Chapter 3

Just as Wang Lin's expression began to twist into something strange, Ning Luo gave a light cough, kept a bit of distance from him, and asked, "Director Wang, why are you suddenly introducing me to resources?"

[Nothing good comes from unwarranted kindness. This is the first step of the casting couch! Director Wang, don't act your age!]

"Of course it's because...!" Smoke practically rose from Wang Lin's head as he opened his mouth to explain. Then, remembering that he couldn't let Ning Luo guess what was going on, he abruptly changed course. "...Because you're outstanding."

Ning Luo had a question mark over his head. "...Huh?"

The original owner? Outstanding?

[Do you hear the nonsense coming out of your own mouth?]

The more Wang Lin spoke, the more confident he became. Closing his eyes, he made things up without blinking. "I discovered that you're an uncut jade, a buried gem. With a little polishing, you have tremendous potential. Someone like me cherishes talent. I couldn't bear to see you waste yours, so I decided to give you an opportunity to show yourself."

Ning Luo froze, then grew more and more excited as he listened.

His money tree had blossomed!

Wang Lin's judgment might not be great, but he was a good person!

And Ning Luo would never pass up an opportunity to take advantage of someone!

Wang Lin asked, "There's a dinner for directors in a week. A lot of big names will be there. Are you going?"

"Yes!" Ning Luo's gaze was so resolute he looked ready to join the Party.

[A new sucker has appeared. How can I stop moving forward!]

Ning Luo began singing the SpongeBob song in his heart. [I'm ready, I'm ready!]

Wang Lin: "..."

Damn it, he was clearly the one offering the opportunity, so why did he suddenly want to smack Ning Luo?

Every move Wang Lin made was closely watched by the crew. When they heard that he had decided to introduce resources to Ning Luo, everyone had only one thought.

Wang Lin had gone mad.

Sun Shaoyi's assistant was also baffled. "What's wrong with Director Wang? He obviously doesn't like Ning Luo."

It was more than dislike. Wang Lin had thrown a huge fit over Ning Luo joining the production and even called Ning Xibai to demand an explanation.

Then one of the production's investors found out. The man happened to be a rich second-generation heir pursuing Ning Xibai, and he had invested in the production because of Ning Xibai. The incident left him very unhappy, and the investment he had promised kept getting delayed. The production was short on funds and had to keep looking for sponsorships even after filming began.

Sun Shaoyi thought about it. "Maybe it's because Ning Luo isn't a bad person." She ignored her assistant's ghostly expression.

She had expected to hear Ning Luo's calculations and slander toward others, but aside from not being terribly bright, he had no other malicious thoughts.

It was unexpected.

Ning Luo had no idea what she was thinking. He simply did his job dutifully, occasionally exposing flaws on purpose so Wang Lin could give him some pointers. That way, he wouldn't stand out too much.

The weekend soon arrived, and Wang Lin brought him to the hotel hosting the dinner.

Given Wang Lin's standing, he normally wouldn't be able to attend a banquet of this level. This time, he had ridden on the coattails of a senior brother from the same school, so he had made sure to dress himself up properly.

Though Ning Luo often called him an uncle, Wang Lin was only thirty-five. He wore his hair in a small ponytail at the back and carried the unrestrained, melancholy air of an artist. Plenty of people liked that type.

But compared to the glowing figure beside him, he seemed somewhat lacking.

Even in the entire entertainment industry, Ning Luo's looks were highly distinctive. He wore a well-tailored white suit, his smile faint and shallow, dimpling one cheek slightly. He seemed very uncomfortable in such a crowded setting, appearing a little nervous and shy.

But only Wang Lin knew that Ning Luo was driving him insane.

[Beef tongue, sweet shrimp, sea urchin, salmon, grilled chicken skewers, eel, baked crab, burrata... Oh my god, they even have my favorite lamb chops! Ah, that's handmade Italian gelato! Pour it all into my mouth, I can eat it all!]

Wang Lin was so irritated he laughed.

What, had the production been starving him? Was this all the ambition he had?

He warned in a low voice, "Don't forget why I brought you here."

