For the entire following day, Ren Haichuan didn't give Ye Lan a single pleasant look.

Fortunately, Film Emperor Ye was thick-skinned enough. No matter how much Ren Haichuan glared at him, he could still discuss scenes and chat with him as if nothing was wrong, completely unaffected.

"Today, there's just one group scene in the evening. We'll wrap up after shooting it, so everyone can rest early."

The next day, after Ren Haichuan finished discussing the scene with Ye Lan and Jiang Chi, he checked the time. Seeing it was just past two in the afternoon and still early, he added a few reminders: "The schedule might be a bit looser these few days, with plenty of free time, but try to stay in the hotel when you have nothing to do. If you go out, it's best not to show your face and get photographed."

Ren Haichuan looked at Cen Wen and Li Weili. "The assistants should be careful too. You're all familiar faces, so you might be followed the moment you step out. Be discreet when coming and going."

Ye Lan smiled. "What's wrong? Hasn't the official letter for filming assistance been approved yet?"

Ren Haichuan's expression stiffened. The Assistant Director gave a dry laugh. "We never even applied for it..."

The subject matter of "The Scum" was sensitive. They didn't even hold a press conference for the start of filming back then. The producer, director, and main actors just lit some incense and got to work. A few well-informed media outlets tacitly chose not to report much on it to avoid causing trouble for everyone.

The subsequent filming locations for the crew were also kept secret. Forget leaks, even the two main leads' recent schedules were completely sealed off. Ye Lan and Jiang Chi were both high-profile figures, mobbed wherever they went. The fact that the higher-ups were turning a blind eye and tolerating the crew's filming was already giving Ren Haichuan and Ye Lan a lot of face. If they made a big, celebratory fuss, it would be inappropriate to not intervene.

For the past few months, the entire crew of "The Scum," operating on the principle of quietly striking it rich, had maintained a low profile, silently immersing themselves in filming. Although they lacked promotional support, their efficiency was much higher than before.

"What should we do then?" Ye Lan put away his phone and looked up at Ren Haichuan with a smile. "An Ya has arranged a small group interview for me this afternoon. Should I have them find another place in the city ahead of time?"

Ren Haichuan could afford to spend half a year, a year, or even several years burying his head in filming a movie, but the actors couldn't.

Disappearing for over half a year without any news—forget the media, the fans would be the first to explode.

Ye Lan's Studio's consistent promotional plan was to launch a massive, overwhelming publicity campaign in coordination with the production company when he had a project out. When he didn't, they would arrange some high-quality interviews for him, interspersed with red carpet events, endorsements, charity galas, and premiere screenings throughout the year, always maintaining a certain level of buzz.

Ye Lan hadn't made a public appearance in over a month, which was already the limit of what his agent, An Ya, could tolerate. Upon hearing that Ye Lan's filming schedule wasn't tight these few days, she immediately arranged a group interview for him.

Ren Haichuan also knew he couldn't really let Ye Lan "disappear" until filming wrapped up. He hesitated for a moment, then waved his hand. "Forget it, just do it here... Finding another place at the last minute will cause an even bigger stir."

"Thanks." Ye Lan stood up. "What time does it start tonight?"

Ren Haichuan said uncertainly, "Around eight o'clock, I think. Try to get to the set early."

Ren Haichuan looked at Jiang Chi, treating him equally. "If you have any set visits or interviews, just let me know. It's not that I'm forbidding you from taking on gigs, just tell me or the assistant director in advance so the crew can make themselves scarce and avoid any trouble."

Jiang Chi smiled. "I don't have any. I was injured before, so the company has been telling the public that I'm recuperating and recharging."

Li Weili looked at Jiang Chi with a strange expression.

Hearing this, Ren Haichuan didn't say anything more and went to attend to his own business.

Ye Lan turned his head back to look at Jiang Chi curiously. "Where were you injured before?"

'My idol is concerned about me.'

"My wrist." Jiang Chi suppressed the little burst of excitement in his heart and rubbed his left wrist. "It was just a hairline fracture. It healed a long time ago."

Ye Lan nodded and left with his assistant. Jiang Chi, on the other hand, returned to his room with Li Weili.

Now that there weren't as many outdoor scenes that required running all over the place, the crew no longer made everyone rough it. They booked rooms at the best local hotel. The hotel was far from the city center, with excellent air quality and surroundings, and the amenities were good. Jiang Chi was staying in a small suite with a full set of facilities. The only fly in the ointment was that Film Emperor Ye, who was originally supposed to be in the room next to Jiang Chi, had paid out of his own pocket to upgrade to a large suite, moving to the room next to Jiang Chi's neighbor.

Jiang Chi looked at the large bed in the bedroom and sighed inwardly. He could have been sleeping just a wall away from Ye Lan.

"I'll order room service in a bit. Don't leave, let's have dinner in my room," Jiang Chi instructed Li Weili. "If there's nothing else, don't go downstairs. We don't know where they're doing the interview, and it would be bad if we ran into them..."

Li Weili looked like he wanted to say something but held back. After holding it in for a while, he said, "Brother Jiang... aren't you worried? You've been gone for so long. Even Film Emperor Ye knows to show his face occasionally, but you..."

It had been nearly half a month since Geng Tian last contacted Jiang Chi.

The company didn't ask about him, and his agent was busy with a new talent. It seemed everyone had forgotten about Jiang Chi.

Li Weili was upset on Jiang Chi's behalf. "I contacted the company a couple of days ago and heard that your senior, Yu Xijia, got the male lead in "Crystal Lover". Wasn't the company trying to get that role for you before? How did Yu Xijia get to snatch it up so easily?!"

