Actor: Thank you.

Zhang Yuan really wants to post something on Tieba right now.

"We're making peace with foreign countries, and now the people from the capital are here. What should we do?"

"I need help online, it's urgent!"

Oh my God!

The consequences of not answering the phone are too severe.

The moment the passage to the Western Regions was opened, officials from the capital came storming to the gate.

How to do?
Zhang Yuan glanced behind him and saw the "treasure" presented by the Western Regions lying on the white sheets with a flushed face.

Her eyes were alluring, exuding an aura of lingering desire, as if she were waiting to be taken advantage of.

Meanwhile, the "mother-in-law" and her daughter came to the door.

I couldn't possibly hide in my room and continue along the Silk Road; soon the imperial envoys would be bursting in.

But I can't just go and meet people like this!

Not only were his clothes disheveled, but he also smelled of spices from the Western Regions.

Let's not even talk about how the little lion isn't as dull as he looks, especially since he seems to have gained some intelligence in recent years as he's been working.

Her mother, a middle-aged woman with extensive experience, has the best and sharpest eyesight; she's sure to spot problems.

But everyone's already at the door, and I don't have time to shower and change.

Besides, there was another one lying here, with half her face covered by a blanket, blinking a pair of charming big eyes at her.

Then he thought that Liu's mother's tone was a bit off; she had suddenly barged in, so something must have happened.

Zhang Yuan quickly took a few deep breaths to calm himself down.

It seems impossible to stabilize...

If things can't be stabilized, then they're unstable!

He clenched his fists.

TOM!

Take off with intelligence!
"You rest for a while, I'm going to get something to eat."

"Hmm, I need to rest for a while. You were just now... hehehe." The person on the bed chuckled and covered their entire head with the blanket.

He simply wrapped a bath towel around his neck and stepped out of the bedroom.

This is where the advantages of a large house come in.

If his house has two bedrooms and a living room, then there's nowhere to hide.

We can't just leave it standing in the closet or peering out the window.

Fortunately, he was hosting a banquet in a large courtyard house, and the nearly 7000-square-meter house gave him enough room to maneuver.

"Dandan, you stay at the bedroom door."

Zhang Yuan lowered his voice and spoke to his assistant.

"Don't let her out."

“If she needs to come out or anything else, text me immediately.”

"Everything you do will be reflected in your bonus."

"Understood!" the assistant replied, straightening his back and speaking in a deep, resonant voice.

“So next…” Zhang Yuan stretched his body.

After jumping twice more in place, he assumed a standard sprint starting stance.

Slurp!
Then I heard soft rustling sounds coming from the paving stones in the yard in front of the bedroom.

In animated films, it's common to see characters start running at such high speeds that their legs, like the tires of a high-powered rear-wheel-drive car, can't find grip and end up tumbling around in place.

It's also common to see cats and dogs "dancing" on smooth marble tiles.

What is rare today is that people have also shown such behavior.

Zhang Yuan kicked his legs wildly several times before his plastic slippers found enough grip on the ground, and then with a whoosh, he dashed off in a cloud of dust.

The house has east and west courtyards, located on either side of the main courtyard.

The entire west courtyard consisted of his private rooms, including his bedroom, study, inner garden, music room, library, and bar.

The main courtyard consists of a restaurant, a cinema, various meeting rooms and guest rooms.

The east wing consists of facilities such as sauna, swimming pool, pond, gym, and training areas for martial arts and dance.

Zhang Yuan rushed straight out of the west courtyard gate, not stepping over it, but jumping over the threshold.

Instead of opening the door to greet the Liu family mother and daughter, he rushed towards the east courtyard without stopping.

When a man is caught cheating, his intelligence rivals that of Einstein.

With Zhang Yuan's current speed, even Liu Xiang would be no match for him.

It crossed the gate of the east courtyard with even greater precision than a hurdle jump.

They didn't stop, passing through bamboo forests, leaping over ponds, and arriving at the swimming pool.

With about five or six steps to go, he pushed off with all his might and flew forward.

He did two and a half spins in the air, using all the techniques he had learned from Guo Jingjing, and then plunged into the water at an angle like a torpedo.

The splash was controlled quite well; if the swimming association members were here, they would definitely applaud and say she's a promising talent.

One darts down, the other immediately comes ashore.

After being bathed in pool water with disinfectant tablets and a slight odor of disinfectant, 9% of the "spice smell" from the Western Regions was washed away.

It can also conceal the signs of sweating after exercising.

It also explains why he was disheveled and why he didn't answer the phone.

The intelligence he had cultivated over the years was now fully unleashed.

I climbed out of the water, picked up the bathrobe from the clothes rack next to the poolside lounge chair, and draped it over myself.

They hurriedly started again, rushing towards the main gate.

The five courtyards are generally rectangular in structure, roughly 100 meters by 60 meters.

He walked roughly in a U-shape from the bottom of the west courtyard to the bottom of the east courtyard, a journey that involved more than 100 meters of anaerobic running.

It involves hurdling and diving, much like a triathlon.