"I know, I know. You brought me here to build connections with Director Sun." Ning Luo nodded repeatedly, reluctantly dragging his gaze away from the buffet table that stretched more than ten meters long. He blinked at Wang Lin.

"...It's good that you know."

Facing Ning Luo's aggrieved little eyes, Wang Lin wavered for a moment, but his heart soon hardened again.

If he pitied Ning Luo, who would pity him, the shameless old fool being taken advantage of?

No one!

Still holding a grudge, Wang Lin snorted twice and began introducing Ning Luo to people.

Some people recognized Ning Luo. After all, he was the famously beautiful good-for-nothing. No matter how much they looked down on him, they still exchanged a few polite words to maintain surface-level harmony.

But there were always exceptions.

Ning Luo had drunk too much champagne and went to the restroom. As he came out and turned into the corridor, he bumped into someone and staggered back two steps. "Ow, sorry."

"Can't you watch where you're going—Ning Luo?"

The surprised tone quickly turned disdainful. "Oh, so that's who has no eyes. It's no surprise if it's you. What, is this your new way of throwing yourself at people?"

Ning Luo looked up at the red-haired man, thought for a few seconds, then suddenly understood.

Oh, this was Cui Xiangyang, the rich second-generation heir who admired Ning Xibai and had invested in their production. He had met the original owner at a banquet held by the Ning Family.

What a small world.

"Not saying anything? I guessed right, didn't I?" Cui Xiangyang had no idea Ning Luo didn't even remember who he was. His gaze traveled up and down Ning Luo as though he were inspecting merchandise, and defective merchandise at that.

"How are you better than Xibai in any way? Yet you still wanted to replace him in the Ning Family. You came running to the Ning Family to claim kinship because you were jealous of their wealth and wanted it for yourself, weren't you?"

"I've seen plenty of vulgar gold-diggers like you. Who knows whether that paternity report was forged after you bribed the hospital?"

"Vulgar? A gold-digger?"

Ning Luo looked shocked. "You saw through my essence at a glance."

Before his college entrance exams, he had never prayed to the God of Literature as sincerely as he wished to get rich every year on his birthday.

Cui Xiangyang choked, his face darkening. "Ning Luo, you finally admit that you're a vain little man!"

But on second thought, wouldn't that make Ning Luo even easier to control? When the time came, he could place evidence of Ning Luo's willing depravity in front of Ning Xibai, let him see Ning Luo's true face, and stop innocently introducing resources to trash like him.

He raised his chin. "I heard your production failed to secure investment again? You're short on money, right? How about this? Take off one item of clothing, and I'll invest one hundred thousand."

One item, one hundred thousand!

Ning Luo's hands hanging at his sides trembled slightly.

He was going all out against these rich people!

Seeing him tremble in humiliation, Cui Xiangyang's mood improved. "Have you thought it through? There are rooms upstairs."

Ning Luo's lashes trembled. His lips pressed into a thin line, and his slender back stood straight, as though he were using what little strength he had to resist this teasing mockery.

Then he suddenly raised his eyes and declared firmly, "Socks count as two items."

Cui Xiangyang looked as though he had gone temporarily deaf. "What?"

Ning Luo kindly repeated himself. "Socks count as two items. Oh, right, I also have two shoes, one tie, two sleeve garters, one watch, two rings..."

He carefully counted the things on his body, and the more he counted, the brighter his eyes became.

He was getting rich!

But he didn't dare show it too obviously, afraid of scaring away this new sucker. He could only press his lips tightly together to keep the corners from stretching to his ears, his whole body trembling as he held back laughter.

Cui Xiangyang understood.

Ning Luo had actually toyed with him!

His anger exploded instantly.

"Fuck, you idiot! Who was talking about that?"

Ning Luo was unhappy to see him back out. "You're not going to refuse to pay just because you can't afford to lose, are you?"

Cui Xiangyang's chest rose and fell. He cursed for ages, but couldn't squeeze out a second word.

Now he was the one trembling all over with rage.

Of course he didn't want to pay. He wasn't actually an idiot. Why would he hand over money after being played and practically beg to be humiliated?

He shoved Ning Luo aside. "Move, good dogs don't block the way!" Then he strode into the restroom and slammed the door shut.

