108: focus on

On the day of the audition, Jiang You drove to pick him up. Chu Yilan had left early in the morning. When Shen Lian came out after receiving the call and poked his head inside, he found Sun Binghe sitting in the back.

"Morning, Special Assistant Sun."

"Morning, Teacher Shen."

Actually, given their current relationship, they could have addressed each other by name. But "special assistant" this and "Teacher" that sounded more like friendly teasing, so they didn't bother changing it.

"Oh? Did you have a lesson?" Shen Lian saw Jiang You driving with a straight back, looking straight ahead, no longer chirping like usual.

Jiang You's mouth twitched, but she didn't say a word.

"I was just asking about her studies."

Shen Lian asked curiously, "How is she doing?"

"She passed the CET-6, but her score was too low," Sun Binghe replied. "Only eight points above the passing line."

Shen Lian nodded. "That is a bit low."

Jiang You's back began to sweat.

Today, Sun Binghe wasn't in a suit and leather shoes. He wore black pants with a khaki jacket, his hair was styled casually, and his aura was relaxed and gentle. He looked very much like a knowledgeable teacher.

As long as he didn't open his mouth, his ability to deceive the enemy was 100%.

Arriving at the filming studio for the audition, many actors were already there. However, none were very famous; some were even complete rookies. For a production by Director Liu Zong, even showing one's face was considered an opportunity.

This drama was titled "Dawn". The male lead was Su Niansheng and the female lead was Chen Zao—one a best actor and the other a Best Actress. Their acting skills went without saying. Su Niansheng's grandfather was a veteran actor, and he was no less impressive. He wasn't as dazzlingly handsome as some stars, but he had a righteous face. The most common scenes he was caught in by cameras involved him wearing dad shoes and holding a thermos. Not only fans but even the general public liked him.

Chen Zao was an actress from a purely grassroots background. Put it this way: currently, there were almost no female artists who could compete with her in terms of acting.

So, based on these conditions, Shen Lian was surprised and delighted to land the role of the second male lead.

In fact, Director Liu Zong had privately asked Dai Tong and Director Zhao Wenshu, "Give me the truth, how is Shen Lian's acting?" To his surprise, they both said in unison, "It'll be a surprise."

Using the same old faces gets tiring. Director Liu Zong was willing to work with newcomers if necessary. More importantly, Star Opening's investment was substantial. Director Liu Zong had already decided that even if Shen Lian was truly incompetent, he would still give him a role with plenty of screen time.

But once he changed into his costume, Shen Lian stepped into the role of the second male lead, Green Mountain. With just a smiling glance at the camera—vibrant, agile, and with a touch of youthful elegance—Director Liu Zong thought "Whoa!" in his heart. It really was a damn surprise.

"I have to say," Director Liu Zong spoke with the Assistant Director beside him, "this face is really photogenic. It's like it has no flaws."

Director Liu Zong tried a few scenes, and Shen Lian handled them all. He was much better than expected. Giving the second male lead role to Shen Lian was definitely okay.

When Shen Lian came out of the studio, the group of rookie actors looked on with envy. Shen Lian gave a polite smile. Someone tried to approach him to chat but was blocked by the Bodyguard.

"Teacher Shen, did it go well?" Sun Binghe asked.

"Quite smoothly," Shen Lian said. "Come on, let's go have some afternoon tea."

They were at leisure. Once they arrived at the place, Jiang You made a few polite remarks and then ordered several desserts. When she was about to eat, she looked cautiously at Sun Binghe. "Special Assistant Sun, want a bite?"

"No, thanks." Sun Binghe didn't have much interest in sweets. "Eat up."

Jiang You muttered, "I'm already over fifty kilograms."

"Isn't it normal for someone 1.6 meters tall to be over fifty kilograms?" Sun Binghe said. "You're not in the entertainment industry; your own comfort comes first."

Jiang You "wuwuwu"-ed as she finished two small cakes in a row. Truly, she was satisfied.

Sun Binghe took a photo of his coffee cup, which had cloud-like cream floating on top, and sent it to Yang Bin.

Yang Bin: [???]

Responding to him was a photo of Yang Bin's cluttered desk.

Sun Binghe: [I'll drink it for you.]

Yang Bin: [Mock me all you want. Listen to me, don't be so cocky.]

Sun Binghe was visibly in an excellent mood.

On the day Shen Lian joined the production crew, Chu Yilan's car was parked in front. He dropped his boyfriend off by the nanny van. The window rolled down, and Sun Binghe smiled as warmly as a spring breeze. "Boss, good morning."

Chu Yilan: "..."

He almost reflected on whether the tasks he had assigned to Sun Binghe in the past were too heavy. Then he confirmed that Sun Binghe simply dealt with people he considered "unreliable" too often, which led to occasional bouts of depression. Coming to Shen Lian's side was purely for relaxation.

After a moment's thought, Chu Yilan said in a deep voice, "Binghe, Shen Lian's circle might be a bit different from yours. Don't go around roasting everyone you see."

Sun Binghe: "Don't worry, Boss. I won't attack unless I'm attacked."

Hearing this... the entertainment industry was never short of drama. Shen Lian chuckled and patted Chu Yilan's waist. "Alright, he won't lose out. Don't worry."

Chu Yilan was naturally at ease. He thought to himself that with the two of them together, it would definitely be others who lost out.

On set, best actor Su Niansheng and Best Actress Chen Zao were sitting opposite each other analyzing their lines. Both were skilled actors; they understood each other's subtle and profound meanings. They could be said to be having a very pleasant conversation. The other actors stood on the periphery, unable to join in for the moment.

"Teacher Su, Teacher Chen," Shen Lian greeted them politely.

Su Niansheng was dressed in casual clothes, carrying the aloofness of someone from a prestigious family. His gaze was not offensive as he looked Shen Lian up and down before giving a slight nod.

He was handsomer in person than in movies or on TV, and he didn't say much.

Chen Zao's looks weren't top-tier glamorous, but she was very recognizable and full of spirit. At this moment, her expression was vibrant. "You look much better in person than in photos!"

Shen Lian was slightly stunned, then smiled. "You flatter me."

As soon as Director Liu Zong arrived, the main cast gathered to get to know one another. The most active among them was the third male lead, Jiang Nong. He was Su Niansheng's younger cousin from the same large family. His achievements weren't as prominent as Su Niansheng's, but he was destined not to be ordinary. Just two years after his debut, he had earned the title of "Rising Young Actor". He had both the acting skills and the looks—chestnut curly hair, fair skin, and two little tiger teeth that showed when he smiled.

Sun Binghe sat in the assistants' area. Needless to say, among the assistants who were busy with various trivial matters but didn't seem to be accomplishing much, he stood out like a crane among chickens. He could even be elevated to the main cast to give a few remarks.

When Jiang Nong leaned forward to look at Shen Lian for the third time, Sun Binghe asked Jiang You, who was beside him, "Jiang Nong seems to be paying a lot of attention to Teacher Shen?"

Jiang You said innocently, "Everyone pays a lot of attention to Teacher Shen."

Shen Lian's temperament and image increasingly overlapped with his previous life; he was very eye-catching wherever he went.

"Never mind." After saying that, Sun Binghe cautioned Jiang You again, "You need to increase your vigilance and attentiveness."

Jiang You: "H-How do I do that?"

"Learn from me."

Jiang You hurriedly sat up straight, feeling both joy and fear in her heart. She knew very well that Sun Binghe was incredibly capable. For a person like him to be a teacher, ordinary people couldn't even squeeze into one of his classes. Getting taught for free was a steal, but the thought of Sun Binghe's strictness made her heart tremble.