AD Chapter 17
The bottle of wine given to Chu Zichen was indeed brought back from abroad, but it was actually a gift from a business partner, and its quality was quite average. At least, compared to the wines stored in Gu Lingfeng's wine cellar, it didn’t even compare. Originally, Gu Lingfeng had casually placed it in the hotel room and almost forgot to take it with him, but it was Su Ning who remembered and packed it into the suitcase.
Later, it just so happened that it was Chu Zichen’s birthday that day. It was Su Ning who reminded Gu Lingfeng about it, and he remembered to spend Chu Zichen’s birthday with him. Just before leaving, it was also Su Ning who noticed the boss had forgotten the gift and reminded him. Gu Lingfeng, slightly irritated, frowned, then casually grabbed the bottle of wine on the desk that Su Ning hadn’t had time to put away.
That was the truth behind the whole wine incident.
The truth was rather disheartening, and Chu Zichen probably wouldn’t be too happy to hear it, so Su Ning chose to keep quiet.
In any case, he understood. Chu Zichen had probably come to show off. He wanted to flaunt how much Gu Lingfeng pampered him and how well he treated him, while also trying to put down Su Ning, the small assistant.
Su Ning felt that as a qualified assistant, he should simply satisfy the small wish of the big boss’s lover.
That evening, after dinner, Su Ning was sitting on the sofa, watching TV. He flipped through the channels and ended up on an entertainment channel, where the rising star Chu Zichen was being interviewed.
On the screen, the handsome young man, with delicate makeup, was wearing a black vintage suit that accentuated his slim waist. A row of microphones was in front of him. When asked about his rapid rise to fame, he lowered his head and smiled innocently, a bit shy, saying:
“Hmm, I’m very grateful for all the fans who like me, and I will work hard to repay them with better performances. Of course, my success now is mainly thanks to the noble person in my life. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be who I am today.”
The reporter immediately seized the opportunity and asked, “The noble person you’re referring to is the boss of your agency, Mr. Gu Lingfeng, right? I’ve heard that you and Mr. Gu have a very good relationship. Could you tell us how you two met?”
Chu Zichen gave a shy smile, neither confirming nor denying, but spoke in a very familiar tone, saying, “As for Gu Lingfeng, we often eat together. Since I’m new to the entertainment industry, he really understands the business and has helped me a lot.”
Later, the reporter continued to ask, and Chu Zichen somehow managed to link everything to Gu Lingfeng, though he didn’t directly mention their relationship. His tone and manner, however, revealed a very close bond between them. He also deliberately made vague yet suggestive comments, such as, “When I complained about the bad conditions on set, the next day he changed my hotel” and “When I said I wanted to act, he immediately introduced me to a director.”
Su Ning couldn’t help but twitch his lips slightly, unsure of what expression to put on.
The “hotel change” was actually because Chu Zichen complained about everything in the crew, saying that it wasn’t fit for human habitation, and insisted on being moved to a five-star hotel far from the set. The crew, out of respect for Gu Lingfeng, compromised. From beginning to end, Gu Lingfeng never showed any sign of involvement. Su Ning had only mentioned it to Gu Lingfeng when he received a call from the crew, but Gu Lingfeng, who was busy with work at the time, probably didn’t even hear it.
Su Ning couldn’t help but think, as expected, actors are good at this. If he weren’t around Gu Lingfeng so much, knowing all the things related to him, especially about his lovers, he might have believed everything Chu Zichen was saying.
Su Ning muttered to himself for a moment, then switched the channel.
No matter how much Chu Zichen showed off, it had nothing to do with him. Even if he came to flaunt his relationship with Gu Lingfeng in front of him, he wouldn’t care, as long as it didn’t interfere with his ability to make money or cause him trouble.
Not long after having these thoughts, Su Ning didn’t expect that the trouble would land right in his lap, and it would be a big, inescapable one.
Chu Zichen had gotten a new drama and was about to start filming. He said that the filming conditions weren’t very good, and he needed an assistant. He thought Su Ning was very hardworking and capable, so he asked Gu Lingfeng to assign Su Ning to be his assistant.
At the time, Su Ning happened to be there — actually, Su Ning suspected that Chu Zichen had deliberately chosen that moment to approach Gu Lingfeng, just to get him to ask for Su Ning in front of him. Chu Zichen, acting like Su Ning wasn’t even there, clung to Gu Lingfeng, whining about how tough the filming location would be, saying that without anyone taking care of him, he wouldn’t be able to eat, sleep, or film properly.
Gu Lingfeng didn’t react much, but Su Ning was stunned.
Be Chu Zichen’s assistant?
He didn’t believe for a second that Chu Zichen was really interested in his “hard work” and simply wanted him to be an assistant.
Gu Lingfeng was staring at the computer screen, busy with work. He had another meeting coming up, and while Chu Zichen was clinging to him, whining, Gu Lingfeng didn’t even look up. Chu Zichen, feeling emboldened by his recent popularity, dared to directly approach Gu Lingfeng’s office to ask for help, but he didn’t dare to truly disturb Gu Lingfeng while he was working.
“Lingfeng, please help me out. The assistants they gave me before were all so clumsy and couldn’t take care of me properly. I really like Su Ning, and he’s already worked as an artist's assistant before, so there’s no need for training. Just let him work with me for a while, and once this drama is finished, I’ll return him to you. It’s not like I’m not returning him. You have so many assistants; it won’t affect anything. Please?”
Chu Zichen’s voice was sweet, and when he spoke softly, it sounded even more charming, like it had honey mixed in.
Su Ning didn’t know how Gu Lingfeng was feeling at that moment, but hearing it from the side made his skin crawl.
From Gu Lingfeng’s expression, it wasn’t clear what he was thinking. It seemed like he was either unable to refuse Chu Zichen’s insistence or just didn’t have time to deal with it since a meeting was approaching. Gu Lingfeng finally looked at Chu Zichen and casually said, “If you want him, then let him go.”
“Thank you, Lingfeng, you’re the best!” Chu Zichen exclaimed, then rushed forward to plant a kiss on Gu Lingfeng’s cheek, happily saying, “I won’t disturb you anymore. I’ll go now.”
As he passed by Su Ning, Chu Zichen lifted his chin smugly and gave him a look, his smile too bright and gleaming, almost like it had ill intentions.
Su Ning: “…”
He had a strong feeling that Chu Zichen had set a trap for him, and his current employer had just sold him out.
Su Ning hesitated for a long time, wanting to say something to Gu Lingfeng, but when he looked up, Gu Lingfeng was already completely engrossed in his work. He probably had already forgotten what he’d just agreed to. Su Ning sighed inwardly and ended up saying nothing.
He still said nothing in the end.
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