Translator: kirie
Proofreader: celare
Editor: alexie
Half a year later.
The finishing touches were added to the film Treading on Orchids.
During the celebration banquet, Zhang Yunan noticed a stranger who looked like he was in his early twenties and had a body shape so similar to him that people would mistake them for each other from behind.
Zhang Yunan had only been with the production crew for a total of 30 days, but he knew all of the main cast. Guessing that that person might be some extra, he asked his manager, Qin Rui about it.
Qin Rui took a close look at that table under the pretense of getting alcohol and noticed that that person was, as expected, the most eye-catching of all the male actors seated there.
Of course, no one seated there was part of the main cast.
Qin Rui called over one of his old friends in the production crew and learned that the guy was Lin Qing, a small supporting character who was stuffed into the film at the last minute.
“What role does he play?” The actors for the important supporting characters in the film had long been set when the project was established. Logically, there shouldn’t be any new people, but the name Lin Qing was very unfamiliar; even the well-informed Qin Rui had never heard of him.
“I’m not sure about that,” the old friend guessed, “It might be a new character the scriptwriter came up with. Wasn’t the script changed a few times toward the end?”
Qin Rui didn’t get any useful information, but after seeing Lin Qing suddenly get up and leave alone, he followed quietly. His original plan was to get some information out of him, but Lin Qing went straight into the investors’ private room, unexpectedly.
There was even a waiter who stood at the door and specially opened it for Lin Qing, inviting him in.
Qin Rui waited patiently outside for five minutes, but he didn’t see him come out. Feeling embarrassed, he could only return to Zhang Yunan and say, “That kid’s name is Lin Qing.”
“Lin Qing?” Zhang Yunan thought it was unfamiliar too. “Is he a newbie who emerged recently?”
“No. He doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page. But I saw him go into the investors’ rooms, so he probably went through the back door, same as Ji Zhinong.”
Ever since Ji Zhinong and Li Shaoyao’s relationship was publicized, everyone in the production crew knew that Zhinong got the role of male lead through connections. Everyone was in tacit agreement, so very few people said it in front of him. But it was right in a sense, so Zhinong didn’t make any clarification.
Zhang Yunan: “It has nothing to do with me anyways.”
If one was thinking narrow mindedly, the word “connections” was meant to be sarcastic towards Zhinong. But if one was thinking broad mindedly, Zhang Yunan had gotten the role of third male lead through Qin Kaiyu, so neither of them could look down on each other.
It was rare for him to be self-aware on this subject, so he just ended the conversation.
At the end of the banquet, the guests left one after another.
Li Shaoyao accompanied Ji Zhinong the entire time, and there was the greatest number of suck-ups around them. Everyone in the production crew got along with Zhinong; only Zhang Yunan didn’t even bother to act polite on the surface. When he walked out of the hotel to get his car, his shadow seemed especially alone compared to the group of people.
Cars came to pick people up one by one, and the hotel entrance instantly became an exhibition of expensive cars. Zhang Yunan was the best at seizing chances to unintentionally show off like this, and he had intentionally told Qin Kaiyu to drive the most expensive race car over.
So Qin Kaiyu chose the Aston Martin car in his garage. When he got there, he realized that he was the showiest one as he was the only one to drive a race car while everyone else drove low-key Bentleys and BMVs. His car was a soft yellow at that, so he was especially glaringly conspicuous among this group of low-key investors that night.
He immediately felt a little regretful about having listened to Zhang Yunan.
Zhang Yunan clearly didn’t think that he had gone overboard with the showiness; he only felt proud and got into the passenger seat happily, even throwing Ji Zhinong a smug glance. Noticing his gaze, Ji Zhinong looked over as well and kept staring at him until the race car disappeared from his line of vision.
Zhang Yunan rubbed his chest and started panicking for some reason. When they stopped at a traffic light, he grabbed Qin Kaiyu’s elbow. “Can we get married during the movie promotion period? That way, all of the attention will be on me.”