When he arrived at the courtyard gate again, even he was panting.

After all, he had just had a fierce battle with a master from the Western Regions before the triathlon, and his physical strength was greatly depleted.

"Hey, why are you like this?"

When the door opened, Liu's mother, whose face was not looking well, stared blankly at him, seeing his drenched appearance.

"I was swimming, so I didn't hear my phone ring."

"Oh……"

"Please come in and talk to us." Zhang Yuan welcomed them in, then greeted them before going to change his clothes and asking the housekeeper to pour water and make tea.

After changing into casual clothes and roughly drying his hair with a towel, he quickly returned home.

"I'm so sorry."

"We're sorry, we came to your door so late at night without telling you," said Liu's mother, glaring at her daughter.

Liu Shishi lowered her head, feeling wronged and trembling, not daring to say anything.

"What urgent matter do you need me for?" Zhang Yuan had a rough idea, but pretended not to know.

"Xiao Zhang, I'm really sorry, I won't talk to you anymore, Auntie apologizes to you first."

"No need, you are an elder, how can I? Just say what's on your mind."

"I already know about what happened between you and Shishi, and I've already talked to her about it," Liu's mother said to him with a serious expression, while simultaneously kicking her junior sister under the table.

"I'm sorry," the little lion finally spoke weakly, his tone muffled and his voice a little hoarse.

Seeing her voice and her red, swollen eyes, Zhang Yuan felt a pang of pity.

"Auntie, go boil some eggs and apply them to Miss Liu's eyes."

"Make her another cup of chamomile tea to calm her nerves."

After making the arrangements, Zhang Yuan looked at the mother and daughter.

The parents came to our door, and a few days ago Mr. Yuan repeatedly asked Mr. Liu to help take care of his granddaughter.

To be honest, he has indeed taken care of them over the years.

It not only helped her expand her career, but also...

To say that there was no feeling at all would be a lie.

To say I hate her wouldn't be an exaggeration, since no real problems occurred.

The problem is that you can't monitor the other person all the time.

If nothing serious happened this time, what about next time?
I'm always worried that it will interfere with what I do.

That's why he originally planned to let things cool down and see how she behaved over the next period of time.

This is a cooling-off period, also a period of observation, just like seeing a doctor.

Not only should I calm her down, but I also need to calm down.

However, Mr. Liu's passing disrupted his plans, leading to the current situation.

That's not good; it would be an arranged marriage.

Whether it's her elders forcing her to change her mind or whether she has her own ideas, these are two different things.

After a moment's thought, Zhang Yuan offered his own explanation.

"Auntie, first of all, I want to say..."

“I have great respect for Mr. Liu Tianli, and I also have great respect for you and Mr. Liu and your wife.”

“From Mr. Yuan’s perspective, we are from families that have been friends for generations.”

"No matter what, they will always be family and friends, and that will never change because of anything."

He first stated his position to reassure the other party, while also protecting himself to avoid attracting Mr. Yuan's attention again.

Let's keep things under control on a personal level first.

“Yes, we’ll always be family.” Mrs. Liu quickly put on a generous smile. “Yes, but this is a matter between Shishi and me.”

"If we're going to talk, it would be best if I spoke with her alone."

"Oh...I understand. I won't interfere in your young people's affairs." Mrs. Liu understood what he meant and got up to go out for a stroll.

Fearing she might wander off aimlessly, Zhang Yuan quickly arranged for the housekeeper to take her to the relaxation room to sit on a massage chair and relax.

He and his junior sister were left alone in the room.

The other person would occasionally glance at him, but dared not look him directly in the eye.

Seeing her like this, Zhang Yuan organized his thoughts, wondering how to begin.

Before he could speak, the other person opened their mouth.

"My mother scolded me for a long time."

After plucking the white hair from her head, she confessed to what had happened recently under her mother's questioning.

After hearing this, her mother first held her tightly.

"You can't let your dad know about this, or he'll kill you."

"Men care a lot about their pride, you know?"

"For a man, losing face is worse than losing money."

"If you do this, where will Zhang Yuan put his face?"

"Moreover, he's not an ordinary person. He has to show his face in public when doing business and making movies, and many people are watching."

"Won't people laugh at me?"

Actually, after he caused a scene in Cai Yinong's office, Boss Cai had been helping him clean up the mess and issued a gag order, so the situation was under control.

Because Boss Cai not only fears him, but also has to consider the face of his own top sister.

"Tell me, what exactly is going on between you and that Taiwanese man?" Mrs. Liu asked seriously.

“I won’t say anything else, but your dad always says you’re muddle-headed, and I think he’s right.”

"That Taiwanese guy is so old, and he's not as tall or good-looking as Zhang Yuan."

"Wealth and career are even less important; what are you thinking about?"

"Mom, stop talking about money all the time," the little lion retorted, a rare occurrence for him.

"What else is there to talk about but money!"

"Then what do you want from those Taiwanese people?"

"You're attracted to him because he's old and doesn't bathe!" Mrs. Liu said angrily.

They still haven't mentioned money.

Is this about money?

