Chapter 20

For the next few days, Yan Yunyang coincidentally appeared on set during lunchtime. Sometimes he would be passing by while discussing business, and other times he would come out to relax from his busy schedule. Each time, he would bring lunch with him.

Good food is precious, but life is even more valuable. Zuo Mingran just wanted to focus on filming and quietly retire from the entertainment industry after her contract with the company expired, taking her millions of dollars with her.

However, she couldn't help but feel annoyed, while Yan Yunyang seemed oblivious. He came every day without fail. Sometimes he would stay for a while and then leave, and other times he would spend the entire afternoon on set, as if he was visiting a tourist attraction.

Zuo Mingran had no choice but to have Mao Mao get a temporary work permit for him, to avoid any potential misunderstandings.

With the work permit, Yan Yunyang became even more punctual, as if he was punching in his time card every day. This made Zuo Mingran suspect that he might have taken an interest in someone from their cast.

But after observing for a few days, she didn't see any signs of that. Instead, she noticed that other people's attention started shifting towards Yan Yunyang.

Yan Yunyang had always been low-key in his actions and had no online presence, which was quite rare for a successful modern businessman. It wasn't until Zuo Mingran accidentally stumbled upon some old news about him that he appeared in the public eye.

However, with Zuo Mingran's husband status as an external factor, there weren't many photos of him online, and the ones that did exist showed Yan Yunyang in his impeccable suit, exuding an elite demeanor.

But the Yan Yunyang who appeared on set was completely different. He would wear loose, casual hoodies and let his hair down, with bangs falling in front of his eyes. He looked like a college student.

Moreover, with the oversized sunglasses hiding his iconic peach blossom eyes, no one recognized Yan Yunyang's identity for several days. He was even mistaken for a real staff member and dragged away to help carry boxes while he was leisurely wandering around.

Fortunately, Mao Mao and Anqi were always keeping an eye on him. Whenever he disappeared, they quickly went to find him and rescued him from his laborious work.

However, as a result, everyone in the crew now knew that there was a man with an indistinct face but handsome appearance by Zuo Mingran's side.

Zuo Mingran had no idea how they came to this contradictory conclusion. When a few other actors came over and subtly asked about it, she dismissed their inquiries with excuses of him being a staff member.

However, what Zuo Mingran didn't know was that if a situation lacked a clear truth, it would gallop away on a path far from the truth, like a wild horse running wild.

Everyone in the crew indulged themselves in gossip, to the point where there was a mysterious atmosphere on set, making Zuo Mingran wonder if she was filming a urban love drama or a suspense detective drama.

The first ones who couldn't bear it were Mao Mao and Anqi. They were Zuo Mingran's assistants, and any gossip about Zuo Mingran would make them the target of attention from the crew.

But this time, the impact was too great, and they couldn't bear it any longer.

Taking advantage of Yan Yunyang finishing his meal and going for a stroll, Mao Mao and Anqi approached Zuo Mingran from both sides.

"Sister Ran, can you talk to President Yan and ask him not to come anymore?"

"Yeah, Sister Ran, just tell us what you want to eat, and we'll buy it for you. No need to trouble President Yan."

Surrounded, Zuo Mingran looked bewildered. "What's going on?"

Mao Mao and Anqi glanced at each other, then told her about the recent gossip in the crew.

Anqi said, "Sister Ran, President Yan really shouldn't come anymore. Everyone is saying that you bring your own pretty boy to the set, showing off shamelessly. It's audacious."

Zuo Mingran listened in a daze and couldn't help but say, "I see you both are usually busy. How do you have the time for gossip?"

Anqi whispered, "Gossip never stops as long as life goes on."

Zuo Mingran sighed. She knew that it wasn't a good thing for Yan Yunyang to come to the set every day, but he always brought delicious food with him. Today it was chicken soup, and tomorrow it was sweet and sour pork ribs. One day, she casually mentioned wanting spicy hot pot, and the next day Yan Yunyang actually brought it for her.

One could say that Yan Yunyang's presence was like a walking Doraemon. Whatever she couldn't think of, he could do it. This resulted in her being defeated every time she tried to say something, under his silent gaze.

Miscolor me!

Rubbing his face, Zuo Mingran sighed deeply, his hands supporting his chin.

