He should have a doctor take a look. If there really was something wrong with his health, he could prepare for it early.
He was not afraid of death. It was just that Xiangchen and Xiangyi were not married yet and had not started families, and Xiangzhou had not gone to university yet.
He could not stop worrying about any of that.
His parents had died in a car accident when he was eighteen. At eighteen, he had been old enough to cope, but the three of them had been under ten, still at an age when they needed someone to feed them, yet they had lost their parents.
Over the years, he had worked hard, kept those wolfish, ravenous uncles in check, expanded the Ji Family's company, and sheltered the three of them under his wings.
If he really were to pass away, would the three of them be able to bear it?
At these thoughts, a weariness he had never shown before crept into Ji Xiangnian's brow. He pulled open a drawer and took out the cigarettes he had not touched in a long time.
Smoke curled in the dim light, obscuring the expression on Ji Xiangnian's stern face.
Once this busy stretch was over, he should go home and spend some proper time with the three of them.
Chapter 9
On the sofa in the spacious single-floor apartment.
Ji Xiangchen was talking to Zhou Li about joining the production.
Ji Xiangchen was not the only person Zhou Li managed; he managed other artists as well. He would not be accompanying Ji Xiangchen for this shoot. Only a junior assistant would be going with him.
So he still needed to give him the necessary reminders.
"This is Director Wang's production. Put some effort into it. If you do a good job, you won't have to worry about finding more acting work."
Director Wang was famously strict in the industry. After working on one of his productions, actors could almost always improve their acting skills.
"Also, rein in that explosive temper of yours."
Holding the script, Ji Xiangchen did not even lift his eyes as he replied perfunctorily, "I know."
Ji Xiangchen's indifferent attitude irritated Zhou Li, but he was a young master of the Ji Family. No matter how much Zhou Li disliked it, he could not scold him too harshly.
Zhou Li gritted his teeth.
"One more thing. Be careful this time. Don't get caught up in any nasty dating rumors with the actress you're working with."
"Last time, someone posted a photo of that girl having dinner with you, and online haters still drag it out to attack her every so often."
At this, Ji Xiangchen finally reacted. He stopped turning the pages of his script, and a hint of pain entered his eyes.
Zhou Li knew he had hit the right nerve.
During his previous production, Ji Xiangchen had grown very close to the actress playing the fourth female lead opposite him. She had debuted through a talent competition and had a huge fan base.
Photos of the two eating together had been exposed, immediately sparking heated discussion online and appearing on several trending lists.
Ji Xiangchen had a bad reputation.
What fan would not lose it at the thought of their idol being with someone notorious in the entertainment industry for his bad temper?
As soon as the photos came out, the fans all but chased the actress down to demand, "Why would you lower yourself to be with a man like this?"
Many of the fourth female lead's fans had also turned into haters.
After that incident, the actress and Ji Xiangchen had gradually drifted apart, and things had improved a little. Still, whether it really was because she had gotten too close to Ji Xiangchen or not, her career had not gone well over the past year or two.
So every so often, people would go to Ji Xiangchen's Weibo and curse him for bringing her bad luck, using particularly nasty language.
At the mention of this, something was off about Ji Xiangchen's mood, as though he was struggling to suppress something. "I understand," he said heavily.
As he recalled what had happened before, a trace of gloom crossed the young man's otherwise largely expressionless face.
Ji Xiangchen fell silent for a moment, then suddenly looked up at Zhou Li and asked a question out of nowhere.
"Brother Li, I want to ask you something."
Zhou Li was puzzled. "What is it?"
Ji Xiangchen's gaze was frighteningly dark as he looked at him. "So, Brother Li, were you really sent by the competition?"
Fang Ning's words from that day had kept looping through his mind.
He had to admit that he could not refute what Fang Ning had said. Zhou Li really did seem like someone sent by the other side to ruin him, constantly criticizing and scolding him.
He had been with Zhou Li for so many years, yet Zhou Li did not treat him as well as Fang Ning, who had only been married to Ji Xiangnian for a few days.
What was the point? There really was no point to this.
Zhou Li's expression grew a little strained. He opened his mouth to argue, only to find Ji Xiangchen staring at him, his eyes filled with an indescribable emotion, as though he had become utterly disappointed in something.
Ji Xiangchen added, "Forget it. If there's nothing else, you can leave. I want to spend some time reading the script by myself."
Zhou Li wanted to defend himself, but though he opened his mouth, he did not know what to say. In the end, all he managed was, "I've already made the arrangements with your assistant, Xiao Yang. You'll leave to join the production tomorrow, so get yourself ready today."
After his manager left, Ji Xiangchen tossed the script aside, his gaze vacant. There was no telling what he was thinking.
He had met the girl Zhou Li mentioned while filming a previous production. He had helped her with some things.
She had invited him to dinner to thank him, and they had been photographed just like that. His tendency to attract bad luck had dragged her down with him.
He had heard that her career had not been going well over the past year or two.
He felt very sorry.
Wait, speaking of actors he was working with.
He remembered that this time, the actress he would be working with was Fang Ning.
He was playing a villain, and the script was incomplete. Because Fang Ning was Ji Xiangnian's wife, when the director had approached him, he had specifically asked how Fang Ning's character was related to his own.
Given their relationship, he naturally would not accept the role if their characters were too intimate.
The director had told him that Fang Ning's character and his were an older sister and younger brother, related by blood.
After thinking it over, Ji Xiangchen's gaze darkened. He packed up his things and picked up his car keys, intending to head to the Ji Family Villa.
He would go back and remind Fang Ning not to get too close to him, so he would not drag her down and leave her unable to land any acting work for years.
After all, she