Chapter Fifteen: Multiple Sides

"Boss, lead us forward; I'll follow you with my eyes closed!"

Everyone joked as they packed their things.

Yun Nan was the youngest among them, but everyone was used to calling her 'Boss.' It was a title they bestowed on her in respect—a title given to her because she was the director; because she was always calm and composed, and because she was a good leader.

"You guys are putting a lot of pressure on me!" Yun Nan laughingly said.

"Now, we're just waiting for them to return your script. We've got the costumes, lighting, cameras, props. Everything is set and ready to go! Fang Xi is in charge of publicity. How bad was her cold? Should we visit her? Is there anyone taking care of her?" Miss An, who was in charge of the costumes, asked in concern.

Yun Nan hastily assured her, "No, don't worry. I called her; she was fine. We should let her get some rest. Let's continue with our work."

When the meeting ended, Shi Nian's call came as scheduled. Yun Nan said goodbye to everyone and went downstairs.

Yun Nan walked to the main entrance. When she turned around, she found her friends curiously looking out from all the windows. She smiled and waved at them before getting into Shi Nian's car.

Shi Nian also stared at the faces by the windows, but he looked away and started the car when Yun Nan shut the door. 

"Are they your employees?" he asked.

Yun Nan considered the question for a moment before answering, "They're my family."

Shi Nian was startled. She had never referred to the Yun family as such, and here she was, claiming those people as her own.

"I can feel their hostility through my window," Shi Nian commented as he tilted his head and glanced at Yun Nan.

Yun Nan laughed. "Our group is concerned about each other's love lives, and we worry over the members who are in a relationship. They're not hostile towards you; they're just worried you might be a cheater." 

"People like us feel we're a little incompatible with society, and we can't help being slightly silly and paranoid. Don't take it to heart. I'll introduce you to them when I get the chance, and it'll be fine once you all get to know each other."

When Shi Nian heard her speak as if they were from two different worlds, he felt a chill down his spine.

He peered at Yun Nan again with complicated feelings. Yun Nan didn't know this, but someone mistook her and her companions as members of the shady underworld.

...

Shi Nian and Yun Nan found their wedding rings quickly because there was no 'picking' involved; both of them liked the rings with the simplest design, so there was no dispute. They then bought the rings and left. The shop assistants remarked that the couple were the easiest customers they had ever served.

The shop assistants were a little put off by the couple's perfunctory attitude towards their wedding rings. If the two weren't a handsome man and a beautiful woman who looked very compatible together, the shop assistants would have thought they were cheating on their marriage.

If Shi Nian and Yun Nan's behavior before was casual and indifferent, then it was ridiculous when they were taking their wedding photos. The two of them swiftly opted for and changed into the first—and only—set of wedding attire—a tux and gown—shown to them by the shop assistant.

The shop assistant's account was as followed. The strangely impatient couple had moved to take photos after changing into the wedding attire, wasting little to no time on makeup and preparations.

The bride did her hair herself; she secured her flowing locks with a long hairpin she took from the store's accessory box.

She also did her makeup herself. Before the shop's makeup artist could react, the bride had already finished. Satisfied, she then pulled the groom to the photoshoot location.

None of the wedding shop's staff—from the shop assistant to the photographer—had ever completed a wedding photo so quickly. The photographer even secretly asked the shop assistant, "Are they our new models?"

The shop assistant ignored him and asked the bride and groom, "Would you like to change into a set of Chinese-styled wedding outfits?"

"No," The bride and groom answered in unison.

Their marriage was just a collaboration. They only went through the process of buying wedding rings and taking wedding photos to have something to show their elders and relatives. There's no point in taking extra photos to commemorate a ruse.

The shop assistant regretfully sighed, "What a pity. We have several new designs; you two would look great in them. This is your wedding, so you should take more photos as a keepsake."

'After all, marriage is a once-in-a-lifetime event, isn't it?' the shopkeeper thought to herself.

Despite her entreaty, the couple was unmoved; they changed their clothes and left.

The staff chattered behind their backs.

"Who only takes one photo for their wedding? Why are they treating it so half-heartedly? Could it be a forced marriage?"

"It doesn't look like it. They were quite peaceful, and there's no animosity between them."

"Then it's a polite marriage."

"Tsk, tsk, what a shame. They make a beautiful couple."

The two subjects in question were unaware of the staff's discussion. As soon as they got into the car, Yun Nan received a notification on her phone: Yun Zhang had transferred the money to her. She just received 80 million dollars!

Yun Nan smiled cheerfully and showed the message to Shi Nian. "Thank you!" she beamed.

Shi Nian glanced at it and requested, "I want a feast for dinner!"

"No problem! I'd make you dinner for a year for your tremendous help resolving this issue," Yun Nan said magnanimously.

Shi Nian laughed. 'This girl is quite interesting.'

From what Lawyer Yan gathered, in the eyes of the Yun family, Yun Nan was an ingrate and was greedy, heartless, overbearing, and unreasonable—an all-in-all unforgivable character.

Chang Yuan's investigations stated Yun Nan was a talented woman with an unfortunate past; she was calm and capable.

However, the Yun Nan that Shi Nian saw was so innocent that she seemed a little silly at times.