But why hasn't Bie Yunzong made a single phone call?
Not only has there been no phone call, but a whole week has passed and Bie Yunzong still hasn't come to Guangcheng to look for him.
His predictions had never been wrong. Why was it that this time, Bie Yunzong's actions were completely unexpected?
“Is it…” Su Yanxi frowned.
Is that nemesis of his now, stealing chickens and dogs behind his back again?
Author's Note:
SuSu: My husband is so clingy, it's so annoying. Can having a clingy husband be a legitimate reason for divorce?
Su Su: Why doesn't this jerk call me? Why doesn't he come to find me right away? He must be out there cheating on me again!
————————
Merry Christmas Eve to all the little angels and cuties! It's not exactly a traditional holiday, but let's just enjoy the peace and good wishes!
And today is also Zong and Xi's anniversary, hahaha. Even though they're still going through the seven-year itch, it doesn't stop me from wishing them a happy anniversary: Happy Anniversary, you lovey-dovey couple!
Let's resolve this conflict quickly, sigh!
34# Surprise! Give my wife a huge surprise!
Lost in thought, Su Yanxi unwittingly stayed up all night again. The next day, when she arrived at the film set for makeup with dark circles under her eyes, she gave Zhou Tong quite a fright.
"What's wrong? Didn't you sleep all night?" Zhou Tong asked the artist with concern. "Did the consecutive night shoots the past few nights ruin your health?"
Considering the special status of her artist, Zhou Tong couldn't help but appear more enthusiastic and nervous. She was afraid that if anything happened to Su Yanxi, she would be secretly eliminated by someone from another group!
"Yeah, a little..." Su Yanxi rubbed her head and told the truth, "I stayed up too late, my biological clock is messed up, I didn't sleep at all last night."
"Oh my god, do you want to take some melatonin or something to ensure you get some sleep?" Zhou Tong gasped. "I've already slept enough because of filming night scenes. If I don't get enough rest, I can't guarantee the quality of the filming."
After the makeup artist finished the special makeup, she gently reminded Su Su, "Su Su, the makeup is done. The paint isn't dry yet, so be careful not to touch it."
Su Yanxi quickly put on a smile: "Okay, thank you, teacher. How about a mint?"
The makeup artist wasn't shy at all. After taking the mints from Zhou Tong, she quickly packed her things and left. She was going to the set to touch up the actors' makeup, and Su Yanxi's scenes were scheduled for the later part of the morning.
Zhou Tong glanced at the mints in her hand a few more times, then remembered something else. Once the makeup artist was completely out of sight, Zhou Tong lowered her voice and told Su Yanxi...
"'Peppermint Candy' said he wants to ask us to discuss something. Do you think we should accept? If you don't want to, I'll find a reason to politely decline."
Chapter 73
"Peppermint candy" is the code Zhou Tong gave to Cheng Zhuo, the second male lead with an ordinary appearance. Ever since Su Yanxi gave Cheng Zhuo peppermint candy on the day they joined the crew, Cheng Zhuo has always had special feelings for Su Yanxi—most likely he misunderstood Su Yanxi's motives and thought that Su Yanxi had feelings for him?
To simplify the "tragedy caused by a few peppermints," Zhou Tong directly used peppermints to refer to Cheng Zhuo.
Su Yanxi glanced around instinctively and lowered her voice, "Are you here to discuss creating a CP (couple pairing) with me?"
"Most likely." Zhou Tong curled his lip speechlessly. "His desire to create a CP (couple pairing) between you is practically written all over his face! He released so many promotional articles without our consent. Does he really think we're stupid and blind, and can't guess that it was him?"
"He's so strange." Su Yanxi frowned. "Although we do have a subtle romantic storyline in the drama, this is a CCTV drama, so it's not really appropriate to create a CP (couple pairing) or hype it up, is it?"
“He is extremely arrogant and has a strong sense of self.” Zhou Tong’s expression was indescribable. “He is ambitious and self-important, and he often feels sorry for himself because he can’t compare to others, blaming his management team for not giving him the best; several of his managers have left him because of this.”
Zhou Tong shook his head more and more as he spoke.
"His first manager was a good friend of mine. He had a good network and resources and was very dedicated to his artists. Because Cheng Zhuo was quite experienced, my friend worked tirelessly for him for more than half a year, but in the end, Cheng Zhuo questioned his abilities and drove him away!"
After hearing Zhou Tong's complaints, Su Yanxi finally understood why Cheng Zhuo, despite his good looks, acting skills far exceeding the average, and positive public image, was always lukewarm in popularity, hovering between first-tier and second-tier status.
So it turns out they were collectively warned off by the talent agency community!
"No wonder he poured out his grievances about his manager to me when we first met. So, does that mean he doesn't have a manager now?"
"No, the most recent one left shortly after joining the crew. Now, the better ones don't even look at him, and the lesser ones he doesn't even look at."
