Second Volume: Traces of the Past and Shadows, Chapter 34: Do Not Misunderstand, We Are Just Siblings!

Watching Zhang Ke's somewhat flirtatious pose, Ling Ruohan and Chen Jing exchanged a glance.

“Pfft…!” Ling Ruohan and Chen Jing met each other's eyes, understood the unspoken meaning in them, and nearly burst into laughter. Fortunately, she quickly covered her mouth. With one hand resting on Chen Jing's shoulder and the other covering her lips, her body shook with restrained tremors.

Chen Jing watched Ling Ruohan struggle to hold back her laughter, and helplessly shrugged.

Though Zhang Ke didn't understand why Ling Ruohan suddenly found it so amusing, he assumed it had something to do with him. Embarrassed, he said with a hint of resentment, “Miss Ling Ruohan, you're really not giving me any face at all.”

Ling Ruohan waved at him, and after a long moment she calmed herself. Then she said sternly, “I'm sorry, I lost my composure. By the way, you two have already met Chen Jing, haven't you? Why are you still surrounding him here?” With that, she shot a glare toward the group of people behind Zhang Ke.

Ling Ruohan could clearly tell that these people had come here specifically to cause trouble for Chen Jing. Why should she give them a good expression?

If they dared to bully her man, then they were indirectly bullying her. She didn't even bother bullying Chen Jing herself, let alone anyone else. Well, her little brother could be considered her man too, hehe, haha.

“Ugh…” The group behind Zhang Ke visibly shrank back. Chen Jing and the others could have mocked them without care, since they felt Chen Jing was only popular recently but had no real standing—nothing more than someone they could bully with no connections. With Zhang Ke, a somewhat related playboy, backing them, they naturally weren't afraid of Chen Jing. But if it were Ling Ruohan, the Heavenly Queen, instead, they would have to think twice.

Even in the entertainment industry, actors might look down on singers from the music circle, but that was only toward ordinary celebrities.

For someone like a top-tier female singer in the music world, she already represented the pinnacle of that industry. For such a superstar, even if people in the film industry looked down on her, they would only dare to whisper behind her back. In public, they would at least put on the proper respect for someone of her caliber. After all, anyone who could become an actor was smart enough to know whom to offend and whom not to.

Seeing that his people had started to retreat, Zhang Ke grew visibly displeased and snorted. “Hmph! Since we like to hang around here, we'll hang around. This is a film set, not your concert hall. Do you have the right to interfere so much?” Then, with a smile, he added, “Of course, if Miss Ling can give me her personal contact information, I wouldn't mind taking them away.”

Hearing Zhang Ke's shameless persistence, Ling Ruohan was furious. She was about to scold him, “You—” but before she could finish the word, Chen Jing pulled her arm to stop her.

“Jing, why pull me? Let me scold that guy.” Ling Ruohan turned to look at Chen Jing with an unhappy expression.

Chen Jing shook his head and signaled toward somewhere nearby. Ling Ruohan looked over in confusion and saw Zhang Qishan leading a group of people walking toward them.

Chen Jing hadn't meant to make things awkward; he had simply noticed Zhang Qishan approaching earlier. Since this matter probably wouldn't be easily resolved, he had stopped Ling Ruohan from arguing, lest she damage her image through quarreling.

“Zhang Ke, what are you trying to do?” Before Zhang Qishan reached them, his scolding voice already carried over.

Zhang Ke heard the shout and his body trembled visibly. He turned around fearfully, facing Zhang Qishan with a forced smile. “Uncle… Director Zhang, I wasn't doing anything. I just wanted to come over and learn some acting experience from them.”

“Learning acting experience requires bringing a whole group of people? What are you trying to fool me with?” Zhang Qishan didn't hold back at all. He walked over to Zhang Ke and began berating him. “I said earlier this morning why you suddenly had the energy to bring your friends to watch you act. So this is what you wanted to stir up, huh? Do you still remember what you promised me before joining the crew?”

Zhang Ke hung his head low under Zhang Qishan's scolding, feeling extremely embarrassed. Yet he didn't dare to argue with the man in front of him, so he could only lower his head and pretend not to hear.

Zhang Qishan looked at Zhang Ke and felt a surge of anger, but he didn't want to scold him too harshly. He only told him, “Look at your demeanor. Quickly take your friends away and go somewhere else to cool off.”

Zhang Ke had no choice but to shoot Chen Jing a glance before reluctantly turning around. Facing the group behind him, he said, “Let's go.”

The group behind him heard Zhang Ke's command and immediately felt relieved. They nodded at Zhang Qishan without waiting for a response and turned to leave.

If Ling Ruohan and the others had only been showing some courtesy, but if they had dared to confront Ling Ruohan while relying on Zhang Ke's backing, then facing Zhang Qishan, such a big director, they would have been terrified. Like them, these actors would never dare to offend a director.

Once Zhang Ke and his group had left, Zhang Qishan finally turned back to Chen Jing with an apologetic smile. “I'm sorry, Jing. Zhang Ke is my nephew, my older brother's son. He's been spoiled since childhood and never suffered any hardships, so he grew up like this.”

