I’m so sorry for the delay.
From Song Qifan’s story, Ye Zhou could almost piece together Qi Xiao’s experiences over the years.
Qi Xiao came from an affluent family. His parents had amassed a considerable sum from their small business in earlier years. Later, they returned to City A and used that money as startup capital. Father and Mother Qi were hardworking and down-to-earth, and with favorable policies, they quickly multiplied their wealth, becoming well-known wealthy businessmen.
As the first child of this couple, Qi Xiao never worried about money growing up. He was well-educated and, though somewhat arrogant in nature, was actually warm-hearted underneath. Once you got to know him, you’d find he was a bit childish and placed great importance on relationships.
In college, he fell in love, quickly becoming infatuated with his partner’s advances. For this lover, Qi Xiao even came out to his parents, leading to him being kicked out of the family.
Unbeknownst to Qi Xiao, his boyfriend’s interest wasn’t driven by affection but by money.
The tragedy struck not long after Qi Xiao came out to his parents. His parents were killed in a car accident, and his thirteen-year-old brother, though surviving, suffered brain damage and became a vegetable.
This sudden upheaval nearly crushed Qi Xiao, and misfortunes compounded when his parents’ company also ran into trouble due to market conditions, suffering losses in recent years.
His parents had never mentioned these issues to Qi Xiao before. After their sudden passing, Qi Xiao faced pressure from banks and creditors, almost breaking under the strain.
Qi Xiao went from a rich second-generation to a debt-ridden one, not only shouldering his parents’ debts but also his brother’s exorbitant medical expenses.
To add insult to injury, his boyfriend chose to break up with him during this most challenging period.
After the breakup, Qi Xiao, then a junior in college, took a leave of absence, trying every way to earn money. He sold everything he could, including works he once took pride in, just to get cash.
Given time, Qi Xiao could have achieved success with his talent. But tragedy struck too suddenly, and creditors wouldn’t give him any leeway.
To make money quickly, Qi Xiao chose to become a ghostwriter, abandoning all reputation. As long as paid, he would write anything.
With his exceptional skills and tight lips, Qi Xiao gained some renown in the industry. Many veteran screenwriters commissioned him to write customized scripts.
But that wasn’t enough. Qi Xiao’s business covered a wide range, including but not limited to ghostwriting scripts, novels, theses, and more. If you had a request, there was nothing he wouldn’t take on.
He desperately needed money, extremely desperately. As long as paid well enough, he could churn out work after work under others’ names.
After hearing the story, Ye Zhou realized without a doubt that Qi Xiao’s deceitful ex-boyfriend was the original owner of this body.
Oddly enough, as Song Qifan narrated, the memories about Qi Xiao, this ex-boyfriend, became clearer, as if triggered by some mechanism, just like how a player needs to interact with an NPC to unlock a game’s storyline, with Song Qifan being that NPC.
With the background clear, Ye Zhou could understand why Qi Xiao mocked him coldly at their first meeting at the auction when he had just transmigrated. If this had happened to him, he might have beaten the original owner into a pulp long ago.
Seeing Ye Zhou’s prolonged silence, Song Qifan grew increasingly anxious. He lowered his head to hide his disappointment as he apologized, “Sorry, sorry, Director Ye. I said too much.”
Ye Zhou patted his shoulder. “It’s alright, I understand what you mean. If there’s a suitable opportunity in the future, I’ll let you know. You can then notify him to give it a try.”
Clearly, Song Qifan hadn’t expected Ye Zhou to be so agreeable. His surprise was evident as he nodded repeatedly, unable to conceal his excitement.
“Thank you, thank you so much, Director Ye!” Naturally inarticulate, Song Qifan’s words tumbled out incoherently.
Ye Zhou adjusted his coat and nodded at Song Qifan before heading downstairs.
After taking a few steps, he suddenly heard Song Qifan murmur, “If only Xiao Xiao’s irresponsible ex-boyfriend had half of Director Ye’s kindness.”
Ye Zhou stumbled, almost tumbling head-first onto the concrete ground.
Although the original owner had done those things, Ye Zhou was occupying his body, so the words felt rather awkward to hear.
After returning from Song Qifan’s place, Ye Zhou thought about this matter all afternoon. After much consideration, he decided to come clean.
After Boss Jiang returned from work and they had dinner together, Ye Zhou nervously sat with Boss Jiang on the couch for a heart-to-heart talk that lasted nearly two hours.
