WHO IS ETHAN?

Elise suspected she was still half asleep. She lay down, closed her eyes, and opened them again, but the scene before her hadn't changed.

However, she quickly realized that theplace she was in didn't seem to be her room. The production team had booked her a standard single room, but the suite in front of her was luxuriously decorated, brand new, and featured an outdoor pool and even a study.

A series of exaggerated prices flashed through her mind as she began to speculate on the cost of a night there. Surely, they wouldn't expect her to pay for a presidential suite, right?

Although she could afford it, she suddenly felt foolish. She wouldn't even splurge on such an expensive place when going out, and now she found herself in a lavish situation where someone had sent her an equally extravagant male host.

Elise quickly pulled up her pants and ran for the door. However, the person beside her didn't give her a chance.

Liam was already awake, leaning lazily against the bedside table. His long eyelashes were half-closed, and he wore an expression that was far from pleasant. When he crossed his arms and wvatched her coldly, she hurried to put on her tights and fasten her chnest belt before sprinting toward the door at a speed reminiscent of Usain Bolt in the 100 meters.

Fortunately, she initially ran in the wrong direction and ended up in the gym.

Elise turned around just in time, planning a second sprint. However, as soon as she turned her head, she met the man's gaze.

Liam said, "What is this? You're pulling up your pants and pretending nothing happened?"

She hadn't expected him to be awake, and Elise was so startled that her mental script was scattered all over the floor. That question was indeed a little strange. Typically, the innocent girl was the one who felt wronged and would question the man.

She tried to remember the several pages of the script she always carried and began frantically thinking about what to say.

After contemplating, Tan Yinggying tugged at the corner of her lips and replied, "Actually, I don't remember much about last night, and I don't know how you ended up here. Since it's already morning and your task is complete, let's pretend nothing happened, okay? The compensation you're supposed to receive should come from someone else later. I'm not aware of it, and I... well..." As she spoke, her face turned red. "It seems like I'm a victim, too. Isn't it a little cruel to ask me for money?"

How could it be like this? She had accompanied this innocent beauty for a night as a birthday present and was now expected to pay.Making money was hard enough already! How many trolls did she have to deal with while writing?

Whether something happened or not, she certainly wasn't the one who benefited thoroughly!

After saying that, Elise felt it was time to leave. She found the right door and pushed it open.

Once outside, her curiosity got the better of her, and she peeked through the crack in the door, revealing a pair of clear eyes.

"Um... may I ask how much you charge for a night?"

Liam was left speechless.

He had never encountered such an outrageous question. Did she take him for a duck? Did she think she could just run away after using him?

Not paying was one thing, but there was no tenderness the next day, and nowN she was claiming to be a victim? Wasn't she the one clinging to him last night, unwilling to let go?

Liam gritted his teeth as his temples throbbed.

When he didn't respond, she guessed he might be embarrassed, so she didn't press further.

Instead, she added, "Although I don't know who sent you, tell them I really wasn't that lonely and empty when you go back. I'm not desperate!"

Hearing that last word made him laugh.

Suddenly, Elise felt that something wasn't quite right.

No way. Did she really take advantage of him last night?

The more she spoke, the more irrational she felt. Finally, she ended the strange encounter and closed the door.

On her way back to her room, her face burned with embarrassment. Even after pressing her cold hands against her cheeks several times, the heat didn't subside. It was impossible to say she wasn't nervous. She hadn't even held hands with a boy since elementary school during morning exercises for over twenty years. Now, unexpectedly, a handsome boy was beside her, and she was... confused. Did she really... did that last night?

She tried to gauge the changes in her body; her legs felt a little sore, but it didn't match the kind of "inability to walk, every step painful, feeling like your body was falling apart" described in novels, right? So,were the novels fake?

Shaking, she took out her room card and felt like crying a little. Although he was handsome, what was this all about? Did she check him out before coming? Was he safe? There wouldn't be any risks, right? If she got pregnant, it would all be over.

If it was really her first time, not remembering any of it was too scandalous, wasn't it? Her thoughts were jumbled; her heart raced, her throat felt sore, and her eyes were heavy, but her mood wasn't entirely sad.

Caught in this contradiction, she went to the bathroom to check herself and shower.There were no marks on her body, not even a bruise or a hickey.A quick glance revealed that nothing had happened at all.

