141: Chapter 141's introduction is also quite good.

The two of them stared at each other for quite a while.

The cigarette in Director Ning Yuan's mouth burned down to the filter, and his finger got burned.

"I want to participate in the actor auditions from start to finish."

"That's fine."

"I decide the filming schedule."

"It must be released by the end of the year."

"And the salary—"

"Read the second half of the script first, then we can talk about the salary."

Director Ning Yuan's words were cut off.

He opened his mouth but realized he had no bargaining chips in his hands.

He had only read half of the script; the second half was locked in the other person's drawer, and he didn't even know how the story ended.

Talk, my ass.

Lin Wan stood by, holding a fruit platter, her face full of amusement as she watched the show.

Director Ning Yuan irritably ran a hand through his hair.

"Fine. I'll go to your company tomorrow to read the second half."

"You are welcome anytime."

Jiang Fan pushed his business card across the coffee table.

Director Ning Yuan snorted, picked up the business card, tucked it into the stack of scripts, and slapped it onto the sofa armrest.

"Don't think that I've been manipulated by your lousy tactics. I'm just a little curious about the plot later on."

"Understood."

Lin Wan couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing; Director Ning Yuan turned around and glared at her.

Su Yuyan stood up and brushed the non-existent dust off her pant legs.

"Then it's settled. Old Ning, see you tomorrow."

Director Ning Yuan didn't get up to see them off.

Lin Wan saw them to the courtyard gate in his stead, took Su Yuyan's hand, and whispered, "He probably won't be able to sleep tonight."

— —

The three of them got into the car.

Li Cheng started the engine, and the car backed out of the alley.

After turning onto the main road and driving for two minutes, Li Cheng suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, right, Brother Fan, Old Zhou from the Orphanage said everything is finished."

He glanced at the navigation.

"This place is only about ten minutes away from the Orphanage by car, why don't we stop by on the way—"

Halfway through his sentence, Li Cheng saw Jiang Fan glaring at him in the rearview mirror.

That look carried a lot of meaning.

Li Cheng realized what was wrong; Su Yuyan was still sitting in the back seat.

He jerked the steering wheel to merge back into the main lane and hurriedly tried to cover his mistake: "Forget it, forget it, let's do it another day. We have things to do today, I'll come back specifically later—"

Slap.

A hand patted his right shoulder, not very hard.

Li Cheng flinched, and the steering wheel almost swerved.

Su Yuyan leaned forward from the back seat, her head poking into the gap between the passenger and driver seats.

"Orphanage? What Orphanage?"

Li Cheng's mouth opened and closed a few times, his gaze darting toward the rearview mirror in search of help.

Jiang Fan turned his head to look out the window and rubbed his face.

"It's... the orphanage where Brother Fan stayed when he was a kid. He donated some money to them a while ago to fix up the building."

Su Yuyan turned to look at Jiang Fan. She had known him for so long and had never heard him mention this.

She leaned back against the seat, her gaze resting outside the car window for a few seconds.

"Ten minutes from here?"

Li Cheng didn't dare to make a sound.

"Pull over."

"Huh?"

"Stop the car. I need to buy some things."

Li Cheng stepped on the brake.

"Teacher Su... we might not have time today—"

Su Yuyan tapped his seat back.

"Do you think I'm stupid? Pull over."

Li Cheng glanced at the rearview mirror.

Jiang Fan didn't object.

The car pulled over and stopped in front of a medium-sized supermarket.

Su Yuyan pushed the door open and got out, walked a few steps, then turned back, bent down, and poked her head through the car window.

"Li Cheng, come in with me and help carry things."

"Me?"

Li Cheng unbuckled his seatbelt, got out of the car, and followed Su Yuyan into the supermarket.

— —

Fifteen minutes later, the supermarket's automatic doors slid open.

Li Cheng pushed two shopping carts out, and Su Yuyan walked behind him, carrying two bags in her hands.

Li Cheng opened the trunk and stuffed everything inside.

Milk, biscuits, fruit—

Then Li Cheng saw three large packs of diapers.

He looked up at Su Yuyan.

Su Yuyan pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head and said righteously, "Didn't you say there's a two-and-a-half-year-old kid?"

Li Cheng took another look at the bottom of the shopping cart.

Six cans of baby formula. Imported.

He picked one up to check the price tag and hissed.

Su Yuyan tapped him. "What are you looking at? Load it into the car."

The trunk was packed full, and the passenger seat was half-piled.

The car hit the road again.

Su Yuyan rolled up her sleeves and leaned against the seat back, eyeing Jiang Fan.

