TRYMBPIETM 106: Revival of All Things (27)

Under Chi Qingzhou’s insistence, Guan Xihua had no choice but to convey his intention.

Originally intending to refuse, when Yi Shangxiao heard that it was Chi Qingzhou’s wish, he didn’t hesitate and changed his mind, agreeing to let Fu Wenan invest in “Wanxiang.”

However, it seemed that Guan Xihua’s concerns were too obvious. When negotiating with Fu Wenan, he firmly insisted that Fu Wenan could only invest and visit the set, but he was not allowed to raise any objections to the script.

Fu Wenan remained silent on the other end of the line for a long time.

Such an absurd request could only come from the third son of the Yi family, who was known for his reckless spending.

Fu Wenan’s money didn’t come easily, so since the money had to be spent, he naturally wanted to maximize the benefits.

He tried to reason with Yi Shangxiao, assuring him that he wouldn’t interfere with the movie, but he hoped the crew could increase Chi Qingning’s screen time within reasonable limits.

“Qingning’s popularity is high, and this would help him carry the box office.”

Fu Wenan believed his position was similar to Yi Shangxiao’s, not mentioning anything about emotions or feelings, and instead, he persuaded him with reason, appealing to their mutual benefit.

“Right now, this is the reality of the market. It’s best if we balance everyone’s needs. If that’s not possible, then there’s no need to push the money out.”

Yi Shangxiao didn’t argue with him, sticking firmly to his previous request.

“I said the script can’t be changed, and that’s final. If you accept it, you invest; if you don’t, then just leave.”

“I have money, the Yi family has money. We don’t need your little investment.”

“Twenty or thirty million? Don’t compare your savings to my pocket money!”

Fu Wenan felt his temples throbbing.

He finally understood. From the beginning, Yi Shangxiao wasn’t interested in making money from the film.

After a few thoughts, Fu Wenan asked, “Aren’t you afraid that no one will buy tickets, that no one will watch this movie?”

Yi Shangxiao’s tone became even more arrogant. “So what if no one watches it? It’s no big deal. Could it be, Mr. Fu, that you don’t know this movie is a gift I made for my younger brother? You don’t know, do you?”

Fu Wenan: “…”

He suddenly felt like a fool for trying to reason with Yi Shangxiao using benefits.

He held back for a moment, then quickly switched to a more emotional approach, expressing that he wanted to support his beloved’s career through this investment.

This time, Fu Wenan’s tone was much more sincere.

“When you love someone, you always hope they can achieve their dreams. Your younger brother is lucky to have a brother like you.”

Yi Shangxiao agreed, saying, “You make a good point. Now that you say that, the script really does need to be changed.”

Fu Wenan’s face showed a few more smiles.

Just as he heard the sound of pages turning on the other end of the line and was preparing to continue his persuasion, Yi Shangxiao suddenly slapped his hand.

“I’ve decided!” Yi Shangxiao said loudly.

Fu Wenan, confused, asked, “What?”

Yi Shangxiao replied, “It seems that my idol’s screen time is a bit too little. The script needs a good rewrite to give my idol more screen time.”

Fu Wenan suddenly had a very bad feeling.

“Sorry, may I ask, who is your idol?”

Yi Shangxiao said with great confidence, “Of course it’s Teacher Chi. Teacher Chi is not the main character, and he doesn’t appear in the film for a long time. This is very detrimental to his career. No, I need to have the screenwriter add more scenes for Teacher Chi.”

Fu Wenan: “…”

This Teacher Chi, it surely isn’t my Qingning, right?

So, Chi Qingzhou is already the core of “Wanxiang,” and now you still want to add more scenes for him?

Fu Wenan choked for nearly half a minute, suddenly realizing that reasoning with Yi Shangxiao was pointless.

This Yi Shangxiao’s thought process was completely abnormal!

Fu Wenan started to feel a headache.

If Yi Shangxiao really added more scenes for Chi Qingzhou, what would Qingning think when he found out? Wouldn’t he be upset with him?

He had no choice but to abandon his original plan, speaking as kindly as possible to Yi Shangxiao, trying to make him believe that Chi Qingzhou’s current screen time was just right and that each scene was essential, with no need to add more.

Yi Shangxiao smacked his lips, his tone filled with regret. “If only my younger brother were here, he’d definitely be able to find a way to balance both sides.”

Fu Wenan wisely chose silence.

Yi Shangxiao continued rambling for a while, then suddenly clapped his hands.

