𝕮⃟𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 3

𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗘：My Dragon
𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗥：我的龙 (Butterfly Mage)

° ° °

At this moment, Nan HuaiLin’s heart didn’t have any ripples, and he even wanted to laugh a little.

First, he was dumped and received a million-dollar breakup fee, then he was asked out by a popular male star from the same company, and now a rich young man was looking for him to become his sugar baby? Suddenly, he’d gone from a stinky piece of shit to a hot commodity. Wasn’t that funny? Wait, was he still dreaming? How else could it be so demonic?

“GB Group is one of the largest clothing companies in China. Its strength cannot be underestimated, and Gao Tan is the sole heir of GB Group. If he can promote you, it is not impossible to become famous overnight.” When he saw him sitting silently, He DingHong paused and continued. “I can probably guess what you’re thinking. You don’t want to get dirty, right? But if you look at the whole entertainment industry, no matter if its male or female, which big and famous stars don’t have dirty bodies? But so what? They still have endless drama and endless endorsements to make endless money, right?”

“You want to be popular, you have to pay the price. You want to be pure and clean, then you can stay up and wait for an opportunity that may never come. Okay. If you’re lucky, you’ll wait, then get popular and people will praise you for being a late bloomer. But what if you can’t wait for it? Keep acting as a male actor? You are young, and someone really wants you. But when you get older? No one will want you. This circle is very realistic. If you are popular, you can say that the black is white. If you are not popular, to put it bluntly, no one cares if you die.”

Nan HuaiLin listened silently, without saying a word.

His thoughts had wandered away, drifted to that morning, and the five minutes when he was discarded by Shi Yan.

Shi Yan had said to him especially calmly, ‘I’m getting married to the heir of SiRui Media. There was no way I could refuse it. You know what I can get from this marriage. You can despise me, spit on me, or hate me, but I still want to tell you, no matter who I am with, the only person I love will always be you.’

All of it, in the end, was nothing but a trade.

Some people used their flesh, some used their soul, some used love, some used marriage, all in exchange for what they wanted most.

“…No need to rush to give me an answer. Think about it for a few days first, and come back to me when you have figured it out.” He DingHong paused and added. “I won’t give you a role for a while.”

How could Nan HuaiLin not hear He DingHong’s meaning behind the words?

If he didn’t agree to be a sugar baby, then he would never be able to receive any roles.

He DingHong waved his hand. “You go ahead and get busy.”

Nan HuaiLin stood up, nodded at He DingHong, and turned around to leave.

When the office door was about to close, Nan HuaiLin heard a deliberately low voice. “He doesn’t know how to behave.”

Nan HuaiLin stood in front of the elevator door, waited for the elevator and threw the business card in his hand into the trash.

As he raised his hand and rubbed his stiff face, he encouraged himself in the manner of an idol drama heroine, “You can’t be sad, smile. It’s no big deal.”

Nan HuaiLin tried to squeeze out a smile, but couldn’t. He was not an idol drama heroine, and didn’t have the ability to switch moods randomly.

Forget it, let’s just mourn. Mourn a little, what’s the big deal?

When the elevator door opened, Nan HuaiLin saw Ruan Xin leaning on the handrail and talking on the phone. When he came in, Ruan Xin immediately stood up straight.

Ruan Xin was the assistant to the president, Fei Zheng’s spokesman, and responsible for uploading and distributing. He had a lot of authority, but was not arrogant. He was very easygoing and very good-looking. Compared to the company’s many popular male stars, he was not inferior. What was even rarer, was that he had an extraordinarily beautiful temperament. To use a vulgar, but apt, phrase to describe him, he was ‘talented and good-looking.’

Nan HuaiLin had done Ruan Xin two small favors, so the two people could be considered acquaintances. They nodded and smiled at each other as if they had said hello.

Nan HuaiLin stood still and raised his hand to press the door closing button.

Ruan Xin continued to talk on the phone, “..the last housekeeping hands weren’t clean, and were dismissed by Mr. Fei. Please help me find another as soon as possible. Good work is necessary, but they must also be of good character. The salary is not a problem. Mn, I’ll wait for your news, goodbye.”

Nan HuaiLin listened to him, and his thoughts turned rapidly.

If he had to make a deal, why not make a deal with the person who could offer him the most help? Fei Zheng, the president of Ming Xi Media, was the person who could help him the most. He knew very well that if he refused He DingHong’s offer, he would have no chance in Ming Xi, or even in the whole entertainment industry. If that was the case, he might as well throw his weight around and take one last shot. Whether he succeeded or not, he would accept it.

