Chapter 93: Invest Until I’m the One in Charge of the Set

Liu Heping felt like the sky was falling. He wished he could snatch the steering wheel from the driver and rush over to Jiang Shi’s location. “Wait, why didn’t you ever tell me?”

Jiang Shi’s head felt a bit fuzzy. He licked his dry lips, his thoughts moving a little slower than usual.

“I meant to tell you before, but I never found the chance, and then I forgot.”

How could he forget something like this…

Liu Heping asked again, “So who is he?”

Given Jiang Shi’s attitude toward work, it probably wasn’t someone from the industry.

Jiang Shi answered honestly, “We’re from the same village. Like me, he’s also a senior in college.”

The same village…

Liu Heping said dryly, “Isn’t your family quite wealthy?”

Jiang Shi let out an “ah?” and said, “I don’t think so. My mom is a farmer.”

Liu Heping thought to himself, the clothes on your back don’t look like something a farmer’s income could afford. Before he could ask anything else, Jiang Shi explained the mix-up at birth with Song Jian’an.

So, after all this time, he was a former young master.

Liu Heping naturally attributed Jiang Shi’s lavish lifestyle to his previous family. Some things were inconvenient to discuss over the phone, so he said, “Wait for me at the hotel. I’m coming over to have a good talk with you in person.”

Jiang Shi glanced at the time. “But I still have to go eat dinner.”

Liu Heping asked warily, “With whom? Don’t tell me it’s with your boyfriend from the village?”

Jiang Shi hummed in agreement again.

Liu Heping: “…”

He inexplicably felt as though his prized cabbage had been rooted up by a pig. “Would you mind if I joined you? I haven’t met your boyfriend yet. We can get to know each other.”

Jiang Shi had forgotten whether Liu Heping had ever met Cheng Ye. Thinking that one meal wouldn’t hurt, he agreed.

When Cheng Ye was about to arrive, Jiang Shi put his phone away. His throat was extremely dry, so he went to get a glass of cold water and chugged it down, which made him feel much better instantly.

Liu Heping arrived first. He knew where Jiang Shi was staying and came straight up to knock on his door.

The moment Jiang Shi opened the door a crack, Liu Heping squeezed in as if catching an adulterer. “Where’s your boyfriend?”

He scanned the room but saw no sign of a strange man.

Jiang Shi stood sideways by the door, helpless. “He’s still on his way.”

“My dear boy…” Liu Heping pulled him aside, speaking earnestly. “I can’t control your sexual orientation, and there are plenty of gay people in our circle. But you could be with anyone, why a guy from the village?”

Jiang Shi looked at him. “Wait, Brother Liu, why are you looking down on rural people?”

Liu Heping felt blood get stuck in his throat. He took a few seconds to recover. “I’m not looking down on them, I’m just afraid you’ll get scammed.”

He pulled Jiang Shi to sit down. “So tell me, how did you two get together?”

Jiang Shi summarized it succinctly, “I went back to my birth mother’s place, he fell for me at first sight, pestered me relentlessly, and then we got together.”

Liu Heping: “…”

Alright, alright.

Just as he was preparing to sharpen his knives, Jiang Shi’s phone rang. He answered it, and less than a minute later, he hung up. “Let’s go, Cheng Ye is here.”

Liu Heping followed him downstairs.

Downstairs at the hotel, Cheng Ye, just as he had said he would, had bought a Rolls-Royce. The window was rolled down, revealing his worn-out black jacket. He froze for a few seconds when he saw a man standing next to the masked Jiang Shi.

Jiang Shi explained, “Liu Heping, my manager.”

Cheng Ye greeted Liu Heping, “Hello, Brother Liu. Are you joining us for dinner?”

Liu Heping put on a peaceful smile. “Yes, I haven’t heard Jiang Shi mention you after all this time. Since we ran into each other today, you don’t mind an extra pair of chopsticks, do you?”

A nice date had turned into a party of three. Cheng Ye couldn’t be more annoyed, but since Jiang Shi had brought him, he couldn’t say anything. He just gave Liu Heping a friendly smile. “Not at all. Get in.”

Liu Heping was first stunned by the car, then he sized up Cheng Ye, who was driving.

Having been in the industry for so long, a single glance was all it took for him to estimate the price of Cheng Ye’s outfit. The total cost was probably no more than three hundred yuan, with his fashion sense being carried entirely by his overly stern face.

He was handsome, that was for sure. It was no wonder someone as picky as Jiang Shi would be with him, but…

Liu Heping stroked his chin, feeling like he had seen that face somewhere before.

He bent down to get in the car after Jiang Shi and asked casually, “This is a nice car. Who bought it?”

Cheng Ye started the car and answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world, “It’s Jiang Shi’s. His name is on all the documents.”

Jiang Shi, who to this day had been too lazy to get a driver’s license: “…”

Fine…

He fastened his seatbelt. “If you say it’s mine, it’s mine.”

