Chapter 12: “Sister, Are You Considering Buying Me Out?”

During the mid-shoot break, the set transformed from a quiet filming environment to a bustling hub of activity. Despite the large number of crew members, Yu Chi’s presence was easy to spot. He had a natural magnetism that drew people’s attention effortlessly. The crew’s girls often joked that Yu Chi didn’t look like an assistant but more like a handsome young actor visiting the set.

It only took Sheng Li three minutes to locate him and walk over.

As she approached, Sheng Li immediately sensed the dark, brooding emotions radiating from him. She caught a glimpse of the struggle and shadow in his eyes, and for a moment, she thought she saw an invisible shackle around his neck.

But when she blinked, it vanished—just an illusion.

Seeing his usual cold demeanor return, Sheng Li raised her eyebrows playfully. “Kissing can also be physically and mentally enjoyable. Want to give it a try?”

Since tonight’s scenes, Sheng Li no longer wore her male disguise or restrictive chest bindings. Dressed in a light purple wrap-around top with a white gauze outer layer, her waist appeared slender, and her entire aura exuded liveliness and charm.

In the dimly lit alleyway, delivering such flirtatious lines at a moment when someone was emotionally vulnerable was a perfect opportunity to break down their defenses. Yu Chi found her casual and carefree attitude both infuriating and enviable. He looked at her coldly, sneering with self-deprecation. “If you’re so obsessed with taking advantage of me, why don’t you draft a contract? I’ll review the terms and decide whether to sign.”

“Sister has changed her mind,” Sheng Li said lightly. “I don’t want to keep you anymore.”

Yu Chi shoved his hands into his pockets and straightened up, turning his head away from her. He scoffed coldly, “Good. Find a better target to chew on.”

“Can’t you think of me in a positive light?” Sheng Li cut straight to the chase, revealing her intentions. “For instance, what if I told you I wanted to date you?”

She had previously admitted that she genuinely liked Yu Chi and felt an impulse to pursue a relationship with him.

Yu Chi was momentarily stunned, his head snapping up as he stared at her. He wasn’t sure what the difference was between her offer of sponsorship and dating.

Perhaps there wasn’t much of a difference. How could a popular female star like her have a real romantic relationship with an eighteen-year-old who had nothing? How long would they even last? Once filming ended, so would their “relationship.” Yu Chi gave her a cold glance and walked past her without another word, leaving behind a detached response: “Not interested. You might as well just sponsor me and give me a few million—I need money.”

Sheng Li: “...”

She couldn’t believe that her first-ever attempt at initiating a romantic relationship had been rejected outright.

She glared at his retreating figure.

Was this reverse psychology? Or did he genuinely not want to pursue anything? Wasn’t she worth several million?!

________________________________________

After the late-night shoot yesterday, Sheng Li was allowed two extra hours of rest the next morning. At exactly 8:30 AM, Yu Chi’s wake-up call came promptly. Though Sheng Li was already awake, still irritated from earlier, she deliberately hung up on him.

After the fifth hang-up, there was a brief pause.

The phone rang again, but this time it was Yuan Yuan calling.

Sheng Li answered indifferently. Yuan Yuan asked, “Li Li, are you awake?”

Sheng Li responded, “Did Yu Chi ask you to call?”

“Yeah, I sent him too many messages yesterday, and he probably got annoyed and blocked me. He just unblocked me.” Yuan Yuan hesitated before asking cautiously, “Did you two have a fight?”

Sheng Li raised an eyebrow. “What did you send him?”

Yuan Yuan chuckled nervously. “Just telling him to forget about the Word document contents… and not to use them to seduce you.”

“Oh, then you overthought it. He really has no intention of seducing me—it’s the other way around.” Sheng Li kicked off her blanket and got out of bed, heading to the bathroom. Ignoring Yuan Yuan’s protests, she added, “Rest well. I’ll visit you when I have time.”

After hanging up, Sheng Li looked at herself in the mirror. If it were anyone else, regardless of their intentions, they would’ve agreed immediately.

But the harder something was to obtain, the more desirable it became.

Sheng Li decided to leave Yu Chi alone for a few days.

Reverse psychology? Who doesn’t know how to play that game?

She wasn’t truly ignoring him; she simply stopped teasing him as frequently. She cooperated with his daily wake-up calls and occasionally even asked him to help her rehearse lines. Yu Chi’s claim of having a photographic memory wasn’t exaggerated—he could memorize lines after reading them once.