This involves a lot, a lot, a lot of money!
It's not that mothers are greedy; who wouldn't want their daughter to have a life of luxury, with food and clothing provided for her from now on?

Zhang Yuan clearly has the qualifications.

If I could benefit from my daughter's fame, that would be even better.

This is all human nature and doesn't count as greed.

The real greed is when sons of officials marry daughters of merchants, and the whole family plots to swallow up their family fortune.

They might even use this as a pretext to commit murder for money.

Both the East and the West have been using this method for hundreds or even thousands of years.

You can't imagine how dark people can be until you actually encounter them.

Her mother gave her a lecture, but still protected her daughter and tried to come up with a solution, which led to her sudden visit.

It worked; they figured out Zhang Yuan's personality and knew he wouldn't turn against them.

Zhang Yuan sighed, "Because I am kind."

“I think she’s wrong.” The little lion raised his head, his eyes showing a newfound determination.

She has these traits deep down, but she rarely shows them.

Unlike women who wear their strength on their sleeves, she is actually more likely to be happy.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Yuan asked.

She said, "You're a good catch, and you're good to me too."

"It can not only help my career development, but also protect me."

"I think her mistake is that she values ​​money and career too much." The junior sister blinked her red and swollen eyes.

"I've thought about it carefully these past few days."

"It's understandable that you've been ignoring me lately."

"If it were me, I would have done the same."

"Why should you forgive me just because I apologize? It's not that simple to do something wrong. There's no such thing as an easy way out."

Zhang Yuan raised an eyebrow.

He always thought that the other person would act coquettishly, cry, and try to evoke his sympathy to wear him down.

Unexpectedly, it was completely different.

I think I've always underestimated her. Not only did I underestimate her, but my impression of her is stuck on the first time I met her.

“I’ve thought about it carefully,” she continued.

"My relationship with that person was mostly due to filming. I was immersed in the role of Ma'ertai Ruoxi."

"This is the first time I've felt like I've become one with the character."

"But acting is acting. Outside of work, you should detach yourself from it instead of being constantly immersed in it."

"Even if I've only had a few meals with the other person, chatted with them, and gone shopping together, it still shouldn't be like this."

Regarding the issue of actors resonating with their roles... Zhang Yuan had seen it before and agreed with this statement, so he patiently continued listening.

After Zhang Yuan left, Liu Shishi tried to have a proper talk with Wu Qilong.

But the other party was genuinely frightened and hesitated, which greatly disappointed her.

What disappointed her was not the other party's attitude, but rather that his attitude made her realize that this person was not the same as the reserved, wise, and decisive Fourth Master in the film.

She understood that she liked the person the other person was portraying, not the person themselves.

In particular, Mr. Cai arrived at the scene in a huff and berated the crew, demanding that filming be stopped and the matter be resolved first.

The other party did not stand up for her at this time, and instead showed a sense of melancholy that they were in a precarious situation themselves.

Even if the other party refuses to film, they should still stand with her and compensate the production crew; she'll accept it no matter what.

But of course, none of this happened.

Wu Qilong's problem is that he has a family of origin that is a huge burden and drag on him.

Liu Shishi, however, is different.

Boss Cai's carefully selected products are mostly made by people obsessed with romance.

Look at what kind of people Esther Kwan was in the earliest period, and Sun Li was in the later period.

Despite having a thriving career, she chose to retire without hesitation for the sake of her man and family.

The junior sister stood up and stepped to stand beside him.

"Back then in Hengdian, you deliberately brought along that pretty XJ girl that Boss Cai had just taken a liking to."

"He kept praising her and we had a pleasant conversation."

"Is it because you were angry that you deliberately let me see this?"

"You're just trying to make me jealous. You don't actually have anything going on with her; you just want me to experience that feeling, right?"

Zhang Yuan: ...

He turned his head and glanced at the direction of the bedroom in the west courtyard, then nodded vigorously.

"Ah, yes, yes, yes..."

"I knew it." Her complexion flushed slightly.

"So I've made up my mind."

"If you're not willing to continue acting after this film is finished, I won't act anymore."

"Change careers and do something else."

"That way, the same thing won't happen again."

"I will talk to Mr. Cai myself."

“Then, then…” Her gaze became even more resolute than before.

"I just want you to spend more time with me... I'm not complaining, I know you're very busy."

"If you don't have time, how about I keep you company?"

“If I weren’t filming, I would have plenty of time to look for you.”

“I’ll cook for you while you’re working… I’ll learn.” She said it, only to realize later that she didn’t know how at all.

"OK."

"I took leave until today, and I have to go back to Hengdian to work tomorrow."

"How about I stay tonight?"

"I told my mom to go home first."

"I'll stay here with you."

As she spoke, she moved even closer.

"I've reflected on it. Apologizing just by saying it doesn't feel sincere."

"Give me a chance to apologize with my body, okay?"

Zhang Yuan: ...

He was reminded of the masterpiece by Italian playwright Carlo Goldoni.

Am I perhaps going to be performing "One Servant, Two Masters" tonight? (End of Chapter)