It was nearly ten at night before Jiangcheng finally shed its last bustle. Shopping malls and street-level stores were pul...
It was nearly ten at night before Jiangcheng finally shed its last bustle.
Shopping malls and street-level stores were pulling down their shutters for the night, while the lights in the high-rises winked out one by one.
Few vehicles were still moving on the road.
The handful that remained belonged mostly to people heading home after a long day's work.
Exhausted, some drivers leaned back in their seats, stealing a few moments of rest as they waited for the traffic lights to turn green.
Further down the road, however, a black Bentley suddenly stopped a good seventy or eighty metres before the traffic lights.
The air inside the car seemed to heat up.
And silence.
The faint rustle of Bao Ruanruan's raincoat brushing against the seatbelt broke the silence.
She clasped her hands together and blinked.
The destructive force of what she had just said was far too strong1.
Had it not been so late and the roads so empty, they probably would have crashed into the car in front.
For a second, she desperately wished she could zip her own mouth shut.
"Emm, just pretend I didn't say anything—"
"Okay."
Outside the window, a cyclist rode slowly past.
The breeze carried the soft chime of a bicycle bell.
The sound almost drowned out the man's voice inside the car.
Yet somehow, Bao Ruanruan still heard him.
"I'm going to sleep later than you. If you can't sleep, call me."
His long fingers shifted slightly on the steering wheel.
His shirt cuff slipped down, revealing the health tracker around his wrist.
Xue Jing's low, mellow voice remained calm and unhurried. "You need to get enough sleep. That way, when I need saving someday, you'll be there."
In that instant, Bao Ruanruan felt as though the chain across the door to her world was slowly coming loose2.
"Mm. When that time comes, I'll definitely come and save you."
Bao Ruanruan nodded emphatically.
But a moment later, she lifted her face again, looking solemn and serious. "Still, staying up late comes with risks. If you develop cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease, there's still a chance that I won't be able to save you, even if I reach you within fifty seconds and perform CPR perfectly."
"Then you'll have no choice but to report to King Yama's palace, become an agent for the Black and White Impermanence, and start investing in funeral services in the underworld."
”…………”
Xue Jing instinctively pressed a hand to his chest.
"I'll try to be asleep by midnight."
Bao Ruanruan finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"You also need to exercise more and eat a balanced, nutritious diet."
Xue Jing chuckled softly, a hint of helplessness tugging at his lips as he started the car again.
Sure enough, he had read too much into it.
She simply cared deeply about health and thought that insomnia was bad for him.
Fortunately, she didn't ask why he had slammed on the brakes earlier.
Otherwise, what could he possibly have said if she had?
It was time to hand over his duties as her agent to Chen Feng.
Laying hands on his own artist3 and mixing personal feelings with business were not how he operated.
Whether her formal dresses were too revealing, or whether the scripts being negotiated for her contained too many romantic scenes...
The moment personal feelings became involved, he could no longer handle her work objectively, and his judgement would inevitably be compromised.
"From now on, Chen Feng will handle all matters related to your work. I won't be managing them anymore."
Xue Jing couldn't put it off any longer.
If he kept delaying, he was afraid he would eventually cross a line.
Bao Ruanruan froze. "You're not going to look after me anymore?"
She had met him on her very first day in this world.
He was the one who had promised to lead her from death back to life4.
Bao Ruanruan's breath caught.
If she hadn't heard that familiar voice on her very first day, giving her an instinctive sense of safety and reassurance, she would never have dared to take her first tentative step.
She had always thought of him merely as a voice substitute, but... was he really going to stop looking after her from now on?
A wave of panic swept through Bao Ruanruan.
She had grown used to hearing his twenty-four-character core values every day, and to hearing him talk her through her work schedule... Was all of that going to disappear now?
It was like the evening glow fading away at sunset, as darkness descended once more5.
She would be alone again.
"Is it because I haven't done well enough?" Ruanruan asked anxiously.
She always had a hundred different ways to stir up an ache in his chest6.
"No."
Xue Jing's voice was low and hoarse.
"You're doing very well."
"This is about me."
Bao Ruanruan let out a breath and felt inexplicably relieved.
She had thought he was leaving because he didn't think she was good enough.
"I understand. You're busy with your other work, so focus on that for now. Once things have settled down and you have more time, you can come back and be my agent again."
