The Little Merman - Chapter 29

“Zheng Jing saw you loitering at the corridor.” Qin Shen folded his arms. Zheng Jing was a friend he had business dealings with, and he knew that Fang Miao was his brother. They were here today to discuss a collaboration. Zheng Jing had gone out for a while, then returned to say that he saw someone at the corridor whose face was covered in a mask, but seemed to be Fang Miao.

He called Fang Miao’s assistant, who said that Fang Miao was constantly disappearing over the past two days, hence he asked the service staff for the room number and came over to check if the person was indeed Fang Miao.

“Why are both of you together?” Qin Shen looked at Jiang Yu and asked.

“......” Before Jiang Yu could speak, Fang Miao was worried that he might let slip the reason for their visit, hence he pulled the towel off the side of the pool, stepped out and quickly said, “Can’t you tell that we’re here together to soak in the hot springs?”

Qin Shen looked doubtfully at the two men. Jiang Yu had only entered the entertainment industry for a few months, and Fang Miao hadn’t acted with him before, so why would they know each other, to the extent that they would come to the hot springs together?

“Brother, we won’t disturb your business discussion with Brother Zheng, so don’t bother about us too. Hurry up and leave.” Fang Miao pushed Qin Shen out.

“We’re almost done. How did both of you come here? I can send you back later.” Qin Shen walked to the entrance, and his gaze fell on Jiang Yu, who was still wrapped in a large towel, revealing only a pair of lanky legs.

“Yes, yes, yes, you can send us.” Fang Miao nodded hastily, then closed the door in Qin Shen’s face.

Jiang Yu hadn’t recovered from his shock. “He… He’s your brother?”

“That’s right.” Fang Miao turned back, and as he recalled the two men’s astounded faces, he asked, “Do you know my brother?”

“We met a few times.” Jiang Yu asked suspiciously, “How can Mr. Qin be your brother? Your surnames are different…”

Fang Miao burst out laughing, then explained, “My brother and I share the same mother, but different fathers. My mother married his father first, and after giving birth to him and divorced his father, she then married my father.”

“The fact that my mother had previously married into the Qin family, and Qin Shen being my elder brother, are information that few in the industry know. You have to keep it a secret, and not tell anyone.” Fang Miao reminded him.

Jiang Yu pursed his lips and nodded. Before that, he thought they were a couple. It turned out to be a misunderstanding.

“Also, our tracking of my father has to be kept a secret as well, got it?” Fang Miao recalled this, then reminded him again.

Jiang Yu nodded in acknowledgement.

When the two men left the resort, Qin Shen was already waiting for them. When he saw them, he drove slowly and stopped beside them, wound the windows down, then said, “Get on.”

The two men opened the door to the passenger seats at the back, then boarded the car.

“Your assistant said that you have an interview at 5PM. I’ll send you back to the office.” Qin Shen turned the steering wheel, then looked at Jiang Yu from the rearview mirror, “Where are you headed?”

Jiang Yu was about to tell him Lin Cheng’s address when he received Yan Shu’s call, asking him to go to the office.

When Qin Shen heard the call asking Jiang Yu to go back to the office, he didn’t ask further, then drove towards Hai Yin Entertainment.

When they reached the building, Jiang Yu said his thanks, then prepared to alight. Fang Miao quickly hooked his neck, then whispered to his ear, “Don’t tell anyone about what happened today. Wait for my call.”

Fang Miao then let him go and winked at him.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep it a secret.” Jiang Yu winked back at him and replied softly, then opened the door and alighted the car.

When Qin Shen saw the intimate interactions between the two, he frowned lightly. After seeing Jiang Yu walk into the building, he asked nonchalantly, “When did you have a new friend in the industry? Why didn’t I know about it?”

“I’m not a child anymore. I don’t have to report to you about the friends I make.” Fang Miao sniggered. His phone rang; it was a call from Qiao Xin. He picked up the call and mumbled in reply, then hung up and said, “Mom is asking if you have time tonight, the three of us can have a meal together.”

“I have a meeting tonight, but I’ll postpone it to tomorrow.” Qin Shen called his assistant and instructed him to reschedule the meeting, then drove off slowly.

Jiang Yu entered the elevator. Yan Shu was waiting for him in the office. Before the drama that Jiang Yu had just completed filming was broadcasted, Yan Shu was not going to take on any new shows for Jiang Yu. However, there was still a need for a certain amount of exposure. Coincidentally, there was a variety show with relatively good ratings, and Yan Shu was acquainted with the director, hence they agreed to let Jiang Yu appear as a guest for one episode.

The reason that she called Jiang Yu here was to familiarize him with the programme’s flow and arrangements.

There was a sofa and a TV in Yan Shu’s office. Jiang Yu lay on the sofa and read the show’s flow and arrangements. Yan Shu had to leave the office to meet someone, and Jiang Yu was feeling bored, hence he turned on the TV.

The entertainment news was being broadcasted on TV. A group of reporters had surrounded a beautiful and graceful woman, and the excited voices of the reporters sounded out, “Madam Qiao Xin…”

Qiao Xin? Jiang Yu glanced at the woman onscreen. She was well-maintained, and looked extremely young. She didn’t look like a woman who had children the age of Qin Shen and Fang Miao.

“This is Qiao Xin, Fang Miao’s mother, a legend in the entertainment industry.” Qin Shu entered the office and saw Qiao Xin onscreen.

“Legend?” It was Jiang Yu’s first time hearing Yan Shu speak so highly of a celebrity, hence he looked at her curiously.

Yan Shu introduced Qiao Xin, “Qiao Xin debuted at the age of eighteen. She became popular from her first movie, and was nominated for the best actress award in the second movie that she was lead actress in. Unfortunately, two years later, when she was twenty, she suddenly retreated from the industry. Some people said that she got married, others said that she went overseas to study. There were all sorts of speculations, but no one knew what she actually did. Just when she was being forgotten, and had disappeared from the entertainment industry for five years, she suddenly appeared in front of audiences in a low-budget arthouse movie. That year, that movie swept all kinds of movie awards, and was truly a dark horse. The director was Fang Hua, who wasn’t popular yet. Not long after the movie, the couple got married. Qiao Xin didn’t spend too many years in the country after marriage. She filmed a few good and widely-raved movies, then went overseas to advance her career. She spent close to twenty years overseas. Initially, she didn’t even have many scenes, but eventually, she became the lead actress, and the movies that she starred in received numerous international awards. There isn’t any other celebrity who has such glorious achievements.”

“That’s impressive,” Jiang Yu mumbled. He didn’t think that Qin Shen and Fang Miao’s mother was this accomplished.

“Of course. I heard that Qiao Xin returned for a movie. Even though it’s not known what movie it is, one can only imagine, when it’s time to choose the male lead, all the male celebrities would surely fight hard for it.” As she spoke, the entertainment news moved on. Yan Shu took the remote control and turned off the TV, then asked Jiang Yu, “Have you memorized the programme’s flow and arrangements?”

Jiang Yu nodded, “Yup, I’ve memorized it.”

“Alright. There’s still a few more days before the filming. There are a few minor details, I’ll tell you about it then.” Yan Shu looked at the time, then reached out to ruffle Jiang Yu’s hair, “Are you hungry? I’ll bring you out for a meal.”