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Chapter 30: Private Number

Slowly pulling back her hand, Meng Ying turned and walked into the hotel. Liu Qin and Chen Jie hurriedly followed, with Chen Jie even looking back at the man standing at the bottom of the stairs with a trembling heart.

The wind was strong, and the man’s shirt collar fluttered slightly. His emotions were unreadable behind his silver glasses, deep and unfathomable. But that face was still handsome.

He blended with the night, like a lone wolf.

Chen Jie took a glance, shuddered, and quickly turned away to catch up with Meng Ying.

Meng Ying walked at a leisurely pace, her high heels clicking on the ground. The strap on her back hung down, gently touching her fair skin, and the rose was faintly visible. Xu Dian kept his hands in his pockets, quietly watching her back. A few seconds later, the man tugged at the corner of his lips and turned to leave.

A large hand opened the car door and slammed it shut with a loud bang.

He stood in front of the door, lowered his head to light a cigarette, his brows exuding cold sharpness.

At that moment, a WeChat message from Zhou Yang arrived.

Zhou Yang: I heard Liao Shan’s mung bean cakes are really good. If you’re coming back, buy two boxes for me to give to someone.

Xu Dian: Who are you giving them to?

Zhou Yang: Tsk, a woman you’re pursuing.

Xu Dian: How do you know she likes them?

Zhou Yang: Are you for real? If you’re pursuing a woman and you don’t even know this, are you really pursuing her? Jiang Yu can recite his wife’s favorite underwear color and size by heart.

Zhou Yang: You don’t need to learn, with your type, you just have to take what the woman gives you.

Xu Dian: …

“I need…” He typed the three words, then deleted them, leaving only a string of ellipses and sent it. A second later, Zhou Yang replied again.

Zhou Yang: You’ve been with Meng Ying for over years now. You wouldn’t even know what she likes, would you?

After a moment of silence, Xu Dian turned off the screen of his phone, opened the car door, and placed one long leg on the ground. Leaning against the seat, he slowly smoked his cigarette.

Indeed.

He didn’t know anything.

After exiting the elevator, Meng Ying took out her room card and stood at the door ready to swipe it. In an instant, she suddenly sensed something, turned, and looked over.

Liu Qin and Chen Jie were standing obediently at the door, hesitating as they watched her. The atmosphere became tense, and Meng Ying finally realized. She tapped the room card on her forehead, pondering how to speak.

Liu Qin suddenly snapped out of it and said, “Ying Ying, I saw everything…”

Chen Jie nodded along beside her.

“I saw you kissing the boss of Huaying.” Liu Qin took a few steps forward, saying, “What… are you getting tangled up with him again?”

After saying that, she paused and added, “Wait, no, we need to be prepared for PR. Why didn’t you tell me? Luckily, it was just us back there.”

“No need for PR. He’ll handle it on his side,” Meng Ying said calmly.

Liu Qin was momentarily stunned. “So, between you two… is it a relationship?”

Meng Ying smiled, thinking for a moment, unsure how to explain it to Liu Qin. Liu Qin’s expression clearly showed concern for her. Liu Qin might not understand how someone could fall into the same trap twice. The atmosphere became a bit tense again, and Meng Ying didn’t answer right away. Her expression was composed.

Her eyes, her face—there was no trace of the infatuation from a year ago. Back then, when Meng Ying had kept it a secret, Liu Qin had even suspected that she was dating someone.

But this time, no matter how secretly they had been involved, Liu Qin hadn’t noticed anything.

Looking at Meng Ying’s calm yet smiling demeanor, Liu Qin suddenly understood. Her eyes widened as she pointed at Meng Ying, repeating her earlier words: “Don’t fall into the same pit twice. If you see the pit again, it’s best to fill it in, crush it to pieces. Then, maybe you can look at it one more time. Is that it?”

Meng Ying smiled.

Liu Qin then recalled what she had seen earlier at the stairs, muttering, “Are you forcing yourself to look at it now?”

Meng Ying smiled again. She held her room card, swiped it open, and walked in.

The door hadn’t fully closed yet.

Liu Qin cursed under her breath and said, “Ying Ying, I admire you.”

“Do you want a late-night snack?” Liu Qin asked, holding the door open.

“No thanks.”

Meng Ying gestured for her to let go of the door. Liu Qin smiled and added, “I hope you always stay like this.”

The bloody ear piercing was the best lesson. Please keep this attitude and don’t repeat your mistakes. Meng Ying nodded and smiled, saying, “Go back now.”

“Okay.” Liu Qin dragged the confused and clueless Chen Jie away.

Meng Ying closed the door behind them.

After the door shut, she kicked off her high heels, set down her small bag and room card, and went into the bathroom for a shower. After coming out, she was wrapped in steam.

Dressed in a pure cotton dress, she sat on the sofa, drying her hair.

Her phone kept buzzing with notifications from the WeChat group chat of the Twins production team.

Meng Ying casually opened it to take a look.

