Chapter 32: The Small-Time Star and His Short-Tempered Sugar Daddy (Part XXXII)
Fang Yinnian thought Xiao Ji was speaking out of anger and didn’t take it to heart.
After all, Xiao Ji climbed into his bed for resources.
Words like “retiring” were just things to listen to and let pass.
But he didn’t expose Xiao Ji because Fang Yinnian had selfish motives. Through this period of sneaking around and guarding against everyone, Fang Yinnian wished Xiao Ji would retire.
Compared to thriving in the entertainment industry and receiving public adoration, Fang Yinnian preferred Xiao Ji to be a useless person who could do nothing but depend on him for life.
But this thought was too shameful. Fang Yinnian disdained asking this of Xiao Ji openly; he was still willing to respect Xiao Ji’s career.
After breakfast, Xiao Ji actively cleaned up the dishes and returned to his room ten minutes before the show started.
Su Yu sat by the bed, somewhat absent-minded. She thought left and right, feeling that something was wrong everywhere. Xiao Ji and Cheng Nuo belonged to the same company; Fang Yinnian was Cheng Nuo’s boss and also Xiao Ji’s boss.
Although they didn’t have much contact, Xiao Ji’s indifference seeped from his bones, while Fang Yinnian looked like a willful master who could absolutely do things like “seize by force.”
Moreover, when she went downstairs just now, although she didn’t know what happened before, she saw Xiao Ji’s momentary dodging movement and heard Fang Yinnian seem to say something like “dodging me.”
Adding to that the drama Xiao Ji filmed earlier and Fang Yinnian’s sexuality, which had never been clarified.
The more Su Yu thought about it, the more she felt that Fang Yinnian might have chased after the program group just for Xiao Ji.
She stared at Xiao Ji for a long time before suddenly asking:
“Xiao Ji, did Fang Yinnian threaten you?”
Hearing this, Xiao Ji was stunned first, surprised by Su Yu’s observational skills and intuition, then said with a straight face:
“Threaten me with what?”
Su Yu spoke bluntly, “Does he have improper designs on you?”
Xiao Ji looked at Su Yu. He wanted to deny it, but on second thought, if he could take this opportunity to dispel Su Yu’s vague interest in him, the days ahead should be easier.
So after a brief silence, he only asked, “Why isn’t it me having improper designs on him?”
Su Yu looked Xiao Ji in the eye. “Fang Yinnian isn’t an easy person to approach.”
Xiao Ji nodded. “Remember what I told you? My ideal type.”
Su Yu froze, immediately recalling the conversation with Xiao Ji yesterday and Fang Yinnian’s attitude when mentioning Xiao Ji. She opened her mouth, and only after a long while did she curse:
“Are you crazy? You’re telling me this so nakedly; aren’t you afraid I’ll expose you?”
Xiao Ji stared into Su Yu’s eyes. “You won’t, and you dare not. I’m telling you so you can cover for me. If this matter gets exposed, Fang Yinnian will be the first not to let you off.”
Su Yu cursed her bad luck inwardly. If she had known, she wouldn’t have asked Xiao Ji out of a momentary burst of kindness.
Heaven knows she was just thinking that if Xiao Ji was threatened, she would figure out what to do to help him. Who knew that Xiao Ji and Fang Yinnian were simply consensual?
She ground her back molars. “I won’t say it, but please be careful in the future. There are many people and mouths. If someone else finds out and plays dirty tricks behind your back, don’t blame it on me in the end.”
Xiao Ji understood the carrot and stick approach.
“Keep your mouth shut and cooperate with my needs. When the program ends, I’ll have Fang Yinnian sign you as an artist.”
Su Yu was practical. “Will I be guaranteed roles?”
Xiao Ji didn’t give a definite promise, only saying, “Whether you become red or not depends on your own ability.”
In the last second before eight o’clock arrived, all the inside stories that couldn’t be made public were concealed.
Just like yesterday, everyone continued the new round of filming according to the program team’s arrangement. The difference was that Cheng Nuo rested, having taken three days of leave.
The rooms were reallocated.
To hide the truth from the public, Xiao Ji and Su Yu were assigned to the same room, while Fang Yinnian was assigned to a single room.
On the afternoon of the first day, the seven people divided into two groups to go on dates at designated locations.