Qin Kaiyu didn’t understand this self-deceptive action. “The reason why I had you act in this movie was so you can win an award. Nothing else matters. Do you really have to fight for a little attention?”
“Of course! Being a supporting character to Ji Zhinong’s main role is already my bottom line, so I can’t let him keep having the advantage! I even listened to you and held myself in over changing my surname last time. I have to take back everything that belongs to me during this promotion period. Kaiyu, you promised me that you would vent my anger out for me. Are you going to break your promise?”
At this moment, the light turned green. Having to focus, Qin Kaiyu could only agree half-heartedly.
He really didn’t want to fight for the entire night, but Zhang Yunan insisted on winning it. Qin Kaiyu didn’t think it was appropriate, but he was still willing to spoil him.
Since marriage was a huge matter and as the Ji parents were especially concerned with Zhang Yunan’s marriage, they planned to find a chance to discuss it with the whole family. By “whole family,” they specifically meant Ji Zhinong.
In the six months since Zhinong had gotten married, he hadn’t ever returned to the Ji family nor did he care to call them. Even so, his standing in the Ji family was very different from before.
For the past half year, with the Li Corporation’s financial assistance, Father Ji finally developed successfully into the overseas market he’d always wanted. But Li Shaoyao kept, intentionally or otherwise, reminding Father Ji that he was helping the Ji Corporation for Zhinong.
Ji Tianjun would definitely latch onto profits, so now, in his eyes, Zhinong was a lucky charm.
Because of that, he had to give Ji Zhinong a say in major family matters.
He personally made a call, saying that he hoped Zhinong could spare some time to come back for a family meal.
Ji Zhinong claimed that he was too busy with work.
Ji Tianjun: “Then how about you come back during a holiday? After all, you and Yunan are brothers. You can show up, show your support, and congratulate them. That way, our entire family will be happy, and other people won’t gossip.”
He knew very well that the matter of Qin Kaiyu breaking off the engagement that year had kicked up too much of a fuss. If Qin Kaiyu got married, the media would be waiting to leech off the news, so he had to push Ji Zhinong out to be the good, bigger person at that time. Zhang Yunan’s wedding would only be successful that way, and the Ji family wouldn’t be cursed at for being biased.
He’d prepared a way out for Zhinong, but Zhinong didn’t plan to take that way out. “Dad, we’re a family? I would’ve forgotten that I’m your biological son if you didn’t mention it.”
Ji Tianjun laughed awkwardly. “I was too muddled in the past. I’ll apologize to you again. When Yunan gets married to Kaiyu, he’ll move to the Qin house. In the future, you’ll be Dad’s only youngest son. Your mom also wants this marriage to go well, as a kind of farewell to Yunan. It’s hard for her to put it down, since she raised him for twenty years. Can’t you empathize? Speaking of it, you were born half an hour earlier than Yunan, so you’re his older brother. Older brothers should be more empathetic to their young brothers.”
“Aren’t you afraid of biting your tongue while saying something like that? Older brothers should be more empathetic to their young brothers? Then tell second brother to be empathetic of his great little brother. Trust me, he likes Yunan the most.”
Ji Tianjun didn’t understand what Zhinong meant for a second there and only chalked it up to him holding a grudge against Ji Rugui for choking him that time. “How about I get your second brother to talk to you? His bad temper is all because your mom spoiled him.”
“It’s fine. I’m eating right now, and I don’t want to lose my appetite.” As he talked, his voice became fainter. Ji Tianjun heard Zhinong say, “Ah Yao, I want to eat that fish. Pick it up for me.”
“I deboned it for you.”
Li Shaoyao’s voice drifted into Ji Tianjun’s ears very clearly through the speaker.
Ji Tianjun thought, ‘They didn’t look like they matched, but they’re pretty affectionate after marriage.’
It took five minutes for him to finish eating the fish, after which he wanted soup, so he called out “Ah Yao” softly the same way as before to have Li Shaoyao ladle soup for him. Li Shaoyao understood his intentions and was happy to cooperate; he even intentionally talked to show Ji Tianjun that he was willing to spoil Zhinong.