Director Lin, the director, surprisingly showed a bit of humanity, acting as a peacemaker in the group chat. The gist of his message was that they were all from the same crew, and though they might have been drunk and caused a scene, they should still try to stay sober when necessary.

After sending that, about ten minutes later, Tang Yi was the first to respond, and his attitude was decent.

Tang Yi: “We all had a drink tonight and couldn’t control our emotions. Sorry for causing trouble.”

Then, Li Yuan’er also spoke up.

Li Yuan’er: “I acted too quickly and lost control, don’t hold it against me.”

Tang Yi: “We were also wrong.”

Li Yuan’er: “Okay.”

With a few exchanges back and forth, the atmosphere in the group chat lightened a bit. Then, the production assistant and the coordinator started chatting about the dinner from earlier that day, praising how delicious the chicken cutlets at the restaurant were, the stir-fried beef, and how good the guava juice tasted. They were chatting happily.

Li Yuan’er joined in and added, “The lobster was really good, the meat was so fresh.”

Tang Yi replied, “Yeah, I think so too, but I had some drinks, so I didn’t dare eat too much.”

The mood seemed to improve.

Then, the assistant from the production team suddenly sent a message: “Our investor is so handsome, the one sitting next to Meng Ying, he’s so handsome. If I looked like that, I’d be all in, right? @Coordinator.”

The coordinator replied: “Yes, when he looked over at me, I blushed… [blushing emoji]”

The group immediately fell silent again. Li Yuan’er and Tang Yi stopped talking, and the conversation continued with just the girls, all discussing Xu Dian.

Meng Ying read through the chat history.

Xu Qing sent a WeChat message: [image]

Xu Qing: “What’s gotten into Li Yuan’er?”

Meng Ying opened the image. Li Yuan’er had posted a Moments update: “Heh.”

Then, she posted again: “Pretending to be harmonious, heh.”

Meng Ying smiled. She checked the time—it was getting late, so she didn’t bring up the dinner incident with Xu Qing. Her hair had dried, so she got up to practice some yoga before heading to bed.

The next day, it was a bit rainy in Songshan, and the sky was gray. The production team’s car arrived at the hotel early in the morning, ready to transport everyone. Meng Ying, Liu Qin, and Chen Jie went down to the first floor and ran into Tang Yi and Yang Rou, who were talking to each other, not noticing the three of them. In an instant, Meng Ying had already walked ahead.

Liu Qin stretched her neck and vaguely heard Tang Yi saying, “Last night, Mr. Xu’s assistant wanted you to return to Licheng. The plane ticket was already booked, but I had him cancel it. You’ll have to work hard these next few days and help me sort out the second half of the script. There are some scenes on set that need to be adjusted. I’ll be counting on you.”

“Okay,” Yang Rou replied.

Tang Yi sighed. “I don’t trust them. I’m afraid they’ll ruin my script, and I’m more worried about the actors not performing well…”

She didn’t finish her sentence. When Tang Yi saw Meng Ying getting into the car, her expression changed, and she quickly grabbed Yang Rou and turned to another car.

The actor Tang Yi was worried about not performing well was Meng Ying!

Liu Qin clicked her tongue, and Chen Jie quickly pulled her into the car. The car was a seven-seater business vehicle. Meng Ying and the other two sat in the front seats, and as they were about to close the door, Li Yuan’er, accompanied by an assistant, came out of the elevator and walked towards them. When she noticed Meng Ying inside the car, she paused, then without hesitation, chose to go to the car behind. However, before she could even approach, she saw Tang Yi and Yang Rou. She stopped in her tracks, hesitated for a few seconds, then turned back to the front car, avoiding Meng Ying and the others, and squeezed in behind them with her assistant. Chen Jie was pushed out of the seat.

Liu Qin glanced back at Li Yuan’er.

Li Yuan’er stared at the back of Meng Ying’s head. Meng Ying was resting her chin on her hand, leaning against the window, without turning her head. Liu Qin pursed her lips and said to the driver, “You can start driving.”

Bang — the door slammed shut.

The driver acknowledged and started the car, heading towards the filming location.

Because of the rain forecast for the day, an outdoor canopy had been set up, and most of the filming would take place indoors. After getting out of the car, they rushed to the makeup room. Since the female lead was a police officer, her makeup was minimal, mainly natural, which made Meng Ying’s face look even more fresh, elegant, and stunning. After the makeup was done, she quickly headed to the filming location.

Director Lin was in the hallway, directing the extras.

When he saw Meng Ying, he waved and said, “Wait here for a moment. When I say ‘start,’ you walk in. Remember, when you first see Qin Jun, your eyes should change a bit. It’s a ‘love at first sight’ kind of look. Got it?”

“Mm.” Meng Ying nodded.

Soon, she saw Qin Jun walking down the hallway in a white shirt and black trousers. Due to the script, his hair was a bit messy, and his expression carried a touch of arrogance. As he turned into the interrogation room, he shot Meng Ying a smile, instantly softening his earlier arrogant demeanor.

Meng Ying thought to herself: Can he act well?

Hmph.

But his face certainly had the potential to become a top-tier celebrity.

