How Did the Top-Tier Male Lead Fall in Love With Me? 13

Chapter 13

Fang Ci had originally thought that upon receiving the invitation for Wonderful Adventure, Shen Wu would happily sign the contract without hesitation, and then have his manager send the signed contract back.
Instead, Shen Wu brought the contract and came to his studio in person.
Fang Ci saw through this sudden attentiveness at a glance and got straight to the point, “Go on, do you have any other requests?”
Shen Wu didn’t beat around the bush either. “I saw the guest list for the first season of Wonderful Adventure. Last season was a combination of five artists and one non-celebrity. I was wondering if it’s the same arrangement this season?”
“Yes.”
“Has a non-celebrity guest been chosen yet?”
“Not yet, what’s wrong?”
When Fang Ci had told Qi Shijun that there were two spots left, he was naturally referring to the artist spots. The remaining non-celebrity spot was vacant and not within the scope of their discussion.
This season, they had invited a heavyweight artist like Meng Huaizhi, so Fang Ci was being very deliberate in his choice of the non-celebrity guest. He wanted to find a non-celebrity with a good personality, high looks, and a sense of variety, which was predictably difficult, so he hadn’t confirmed a suitable candidate yet.
“I have a candidate to recommend, his name is Nan Dengwei,” Shen Wu said. “He played a small supporting role in the Racing Heartbeat crew, but he’s no different from a non-celebrity. You can search for him online if you don’t believe me.”
Fang Ci: “Who? I can’t find him.”
Shen Wu: “That’s why I said he’s no different from a non-celebrity.”
“…” Fang Ci was silent for a few seconds. “But why should I choose him? You have to give me a convincing enough reason.”
“He has a great personality, optimistic and cheerful, and what you see is what you get. He’s very suitable for a reality show.”
Besides, Nan Dengwei has the main character’s halo. As long as he has a suitable opportunity for the public to see him, his popularity will soar, and the show will also benefit from it.
Shen Wu’s move would not only provide a place for the two main characters to interact but also bring positive benefits to the show. He felt that he could be called the biggest philanthropist in the entire book.
Faced with a pie falling from the sky, Fang Ci was still skeptical. “There are plenty of non-celebrities with good personalities.”
Shen Wu: “He’s very good-looking.”
Fang Ci: “…”
Shen Wu said sincerely, “Very beautiful. You’ll know when you see him.”
Fang Ci’s heart inexplicably jumped, then suddenly dropped.
“…Beautiful?” he repeated in a strange tone, thinking to himself: You’re out here calling other people beautiful, does Meng Huaizhi know?
Shen Wu’s words did make Fang Ci pay more attention.
He went to the Racing Heartbeat set again and casually asked Wen Qiehua about it. Unexpectedly, Wen Qiehua had a deep impression of a dispensable extra.
“He plays one of Qi Shijun’s little sidekicks. That feeling of feigned compliance is particularly great,” Wen Qiehua said. “The domineering CEO character is high and mighty, and Qi Shijun is too stiff. With him as a sidekick, it’s much more down-to-earth, and there’s a kind of absurd comedic sense.”
Fang Ci: “…” Are you complimenting him?
However, Nan Dengwei was indeed, as Shen Wu had said, very beautiful.
As a third-rate actor, he was able to gain the recognition of most of the main cast and get along well with the extras, without any airs.
Fang Ci then went to M+ Entertainment to find Meng Huaizhi.
Meng Huaizhi had to be informed of all the guest selections. The other artists were all dedicated to their work and had clean private lives. Nan Dengwei was currently unknown, and there was no information about him online.
So Fang Ci briefly introduced him, “For the non-celebrity guest, I’m considering Nan Dengwei. He’s a student at the film academy, recommended by Shen Wu.”
Of course, he omitted the part where Shen Wu had called Nan Dengwei beautiful.
Meng Huaizhi still frowned. “Who is Nan Dengwei?”
“He’s a… uh, N-th male lead in the Racing Heartbeat crew?” Fang Ci said. “Shen Wu probably met him while working as a racing consultant.”
Shen Wu had only been a racing consultant on the set once, and he had already met an eighteenth-tier star, an N-th male lead with no presence in the script.
And he wanted to bring him on a variety show?
The atmosphere in the office fell into a strange stagnation.