Without needing to be asked, Ye Zhou spilled everything he knew about the relationship between Qi Xiao and the original owner, like pouring out beans.
Unexpectedly, Boss Jiang remained calm throughout Ye Zhou’s account, contrary to his expectations of anger.
Ye Zhou thought it was the calm before the storm and braced himself for Boss Jiang’s outburst after revealing everything.
However, the storm never came. After he finished, Jiang pulled him into an embrace, his deep, pleasant voice echoing in Ye Zhou’s ear: “I understand.”
If Ye Zhou could see Boss Jiang’s expression, he would have realized not only was Boss Jiang not angry, but he even seemed amused and in an excellent mood.
Though surprised by his reaction, Ye Zhou wasn’t foolish enough to risk their relationship by asking why Boss Jiang wasn’t angry.
Don’t ask, just believe it’s from the heart.
Seeing Boss Jiang truly wasn’t angry, Ye Zhou carefully expressed his intention to pay some compensation.
Ye Zhou had given it much thought. The amount wasn’t significant, just enough to return the total value of what the original owner had taken from Qi Xiao in college.
Not only did Jiang Tingyuan not reject the idea, but he even offered to pay Qi Xiao on Ye Zhou’s behalf.
Ye Zhou readily agreed and was not worried that Boss Jiang would lie to him. After all, the two had been together for so long, and he still knew this about Boss Jiang. If Boss Jiang was unwilling, he would have clearly refused, but since he agreed, he would follow through.
What Ye Zhou hadn’t realized yet was that Boss Jiang’s offer to pay wasn’t entirely selfless—sending the money himself would reduce Ye Zhou’s contact with Qi Xiao.
Boss Jiang’s little romantic scheme (1/1).
Years later, when the two were already old husbands, Ye Zhou accidentally learned about this and laughed heartily, teasing Boss Jiang about it for a whole week.
…
By late December, the new project’s crew and budget were mostly finalized, with the first installment of funds received.
Unlike when filming his first movie, although many critics refused to acknowledge Ye Zhou’s abilities, the box office numbers from his previous film spoke for themselves.
With such impressive numbers, he had far more options for investment and casting compared to when making ‘A Farce’.
As soon as news of the tentatively titled ‘Chasing the Light’ spread, investors actively approached Ye Zhou with olive branches, expressing interest in investing.
Ye Zhou had no intention of making money with this film. Its preliminary budget was even smaller than that of ‘A Farce’, totaling no more than 15 million.
Ye Zhou could have covered that amount himself, but considering his recent incredible luck, he discussed it with Boss Jiang and decided to find investors this time.
Although the chance was small, even if the movie unexpectedly became a hit, with investors taking the lion’s share, Ye Zhou wouldn’t have to worry about not making much profit himself.
His original intent was to reduce troubles, but this move unexpectedly attracted them instead.
Ye Zhou had assumed that with a modest 15 million budget for ‘Chasing the Light,’ communication would be easier without major issues. Reality soon gave him a resounding slap.
When initially selecting investors, Ye Zhou wanted more freedom, so he didn’t dare choose a major media company. He purposefully picked a smaller one, thinking communication would be smoother, but it turned out to be a disaster.
The media company’s boss, Mr. Feng, had made his fortune in the restaurant business. Seeing the booming entertainment industry in recent years, he closed his restaurant to venture into media, having been in the new industry for less than a year.
Mr. Feng had been eagerly waiting for an opportunity to make a splash in the film industry. However, the reality differed greatly from his imagination.
Reputable directors with guaranteed box office draws had no shortage of investors, leaving no room for him. Even if investment was needed, the paltry sum Mr. Feng had was hardly enough.
As for directors without much fame, Mr. Feng dared not invest in them either, fearing his money would be wasted.
So, he continued observing, and a year passed. Not only did he fail to make a splash, but the few blind investments he made either broke even at best or resulted in total losses.
When tallying the accounts, Mr. Feng realized that in just one short year, he had lost over 20 million yuan, not to mention making any profit.
His already modest wealth had shrunk significantly. With the financial statements lying on his desk, Mr. Feng no longer dared to invest recklessly.
Just as he was considering quitting and closing the media company to return to his previous business, a film that no one had high expectations for unexpectedly swept the National Day holiday season like a dark horse. Widespread discussions, soaring box office numbers – everything stimulated Mr. Feng’s senses.
