“I’m leaving now. When you come to Jianghai, remember to treat me to a meal.” With just this one sentence, Ju Li hurriedly ran off.
Like a swallow rushing back to its nest, clumsy, like a child.
No matter how professional she looked while working or how serious she acted, at the end of the day, she was only 23. She had yet to experience much of the world, deep down, still just a kid.
Chen Haoyu watched Ju Li leave, walking beside the boss. Even when giving directions, she didn’t dare to walk ahead of him.
She worked diligently and carefully remembered her place.
Who knew when they’d meet again?
It might be years from now…
That was just how things were in their line of work.
Because of a TV drama, a movie, or a variety show, people from all over, completely unrelated, would suddenly come together, spending day and night working side by side.
But once the project ended, they might be scattered across the world, never to meet again.
Everyone around them could be considered a passing stranger, without exception.
The next scene to be filmed was a major conflict between his character and the emperor.
A cunning and strategic advisor burdened with family vengeance and the mystery of his origins, pitted against a young emperor who was brave but lacked foresight, driven by passion for governance, yet filled with suspicions.
After five or six takes, Chen Haoyu took the initiative to request a short break.
He had his manager buy cold drinks for every crew member, apologising for the delays he had caused in the shoot.
Then, he retreated alone to a quiet corner, flipping through the script repeatedly, reading the lines before and after the scene over and over again. He thought about the character’s emotions, the political climate of that moment, and the subtlest shifts in the character’s mindset, past and future. When he returned to the set, it was as if he had transformed into someone else.
Focused. Immersed. Completely in character.
Director Zhang fixed his eyes on the small monitor, staring at his expressions. Without hesitation, he grabbed the walkie-talkie and instructed the cameraman to zoom in for a close-up.
When the scene finally wrapped with a call of “Cut,” silence fell over the set.
Everyone looked at Chen Haoyu, any past dismissiveness, resentment or jealousy in their eyes had shifted.
In this world, in any field, true skill and dedication will always earn at least some respect.
The weather was clear and bright. The film set, located on a hillside, bustled with activity.
Looking down, a winding mountain road stretched below. A sedan slowly made its way down the curves, soon merging onto the highway.
Inside the car, Ju Li was about to take a nap when she received a message from a real estate agent she had contacted when she first started the job.
The agent had been reaching out frequently, either calling or sending property listings via text, hoping she’d choose one.
But up until now, every option had flaws she couldn’t accept, so she had turned them all down.
Now, a new listing had arrived.
A French Concession-era villa. The landlord had divided the entire house into six separate units. One of the rooms was large enough for two beds, making it a feasible two-bedroom setup for her and her younger brother.
The villa had a spacious courtyard with peach and orange trees. Birds played in the branches, and stray cats occasionally passed through.
Just a few hundred meters away were Xujiahui Park and Hengshan Park. To the north stood Jianghai Library.
Excited, Ju Li quickly texted back: [How much is the rent for this one per month?]
[5,900 yuan.] The agent replied instantly.
“……”
Ju Li stared at the number on the screen, speechless for a long time.
She couldn’t afford it…
In the moving car, Ju Li sighed from time to time,
Because of poverty. Because of desires so close, yet beyond reach.
Boss Zhong occasionally glanced at his little secretary from the corner of his eye,
Her disappointment was obvious to anyone.
When the production accountant for White Fan Strategist finally calculated the direct losses caused by Chen Haoyu over the past week and sent the report to Zhong Liyan, he immediately forwarded the email to HR, copying Zhu Jingyi.
The content was brief:
[Total losses: 460,000 RMB.
One-tenth: 45,000 RMB.
Deduct 45,000 yuan from Bai Meng’s quarterly bonus.
Award Ju Li a 45,000 yuan bonus this month.]
Soon, HR Vice President Ann replied:
[Received.
This bonus will be issued discreetly to Ju Li. Please also ask Zhu Jingyi to inform her of the reward and remind her to keep it confidential.
When the company-wide commendation email is sent, the specific bonus amount will be omitted to avoid unnecessary tension among employees.
As above.]
When Zhu Jingyi’s email confirming receipt was also sent out, Ju Li, sitting in the same car as Zhong Liyan, felt her phone suddenly vibrate in her hands.
A delicate buzzing sound rang out, the beautiful melody of money rolling in.
