SM Chapter 7
by Volare“Ye Lai, you don’t need to give us so much money every month. You need to take care of your own life.”
Ye Lai stuffed the envelope filled with money back into Jiang Ying’s hand, “Jiang Mama, I’m doing pretty well now. You know, I’m in the entertainment circle now, earning a lot.”
“Speaking of which, someone donated a lot of money to us some time ago,” Jiang Ying said, “That person donated anonymously through the Children’s Charity Foundation and even set up a separate account…”
Jiang Ying only remembered something after she finished speaking, she looked at Ye Lai and quickly changed the subject, “Oh dear, let’s not talk about this. I was watching a movie you acted in a few days ago, but there were too few scenes. It wasn’t enough to watch.”
Ye Lai smiled and said, “Then I’ll take on a few more dramas, so you can see me on TV every day.”
Jiang Ying held Ye Lai’s hand, “Don’t work too hard. I know it’s not easy to be in the entertainment circle. Ye Lai, you’re not young anymore, you should also consider your personal matters. I was so happy when I saw you bring Sheng Mingqian here. I thought you were a couple. It turns out you’re just friends.”
Ye Lai smiled and didn’t say anything. His gaze drifted to the window. The willow branches swayed in the wind, and the heat in his body also fluctuated from side to side, without a place to settle, floating aimlessly.
“No, we are friends,” Ye Lai said, looking out the window.
“If you and Sheng Mingqian aren’t a couple, I have a friend whose son is thirty years old this year. He just came back from abroad and owns an advertising company. He’s 1.85 meters tall. I’ve met him. He’s talented, looks proper, and is very polite. Ye Lai, what do you think…”
As Jiang Ying spoke, she was about to take out her cell phone to show Ye Lai a photo. Ye Lai retracted his gaze, smiled, and put his arm around Jiang Ying’s shoulders, not letting her move, “I don’t want to think about this now. I’m busy with work, and…”
“You have to think about it, you have to think about it. You can never finish work. It’s good to have someone who cares about you. I’m worried about you, Ye Lai, if you’re always alone…”
Jiang Ying’s eyes turned red as she spoke. Perhaps it was because she was getting older, but now she felt more sentimental when talking about this. This wasn’t the first time she had said this to Ye Lai. In the past, Ye Lai could always find a reason to prevaricate, but this was the first time she had urged him like this as an elder.
Ye Lai felt a pang in his heart and wanted to appease Jiang Ying first, so he could only follow her words, “Don’t worry, I’ll consider it. Let me finish this busy period first. It won’t be too late for you to introduce him to me after I’m done.”
“How long will that be?” Jiang Ying heard that he was relenting, so she pressed on while the iron was hot.
Ye Lai said a time off the cuff, “About half a year.”
Although the car window was open, Ye Lai was choked by the strong smell of smoke in the car when he got in.
Sheng Mingqian rested his arm on the edge of the car window, his gaze fixed on the undulating dark green mountain shadows in the distance, a cigarette butt still clamped between his fingers. The small section of gray ash on the cigarette column finally fell due to the vibration of the door closing, and the ash quickly dissipated in the wind.
Ye Lai sneezed, leaned over to Sheng Mingqian in the driver’s seat, and kissed him on the side of his face, “Mingqian, why did you smoke so many cigarettes?”
After he finished speaking, he reached out and took the cigarette butt from Sheng Mingqian’s fingers again, pinched the wet cigarette butt between his thumb and forefinger, took a few puffs, and the spicy astringency spread. Ye Lai squinted his eyes, exhaled the smoke out the window, and finally threw the cigarette butt away.
“Were you waiting anxiously? I talked to Jiang Mama for a while longer. I only came out after she and the children took a nap. Did I delay your trip to the Film Set?”
Sheng Mingqian sat up straight and turned on the air conditioner, “Let’s go, I’ll take you back first.”
“Mingqian,” Ye Lai raised the car window and placed his palm on the back of Sheng Mingqian’s hand, “You look a little tired. Let me drive.”
Sheng Mingqian expressionlessly said “Okay”. The two got out of the car and exchanged seats. Ye Lai fastened his seat belt and started the car, “I’ll take you to the Film Set first.”
Sheng Mingqian closed his eyes to rest, not speaking, which counted as tacit consent.
