CH 54

The atmosphere in the car had instantly become heavy and no one spoke anymore.

To ease the tension, Ah Kang deliberately turned on the music player, but it was interrupted by Wen Li's faint voice after only half a minute, "Turn it off, it's too noisy."

"Ah? Okay."

Ah Kang glanced at Wen Wen, who had a lifeless expression and a bowed head, and wondered what she was thinking.

That's why some things, even if they festered inside, couldn't be said out loud.

Wen Wen, being inexperienced, hadn't been beaten by reality yet.

After saying a bunch of things that could offend both Wen Li and Song Yan, Wen Wen genuinely feared that might be fired.

She didn't want to lose this job.

Wen Wen admitted that Wen Li was demanding and difficult to serve and her workload was much greater than that of other artists' assistants. Nevertheless, Wen Wen still didn't want to lose this job.

Her sister was actually not very honest. Every time she received gifts from brand partners, she would ask Wen Wen if she wanted anything, and then give her all the big and small boxes. Every time she went abroad for events, she would buy gifts for Wen Wen before returning home. But her sister never admitted they were gifts for her; she always said they were incidental purchases, claiming they didn't cost much, with an arrogant demeanor of a nouveau riche.

Wen Wen used to think the same way. Those things were expensive gifts for her, but for her sister, they were just trinkets to casually give away.

There was one time when her parents from the countryside came to her and said that her younger brother had been accepted into university and they wanted to buy him an apartment in the city. Since Wen Wen, the older sister, had already graduated from university and was working as an assistant, they asked her to contribute half of the money.

At that time, Wen Wen had just graduated from university and her assistant's salary wasn't high. She was still renting a place herself and couldn't afford the money.

Her parents then said, "Aren't you working with that female celebrity now? Celebrities are rich. Just ask her to lend you a few hundred thousand, write an IOU, and you can slowly repay it with your future salary."

Wen Wen, who had always been gentle and obedient, refused them on the spot.

Her parents didn't give up and continued to harass her with phone calls during her work. Wen Wen was annoyed but didn't know how to handle it because they were her parents.

During that time, she made frequent mistakes at work and was scolded by Wen Li many times, even to the point of considering whether they should change assistants.

Wen Li didn't console her or scold her; she simply said in a flat voice, "Your skin has been terrible recently. The skincare products I gave you weren't meant to be decorative items at home."

Wen Wen didn't know why, but those words made her feel a twinge of sadness in her nose, and she burst into tears.

Wen Li asked her, "What's been going on with you lately? I'm only asking this once, so make good use of the opportunity."

Wen Wen stammered and revealed the reason why she had been absent-minded for the past few days.

Wen Li asked her expressionlessly, "So, do you want to borrow money from me?"

Wen Wen shook her head and said that her current salary was enough and she had no obligation to buy an apartment for her brother. She would never compromise with her parents.

In a teary-eyed haze, Wen Wen heard Wen Li's laughter.

"Looks like you're not too weak after all. If you really wanted to borrow money from me, not only would I not lend it to you, but I would also fire you."

The word "fire" sounded terrifying, and Wen Wen immediately widened her eyes, looking pitifully at her.

She saw Wen Li curl her lips, looking annoyed, and said, "Stop crying. My ears are getting calloused from listening. I'll help you solve this matter, but you have to promise me to work well from now on. If you make any more mistakes, you pack up and leave, got it?"

Wen Wen didn't know how Wen Li resolved her parents' issue, but afterward, her parents timidly apologized to her over the phone and never harassed her again about her brother's matters.

She had been receiving her salary, but she still received a card from Wen Li. Wen Li said it wasn't a loan; it was an advance on her salary. She wanted her to buy a small property in Yancheng, a single-owned apartment. Renting a house was never the same as having one's own.

Wen Wen didn't know how to thank Wen Li.

Yet, Wen Li remained indifferent, maintaining her nouveau riche demeanor.

"I just did it to prevent you from being bought off in the future and leaking any dirt on me. It was merely a side benefit to help you," Wen Li said nonchalantly.

Wen Wen thought to herself that no matter how harsh her sister's words were, in her heart, Wen Li was the kindest, loveliest, and most likable female celebrity.

