Let’s put aside the fact that Yan Yixuan gave Ji Ling a good beating in his office for now. Like Yan Yixuan said, he couldn’t just make a decision on his own. Everything had to wait until after the company discussed it thoroughly—only then would Ji Ling get a final, official answer.
But Ji Ling believed in himself. And he believed in Yan Yixuan too.
In an era where every company is trying to diversify, this was such a perfect opportunity—there’s no reason the higher-ups at Yan Group would pass on it. On top of that, it’d shut Yan Yili’s mouth for good. No one could accuse Yan Yixuan of holding the company back anymore.
Plus, Ji Ling had Luo Teng behind him. The Luo family had been knee-deep in the cultural field for years. With them backing him, Yan Group wouldn’t be marching into unknown territory—they’d be walking a smooth, open road.
This would wipe out the shady deals between Yan Yili and those other companies and give Yan Yixuan’s position even more security.
The first big investment project after the Yan Group’s leadership shift would be credited to Yan Yixuan.
Yan Yili would probably be so mad he’d jump up and down.
The thought alone filled Ji Ling with uncontrollable joy.
He stood to gain from this as well. Soon, his name would be known by more people in the industry, which was exactly the kind of win-win situation he loved.
But Luo Tao wasn’t happy about the whole thing. He even called Ji Ling to complain, “I asked you to make a movie with me, and you turned me down. Now you’re going to open a theater with the Yan family? Do you have something against me?”
Ji Ling burst out laughing. “How would I dare? Once I open the theater, I’ll give you all the showtimes for your movies—no questions asked. Even Shen Dongqing’s films, if they flop, I’ll still put them on.”
“Don’t talk nonsense. His movies don’t flop,” Luo Tao shot back. “Whatever, you said it. Don’t go back on your word later.”
“…,” Ji Ling regretted saying anything. If Young Master Luo suddenly got a wild idea and started making poverty-alleviation dramas again, the theater might go bankrupt before it even opened.
Jokes aside, when Luo Teng invested back then, he brought a whole professional team with him. Those people gave Ji Ling a huge boost. So, to repay the Luo brothers, Ji Ling had to get that theater running ASAP.
Now, all he needed was for the east wind to blow from Yan Yixuan’s side.
Lately, Ji Ling had been riding high—like a horse galloping in spring breeze. He felt like he was floating, and honestly, it was the first time in his life he’d ever felt like this.
Not even in his last life had he ever felt this way—so full of energy, hope, and a soft sort of warmth.
And when he was with Yan Yixuan, that feeling only grew stronger.
He rubbed the tip of his nose, starting to feel a tiny wave of anxiety. So he turned all his focus back to work—after all, for him, work was the only cure for a troubled heart.
That crime flick starring that fresh-faced young idol, with Zhong Mingwei playing the supporting role, was finally about to hit theaters. Pre-sales were looking pretty good. There was going to be a premiere event at a theater in S City, and naturally, Ji Ling’s company was handling the arrangements.
Hosting the event in S City meant Zhong Mingwei would be there. If she was coming, then Ji Ling definitely had to be there too.
She didn’t show up until the day of the premiere. The second she saw Ji Ling, she gave him a helpless, tired look.
He asked what was wrong. She just waved it off and said, “You’ll see tonight.”
That night, the premiere began—and Ji Ling finally got it.
The theater was packed with the male lead’s fans. Their enthusiasm was off the charts. Zhong Mingwei, standing off to the side, looked like a high-end flower vase.
Ji Ling immediately had the event staff try to hype up the energy around Zhong Mingwei, so the whole thing wouldn’t feel too awkward.
Looking at it now, being a celeb really wasn’t easy.
If you live off your looks and try chasing acting skills, you’ll have a hard time. And even if you finally get recognized as a ‘real actor,’ keeping your popularity alive is a whole other struggle. You can’t help but feel a little salty when standing next to an idol.
Halfway through the premiere, Ji Ling received a call from Yan Yixuan. Yan Yixuan asked where he was, and Ji Ling replied, “I’m working.”
Ever since Mo Yulan completely “switched sides,” Yan Yixuan didn’t have as clear a grasp on Ji Ling’s whereabouts as he used to.
