I'm Rich - 35
Chapter 35
A week later, The Imperial Court premiered.
On the first day, eight episodes dropped online all at once. Viewers flooded in, and within a single day, plays broke a hundred million.
[Watched all eight episodes in one sitting, pulled an all-nighter!! Couldn't stop!!]
[So good so good, as a fan of the original novel I'm very satisfied!]
[My Ran-ge is too handsome, wahhhh]
[Li Xuan's acting is as good as ever~]
[I just want next week to hurry up and get here]
[Okay but, Guan Zhiyi is unexpectedly perfect for Zhaoyang, she's so cute]
[I take back what I said before! Guan Zhiyi's Zhaoyang is chef's kiss!! Watching her act cute with Shen Sibo, I can't stop smiling like an auntie]
[Hahahaha I can rewatch the Guan Zhiyi and Xiao Ran storyline hundreds of times, too sweet!]
[It's this sweet now, just wait till it gets heartbreaking later (sighs in original novel fan)]
[Dumb sweet]
[Anti-fans, stop forcing your hate. Zhaoyang is genuinely well-acted, not dumb, not bland, but absolutely sweet!]
……
The Imperial Court already had a massive fanbase from the original novel. Now, with the star-studded cast, gorgeous costumes and production design, and a plot that stayed faithful to the source material, it took less than a month for both critical acclaim and ratings to explode.
At the same time, Guan Zhiyi, Xiao Ran, and the rest of the cast began a whirlwind of promotional events, variety shows, commercial appearances… For a full month, they were so busy they barely touched the ground.
Liu Yun had expected Guan Zhiyi to be exhausted, to secretly complain about how tired she was. But to her surprise, Guan Zhiyi had been running on pure adrenaline for the entire month, as if she didn't know how to rest.
"Zhiyi, I picked out two scripts for you. The shooting schedules overlap a bit, so take them home later and see which one interests you more." In the green room, Liu Yun walked in holding the scripts.
Guan Zhiyi held out her hand. "Let me see them now."
Liu Yun glanced at the time. "We still have work in a bit. Get some rest first, look at the scripts later."
"It's fine, just give them to me."
Liu Yun frowned. Instead of handing the scripts over, she passed them to Mao Mao, who was standing nearby. "I have to say, you've been acting strange this past month."
"What?"
Liu Yun sat down across from her, puzzled. "You used to be lukewarm about anything that wasn't acting. But lately you're different, so eager, like you're afraid of having free time. What's going on with you? Did you suddenly have an epiphany?"
Guan Zhiyi paused, then smiled bitterly. "Yun-jie, all my recent work has been related to The Imperial Court. This show is going to be my comeback. Of course I have to be proactive about promoting it."
Liu Yun supposed that made sense. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Outside of work, Guan Zhiyi's mood had been persistently low. She was distant, quiet, not much like her usual self at all.
"If the sudden spike in attention is stressing you out, talk to me. Don't bottle it up alone."
Guan Zhiyi didn't deny it. She only smiled faintly. "I know."
After the promotional month ended, Guan Zhiyi had a week off.
Guan Yuanbai called to ask if she wanted to come home. She made an excuse about having pre-shoot training and stayed alone in her small apartment for the entire week.
A week later, she flew to Hengdian and joined the new production. For the next two months, she went nowhere and did nothing but focus on filming in Hengdian.
During those two months, The Imperial Court kept burning up the internet. Especially when the plot reached Shen Sibo's death and Zhaoyang weeping as she opened his coffin, the internet erupted with praise for Guan Zhiyi's acting.
In an instant, her image as nothing more than a "dumb sweet" actress was completely overturned.
This was a wonderful thing for Guan Zhiyi. She had always wanted to change the public's perception of her, and now she could finally prove herself. She was happy. But after the happiness faded, in the dead of night, she would still be jolted awake by the words she'd overheard at the stairwell that day.
Three months had passed. She had kept herself so busy she barely touched the ground, busy enough that there was no gap in which to think of Qi Chengyan. And yet, in the haze of restless sleep, his figure still appeared.
But she had tried… tried to convince herself that what wasn't hers shouldn't be forced.
Life wasn't a TV drama. There weren't that many dramatic twists and turns.
She thought she would slowly get better. After all, she was so busy. As long as she didn't get close to him again, didn't feel his kindness again, she could slowly forget him.
Just like when she was little and he went abroad. With enough time, the forgetting became complete.
**
Not long after, her scenes in Hengdian wrapped. Liu Yun booked her return flight and gave her a month off.
She hadn't been home in a long time. This time, she told no one she was coming back. After Liu Yun dropped her at her apartment, she packed her things and had the family driver pick her up.
She hadn't expected Hua Hongxi to return to the capital the same day. When she got home, he messaged her saying he was also at Yuhe Mansion today and wanted to meet up.
Guan Zhiyi agreed. After dinner, she grabbed her phone and headed out.
