Su Yanxi rolled her eyes, slammed her hand on the table, and stood up.
"You want to start a fight, don't you? You want to use this opportunity to bring up old grievances, don't you?"
"No—I didn't!" Bie Yunzong hurriedly got up, pounced on his wife from behind and hugged her. He held her soft and fragrant body and acted aggrieved and coquettish. "I'm sorry, wife, I was just joking."
While speaking, Bie Yunzong didn't forget to tickle his wife. Having been honest with each other for many years, Bie Yunzong knew all of Su Yanxi's "weaknesses" very well, and tickling alone was enough to make Su Yanxi lose her temper.
"Wait, wait a minute." Su Yanxi suppressed a laugh, her face flushed as she pushed away the mischievous dog. "I'm not angry, I was just teasing you! I'll go get a bag of dried meat over there to satisfy my craving."
Bie Yunzong weakly let go and said, "Oh, I thought you were really angry... If you were angry, that would be the end of it. This is too obvious. I'm afraid my words might come true."
"Petty. Do you think I'm like you, a lecherous scoundrel?" Su Yanxi took the dried meat, returned to the small table, and sat down to eat it with the three-delicacy soup. "Chen Yongyan and I have a very normal working relationship. We had so many scenes together, it's impossible that we didn't have any intimate contact at all, right?"
Su Yanxi was already a disciplined eater, and after joining the film crew, he dared not eat too much to avoid unexpected reshoots or additional filming, fearing that the food might upset his stomach and affect his work performance. He would eat a good breakfast, a full lunch, and try to eat as little as possible for dinner; he would have some soup, some meat jerky, or at worst, a fruit and vegetable salad, avoiding high-calorie foods and carbohydrates.
Bie Yunzong watched his wife slowly chew and eat two small packets of meat jerky, each no bigger than his palm, and felt a surge of affection for her. He whispered, "Wife, are you sure you don't want to eat more?"
"With that appetite, I dare say our son eats more than you."
“But I eat more than one meal a day,” Su Yanxi explained. “I eat a lot for lunch, so I won’t be hungry if I eat less for dinner.”
"But……"
"It's normal for actors to control their diet for the sake of their on-screen image—it's part of their job. I'm filming a period drama, and it would look strange on camera if I ate too much and became too rosy-cheeked."
"The entire crew is controlling their diet for filming. I can't just ignore my on-screen image and eat whatever I want, can I? Chen Yongyan is only the second male lead, but he's also controlling his diet."
Bie Yunzong asked suspiciously, "How do you know he's also controlling his diet?"
“Because we often order from the same fruit and vegetable salad shop,” Su Yanxi replied helplessly and affectionately. “That shop is delicious and affordable. Besides our crew, many other crews and shooting groups from nearby locations also order food there.”
"Are you satisfied with this answer? Does it prove my innocence?"
Bie Yunzong was still unhappy, pouting and scratching his head: "Satisfied, but not quite satisfied..."
"I've made myself perfectly clear, what else are you dissatisfied with?" Su Yanxi pinched Bie Yunzong's ear speechlessly, then remembered something else, "The film crew nearby... Oh right, honey, you can't stay here tonight. Pack up and go home in a bit."
He was having a good time playing around with his wife when he was suddenly told to leave! Bie Yunzong shook his head, completely bewildered, and refused: "No way! I'm perfectly happy staying with you, why do I have to go home?"
Already harboring deep suspicions, Bie Yunzong further expanded his thinking, and the first thing that came to mind was—
Chapter 112
"Honey, you're not thinking of kicking me out so you can have an affair with that new second male lead, are you?" The Alaskan Malamute put on a sour face and bared its fangs, trying every possible way to tell its beautiful owner that the dog was unhappy.
Su Yanxi slapped the dog on the head without hesitation, instantly crushing the dog's imposing manner: "Although I know you're joking, if you dare to make this joke again, I'll beat you up first, and then ignore you for half a month."
Bie Yunzong wisely shut up and didn't say anything.
After disciplining the pretentious dog, Su Yanxi gave a light hum and returned to the main topic: "Another film crew is moving into the hotel tonight. I guess it's the one that took over the film where Qi Xiang'an was attacked. There will be a lot of outsiders coming and going starting tonight, and their backgrounds are all rather chaotic; just to be on the safe side, you should go home and stay for a while."
Su Yanxi's "confusing attributes" include many people that are not convenient to contact: from paparazzi who sneak in to take photos, to stalker fans who come to scout out the place.
"Can't I stay in my room?" Bie Yunzong bargained. "I'll stay in your room for the next few days and not go anywhere else."
