Chapter 17 – Calming the Child

Xi Yufeng didn’t yield.

A simple phrase, “We’ll talk about it when we get back,” dragged Jiang Ruo into the car, leaving him with an unresolved desire. In front of their driver, Old Liu, he couldn’t act rashly, so he had no choice but to distract himself with his phone.

After playing on his phone for a while, he asked the person beside him, “How much does that bottle of wine cost?”

Leaning against the seat, Xi Yufeng gave him a figure.

Jiang Ruo rapidly tapped on his calculator, nodding in satisfaction. “All things considered, I’m still in profit.”

He was calculating the difference between the money he won from poker and the price of the wine. Glancing at the double-digit number on Jiang Ruo’s phone, Xi Yufeng’s lips curled slightly, responding with a faint “Mm.”

This eased Jiang Ruo’s guilt, and he became more talkative.

“What should we eat for dinner?…Can that last meal even count as food? I wasn’t full…Should we do it like yesterday? Otherwise, I can rinse the dishes in water to wash off some of the oil…By the way, with such a big house, you should hire a cleaner, right? Or maybe someone to cook, so they can prepare meals according to your taste.”

Just as he closed his eyes to rest, Xi Yufeng opened them again, looking at Jiang Ruo as if to say — aren’t you capable of cooking?

Surprised, Jiang Ruo laughed. “My amateur cooking skills can barely handle boiling noodles and frying eggs. Besides, I can’t stay with you all the time, I have work, don’t I?”

Although he wasn’t yet swamped with work, Jiang Ruo had seen enough in the entertainment industry to know how busy people could get, even if they weren’t currently working on a project.

Perhaps acknowledging his reasoning, Xi Yufeng said, “I don’t like having others in my home.”

From their interactions over the past few days, Jiang Ruo had a general understanding of Xi Yufeng’s lifestyle. He was indeed a man who valued personal boundaries, typically someone who valued privacy and disliked strangers entering his private domain.

Jiang Ruo couldn’t tell if Xi Yufeng’s “others” included him. Just as he was about to ask, he noticed that Xi Yufeng had already closed his eyes, resting quietly.

It seemed he hadn’t slept well last night either.

Jiang Ruo fell silent, leaned forward to tap on the backrest of the driver’s seat, signaling Old Liu to lower the music volume.

Sitting back, he played with his phone for a while. When he raised his head, intending to look out the window to see where they were, his gaze involuntarily landed on the person beside him.

Leaning against the chair, arms crossed, in a posture that was weary yet tense, with a frown still on his face even in half-sleep. This gave Jiang Ruo the illusion of being closer to him, as if he was catching a glimpse of those involuntary circumstances that Xi Yufeng kept hidden from the world.

The new week brought busyness for Jiang Ruo.

On Monday, his agent arrived at the office building, summoned by a phone call. As he looked at the agency contract in front of him, Jiang Ruo was somewhat confused.

Assuming he was worried about being tricked, the middle-aged female agent, surnamed Zheng, said, “President Xi has reviewed each clause of this contract. What Teacher Jiang needs to understand is that it’s a five-year agreement, with a seventy-thirty split, seventy percent going to Teacher Jiang.”

Jiang Ruo had signed agency contracts before, so there was no way he didn’t know that this treatment was excessively generous for an actor who wasn’t particularly well-known.

Since Xi Yufeng had made the final decision, Jiang Ruo had nothing to worry about. He simply asked, “Are there no requirements for me?”

The agent smiled. “Of course there are, but they’re not convenient to write into the contract. For example, maintaining self-discipline during the contract period, being cautious with words and actions, and…not being allowed to fall in love.”

Hearing the last requirement, Jiang Ruo’s mind inexplicably flashed with Xi Yufeng’s face.

As Xi Yufeng’s employee, she must have known about their relationship. Jiang Ruo followed her lead with a smile. “That’s natural. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t dare.”

Signing his name on the last page of the contract, the agent extended her hand. “I’m Zheng Yiting, you can call me Sister Zheng from now on.”

Shaking her hand, Jiang Ruo said, “My surname is Jiang, just don’t call me Teacher Jiang, anything else is fine.”