At night, after the live broadcast ended, Su Yu knocked on the door of Fang Yinnian’s single room. Expressionless, she waved at Fang Yinnian to signal him to get out, then walked into Fang Yinnian’s room herself, silently locking him out.
Fang Yinnian was confused. Turning around, he saw Xiao Ji standing in the hallway leaning against the wall, looking at him with a smile.
Old project: seven people went to the amusement park collectively.
At night, as soon as the live broadcast closed, Fang Yinnian opened the door and entered Xiao Ji’s room. Su Yu rolled her eyes, turned, and left.
Cheng Nuo returned early.
The rooms were reallocated again. With 037’s help, Xiao Ji and Fang Yinnian were assigned to a double room, while Cheng Nuo and Gu Yao were assigned to single rooms.
Gu Yao had lived in a triple room for the past few days. Finally getting some peace without any opposite sex present, the first thing she did after the live broadcast ended that day was to rewash her underwear and hang it on the balcony.
After doing this, she sat on the balcony enjoying the evening breeze and saw a Brown-backed Shrike landing on the fence.
The shrike was very round, appearing to have no neck. Perched on the fence, it looked like a ball with a tail.
Gu Yao reached out to the little shrike, teasing it. “Come here, I’ll give you something tasty.”
The shrike looked at Gu Yao, motionless, as if looking at a fool.
Gu Yao had a thought and tried to grab the shrike. As soon as her hand moved, the shrike fluttered away.
Gu Yao didn’t think much of it. She sat for a while longer, then got up, returned to the room, closed the sliding door, and turned off the light.
No one noticed that after a long time, the shrike standing on the roof chirped loudly, summoning a flock of birds.
At the same moment, Cheng Nuo, who was just about to rest, also heard a “thump, thump, thump” sound from outside the door.
Cheng Nuo got out of bed to open the door, but there was no one outside.
Thinking he had misheard, he had just returned to bed when a “tap, tap, tap” knocking sound came from outside the window.
Cheng Nuo walked to the window and opened it. There was nothing.
Just as he was about to close the window, the “thump, thump, thump” knocking on the door sounded again.
Cheng Nuo’s state of mind hadn’t been good these past few days. He asked, “Who is it?”
No one answered.
But the knocking continued.
Cheng Nuo’s heart was now in his throat. Forgetting the window he hadn’t closed, he walked to the door and opened it again. The corridor was still empty.
He stuck his head out to look at both sides of the corridor. Not to mention a person, he didn’t even see a ghost’s shadow.
All his attention was on the outside of the door. He didn’t notice that behind him, a flock of dark little birds had sneaked into his room and flown into his half-open wardrobe.
Just before Cheng Nuo confirmed there was really no one outside and closed the door to turn around, they flew out the window in a swarm.
A large-billed crow was squeezed and crashed headfirst into the window frame, making a noise before quickly falling out of the window.
Cheng Nuo heard the movement and turned back sharply, but saw nothing.
Standing on his room’s doorframe, a woodpecker that had lowered its head preparing to continue pecking the door heard the bird calls outside the window, stopped its action, tilted its head, and flew away through the open window in the corridor.
Cheng Nuo didn’t sleep well all night.
Early the next morning at seven o’clock, he heard footsteps and conversation outside.
He opened the door and found everyone standing at the top of the stairs. Gu Yao’s face was somewhat pale, with tear stains still on her face, looking helpless.
Cheng Nuo looked at the crowd. “What happened?”
Li Yun patted Gu Yao’s back. “Yao-Yao lost something. She suspects someone climbed onto her balcony in the middle of the night.”
Cheng Nuo frowned. “Lost something? Was it a valuable item?”
Everyone looked at each other, no one making a sound.
Gu Yao didn’t say what she lost, but she said the thief didn’t enter the room, only stayed on the balcony.
One could guess what could be lost on a balcony that would make Gu Yao react so intensely.
The nature of this incident was vile, even concerning the personal safety of the female guests present. It absolutely could not be tolerated.
Lie pursed her lips. “I suggest the program team check the staff’s living quarters. We should also check everyone’s rooms internally.”
Fang Yinnian and Xiao Ji stood in the farthest corner. He tugged at Xiao Ji’s cuff and asked, “Any clues?”
Xiao Ji shook his head. Fang Yinnian had been clinging to him terribly last night; he hadn’t paid attention to outside matters, so he silently summoned [037, do you know what happened?]
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