She pulled out her phone, and the moment she saw the notification from the [Little Secretary System], she almost screamed and jumped up.
Fortunately, she bit her lower lip and forced herself to hold it in.
In her entire life, she had never seen so many zeroes.
Excitement reddened her eyes, moistening them with tears.
Joy tugged at the corners of her mouth, making them twitch upwards, only to waver slightly in instability.
She couldn’t tell if she wanted to laugh or cry. The sorrow of being unable to afford rent and move into the place she longed for vanished completely.
Overwhelmed by emotion, she turned to face the window, she didn’t want anyone to see her exaggerated expression.
Her hands clenched tightly around her phone, fingers turning slightly pale from the pressure.
On the screen, the notification stood out in stark black and white:
Mission [Tears of a Star] Completed.
Reward: A modest cash bonus, ¥45,000 before tax (Disbursement Progress: 1/5…);
Disbursement Method: Issued by the President as a bonus;
Reward: Brain-Boosting Milk Tablets (Received).
Collection Method: Check your inventory to retrieve.
How could there be such an angel in this world?
No–
A god!
…
After a four-hour journey, they finally arrived at Hengdian.
Ju Li was exhausted. She had slept less than two hours the night before, worked her brain to the limit all day, and endured the crushing blow of her rent crisis. She had been feeling pretty down.
But the moment they reached their destination, excitement surged through her again.
As soon as the car stopped, she dashed out, ran to the boss’s side, and opened the door for him.
If Zhong Liyan weren’t so strong and sturdy, she would’ve reached out to support him in a show of devotion.
At this moment, in her eyes, every step her boss took was powerful, every move exuding strength.
Even the way he ducked his head slightly to avoid hitting it on the way out of the car seemed effortlessly refined.
And when he stretched his shoulders after getting out, even his exhaustion radiated an air of sensuality.
A masterpiece.
Perhaps all gods of fortune in this world were this devastatingly handsome, Ju Li thought.
Walking beside him, she maintained a well-behaved smile. The cold, distant demeanour she used to maintain at work had completely melted away under the sweet influence of money, turning into pure good cheer and warmth.
After a few steps, Zhong Liyan finally turned to her. “Did you pick up some money?”
Ju Li met his sharp gaze and quickly shook her head.
“Behave. No smiling,” he said, looking down at her. His tone was strict, yet to Ju Li, it sounded inexplicably affectionate.
She was doomed… Money had utterly corrupted her soul.
Suppressing her grin, she composed herself into a serious, professional expression. Only then did Zhong Liyan nod in satisfaction and continue walking toward the film set.
The producer of Warm Summer Sweet Tea, currently filming in Hengdian, was Qiu Fang, the very same person who had personally brought Zhong Liyan his coffee in the office and had confidently gossiped with Zhu Jingyi, suspecting that Ju Li was related to him.
From a distance, Qiu Fang enthusiastically waved to Zhong Liyan and then briskly walked over. “Boss Zhong, what an honor for you to come all this way to visit the set!”
After greeting him warmly, she glanced at Ju Li, who was standing behind him, and her expression immediately became playful.
Seizing the moment while Zhong Liyan wasn’t looking, she winked and smiled at Ju Li in a friendly manner.
Ju Li quickly nodded politely. She was still on a financial high, and even her formal gestures carried an undeniable warmth.
Qiu Fang thought to herself, this girl must be some rich little princess from a wealthy family. Just look at that pure, naive expression!
But… was she afraid of revealing her identity? Why was she carrying such a shabby-looking bag?
As they walked toward the set, Qiu Fang kept the conversation going effortlessly.
She didn’t seem the least bit awkward, chatting away about industry gossip one moment and the film’s production progress the next.
Ju Li felt a fleeting sense of déjà vu. Though Qiu Fang’s personality was entirely different from Bai Meng’s, their liveliness was strikingly similar.
But at the moment, she had no interest in paying attention to others. Her mind was entirely occupied with one thing, when would the money arrive? When would someone notify her about the bonus?
They wouldn’t suddenly change their minds and decide not to give it to her, right?
She felt as anxious as a girl in love, caught between hope and fear.
After all, she had never held so much money in her hands before. ¥45,000!
At her current salary, this bonus was almost equivalent to her annual income.