“Start,” Director Lin signaled, and the clapperboard was struck. Meng Ying, holding a file, walked toward the interrogation room. She raised the file and knocked on the door, preparing to speak, when she saw Qin Jun sitting in the interrogation chair, grabbing his hair. He turned around and gave her a glance, and Meng Ying froze.

Her beautiful eyes locked onto his face.

She was focused, but there was a glimmer of something in her gaze.

In her first year of college, she rushed into Licheng University, stopping abruptly when she saw a man not far away, lifting his eyelids. He was dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, his collar slightly open, revealing a hint of collarbone. His foot was placed on the head of an old professor from the Finance Department. He calmly took off his glasses and, with a smile in his peach blossom eyes, said, “What are you looking at, classmate?”

What was she looking at?

Looking at you.

That’s what Meng Ying thought at that moment.

She snapped back to her senses and walked in with composure. Bending over, she placed the file in front of Qin Jun, her movements natural.

“OK, very good,” Director Lin’s voice came from across the room. Meng Ying smiled and stood up straight, her gaze sweeping over to where Xu Dian was leaning against a table. Behind him was a file cabinet, and he was quietly watching her.

Her momentary distraction lasted only a second, almost imperceptible. But he, from afar, had noticed the astonishment and panic that overflowed in her eyes.

Many women had looked at him the same way.

But hers was especially clear.

However, now her eyes carried a calm smile, no hint of wavering, as she returned his gaze without a stir.

“Hey, President Xu, have some spicy strips.” Suddenly, a production assistant and another guy came in carrying a large bag of spicy strips and two big boxes of egg tarts, placing them on the table.

Meng Ying was pulled over by Chen Jie, who whispered, “So many spicy strips…”

“Sis, they’re all your favorites.” Chen Jie said as she opened a package and handed it to Meng Ying. Meng Ying bit into a piece.

Director Lin also came over to grab one, saying, “Meng Ying, you did great just now. Take a break. Next, we’re shooting the interrogation scene with Qin Jun.”

“Alright.”

After a brief break, the group ate the snacks provided by Xu Dian, easing the tension from the shoot before resuming filming.

Scene two.

The female lead, Yue Yan, interrogates the male lead, Zhang He Shen.

In this scene, the male lead has to keep his eyes focused on the female lead’s face because it resembles his missing girlfriend. The female lead, on the other hand, must maintain her composure as she questions him about the details surrounding Yue Ling’s disappearance. There is also the second female lead, He Dan, played by Li Yuan’er, who assists in responding. This scene was a real test of acting skills.

Meng Ying almost nailed it on the first take.

However, Li Yuan’er and Qin Jun messed up several times. Eventually, Qin Jun barely got through it, but Li Yuan’er was still struggling with the scene. Despite being in the industry longer, having appeared in more dramas than Meng Ying, and having a solid reputation for her acting skills, she repeatedly messed up in front of Meng Ying, which made her both jealous and angry.

After a while, the two of them practiced their lines briefly, but Li Yuan’er messed up again. Director Lin put his hands on his waist and said, “Meng Ying, guide her.”

Even Director Lin had given up.

Li Yuan’er gritted her teeth, looking at Meng Ying. Meng Ying paused, then asked, “Am I putting a lot of pressure on you?”

“No,” Li Yuan’er shook her head. After a moment’s thought, she added, “If you could give me Xu Dian’s private phone number, I might get it right on the first try.”

Meng Ying smiled, saying, “Just for this?”

“Too easy.”

She bent down, tore off a piece of paper, wrote down a string of numbers, and handed it to Li Yuan’er. “I only have his number. I’m not sure if it’s his private number, but you can try.”

Li Yuan’er, in disbelief, took the paper, glanced at it a few times, and immediately put it away.

“Okay.”

Whether it was true or not, the next two scenes went smoothly, one take after another. The rest of the shoot was simple, and they continued filming until about 8 p.m.

Since night scenes were not scheduled, as the props weren’t ready, Meng Ying and the others returned to the hotel.

Songshan, Yunjing Hotel.

A WeChat notification popped up on the tablet placed on the desk.

“The crew has wrapped for the day.”

Xu Dian lowered his brows and looked at the message while undoing his tie and loosening his collar. His neck was slightly flushed from the drinks he’d had at the social event. The tablet screen turned black, and he picked up a water glass, taking a sip. At that moment, his phone rang. He had three numbers, two for work and one private.

The call was from his private number. He answered with a simple “Hello.”

On the other end, a flirtatious female voice came through, “Mr. Xu, I finally got in touch with you…”

Xu Dian narrowed his eyes, preparing to hang up.

But the voice on the other end laughed, “I’m Li Yuan’er. This number was given to me by Meng Ying…”

“Oh?” Xu Dian raised an eyebrow, walked over to the window, and leaned against it, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “She gave you the number. What else did she say?”

On the other end, Li Yuan’er felt a shiver run through her body as she laughed even more brightly. “She said that you and I… make a good match.”

The smile on Xu Dian’s lips vanished completely.

“Did she?”

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