Hua Hongxi was already waiting outside. She had barely taken a few steps when she saw him come bounding over.
"Zhiyi!!"
Guan Zhiyi immediately held up a hand to stop him. "What are you doing back? Weren't you supposed to be traveling for a long time?"
Hua Hongxi's face fell. "Grandpa insisted I come back. He even pulled the 'I'm unwell and you don't visit, you're an unfilial grandson' card. I had no choice."
Guan Zhiyi: "Oh… so what did you want to talk about today?"
Hua Hongxi sighed. "Grandpa thinks I wronged you. He's been upset about it, saying I definitely have to apologize to you. Speaking of which… I still don't know how to explain that whole thing to them. So I figured I'd use the apology as an excuse to come discuss it with you."
"No need."
Hua Hongxi: "Huh… what?"
Guan Zhiyi smiled. "It's all in the past. No need to explain anything."
Hua Hongxi was stunned. "Didn't you want to explain before?"
She had, once. Because of Qi Chengyan. But now? There was no point. No need to go around explaining things one by one, just inviting trouble for nothing.
"It's been so long, everyone's forgotten. Let's leave it."
Hua Hongxi studied her for a moment. "Don't you like my cousin? Then—"
Guan Zhiyi glared at him. "How many times have I told you? I don't! Don't you dare run your mouth!"
Hua Hongxi grinned slyly and slung an arm around her shoulder. "Reacting like that, I'd say you do like him… Though honestly, you liking him doesn't seem very plausible. How could my brother ever lay a hand on a kid like you?"
"…Who are you calling a kid?"
"You look like a kid."
"Hua Hongxi—"
"Ow, okay okay okay, I was wrong! Don't hit me!"
……
When Qi Chengyan walked over from the intersection, he saw two figures roughhousing in the distance.
He knew she was back. Getting his artist's schedule wasn't difficult.
What surprised him was that she hadn't told him.
Though he knew she'd been busy these three months, he hadn't realized she was busy enough that she often didn't pick up his calls or reply to messages. Even when she occasionally had time to respond, it was only a few words.
Liu Yun said she'd blown up recently, that the pressure was probably getting to her.
Qi Chengyan believed that was the reason. What else could it be…
"Xiao Wu."
In the middle of bickering with Hua Hongxi, a familiar voice came from behind her.
Guan Zhiyi thought she'd spent a long time trying to forget, but she had still underestimated that feeling. She had known him for half her life. Just his voice alone wasn't something a few months could easily erase.
Her heart lurched. Guan Zhiyi pressed her lips together, took a light breath, and slowly turned around. She smiled, making sure she looked perfectly normal. "What are you doing here?"
Qi Chengyan walked up. "Came to see your brother about something. When did you get home?"
"Just, an hour ago."
Qi Chengyan nodded. His gaze flicked to Hua Hongxi's arm around Guan Zhiyi's shoulder. His voice was flat. "What are you two doing?"
Hua Hongxi said, "Nothing. Grandpa told me to come apologize to Zhiyi, so here I am."
Qi Chengyan frowned. "This is you apologizing?"
Hua Hongxi grinned. "Of course not. Ge, you know that thing between me and Zhiyi was fake. There's nothing to apologize for."
"Oh. Then when are you two planning to clear things up with everyone?" Qi Chengyan asked.
"That… Zhiyi said there's no need to explain." Hua Hongxi, terrified of getting scolded by the family, was more than happy to let the matter drop.
Qi Chengyan froze. There was surprise in his eyes. "Why?"
Guan Zhiyi didn't look at him. "Nothing. I just figured it's not important. No need to bring it up again and upset everyone for no reason."
Qi Chengyan's brow furrowed. His first instinct was disagreement. She and Hua Hongxi had never been together. How was there no need to explain?
Qi Chengyan: "Xiao—"
"If there's nothing else, I'm going home. Do you two want to come by?"
Hua Hongxi waved his hands quickly. "I'll pass. Your brother probably hates the sight of me."
Guan Zhiyi figured as much. "Then you go ahead. I'll put in a good word for you with Grandpa Qi."
"Damn! You're the best, love you!" Hua Hongxi grabbed her hand, leaning in for a cheek kiss in the foreign style, but before his lips could land, Qi Chengyan blocked him.
"Mmph—"
"Get lost." Qi Chengyan withdrew his hand and wiped it on his clothes with disgust.
Hua Hongxi blinked, took in his brother's cold stare, and chickened out. "Okay fine, I'm leaving."
He jogged off, leaving just the two of them at the entrance.
Qi Chengyan looked at Guan Zhiyi. He had just opened his mouth to say something when the girl in front of him suddenly turned and walked inside. "My brother should be in the study. Come in."
She walked fast, like there wasn't a single word she wanted to say to him…
But he remembered… they hadn't seen each other in over three months.
---
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