FLME Ch55

Yi Ming grabbed the cookies and bolted. Yu Wen felt a bit awkward. He was very experienced when it came to eating melon, but this was the production crew he’d be joining soon, after all, and…

Yu Wen turned his head, making eye contact with Feng Chengzhou—who was still sitting in his seat and hadn’t fully processed the situation yet—and flashed an innocent, obedient smile.

Besides.

The investor is still right here.

“President Feng, do you want to go take a look? There are still media reporters outside,” Yu Wen reminded him.

Feng Chengzhou finally realized what Yi Ming’s excited shriek meant. If the female lead was this excited, wouldn’t the media outside tear the door down to get a bite? If the news spread, it would cause a negative impact on this new drama that hadn’t even finalized its cast yet.

The Crown Prince stood up and nodded politely to the producers in the room. “I’ll go take a look.”

On a film set, it was completely normal for the director and screenwriter to have differing opinions. But arguing in front of the media carried the undertone of airing dirty laundry in public. Feng Chengzhou had worked with Director Miao before and remembered him as a reasonable, methodical person. A gentle reminder should be enough to stop the arguing.

…Or so he thought.

The moment Feng Chengzhou pushed the door open, a thick stack of scripts flew directly at his face, landing a solid, precise hit on his right cheek with the resounding smack of a loud slap.

Peeking through the window, Yi Ming witnessed this entire scene without missing a beat. Standing on her tiptoes, she pressed herself flat against the wall, not daring to make a single sound.

…Oh my god.If she laughed out loud, would she get fired by the production crew?

The media gathered at the door also witnessed the scene. For a moment, no one spoke. Everyone wore masks of feigned composure, struggling to suppress their smiles.

The cameras, which had already been rolling, faithfully recorded everything.

With his back to the door, Director Miao remained oblivious to the commotion and was still running his mouth: “We have plenty of time reserved, all we have to do is work some overtime! Later on, we’ll just have President Feng give us all bonuses! Everyone knows President Feng, right? His nickname is the entertainment industry’s Wealth-Scattering Boy…”

Yu Wen had just walked over to Yi Ming, preparing to watch the show through the window. Hearing this, he immediately pivoted, wanting to head back inside.

Can’t eat this one, can’t eat this one! It’s a boomerang melon, and the melon has struck its owner!

Yi Ming grabbed his arm, shooting him a questioning look. She jutted her chin toward the room, meaning: Don’t go, there’s definitely a bigger show to watch.

Yu Wen had no choice but to stay put, carefully perking up his ears, ready to sprint the moment the melon vines spread toward him.

“…” Feng Chengzhou’s expression was a kaleidoscope of colors, roughly translating to, “I treat you as a business partner, and you treat me as an ATM”, carrying a mix of disbelief and agonizing heartache.

As he walked in, the media at the door took a synchronized step forward, leveling their long and short lenses directly into the room.

Director Miao was still giving his speech, completely ignoring the screenwriters’ frantic winks and signals. “…I’m serious, I’m really serious! President Feng is very easy to scam! As long as the third draft can be rushed out within a week, I, Miao, swear that all the money scammed from the Crown Prince will be distributed to you as bonuses! I mean what I say—”

He waved his hand grandly, accidentally striking something that felt remarkably like human skin. The sound was incredibly crisp.

Smack!

“Ow, what the hell is that?”

Feng Chengzhou’s horoscope was definitely cursed today. Following the script to the face, he took another completely unprovoked hit from Miao Yifei.

The hit came so unexpectedly that the Crown Prince couldn’t help but spin in a full circle, like a fluttering butterfly, before clutching his face and leaning against the wall in fragility.

“Hahahahahahaha—”

Clinging to the window frame, Yi Ming and Yu Wen burst into roaring laughter at the exact same time. Yi Ming laughed so hard tears nearly came out, pointing inside. “Hahahaha, look at him spin…”

Yu Wen: “Ge-ge-ge-ge-ge, so aesthetic…”

After laughing for a while, they noticed the surroundings had gone a bit too quiet.

Yi Ming belatedly stopped laughing and stole a peek, only to find all their media friends staring at them. Looking further inside, she met the Crown Prince’s gaze dead on.

She instantly flattened the corners of her mouth and said with utmost seriousness, “Xiao Yu, I just heard a laugh, was that yours?”

Yu Wen replied in a tone even more serious than hers, “Impossible. Yu Wen is naturally averse to laughing.”

Yi Ming then said, “How strange. I wonder who was so lacking in situational awareness.”

Yu Wen nodded. “Honestly. They almost caused us to be misunderstood.”

Miao Yifei was completely stunned by their impromptu comedic duo act. Finally snapping out of it, he looked at Feng Chengzhou, scratched his head, and asked awkwardly, “President Feng… when did you get here?”

