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"Do you know how important the role of Supreme One is?" Yan Donglin complained angrily. "Even though he's only the second male lead, the character runs through the entire story. His persona is stylish, morally ambiguous, and he's a powerhouse in combat. Do you know that if I used this role to promote someone, with the right handling, I could at least make a popular young idol out of him?"

But now the role had been ruined by Wenren Yan. Never mind that Wenren Yan refused to show his face throughout filming; the fact that he could never enter the entertainment industry in this lifetime indirectly meant that a perfectly good opportunity to launch someone had been wasted for nothing. It was equivalent to Yan Donglin losing 120 million while also losing a trendy young star he could have used to make dramas, earn money, and land endorsements. Thinking of all that money flapping its wings and flying away, Yan Donglin felt heartbroken enough to develop sinus arrhythmia.

"Go get an ECG at the hospital." Wenren Yan closed the last document that needed his review and signature, then said casually, "You're already thirty-two. You're not that young anymore. You really should take better care of yourself. Get your blood lipids and blood sugar checked too, so you don't end up with the three highs."

"You—" Yan Donglin nearly choked to death on Wenren Yan's words after failing to catch his breath. Taking a deep breath, he still patiently tried to persuade him. "You're so busy with work. Why argue with me over this and insist on joining that lousy production? You have no idea how exhausting acting can be. In the height of summer, you have to wear period costumes, layer after layer. By the end of the day, you'll be drenched in rank sweat. You'll have to wear a wig cap and do wirework too. The sun in Hengdian is vicious. After three months of exposure, you'll shed several layers of skin."

"Won't I be wearing a mask and thick clothes? How much sun could I possibly get? And if I sweat, I'll just shower a few more times." Wenren Yan curled his lips into a smile and looked at Yan Donglin with amusement in his eyes. "I heard that when many celebrities join a production, the crew provides them with RVs. Those should have air conditioning, right?"

Yan Donglin: "..."

Yan Donglin gritted his teeth. "You know far too much."

"Steven was worried that I wouldn't adapt to life on set, so he specifically asked around for me." Wenren Yan smiled. "He also spent a great deal of money to hire an experienced personal assistant to accompany me onto the production."

Yan Donglin frowned instinctively. "Where did you find them? Are they reliable? A lot of people have their eyes on you now, so anyone around you has to be trustworthy. How about this? Send back the person you hired. I'll transfer someone over from Canghai Media. Don't worry. The people under me are absolutely dependable."

"Then I'll gladly accept your kindness." Wenren Yan smiled faintly. "Thank you for the trouble."

"Stop putting on an act!" Yan Donglin rolled his eyes, finally losing his patience. "If you could show a little kindness and not go at all, that would be best."

There was no chance of that kindness being shown. Still, Wenren Yan did not squeeze Yan Donglin too hard in the end. He transferred 80 million from his personal account into Canghai Media's account. It counted as bringing funding into the production, and it also served as an explanation for Yan Donglin.

Such a large inflow of liquid funds could not possibly be concealed from those who cared to investigate. Before long, everyone learned that Canghai Media had somehow found a foolishly wealthy second-generation heir to bring his own funding into the production and play the second male lead. On the day filming began, Yan Donglin personally drove Wenren Yan to the set and specifically assigned Zhou Ke, Canghai Media's top-tier agent, to accompany the production and protect him. The moment that display appeared, undercurrents began stirring throughout the entire crew.

"Who exactly is this newcomer? Even Young Master Yan treats him very politely."

"No idea. The information has been kept too tightly sealed. No one can dig anything up. All we know is that he seems to be one of Young Master Yan's relatives. He's probably just here to play around."

"A relative of Young Master Yan? Then wouldn't he be a younger member of either Guangchuan Group or the Shu Family of the Capital? If his backing is really that strong, there might be quite a show ahead."

"What's there to fear? Even if there is a show, the one being used as a sparring partner is the male lead who took over a hundred million. We're just minor supporting actors here to watch the drama. They won't even spare us a glance."

"That's true. The emperor isn't worried, but the eunuchs are. What are we even worrying about?"

"I'm dying of anxiety!" In the enormous private lounge, Ji Jie paced back and forth anxiously. "Why can't we find anything out? Who exactly is the second male lead who suddenly replaced Zhang Miao? What is Canghai Media trying to pull?"

Ji Jie was so anxious she was practically clawing at herself. When she turned around and saw that Ao Qingyuan still had the leisure to sit there playing games, anger immediately flared in her chest. "Play, play, play. All you know how to do is play. Aren't you afraid someone will bully you?"

Ao Qingyuan kept his head lowered and ignored her. The game's sound effects rose and fell through the somewhat noisy lounge. Furious, Ji Jie snatched his phone away. "Can you be a little more alert?"

Ao Qingyuan raised his head with a speechless expression. His features were strikingly handsome, his pitch-black eyes clear and sharp. His nose was high and straight, while his thin lips pressed into a line. When he frowned at someone, he gave off the ferocity and purity of a wild animal. Anyone with even slightly weaker nerves would struggle to endure that stare. Fortunately, as both Ao Qingyuan's aunt and his domestic agent, Ji Jie had changed his diapers when he was little. Naturally, she did not care about that fierce appearance that was all for show.

Frustrated by his lack of ambition, she poked him in the forehead. "All you do every day is play. Have you memorized your lines? Today is the start of filming, and we're taking costume stills. Show me your best condition. And later, at the opening press conference, can you think carefully before answering reporters' questions? Memorize the interview script I wrote for you. Don't just say whatever comes into your head."

Ao Qingyuan made a low rumbling sound in his throat, covered his forehead, and said gloomily, "I memorized them. I know."

His voice was somewhat deep, a richly magnetic baritone with a faint trace of youthful immaturity at the end. Ji Jie felt thoroughly satisfied just hearing it. Much of her anxious anger also subsided. "While you're filming, stay away from the female lead and those supporting actresses. Don't give them any chance to be alone with you. You have to remember at all times that you're a piece of Tang Monk's flesh now. Those actresses would love nothing more than to stir up a dating rumor with you to promote themselves. Don't give them the opportunity. Especially Tian Bao'er. She rose to prominence by hyping dating scandals. Not one male star who has worked with her has ended well. Stay far away from her."

Tian Bao'er was the female lead of Immortal-Demon Duel. A popular domestic actress, she had recently been photographed by paparazzi kissing the second young master of Yuansheng Group in a car, forcing her to make their relationship public. The second young master of Yuansheng Group was famous in the industry as a promiscuous young playboy with an extremely poor reputation. After the relationship was announced, Tian Bao'er's image suffered as well. She lost countless fans in a short time. Her advertising endorsements were also affected. This drama was the one Tian Bao'er took on after making her relationship public.