Chapter 1

What Are You Looking At? Author: Ba Ye Dang [Complete]

Blurb

As the most feared savage on Wall Street, Wenren Yan was drunk by an irresponsible elder and tricked into signing an acting contract on the night he returned home to inherit the family business. That elder had originally intended to use it as leverage to force Wenren Yan to invest in a production crew. But after seeing the male lead's profile... Wenren Yan actually agreed!

As the world's most popular top idol, news that Ao Qingyuan had descended to earth for money to star in a historical idol drama instantly sparked heated discussion throughout the industry. On the day filming began, Ao Qingyuan was changing clothes in the dressing room when he saw Wenren Yan walk through the wrong door and fiercely demanded, "What are you looking at?"

Looking at the boy's excessively pretty face and clearly defined eight-pack abs, Wenren Yan gave a flirtatious whistle. "I'm looking at how good-looking you are!"

The love between a leopard and a Siberian tiger. A contest between felines.

The love between a domineering CEO returning home to inherit the family business and a wildly popular superstar.

Domineering CEO bottom, superstar little tiger turned Siberian tiger top. The bottom was three years older than the top. Younger top. They spoiled each other.

Content tags:

Search keywords: Protagonists: Wenren Yan, Ao Qingyuan ┃ Supporting cast: ┃ Others:

One-sentence summary: I'm looking at how good-looking you are!

Chapter 1

Wenren Yan woke from the sunlight.

Overly brilliant sunlight slipped through the tightly drawn curtains, scampered all the way onto the bed, flowed over the thin summer blanket, and kissed the man's exposed forearm and Adam's apple. It then crawled along his jawline and over his high nose bridge before finally dancing recklessly across his tightly shut eyelids.

Having partied until four in the morning at his welcome-back party before getting a brief rest, Wenren Yan shifted his eyelids uncomfortably and opened his eyes on schedule under the influence of his body clock. His unfocused gaze stared blankly for a while at the gilded ceiling above and the extravagantly gaudy crystal chandelier before he remembered that this was not his familiar Manhattan apartment, but the hotel room where Yan Donglin had held his welcome-back banquet—he had returned to China.

Wenren Yan rubbed his temples, which throbbed painfully from his hangover. He threw back the blanket piled around his waist and was about to get up and wash when the corner of his eye caught a contract placed neatly on the bedside table. Wenren Yan frowned as an uneasy feeling rose within him. He reached for the contract and let his gaze fall over its cover, instantly rendered speechless—

Wenren Yan had never imagined it would be an acting contract. The project was an ancient fantasy drama called Immortal-Demon Duel, produced by the video platform under Yan Donglin's company, and the role he had signed for was the second male lead. Wenren Yan's eyes narrowed slightly as a scene from the night before flashed through his mind: Yan Donglin passionately trying to persuade him to act in the drama.

Expressionless, Wenren Yan flipped to the last page of the contract. Sure enough, he saw his own flamboyant signature in the space for Party B's signature.

A sense of helplessness crept over his heart. Wenren Yan sighed silently. He knew it. He should never have let down his guard around Yan Donglin. This uncle of his, only ten years older than him, had never done a single reliable thing in his life.

Wenren Yan rubbed between his dry brows, put down the contract, and went to wash up. The moment he opened the bedroom door, he saw Yan Donglin sitting in the living room with a fawning smile on his face.

"You're awake, nephew!" Yan Donglin chuckled, his smile carrying an obvious trace of guilt and unease. Rubbing his hands together, he said, "I knew your body clock would have you up at six-thirty. I had the hotel prepare breakfast. American iced coffee and a bacon sandwich. Right?"

Wenren Yan snorted coldly and walked into the bathroom without slowing down. "You don't show courtesy without a reason."

"How is that showing courtesy without a reason?" Yan Donglin shamelessly rubbed his hands together and followed Wenren Yan all the way to the bathroom door. Separated by the door, he called loudly, "This is called having a favor to ask, so naturally I have to provide attentive service. Besides, with the relationship between us uncle and nephew, shouldn't I be taking care of you? Otherwise, would my sister let me off?"

"If my mother finds out you got me drunk and made me sign that contract, she definitely won't let you off." Wenren Yan's head hurt whenever he thought of that contract. "...How did you even come up with that?"

"Only bold imagination can change the world." Yan Donglin smilingly recited his video platform's slogan. "Besides, getting you to sign that contract was only a temporary measure. I'm not making you actually act. If you don't want to, you don't have to. Your little uncle fully respects your wishes. It's just that in a commercial society, there's such a thing as contractual integrity. You, Wall Street's renowned investment genius, should understand that, right?"

Watching Wenren Yan emerge from the bathroom, Yan Donglin pinched his fingers together in a money-counting gesture and chuckled. "No problem if you want to break the contract, but you have to compensate me somehow. You're well-funded, nephew. Invest a little money in your uncle's project! I'm not asking for much—just invest a hundred million. Once this drama airs and makes money, we'll split the profits fifty-fifty."

Wenren Yan raised a brow. "A hundred million? What kind of Hollywood blockbuster are you making that costs so much?"

"If I had that kind of ability, that'd be great. A Hollywood blockbuster? I'm only making a historical idol drama."

An idol drama actually cost several hundred million to make. With such staggering production costs, plus the later publicity and promotion expenses, even though Wenren Yan did not understand the specifics of the film and television industry, he could not help raising his brows. "No wonder your platform has been losing money to the brink of bankruptcy!"

"Hey! You can't put it like that. Video platforms not making money is a widespread domestic phenomenon. It's not just me losing money." Mentioning this filled Yan Donglin with bitterness and complaints. "You have no idea what the domestic entertainment industry is like these days. Production costs are too high, especially actor salaries. Any big-name celebrity or fresh-faced heartthrob with even a little fame quotes outrageous prices. Even third-rate stars who have barely started getting noticed dare to ask for tens of millions. The truly popular ones are being reasonable if they quote seventy or eighty million. For this idol drama I'm making, the male lead alone is being paid a hundred and twelve million. The key is that my total budget for the project is only a little over two hundred million. After deducting forty million for the female lead, plus all the miscellaneous supporting cast and crew expenses, it would already be generous to have thirty million left for costumes, sets, makeup, post-production, and special effects. Do you think we can make any money? Yet even so, viewers think we're cutting corners, while fans think we're mistreating their idol. Tell me, where are us producers supposed to go for justice?