How to politely get Yan Yunyang to leave, that's truly a troublesome matter.

Mao Mao was about to put away the utensils when she noticed Zuo Mingran's actions and paused. "Ran Jie, have you...gained weight?"

Zuo Mingran: "?"

Upon hearing this, An Qi also turned to stare at her for a while before reluctantly saying, "It does seem like it."

There was an electronic scale in the lounge, and Zuo Mingran was pushed onto it by the two of them. When she weighed herself, she had indeed gained five pounds.

Zuo Mingran struggled to defend herself, "I just ate, so of course I would be slightly heavier!"

Mao Mao gave her a deadpan look. "Ran Jie, even a feast wouldn't make you gain five pounds."

Zuo Mingran pinched her still bony arms and lamented, "Can you bear to see me continue to lose weight? Is my health important or is something else more important?"

Mao Mao remained unmoved. "The nutritionist will ensure enough nutrition in the diet plan. Ran Jie, you really need to lose weight."

Zuo Mingran: "I don't!"

Mao Mao warned her, "We've already filmed several episodes. Ran Jie, you don't want to see yourself visibly gaining weight on TV, do you?"

Zuo Mingran: "..."

"Surely there are many fans of Ren Luning watching this drama, and also fans of Wen Feifei and Jiang Xuan." Mao Mao knew Zuo Mingran best, counting her opponents on her fingers before solemnly saying, "Do you still want to be called a cougar?"

Zuo Mingran angrily retorted, "You have a heart of steel!"

Mao Mao remained righteous, "No pain, no gain!"

The most painful thing in the world is undoubtedly losing weight. Clearly, it was something she had achieved with her own abilities, but in the end, she had to lose it.

Zuo Mingran had originally wanted to argue logically and prove that the extra five pounds on her body had no effect, but in the afternoon during filming, the director called her out by name.

The director, surnamed Wang, was a middle-aged man in his forties.

Director Wang glanced at Zuo Mingran and then at the footage just shot on the screen. He stood up and walked over to Zuo Mingran, guiding her actions in accordance with the scene. Finally, he whispered, "Mingran, have you gained weight these past few days?"

Zuo Mingran: "..."

Putting on a forced smile, Zuo Mingran found an excuse for herself, "It's just bloating, just bloating."

In order to avoid having a lead actress who was progressively gaining weight, Zuo Mingran had to give up the delicious food that was brought to her every day and join the weight loss regime.

In the evening, after finishing the last scene and wrapping up the filming, Zuo Mingran got into the nanny car and returned home.

Yan Yunyang was not there. Zuo Mingran remembered that Yan Yunyang had mentioned something about having company matters to attend to when he left the set today. Leaning against the door frame, Zuo Mingran turned on the lights and said to An Qi, who had brought her back, "You should let the driver take you home first. I can handle things on my own."

Since there wasn't much to do, An Qi carried her bag and prepared to leave, but before she went, she reminded Zuo Mingran, "Ran Jie, make sure not to eat too much."

Zuo Mingran spread her hands, gesturing towards the empty room, "Look, no one is cooking for me anymore."

An Qi pursed her lips and smiled, "President Yan treats Ran Jie really well."

Zuo Mingran was stunned for a moment. An Qi skipped into the elevator, waved at her, and said, "Goodnight, Ran Jie. See you tomorrow."

As the elevator doors closed, Zuo Mingran closed the door and turned to look at her desolate apartment.

The bright lights illuminated every corner, and the feeling of emptiness became particularly clear at this moment. Zuo Mingran felt a sense of melancholy for a while and suddenly remembered the small house she had bought in her previous life after saving up.

Oh well, at least this apartment is more than twice as big.

Her negative emotions disappeared in an instant. Zuo Mingran changed her shoes and slowly walked upstairs, passing by the kitchen. She inexplicably turned in and took an apple from the refrigerator.

People may be made of iron, but they need food to sustain themselves. It's just one apple. Fruits won't make you gain weight, Zuo Mingran comforted herself.

It was raining outside, and the sound of raindrops hitting the window filled the air. Zuo Mingran lifted the curtain and looked outside, then picked up her phone and sent a message to Mao Mao and An Qi.

The replies from both of them came quickly, saying that they had safely arrived home.

Mao Mao couldn't help but ask with concern, "Ran Jie, have you eaten anything?"

