On the screen, the scene continued to play out slowly.

The man used his teeth to unfasten the knot of her cheongsam. He turned his head, his moistened lips landing on the delicate skin of her neck.

The atmosphere was quite right, the desire was also quite palpable, but she discerned a hint of...inexperience in it.

Not waiting for the man to answer, Yan Man stroked her chin and repeated to herself, “No matter how I look at it, it seems like the first time...”

Gossip only said Ye Lin hadn’t filmed kissing scenes, not that he was still a virgin, right?

But then she thought, he entered the industry at seventeen. If he was relatively chaste during his student years, it did make sense.

Yan Man pursed her lips, a subtle joy quietly blossoming.

Good, a virgin. She liked it.

Although Ye Lin ignored her, she reached out, gathering the towel, and wiped the water from his forehead.

“Baby, I didn’t expect it was really your first time giving someone a love bite?”

“Then I’m honored.”

The man lifted his eyes and glanced at her: “...”

Ye Lin straightened up, moving his face out of her reach.

The scene went very smoothly. Because three cameras were used, there was no need for another take.

Director: “You just got drenched in cold water, hurry back and take a hot bath to avoid catching a cold.”

Just like that, the two prepared to leave.

Walking out of the room and into the increasingly lively main hall, Yan Man seemed to suddenly remember something and turned back in surprise.

“Besides your first kiss on screen, wouldn’t your first real kiss also be with me?”

“...”

Of course, this question went unanswered.

But through his micro-expressions, Yan Man thought she already knew the answer.

Returning to the hotel along the way in a good mood, Yan Man took a hot bath and dawdled for a long time before coming out.

As soon as she came out, Zhou Xuan grabbed her and carefully examined her.

“I was too embarrassed to look closely on set just now, tsk tsk, this spot on your neck is so red. The top-tier is too fierce.”

Yan Man pondered for a moment: “That’s from the hot water.”

Zhou Xuan was surprised: “No mark left?”

“After all, it’s filming. How could it be a real...”

Halfway through her sentence, Yan Man changed her tone, raising her eyebrows ambiguously: “But if there’s a real one in the future, I’ll show it to you.”

Zhou Xuan: “...”

“Have some shame.”

While the two were talking, the doorbell rang again.

Yan Man changed her clothes and opened the door.

Standing outside was Feng Ting, whom she hadn’t seen for a while but also seemed to have just seen.

Yan Man was bewildered: “Why are you here again?”

Feng Ting: “Sister, I came this time because I have something to say.”

She hummed in acknowledgment, perfunctorily, feeling a bit sleepy, and covered her face to yawn.

Feng Ting prefaced for a while, looked at her expression, and then hurriedly said, “I didn’t mean that last night, I really didn’t...”

Yan Man: “Mmm hmm hmm.”

Yeah, right.

It was this little brat who had made her spend the last two days coaxing Ye Lin like she was coaxing a wife.

This was an irreconcilable feud, Feng Ting.

Feng Ting pursed his lips and said, “It’s like this, my agency is currently signing artists, and I think you’re very suitable, Sister. I’ve inquired, and you haven’t signed with a company yet, right?”

“This definitely won’t work. Artists still need a professional management team. My company is very good, with excellent business and acting resources.”

“They are preparing a micro-movie. I definitely wouldn’t have gone originally, but if you are interested, I’m willing...”

Yan Man carefully observed his expression, thinking, what’s with this sudden shyness?

And “I’m willing”—anyone who didn’t know better would think you were selling yourself here. Luckily, Ye Lin didn’t come out today, otherwise—

Just as she thought of this, as if by some strange law, the door opposite opened.

Yan Man: “...”

Heavens, there was really no need to play with her like this.

Ye Lin was holding a black baseball cap in his hand as he closed the door and walked out.

The hallway became extremely quiet for a moment. It was just a sudden silence, but it added a special color to this quietness.

Yan Man felt that she had to explain face-to-face today, otherwise no matter how many times she called him “baby,” she wouldn’t be able to salvage things.

One step, two steps, Ye Lin’s pace was fast, and he was about to pass her door—

A flash of inspiration struck Yan Man.

She pointed at Ye Lin and said to Feng Ting, “Call him ‘brother-in-law.’“

Ye Lin: “...”

Feng Ting: ?

The man’s steps faltered slightly, his brows furrowed as he turned back to look at her. He was about to speak when Feng Ting interrupted him.

Feng Ting asked in surprise, “Are you two together?”

Yan Man calmly fabricated a story, so much so that the fabrication seemed very convincing.

She said, “Not yet, but soon.”

Ye Lin opened his lips again. To prevent him from clarifying, Yan Man preemptively waved her hand. “Good night, sleep well, see you tomorrow. Feng Ting, if you have anything to say, talk to your brother-in-law. I’m going to get my beauty sleep.”

“........”

Saying she was going to sleep, Yan Man closed the door but just leaned against it, carefully listening to the sounds outside.

There was no more sound.

She guessed that Feng Ting hadn’t dared to ask at all.

