This left Jiang Shunnian deeply conflicted and panicked. Nono was so adorable; the other father would surely love him too. What if he took Nono away the moment they met?
That club had been extremely upscale—only people of wealth or status could stay there. He was just a nobody in the entertainment industry, not even a proper eighteenth-tier actor. Could he really compete with someone like that?
But if he couldn’t find Nono’s other father, what if Nono ran into that Qin Huan again someday and got bullied?
The Qin Family was a true powerhouse. Back then, Nono hadn’t been able to escape them at all—they could even ground a plane.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say one hand could blot out the sky.
What if Nono’s other father turned out to be useless too?
—At that moment, the man in the chairman’s office at Fu Group suddenly sneezed.
There was another possibility: what if the guy was already married with kids and didn’t want Nono? Then Jiang Shunnian would be utterly helpless.
Lost in wild thoughts, Jiang Shunnian grew more and more distressed. He steeled himself—if it came to that desperate point, he’d risk his life to kill that Qin Huan.
His expressions shifted wildly across his face, like he’d starred in an entire drama series. His final gaze was downright tragic. Yu Yanchen immediately apologized. “Sorry, brother. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No,” Jiang Shunnian said, a bit dejected. “You hit the nail on the head.”
“Is something wrong?” Yu Yanchen tensed up. “I know a lawyer.”
“Not yet.” Jiang Shunnian sighed. “I’ll tell you when the time is right.”
Yu Yanchen didn’t dare press further and led Jiang Shunnian to meet the director.
The director was named Lu Hanwen, an obscure figure who made low-budget flicks for whoever paid—pure slacker mode, no art or masterpieces in sight. But when he saw Jiang Shunnian, his eyes lit up.
This guy’s looks were perfect for the camera.
Smooth facial contours, delicate and alluring features. From the side, his jawline was sharp, his nose bridge prominent. And those eyes— even a director jaded by beauties found them captivating, misty and full of story, easy to get lost in.
Joining their ragtag crew felt like a waste of talent.
Lu thought for a moment but couldn’t match him to any big-name actors.
“Director Lu, this is my friend Jiang Shunnian. He’s done a few dramas, gone a bit viral once, trained professionally—picked up by a director in college. His acting is top-notch,” Yu Yanchen said with a beaming smile as he introduced him.
Lu Hanwen nodded. “Alright. Yan Chen’s filled you in on the role, right? Here’s the script. Try this scene. You have five minutes to prep.”
Jiang Shunnian took the script with both hands and thanked him with a smile. “Thank you, Director Lu.”
He found a quiet spot and dove into the script, head bowed in concentration.
The lines were sparse; it was mostly about bullying the female lead.
Thanks to her past-life memories, the female lead had snagged a role in a movie no one believed in now but would become a dark horse later. She was thrilled when the cannon fodder—played by Jiang Shunnian—showed up to mock her for her fall from grace, landing a third-rate script like this, doomed never to shine.
Then the male lead appeared, defended her, and after the cannon fodder stormed off, comforted her, praising her vision and boosting her affection for him.
Jiang Shunnian rubbed his temples. It gave him a headache.
But honestly, it was easy to play.
One thing felt off, though—shouldn’t this cannon fodder role be a woman? Why make it a guy?
Yu Yanchen slipped over and whispered, “The drama’s bisexual-leaning. In the original book, your character has a crush on the male lead, but the male lead seems into the female lead, so he picks on her out of jealousy.”
Jiang Shunnian: “…” Would anyone actually watch this? It felt like a minefield of controversies.
“Of course, don’t make it too obvious, or it won’t pass review,” Yu Yanchen added helplessly.
The previous actor had bailed for exactly that reason.
Jiang Shunnian gave an OK sign.
He was gay anyway; he didn’t mind. He’d even watched plenty of classic, beautiful gay films.
He memorized the lines quickly, got into the zone, and told Director Lu he was ready.
The audition was in the director’s lounge, with the screenwriter and producer also present.
Jiang Shunnian took a deep breath and slipped right into character.
His expression and aura transformed completely.
He tilted his chin up slightly, radiating arrogance and disdain before even speaking. He gave the space a once-over and sneered, “As expected from some backwater hick. All you can snag is trash like this—a female supporting role not even fit for the table. Showbiz isn’t for just anyone. Get out while you can.”
He paused, waiting for the cue, then his disdain twisted into fury—tinged with excitement if you looked closely. “Tang Zhenzhen, what nonsense are you spouting? What’s wrong with my drama? I knew you were jealous I landed a good gig. Fine, keep playing the pure white lotus—now you’ve shown your true colors. I’ll go to Huai Ge right now and expose you… Huai Ge, you’re here! Let me tell you, just now Tang Zhenzhen…”
His tone softened on “Huai Ge,” dragging it out with obvious tenderness, a flash of adoration in his eyes before it vanished.