Ji Ling told him about the premiere, and surprisingly, Yan Yixuan seemed interested.
“Wait there. I’ll come find you.”
Ji Ling was a little surprised. “Aren’t you always the one who rolls his eyes at movies?”
“That’s just romance films. I watch movies too—just usually busy.” Since tomorrow was a day off, Yan Yixuan sounded relaxed. “I’m more interested in the theaters, actually.”
Ji Ling got the message. Chairman Yan was coming to do an on-site inspection.
It was already pretty late. The premiere was wrapping up, and the movie was about to start.
Ji Ling stepped out of the screening room and waited for Yan Yixuan in the parking lot outside.
And when he finally saw him, he froze for a second.
Yan Yixuan had on a long coat, with the lining peeking out in a classy British check pattern. Below that, he wore slim-cut black jeans that made his legs look even longer. His hair was unstyled, just naturally falling across his forehead. The whole vibe was effortless and cool.
He stepped out of an SUV and walked toward Ji Ling.
Back in the day, Yan Yixuan had been a nightclub king. But ever since Ji Ling donated his sports car to charity, Ji Ling hadn’t seen him dress this casually again.
Ji Ling had been telling himself to stay grounded, not let his emotions run wild—but the moment he saw Yan Yixuan, all that self-restraint flew right out the window.
But Ji Ling didn’t think it was his fault—this one’s on Yan Yixuan for being too damn attractive.
“What are you spacing out for?” Yan Yixuan walked up to him, pushed his bangs aside, and asked.
Ji Ling smiled. “I thought the chairman was coming. Turns out it’s just some spoiled rich kid.” He looked down at himself—suit and company badge in place—and added, “I look more like a bodyguard.”
Yan Yixuan gave him a quick glance, tapped a finger against his chest, and said, “Yeah right. We still don’t know who’s protecting who. I’m just here to look around—don’t go alerting the management.”
Ji Ling laughed again. “Oh, so this is some undercover visit?”
Yan Yixuan chuckled too. “Undercover? This place isn’t even ours. Just came to check things out and learn a little.”
Ji Ling led him into the theater, greeted the manager, and didn’t bother introducing Yan Yixuan. They just strolled around.
“Aren’t there premieres going on? Shouldn’t you be keeping an eye on them?” Yan Yixuan asked.
Ji Ling said, “Come on, don’t underestimate me. I’m a CEO now, not some floor manager. I don’t have to babysit everything.” Then he added, “Besides, I’m only here because of Zhong—”
He cut himself off halfway. Yan Yixuan smirked. “So you’re here to keep an eye on the place because the beauty’s starring in it?”
He nodded toward a huge poster next to them—Zhong Mingwei and the male lead side by side, both names at the bottom in bold as the leads.
Ji Ling looked away. “Let’s check out the screening room instead.”
The topic change was so abrupt that Yan Yixuan snorted.
Ji Ling started explaining how the latest screening tech worked—how it’s super user-friendly and cutting-edge now. The real competitive edge came from hardware like the screen itself. Only the best would attract die-hard fans.
After they finished checking out the screening system, they came back out. Yan Yixuan glanced over at the concession stand and asked, “I heard popcorn is saving movie theaters these days?”
Ji Ling laughed. “It’s not that dramatic. But yeah, side sales matter a lot. Popcorn, karaoke booths, claw machines—those earnings don’t get split with the film distributors. It’s all pure profit. That’s why theaters keep trying to come up with new tricks.”
Yan Yixuan nodded thoughtfully.
They ended up chatting about the theater’s membership perks and loyalty programs, and without realizing it, the premiere had already ended.
Only then did Ji Ling notice how late it was. He looked at Yan Yixuan and said, “You’ve been inspecting the place all evening, but if the board still sides with Yan Yili and decides to fund that brokerage firm and keep pushing real estate… then we just wasted our time.”
Yan Yixuan replied, “There’s a meeting next week. We’ll know by then.”
The premiere was over, and the first wave of reviews was about to hit the internet. Ji Ling wanted to check in on how the staff were wrapping things up and asked Yan Yixuan if he wanted to come along.
Yan Yixuan had no plans for the next day and was ready to relax, so he just followed Ji Ling without much thought.
