Ju Li had a dream, she and the famous actor Chen Haoyu were riding through the streets in an open carriage.
People surrounded them on all sides, layer upon layer, as if they were being put on display.
The crowd was shouting something, their voices blending into a chaotic hum. When she listened closely, it was all about her and Chen Haoyu.
They were saying that sitting next to him, she looked like a withered reed leaning against a magnificent jade tree.
That kind of ridicule, the pain and shame of being seen as poor and unworthy, made her sleep restless. She jolted awake, her forehead damp with sweat.
A few seconds later, she realised her alarm was ringing. She hurriedly reached for her phone and saw that it was already 5:45 am.
She shot out of bed, grabbed a hair tie from the bedside table, and rushed to the bathroom. In just a few moments, she had brushed her teeth, washed her face, and tied her hair. Then, she quickly changed into fresh clothes.
Finally, taking a moment to catch her breath, she drank a cup of warm water and thought back to her dream.
Pouting, she rubbed her sleep-deprived face in the mirror and muttered, “Even if I’m just average, I’d still say I’m at least decent-looking, right? I’m definitely above the passing line. How could I possibly be a withered reed?”
Besides, what’s so great about Chen Haoyu being handsome?
He’s just a crybaby!
Amused by her own thoughts, she chuckled like a mischievous little fox before grabbing her phone and heading out.
But as she opened the door and turned to pull out her keycard, she was caught off guard by several pairs of eyes staring at her.
Just across the hallway, near Boss Zhong’s door, stood a group of people looking utterly defeated. Some were whispering, while others stood as if they had lost their souls. The moment she pushed open the door, everyone turned to look at her.
The ones standing in a daze were Producer Bai Meng and Director Zhang. The ones whispering were a young male planner and Assistant Producer Xiao Qing.
All of them had heavy dark circles under their eyes, their expressions hollow and exhausted. Even when they collectively turned their gazes toward Ju Li, their eyes barely focused.
Even Bai Meng, who was always touching up her makeup, looked pale and aged, her face showing clear signs of fatigue and despair.
For the past few hours, they had tried everything, yet scriptwriter Xiao Yun still refused to revise the script or leave the production on peaceful terms.
It was a nightmare for the crew, whether it was a lawsuit with the scriptwriter or the lead actor faking illness to strike, both could be devastating blows.
Forget about whether the project could be completed. How long would it take? How much more money and time would it require?
Just the tens of millions already spent since filming began were enough to make Bai Meng and Director Zhang fall into despair.
If the project truly collapsed, they would be branded as failures.
How many years would it take for people to forget that they once ruined a production?
Labelled as incompetent, unable to manage actors, and costing Producer Zhong Liyan millions, these accusations alone would make every future investor avoid them.
Bai Meng cast a single irritated glance at Ju Li before withdrawing her gaze in frustration.
They were waiting outside Zhong Liyan’s door to report the bad news, but none of them dared to wake him up. So they could only stand there like ghosts, waiting for their boss to get up.
“…” Ju Li hesitated for three seconds before composing herself and giving them a polite nod.
“…” The ‘zombies’ stared at her for a few moments, their moods foul, and then awkwardly looked away.
Bai Meng, especially, frowned in displeasure. As a high-ranking producer, exposing such a vulnerable side in front of a lowly secretary filled her with rage.
Ju Li walked through the tense atmosphere, feeling the heavy chill in the air.
Just as she stepped into the elevator, she caught the hushed gossip between the young planner and Assistant Producer Xiao Qing,
“Why is a secretary up this early?”
“Secretary? I looked into it. She’s just a temporary replacement. First day as an intern, and she was thrown straight into a crisis. They really couldn’t find a proper executive secretary in time, you get it? Someone put in a position like that is just waiting for the boss to get annoyed and fire her.”
“Our boss hasn’t fired anyone in a while… Hey, you think she’s going out to buy breakfast for him?”
“Such a bootlicker. No wonder she got to go on a business trip with the boss.”
“Pfft…” A sneering sound, dripping with ridicule.
Ju Li rolled her eyes as the elevator doors shut. Let them wait at Boss Zhong’s door, it served them right.
But not even two hours later, when she found herself standing outside Chen Haoyu’s room, her emotions had shifted.
She wasn’t as confident as she was last night. What if he woke up and suddenly felt like he’d been tricked? What if he regretted everything?
Just as her nerves were getting the best of her, the door clicked open.
A messy head of hair peeked out.
Even with his drowsy, half-lidded eyes, Chen Haoyu’s naturally alluring gaze swept over her briefly before he let go of the door handle, shuffled inside in his slippers, and left behind a hoarse voice, “Come in.”
At that moment, his entire presence radiated a raw, effortless sensuality.
If she weren’t so self-aware, she might have thought he was flirting with her.
Taking a deep breath, Ju Li licked her lips, steadied her nerves, and quickly slipped inside.
She was already familiar with the layout of the luxury suite. Glancing around, she headed straight to the kitchenette, found the electric kettle, and boiled some water for him. After cooling it to a drinkable temperature, she walked back to the living area and leaned against the table, waiting.
From the bathroom came the sounds of bottles clinking, water splashing, and hurried movements.