Zheng Yiting laughed again. “Mr. Jiang has a good sense of humor. Maybe you should consider taking on a few comedy roles in the future.”

Jiang Ruo said indifferently, “Sure, as long as Sister Zheng can help me secure roles, I wouldn’t mind playing a beggar.”

Despite these words, Zheng Yiting, with her over a decade of experience as a professional agent, had already drafted a detailed plan for Jiang Ruo’s acting career. On that day, she handed him two scripts, asking him to choose one to audition for.

One was a fourth male lead in a theatrical film, the other a second male lead in a historical drama series.

Looking through them, Jiang Ruo found neither role had many scenes, but they were both characterized by rich personalities and tragic backgrounds, with complicated experiences that would easily leave a deep impression on the audience.

This demonstrated Zheng Yiting’s discerning eye for scripts and her thoughtful planning for his career. If she only cared about short-term gains, she could have easily pushed him towards popular fast-food dramas or talent shows, making him quickly famous and then quickly forgotten, cashing in a quick profit before moving on.

Thus, Jiang Ruo took it especially seriously, re-examining the scripts carefully, asking, “Can’t I try out for both?”

“Of course you can,” Zheng Yiting replied. “However, if you succeed in both, you’ll be very busy for the next half year, and President Xi might not be happy about it.”

Her frankness left Jiang Ruo feeling no need to beat around the bush.

“President Xi is much busier than me, leaving me idle would just be in his way.” He smiled. “Besides, I must strive hard. I may not aim for a big windfall, but I certainly can’t let him lose money on me, right?”

Understanding his meaning, Zheng Yiting immediately pulled out her phone. “Then I’ll contact the two directors, let’s try out for both.”

On Thursday, Jiang Ruo arrived at a photography studio on the outskirts of the city to shoot a magazine cover.

The staff responsible for the photoshoot had apparently done their homework, knowing that Jiang Ruo had learned to dance, and arranged clothes with strong design elements for him.

These kinds of fashion outfits either wrapped people up like dumplings or used as little fabric as possible. Unfortunately, Jiang Ruo was assigned the latter. There was only one outfit with normal sleeves and a properly sized neckline, while the others were missing here and revealing there. With the on-site fan turned on, he instantly felt a chill as if he were standing naked.

Xiao Shen didn’t quite understand this aesthetic either. During halftime, she asked, “What do you think, Teacher Jiang?”

Jiang Ruo raised an eyebrow. “Do you want me to comment on my own body?”

“No, no,” Xiao Shen blushed. “I just meant this kind of…wild style.”

“Fashion isn’t influenced by outside factors, it has its own set of standards,” Jiang Ruo said. “That’s what we call chic, so whether I like it or not doesn’t matter.”

Xiao Shen responded with a half-understanding “Oh,” then asked, “Should we send these photos to President Xi for a look?”

Jiang Ruo’s hand holding the cup suddenly trembled, spilling most of the ice water.

Upon hearing Xiao Shen explain the reason, Jiang Ruo learned that his movements would be relayed to Xi Yufeng’s assistant Shi through Xiao Shen, eventually reaching Xi Yufeng’s ears. Jiang Ruo rubbed his forehead, thinking that life under surveillance was indeed a bit terrifying.

“But I will only report necessary information,” Xiao Shen added. “For things I’m unsure about, I’ll still seek your approval first.”

Not wanting to make things difficult for the young girl, Jiang Ruo said, “Anyway, it’s going to be published in a magazine, so everyone in the country will see it. Send it if you want.”

After Xiao Shen asked the photographer to copy the original photos, Jiang Ruo regretted his decision.

He asked Xiao Shen to send him the original photos, saving them to his phone while saying, “Why go through so many intermediaries? I’ll send them to him myself.”

The shooting lasted from noon until evening. Afterward, Jiang Ruo joined in selecting the photos, which took another two hours.

Perhaps because they hadn’t encountered such a cooperative artist in a long time, the attitude of the photography crew toward Jiang Ruo changed from courteous to enthusiastic over the course of just an afternoon. The team leader also praised Jiang Ruo for his good presence in front of the camera and his ability to handle various styles, wanting to schedule a solo photoshoot with him.