Watching Ye Zhou’s interviews and looking at his remaining liquid assets, Mr. Feng decided to take a gamble.
He was determined to find Ye Zhou’s contact information and checked daily to see if he had plans for a new film.
His perseverance paid off, and he managed to get Ye Zhou’s details. Moreover, the budget for Ye Zhou’s new film was extremely low, well within his means – it seemed tailor-made for him.
After some effort to obtain Ye Zhou’s contact, Mr. Feng persistently emailed him daily, finally standing out among the crowd of investors.
This should have been a good thing. With limited understanding of films, barely qualifying as an insider, he only needed to provide funding as an absentee investor while leaving everything to Ye Zhou. Then he could simply wait for the release and collect his share.
The problem was, Mr. Feng didn’t want to be an absentee investor.
He had high expectations for this film. Not only did he not want to be hands-off, but he also insisted on meddling in everything, micromanaging every detail.
Ye Zhou tolerated minor issues, having dealt with even more difficult investors before. But what he didn’t expect was that his tolerance only emboldened Mr. Feng to become increasingly meddlesome and overbearing, like now.
Perhaps due to his background in the restaurant industry, Mr. Feng preferred resolving matters over meals, highly valuing drink culture.
Ye Zhou had declined as much as he could previously, only agreeing to come tonight because Mr. Feng insisted there were important matters to discuss.
Ye Zhou had expected something important, but upon entering the private room, he saw Mr. Feng embracing a boy around 18 or 19 years old with a delicate, flower-like appearance, his hands roaming improperly under the boy’s clothes.
As someone experienced in the industry, Ye Zhou immediately understood the situation. This was the old trick of forcing a lover into the production crew.
He almost laughed out loud at Mr. Feng. He didn’t want to talk nonsense to him at all. He turned around and wanted to leave, but Mr. Feng caught him and pinned him on the chair.
Before Ye Zhou could say much, Mr. Feng and the boy had already toasted him three times with alcohol.
Initially, Ye Zhou politely declined, thinking if Mr. Feng wanted a minor role for exposure, he could oblige. Mr. Feng hadn’t pressured him much either, remaining courteous throughout.
However, after three rounds of drinks, the intoxicated Mr. Feng grew bolder, his words becoming more explicit.
“Director Ye, what do you think? Doesn’t our Xiao Xia look great!” Mr. Feng swayed as he approached Ye Zhou, raising his cup with one hand while draping the other over Ye Zhou’s shoulder. “Tell me, with his looks, isn’t it reasonable to cast him as the second male lead?”
Wow, his ambitions were quite grand.
Ye Zhou avoided his grasp, picked up the water cup on the table, clinked it against Mr. Feng’s, took a sip, and smiled politely through his discomfort. “Casting hasn’t begun yet. If he wants to act, I’ll send him an invitation when auditions start.”
Though slightly drunk, Mr. Feng could sense Ye Zhou’s tactful refusal and grew displeased. He belched before beckoning the boy over: “Come here, come closer, let our Director Ye have a good look.”
The obedient boy approached, nearly climbing into Ye Zhou’s lap.
Ye Zhou pushed his water cup away, the water dripping onto the table and soaking the boy’s thin clothes, creating an awkward atmosphere.
Expressionless, Ye Zhou pushed the boy away. “Mr. Feng, we made it clear when signing the contract that if you insist on pushing someone into my crew, I can only consider terminating our cooperation.”
Ye Zhou’s words held weight, but the intoxicated Mr. Feng brushed them off, refilling Ye Zhou’s emptied cup with alcohol until it was nearly overflowing.
With his pride wounded, Mr. Feng’s expression darkened as he pushed the cup toward Ye Zhou. “As long as you drink this, I’ll never again mention pushing someone into your crew.”
“You’re unwilling to give even a small role when you’ve taken my money. You should at least make some concessions,” Mr. Feng said in a half-joking, half-serious tone.
The room’s atmosphere became tense. As Ye Zhou hesitated between pouring the drink down Mr. Feng’s throat or splashing it in his face, the door suddenly opened from the outside.
Jiang Tingyuan radiated a chilling aura as he appeared before them. Without asking, Boss Jiang scanned the room, likely grasping what had just occurred based on the full cup before Ye Zhou.
After staring at the cup for two seconds, he coldly instructed the bodyguard behind him, “You come and accompany him in drinking.”
“Until he’s satisfied.”
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