Feng Chengzhou stood up straight, not answering. He shot a look at his secretary standing outside. The secretary immediately caught on and politely began shooing the media away.

The cameras finally retreated, though the reporters left with great reluctance.

With swift reflexes, Yu Wen shrank his head down, successfully avoiding Feng Chengzhou’s notice. Yi Ming, a beat slower, squatted down and gave him a thumbs up: My disciple is truly experienced.

Yu Wen waved his hand modestly, indicating it was standard operation and no praise was necessary.

Once voices resumed from inside the room, the two stealthily climbed back onto the windowsill, poking two little heads up.

The script pages were scattered all over the floor. Feng Chengzhou raised an eyebrow with a headache and asked helplessly, “Director Miao, what are you all arguing about?”

The moment he asked, the screenwriting team acted like they had found a backer, chattering over each other to tattle: “President Feng! Old Miao wants to change the script!”

“He’s making us work overtime too!”

“He actually expects us to crank out a third draft within a week! He’s completely insane—!”

One person dropped a bombshell: “He even wanted to scam your money!”

Feng Chengzhou: “…”

I’m very familiar with that part, Yu Wen thought from outside the window. You should’ve said so earlier, I could’ve opened a class to teach you guys.

Yi Ming was watching with great relish. She dug out her treasured little snacks from her pocket, split half for Yu Wen, and instructed, “Now that you’ve eaten my snacks, you’re my person! You’re not allowed to tell my manager I sneaked food, understand?”

Keeping a straight face, Yu Wen nodded earnestly.

After eating two small cookies, he observed the situation inside the room and whispered, “Second Master, are they arguing about my scenes?”

Munching on a pickled chicken foot, Yi Ming mumbled, “Probably… Don’t worry, Director Miao can win this argument. He’s never lost a fight on a film set.”

Miao Yifei appeared to be an amiable, slightly scruffy middle-aged man, giving people the illusion of having a good temper. In reality, he was incredibly stubborn; once he made a decision, no one could persuade him otherwise.

Feng Chengzhou clearly knew Director Miao’s temper as well and spoke up: “Huiteng Group unconditionally supports your vision. As long as the third draft of the script can be finalized as soon as possible, the bonuses are not an issue…”

The screenwriters wailed in grievance: “President Feng! Our lives matter too!”

After just a few words, both sides started yelling again. Standing on top of a table with the commanding aura of an emperor, Director Miao declared, “If I say we change it, we change it! On this set, I am the King—hey, stop pulling my pants!”

Seven or eight grown adults tangled into a brawl. Some were yanking at pants; some were shaking Director Miao’s shoulders, trying to slosh the water out of his brain; and one person, whose mental state was clearly compromised, opened his maw wide, preparing to eat Director Miao raw—

Outside the window, Yu Wen and Yi Ming watched with immense fascination.

Yi Ming said, “Xiao Yu, no wonder everyone calls you the Melon King. Being friends with you guarantees a good life like this.”

Yu Wen replied modestly, “Small scene, small scene.”

He had witnessed the Crown Prince coming out live on stream; a group brawl was nothing.

Scripts were scattered everywhere, the room a total disaster zone. Dressed in a sharp suit and leather shoes, Feng Chengzhou found it a bit hard to join the fray. After weighing his options for a long while, he took off his suit jacket and attempted to pacify both sides. “Director Miao, everyone… if you have something to say, let’s sit down and talk properly. Anything that can be solved with money isn’t an issue. Do me a favor, let’s do this: I’ll triple the bo—”

Before the words “triple the bonuses” could even leave his mouth, a rogue foot flew out of nowhere, landing squarely on his chest.

Half a beat later, Feng Chengzhou slowly lowered his head, staring at the glaring footprint on his pristine white shirt.

A Crown Prince has quietly passed away.

Outside the window, Yu Wen and Yi Ming burst into silent, explosive laughter. The latter decisively pulled out her phone. “Taking a picture, taking a picture! I’ll share this with my sisters later…”

Feng Chengzhou was tired. He was exhausted. Sitting against the wall, arms crossed, he silently watched the chaos unfold before him.

Suddenly, a flash of white light in his peripheral vision caught his eye. Looking over, he saw two heads glued to the window, staring intently, with one of them even holding up a phone.

The highly amused smiles on their faces hadn’t even faded yet.

“…Second Master.” The sudden eye contact froze Yu Wen in place. He stared straight ahead, feigning composure. “Feng Chengzhou seems to have spotted us. Did you forget to turn off the flash?”

Yi Ming didn’t dare move either. After a long silence, she replied, “Mm.”