And Ye Lin, naturally, was too lazy to answer.

Weren’t men always like that? Seeming not very interested in anything, only when they were occasionally provoked could you see a trace of other emotions on that godlike face.

Other than that, he didn’t really care about anything.

Yan Man rubbed her cheeks, returned to her seat, and continued her skincare routine.

After finishing her face, she began to deal with work matters.

She had added the original author of the manga, and the two unexpectedly got along well. Therefore, whenever she encountered any plot issues, she would ask the author.

Yan Man spread out the script and asked about several very detailed points. The author on the other side was surprised by her thoroughness.

February Meow: 【You’re being way too meticulous! I’ve forgotten so many of these details, haha, wait a moment, let me flip through the outline.】

Just like that, the two of them slowly refined the details, even adding many blank settings outside of the original creation.

Yan Man took notes in her notebook and finally asked: 【By the way, the part about the male lead’s childhood seems to be a bit brief. It feels like seven years old was a very important year for him. Could you add some more details about that?】

……

The next day, Yan Man took this supplemented character background and sat opposite Ye Lin.

The man had his fingers clasped together, lightly dozing with his eyes closed.

He was indeed a light sleeper. She could wake him up just by looking at him.

Ye Lin opened his eyes, an almost imperceptible frown on his brow.

Yan Man smiled and shook her phone.

“Baby, guess what good stuff I got?”

Ye Lin didn’t focus on the “good stuff” first.

Clearly, he hadn’t fully accepted a certain address.

“Why are you still calling me that?”

“Because you are my baby,” she said as if it were the most logical thing in the world. “I didn’t call you that at the hotel last night because there was someone else there. I didn’t want him to share our sweetness.”

“...”

Ye Lin closed his eyes again.

“Oh, don’t sleep,” Yan Man used the back of her finger to stroke his eyelashes. “Shen Zhi encountered danger when he was seven years old, which is why he became a military officer when he grew up. There’s too little space in the manga. I got the complete events of that year, that is, the cause, process, and result.”

Good, this time, the man’s eyes opened.

Yan Man: “Should I send it to you?”

No actor would refuse something that could make their character more well-rounded, especially professional actors who were good at handling such things.

Ye Lin: “Mm.”

“But you blacklisted me. How can I send it to you?” She blinked her eyes quite cunningly. “This stuff was hard to get. Actually, even the screenwriter didn’t fully understand it. I helped her sort it out until one in the morning. It was very tiring.”

Ye Lin: “Send it to my email.”

She was shocked, feigning exaggeration. “I have your WeChat, and you still want me to email you? Are you taking advantage of my doting on you to do whatever you want?”

“...”

The man had a headache from her noise, took out his phone, and unblocked her.

Having gained control of the rhythm, Yan Man was very satisfied.

“I know, you’re only willing to unblock me because of work.”

“It’s good that you know.”

“But your dedication is really charming.”

“...”

Ye Lin opened the document and checked the information.

He looked at the information, and she looked at him.

Yan Man held her cheeks with both hands, as if thinking about something. Just when he thought she was about to say some more shocking nonsense, Yan Man suddenly said, “Don’t you think you’re a lot like the male lead?”

She said, “You always reject everyone’s approach, but it’s really hard to keep warm all alone.”

The temperature was pleasant that evening, and the crew welcomed the first actor to wrap up filming.

It was the second male lead.

The crew gave him flowers and gifts, and the main cast stood together for a group photo.

The second male lead was a bit reluctant to leave, but this was the norm for actors. He had other engagements afterward and left in his nanny van after a brief farewell.

Yan Man lay on the sofa, feeling a bit lost: “So fast.”

“Of course, the second male lead has been filming for three or four months, which is already considered long,” Zhou Xuan said. “Soon, the next one will be you.”

Yan Man’s script was thick, but her scenes focused on quality rather than quantity.

She leaned back on the sofa and sighed, “Without me, how will Ye Lin survive?”

“...”

“It won’t be long after you wrap up that he’ll wrap up too. You can still run into each other during the promotional period,” Zhou Xuan said, “And he has many public schedules. You can visit the set, or when you become famous too, the two of you can go on schedules together...”

Yan Man was thoughtful, looking into the distance, appearing to have a plan.

“If we get him before wrapping up, can’t we start an in-industry romance?”

Zhou Xuan: “...”

Were you even listening to what I just said?

“It would be too much effort if we can’t get him before wrapping up,” Yan Man said. “There are still a few days left.”

Zhou Xuan: “What, you want to have a sweet strawberry-flavored romance?”

Yan Man thought for a moment: “No strawberry flavor, original is fine too.”

“...”

In the evening, the director temporarily arranged a crew dinner.

Perhaps the atmosphere was right today, all the actors showed up, and even the second male lead arrived half an hour later.

Yan Man arrived the latest. By the time she took her seat, everyone was already there.

Everyone was really nice and had saved the seat next to Ye Lin for her.

She was still holding a wine glass in her hand. The first thing she did after sitting down was to exchange glasses with Ye Lin.

