Zhou Yining was having lunch with Jing Xin. Jing Xin had been busy shooting a new drama, and the two hadn’t seen each other in a while. Jing Xin told her, “Oh, right, the director said Dong-ge is going to be on the show too.”

Zhou Yining looked up, her tone sarcastic. “He’s going on a variety show?”

Jing Xin couldn’t help but laugh. “Even if Dong-ge just stands there as a backdrop on a show, the ratings will still skyrocket.”

Zhou Yining thought of his face and his massive legion of fans. It’s true enough, but she was still annoyed. It had been almost a week, and he hadn’t sent a single message. She jabbed at the rice in her bowl with her chopsticks.

Jing Xin asked, “Your birthday is coming up. How are you going to celebrate?”

“I don’t know yet. We’ll see. Zhou Shen and the others will probably arrange something for me.” That group always looked forward to her birthday as a reason to throw a big party.

“That’s true. They love organizing that kind of thing,” Jing Xin agreed with a nod.

After lunch, the two originally wanted to go shopping, but Jing Xin was so popular that as soon as they entered a jewelry store, they were surrounded by fans. The two of them barely managed to break free and had no choice but to retreat to their respective homes.

The next day, Wan Wei called and told her to come to the company.

Zhou Yining pushed open the office door and, just like last time, sat on the sofa to wait for her to finish her call. When Wan Wei hung up, she looked at Zhou Yining with a calm expression. “You passed the audition. Congratulations.”

Zhou Yining’s eyes widened. “Really?”

Wan Wei leaned back in her chair, crossed her legs, and lit a cigarette. “Director Wei said your performance was incredibly real. No actress has ever bitten through her own lip for an audition, even in a real performance. He said you’re ruthless with yourself and that he saw a shadow of Pei Yuan in you.”

Zhou Yining’s fingers quietly clenched, and she smiled. “Is that so? Competing against Shen Qing, I thought I had no chance.”

Wan Wei stood up, smiling as she put out her cigarette. “Let’s go, let’s grab lunch. I’ll go with you to the show tomorrow, and I’ll arrange an assistant for you for the next few days. After The Taiping Dynasty airs and The Heart’s Knot has its press conference, you won’t have this much freedom. There’s no telling when reporters and paparazzi will be after you, so it’s not good to be alone.”

Zhou Yining was used to being on her own. When they were filming The Taiping Dynasty, Wan Wei had asked her if she wanted an assistant, and she had said no.

“Okay, I’ll do as you say.”

Wan Wei knew she was a little reluctant. This girl was quite strange; other artists would do anything to have an assistant serving them, but she didn’t like it.

The next morning, Wan Wei, an assistant, and Zhou Yining went to the airport to fly to City C for the show recording.

This program was definitely going to air before The Taiping Dynasty, and it would be Zhou Yining’s first appearance on television. Wan Wei took this very seriously and handled all the arrangements personally.

That same morning, Ji Dongyang and Ah Ming arrived at Airport B. Ah Ming pushed the luggage. “Dong-ge, we have time. We can go back home first.”

There were no direct international flights to City C, so they had changed their flight and returned a few hours early. This gave them time to go home, catch their breath, and then fly out in the afternoon. Ji Dongyang had a habit: if time allowed, the first thing he did after getting off a plane was to go home to shower and change.

He wore a mask, gave a low “mm,” and walked with long strides, his head down.

Zhou Yining was sitting to the side, waiting to check in for her flight, when she suddenly saw a familiar tall figure in the crowd. He was in a black down jacket, a hat, and a mask, wrapped up tightly and walking with hurried steps. Ah Ming, also wearing a mask, pushed a suitcase a few steps behind him.

Her heart fluttered. She stood up, subconsciously wanting to follow him, but then she remembered their current situation and forced herself to stop.

Wan Wei looked at her strangely. “What’s wrong?”

Zhou Yining sat back down. “Nothing. I just thought I saw someone I knew.”