"Don't you feel stifled? The film crew can gather for three or four days. These days are the peak time for paparazzi to take advantage of the chaos and for stalkers to scout out the location. Can you stay in my room for three or four days in a row without going out for fresh air?"
"No way, you say you can stay here, but I'm afraid you'll get bored to death."
Bie Yunzong chuckled again, snuggling close to his wife and saying affectionately, "My wife really does think of me after all~"
"You should go home and stay for a few days. Our villa is so big, with so many servants, we can't just stay without a leader or a head of the household forever, can we?"
His wife's words certainly made sense. But despite his hesitation, he was still unwilling to go home; it was true that it would be more comfortable to stay at home, but he still wanted to be with his wife!
Su Yanxi reluctantly offered an enticing deal: "It's just a few days back. You can come back during the day whenever you want. I'll be on vacation again in a few days. As long as you listen to me and come home, I'll spend my vacation with you, having meals, shopping, and enjoying some alone time together."
"Really?" Bie Yunzong's heart skipped a beat. "But one day is something you already owe me! So I can have two days of just the two of us?"
"Wow, this sounds awesome! I need to spend a couple of days with my wife and me! Should we go find a hot spring resort in the suburbs and have some real fun?"
Su Yanxi said it was fine, whatever you wanted.
When Bie Yunzong saw that his wife had agreed to the hot spring plan, he was overjoyed and immediately said that he would go home in a while and stay at home for four or five days!
Trading four or five days for two days of romantic time with my wife is a worthwhile deal!
But even after returning home, he didn't forget to remind his wife not to let him get too close. He repeatedly warned her to absolutely, positively—not to get too close to that man surnamed Chen!
After dinner, Su Yanxi was in a hurry to report to the film set. After replying with a series of "okay, okay, yes, yes, yes"s, she left without waiting for permission.
He admitted that there was an element of intent to it; he just wanted to make Bie Yunzong anxious and jealous.
That nemesis caused him so much anxiety and sleepless nights recently; it's time for him to switch places and experience the feeling of being suspicious and uneasy.
To be fair, Su Yanxi genuinely disliked Chen Yongyan and didn't believe Chen Yongyan liked him. He even wondered how Bie Yunzong could think Chen Yongyan liked him—just because of his eyes?
In his view, Chen Yongyan was the least likely person to like him. Because Chen Yongyan's behavior in private was truly bizarre!
"Yun Zong probably watched a few of my scenes with Chen Yongyan, which is why he has the misconception that 'Chen Yongyan likes me'? But Chen Yongyan is always secretive with everyone in private, I don't think that's a sign that he likes me."
There were no plans for reshoots or additional scenes tonight, so Su Yanxi pulled a few screenwriters aside to go over the script. They finished work around eight o'clock and walked back to the hotel with Zhou Tong, chatting casually for a while.
Zhou Tong sighed softly and replied, "Yes, I also find Chen Yongyan very strange. He gives me the impression that... he's being chased and murdered by loan sharks or something?"
“Yes, yes, that’s the same idea.” Su Yanxi nodded in agreement.
He noticed that Zhou Tong was in low spirits and asked her directly.
"Sis, what's wrong with you tonight? You seem listless, like you have something on your mind."
Zhou Tong sighed again, waved his hand, and replied, "It's nothing, just some unresolved issues from previous work that have been bothering me..."
"Sigh, never mind, I don't even understand the situation myself yet. I'll tell you tomorrow. It's getting late, you should go home and get some rest."
After nervously escorting Su Yanxi back to her room, Zhou Tong sighed and left. Su Yanxi stared at the door Zhou Tong had closed behind her, pondering for a long time, still unable to understand what was wrong with Sister Tong today.
Has... you found your sweetheart?
Unable to figure it out, Su Yanxi simply shook his head to stop thinking about it. After changing his shoes in the entryway, he glanced around the room and, as expected, couldn't find that nemesis. Instead, he saw a scene of utter chaos, like a dog's den.
The bedding was a mess, and the cushions on the sofa were scattered everywhere; clothes were tossed haphazardly on the closet, and worn shoes were strewn about on the floor. Even though he knew it was his husband's fault for not tidying up, at first glance, he almost thought he'd walked into a doghouse!
"You scoundrel," Su Yanxi said irritably, rolling up her sleeves and roughly tidying up the room. "You made such a mess of it, didn't you? Did you deliberately mess it up before you left?"
Do you really think this place is a doghouse?
Although upon closer reflection, calling it a "doghouse" isn't entirely wrong...
After tidying up, Su Yanxi stretched his muscles, made a cup of hot tea, and prepared to read for a while. He would then take a shower and go to bed when it was almost time.
