Isn’t money good?

Chapter 4

Ji Yunnian came back—what for? Yan Shiqiu, full of doubt, pushed the IV stand and made his way back to the infusion room.

“You’re back? Why?” He stopped in front of Ji Yunnian and asked.

Ji Yunnian looked up at him and said, “Looks like you’re feeling better.”

That tone—yeah, there was definitely something behind those words.

Yan Shiqiu sat down next to him, leaving one seat in between. “Yeah, a little. The fever’s gone down. I mean, I already finished most of the IV bottle.”

Ji Yunnian let out a soft “heh” but didn’t say more.

“Here.” He handed over a food container.

Yan Shiqiu blinked twice, took it, then looked down at the container before glancing back up, a little stunned. “Wait… you came all the way back just to bring me food?”

“You starving to death would be hard to explain to Wen Chen and Bai Xi-jie.”

One skipped meal wasn’t going to kill him, though.

How come he never noticed before that Ji Yunnian was kind of a tsundere?

Yan Shiqiu laughed. “Thanks, I was just starting to get hungry.”

“Mm.” Ji Yunnian responded casually.

“Oh, right. The security footage.” Yan Shiqiu pulled out his phone, ready to send Ji Yunnian the footage he had just copied from the hospital’s surveillance center. But after scrolling through his contacts, he realized—he didn’t have Ji Yunnian’s WeChat.

He turned his head and looked at Ji Yunnian, smiling sincerely while holding up his phone. “Add me on WeChat?”

Ji Yunnian narrowed his eyes slightly, giving him a once-over.

Oh. Right. He almost forgot—“he” had a bit of a reputation. Asking for WeChat like this probably seemed suspicious.

So Yan Shiqiu added, “You can block me after you get the video.”

Ji Yunnian was silent for a few seconds before finally taking out his phone and adding him.

Yan Shiqiu: “…”

“You don’t actually need this footage that badly, do you?” After sending the video over, Yan Shiqiu asked. Though it sounded like a question, his tone was more certain than uncertain.

Ji Yunnian was succinct as always. “Mm.”

“Thought so.” Yan Shiqiu nodded. “This whole situation is just people making things up from nothing. The video’s got no real substance, so it’s easy to clarify. Plus, the location is a hospital.”

Still, no matter what, he was definitely going to get dragged through the mud for this. And now, he’d also gained a nice helping of Ji Yunnian’s fans’ hatred.

Because let’s be real—he was practically invisible in the industry, while Ji Yunnian was insanely popular. The moment their names got mentioned together, no matter the truth, the fans were going to assume he was leeching off Ji Yunnian’s fame.

Yan Shiqiu sighed. Looked like it was time for him to return to his old ways from his previous life—only now, the difficulty had been cranked up to hell mode.

But honestly? The challenge made it even more interesting.

He liked that.

Lowering his gaze, Yan Shiqiu glanced at his phone. The file transfer was complete. Without hesitation, he deleted Ji Yunnian’s WeChat.

Ji Yunnian noticed and stared at him.

Yan Shiqiu smiled. “I know I just said you could block me, but after thinking about it, I don’t like being on the receiving end. I prefer taking the initiative.”

Ji Yunnian raised an eyebrow.

At that moment, Yan Shiqiu’s stomach growled. In the quiet infusion room, where it was just the two of them, the sound was crystal clear.

Yan Shiqiu: “…”

Ji Yunnian glanced at him. “You’re hungry. Eat.”

Yan Shiqiu didn’t show even a hint of embarrassment. He just acknowledged it with a simple “Mm” and opened the food container.

Ji Yunnian had brought him food from a well-known restaurant in B City—two side dishes and a bowl of congee. All light, nutritious food, perfect for someone who was recovering.

The infusion room didn’t have tables, and since he had one arm hooked up to an IV, it wasn’t exactly easy to eat. After thinking for a second, Yan Shiqiu squatted down and used the chair as a table.

It didn’t look particularly elegant, but considering some of the tough environments he’d been in when he first started acting in his last life, this was nothing. He didn’t care at all and dug in happily.

