The efficiency of the Wenyuan Group was extremely high.

By evening, Fang Ruan had already received a cooperation call from Wenyuan Group’s publicity department. After providing her contact information, they immediately sent her the letter of intent.

“This is amazing, Chen Die. Did Chairman Wen take a liking to you when he visited the set last time?” Fang Ruan said as she walked over to Chen Die.

Chen Die turned her head. “What’s going on?”

“They’ve given us the entire spokesperson role for the opening of the food court in the development zone. They just contacted me.” Fang Ruan scrolled down as she spoke, muttering, “It’s just that the endorsement fee isn’t very generous.”

“…” Chen Die reached out her hand. “Let me see.”

Fang Ruan handed her the phone.

The endorsement task was quite simple—just attending several events during the food court opening, and possibly collaborating with the film and television division for joint promotion, though that would be covered under a separate contract.

However, Chen Die didn’t want to accept endorsement activities through Wen Liang when they had already broken up.

Chen Die returned the phone to Fang Ruan. “What do you think?”

“This endorsement is quite good. According to the introduction, the land for this film and television city project alone is worth 6 billion, and the subsequent commercial value is enormous. If we can secure this main spokesperson position, the long-term benefits would be countless.” Fang Ruan analyzed seriously. “The endorsement fee may not be high, but it’s reasonable, and there are many more intangible benefits.”

Chen Die frowned slightly, twirling the hairpin between her fingers as she thought.

Fang Ruan caught sight of this and gasped, quickly rushing over to rescue the hairpin from her hands. “Oh my goodness! Don’t break Chairman Wen’s precious gift before we even sign the endorsement deal.”

“…” Chen Die watched as she placed the hairpin back in the velvet box and put it away safely. “But I don’t want to sign it.”

She spoke softly, without much conviction, because she didn’t know how to explain her reason for refusing.

Fang Ruan asked, “Why not?”

“…”

“If you think the endorsement fee is too low, we could try negotiating with Wenyuan,” Fang Ruan suggested.

“It’s not because of that,” Chen Die said, feeling a bit desperate.

“What is it then?”

Chen Die remained silent.

“What are you thinking? Previously I suggested you spend more time with Qi Cheng, but you wouldn’t listen. You also have that attitude toward Director Lu. Now you want to turn down such a good endorsement? Chen Die, what are you in the entertainment industry for? Is the entertainment circle your nunnery for spiritual practice?”

Chen Die said quietly, “Can’t I just act?”

“You need to have the capital for that. If you just stay in film crews all day with no exposure otherwise, which good production would dare to cast you?”

“…” Chen Die was annoyed by her nagging and surrendered, raising her hands. “Fine, fine! I’ll sign it! Sign the endorsement! You decide!”

Fang Ruan snorted. “That’s more like it.”

After finishing with Fang Ruan, Feng Zhi, who was sitting by the camera, called her over. Chen Die ran to him, and Feng Zhi said, “After everyone else is done for the day, stay behind to shoot a few horseback scenes.”

“Okay,” Chen Die nodded.

She waited until nightfall, and was starting to feel cold in her costume when it was finally her turn.

A crew member brought over a horse. Chen Die took the reins and stroked its head.

She had been riding this same horse for days now and had become quite familiar with it, no longer afraid.

“Are you hungry?” Chen Die stroked its mane, talking to the horse as if to herself. “Why do you look so dejected? Are you tired of carrying me?”

The horse naturally had no reaction to her words.

Nearby, Feng Zhi finished setting up the shooting location, and Lu Chuan had also set up the equipment with Chen Shuyuan standing beside him.

Chen Die admired her persistence—staying by Lu Chuan’s side all day, even though Lu Chuan barely spoke to her, just sitting there without getting bored.

“Chen Die,” Lu Chuan pointed toward Feng Zhi. “You can go over now.”

Chen Die led the horse into the shot.

The horses at the film city were all well-trained and docile, with glossy black coats. Chen Die in her cyan robes, with her sleeves lightly lifted by the breeze, naturally exuded a sense of chivalry.

Chen Die mounted the horse smoothly, no longer needing anyone to help her.

The tracks for filming had already been laid around them.