Zhang Ke was actually Zhang Qishan's nephew. No wonder they shared the same surname. Chen Jing listened to Zhang Qishan's explanation and waved his hand. “It's fine. Nothing really happened. He only asked a couple of questions. Hehe.”

“Good, good.” Seeing that Chen Jing wasn't upset, Zhang Qishan knew he was giving him face and could only smile awkwardly. At the same time, he sighed inwardly. His film didn't actually need a fresh-faced nobody like Zhang Ke with no acting talent. But he had been persuaded by his sister-in-law and had no choice but to give Zhang Ke a supporting male role.

Zhang Qishan also understood why Zhang Ke had come looking for trouble with Chen Jing—because he had taken away some of his scenes, leading to jealousy and resentment. If any other actor had done this in his crew, Zhang Qishan would have kicked them out without hesitation. But who could blame him for being his own nephew?

In any wealthy family, there were always a couple of such arrogant and domineering second-generation heirs. If nothing bad happened, it was fine, but when trouble did arise, they would suffer for it. Zhang Qishan only hoped that when Zhang Ke encountered real hardship, he would stay safe and sound.

“Director Zhang, hello.” Ling Ruohan had been waiting beside them. Only after Chen Jing finished chatting with Zhang Qishan did she step forward to greet him.

“Oh, hello, hello. Who are you?” Zhang Qishan nodded in response, assuming this woman was Chen Jing's little girlfriend.

Ling Ruohan gracefully removed her sun hat while still wearing her sunglasses. She smiled and introduced herself, “I'm Ling Ruohan. I don't know if you've heard of me, Director Zhang. I've admired you for a long time.”

After hearing Ling Ruohan's self-introduction, Zhang Qishan suddenly realized. “Oh, it's you, Ling Ruohan! Of course I know you. A top-tier singer. How could I not recognize you?”

“Director Zhang is flattering me. It's just empty praise.”

Hearing that, Zhang Qishan burst into laughter. “Hahaha! I have to say, Miss Ling truly matches up with Chen Jing. You even speak in almost the same tone.”

“Ugh…” Ling Ruohan paused visibly. She turned to glance at Chen Jing beside her and saw his indifferent expression. She quickly said, “Director Zhang is joking. Jing and I are just siblings, so our speech patterns are similar.”

“Mmm, I know.” Zhang Qishan spoke with the air of someone who had experienced much. “Then I won't disturb the brother-sister conversation anymore. I'll head off to work first.” With that, he gave them a meaningful look.

“Ugh…” Ling Ruohan stared speechlessly at Zhang Qishan's departing figure. Then she turned back and said unhappily to Chen Jing, “Why didn't you explain just now?”

Chen Jing shrugged. “What's there to explain? The pure stay pure.”

“That's right.” Ling Ruohan finally understood. She had seemed a bit too sensitive about this. It was only casual banter from others, yet she had taken it seriously. How did it seem like she was covering her ears and pretending not to hear? Did she truly hope that Chen Jing and she were in that kind of relationship? Ling Ruohan gazed at Chen Jing's handsome face and fell into her own inner turmoil.

While Ling Ruohan was lost in self-doubt, Chen Jing asked her, “Why did you come here looking for me?”

Ling Ruohan was startled by the question and snapped back to herself. “Huh? Oh! I've been recording songs so I'm tired lately and wanted to relax a bit. Just now I remembered Lin Zitan saying that you're an extra on this set, and I thought it might be quite interesting. So I decided to come over and see you.” In fact, she had specially gone to Chen Jing's office to find him. When she arrived and found no one, she asked Lin Zitan for his whereabouts and then decided to come to the set to watch Chen Jing.

“Oh, I see!” Chen Jing nodded, looking somewhat indifferent.

Seeing Chen Jing's attitude, Ling Ruohan raised her eyebrows. Her tone turned sour as she said, “If I come to visit and cheer you up with such a beautiful girl, and you're not happy about it?”

Chen Jing could only force a smile. “Hehe~ How could that be? If Ruohan jie could spare the time to visit me, little brother would be honored beyond words.”

Ling Ruohan then proudly declared, “That's more like it.”

Women really did need to be coaxed.

At this moment, Liu Manqiang saw Zhang Qishan and the others leave and walked back over to Chen Jing's side.

Chen Jing introduced her to Ling Ruohan: “This is a friend I met on set, Liu Manqiang.”

“Oh!” Ling Ruohan perked up. Since Chen Jing could call this person a friend, there must be something special about him.

Ling Ruohan automatically extended her hand toward Liu Manqiang. “Nice to meet you. I'm Ling Ruohan. I'm considered Chen Jing's sister, hehe.”

Liu Manqiang shook hands with Ling Ruohan briefly before quickly withdrawing. “Nice to meet you, Miss Ruohan. I know you—Heavenly Queen Ruohan. I really like listening to your songs.”