It was like a row of dominoes being gently nudged at the start, followed by a long, winding line of small wooden blocks toppling one after another until the very end.
The phrase "What do you think?" had precisely this effect.
And Ruan Yu's heart was that final domino.
Sometimes, it wasn't the most intense or straightforward love words that struck the deepest chord.
The scenery hidden at the end of eighteen winding mountain roads might be far more breathtaking than what lay along a straight path.
The two of them remained still for a long time.
So long that, if no one spoke up, they might have stayed in that position until one of them grew utterly exhausted.
Then Xu Huaisong smiled.
Ruan Yu stammered, "W-what?"
"You know, your heart is beating so fast it feels like you're giving someone a back massage."
"..."
Why did he have to call her out like that? Ruan Yu quickly broke free, fumbled with her keys to unlock the door, and scurried inside like a startled mouse. With a loud "thud," she shut the door behind her and leaned against it, nearly on the verge of tears.
So weak, so weak! Just this morning, she had been determined to give this old fox a hard time, yet with just a casual tease from him, she had crumbled.
No.
Ruan Yu took a deep breath, turned around, and reopened the door. Sure enough, Xu Huaisong was still standing outside, unmoved.
Peeking out from behind the doorframe, she said, "Did you know that among the top ten fastest land animals, hares actually make the list?"
Xu Huaisong frowned, clearly puzzled by the sudden, seemingly random question—a trademark of writers—but answered earnestly nonetheless, "No, I haven't studied that."
Ruan Yu then continued meaningfully, "Hares may look timid and easy to bully, but they can run up to fifty miles per hour—almost as fast as lions. And among those top ten animals, foxes don’t even make the cut."
Xu Huaisong frowned again. "So?"
"So, goodnight!"
She grinned, closing the door once more, leaving Xu Huaisong alone to puzzle over her "thought-provoking question."
After returning home and taking a shower, Ruan Yu comfortably settled into bed when her phone buzzed.
Assuming it was Xu Huaisong notifying her of his safe arrival at the hotel, she opened it only to find an email from Huanshi Entertainment.
To be precise, it was an invitation—asking her to attend a scriptwriting meeting for Whisper of Desire next Tuesday.
Next Tuesday was just three days away.
Ruan Yu propped her chin on her hand, deep in thought.
The film adaptation rights for Whisper had been signed over to Huanshi back in early June. Initially, she had sold the IP mainly to explore a new career path, transitioning from the online literature circle to a broader development platform. But because the male lead’s prototype was right beside her, she felt it would be difficult to immerse herself in the subsequent creative work without reservation. So, she had informed Huanshi that she might not participate in the screenwriting process.
This invitation was likely just a symbolic gesture, checking if she had changed her mind.
Originally, of course, she wouldn’t have. But as luck would have it, today she had just confirmed something—something that reminded her of Xu Huaisong’s response when she had asked whether she should agree to hand the IP over to Huanshi: "Is there any reason not to?"
Back then, he had already known she was writing about him. Yet he was willing to let this story be told to a wider audience in this way.
So why should she hold back now?
Ruan Yu got out of bed, opened her laptop, and replied to Huanshi’s email with gratitude, confirming her attendance at the meeting next Tuesday. By the time she returned to bed and lay down, a WeChat message from Xu Huaisong had already arrived.He said: Then let the fox chase the rabbit a little longer.
She smiled slowly at the screen.
On Tuesday, Ruan Yu arrived at Huanshi Entertainment right on time.
Since the meeting was scheduled for early morning, she didn’t ask Xu Huaisong to wake up early just to drive her. Instead, she took a bus that went straight to the vicinity.
Huanshi’s standalone office building stood imposingly in this prime location where land was worth its weight in gold.
After giving her name at the front desk on the first floor, Ruan Yu was immediately greeted by a secretary-like staff member who briefly introduced the floor layout before escorting her to the seventh-floor conference room.
Most attendees were already seated inside. Judging by the nameplates with black text on red backgrounds, the seat at the head of the table belonged to the film’s producer, followed by the executive producer, then a row of screenwriters and script editors.
Ruan Yu’s nameplate was placed further back, with the title “Script Consultant.”
After she replied to the email, executive producer Zheng Shan had happily assigned her this role.
The conference room was quiet, with only occasional murmurs. Ruan Yu’s arrival didn’t cause much of a stir.
Soon, the remaining attendees trickled in, and finally, the executive producer entered, prompting most in the room to stand.
Zheng Shan, however, seemed quite relaxed, gesturing for everyone to sit. “Take your seats, everyone. Apologies—Director Wei is running late, so we’ll start without him this time.”
Director Wei referred to the film’s producer, also one of Huanshi’s board members.
