MTL - 48

I never imagined that one day Tang Yu would pretend to be drunk in front of me.

— From “Little Tyrant’s Diary”

Half an hour later, Tang Xin received a call from Tang Dingding. “I’m here. Can you come to the entrance and pick me up?”

“Ah, so soon? I’ll be right down.”

Tang Xin hurried out of the office but bumped into Lu Zhixing. She rubbed her forehead and looked up at him apologetically.

Lu Zhixing raised an eyebrow with a smile, as if asking what was going on.

Tang Xin pointed toward the elevator. “Dingding is here. I’m going to pick her up.”

“So soon?” Lu Zhixing was surprised but then nodded toward her. “I’ll go. I don’t have anything else to do.”

“Ah?” Tang Xin smiled. “Alright then.”

She informed Tang Dingding and hung up.

When Tang Dingding heard that Lu Zhixing himself was coming downstairs to greet her, she was still a bit stunned. She waited a few minutes in the lobby. Lu Zhixing walked out of the elevator with his hands in his pockets, saw her, and smirked slightly. “Miss Tang.”

Tang Dingding smiled at him and walked over. “Director Lu, just call me by my name.”

Lu Zhixing chuckled. “Little Fatty Sheep or Dingding?”

“…Tang Dingding.” Tang Dingding frowned and defended herself. “Don’t listen to Sugarheart’s nonsense. She calls me that because she wants to take advantage of me—it’s really heartless.”

Lu Zhixing pressed the elevator button and lazily chuckled. “Alright, Dingding.”

Tang Xin waited in the office while Tang Dingding followed Lu Zhixing inside. Everyone was stunned by her appearance, and someone whispered, “Wow, who is that?”

Tang Xin smiled brightly. “Maybe she’s our movie’s lead actress.”

She walked over and told Tang Dingding, “Actually, Director Lu wants to talk to you.”

Tang Dingding turned to look at Lu Zhixing in surprise. Lu Zhixing gestured toward the office and smiled. “Can I have a little of your time?”

Tang Dingding glanced at Tang Xin and realized she had been tricked.

Tang Xin gave a mischievous grin and patted her shoulder. “I’ll get back to work. After work, I’ll treat you to dinner. If not, I’ll take you to Sister Huan’s place to shop another day.”

With that, she turned and entered the office.

Leaving Tang Dingding with Lu Zhixing.

Standing at the door, Tang Dingding suddenly felt a bit lost. Lu Zhixing noticed and opened the office door, waving her in.

Tang Dingding hesitated for a moment before following him inside.

Lu Zhixing turned on the projector and stood by the table, leaning forward and resting his hands on the desk. He clicked the mouse to open a folder, gesturing for her to look at the screen. “I’ve been making films since I was a teenager. I’ve made hundreds of short films and over ten feature films. In the future, I’ll continue to try more…”

Tang Dingding turned her head to look at the small video thumbnails continuously appearing on the screen. Her thoughts stirred slightly.

Lu Zhixing showed her all of his works and then called her name.

Tang Dingding turned to look at him. Lu Zhixing’s eyes were dark and bright, his smile warm. “Acting isn’t difficult once you immerse yourself in the role. Tang Xin told me you really like this book. Making movies is like creating a new world or shaping a dream—it’s incredibly fun and meaningful.”

“Welcome to this world. What you aspire to, what you desire, and what you lack—I might be able to give it all to you.”

“What you doubt, what confuses you, and what you fear will slowly fade away with time.”

— Lines from Dreaming For You .

Lu Zhixing gazed at the young girl before him, reciting the movie lines in a deep and lazy tone that sounded exceptionally captivating.

Tang Dingding stared at him blankly, her heart suddenly trembling.

Lu Zhixing asked, “Are you moved?”

…

During the summer break, Tang Yu was busier than ever, traveling frequently for business trips.

This evening, he had just gotten off the plane and was rushing to meet with the director and screenwriter. As soon as he got into the car, he received a call from Chen Han, the boss of Jiayi Media, pleading on behalf of Zhou Jialu. Tang Yu smiled indifferently. “The termination of the contract was your voluntary decision.”

Chen Han shamelessly persisted. “President Tang, please give us some face. If this gets out, it won’t be good for PR.”

Tang Yu coldly replied, “Shi Guang isn’t a marketplace where you can sign and terminate contracts at will. There’s no such easy thing.”

After hanging up, Tang Yu relaxed into his seat to rest.

After a while, he asked Gao Heng, “Has Manager Du replied yet?”

The copyright for Three Lifetimes, One Dream had expired, but they hadn’t managed to negotiate the renewal contract. Gao Heng stiffly turned around. “Yes, Miss Tang said… leaving the copyright with Shi Guang would be a waste. Other companies have already approached her to discuss contracts.”

Tang Yu fell silent for a moment, then coldly asked, “What else did she say?”