The car safely arrived at the hotel. Wen Li's inner thoughts, exposed by Wen Wen's words, left her feeling humiliated and with no face. She didn't even say goodbye to Wen Wen, wearing sunglasses as she coldly snorted and got out of the car.

Wen Wen, holding Wen Li's bag, pitifully followed her.

Wen Li walked alone, head held high and back straight, not waiting for anyone. She walked with a commanding presence, leaving the assistants and Song Yan behind.

Wen Wen had no choice but to pin her hopes on Song Yan, fighting for her own career prospects.

"Teacher Song," she called out.

Song Yan stopped and turned his head to look at her.

"Could you please help me persuade Sister Wen Li? Don't let her actually fire me," Wen Wen scratched her head, looking troubled, "I really want to continue working for her."

Song Yan, apparently not as vengeful as Wen Li, found it amusing, "You're afraid of being fired, yet you said that out loud in the car?"

"I've been with her for so long. If not the person who knows her the best, I'm at least in the top five. Sister, she's really... very tough with her words. She was just jealous earlier, and I couldn't help but expose her."

After finishing her sentence, Wen Wen sneakily glanced at Song Yan and spoke in a gentle tone, "Teacher Song, you also seemed quite... what was the word?"

Song Yan sighed.

Wenwen thought Song Yan's sigh meant disappointment towards Wen Li, so she quickly said, "Teacher Song, Sister may speak harshly on ordinary occasions, but if you patiently interpret her words, you'll realize she doesn't mean it. She's really a lovely girl. If you're willing to understand her, you'll definitely be captivated by her!"

Song Yan, listening to the assistant speak so highly of Wen Li, was surprised and burst into laughter.

"I understand her better than you do," Song Yan reassured her, "Based on my understanding of her, she won't fire you. She might even thank you."

"What?" Wen Wen exclaimed.

"It's getting late. Tomorrow, you still have to get up early with her for the program recording. Give me her bag. You and Ah Kang can go back to your own rooms to rest."

"Oh, okay."

Wen Wen blankly handed the bag to Song Yan.

Then, in a daze, she turned around and coincidentally ran into Ah Kang, who had just parked the car and was walking towards them. He reached out and stopped her, "The elevator is over there. What are you thinking?"

Wen Wen looked up at Ah Kang, giving him a weird gaze that made him shudder. He sympathetically looked at her and said, "No way? Did you really get fired? Ah, you're still too immature. I told you a long time ago, some truths shouldn't be casually spoken..."

"Ah!" Wen Wen suddenly exclaimed.

The underground parking lot immediately echoed with a long and eerie reverberation.

Ah Kang was startled, trembling all over, "Why did you suddenly scream? You scared me!"

Wen Wen murmured in a complicated tone, "I just got hit."

"Where did you get hurt?" Ah Kang quickly looked around her head, speaking with sympathy and pity, "Poor little girl, not only did you lose your job, but you also got hurt. Brother will take you to the hospital now. Don't worry, I'll cover your medical expenses."

"..."

——

The two assistants were in the underground parking lot. One couldn't explain clearly what "got hit" meant, while the other, with a resolute straight male mindset, believed that the young girl needed care at this moment.

Ah Kang sent a WeChat message to Song Yan, specifically asking for his help to persuade Wen Li not to fire Wenwen. He hoped that considering Wen Wen's pitiful situation, Wen Li wouldn't dismiss her.

At this time, Song Yan had already followed Wen Li and was riding the elevator upstairs.

Wen Li realized that she had made the same mistake again; she had forgotten to take her bag. Her room key card was inside her bag.

Knowing that Song Yan was right behind her, she coldly extended her hand towards him and said, "Give me the bag."

However, Song Yan, not connecting the dots, said disinterestedly, "Your assistant seems to be injured."

"Huh? Where is she injured?" Wen Li asked, puzzled.

"Ah Kang said she got hit by something."

"Where did she get hit?"

"I don't know."

Wen Li clicked her tongue and looked annoyed, "Even if she wants to seek forgiveness from me, she doesn't need to use such a cliché tactic like playing the victim card. It's so outdated," she sighed and continued, "It's so troublesome. Where is she now? Did she go to the hospital? Forget it, I'll go downstairs and check."

Without returning to her room, she walked towards the elevator again, preparing to go downstairs.

At this moment, Ah Kang sent another WeChat message.

