AD Chapter 1
Su Ning sat on a small folding stool on set, holding Fan Xin’s phone and bag, his eyes fixed with great interest on the crew filming in the center. Watching actors act on set felt completely different from seeing them on screen. Su Ning didn’t watch much TV or movies, but watching people act live like this—he found it pretty fascinating.
Just as Su Ning was engrossed in the filming, the phone in the bag rang. He took it out, and when he saw the caller ID, his eyelid twitched slightly.
Gu Lingfeng.
President of Huayu Entertainment—handsome, wealthy, a graduate of a prestigious university, and incredibly capable. Gu Lingfeng carried countless halos around him, and his family background was only one of them. The wealth he possessed today wasn’t inherited but built entirely on his own merits.
Huayu wasn’t a family business—it was an entertainment empire Gu Lingfeng had built from scratch. Within just a few years of founding it, the company had become one of the top entertainment companies in the country, producing multiple award-winning actors and popular idol groups.
The epitome of a “golden boy.”
His only scandalous flaw, perhaps, was his personal life.
People in the industry all knew that one of Huayu’s president’s hobbies was… keeping lovers.
And Su Ning’s current employer, third-tier actress Fan Xin, was one of Gu Lingfeng’s lovers.
Su Ning hesitated for a few seconds before finally picking up the call. He instinctively put on a professional smile and said in a respectful tone:
“Hello, President Gu. Miss Fan is currently filming—”
But the voice on the other end wasn’t Gu Lingfeng’s. It interrupted him before he could finish.
“President Gu is drunk. Please have Miss Fan come take care of him.”
Su Ning was stunned for a second, unable to react. The person on the other end quickly gave him an address and then hung up, leaving Su Ning staring at the still-lit screen in a daze.
—Could this be a phone scam?
A random, nonsensical thought flashed through his mind. Su Ning quickly shook his head to dismiss it. He didn’t recognize the voice, but the caller ID definitely said it was from Gu Lingfeng.
Just as Su Ning was trying to make a decision, the phone rang again—this time, it was a name he recognized: Gu Lingfeng’s assistant.
The assistant briefly explained the situation in a few sentences and then hung up just as cleanly.
Su Ning held the phone with a sense of helplessness.
So Gu Lingfeng had gotten drunk at a club and needed someone to take care of him. As his current lover, Fan Xin was naturally the first choice.
Even though the call wasn’t from Gu Lingfeng himself, the assistant’s tone was that of a formal notification—not a request or a discussion.
This was Gu Lingfeng’s usual attitude toward his lovers—issuing orders unilaterally. Lovers just needed to obey. What they thought or what they had going on didn’t concern him. He had money, and as the president of a major entertainment company, there was no shortage of people eager to get into his bed. If one lover didn’t comply, there would always be another who would.
When Fan Xin finished a scene and took a break, Su Ning told her about the phone calls. Her finely arched brows immediately furrowed.
Anyone who could make it in the entertainment industry usually wasn’t bad-looking, especially someone who had caught Gu Lingfeng’s eye. Fan Xin was a beauty—with fiery red lips and a sultry, commanding presence. The kind of femme fatale perfect for playing the role of a temptress who could bring down a kingdom.
“Xin-jie, if it’s really not doable, just ask the director for leave. As long as you say it’s for President Gu, he’ll let you go,” Su Ning said, reading the troubled look on her face and offering a suggestion.
Many people in the crew knew about her relationship with Gu Lingfeng. Even though he hadn’t invested in this particular project, his influence in the entertainment world was undeniable. If Fan Xin said it was for Gu Lingfeng, the director would almost certainly grant her leave.
“It’s not about asking for leave,” Fan Xin said, her brows still knitted in a frown. Her expression was clearly conflicted.
Su Ning had a pretty good idea what she was thinking. She had once agreed to become Gu Lingfeng’s lover for the sake of her career. Over time, she had gone from an unknown background extra to a third-tier celebrity. If she stayed under Gu Lingfeng’s wing, her career could go even further.
But lately, Gu Lingfeng had become more distant. He wasn’t seeing her as often. None of his lovers lasted long. Fan Xin had already prepared herself for a breakup. But then this unexpected call had come.
This might be her chance.
If she went, maybe she could buy herself a bit more time with him.
If she didn’t, this might be the last time he ever contacted her.
A bit more time might just mean ten days or two weeks. After that, Gu Lingfeng would still end things. She never held any real power in the relationship. Was it really worth it to request leave, miss an important scene, and risk delaying the whole crew for just that?
Her eyes gradually hardened with resolve. She quickly made a decision and looked at Su Ning.
“Su Ning, I have to keep filming. You go in my place.”
Su Ning blinked, surprised but not entirely.
Fan Xin smiled and added, “You’ve handled a lot of these things for me in the past anyway. Honestly, you probably have more experience dealing with President Gu than I do. I’ll leave it to you this time too.”
Su Ning looked at her and asked, “Xin-jie, are you sure?”
The call had come from Gu Lingfeng’s assistant, and they had specifically asked for Fan Xin. If she didn’t go, Gu Lingfeng probably wouldn’t retaliate, but their relationship would almost certainly be over.
Fan Xin was silent for a moment, then gave a faint smile. “I’m sure.”
There was no room for doubt anymore.
Su Ning nodded. He didn’t say anything else. Everyone had to walk their own path—others could give advice, but they couldn’t make the decision for you.
He drove to the designated club. He had been here once or twice before—usually when Gu Lingfeng brought Fan Xin, and Su Ning came by to deliver something or pick her up.
Gu Lingfeng had a private suite here. Su Ning went to the front desk to get the key card and then found the room without trouble.
The room was quiet. Su Ning found Gu Lingfeng fast asleep on the sofa.
The man was sprawled out, wearing a white shirt and dress pants. His legs were too long to fit entirely on the couch—one was hanging off the edge, touching the floor. His hair was a little tousled, and one arm was draped over his forehead. His brows were slightly furrowed, probably because the position was uncomfortable.
“President Gu?”
Su Ning tiptoed closer and bent down to whisper softly near the man’s ear.
He called out a few times, but the man didn’t respond. Su Ning frowned. He glanced around the room. The bedroom was to the left, the door wide open.
He couldn’t just let Gu Lingfeng sleep on the sofa all night, could he?
Letting out a silent sigh, Su Ning resigned himself. As he leaned in to help the drunken man off the sofa, he muttered,
“President Gu, let me help you to the bed…”
Before he could finish the sentence, the world spun.
Instead of helping the man up, Su Ning found himself pinned down beneath him.
Su Ning: “…”
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