Chapter 23: Is This Your Chartered Vehicle?

Outside the Huairou Film and Television Base under the cover of night, a Route 916 bus slowly pulled up to the stop. As the doors opened, dozens of Beijing Film Academy students swarmed forward, a scene reminiscent of the chaotic rush during the Spring Festival travel season.

"Help! Is this your idea of a chartered bus?" Meng Ziyi, pressed against the door by the crowd, looked utterly defeated.

Jiang Ye stood by the fare box, solemnly feeding coins into the slot. "Isn't this a charter? Look around—are there any outsiders on this bus besides us?" He added, "Besides, I bought everyone a transit card and topped them up with 100 yuan each!"

A chorus of groans erupted throughout the cabin.

"Director Jiang is generous!" Ou Hao teased from the back, pushing Yu Menglong forward to snag a seat. "This treatment is way better than when I was in the Super Boy competition. Back then, I had to pedal my own bicycle!"

Eventually, they managed to secure the back row. Yu Menglong sat by the window next to Ou Hao, while Jiang Ye sat on the other side of Ou Hao, with Meng Ziyi beside him. The cabin was sweltering and crowded, yet Jiang Ye could distinctly smell a faint fragrance wafting from his companion. It was the scent of Meng Ziyi, mingled with the warmth of her hair, drifting into his senses from time to time. Whenever the bus jolted, her shoulder would lightly brush against his—a soft touch that lingered for a heartbeat before pulling away, making his Adam's apple bob involuntarily.

Meng Ziyi was busy looking at her phone, carefully editing photos of her stage makeup from earlier that day before posting them to her social media with the caption: "Day 1 of 'The Princess's Promotion'! Being a lead actress is exhausting, but it's super fun~"

Shortly after she posted, her notifications exploded. Her high school classmates, in particular, left a flurry of comments: "Wow! Did you really go to film a show?" "This look is so beautiful! When will it air?" "You're amazing, Meng!" "Don't forget who signed you up when you get famous..."

She was overjoyed, replying to each one. Suddenly, a new comment popped up. It was her ex-boyfriend, Zhang Hao: "Are you in Beijing now?" A moment later, a private message appeared: "Xiao Yi, I regret everything. Can we meet?"

Meng Ziyi’s fingers froze. Memories she had intentionally buried came flooding back. He used to secretly tuck warm rice balls into her desk during morning study, drawing cartoon rabbits on scratch paper to coax her out of a bad mood.

That was until the day after school when she took out her allowance to help him pay for remedial classes, and he had suddenly knocked over his metal lunch box. "Someone like you, born into luxury, will never understand the inferiority I feel every day hiding in the corner of the cafeteria gnawing on cold steamed buns! You don't know how much I suffered when classmates said your family could support you for a lifetime! I like you, but I don't want even my affection to feel like begging!"

With sycamore leaves falling onto his shoulders, he had grabbed his bag and run off, leaving her standing there, hearing the sound of her own heart breaking. That was her first love, which had ended before it even truly began.

What should she do? Should she forgive him?

As she drifted in thought, her shoulder suddenly dipped. Jiang Ye had fallen asleep. His head leaned onto her shoulder, his breathing steady, his eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath his eyes. The director who was so decisive and stern on set during the day looked incredibly peaceful now, even a bit childlike.

She stole a glance at Jiang Ye. His high nose bridge, his slightly pressed lips, and his clean, sharp jawline were far better looking than the face of her ex-boyfriend, which always seemed a bit greasy.

Without realizing it, she began to compare them. Jiang Ye was a master of his craft, his aura radiant whenever he directed. And her ex-boyfriend? Immature and foolish. He would hypocritically talk about a man's pride while spending her living expenses to buy drinks for his friends, all while complaining that she was too controlling.

Look at Jiang Ye! He was dedicated to his art, saving the production money and caring nothing for personal profit. He considered her at every turn, preferring to borrow money from her rather than letting her invest, just to ensure she wouldn't suffer even the slightest loss.

That was a real man.

The more she thought, the angrier she became. Meng Ziyi tapped on her phone, and without hesitation, she blocked and deleted Zhang Hao. "Scumbag!" she muttered under her breath.

"Mm..." Jiang Ye murmured in his sleep, unconsciously nuzzling against her chest.

Meng Ziyi held her breath, carefully adjusting her posture to make him more comfortable. Outside the window, neon lights streaked across her face, reflecting a faint smile.

"We're here, we're here!" The bus braked sharply at the school gate. Meng Ziyi gave Jiang Ye's shoulder a gentle nudge. "Wake up, we've arrived."

Jiang Ye blinked awake, suddenly realizing he had been leaning entirely on Meng Ziyi. He recoiled instantly. "Sorry! Did I crush you?"

"N-no, it's fine!" Meng Ziyi quickly covered her chest, where a small, suspicious damp patch remained.

Ou Hao and Yu Menglong stood to the side, their faces filled with knowing, mischievous grins. Jiang Ye wasn't one to be stingy; he dragged the leads to a barbecue stand at the school gate. He generously ordered a pile of skewers and beer, calling it "rewarding the leads." After all, he had just made 2,000 yuan recently...

"Old Jiang," Ou Hao asked, chewing on a lamb skewer, "when exactly are we filming my guest role? I need time to prepare, right?"

Jiang Ye slowly poured a glass of beer. "What's the rush? The big scenes are always saved for the finale." He lowered his voice intentionally. "Actually, this role is crucial. It's the key character that drives the plot..."

"What exactly am I playing?"

"A..." Jiang Ye's eyes darted. "A noble member of the royal family."

Yu Menglong interjected, "It wouldn't happen to be a eunuch, would it?"

"Bullshit!" Ou Hao made a gesture as if to grab his throat. "Does my aura look like a eunuch to you?"

"Of course not," Jiang Ye said with complete sincerity. "It's just a special guest appearance, you'll be done in three days!" He flipped through the script and pointed to a page. "Look, it's just a few scenes. It'll be quick!"

Ou Hao glanced at the script without really understanding it. "Fine, three days is three days. My girlfriend only gave me a few days off, and she's waiting for me to get back."

"Don't worry, it won't interfere with your romance!"

"Good!"

Jiang Ye didn't explain the role in detail for fear that Ou Hao would run off. Once filming actually started, it wouldn't be up to him anymore. Would he really be embarrassed enough to quit halfway through?

"Boss, check!" After they had finished eating and drinking, just as Jiang Ye reached for his wallet, Meng Ziyi slammed three hundred-yuan bills onto the table.

"Don't fight me on this!" She pressed her hand firmly over Jiang Ye's wrist, her Northeast accent breaking through. "Look at how stingy you are. You don't even take a salary for directing, and yet you're here acting like a big spender?"

Jiang Ye opened his mouth. "I..."

"I what, I!" Meng Ziyi chattered on. "You even have to pinch pennies for the extras' meal boxes—you think I don't know?" She turned to the boss and shouted, "Add twenty more skewers of grilled kidneys!"

Ou Hao nearly choked on his beer. "Sister Meng is the boss!"