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Yu Chi: [Do you think I’m selling myself?]
Who said that late nights made people want to confide? Who claimed midnight was the perfect time to dig into someone’s secrets?
Sheng Li’s red envelope for “chatting fees” was promptly returned. Yu Chi clearly had no inclination to open up, and their attempt at a heart-to-heart failed.
________________________________________
The next morning, Yu Chi arrived carrying his laptop. As soon as he reached the door, Yuan Yuan shot him a glare. He was baffled by her reaction. Yuan Yuan, still sulking over the thought of running five kilometers that night, blamed Yu Chi entirely for her misery with his careless words earlier.
She was usually cheerful, but today she handed him his work permit with an uncharacteristically cold expression. “Go ahead. Li Li said you can find a place to sit and wait. She’ll call you if she needs anything—you don’t have to stand here.”
Yu Chi nodded, took the permit, and walked away without asking any questions.
Sheng Li had a full day of filming ahead. She ate lunch with Director Liu and a few lead actors, discussing the script as they ate. It wasn’t until evening that she finally had a moment to breathe. Yuan Yuan came over to wipe her sweat and hand her water, whispering, “Li Li, Yu Chi’s stepfather and stepmother are here. They want to apologize to you.”
Sheng Li held her cup, a faint smile playing on her lips. “I thought they wouldn’t dare come.”
Usually, restaurant staff delivered meals to the set, but today the owners had come personally. After delivering the boxed meals, they lingered nearby, waiting for nearly an hour. Yuan Yuan added, “Yu Chi went over to talk to them for a few minutes. He came back with a cold expression—it seems their relationship is really bad.”
“Where are they? Let’s go see.” Sheng Li carried her cup and walked over.
“Worried about gossip, I invited them to the lounge first.”
“And Yu Chi?”
“He’s outside the lounge.”
As Sheng Li approached the lounge, she spotted Yu Chi. It was past seven o’clock, and the sky was beginning to darken. Everyone else was gathered in groups, eating dinner, but he stood alone by the folded umbrella canopy, his left hand holding his laptop upright, earphones in. His low, deep voice could faintly be heard—he seemed to be on the phone.
Sheng Li paused for a moment before walking toward him.
As she got closer, she heard him say coldly, “Even if you sign me, it won’t matter. If I lose an arm, break a leg, or crack my head open, I’ll just be sent back anyway.”
Huh?
Sheng Li froze. She only caught the latter part of his sentence—what was this about breaking legs, losing arms, or cracking heads open?
She turned to look at Yuan Yuan.
Yuan Yuan looked even more confused.
Yu Chi heard the sound of footsteps and glanced over, his sharp, rebellious expression not yet concealed.
Without a word, he hung up the phone.
The person on the other end was likely furious but didn’t call back.
This was the first time Sheng Li had seen such an expression on Yu Chi’s face, but before she could dwell on it, he had already regained his composure. After a moment of hesitation, she furrowed her brows and asked, “What did you mean about losing arms, breaking legs, or cracking your head open? Did your stepdad and stepmom… abuse you?”
“Who said that woman is my stepmom?” Yu Chi pulled out his earphones and gave a self-deprecating smile. “My mom is my biological mother. Abuse isn’t the issue, but our relationship is definitely strained.”
Details about Yu Chi’s family life were probably unclear even to local extras. Gossip was incomplete, and Sheng Li didn’t know much either. Yu Chi himself was unlikely to share anything.
Sheng Li cut straight to the point: “Then what did you mean by those words?”
Yu Chi glanced at her indifferently. “Nothing. Just scaring people off. Are you really buying into it?”
“I am,” Sheng Li stepped forward. At 166 cm tall, she had to tilt her head up to meet his gaze. Yu Chi was about the same height as Wei Cheng—185 cm—and possibly around 185 or 186. She stared directly at him. “A rebellious brat like you seems capable of doing something like that.”
For a brief moment, Yu Chi felt as though his innermost thoughts had been exposed. He frowned and averted his gaze, indifferent. “So what?”
“So what?” Sheng Li frowned in displeasure. “Didn’t you say you sold yourself to me? Losing an arm, missing a leg, or shedding blood would all be losses for me. Of course, I can’t let any of that happen.”
Yu Chi: “….”
Did she really consider him her possession?
Yu Chi turned back to look at her, speechless. She was still in costume from the scene—a rough, coarse outfit. The makeup artist had darkened her face slightly, adding streaks of dirt and shaping her eyebrows to appear more masculine.
