if suddenly remembering something, “Xiao Yu, why are you at the airport? Don’t tell me you’re here to pick me up?”
He spoke in a joking tone, so even if Jiang Yu denied it, it wouldn’t be awkward—it would be just a casual remark.
However, to Yu Qiuze’s surprise, Jiang Yu not only didn’t deny it but nodded and confirmed with a smile, “Yes, I came specifically to pick you up.”
Yu Qiuze was genuinely astonished. He didn’t seem to have much interaction with Jiang Yu. The only possibility he could think of was…
“Did your big brother ask you to pick me up?” Yu Qiuze looked at Jiang Yu expectantly, knowing Jiang Tingyuan wouldn’t leave him unattended in the country.
However, Jiang Tingyuan truly had no intention of concerning himself with Yu Qiuze’s affairs.
When Yu Qiuze mentioned the words “big brother,” Jiang Yu’s smile instantly froze on his face, and a hint of gloom clouded his eyes.
“No, I came to pick you up after hearing the news of your return to the country.”
“Let’s go, Qiuze-ge,” Jiang Yu said, suppressing his smile as he took Yu Qiuze’s heavy luggage. “After such a long flight, you must be exhausted. Let me take you somewhere to rest first.”
Yu Qiuze was initially reluctant, but then he thought that if he went with Jiang Yu, he might be able to find out the reason behind Jiang Tingyuan’s unusual behavior.
Moreover, after the Yu family’s misfortune, all the assets that could be liquidated in the country had been sold, and the remaining assets were transferred abroad. However, living abroad with high cost of living was not exactly comfortable.
Yu Qiuze expected Jiang Tingyuan to make arrangements for him upon his sudden return, so he didn’t bring much besides clothes, essentially hoping to freeload.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Tingyuan had no intentions of concerning himself with Yu Qiuze’s affairs, leaving him without a place to stay for the time being.
Considering both factors, Yu Qiuze ultimately followed Jiang Yu, intending to find a temporary residence before making further plans.
He assumed Jiang Yu would arrange a hotel, but to his surprise, Jiang Yu took him straight home.
It wasn’t that Jiang Yu didn’t want to take him to a hotel; it was simply because the ‘Battle City 2’ project had recently launched, a time when expenses were high. Jiang Yu had invested nearly his entire fortune into it, leaving him strapped for cash.
Jiang Yu didn’t want to lose face in front of Yu Qiuze by choosing a cheap hotel. Hotels costing tens of thousands per night were not unaffordable, but… he just couldn’t bear to spend that much.
Ordinarily, as the head of a company, Jiang Yu would have had no shortage of properties. However, blinded by greed, he liquidated all his assets, except for the villa he lived in, to increase his stake in the investment for ‘Battle City 2’.
Hence, the awkward situation arose.
At this moment, Cheng Ran had controlled his emotions. When he heard the doorbell, he was surprised that Jiang Yu had returned so quickly, and his cold heart began to warm up again.
At least this proved that Jiang Yu still cared about him, didn’t it?
After adjusting his mindset and taking a deep breath, Cheng Ran put on a smile and opened the door.
“Ah Yu, you’re ba—”
The words died in Cheng Ran’s throat as their eyes met, leaving him speechless like a strangled chicken.
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