Nowadays, many people work far too hard and end up with all kinds of health problems.
For people like them, balancing work with proper rest, going to bed early, and waking up early felt like a luxury.
It wasn't that they didn't want a healthier routine. They had no choice but to work overtime, complete whatever tasks their companies demanded, and keep developing their professional skills.
Bao Ruanruan had known for some time that both Xue Jing and Chen Feng had other businesses of their own.
Mysterious ones, at that.
They were constantly travelling for work, leaving early and coming home late.
Now, she hoped they would both live a little longer, too.
Especially——
Bao Ruanruan secretly turned her head and glanced at Xue Jing's jawline.
Heat rose into her cheeks.
She especially hoped he could live a little longer.
In that case, he really needed to cut back on his workload and set aside time to focus on his health.
Bao Ruanruan understood. Although she did not like the idea of having someone else as her agent, she supported his decision.
"Mm, don't worry. I'll still work hard on my acting."
Xue Jing managed a strained smile. "I may not be your agent anymore, but I'll still keep an eye on things for you. After all, I've invested in your drama."
"I'll keep watching over you from now on, just in a different capacity."
As an investor?
At once, a sunflower bloomed in Bao Ruanruan's heart again, and the faint shadow over it vanished.
An investor's relationship with an artist was even closer.
Being an agent was just a job that someone could quit whenever they wanted.
However, an investor was a business partner unless they withdrew their investment halfway through.
"Mm."
Xue Jing caught sight of her face out of the corner of his eye.
"I never withdraw an investment halfway through."
He was cautious before committing, but once he had invested, he stood by his partners for the long haul.
He would never abandon them.
They would support each other.
"If you ever have any problems, you can come to me. For now... just think of me as an older brother."
Xue Jing pulled the car into the garage.
Even an experienced driver like him nearly scraped the wall.
The veins stood out prominently on the back of his hand where it rested on the steering wheel.
Now that he had stepped away from their professional relationship, he hoped the young woman might start to see him... in a different, more personal light.
"Okay."
Bao Ruanruan blushed.
What older brother?
If he knew she had absolutely no intention of treating him like an older brother, would she scare him?
Sigh.
She would have to take it slowly.
At least from now on, when they saw each other, they wouldn't only talk about work. That had to be a good thing, right?
Bao Ruanruan felt there was still hope.
She took a deep breath.
She decided she needed to do some research first.
First, she needed to investigate the potential risks thoroughly.
[ Xiao Mengfei: Sigh. If a single female celebrity announces she's dating someone, she's definitely going to lose a lot of fans. Some fans can become too extreme, cursing her and instantly becoming anti-fans~ ]
[ Xiao Mengfei: Even a Best Actress winner can't escape that. Otherwise, why do you think Tang Yuxin didn't reveal her relationship back then and waited until she was engaged to announce it? ]
Bao Ruanruan's expression turned serious the moment she read that.
So it really was true.
Female celebrities really couldn't afford to date.
The scandal she'd had with Cheng Yao, followed by the blackmail, was still fresh in her memory.
[ Xiao Mengfei: If Tang Yuxin hadn't previously won a Best Actress award, becoming the youngest actress ever to do so, which gave her more than ten times the HP of other actresses7, she wouldn't have survived it either! ]
Winning awards makes your HP higher?
Bao Ruanruan's eyes lit up.
So that was how it was. If she won awards, then going public with a relationship wouldn't be such a big problem.
[ Xiao Mengfei: Bao Bao, why are you asking about this? Wait—you haven't heard some industry gossip lately, have you? ]
Bao Ruanruan slowly typed a question mark.
[ Xiao Mengfei: I'm talking about Teacher Qin Xing, the top-tier actress you worked with when you went to Hengcheng to be an extra a few days ago! Everyone in the industry is saying she and her agent are together! ]
Bao Ruanruan: "!"
She nearly dropped her phone.
Her face turned red.
It felt as if Xiao Mengfei were talking about her somehow.
But she quickly snapped out of it. How had Teacher Qin Xing managed it?
Why hadn't she managed to win Xue Jing over yet?
[ Xiao Mengfei: Teacher Qin Xue has worked with her agent for five years. ]
Bao Ruanruan's mouth fell open.
So it had been a long-term campaign8.
