Anchor Effect - Chapter 7.2: WeChat Avatar

Sensing that Ye Yuchen was reluctant to elaborate, Zhan Yang wisely refrained from probing further. He continued to massage Ye Yuchen's lower back, searching for sore spots. Fortunately, there didn't seem to be any major issues.

"In the future, don't meet Yu Xiu alone. If you need to meet, I'll accompany you. He's an old acquaintance, after all. Why doesn't he realize that you—"

"Zhan Yang." Ye Yuchen opened his eyes, his tone even. "What position do you hold to dictate whether I can meet Yu Xiu alone or not?"

Zhan Yang hesitated for a moment, then mumbled with a touch of guilt, "...as your physiotherapist."

"Are you suggesting I should find a new physiotherapist?" Ye Yuchen asked, though his tone remained neutral.

Although Zhan Yang's position was typically that of a subordinate, Ye Yuchen still respected him. The villa staff referred to Ye Yuchen as "Mr. Ye," which he adopted for his homestay business to differentiate from his older brother, who occasionally visited the island.

Outside of his acting career, Ye Yuchen also had a sideline as a screenwriter under the pen name Xie Xiao. He maintained his anonymity, and it was through this pseudonym that he had first met Yu Xiu.

Ye Yuchen turned over his phone and propped himself up on his elbows, concealing the screen from Zhan Yang's view. Then he sent a reply to the message he had received.

[Xie Xiao: I'm working on something. What's up?]

A response from Yu Xiu popped up shortly after.

[Yu Xiu: What genre are you writing?]

Ye Yuchen typed leisurely, instructing Zhan Yang who stood behind him, "Can you bring me a pillow?"

"Sure." Zhan Yang fetched a pillow and placed it under Ye Yuchen's chest, allowing him to rest more comfortably as he used his phone.

Although Ye Yuchen wasn't particularly eager to reply to messages, he couldn't resist the urge to check. He adjusted his phone so he could glance at the screen from his prone position, seeing that the unread message was from Yu Xiu's WeChat avatar.

[Yu Xiu: Teacher Xie, are you working on a new script lately?]

There was only one friend in Ye Yuchen's WeChat, so he recognized the sender immediately without opening the app.

He deliberately waited a moment before replying.

[Xie Xiao: I'm in the middle of writing, yes.]

Another message appeared in the chat soon after.

[Yu Xiu: What kind of genre are you exploring?]

Ye Yuchen typed at his own pace, as Zhan Yang's voice reached him, "Mr. Ye, would you like me to get you a pillow?"

"Please." Ye Yuchen turned his phone screen away, preventing Zhan Yang from accidentally seeing anything.

Actually, at the beginning, the employees of the villa didn't call Ye Yuchen "Teacher Ye."

Later, it was because Ye Yuchen's older brother would occasionally visit the island, and the employees found it confusing to address both of them as "Mr. Ye." So, Ye Yuchen brought the commonly used title from his side job to be used around him.

Ye Yuchen's side job is a screenwriter, using the pen name "Xie Xiao," and he never makes public appearances.

His work "What Joy Is Life" missed out on this year's Golden Orchid Award for Best Screenplay, but it led the male lead Yu Xiu to win his first Best Actor award.

With a pillow cushioning his chest and less pressure on his elbow, Ye Yuchen calmly pressed the send button.

[Xie Xiao: I'm exploring a crime theme.]

[Yu Xiu: If possible, I'd like to collaborate with you.]

Since the success of "What Joy Is Life," Ye Yuchen had received numerous collaboration offers from various directions. He declined most of them, as he wasn't looking for fame or profit. He didn't expect, however, that Yu Xiu would take the initiative to request a script from him.

[Xie Xiao: It's not solely up to me; the producer's decision matters.]

[Yu Xiu: I understand.]

[Yu Xiu: By the way, we had a big dinner last time. Next time, I'd like to express my gratitude to you privately.]

The last time they dined together... Ye Yuchen pondered for a moment. It was during the celebration after the Golden Orchid Awards, when Yu Xiu won the Best Actor award.

As Ye Yuchen didn't appear in public, the "Xie Xiao" that Yu Xiu knew was actually Ye Yuchen's cousin, a social butterfly.

Ye Yuchen himself was not present. He had chosen to maintain his anonymity as a screenwriter, going by the name Xie Xiao.

[Xie Xiao: Sounds good.]

[Yu Xiu: Also, I've been on vacation and picked up a few small gifts for you. Your address hasn't changed, has it?]

Small gifts? 

Being the owner of an island, Ye Yuchen couldn't recall having a souvenir shop there. 

Could it be that Yu Xiu was planning to give him some dried fish?

A soft smile formed on Ye Yuchen's lips, and he responded to the message at his own pace.

[Xie Xiao: No changes.]

As for the address, the one he had provided Yu Xiu belonged to the guard room at Zhuhai-Hong Kong Film Academy, ensuring his true location remained hidden.

"Mr. Ye, who are you chatting with? You seem to be in a good mood," Zhan Yang inquired from behind.

"Just a friend," Ye Yuchen replied, putting his phone away. "Are you done massaging?"

"The massage is complete; you can move on to the hot compress."

Zhan Yang placed a heat therapy pack on Ye Yuchen's back and covered him with a thin blanket. "Rest well; I'll call you in half an hour."

"Sure." With the warmth on his lower back, a sense of comfort washed over Ye Yuchen, making him feel drowsy.

Ye Yuchen's consciousness gradually began to blur, and before falling asleep, he faintly thought that the reason he could become a screenwriter was largely due to those literary appreciation classes he had tagged along with Yu Xiu.

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