But apart from her flat chest, Yu Chi didn’t see much resemblance to a man. Her current demeanor, however, made her look like a thug.
Sheng Li narrowed her eyes. “You’re the one who said it. You regretting it now?”
Yu Chi had given up arguing with her. Irritably, he replied, “Believe whatever you want.”
“That’s the right attitude. You won’t lose out following me.” Sheng Li smiled sweetly, regardless of how sincere his response was. She was naturally protective of those close to her, and the more she liked Yu Chi, the more she disliked that couple.
A strained mother-son relationship—whether biological or step-parents—made little difference to her.
She handed her cup to Yuan Yuan and said calmly, “I’ll go talk to his stepdad and stepmom.”
Yu Chi thought her tone sounded suspiciously like, “I’ll go negotiate a deal with your stepdad and stepmom.”
He thought, Fine.
After all, no one knew or cared what he truly wanted.
________________________________________
When Sheng Li stepped into the lounge, the middle-aged couple sitting stiffly on wooden chairs immediately stood up. The man had an ordinary appearance, while the woman appeared to be in her thirties, not showing signs of aging but exuding a mature charm. She looked quite beautiful.
Yu Chi bore some resemblance to her, confirming that she was indeed his biological mother.
The woman, Yu Manqi, spoke in a somewhat ingratiating tone, “Miss Sheng, we’re really sorry about what happened before. We’ve always wanted to come apologize in person, but Xiao Chi said he’d handle it himself and told us not to come. Last night, we heard he’s working as your assistant on set, so we decided to come and apologize personally. Xiao Chi… well…” She hesitated awkwardly. “His temper isn’t great. I’m worried he won’t make a good assistant and might offend you.”
What kind of mother speaks about her own son like that?
Sheng Li raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? I think he has a great temperament—obedient and capable. How can you, his mother, slander him like this?” How many kids start earning money at eleven or twelve? How many teenagers take full responsibility for their problems?
Yu Manqi and Jiang Dongmin exchanged surprised and awkward glances.
“R-Really? Then I can rest assured,” Yu Manqi said sheepishly, quickly plastering on a smile. “I heard you took him as your assistant, so does that mean the previous incident is settled?”
Sheng Li sat down in the makeup chair, her gaze cool as she looked at them. “You seem to know quite a bit.”
“I’ve been running this restaurant for years and know many locals. Last night, a few familiar extras came to eat, and they mentioned it.” Jiang Dongmin nervously rubbed his hands together. “Actually, Xiao Chi often worked on set when he was younger. Back then, he was lucky, but his stubbornness made things difficult. If only….”
Sheng Li found Jiang Dongmin’s smile repulsive and instinctively disliked him. She interrupted coldly, “That’s your family business—I don’t have time to listen to you lecture your son. Besides, I heard Xiao Chi isn’t your biological son, and you haven’t treated him well. A child growing up unloved is bound to rebel.”
She stood up and gestured to Yuan Yuan. “Send them out. I’m hungry and want to eat.”
The couple exchanged awkward glances. They had prepared much more to say, but seeing Sheng Li’s icy expression, they decided to leave quietly.
Outside, Yu Chi stood leaning against the wall, smoking indifferently.
Halfway through, his fingers twitched, dropping ash onto the ground. He crushed the cigarette underfoot and strode into a nearby narrow alley.
________________________________________
In the dim alley, Yu Chi leaned casually against the wall, glancing toward the entrance. Yu Manqi and Jiang Dongmin passed by in a flash.
He withdrew his gaze, lowered his eyes, and put his earphones back in, walking toward the other end of the alley. He didn’t plan to return.
His phone buzzed.
Without stopping, he pulled it out and glanced at the screen.
Sheng Li: [Yu Xiaochi, the annoying people are gone. Come back and eat.]
Yu Chi paused mid-step. His tall, slender figure stood in the shadowy alley where sunlight couldn’t reach. The faint glow of his phone illuminated his face, his brows revealing a hint of obedience. After a moment, he slipped the phone back into his pocket.
Sheng Li waited for Yu Chi’s reply, assuming he wouldn’t return.
A few minutes later, the young man appeared at the door, carrying his laptop. His face betrayed no emotion. Crossing the threshold, he walked in, placed his computer on the cabinet, pulled out a chair, and began eating his boxed meal.
Sheng Li leisurely sipped sweet soup, occasionally glancing at him.