How should she spend it?
Her heart refused to calm down. She wanted to roll around, dance, scream at the top of her lungs. Pure. Bliss.
But there was nothing she could do. She could only suppress her emotions, put on a serious and professional expression, and stand behind Boss Zhong, accompanying him as he inspected his empire.
So, as she walked behind him, her expression carried a hint of grievance.
No one could understand the frustration of making a fortune but being unable to celebrate, not even daring to laugh out loud.
Ju Li clutched her phone tightly the whole way, waiting for that bonus to come closer. It was like a girl waiting for her first love, afraid he wouldn’t show up, yet also afraid he’d do something reckless.
Boss Zhong’s visit to the set felt more like a morale-boosting event.
He had to give the director a few compliments, give the producer a few reminders, flash the scriptwriters a polite smile, and treat the actors with the kind of affectionate concern a father gives his children.
It turned out that being a boss also came with social burdens.
It didn’t matter whether he was exhausted or whether seeing people made him irritable, he had to smile regardless. And not just any smile, but one that was both proud and benevolent.
That afternoon, Boss Zhong had two scenes to oversee and discussions to hold with the director and producer.
Ju Li either took notes or ran errands the entire time.
As a socialist secretary, she suddenly had the strange illusion of being a eunuch in the old society.
Her phone was eerily silent today, as if it had broken, not even a single text message.
The only notifications came from the administrative department’s work group chat, where people occasionally updated tasks or coordinated responsibilities.
None of it had anything to do with her.
The money still hadn’t arrived.
She was anxious.
She blamed the [Little Secretary System], why had it told her about this windfall so early?
For a shallow and perpetually broke person like her, the weight of anticipation was unbearable.
Ju Li sat beside Zhong Liyan, using her phone’s notepad to take meeting minutes.
Her stomach growled the entire time.
During a brief pause in the discussion about the filming schedule, Zhong Liyan suddenly pulled out a card and handed it to her.
She looked up at him, and he leaned in to whisper, “Go get something to eat.”
Since they had arrived in the afternoon, it was just about dinnertime.
Zhong Liyan probably didn’t want to trouble anyone, so he hadn’t said a word.
Ju Li had simply gone hungry alongside him.
It wasn’t until she held the black card he handed over that she suddenly realised, perhaps, as his secretary, she should have been the one worrying about his meals during work.
Not waiting for him to make the arrangements.
She had been too distracted by money today, and now she felt a pang of guilt.
Without a word, she took the card and left the set to find food.
When she returned, she handed Zhong Liyan the black card along with steaming hot buns and a cup of warm soy milk.
As he took back the black card, he raised an eyebrow and glanced at her. Ju Li quickly grinned and said, “Boss, there was nowhere to swipe your black card. So this meal’s on me.”
Even if it was just two plain buns, it was better than starving.
Zhong Liyan nodded just as the director started fussing in the background. “What? Boss Zhong hasn’t eaten yet?”
He brushed off the concern with a few casual words, then unwrapped the buns and started eating.
Ju Li held her own warm buns in her hands, watching a man of his status sit in the middle of a chaotic film set, hunched over on a tiny folding stool, eating steamed buns.
A strange sense of sorrow welled up in her chest.
He wasn’t supposed to be like this. He shouldn’t have to endure this kind of situation…
A favoured son of the heavens, the ruler of a business empire, yet here he was, with his long legs bent awkwardly, half-curled up on a small stool, eating steamed buns.
But he ate so naturally, his expression as calm and composed as ever, no different from when he ate abalone or lobster.
A quiet wave of emotion rose within her.
He was just eating a bun she bought… why was she feeling sentimental?
His net worth was a trillion times hers, why the hell was she feeling sorry for him?
She forcibly suppressed the sudden surge of motherly instincts. She didn’t want to sit across from him eating buns together like a pair of beggars.
So she found a quiet spot nearby, away from the crowd, to eat her long-overdue lunch in peace.
Thinking back to when she first heard she would be visiting the set, she had actually been quite excited.
As a college student who had never seen much of the world, getting a chance to be up close with celebrities was an exciting and curious experience.
But now that she was actually here, it didn’t feel all that special.
Especially when she faced Chen Haoyu, she had no time to dwell on the fact that he was a big star. Her mind was completely occupied with her tasks.
