Don't Come Looking for Me at Night... Understood Is That Reverse Psychology

The backyard was a public area.

There wasn’t time for deep conversations.

So, most of Cao Cheng’s words were just emotions, lacking substance.

As they left the backyard, Ren Fanxing made Cao Cheng promise her one thing—secrecy.

Their relationship couldn’t be known by anyone.

Cao Cheng’s eyes lit up.

Playing it this thrilling, huh?

Hell yeah!

Deal.

“Don’t… come looking for me tonight,” Ren Fanxing tossed the words over her shoulder before quickly walking away after entering the house.

Women always say the opposite of what they mean.

Got it.

See you tonight.

…

From that day on, Cao Cheng’s life gained a bit more color.

Days passed one after another,

and the little gas can (metaphor for a child) grew bigger day by day.

Cao Cheng barely left the house.

Even the November drama Empresses in the Palace didn’t need to borrow Cao Cheng’s fame for promotion.

After all, The Fourth could hold her own now.

Her Weibo followers had long surpassed a million.

Titles like ‘Nation’s Fourth Sister’ and ‘Most Beautiful Fourth Sister’ had her feeling smug.

This also meant her promotional posts for Empresses in the Palace gained massive traction.

After years of effort, many viewers had subconsciously adopted the belief that “if it’s a Miracle Production, it’s a masterpiece.”

So, after Scarlet Heart ended, Empresses in the Palace quickly became the center of widespread discussion and anticipation.

In Cao Cheng’s dream, he vaguely remembered that Empresses in the Palace initially had mediocre ratings.

During its premiere on two channels, neither broke a 1% viewership rating, lingering around third place in its time slot.

Especially on Tomato TV in Zhonghai—its worst ranking was eighth in the same time slot.

What did it mean for such a drama to rank eighth?

Obviously not that the show was bad.

This was an award-winning masterpiece.

The poor ranking just proved how trashy Tomato TV was.

Of course,

this was the outcome his dream had shown.

So,

for the premiere, Cao Cheng didn’t even consider Tomato TV.

No way he’d let a garbage channel ruin it.

Instead, he chose Zhejiang TV, which had a solid partnership from The Voice.

The premiere was an instant hit.

…

December.

Year-end arrived.

With Empresses in the Palace dominating screens, the “Empresses Scholars” emerged.

And this wasn’t even its peak.

In the coming years, as the drama kept getting rebroadcast, generation after generation of “Empresses Studies” researchers would appear,

pushing the series to legendary status.

But even now, though not at its peak, it still crushed every previous palace drama, maintaining sky-high popularity.

These two dramas alone made Miracle Media the biggest winner in this year’s entertainment industry,

solidifying its dominance in variety shows, film/TV, and music.

Countless established or aspiring artists wanted to get in with Miracle Media.

Just think about it—

how many actresses had these two dramas made famous?

Though it pained him to admit, in this industry, women had it much harder than men.

And Empresses in the Palace? You wouldn’t believe how many women it skyrocketed to fame,

reviving careers or propelling them to the top.

Yet, Miracle Media only signed one new actress from it—Mao Xiaotong!

So,

in certain circles, even though Mao Xiaotong’s role in Empresses was minor, her name kept coming up. Many believed this newcomer, barely two years in the industry, was this year’s luckiest woman.

…

That day,

Cao Cheng invited the two girls out.

Inside a private club’s VIP room, he met Xiaotong and Little Hanyun.

“Brother~”

Both stood up, looking nervous and uneasy.

“Sit.”

Cao Cheng casually motioned with his hand.

His middle-aged bodyguard didn’t follow him in, standing guard at the door instead, scanning the area with a cold gaze and checking for potential hiding spots or ambush points.

This was one of Cao Cheng’s own security company’s top operatives—a former elite soldier.

Now serving as his driver and bodyguard.

Even though Cao Cheng couldn’t die, having this bodyguard around meant someone could handle the small stuff he couldn’t be bothered with.

So,

with the bodyguard at the door, Cao Cheng wasn’t worried about unwanted interruptions.

Once seated, he glanced at the two girls on either side of him.

They weren’t conventional beauties.

At least compared to the four sisters at home, they fell short by a mile.

But because they were “familiar faces,” Cao Cheng saw them with a halo effect and naturally treated them better than most women.

Especially since these two had no real scandals—

a rarity.

What did that mean?

Either they were genuinely clean, with only baseless rumors floating around,

or they were smart enough to hide things well.

In this industry, being smart was already a rare trait.

“Funny enough, you two are practically sisters—both from Central Drama Academy.”

“Yes,” Little Hanyun nodded.

Xiaotong murmured, “Mhm.”

Cao Cheng’s relaxed demeanor only made them more cautious.

He chuckled. “You’re acting all wrong. Sure, I’m your boss, but I’ve never hit you, scolded you, or slept with you. Why so scared? If this gets out, people will think I’m some tyrant.”