A vein on Yu Chi’s forehead subtly protruded. He knew he was attractive—many girls in school had pursued him—but none had ever looked at him with such boldness and nonchalance as Sheng Li. Initially, he tried to ignore it, but being young, he couldn’t tolerate her bluntness.
He looked up, narrowing his eyes slightly. “I know you’re eyeing me, but can you stop acting so….”
“So what?” Sheng Li raised an eyebrow. She dragged her chair closer, catching a faint whiff of cigarette smoke on him. Before she confronted his stepdad and stepmom, he hadn’t smelled of cigarettes.
However, Sheng Li noticed that his previously dark, untamed aura had receded significantly, leaving behind an unexpected hint of docility.
Yu Chi snapped coldly, “You know.”
“I don’t.” Sheng Li’s gaze was innocent yet direct. “On the contrary, it seems you’re not as impatient with me anymore.”
Yu Chi met her eyes, sneered, and turned his face away, deliberately giving her a performance of “I’m extremely impatient.”
Fearing they might discuss something unspeakable again, Yuan Yuan stood up wearily, taking her boxed meal to the door to keep watch.
Yu Chi glanced back, his lips twitching, his expression growing even colder.
“Stop pretending. I can feel it.” Sheng Li grinned mischievously. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask. On June 6th, shouldn’t you have been preparing for the college entrance exam? Why were you buying mangoes for the restaurant?”
“My ID card was lost, so I came back to get a replacement.” Yu Chi had started boarding school in junior high, attending a nearby middle school in his third year. In high school, he attended the top school in the city, over three hours away. During his senior year, he only returned home twice—once for the Lunar New Year holiday and once to replace his ID card.
“The police station knew I was taking the college entrance exam, so they expedited the process. That morning, I planned to leave as soon as I got my ID. Jiang Dongmin—my stepdad—has always liked making me do chores since I was a kid. Seeing me idle makes him think I’m useless. He told me the kitchen needed ingredients for sweet and sour pork, and that there weren’t enough fruits. My mom didn’t stop him at the time, and I thought, ‘Fine, one last time.’” Yu Chi’s tone was indifferent. He turned to look at Sheng Li, his expression tinged with disdain. “Maybe I was just unlucky—saw mangoes for sale not far from home.”
On the afternoon of June 8th, both Jiang Dongmin and Yu Manqi had called him.
Perhaps they wanted him to take responsibility as a high school student—to play the victim or to act in movies to make big money.
Yu Chi hadn’t done either, nor would he let them have their way.
This was the first time Sheng Li had heard Yu Chi speak so honestly at length. She stared at him unblinkingly, then suddenly reached out to ruffle his hair. Her touch was light, but Yu Chi stiffened for a moment before brushing her hand away.
Sheng Li smiled unperturbed, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at him. “We’re both unlucky, which must mean we’re fated.”
Yu Chi: “….”
Fated, my ass.
“Are you really not interested in acting? You were clearly good at it,” Sheng Li said earnestly.
Yu Chi replied coldly, “No. It was just a way to make ends meet back then. I don’t need it now.”
Sheng Li gazed at his hard, angular profile and temporarily retracted her probing. Calmly, she said, “Fair enough. After all, you’re already mine.” Without giving him a chance to retort, she sprang up and headed toward the door. “I’m going to wait for my next scene. Yuan Yuan, remember to run half an hour after eating.”
Yuan Yuan’s face crumpled in despair. “Do I really have to run?”
Sheng Li: “Yes.”
That night, before Yuan Yuan went out for her run, she couldn’t help but glare at Yu Chi again.
Yu Chi was baffled. After a moment, he said, “Glaring at me won’t help. If you’ve got the guts, tell Sheng Li to tone it down—or just let me leave.”
Clearly, they weren’t on the same wavelength.
Yuan Yuan lamented, “If I could make Li Li listen to me, would I be struggling this much?!” She thought about how Li Li had been treating Yu Chi recently and felt that she was the real victim here. Ever since Yu Chi appeared, her job had become increasingly difficult.
The production crew was full of gossip, and even though Yuan Yuan had skillfully explained Yu Chi’s role, people still whispered behind their backs. Especially since Yu Chi spent most of his days sitting like a young master in front of his laptop editing videos, no one had seen him do any actual assistant work.
One lie required another to cover it up.
Yuan Yuan could only explain, “I handle the caregiving tasks. What he does on the computer is part of what Li Li assigned him.”
That barely quelled suspicions.
If anything, it was Yu Chi’s fault for being too handsome.
And this was just the beginning—they still had over two months ahead. Yuan Yuan couldn’t shake the feeling that something was bound to go wrong.
