Chapter Seventy: Don't Be So Nosy

Sang Yijia quietly withdrew her gaze, only to meet Lu Wenchuan’s eyes. Startled for a moment, she quickly looked away. Yan Ningsi was still holding onto her arm. Glancing at Lu Wenchuan with a sly smile, she tugged Sang Yijia closer and said, “Brother Lu, I’m borrowing Yijia for a bit. I’ll return her to you soon.”

Before Sang Yijia could say anything, Lu Wenchuan nodded his agreement.

Yan Ningsi pulled her aside, then seemed to think of something and turned back to Lu Wenchuan. “Brother Lu, why don’t you join us for dinner?” she invited.

“Bian He’s table seats four,” Yan Ningsi added, then dragged Sang Yijia off to pick out ingredients. “Yijia, what do you want to eat?”

“I want to wash my hands,” Sang Yijia answered honestly.

Yan Ningsi blinked, not immediately understanding.

However, the live stream viewers caught on and began laughing.

“Wash your hands before meals and after using the restroom.”

“666666”

“Ningsi looks completely baffled.”

“Sang Yijia is just too funny, isn’t she?”

“I’m dying of laughter.”

Yan Ningsi finally understood and let out a small exclamation. “Alright, but we don’t need to go all the way to the restroom.”

Yan Ningsi led Sang Yijia back, and they stood beside Lu Wenchuan.

“Brother Lu, did you bring any wet wipes?” Yan Ningsi asked, seeming quite sure that he had them on hand.

Lu Wenchuan didn’t look at Yan Ningsi; his gaze remained on Sang Yijia. “I did, but not many.”

“Are there two?” Sang Yijia reached out her hand.

Lu Wenchuan pulled out four from his pocket—just enough for everyone.

“Thank you, Brother Lu.” Yan Ningsi took one with a beaming smile.

Bian He stared, eyes wide. “Brother Lu, how do you always have everything?”

Lu Wenchuan emptied his pockets, revealing both tissue paper and wet wipes.

Bian He shook his head in disbelief. “If you had a handbag, would you carry an umbrella and a thermos, too?”

Yan Ningsi chimed in, “That’s nothing. In the future, you’ll need a mirror, lipstick, foundation, candy, and so on.”

She began listing them one by one. Seeing that Lu Wenchuan seemed to be mentally noting each item, Sang Yijia grew a little embarrassed. “Alright, let’s not plan that far ahead.”

“Let’s think about what we’ll eat instead.” Sang Yijia broke up their daydream.

Lu Wenchuan glanced at Sang Yijia’s bare face and murmured, “It seems we won’t need foundation or lipstick.”

“???” Bian He paused, then broke into a delighted grin. “Brother Lu, are you serious?”

Bian He had sensed Lu Wenchuan’s hostility from the start. But after realizing he himself had no romantic interest in Sang Yijia, Lu Wenchuan’s attitude had eased.

At first, Bian He thought Lu Wenchuan was simply at odds with Shen Jin and wanted to use Sang Yijia as a tool. But now, it was clear Lu Wenchuan’s feelings were genuine.

“Yes,” Lu Wenchuan admitted.

The live stream exploded.

“Oh my god! He really wants to pursue Sang Yijia?”

“Is he being fooled by her looks?”

“To be fair, I think Sang Yijia is actually quite nice.”

“As long as there’s no Shen Jin in the picture.”

“Sang Yijia still likes Shen Jin, doesn’t she? Looks like Brother Lu has a tough road ahead.”

“Why Sang Yijia? Brother Lu, look at me!”

“I just want to know if Sang Yijia is aware of all this.”

“Then let me wish you an early success.” Bian He raised his teacup.

Lu Wenchuan accepted the gesture and clinked his cup as well.

They each took a sip. Just then, Bian He’s phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, then looked apologetically at Lu Wenchuan. “Sorry, I need to take this.”

“It’s a work call.”

Lu Wenchuan gave a nod of understanding, and Bian He stood up to answer.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Lan Qing’s phone rang as well. Seeing the caller was her agent, she smiled at Shen Jin. “Sorry, it’s my agent.”

“Go ahead,” Shen Jin replied softly, watching her head out to answer the call. At the same time, he glanced toward the ingredients section, where Sang Yijia was standing, his expression pausing for a moment before he composed himself.

Lan Qing took the call in the hallway outside the restaurant. “Sister Hong, what is it?”

“Qingqing, Director Liao is preparing a new film. I’ve already pulled some strings, and you’ll be auditioning for the female lead in a few days.”

“I’ve sent you the script. Take a good look at it over the next couple of days,” Jian Hong explained succinctly.

Hearing she would be competing for the lead, Lan Qing was determined to seize the opportunity. “Alright, I understand, Sister Hong.”

“There’s one more thing,” Jian Hong said, frowning. “Sang Yijia will be there too.”

“She’s competing with me for the lead?” Lan Qing asked in surprise. If that was the case, Lan Qing had no intention of showing mercy—she would have to defeat Sang Yijia.

But Jian Hong quickly clarified, “No, she’s likely up for the supporting female role.”

“But the details aren’t clear yet,” Jian Hong added, wanting Lan Qing to be mentally prepared. “If Sang Yijia does join the cast, try to avoid any conflict with her.”

“Qingqing,” Jian Hong continued, recalling that the president of Jiayang Technologies also had the surname Sang. She hadn’t figured out the connection yet, but with the same surname and Jiayang Technologies having helped Sang Yijia, caution was warranted.

Lan Qing frowned. “Sister Hong, now that I have Shen Jin, what does Sang Yijia amount to?”

Even as she spoke, Lan Qing glanced over her shoulder, wary of being overheard.

“Sister Hong, this is the Shen family we’re talking about.” Lan Qing’s lips curved in a smile as she looked back through the restaurant at Sang Yijia. “With the Shen family behind us, what do we have to fear?”

Jian Hong fell silent; she had looked into the Shen family and knew they did have a young master named Shen Jing.

With that in mind, Jian Hong said nothing further. “Alright, do as you see fit.”

—

Meanwhile, Bian He grinned after hearing his agent’s words. “A movie, huh?”

“A supporting male role? I could go for that, but I want to know who’s playing the lead.”

“And the female lead?” he pressed, sounding nonchalant. “Can’t have me playing second fiddle to a nobody just out of the gate.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Bian He noticed Yan Ningsi and Sang Yijia approaching. He waved, then tapped his phone and moved to a quieter corner.

“Lan Qing? She’s the female lead?” Bian He murmured, showing no objection. After all, Lan Qing’s abilities were well-known.

“And the supporting female role is tentatively Sang Yijia?” Bian He raised his brows. “Alright, even if the male lead’s a newcomer, I don’t mind.”

“With Lan Qing and Sang Yijia both in it, even a mediocre script will become a hit.”

His agent seemed to want to say more, but after a moment’s silence, couldn’t hold back any longer. “Bian He, you really need to stop gossiping so much!”