CHAPTER 109: CHILDISH

"Please, can you two just calm down for a bit?" Cai Xiaojing pleaded. "He got the news and rushed over at noon. When your parents arrived, he and Lin Ning left, but Mr. Ye stayed downstairs waiting for your mom to leave before coming up. He’s been worried all day, did you know that?"

Wen Nuan was stunned, murmuring to herself, "He said he came to see his elder uncle and just happened to see me..."

Ye Feimo lied?

He specifically came to see her.

Why would he deceive her?

This awkward fellow.

Cai Xiaojing rubbed her forehead. "I can’t stand you two. Such a simple matter, and you have to complicate it so much. Mr. Ye is really something!"

Wen Nuan lowered her head, looking at her fingertips.

The next day, Wen Nuan and Lin Ning’s scandal was plastered across the front page.

All the newspapers uniformly reported the news: Director Lin’s fury erupts for a beauty. Following this were photos of him anxiously carrying Wen Nuan. "Green Light Daily" was even more unscrupulous, directly stating that Director Lin’s visit to the set was solely for the beautiful Wen, openly declaring that the newcomer Wen Nuan and the internationally renowned director had an extraordinary relationship.

Anning International’s front page, however, reported the news in a very conventional manner, showing no signs of past scandals. It positively reported Wen Nuan’s injury during filming and Director Lin taking her to the hospital.

It also published the news that Wen Nuan was replacing Bai Xiowen as the lead actress in the New Year’s film "Beauty Unparalleled," and that the entire film would be reshot. This created a ripple effect, and the paparazzi once again smelled scandal.

News of Wen Nuan and Lin Ning’s close relationship spread like wildfire.

Everyone was afraid of offending Director Lin and didn’t directly name their relationship, but the implied intimacy was clear to Lin Ning and anyone with discerning eyes.

This news would be published whether it was early or late, so it was better to publish it early, capitalizing on the buzz to further promote Wen Nuan. Now, who in the entire industry didn’t know this newcomer?

She had already become somewhat famous.

Yesterday was the scandal of Ye Feimo and Han Bi, and today was the scandal of Lin Ning and Wen Nuan. These two pairs of rumored lovers provided plenty of conversation. Various fresh magazines were released, all revolving around these four individuals.

In addition to publishing this news, Anning International also published another piece of news on its second front page.

Young Master Ye and Han Bi met at a bar to discuss the details of their collaboration on "Liang Hongyu."

Below, it indicated that Miss Han Bi accidentally fell, and Young Master Ye went to help her, inadvertently leading to a kiss. It was actually a misunderstanding.

Anning’s publication of this news displeased Lin Ning, who immediately called to ask what was going on. Ye Feimo simply said, "That’s how it is."

Lin Ning was exasperated and slammed down the phone.

For Han Bi, this news brought both joy and concern. The joy was that Ye Feimo actually published the news that she would appear in "Liang Hongyu." Although it wasn’t explicitly stated, the implication was almost certain.

She was overjoyed. For her, this was indeed good news.

Han Bi hadn’t expected it to go so smoothly. The concern was that Ye Feimo seemed to be clarifying their relationship. Han Bi’s heart dimmed. However, he hadn’t held a press conference to clarify, so she wouldn’t believe these ambiguous reports.

In short, today’s Anning entertainment newspaper was very lively.

At the hospital.

Cai Xiaojing had also seen the newspapers early that morning. The news about the four of them was everywhere online. She didn’t care about anything else except the piece published by Anning Entertainment about Han Bi starring in "Liang Hongyu." Was this true?

She broke out in a cold sweat. "Liang Hongyu" was already in preparation. The script wasn’t finished yet, but all work was quietly progressing. The male and female leads were rumored to be Wen Nuan and Ye Yan. Why would Anning release such news?

Besides the newspaper, Anning International also released a magazine with a special report on the production of the "Liang Hongyu" film. The crew, director, art director, martial arts director, and editor were all renowned figures in the industry. It could be said that this was a major production by Anning.

Aside from keeping the male and female leads a secret, over a dozen actors had already been listed, all of whom were Anning’s mainstays. All four of Anning’s top actresses were cast in "Liang Hongyu," and three veteran actors would also take on major roles. This was the most astonishing cast list in Anning Entertainment’s history, virtually assembling all of Anning’s most famous stars into "Liang Hongyu."

Needless to say, this was definitely one of the most anticipated blockbusters of the year.

Anning’s four top actresses had always been in fierce competition, constantly vying for the position of the "top sister," employing endless tactics. None of them were easy to deal with, yet their public image was healthy and positive.

All of them were first-tier actresses, ranking among the top ten female artists in terms of value. The four also had some international recognition, having attended the Venice Film Festival, walked the Cannes red carpet, and also attended the British Film Festival. Furthermore, each had won a Golden Phoenix Award for Best Actress, with Peng Shuyao even receiving the Best Actress award from the Japan Film Critics Association, and Yang Yang receiving a special award from the Berlin International Film Festival. While they may not have been as prominent as Han Bi, they were by no means inferior, and most importantly, these four beauties each had a massive base of devoted fans.

