"...Speaking of which, I recently met someone, her name..."
Before Wen Qingyan could finish mentioning Jing Zejun's name, he was interrupted.
"President Jing, I've already reported on Miaomiao's recent work. Additionally, that foreign director has been aggressively inviting Miaomiao to participate, but it conflicts with her current shooting schedule. What do you think?"
Seeing Wen Qingyan and Jing Zeqian start to chat, Jiang Miaomiao gave her agent a look, and her agent stepped forward.
Wen Qingyan, who had been interrupted, didn't seem to mind. He smiled at Jiang Miaomiao and her agent as if watching a couple of clowns.
A scheduling conflict?
Putting it so delicately, it’s just a ploy to use Jing Zeqian's name to 'legitimately' pressure the director—either to let her go or to use a stand-in. After all, Jiang Miaomiao can’t afford to suffer any losses.
Wen Qingyan could tolerate it, but his agent couldn’t.
Wen Qingyan's agent smiled, "What does this mean? Are you expecting President Jing to step in and act for Miaomiao?"
She took on the job herself, and now she wants someone else to clean up her mess while she walks away scot-free. Isn’t that a bit too much?
Jiang Miaomiao and her agent’s expressions turned sour in an instant, and Jing Zeqian’s brow furrowed with displeasure.
Wen Qingyan leisurely picked up his coffee, took a sip, and hid the curve of his lips.
Jiang Miaomiao's agent tried to explain, "President Jing, it’s not like that..." Jing Zeqian cut her off impatiently, "What’s the solution? Do I have to handle this myself?"
He and Jiang Miaomiao were indeed friends, but that didn’t mean he had to give her special treatment for everything.
Jiang Miaomiao forced a smile, "Zeqian, it’s not like that. She’s just anxious to help me secure this opportunity. After all, it’s..."
Jing Zeqian looked at her seriously, "Miaomiao, I’m not asking you to give up a rare opportunity, but your team should at least manage your schedule properly."
In the end, Jiang Miaomiao could only smile and agree before leaving with her agent.
Wen Qingyan's agent watched their retreating figures with a smug look, though he quickly toned it down when he caught Wen Qingyan’s gaze.
He almost forgot—no matter what, Jiang Miaomiao’s relationship with President Jing was still different from the other artists at 'Startrack.'
"By the way, what were you going to tell me earlier?"
Wen Qingyan snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head with a faint smile, "Nothing, just that I met a special girl." As for the coincidence of their names being similar, it wasn’t worth mentioning.
Jing Zeqian looked at Wen Qingyan, hesitating to speak.
Rationally, he should advise him to focus on his career. After all, even though he’s been popular for years, he’s still on the rise, and Jing Zeqian was, after all, his boss!
But emotionally, he couldn’t bring himself to stop someone from pursuing love. A young man in his twenties falling in love wasn’t a big deal.
But he was in the entertainment industry, and a top actor at that...
Fortunately, Wen Qingyan's agent quickly picked up on Jing Zeqian’s concern and assured him, "Don’t worry, President Jing! Qingyan was just speaking offhandedly!"
He spent almost every day with this guy. If Wen Qingyan were really dating someone, he’d definitely know!
Wen Qingyan realized Jing Zeqian had misunderstood and chuckled, "Don’t worry, President Jing. Even if I were to start dating, it would only be after the PR plan was in place."
Jing Zeqian breathed a sigh of relief and explained, "I’m not stopping you from dating. Like you said, it’s just a matter of having a PR plan ready."
Wen Qingyan was both amused and exasperated. He had only been speaking casually.
But soon, he realized that a PR plan really would be necessary.
...
A few days later, Wen Qingyan saw the girl again. She had come to play the childhood sweetheart of the male lead in the drama.
That is, his character’s childhood sweetheart.
Thinking back to Jing Zeqian’s probing and his agent’s earnest advice, Wen Qingyan felt a little uneasy.
She didn’t recognize him, treating him only as a senior in the entertainment industry.
But, she did look quite stunning in that period costume.
After the day’s filming wrapped up, there was a knock at the door. Wen Qingyan, who had been reading the script, immediately sat up.
His agent gave him a strange look, "Why so excited?"
Wen Qingyan tried to cover it up by lying back on the sofa and holding up the script, "Just stretching after sitting for too long. Aren’t you going to see who’s at the door? Don’t keep them waiting."
His agent’s expression grew even more suspicious. It was late at night, and his artist seemed to know who was knocking?
Muttering to himself, the agent went to open the door.
Wen Qingyan slowly lowered the script and looked toward the door, a mix of anticipation and anxiety in his eyes.
Could it be her? He had mentioned that she could ask him if she had any questions, but not this late. She didn’t seem like that kind of girl, right? She wasn’t, was she? But what if it was her?
"Is Qingyan here?"
It was the female lead of *The Monarch*. The agent greeted her politely before turning back and saying, "Qingyan, Miss Li is here to see you."
Miss Li?
Wen Qingyan stood up and looked over. Seeing it was the actress playing the female lead, a flicker of disappointment crossed his eyes.
He walked over, a gentle smile returning to his face.
"Miss Li, what can I do for you?"
The actress blushed, "Qingyan, you can just call me Yuyu." Wen Qingyan smiled but didn’t respond. His agent, used to this, turned and went back inside.
After all, his artist would never be alone with a female co-star.
Seeing his lack of response, the actress quickly held up her script, "There’s a scene from today that I’m not quite clear on. I was wondering if you could help me..."
Wen Qingyan smiled politely, "I’m afraid that might not be convenient. Besides, if any rumors were to spread, it wouldn’t be good for your reputation."
The actress’s expression faltered. Wasn’t that exactly why she had come so late?
But with him putting it that way, she could only leave dejectedly.
Wen Qingyan returned to his room, closed the door, and unconsciously sighed.
His agent looked even more suspicious, "Were you... waiting for someone?" Wen Qingyan immediately denied it, "Of course not. It’s so late. Who would I be waiting for?"
Really? But he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
Filming for *The Monarch* continued, and Wen Qingyan gradually grew closer to Jing Zejun. At the very least, she no longer treated him like a distant senior.
Today was Jing Zejun’s final scene, the most pivotal moment for her character.
Wen Qingyan did his best to guide her, ensuring that this scene would become a highlight that audiences would remember.
The cameras rolled. Jing Zejun, clad in armor with her hair tied high, collapsed into a pool of blood.
At this moment, Wen Qingyan, playing the male lead, was supposed to rush over in despair—and he did.
But for some reason, watching Jing Zejun fall to the ground like that, he genuinely felt a pang of sadness.
Wen Qingyan was a seasoned actor. He always kept his off-screen emotions separate from his on-screen performance. But today felt different.