“Oh, right, you’re here to invest, right? After all this nonsense, are you investing or not?”

“I’ll tell you in advance, my requirements can’t be changed.”

Fu Wenan: “…”

He remained silent for a few seconds, feeling a bit of a headache as he said, “I’ll invest.”

…

After Chi Qingzhou finished performing a segment according to Teacher Fan’s instructions, the system, hiding in his shadow, hesitantly peeked out.

He remained composed and told Teacher Fan that he needed to go to the restroom, which immediately prompted a round of concern from Teacher Fan.

After repeatedly assuring him that he hadn’t eaten anything bad, Chi Qingzhou finally left the acting classroom.

As he walked towards the restroom, he asked in his mind: 【Come on, what happened?】

Seeing the system hesitate like that, if it were something major, he would probably have to find a way to take leave.

【No, no, it’s nothing serious.】 The system quickly explained, 【I was just looking at the backstage and noticed that the task to slap Fu Wenan’s face suddenly increased by 10%.】

It paused for a moment, cautiously asking, 【Host, did you make any arrangements?】

Chi Qingzhou took the opportunity to use the restroom. As he washed his hands, he wore an innocent and puzzled expression.

【What arrangements? Why would the task progress increase?】

System: 【Eh, Host, you don’t know?】

Chi Qingzhou: 【I don’t know.】

He glanced down at the light orb emerging from his shadow, his eyes filled with genuine confusion.

Was something special happening on Fu Wenan’s side?

Could it be… Chi Qingning?

…

“Achoo!”

The moment Fu Wenan opened the door and stepped into the office, he suddenly sneezed.

He quickly covered his mouth and nose, striding toward his desk.

His secretary grabbed a wet wipe and hurriedly caught up, handing him two sheets.

Fu Wenan took them, wiped his nose and palms, and thanked the secretary.

The secretary smiled, not wanting to let the boss stay in embarrassment, so she changed the subject, “Mr. Fu, are you still going to Mr. Chi’s house tonight? Driver Zheng has taken leave. If you’re going, I’ll inform another driver to take over.”

Fu Wenan thought for a moment and decided that he should inform Chi Qingzhou about his investment in “Wanxiang.” The situation with Yi Shangxiao made him feel a little uneasy, so he figured he’d better give Chi Qingning a heads-up.

“Okay.” The secretary noted it down in her memo and then asked, “Do you need to inform Mr. Chi in advance?”

Fu Wenan replied, “I’ll just tell Qingning.”

The secretary didn’t ask further and left the office. She confirmed Chi Qingning whereabouts for the night with his manager and arranged a car for Fu Wenan.

Fu Wenan sent a message to Chi Qingning, letting him know he would be staying over tonight, and then set his phone down to attend to work.

Chi Qingning received the message, didn’t think much of it, and casually replied with “Okay.”

He was about to join the crew soon and wouldn’t be able to see Fu Wenan for a long time, so it was completely normal for Fu Wenan to want to stay with him for a few days.

After putting down his phone, Chi Qingning focused on catching up with his schedule.

After a busy day, it wasn’t until the evening that Chi Qingning had a moment to rest.

His manager was still concerned about Ma Xiayang issue, quickly reminding him not to wander around at night, and then dropped him off at the apartment building before leaving.

Chi Qingning carried his laptop bag into the house, where Fu Wenan had already arrived, bringing with him a lavish dinner.

Chi Qingning’s mood lightened significantly as he smiled at Fu Wenan. After washing his hands, he sat down at the dinner table and ate with Fu Wenan.

The two didn’t follow any rules of silence at the table. While eating, they started talking about what happened in the morning.

Fu Wenan placed a piece of beef on Chi Qingzhou’s plate and began discussing his investment in the “Wanxiang” crew.

“I thought that if I invested, it would be more convenient to visit the crew later.”

He hid the issue that Qing Zhi had pointed out to him, only expressing worry that Director Fang might not give him time off when he join the set.

“I’ve heard he’s very strict with his actors. You’ve worked with him before, is this rumor true?”

Chi Qingning’s hand froze as he was picking up food, slowly lifting his head.

He looked at Fu Wenan with a strange expression, his voice carrying a hint of nervousness.

“You’ve invested in Wanxiang?”

Fu Wenan, a bit confused, replied, “Yes. Why?”

“You’ve only invested? You didn’t do anything unnecessary, right??”