[ Xiao Mengfei: But lately everyone's been talking about it. Apparently, her fans have heard about it, too. They're all cursing her agent for being a rabbit that eats the grass beside its own burrow9 and making a move on their idol! They're telling her agent to roll away like an egg10 and stop interfering with their idol's career! ]
"Huh? The agent is getting cursed at?"
Bao Ruanruan was shocked.
Because she worried about the radiation from her phone, she rarely went online to check trending topics, let alone read comments from other celebrities' fans.
So agents did get attacked for dating their own artists.
Xiao Mengfei grew impatient with typing and simply called her instead.
"Of course! Think about it. All those fans want their idol's acting career to reach even greater heights. They expect her agent to secure better opportunities for her and take proper care of her."
"They don't expect him to be the pavilion nearest the water11 and secretly win her over himself!"
"Her fans are all saying that the agent can't separate business from his personal feelings. No wonder Sister Qin has only taken on strong female leads in dramas these past few years. She doesn't even do kissing scenes anymore, and every show is squeakier than the last!"
Bao Ruanruan was repeatedly stunned by what she heard.
A moment ago, she'd still been reluctant to lose her agent. Now, all she felt was relief.
She had just been about to do some ahem-ahem12 things with him, and he happened to quit being her agent at exactly the right time. Perfect!
Even after hanging up, Bao Ruanruan was still reeling from the aftershock and lingering fear.
Thank goodness she'd asked Xiao Xiao.
Otherwise, she might have walked straight into danger.
It looked like having Brother Feng as her agent really was the best arrangement.
From here on, she could slowly figure out how to... mm, make Xue Jing fall for her too.
By next July, once she had fulfilled his one-year wager, cleared her name, and secured her safety, she could retire from show business~
Then she would finally be able to do all sorts of 'heh-heh-heh' things to him openly and legitimately.
Bao Ruanruan grinned and tried desperately to force the corners of her mouth back down.
Mm. She would tackle both goals at once.
As long as the risks remained manageable, she would work on making him like her while also trying to win awards and prepare for retirement.
Beijiao No. 1.
Early the next morning.
The moment Xue Jing opened the door, he found Bao Ruanruan standing there with a script in one arm and a little pot of succulents in the other.
Her pale-lavender puffer jacket made her little face look as though it had gathered up every bit of light in the hallway, soft, rosy, and luminous.
Xue Jing had a hard time stopping himself from staring at her.
"This little potted plant is for you."
"Put it on your computer desk. It can help relieve eye fatigue."
Xue Jing chuckled softly and took it immediately. "Thank you."
"As it happens, some cordyceps from the shores of Daming Lake13 have come looking for you too." Sitting on top of his shoe cabinet was another reward he had prepared for her diligent script reading.
Bao Ruanruan looked over immediately and spotted the gift box.
Her eyes brightened like sunflowers again.
But she held herself back.
Have some dignity, Bao Ruanruan.
You can't act like this.
How can your eyes light up the second you see a present?
Won't that make you look shallow?
Bao Ruanruan pressed her lips together, barely managing to stop the corners of her mouth from curling upwards.
What she couldn't hide were the little crescent-shaped under-eye puffs that appeared when she smiled.
Soft and slightly upturned at the ends, like tiny tails.
Seeing her like that first thing in the morning lifted Xue Jing's mood as well.
As long as she liked the gift, all the trouble he'd gone to in order to have someone bring it back had been worth it.
Yet when the conversation ended, Bao Ruanruan didn't leave. Nor did she rush over to take the cordyceps, one of her favourite things. Instead, she lingered awkwardly by the door, shyly raising the script she was carrying.
She hid her face behind it.
"Mr Investor, are you free today?"
"I have a few questions about the script... that I'd like to ask you."
Bao Ruanruan's voice was very soft.
Only after she had finished speaking did she cautiously lower the script, revealing a pair of hesitant eyes whose outer corners were faintly flushed.
Asking the investor for help was perfectly reasonable.
It had taken her the entire duration of breakfast to come up with the idea.
She had searched online—how does a girl pursue a guy?
Nine out of ten answers said the first step was to create more opportunities to see each other and spend time together.
First, she needed to quietly get to know him from every angle: his personality, his likes, and his habits.
Once she was sure they were compatible, she could use his interests to get closer to him. After they became familiar enough with each other, she could try confessing her feelings.
Bao Ruanruan thought that made perfect sense.