However, Su Yanxi had barely sat down and hadn't even finished half a page of the book in his hand when he heard someone knocking on the door, or even calling softly, "Brother Yanxi! Are you in your room?"
Chapter 113
Hearing the voice sound like Chen Yongyan, Su Yanxi put down his book and went to open the door. To avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings, he only opened the door a crack, barely the size of a palm.
"What's wrong?" Su Yanxi quickly glanced behind Chen Yongyan to make sure there was no one else around. "It's so late, is something the matter?"
"Brother Yanxi, can you 'take me in' for now?" Chen Yongyan asked nervously, as if he had grasped at a straw. "I...I'm being followed!"
Su Yanxi's heart tightened, and she immediately thought of people like obsessive fans or paparazzi.
Considering that Chen Yongyan was a junior from a sister school and had no reliable agent since he was new to the entertainment industry, Su Yanxi hardened her heart and chose to help rather than be wary. She opened the door and pulled Chen Yongyan inside.
"Come in."
Chen Yongyan breathed a sigh of relief as if he had been rescued and hurriedly went into Su Yanxi's room.
The door opened hastily and then closed just as quickly. Neither of the two actors noticed that several telephoto cameras were flashing brightly around the corner of the corridor in the distance.
Author's Note:
I'm a bit busy today, so I'll postpone this update for now.
There will be another update later (maybe closer to midnight)!
#47 The video check-up I did tonight looked a little strange.
Upon entering Su Yanxi's room, Chen Yongyan collapsed from exhaustion in the entryway, panting heavily as he thanked Senior Brother Su.
"Brother Yanxi, thank you. I... I really didn't know who else to ask for help. I just felt that your team was more capable, so I came here to find you."
Although he let the person in, Su Yanxi still harbored some suspicion and wariness. While observing Chen Yongyan's reaction, he asked in detail, "What exactly happened? Who scared you like this?"
Chen Yongyan stammered, unable to explain himself: "Well... it's a long story. Let me think about where to begin."
"Are they sasaeng fans or paparazzi? If so, you can actually ask the hotel security for help. The hotels chosen by the film crew are mostly the same ones that other artists like to use, so the security guards are very experienced and know how to catch sasaeng fans and paparazzi."
“It’s not a stalker, nor a paparazzi.” Chen Yongyan stood up, leaning on the hotel carpet, looking distressed. “If it were just a stalker or a paparazzi, I wouldn’t be afraid. This person who’s been following and harassing me is far more frightening than a stalker or a paparazzi!”
Su Yanxi was both suspicious and puzzled: "More frightening than stalkers and paparazzi?"
"Yes, because I was being followed by other celebrities in the same industry."
Chen Yongyan sighed deeply, sat down on the sofa in the room, and tried to calm himself down.
"They are the lead actors from the film crew who moved in tonight."
"The lead actor from the film crew next door?" Su Yanxi became interested and sat down on the single sofa, patiently explaining to her junior brother, "I don't know much about the film crew next door. Is the lead actor your suitor?"
"Yes, his name is Song Yanqi. He's a boy from the same school and major as me, but in a different class. His family background is incredibly powerful; he's supposedly the young master of a super-rich family."
The phrase "super-rich family" made Su Yanxi subconsciously more cautious. He quickly went through his friend list within the inner circle of the wealthy family, not expecting anyone to be associated with the surname Song, and even less expecting any family with long-standing ties to the Song family.
If he doesn't even recognize the other young mistresses of wealthy families, what kind of super wealthy family is he?
"Because of his powerful background and wealthy family, that person is extremely spoiled and difficult to get along with. I have politely rejected him several times, but he just won't give up."
"After graduation, I had no choice but to tell him directly and clearly that I 'didn't like him,' but I didn't expect—"
"On the contrary, it fueled his fighting spirit, and he began to pursue you even more relentlessly?"
"Yes!" Chen Yongyan punched the sofa cushion helplessly and awkwardly. "He's really crazy! When the 'Red Flower' production team held open auditions, I wanted to try out for the second male lead, but he deliberately blocked my audition slot and wouldn't let me participate!"
"Why?" Su Yanxi thought for a moment, "Does he want to put you and him in the same production team?"
"Yes, yes—!"
Su Yanxi's accurate guess made Chen Yongyan shout with excitement, almost grabbing his senior brother's leg and yelling—
"Senior brother, you understand me so well!" Chen Yongyan seemed to have been pushed to the limit, and had never poured out so much bitterness to others so openly before. "I'm really going crazy. All I want to do is act well and make a name for myself, but I really can't handle him!"
"After he found out that I had taken over Cheng Zhuo's role, he started paying attention to the 'Red Flower' production team. Sure enough, we had only been filming the second phase for a short time when he moved in immediately!"