________________________________________
One day, Sheng Li happened to notice Yu Chi’s laptop freezing and glanced at its specs—it was a model from two years ago, with average built-in components.
Sheng Li immediately asked Yuan Yuan to look into which laptops were suitable for video editing.
That night, in the hotel room, Yuan Yuan read aloud the information she’d gathered on her iPad while Sheng Li was applying skincare. There were seven brands and models listed, each with their pros and cons outlined. When Yuan Yuan read, “Flaw—too expensive,”
Sheng Li finally interrupted. “Wait, what kind of flaw is that?”
Yuan Yuan protested, “For ordinary people, that is too expensive! The highest-end MacBook Pro costs over 20,000 yuan! Do you think Yu Chi would buy a laptop that expensive?”
“Let me see.”
Sheng Li grabbed the iPad and glanced at the supposedly “too expensive” model. It looked sleek and stylish—perfect for Yu Chi.
“That’s the one. We’ll order it in a few days.” She checked the date; Yu Chi’s eighteenth birthday was just over a week away.
“Li Li,” Yuan Yuan said seriously, “I don’t think Yu Chi will accept it.”
Sheng Li raised an eyebrow. “If I want to give it to him, I’ll find a way to make him accept it.”
“What way?” Yuan Yuan asked curiously.
“I can’t tell you—it’s a secret.” Sheng Li pinched Yuan Yuan’s chubby cheeks.
Yuan Yuan: “…Ow…”
What kind of dangerous secret signal was this?
Yuan Yuan sighed, clutching the iPad. Unable to resist, she blurted out, “Li Li, are you really… keeping Yu Chi? He is very handsome, but he doesn’t have money or fame, and he’s so young. If Sister Rong finds out, she’ll kill us.”
Sheng Li’s phone buzzed—a notification from Sina Entertainment News.
She glanced at it and raised an eyebrow. “She doesn’t have time to deal with me. Lu Xingyu’s trending again. That guy never learns, does he? Must be a reincarnation of a flirt. He should just quit the industry.”
Lu Xingyu had been trending quite a bit this year. Some might think he’d bought annual placements.
And this guy—he’d even pursued her once.
She tossed her phone aside and saw Yuan Yuan still frozen in thought. “What are you thinking about?”
“I just think… you and Cheng Ge make a great pair. I used to imagine if you found me a brother-in-law, it’d be someone like Cheng Ge—a Shadow Emperor winner, mature and reliable.” Yuan Yuan spoke honestly. It wasn’t that Yu Chi was bad, but for actresses like Li Li in the industry, who wouldn’t consider a partner’s qualifications? Money, fame, power—at least one of those boxes should be checked.
“Cheng Ge has a girlfriend—don’t talk nonsense.” Sheng Li picked up her script and said casually, “I like Yu Chi’s type. Handsome, tough, with a hint of innocence. I didn’t get to date in high school, so I’m making up for lost youth.”
________________________________________
The next evening, Yu Chi returned the boxed meal distributed by the crew to the lounge. His phone vibrated several times in his pocket.
Xu Yang: [In a few days, we can check our college entrance exam scores. Want to come to the city? Let’s hang out.]
Xu Yang: [Zhao Shutong said she messaged you, but you didn’t reply.]
Xu Yang: [Reply to her, at least. She chased you for two years—don’t be so cold.]
Yu Chi frowned, about to reply, when he heard someone outside shout, “Yuan Yuan, what’s wrong!”
He rushed out to see Yuan Yuan, who had been jogging around the area, collapsed on the ground. She clutched her stomach in pain, her face pale and drenched in cold sweat. Sheng Li knelt beside her, anxiously supporting her. Her voice trembled with worry, “Yuan Yuan, where does it hurt? Don’t scare me!”
She feared it was because she had forced Yuan Yuan to lose weight.
Yu Chi quickly said, “I’ll call someone to bring the car over.”
“Someone’s already gone to get it.”
There was a small hospital near Songshan Film Studio, closer than waiting for an ambulance.
Yu Chi crouched beside Sheng Li and glanced at where Yuan Yuan was pressing her stomach. He murmured, “It might be acute appendicitis.” Back in his second year of high school, Xu Yang had suffered from the same condition, and Yu Chi had carried her downstairs.
The car arrived shortly.
A crew member tried to lift Yuan Yuan but failed.
This 130-pound Yuan Yuan wasn’t exactly easy to carry bridal-style…
Yuan Yuan whimpered, clinging to Sheng Li, who was momentarily unsure how to react.
