BXBX NOVEL Chapter 91 - Ninety-One: Concealed Truths
However, before the guilt could fester and grow, he found that Yun Liu had again driven Yun Nan into a corner. Yun Zhang could feel his blood pressure rise bit by bit as he browsed through the various comments on the Internet one by one.
Someone knocked on the door, and Yun Zhang threw his phone at it without checking who was there, yelling, “Get lost!” That person immediately retreated and closed the door. Yun Zhang leaned back on his chair and tugged off his tie, so angry his entire body was trembling.
Even though all hell was breaking loose outside, the production crew of ‘4:30 P.M.’ didn’t notice and wasn’t affected at all thanks to Yun Nan and Fang Xi who’d created an immersive environment for them, allowing everyone to focus on the movie.
Their newcomer—Shi Xiu—was especially hardworking and soaked up everything Mika taught her little by little. Shi Xiu was admittedly quite talented; she got into character very quickly and had a strong ability to empathize with the role. The other actors weren’t famous, so they all pushed themselves in the hopes of producing an amazing movie and gaining more fame. This environment caused a rat race wherein everyone was in a competitive mood; they studied and rehearsed their scenes even during their break time, and as a result, the filming was unprecedentedly smooth.
Fang Xi rubbed her temples as she walked up to Yun Nan, who was scrolling through the film clips. She picked up Yun Nan’s cup of coffee and took a sip, sighing as she said, “All that work nearly killed me! Once I have time for a breather, I’ll definitely find out who’s behind all this and skin them alive!” Yun Nan didn’t even spare her a glance when she asked, ‘You’re still angry?”
“Apparently, some people don’t want us to have a moment’s peace despite our efforts to stay low!” Fang Xi groaned. “The Internet has gone crazy with all kinds of news; if the rumors continue to spread, I won’t be surprised if they make you out to be a three-headed and six-armed vixen born from a rock!”
Yun Nan rolled her eyes at Fang Xi and joked, “Make up your mind. Am I Sun Wukong, Nezha or Daji?”
Fang Xi laughed and replied, “You’d be a chimera, I guess. These people hide behind their computers, fantasizing and making things up out of thin air. Anything’s possible with them; they have enough creative imaginations to fill the entire solar system. I have to say I’m a little impressed. With that kind of creativity, they might even become top screenwriters if they put their minds into writing plays and scripts.”
Yun Nan lazily drawled, “Then keep an eye on the ones with good writing skills. You never know; they might be useful in the future. There are many outstanding talents out there!”
Fang Xi rested her chin on her hand and looked at the film clip Yun Nan was watching. One of Shi Xiu’s scenes was playing on screen. She inquired, “What do you think will happen when Shi Xiu sees those comments online after she finishes filming?”
Yun Nan looked at Fang Xi in shock; she obviously hadn’t thought about that. Fang Xi smiled; she knew the thought had never occurred to Yun Nan—her friend tended to be surprisingly dense in some areas.
“Our Miss Shi isn’t one to be taken lightly. I look forward to what she’ll do when she finds out!” Fang Xi remarked with a prideful grin.
Yun Nan’s consternation turned into relief as she mulled over Fang Xi’s words and stated, “The Shi family is very democratic. The elders are very supportive of the interests and hobbies of the younger generation. Shi Nian told me he only took over his family’s businesses because his grandfather, father, and older brother set him up. However, I feel that a bigger part of the reason he is willing to take over that responsibility is because he wanted his loved ones to do the things they enjoy. They’re a loving family. Fang Xi, have you noticed? Children who have no shortage of love are especially confident and bold. They are generally not easy to deal with.”
“You have a point!” Fang Xi agreed and nodded. “You could tell a little about Shi Xiu’s upbringing just through her ability to empathize. However, that’s not always the case for everyone; take Yun Liu, for example. The Yun family must have provided her with a loving environment as she grew up, but she became wicked anyway. In the end, it’s a matter of human nature.”
Yun Nan smiled and shook her head before she teased, “You and your way with words.”
“What I’m saying is the truth!” Fang Xi defended with a shrug. “I’m telling you, Yun Nan, this isn’t just about you. She’s targeting the studio, so this matter concerns all of us now. You can’t be soft-hearted and show mercy. Do you understand?”
Yun Nan knew what she meant and nodded lightly. “I understand. It’s fine if she’s only targeting me, but she’s playing with fire. I won’t stop you guys,” she uttered.
Fang Xi was satisfied with her answer and commented, “I’ve never met such an outrageous person! She put the Yun family in the line of fire for her own paltry desires which can’t even be counted as benefits. And that Yun Zhang is a featherhead, spoiling and enabling her like so. I would’ve been more courteous to him if he could treat you with a tenth of the attention he gave to Yun Liu!”
Yun Nan smiled bitterly and said, “I don’t blame him. After all, blood ties can’t compare to their relationship growing up together.”
Fang Xi disdainfully criticized, “He’s just a blockhead; he’ll be sorry one day. I don’t pity him at all. Yun Nan, when that time comes, you have to keep your overly soft heart under lock and key; you can’t just smile and forget all grudges. Just on Gao Bei’s incident alone, it’s impossible for us to forgive and forget!”
Yun Nan agreed. She wasn’t a saint; she wasn’t so magnanimous as to be able to ‘smile and bury the hatchet..’