In any case, they would be recording the show tonight and would see each other then. There was no need to rush. Maybe he’d call her in a bit? After all, an empty closet was a very annoying thing.

Stepping out of the elevator, Ji Dongyang glanced at the door next to his, then turned and entered his passcode. The door clicked open.

Ah Ming pulled the suitcase inside. “Dong-ge, what are you going to wear tonight? Are you sure you don’t need a stylist?”

Ji Dongyang walked in, taking off his jacket as he went. He slowed down when he saw the messy sofa, placed his down jacket on it, and looked at the chaotic cushions on the floor. He said slowly, “No need.”

He went into the bedroom. The bedroom was also a mess; the blanket wasn’t folded, and the pillow and sleep mask had fallen to the floor.

Ah Ming followed him in and was shocked. Dong-ge’s house looks like it’s been robbed.

That little demoness has bad sleeping habits. Look at how messy the bed is.

Ji Dongyang finally understood why the girl hadn’t contacted him for days. She was angry with him.

Ah Ming looked at Ji Dongyang’s tightly pressed lips and quickly said, “Dong-ge, you should go shower first. I’ll clean up. It’ll be all tidy by the time you’re done!”

Ji Dongyang frowned and went to open the closet. The next second, he froze.

The closet was empty, not even a single hanger was left, as if someone had completely cleaned it out.

A vein throbbed in his forehead. His thin lips became a straight line, and he sighed at the empty closet.

She really has a temper.

Ah Ming unzipped the suitcase and was about to organize the clothes inside and hang them back in the closet. He stood up with the clothes in his arms and was so shocked his jaw almost dropped. He stammered, “D-Dong-ge, did your house get robbed?”

Ji Dongyang pulled open a drawer, grabbed a pair of boxers, took a set of clothes from Ah Ming’s hand, and walked toward the bathroom. “No.”

He took two steps, then turned back to Ah Ming. “Have someone send over a few sets of clothes.”

Ah Ming nodded, staring at the empty closet, then suddenly came to a realization. He gasped, “That thief… it couldn’t have been the little demoness, could it?”

Ji Dongyang heard him but didn’t even turn his head.

Even if it was a thief, it was one he let in.

He closed the bathroom door, faintly hearing Ah Ming mutter, “She’s not just a little demoness, she’s a full-on arch-demoness.”

After Ji Dongyang showered, Ah Ming had already tidied up the bedroom and the sofa. A few lonely clothes hung in the massive closet. Ah Ming asked, “Dong-ge, should I not bring your clothes back?”

Ji Dongyang leaned back against the sofa, his hand over his eyes, his voice weary. “No need.”

What’s the point of bringing them back? She’ll just move them again whenever she’s unhappy.

I have no idea where this strange habit came from.

Ah Ming looked at him with admiration. To be so calm after his entire closet was emptied… only Dong-ge could manage it.

Another assistant brought a box of clothes and a stylist over, saying that Yang Xuan had arranged it. Ji Dongyang looked at Ah Ming, who scratched his head. “I thought this was a big deal, so I reported it to Director Yang. He said you’re recording the show tonight, so he arranged for a stylist.”

…

As per the usual routine, they began rehearsals. The entire cast had a total of six people: the male and female leads, and a few other important roles, Jing Xin, Zhou Yining, Yu Yuanhang, and the actress who played Consort Ru.

Ji Dongyang arrived at the studio twenty minutes before rehearsal.

The director and host personally went to greet him. A large crowd surrounded him as Ji Dongyang, in the midst of the crowd, walked towards the stage. It had been a while since everyone had seen each other after filming wrapped. Zhou Wei and Jing Xin went over to say hello, but Zhou Yining just stood there, motionless.

Ji Dongyang glanced at her, but the girl didn’t spare him a single look.

Variety shows didn’t have a strict script, and the rehearsal was simple. Everyone had dinner, then went to do their makeup and change their clothes to prepare for the official recording.

At the opening introduction, the host was visibly excited. “Dong-ge hasn’t been on a variety show in more than five years! We’re all thrilled to have him on our show. Are you all as excited as we are?”