Zuo Mingran selectively ignored the question and scrolled through her phone, seeing Yan Yunyang's name in her message list.

With the rain pouring so heavily, should she send him a message to check on him?

Just as she was about to open the chatbox, a faint sound came from outside. Zuo Mingran quickly flipped off the bed and opened the door.

Yan Yunyang was walking towards his room. Zuo Mingran called out to him, tentatively saying, "Do you have a moment? I want to talk to you about something."

Yan Yunyang stopped in his tracks but didn't turn around. Zuo Mingran heard him say, "Okay."

Zuo Mingran pointed to the living room. "Should I wait for you downstairs?"

Yan Yunyang didn't say anything, but from Zuo Mingran's perspective, she could only see him nodding before quickly entering his own room.

Zuo Mingran had an instinctual feeling that something was off. As she passed through the hallway, she turned and glanced, and indeed, she saw a pair of wet shoes. However, their residential parking was in the basement, with proper drainage, so there was no possibility of getting soaked in the rain.

Suppressing her suspicions, Zuo Mingran went to the kitchen and poured two cups of hot water onto the table.

Yan Yunyang came out quickly, having changed his clothes. His hair was still damp, with a hint of moisture obscuring part of his features.

Having seen so much worldly beauty, Zuo Mingran couldn't help but whistle in her mind. She pushed the cup towards him and asked with concern, "Have you been busy with work recently?"

With his cold fingers resting on the cup, bringing a sense of warmth, Yan Yunyang glanced at her and slowly replied, "Not too busy."

Zuo Mingran said, "You still have to go to work every day at the set. Isn't it too troublesome?"

Yan Yunyang said in a slow and deliberate manner, "It's not troublesome."

Zuo Mingran: "..." There was no way to communicate further.

Taking a deep breath, Zuo Mingran said earnestly, "President Yan, there are a thousand paths in life, with career being the first. If management is not good, it brings tears to loved ones' eyes!"

Yan Yunyang didn't know where she came up with so many words. He put down the cup, leaned back on the couch, and calmly said, "The company doesn't need me right now."

"Did you go bankrupt?" Zuo Mingran's heart skipped a beat.

Yan Yunyang remained silent, but his silence became the best confirmation. Zuo Mingran recalled all the things Yan Yunyang had done during this period, and all the questions had a reasonable explanation.

Because of bankruptcy, there was no need to go to work every day.

Because of bankruptcy, there was a desire to save their potentially divorcing relationship.

Because of bankruptcy...

The more Zuo Mingran thought about it, the more she felt sorry for Yan Yunyang. Her gaze towards him was filled with motherly love.

Yan Yunyang: "?"

In order to prevent Zuo Mingran from continuing to speculate, Yan Yunyang spoke, "I did not go bankrupt."

Zuo Mingran breathed a sigh of relief, and Yan Yunyang looked at her. In his dark eyes, it seemed as though there was a bottomless ancient well.

"But someone is targeting me." Eerily, Yan Yunyang lied to Zuo Mingran, "The other party is very powerful, and if my funding is cut off, I might go bankrupt soon."

Zuo Mingran's heart that had just settled down was lifted up again. "Is it very troublesome?"

"A little." Yan Yunyang lowered his eyes, rubbing his hands on the cup, and said, "If I really go bankrupt, we can get a divorce."

Zuo Mingran remained silent, picking up her phone as if she wanted to avoid this topic.

The water in the cup had cooled slightly. Yan Yunyang picked it up and took a sip. Although it was warm water, it felt like it carried icy coldness as it slid down his throat.

No one would be kind to another person for no reason.

He chuckled self-deprecatingly, and just as he was about to get up and leave, Zuo Mingran suddenly spoke while still looking down at her phone. "You know, being a celebrity actually earns a lot of money."

Yan Yunyang couldn't understand why she brought this up. Zuo Mingran leaned forward, looking at him across the coffee table, her eyes filled with an emotion that was hard to decipher.

"To be honest, I'm quite wealthy. How about this, I'll invest in you and manage the company together."

Yan Yunyang was stunned, but Zuo Mingran had already gotten up and walked to him, firmly patting his shoulder with one hand.

The warmth of her palm penetrated through the fabric and touched his skin. Yan Yunyang heard her say forcefully, "Brother, let's earn money together!"