After a Flash Marriage to a Stern Daddy, I Can't Get Divorced - Chapter 5

“I’ve heard a bit about it. The script isn’t bad, it has a stable target audience, and it definitely has the potential to become a massive hit. Besides, the character matches Yun Yao’s image quite well,” He Lindong said, watching Yu Cheng’s reaction. Unfortunately, the man remained completely unreadable.

This guy had been incredibly sharp since childhood, to the point where even if everyone in the Xi family combined their wits, they still wouldn’t be a match for him.

“But, the investors for that production have been constantly shifting. I heard it even led to several lead actors being replaced. I’m not sure if Yun Yao has been affected. Do you want me to send someone to look into it?”

Yu Cheng frowned and shook his head. They hadn’t seen each other in years, and the bright, cheerful boy who once smiled and talked about becoming a violinist had somehow entered the entertainment industry.

He had arrived far too late.

He was gone for so long that he wasn’t even sure if their past encounter still lingered in Yun Yao’s memory.

This time, he wanted to handle things personally.

Meanwhile, Yun Yao was in his hotel room getting familiar with the script.

The author of the original source material and the screenwriter for this drama were the same person, and the director was someone highly respected in the industry. Because of their strict quality control, they had specifically set aside a week after the cast assembled just for script readings.

Yun Yao was actually quite thrilled. He used to bounce around various sets playing minor extra roles, and The Coming of Winter was the only project he had done that actually held proper table reads. For the rest, the actors were usually left to study the scripts on their own, occasionally doing a quick walkthrough on set right before filming a major scene.

This thoroughness gave him a lot more confidence in the production. Unfortunately, on just the third day, disaster struck out of nowhere.

Starting from yesterday, investors began pulling their funds one after another. In a single day, two new investors backed out just as quickly as they had signed on. The female lead and several major supporting actors were even replaced.

With the market slump over the past two years, the budget for long-form dramas had been severely squeezed. It was common practice for capital to withdraw at the last minute or swap out actors right before cameras rolled, but this was the first time Yun Yao had ever witnessed actors being replaced after the official start of production.

The production he was currently working on managed to suffer from both issues. Hearing the actors in the neighboring rooms packing up and leaving one after another, Yun Yao’s heart sank. He quietly pulled out his own suitcase.

Seeing this, Qing Qing scrambled to her feet to stop him. “Don’t panic just yet! You were personally chosen for this role by the screenwriter. They can’t just replace you without a word.”

Yun Yao sighed. “Who do you think has more power, the investors or the screenwriter?”

Qing Qing fell silent and quietly began helping him pack.

Just as they finished restoring the entire room to its original state, a knock finally sounded at the door.

Yun Yao and Qing Qing exchanged a look. One pushed the suitcase while the other grabbed the bags, and together they walked over to open the door.

The assistant director froze for a second when he saw the scene before him.

“Mr. Yun, what exactly are you doing?”

Yun Yao looked down at his suitcase, then up at the assistant director’s thoroughly baffled face, before quickly straightening his posture.

“Oh, right, this room feels a bit damp. I was thinking of heading downstairs to see if I could switch to a room with better sunlight.”

The assistant director nodded in realization. “Ah, I see. Well, that works out perfectly. Let me escort you up. Starting today, you’re being upgraded to the presidential suite upstairs.”

Yun Yao was stunned. “…Didn’t they say our production was running on a tight budget? Why the sudden upgrade to a presidential suite?”

“Oh, so you haven’t heard yet. We were short on funds before, but just an hour ago, a fresh wave of investment completely cleared. Your meals, accommodations, and overall treatment on set have all been upgraded by several tiers.”

Yun Yao blinked. “Really? Just like that?”

“We only just received the notice ourselves. For the past two days, the director had us scrimping on every little thing,” the assistant director said with a smile. “I honestly thought this production was doomed, but as the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining.”

Yun Yao let out a breath of relief. It truly was an unexpected stroke of luck.

A few minutes later, Yun Yao and Qing Qing stood inside the massive presidential suite, their eyes wide and their jaws practically hitting the floor for ten solid minutes.

“Mr. Yun, are we finally hitting the big time?” Qing Qing asked excitedly. This was her very first time stepping inside a presidential suite.

