When Qian Li walked up with an umbrella, Jiang Liuyue happened to be coming out of the audition hall.
The fine drizzle slanted against the eaves, yet her expression remained completely unbothered.
"How was the audition?"
Qian Li angled the umbrella over her head, eager to hear how it went.
"Mm, it was alright."
Jiang Liuyue took a tissue and casually dabbed the damp spots on her shoulder, her tone completely even.
Today's audition was just for that youth campus idol drama.
They called it an audition, but it was really just going through the motions. She knew this very well.
Only, during the audition, the looks the other actresses gave her carried an indescribable undertone—something ambiguous and ill-intentioned.
Qian Li had clearly noticed this awkwardness too. She pulled out her phone and opened the top headlines on Weibo.
The moment the screen lit up, a glaring gossip post popped up.
A well-known entertainment blogger had posted a photo of Jiang Liuyue getting into a luxury car, taken from a tricky angle.
The caption directly guided the narrative toward her having a "sugar daddy."
"Look at this, what is going on?"
Qian Li handed the phone over, her brows knitted tightly together.
"They're writing nonsense, saying you're being kept by a rich man."
Jiang Liuyue took the phone, her fingertips slowly swiping across the screen.
In the photo, she was bending down to step into a Maybach, her side profile illuminated perfectly by the flash.
After looking at it, she wasn't angry. Instead, she pushed the phone back with a smile, as if pushing away something that had nothing to do with her.
"Half right," she said.
Qian Li froze, the umbrella in her hand almost tilting over.
Ah, what does that mean?
"He is my financial backer, but he's also my boyfriend."
Jiang Liuyue added, her tone as breezy as if she were discussing what to have for lunch.
Qian Li was stunned for a few seconds before a sudden flash of realization hit her. She remembered the man she had seen at the set last time.
He had an extraordinary aura. When he stood there talking to Liuyue, even his back exuded a quiet, understated nobility.
"Is it the guy from last time?" she asked tentatively, lowering her voice.
"Yeah." Jiang Liuyue nodded vaguely, but the corners of her mouth curled up.
Qian Li patted her shoulder gently, glancing around to make sure no one else was nearby before leaning in closer:
"Having a backer is a good thing, but don't let it get exposed so early. It could easily affect your career."
"Don't worry, Sister Li."
Jiang Liuyue opened the car door and bent down to slide into the nanny van.
She tossed a light sentence back over her shoulder, sounding a bit careless.
"If they have the ability to take a picture of us together, then that would be real evidence."
"What does a single picture of me getting into a Maybach prove!"
After saying that, she leaned back into her seat and patted the back of the driver's seat.
"Let's go, to the set of The Legend of Linu."
...
Halfway there, the van's engine suddenly let out a muffled gasp.
Immediately after, the entire vehicle seemed to have its energy drained, slowly gliding for a few meters before coming to a quiet stop by the side of the road.
The driver jumped out to inspect it, returning with a thin layer of sweat on his face.
He spoke awkwardly:
"I'm sorry, it looks like the car broke down."
Qian Li's brows instantly twisted into a knot. She glanced down at her watch, her anxious tone carrying a hint of impatience:
"What do we do? You only took half a day off. If you're late getting back to the set, who knows how Li Feile will use it against you."
"She's been dying for a chance to step on you."
Jiang Liuyue, however, remained calm, leaning back in her seat without even changing her posture.
"Don't worry, Sister Li."
She casually dropped this sentence, opened the car door, and was just about to take out her phone to hail a ride.
Out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly caught sight of a bright blue color slowly approaching.
It was a Porsche with smooth, sleek lines, and it pulled up steadily right next to the van.
The moment the window rolled down, Cen Yuan's overly exquisite face was revealed.
His brow bone was high and sharp, his jawline smooth, yet his lips curled into a half-smile that made it impossible to tell whether he was genuinely concerned or just there to enjoy the show.
He leaned his head out, sweeping his gaze over the broken-down van.
His tone carried just the right amount of surprise:
"What a coincidence, Liuyue. What's wrong, car trouble?"
Jiang Liuyue was just about to answer, but before the words could leave her mouth, he cut her off.
As if suddenly remembering something, Cen Yuan pulled back his smile slightly.
He added a touch of unnatural seriousness:
"I haven't provoked you today, so don't call me a wild dog, and don't call me a bastard."
"Let's be friendly, alright?"
Qian Li had somehow leaned in close to Jiang Liuyue's ear.
Her eyes darted back and forth between Cen Yuan and Liuyue a few times before she lowered her voice and asked curiously:
"Liuyue, who is this?"
Jiang Liuyue didn't even bat an eyelid and answered directly in a flat tone:
"Oh, my boyfriend's childhood friend. He's a very despicable man."
She said this neither too softly nor too loudly, just enough for it to drift through the open car window.
Qian Li gasped sharply, instinctively looking over to see the man's reaction.
Given Cen Yuan's usual personality, hearing such words would typically make his face turn as black as the bottom of a pot.
Everyone in their circle knew he was the type to seek revenge for the slightest grievance.
If anyone made him unhappy, it would be a miracle if he let them have a good time.
But at this moment, Young Master Cen, known for holding grudges, not only didn't lose his temper, but instead leaned against the steering wheel with a bright smile, his tone even carrying a hint of grievance:
"Liuyue, you really are prejudiced against me."
"Earlier, I didn't know this broken-down car on the side of the road was yours. I just thought someone else was in trouble, so I stopped to help."
After speaking, he shrugged, perfectly executing a look that said, "See how innocent I am."
Finally, he added,
"So, how about I play the good guy and give you a ride?"
Jiang Liuyue shook her head without a second thought, her tone carrying a deliberate aloofness:
"Forget it. I wouldn't dare ride in Young Master Cen's car."
But things just didn't go as planned.
The stretch of road where they broke down happened to be sandwiched between two intersections. It wasn't exactly remote.
But at this particular time, they just couldn't hail a ride. The phone screen spun for a few rounds before displaying, "No available vehicles nearby."
Anxious, Qian Li checked her watch again, her lips pressed into a thin line.
Cen Yuan, on the other hand, was not in a hurry at all. With one hand resting on the steering wheel, he sat smiling in the driver's seat.
He slowly tossed out a sentence:
"What, afraid I'll eat you?"
Jiang Liuyue sneered, the corners of her mouth twitching into a disdainful curve.
The man in front of her truly embodied the phrase "ordinary yet overconfident" to the fullest.
"Me, afraid of you? Don't joke around."
After saying that, she directly pulled open the car door and bent down to slide into the backseat, her movements swift and decisive.
Only after settling in did she turn her head and speak to Qian Li, who was still standing by the road,
"Sister Li, just head back to the company. I can go to the set by myself."
Qian Li was her manager, and naturally, she wasn't the only artist under her care; there were a few minor actors she needed to keep an eye on and arrange schedules for.
It was just that, at present, Jiang Liuyue was the most promising one among them.
Qian Li's gaze lingered on Cen Yuan's face for another moment, as if conducting some sort of risk assessment.
Finally, she nodded and lowered her voice to give a word of advice:
"Be careful."