Ah Kang:「Brother, big misunderstanding.」

Ah Kang:「Wen Wen said 'got hit' means she got hit by you and Sister Wen Li.」

Ah Kang:「Brother, what did you just say to her? She really looks like she got hit on her head by something. She's been giggling foolishly.」

Song Yan found it both funny and exasperating.

This little assistant was just like her boss. Their reflex arcs traveled around the world twice before they get hit by the realization. No wonder they got along so well.

The elevator arrived, Wen Li was about to enter when Song Yan pulled her back.

"No need to go downstairs. Your assistant is not injured."

Wen Li was confused, furrowing her brow, "You said she was injured a moment ago, now you're saying she's not. Are you playing with me?"

Song Yan replied, "Misunderstanding."

"...What a waste of emotions," Wen Li didn't want to waste time figuring out the misunderstanding. She shook him off, snatched her bag from his hand, and said, "I'm going to take a shower and sleep."

She swiped the card to enter her room, with Song Yan following behind. He casually closed the door and locked it.

It was customary to lock the door when staying in a hotel at night, but tonight, upon hearing the crisp sound of the door locking, Wen Li felt a hint of panic.

Just a moment ago, they were still in the car with their respective assistants, so it didn't count as being alone. But now, in the hotel room, in the middle of the night, it was just the two of them—alone. She had been looking forward to having some alone time all day, and now it had finally arrived.

But because of Wen Wen, that annoying little girl who had exposed her, causing her to lose face, she didn't want to be alone with him at all.

That troublesome Wen Wen!

She must deduct her salary!

Just as she was thinking about how to teach Wen Wen a lesson, she suddenly heard Song Yan asking, "Are you going to take a shower?"

The man's voice sounded particularly deep in the intimate space. Wen Li's heart skipped a beat for a moment. She turned her back to him and replied, "Yes, I'm going to take a shower now."

Song Yan said, "Go ahead, I'll wait for you."

Wen Li's heart suddenly halted again. She bit her lip and said, "You better go to sleep first. We have an early rehearsal tomorrow."

Song Yan was slightly taken aback, "What does me waiting for you have to do with tomorrow's rehearsal?"

Wen Li turned around to look at him and, seeing that he didn't have his usual teasing smirk, she realized that she had probably misunderstood something.

"..."

She fell silent.

But men naturally have a better grasp of this kind of situation than women. The atmosphere became suffocating and Song Yan understood what had happened. He cleared his throat, laughed, and said nothing more.

The situation became even more awkward than being exposed by Wen Wen's poking in the car just now.

"I'm going to take a shower."

Wen Li said weakly, preparing to go to the bathroom to take a shower and calm down.

Song Yan, wanting to intensify the awkward atmosphere, asked, "Want me to join?" After a pause, he added, "Make it quick."

Wen Li exploded with anger and replied sharply, "Join? Not a chance! Make it quick? Yeah, right!"

Then she grabbed her clothes and walked quickly into the bathroom, making sure to lock the door behind her.

Song Yan walked up to the bathroom door and knocked on it. He heard her impatient voice from inside, "What do you want? I'm not opening the door!"

"When you're done being shy, come out. Don't spend the night in the bathroom," he calmly and deliberately reminded her.

"Ugh, you're so annoying! Get lost! Don't stand outside the bathroom like some kind of pervert."

Instead of getting angry when scolded by his wife, Song Yan laughed out loud.

Hearing his laughter, Wen Li frowned and muttered softly, "What kind of person is he...? He laughs even when scolded."

——

Because of Song Yan's reminder, Wen Li couldn't spend the night in the bathroom tonight even if she wanted to.

After she finished her shower, Song Yan went in to take his turn. It was only then that Wen Li belatedly realized that when Song Yan said he was waiting for her, he meant waiting for her to finish in the bathroom so he could take his own shower.

"I'm beyond help."

Wen Li collapsed onto the bed.

The sound of rushing water came from the bathroom. Usually, Wen Li would have gone to sleep by now, but tonight her brain seemed unwilling to let her fall asleep so quickly. It made her wait for Song Yan to finish his shower and come out.

Having nothing better to do, she decided to message Wen Wen on WeChat.

She just sent a message saying "Are you asleep?" and immediately received a reply from Wen Wen saying, "If you're going to talk to me about getting fired, then I'll go to sleep."