One night, Sheng Li couldn’t help but say, “You’re so good at memorizing lines. Have you ever considered acting?”

“Just because I can memorize lines doesn’t mean I can act.” Yu Chi’s laptop was open, and he typed in a URL. Likely due to the high volume of users checking their college entrance exam results, the page loaded slowly. Leaning back lazily in his chair, he glanced at Sheng Li with cold detachment and mocked lightly, “What? Sister wants to give me resources now?”

Sheng Li blinked. “What if I do? Would you accept?”

“No.” Yu Chi rejected her curtly, instinctively resisting any form of transactional relationship with her.

At that moment, his phone rang—it was his homeroom teacher asking if he had checked his scores.

The webpage finally loaded, and Yu Chi entered his exam number. “Checking now.”

Only then did Sheng Li remember—it was the 23rd, and the college entrance exam results were available.

She glanced at Yu Chi and stood behind him just as his score appeared on the screen.

Total score: 709.

Surprised, she looked down at Yu Chi. As a science student, when she had previously asked him about his performance, he casually replied, “Pretty good.” She assumed it was average, given his personality, which didn’t align with her image of a top student.

After noting the score, Yu Chi informed his teacher and closed the webpage.

The teacher was ecstatic, rambling excitedly for a while before hanging up.

“Can this score get you into Tsinghua or Peking University?” Sheng Li had taken the art exam route during her own college entrance exams five years ago. Additionally, admission cutoffs varied by province each year, but she knew this was an exceptionally high score. No wonder Zhao Shutong was so smitten with him—he was handsome and brilliant.

Yu Chi closed his laptop, his expression calm, as if the score meant little to him.

Glancing back at her, catching the undisguised admiration and delight in her eyes, he chuckled self-deprecatingly. “What? Does Sister have new ideas after seeing my score?”

That tone…

Sheng Li narrowed her eyes slightly, deliberately saying, “Yes, I want to date you again. In high school, I had a crush on a handsome top student, but I was rarely at school because of work. By the time I wanted to confess, he already had a girlfriend. I’ve always regretted not being able to experience puppy love with a top student.”

Yu Chi pressed his lips together tightly, responding coldly, “That is regrettable. But you’re past the age for puppy love.”

Does he even know how to talk? Sister is only 23! Sure, puppy love was missed, but isn’t it enough that she hasn’t missed out on a top student?

Sheng Li inwardly huffed but maintained a calm exterior. “You could make up for my regret.”

Facing her sideways, Yu Chi refused emotionlessly. “No, I can’t. If you really want something with me, then just sponsor me.”

Before Sheng Li could respond, the director shouted, “Action!” She gave him a meaningful look and turned to leave.

When filming wrapped for the night, Rong Hua called.

“I’ve arranged plane tickets for you and Yuan Yuan. Departure is at 8 PM on the 25th.”

Sheng Li had advertising shoots scheduled in Beijing on the 26th and 27th, returning on the morning of the 28th. Rong Hua was unaware that Yuan Yuan was hospitalized. Sheng Li had visited her recently, and the doctor advised at least two more days of rest. Even if Yuan Yuan could be discharged, she needed recovery time, so Sheng Li didn’t plan to bring her to Beijing.

She wanted to bring Yu Chi instead.

However, Rong Hua would never agree to that.

“Yuan Yuan was hospitalized for acute appendicitis a few days ago and hasn’t been discharged yet. I’ll go alone.”

“What? Why didn’t you tell me she was hospitalized?” Rong Hua scolded. “Who’s taking care of you these days?”

Sheng Li feigned innocence. “Isn’t there a temporary assistant? He can handle things for me on set.”

Rong Hua frowned. “Then I’ll send Xiao Zhou to pick you up.”

Xiao Zhou was Rong Hua’s assistant. Sheng Li quickly interjected, “No need to trouble him. Isn’t Uncle Liu available? It’s just a two-day trip, and I don’t have much luggage. Besides, the itinerary is confidential. We’ll exit through the VIP channel when we land, and you can pick me up.”

After much persuasion, she managed to convince Rong Hua.

After hanging up, Sheng Li messaged Yu Chi on WeChat: [Send me your ID number.]

Yu Xiaochi: [Why?]

