Subtle Steamrolling (1)

Old Tie and Granny Yu had lunch at the Qin Mansion and left, leaving Qin Fan alone with his grandparents. Granny Xiang sent everyone away and then turned to Qin Fan. "What happened with that child? What on earth did you do to him last night?" she asked.

"He calms me," Qin Fan replied.

Grandpa Qin, who had just picked up his teacup, hastily placed it back on the table, spilling some tea on the back of his hand. However, he seemed completely oblivious to this. He stared at Qin Fan. "Are you sure?"

Qin Fan nodded. "That was the best sleep I've had in ten years."

Granny Xiang and Grandpa Qin looked at each other. They believed Qin Fan. He really did seem to be in a better mood. 

Granny Xiang sighed resentfully. "Then you should've made him stay." This was important!

The look on Si Huang's face when he'd left flashed past Qin Fan's mind. He sat in silence for two seconds, then got up. "He's not a pet."

'Besides, I asked him to stay and he refused. I angered him too.'

Granny Xiang was about to stop Qin Fan from leaving, as she wanted to talk to him a little longer, but Grandpa Qin stopped her. "You still don't understand him?" he asked in a low voice. "He won't force anyone who isn't one of his soldiers into something they're not willing to do."

The next day, Si Huang had lost all interest in jogging on Mount Early Dawn, all thanks to her encounter with Qin Fan. She hung around in the hotel gym, then went back to her room. Soon, there was a knock on the door—Yu Xi had arrived.

"I was exhausted yesterday, so I forgot to ask… Why'd you ask me to wait for you at the sixth stop?" Yu Xi asked as he sat in front of Si Huang.

Si Huang pulled her bag, which she had set aside yesterday, over. Then, she took out a few books.

Yu Xi was taken aback. "There's a cafe with a nice ambiance at the sixth stop…" she said. "You're just in time. Help me with my homework."

Yu Xi was speechless.

Si Huang got up and sat next to him. "You're aware of my majors. My marks aren't good enough for a prestigious college." She had previously applied to Star Youth Academy of Arts in her past life, but her plans were different this time. However, her current grades were not up to par.

Yu Xi kept staring at her in a daze.

"Any questions?" Si Huang asked.

"N-No… None at all," Yu Xi replied. 'You just seem so… down to earth all of a sudden!'

To him, Si Huang had always seemed like someone who could do anything, which made him feel really ashamed. Now, he'd admitted to having bad grades? Yu Xi quietly gazed at his fair, exquisite side profile as he tutored him, peering at the serious, studious look on his face. He couldn't seem to see him as someone inferior. Instead, Si Huang felt even more dazzling to him, even more untouchable than ever. He was already so perfect in the first place, yet he persisted and continued to improve. He wasn't arrogant or conceited in the least.

'I can't even be jealous of him, even if I wanted to be…' Yu Xi sighed internally.

The three-day vacation passed in the blink of an eye, and the crew quickly began to get to work.

Si Huang was used to waking up early. Not even Director Liu had arrived on set when she arrived. The lighting technician, the art director, and the people in the same team were the only ones around. Aside from a few warm greetings from the female staff members, everyone else simply glanced at Si Huang when she arrived. She could hear faint whispers among a few of the male staff too.

Si Huang did not seem to hear them. This was not an issue for her, as it was completely normal in the entertainment industry. It was extremely difficult to receive a warm welcome before achieving stardom. Besides, people of the "same" sex tended to repel each other.

"Your Highness!"

Si Huang turned around and saw a familiar-looking woman. "Good morning." She smiled as she walked toward her.

Du Qiang was grinning so broadly that her eyes were now squinting into two single lines. "You're early today, Your Highness. Do you work out in the morning?" she asked, noticing Si Huang's workout attire.

"Mm, I jog." Si Huang followed her as she led her to the dressing room. Her melodious voice was enough to lift one's spirits.

Du Qiang quietly made a mental note. "So that's why you're so full of energy!" She couldn't bring herself to praise his good physique. Besides, she couldn't see a thing under Si Huang's baggy sportswear. However, his stature and overall look were attractive enough.

Si Huang smiled. "I'll have to thank you for your efforts again," she said.

Du Qiang hurriedly waved her hand and told him that it was no problem. Deep down, a tiny part of her was wailing like a madwoman. 'You're such a gentleman, Your Highness! You're so kind! Oh, how I wish I were ten years younger!!!'

Du Qiang made small talk with Si Huang while she put on his make-up. She continued using his pet name the entire time, and Si Huang responded warmly. Suddenly, a delicate, girlish voice interrupted their conversation. "Your Highness? You've certainly acknowledged that with great ease, Young Master Si. Anyone ignorant would think that he was the male lead, Brother Yiyuan. Don't you agree?"

Du Qiang paused. Her eyes flashed with indignance, but Si Huang smiled at her. She swallowed the retort that had been hanging on her lips. Deep down, a small part of her clenched her fists. 'I promised my comrades that I'd take care of His Highness. I mustn't cause him any trouble!'

Then, Si Huang turned to face the group at the door.

The first thing she noticed was the woman's choppy waves, then her delicate, pretty face. She was probably around 1,58 centimeters tall. She was wearing a white woolen sweater with pink embroidery, a pleated skirt, white tights, and black Mary Jane wedges. She looked adorable and fresh-faced, just like a doll.

She turned her head to the side and looked at An Yiyuan. The latter smiled at her and did not respond. He walked into the dressing room. "You're here early," he told Si Huang.

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Yan Yan's face.

Si Huang rose to his feet and nodded at An Yiyuan. "It's only right for a newcomer like me to arrive early. It would be inappropriate of me to arrive later than my seniors."

Yan Yan joined them. "Don't say that, Young Master Si. I'm no senior. Given your abilities, I might be addressing you as my senior in no time."

Si Huang cast her a sidelong glance. His beautiful eyes curved as he gave her a flawless smile. "That's a good point."

This was Yan Yan's first time meeting Si Huang in the flesh. Upon seeing his smile from such close proximity, she realized that his fine eyeliner was nothing compared to his bright, striking pupils. The undercurrent beneath his dark eyes was powerful enough to lure her and drown her within it. She would have reconsidered her plans to crush Si Huang if she hadn't remembered her phone conversation with Si Hua just in time.

"What did you say?" She came back to her senses and finally noticed the cheeky words uttered by his clear, mellow voice.

An Yiyuan burst into laughter. "It's good to be ambitious and confident. It's good motivation." 

The tension in the room was diffused just like that.