Little Hanyun hurriedly shook her head. “No, no, it’s not you, Brother! It’s just… your status is so high, and we’re just ordinary girls. How could we not be intimidated by your presence?”

Xiaotong nodded vigorously.

Their timid, deer-in-headlights expressions did stroke a man’s ego.

Let’s be real—

what guy didn’t enjoy feeling dominant or superior?

Why else did powerful men love having submissive secretaries?

At the end of the day, it was all about feeding that vanity.

Cao Cheng raised an eyebrow.

Fair point.

They were just girls in their early twenties.

No matter how famous they’d become in the future, right now, they were still naive.

“Relax.” He smiled faintly. “I’m not much older than you. Especially you.”

He pointed at Little Hanyun. “Xiaotong just joined the company, so her nervousness makes sense. But you? Three years, and you’re still acting like a scared quail around me. Why can’t you warm up to me?”

“Pfft—” Xiaotong nearly laughed out loud.

That phrasing.

Only he could say it like that.

Little Hanyun’s round face flushed. “That’s not true! I’m just… respectful, that’s all.”

“Cut the act. I know how you are at school. People report back to me—apparently, you’re a lively, cheerful girl. So what? I’m the one cramping your style?”

She giggled awkwardly. “Nooo, I just… don’t dare mess around in front of you.”

“Better stay that way. If I find out you’re thinking of jumping ship, I’ll break your legs.” He put on a mock-threatening face.

Knowing he was teasing, she still mumbled, “I’d never leave.”

Three years of loyalty wasn’t nothing.

Although they hadn't met each other many times, from the initial "salvation" to the subsequent "respect" and "cultivation", all these made the girl have a special respect for Young Master Cao.

If Miracle Media hadn't taken her in, she wouldn't have known how to deal with some online remarks. After all, she didn't have much public - relations ability.

Later, all her negative news was resolved by Miracle Media, and the attitude of her fans also reversed to some extent.

Although there were still some anti - fans, especially the fans of the Super Girl on Mango TV, who said she was a traitor for leaving Mango TV and joining Miracle Media. But compared with the previous negative news, it was completely on a different level.

In addition, regarding the respect and cultivation...

Three years ago, Young Master Cao let her choose whether to participate in the first season of The Voice of China or go for further studies. She chose to study, and the company respected her choice and paved the way for her, enabling her to learn things that she couldn't learn anywhere else.

This kind of respect and cultivation was like that of a re - born parent.

It also made her feel an unprecedented sense of security.

In the past, she became extremely unpopular soon after becoming famous. She was once in depression, feeling that the entertainment industry was like an unfathomable sea, and she was just a solitary boat at the mercy of the storm. She didn't even have the ability to reach the shore.

It seemed that there was only one way left for her: to sink or die.

But now,

She felt very stable. She had the confidence and ability to face everything in the future and this unfathomable entertainment industry.

So,

Trying to get her to change to another company?

It wasn't about money at all.

No matter how much money was offered, she would never leave.

...

On the other side.

Xiaotong, who had just joined Miracle Media, also saw Cao Cheng's true character.

It was different from what she had imagined. He didn't have any airs of superiority or other flaws.

Instead, he was very amiable and really kind to his own people.

She had just met Little Hanyun yesterday and learned a lot from her. But after all, that was just one - sided information.

It was far less profound than what she saw with her own eyes.

She even noticed that Little Hanyun seemed to have a secret crush on this elder brother.

Soon,

The food was served.

Cao Cheng asked the bodyguard to call in Xiaotong's accompanying assistant.

They were all employees of the company.

He asked the assistant to take a photo.

In the photo, Cao Cheng sat in the middle, with the two girls sitting not too far from him on either side.

They started eating after the photo was taken.

Cao Cheng picked up a chopstick - full of food for the two girls and asked, "How is your acting skills now?"

Little Hanyun put down her chopsticks and replied seriously, "The teacher said I can play some minor roles."

Cao Cheng waved his hand and said, "Let's talk while eating."

Only then did Little Hanyun pick up her chopsticks again.

Cao Cheng said, "Then starting from next year, I'll arrange some minor roles for you. And you, Xiaotong, don't be in a hurry to play the leading female role. Although you're from a professional acting school, you should first learn from some senior people in the industry, accumulate some experience, and play some small but likable roles. Wait until you can handle things independently before taking on the leading female role."

"I'll follow big brother's arrangement," Xiaotong nodded obediently.

Cao Cheng nodded.

From his dream memories, he knew that this girl was quite independent and decisive in doing things.

She had both high EQ and IQ. The only thing she might lack was good resources.

There was no need to be in a hurry.

In the next one or two years, let her be on her own to do some resource exchanges and participate in more film crews to learn. This was the most important thing for a newcomer.

Even though Cao Cheng could promote her right now.

But it might not be a good thing for her personal growth.

After this meal, their relationship became much closer.

The initial uneasiness disappeared, and they all relaxed.