The following week, Shen Wu went to the Racing Heartbeat set again.
As he was talking, he inadvertently caught a glimpse of a dark figure in the distance. The figure was tall and stood out, his hazy outline still handsome.
For several minutes, he didn’t move.
When he was done with his work and went over, he finally confirmed it.
It really was Meng Huaizhi.
He was wearing a slightly loose black coat today, a different style from his usual. If one wasn’t familiar with him, they definitely wouldn’t recognize him at first glance.
Even on a set full of artists, he could stand there quietly, for who knows how long, without being disturbed by anyone.
Shen Wu walked through the crowd and asked in a low voice, “What are you doing here?”
“Professor Fang invited me to a meal to talk about the second season of Wonderful Adventure. We were near the set, so I came to pick you up,” Meng Huaizhi said.
Shen Wu tilted his head and noticed a car not far away. Fang Ci was sitting in the half-open window.
To get Meng Huaizhi on Wonderful Adventure, Fang Ci was full of sincerity. As a famous variety show director, he had condescended to act as a driver.
“I’m not done with work. I’ll probably just have a boxed lunch on set for lunch…” Shen Wu wanted to accept the invitation, but he couldn’t get away.
“I have to go to the recording studio later,” Meng Huaizhi said. “Why don’t we just have boxed lunches on set together? Professor Fang doesn’t have to spend the money either.”
Fang Ci: “…?”
How could he have any objections?
A few days later, the dignified Director Fang was eating a boxed lunch on the Racing Heartbeat set for the second time.
The three of them found a quiet spot where no one would disturb them. Shen Wu went to get the boxed lunches by himself, not revealing their location.
Otherwise, if they were surrounded by the crew asking for autographs, they probably wouldn’t be able to eat.
Fang Ci still remembered Wen Qiehua’s request and started the conversation. “Why don’t you want to play the second male lead in Racing Heartbeat?”
Shen Wu said truthfully, “I’m mainly afraid I won’t act well.”
Fang Ci thought to himself that it was indeed the case, but he didn’t use the exaggerated excuse of “the crew will be ruined without you.” Instead, he told the truth, “Old Wen loves to train newcomers from scratch. You don’t have to worry. You’re not the first, but you’re the first to make him so excited.”
He then praised the role of the second male lead, Yan Chuan, with reason and evidence, not as exaggerated as Wen Qiehua. “I’ve read the script too. Yan Chuan doesn’t have many scenes, but every scene is a highlight. It’s not strange that the female lead would like him in the early stages…”
As he spoke to Shen Wu, his gaze couldn’t help but drift towards Meng Huaizhi.
Meng Huaizhi still had that cold expression, with no emotion on his face. He didn’t even look over at his words.
But Fang Ci had an inexplicable bad feeling that he had praised the wrong thing.
Fang Ci shut his mouth and said no more. The three of them ate their definitely not delicious boxed lunches in silence.
Don’t talk while eating, don’t talk while sleeping. This was one of the Meng family’s rules.
Shen Wu used to go to the Meng family often. Many years ago, Meng Huaizhi’s parents were still alive, but the Meng family was just as quiet then as it was now. At the silent dinner table, only the clinking of bowls and chopsticks could be heard.
As Shen Wu ate his boxed lunch, he would occasionally look around to make sure no one was coming over.
There were no crazed fans of Meng Huaizhi who had sniffed out their location, but a familiar face did come into view.
Nan Dengwei was carrying a bag and looking around.
Shen Wu’s gaze fixed on him, and he called out, “Xiao Nan.”
Nan Dengwei spotted Shen Wu and immediately walked over with a bright smile.
He didn’t look around, while Meng Huaizhi had already put on his mask and hat, only his tall and unrestrained figure visible.
Nan Dengwei didn’t pay much attention and handed a paper bag to Shen Wu. “Today’s milk tea, I got you a cup.”
Meng Huaizhi glanced faintly at the “Xiao Nan” Shen Wu had mentioned.
Nan Dengwei shivered for no reason, guessing that this fully armed person probably didn’t want to be recognized. He politely averted his gaze and looked at the friendly-looking Fang Ci on the other side, smiling again. “Director Fang, thank you for the matter of Wonderful Adventure.”
The sudden invitation to Wonderful Adventure was like a delicious pie falling from the sky, leaving him dazed and at a loss for several days. It wasn’t until he had personally signed the contract that it felt real.
Fang Ci hadn’t explicitly stated the reason for seeking him out, and he was sensible enough not to ask. Now, seeing Fang Ci and Shen Wu eating boxed lunches together, the hazy fog in his mind suddenly cleared.
Finally, he gave Shen Wu an even brighter smile. “Then I’ll be going. You guys take your time.”
Shen Wu happened to be thirsty, so he immediately took the milk tea from the bag and inserted the straw.
As he took the first sip, he looked up and met Meng Huaizhi’s gaze.
Only Meng Huaizhi’s eyes were exposed. Under the brim of his hat, his dark eyes were particularly deep and dark, as opaque as the pure black mask.
The sweet taste of the milk tea spread in his mouth, but Shen Wu’s heart skipped a beat.
He belatedly remembered that just now was the first meeting between the male lead and the main character shou.
Because he had disrupted the plot, this first meeting was different from the one described in the novel, and it had ended a bit too quickly.
Putting that aside for now.
Shen Wu also belatedly remembered that his identity was just a supportive ex-husband.
But he had actually drunk the milk tea given by the main character shou in front of the male lead.
How presumptuous.
Shen Wu: “…”
He was by no means a delicate, sensitive, or suspicious person, but at this moment, the plot he knew in advance became a problem. He chewed on the milk tea straw in frustration, not knowing whether to let go or not.
Finally, he steeled himself and, with the straw in his mouth, took several large sips. A third of the large cup of milk tea was gone in an instant.
The moment his Adam’s apple stopped bobbing, Meng Huaizhi, who was opposite him, seized the opportunity to ask, “Is it good?”
Shen Wu grunted in affirmation and lowered his head, feeling a prickling on his back.
He hadn’t expected that the dedicated supportive ex-husband would have a day where he messed up so soon.
What else could he do? The milk tea that had been given to the wrong person was already drunk. He could only bite the bullet and continue drinking as if he didn’t know anything.
Fang Ci: “…”
He had a feeling that Meng Huaizhi’s usually cold and calm eyes were about to burn a hole through the innocent milk tea cup.