"With his arrogance, why would he need to use me for publicity and create a CP (couple pairing)?" Su Yanxi scoffed. "My public image is far worse than it was when the news first broke. If he teams up with me, isn't he afraid of being implicated and condemned?"
Zhou Tong sneered and said slyly, "I reckon he's after you because you're rich and have connections. He thinks that by sticking to you like a leech, he can get a lot of gold feathers out of you!"
"Come to think of it, he really is a bit like one of those 'phoenix men' (men from humble backgrounds who achieve success in society). He seems respectable and perfect, but you only realize how scary he is once you get to know him."
"Is it really that bad? 'Phoenix men' refers more to people who retain traditional values even after leaving a traditional environment. Cheng Zhuo's acceptance of male-male relationships shows he has a high level of acceptance of homosexuality, so he shouldn't be considered traditional in his thinking." Su Yanxi sighed. "But his arrogance is indeed a headache. If I had known he would misunderstand so easily, I shouldn't have given him candy."
Zhou Tong pressed his temples and sighed, "How can you know everything beforehand? What's meant to happen can't be avoided."
"So what do we do now? Should we talk to him?"
After asking the question, Zhou Tong's gossipy nature got the better of him, leading to another question.
"Why hasn't your darling husband come to see you yet? You said last time that he would definitely come in three days, but a week has passed, where is he?"
Thinking of the culprit that had kept her up all night, Su Yanxi rolled her eyes and said in an unfriendly tone.
"Who knows? Come or don't come, it's none of my business if I die on the street someday."
Zhou Tong chuckled dryly, thinking to himself, "Come on, Su Yanxi! You say you don't care, but if something happens, you'll be the first to panic!"
"Didn't they contact you? Peppermint Candy has been so brazenly releasing a bunch of CP (couple) articles. Don't you think Young Master, as the 'official wife,' would be furious if he saw them?"
Su Yanxi was also very troubled and puzzled. She nodded and then shook her head: "There is contact. He greets you three times a day, morning, noon and evening, and reports what he did that day. But his reports have never been of much reference value; you can't see or touch what he actually did or didn't do, and you can't verify it."
"He didn't even ask about the press release. In the past, he would have called me, or even flown over to my side to throw a tantrum."
Zhou Tong clicked his tongue and shook his head: "It's only been a few days since the cheating scandal, and he's already forgotten?"
Su Yanxi remained silent for a while with a dark face before saying, "Alright, let's first clarify the CP press release issue with Cheng Zhuo and tell him to stop using CP for hype. Yun Zong's reckless and domineering personality means that getting involved will only bring trouble."
"So... do you want to talk to him after filming today? Or would you like to rest first and make an appointment in a few days?"
"Let's do it today." Su Yanxi stood up, supporting himself on the armrest of his chair. Perhaps due to low blood sugar, he felt dizzy for a moment when he stood up, but fortunately he steadied himself in time and did not stagger. "The sooner the better. With such a difficult person, I'm afraid that every day of delay will cause a disaster."
Although Zhou Tong was worried about Su Yanxi's health, he still nodded and said okay.
The conversation with Cheng Zhuo was scheduled for dinner. Because Cheng Zhuo had a fuller filming schedule than Su Yanxi, Su Yanxi and Zhou Tong arrived at the restaurant to order food first.
Cheng Zhuo arrived in a hurry right after ordering his food. He had changed out of his costume and removed the special makeup that was meant to make him look dark and unkempt. He was now wearing a smart luxury brand casual suit and looked very dashing.
"Sorry, Su Su, I had a lot of scenes to film today, so I'm late."
Cheng Zhuo's elaborate attire made Su Yanxi feel particularly pressured. He felt that Cheng Zhuo had misunderstood something. Perhaps he had mistaken a friendly and polite meeting for a more intimate and ambiguous... date?
"It's alright, it's alright. I just arrived and ordered." The social butterfly Su Yanxi felt incredibly awkward and her scalp tingled for the first time in a social situation. "Why don't you... take another look at the menu? See if there's anything you'd like to add."
Chapter 74
Fortunately, Zhou Tong returned from the restroom at that moment! Zhou Tong wiped her hands as she approached, smiling and greeting Cheng Zhuo.
"Xiao Cheng, you're really efficient! Su Su and I were just guessing, we thought we'd have to wait another half hour for you!"
The moment Cheng Zhuo saw Zhou Tong appear, his bright smile suddenly vanished.
Cheng Zhuo ignored Zhou Tong's greeting and asked Su Yanxi in an unhappy tone, "Isn't tonight just the two of us having dinner together?"
Su Yanxi smiled awkwardly but politely: "Why...why should we have dinner together as a couple?"
"If it wasn't for dinner for the two of us, why would I go to all that trouble to invite you out?" Cheng Zhuo's face grew increasingly dark. From sitting down with a smile to exuding displeasure, it took him less than a minute, a transformation comparable to a Sichuan opera face change. "You brought an agent with you; are you looking down on me?"