Five minutes later, Chen Haoyu finally emerged.
He was now a refreshed young man,
Handsome men had this advantage. Even without styling products or fancy outfits, just wearing a simple T-shirt and shorts, he still looked like a university student.
He first glanced at her face, and seeing that she was looking at him calmly without any teasing or condescension, he let out a breath of relief and gestured, “Why are you standing? Sit down~”
His tone was casual, carrying the confidence of someone used to giving orders and leading.
Ju Li didn’t sit. Instead, she politely handed him the cup of water she was holding and said gently, “Drinking warm water in the morning is good for your health.”
He raised an eyebrow at her, his expression meaningful. He opened his mouth as if to say something but, upon seeing her composed smile, swallowed his words.
He walked over, took the cup from her, and leaned against the table beside her, their shoulders nearly touching as he gulped down the water.
Once he finished, he turned to look at her again, his gaze scanning her face repeatedly as if trying to confirm something.
Ju Li initially wanted to keep some distance between them, enough so that seeing her wouldn’t immediately remind him of last night and make things awkward, but also to avoid giving the impression that she was trying to get close to him for personal gain.
But his continuous scrutiny made it difficult for her to maintain that act.
With a slight smile, she tilted her head and asked, “What are you looking at?”
Her tone was like that of a naive newcomer to the professional world, fearless, unbothered, and lacking the instinct to be deferential even when facing a big star.
Seeing her like this, Chen Haoyu finally let out a long sigh of relief.
His shoulders relaxed, and he reached out to pat her on the head. “Still my buddy?”
She lifted her head and shot him a sidelong glance. Their eyes met, and they both chuckled, understanding each other without needing words.
She realised that, despite his usual pretentious demeanour, after letting out his emotions last night, he actually seemed quite easygoing and pleasant to be around.
That instinctive sense of inadequacy she had felt around him, the worry that he might look down on her because of their vastly different statuses, finally faded.
Her tense shoulders, held stiff since entering the room, also loosened slightly, and she let out a subtle breath of relief.
Meanwhile, Chen Haoyu walked over to the counter, picked up his phone, and dialled Zhong Liyan’s number.
The call connected after a few seconds, and he spoke first:
“Mr. Zhong, did I wake you?”
“No, I’ve been awake for a while.” The voice on the other end wasn’t groggy from sleep. Instead, it was deep and full of energy, exuding composure. “What’s the matter?”
“There are a few things I’d like to talk to you about. To be honest, it’s a little embarrassing… How about we discuss it over breakfast?” Chen Haoyu’s tone was polite yet confident, the persona he always maintained in public.
But just as he finished speaking, he turned to Ju Li and winked, then deliberately switched the call to speaker mode, bringing the phone closer to her so she could hear.
Ju Li panicked and waved her hands in protest. She was fine with handling Chen Haoyu, after all, despite his status, they had bonded over his ‘heart opening’ last night, making him feel more approachable.
But Zhong Liyan? No, absolutely not!
That was a man who held her job, and possibly her entire future, in his hands.
She couldn’t let him find out she was eavesdropping on his call. Just imagining his potential displeasure sent a chill down her spine. Shaking her head frantically, she backed away all the way to the door, signalling to Chen Haoyu that she wanted no part in this.
Chen Haoyu found her reaction so amusing that he nearly burst out laughing.
On the phone, Zhong Liyan’s deep voice carried through the speaker, like a firm, calloused hand brushing against her eardrums: “Now? Private dining room in the restaurant on the first floor, the same one as last night?”
“Sounds good. I’ll head over now,” Chen Haoyu replied.
“See you soon.” With that, Zhong Liyan ended the call.
Ju Li blinked as she watched Chen Haoyu slip his phone back into his pocket.
“My boss already knows you’re staying,” she suddenly said.
“What?” Chen Haoyu raised an eyebrow, puzzled.
“He already knows you’re not going to leave the production, that you won’t keep fighting with the screenwriter, and that you’ve decided to stay on as the lead actor.”
“How would he know? Did you tell him?” he asked. This decision had only been made two hours ago, only the two of them should know about it.
“I didn’t tell him. He actually doesn’t know I came to see you last night. That was my own decision,” she shook her head.
“Hah.” Chen Haoyu chuckled, his expression saying, Yeah, right. But instead of calling her out, he simply continued,
“If neither of us told him, then how does he know?”
“I don’t know… But I could tell from his voice. I think he figured it out from the way you spoke to him, from the little things you said.” She pulled open his door and stepped outside, adding, “That’s just my guess, but I think Mr. Zhong already knows.”
It was a strange kind of intuition, but she felt confident she wasn’t wrong.
“So mysterious?” Chen Haoyu mused as he followed her out, removed his key card, and shut the door behind him.
The two of them whispered back and forth as they walked toward the elevator, occasionally exchanging words.
A few steps away, a cleaning lady who had gotten up early to change the carpet stood frozen in shock, her eyes wide as she watched them walk side by side out of Chen Haoyu’s room, whispering to each other like close companions.
Her mouth dropped open in a silent scream.
AAAAHHHHH!!!
National heartthrob Chen Haoyu actually let a woman stay over?!
Who is she?!
AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!
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