Yu Wen: “…”

Yi Ming: “Disciple, based on your experience, what should we do now?”

Yu Wen declared decisively: “Retreat.”

Eating melon can only be done in secret. Eating it right to someone’s face makes things very awkward.

With a quick slide, Yu Wen slipped off the windowsill, hunched his back, and tiptoed away, hugging the wall.

When Feng Chengzhou opened the door, he only saw a man and a woman, one behind the other, sneaking forward like thieves. Their posture and rhythm were identical. The scene was incredibly comical.

“…Yu Wen. Yi Ming.”

Yu Wen instinctively turned his head. The moment his eyes landed on the massive footprint on the Crown Prince’s chest, he immediately averted his gaze, unable to bear the sight, terrified he’d burst out laughing if he looked a second longer.

Yi Ming: “Pfft—”

He held it in, but his master didn’t.

Feng Chengzhou: “…Is it that funny?”

“Oh my god, President Feng, what are you doing here?” At the critical moment, a flash of brilliance struck Yu Wen. With three parts confusion, three parts inquiry, and four parts pleasant surprise, he asked, “We came out looking for the restroom and were just worrying about not finding it when we ran into you! It seems the heavens have taken pity on us. I often admire President Feng’s youthful accomplishments in my heart. Perhaps the Bodhisattva heard my thoughts, leading to this destined encounter…”

Feng Chengzhou: “…”

“President Feng, would you be willing to tell us where the restroom is?”

Feng Chengzhou: “I don’t know where it is either.”

Yu Wen: “Oh, that is truly a pity. It seems my praises for President Feng were not enough. Fate brought us together, but did not write the same destination for us…”

Feng Chengzhou finally closed his eyes and said, “I won’t ask, and you can stop talking.”

He felt that if he dared to utter a single word of interrogation, this chatterbox could spit out a whole thesis.

Yu Wen and Yi Ming, feeling as if they’d been granted amnesty, fled the scene immediately.

That evening, a Weibo post titled: “SHOCKING! Moonlight Harbor Casting Dispute: Huiteng Crown Prince Brutally Slapped!” climbed its way up the trending searches.

When he saw the trending topic, Yu Wen was currently chatting with Xie Jialin about the hilarious group brawl on set that day. The uncle listened with great relish and even specifically searched him up online, only then discovering his nickname was the Melon King.

The uncle asked, “What does Melon King mean?”

Yu Wen answered without missing a beat, “It means the people on the internet respect me very much and have crowned me as their king.”

Looking at his proud little expression, Xie Jialin was overjoyed. “Alright, whatever you say is right.”

Casually scrolling through Weibo, Yu Wen stumbled upon the trending search.

Media outlets and marketing accounts chasing shadows and taking things out of context was standard operation. The insufficiently explosive prelude was completely omitted. The trending topic merely stated that there was discord within the Moonlight Harbor cast, leading to a physical altercation with the investors on the spot. It was accompanied by GIFs of Feng Chengzhou being hit in the face by the script and slapped by Director Miao.

Yu Wen thought to himself how presumptuous it was. The GIF of the Crown Prince getting beaten was playing on a loop in front of tens of thousands of netizens—how was he ever going to face people after this?

Then, his fingers moved, honestly saving the GIFs and forwarding them to Yi Ming.

His Second Master replied with a massive barrage of “hahahaha” memes.

Ten minutes later, looking at it again, the wind direction of the trending topic felt a bit off. It had shifted from the netizens’ amused “what kind of dark humor is this” to a very targeted “a bloodbath before filming even begins, is Moonlight Harbor really worth anticipating?”

Below it was a long string of conspiracy theories. Some even suspected there were financial conflicts between the director and the investors, and since it was hard to say outright, they used an argument to vent their frustrations.

Yu Wen scratched his head. Unable to stand by and watch, he switched to his alt account and replied: [It’s not that complicated. The director and the screenwriters were arguing. President Feng went over to break up the fight and got caught in the crossfire.]

Someone replied underneath: [Why were the director and screenwriters arguing?]

Yu Wen: [It’s perfectly normal for a director and screenwriters to have different opinions. Without diverse views and insights, how could a brilliant script be born?]

That person said: […How do you know the details so well?]

Yu Wen scratched his hair again and replied honestly: [I was at the scene.]

He prided himself on giving a very comprehensive answer, never expecting that a moment later, this comment would be pushed to the top.

The netizens said:[Such a familiar-sounding sentence. Looked at the ID, and it all makes sense.][Who has such a big mouth? Oh, Yu Wen. That’s normal.][Hahahaha I’m fucking dying, the Melon King was at the scene again…][You should’ve said so earlier! If I had known, I would’ve just asked you directly!]