But she looked a little swollen down there... Was that considered swollen? She wasn't quite sure; she didn't understand her own anatomy. She stared at herself in the mirror.

So, this male host was actually... entirely ethical? Was it because hickeys cost more?

Her mind was in chaos, and while drying her hair, she received a WeChat message from the Director.

[Eli, there's a casting meeting at ten o'clock. I heard you left early last night because you weren't feeling well. Are you coming today?]

The message was from Director Janet, who was in her thirties and had a talent for filming natural romantic scenes. Director Janet was a long-time friend of Elise's uncle. Since the budget for this film was tight initially, Elise allocated part of her royalties to help cover the costs, which gave her some influence in the production.

Typically, original Screenwriters or authors had no say in casting. However, the actor who signed on for the Second Male Lead a few days ago suddenly canceled.

Since the shooting schedule couldn't be delayed, the team decided to film the scenes with the Male and Female Leads and other roles while still selecting an actor for the Second Male Lead.

This role was crucial, and as the original author, Elise understood the character well.

She gathered her thoughts and replied, [I'll go.]

No matter what happened, the work couldn't be delayed. Elise changed into casual clothes and headed to the conference room on the first floor.

The meeting was straightforward; they reviewed some materials, confirmed the image of the Second Male Lead, and then moved to the studio to watch the actors audition. This was a low-budget youth web drama, but it could quickly go viral if executed well. Most of the actors auditioning were newcomers,and their skills were decent.

After watching about ten people perform the scenes for the Second Male Lead, none stood out particularly, but one was passable, so she saved that person's information for later.

In the afternoon, she went to the set to observe the filming and noticed that the Assistant Director had changed.

The lighting girl was gossiping beside her, saying,"I heard that the fat and sleazy Assistant Director had an accident last night and fell badly. He's still in the hospital now." Her voice dropped conspiratorially, “It's said that just a little bit... just a little bit, he almost lost his, you know, function."

Elise looked up in shock.

A scene flashed through her mind.

"Shocked, huh?" The lighting girl nodded in agreement, "When I heard it, I had the same reaction. But he really deserved it; he was always so disgusting. It's a good thing for you. I felt his gaze on you was particularly inappropriate. Fortunately, he was replaced; otherwise, how would you have managed? Being pretty has its downsides; you can easily become a target."

Elise was still stunned and didn't respond.

Finally, the lighting girl concluded, "I don't know who he offended this time, but it must be a big shot. Otherwise, how could he not have caused a stir with his temperament? He deserves it."

Elise slowly regained her composure, remembering that she had eaten something questionable the night before. But then what? What happened next?

When she woke up, that person seemed to be lying beside her.

A chill ran down her spine, and she hurried to a secluded spot to call the Production Assistant and inquire about the Assistant Director's whereabouts yesterday.

The answer was that the two of them hadn't left the hotel together,and he couldn't have done anything with so many people.

But she still felt a bit uneasy and wanted to confirm her suspicions. She would check the surveillance footage once production stabilized in a couple of days.

After finishing everything, she sent a few lengthy voice messages to her best friend, Enna, summarizing the absurd events of the past night and that morning.

She casually asked, [Did you send me that male host?]

Enna replied, [With the way you described him, do you think I could afford him? A handsome guy is too precious to me; I can't even buy one for myself,let alone for you!]

Enna continued, [But Ethan went to audition for your play. Perhaps he sent that guy to impress you?]

Elise was taken aback. [Ethan? Who is that?]

Enna responded with confusion, [?]

Then she clarified, [He's a classmate from high school. Don't you remember him? You two were quite close back then. He always said he would take care of you for life once he had money.]

Elise thought for a long time but couldn't remember him, so she decided to let it go. She had always had a poor memory, and most of her energy was spent remembering novel plots. Fleeting names in her life only felt familiar when she saved them in her contacts, but she struggled to recall their faces.

For example, right now, if she were to come across Ethan on WeChat, she would think: Who is this person? How do we know each other? What is our relationship like? But if he appeared as just another stranger among many profiles and a simple introduction, she wouldn't remember a thing and wouldn't think about it further.

Since she couldn't remember, she changed the subject while chatting with Enna on her way to the filming location.

Before she could calm down, the new Assistant Director waved at her: "Eli, you're here!"

Elise quickly ran over and asked, "What's wrong?"

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