Chapter 19

Ning Luo leaned forward, and Cui Xiangyang spotted him. Old and new grudges surged up all at once, making him roll his eyes furiously as his butt started to ache faintly.

Because Ning Luo had failed to warn him, he had slipped in the restroom and fractured his tailbone. He had been bedridden for an entire month!

"I heard your production team is about to go bankrupt, Ning Luo. Why are you still sticking around this crew?" Cui Xiangyang crossed his arms and sneered. "Did no one else want you? Looking at how pitiful you are, I really want to stomp on you again."

Ning Luo said calmly, "People should treat each other the same way. While you want to stomp on me, don't I also want to slap you across the face?"

"Pfft, hahaha."

Shen Wenyu's shoulders shook twice as he struggled painfully to hold back his laughter.

The bad mood from Cui Xiangyang coming to cause trouble was swept away from Wang Lin. Looking at Cui Xiangyang's little red head even put him in a good mood.

Seeing that no one on the entire crew paid him any attention and that people were actually watching him and cackling, Cui Xiangyang felt as though he were being toyed with like an idiot. Furious, he said, "Ning Luo, you actually want to hit me!"

Qiao Zichen promptly supported his waist. "Xiangyang, your tailbone hasn't fully healed yet. Don't get worked up."

Why did he have to bring up something so embarrassing?! Cui Xiangyang's face alternated between green and white. "I know! I don't need you to remind me."

Qiao Zichen gazed at him adoringly. "Xiangyang's safety will always be the first thing I protect."

Ning Luo felt like his eyes were being sexually assaulted. He felt indescribably uncomfortable; looking for even one more second felt like a betrayal of his existence as a person.

[Protect what? Protect his tailbone? This is so absurd. I should've just rotted in the ground.]

[I was once a beloved prince, but one careless move led to me being harmed by traitors, stripped of my Yellow Sash, and demoted to a commoner. Someone, hurry up and bring out Viagra so he can listen to my revenge plan!]

Sun Shaoyi found it even harder to accept than he did.

When Cui Xiangyang had just come over to cause trouble, if Wang Lin hadn't held her back, she would have smashed her high heel into his head.

It was bad enough that he had kept dragging his feet on the promised investment. Now he had withdrawn his investment, broken the contract, and run off with other investors, yet he still had the nerve to come cause trouble on set? He really was tired of living.

Sun Shaoyi immediately started cursing. "Why are you two dog men hugging each other? Get lost."

Cui Xiangyang froze, then flew into a rage. "Who are you calling dog men?"

"You two," she said, pointing at Cui Xiangyang before pointing at Qiao Zichen. "One of you is dead set on being a simp, and the other bought medicine specifically to fuck a simp. You're like a toad chasing a frog—ugly but full of tricks. A match made in heaven; even the Matchmaker himself couldn't pull you apart."

[Eh, eh, eh? How did Sister Shaoyi know about that?]

Everyone: Wasn't it because you told us?

Ning Luo thought about it and decided that was indeed possible.

[Every time the medicine expires and Qiao Zichen buys more, he makes the exchange in the restroom. Sister Shaoyi was completely unfazed when she went into the men's room to block me before, so it's perfectly normal that she accidentally picked up some gossip in there, right?]

Shen Wenyu was stunned. Wait, Sun Shaoyi had done something like that before?

Was she that kind of person?!

Sun Shaoyi mentally added another mark against Ning Luo. Just wait. Next time, she would eat hot pot right in front of him!

Cui Xiangyang said, "Sun Shaoyi, what nonsense are you spouting?!"

Though Sun Shaoyi was angry, she could not lose her imposing presence. "I'm spouting nonsense? Feel around in his pocket and see whether there's a surprise in there. That's some good stuff he bought to use on you."

Cui Xiangyang yanked Qiao Zichen out. "Take it out and show them. Let's see if there's really nothing there!"

When Qiao Zichen stood stiffly in place without moving, Cui Xiangyang shoved him. "Take it out."

Ning Luo quietly added fuel to the flames. "Are you too scared to take it out? Guilty conscience, huh?"

[Search him! Search him! Search him!]

Wang Lin and Shen Wenyu craned their necks and peered over, both wearing eager expressions.

They loved this kind of entertainment most!

Cui Xiangyang glared at them and directly reached into Qiao Zichen's pocket.

Qiao Zichen clutched it tightly and refused to let him take anything out, panic written all over his face. "Xiangyang..."

Seeing his reaction, Cui Xiangyang suddenly understood something. He yanked Qiao Zichen's hand away, pulled out a box of medicine, opened it, and stared in disbelief. "What is this?"

Ning Luo immediately leaned over to take a look.

He had never seen what that kind of medicine looked like before.

Seeing that it was only ordinary white pills, he curled his lip.

Sun Shaoyi's mouth twitched. Fine, fine, fine. He was actually disappointed.

With the matter suddenly exposed, Qiao Zichen hurried to cover it up. "This is medicine for my stomach condition, not some other medicine. I've never even heard of the things she mentioned!"

Cui Xiangyang gritted his teeth. "Really?"

"Really."

"Fine, I believe you."

Before Qiao Zichen could relax, Cui Xiangyang thrust the medicine in front of him. "Stomach medicine, right? Eat it."

Qiao Zichen struggled. "Young Master, I've already taken—"

"Eat!"

Sun Shaoyi crossed her arms and sneered. "Eat it. What are you waiting for, a formal invitation?"

"Shut up! Who told you to speak?!" Cui Xiangyang glared at her.

Hearing him yell at Sun Shaoyi like that, Ning Luo gave him the middle finger. "My sister's mouth, my sister's choice. Keep pointing fingers, and you'll be buried!"