Wen Li:「Why would I fire you?」

Wen Li:「Are you having delusions of persecution?」

Wen Wen:「Sister, you're so kind! Even after I said such outrageous things, you won't fire me! I love you! I love you the most! Muah muah!」

Before Wen Li could send her message saying "I won't fire you, I'll deduct your salary", she received a long string of confessions from Wen Wen.

She frowned and muttered, "Ugh, so cheesy."

Then she deleted the unsent message.

Wen Li:「By the way, did you really get injured?」

Wen Wen:「Yes, my heart got injured.」

Wen Li:「?」

Wen Wen:「My single dog heart got hit by you and Teacher Song.」

Wen Li:「Did you hurt your brain or something?」

Wen Wen:「Hehe.」

Wen Wen:「I just followed the official fan club of Salt Grain CP. I'm now one of the fans of the Salt Grain couple.」

Wen Wen:「The sweetest in the world, Salt Grain forever!」

This was the official fan club slogan, and Wen Li, being an undercover fan, understood it instantly.

She quickly put down her phone, no longer wanting to pay attention to this assistant who seemed to have hit her head.

After listening to their argument in the car and scolding them both for being childish, she unexpectedly turned into a fan. Wasn't that a sign of a brain injury?

After thinking for a while, Wen Li picked up her phone again and opened Weibo.

She wanted to see if there were any new edited videos in the fan club, which was why Wen Li joined in the first place.

However, there were none. The top posts in the fan club were still the same old repetitive content. But the latest Weibo post was discussing their appearance as guest performers in the finale of [The S-Class Acting Awards].

Salt Grain, you're so sweet:「Ah, who managed to snatch the tickets for the finale performance of the Acting Awards?」

There were hundreds of comments below asking if anyone had reliable sources or if anyone wanted to meet up for the event on that specific date.

「It's probably because the solo fans have been buying the tickets in large numbers, right?」

「What's up with the solo fans? Weren't the majority of the tickets for couple trips usually taken by our group?」

「I went to the individual super topics of Sanli and Beauty, and it was revealed that the script was arranged for guest performers paired with new trainees. Sanli and Beauty won't be acting together. So, those who know, know.」

「I know a Sanli solo fan, and she said even their group is puzzled why we, the CP fans, still have to fight for the concert tickets.」

Wen Li didn't know that there were such twists and turns between fan groups. Under this comment, there were already dozens of replies.

She scrolled further.

「Haha, it's already good enough if Salt Grains have a couple trip. Can we even hope for them to act together? You've used too many smokescreens. Do you really expect them to give us sugar?」

「I don't ask for anything else. As long as both of them have scenes with romantic emotions, that's enough.」

「The sister upstairs doesn't have to worry. Sanli and Beauty are both actors, so it's normal for them to act with other people in romantic scenes.」

「I hope both of them get to wear ancient costumes and then have a joint scene after filming. Let the editing master @BeautyxSanli take care of the rest.」

Beauty x Sanli replied: 「Here I am! Sisters, rest assured!」

After reading the post, Wen Li felt a sense of satisfaction. She exited the super topic, climbed out of bed, and retrieved the script from her bag. She flipped it open and started reading its contents.

They were indeed doing a romantic emotional scene together, and it was quite exciting.

With the Emperor's sudden demise, the powerful maternal family of an Imperial Concubine and an overlooked Prince formed an alliance, carving a bloody path to the throne. Eventually, the beloved Imperial Concubine helped the Prince ascend the throne, and the new Emperor allowed the concubine to sit on the Empress Dowager's throne.

Before obtaining the throne, the two were good allies, but once they seized power, the alliance naturally lost its significance.

The young Empress Dowager was unwilling to relinquish power. She wanted to elevate her maternal family's status and further control the court. However, the Emperor refused to be a puppet and desired to break free from the Empress Dowager's control. He aimed to reduce the power of the Empress Dowager's maternal family and strip them of their positions, including those of her father and brothers.

With only a slight age difference between the young Emperor and the Empress Dowager, they formed an alliance based on power but soon found themselves at odds due to it.

Yet, in this lonely palace, they discovered that they were the only vibrant beings. They shared the same ruthlessness and coveted power, inevitably becoming attracted to each other.