Even though the position was uncomfortable, he still ate slowly and with good manners—no loud chewing, no spills. His dining etiquette was impeccable, making him look surprisingly refined and well-bred.

After finishing, Yan Shiqiu tidied up the container, set it aside, wiped his mouth with a tissue, and asked, “How much was it? I’ll pay you back.”

Ji Yunnian crossed his arms. “No need. Consider it payment for the security footage.”

Yan Shiqiu accepted that without hesitation. “Alright.”

Not long after, his first IV bottle finished. A nurse came over to switch it out for a new one before hurrying off to deal with other patients.

On her way out, she stole several glances at Ji Yunnian, her expression full of excitement.

“She recognized you.” Yan Shiqiu commented.

Ji Yunnian responded with a simple “Mm.”

“So, you’re still not leaving?”

“Wen Chen’s coming. I’m waiting for him.”

“Oh.”

And that was the end of the conversation.

Now that his fever was gone and he wasn’t feeling awful anymore, Yan Shiqiu wasn’t as tired. He adjusted his posture and pulled out his phone to check Weibo.

His and Ji Yunnian’s trending topic had dropped off. In its place was a breaking news story.

Clicking back into the discussion thread, he saw that the previously pinned video had been deleted and replaced with a statement from Ji Yunnian’s agency. Right below that was the hospital surveillance footage he had sent.

Netizens were commenting at lightning speed, especially Ji Yunnian’s fans, who had taken over the entire front page.

【The statement was a little late, but at least the agency is doing its job. The evidence laid out is pretty solid, and it proves that the video was posted by an anti-fan.】

【Told you, Teacher Ji would never be a homewrecker.】

【LMAO. The second that anti-fan saw Teacher Ji was suing, they panicked and deleted the video, then posted an apology. The way they folded so fast—why even bother in the first place?】

【Helping a friend take his little brother to the hospital got twisted into “stealing someone’s partner”? Anti-fans sure are creative.】

【People will do anything for clout these days. Negative attention is still attention. I mean, look—just an hour ago, nobody knew who Yan Shiqiu was, and now everyone does.】

【LMAO. Everyone else is too polite to say it, but I will. Wishing Yan Shiqiu a one-way ticket to irrelevance.】

Damn. What did he do to deserve that?

Yan Shiqiu stared at the screen, looking absolutely betrayed.

【I’m joining in. I, a devoted believer, am willing to give up snacks for a whole year in exchange for Yan Shiqiu gaining 20 pounds!】

Huh…

Yan Shiqiu pinched his wrist, then looked down at his body. Hmm. Gaining 20 pounds wasn’t impossible. As long as it was muscle, that’d actually be pretty nice.

【And me! Wishing Yan Shiqiu gets dumped ASAP!】

Oh, wow. What a kind-hearted person.

Well, in return, he wished them a lifetime of happiness and a harmonious family!

Yan Shiqiu scrolled through the comments, an internal monologue running wild in his head as he happily roasted the haters. Meanwhile, Ji Yunnian, who had just finished a conversation with his manager, turned his head—only to see Yan Shiqiu smiling so much that his eyes were practically curved into crescent moons.

“…What are you looking at?” Ji Yunnian rarely initiated conversations, but this time, he did.

Yan Shiqiu didn’t even register it at first. He kept reading the comments for a good while before he finally realized something was off. Blinking, he slowly turned his head. “Wait… were you talking to me?”

Ji Yunnian: “…”

“What do you think?” His tone was ice cold.

“Ah, sorry, I wasn’t listening just now.” Yan Shiqiu admitted. Then, he asked, “What did you say?”

Ji Yunnian had zero interest in repeating himself. “Nothing.”

Yan Shiqiu immediately turned back around. “Oh, okay then.”

Ji Yunnian’s mouth twitched.

“You’ve got some pretty cute fans.” Yan Shiqiu suddenly turned back again and said.

“What?” Ji Yunnian was caught off guard.