"It's normal." Jiang Chi said calmly, "I wouldn't have had the time to film it even if I wanted to, and besides, I've read the script before. I didn't like it anyway."

"What's wrong with the script?! I read the novel a long time ago. I was so happy for a long time when I heard you were going to play the male lead!" Li Weili said indignantly, feeling sorry for Jiang Chi. "Do you know how handsome the male lead is?! His dad is a CEO and his mom is a star! His IQ is almost two hundred! He skipped five grades growing up! His grades were always number one! After graduating, he inherited the family business and fell in love at first sight with the female lead who came to work at his company! But she didn't love him! So he stood downstairs from her house in the rain, shouting her name, and the rain instantly stopped, and then they embraced..."

"..." Jiang Chi said sincerely, "A moment ago, I was feeling a bit sorry about the pay, but after hearing you describe it, not anymore."

"You!" Li Weili was speechless with anger. "You, you..."

"Hahaha... Don't worry, I have a plan." Jiang Chi reassured him. "I'll post on Weibo in a bit to remind people I exist. After we wrap up tonight, I'll contact Brother Geng and ask him what he thinks."

Jiang Chi said in a low voice, "The company won't really leave me out to dry. After all, I can still make them money. It's just that I offended everyone with that incident before, so I have to be benched for a while. I brought it on myself... It should be fine after some time. I won't become a has-been that quickly."

Li Weili sighed. "I hope so."

"Come on, while the light is good, help me take a few pictures to post on Weibo." Jiang Chi took out his phone and paced around the room. "Where's a good spot?"

Li Weili looked around and pointed to the terrace. "How about next to that breadfruit tree outside?"

Jiang Chi looked and hesitated. "Let's not shoot anything outside. It would be bad if some sharp-eyed fan or media outlet figured out I'm at the same hotel as Ye Lan."

Li Weili was helpless. Jiang Chi had carefully eliminated even this one-in-ten-thousand chance of riding on Film Emperor Ye's coattails.

"Brother Jiang..."

Li Weili had been with Jiang Chi for several years and genuinely had his best interests at heart. He scooted forward and said in a conspiratorial tone, "I know you're definitely not going to cling to Film Emperor Ye's thigh. Your feelings... ahem... I pretty much get it."

Jiang Chi gave an awkward smile. Li Weili continued, "Brother Geng told me before to remind you every now and then not to be so stubborn. If there's hype to ride on, ride on it. If there are thighs to hug, hug them. But don't worry, I won't try to persuade you on that. But you've been too quiet lately, even I'm getting anxious for you. How about..."

Li Weili said mysteriously, "Just posting a casual Weibo won't get any attention. It's as good as not posting at all! You have to listen to me, I've already thought it out for you. Let's do this..."

An hour later, Ye Lan, with his makeup and hair done, sat in the hotel conference room that had been temporarily converted into an interview room, scrolling through Weibo while waiting for the entertainment reporters.

"There's no script. Sister An Ya said she already spoke with the reporters. There won't be any sharp questions, just entertainment-focused ones. You can definitely handle it." Cen Wen adjusted Ye Lan's collar. "At the very end, remember to say hello to the fans. Chinese New Year is almost here, so wish everyone a happy new year and remind them to be safe when traveling, remember?"

Ye Lan stared at his phone, answering absently, "Mhm, mhm."

A few more notifications for new Weibo posts popped up. Ye Lan casually refreshed his feed, and his fingertip paused.

Jiang Chi had updated his Weibo:

【Can I sleep for a few more minutes?】

The text of the Weibo post was nothing special; what made it impossible to look away was the accompanying picture—

In the photo, Jiang Chi's hair was messy as if he had just woken up. He was only wearing a crumpled, oversized shirt, with none of the buttons fastened, leaving it hanging open loosely and revealing his chest and abdomen. The hotel's fluffy duvet was piled around his waist, half-concealing his faint V-line. The expanse of fair skin disappearing under the covers left much to the imagination.

Jiang Chi was sitting on the bed, gently rubbing his eyes with his left hand. His eyes held a trace of sleepiness and reluctance at being woken up. He smiled helplessly at the camera, as if pleading with the person taking the photo, just like the text of the post: 'Can I sleep a little longer?'

Jiang Chi's clean and innocent face diluted the sensual nature of the semi-nude photo, but it inexplicably made one's heart itch even more.

Since his debut, Jiang Chi had always followed the 'sunshine boy next door' route. This was the first time he had publicly shared such a 'risqué' photo. The moment the Weibo post went up, the number of retweets, comments, and likes skyrocketed.

Cen Wen straightened Ye Lan's bangs, and her eyes fell on the photo on his phone screen. She gasped, "Did he just post this on Weibo? Fresh Meat Jiang is playing foul. Who teases their fans like that?"

As Cen Wen spoke, she became a little embarrassed and chuckled. "I never noticed it before. It seems like ever since you 'taught' him last time, Jiang Chi has gotten better and better at seducing people."

Ye Lan pressed his lips together, saying nothing.

Cen Wen couldn't help but steal a few more glances. "But it's really eye-catching. I'll mention it to Sister An Ya when we get back. Maybe we could do something like this too... What do you think, Ye Lan?"

Ye Lan was staring silently at his phone, lost in thought. He only heard her when she asked a second time. He looked up. "What did you just say?"

Cen Wen smiled and repeated, "What do you think of this photo?"

"What do I think? It's pretty good." Ye Lan lit a cigarette, took a drag, and said lightly, "Looks like he's begging to be fucked..."