Ye Lai thought Sheng Mingqian had fallen asleep, so he drove quietly. When there was still one intersection away from the Film Set, Sheng Mingqian suddenly told Ye Lai to stop the car.
“We haven’t arrived yet, what’s wrong?” Ye Lai asked.
Sheng Mingqian looked out the window, “There are too many people and prying eyes at the Film Set. I’ll get out of the car here.”
Ye Lai watched Sheng Mingqian’s eyelids droop halfway, gently tapped the brakes, and slowly stopped the car by the roadside.
By the time Ye Lai came back to his senses, tidied up his expression, and put a smile back on his face, he still wanted to say goodbye to Sheng Mingqian, but Sheng Mingqian had already gotten out of the car and strode into the crowd.
The traffic light at the intersection turned green. Sheng Mingqian followed the crowd across the road. After turning right, that tall figure quickly disappeared beside the billboard rolling in the summer heatwave.
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Ye Lai stopped by the roadside for a long time. He had just wanted to turn around and go back when he received a call from Ning Yuan.
“Ye Lai, do you have any work on hand right now? Do you have time?”
“Brother Yuan, I don’t have any work. What’s the matter?”
“Come and save the day, help Brother Yuan.”
Ning Yuan was a host. Ye Lai had partnered with him on a three-month interview program in the second year after his debut from a talent show, but the program’s ratings were very poor. Later, the station split the two of them up. Now, Ning Yuan hosted the interview program by himself.
It took Ye Lai a long time to understand that the guest they had invited tonight was Zhou Ran, but after Zhou Ran arrived, he had a conflict with Ning Yuan and suddenly lost his temper, insisting on changing the host, and said that if the host was Ning Yuan, he would not record the show.
They had put in a lot of effort to invite Zhou Ran. Zhou Ran was a Movie Emperor, and they were counting on this program to become popular. The program team didn’t want to give up just like that, but Zhou Ran was now unwilling to record the show no matter what. Ning Yuan had no choice but to call Ye Lai for help.
Ning Yuan had helped him a lot before. Ye Lai agreed without a word. When he arrived, Ning Yuan was sitting in the office smoking, and the Director Group were also pacing around anxiously.
When Ning Yuan saw Ye Lai enter the door, he stood up and walked over, gently punching Ye Lai’s shoulder, “Thanks, bro.”
“It’s nothing, Brother Yuan. Did Zhou Ran agree to change the host to me?”
“The Director Group went to ask when you agreed to me. Zhou Ran said that anyone was fine as long as it wasn’t me.” After Ning Yuan finished speaking, he also meaningfully made a “Tsk” sound.
Ye Lai could see that Ning Yuan was also suppressing his anger. He patted him on the arm, “What’s wrong with him? What’s so serious about this?”
Ning Yuan took a puff of smoke, “I originally wanted to get familiar with him before the recording, go over the questions on the script, and see if there were any problems, so I went to his dressing room to find him, but after a few sentences, I didn’t know which sentence offended him. He raised his hand and smashed the dressing room to pieces. Whoever tried to stop him, he said he would beat them up along with it. There was no way. Who told him to be the Movie Emperor?”
The Director heard Ning Yuan’s complaint and quickly reminded him, “Ning Yuan, please say a few words less.”
Ning Yuan raised his hand, made a gesture of surrender, nodded, and turned around, “Okay, okay, okay, I won’t say it anymore. Don’t let the big shot hear it, or he might smash our stage…”
The program team had put a lot of thought into this recording, putting a lot of effort into the set design, lighting, and filming.
Ye Lai changed his clothes in Ning Yuan’s dressing room. Ning Yuan sat next to him and watched him put on makeup, “Ye Lai, what did you eat to grow up? You still have so much youthful spirit. Tell me, how can such a good-looking face not be popular?”
Ye Lai wanted to turn his head, but the makeup artist’s hand was still holding his chin. He smiled at his half face in the mirror, “Brother Yuan, don’t make fun of me.”
Ning Yuan sighed again, “In this circle, you really can’t rely on your face alone. You have to rely on people, you have to have resources. Look at Zhou Ran, he has always relied on the big tree that is Sheng Mingqian…”
“Ye Lai’s skin is really good, you don’t need to put on much makeup,” the makeup artist said, “Close your eyes, just sweep around the eyes.”