The corners of Sun Shaoyi's mouth loosened, and she ruffled Ning Luo's hair.

Cui Xiangyang was so angry he nearly stopped breathing.

But what made him even angrier was Qiao Zichen suddenly lunging forward and hugging him.

Ning Luo: [Holy shit, the exciting part is here!]

Cui Xiangyang shouted, "What are you doing?! Let go of me!"

Qiao Zichen cried out, "Xiangyang, I didn't mean anything else by it. I did it because I like you!"

"But you fell for that bitch Ning Xibai instead. Other than my face, how am I inferior to him? I like you! I'll treat you well! Can't you just fulfill my wish?!"

"Holy shit! Get lost, don't touch me!!!"

Cui Xiangyang's face turned green.

He had become a red-headed, green-faced turtle.

The green-faced turtle roared at the people he had brought with him. "Are you all dead? Pull him off me and force-feed him the medicine!"

But five minutes after Qiao Zichen swallowed the pills, he really did react to them. With a glazed look in his eyes, he tried to hug Cui Xiangyang again.

Cui Xiangyang was so scared that his face went pale.

His chest heaved as if he had been slapped dozens of times, his face burning with pain. He pointed at Qiao Zichen and stammered several "you"s without managing a complete sentence.

Ning Luo sighed. "Wow, it really is that kind of medicine. The effects are way too good."

His words were like the final knife, stabbing straight into Cui Xiangyang's heart.

Cui Xiangyang rolled his eyes back and fainted.

Seeing this, Wang Lin shouted, "Oh no, why did he faint?!"

He had not even had the chance to tell Cui Xiangyang the good news that his crew had received ten million in investment!

When Cui Xiangyang woke up again, he was already at the production team's hotel.

The memories from before he fainted came flooding back all at once. He was so angry that he could no longer lie still. After putting on his shoes, he went to pound on the door of Qiao Zichen's room next door. When no one answered, he went to knock on Ning Xibai's door instead.

After a long while, Ning Xibai finally opened the door. He looked displeased at first, but quickly softened when he saw Cui Xiangyang outside. "A-Yang, why are you knocking on my door in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"

The moment Cui Xiangyang saw that he was wearing only a bathrobe, his anger deflated like a punctured balloon. With red ears, he looked away. "I... um, I wanted to ask where Qiao Zichen went."

Ning Xibai took in his expression completely. "He was sent away. Who told him to do something like that?"

"I can't believe he actually dared to have those kinds of thoughts about me!" Cui Xiangyang grew angry again the moment the subject came up. He was disdainful, disgusted, and repulsed, grabbing Ning Xibai and talking nonstop.

Ning Xibai could barely maintain his smile anymore and interrupted him. "A-Yang, I'm exhausted from filming today. Can we talk tomorrow?"

Cui Xiangyang immediately fell silent. "Okay, okay, okay. I forgot. Sorry for disturbing your rest."

He looked at Ning Xibai's reddened eyes. "Your eyes are red. Is the crew working you too hard, or is someone bullying you?"

Ning Xibai lowered his head, exposing a section of his slender neck. "I'm a newcomer. Everyone is only teaching me more things for my own good."

The implication was that he had been bullied.

Cui Xiangyang started getting angry again. "I invested so much money in your production team, not so you could be wronged! Just wait. I'll go find your producer tomorrow and make him apologize to you properly!"

That was exactly what Ning Xibai wanted. He pretended to dissuade Cui Xiangyang a few more times, then closed the door under Cui Xiangyang's urging of, "Don't worry about it. Hurry up and sleep."

The moment the door closed, someone yanked him against the wall. A hand wandered over his neck, carrying a dangerous air.

"The friend who came looking for you in the middle of the night?"

Goosebumps rose where Ning Xibai was touched. He grabbed that hand. "He really is just a friend. If there were anything between us, how would I dare open the door in front of you?"

The person laughed softly. "Xibai, don't lie to me."

If Ning Luo had been there, he probably would have been able to match this person's appearance to the written description.

One of Ning Xibai's main love interests, and also the director of this drama, Jin Rong.

Cui Xiangyang had no idea what was happening inside the room. The next day, he went to demand an explanation from the production team's producer.

The producer wanted to strangle Ning Xibai to death. Only after begging and pleading was he able to placate Cui Xiangyang.

After flipping through their script, Cui Xiangyang pointed at Ning Xibai's scenes. "Why does Xibai have so few scenes? Add more."

The producer had no way to voice his suffering. "This script has all been finalized. We can't just add scenes whenever..." Under Cui Xiangyang's increasingly impatient gaze, he wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Then... I'll ask Director Jin."

He had thought Director Jin was sensible enough to talk Cui Xiangyang out of it, but after listening, the other man simply nodded. "Then add them."

It enraged the screenwriter.

"Add scenes whenever he wants, cut scenes whenever he wants—does Ning Xibai think this production team is his personal kingdom?!"

The producer hurriedly stopped the screenwriter. "Calm down. The investor and the director don't object. What good would our objections do?"

"But won't this ruin a perfectly good script?!"

The producer patted her shoulder and sighed.

Ning Luo had initially been confused about why Cui Xiangyang had suddenly come to their production team. Once he learned that Ning Xibai's entire crew had come over too, his expression twisted for a moment.

[Dear God, Jin Rong isn't staying in the same hotel as me, is he?]

Wang Lin did not understand why Ning Luo sounded so resistant to Jin Rong. Jin Rong was a very famous young director.

[All yanderes in real life should go to prison and sing Tears Behind Bars! Jin Rong, back off! Back off! Back off!]

Wang Lin: "..."

Holy shit, a yandere?!

Back off! Back off! Back off!