Lu Chuan zoomed in for a close-up shot, and the slate clapped to start shooting.

The accident happened suddenly. The horse was startled and reared up on its hind legs. Despite Chen Die pulling tightly on the reins, she couldn’t maintain her balance. In her last instinctive preparation, she pulled her foot out of the stirrup.

Chen Die fell from the horse, her elbow hitting hard on the rough gravel, causing a sharp pain. Then she heard the sound of fabric tearing, followed by a stinging pain in her thigh. The wind blowing against it felt cool, as if an opening had been created.

Chen Die couldn’t make a sound, and sweat immediately broke out on her forehead.

The surroundings became chaotic and noisy, and soon a group of people gathered around, blocking the light that had been shining on Chen Die.

The startled horse was pulled away to prevent further injury. When Chen Die fell, her skirt had caught on a metal buckle on the saddle pad, tearing a large piece. Her slender, fair leg was exposed, with an alarming gash on her thigh.

The next second, the people surrounding her were pulled away. Wen Liang took off his suit jacket, wrapped it around her waist, and tied it. He then directly tore away the troublesome part of the long skirt around the wound.

“Has someone called an ambulance?” Wen Liang asked in a deep voice, turning his head.

One of them quickly replied, “Yes, yes, it’s on its way!”

Chen Die had recovered from the initial unbearable pain, but her voice was still trembling slightly. “I’m fine, just might have sprained my leg.”

Wen Liang looked at her with a stern face but didn’t say anything.

The security team quickly brought a first aid kit that had been prepared for emergencies. Lu Chuan took it and ran over. “Let’s disinfect it first to prevent infection. When the ambulance arrives, we can get an X-ray to check if there’s any serious damage.”

“I’ll do it.”

Without further discussion, Wen Liang took the first aid kit.

The man’s expensive suit jacket was now tied around Chen Die’s waist, dirtied by the sand and gravel on the ground. His white shirt was also stained with blood. His expression was grim, his lips pressed tightly together, his presence commanding and oppressive.

The suddenness of the accident meant no one had time to wonder why Wen Liang was there, but now they began to realize something was odd.

Chen Die’s ankle was held in his hand, burning hot to the touch.

Not wanting to be misunderstood, she straightened up to take the tweezers. “I can do it myself.”

Wen Liang looked up and cursed at her. “Like hell, you can.”

“…”

OK.

Wen Liang first used tweezers to remove the gravel stuck to her leg, then wiped away the dust with an alcohol swab, before finally disinfecting the wound.

After wiping away the blood, it didn’t look as frightening as it had initially.

In this life, Chen Die didn’t have any particular fears. Those things that many girls would fear, like insects, mice, or horror movies, didn’t frighten her, but she was afraid of pain and bitterness.

When Wen Liang had previously said she was delicate, he wasn’t wrong. She was very sensitive to pain and bitter tastes.

There was no spare attention to notice the strange looks from the people around them. The stinging pain when the disinfecting alcohol touched the wound was intense. Chen Die supported herself with her hands behind her, stiffening completely, even forgetting to breathe.

Wen Liang glanced at the wound and said, “It might need stitches.”

“No stitches,” Chen Die declared with proud defiance, raising her chin.

Wen Liang paused, his hand holding the disinfectant swab hovering in mid-air. He asked quietly, “Can you still bear it?”

“…I can.”

So Wen Liang continued disinfecting.

Pain pain pain pain pain pain!!!!!!

How could this dog of a man be so heavy-handed!!

Was he doing it on purpose??!!

Originally, Chen Die thought it was just a small cut on her leg, but after Wen Liang’s rough disinfection, she instantly felt like she might not escape amputation.

Fortunately, the ambulance arrived quickly.

Wen Liang bent down and carefully lifted Chen Die.

“You bastard,” Chen Die finally couldn’t hold back, stretching her neck to whisper in his ear. “Can’t you be gentler? What if I have a fracture?”

Wen Liang carried Chen Die, walking quickly toward the ambulance. “I’ve checked, there’s no fracture, just a deep cut.”

? You even have this skill.

When Chen Die had reached down to her leg earlier, her hand had also been stained with blood. When Wen Liang picked her up, she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, only now noticing that the blood had also stained his neck.