Anyway, Cheng Ye’s money was his money.

In that moment, Liu Heping felt like he had seen the truth of the matter.

A young master with little life experience, having just returned to the village, was targeted by a poor country boy who then shamelessly pestered and entangled him, ultimately latching onto a rich and handsome man to achieve a leap in social class.

Cheng Ye asked from the front, “Which place? The one we went to last time?”

“No,” Jiang Shi said. “That place was terrible. I recently saw a place online not far from here. Let’s go there.”

The hot pot restaurant Cheng Ye had taken him to last time was ridiculously expensive and tasted awful.

The restaurant Jiang Shi mentioned was in an alley, inside a very old residential building. The black Rolls-Royce looked particularly out of place parked by the side of the bumpy road.

Cheng Ye glanced at the surroundings. It was a bit messy, and the hygiene didn’t look great. His brow slowly furrowed.

Jiang Shi was still looking at the map in the back. “Just go down this alley. Cars can’t go in, so you can just find a spot to park on the side of the road.”

Driver Cheng wasn’t very willing. “It doesn’t look clean inside. Why don’t we find another place?”

“You don’t get it. The food in places like this is the best. Besides, it’s only a little over a hundred for the three of us. So cheap.”

Cheng Ye couldn’t win against him and could only find a place to park the car.

The sky was dark. It wasn’t even six o’clock, but it was already dark, with black clouds gathering over the city, looking like it was about to rain.

Jiang Shi held his phone and walked in front, with Cheng Ye and Liu Heping following behind him.

“Um…” Liu Heping began, then hesitated.

Cheng Ye perceptively picked up, “Cheng Ye. You can just call me Xiao Cheng.”

“Xiao Cheng…” Liu Heping said. “Are you and Jiang Shi from the same school?”

“No, I’m at the A University next door.”

His academics were decent. Liu Heping was slightly more satisfied.

“You know about Jiang Shi’s profession. Many of his current fans are attracted to his looks. Exposing a relationship has a huge impact on any celebrity, not to mention you’re a same-sex couple…”

Cheng Ye’s eyes darkened. “I know. As long as Jiang Shi doesn’t say anything, I won’t tell anyone about our relationship.”

Seeing this, Liu Heping was finally a bit more satisfied.

He looked at Cheng Ye, and the more he looked, the more familiar he seemed. “Have we met before?”

Cheng Ye’s memory was a bit better than his. “We have. When you were looking for Jiang Shi at the New Year’s Eve party.”

Liu Heping finally remembered. No wonder his heart ached just looking at Cheng Ye’s face. It turned out he was the one who had made him spend nearly a thousand yuan on a single meal.

Walking ahead, Jiang Shi didn’t hear what they were saying. He followed the map for a long time and finally found the hot pot restaurant tucked away in a corner. The location was so remote, but looking inside from the entrance, it was packed with people.

He knew immediately he had come to the right place.

He pushed the door open, and a waiter greeted him enthusiastically, “Hello, how many in your party?”

“Three,” Jiang Shi said. “Do you have a private room?”

The waiter at the front desk flipped through a notebook. “A table just left. It’s on the second floor.”

The three of them went up to the second floor. Jiang Shi took the menu to order and asked Liu Heping, “Brother Liu, what do you want to eat?”

Liu Heping said, “Who’s paying?”

“Cheng Ye.”

He said, “What’s the most expensive thing on the menu?”

Jiang Shi flipped through it. “Maotai.”

“A case of it.”

Jiang Shi: “??”

Cheng Ye: “…”

In the end, they didn’t get to drink the Maotai because when Jiang Shi pulled down his mask, Cheng Ye noticed his face was abnormally red.

He walked over and pressed a hand to his forehead, his brows instantly knitting together. “Why didn’t you say you have a fever?”

“Huh?” Jiang Shi blinked blankly. “What fever? How come I don’t know?”

Cheng Ye grabbed his jacket and put it on him, then pulled his mask back up and pulled him up from his seat. “Let’s go to the hospital.”

Jiang Shi trailed behind him, unwilling to leave. “We haven’t even eaten yet. Besides, I feel very clear-headed. I’m fine, I can run and jump.”

Cheng Ye let out a “heh.”

Liu Heping hurriedly followed behind. “I’ll go too. How did he suddenly get a fever?”

Jiang Shi pursed his lips. Just as he was about to speak, he let out a sudden sneeze.

Cheng Ye’s expression turned even worse.

Jiang Shi had been full of life just a moment ago, but as soon as he got in the car, he wilted. He leaned back in his seat, his eyelids hot and tinged with pink.

Liu Heping touched his forehead. “Weren’t you fine just now? How did you suddenly get a fever?”

Jiang Shi said weakly, “I touched some water during filming.”

Liu Heping knew about this scene, but filming it should have taken no more than ten to twenty minutes, and they used warm water. How could it be serious enough to cause a high fever?

