A crew member came to get Ye Lan, saying that Ren Haichuan wanted to change a scene and needed him and He Yi to shoot an additional take. Ye Lan figured Ren Haichuan was in a hurry to use the previous location, so he didn't delay and followed the crew member.

This left Jiang Chi alone in Ye Lan's dressing room.

Jiang Chi grabbed his ear, which Ye Lan had pulled red, his heart pounding.

What Ye Lan had just said was far too ambiguous.

Jiang Chi had been in this circle for several years, after all, and had heard similar words quite often, especially in the two years before he became popular. When running between gigs and socializing at various events, he would encounter this kind of situation every so often.

If those words had come from someone else's mouth, even if phrased more vaguely and cryptically, Jiang Chi would have instantly understood their meaning and promptly and properly declined their kind offer.

But for Ye Lan to say such a thing... Jiang Chi really couldn't think of it that way.

"If you're bullied or want some resources, come find me."

Jiang Chi almost suspected he had misheard.

To be able to get good resources and also be kept by Ye Lan, how could there possibly be such a wonderful thing in this world?!

Besides, Ye Lan's gaze and actions just now had not crossed any lines. If he were really hinting that Jiang Chi could get some benefits through him, when saying such a thing, shouldn't he at least have touched his thigh? Or somewhere else would be fine too, it's not like he would resist, wouldn't he be at his mercy...

Jiang Chi's thoughts ran wild in an unspeakable direction. He cursed himself a few times, coughed, found an unopened bottle of mineral water, twisted it open, took two sips, and calmed his mind.

Ye Lan wasn't that kind of person, and neither was he.

After calming down and thinking it over carefully, Jiang Chi felt that Ye Lan probably just considered him a junior who was pleasing to the eye. Upon learning that he might go to Starlight, he had casually offered such a favor.

Ye Lan was such a good person.

Jiang Chi let out a soft sigh.

But...

Jiang Chi thought optimistically that for Ye Lan to say such a thing, it meant he still held him in his heart, as a friend.

And since he made this promise, after the movie wrapped, he should be able to find another excuse to contact him!

Of course, Jiang Chi wouldn't actually ask Ye Lan to fight for resources for him. He knew that with his own popularity, even if he signed with the star-studded Starlight, he wouldn't be bullied by anyone.

But he could shamelessly use this as an excuse to rightfully chat with Ye Lan.

Asking him about Starlight's artist development plan, asking about the tempers and personalities of the higher-ups... these were all good excuses to strike up a conversation.

Jiang Chi was very content.

On the other side, Ye Lan yawned, listlessly listening to Ren Haichuan explain the scene.

Ren Haichuan went over it twice from start to finish. He wasn't worried about Ye Lan, only emphasizing a few points to He Yi, saying, "Adjust your state, the lights will be in position soon... I heard there's supposed to be heavy snow tonight, let's try to finish early and get back to the hotel."

He Yi nodded repeatedly, mulling it over and pondering the feeling Ren Haichuan had described to him.

Ye Lan turned to look for Cen Wen. Cen Wen walked over in a few steps and asked softly, "Do you need something? Or are you cold?"

Ye Lan shook his head: "Water."

Cen Wen quickly took the thermos and poured Ye Lan a cup of hot water.

Ye Lan's complexion looked better after a couple of sips.

Cen Wen had just seen the two of them enter the dressing room together. After quite some time, Ye Lan uncharacteristically came out alone with a blank expression.

Normally, after teasing Jiang Chi, Ye Lan wouldn't have this kind of expression.

Jiang Chi had yet to come out. Worried, Cen Wen asked hesitantly, "Is Jiang Chi still in the dressing room? Did you two... have a fight?"

Ye Lan scoffed, "How is that possible."

Ye Lan handed the cup back to Cen Wen, saying sulkily, "I was just showing off, telling him that the big boss of Starlight is my uncle, that I have a say in things over there... A pity he didn't take my bait."

"Although I didn't expect him to fawn over me..." Ye Lan ground his teeth, "but he should at least try to curry favor with me a little, right?"

He had gone through so much trouble for him, yet in the end, he couldn't even hear a single pleasant, sweet word.

"..." Cen Wen was silent for a moment, then offered a weak attempt at comfort, "He didn't take the bait, maybe... maybe he was trying to get your attention?"

Ye Lan gave Cen Wen a disdainful look, "What kind of trashy dramas have you been watching all day."

Cen Wen held back her annoyance, not bothering to argue with Ye Lan.

As they were speaking, Jiang Chi arrived on set. Ye Lan ignored him, took off his down jacket, and tossed it to Cen Wen. After running through the scene twice with He Yi in front of the camera, they began filming the extra shot Ren Haichuan had added.

This shot was a continuation of the previous scene.

Pei Ran closed the door very, very softly, but as if by fate, Zhan Ming, who was flirting with the bartender, seemed to hear something. He let go of the bartender and looked uneasily toward the door.

He Yi hooked a hand on Ye Lan's belt and chuckled, "What's wrong? Afraid your 'friend' will come back and see?"

Ye Lan's character in the drama was drunk and hated being provoked. Hearing this, he smiled disdainfully, "What am I afraid of..."

Despite his words, when Ye Lan lowered his head again, he ultimately didn't lean in for another kiss.

He lifted his head, once again looking in the direction of the door.

The faint unease in his heart grew, and he had lost the mood for a tryst.

Ye Lan's gaze was hazy as he murmured, "He's not actually coming back, is he..."

He Yi grew a bit impatient and shifted suggestively a couple of times. Ye Lan's interest had completely faded. He stood up and said, "I have something to do, you should go. I'll find you to hang out some other day."