Besides that, his shirt was also covered with scattered bloodstains, looking quite frightening.

Chen Die paused and looked up.

Beads of sweat had formed on Wen Liang’s temple, his brows tightly knitted.

Chen Die was placed on the stretcher in the ambulance by the medical staff. The space inside was narrow, allowing only one person to accompany. Wen Liang had already climbed in, so the other crew members went to the hospital by car.

Fang Ruan had driven to the set that morning, so she hurriedly got her car from the garage.

Chen Die’s recent scene was a reshoot scheduled after all other filming tasks were completed for the day. Only the crew members were at the set; all other actors had already returned to the hotel.

Feng Zhi and Lu Chuan quickly got into the car. Chen Shuyuan held Lu Chuan back. “Senior, you’re going there so late?”

“Yes.” Lu Chuan, unusually impatient, pulled away from her hand and got into the car.

Feng Zhi had kept Wen Liang’s phone number and called to ask about the situation.

After hanging up, he said, “They’re almost at the hospital. The doctor in the ambulance did a preliminary check and said only her leg is injured, with no other serious issues.”

“That’s good,” Fang Ruan sighed in relief, then asked, “But how will we handle the upcoming filming?”

Feng Zhi was worried about this too. The previous contract had specified the shooting duration, and Qi Cheng had other activities to attend soon. “Let’s see the examination results first before making adjustments.”

The car was quiet for a moment. Then Feng Zhi asked, “Did Chen Die know Chairman Wen before?”

Everyone with eyes could see that the two had an unusual relationship. Naturally, Fang Ruan was also aware, but Chen Die had never mentioned it before.

No, that wasn’t right.

She had mentioned it once.

When Fang Ruan had pressed her about who was sending her breakfast every day, Chen Die had eventually said it was Chairman Wen.

Fang Ruan hadn’t believed it at all, but now it seemed entirely possible that Chairman Wen was indeed the one sending breakfast.

Fang Ruan’s small head was filled with big question marks.

What exactly did this Chairman Wen want with her little actress?? Hadn’t he previously said his beloved was neither gentle nor dignified nor domesticated, almost like a man?

None of that matched Chen Die at all. The only possible similarity might be “not domesticated,” but was that the point? Chen Die’s face was both pure and alluring, nothing like a man’s.

Could it be that he had a mannish wife at home and was now trying to develop Chen Die as a mistress??

The more Fang Ruan thought about it, the more anxious she became, fearing her little actress would be defiled.

Although this Chairman Wen was handsome, it could hardly be called defilement, but if this matter were exposed, it would be an indelible stain.

“Yes, they do know each other, but they’re not close,” Fang Ruan made up an excuse. “They met a few times through our company’s boss.”

As soon as Chen Die entered the hospital, she was sent for X-rays.

“We’ll expedite it. The results should be ready in about half an hour,” said the radiologist.

“Alright, thank you, doctor.”

Chen Die climbed down from the machine and limped out of the room with her leg raised.

Wen Liang was waiting outside. Seeing her emerge, he stepped forward and bent down to pick her up.

“Stop, stop, stop, stop—” Chen Die said repeatedly, pushing his body back. “We’re in a hospital, don’t carry me.”

Wen Liang frowned. “With your leg like this, how will you walk?”

“What if someone sees us? There are still people who recognize me now.”

Wen Liang said, “What’s wrong with being seen? Didn’t you livestream with someone else and end up on the trending topics? Now you’re reluctant?”

Chen Die thought, Huh??

When did she livestream with anyone?

Chen Die didn’t want to engage with his stubbornness anymore. She hopped forward, supporting herself against the wall. After a few steps, Wen Liang grabbed her again, almost causing her to slip. Just as she was about to erupt, Wen Liang said, “Stay here, I’ll go borrow a wheelchair.”

“…No thanks,” Chen Die refused again.

Sure enough, Wen Liang’s face darkened, looking very impatient.

“…”

Chen Die felt she was being too difficult, but she was still wearing the torn costume with a suit jacket tied around her waist, looking disheveled and stained with blood.

She couldn’t imagine what a spectacle it would be to be pushed in a wheelchair through the bustling hospital looking like this.

