readytorunbook Chapter 188 Is My Brother Jealous? Want to Try Body Painting? [Corrected]
Chapter 188 Is My Brother Jealous? Want to Try Body Painting? [Corrected]
As arranged by director Major, no filming was scheduled for the first day. Instead, the group first visited the filming location and studio.
Yan Zhuoyu slept well last night and was in great spirits. Qiao Xinyun grabbed her and reviewed the cast of "Ash Age: Dawn 11" again.
After all, foreign names are generally long and it's easy to have trouble recognizing faces. This drama has a lot of supporting characters, so it's good to familiarize yourself with them beforehand to avoid the embarrassment of not being able to remember their names later.
Yan Zhuoyu didn't notice anything amiss during the entire car ride.
But after she got out of the car and greeted Director Major and his entourage one by one, and walked a distance, she felt soreness in her legs. Her originally soft and comfortable wool undershirt became itchy, especially in those two places, where it rubbed raw.
Major and several staff members walked ahead, pointing enthusiastically and proudly at the set in front of them.
"Ms. Yan, this is the location where we will be filming later. We are fortunate to have received strong support from a generous sponsor, who has provided us with even better special effects. I believe the new season will definitely bring the audience an unprecedented visual feast!"
Yan Zhuoyu looked up and saw that, perhaps due to increased funding, the futuristic urban ruins in front of her were more exquisite than in previous seasons.
In China, few production teams are willing to invest heavily in special effects; instead, they prefer to use their funds to cast popular celebrities. This is Yan Zhuoyu's first time participating in a big-budget TV series, a great opportunity for her.
She was eager to try and responded earnestly to Director Major's words.
Qiao Xinyun, standing beside him, revealed a subtle expression.
Her eyelids twitched. How come every time her artist arrived, generous sponsors followed?
Could this be another instance of playful behavior between a young couple...?
In the evening, Director Mei led the crew to the reserved restaurant.
Once most of the crew had arrived, Director Mei cleared her throat and raised her voice: "Let me introduce you all. This is Yan Zhuoyu, who will be playing the role of Nightingale. Welcome!"
Yan Zhuoyu stood up, raised her wine glass, and politely greeted everyone: "It is an honor to meet you all."
The short-haired, spirited woman sitting to the director's right, who had been resting her chin on her hand and feeling bored, raised an eyebrow when she saw Yan Zhuoyu and raised her glass to her, saying, "Ms. Yan, hello. I'm Una."
The introduction was very concise, yet it made Yan Zhuoyu's eyes light up.
Isn't this the female lead from the TV series "Ashes," which she watched grow up?
When they were little, Una gave her a birthday present once, but after Jiang Yuelin passed away, the two lost contact.
It's said that Westerners have a short flowering period, but this doesn't apply to Una; she remains as beautiful and dashing as ever.
Yan Zhuoyu felt a sense of kinship but did not show it here. Instead, she smiled and clinked glasses with her: "Hello, Ms. Una, it's a pleasure to meet you."
“I’m so happy, darling.”
Una's lips, painted with nude lipstick, curved upwards as she downed the glass of white wine in one gulp, her eyes filled with inquiry.
She never expected that her love-struck friend's daughter would also become an actress.
Is this considered a case of the son following in his mother's footsteps? That's quite interesting. Hopefully, he won't be another love-obsessed woman; a woman's career is the most important thing.
Not long after Yan Zhuoyu sat down, another young man walked into the private room.
He greeted everyone with a smile, but when his gaze fell on Yan Zhuoyu, he paused for a moment, but quickly regained his composure.
"You must be the newcomer Director Mei Jie mentioned, Ms. Yan?"
The boy had blond hair and the typical image of a sunny, American-looking young man. Seeing an empty seat next to Yan Zhuoyu, he went straight to sit down.
He smiled, revealing eight teeth, looking just like a golden retriever: "Hello, my name is Angelo."
Since the other party took the initiative to speak and extended a hand of friendship, Yan Zhuoyu naturally couldn't respond coldly.
She remembered that Angelo played the youngest son of the C-sector supervisor in the show. Because of his sunny and lively personality, he enthusiastically helped the main characters and provided assistance at crucial moments, which made him very popular among the show's fans.
However, according to netizens' speculation, this character will most likely die this season.
As Yan Zhuoyu was shaking hands with Angelo, someone beside her urged, "Director, when do we start? I think everyone's here."
Before Director Major could even open his mouth to explain, the half-closed door to the private room was pushed open from the outside.
A distinguished man in a bespoke suit strode in, followed by his secretary.
He was tall and imposing, with hair that was clearly meticulously styled. He wore a charcoal gray suit over a light-colored shirt, and had striking eyebrows and bright eyes. He exuded an extraordinary aura, and his broad shoulders and narrow waist gave him a physique that was almost superior to that of a male model.
