Yin Zhizhi had a look of resignation: "I don't know how to apply the medicated oil, forget it, it'll heal on its own in a few days."
Ji Huan's eyes scanned her hand and arm, which were completely red and would likely bruise tomorrow.
He took out the medicine from the first aid kit and said with his head lowered, "Give me your hand."
Yin Zhizhi smiled at him, "Is the great manager Ji Huan going to apply the medicine for me?"
"You have an audition tomorrow, how can you act with an injured arm? Hand it over." Ji Huan stretched out his hand.
Yin Zhizhi had been waiting for him to offer to apply the medicine, so she scooted closer and held out her arm.
Physical contact can deepen relationships.
Ji Huan poured the medicated oil into his palm, rubbed his hands together to warm it up, then grabbed her wrist with one hand to hold it in place while using the other to firmly massage the swollen, red area of her arm.
Hiss.
It hurt a bit.
Yin Zhizhi didn't deliberately hold back, her pained expression showing on her face.
Seeing this, Ji Huan didn't ease up, instead saying, "You need to apply some pressure for it to be effective, otherwise there's no point in applying the medicine. Bear with it for a bit."
"Okay."
Ji Huan saw that she was nearly gritting her teeth, and sighed inwardly. It was normal for a girl like Yin Zhizhi to be afraid of pain.
He changed the subject to divert her attention, "The audition tomorrow is for that movie you said you wanted to act in."
"The one you invested in?"
"Yeah." Ji Huan was a bit more gentle as he massaged, her wrist was so slender, he felt like he could snap it if he applied too much force.
It was fortunate it was just a bruise, what would he do if her delicate wrist had fractured?
"Be more careful when you shower next time."
They had been discussing the movie, but he suddenly said this out of nowhere.
Yin Zhizhi was momentarily stunned, then said embarrassedly, "Having this happen the first time I'm at your place, do you think I'm silly?"
"Quite silly."
"..."
Yin Zhizhi pursed her lips and fell silent.
Ji Huan released her hand, poured more medicated oil into his palm, and warmed it up again.
He continued to repeatedly massage and work the oil into her arm.
"Since it's a movie I invested in, I'll be on set tomorrow as well. I'll be voting on whether the actors are cast, so if you perform well I'll vote for you, but if not, I'll pass."
"Got it, I've heard about your iron-faced impartiality."
Although her arm still hurt, she had grown accustomed to his force.
The aching, throbbing, heated swelling made Yin Zhizhi ask, "What roles are available to audition for?"
"Tree spirits, flower spirits, insect spirits. The movie has a fantasy background, and there's a need for many good-looking supernatural creatures. The main roles have already been cast, only the various spirits remain." Ji Huan thought for a moment, then added, "Even if it's just playing a spirit, if you perform well in a scene that lasts only a few seconds, the audience will remember you."
Yin Zhizhi nodded, "I'm well aware, in film history there have been many minor roles that lasted only seconds but still dazzled the audience."
"Your looks are very well-suited to play a supernatural creature, it would really catch the audience's eye."
Yin Zhizhi's eyes sparkled as she leaned in, "Are you complimenting me on being pretty?"
Ji Huan had been looking down while applying the medicine, when Yin Zhizhi suddenly leaned in close, her face was very near his when he looked up.
Her face was bare and freshly washed, fair and radiant, her long lashes framing bright, mischievous eyes.
Ji Huan looked away without answering.
"Why aren't you saying anything? Don't you think I'm pretty? Ji Huan, don't you often compliment your artists?"
"I rarely compliment people."
Ji Huan seldom praised others.
He simply focused on doing his job well.
"You're so dull, I had thought since I happened to be staying at your place today, I could get to know you better so we'd work together more harmoniously in the future."
Ji Huan's gaze flickered.
Ah, so that's why.
No wonder she had been so lively tonight despite her fall.
She just wanted to get a bit closer to him.
True, over these past few days their interactions had been strictly professional, they hadn't really gotten to know each other despite spending time together.
Ji Huan relaxed, no longer viewing her solely as one of his artists, but rather... like a friend's rebellious kid.
"You're very pretty."
The sudden compliment immediately brightened Yin Zhizhi's previously subdued expression.
Ji Huan was mildly surprised at how delighted she seemed by the simple praise. Surely many people had called her beautiful before, why would she get so excited over one compliment?
Ji Huan continued, "When the director notified me to come to the auditions to select actors, I thought of you as soon as I saw the list of those auditioning. I had actually planned to tell you about it today, but I didn't expect you had already taken an interest in a role from the movie. What kind of spirit did you want to audition for?"
"A tree spirit, the quiet, still type that doesn't move or speak much."
Coming from someone else, Ji Huan might have suspected they wanted an easy role without much action or dialogue.
But with Yin Zhizhi choosing this, he somehow felt it suited her.
"Roles without much action or dialogue actually require more gravitas. You need to mentally prepare yourself."
"Mmhm."
Yin Zhizhi felt drowsy, her arm no longer hurt but instead felt warmly swollen.
Her eyelids drooped, having gone from bright and lively just minutes ago to now wilting like a flower.
Ji Huan was concerned she might fall asleep on the couch at any moment.
Ji Huan released her arm, "Alright, you should go sleep if you're tired. Just be careful not to lay on that arm."