Yu Wen’s heart skipped a beat. He didn’t understand how everyone had deciphered his identity. He hurriedly reread his comments several times, feeling there was absolutely nothing wrong with them. It wasn’t until he checked his background settings that he realized—oops, the account switch failed.

He had replied using his main account.

Xie Jialin was washing fruit in the kitchen when Yu Wen suddenly ran in, looking extremely depressed with a miserable, wronged face. “Uncle, I want to emigrate.”

Xie Jialin was bewildered. “…Emigrate where?”

Yu Wen: “Outside the solar system.”

Xie Jialin: “…”

He couldn’t stay in this solar system for another day!

Huiteng Group’s public relations response today was a bit slow, mainly because Bian Ce was on a business trip. Without Vice President Bian, who else paid attention to President Feng’s internet reputation? Who else still treated President Feng like a child?

Only after hanging on the trending list for three hours did Feng Chengzhou sluggishly emerge to clarify.

Feng Chengzhou: [Did I only get hit twice? I even got kicked. [Image.jpg]]

The attached image was exactly the one Yi Ming had stealthily taken from outside the window. In the photo, seven or eight adults were pushing and shoving in a tangled mess, while Feng Chengzhou sat in the corner with his arms crossed, wearing an expression that looked past life and death, entirely apathetic to everything.

And on the chest of his white shirt was an eye-catching, massive footprint.

The netizens instantly burst into hysterical laughter.

[Are you guys crazy?! Made me laugh out loud for no reason!]

[If I knew you guys were this hilarious, I would’ve saved this for the Spring Festival Gala.]

[Someone add some captions for President Feng! This image is a bit dry, it doesn’t match my President Feng’s aura!]

[Tired, exhausted.jpg — Is it like this?]

[Audacious! How dare you turn our Huiteng Crown Prince into a meme! Where are your morals, where is your integrity, where is everything else!]

Yi Ming went straight for the jugular, rolling around laughing in the comments under President Feng’s Weibo post.

Ten minutes later.

Yi Ming: [Fuck, forgot to switch accounts.]

Seeing her laughing to her heart’s content, Yu Wen thought this was part of her and Feng Chengzhou’s plan and almost joined in to laugh, but luckily he restrained himself.

…Mainly because netizens were currently dragging up all sorts of messy gossip, searching for him all over the world, asking if he had been present at the scene. He didn’t dare show his face for the time being.

With President Feng personally stepping out to clarify, Huiteng also sprang into action. Within half an hour, the trending searches were pulled down. The netizens were still gleefully talking about it, but that was fine—as long as it wasn’t negative news, it was all usable heat.

Yu Wen checked his DMs in the background, only to find it completely jammed. Clicking on a random one revealed questions asking if he was at the scene. He hastily turned his phone off, lingering fears still fluttering in his chest.

Scared to death, absolutely scared to death. Almost became the internet’s personal gossip contact.

Thank goodness he hid fast enough.

Just as he turned off his phone, Xie Jialin spoke from the doorway: “Psst, psst! Xiao Yu, the silent gourd is back! Hurry upstairs, wait for my signal to make your flashy entrance!”

Yu Wen cheered up. Excellent, excellent. Now it was his turn to mess with someone else.

He bounded lightly up the stairs, not forgetting to lean over the railing to remind him, “Uncle, don’t forget the secret code—”

Uncle gave him an OK gesture.

The secret code was: “Appear, you who are beautiful, generous, and kind!” Although he didn’t understand the psychological thought process behind the uncle setting this code, Yu Wen felt he could vaguely associate himself with being beautiful, generous, and kind, so he gladly accepted it.

Hiding at the second-floor landing, he waited with a fluttering heart for Xie Heyu to enter the house.

The atmosphere in the house was a bit strange today—Xie Heyu noticed it the moment he walked through the door.

Xie Jialin sat on the sofa with a heavy expression, his shoulders slightly hunched, looking as if he had aged ten years overnight.

The living room lights were a bit dim. Changing his shoes, Xie Heyu asked, “Why aren’t the lights on—”

“Xiao Xie, our family has gone bankrupt.”

“…”

On the second floor, Yu Wen covered his mouth in shock, thinking to himself that the uncle was playing way too big this time.

What if Teacher Xie actually believes it?

Pausing by the switch for a moment, Xie Heyu turned on the lights and walked over expressionlessly.

“Normal,” he said as he set his bag down, pouring himself a glass of water while speaking flatly. “Our family frequently goes bankrupt.”

Xie Jialin: “…Ah?”

“The aunts have used this script long ago. Including eldest aunt, youngest aunt… our family has gone bankrupt a total of ten times.” Taking a sip of water, Xie Heyu said nonchalantly, “This makes the eleventh.”