The moment the man appeared, he immediately attracted everyone's attention.
They fell silent simultaneously, their eyes filled with surprise and curiosity.
Clearly, men also hold a prominent position in this country.
Angelo blinked and muttered honestly, "The director's really something, managing to get this guy's technical sponsorship."
He was worried that Yan Zhuoyu wouldn't recognize him, so he whispered to her the legendary story of this man in the business world.
Yan Zhuoyu listened to him tell her story about her husband with a blank expression, nodding occasionally in agreement.
"Yes, yes, that's right, President Pei is very outstanding."
How could her man not be outstanding? No one who isn't outstanding can be her husband. She can't let herself suffer at the expense of anyone else.
Although she had expected that Pei Weijin would be the sponsor, Yan Zhuoyu was still confused.
Why isn't President Pei's hair as perfect as it is now when we met last night?
Director Mei stood up with a smile and introduced, "This is our newest sponsor, Mr. Pei."
"Hello, Mr. Pei." Everyone greeted him.
Yan Zhuoyu's voice was drowned out by the greetings from others, and although she spoke in Chinese, it did not seem out of place in this setting.
Pei Weijin's gaze swept over Yan Zhuoyu and An Qiluo's fingers, which had just touched and then quickly separated, without leaving a trace, before he casually looked away.
He gave a curt nod in response.
This table is mostly occupied by the core members of the film crew; the table is long and narrow.
Pei Weijin did not go to the seat reserved for him by director Mei Jie, but instead went to the seat opposite Yan Zhuoyu.
He asked, "Sir, it was too windy on the way here, and I feel a little dizzy. May I sit here?"
The person being questioned quickly made room for him, without daring to ask what the dizziness had to do with the seat.
Just kidding, the big shot joined with a lot of money, and the whole crew benefited. He can sit wherever he wants.
He still has that awareness!
Director Mei Jie was rather casual and didn't seem to care why Pei Weijin wasn't sitting in the seat of honor.
Una, however, fiddled with her hair, glancing at the rings on Yan Zhuoyu and Pei Weijin's hands with a mocking look.
Tsk.
Once everyone was present, the waiters began serving the dishes.
Yan Zhuoyu lowered her head and focused intently on cutting her steak; she was truly hungry.
To achieve Nightingale's six-pack abs, she had been controlling her diet for a long time, and even did several sets of high-intensity training in the hotel gym that morning.
I was busy visiting places at noon and barely ate anything.
A subtle gaze lingered on her from time to time.
Angelo, who was standing next to Yan Zhuoyu, was like a social butterfly and was very lively at the dinner table.
He had just finished talking with Una when he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Yan Zhuoyu's side was a bit deserted. Worried that she might be uncomfortable in this kind of setting, he jokingly interjected:
"Miss Yan, what do you think of the food at this hotel?"
"I've often seen you guys online saying that white food is bad. Although I've never been to China, the food you Chinese netizens share is indeed delicious and looks amazing."
Yan Zhuoyu ate a few pieces of steak and drank a glass of red wine, and her hunger was finally relieved.
She was quite interested in the topic Angelo brought up.
"It was pretty good. The steak was cooked to perfection, tender and juicy, and the dessert wasn't too sweet. As for the so-called white food, I think every country has its unique food culture and habits. As long as it suits your personal taste, it's the best for your health."
When Angelo saw that her glass was empty, he opened a bottle of grape juice and refilled it for her.
He blinked and whispered to her, "Haha, actually I think this restaurant is just so-so. Although the food is good, the portions are too small. You can finish everything in one bite."
Yan Zhuoyu straightened the cup and said thank you.
Looking up again and seeing his energetic smile, I couldn't help but feel a similar sentiment to Lin Xiangyi.
Being young is great; you're so full of energy even when you're out working.
Sitting opposite the two, Pei Weijin lowered his eyes and cut his steak. He pursed his thin lips and listened calmly as Yan Zhuoyu chatted with another man.
His face was almost reflected in the smooth blade.
He thought it was nothing, just a work requirement, and he couldn't be so selfish as to interfere with her social life.
Despite saying that, Pei Weijin's heart was still stirred.
Yan Zhuoyu and he have known each other for a long time. From Jiang Yu when he was nine years old to Pei Weijin when he is twenty-five years old, the two can almost be considered childhood sweethearts.
In such settings, the number of people is small but the quality is high, and any interaction between the two people can become the focus of everyone's attention.
To avoid suspicion, she rarely made eye contact with Pei Weijin, but she always kept an eye on him out of the corner of her eye.
Pei Weijin showed no obvious emotional fluctuations. Even Meng Yuting, who had followed him for many years, found it difficult to accurately guess what his boss was thinking at this moment.
But Yan Zhuoyu knew that something was wrong with Pei Weijin.