Yun Yao had grown up in comfortable wealth back when he lived with the Yun family, and he had stayed in places like this when traveling with his parents. However, after his mother passed away, his life had become a blur of instability. He later fled from Chengdu to Hong Kong, living a transient and solitary life.

He hadn’t lived comfortably in a very long time.

Even during his rising popularity after The Coming of Winter aired, the best room his agency had ever booked for him was an executive suite. This was the first time in years he had stayed in such a luxurious place.

“We’re still a long way from hitting the big time. At best, this is just a stroke of dumb luck,” Yun Yao said calmly as he unpacked his things.

Even though he had an assistant, Qing Qing was a girl, and since they were close in age, certain situations could still be awkward. He generally preferred to handle personal items like his undergarments himself.

“Oh, don’t be so pessimistic! Compared to the other artists at the agency, you’re already doing amazing. Think about how many people spend two years in this industry without ever getting a foot in the door.”

Qing Qing was a few years older than Yun Yao, possessing an outgoing and optimistic personality.

Yun Yao was well aware of how fortunate he was, which was why he remained deeply grateful and grounded, never allowing himself to become arrogant.

That evening, the director called a special meeting for the core cast and crew.

When Yun Yao arrived at the conference room, he was surprised to see the same familiar faces from the script readings sitting around him.

What was going on? Were they not replacing the actors after all?

“I’m sure everyone has heard about the various shake-ups our production has gone through recently,” the director announced, sporting a broad smile that looked infinitely better than his stressed expression from the day before.

“We certainly have. Our male lead here was actually about to pack his bags today,” the assistant director teased lightheartedly.

Yun Yao rubbed his nose and poked fun at himself. “I was just terrified, honestly. For a moment there, I thought I was going to be unemployed again.”

Before The Coming of Winter aired, he had been recast and dropped from projects quite frequently. His candid remark made everyone burst into laughter.

The constant changes over the past two days had kept everyone’s nerves on edge, courtesy of the fluctuating investors. Everyone had been practically numb with anxiety.

Now that they could finally breathe a sigh of relief, the director looked equally gratified.

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that anymore. Our new investor is officially on board. They explicitly stated that they deeply respect the director and screenwriter, so they won’t interfere at all with the casting or the script content.”

Hearing this, everyone’s faces lit up with joy.

This was especially true for the female lead, Mu Xueying, who had just narrowly survived the recasting scare.

“Oh my god, my heart can finally settle back into my chest.”

The rest of the supporting cast let out collective sighs of relief, and one of the more lighthearted actors couldn’t help but joke around.

“Which direction is this investor currently in? I need to bow down and pay my respects right this second.”

The others laughed and joined in, clapping their hands together in mock prayer.

“Me too, let me bow as well! What an absolute angel of a backer!”

Seeing their reactions, the director chuckled. “There’s no need to bow from a distance. The investor is actually here on set and will be joining us shortly to say hello.”

“Wow, this person is a savior to our entire crew. You need to treat them to a magnificent dinner, Director!”

“They don’t need my meager hospitality. In fact, they’ve gone ahead and arranged a five-star buffet dinner for us instead. Don’t leave just yet, everyone. The food is waiting for us at the hotel restaurant.”

The director beamed as he shared the wonderful news.

Investors these days usually insisted on forcing their own choices into the cast, or sending an army of unqualified executives to tell the professionals how to shoot a film.

This was the very first time he had ever encountered a financial backer who chose to remain completely hands-off.

Over the last two days, he had genuinely feared that this script would be ruined under his watch. Thankfully, things took a turn for the better, and everything had resolved beautifully at the final hour.

Beside him, the female lead, Mu Xueying, marveled at the situation. “To think we’d encounter such a miracle these days. I have to get a good look at this person later to see if they literally have a halo over their head.”

Yun Yao arched an eyebrow. Investors like this truly were a rare breed nowadays.

Seeing how excited everyone was, he couldn’t help but feel curious about the identity of this mysterious savior.

He had already eaten his strict nutritional meal in his room, but the moment he heard the spread was prepared by Michelin-starred chefs, his inner foodie completely took over.

He immediately dragged his assistant along.

Qing Qing felt a little anxious. “Yaoyao, filming officially starts in just two days. We really shouldn’t be overindulging like this…”

“What’s there to worry about? Look at our female lead,” Yun Yao said, nodding toward Mu Xueying. “If she isn’t worried about it, why should a grown man like me care?”