Connecting this to the incident with Huai Zhang that morning, his own expression soured. “Did someone bully you?”

Jiang Shi coughed softly and said nothing.

The car screeched to a halt. Cheng Ye, with a grim face, unbuckled his seatbelt. He stepped out of the multi-million-yuan car, slamming the door shut without any mercy.

He squatted down by the rear passenger door.

“Please help him up. I’ll carry him in.”

Liu Heping looked up and realized they had already arrived at the hospital entrance. He scrambled to help Jiang Shi onto Cheng Ye’s back.

By the time everything was settled and the IV drip was in, half an hour had passed.

Jiang Shi’s head was spinning, and his limbs felt weak, but he was still thinking about the hot pot they missed. “That hot pot…”

Cheng Ye looked at the number on the thermometer and said nothing.

When his face was grim, he looked exceptionally terrifying. Even Liu Heping didn’t dare to look at him for too long.

Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, Jiang Shi kicked Cheng Ye, who was by the bed. “Hey! Are you mute? I’m talking to you.”

Cheng Ye put the thermometer away, scooped Jiang Shi’s foot back under the covers, and though his face was void of a smile, his voice sounded gentle. “Mm, I remember. I’ll take you to eat it when you’re better.”

Jiang Shi was so feverish he could barely lift his eyelids. He looked at him with half-open eyes. “Are you angry?”

“No,” Cheng Ye said.

Feeling hot, Jiang Shi took his hand out from under the covers. “Then why are you making that face? It’s not like I wanted to get a fever.”

His unreasonable and unforgiving manner gave no hint that he was running a fever of almost forty degrees Celsius (104°F).

Cheng Ye managed a smile, tucked Jiang Shi’s hand back in, and gathered the damp hair from his forehead, tying it into a small bun on top of his head. He pressed his dry palm against his thin cheek. “Sleep. You’ll be fine when you wake up.”

Jiang Shi snuggled against his hand and drifted off into a hazy sleep.

When Liu Heping returned from his phone call, Jiang Shi was already asleep. Cheng Ye was bent over, tidying his blanket. He turned off the light in the ward and motioned for Liu Heping to come out.

They had a private room, so the corridor was mostly empty, with the faint scent of disinfectant lingering in the air.

Cheng Ye leaned against the corridor wall, his shadow stretching long across the floor. “Did you find out?”

Liu Heping looked at him.

The man had his hands in his jacket pockets, devoid of the honest demeanor he had in front of Jiang Shi. The gaze he directed at him was cold. “You can’t tell me?”

Liu Heping shivered inexplicably. “No, it’s not that. This whole thing is my fault. If I hadn’t had a falling out with Huai Zhang, he wouldn’t have had to suffer like this.”

Cheng Ye didn’t speak, so Liu Heping had no choice but to bite the bullet and continue.

“The female lead in the drama is from the same company as Huai Zhang. For today’s scene, Jiang Shi had to soak in water. The female lead kept causing NGs, dragging it out. They filmed for almost an hour before it was done.”

Cheng Ye said, “Call the director and ask for three days off.”

“Well…” Liu Heping was in a difficult position. “Jiang Shi is just a minor actor. He can’t ask for that many days off.”

He looked up at Cheng Ye’s face. The other man had no expression, but Liu Heping was still scared. He didn’t know what he was scared of, but before he knew it, he was already calling the director.

Cheng Ye watched him make the call at the other end of the corridor, then turned and went back into the ward.

Jiang Shi was sleeping restlessly. The slight noises Cheng Ye made by his side seemed to help him sleep more soundly.

The young man’s head was tilted on the pillow. His face was flushed pink from the fever, but his lips were pale. His face was narrow and small, never seeming to put on weight.

His hand that wasn’t on the IV drip twitched under the blanket, and Cheng Ye reached in to hold it.

His fingers were icy, and his palm was clammy with cold sweat.

Cheng Ye wiped the cold sweat from Jiang Shi’s palm with his hand, and with the other, he made a phone call, keeping his voice very low.

“How are things with Xinghui?”

“We just finished the meeting this afternoon. I’m still organizing the materials. I’ll send them to you a bit later.”

“They have an artist named Jiang Shi. Compile his information separately and send it to me. From now on, I want to personally review everything related to him.”

“Also…” Cheng Ye paused. “I remember that Chuan Yu is a subsidiary of Rong Shi. Does our company have any projects with Rong Shi?”

“A week ago, Rong Shi submitted a collaboration proposal to you. You felt it had no prospects at the time and rejected the project.”

“Find time to schedule a meeting with them tomorrow. I want to meet them. One more thing, there’s a film crew called ‘An Du.’ Contact them and add an additional investment.”

The person on the other end was stunned for a moment, but his professional etiquette kept him from questioning his boss’s impulse.

“Understood. CEO Cheng, how much do you plan to invest?”

“Invest until I’m the one in charge of the set.”