Chapter 0139

"Director Wu, is it true that our boss is being kept by Luo Yao?"

Wu Zhishang was so angry he wanted to swear. What kind of question was that to ask right to his face? And the way they phrased it was downright rude.

"Kept"?

What an ugly term—even if it was technically true.

"You all want to lose your jobs? Should I fire you right now?"

"Come on, Director Wu, no need for that!"

"I'm part of Gen Z—if you fire me, I’ll sue you for unfair dismissal."

Wu Zhishang was speechless. He was finally getting a taste of what these college kids were capable of.

They worked hard, sure, but they also had that fearless, doe-eyed energy—unable to hide a single secret in their gaze, yet so emotionally fragile they couldn’t handle the slightest criticism.

"Fine, fine. You want to know? Then I’ll tell you—Brother Lin and Sister-in-law are legally married. If any of you keep spreading nonsense, I’ll… dock your bonuses."

Firing them was useless, but hitting them in the wallet? That might work.

"What? Director Wu, I hope someone knocks your teeth out so you become a toothless scoundrel."

"Legally married?"

A young guy nearby suddenly teared up.

"Boss, I’m literally crying. He’s sacrificed so much—not just his body, but his soul too."

"Wait, is this some kind of ‘rich woman pays for a baby’ plot?"

Wu Zhishang: ???

Just then, the short-drama screenwriter sidled up to him.

"Director Wu, I’ve got a perfect plot idea. Mind if I draft it and send it to you?"

Wu Zhishang hadn’t expected the writer to be this proactive.

"What’s the idea?"

"It’s about a guy who becomes a rich woman’s lapdog to feed his brothers. But it’s still rough—needs polishing."

"Jesus! How about ‘I tear apart a gold-digger’ instead? A powerful female CEO fiercely protecting her man?"

The writer pondered it and realized that might actually work.

"Director Wu, you’ve truly grasped the essence of short dramas. Yours is even more brain-dead than mine."

Before Wu Zhishang could react, the director chimed in.

"Director Wu, should we edit some messages for the audience into the main footage?"

Wu Zhishang thought for a moment. "No. If this were a novel, we’d put author notes in the comments section for readers to find. But this is a short drama—that’d break immersion. At most, we can add them in the credits."

"Got it. One more thing—the crew wants to take some photos. Honestly, they’ve already sneaked quite a few. What should we do?"

"Let me ask Brother Lin." Wu Zhishang didn’t dare disturb Lin Ran directly, so he sent a message instead.

[Wu Zhishang: Brother Lin, Sister-in-law, do you mind if the crew takes photos here? If you do, I’ll make them delete everything.]

Lin Ran showed the message to Luo Yao, who simply glanced back at him.

The message was clear—it’s your call.

[Let them take photos. It’s not like they’ll ever live in a place like this in their lifetime. Might as well let them have a memento.]

Wu Zhishang nearly choked on his own breath.

[Brother Lin, you… They might leak this. I’m worried it’ll cause trouble for you and Sister-in-law.]

Lin Ran sighed and looked at Luo Yao again. She snatched the phone, read the message, and promptly kicked the bedroom door open.

"Wu Zhishang, if you’ve got nothing better to do, get lost."

Wu Zhishang froze. What was Sister-in-law’s deal?

Kicking him out so abruptly—was it to stop Brother Lin from answering?

No answer meant silent approval.

So… was Sister-in-law actually okay with exposure?

Wait, was he interpreting this right?

God, someone save me.

Lin Ran walked downstairs again and patted his shoulder with a smile.

"Still here? Hoping for a free meal?"

Wu Zhishang shook his head frantically. Brother Lin always knew best.

No denial meant tacit permission—so he’d leave it be.

Let the student crew do whatever they wanted.

Wu Zhishang quickly herded everyone out. The crew, still shaken by Luo Yao’s icy outburst, stayed silent.

But in their hearts, they were all thinking:

"Our boss has sacrificed way too much."

Chen Qingtian took one last longing look at the villa, vowing to become as rich as Luo Yao one day—so she could keep a harem of pretty boys and a few athletes too.

Wu Zhishang glanced down at his own abs and sighed.

He’d never measure up. Better to keep those little fantasies buried deep inside.

Maybe this was for the best.

Chen Qingtian had once warned him—falling for her would end badly.

He didn’t think she was joking.

Once everyone was gone, they cleaned up meticulously, leaving no trace behind. The villa returned to its usual quiet solitude.

During dinner, Lin Ran caught Uncle Fu’s eye, and the older man immediately understood, ushering everyone else away.

"Yao Yao, we’re alone now. I need to ask you something, and I want an honest answer."

Luo Yao’s expression didn’t change.

"What is it?"

Lin Ran tilted his head, studying her with a meaningful gaze.

"Have you… been taking precautions?"

Luo Yao nodded without hesitation.

"Of course. I’ve been on medication. Unless… A-Ran, do you want a child?"

Lin Ran shook his head.

"Not now, at least. But Yao Yao, doesn’t the medication harm your body?"

Luo Yao’s eyes gleamed.

"What if it does?"

"Then we’ll switch to something safer. I won’t let you get hurt."

As he spoke, Lin Ran idly wondered which brand of chewing gum had the best texture.

Luo Yao’s heart skipped a beat. So that’s what he was worried about.

"A-Ran, you’re concerned about my health?"

"Of course. Your well-being means more to me than my own life."

Luo Yao threw herself into his arms, gazing up at him.

"Don’t worry. It’s a secret formula passed down in the Yi Family—completely harmless."

Only then did Lin Ran relax slightly.

"A-Ran, it’s been so long since you last fed me with your mouth."

Lin Ran paused, then slowly set down his chopsticks. Imported ingredients really did taste better…

The next morning, Capital University’s forum exploded over three scandals.

The first involved Liu Ruxue.

Last time, Shen Jingbing had publicly exposed her in the library for hooking up with other men despite having a boyfriend.

Whether she admitted it or not, Liu Ruxue was now universally branded a cheater.

Shen Jingbing had even presented photos and videos as evidence. Though no one saw the explicit details, witnesses close to him that day swore the content was… eye-searing.

"Did you hear? Liu Ruxue was in some guy’s car wearing nothing but her underwear."

"Actually, I heard she was completely naked in there."

"Wait, no—she brought Huo Haini into the car with her!"