Sheng Li smirked mischievously and replied leisurely: [To draft the contract.]

This time, she waited for a long while without receiving a reply. Suppressing a laugh, she teased: [What? Are you backing out on what you said earlier on set?]

Finally, after a long silence, Yu Chi sent over his ID number.

Sheng Li expected him to add some sarcastic remarks, but after waiting a few seconds:

Yu Xiaochi: [I’m taking two days off to return to school for something. I’ll be back by the morning of the 26th.]

________________________________________

At 6 PM on the 25th, Yu Chi slung a black backpack over his shoulder and exited a chain hotel near the No. 1 High School. Spotting the familiar SUV parked by the roadside, he paused briefly before striding over. Opening the passenger door, he sat inside.

Sheng Li had just woken up and was lounging lazily with a pillow. She asked drowsily, “Have you filled out your university application yet?”

“Not yet, just attended a meeting.” Yu Chi glanced at her through the rearview mirror. “You asked for my ID to book the flight?”

Sheng Li smiled. “Of course.”

Lies.

Yu Chi snorted and ignored her.

Since the tickets were booked separately, their seats weren’t adjacent. Sheng Li sat by the window, separated from Yu Chi by a seat and an aisle. Having slept enough in the car, she didn’t feel like napping on the plane and instead watched a movie on her iPad.

Recently, she discovered another film Yu Chi had acted in as a child. His screentime totaled nearly five minutes, but the movie hadn’t performed well at the box office, so finding it had been challenging.

Her neighboring passenger was a middle-aged foreign woman who likely didn’t recognize her.

Sheng Li removed her mask and glanced toward Yu Chi.

He reclined lazily in his seat, his head tilted toward the window. A black baseball cap obscured his face, hiding his expression.

He was probably sleeping.

More than two hours later, just before landing, Yu Chi removed his hat. The young woman seated next to him had been stealing glances at him throughout the flight.

Sheng Li usually stayed in Beijing and hadn’t brought much luggage this time, just a small bag.

She wore a fisherman’s hat, pulling the brim low, and paired it with a mask, covering herself completely.

When disembarking, Yu Chi also put on his hat, subtly staying a step behind her as they smoothly made their way to the parking lot.

Upon seeing Yu Chi behind Sheng Li, Rong Hua nearly exploded. Struggling to contain her anger, she hissed, “Are you insane? What happens if someone sees the two of you getting off the same flight and writes about it?”

“Isn’t Uncle Liu a person?” Sheng Li glanced at Yu Chi. “He’s my assistant. What’s wrong with him accompanying me?”

“Don’t play dumb.” Rong Hua glared at her coldly.

Sheng Li calmly recited the excuse she had prepared earlier: “Yu Chi scored just one point less than the top student in their city. It’s not a hassle to bring him along to check out some schools in Beijing. Sister Rong, don’t look at us with such bias. Our relationship is pure.”

Yu Chi’s lips twitched slightly, thinking sarcastically, Pure? Yeah, right.

Rong Hua glanced at Yu Chi, perhaps out of respect for his presence, and didn’t press further.

After getting into the car, Rong Hua said, “For the next two days, Yu Chi, you can explore Beijing on your own. If you need it, I can arrange someone to accompany you.”

Seated in the front passenger seat, Yu Chi stared out the window and replied indifferently, “No need. I’ll explore on my own.”

In the backseat, Sheng Li pondered for a moment before bombarding Yu Chi with messages on WeChat.

Sheng Li: [This trip is on the company’s dime. I’ve already booked a hotel for you.]

Sheng Li: [Bringing you to Beijing was my mistake. Don’t be mad, okay?]

Sheng Li: [If you really didn’t want to come, you wouldn’t have gone to the airport with me.]

Sheng Li: [Yu Xiaochi, can you respond to your sister?]

Yu Chi watched her barrage of messages with growing irritation and finally snapped back: [If you send another message, I’ll block you.]

Sheng Li raised an eyebrow and smirked, calmly putting her phone down.

The hotel she had booked for Yu Chi was near her home. After dropping him off, she headed back.

Over the next two days, Rong Hua accompanied Sheng Li for the advertising shoot, leaving no opportunity for Sheng Li to see Yu Chi.

On the afternoon of the 27th, after filming wrapped up, Rong Hua said, “Tonight, I’m meeting Jing Yiming for dinner at Yaozhuang Restaurant. Director He Yuanren will also be there. Come along with me.”