Ning Luo said, "Hey—"

The moment he made a sound, a loud crash came from inside.

Ning Luo silently covered his ears and muttered, "I was just about to tell you the faucet was broken. There's a puddle of water on the floor, and it's slippery..."

"So stingy. No wonder you can't even count as one of Ning Xibai's backups. You can only be a pathetic lapdog."

Having just steadied himself, Cui Xiangyang nearly slipped and fell again. He glared at the restroom door and ground his teeth.

You're the lapdog. Your whole family is made of lapdogs!

With the regret of not earning any extra money, Ning Luo returned to the main hall.

The hall was packed with people. He looked around for a long time but couldn't spot Wang Lin.

Looking for him would be a waste of effort anyway. Their target, Director Sun, had not arrived yet. He might as well do something more meaningful.

Ning Luo's sparkling gaze landed on the dessert station he had been coveting for ages. He walked over with restraint, picked up a pair of tongs, and quickly and precisely arranged the little cakes he had been craving on his plate.

Focused on choosing food, he failed to notice the commotion behind him. Only when the voices drew closer did he turn around belatedly.

At a glance, he saw a man walking over gracefully, surrounded by a crowd.

He wore an expensive custom-made suit. From his brooch, cufflinks, and tie clip to every other accessory, everything was exquisitely chosen and flawless. His shirt buttons were fastened meticulously to just beneath his Adam's apple, which shifted slightly as he responded to others, inexplicably giving him a hint of sensuality.

The dazzling light from the crystal chandelier poured down, blending the man's features into shadows of varying depth. Only when he came closer did Ning Luo notice the gold-rimmed glasses he wore, their lenses cutting out thin, sharp reflections.

Yet that aloof chill vanished beneath the faint smile at the corners of his lips.

Ning Luo immediately clutched his chest.

His heart pounded out the grand intensity of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.

[Holy shit, husband!]

He was far too perfectly suited to Ning Luo's tastes! A direct hit!

If there was anything Ning Luo absolutely couldn't resist, refined scoundrels and men in glasses would definitely top the list.

And this was the effect of one plus one being greater than two, all on such a perfect face.

Lu Tingzhou's conversation with the people around him paused briefly as he raised his eyes and swept his gaze across the hall.

His gaze lingered on Ning Luo for a few extra seconds.

There was no other reason. Ning Luo's appearance was simply too striking.

And his eyes were far too heated.

[Ahhh, husband looked at me!]

Was that an auditory hallucination? Strange.

Lu Tingzhou's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Someone beside him asked, "What is it, Tingzhou?"

Lu Tingzhou shook his head and smiled faintly. His voice was as clear and cool as shattered ice striking jade. "Nothing."

Tingzhou?

Lu Tingzhou?

Hearing their conversation, Ning Luo barely pulled a shred of rationality back from the man's beauty.

Wasn't this the villain from the novel?

If Ning Luo was the contrast to the fake young master Ning Xibai, then Lu Tingzhou was the contrast to the male leads. Not only did he never fall for the protagonist, he ignored his existence and embarrassed him repeatedly. In the end, driven beyond endurance, he even considered blacklisting the protagonist, touching the male leads' reverse scale. They joined forces to suppress him, forcing him out of the entertainment industry in disgrace.

After losing all his glory, he became miserable and destitute, drinking himself into oblivion every day. In the end, he died silently in a car accident, and no one cared.

Thinking of this, Ning Luo suddenly felt that they were both fallen people at the ends of the world and instantly felt sorry for Lu Tingzhou.

[It's okay, husband. Even if your family stabs you in the back, your friends betray you, and your subordinates sell you out, you're not out of options.]

[You still have one road left: death.]

For one second, Lu Tingzhou failed to maintain the curve of his lips. He lifted his eyes and precisely located the source of the voice.

Ning Luo was still feeling regretful when his ears suddenly twitched. An animal-like instinct sent a chill down his spine.

He looked up and discovered that someone was standing in front of him.

Lu Tingzhou's thin lips curled up. His narrow, upturned fox-like eyes watched Ning Luo without blinking as they narrowed slightly.

"And this is?"