Xiao Shen officially replied that commercial invitations needed to be reported to the agent and depended on the availability of the schedule. Jiang Ruo listened, vaguely feeling like he had truly become a star.

When it was time to wrap up, the leading staff member invited Jiang Ruo to dine with everyone. As he hesitated whether to accept, Xiao Shen nudged him, giving a meaningful glance outside.

Jiang Ruo caught the hint and politely declined. “I have something else to do today, but I’ve saved your contact information. Let’s arrange another time.”

Previously, Zheng Yiting mentioned over the phone that she had work-related matters to discuss in person. Jiang Ruo assumed she was coming over, so when he stepped outside and saw a black business car parked around the corner, he was quite surprised.

Opening the door and getting into the car, Jiang Ruo greeted with a laugh. “Was looking at the photos not enough, so you came to see me in person?”

As usual, Xi Yufeng sat in the right rear seat. Hearing this, he looked at the person on his left, noncommittally replying, “Incidentally.”

Dressed in a suit, with a faint scent of tobacco, and a hint of weariness in his brows, Jiang Ruo could guess without being told that he had probably just come from a meeting.

The air conditioning was on in the car. Jiang Ruo took off his coat and put it aside, asking, “Where are we going?”

Xi Yufeng said, “To eat.”

Jiang Ruo initially thought it would be another business dinner like the previous one, and he even mentally prepared himself along the way to ensure he wouldn’t be affected by any remarks. But when they arrived and entered the private room, he found it was a two-person suite.

They were really just coming to eat.

It was a Japanese restaurant, the kind where you don’t need to look at the menu to know the per capita spending is high. Jiang Ruo usually passed by without entering, but fortunately, such high-end Japanese restaurants determined their daily menus based on the chef’s discretion, avoiding the awkwardness of not knowing what to order.

Dishes were served to the table one by one, each portion small but exquisite and delicious.

When he couldn’t remember how many courses they had reached, Jiang Ruo prodded something liver-like lying on a piece of bread with his chopsticks, hearing the person sitting opposite him ask, “Doesn’t suit your taste?”

Jiang Ruo immediately looked up. “No, it’s very tasty.”

Xi Yufeng asked, “Then why aren’t you talking?”

“It’s too quiet here,” Jiang Ruo dared not raise his voice. “Should I say something? Like in the TV shows, pointing my thumb up and shouting ‘Oishii'(delicious)?”

Although Xi Yufeng didn’t know which TV show this came from, it didn’t hinder him from finding it amusing, sweeping away the accumulated fatigue.

He said, “Mm, you can do that.”

Relieved, Jiang Ruo began to aimlessly search for topics. “What’s this? Pig liver?”

“Goose liver.”

“Oh, no wonder they only gave two slices…Then what animal’s tongue is this?”

“Beef tongue.”

“No wonder it’s so tough…Then, did you get hard when you saw the photos I sent you?”

The sudden change in topic caused Xi Yufeng’s hand to pause. He looked at the person across from him. “What do you think?”

Jiang Ruo feigned ignorance, looking up at the sky. “What can I say? We’ll talk about it when we get back.”

The familiar “we’ll talk about it when we get back” was clearly a case of fighting fire with fire, deliberately provoking.

In response, Xi Yufeng only chuckled softly. Not only did he not take offense, but he also pushed the untouched goose liver bread in front of him to the opposite side.

This action stunned Jiang Ruo for a moment. He was tasting goose liver for the first time today, and he was amazed by its unique delicate texture. Could it be that his expression management had failed earlier?

Pausing for only a moment, Jiang Ruo asked with a smile, “Do you have children at home?”

Xi Yufeng shot him a look, asking how he came to that conclusion.

Jiang Ruo explained straightforwardly, “Otherwise, how did you learn these tricks? Patting heads and giving treats, these are all child-soothing tactics.”

Xi Yufeng understood. “There aren’t any kids at home, but there is one here.”

Jiang Ruo didn’t catch on for a moment, looking around. “Here? Is there?”

Turning around, he inadvertently met a pair of eyes filled with amusement, and the strings of his heart that had just calmed were suddenly plucked again.

Xi Yufeng looked at him, his tone deep. “Isn’t that you?”