Rona Muir simply nodded and didn't press any further.
After all, both Xixi and Molly Yun are people who know their boundaries.
But this morning, she got a call from Molly Yun, and her voice sounded odd, as if something was up.
Hmm, maybe she was just overthinking it?
Rona Muir immediately tossed that thought aside. After all, Molly Yun is married now, protected by the Jiang family—what could possibly happen?
Rona Muir called Lucas Lin, and after three rings, he picked up: "Rona? Good morning!"
On the other end, Lucas Lin's cheerful voice was like a breath of spring: "Did you sleep well last night?"
Rona's face flushed inexplicably, so she brushed off the topic and said, "I'm reaching out today to ask about the second commercial. My assistant told me you requested extra scenes? But our contract's already signed, and those scenes aren't included. So about the fees..."
"No worries, I volunteered to add those scenes for free. Sure, I'm endorsing cosmetics to make money, but I also love striving for perfection!" Lucas Lin smiled. "Actually, I even reached out to a famous hot spring resort in the country! I heard Grandridge Mountain's resort is gorgeous—perfect for filming ads. Danni Cosmetics deserves the best backdrop."
"But..." Rona hesitated, "that would need to be rearranged."
"It's fine, I can make time for it," Lucas Lin replied with a smile. "You wouldn't want your product to be let down, right?"
Rona couldn't help but smile. "Alright then, let's hold another meeting and revise the plan. On your end, do I need to talk to your agent?"
"No need, I've already talked to them. The company has no objections," Lucas Lin answered right away.
Why would they object?
There are so many big shots backing Danni Cosmetics.
Who would want to offend them?
It's just a matter of waiting, isn't it?
They can afford to wait!
So for the rest of the day, Rona Muir was busy with other company matters, arranging for the advertising department to handle all the set design.
Meanwhile, Lucas Lin officially joined the crew and began shooting two dramas.
In a flash, more than a week had passed.
The new commercial set was finally ready, but the originally planned scenes were no longer needed.
This time, the shoot was at Grandridge Mountain. At Lucas Lin's suggestion, Rona Muir personally led the team there.
Filming the commercial was one thing, but there was also a contract to discuss over there, so Rona Muir tagged along.
Otherwise, a simple commercial shoot wouldn't really warrant Rona Muir's personal attention.
Of course, Lucas Lin was part of the reason too.
After all, they're friends now.
Rona Muir handled company matters, then took the company car to Grandridge Mountain Scenic Area with the team.
Lucas Lin wrapped up his own scenes quickly, then set aside three days just for the commercial shoot.
Both sides pretty much arrived at the same time.
Rona Muir's assistant had already booked rooms at the hot spring hotel in advance.
According to the schedule, they'd stay here for two days to finish filming.
After that, it was all post-production, which had nothing to do with Lucas Lin.
Lucas Lin hadn't seen Rona Muir for several days. When he finally did, his eyes lit up uncontrollably: "Rona!"
Hearing him, Rona immediately looked over and waved at him. "How have you been lately?"
"Pretty good." Lucas Lin seemed a little shy. "The director's been really nice to me, so filming's going smoothly."
He's been working hard to finish his scenes in one take whenever possible, just to squeeze out time for Rona Muir's shoot—and to see her and spend time together.
He's juggling two crews at once, so of course it's exhausting.
It had only been a little over a week, but Lucas Lin was visibly thinner.
But being thinner made him look better on camera, so he hadn't tried to gain the weight back.
Rona Muir nodded and didn't ask further.
Lucas Lin, on the other hand, started chatting: "The two dramas are progressing differently. I prioritized finishing the big one first—hoping it'll win some awards. The other one's just for streaming, so I asked them to film other people's scenes first and push mine to later. That way, the schedules won't clash."
"That's great." Rona was genuinely happy for Lucas Lin. "Your dream is finally coming true."
Lucas Lin smiled, "Yeah, it's already starting to come true."
His pay per episode is already very high now.
The web drama that's been airing recently just wrapped up, and the response was fantastic—he gained more than twenty million new Weibo followers.
Even though he's still on a second-tier contract with the company, the boss already had a private talk with him—planning to give him some shares as a perk.
He doesn't have a ton of cash on hand yet, but his hidden wealth is growing fast.
In a little while, he'll finally be able to relax.
He wasn't even sure what he was waiting for, but he kept waiting anyway.
He knew that, given his current situation, trying to stand shoulder to shoulder with Rona Muir was tough—no, nearly impossible.
