Chapter 46

Wang Hui was slightly plump, with a somewhat round face, and he looked especially approachable when he smiled. “What happened to you?”

He noticed the various instruments attached to Yu Xi. “Don’t tell me a young guy like you has some serious illness?”

“No,” Yu Xi replied. “It’s just a check-up. I need to stay overnight for the instruments to monitor my vitals.”

“Look at this mouth of mine.” Wang Hui patted his mouth twice.

He had no caregiver, so he adjusted the angle of his bed himself and leaned against the headboard.

His spirits didn’t look too great. The recent troubles, combined with days of nonstop work, had left him without a good night’s sleep for a long time. Lying on the hospital bed actually felt more comfortable than at home.

Wang Hui noticed the way Yu Xi was looking at him and proactively explained before Yu Xi could ask why he was in the hospital. “It’s not a big deal—just a minor car accident.”

It truly wasn’t anything serious. The car accident had only scraped some skin, but his condition at the time was truly awful. He hadn’t slept well for days, hadn’t eaten properly, and he passed out at the scene, scaring the other driver half to death. They insisted he stay hospitalized for two days of IV fluids and observation.

In just a few sentences’ time, Yi Chen had already packed up their things.

He pulled a soft pillow from the bag and placed it under Yu Xi’s waist. Then, somehow, he dragged in a folding bed and an air-conditioned blanket.

Yu Xi: “?”

Yu Xi: “Why did you bring a bed?”

Yi Chen answered matter-of-factly, “I’m staying here tonight.”

Yu Xi: “?”

Wang Hui: “?”

“Why are you staying here?”

“To keep you company.”

“I’m not a three-year-old kid.”

“You can be.”

Wang Hui sensed the atmosphere between the two of them. He looked at Yi Chen, then at Yu Xi, and recalled the hot search terms he’d been seeing online lately. Unable to hold back, he asked, “You two are really a couple?”

Yu Xi: “No!”

Yi Chen: “Not yet.”

Yu Xi: “?”

Yi Chen: “:)”

Wang Hui: “!”

“Oh my little ancestor, how did you end up in the hospital?” The ward door was suddenly pushed open, and Guan Zifan burst in, charging straight toward Yu Xi’s bed.

“What exactly happened? Why are you hospitalized? I mean, something this big and you didn’t tell me?”

Yu Xi had been worried about Guan Zifan freaking out earlier and hadn’t told him about the secondary differentiation. But now the symptoms were becoming more obvious, and he might have to come to the hospital frequently. It seemed impossible to keep it hidden any longer.

When they arrived at the hospital, Guan Zifan had happened to video call him. One look at the background and he knew something was off, so Yu Xi came clean.

After blurting out a couple of sentences, Guan Zifan dazedly noticed there was another patient on the other bed. He turned and saw it was actually an acquaintance.

He had heard that Wang Hui had been in a car accident and hospitalized today. He hadn’t expected him to be on the bed right next to Yu Xi’s.

Guan Zifan instantly switched to his social smile, grabbed a bag of fruit, and placed it by Wang Hui’s bedside. “Director Wang, you’re here too? I didn’t expect to run into you here. Last time, I didn’t even get a chance to chat properly with you.”

Wang Hui had come to the company to seek investment before, and Guan Zifan had run into him then, but he’d been tied up with other matters and hadn’t had a chance to talk.

In fact, he was quite interested in Wang Hui’s script, but the industry’s negative evaluations and the failure to secure investment had overshadowed the script’s own merits.

—This was a project destined to die prematurely.

“We can chat later.” Wang Hui accepted the fruit without ceremony. He had no interest in eavesdropping on someone else’s medical condition. He put on his earphones and said to Guan Zifan, “You guys finish your talk first. Pull the curtain—I won’t listen.”

“Sorry about this, Director Wang.” Guan Zifan pulled the privacy curtain, dividing the two beds into separate spaces.

Guan Zifan glared fiercely at Yu Xi, but Yu Xi stunned him with two sentences: “I’ve undergone secondary differentiation.”

Guan Zifan: “?”

Yu Xi: “I’m turning into an Omega. It’s been a while now. The doctor called me in for a check-up to monitor my vitals.”

Guan Zifan: “？！”

Guan Zifan took several deep breaths before gradually calming down, but he still stared wide-eyed. “Seriously, something this big and you didn’t tell me?”

“You didn’t even notice.” Yu Xi took the banana Yi Chen handed him and bit into it. “It’s not a big deal.”

Guan Zifan: “…Heh, then why is he here?”

Yi Chen took the banana peel from Yu Xi and smiled. “Coincidence.”

Guan Zifan: “You trying to fool me?”

Yi Chen: “Nope.”

Yu Xi: “Exactly.”

Guan Zifan: “…”

Yi Chen: “Can we fool him?”

Guan Zifan helplessly rubbed his forehead and let out a long sigh.

Lately, Guan Zifan often felt like he was Yu Xi’s nagging old nanny.

To be honest, he’d never actually seen Yu Xi’s mom manage him. Over these years, it had always been the two of them supporting each other, climbing up step by step.

With things as they were, there was no point in saying more. They’d wait for the check-up results first.

After a few more words, Guan Zifan pulled back the curtain.

Wang Hui heard the movement nearby and smiled. “All talked out?”

Guan Zifan sighed again. “The kid’s a handful.”

Wang Hui agreed. “Isn’t that the truth? Kids this age just don’t listen.”

