Xiao Yang's body stiffened, her movements stopped, and then she slumped onto the bed, burying her face in her palms.
Wen Yuhan drew the curtains and took off her bathrobe. Before entering the bathroom, she whispered to Xiao Yang with her back to him, "You need money, don't you?"
He paused, lowered his eyes, and smiled faintly. "And I, too, need drama and movies."
...
The script discussion and reading session lasted a full day, and all the cast and crew members were present. Among them, Wen Yuhan met Yi Li.
This is not surprising, given his relationship with Pei Shaocheng, his recent surge in popularity, and Cheng Liang's special favor towards him after meeting him, which enabled Yi Li to successfully land the role of the painter's biological son.
Upon seeing Wen Yuhan, Yi Li greeted him with a smile and asked why Wen Yuhan hadn't come to see his and Pei Shaocheng's performance that day.
Wen Yuhan simply smiled and told him that he had been delayed by something, without telling Yi Li that he had been sick at that time.
During the meeting, Cheng Liang, who was sitting next to Wen Yuhan, noticed a plaster on his wrist and quickly asked with concern, "What's wrong, Yuhan?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yang glared at Pei Shaocheng and said irritably, "You should ask Mr. Pei that question."
Most of the people present knew from previous meetings that the screenwriter and the male lead seemed to be at odds, and none of them, who were all seasoned veterans in the industry, dared to ask any more questions.
Only Yi Li frowned slightly, looking at Pei Shaocheng with a puzzled expression.
“It’s tenosynovitis,” Wen Yuhan said gently, smiling at Cheng Liang. “It’s an old problem, caused by the southern dampness.”
"Oh, you should have said so earlier, Teacher Wen! I have some special medicine here, I'll bring it to you after we're done!" Feng Yuan started to play both sides again, "I bought this medicine at the pharmacy in Shaolin Temple, it's amazing! I guarantee you'll be fine after just one application! For a screenwriter, the most valuable things are a brain and hands, so you have to be careful!"
"Thank you, Teacher Feng." Wen Yuhan nodded to Feng Yuan.
"Hey, it's nothing!" Feng Yuan quickly said, trying to catch his breath. "Come on, everyone, let's continue! The directing department still needs to go to the location later."
...
A note from the author:
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 34
As expected, a series of feedback on script revisions were collected after the meeting. Most of them were minor adjustments that wouldn't have required much effort.
However, just as Wen Yuhan was about to return to his room to make changes, Pei Shaocheng's tall figure blocked his way. His gaze intentionally or unintentionally swept over the plaster on Wen Yuhan's wrist, and he asked in an icy tone, "How is it?"
"It's nothing." Wen Yuhan avoided the other person's gaze.
Pei Shaocheng turned around: "Since everything's alright, let's proceed as planned." He smiled and said, "Everyone's been praising your handwriting."
Wen Yuhan clenched her fist under her lowered hand, trying her best to control her tone and expression, and said politely to Pei Shaocheng, "Can we make a deal? I'll write it by hand, but let me stay in my own room tonight."
Pei Shaocheng paused in his steps, then said coolly, "No."
Yi Li, who was standing next to Pei Shaocheng, frowned slightly, his eyes darting back and forth between Wen Yuhan and Pei Shaocheng several times, but he didn't dare to speak. Seeing Pei Shaocheng walk outside, he smiled apologetically at Wen Yuhan and quickly followed.
Wen Yuhan saw Yi Li look up and say something to Pei Shaocheng, then touch his nose shyly and reach out to hook his arm around Pei Shaocheng's.
A sharp pain shot through her wrist again. Wen Yuhan looked away, lowered her eyes, and lit another cigarette. Her expression remained indifferent, as if she had just woken up.
Xiao Yang followed behind him and took the stack of scripts from Wen Yuhan's hands. Her voice was filled with concern as she asked, "Teacher, are you really going?"
Wen Yuhan smiled and said, "If we really anger him, our lives will become difficult."
