You can borrow that too?

Jiang Lexing was sweating buckets. He felt that if he answered badly, his acting career might be over, and he could forget about making a living in show business.

As the saying went, never talk about people behind their backs, or lightning would strike you. Right now, he felt worse than if he had been struck by lightning. At least that would have carbonized him outright, instead of leaving him dangling like this under a huge tiger's stare, liable to be swallowed whole if things went wrong.

Xia Qinghe was still waiting for his answer with keen interest. "You just said my boyfriend was someone from the Lin Family?"

"Lin Qiwu is already married, and his kid is in second grade, so it definitely isn't him. That leaves..." Xia Qinghe blinked, hoping Jiang Lexing would give him the answer he was eagerly awaiting.

But the male lead before him looked rather dim-witted and simply refused to continue, leaving Xia Qinghe frantic.

Go on, say it.

Give me the answer I want to hear.

Say it.

You're killing me here.

You're a grown man. What are you trembling for?

Jiang Lexing simply could not get the words out. He turned a pleading look on his assistant. Huang Xiaoying was a lost cause, but his assistant could still help.

His assistant had no such immediate sense of Xia Qinghe's status and position, and did not understand why his star was so afraid. He did not let Jiang Lexing down, either, offering the answer his instincts told him was right. "Lin Fengmian."

The assistant knew only one person named Lin, who happened to be right there on set. His fresh young brain immediately connected him with Xia Qinghe.

A smile shone in Xia Qinghe's eyes. He nodded repeatedly and patted the assistant's shoulder. "Young man, you've got a future."

Xia Qinghe trotted over to Lin Fengmian, who had finished his scene and was drinking water. "Mianmian, I've got something funny to tell you."

With his cup's straw between his lips, Lin Fengmian tipped his chin up slightly, signaling for him to continue.

Xia Qinghe affected a laugh behind his hand and said coyly, "They said you were my boyfriend. Haha, that's so funny. Since when were you my boyfriend?"

Lin Fengmian hooked an arm around Xia Qinghe. "Come on, whisper it to me. Who started that rumor? My forty-meter broadsword hasn't tasted flesh in years."

Xia Qinghe bumped Lin Fengmian with his backside. "Oh, let them get the wrong idea. What's the big deal? It doesn't change the fact that we're best buddies, does it?"

"Fair point." Lin Fengmian passed his cup to Lin Sui, then used his freed hand to pinch Xia Qinghe's chin. "Come on, boyfriend. Let's have a smooch and make it official."

They puckered up at the same time and slowly leaned closer. Just as their lips were about to meet, the cup in Lin Sui's hand squeezed between them, and they both kissed its white sides.

"We're in public. You two might have no shame, but I do." Lin Sui was numb. Yes, these two shameless culprits were precisely why such ridiculous rumors were circulating.

Another day of worrying himself sick over his artist.

He had turned being an agent into being a nanny. He was probably the first in the country.

Xia Qinghe quickly pushed aside the cup between them, hugged Lin Fengmian, and planted a kiss on each cheek. This had been his favorite thing to do as a child.

For a while, Lin Fengmian had liked acting cool and had stopped letting him do it.

Having managed to kiss him again, Xia Qinghe was thoroughly satisfied. With an arm around him, he asked, "Still got more filming?"

"One more day tomorrow. What about you? What brings you here?"

"There's a problem with that wetland project in Lanhai. I came to take a look." Xia Qinghe snatched Lin Fengmian's cup. There was lipstick on the straw. He glanced at Lin Fengmian's noticeably redder lips, then lowered his head and took the straw into his mouth, taking several long pulls until the cup was empty.

Lin Fengmian asked, "What kind of problem?"

Lin Fengmian knew that Xia Qinghe had invested over a billion in the project's initial phase to fund the relocation of wetland wildlife. The later project to harden the wetland mudflats would cost several billion at a minimum. If problems arose at the very first step, subsequent investment would also stall. It would mean more than simply throwing over a billion down the drain.

One move could affect everything. Someone with an agenda might exploit it, launching a smear campaign and taking the opportunity to stir up investors' emotions, thereby affecting Xia Group's share price.

Sometimes, bringing down a listed company could be difficult, or it could be easy. It all depended on whether the person pulling the strings or Xia Qinghe proved the better strategist.

For now, Xia Qinghe had the upper hand. But until he discovered who was pulling the strings, he could not let down his guard. Every step he took had to be cautious and careful.

"It's nothing. Some people have just been lining their own pockets instead of putting all the money where it belongs." Xia Qinghe made it sound trivial, but Lin Fengmian knew the dangers involved.

"Stay safe." Seeing that he did not want to discuss it in depth, and with people coming and going around them, this was neither the time nor the place. Lin Fengmian did not press him for details.

Xia Qinghe stared at Lin Fengmian's rouged lips for several seconds, his Adam's apple bobbing. What would they taste like? Peach, maybe?

"A few kisses would motivate me more than just telling me to stay safe."

"Get lost." Lin Fengmian rolled his eyes at him irritably. "If you've got too much energy and nowhere to let loose, use your five-fingered friends. I'll lend you my dressing room."

Xia Qinghe gave him both middle fingers. "I'm not into that."

Lin Fengmian snorted. Then which bastard acted like a dog in heat every time we slept or showered together?

Still, Xia Qinghe was a tough guy. No matter how hard he got down there, he could ignore it and go about his business.

Saying he was not into that was fair enough, apparently.

Xia Qinghe thought he was unconvinced. "Am I wrong? If I were into that, neither your legs nor your hands would have stayed clean. I'd have borrowed them long ago."

Lin Fengmian said, "...You can borrow those too? How about lending me yours?"

Unbothered, Xia Qinghe put his hand straight on Lin Fengmian's waistband. "Sure. Borrow them if you want. I don't mind. But if you use mine, you have to let me use yours too."

Lin Fengmian slapped his hand away and threw in a huge eye roll. A businessman through and through-not willing to lose out in the slightest.

"Mianmian, come over here. We need another take of this." The director, who had been reviewing the footage, stood a short distance away and called to Lin Fengmian.

As soon as Lin Fengmian walked over, a group of crew members gathered around him, some touching up his makeup, others straightening his clothes or fixing his hair.

Watching Lin Fengmian surrounded by everyone, Xia Qinghe liked what he saw more and more. His Mianmian really was the brightest star in the crowd.

In the distance, Huang Xiaoying nudged Jiang Lexing. "I don't think the rumors are necessarily false. It's perfectly normal for a good friend to visit the set, and it's perfectly normal to bring the crew nice food and drinks. But those two are clingier with each other than any couple in the throes of love I've ever seen. That's not normal."

Jiang Lexing huffed. "I still haven't forgiven you for betraying me and leaving me to die, so don't talk to me."

Huang Xiaoying doubled over laughing. "Don't be like that, little Xing. We still have to act all lovey-dovey during promotions. You can't bail on me. Come on, let's start putting on a show now."

Utterly fed up with her, Jiang Lexing pulled his assistant over to block her.

With the assistant between them, Huang Xiaoying called quietly to him, "With all these people around, President Xia couldn't possibly give you a hard time. You could've just answered him. And the facts proved President Xia isn't unreasonable. Look, little Li answered him, and didn't he go happily off to find Lin Fengmian? He didn't give little Li any trouble at all."

Jiang Lexing rolled his eyes so hard he nearly passed out. "You're certainly wise after the fact. If you weren't scared, why didn't you answer? Hmph. I'm never trusting a little liar like you again."

The male lead decided to unilaterally cut ties with the female lead for a while.