She gently stroked her chin and began to review what had just happened.
Angelo couldn't sit still; with a living Chinese person right next to him, he simply couldn't suppress his curiosity.
He was filled with awe for the mysterious country of China, but there were only two Chinese people present. President Pei's occasional glances were chilling, and he didn't dare to say a word.
In contrast, Yan Zhuoyu appeared very friendly!
"Sister, I'm planning a trip to China with my friends during the holidays. I heard from the director that you're from Beijing, the capital of China, right? Do you have any recommendations for good food?"
Yan Zhuoyu was thinking about how to coax little Pei, so she casually replied, "Soybean juice."
The boy's eyes lit up. He wasn't even eighteen yet, and his favorite drink was soy milk.
"Is douzhi a soy product? I like it!"
"What about a Chinese name? Can you help me choose one, sister?"
"Hmm, Li Hua is a good name."
……
Meanwhile, Pei Weijin had already cut all the steaks on the plate into bite-sized pieces, but he didn't eat a single bite, letting them get cold.
Yan Zhuoyu tapped her fair fingertips lightly on the table twice, then picked up the glass of grape juice that Angelo had poured for her and took a small sip.
Sure enough, someone glanced at her again, accidentally meeting Yan Zhuoyu's gaze, and then subtly looked away.
Case solved.
President Pei is jealous.
Yan Zhuoyu didn't drink the rest of the juice and commented quietly in Chinese, "It's so sour."
Surrounded by foreigners, it's obvious who this sarcastic remark is meant for.
The person who was pretending to be calm heard this, but simply took a sip of red wine without saying a word.
So what if he's jealous? He doesn't have a formal marriage certificate. His wife is working hard for her career and can't be unreasonable.
Angelo, with her sharp ears, didn't understand and asked, "Sister, what did you just say?"
Yan Zhuoyu shook her head and didn't speak to him anymore. If she said a few more words, he would probably cut the plate into pieces again.
The tablecloth for the long table is black, and the fabric is smooth, hanging all the way to the ground.
After a moment's thought, Yan Zhuoyu accidentally knocked a silver spoon to the ground.
The clinking sound was inconspicuous on the lively table amidst the clinking of glasses and the enthusiastic atmosphere.
But the man who had been watching her paused, his grey eyes, filled with suppressed concern, looking over.
Yan Zhuoyu smiled apologetically, bent down to pick up the spoon, and didn't forget how far Pei Weijin was from her.
As she stood up, she silently complained to herself.
Pei Weijin's shoes today were also new, shining brightly!
The waiter, being very perceptive, came over and took the silver spoon with both hands: "Madam, please leave the soiled tableware to us."
Afterwards, a new set of tableware was given to Yan Zhuoyu.
Pei Weijin stayed in the United States and did not go to other countries because he wanted to spend more time with Yan Zhuoyu.
He sponsored the AI imaging technology to director Mei Jie's production team, hoping to add more hype to the drama that Yan Zhuoyu was going to star in.
The same applies to attending the dinner party today.
But it can't be said that these things were done for Yan Zhuoyu; to say that would be to put it in the guise of moral blackmail.
It should be said that he loved Yan Zhuoyu, so he wanted to have more contact with the person he loved in real life.
Seeing that blond guy smiling so brightly as he spoke to Yan Zhuoyu today, a thought suddenly popped into Pei Weijin's mind.
Will she feel like she's making decisions on her own? Will she prefer more outgoing young people?
Pei Weijin recalled the comment about being old, frowned, and his face was as cold and hard as a nail, so that people around him dared not approach him to talk.
He doesn't smoke or drink much, believing that these things only affect a person's rational thinking.
Just as Pei Weijin was about to pick up his wine glass again.
He felt something soft rubbing against his calf.
As if sensing something, Pei Weijin looked up and met Yan Zhuoyu's bright, fox-like eyes, which held a sly smile.
In an instant, the other person looked away again.
Her eyes slanted upwards, captivating all who saw them, as she tapped her phone a few times.
buzz-
Pei Weijin felt his phone vibrate twice in his pocket.
He took out his phone, glanced at it quickly, and then stopped.
Under the table, the woman teased him again with the back of her foot. The familiar address in the message vaguely reminded him that those fair feet had been stepping on his shoulders and lower abdomen last night.
His phone vibrated twice more, seemingly urging him to reply to the message quickly.
Pei Weijin carefully read every word of the message sent by Yan Zhuoyu once again, and the gloom in his heart completely dissipated.
[Zhuo: Is brother jealous? You did a special makeover and wore new clothes today, was it just for me?]
[Zhuo: Why aren't you replying to me? I not only wore the grape-scented lipstick you gave me today, but I also brought it with me. Should I try it on and see if the color needs to be adjusted by the R&D team?]