Xiao Yang wanted to persuade him further, but when he thought of what Wen Yuhan had said to him that morning, he felt that if he kept nagging, he would only be more pathetic. He bit his lip and said in a low voice, "It's still early, let's go back to the room and rest. I'll give you a massage."
"Okay." Wen Yuhan closed his eyes. He really needed to get some sleep, otherwise he couldn't guarantee he could stay awake until dawn.
...
Xiao Yang dimmed the lights in the room to a soft hue. He soaked a towel in hot water, wrung it out, rolled up Wen Yuhan's sleeves, peeled off the plaster from his wrist, and carefully applied a hot compress.
Wen Yuhan sat on the sofa by the window, a cigarette between his fingers, and obediently let Xiao Yang massage his wrist. Xiao Yang noticed the redness and swelling around Wen Yuhan's wrist, and his anger surged again.
“Beast…” Xiao Yang gritted his teeth and forced out the words, “This is something that can be solved in two hours with a computer, I’ve never seen such bullying.”
Wen Yuhan seemed not to hear, still staring out the window in a daze.
"The wintersweet is in bloom." His eyes were gentle, and the corners of his lips were slightly upturned. "My grandmother used to grow them too. In the winter mornings, when she washed her face, she would pick a few blossoms and put them in the basin, and the towel would be filled with their fragrance."
Wen Yuhan's gentle and soothing tone was like a breeze in the dead of night, calming Xiao Yang's anxious emotions.
Xiao Yang understood that this was another way Wen Yuhan was trying to change the subject. Since the facts couldn't be changed, and they had chosen to stay, constantly stirring up negative emotions would only make things more troublesome. Teacher Wen seemed carefree, but in reality, she lived a very insightful life.
Only he would savor the fragrance of winter plum blossoms even in the depths of a cold winter night.
"Go to bed, I'll massage your back," Xiao Yang said as she placed the new plaster back on Wen Yuhan's wrist.
Wen Yuhan stubbed out his cigarette, stood up, and walked towards the bedside: "Then I'll have to trouble you."
The phone on the table went off and then lit up again. The call log showed a row of missed calls, all from Pei Shaocheng's assistant, Emily.
Seeing that no one answered for a long time, she sent several more messages, all urging Wen Yuhan to go find Pei Shaocheng as soon as possible.
Xiao Yang and Wen Yuhan both heard the phone vibrate, but neither of them tacitly alerted the other. Xiao Yang pushed up Wen Yuhan's shirt, placed his hand on his acupoints, and pressed down on them repeatedly.
Xiao Yang: "Teacher, close your eyes and rest for a while. I'll wake you up around eight o'clock."
"Mmm," Wen Yuhan responded, closing her eyes.
The room fell silent. Xiao Yang had received massages from an old traditional Chinese medicine doctor in his hometown a few years ago, so his technique was very skilled and appropriate. Wen Yuhan's brows gradually relaxed, and his breathing slowly became even and long.
Just when Xiao Yang thought Wen Yuhan had fallen asleep, he heard him speak softly, "Xiao Yang, once this payment arrives, use it all for your sister's surgery."
Xiao Yang stopped what she was doing, and without thinking, frowned and retorted, "No, this is your hard-earned money. I haven't really been of any help."
Wen Yuhan's eyelashes trembled slightly, but she didn't open her eyes. She remained in her original posture and said, "It's settled then. I still have some savings. You need this money more than I do."
"teacher!"
"Shh..." Wen Yuhan gestured for Xiao Yang to be quiet. He rubbed his face against the pillow and smiled, "Xiao Yang's technique is really professional, I give him five stars."
"Teacher Wen..."
"If it gets any noisier, it'll only be four and a half stars."
Xiao Yang pursed her lips, feeling her eyes begin to swell and sting again. Wen Yuhan stopped talking, and after a few more minutes, she actually fell asleep.
Xiao Yang sniffed, then, afraid of disturbing Wen Yuhan, leaned over and dimmed the bedside lamp. She continued massaging his back and calves…
Just as Xiao Yang gently tugged at Wen Yuhan's waistband, about to massage his side muscles, the doorbell suddenly rang.