Qing Qing burst out laughing. “You’re basically still a kid at an age where your appetite is through the roof and you can easily gain weight. What does that have to do with being a grown man?”

Yun Yao replied helplessly, “My dear sister, you’ve got it completely backward. I’m at the age where my metabolism is burning through everything. It’s just one dinner, I won’t bloat up.”

Qing Qing watched from a distance as the chefs expertly grilled steaks, swallowing hard at the sight before finally giving in.

“Fine, but just this one meal. The absolute last one.”

Yun Yao thought, Why does she make it sound like I’m eating my last meal before going to a slaughterhouse?

Despite his enthusiasm, Yun Yao remained quite restrained while eating. He used to be rather indifferent toward food, but lately, his taste buds had been utterly spoiled by his new neighbor’s frequent treats.

It felt like his palate was constantly searching for something specific.

As he ate, he found himself missing the days of being pampered with food at home. He was convinced his new neighbor must be a kind, beautiful woman. He took a bite of a crab roe bun, noting that the flavor didn’t even come close to the ones from Li’s Bakery.

Perhaps she was a sharp, successful professional woman who regularly dined at exclusive private kitchens.

As for why he had completely ruled out the possibility of a man, he simply couldn’t imagine any guy having the time or the inclination to exchange silly notes back and forth with a random neighbor, sharing their daily meals.

Consequently, when that supposedly kind, beautiful neighbor actually materialized right in front of him an hour later, Yun Yao completely failed to recognize him.

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god… That’s our big financial backer?” Qing Qing whispered, quickly covering her mouth to muffle a stunned shriek.

“If the director hadn’t introduced him, I would’ve thought he was some rising star from the modeling world. Look at those shoulders, look at those legs… I’m about to drop to my knees,” Mu Xueying said, freezing with a pork rib halfway to her mouth, savory sauce still clinging to her lips.

“Why does he have to be a model? Isn’t that face alone absolutely stunning?” Yun Yao spoke up to disagree this time, though he had thought the exact same thing about the man’s modeling potential during their very first encounter.

The moment Yu Cheng arrived, he spotted Yun Yao holding a plate of food, staring blankly in his direction.

A slight curve touched his lips. Knowing that Yun Yao had recognized him, he took long, confident strides directly toward the young actor, looking quite pleased.

Meanwhile, the three individuals standing together widened their eyes in absolute shock.

Qing Qing gasped excitedly, “Is… is he walking toward us?”

Mu Xueying gripped her fork tightly, swallowing hard out of sheer nerves. “It… it looks like it…”

Yun Yao let out a soft breath, his emotions just as tightly wound as the two women beside him.

Yu Cheng greeted Yun Yao with the easy familiarity of an old acquaintance.

“Long time no see.”

The moment the words left his mouth, every single eye in the room locked onto Yun Yao.

Just ten minutes prior, Yu Cheng’s entrance had instantly captured the entire room’s attention.

The standard image of an investor in everyone’s minds was usually a gray-haired, pot-bellied businessman. Yet, the Yu Cheng standing before them possessed thick black hair, and the sharp lines of his shirt moving against his frame left no doubt that he possessed a perfectly toned physique.

Furthermore, his striking facial features and commanding height looked like they had been meticulously sculpted by a master craftsman.

For someone who possessed every imaginable ideal trait to suddenly reveal that he knew one of their colleagues, the impact was nothing short of a bombshell.

The looks directed at Yun Yao ranged from shock to intense envy, with a few fellow actors silently burning with jealousy.

However, Yun Yao, the absolute center of everyone’s attention, couldn’t bring himself to care about any of that right now.

He had never expected to cross paths with Yu Cheng again, let alone have the man show up as the new savior of their entire production. His heart raced with an irrepressible surge of excitement.

He had genuinely assumed they would never see each other again. After all, Hong Kong was a massive city, and they moved in entirely different circles.

Yet here he was, stepping in to rescue the project, with Yun Yao potentially being his only acquaintance in the room. It was impossible not to view this as a twist of fate.

A quiet, childish sense of delight bloomed in Yun Yao’s chest, mimicking the pure, simple joy he used to feel as a kid whenever a kindergarten teacher rewarded him with a little red sticker.

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