The audience below screamed excitedly. “Yes!”

The first half of the recording went smoothly. Jing Xin was right; even if Ji Dongyang didn’t smile or say anything and just acted as a backdrop on the show, his fans were happy. During the games, the host also tried to arrange more interaction with Jing Xin and Zhou Wei, who were getting a lot of buzz. Zhou Yining was a complete newcomer with no news or explosive talking points. The host asked her a few questions from the script, like why she carried cash and the pressure of her first acting role.

Finally, the host asked, “You have a lot of scenes with Dong-ge. Is the pressure intense?”

Zhou Yining replied, “It’s alright.”

The host then asked, “Do you think Dong-ge is different in real life compared to when he’s acting?”

Zhou Yining looked at Ji Dongyang, who was diagonally across from her. He was looking at her, too. Their eyes met, and her smile was brilliant. “Him? He’s a walking cold front.”

The host: “…”

The director, screenwriters, and audience members standing below were stunned. Is this girl crazy? How could she say that?!

The director was the first to recover, followed by the experienced host, who glanced awkwardly at Ji Dongyang. Just as he was about to say something to ease the tension, he saw Ji Dongyang smile faintly and, in a rare moment of sarcasm, say, “Don’t be fooled by her angelic smile. She’s actually an arch-demoness.”

“…”

How do you respond to that?

How do we record this show?

Zhou Yining frowned and turned her head to look at Ji Dongyang. An arch-demoness? Was it really that serious?!

If he hadn’t gone abroad without a word and hadn’t contacted her for days, would she have emptied his closet?

Zhou Wei stepped in to smooth things over. “Haha, everyone, don’t be so shocked. They’re just kidding. That’s how we are on set, too.”

What was wrong with Zhou Yining? It was one thing for her to bicker with Dong-ge on set, but to be so blunt on a show? Was she not afraid of getting torn to shreds?

The host quickly tried to save the situation. Whether it was a joke or not, this episode now had its explosive talking point! When the trailer was edited and released, the ratings would surely soar!

The show recording ended late at night. The crew treated everyone to some famous local snacks. Ji Dongyang barely touched his chopsticks. Zhou Yining saw that the food was mostly spicy, so he naturally wouldn’t eat it.

She had a few beers, and her fair face slowly turned pink. Her clear, bright eyes looked at him, and a bit of a wronged look swirled within them.

Ji Dongyang’s heart softened. When she drank, her entire being softened, including her temper and her gaze.

After the late-night snack, the group returned to the hotel. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the two had no chance to be alone. Zhou Yining was accompanied by Wan Wei, who walked into the room with her and said, “What you said on the show today was a bit inappropriate. If you weren’t about to work together on The Heart’s Knot, I would have had to beg the show to cut that part. Otherwise, once the show aired, you would have been roasted beyond belief.”

Zhou Yining flopped onto the bed, looking exhausted. She said in a small voice, “Sorry. I’ll be sure to watch what I say next time.”

Wan Wei sighed. Zhou Yining’s personality wasn’t suited for show business. “This time was a lucky accident. It created some buzz for The Heart’s Knot. Some things are said without thought, but can be amplified and spiral into an uncontrollable direction. Don’t be so impulsive next time.”

Zhou Yining promised. “Mm.”

“Alright, you should get some sleep. We have an early flight to catch tomorrow morning.”

Zhou Yining picked up her phone to look at it, then put it down, repeating the action a few times before falling asleep on the bed.

Early the next morning, the entire cast flew back together, taking up almost the entire first-class cabin.

After arriving in City B, Zhou Yining drove home herself, with Ah Ming following her in his car. The two cars arrived at the underground parking garage one after the other. Ji Dongyang told Ah Ming to go back first.

Zhou Yining walked into the elevator, glanced at Ji Dongyang, who followed her in, and kept a cold expression, not saying a word.

When the elevator arrived, she hurried out, fumbling for her keys as she walked.

Ji Dongyang stared at her retreating and grabbed her hand from behind.