Isn’t money good?

Chapter 34

After sleeping all afternoon, Yan Shiqiu felt thirsty. He went to pour himself a glass of water, then walked over to sit on the sofa with it in hand. He turned back to look at Ji Yunnian. “What did you want to tell me?”

Ji Yunnian snapped back to attention, his pinky finger curving slightly.

He walked over and sat across from Yan Shiqiu. “That anonymous post from this morning, do you know who posted it?”

“Mm, Su Yu specifically called Director Chen to explain.” Yan Shiqiu took a sip of water and chuckled softly. “In this matter, he probably wasn’t lying, unless he doesn’t want to act anymore.”

Offending a director, especially a famous one, was an extremely foolish thing to do, particularly when you were completely in the wrong. He didn’t think Su Yu would be so stupid as to seek his own destruction.

Ji Yunnian interlaced his ten fingers and placed them on his lap. “He wasn’t lying. It really was his assistant who did it. His assistant was fired last night and probably felt resentful and wanted revenge, so he orchestrated this whole thing.”

Yan Shiqiu sighed softly.

“You don’t need to sympathize with him.” Ji Yunnian said flatly. “He’s not a good person either, otherwise he wouldn’t have spread rumors involving other people. He’s just a coward who thought the internet was a safe haven, that no one could do anything to him from behind a screen.”

Yan Shiqiu shook his head. “No, I don’t sympathize with him.”

He wasn’t some saint, wholesale dispensing kindness.

“Is that what you wanted to tell me?” He set down his glass and shifted to a more comfortable position, stuffing a throw pillow into his arms and settling cozily into the sofa. He looked as lazy as a cat.

Yan Shiqiu had just woken up and hadn’t changed clothes yet. He was wearing comfortable, loose loungewear in a soft yellow color. Due to his sitting position, the collar had slipped down somewhat, exposing half of his shoulder blade.

Only then did Ji Yunnian notice there was a very small red mole there. He glanced at it, then looked away. “Pretty much. I thought you didn’t know.”

“Also, Ye Peiyuan’s side also sent internet trolls to fan the flames.”

Yan Shiqiu: “…”

After being speechless for a long moment, he sighed. “How is he everywhere? This kind of obviously fake and especially stupid material, was it really necessary to spend money on it?”

He paused. “Well, I guess when you’re so poor you only have money left, you don’t care about this little bit. If the mudslinging works, great; if not, there’s no real loss.”

“Exactly.” Ji Yunnian glanced at him and said sarcastically, “So were you two thousand degrees nearsighted before?”

Yan Shiqiu agreed readily. “Right, I was blind.”

Hearing him admit it so frankly, Ji Yunnian didn’t know what to say. He hesitated for two seconds, then stiffly changed the subject. “Are you hungry?”

Looking at him with surprise, Yan Shiqiu suddenly smiled. “I am hungry. I was planning to have food delivered. Will you stay and eat together?”

Ji Yunnian hummed in agreement.

After ordering food, while waiting for the hotel to deliver their meal, Yan Shiqiu decided to take a shower first. He had worked up a sweat and felt sticky and uncomfortable.

Seeing him get up, Ji Yunnian asked, “Where are you going?”

“To shower.” He instructed. “Oh, when the food delivery comes, could you help open the door and get it?”

Ji Yunnian frowned. “You’re taking a shower right after your fever broke?”

Understanding his concern, Yan Shiqiu’s eyes curved into crescents as he smiled. “I won’t take too long, don’t worry.”

Yan Shiqiu did value his health. He just rinsed off quickly, coming out in less than six minutes while toweling his hair dry, then went around to the living room to get the hair dryer.

By the time he finished blow-drying his hair, their ordered food had also arrived.

Having only just recovered from his fever, with other symptoms not completely gone, Yan Shiqiu actually didn’t have much appetite. But since he had agreed with Ji Yunnian’s suggestion that he was hungry, he had to eat a bit more.

After they finished eating in silence, Ji Yunnian said, “I’ll go now. Remember to take your medicine.”

Yan Shiqiu walked him to the door. “Thank you for today. See you tomorrow.”

Ji Yunnian looked down at him and suddenly spoke up: “Have you ever counted how many times you thank me in one day?”

???

Yan Shiqiu looked confused.

Wasn’t being polite good? Besides, there were proper distinctions between close and distant relationships.

Ji Yunnian’s gaze lingered on his face for a few seconds, then he turned away with a stern expression. “Forget it, pretend I didn’t say anything.”

Yan Shiqiu: “…”

What was that about?

Perhaps because he had been consistently exercising, although Yan Shiqiu had fallen ill this time, it wasn’t as severe as last time. By the next morning he had recovered, full of energy and vigor.

Returning to the film crew, he first apologized to Director Chen Hangsheng, then found the several actors he was supposed to have scenes with yesterday afternoon and apologized to them as well.

Getting sick was something beyond anyone’s control, and everyone could understand. Besides, he had still filmed two scenes yesterday morning despite being ill, so no one blamed him. Shen Lishan’s tone was very gentle: “No need to apologize. No one wants to get sick.”