The lobby was crowded with people leaving, so Ji Ling took him through an emergency exit hallway only the staff used. It was quieter and way less cramped.
But a few minutes later, Ji Ling regretted it.
He should’ve just squeezed through the crowd.
Because they ran into Yan Yueshi.
Running into her would’ve been fine—but the real issue was the man she was with. This was Ji Ling’s third time bumping into the two of them together. And this time, they came face to face… with Yan Yixuan right there.
Yan Yueshi was holding onto the arm of a man way older than her. She stopped dead in the hallway, clearly shocked.
“B-Brother…” she quickly let go of the man, flustered, her eyes wide as she looked at Yan Yixuan.
She really shouldn’t have done that. Letting go like that just made it more obvious.
Ji Ling turned to glance at Yan Yixuan—his face was darker than a thundercloud.
“You told me you were going to a friend’s place. This is the ‘friend’s place’ you meant?”
Yan Yixuan’s voice dropped to a freezing growl, like wind cutting across ice.
Yan Yueshi was frozen in place. “I-I just came to watch a movie…”
Suffocating. Absolutely suffocating. Yan Yueshi at least knew Ji Ling was a big shot in the industry—publicity work for movies often went through him—yet she still dared to show up at a premiere.
She didn’t get it, but the man with her was a director. He should’ve known better.
That man stepped forward, trying to smooth things over. “I’m Miss Yan’s friend. My name’s Xu Jing. You must be her brother, nice to meet you.”
Yan Yixuan didn’t even acknowledge him. Seeing his little sister hanging onto a much older man was enough to drive him mad. He grabbed Yan Yueshi by the arm and started dragging her away.
“Hey!” Xu Jing tried to stop him, but Ji Ling stepped in and blocked him. “Let Miss Yan handle this herself.”
The more he interfered, the messier it’d get.
Xu Jing finally backed down. He glanced at Ji Ling, eyes filled with emotion, and muttered, “Boss Ji.”
Ji Ling looked at him but didn’t say anything. He turned and followed the two siblings out, leaving Xu Jing alone.
Yan Yixuan dragged Yan Yueshi toward the parking lot. She was panicking, trailing behind him. “Brother, listen to me!”
Ji Ling caught up and reached out to slow Yan Yixuan down. “Slow down a bit—we can’t keep up with you.”
Yan Yueshi finally caught her breath and blurted out, “It’s not what you think. We’re in a normal relationship.”
The word ‘relationship’ was like throwing gas on a fire. Yan Yixuan nearly exploded again. “Relationship? After searching for so long, you ended up with an old man like this?”
Yan Yueshi got angry at his tone. “What’s wrong with him? He’s got a proper job, he’s a director. Besides his age, everything else is great. Who I date is my business!”
“A director?” Yan Yixuan laughed from anger. “How much does a director make a year? He’s not good enough for you.”
Yan Yueshi couldn’t take it anymore. “Money, money, money—that’s all you think about! I care about talent!”
Yan Yixuan shot back, “There are tons of talented, rich, young guys out there. And you ended up with this one? I could easily get you someone way better. Can you use your damn brain?”
Yan Yueshi was about to blow a fuse. “So now you want to control who I date too? What if I said I wanted to marry a British prince?”
“Fine, let’s go to Britain,” Yan Yixuan said, grabbing her.
Yan Yueshi practically screamed, “They’re both already married!”
“Pfft—hahaha.”
Both siblings spun around to glare at Ji Ling, who couldn’t hold back a laugh.
He coughed and quickly straightened his face. “You two should go back and talk this out somewhere private. You’re drawing a crowd.”
Even though it was late, people were still leaving the theater. A bunch of them were staring as they passed by.
Ji Ling thought these two were acting like squabbling kids. They needed to cool down.
And just then, Yan Yueshi suddenly seemed to realize Ji Ling was still there. She pointed at him and yelled at her brother, “You’re both men. Ji Ling doesn’t even make as much as you do, and I can still support your relationship. Why can’t you support mine?”
This time, both Ji Ling and Yan Yixuan froze.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
Stray bullet out of nowhere….BAM!!😩😭😂😂
Sorry Ji Ling😂😂😂
Ooops… she’s right🤭 OK Ji Ling how will you answer that?