Chi Qingning stood up abruptly, looking like he was facing a serious threat.

Fu Wenan, puzzled, asked, “What do you mean by unnecessary?”

He didn’t quite understand what Chi Qingning meant, but seeing the worry on his face, he patiently explained the details of his investment, including Yi Shangxiao’s request for him not to interfere with any affairs on set.

Chi Qingning’s expression visibly relaxed a little.

Fu Wenan frowned slightly and reminded him, “Qingning, this Yi Shangxiao seems to be a fan of Chi Qingzhou. His way of thinking is a bit odd, so be cautious around him when you join the crew.”

Chi Qingning wasn’t concerned at all. Sitting back down, he picked up another piece of food and casually asked, “Is that so? What’s so unusual about him?”

Fu Wenan briefly recounted their conversation from earlier.

His memory was good, and he basically repeated Yi Shangxiao’s exact words.

Chi Qingning listened for a couple of sentences. Suddenly, his hand trembled, and his chopsticks clattered onto the table.

Ignoring the oil splatters on his sleeve, he shot up from his chair, slamming his hand onto the table, interrupting Fu Wenan’s words.

“Wen Ge, what did you say? You asked for me to have more scenes?”

Fu Wenan paused, looking at Chi Qingning’s face which was now tinged with anger, and replied in confusion, “I brought it up at the beginning. Isn’t that a normal request? I invested in Wanxiang, so the director and writer should consider my needs.”

Your needs?? I think you want me to die!

Chi Qingning’s vision went black, nearly fainting from the shock.

In a fit of anger, he slammed the table again, shouting furiously, “Fu Wenan! Do you even have a brain?! Get out, I don’t want to see you!”

Fu Wenan was startled, took a moment to steady himself, and noticed the panic in Chi Qingning’s eyes. His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly stood up to explain that he had abandoned that request.

He grabbed Chi Qingning’s shoulder and gently patted it.

“After Yi Shangxiao refused, I felt there was no need to argue about it. I only wanted to make visiting the set more convenient.”

Chi Qingning’s shoulder trembled, and he lifted his head, his eyes filled with joy and hope.

“So, you didn’t actually add more scenes?” He reached out to grab Fu Wenan’s sleeve, eagerly asking, “And no one else knows about this?”

Fu Wenan hurriedly said, “No.”

That’s a relief!

My life is saved!

Chi Qingning was overjoyed, his spine relaxing as if he had suddenly gained strength.

He looked at Fu Wenan apologetically and said, “Sorry, Wen Ge, I overreacted. I shouldn’t have yelled at you just now.”

Fu Wenan met his gaze and suddenly realized how much Chi Qingning really cared about this.

Feeling a surge of sympathy, Fu Wenan regretted not clarifying things sooner. “It’s my fault. I didn’t explain clearly and scared you. I should’ve told you from the start that no one’s scenes have changed.”

Chi Qingning shook his head. “It’s not your fault, Wen Ge—wait a second!”

He paused mid-sentence, suddenly realizing that Fu Wenan’s wording seemed off.

“No one’s scenes have changed…?” He hesitated and asked, “Did you ask to change someone else’s scenes? Are you trying to reduce someone’s role?”

And that person… is my terrifying second brother, Chi Qingzhou?

Fu Wenan replied, “How could I do that? Don’t worry, I never made that request.”

Chi Qingzhou sighed in relief, about to feel thankful, but then heard Fu Wenan casually continue.

“It’s just that Yi Shangxiao insisted on adding more scenes for Chi Qingzhou. I’ve seen the new script, and Chi Qingzhou’s role is already the soul of the story. How much more can he add?”

“This Yi guy is a little off, and after I persuaded him for a while, he gave up on the idea.”

Fu Wenan smiled and concluded, “So, you can rest assured, the script hasn’t changed. I know you care about the quality of the film, and I won’t let anyone ruin the film you’re going to act in.”

Oh my God.

You actually dared to block Chi Qingzhou’s scenes from increasing.

Fu Wenan, I think you want me to die!!!

Chi Qingning’s vision went black again. His legs gave way, and with a thud, he collapsed back into his chair.

He stared blankly at the table full of food, silent for a few seconds. Then, suddenly finding strength from somewhere, he flipped the entire dining table over!

Fu Wenan jumped back two steps in fright. “Qingning?!”

Chi Qingning shot up, seething with rage.

He screamed hoarsely, “Fu Wenan, get out! Get out!! I don’t want to see you today!!”