Gao Heng hesitated. “She said… considering cooperation for Dreaming For You was only possible because of Miss Dingding’s influence. She told you to… have some self-respect.”

“Go on.”

“…to stop being so proud.”

Tang Yu fell silent again.

Perhaps it was an illusion, but Gao Heng thought he saw a trace of loneliness flicker across President Tang’s face.

A few hours later, after finishing their social engagements and getting into the car, Gao Heng glanced back at Tang Yu, who was resting with his eyes closed. Both of them had consumed quite a bit of alcohol, and the car was filled with the smell of liquor. They didn’t need to drink so much, but Tang Yu seemed to be in a bad mood tonight, accepting almost every toast, as if deliberately trying to get drunk.

Gao Heng thought about it and concluded it probably had something to do with Miss Tang.

Tang Yu, who had been resting with his eyes closed, heard his phone buzz. Opening his eyes, he saw his assistant staring at him and emotionlessly asked, “Do you have something to say?”

Gao Heng hesitated, rarely stuttering. “It’s just…”

“What are you hesitating about?”

“…President Tang, if I finish speaking, will you deduct my bonus and overtime pay?”

Tang Yu glanced at him and faintly smiled. “No deductions.”

Relieved, Gao Heng adjusted his glasses and earnestly said, “I think when pursuing Miss Tang, you don’t need to be so forceful. Sometimes you could try a different approach, like playing the sympathy card…”

“Oh.” Tang Yu responded indifferently, clearly unimpressed. “Like what?”

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“Pretend to be drunk. When you’re drunk, you need someone to take care of you, right?”

“…”

“I think if Miss Tang sees you drunk, she’ll definitely soften and take care of you. Isn’t that how TV dramas and movies always play it?”

“…”

Tang Yu furrowed his brows and gave him a cold glance, disapproving. Was he suggesting a grown man act pitiful and play the sympathy card? Ridiculous.

Under Gao Heng’s gaze, Tang Yu dryly chuckled. “Alright, alright. Let’s say I consider it. If you don’t like this method, just treat it as nonsense.” He turned away, muttering softly, “But this method is pretty effective…”

Tang Yu disdainfully sneered. “Shut up. Stop giving me terrible ideas.”

Gao Heng silently closed his mouth and stopped talking.

Upon arriving at the residential complex, perhaps due to poor air circulation in the elevator, Tang Yu frowned and pressed his stomach, which was starting to churn. He lowered his head and coughed, his earlobes turning slightly red. After exiting the elevator, he turned toward his apartment door but suddenly paused, replaying Gao Heng’s words in his mind.

Somehow, he found himself walking toward Tang Xin’s door.

Knock, knock, knock—

A minute later, Tang Xin opened the door to find Tang Yu leaning against the doorframe, pressing his stomach with his head bowed. His shirt collar and cuffs were loosely undone, his earlobes slightly red, and the air filled with the scent of alcohol. She was startled. “What are you doing?”

Tang Yu lifted his eyes to look at her. His usually deep and dark eyes now carried a hint of redness, making him appear drunk.

He hoarsely said, “I drank too much.”

Tang Xin looked at him skeptically. She remembered his high tolerance for alcohol and couldn’t recall ever seeing him drunk. Just as she thought this, the man suddenly leaned forward, pressing his stomach and heavily collapsing onto her shoulder. Tang Xin was startled and quickly supported him, worried. “Are you okay?”

At that moment, Tang Xin had no idea that Tang Yu was pretending to be drunk and acting pitiful.

She genuinely thought he was suffering from being drunk.

“My stomach feels uncomfortable.”

The man buried his face in the crook of her neck, his breath hot and his voice suppressed and hoarse, sounding truly miserable.

Tang Xin’s heart softened. She placed her hand on his firm back and softly said, “Let me help you inside first.”

The man was 187 centimeters tall, his physique honed through real training. Nearly half his weight pressed onto her shoulder, and Tang Xin struggled to support him to the sofa. She looked down at him, noticing sweat forming on his forehead, and softly said, “I’ll make you a cup of honey water.”

Tang Yu faintly hummed in response, his body slouched on the sofa. The hem of his shirt was slightly pulled out, making him appear somewhat disheveled. His gaze followed her figure as she rummaged through the cabinet for a jar of honey.

If Tang Xin had turned to look at him, she would have noticed his clear and sober eyes, far from the drunken appearance he had earlier.

After a while, Tang Xin returned with a warm cup of honey water.

Tang Yu loosely covered his face with his hand, leaning back on the sofa. His Adam’s apple was prominent and sexy. She pulled his hand down, handed him the cup, and said in a soft tone, “Drink it.”

Obediently, Tang Yu drank it all, placed the cup on the coffee table, and frowned, pressing his stomach again.

Tang Xin bit her lip and looked at him, frowning slightly. She softly asked, “Do you… want to eat something?”