Now, sitting a little distance away and observing the entire set, it suddenly hit her, oh, so this was how all those TV dramas she grew up watching were filmed.
It was fascinating… yet also shattered some of the illusions she once had.
Just as Ju Li was lost in thought, a child came barreling through the set, weaving between the busy crew members who were moving equipment.
Everyone had to scramble to dodge him to avoid a collision.
It was the director’s son.
Children around five or six years old are at their most mischievous stage.
During the kindergarten summer break, the mother brought her child to visit the set.
It was said that they had been staying with the crew for nearly a week, and the entire production team was on edge, irritated to the point that they wished they could secretly pack the child up and mail him away, anywhere would do.
But since his father was the director, no one dared to speak up.
Even Producer Qiu Fang felt awkward about asking them to leave. After all, the director was too busy filming Warm Summer Sweet Tea to spend time with his child.
It was supposedly the first time in over six months that the director had spent more than two hours with his son.
The little boy had been running around the open space when he suddenly noticed Ju Li eating nearby. With a loud “whoosh,” he pretended to be flying and charged straight toward her,
As he got close, he stomped down hard, sending dirt flying toward Ju Li’s face.
“Hahaha!” Having succeeded in his prank, he burst into unrestrained laughter.
Ju Li barely dodged in time, avoiding the dirt from hitting her face, but the bun in her hand wasn’t so lucky.
“Hey!” She frowned. “You got my bun dirty.”
“You can just buy another one.” The little boy stood there, kicking at the dirt on the ground while holding up his Ultraman toy, occasionally muttering lines from the show.
Ju Li frowned and glanced into the distance. His mother was standing at the edge of the set, watching the actors perform, completely uninterested in disciplining her son.
Earlier, Qiu Fang had already complained to her, saying that the director’s son was a complete nuisance. His father was too busy to care, and his mother wasn’t responsible either.
Apparently, the boy had been spoiled by his grandparents, whom he usually stayed with. But since they had taken a summer vacation to the north to escape the heat, they had simply sent him back to his mother.
He was constantly annoying everyone on set, yet the director turned a blind eye, and his mother didn’t think it was a big deal.
Looking at the child, Ju Li couldn’t help but think of her younger brother, Ju Jing, when he was little.
Kids from poor families had to grow up early, by the time Ju Jing could lift a stick of wood, he was already helping their mother with firewood.
But this boy, who was already six or seven, acted like a wild animal.
“Didn’t your elders teach you that when you ruin someone else’s things, you should apologise?” She looked down at her half-eaten bun, now completely covered in dirt and inedible.
The little boy let out a dramatic scoff. “Who do you think you are? You don’t deserve my apology.”
“……”
Ju Li hadn’t expected to hear something like that from such a young child.
Either he picked it up from TV, or he learned it at home.
But for him to say something like that so casually, it was definitely a parenting issue.
She frowned, wanting to lecture him further.
Before she could, the boy suddenly took a few steps back, then charged forward again, deliberately kicking up more dirt to splatter her pants. He lifted his chin in defiance, as if daring her to react.
Ju Li could feel the pure, unfiltered malice unique to human cubs.
Kids were incredibly perceptive. After spending a few days on set, he must have realised that no one here dared to discipline him. Everyone either avoided him or indulged him, after all, his father was the director.
And with his parents offering no guidance or discipline, he had grown even more brazen, becoming the little tyrant of the set.
To him, Ju Li was just another easy target, someone he could bully for fun.
If this were Ju Jing, she would have already smacked him hard on the backside.
But instead, she simply said, “Do you like Ultraman too?”
The little boy’s eyes flickered as if he was still plotting his next prank.
But hearing her words, he was instantly distracted.
He proudly held up his Ultraman toy. “I’m going to become Ultraman and defeat all the bad guys like you!”
Ju Li ignored his nonsense and smiled. “I love Ultraman too.”
“Really? Do you have Ace Ultraman?” he asked smugly, tilting his head.
She immediately put on a sad, pitiful expression. “No, I don’t.”
Before the boy could gloat, she suddenly pointed at Zhong Liyan, who was standing nearby.
“But that uncle over there has a huge Ultraman Tiga! It’s even taller than you, as tall as your dad. It can walk around and even carry kids while flying upstairs. Wow, it’s amazing!”
