Jing Li frowned at the retreating figure, thinking about the other person’s purpose. Before he could react, the person suddenly straightened up and blocked his view, stammering apologetically, “I’m really sorry, Jing Shao, I didn’t mean it. I’ll be more careful from now on.”
Jing Li tilted his head to look around the person, but in that brief moment, the figure had vanished without a trace.
Jing Li raised an eyebrow. Staring at the timid, cringing face before him, he was silent for a few seconds before chuckling, “It seems you two are working together.”
A definitive statement. Not waiting for a rebuttal, he continued, “Let me guess – the two of you plotted something, but it failed, so to avoid exposure, you let him slip away first.”
“And it just happened during our scene. Adding your performance just now, this matter is likely related to me, no?”
“But we just met. There’s no way anything could happen between us, so you’re doing this for someone else?”
Seeing the growing panic in the other’s eyes, Jing Li knew he had guessed right.
“Looks like he promised you a nice reward. Or you only agreed after making sure you could get it with his status and position.” He stared at the man curiously for a while, then cruelly smirked, “Although I don’t know what he offered you, I should remind you – if he has to resort to such underhanded means against me, it shows he doesn’t dare confront me directly. Do you understand what this means?”
Jing Li bored into the man’s eyes and emphasized each word, “Or do you think you can still get his reward after offending me?”
As he analyzed each sentence, Wu Fan’s face grew increasingly pale. At the last line, he stared back in sheer horror.
In fact, it was not that he had not worried about these issues at the beginning, but the benefits that person promised to him were too tempting, and he could not ignore them at all. So, he had deluded himself into dismissing them and convincing himself to seize the opportunity.
But now, after being exposed, Jing Li’s words brought all those nagging doubts flooding back.
With alarm, he considered – given that person’s identity, it was just a matter of saying one sentence to teach someone a lesson, so why did he choose such a roundabout and secretive method? It could only mean that the other party is also wary of Jing Li, so he did not dare to confront him directly, or in other words, he did not dare to let Jing Li know about it for fear of being retaliated against by the other party.
If that was the case, what right did he have to offend Jing Li?
Wu Fan was completely unaware his thinking had gradually been influenced by Jing Li to go in the direction Jing Li steered him towards.
But right now, he couldn’t ponder that deeply.
Thinking that all his plans had been seen through by the people in front of him, and then thinking about what he had heard about Jing Li’s identity as a rich second generation, he finally felt fear belatedly and lost his ability to make decisions.
“It seems you’re not that stupid after all,” Jing Li looked at him with a faint mocking smile, then casually added, “You still have enough time to think it through. But before that, you should consider how to end this scene. I don’t have the patience to beat around the bush with pointless nonsense like this.”
Saying so, he stopped looking at the man before him and gestured outside to Director Li. Then he walked back to his original position to prepare for the scene again.
Whether intimidated by his words or the man’s professionalism, his performance for the remainder of the scene was not only normal but even better than before. They wrapped up smoothly in one take.
Director Li was naturally very satisfied with this. As the two walked off set, he couldn’t help jokingly teasing Jing Li, “I didn’t expect our Xiao Jing to have outstanding directing skills on top of superb acting. Just one discussion, and it was a pass.”
“You flatter me, I don’t dare claim credit.” Jing Li replied with a laugh, throwing a meaningful look at the silent man beside him. “It was Teacher Wu’s own outstanding acting. I merely overstepped my bounds with my thoughts and expressed my own understanding.”
Catching his implied meaning, Wu Fan’s body stiffened before he calmly suppressed the emotions in his heart.
“Hahahaha, don’t be so modest. You were both great!” Oblivious to the subtle atmosphere, Director Li just laughed heartily and praised them more before letting them rest.
Jing Li nodded and directly returned to his room with his assistant.
After changing out of his clothes, the wound on his back had cracked open a little, though it wasn’t serious. He had his assistant redress it before going to rest on the sofa.
Recalling the earlier incident, he told his assistant to monitor online activity closely these days, then casually picked up the script on the table as if nothing had happened.
He had just read a few pages when his phone rang. Jing Li glanced over indifferently, but his entire demeanor softened instantly.
“Ge~” He answered the call without hesitation, a smile slipping out as he spoke.
But the person on the other end was clearly not as relaxed, getting straight to the point, “You’re hurt?”
“You found out, Ge.” Jing Li paused. He didn’t want to worry the other but knew it couldn’t be kept secret for long anyway. So, he took the initiative, “It was just an accident that scraped some skin. Don’t worry.”
“How can I not worry?” Jing Yu’s tone sounded very angry. “If your reaction had been slower, or you didn’t dodge it, do you know what could have happened?!” And he even hid it! If his secretary hadn’t seen the report and told him, he would still be kept in the dark!
When he thought about the fear he felt when he saw the scene in the video, Jing Yu almost wanted to immediately rush to the set and drag the person back.
Why was he so worrying!
“I’m sorry, I was wrong.” Hearing the reprimand, Jing Li admitted his mistake after a moment. “I promise to be careful from now on and prevent anything like this from happening again.”
Then he softened his tone pleadingly, “Ge, don’t be angry, please?”
Hearing the coaxing over the receiver, Jing Yu paused as his heart seemed to be gently touched, instantly softening. But he quickly steeled himself, forcing out, “I didn’t agree to let you join the entertainment industry for you to seek thrills!”
“I know. I promise there won’t be a next time.” Jing Li responded in a good-tempered manner, with a gentle smile that he had never seen before on his face.
He would always give this person all his gentleness and patience, just as the other cared for and cherished him.
He spoke many sweet words and, at the other’s insistence, opened a video to show the wound on his back, only managing to soothe him after repeatedly promising to report everything big or small from now on. For now, visiting him on set was out of the question.
After hanging up the hour-long call, Jing Li breathed a sigh of relief, but the smile at the corner of his mouth couldn’t help but expand. In the end, he couldn’t help but laugh in a low voice.
“This is the first time I’ve seen Da Shao nagging like this. As expected, only you can make him break character, Er Shao.” The assistant couldn’t help but complain, but his tone was obviously happy for the two of them.
It had been so long since he felt such an atmosphere.
Jing Li did not speak, but the smile on his face was enough to express his inner thoughts.
The two were happily laughing to themselves, but they did not expect that after stopping the eldest young master from visiting the set, an even more unexpected person showed up the next day.
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