The nuanced, vivid performance left all three satisfied. They told Jiang Shunnian to wait outside for the verdict.
The producer conferred with Lu Hanwen. The hesitation? Jiang Shunnian’s looks were too good—even as a pure villain, he seemed sympathetic, like he had hidden depths.
They’d seen several actors the past couple days: either terrible acting or ugly and terrible. Jiang Shunnian was the only one with both skills and star quality. Their crew was doomed to be a flop anyway—from producer to director, they were all numb and slacking. But everyone yearns for beauty now and then.
“What do you think, Old Lu?” the producer asked.
Lu Hanwen: “Lock him in.”
“Done.”
And so Jiang Shunnian got the call-back: audition passed.
The producer asked if he could join the crew ASAP. With a yes, they promised to prep the contract for signing tomorrow and handed him a full script to memorize.
Jiang Shunnian had no agency, so it was a personal contract.
He hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly. Bursting out of the lounge, he rushed to share the news with Yu Yanchen first.
Yu Yanchen was already made up and in costume, waiting to shoot. He lit up. “Knew your skills would shine through, brother. If we strike it rich, don’t forget each other!”
Jiang Shunnian grinned. “Wouldn’t dream of it. You focus—I’m off to check on Nono.”
“Go for it.”
Jiang Shunnian practically skipped to Yu Yanchen’s nanny van. Nono was watching cartoons inside but perked up at his dad’s voice, leaping off the seat like a kitten and bouncing at his legs. “Daddy! Daddy!”
The kid’s pure, overflowing emotions were so satisfying. Seeing his son lifted Jiang Shunnian’s already great mood even higher. He scooped Nono up and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Was Nono good?”
“Nono was super good~” Jiang Yunnuo kissed him back.
Xiao Ju smiled in greeting. “How’d the audition go, Brother Jiang? Nono was an angel— even sang for us.”
Nono buried his face shyly in Jiang Shunnian’s chest. “Sister Xiao Ju wanted to hear.”
Jiang Shunnian chuckled and told Xiao Ju, “Nailed it. Signing tomorrow.”
“Awesome! Leave Nono with me,” she volunteered.
Jiang Shunnian had been mulling this. Short-term, bugging Xiao Ju was fine, but not forever.
If work piled up—out-of-town gigs, tours—he couldn’t drag Nono everywhere.
Nono was too little; he couldn’t bear it.
Ideally, a job where he could bring Nono… or find Nono’s other dad.
Yu Yanchen’s scenes were light; he’d wrap by eight. He rented a fancy two-bedroom apartment here and insisted Jiang Shunnian crash there.
Jiang Shunnian couldn’t refuse and agreed, promising to cook dinner.
It was still early afternoon, so he didn’t linger at the set. He wanted to take Nono out.
He’d checked guides: there was a fun kids’ playground inside the Shopping Plaza. They cabbed right over.
The moment Jiang Yunnuo appeared in the playground, he drew every little kid’s eyes. They clamored to play with him.
Nono handled it like a pro—he’d dealt with this a million times back home.
Soon, he’d soothed them all, and they played together.
The whole playground rang with kids’ joyful laughter.
Jiang Shunnian’s striking looks caught some parents’ eyes too. One came over to chat. “Your kid’s gorgeous. Mom must be a total beauty, huh?”
The compliment landed awkwardly—he’d birthed Nono—but Jiang Shunnian just smiled. “Thanks. Yeah, very pretty.”
He’d studied Nono’s features closely: lips and face shape like his, but brows and eyes different. Probably like the other dad.
So that guy must be handsome too.
After over an hour, Nono got tired, toddled over for water, then tearfully said bye to his new pals.
Jiang Shunnian didn’t rush back to Yu Yanchen’s. Instead, he went to that club from four years ago and stared across the street.
Four years on, it looked unchanged: low-key luxury. He knew it was members-only—no card, no entry.
He sighed. How the hell was he supposed to find Nono’s dad?
Nono saw him zoning out and asked softly, “Daddy, what’s that place?”
“It’s where Nono came from.”
Even after four years, Jiang Shunnian hadn’t forgotten that night—the feeling of being pounded relentlessly by something like a stone pestle. Terrifying.
But he was grateful. It gave him Nono.
“Wow!” Jiang Yunnuo exclaimed. “Then Nono likes it here!”
Jiang Shunnian: …Better not.
Just then, a low-key Maybach glided past them.