The little boy’s eyes widened in disbelief, as if he had just heard the most incredible thing in the world.
“It’s really big. So tempting. I really want one, but I don’t have one. What about you? Don’t tell me… you don’t have one either?” She exaggerated her shock, staring at him with an incredulous expression, Oh my god, you don’t even have a life-sized Ultraman?
To make sure he got the message, she even clicked her tongue and shook her head. “Tsk, tsk. What a shame. You don’t even have a life-sized Ultraman? How embarrassing.”
Then, she casually stood up from her small stool and took a quiet step back.
As expected, the little boy let out a loud screech, angrily waving his Ultraman toy at her.
Of course, he didn’t actually hit her.
Then, he spun around and sprinted toward his mother, already working up his emotions as he ran.
By the time he reached her five steps later, he was wailing at full volume.
Once he threw himself into his mother’s arms, he furiously smashed his once-beloved Ultraman toy on the ground and screamed at the top of his lungs:
“I want a real-life Ultraman! I want an Ultraman as tall as Dad! That person has an Ultraman, I want one that tall too! One that can fly with me! AHHHH… WAAAHHHH!”
His wailing echoed across the entire set, forcing the director, who had just been about to start filming, to halt the shoot.
Standing up, he turned to his wife and said, “Hurry up and calm him down.”
The director’s wife, caught off guard by her son’s sudden tantrum and now scolded by her husband, felt a wave of frustration. But with so many people watching, she couldn’t embarrass her husband, so she had no choice but to patiently coax her son.
Yet, for some reason, the little boy was completely inconsolable. No matter how much she tried to comfort him, he just kept screaming and sobbing, utterly distraught.
Sitting beside the director, Zhong Liyan finally frowned and commented coolly, “School’s out for summer?”
Hearing these words, the director felt a chill run down his spine. “Exactly! I keep telling her to take him home, but she just won’t listen.”
The meaning behind Zhong Liyan’s remark was subtle, but the director couldn’t ignore it. He had long heard of Zhong’s ruthless ways, most of the time, he appeared indifferent, but when truly angered, he could cut off someone’s livelihood with a mere smile.
Catching a glimpse of what seemed to be a look of annoyance on Boss Zhong’s face, the director’s heart pounded. Without hesitation, he turned to his assistant director and said, “Book them a flight home. They’re leaving tonight.”
With that, he strode over to his wife, grabbed his rolled-up script, and smacked his son’s backside a few times.
The child, stunned into silence, was then dragged away with his mother. The director personally escorted them off the set.
No doubt, once they were out of sight, the couple would have a heated argument over their son.
The people on set remained silent, pretending not to care about the unexpected drama.
But those who had been worried about the brat messing up their props or equipment, or just causing chaos, breathed a sigh of relief.
Those who had suffered at the hands of the little menace before were barely holding back the urge to cheer.
To avoid any misunderstandings, Ju Li quickly grabbed a folding stool and went to throw away a steamed bun in a nearby trash bin.
That was when producer Qiu Fang walked over to Zhong Liyan, whispered a few words, and even gave him a thumbs-up.
By the time Ju Li turned back, she saw Qiu Fang finishing her conversation and heading straight toward her.
As for the big boss, Zhong Liyan? His lips curled slightly, a subtle movement that was rare to see on his face. In the interplay of light and shadow, his sharp gaze locked onto her, like he had already seen through everything.
Uh… No way, right?
She tried to dismiss her suspicions, clinging to a shred of hope.
But Qiu Fang had already reached her, smiling as she said, “Nicely done.”
“Ah? What?” Ju Li raised an eyebrow. What was going on?
She wasn’t,
She didn’t!
She would never scheme against a child!
But Qiu Fang’s next words shattered any room for denial.
The female producer gave her a knowing wink, lifted her chin, and looked at her with admiration as she said:
“The set crew was right there. They heard everything. Well done, you’re the hero of the entire production team!”
Qiu Fang was genuinely impressed.
To make the director take his son away, right in front of Zhong Liyan? That was a masterful move.
This little secretary was something else.
She had actually thought Ju Li was just some naive, pampered princess. How wrong she had been.
This was true wisdom disguised as simplicity!
As expected of Boss Zhong’s relative.
A child from a prestigious family was never ordinary.
Tsk, tsk!
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