When Ruan Xin hung up the phone, Nan HuaiLin immediately spoke up, “Assistant Ruan, I’m taking the liberty to ask. Are you looking for a housekeeper for Mr. Fei?”

Ruan Xin nodded, “That’s right.”

Nan HuaiLin said, “Can I try?”

Ruan Xin was stunned. His eyes fell on Nan HuaiLin’s face. The corners of his mouth held a little light smile, but he didn’t say anything.

Nan HuaiLin felt weak, but did not show his fear.

Whatever Ruan Xin might think of him, it didn’t matter to him.

Just like He DingHong said, there were people who were promoted. In order to be popular and famous, they must do this in order to play the role they wanted. He wasn’t willing to keep doing the same roles. He had the ability to handle better roles. He wanted to succeed so badly, not only for himself but also to show those who abandoned him and despised him that, although he was born mediocre, he also had the ability to shine.

Nan HuaiLin gave an embarrassed smile, “I’m so poor that I can barely pay my rent, and I have so few acting opportunities that I’m thinking of getting a part-time job to make ends meet. I’m good at housework, cleaning, laundry, and cooking, and I’m an employee of Ming Xi. I know my roots, so there’s no safety risk.”

Ruan Xin smiled gently, “But Mr. Fei is very picky. Even professional housekeepers may not satisfy him. If I find someone random, he will probably be angry.”

Nan HuaiLin said, “You can try me out for a few days. If Mr. Fei is not satisfied, I will leave immediately and never give you any trouble. Do you think it’s okay?”

Ruan Xin was silent for a moment and said, “Mr. Fei has gone on a business trip and will not be back for two days. The search for a new housekeeper may also take a few days. So, okay, I will give you a week trial period. If Mr. Fei is not satisfied with your performance by then, then I can’t do anything about it. “

Nan HuaiLin said gratefully, “Thank you! I will definitely do my best!”

Ruan Xin asked, “Do you have time now?”

Nan HuaiLin smiled bitterly, “The thing I have most, right now, is time.”

Ruan Xin said, “I’m going to feed the dogs at Mr. Fei’s house. Why don’t you come with me?”

Nan HuaiLin said, “Okay!”

In the car, the two people chatted.

Ruan Xin said, “I think you’re from the south by your accent, right?”

“Mn,” Nan HuaiLin said, “I’m from Suzhou.”

“How old are you?” Ruan Xin asked.

“Twenty-three.” Nan HuaiLin replied.

Ruan Xin looked at him and said with a smile, “Not many boys your age can do housework.”

Nan HuaiLin said, “I’ve been helping my mom with housework since I was a kid, so I’m good at it.”

He lied.

In fact, it was only after he came to Beijing with Shi Yan to study, that he started to learn how to do housework. From freshman to junior year, during three years of living together, he was always the one who took care of both people’s food, clothing, and living. In the second semester of junior year, Shi Yan became popular because of his role in a comic book idol drama and became a well-known young man, so it wasn’t convenient for him to live with him anymore.

Now that he thought about it, he was really cheap, ah.

But at that time, he was willing to do anything for Shi Yan.

“Which school did you graduate from?” Ruan Xin asked again.

“Beijing Film Academy,” Nan HuaiLin said, “Just graduated last year.”

“Coincidentally enough,” Ruan Xin said with a smile, “I also graduated from there.”

Nan HuaiLin was stunned, then smiled and said, “Then should I call you senior?”

Ruan Xin said, “You’re from the acting department, right?”

Nan HuaiLin nodded, “Yes.”

Ruan Xin said, “I’m in the directing department.”

Nan HuaiLin wondered, “Then why aren’t you a director?”

Ruan Xin smiled, “It’s hard to say.”

It was ‘hard to say’ which meant he was unwilling to say more, so Nan HuaiLin stopped asking.

Half an hour later, they arrived at Fei Zheng’s home.

It was a large flat on the ground floor, and spacious beyond imagination. The decor was very minimalist, probably post-modern style, and the furniture was not redundant, but very neat and bright.

As soon as they entered the door, a big black dog barked and pounced on them. It was very strong and vicious looking.

Ruan Xin squatted down to rub the big black dog’s head and said to Nan HuaiLin with a smile, “His name is Hannibal, and he is an American Bulldog.” 1

Nan HuaiLin hadn’t studied dogs but, hearing about this breed for the first time, he felt that it was really apt. The dog looked like a ‘bull’ indeed, and the name Hannibal…really…let people have nothing to say.