Sheng Li was momentarily startled, a surge of excitement bubbling up within her. He Yuanren was the director of Flower Kill . She wondered if he still remembered Yu Chi.

Using the pretext of needing to use the restroom, Sheng Li called Yu Chi.

Yu Chi had been in Beijing before, taking on some video editing gigs. For the past two days, aside from meals, he hadn’t left the hotel much. When Sheng Li called, he had just sent off an edited video to a client.

“Are you at the hotel?” she asked over the phone.

Yu Chi leaned back in his chair and replied indifferently, “Yes.”

Sheng Li probed, “Then let me pick you up, and we can have dinner together.”

His hand paused on the mouse as he looked down at the keyboard. “No need to pick me up. Just give me the address, and I’ll go there myself.”

Yaozhuang was a private restaurant not far from the hotel. By subway, Yu Chi arrived just before 6:30 PM.

Meanwhile, Sheng Li and Rong Hua were stuck in traffic and didn’t arrive until 7 PM. As their car passed the entrance, Sheng Li spotted Yu Chi immediately. He wore a white T-shirt, black sweatpants, and classic black Vans sneakers, standing lazily by an artificial rock formation.

Rong Hua noticed him too and frowned at Sheng Li. “Did you invite Yu Chi here?”

Sheng Li feigned innocence. “I’m leaving early tomorrow morning. Is it unreasonable to invite him for dinner?”

“You’re truly…” Rong Hua shot her a glare and got out of the car.

Coincidentally, Jing Yiming and He Yuanren had just arrived as well, accompanied by a collaborating screenwriter and Jing Yiming’s assistant. The group met at the entrance. Jing Yiming, a veteran actor who had won Best Actor awards, used to be represented by Rong Hua before starting his own studio. Their parting was amicable, and they maintained a good relationship.

After exchanging greetings, Sheng Li turned to Yu Chi, but before she could wave him over, he had already spotted her. Yu Chi saw Rong Hua chatting with the others and hadn’t yet noticed He Yuanren, who was standing with his back to him.

Frowning slightly, Yu Chi approached anyway. He had assumed it would just be him, Sheng Li, and perhaps Rong Hua.

He hadn’t expected so many people to be present.

“Is this Rong Hua’s new signee?” Jing Yiming glanced at Yu Chi and complimented, “This kid has such a great look.”

He Yuanren turned around, and upon seeing Yu Chi’s face, he hesitated briefly before asking, “Aren’t you… Yu Chi?”

Yu Chi froze mid-step, stunned. Standing a few paces away, he studied He Yuanren before nodding slightly. “Yes. Director He, I didn’t expect you to remember me.”

Yu Chi’s role in Flower Kill had only been a little over a minute long, but it took more than a week to film. He Yuanren was a perfectionist, and during editing, he must have reviewed that scene countless times, leaving a deep impression of Yu Chi’s face.

Moreover, their connection went beyond that.

Yu Chi had started working as an extra on sets when he was barely eleven years old. At that age, he didn’t realize he had any talent for acting. He simply didn’t want to rely on Jiang Dongmin or Yu Manqi for food and money, nor did he want to be scolded for being useless. With stubborn determination, he believed he could support himself.

He Yuanren had chosen him when he was not yet thirteen.

After completing his scenes, He Yuanren praised him highly, calling him a natural-born actor. He even said, “I know a top-tier agent who’s looking to sign two kids, one boy and one girl. Let me ask her. If anyone approaches you with a contract, tell your parents not to rush. For newcomers in this industry, choosing the right agent and agency is crucial.”

At the time, Jiang Nan had brought a young actor to the set for a cameo role—someone with even fewer lines than Yu Chi. Jiang Nan had witnessed Yu Chi’s performance and overheard He Yuanren’s praise.

He Yuanren—a renowned director with numerous accolades—praising someone spoke volumes about their potential.

Jiang Nan became convinced that Yu Chi was destined for stardom. From that day on, he relentlessly pursued Yu Chi, trying every tactic to persuade him to sign. Despite his young age, Yu Chi was mature and rebellious, remaining unmoved by Jiang Nan’s threats and bribes. He patiently waited for He Yuanren’s promised introduction.