“My glass has too much. Let’s switch. I’ll drink the smaller amount.”

The director laughed, “How did you pour yourself such a strong drink?”

Yan Man: “I passed by the buffet table and just grabbed it.”

The man frowned slightly, about to say something, when he heard her whisper in his ear:

“Baby, I heard from fans that you get headaches when you drink. I diluted your drink with water.”

She then opened a shopping bag and took out a bag of soft candies and some other things.

“Here, for sobering up.”

“Honey, you can mix it with water when you get back.”

“This one, eat one before the meal, it’s harder to get drunk.”

……

Someone nearby leaned over and asked, “Did you just go buy all this?”

“Yeah,” Yan Man nodded. “Oh, and I bought myself a bottle of lychee sparkling water.”

Taking out her sugar-free drink, she hung the bag on Ye Lin’s arm.

—After all, she bought it all for him.

The meal was quite harmonious. Occasionally, there was unavoidable toasting with drinks. She used lychee juice as a substitute, so she didn’t seem out of place, and no one noticed she had secretly switched drinks.

After eating, everyone went to sing karaoke.

Yan Man sat by the standing microphone and sang “City of Stars.”

She had already changed out of the cheongsam from the drama and into a light lotus-root-colored dress. The hem of the skirt fluttered around her ankles, adding a touch of ethereal beauty.

There was an indescribable allure, yet a delicate restraint.

There was a friend of the director at the dinner, a producer. Midway through the quietening of the private room, he turned his head and praised, “Your female lead is really good. Which company is she signed with?”

Zhang Jun: “Seems like she hasn’t signed yet, Xiao Man, you haven’t, right?”

“Mm,” Yan Man nodded, “Looking.”

After Feng Ting’s reminder last night, although she didn’t plan to sign with his company, Yan Man had already started looking into other companies.

The famous agencies were just a few, and she wasn’t sure if she could sign with one.

Hearing this, the producer slapped his thigh.

“Then sign with Xiwen! My buddy is with Xiwen Entertainment. They’re really good at managing female artists. Let me push your WeChat to him. He was just telling me recently that they have a shortage of promising young artists.”

Xiwen had a considerable reputation and had produced several top female stars.

Yan Man naturally nodded happily and added his WeChat during her singing.

She had intended to say that she would record a brief introductory video to see if the other party was interested. Who knew that the next second, the other side sent the company address, going straight to the point—

【Tomorrow at noon, prepare no less than three talent showcases. If they’re good, we’ll sign the contract directly!】

Yan Man: 【Is it very urgent?】

【Yeah, this year’s KPI hasn’t been reached yet, damn it. I’m so worried.】

“...”

After clicking into his Moments and confirming that this person was reliable, Yan Man gave a positive reply.

Such a good opportunity should naturally be seized.

Just as she put down her phone, she was pulled back into the music by everyone.

The songs they ordered played one after another. Finally able to catch her breath, Yan Man turned her head and saw Ye Lin sitting by the stage.

He was sitting in a very lively spot, just like every place he appeared, surrounded by cheers and excitement, a grand spectacle.

But he was sitting there alone, flipping through something in his hand, his eyes indifferent, like the sense of story that could only be painstakingly captured in a movie. He always achieved it so easily, yet remained so detached.

Yan Man’s finger slipped, and she tapped “How To Do.”

Accompanied by the singing, the private room gradually became noisy again. Everyone pushed each other, and someone, emboldened by the cheering, called out Ye Lin’s name.

The man raised his dark eyes.

The lights shifted for a moment. Yan Man sat sideways by the standing microphone, one foot touching the ground. Seeing him look over, she tilted her head lightly.

The singing was light and cheerful. She seemed to be singing, and also seemed to be telling a story—

[Although powerless to resist]

[But the days are still long]

[One day I’ll change it so you’ll be crazy for me]

……

After singing the song, she smiled and came down from the stage, leaned close to his ear, and then said, “Baby, this song was especially for you.”

A game of werewolf was being played on the table next to them. She reached over, picked up a card, and shook it at him.

“This time, I should have the Seer card.”

As if knowing she was alluding to the line “one day I’ll change it so you’ll be crazy for me,” the man said in a deep voice, “No.”

She said, “It will be.”

After speaking, without waiting for his reply, she turned back to play werewolf, seemingly not caring what he thought.

And in this round, she really did get the Seer card.

The group played until almost eleven o’clock before finally calling it a night.

As they were about to leave, someone mentioned that the Double Hit couple was preparing for their wedding, and everyone was discussing whether they would be free on that day.

Yan Man seemed to think of something, turned to look at Ye Lin, and instructed, “You must come to my wedding.”

The man frowned slightly, looking like he didn’t really want to pay attention.

“Why should I go?”

She blinked her eyes and said matter-of-factly:

“If you don’t come, won’t there be no groom?”

As soon as the words fell, the private room suddenly fell silent. Bi Tan, who was walking ahead, stumbled and fell at the door.

Bi Tan turned back in surprise: “You’re getting married? When did this happen?”

His voice was loud and clear, echoing down the hallway.