Chapter 59

After only four or five hours of sleep, Zhang Chengyuan and Cheng Youli both got up. Cheng Youli had to meet up with the production team to fly abroad, while Zhang Chengyuan had to take her to the airport and then head to the set to continue filming.

As performers, it was extremely common for them to have less sleep and more work during their working periods, and they had long grown accustomed to it. However, Cheng Youli was in low spirits and felt physically drained this morning due to Zhang Chengyuan's antics the night before. She was also quite upset, so she grabbed a pillow and started hitting Zhang Chengyuan's rock-hard head to vent her frustration. Zhang Chengyuan felt uneasy and repeatedly begged for mercy, even offering to use his qi to help Cheng Youli recover her energy and boost her spirits.

After a bit of playful banter, they wasted some more time. To ensure they could get Cheng Youli to the airport on time, Zhang Chengyuan drove much faster, weaving through traffic and frequently overtaking other cars, which made Cheng Youli very worried. She sternly told him to stop his reckless overtaking. Fortunately, once they left the city, there were fewer cars, and they could safely increase their speed, so they didn't end up being late.

At the airport, to avoid being seen together and causing a new round of intense rumors, Cheng Youli got out of the car first and carried her luggage into the airport. Zhang Chengyuan then drove around a bit before entering the airport.

The crew members who saw this thought Zhang Chengyuan had rushed over to see Cheng Youli off, so they didn't suspect anything. However, this little trick didn't fool the three people who knew the inside story: Lee Hyori, Yoo Ju-hyun, and Lee Jin. They all observed Zhang Chengyuan and Cheng Youli with curious and suggestive eyes, hoping to catch any unusual behavior.

Unfortunately, Zhang Chengyuan and Cheng Youli's actions and expressions showed no signs of anything out of the ordinary. The three women immediately realized that nothing had happened between them last night and sighed, thinking that their efforts the previous night had been in vain. They also thought that Zhang Chengyuan was truly not much of a man, as he couldn't even seize such a good opportunity.

What they didn't know was that Zhang Chengyuan had always respected them deeply and was used to following their commands. Although he occasionally thought about "rebelling," the accumulated authority was too strong, and he couldn't bring himself to do it.

The three women felt a mix of frustration and joy: "If that's the case, can't we all be as close as before?" But they quickly sighed again, thinking, "But this isn't a long-term solution!"

Cheng Youli's trip to Japan lasted over a week. During this time, she was busy filming and experiencing the local customs and cuisine, while Zhang Chengyuan was also busy filming in Seoul. They often kept in touch by phone, like a couple separated by distance.

When Cheng Youli returned from abroad, the filming entered the phase where the female lead meets the second male lead and applies to be his secretary. This gave Zhang Chengyuan and Cheng Youli many opportunities to work together. For Zhang Chengyuan, this was a long-awaited good thing, as he could not only order Cheng Youli around, whom he usually respected and flattered, but also enjoy the admiring, loving, and even infatuated looks she gave him. This was the complete opposite of their real-life relationship.

Although it was just acting and not a real situation, and even outside of filming, Zhang Chengyuan still had to be disciplined and ordered around by Cheng Youli, it was still the first time she had looked at him like that. Therefore, Zhang Chengyuan was incredibly happy and wished the scriptwriter would write more such scenes.

On the evening they finished filming the awkward and funny matchmaking scene, Zhang Chengyuan sat on the sofa with Cheng Youli in his apartment, chatting. As they talked, Zhang Chengyuan suddenly remembered how Cheng Youli had lowered her head and avoided looking at him during the filming, finding it very amusing. He decided to tease her and mimicked her tone, repeating the lines she said in the scene: "What are your interests?"

Then he used a haughty tone to deliver his own lines: "Your neck must be sore, let's go." He even waved his hand dismissively, as if shooing away a fly.

"Wait... How about we go to dinner together?" He suddenly mimicked Cheng Youli's meek and submissive demeanor.

"Sorry, I have something to do, I'll go first." When he said this line to reject Cheng Youli during filming, he immediately stood up and left. As he was about to stand up to reenact the scene, Cheng Youli, who had been listening and was already embarrassed and angry, suddenly pounced on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and threatening, "If you keep saying those lines, I'll strangle you."

During the filming of the matchmaking scene, she had felt embarrassed because in real life, Zhang Chengyuan was the one who was usually meek and submissive, but in the scene, it was completely reversed. Now that Zhang Chengyuan had brought up the scene, she couldn't help but feel even more embarrassed and angry.

Zhang Chengyuan, still in a playful mood, continued to recite the lines Cheng Youli said after he left in the scene: "Sigh! Why did I go for the interview? If I hadn't gone, maybe the matchmaking with the section chief would have succeeded... Sigh! Sigh! Sister Youli, do you really want the matchmaking to succeed?" He added a teasing remark at the end.

As soon as he finished speaking, Cheng Youli, who was furious and embarrassed, covered his mouth with her hand and hit him on the head several times.

Zhang Chengyuan wanted to beg for mercy but could only make "uh-uh-uh" sounds. He tried to pry her hand away but, upon touching her delicate hand, felt its smoothness and exquisite texture, and decided not to struggle. Instead, he caressed her hand lovingly. In a moment of passion, he suddenly reached out with his other hand and pulled Cheng Youli into a tight embrace, his eyes burning with desire.

Gradually, Cheng Youli's body softened, and she unconsciously released his mouth. Her captivating eyes met Zhang Chengyuan's, as if two bridges connected their hearts, conveying their emotions to each other.

Zhang Chengyuan said in a deep, magnetic voice, "Sister Youli, will you be my girlfriend?" His voice was enchanting and captivating.

Cheng Youli, in a daze, responded, "Mm." In fact, she hadn't heard clearly what Zhang Chengyuan said, but she subconsciously agreed.

Zhang Chengyuan was overjoyed and immediately kissed Cheng Youli's beautiful lips. Their tongues intertwined, and they were lost in the sweet sensation, oblivious to the passage of time. When Cheng Youli couldn't hold her breath any longer, they briefly parted to catch a quick breath, but Zhang Chengyuan quickly kissed her again.

Seeing Cheng Youli struggling for breath, Zhang Chengyuan, impatient, transferred his continuous qi into her body during the kiss, as if giving her an oxygen mask, allowing her to breathe easily. This made them even more engrossed and lost in the moment. They didn't even notice when Lee Hyori, Yoo Ju-hyun, and Lee Jin arrived a few minutes later and watched them for a long time.

After a long while, their lips finally parted, and they heard someone teasing, "That was quite a long and passionate kiss, at least fifteen minutes, and without a single break for air. I never knew Chengyuan's qigong could be used for this. What do you think, Ju-hyun, Jin?"

The speaker was naturally the leader, Lee Hyori. Seeing Cheng Youli and Zhang Chengyuan so intimate, she felt both relieved and a bit jealous, so her tone had a hint of acidity.

Cheng Youli, suddenly hearing Lee Hyori and the others, felt extremely embarrassed and quickly jumped up, blushing, and ran into the room. Yoo Ju-hyun and Lee Jin exchanged glances and followed her, leaving Lee Hyori alone with Zhang Chengyuan in the living room.