The show's production team had chosen this scene to portray the Emperor and the Empress Dowager being frank with each other, engaging in a heated argument in the palace.

Apart from long dialogues, the emotions were also very tense, so it was not easy to perform.

At this moment, Song Yan happened to finish taking a bath. Wen Li stared at the script and waved at him from the bed, saying, "Son, come over."

Song Yan paused and asked, "What do you want?"

Wen Li raised the script in her hand and said, "Mother Empress is calling you."

Song Yan realized what she was up to but still felt that she was intentionally taking advantage of him.

Once he sat down on the edge of the bed, Wen Li smiled at him and said, "Son, are you tired? If not, let's practice a scene with Mother Empress."

Song Yan nodded and said, "I'll go get the script."

Wen Li replied, "My son is so obedient."

"..."

Halfway through, Song Yan turned around, sat down again, and pinched her face, pulling the corners of his lips threateningly. "Call me 'son' one more time."

With her face pinched, Wen Li retorted, "I'm just getting into character. Aren't you an actor?"

Song Yan glared at her. "Calling me 'son' is taking advantage of me."

"Calling you 'son' is taking advantage of you?" Wen Li argued with confidence. He increased the strength of his pinch on her face until she let out a hoarse sound. Then she let go of the script and reached for his face, "Are you from the feudal era?"

Song Yan leaned back, avoiding her hand that was reaching for his face, "I'm a few years older than you. Can you give birth to a son as old as me?"

Wen Li sneered, "You haven't seen me give birth, so how do you know I can't?"

Suddenly, Song Yan narrowed his eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, and he said in a low voice, "Then why don't you give birth and show me? If you can't do it alone, do you want me to help?"

"..."

Why did the conversation suddenly go in that direction?

Wen Li blushed and didn't want to admit defeat. If he wanted to steer the conversation to a more intimate place, she would accompany him and see who couldn't hold back first.

So she boldly said, "Fine, I'll give birth. If I do, you call him 'dad'."

Song Yan smiled and said, "Deal."

His response was so straightforward, as he was confident that she didn't have the guts. However, the current Wen Li was not the same as before. Today, while Song Yan and Ning Junxuan were rehearsing, her mind was already filled with all sorts of nonsense. She chuckled, pounced on him, and forcefully embraced his neck, tilting her head to give him a loud kiss.

Song Yan really thought she didn't have the courage, so he was momentarily stunned.

Satisfied with her triumph, Wen Li kissed his nose once more.

She had just taken a bath and didn't wear any lipstick, but Song Yan's nose still turned red.

Wen Li smiled at him and asked, "Are you scared?"

Song Yan tightened his jaw, his voice hoarse as he said, "Yes, I'm scared."

See, he couldn't hold back first.

With this satisfactory answer, Wen Li let go, but her waist was still held tightly by him, pulling her close.

"I'm scared, so how long do you want to keep playing with me?" Song Yan asked, "Do you feel accomplished by dangling me?"

Wen Li didn't understand, "What?"

"Using my junior brother to make me jealous, are you happy?" Song Yan's voice was deep and accusing, filled with grievances, "You keep playing with me, so how can I not be distracted?"

Though the spot he held was itchy, Wen Li bit her lip and struggled for a moment but couldn't break free. She gave up since she was a woman and Song Yan was a man, she had no advantage in terms of strength.

If she didn't have the advantage in strength, she had to dominate with her words.

"This is a technique to pursue a man. What do you know?" Wen Li arrogantly smiled at him, as if begging to be beaten.

Song Yan clicked his tongue and retorted softly, "...You don't know how to pursue anyone."

How could Wen Li easily admit defeat? She looked up and gave him a provocative smile, "I don't know how to pursue, so what are you doing now?"

Song Yan remained silent.

Wen Li arrogantly sneered, "A loser."

"Teacher Wen."

"What?"

"Do you know what happens when you deliberately provoke a man in bed?"

Wen Li instinctively knew it wouldn't end well, but she couldn't say that she knew, nor could she say that she didn't know. She couldn't expect any good words to come out of his mouth, so she remained silent but kept a watchful eye on him.

Although she acted dumb, she couldn't stop Song Yan from speaking.

"The result is being f*cked until you cry."

"..."

As expected, it wasn't a pleasant response.