Once he confirmed Yu Xi was temporarily fine and only hospitalized for observation, Guan Zifan relaxed a bit and chatted with Wang Hui. “Director Wang, how’s the investment situation for your crew?”

The Boundless had been in preparation for a long time. The actors had all been cast, and filming was about to start when the investors suddenly pulled out. If they couldn’t find new funding soon, the crew would have to disband, and the project would be completely scrapped.

No matter how Guan Zifan thought about it, it didn’t make sense.

The Boundless was a good script. Even if its overall style leaned artistic, it should have attracted some small investments. It shouldn’t be hitting dead ends everywhere like this.

Moreover, artistic dramas with dual male leads didn’t sell well domestically, but they could absolutely aim for international awards. From what Wang Hui had shown of the script so far, the emotions depicted in The Boundless were extremely nuanced. Taking on this drama could very well win an international award—even if the domestic release flopped, having that accolade would still be something.

With a chance to gamble on an international honor in one’s career, why wouldn’t anyone dare to take it or invest?

Wang Hui shook his head and said nothing.

Guan Zifan didn’t press.

He sat in the ward for a while longer. With him there, it became even noisier—the phone rang every two minutes on average, business calls, meetings, events. Guan Zifan was constantly taking calls and replying to messages.

After receiving another call from his assistant, Guan Zifan hurriedly grabbed his bag and prepared to leave.

“Thanks for the hard work.” Wang Hui remarked.

“No trouble at all.” Guan Zifan said. “The pay’s good enough.”

“And don’t do anything weird. Control your temper, control your mouth! Cover your face when you leave the ward—don’t get photographed and start more rumors.” After instructing Yu Xi, Guan Zifan turned to Wang Hui. “Director Wang, please don’t mention the hospital situation to anyone.”

“Of course, I get it.” Wang Hui agreed readily.

Guan Zifan left, and the ward fell quiet again.

“Director Wang, can I take a look at the script?” Yu Xi asked.

“Sure.” Wang Hui opened his phone. “I can’t share the full script yet, but I made a summary version earlier. I’ll send it to you. I haven’t added you on WeChat yet—want to add each other?”

“I’ll scan you.”

Yu Xi added Wang Hui, and soon, Wang Hui sent over a document.

The script was divided into an overseas release version and a domestic release version.

The domestic version portrayed the two as friends, with only hints and no explicit confirmation.

The overseas version made their relationship explicit, including hugs, kisses, and other intimate scenes.

It was indeed an excellent script. The summary version wasn’t long, but the structure was clear, with well-developed characters for the two male leads—very memorable. The plot leaned toward slice-of-life, using everyday events to drive the emotional clashes between the protagonists. Every turning point felt vivid.

Wang Hui’s writing was also strong—simple descriptions that grabbed attention. Yu Xi quickly immersed himself in the emotions described in the text.

Wang Hui noticed the changes in Yu Xi’s expression and felt a bit smug inside. “Pretty good, right? When the script first went public, quite a few investors wanted in. Such a shame.”

Yu Xi asked, “What happened after that?”

Wang Hui sighed deeply. “Sigh… It’s hard to say…”

What Wang Hui hesitated to say, Yi Chen stated bluntly: “Ruan Yan Shan targeted it.”

There was a small sofa by the ward’s windowsill, tucked between the bed and the wall. Yi Chen dragged it over to Yu Xi’s bedside and sat down, peeling an apple for him.

“I came across The Boundless back then, but not under the Yi Corporation’s name—it was through a small investment company I had before.” Yi Chen’s technique was skilled; the apple peel didn’t break once in his hands. “But as soon as I hinted at wanting to invest, someone showed up a few days later.”

Someone sent by Ruan Yan Shan, using both soft and hard tactics to block his funding.

When Yu Xi heard Ruan Yan Shan’s name, he felt a physiological wave of nausea. His brow furrowed slightly as he asked, “How did you get on his bad side?”

Since Yi Chen already knew, Wang Hui saw no need to hide it anymore.

Initially, Ruan Yan Shan had invested in The Boundless, and Wang Hui, the producer, and other staff had gotten along well with him. Ruan Yan Shan’s initial requests were within acceptable bounds. Until he made a new demand.

He wanted the two already-cast male leads to go to a hotel he had booked.

Wang Hui refused, and Ruan Yan Shan started making trouble elsewhere.

That very day, Wang Hui got into a fight with Ruan Yan Shan.

He upheld justice, but Ruan Yan Shan pulled his funding, forced the two rookie actors to quit the industry, badmouthed the The Boundless script within the circle, and schemed to block other companies from investing in Wang Hui.

The other companies had no reason to oppose the colossal Ruan Corporation. They wouldn’t invest in The Boundless—there were plenty of other scripts begging for their money. It was just a favor to Ruan Yan Shan.

Yu Xi’s expression darkened.

He should have beaten Ruan Yan Shan senseless that night.

Whatever the consequences, at least it would have felt good.

Yi Chen finished peeling the apple, cut it into pieces, skewered them with toothpicks, and placed them on the bedside table next to Yu Xi. His movements were unhurried, and his tone casual. “I’ve been wanting to find a time to talk to you about this lately. Looks like we ran into each other here in the ward by chance.”

Wang Hui savored Yi Chen’s tone and suddenly understood. “Not exactly by chance, huh?”

Yu Xi got it too.

What “no single rooms available”!

Yi Chen had turned into a capitalist, coming to the ward to talk business!!

He angrily bit into a piece of apple peeled by the capitalist.