Ye Lai obediently closed his eyes, his eyeballs trembling even though they weren’t moving.
Before the program recording, Ning Yuan went over the process and questions with him using the script. Ye Lai was a little nervous, “Brother Yuan, I’m afraid I’ll ruin it for you.”
Ning Yuan gave him a cigarette, “It’s okay, just host it like you did before. Besides, the program is a recording, and it can all be edited in post-production. Record it boldly, don’t be afraid.”
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“All departments prepare, three, two, one, start…”
The director shouted start. Ye Lai smiled at the camera and opened his mouth according to the lines on the script, “Hello everyone, welcome to Ning Yuan’s Interview Show. I’m tonight’s host, Ye Lai. Ning Yuan is temporarily replaced by me to host this episode due to physical discomfort…”
Ye Lai’s recording went very smoothly until the guest invitation segment.
Zhou Ran came on stage and waved at the camera.
Ye Lai stood up and shook hands with him, calling “Brother Ran” as if they were familiar. After calling him, he almost tripped over his tongue, and a layer of goosebumps rose all over his body, but there was no way, the program had to continue. He had promised Ning Yuan.
The host and guest sat on the sofa chairs on both sides of the round table. Ye Lai followed the content in the script and chatted with Zhou Ran for a few minutes to warm up the atmosphere.
Ye Lai had watched all the movies directed by Sheng Mingqian, so he was naturally familiar with Zhou Ran, the male protagonist in his movies, but this was the first time he had come into close contact with him in person.
If he hadn’t just heard Ning Yuan say it, and had even heard Zhou Ran’s roar in the guest lounge with his own ears in the hallway, he would have thought that the person in front of him was not the same person.
At this time, Zhou Ran was polite, courteous, and his eyes were smiling when he looked at him. After the opening greetings, Zhou Ran even looked worried and asked him about Ning Yuan’s physical condition, saying that he hoped Ning Yuan would recover soon…
Ye Lai glanced at Ning Yuan smoking beside the stage, and sneered in his heart: This acting skill is worthy of being a Movie Emperor.
The program recording went fairly smoothly. Zhou Ran was very cooperative throughout the whole process under the camera. His answers to questions were also humorous, which could create highlights. Ye Lai could even hear the sound of the program team’s hearts landing and cheers.
There was one last question left. Ye Lai looked at the script, picking at the sofa for a long time without opening his mouth.
“Ye Lai…”
Someone reminded him that it was time to continue. The director ran to the stage and nodded and bowed to Zhou Ran.
Ning Yuan was also a little nervous beside him, gesturing to him from a distance. Ye Lai took a deep breath. He couldn’t ruin the show at the last moment.
“Brother Ran,” Ye Lai smiled and continued to speak, “The last question is for the majority of netizens.”
Zhou Ran had already read the script, so of course he knew what the last question was, but he still pretended to be very surprised, frowning, looking very embarrassed, “Asked by netizens, netizens’ questions are not easy to answer, don’t make it too difficult for me.”
Ye Lai sat there quietly watching him perform. The swear words in his stomach had already been flying all over the recording studio. After Zhou Ran finished performing, Ye Lai couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the sky, picked up the script, and slowly read the last question on it.
“Netizens ask, over the years, your relationship with Director Sheng Mingqian has always been elusive. You are cooperating again after five years, so have you rekindled your old relationship?”
Not only did netizens want to know this question, but Ye Lai also wanted to know. After asking the question, he held his breath, waiting for Zhou Ran to speak.
Zhou Ran sat up straight, who had been sitting in a relaxed posture, raised his hand and touched his chin, as if he was thinking. He hummed in his nose for a long time before saying, “Director Sheng and I are very good friends.”
Just like at the awards gala, his words were evasive and his expression ambiguous. The vague answer was more like he wanted to prove something.
Ye Lai asked another question, which was not in the script, “What kind of friend?”
Zhou Ran was stunned, still not answering directly, “Mingqian and I have always had a very pleasant cooperation. We are tacit partners at work and very good friends in life. I won’t say anything more about the others. Please look forward to our new movie later.”
“Is it convenient to reveal what the new movie is?”
“It can’t be revealed yet, I can only say that it’s a novel adaptation.”