Xie Zhaoli nodded, then asked, “Are you feeling better?”

Fu Baiqing reached out to feel his forehead.

Taking Fu Baiqing’s hand away, Yan Shiqiu smiled. “My fever’s already gone. I’m super strong now, running a thousand meters in one breath wouldn’t be a problem.”

“A thousand meters? You’re too weak then.” Fu Baiqing shook his head, then said with bright, expectant eyes, “How about I take you exercising every day, and you teach me to play games for an hour?”

Yan Shiqiu marveled at his passion for gaming, but ruthlessly refused. “No need.”

Fu Baiqing instantly deflated.

Seeing this, everyone couldn’t help but laugh.

—

Although “Rivers and Mountains in Turmoil” was filmed in complete isolation without allowing reporters to visit the set, Director Chen Hangsheng hadn’t let it completely fade from netizens’ view. The official blog posted several production stills every day, and fans and marketing accounts served as free promotion.

The buzz remained consistently high.

Today the official blog released production stills of Fu Baiqing, Yan Shiqiu, and Ruan Lin, while teasing that small surprises would start dropping tonight.

[What small surprises? Teacher Ji’s stills?]

[Putting my butt on the line here.]

[So when will they release Teacher Ji’s stills? I’ve been looking forward to Teacher Ji’s period costume look for so long!]

[Is no one paying attention to the three newcomers? Then I’m taking them all, they all look so good!]

[I want to take them too!]

[Yan Shiqiu looks so beautiful in this costume, like an elegant gentleman, gentle as jade!]

This teaser completely piqued everyone’s curiosity.

During his break, Yan Shiqiu went online and retweeted the production stills.

Noticing the official blog’s teaser, he was also somewhat curious. Just as he was about to ask, Zhao Yutong had already run over to Director Chen Hangsheng. “What’s the small surprise the official blog is teasing?”

Chen Hangsheng didn’t look up, focused on watching the playback. “Didn’t I say it’s a surprise?”

“But that’s a surprise for netizens!”

Chen Hangsheng maintained the mystery, asking back, “Aren’t you a netizen?”

“…”

Zhao Yutong was completely defeated.

Seeing this, Yan Shiqiu didn’t bother asking and making himself unwelcome. He asked Zhou Yu for a cup of iced coffee, and just as he was about to drink it, a hand reached over from beside him and took away his iced coffee.

It was Ji Yunnian.

Ji Yunnian returned the iced coffee to Zhou Yu and placed a cup of warm water in Yan Shiqiu’s hands, looking down at him. “How many days has it been since you recovered?”

Yan Shiqiu protested: “A whole week!”

“Only a week.” Ji Yunnian stared into his eyes. “You’ve had high fevers twice in just two short months. Your health is so poor, you need to take better care of yourself.”

“I have been taking care! This time was because of filming in the rain. It was a special situation!” Yan Shiqiu defended himself.

Ji Yunnian stated calmly: “But no one else got sick, including Little Moon. Only you had a fever of thirty-nine degrees.”

Yan Shiqiu: “…”

Bringing up his sore spot again.

So annoying!

Yan Shiqiu stopped talking, holding the warm water Ji Yunnian had given him while staring intensely at the iced coffee Zhou Yu had taken away, his gaze burning with desire.

Zhou Yu stood to the side holding the coffee, under the gaze of both Ji Yunnian and Yan Shiqiu, feeling very awkward.

Finally, he silently turned his back.

Liu Xi couldn’t stand watching anymore. She walked over to him, took the offending iced coffee, inserted a straw, and took a sip herself.

She walked back over with the coffee, swirling it. “Alright, just drink your hot water obediently.”

Yan Shiqiu: “…”

Break time passed quickly. Yan Shiqiu touched up his makeup and threw himself into filming the next scene.

In the shot, Yan Shiqiu stood alone on the city wall. The sunset was beautiful. The nearby sky was a warm blue-purple, with wisps of flowing clouds. Looking further into the distance, the red glow of evening hadn’t yet faded.

“Second Brother.” Xie Zhaoli’s voice came through, and then he too appeared in the frame.

Chen Hangsheng stared intently at the monitor, directing: “Camera 2, pull in closer, medium shot.”

Following the instruction, the cameraman pushed the lens closer.

Yan Shiqiu’s smile as he turned back appeared clearly on the monitor.

The remaining light of the evening glow melted into the depths of his eyes, the gentle curve of his slightly upturned eye corners moving and tender.

The corners of his mouth also slowly curved into a faint smile, like the first flower blooming after winter snow has completely melted, after which spring awakens and everything becomes vibrant.

Ji Yunnian sat beside Chen Hangsheng, watching the scene on the monitor with him.

Perhaps it was because the evening glow was too beautiful, the evening breeze too gentle, but watching Yan Shiqiu standing in the remaining light of the setting sun, his heart felt as if it were being plucked back and forth several times, trembling endlessly.

T/N: oooh