Chapter 21: Part 4

Lin Zixi treated Ye Can and Tong Lin to a hotpot meal. Once they were full, Lin Zixi told Tong Lin to take Ye Can home right away.

Tong Lin had footed the bill for the meal, and Ye Can considered Tong Lin her subordinate, so naturally, that money was hers anyway. Hearing Lin Zixi urge her to leave, Ye Can grumbled unhappily, “How ungrateful can you be? I just treated you to dinner, and now you’re chasing me away.”

Lin Zixi found it impossible to reason with her. I rushed over to find her in a panic earlier and brought her here to eat—why doesn’t she mention that? But she didn’t argue. She just looked at Ye Can and said, “If you don’t head back now, you’ll have to drive through the night. You can’t possibly stay here overnight.”

Ye Can hadn’t forgotten her “Close Protection” mission. She leaned in close to Lin Zixi and asked, “So where are you staying tonight?”

Lin Zixi replied, “With the crew—they booked me a hotel, so I’ll be crashing there tonight.” Ye Can nodded with an “oh,” then asked, “What hotel?”

Lin Zixi told her the hotel name. Ye Can listened and nodded, then turned to Tong Lin. “Did you catch that?”

Tong Lin was utterly reliable. She pushed up her sunglasses, her face expressionless, and said, “Crystal clear, my lord. I’ll book the hotel for you shortly.” Ye Can thought Tong Lin was a master at reading the room. She patted Tong Lin’s shoulder in approval. “Good work. I’ll reward you for that. Don’t forget to book one for yourself too.”

Lin Zixi watched the two of them—one a total chuunibyou, the other a robot—and could only sigh helplessly. “Fine, do whatever. Just don’t disturb me while I’m writing.”

With that, Lin Zixi stood and headed back to the crew’s office. She still had script pages to finish and would be pulling an all-nighter.

Before diving into overtime, Lin Zixi remembered the paint on Ye Can’s face. She led her to Lin Lin first and asked Lin Lin to help remove it. Just then, the crew needed someone to play a corpse extra. Ye Can perked up at the chance for work and eagerly dashed off to do it.

Before filming, she instructed Tong Lin to keep an eye on Lin Zixi. Lin Zixi didn’t dare let Tong Lin tag along anymore, so she told Tong Lin to go home. Tong Lin was caught in the middle, stretched thin.

For once, Ye Can read the room right. She told Lin Zixi, “I won’t wander off. I’ll come find you after I’m done filming. I promise—that good enough?”

Anyway, Ye Can refused to let Tong Lin follow. In her mind, having Tong Lin protect Lin Zixi made things even safer. Lin Zixi couldn’t win against her persistence, especially since Tong Lin obeyed Ye Can unquestioningly. Their decisions steamrolled right over Lin Zixi’s wishes, so in the end, she let them have their way.

Ye Can’s antics around the set that day had spread through the crew—everyone had heard her stories. When she showed up for extra work, they all crowded around to watch. That night alone, Ye Can played several bit parts.

As the night shoots dragged into the early hours, a cold, mechanical electronic voice chimed in Ye Can’s mind: “Bit Part Milestone (1,000 completions): 51/1,000. Favorability Detected: 100,000,009.”

Ye Can puzzled over it. So the task settles daily? I busted my ass running extras all day and only knocked out five? What a headache.

That dog-thief Immoral God, always stirring up trouble for me. Might as well die and be done with it!

“Warning! Warning! Survival drive detected plummeting. Rekindle hope, or face punishment!”

Hearing that voice, Ye Can leaped to her feet. “You despicable coward!”

She flashed back to Lin Zixi fainting at noon and dreaded another incident. She bolted upright and raced toward Lin Zixi’s office.

Ye Can hadn’t even wiped off her makeup. Bursting into Lin Zixi’s office with a gore-smeared corpse face nearly gave the other woman a heart attack.

Lin Zixi had just finished her script and was about to head out. Staring at Ye Can’s face, she asked strangely, “What… happened to you?”

“Why didn’t you at least wipe off the makeup before running over?”

Seeing Lin Zixi was fine, Ye Can let out a relieved breath. “Nothing—just checking on you.” Noticing her stand, Ye Can asked, “Heading back now?”

Lin Zixi nodded. “Yeah.” It was late enough that sticking around meant working herself to death in the office. Lin Zixi valued her life too much for that.

Ye Can got it and called out, “Then let’s go together!”

She trailed behind Lin Zixi as they headed out, with Tong Lin looming after them like a towering iron pagoda.

They reached Lin Zixi’s car. Afraid she wouldn’t let her tag along, Ye Can jumped in quick. “I can drive. Let me.”

Lin Zixi eyed her youthful face, hesitating. Seeing her waver, Ye Can pressed on. “I drove myself here today—no issues. You can trust me; nothing’ll go wrong.”

Lin Zixi had been scripting all day and was wiped out. She nodded, agreeing.

Tong Lin, shadowing them, felt utterly superfluous. As a bodyguard, she ought to handle the driving. But in Ye Can’s eyes, she barely existed.

Whatever—less hassle for me, Tong Lin thought. Not bothering.

Tong Lin, posted outside, gaped. Deep in the night, two women alone—what are you up to?

The boss is still just a kid!

With that thought, Tong Lin stepped forward, following Ye Can into the room.

But Ye Can spun around and blocked her with one hand on her shoulder. Looking up with clear displeasure, she furrowed her brow. “Why are you barging into someone’s boudoir? Out!”

Tong Lin glanced at Ye Can, then Lin Zixi, and wisely stepped back. “I’ll wait outside, then. Don’t lock the door.”