However, after Flower Kill wrapped, He Yuanren regretfully informed him that the top-tier agent felt Yu Chi was too young. She wanted someone seventeen or eighteen—or at least fifteen. Thirteen was too young.

At that time, Yu Chi was desperate to grow up and escape Jiang Dongmin and Yu Manqi’s control, yearning to live independently. Being rejected for being too young was a heavy blow. When He Yuanren offered to introduce him to other agencies, Yu Chi replied, “I’m about to start school. Let me grow up a bit more. Didn’t you mention acting academies? I’ll take the entrance exam for one later.”

He Yuanren chuckled and patted his head. “You think quite maturely for your age. Waiting is fine. You can always try the art exams later.”

But before Yu Chi could grow older, Jiang Nan struck a deal with Jiang Dongmin and Yu Manqi for 300,000 yuan. Acting as his legal guardians, they signed a ten-year contract for Yu Chi, who was not yet fourteen, binding him to Starshine Entertainment—a newly established company with nothing to its name.

Later, Yu Chi learned that the so-called top-tier agent who deemed him “too young” quickly signed a seventeen-year-old girl and a fifteen-year-old boy.

The girl was Sheng Li, whose career skyrocketed.

The boy was Lu Xingcheng, who frequently made headlines for scandalous behavior.

________________________________________

“I haven’t seen you on screen in years—not in TV dramas, variety shows, nothing,” He Yuanren recalled. Turning to Rong Hua, he asked, “So, is Yu Chi your new signee?”

Rong Hua vaguely remembered something and glanced at Yu Chi.

Yu Chi desperately wanted to leave, but Sheng Li stepped on his foot. He glared at her coldly.

Unfazed, Sheng Li continued tapping her toes on his black shoe, leaving gray marks. Smiling innocently, she whispered just loud enough for him to hear, “Look, Director He still remembers you after all these years. That proves you truly have talent.”

Expressionless, Yu Chi pulled his foot out from under hers.

Rong Hua interjected, “Let’s talk inside the private room.”

________________________________________

Once seated in the private dining room, He Yuanren observed Sheng Li and Yu Chi sitting next to each other. The more he looked, the more impressed he was with Rong Hua’s eye for talent. Turning to her, he teased, “Back then, I told you to sign Yu Chi, but you thought he was too young. How did you end up circling back to him?”

Sheng Li was startled and turned to Rong Hua. “What do you mean, signing Yu Chi?”

She glanced at Yu Chi, who appeared calm and relaxed in his seat, clearly operating on a different wavelength.

Looking at Rong Hua, Sheng Li realized she was also in the know.

Caught off guard by the bizarre coincidence, Rong Hua struggled to explain. “Yu Chi isn’t one of my artists. He’s… working part-time on set as Sheng Li’s temporary assistant.”

“An assistant?” He Yuanren was visibly shocked. “You haven’t signed with an agency?”

“Only temporarily as an assistant. This ends after summer break,” Yu Chi paused, then looked at He Yuanren with a self-deprecating smile. “I did sign with an agency—Starshine Entertainment. You might not have heard of them. Six years left on the contract.”

Sheng Li whipped her head toward Yu Chi, her mind flashing back to a memory. Once, when Rong Hua scolded Lu Xingyu, she mentioned regretting signing him and wishing she had listened to Director He and signed that young boy instead. Later, when Sheng Li asked, Rong Hua explained, “Before I signed Lu Xingyu, Director He recommended a boy who was excellent but not yet thirteen. I thought he was too young, so I passed. Then I picked Lu Xingyu, and look how that turned out—a disaster.”

Before dinner concluded, Rong Hua received an urgent call about a family matter and had to leave.

An hour later, after seeing off He Yuanren and the award-winning actor Jing Yiming, Sheng Li turned to Yu Chi. “Get in the car. Sit in the back.”

Yu Chi glanced at her indifferently, opened the rear door, and slid in.

Sheng Li followed closely, sitting right beside him.

As the driver pulled onto the road, the car moved at a leisurely pace. The passing lights outside flickered across their faces. Yu Chi reclined his head against the seat, legs sprawled casually, hands resting lazily on his thighs.

Sheng Li stared at him for a long while before softly asking, “You still have six years left on your contract with Starshine Entertainment?”

“Yeah.” His voice was slightly hoarse. Tilting his head toward her, he chuckled lowly near the top of her head. “Sister, are you considering buying me out?”