"She works in the entertainment industry? Is she an actress?" Ye Kun asked.
"I don't think so," Shi Nian replied.
If Fang Xi was an artiste, she wouldn't mingle with Yun Nan and keep such a low profile.
Ye Kun was very disappointed. "Forget it, I don't think I can get anything useful from you. Since she's involved in the entertainment industry, I'll go ask Liang Han," Ye Kun stated and hung up the phone.
Shi Nian stared blankly at his phone.
He had previously investigated Yun Nan, and Chang Yuan's report was very detailed.
However, now that they were living in the same house, Shi Nian suddenly realized he didn't know Yun Nan well at all. He couldn't relate the Yun Nan who existed before the public in the investigation report to the Yun Nan who lived with him. It was as if they were two different people.
When Yun Nan returned home that night, she was in an exceptionally good mood. She had, once again, successfully avoided Yun Liu's trap, and her painting was almost complete.
She hummed as she went upstairs, washed up, and headed toward the bed.
She only discovered Shi Nian was still awake when she reached the bed. He was reading a book under the bedside lamp.
Yun Nan abruptly stopped her tuneless humming and lightened her movements when she lifted the blanket.
Shi Nian put his book down and looked at her. Just as Shi Nian opened his mouth, Yun Nan immediately apologized, "I'm sorry, I was thinking about something else and forgot I have a roommate."
Shi Nian was stumped. He wasn't going to scold her; he rather enjoyed seeing her as happy as a lark.
Yun Nan thought she could sleep now that she had apologized. She had just fluffed her pillow when she heard Shi Nian ask, "Why don't you paint at home?"
'What?!' Yun Nan lay on the pillow and blinked at Shi Nian, unable to keep up with his thought process.
"I said, why don't you paint at home? Why occupy a room at Fang Xi's place? Isn't there enough space to paint in this large house?" Shi Nian patiently stated.
Of course, there is. The living room was almost as big as the field of her rural school.
Yun Nan still didn't understand. 'Why is he suddenly scolding me for not using the living room as my studio, when he didn't even want me to sleep on the bed in the first place? He can't even bear to share the bed, so could he bear to share the living room?'
Shi Nian couldn't stand her transparent and somewhat naive gaze. He shifted his eyes to his book and told her, "You can move your art studio into the house. Make a list of what you need. I'll have someone purchase them for you."
Only then did Yun Nan realize he was being serious. "No, there's no need. I'm fine with the room at Fang Xi's place."
"Do you want me to renovate the living room and separate out a room?" Shi Nian asked.
"What? There's no need to—no, I don't, that's not…" Yun Nan didn't know what to say.
"Then, it's settled. I'll help you move your stuff up here tomorrow. Otherwise, we won't be able to explain why you don't have a personal workspace here to Grandpa when he comes for a visit. Besides, you shouldn't always hang around Fang Xi's place. What if she gets back together with her boyfriend or gets a new boyfriend?" Shi Nian reasoned.
"This place is spacious. You can use it however you want. It's too late to do anything today, so let's sleep first. We'll move your things tomorrow." He reached out to turn off the lights and lay down to sleep.
Yun Nan blinked in the sudden darkness. 'What's gotten into him?'
"Hey," she called out. Shi Nian turned his back on her and ignored her.
Looking at his shadowy bulk beside her, Yun Nan thought, 'Is he mental? Why is he acting like an impulsive three-year-old child? How childish!'
On second thought, if they moved, Shi Nian's house would be more spacious, and it would be a good location for future photos.
Yun Nan lay on the pillow and muttered to herself, "But then I won't have an excuse to pay Fang Xi the 2,000 dollars to share her rent."
"Then we'll get a new set of drawing tools at home. You'll have two art studios. It's that simple!" The dark shadow beside her suddenly retorted.
Yun Nan jumped in surprise and wanted to kick Shi Nian off the bed. She managed to control that impulse and chanted to herself, 'He is just three years old, he is just three, he is a child, he doesn't know better, put up with him, put up with him!'
'Honestly, this man!' Yun Nan fell asleep in an upset mood and had a night of messy dreams.
On the other hand, having achieved his goal, Shi Nian went to sleep with a contented smile on his face, unaware that he had done something childish.
...
Yun Nan was woken up by Fang Xi's phone call.
"Yun Nan, you're on the headlines." Fang Xi's tone was calm as she spoke. There was no trace of anxiety, panic, or anger in her voice.
"Oh, why?" Yun Nan replied. She was also calm because Fang Xi's reaction meant that this wasn't something she needed to be worried about.
"Because you took the Yun Corporation's cast and crew with you when you left, and started a new business, thus betraying your family and benefactor." Fang Xi said.
"Is that everything?" Yun Nan yawned.
"See for yourself. I'm going back to the studio, so I can't stay and be your newscaster anymore. Mika advises you not to show up today and let the media digest the news, so why don't you stay at home and finish the painting?" Fang Xi instructed her.