Ji Zhinong remembered that he hadn’t finished the call yet only after he finished drinking the soup.
Ji Tianjun was left hanging by his youngest son for 15 minutes, but he didn’t dare to complain. Seeing him put up with it, Zhinong said, “Isn’t there a holiday soon? What was it again? Oh, it’s the Qingming Festival1A day to remember your dead loved ones, kind of like Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). There’s a three day break for the Qingming Festival. I’ll go back during the Qingming Festival. We can discuss Yunan’s marriage then.”
“Discuss a marriage during the Qingming Festival2A marriage is a happy event, and it’s inappropriate to talk about happy things while mourning the dead?”
“You don’t think it’s inappropriate, do you? I really am too busy. Yunan is so understanding that he probably won’t mind discussing his marriage during the Qingming Festival.”
“…..”
Ji Tianjun was helpless, so he could only agree.
After Zhang Yunan heard about it that night, he exploded on the spot.
“What does Ji Zhinong mean by that? Is he trying to curse me? Discussing marriage during the Qingming Festival? Does he want me to marry a dead person?!!” He turned and dove into his mother’s embrace. “Mom, aren’t you going to do something about him bullying me so much?!”
Mother Ji had the weakest relationship with Zhinong. Thinking that her biological son had such bad intentions, she felt serious chills. “Zhinong is so unreasonable. Is he someone that busy? Any weekend would be better than the Qingming Festival?”
Ji Tianjun: “Stop complaining. If you keep complaining, he might even set Yunan’s marriage date during the Qingming Festival. Will you guys be satisfied then?”
“Whatever he says goes? He’s not the head of the family yet!” Zhang Yunan was hopping around with anxiety and had completely lost the well-behaved appearance he’d worked so hard to create.
Ji Tianjun took in all of his changes.
No matter how outstanding or well-behaved Yunan acted, his impatient side would unconsciously show. Recently there was an old CEO who had attended the film celebration banquet and ridiculed the yellow race car when talking to Ji Tianjun, saying that Zhang Yunan was the showiest and most eye-catching that night and that he really was the son of the Ji family. His mystifying tone of voice made Ji Tianjun very embarrassed.
He’d taught his children the principle of “not exposing one’s wealth3This is an idiom that says not to show off your wealth to prevent people from trying to steal it” since they were little, but only Zhang Yunan had completely forgotten it. He had lost the entire war while trying to win a single battle.
If Zhinong had made a mistake like this, he would understand. After all, he hadn’t been raised properly. But Zhang Yunan had the top-tier teaching resources from kindergarten to college, and he still couldn’t keep his cool after being brought up like that. If Ji Tianjun were to say that he wasn’t disappointed, it would be a lie.
Not to mention that Zhang Yunan didn’t have the Ji family blood.
His biological son was being left outside because of this fake son and didn’t even want to come home.
Thinking up to that point, Ji Tianjun felt like he was blinded by the fake father and son relationship and focused on the unimportant things instead of the important ones.
He slammed the table and stood up. “Zhinong can’t make the decisions, so I’ll make it for him. We’ll decide your wedding during the Qingming Festival. If you aren’t happy with it, then take care of it yourself. I won’t care anymore!”
After saying that, he turned and went upstairs, leaving Zhang Yunan astonished.
- 1A day to remember your dead loved ones, kind of like Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)
- 2A marriage is a happy event, and it’s inappropriate to talk about happy things while mourning the dead
- 3This is an idiom that says not to show off your wealth to prevent people from trying to steal it
3 thoughts on “Chapter 36 – How shabby (pt. 1)”
LOL, Zhang Yunan. You better be prepared.
I have a feeling Ji Zhinong and Li Shaoyao is going to make a huge revelation later.
Woohoo..
Can’t wait, can’t wait.
Thank you for the update ❤️
Well deserved marriage date😂😂😂with ghosts as witness😎😎😎
thanks for the chapter <3