After all, wasn't this exactly how she survived in games?
Before challenging the boss of a new dungeon, she first had to patiently study the boss's weaknesses, ultimate moves, ordinary attacks, and defence...
Only then could she decide what move to make next and how to take the boss down.
So today, she had come to observe Xue Jing more closely and spend more time with him.
"A question about the script?"
Xue Jing frowned slightly, then ushered her into the heated apartment.
Next, he brought her a pair of warm cotton slippers.
He was still wearing thin ones himself.
It was clear at first glance that the cotton slippers weren't his style at all.
The moment Bao Ruanruan slipped her feet into the soft, warm slippers, her entire soul seemed to relax.
Ah, the wonderful sense of security that came with knowing her feet wouldn't be cold~
Xue Jing picked up a mug and mixed hot and cold water together in a three-to-seven ratio until it was comfortably warm.
He tested it with the back of his hand, and only after making sure it wasn't too hot did he set it on the coffee table in front of the sofa where she sat.
"What's wrong with the script? Is it the characterisation or the dialogue?"
Xue Jing took the armchair opposite her, his expression turning more serious.
This was the first time the young woman had ever come to him on her own with a work question.
He immediately grew serious too, reaching for his phone as if he were about to find the producer's and screenwriter's numbers.
He had read the script once before, but naturally, his perspective was different to that of an actor.
But before Xue Jing could ask for details, the young woman sighed.
"Actually, I still haven't really found the right feel for playing a doctor."
"Mm. What I'm missing is a male patient."
Xue Jing: "......!"
Five minutes later, Xue Jing, who had fully recovered from his cold, had no idea how he had ended up lying face down on the sofa.
He felt the young woman's small hand lightly touch his back.
It was like a feather brushing over him, soft and light.
It also tickled him.
Xue Jing clenched his jaw.
At this point, he genuinely couldn't tell whether she was treating him or trying to k!ll him14.
"Mm, I'm locating the acupoints."
Bao Ruanruan's little mouth kept chattering away.
She had an acupoint chart spread open in her hands, showing the back of the human body.
"There are about 720 acupoints across the human body."
Xue Jing nearly blacked out.
There were still 719 more?
He could feel her soft fingertips tapping lightly along the side of his spine, as if she were memorising each spot.
He barely dared to move.
When he shut his eyes, bright spots swam behind his eyelids.
"Yesterday on the assistant programme, Nini—mm, I mean Teacher Yang Xueni—helped me memorise the acupoints on the front of the human body."
"So the important ones on the back are all I have left. I haven't completely mastered them yet..."
The girl was so close that her light, sweet fragrance surrounded him.
Mixed into it was the faint scent of the sandalwood essential oil he had given her, sweet with a calming, peaceful undertone.
Xue Jing slowly clenched one hand into a fist.
It took him a long moment to force the words out through gritted teeth.
"When you're outside... don't just grab someone and casually practise on them."
Bao Ruanruan blushed and murmured, "I won't. I'm not close to anyone else."
She slowly raised the acupoint chart to hide her flushed cheeks.
In truth, she had memorised the acupoints on a human back long ago.
But—
She lowered her head. A loose strand of hair had escaped from the bun she'd hurriedly tied that morning and drifted across her cheek.
Shyly, she looked at Xue Jing's back as he lay face down on the sofa in front of her.
Her fingers tapped lightly across it.
His shoulders were level, with no unevenness or sloping.
His back muscles were evenly developed, neither tense nor loose. He looked like someone who regularly went to the gym and also paid close attention to stretching to prevent injury.
The muscles framed the shallow groove of his spine perfectly. From top to bottom, the line looked straight and healthy, with a natural curvature that disappeared beneath his waist.
Even the names of the acupoints began to come out more and more slowly.
Such a healthy posture! Such healthy muscles and bones!
He looked like he was built to live a very long life.
Bao Ruanruan swallowed slightly.
"Forgot?" Xue Jing opened his eyes and glanced at the acupoint diagram on the tablet in front of him. "The next one is the Xiaohai acupoint🖼️."
Mm.
Bao Ruanruan nodded, practically glowing.
Whatever you say.
She covered one burning cheek with her hand.
Then she pulled a little notebook from inside her puffer jacket and quickly began writing.