They hadn’t shared the screen for seven or eight years.

Each of them could independently carry a blockbuster, yet this time, all of them were appearing in "Liang Hongyu." This news was absolutely shocking.

The suspense surrounding the male and female leads generated public anticipation.

People didn’t have many expectations for the male lead. "Liang Hongyu" was a famous work by Teacher Wang, so it would definitely be a showcase for the female lead from beginning to end. One would know who Anning was investing heavily in just by looking at the female lead.

With the four top actresses willingly playing supporting roles, it seemed only Han Bi could take on the main role of "Liang Hongyu."

Only she was worthy.

Only she possessed the status, position, and ability. There was truly no one in China who could compete with Han Bi.

This magazine did not explicitly state that Han Bi would star in "Liang Hongyu," nor did it even suggest that Han Bi would appear, but when combined with the gossip news from that day, about Han Bi and Young Master Ye discussing their collaboration on "Liang Hongyu," people quickly made the connection.

It had to be Han Bi!

This news also spread rapidly throughout the entertainment industry.

This film could be said to be popular even before its release.

GK Media reported that Anning International was creating a buzz to welcome back Best Actress Han Bi, extending an olive branch, and spending such a large sum just to have Best Actress Han Bi return to Anning.

All sorts of newspapers had all sorts of things to say.

For a time, the news that Han Bi would be the lead in "Liang Hongyu" and was about to return to Anning spread throughout the entire entertainment industry, becoming the talk of the town.

Cai Xiaojing was worried, not understanding what Ye Feimo truly meant. Was he really going to let Han Bi snatch Wen Nuan’s role?

Just because he had an argument with Wen Nuan yesterday, he was going to ruin Wen Nuan today?

He couldn’t change his mind that quickly, could he?

Wen Nuan knew nothing yet, assuming that Han Bi would also star in "Liang Hongyu." She wouldn’t regret losing this role, but Cai Xiaojing was different. She knew Wen Nuan could get this role, and if Han Bi suddenly snatched it away, she would be furious.

Could it be that because Wen Nuan argued with him last night, Young Master Ye had a change of heart?

He wasn’t that childish, was he?

Wen Nuan also saw the newspapers and magazines. Her attention wasn’t on "Liang Hongyu" but on the gossip news about her and Lin Ning. Wen Nuan rubbed her temples with a headache. Cai Xiaojing looked at her. "You’ve been looking at this news all morning; aren’t you tired of it?"

"Sister Xiaojing, don’t you think Director Lin’s kicking posture is really cool?" Every movement was incredibly precise, as if meticulously choreographed, possessing a beauty of strength.

Director Lin himself was also a beauty, a cold and elegant beauty. This kind of movement suited him perfectly.

"Is that the main point?" Cai Xiaojing was speechless. It was a perfectly good piece of gossip, and about herself no less, what was she seeing in it?

"I think it is the main point," Wen Nuan smiled. "Have you talked to the doctor? I’m being discharged this afternoon. At most, I’ll come to the hospital for check-ups every day until the stitches are removed."

Wen Nuan still insisted on being discharged to film. Cai Xiaojing, unable to resist her pleas, had discussed it with the doctor.

The doctor reluctantly agreed but required Wen Nuan to come in daily to check on the wound’s healing progress.

In the afternoon, Wen Nuan returned to the Princess Qinglian set.

The martial arts instructor rushed to apologize to her. Zhuo Bingbing and Chen Hang had planned to visit her at the hospital after finishing work that afternoon, but unexpectedly, Wen Nuan came to the set instead. Director Zhang advised her to go back to the hospital to rest; it was fine if she came back in a couple of days. Wen Nuan simply smiled and said it was fine, she could film.

Ultimately, Wen Nuan changed into her costume and got ready.

The martial arts instructor looked at her figure, a flicker of guilt in his eyes. He had been a martial arts instructor for so long and had done such things before, but this time, looking into Wen Nuan’s innocent eyes, he felt a sense of helplessness and self-reproach.

The Princess Qinglian crew was divided into three filming units. Since Wen Nuan was injured, she couldn’t film scenes with overly intense action, so she was assigned to the third unit, specifically for her emotional scenes.

After a day of work, the filming results were quite good.

In the evening, Wen Nuan received a call from Fang Liucheng. He was on a business trip in France and not in A City, but he had seen the news of Wen Nuan’s injury and hastily asked about her condition.

Wen Nuan’s heart warmed, and she smiled. "I’m fine, just a minor injury. I’m back on set now."

Fang Liucheng felt relieved upon hearing this, but a doubt lingered in his mind. Was she really okay? The newspapers made it sound very serious. As for the rumors about Wen Nuan and Director Lin, he naturally wouldn’t believe them.

If it were rumors about her and Ye Feimo, he might even believe them.

"If you’re injured, why aren’t you resting more at the hospital? It’s fine to not work for a day. You’re pushing yourself too hard," Fang Liucheng said. "Wen Nuan, I won’t be back in A City for half a month. Let’s meet then; I have something to tell you."