"Why have you never told me?"

"Told you what?"

"About the orphanage."

"There's nothing worth mentioning about childhood."

Su Yuyan didn't press further.

She turned her head to look out the window; the buildings on both sides of the road were getting shorter.

It was quiet in the car for a while.

Li Cheng gripped the steering wheel tightly, wishing he could sew his mouth shut.

His mouth was just asking for it; why did he have to bring up the Orphanage for no reason?

— —

The car turned into that old road.

The freshly painted exterior walls were bright in the afternoon sun; all the places where the paint had peeled and the bricks were exposed had been smoothed over.

The windows had been replaced with new aluminum alloy frames and were wiped clean.

Before the car had even come to a stop, Huzi's voice carried through the iron gate.

"Brother Fan is here!!"

The iron gate was pushed open with a clang, and Huzi rushed out with four or five boys.

"Brother Fan, you finally came—"

Huzi ran to the car and saw a woman wearing sunglasses step out from the back seat; she had long legs and long hair, looking like she had just stepped off a magazine cover.

"Who is this?"

Jiang Fan opened the trunk.

"Call her Sister Su."

Su Yuyan took off her sunglasses and smiled at Huzi.

"You're Huzi?"

Huzi subconsciously took a step back and nodded.

"Help Sister carry things, and I'll give you candy when you're done."

Huzi turned back and shouted into the courtyard: "Guys! Let's move stuff!"

A group of children swarmed out.

Mother Fang walked out from the building entrance, still holding a basin.

She glanced at Jiang Fan, then at the tall, beautiful woman beside him, and her brows furrowed slightly.

"Xiao Fan, this is..."

"Mother Fang, she's my friend. Su Yuyan."

"Hello, Mother Fang." Su Yuyan nodded at her.

Mother Fang set the basin aside, walked over, and looked Su Yuyan up and down.

Jiang Fan broke out in a cold sweat.

Mother Fang stared for a full five or six seconds, then turned to look at Jiang Fan.

That one look was more effective than any words.

"Have you eaten? I just stewed some pork ribs."

Su Yuyan glanced at Jiang Fan.

At dinner tables, negotiation tables, and award stages, she always knew how to carry herself.

Today, in front of this old three-story building, she actually felt a bit unsure of where to put her hands.

"Mother Fang, we've already eaten, don't trouble yourself."

"Even if you've eaten, you still need to have a bowl of soup." Mother Fang took Su Yuyan's hand and turned to walk into the courtyard.

The courtyard had changed quite a bit since the last time they were there.

The newly installed window frames were shiny, the corridor walls had been repainted, and even the activity room door had been replaced with a new one.

The crooked locust tree in the corner was still there, and the bench under the tree had been replaced with new wood and coated with clear varnish.

A girl in her early teens came down from the second floor, holding a very small child in her arms.

It was a little over two years old, wearing a small blue cotton jacket, its face round and chubby, and it was chewing on its fingers.

Su Yuyan stopped walking.

The girl walked up to them and called out, "Brother Jiang Fan."

"Is this Xiaodou?" Jiang Fan asked.

"Yes. He just woke up; I had to coax him for a long time to get him to stop crying."

Su Yuyan reached out and took Xiaodou from the girl's arms.

Xiaodou landed in her arms, stunned for a moment, then grabbed wildly with both hands, clutching a handful of Su Yuyan's hair.

The girl nearby hurried over to help.

"Xiaodou, let go!"

Su Yuyan shook her head.

"It's fine."

She shifted her posture and rested Xiaodou's head on her shoulder.

Xiaodou paused for two seconds, then its whole body softened; it rubbed its face against her neck and stopped fussing.

Mother Fang came out of the kitchen with a basin of pork rib soup, and when she saw this scene, her hand paused.

Su Yuyan carried Xiaodou and walked slowly around the courtyard.

The child's drool left a dark wet patch on the shoulder of her suit jacket.

Huzi leaned in, standing on tiptoe to look at Xiaodou.

"Sister Su, he usually cries whenever anyone else holds him; he only recognizes Mother Fang. How did you do it?"

As he spoke, Huzi reached out and poked Xiaodou's cheek, and Xiaodou let out a "waa" and was about to cry.

"Do you want me to beat you up?" Su Yuyan protected Xiaodou and took a step back.

Huzi stuck out his tongue and ran away.

Jiang Fan stood under the corridor, watching them.

Mother Fang didn't know when she had walked over to his side, and the two of them leaned against the pillar side by side.

Mother Fang's gaze rested on Su Yuyan and Xiaodou for a long time.

"The one you brought... is also not bad."