#Secretly Observing the Boss#
#Physical condition: Fast recovery from a cold: +5 points; excellent back muscles and spinal structure: +20 points (five stars);……#
Bao Ruanruan swayed happily.
Hearing the young girl's pen suddenly stop scratching against the paper behind him, Xue Jing froze for a moment.
Then he smiled bitterly.
When his girl got serious, she really was going to be the death of him15.
*
Yang Xueni had just returned to the set and hadn't even sat down when she saw her agent, Jiang Zhengle, hurry inside.
"Xue, are you still using the phone that Tang Yuxin gave you, the one from the brand she endorsed last time?"
"Stop using it immediately! One exploded while charging and made the news!"
"They're recalling every defective unit!"
Yang Xueni: ”!!!”
……
[ Yang Xueni's support rating for you has fallen to 48%, and she has completely left your supporter faction. ]
[ This character cannot be conquered for one year. ]
Tang Yuxin: "!"
She touched her forehead, only to find three or four strands of hair falling into her hand.
Tang Yuxin stared at them in horror.
"Teacher Tang, the company has just finished a meeting. For the next six months, every commercial deal you're currently negotiating is being put on hold."
”! ! !”
*
In the blink of an eye, it was the end of December. Bao Ruanruan joined the cast of The Female Doctor's Tale and went into seclusion16.
Footnotes Full List
- 杀伤力可太强了 (shāshānglì kě tài qiáng le) — the destructive force is far too strong; figuratively, her words had an extremely powerful emotional impact
- 门上的锁链在缓缓松动 (mén shàng de suǒliàn zài huǎnhuǎn sōngdòng) — the chain on the door is slowly loosening; a metaphor for her emotional defences beginning to open
- 对自己艺人下手 (duì zìjǐ yìrén xiàshǒu) — lay hands on one's own artist; colloquially, to pursue or make romantic advances towards someone under one's professional care
- 从死到生 (cóng sǐ dào shēng) — from death to life; a metaphor for helping someone escape a desperate existence and begin living again
- 就像是傍晚日落,晚霞散去,黑暗又要再次降临 (jiù xiàng shì bàngwǎn rìluò, wǎnxiá sànqù, hēi'àn yòu yào zàicì jiànglín) — like the sun setting, the afterglow fading, and darkness falling again; an extended metaphor for losing the sense of security and companionship he gave her
- 搅得他心口犯疼 (jiǎo de tā xīnkǒu fànténg) — stir his heart/chest until it hurts; figuratively, to make someone feel intense emotional pain
- 血比别的女演员厚十几倍 (xuè bǐ bié de nǚ yǎnyuán hòu shí jǐ bèi) — her blood/HP is more than ten times thicker than other actresses'; gaming slang meaning she had a much stronger reputation and could withstand far more backlash
- 长线作战 (chángxiàn zuòzhàn) — fight a long-line battle; a metaphor for pursuing a goal patiently over a long period
- 兔子吃窝边草 (tùzi chī wōbiān cǎo) — a rabbit eats the grass beside its nest; a proverb normally warning against pursuing romantic interests among people very close to one's own circle, workplace, or immediate environment
- 滚蛋 (gǔndàn) — roll away like an egg; slang meaning '*get lost' or '*scram'
- 近水楼台 (jìn shuǐ lóutái) — a pavilion near the water; from 近水楼台先得月 (jìn shuǐ lóu tái xiān dé yuè), literally 'the pavilion closest to the water gets the moon first'; to benefit from one's proximity or advantageous position
- 咳咳 (kéké) — cough cough; a joking euphemism used to hint at something romantic, suggestive, or embarrassing without stating it explicitly
- 大明湖畔 (Dàmíng Hú pàn) — the shores of Daming Lake; a playful pop-culture allusion commonly associated with the famous line "Do you still remember Xia Yuhe by Daming Lake?" and used humorously to introduce someone or something that has been waiting or remembered
- 要命 (yàomìng) — demand one's life; colloquially and hyperbolically used for something overwhelmingly difficult, intense, or unbearable
- 不让人活 (bù ràng rén huó) — not let someone live; humorous hyperbole meaning her behaviour was so emotionally overwhelming that he could barely endure it
- 闭关 (bìguān) — shut oneself away in seclusion; originally associated with secluded cultivation or intensive retreat, now commonly used for withdrawing from outside activities to focus completely on work or study
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