Wen Yuhan frowned, but didn't wake up. Xiao Yang quickly got out of bed and opened the door, thinking that dinner had arrived.
As soon as I opened the door, I froze in the entryway.
Pei Shaocheng's tall figure stood outside, expressionless, looking down at Xiao Yang, his dark eyes sweeping through Xiao Yang's shoulder into the house.
Upon discovering that the room was dimly lit and that Wen Yuhan was lying face down on the bed with his clothes pulled up and his trousers hanging loosely, revealing his fair waist, a shadow instantly fell over his eyes.
"What are you doing?" Pei Shaocheng narrowed his eyes.
Xiao Yang wanted to tell him not to misunderstand, that she was just giving Wen Yuhan a massage. But thinking of all that Pei Shaocheng had done to Teacher Wen, she looked up and stared coldly at Pei Shaocheng, silently confronting him.
Pei Shaocheng grabbed Xiao Yang by the collar and yanked him up, shoving him against the wall. Xiao Yang, his eyes red, threw a punch at Pei Shaocheng, but Pei Shaocheng grabbed his wrist and twisted it behind his back.
The next second, Pei Shaocheng turned on all the lights in the room.
In an instant, the lights were on.
Wen Yuhan was startled awake by the bright light and sat up abruptly in bed.
My wrist was throbbing with pain again because I had used force when I braced myself against the bed.
He gasped, but still endured the pain and quickly got off the ground.
"Pei Shaocheng, let him go." Wen Yuhan's tone turned cold as she saw Pei Shaocheng twisting Xiao Yang's arm. "There are cameras all over the corridor. Aren't you afraid someone will take them and release him?!"
"Why didn't you answer the phone?" Pei Shaocheng replied, seemingly changing the subject.
Wen Yuhan took a deep breath: "I was asleep and didn't hear you."
"Is she asleep, or is she asleep?"
"Pei Shaocheng!"
Which hand did he use to touch you?
...
A note from the author:
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 35
Before Wen Yuhan could speak, Xiao Yang angrily shouted, "Pei Shaocheng, don't assume everyone is as despicable as you... So what if you're a great actor? You're still a heartless mad dog at heart!"
Pei Shaocheng narrowed his eyes, then chuckled softly after a moment, his shoulders rising and falling slightly as he tightened his grip on Xiao Yang.
Xiao Yang was in so much pain that her face was contorted, but she refused to give in to Pei Shaocheng.
"So what?" Pei Shaocheng said jokingly. "Didn't your teacher Wen tell you that in this line of work, mad dogs are much more popular than ants?"
“Pei Shaocheng,” Wen Yuhan interrupted coldly, “Why do you have to make things difficult for a newcomer? The person you hate is me.” He looked up and stared into Pei Shaocheng’s eyes, “Let him go, and I’ll go with you. Otherwise, Xiao Yang and I will pack our bags and leave the crew right now.”
"You wouldn't." Pei Shaocheng laughed contemptuously. "You'll stop at nothing to achieve your goals. Don't I know you too well?"
“Even so, I can’t involve unrelated people,” Wen Yuhan said calmly. “As for compensation to the production crew, I think someone will be willing to lend it to me.”
"You mean Lu Yanheng?" Pei Shaocheng asked, his face darkening as he forced out the name through his teeth.
Wen Yuhan calmly said, "Release Xiao Yang."
Pei Shaocheng's gaze was like a sharp knife, staring intently at Wen Yuhan.
Finally, he slowly released his grip on Xiao Yang. Xiao Yang lost his balance and fell forward, grabbing the wall for support. He felt as if his arm was about to be broken by the other person.
Wen Yuhan took her coat from the hanger, then took out a pack of new cigarettes, opened it, and put it in her pocket. Only then did she walk straight past Pei Shaocheng and head towards the elevator.
Pei Shaocheng pursed his lips and remained silent, not giving Xiao Yang another glance, before turning around and following.
The suite was filled with the scent of Pei Shaocheng's men's cologne, creating an invisible pressure on Wen Yuhan. He tried his best to ignore the unsettling smell, sat back down at the table, put the script away, and uncapped his pen.