“Your fans. They wished me an express ticket to heartbreak.” Under the hospital’s cold white lights, Yan Shiqiu’s eyes gleamed with amusement. “If their wish actually comes true, I’d feel bad not sending them a big red envelope in thanks.”

Hearing that, Ji Yunnian finally understood what Yan Shiqiu had been looking at. He stared at him for a solid three seconds before speaking in an indifferent tone. “They’re cursing you. You’re not mad?”

“Why would I be? I don’t even know them.” Yan Shiqiu shrugged.

“You’re acting weird today. Like a completely different person.”

“Hmm.” Yan Shiqiu tilted his head. “Well, you could say that. From today onward, I’m turning over a new leaf. My goal is to be a polite, well-behaved person.”

Ji Yunnian let out a soft scoff, clearly skeptical.

Yan Shiqiu glanced at him but didn’t bother explaining further.

Words meant nothing. Actions spoke louder. There was no need to say anything more—he’d just prove it over time.

Wen Chen arrived just as Yan Shiqiu’s IV was about to finish. He was carrying a dinner bag.

Noticing the familiar “B City Restaurant” logo on the food container sitting on the chair next to Yan Shiqiu, Wen Chen turned to Ji Yunnian and said, “Thanks.”

“No problem.”

Compared to before, Ji Yunnian’s tone was noticeably softer.

Wen Chen shifted his attention to Yan Shiqiu. “Still feeling unwell?”

Yan Shiqiu gave a slight nod. “Not anymore. The fever’s gone.”

“That’s good.”

Wen Chen draped his coat over Yan Shiqiu’s shoulders. “Don’t catch a cold again.”

Yan Shiqiu froze for a moment, then looked up at him.

“What’s wrong?” Wen Chen asked.

Yan Shiqiu shook his head. It had been so long since someone treated him like family that he wasn’t used to it anymore. His heart softened a little. In a quiet voice, he said, “Thanks, ge.”

Wen Chen was momentarily taken aback. This was the first time Yan Shiqiu had called him that. He smiled warmly and said, “We’re family. No need to be so formal.”

Yan Shiqiu wrapped himself in the coat. It was warm.

—

After finishing his IV treatment, Yan Shiqiu stayed home for two more days to fully recover.

As soon as he felt better, he grabbed his phone, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for his agency.

It wasn’t that he was dead set on being an actor. In his last life, he had graduated from a top-tier university with a top-tier degree. Even after joining the entertainment industry, he never forgot his professional skills. If he wanted to switch careers, he could.

The problem was—this body’s “original owner” didn’t have a college diploma.

Without a degree, even if he had the skills, he wouldn’t even make it past the first round of job screenings.

It wasn’t like he could survive on air.

Besides, he had already developed a love for acting.

Experiencing different lives through different roles, exchanging lines with different actors—it was fun.

And now that he was in a brand-new world, without any pressing financial burdens or expensive artwork to collect, he didn’t have to force himself to take every job just to make ends meet. He could actually enjoy acting for what it was.

Heng Xing Entertainment was located in B City’s CBD area. The building housed multiple entertainment companies, and actors constantly came and went. The office workers there were so used to it that they barely reacted anymore.

Yan Shiqiu stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the sixth floor. As the doors were about to close, someone called out, “Wait!”

He quickly pressed the open button.

The doors slid back, and a tall man rushed in, slightly out of breath. His forehead was glistening with sweat.

“Want one?” Yan Shiqiu pulled a pack of tissues from his bag and held it out.

The man paused, giving him a strange look.

Yan Shiqiu blinked. “?”

“Don’t want it?”

Just as he was about to put the tissues away, the man finally reached out and took one. “Thanks.”

Then, after a brief silence, he suddenly asked, “What are you here for?”

So, they knew each other. He just wasn’t sure what kind of relationship they had.

He gave a vague response. “Business.”

“Here to see me?” The man’s tone was indifferent. “If it’s about terminating your contract, I’ve already sent the termination papers to your email. Just sign them and send them back.”

Hearing that, Yan Shiqiu instantly figured out who this was.

He turned to face the man, smiling bright and sincere. “Actually, I came today to renegotiate my contract.”