Rona Muir has been a CEO for over a decade. Her network and abilities aren't something just anyone can reach.
But he couldn't help wanting to work hard, hoping that one day he could stand as her equal.
Once everyone was checked in, Rona Muir quickly got into work mode.
Grandridge Mountain Scenic Area has hot springs, tea gardens, and plantations.
The scenery was beautiful—definitely perfect for shooting a commercial.
After coordinating with the local hotel, the staff and film crew quickly set up the scene and got ready to shoot.
Lucas Lin's co-star for the commercial was a young model.
The young model was clearly a fan of Lucas Lin. During breaks, her face would turn red with excitement, and she eagerly bought milk tea to give him.
Unfortunately, Lucas Lin didn't accept. He smiled and refused: "Sorry, I don't drink milk tea—too many calories, it'll make me gain weight."
The young model looked disappointed, but took it back and said, "Sorry, I didn't know. How about I get you some water instead?"
Lucas Lin gently refused again, "No need, the venue will have everything prepared."
The young model looked even more disappointed.
Just then, Rona Muir came over holding a cup of milk tea. Seeing everyone busy, she casually handed it to Lucas Lin: "Hold this for me."
Then Rona turned around and went off to direct the set.
Lucas Lin drank the milk tea Rona had sipped from, without a word, then tossed the cup in the trash.
The young model: "..."
Ah, my heart—it hurts so much!
Didn't he say he doesn't drink milk tea?
Lucas Lin acted as if nothing had happened and calmly went to read the script.
After a while, when Rona finished her tasks and came back looking for her milk tea, Lucas Lin had the assistant buy a brand new one and gave it to her.
Rona didn't think much of it and walked off hugging her milk tea.
Lucas Lin couldn't help but smile.
This shoot wasn't going smoothly. The young model just couldn't get into character, messing up again and again.
Lucas Lin didn't get angry—he just sat off to the side and rested.
The young model was embarrassed and started crying: "I'm sorry, I'm dragging you down."
Lucas Lin looked past the young model's head, gazing into the distance at Rona Muir, and gently replied, "It's okay. Don't stress, just take your time."
The young model was even more grateful, secretly snapping a photo of Lucas Lin and posting it on Weibo: "My idol is so gentle!"
In the photo posted on Weibo, Lucas Lin's eyes were gentle as he looked ahead. No one knew who he was looking at, but the warmth in his gaze was enough to melt anyone's heart!
Lots of people saw the photo and quickly shared it.
The young model's previously unknown Weibo post suddenly got over a hundred thousand shares, nearly scaring her out of her wits.
Lucas Lin's fans saw the photo and started cheering: "My husband is so gentle, I just want to have his babies!"
"Who is he looking at? With such a gentle gaze, it must be for the girl he loves, right?"
"Girl, my foot! Which little star is trying to leech off our Lin Lin's popularity again? Hands off our Lin Lin, we're not interested!"
"Why are you getting so worked up? Can't you girlfriend-fans use your brains? Maybe Lucas Lin really does have a secret girlfriend. I heard he's being kept by a powerful woman!"
"You're an idiot! No way Lin Lin is being kept! Does he look like he needs the money? Lin Lin, look at me—Mommy loves you!"
"Enough with the mommy-fans! I'm not a fan myself, but I have to say, Lucas Lin is really handsome! Every year there are so many new idols, but how many actually make it? Lucas Lin relies not just on looks, but hard work too."
"Agreed! Lucas Lin is really hardworking! Before he was famous, his company squeezed him dry, but he never complained."
Rona Muir was busy working when her assistant pulled her aside and whispered, "Ms. Muir, Lucas Lin is trending even more now—he's dominating three hot topics!"
Rona glanced at Weibo, then looked meaningfully at Lucas Lin and said, "Looks like we're the ones who lucked out! Hurry up and finish shooting, get it produced, and launch it fast. Strike while the iron's hot."
"Yes, Ms. Muir." The assistant smiled. "With Lucas Lin's current popularity, signing this contract is actually a loss. He's so easygoing, Ms. Muir, maybe he agreed because he likes you? Look, he's sneaking glances at you again!"
Rona tapped her notebook on the assistant's head. "Nonsense! He's just a young man, and I'm married with a kid."
"So what?" The assistant pouted. "Mr. Hirayama is four years younger than you, right? Besides, you're still young and in your prime!"
Rona shot her assistant a fierce glare. "Mind your manners! Get back to work!"
The assistant grinned and walked away.
Rona looked up and met Lucas Lin's gentle gaze—so warm it was almost overwhelming.