“I just don’t want to,” Chen Die added to emphasize her point.

Wen Liang continued to stare at her without speaking, appearing to be on the verge of anger.

“Fine, I’m being difficult, so what?” Chen Die said before he could, raising her chin with a frown. “It’s too ugly, I’d rather die.”

Wen Liang stepped forward, yanked his suit jacket from her waist, and threw it over her head, completely covering her face.

“You’re so spoiled,” he mocked lightly.

The next moment, Chen Die felt her legs lifted as he picked her up by the waist again.

She smelled Wen Liang’s familiar scent.

Outside the radiology department, the hospital resumed its naturally noisy and bustling atmosphere. Chen Die didn’t dare move, her two slender fingers tightly holding onto the jacket covering her head, afraid it might fall off.

“Which floor is General Surgery on?” Wen Liang’s voice came from above her head.

Chen Die said, “How would I know?”

“It’s on the slip in my pocket.” Wen Liang bounced her slightly in his arms. “Get it for me.”

“…”

So Chen Die awkwardly stretched out her hand, reaching around his arm with difficulty to fish out a slip of paper from his pocket. Due to this awkward position, their arms were pressed tightly together.

Chen Die’s ears grew hot, but thankfully she was completely covered by the jacket.

Passersby watching their difficult maneuver could only give Wen Liang curious glances, unable to see her. Thinking about this, Chen Die felt more comfortable.

“Third floor, turn right after the elevator,” Chen Die said, muffled under the jacket.

Only when Wen Liang carried her into the doctor’s office and closed the door was the jacket pulled off her head.

The doctor asked, “What happened here?”

Chen Die extended her leg. “I got cut.”

“Oh my, this is quite serious,” the doctor bent down to look, giving the same conclusion as Wen Liang. “This needs several stitches.”

Chen Die’s scalp tingled just hearing the words “several stitches.”

“Can’t we avoid stitches? Wouldn’t a bandage work?” Chen Die made one last attempt.

“Your injury is similar to a laceration. Without sutures, the wound has tension and won’t heal properly,” the doctor said, pressing around the wound as if to confirm to Chen Die that it was indeed deep.

The pressure almost made Chen Die black out from the pain.

“Stitch it,” Wen Liang decided for her.

With a very calm attitude.

Chen Die had just recovered from the pain and turned to punch Wen Liang who was standing behind her. “You’re not the one in pain!”

“If you don’t get stitches, you’ll suffer more later,” Wen Liang said.

Chen Die felt she could still try to save herself. “Is there no other option?”

“Young lady, your boyfriend is right. With stitches, it will heal much faster, and we’ll use local anesthesia. It will only hurt a bit after the anesthesia wears off. Your wound only needs three stitches.”

Chen Die immediately said, “He’s not my boyfriend.”

Wen Liang scoffed lightly. “Let’s get on with the stitches.”

Chen Die quickly turned to glare at him. “Wen Liang, aren’t you bored?”

“With anesthesia, it won’t hurt.”

But in the end, there was no way around it. Chen Die still had scenes to film, so naturally wanted her leg to heal quickly. If the doctor said so, she had to get stitches despite her fear.

The doctor applied local anesthesia around the wound, cleaned it thoroughly, and prepared to suture.

However, perhaps due to Chen Die’s unique physiology, she didn’t respond well to the anesthetic, which meant she still felt obvious pain during the suturing.

Chen Die hissed, gritting her teeth tightly.

Next, a dry, warm hand covered her eyes—a hand carrying the faint scent of cigarettes she once knew well. It pulled her backward, and her head rested against Wen Liang’s chest.

Chen Die was too afraid of pain. Having her eyes covered reduced some of the visceral experience, but each piercing sensation still made her tremble involuntarily.

So Wen Liang’s arm came around from behind, holding her shoulders tightly.

He lowered his head, the short hair at his temples tickling her neck.

“Still hurts?” he asked softly by her ear.

They were too close, every breath and movement magnified infinitely.

“It’s all your fault for saying it wouldn’t hurt,” Chen Die said through gritted teeth, shaking. “I’ll kill you.”

“Fine, kill me when your leg heals,” Wen Liang said.