Just as someone stepped forward to offer help—
Yu Chi: “I’ll do it.”
He bent down, slipping his arms under Yuan Yuan’s knees and back, bracing his knees against the ground, and lifted her effortlessly. Sheng Li froze for a moment, watching as the young man’s arm muscles tensed with effort, his lean yet strong lines visible even in the dim light.
The car was nearby. Yu Chi took a few steps and gently placed Yuan Yuan inside. He climbed in after her and turned to Sheng Li.
Sweat beaded on his forehead, his voice slightly hoarse. “You focus on filming. I’ll go with her.”
Sheng Li had initially planned to accompany them, but she was still in costume and had another scene that night. Director Liu hadn’t given her permission to leave.
In the end, a girl who got along well with Yuan Yuan was assigned to accompany her. Yu Chi sat in the passenger seat, following the car to the hospital.
At ten o’clock that night, Yuan Yuan was wheeled into her room after her appendectomy.
Yu Chi sent Sheng Li a message: [The surgery’s done. She’s fine.]
Sheng Li replied with a voice message: [I’m downstairs.]
Yu Chi held the phone to his ear, listened to the message, and deleted the line he had typed: “I’ll leave first.” Instead, he replied: [Okay.]
A few minutes later, Sheng Li appeared at the ward door, wearing a mask, sunglasses, and a hat. Yu Chi leaned casually against the wall, turning to look at her. Sheng Li removed her sunglasses, revealing her striking eyes, and gave him a small smile. “Have you eaten?”
Yu Chi averted his gaze, replying softly, “No.”
Sheng Li thought for a moment. “I’ll go check on her first.”
Acute appendicitis was a minor surgery, but Yuan Yuan would likely stay in the hospital for a week or two.
Earlier, Sheng Li had arranged for a nurse to care for Yuan Yuan. The nurse, a woman in her forties, was quietly chatting with the accompanying girl, Xiao Tan, when she looked up and saw Sheng Li. She froze for a moment.
“Xiao Tan, you can go back with the driver. It’s late,” Sheng Li said to the girl.
Xiao Tan blinked. “What about you? And Yu Chi?”
Sheng Li removed her mask. “The driver brought me here. We’ll head back later.”
After Xiao Tan left, the nurse hesitated before asking uncertainly, “Are you… that actress? Sheng Li?”
“Looks like it,” Sheng Li winked, avoiding a direct confirmation.
“It’s not just ‘looks like’—you’re identical!”
“Yeah, yeah. People say we look like twins.”
“…You are Sheng Li, aren’t you?”
Yu Chi tilted his head back against the wall, silently watching her charm the nurse with her evasive answers. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Yuan Yuan weakly opened her eyes. “Li Li, you’re here…”
Seeing her frail state, Sheng Li felt a pang of guilt. “How are you feeling? I won’t make you diet anymore.”
“It hurts so much…” Yuan Yuan whimpered pitifully. “It’s not because of your diet plan—I probably ate too much.”
Sheng Li patted her cheek and sighed. “Then eat less in the future. Look at your weight—there aren’t many men on set who can carry you bridal-style. If they had to lift you into the car, it’d be embarrassing. Thankfully, Yu Chi was here this time. Treat him better from now on, okay?”
Yuan Yuan: “….”
Feeling embarrassed, she added softly, “Who will take care of you these days? Should I call Sister Rong and ask her to send another assistant?”
“No need,” Sheng Li winked. “Isn’t there already one?”
Yuan Yuan: “….”
Her face crumpled in despair. There was only one , and she couldn’t trust him to handle everything!
Sheng Li stayed in the ward for over half an hour, taking a photo of the nurse before leaving.
As she exited, she didn’t see Yu Chi but received a message.
Yu Xiaochi: [I’m heading downstairs.]
Not afraid herself, he sure was quick to distance himself! Sheng Li rolled her eyes and replied: [Wait for me in the car.]
The van was parked by the roadside. As Sheng Li approached, the door was opened from inside.
The interior was dimly lit. Yu Chi lounged with his long legs stretched out, leaning back against the seat, his fair skin and sharp profile illuminated faintly. His gaze flickered lazily toward Sheng Li.
In that moment, Sheng Li felt her heart clench, a tingling sensation spreading through her chest. She steadied herself against the car door, staring at him for a few seconds before sitting beside him. Leaning close to his ear, she whispered, “Yu Chi, Sister really has her eyes on you.”
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