Ruan Xin stood up. “You might think he looks vicious, but he is actually a very gentle and lovely breed of dog, and especially good to get along with. How to say it. It’s a bit of contrast, but you don’t have to be afraid of him.”

Nan HuaiLin nodded, lowered his eyes, and looked at Hannibal’s face. That wide forehead, and a strong murderous aura that reeked. He really couldn’t convince himself that this was a gentle and lovely dog. He couldn’t help but feel some fear as he followed Ruan Xin’s footsteps.

Ruan Xin led him inside and said, “As you can see this house is very large, about 7,000 square feet, with seven bedrooms, two halls, four bathrooms, two kitchens, and three large balconies. Cleaning it every day, the workload is already very large, but this is also the only work. Since Mr. Fei never eats at home, you don’t have to cook. All the dirty clothes are sent to the dry cleaners, but the underwear needs to be done by hand and ironed. You need to change the bedsheets and covers every day, take care of the greenery and so on. Apart from that, the most important thing is to take care of Hannibal. He has his own bedroom and a playroom with his favorite toys, but you still have to take him out for an hour or so every day.” Ruan Xin stopped, “Did you remember everything I said?”

Nan HuaiLin nodded. “Yes, I remember.”

Ruan Xin continued, “That’s all there is to do in general, but the key is to get the details right. I have a document that lists all the work content and housekeeping notes. I’ll send you an email later, so read it carefully. Ask me again if you don’t understand anything. Let’s exchange cell phone numbers and WeChat.”

The two people saved each other’s cell phone numbers and added WeChat friends.

Ruan Xin said, “Ah, I forgot to tell you the most important point. Your working hours are from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. You can’t come early or leave late, because Mr. Fei doesn’t like to see strangers at home.”

Nan HuaiLin nodded, “I’ll remember.”

Ruan Xin took him through the house. Not only was there a gym and home theater, but, most incredibly, there was a small indoor swimming pool, which made him sigh. Poverty really did limit the imagination.

After he fed Hannibal, Ruan Xin said, “The company still has a lot of things waiting for me to deal with, I have to go. Your probation period starts now, is that okay?”

“Yes,” Nan HuaiLin said. “I’ll do a good job.”

Ruan Xin smiled. “Go for it.”

Ruan Xin walked away.

Nan HuaiLin stood in the huge house and felt like he was in another world, a world very different from his.

Nan HuaiLin smiled to himself.

What gave him the courage to think he could climb into Fei Zheng’s bed?

I’m afraid I’ve lost my wits.

In fact, from the moment he stepped into this house, he had intended to retreat, but he was already riding a tiger.

Nan HuaiLin let out a long breath.

Since things have come to this point, there was no other choice but to go forward. Then, Nan HuaiLin would give up the idea of climbing into his bed. Instead, he would work diligently as a domestic helper, earn the money for the breach of contract, and then terminate his contract with Ming Xi. After the termination of the contract, as before, he would continue to run his own crew and do random roles. He was only twenty-three years old, he could afford to lose this chance. He believed that one day, he would meet his own partner and find the role that would make him shine. Until then, he had to take each small role seriously, keep his actor’s professionalism, and constantly hone his acting skills to prepare for the opportunity to potentially rewrite his life.

Somehow Hannibal came to be at his heels, lying there quietly, with two gleaming eyes looking at him.

Nan HuaiLin was still afraid of him because he looked too aggressive. He silently gave himself some psychological training. You can not be afraid, the more afraid you are the more it will bully you, be brave! Fearless like the heroine of an idol drama!

Nan HuaiLin crouched down in a guarded and defensive posture.

He looked Hannibal in the eye and forced a smile, “Hello, Mr. Hannibal, my name is Nan HuaiLin, nice to meet you.” He warily extended a hand. “Do you want to shake paws?”

Hannibal calmly extended a forepaw, and placed it on Nan HuaiLin’s hand.

Nan HuaiLin, “!!!”

This dog was a genius.

After shaking his paw, Nan HuaiLin got up the courage to touch his head. Hannibal still had no intention of attacking him.

Nan HuaiLin put down the fear in his heart, and finally, somewhat, believed what Assistant Ruan said. This was a gentle and lovely dog.

In fact, after looking at him for a long time, this bull face really was a bit cute.

Nan HuaiLin showed the first real smile of the day. “I’m going to start working, do you want to join me?”