The row of attendees expressed understanding, with the more socially adept casually tossing out polite formalities—the atmosphere thick with corporate professionalism.
As a late addition to the scriptwriting team, Ruan Yu naturally kept a low profile. Sensing her restraint, Zheng Shan introduced her to the group first: “This is Wen Xiang, the original author. Starting today, she’ll be joining our creative team as a script consultant.”
Ruan Yu stood and nodded in greeting. A few murmurs of “so young” floated around her before silence returned.
Zheng Shan joked, “Why is everyone so stiff? Our creative team is young—average age under thirty. Is this how young people act?” With that, she signaled her assistant to start the PowerPoint presentation. “Since everyone’s so quiet, let me drop a bombshell first.”
The projector displayed a high-definition stage photo on the screen.
Ruan Yu looked up—and froze.
The person in the photo sat at a grand piano, wearing a white dress shirt and thin-framed glasses, head bowed as he played.
Before she could react, Zheng Shan asked, “Might be hard to recognize—he looks quite different now. This is Li Shican before his debut, performing at his university’s Top Ten Singers competition during his freshman year. Does he remind you of anyone?”
“Oh!” someone finally broke the silence. “Isn’t that our male lead?”
Ruan Yu stiffened.
Zheng Shan laughed. “See? Fresh-faced idols still have pulling power.”
Another person asked, “Director Zheng, have we confirmed Li Shican as the male lead?”
“Shh,” Zheng Shan gestured. “It’s pretty much settled, but keep it internal for now. Alright, let’s begin the meeting.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Ruan Yu’s phone buzzed with a message from Xu Huaisong.
Unable to reply now, she slipped her phone into her pocket, clutching the meeting booklet as her thoughts raced.
Good grief—the male lead is going to be Li Shican?The meeting ended at noon. Zheng Shan seemed very busy, rushing off to another appointment and didn't have time to properly host everyone, just instructing her secretary to arrange lunch and a lounge for the group.
But Ruan Yu felt she might not need these arrangements. Because in her phone, Xu Huaisong had sent a message an hour ago: "I'm near Huanshi. Call me when the meeting ends."
She thanked the secretary, sent Xu Huaisong a message, then took the elevator downstairs. As she exited, she overheard two screenwriters from the meeting whispering ahead of her.
One said: "Traffic stars are good, but wasn't Li Shican recently involved in that suicide scandal? My industry friends say the impact was huge. His company was unhappy about him taking matters into his own hands by going public, and might secretly be reducing his activities and endorsements..."
"You don't understand, that was called..."
Ruan Yu didn't catch the rest.
Frowning, she took out her phone and scrolled through Li Shican's Weibo. Aside from not having posted for a while, nothing seemed amiss. Their WeChat conversation also remained on his message saying "Everything's resolved, no negative impact."
Just then, Xu Huaisong replied: "Come to the entrance."
Since parking near Huanshi was difficult, she temporarily set aside thoughts about Li Shican and hurried out.
After buckling up, Xu Huaisong immediately hit the gas, commenting: "This meeting lasted longer than my usual workdays."
Still preoccupied with casting decisions, Ruan Yu absentmindedly murmured agreement: "I heard script creation meetings often last ten hours minimum. Today's first session was actually light."
Xu Huaisong noticed her distraction and glanced sideways.
Ruan Yu was internally debating—casting results were confidential, so directly mentioning them seemed inappropriate. But if she didn't say anything, would Xu Huaisong get so angry he'd enter showbiz himself?
Clearing her throat, she tentatively asked: "Do you have any opinions about the actor casting?"
Keeping his eyes on the road as he drove toward a nearby restaurant, Xu Huaisong replied: "Should I have opinions?"
Ruan Yu chuckled awkwardly: "You've read my novel—what do you think? Any current celebrities you'd suggest for the lead roles?"
After a pause, Xu Huaisong said: "Don't know the industry. Probably no one suitable."
Oh? So he really wants to play the role himself?
Ruan Yu's mouth twitched: "We have to pick someone from entertainment circles. We can't actually drag some random accountant, doctor or lawyer amateur into this."
To Xu Huaisong, her tone carried pointed sarcasm. He half-braked, slowing the car to look at her.
Ruan Yu straightened: "Did I say something wrong?"
"No." Xu Huaisong frowned at the steering wheel, seemingly deep in thought.
Stealing a glance, Ruan Yu continued: "If the production team casts a male star you dislike as the lead, as... the meritorious minister who helped resolve the plagiarism dispute, would you regret supporting my IP sale?"
Xu Huaisong pulled over and fully stopped the car this time, staring at her: "Are you telling me right now that Li Shican will play your male lead?"
Author's note: Songsong: beep the Hound of Heaven.
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