Chapter 69: Visiting the Set

Lu Chunqiu’s words struck Mo Fei’s ears with the force of a teacher announcing they’d be watching him alone from now on—utterly devastating. How was he supposed to sneak off to the police station for free meals now? Lu Chunqiu had always disapproved of his close ties with officers; if she found out, he’d have to bid farewell to the cafeteria for good.

“What’s wrong?” Lu Chunqiu noticed he didn’t look pleased. “Don’t you like me focusing on helping you?”

Mo Fei jerked upright, his erratic social skills suddenly shining: “How could I not? Lazy as I am, I need a professional like you to push, motivate, and forge me ahead!”

“That’s too much,” Lu Chunqiu shook her head. “You’re performing for me.”

She leaned back on the sofa, sighing. “I know you’re used to your freedom, and it’s uncomfortable to have someone else managing you all of a sudden. But making money comes with hardship.”

Mo Fei nodded in agreement.

“How about I move in and we take the upstairs and downstairs? I saw earlier that the apartment above is for rent,” she gestured upward. “It’d make it easier for me to look after you.”

Before Mo Fei could voice his objections, Lu Chunqiu decided on her own: “Great idea. I’ll contact the owner right away.”

With that, she grabbed her purse and left.

Mo Fei stared blankly, finishing his soy milk. “What just happened?”

A thin stripe of a cat sat nearby, licking its fur: ‘Now I have another place to eat.’

‘And you, you’ve gained another parent.’

Mo Fei felt the cat’s words were off, but couldn’t refute them.

He hadn’t expected Lu Chunqiu to terminate her contracts with other artists. She was betting everything on him alone now.

Mo Fei felt the weight on his shoulders grow heavier.

He unlocked his phone to check today’s work schedule, but messages kept flooding in.

Wu Miao: Mo Bro, any jobs lately?

Wu Miao: Mo Bro, have you finished metabolizing the poisonous mushrooms?

Wu Miao: How about I drop by your set? My sister said yes!

Wu Miao: I swear it’s not just because I want to keep learning magic!

Mo Fei replied quietly: You’d better mean it.

Wu Miao, even more excited upon receiving a reply: Settled then! Send me the address and I’ll visit!

Wu Miao: I’ve bought lots of playing cards lately and practiced hard—I won’t let you down, Master!

Mo Fei frowned at the screen, confused as to when he’d become the kid’s master.

This child’s knack for latching on wasn’t any less than his own.

Truth was, Mo Fei didn’t know Wu Miao well. Wu Miao had acted from a young age, never had many friends his age—mostly girls, and he was rather lonely without playmates. Even though Mo Fei always looked dour on set, the sleight of hand he showed at the wrap party had been genuinely impressive.

No boy could resist the coolness of dealing cards barehanded—it rivaled the appeal of excavators.

And after spending downtime together on set, Wu Miao realized Mo Fei only looked fierce; in reality, he was easy to get along with. They’d even bonded over eating poisonous mushrooms.

Besides, how bad could a boy who loves a good meal really be?

Wu Miao wanted to be friends.

His manager—his older sister—had seen Mo Fei and Lu Chunqiu at the hospital. Though they weren’t famous, she judged them trustworthy enough to finally allow Wu Miao to interact with them.

Lu Chunqiu returned after jotting down the landlord’s phone number, checking her phone as she urged Mo Fei, “Don’t you have work today? Get ready and let’s go.”

“Sis, someone said they’re coming to visit my set today. Should I prepare some snacks for them?” Mo Fei held up his phone, “Never hosted anyone before, no clue what to do.”

“Set visit? Who?” Lu Chunqiu squinted at his screen, and when she saw the contact, exclaimed, “Wu Miao? He’s way more famous than you—he’s visiting your set?”

Incredulous, she asked, “What dirt do you have on him?”

Mo Fei’s brain spun, concluding, “It’s my radiant personal charm.”

“I’d say it’s dumb luck.” Lu Chunqiu shook her head. “Looks like your fortunes are turning.”

Mo Fei pointed to the stripe of cat stretched nearby. “A mystic cat wards off evil—the vet said so. He didn’t lie to me.”

“Don’t be superstitious. Leave greeting Wu Miao to me.” Lu Chunqiu checked her watch. “You’ve got half an hour. Hurry up.”

Mo Fei scrambled to his feet. “Right away.”

Today’s schedule for Xiao Qian was to continue interviewing other actors. After sending the script to Hui Tianxin, he stopped auditioning for the fashion tyrant role.

He had confidence in this script—not earth-shattering, but definitely above the pass mark.

There was no reason for it to be rejected.

When Mo Fei and Lu Chunqiu arrived, Xiao Qian raised a hand in greeting. “Morning.”

“Morning.” Mo Fei sat beside him, “Where are we now?”

“Let me see…” Xiao Qian flipped through his notebook. “Renovation.”

An unexpected answer—Mo Fei raised his eyebrows. “Renovation?”

“Yes, most actors have been cast. Once the office set is ready, we can start shooting,” Xiao Qian sighed. “That part needs to move a bit faster.”

“That’s not like you,” Mo Fei chuckled. “Why the sudden rush?”

Xiao Qian closed his notebook. “There were people working on that floor. We gave them paid leave and redid the layout. Once we’re done filming, we need to restore everything. If it drags on, the employees will complain.”

Mo Fei shook his head. “You don’t understand office workers. Paid leave is always better the longer it lasts.”

“We provide self-service lunch, afternoon tea, a lounge, gym, media room, and pet care,” Xiao Qian replied calmly. “Bonuses are tied to efficiency, and aside from the year-end, we never hold team-building events.”

He added, “If they work from home, they have to handle lunch themselves, and productivity drops, so do their bonuses.”

“No wonder they’re not happy,” Mo Fei nodded thoughtfully. “It’s a paradise for high-performing workaholics.”

Xiao Qian agreed. “I’ve seen how they work. If I were put in there, I wouldn’t survive a day.”

Mo Fei and Xiao Qian exchanged a look, sharing an unspoken understanding: neither could keep up with that pace.

“We’d better rush the shoot and give them back their battlefield,” Mo Fei said, a bit wistful.

He didn’t hustle, but he couldn’t stand in the way of others making money—that wouldn’t be right.

“Did you buy insurance for your employees?”

Xiao Qian was serene. “Of course, and they get regular checkups.”

After all, a boss seeks profit, not lives.

Amid the small talk, they interviewed more actors, and before they knew it, noon had arrived.

Mo Fei received a message from Wu Miao—he was nearly at the audition site.

Mo Fei wanted to greet him, but Wu Miao declined, saying he’d disguised himself from paparazzi so well that Mo Fei wouldn’t recognize him.

That piqued Mo Fei’s curiosity.

What disguise could possibly fool his eagle eyes?