"Okay."
Yin Zhizhi dragged herself back to the bedroom looking utterly fatigued.
Ji Huan cleaned up the medicine supplies left on the table.
Suddenly Yin Zhizhi returned, holding the evening gown, "Where should I hang this?"
"Just leave it on the sofa, I'll hang it up."
"Okay."
Yin Zhizhi dropped the gown and went back to sleep.
Ji Huan tidied up the living room table, then went to the bathroom to wash his hands, needing several rounds of soap to rid them of the medicinal smell.
As he rinsed his palms with warm water, a fleeting memory of grasping Yin Zhizhi's arm surfaced.
Ji Huan's eyes abruptly narrowed, he turned off the tap and stared at his reflection.
"Crazy, remember your role."
You're just her manager.
She's nine years younger than you.
Ji Huan dried his hands, took the evening gown, and hung it in the walk-in closet.
The tulle fabric was stiff to the touch, intricately structured to achieve that full, poofy effect.
It looked beautiful, but must have been terribly uncomfortable to wear.
Ji Huan recalled the reddened marks on Yin Zhizhi's neck and arms.
From now on, he wouldn't make his artists wear any clothing sent over by brands if unsuitable, fashion resources could be found elsewhere.
...
These past few days, Yin Zhizhi had been frantically woken up by her assistant in the mornings until her biological clock adjusted, now automatically waking at 6:40 am.
Yin Zhizhi, disheveled in her loose pajamas, went to freshen up.
As she brushed her teeth, she inwardly called out, "System?"
No response.
"You're absent again, systems in novels are supposed to be available 24/7, why can't you be the same? I seriously suspect you've been slacking off."
Knowing the system wasn't present, Yin Zhizhi entertained herself by complaining about it.
"System, don't think you can laze around just because you have a nice voice."
She finished washing up, but the system still hadn't appeared.
Yin Zhizhi left her room, the living room was empty.
Had Ji Huan not woken up yet?
Yin Zhizhi sat cross-legged on the couch and played on her phone.
Xiao Xiangyun, a celebrity friend she'd done the escape room variety show with, sent her a message: 'The episode you were on will air tonight without announcement, you're the mysterious guest star~'
Yin Zhizhi replied,
'This is my first public appearance since returning to the country, hopefully it'll have great impact and the escape room show will break viewership records again.'
Xiao Xiangyun responded right away, she must have woken up early too.
'I'm sure it will. By the way Zhizhi, I saw yesterday's hot search trends, are you okay? How are things now?'
Yin Zhizhi knew Xiao Xiangyun was asking about two matters.
'Don't worry, you saw from the surveillance too that the person didn't even touch me. There's no need to worry, and I'm with my manager, so there's no danger.'
Sun Li: 'I'm relieved that you're with your manager. Ji Huan's capabilities are well-known in the industry, so he'll definitely be able to protect you well. How did your home address get leaked?'
'I don't know. The company is still investigating. I won't be able to go home for a while.'
After chatting for a few more lines, they agreed to watch a variety show together that evening.
At that moment, the sound of entering a password came from the front door. The door opened, and Ji Huan, wearing sportswear and no glasses, entered.
His hair was slightly damp with sweat on his forehead, indicating he had just been out for a morning jog.
In sportswear and without glasses, he looked so youthful, like a college student.
"I thought you hadn't woken up yet. You went out for a jog this early?"
Ji Huan saw Yin Zhizhi with messy hair, wearing pajamas, and sitting cross-legged on the sofa, clearly having just gotten up not long ago.
"I have a habit of morning jogs."
Ji Huan: "The audition starts at 8:30. I scheduled your time for a little after 9. Do you want to go with me, or would you like to stay home a little longer and go later?"
"Of course I'll go with you. There's no need for the driver to make two trips."
"Okay."
Ji Huan went to take a shower and changed into a loose set of home clothes.
He made two breakfasts of sandwiches and milk, set everything up, and then called her over to eat.
Yin Zhizhi was already hungry and took a big bite of the sandwich as soon as she picked it up.
It tasted great.
The original owner had stayed abroad for a year, so she was quite used to this kind of food and didn't necessarily need to have a Chinese-style breakfast.
After breakfast, they changed clothes and left.
The driver was waiting downstairs.
When they arrived at the audition venue, many actors had already arrived, some famous and some unknown.
There were also many reporters, photographers, and fans outside.
News of the audition had been released early, and some famous artists had even hinted that they would be attending the audition. Marketing accounts had started hyping it up a few months ago.
"Xiao Xiangyun! She's here!"
At an exclamation, Xiao Xiangyun got out of her van and waved, saying, "Hello everyone, sorry, could you please make way? I'm running a bit late, and I need to hurry inside."
"Xiangyun! Xiangyun!"
"Ms. Xiao, may I ask which role in the film you're auditioning for? Is it the Wood Spirit role, as rumors have suggested?"
Xiao Xiangyun smiled, "I can't reveal that. You'll have to find me on the movie poster later."
"It seems Xiangyun is very confident about getting the role. I wish you success."
"Thank you."
Xiao Xiangyun's assistant cleared a path, and she went inside.
Yin Zhizhi: "......"
Ji Huan: "Let's go. We should get out too."