"Wait, wait," Zhou Tong poked his palm with his index finger, stopping the conversation between the two. "Xiao Cheng, if you want to ask Su Su out in a private capacity, you can ask him privately; since you asked me, I will naturally assume that this is a business meeting. As an agent, I have the right to interfere with my artist's acting career."
Cheng Zhuo snorted, making no attempt to hide his disdain for Zhou Tong's words: "That's why I don't like you agents. You just love to meddle in everything without any regard for right or wrong!"
"Can't you see that Susu and I are mutually in love? Why do you insist on coming here to be our third wheel?"
Su Yanxi was almost speechless, and asked with a stiff smile, "Cheng Zhuo, have you misunderstood something? I don't have any feelings for you. In my heart, you are just a colleague with whom I have a fairly pleasant working relationship."
Considering that Cheng Zhuo was not just a minor supporting character, but the second male lead with the second most screen time after her, and that the two of them would see each other all the time in the same production crew, with so many scenes together that they could fill half of the script, Su Yanxi still maintained a certain level of politeness and courtesy.
Even so, the "that's all" in Su Yanxi's words still pierced Pu Nancheng Zhuo's fragile heart. He looked at Su Yanxi in disbelief, his eyes filled with surprise, anger, and even a hint of mockery and contempt.
"That's all?" Cheng Zhuo chuckled, inexplicably mocking Su Yanxi, "If you're not interested in me, why did you send me candy and throat-soothing tea?"
"Can this be used as evidence that I have feelings for you?" Su Yanxi didn't understand. "I didn't just give it to you, I gave it to the entire crew."
"Isn't this a sign that she's interested in me?" Cheng Zhuo became even more convinced of his thoughts! "Because she likes me and wants to give it to me, she had no choice but to give it to the entire crew. I saw through your little tricks very clearly."
"You send me things, actively try to get closer to me, and even chat with me at night while I vent. After doing all that, isn't it because you like me and that I'm interested in you?"
"Oh my god..."
Su Yanxi was about to lose his temper. If it weren't for his good upbringing and the constraints of being the young mistress of another family, he would have picked up the juice in front of him and splashed it hard on Cheng Zhuo's face!
“I’ve built relationships with everyone on the set—not just you! Everything you’ve listed is just normal interaction between me and my colleagues.”
"As for the nighttime chat service you mentioned, it was just a social obligation I had to fulfill out of professional obligation. You don't even have my personal WeChat, so why do you assume I'm interested in you?"
Cheng Zhuo suddenly realized: "The account you've been using to chat with me, is that your work account?"
Su Yanxi raised an eyebrow: "Of course. I hope you understand that my definition of you is very clear: you are my work colleague, and I have no ambiguous or flirtatious intentions towards you!"
"Well, Su Yanxi, you're really something else." Cheng Zhuo, as if he had lost his mind, still didn't realize the truth or believe it, and clapped his hands for Su Yanxi. "The rumors were right after all. You are a blooming green tea white lotus flower - the king of sea kings! You flirt and fish with ease, and after getting the benefits, you turn around and bite back, saying that you never had any improper thoughts?"
Su Yanxi smiled again, restraining her anger by clenching her fists under the table: "Mr. Cheng, please show some respect. I'll emphasize again, I've never had any improper thoughts; I've always regarded you as a work colleague and business partner."
"Furthermore, I, Su Yanxi, have always relied on myself and have never taken advantage of anyone else!"
Zhou Tong noticed Su Yanxi's subtle movements and patted her hand reassuringly under the table, reminding her to calm down!
"Rely on yourself?" Cheng Zhuo actually laughed? The sarcasm in his words became even stronger, and his words became more and more unrestrained, "You relied on the sugar daddy behind you, didn't you?"
"Don't give me that, Su Yanxi. Do you think I'm an idiot?"
Su Yanxi couldn't hold back her expression any longer, narrowing her beautiful yet foxy eyes: "Are you crazy?"
"I must be crazy—I must be crazy to go and create a CP (couple pairing) with you!"
"Su Yanxi, you should be grateful you've hooked up with a second male lead like me. In this industry, it's only because I'm eager to make a name for myself that I don't mind the public scrutiny you're getting! If it were anyone else, look how awful they would be—"
Su Yanxi grabbed the juice from the table and splashed it on the face of the idiot at the opposite table.
"Shut up!"
After abandoning her colleagueship, the second young mistress of another family unleashed her full power, radiating a cold and unapproachable aura. Just one glance from her was enough to make people's hands and feet turn cold with fear.
"If you dare to spout nonsense again, I can kill you."
Meanwhile, Bie Yunzong arrived at the film crew's hotel by car.
After leaving the car with the parking attendant, Bie Yunzong walked briskly up the elevator. He skillfully navigated the fire escape stairs and arrived at his wife's floor.