He Yi was stunned.

Ye Lan kept his eyes on the door, feeling an emptiness in his heart.

It felt like something he couldn't grasp was slowly drifting away from him, about to disappear completely.

Ye Lan suddenly let out a self-deprecating laugh, "What am I thinking..."

Ye Lan looked at He Yi and felt a bit reluctant to let him go, unable to resist raising a hand to cop a feel twice.

But his mind was still on Pei Ran, and he kept urging He Yi to leave quickly.

The final shot froze on Ye Lan's face as he looked toward the door.

Although Ye Lan was over thirty in real life, playing a twenty-something character was no problem for him, not to mention his ability to precisely adjust his perceived age. His gaze was no longer sharp, his lips were slightly parted, and his brows were faintly knitted with unease, hesitation, and a hint of annoyance.

'This little vixen just poured me a few drinks, how did I get so bewitched that I brought him home?'

'If Pei Ran really saw this, wouldn't I be screwed?'

'Pei Ran is great in every way, just a bit stubborn and earnest. If he found out about this, he'd definitely have a huge fight with me. Who knows how much effort it would take to coax him back.'

Ye Lan was vexed and suddenly snapped irritably, "I haven't even fucking touched you, what's taking you so long to get ready? Are you done yet?!"

"Cut!"

Zhan Ming's youth, amidst his anxiety and with Pei Ran's subsequent disappearance without a trace, came to a complete end.

He Yi secretly wiped away sweat. Acting opposite Ye Lan was too stressful. Not only was he led by the nose from the very beginning, but he also nearly failed to keep up with his acting several times in the middle.

He Yi looked at Jiang Chi with a sense of empathy. He hadn't thought much of Jiang Chi before, just assuming he was a pretty face with a little acting skill. But after seeing Jiang Chi's scene just now, and thinking about how he had managed to act opposite Ye Lan so steadily for these past few months without being cursed to death, He Yi finally understood that he had underestimated him.

Ren Haichuan was dissatisfied with a few things, so he called the on-set screenwriter over to change a line on the spot. Afterward, they reshot the scene for nearly another hour before it finally passed.

When a director was unhappy or an actor was not in the right state, it was common for a single shot to take an hour or even several hours. Ye Lan was long used to it.

But when he saw Jiang Chi after they wrapped, he remembered Jiang Chi's uncooperative attitude earlier and deliberately said with a half-smile, "Because of one on-the-spot improvisation of yours, I had to film for another hour."

Hearing this, Jiang Chi was indeed extremely embarrassed. Fearing Ye Lan might actually be angry, he apologized profusely, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. You... is there anything you'd like to eat? I'll treat you tonight... is that okay?"

"That's more like it..." Ye Lan wasn't actually angry. He handed the script in his hand to Cen Wen and said, "I'll ride with you."

Jiang Chi naturally agreed.

It was almost eight at night, and the sky outside was already completely dark. Worried that it might really start snowing, everyone hurried to their cars. Li Weili, who had just arrived at the set a short while ago, automatically took one of the crew's cars. In Jiang Chi's car, besides the driver, it was just him and Ye Lan.

Jiang Chi was still savoring Ye Lan's previous scene.

Ye Lan was truly tired. He leaned against the backrest, watching Jiang Chi with narrowed eyes. "Starting tomorrow, we'll probably be filming the post-reunion scenes again."

Jiang Chi nodded. The scenes of Zhan Ming and Pei Ran in their twenties were mostly done. The next stage was to fill in the gaps, shooting the scenes that had been delayed due to scheduling or location issues one by one. To accommodate Ren Haichuan's pickiness, several major scenes had also been scheduled for the very end, serving as the grand finale before wrapping up.

Thinking of those major scenes, Jiang Chi asked tentatively, "When you're not too busy, can I find you to rehearse those key scenes in advance?"

Ye Lan raised an eyebrow with a smile. "Still upset you didn't get your special session today? So eager to make up for it?"

Jiang Chi's ears turned red. Ye Lan actually remembered him asking to rehearse with him before filming had started.

Ye Lan watched him with a grin, mischievously waiting for his answer.

Jiang Chi couldn't bear to shake his head. What if Ye Lan really refused to rehearse with him?

"I just got back to the set, my condition is unstable, and I'm afraid of dragging everyone's progress down." Jiang Chi said with a red face, barely finding a grand-sounding excuse for himself. "Could I trouble you to help me... please?"

"Being begged by you like this, it wouldn't be right to say no..." Ye Lan chuckled, yawned, and asked with half-closed eyes, "Which scenes were they again?"

Jiang Chi had already memorized them by heart: "The scene of our first meeting after five years, the one where Zhan Ming gets drunk and Pei Ran takes him home, the fight at the dinner table, and, and also..."

Jiang Chi faltered, his cheeks flushed, and he didn't continue.

Ye Lan had been listening with his eyes closed, but at this, he suddenly smiled and said, "And that bed scene."

Jiang Chi subconsciously glanced at the driver, feeling extremely awkward.

Ye Lan was long used to being shameless and didn't care. Instead, he opened his eyes with great interest and looked at Jiang Chi, saying incredulously, "I couldn't tell, little friend. So professional, you want to rehearse the bed scene in advance too?"

The driver glanced at the two of them in the rearview mirror in surprise, then quickly pretended to be deaf, staring straight ahead and minding his own business as he continued to drive.

Mortified, Jiang Chi wished he could crawl under the car seat. He lowered his head and managed to say, "That one... isn't necessary."