It had been a long time since she’d spoken to him in such a gentle tone. Tang Yu lowered his eyes and suddenly felt that Gao Heng’s suggestion wasn’t wrong. Though pretending to be drunk and pitiful wasn’t noble, it was indeed effective.

“No need.” He hoarsely replied. His stomach was full of water; he had no appetite for food.

Eating anything now would make him vomit.

Hua Juan scampered over, rubbing against his feet. Tang Yu glanced down, pressed his stomach, and lay back on the sofa, closing his eyes.

Tang Xin stood beside him, anxiously watching his hand pressing on his stomach. She softly asked, “Tang Yu, are you really okay?”

He seemed genuinely concerned.

Tang Yu half-opened his eyes and looked at her, his voice even more hoarse. “Can you massage my stomach?”

Tang Xin opened her mouth, momentarily stunned, and didn’t move.

He self-deprecatingly smirked, massaging himself a few times before closing his eyes again.

After a while.

“I’ll do it.”

The young girl’s voice was soft and sweet. Kneeling on the carpet, she gently removed his hand and took over, softly massaging in circles.

Tang Yu’s Adam’s apple subtly rolled, and he raised his hand to cover his face, the corners of his lips slightly lifting.

Tang Xin felt a twinge of pity for him, her usual sharpness gone. Her voice softened. “Feeling better?”

After several seconds, the man faintly hummed in response. Then, he placed his hand over hers. “That’s enough.”

Tang Xin stiffened, hurriedly pulling her hand back, but he tightly held her hand in his palm. She frowned. “Tang Yu, what are you doing?” She tried pulling her hand away again but failed. Annoyed, she used her left hand to pry his fingers apart.

One by one, she pried open his long fingers, regained her freedom, and pushed him lightly. “Go home and sleep.”

Tang Yu felt he had taken enough warmth and advantage. Staying any longer would surely upset Little Tyrant. Pressing his stomach, he sat up, deeply looked at her, and stood up shakily. “Then I’ll go.”

Seeing him like this, Tang Xin’s heart softened a bit. She reached out to support him, looking down at the floor. “I’ll send you…”

“Thank you.”

Tang Yu shamelessly leaned half his weight onto her shoulder.

She escorted him to the door and watched him enter his password. Unable to resist, she muttered, “Rest well.”

After entering his apartment, Tang Yu straightened his back, rubbed his temples, and felt a mix of emotions.

A few days later, during Shi Guang Entertainment’s payday, Gao Heng discovered an extra amount in his salary. He checked with the finance department, and they said it was a bonus issued by President Tang.

Gao Heng was baffled. Why would President Tang give him a bonus?

Unable to resist, he asked when they were leaving work.

Tang Yu leaned against his office chair and indifferently asked, “You don’t want it?”

Gao Heng hastily replied, “No, no, no... Whatever President Tang gives, I’ll take.”

…

On the last Friday of July, after work, Tang Yu’s office door was pushed open, and Tang Dingding walked in. “Brother, I’m going to Sugarheart’s place later. She said she has something to show me and will treat me to dinner. Can I take your car?”

Anti-Terrorism had wrapped up filming recently, and Tang Yu was scheduled to travel abroad the next day. Originally planning to work overtime tonight, he closed his laptop without hesitation, packed the remaining work to take home, grabbed his car keys, and walked over. “Let’s go.”

After getting in the car, Tang Dingding cautiously asked, “Brother, how’s your progress with Sugarheart?”

Ever since the last time he pretended to be drunk, whenever he drank, he could sit at her place for half an hour. After half an hour, she would always kick him out. Does that count as progress?

“Not bad.” Tang Yu casually steered the wheel and asked nonchalantly, “Where are you eating?”

Tang Dingding silently fretted for him and couldn’t help but complain about Tang Xin. “Hmph, she said she’s busy and can only order takeout with me. She also mentioned wanting me to be the lead actress, but it doesn’t feel special at all.”

Tang Yu curved his lips slightly and softly said, “Ask her what she wants to eat.”

Tang Dingding messaged Tang Xin on WeChat, and Tang Xin replied, “Steak.”

Forty minutes later, Tang Xin opened her door, shocked to see two chefs and a cart behind the siblings. She looked at Tang Yu. “Do you… have to be so extravagant?”

Tang Yu glanced at her and directly asked, “Your place or mine?”

Tang Dingding enthusiastically suggested, “Let’s go to my brother’s place. His dining room is prettier and has a better atmosphere.”

Tang Xin: “….”

So her dining room isn’t good enough for five-star service?

“Alright, you two go ahead.” Tang Xin was wearing a simple white T-shirt and beige loungewear pants, her hair loosely draped over her shoulders. She was only two years older than Tang Dingding, but it wasn’t obvious from her appearance. Her features were even sweeter than Tang Dingding’s. She smiled brightly at Tang Yu. “Let me put on some makeup and change into a pretty dress before I come over.”

Tang Yu turned and opened the door, glancing back at her. “You already look good enough. Come over.”

Tang Xin: “….”