Chapter One Hundred and One: Trading Barbs

He himself was a secret drunkard in private, though the sort who appreciated fine liquor. The limited eighty-two vintage red wine was considered a treasure of the very highest order among connoisseurs; anyone fortunate enough to taste it would be delighted beyond measure.

The opening of the bottle, the Fenyu wine, and the pouring were all tasks the assistant director had snatched from Assistant Li’s assistant. Anyone with eyes could tell that this assistant director, only about twenty years old, was probably a fresh graduate here to gain experience. He had been given a position that seemed to place him beneath only one and above ten thousand, yet in the crew he might have had little more presence than the logistics staff.

In any setting, between deputy and chief, there was always an unbridgeable gulf of status.

Watching the assistant director bustle back and forth, the people at the table took it all in stride. Lin Yu wanted to help, but Xiao Lin stopped him with a glance.

“Don’t take it upon yourself to help. Otherwise, any kindness you show later will become a debt you owe.”

Lin Yu half understood, then quickly grasped the reason.

This table reflected the differences in status and background within the circle and in society at large.

The second male lead and second female lead sounded impressive enough, but in truth they sometimes had to actively help the assistant director with whatever they could and make themselves visible before Wu De. Every gesture and glance was meant to express the desire for another chance to work with this top-tier director.

The first male lead and first female lead sat properly in their seats enjoying the service of others, but when Li Shiche rose unnoticed and walked toward Liang Shiyi, the first male lead, Qiao Song, sensibly gave up his seat at once.

Halfway through the drinking, Wu De, one of the hosts, was already so drunk that his words had grown slurred. If his gaze lingered on any actor for even a moment longer, the assistant director would exchange a look with that person. Soon after, the invited actress who had ranked somewhere near the bottom immediately got up and left the room.

What would happen next was obvious even to a fool. The waters of the entertainment world ran deep. If you had neither backing nor strength, and if you lacked both looks and intelligence, you might never even squeeze your way into a crew dinner in your entire life. Once you did get in, you would be reduced to some supporting role so minor that it was unclear whether the camera would even catch you. If you were not proactive, how could you fight for opportunities for yourself?

Every unspoken rule at the drinking table reflected the human calculations of real society.

Perhaps he simply had no interest in fitting into the banquet’s rhythm. Perhaps he really had drunk too much and had a poor tolerance for alcohol. Either way, he seemed especially out of sorts.

Xiao Lin noticed that something was off with Lin Yu. He spoke little, and fearing he might be bored, she found an excuse to take him back to the hotel to rest.

Downstairs at the restaurant, Lin Yu’s eyes cleared at once. Rubbing his forehead, he said, “I really didn’t expect a simple dinner to have this much to learn.”

Xiao Lin burst out laughing. “If you’re mixing in this circle, there’s still a lot you need to understand.”

Lin Yu tilted his head at her as if he did not get it. “Mm?”

Xiao Lin frowned in exasperation. “You didn’t just make up an excuse to sneak off because you wanted to be lazy and go back to rest, did you?”

“That’s not quite it,” Lin Yu said with a smile tugging at his lips. “I’m just a rustic fellow who can’t appreciate refined cuisine.”

“After eating too much greasy food, you end up wanting to try the taste of street stalls instead. I know there’s a snack street nearby. Want to go take a look?”

Xiao Lin: ...

Fine, fine. She had thought he understood the rules of the circle and knew that as a newcomer he should not linger too close and listen in on too many secrets from the big shots. But no—he was just hungry and used it as an excuse to leave.

So he really was just a foodie, then?

Since Ji Ya had instructed her that she could not refuse anything Lin Yu needed, she nodded and agreed to his request, accompanying him to the nearby snack street.

The people coming and going were mostly students from the nearby universities. In the city center stood a university district, home to one of the most famous institutions in the city. Many people fought tooth and nail to get in, but even when recruiting from outside, the university gave priority to local students.

The snack street was extraordinarily lively, mainly because the locals were mostly wealthy young heirs and heirs apparent. They had money to burn; their monthly living expenses were basically equal to several months of a salaried worker’s hard-earned pay. Their lives were better than others could even dream of, and surrounded by all sorts of people, they had no need to worry about the hardships of daily life.

They could eat whatever they wanted, and the snack street’s booming business left the owners unable to hide their smiles.

Lin Yu had not brought much money with him, nor did he want to waste too much on food, so he only ordered a few snacks—fish balls, fried tofu, and the like—and finally two cups of milk tea.

After eating and drinking to his fill, he took Xiao Lin back to the hotel, and they each returned to their rooms to rest.

Lin Yu had eaten too much and still could not fall asleep, so he got up and ran for half an hour. The five-star hotel had complete facilities; the third floor housed a gym with treadmills and all kinds of equipment. Soaking wet with sweat, Lin Yu returned to his room, took a shower, and slept comfortably.

Tomorrow would be the official start of filming, and Lin Yu had to preserve his strength. As a rookie actor, and representing Ji Fei Company’s image, he could not allow even the slightest failure.

Other actors might have retakes. Even an Oscar-winning actor could make mistakes. But Lin Yu carried a heavy burden, and no mistake was permitted to happen.

...

Early the next morning, at six o’clock, Xiao Lin knocked on Lin Yu’s door and saw that he had already finished his cardio workout. Fine beads of sweat glistened on his forehead as he panted in a simple T-shirt, his arm muscles exposed and his physique solid enough to leave her momentarily dazed.

“You got up so early?”

Xiao Lin resisted the urge to touch his muscles, but could not stop looking at him as though examining a work of art. She made a request: “Pull up your shirt and let me see whether you’ve been training properly lately.”

Lin Yu lifted his shirt, revealing eight perfectly defined abs. With a playful smile, he looked at her and said, “Sister Xiao Lin, if you want to look, just say so. If you don’t say it, how am I supposed to know you want to?”

“We’re with each other, so if you want something, there’s no need to make it so roundabout.”

Without realizing it, she had stepped back until Lin Yu’s arms held her freedom in place. Only then did Xiao Lin belatedly react, a blush rising across her cheeks, though her expression remained fierce.

“Get lost!”

Lin Yu grinned foolishly as if he had heard nothing at all. The smile at the corners of his mouth was harder to suppress than a rifle shot, and teasing a strong-willed woman while watching her shy expression—well, that kind of contrast was truly what men pursued all their lives. Seeing Xiao Lin like this, all proud and stubborn...

It was rather charming indeed.

Lin Yu could not help laughing out loud. The delight of his prank reached its peak satisfaction. He released her and looked at her with amusement in his eyes.

Still, enough was enough. She was the president’s personal assistant; teasing her was fine, but if he went too far and truly angered her, it would not be worth the cost.

Seeing Lin Yu’s smug, prankster’s smile, Xiao Lin felt deeply embarrassed. Her face flushed red as she grabbed him by the neck, a little angry now.

“Apologize.”

“I’ll count to three!”

“Magic cape.”

Xiao Lin: ...

So you’re the one who knows internet slang, huh? Talking like that and not even afraid of getting hit!