A good deed should be done thoroughly—help someone to the end!
After a series of internal struggles, Shen Xingrou decided to cool him down physically. She fished ice cubes out of the fridge, wrapped them in a soft towel, and placed them on his forehead.
She remembered this man was a doctor and had a medical kit at home. She found it, took out a thermometer, and checked his temperature.
Good heavens, 39.6 degrees Celsius!
If it hit 40, his brain would basically be fried.
Luckily, this man, being a Virgo with OCD, had his medications sorted into small compartments, each labeled with corresponding symptoms.
Still uneasy, she asked anyway, "Is this for reducing fever?"
He Su opened his eyes groggily, too weak to do more than nod.
Shen Xingrou followed the dosage instructions on the label, shook out a few pills into the cap, and poured him a glass of water at just the right temperature.
"He Su, time to take your medicine." She coaxed gently, "You'll only get better if you take it."
The man's clear black-and-white eyes slowly lifted, giving her a deep look. Gone was his usual rebellious edge; he was as docile as a cat.
"Come on, little Su Su, be good and open up. Just two tiny pills, not bitter at all."
He Su stared at her with a heavy gaze. Maybe it was the weakness from his illness, but he didn't feel like snapping back at her with a cold glare. He obediently opened his mouth and accepted her feeding.
After he took the medicine, Shen Xingrou continued to tend to him with the ice pack until the man slowly drifted off to sleep. Still, she insisted on staying by his side.
Time ticked by, and soon it was the dead of night.
He Su felt his body burning up, drenched in sweat. He started kicking off the blankets in a daze, only to realize something heavy was pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe. He opened his eyes and saw three layers of blankets tightly wrapped around him, with a person sprawled on top.
The girl's sleeping face was calm and peaceful. With her eyes closed, she lost that stubborn, willful edge, and her youthful features showed a hint of maturity.
An eighteen-year-old girl—if you didn't look closely, she'd already blossomed into such a beauty.
He Su carefully pushed her off. Luckily, the sofa was wide and spacious enough for their slender frames to lie side by side without issue.
He stood up, gazed at the sleeping girl, gently tucked the blanket around her, and went to the balcony to smoke a cigarette alone.
Keeping this girl around any longer might end up being a mess he couldn't handle.
...
After the new product launch, An Ruo took on another new task: preparing to invest in a new drama. After discussions among several producers and screenwriters, they decided to shoot a xianxia drama adapted from a novel.
Everyone had a copy of the script's general content. An Ruo got hooked—the novel was quite interesting, and she started looking forward to it.
The female lead was unquestionably her old partner, Song Weiwei. As for the male lead, there were a few promising candidates, but they were still under consideration.
"I recommend someone." Song Weiwei walked in, dressed in a sexy black lace outfit paired with an A-line leather skirt and a dark brown mink coat, exuding charm and allure. "I guarantee his temperament fits the male lead."
The screenwriters exchanged glances and asked who she was referring to.
"Shi Yibo." Song Weiwei sat down beside An Ruo, crossing her long, slender legs, looking both seductive and elegant.
The two directors discussed it. "Right, how did we forget Shi Yibo? His aloof vibe fits Chi Yunfeng's character perfectly."
Shi Yibo?
An Ruo silently pulled out her phone to search. She often heard Chen Keqiao mention this idol but hadn't paid much attention.
The entry on him was fairly balanced, describing him as a promising young actor.
Later, after a few days, the directors and producers unanimously decided on Shi Yibo for the male lead.
As the New Year approached, the crew gradually prepared to start filming. On the day of the kickoff ceremony, An Ruo had school matters to attend to and couldn't make it back.
That evening, there was a gathering with the directors, screenwriters, and some actors present.
Midway through the party, Gu Chao showed up, waving with a smile. "Don't be stiff—eat, drink, and have fun. We officially start shooting tomorrow."
With President Gu holding court, the others went from being stiff at first to gradually loosening up.
Song Weiwei, who had been keeping an eye on Gu Chao's every move, had her smile freeze a couple of times since he appeared, her gaze drifting toward him involuntarily.
Director Qian raised his glass to clink with hers. "Weiwei, drink up! President Gu said we should enjoy ourselves tonight!"
Song Weiwei snapped back to reality, forced a smile, and took a distracted sip of red wine.
Director Qian's lecherous eyes kept unconsciously drifting to her legs—who wouldn't love such fair, slender, long legs?
A bold, crazy idea sprouted in his mind. He slipped a pre-prepared sleeping pill into Song Weiwei's glass. She was too busy staring at the man to notice.
"Weiwei, you're a great actress. I've worked with you twice, and I genuinely admire someone with your potential and dedication. Here's a toast to you—bottoms up."
Song Weiwei glanced at Gu Chao, who was deep in conversation with someone. She turned back with a perfunctory smile, raised her glass, and downed it without a care.
"Now that's the actress I admire—such a bold drinker."
Song Weiwei gave a faint smile. "Director Qian, you flatter me."
Seeing the drug hadn't kicked in yet, Director Qian dragged her into more idle chatter until Song Weiwei's head began to spin, her body swaying uncontrollably, and she finally collapsed limply into his arms.
"President Gu, this is Director Du. He's had work that won a Golden Horse Award. Let me play matchmaker and introduce you."
Gu Chao maintained a polite smile and shook hands with Director Du.
"President Gu, I've recently invested in a variety show..."
Gu Chao couldn't stop himself from glancing at the woman. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Song Weiwei falling into Director Qian's arms.
This Director Qian had shifty eyes. From the moment he walked in, Gu Chao had seen him dragging Song Weiwei off to secluded spots to talk, and they'd been laughing together now and then.
Now, right in front of him, he was holding the unconscious woman in his arms, nervously scanning the room before sneaking her out of the hall.
"President Gu?"
Gu Chao snapped back to reality, raised his glass in a vague toast, and downed it. "Hold on a moment—I need to take a call."
He set down his glass, ignoring whatever the two directors were saying, and strode quickly out of the hall.
Gu Chao followed, glancing left and right, until he finally spotted Director Qian dragging and half-carrying the woman into a lounge at the corner.
He approached, tried the door handle, and found it locked.
Pulling out his phone, he immediately called Secretary Feng to bring the front desk over. "Open the door."
"Sir, we have rules—we can't open a guest's private lounge..."
"Open your eyes and look closely. This is President Gu. Your hotel was built with investment from Lanzhen. Is that reason enough for you to open the door?"
The front desk receptionist looked flustered. She'd seen a photo of Lanzhen's president at the annual meeting before, and he really did look like the man in front of her.
Bracing herself, she swiped the card. With a "beep," the door clicked open.
Gu Chao rushed in immediately. Director Qian had just unbuttoned the woman's shirt when a large hand grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and flung him far away.
He crashed into the coffee table, sending the delicate tea set shattering to the floor. Looking up, he saw the man's grim face and sobered up in terror.
"P-President Gu..."
"Qian Sen, you've got some nerve. Right in front of me, on my turf, you try to sleep with my woman. Want to say goodbye to your career?"
"President Gu... I didn't know she was your woman. I was blind, I was thinking with my lower half, I deserve to die." Director Qian bowed and scraped, apologizing. "Please give me a chance. I swear I'll stay far away from her from now on."
"Get lost!"