113: Busy filming, can't take care of

He had a scene with Jiang Nong in the afternoon, so Shen Lian went over his lines again.

Compared to Jiang Nong's awkwardness and nervousness, Shen Lian appeared exceptionally calm.

"Film well," Su Niansheng urged Jiang Nong. "Don't embarrass our family."

Jiang Nong: "Oh."

Su Niansheng sighed softly as he watched Jiang Nong's retreating back.

Su Niansheng thought about it all night, carefully recalling everything that had happened since they joined the crew, including Chen Zao's high praise of Shen Lian. It was true; Shen Lian had never actively provoked Jiang Nong; it was his own brother who had started it. Shen Lian hadn't led him on either. On the contrary, in his spare time, he was either reviewing his lines or discussing details with Director Liu Zong to polish them. In this regard alone, he already surpassed more than ninety percent of the actors Su Niansheng had encountered.

Not to mention, Shen Lian was never restless or arrogant, nor did he treat others poorly or act like a big shot. His occasional bursts of acting talent had truly impressed him.

Aside from the initial prejudice, Shen Lian was almost beyond reproach.

Yesterday, he had overreacted out of concern for Jiang Nong and ended up in a conflict with Shen Lian's assistant.

Su Niansheng once had a relationship that ended badly. The other person was a female studio owner he met during a clothing modification project. The Su family had a high threshold; when she couldn't get in, she simply stopped trying, having no intention of currying favor with any member of the Su family.

Later, the female boss went abroad. Su Niansheng was depressed for three months, and by the time they reconnected, she had already started a new relationship.

At that time, Su Niansheng heard the sound of waves over the phone, along with the woman's words: "Let it go, Niansheng. You are indeed very outstanding, but in this world, things don't always go the way you people in the Su family want them to."

This sentence still applied to Jiang Nong's obsession with Shen Lian.

Just because Jiang Nong liked him didn't mean Shen Lian had to respond.

Su Niansheng finally realized that viewing Shen Lian this way was unfair.

Jiang Nong had four NGs during an office scene.

Director Liu Zong sighed with his hands on his hips.

Jiang Nong was a bit anxious; he didn't do it on purpose, but as soon as he saw Shen Lian's face, his mind filled with all sorts of fantasies. When Shen Lian returned last night, his lips were a deep red, and he kept wondering if something had happened.

He couldn't get into character. Jiang Nong didn't want to admit he was being a fanboy, but he just... "Don't be nervous," Shen Lian said. "Try to find the feeling."

"Sorry for delaying your progress." Su Niansheng patted Jiang Nong's shoulder from behind, signaling for his brother to come over. "I'll explain this part to him."

Shen Lian noticed the change in Su Niansheng's attitude and nodded. "Alright."

Shen Lian walked behind Jiang You. Seeing that Jiang You had already finished two pages, he remarked, "Strong."

"What's so strong about that?" Sun Binghe said softly. "Only two pages in an hour? I basically do one every ten minutes."

Shen Lian quickly scanned the problems. "Eight minutes for me."

Sun Binghe sat up a bit straighter. "For real?"

Shen Lian pulled over a stool and sat down. "Anyway, since there's nothing else to do, come on, let's have a contest. Ten-minute limit."

Sun Binghe: "Sure."

Jiang You: "..."

No, you guys... really... aren't going to consider... my feelings?

Many things were much the same across his two lives. The biggest difference between Shen Lian and Sun Binghe was that he didn't have such a strong sense of resentment as a worker; so as long as no one provoked him, he didn't snap at people.

The two of them stopped writing almost at the same time.

Sun Binghe checked his watch; it was about eight minutes.

Shen Lian gracefully handed over his test paper. "I've forgotten a lot, but the questions aren't hard. Come on, Teacher Sun, check the accuracy."

They were all multiple-choice questions, and the accuracy was one hundred percent.

Sun Binghe held a test paper in each hand, looking them over repeatedly with a face full of relief and satisfaction. It was like a dream of his student days, being refreshed by the sight of perfect scores—comfortable, like basking in a golden field of wheat. It was extremely pleasant.

"As expected of Teacher Shen," Sun Binghe remarked. "I've always said the Boss's judgment is never wrong."

Shen Lian laughed out loud.

By the time Shen Lian finished a cup of tea, Jiang Nong had finally been coached enough by Su Niansheng.

Jiang Nong had a bit of talent; although it wasn't much, the scene was significantly smoother when they filmed again.

After filming, he looked at Shen Lian with eyes full of hope, his face practically screaming 'praise me'.

In the past, a little coaxing would have been fine, but Jiang Nong's intentions were inappropriate. Shen Lian acted as if he didn't see it and went back to flipping through his script.

Jiang Nong's mood was very low. After several attempts at testing the waters, he knew deep down that Shen Lian wasn't interested.

This was completely different from what he had imagined before coming.

Jiang Nong was still young and naturally yearned for love. Now that it had withered before even blooming, how could he not be depressed?

Filming continued for five days straight, and Shen Lian didn't go home once. However, Chu Yilan came every night after dark. He didn't come inside but stayed in the car; the two of them were quite satisfied with just a few light kisses.

Last night, Chu Yilan even brought Chu Zhumi along. Shen Lian held the cat, unable to put it down, and regardless of whether the cat was willing or not, he gave it a vigorous 'sniff' for ten minutes.

While eating lunch, thinking of the way Chu Yilan waved goodbye while holding Chu Zhumi, Shen Lian couldn't help but laugh out loud.

What was that saying online? Loving someone is like raising a flower. Having raised Chu Yilan into what he was today, he could be considered successful, right?

"Who's that?" someone asked curiously.

"Holy crap, it looks like Jiang Nong's mother, the person in charge of the luxury brand Linfei in China!"

"His mother is visiting the set."

"Linfei is one of the sponsors of the drama 'Dawn'."

Shen Lian listened but didn't take it to heart.

Jiang Nong's mother was very fashionable, dressed in high-end designer brands from head to toe. Although she was over forty, she was well-maintained. Her slightly curly hair fell on her shoulders, and her chin was tilted slightly upward, giving off an air of indescribable aloofness and nobility.

Jiang Nong's mood lifted as soon as he saw his mother, and the same was true for her. The frost on her face melted, replaced by a look of pure indulgence.

Shen Lian finished his meal in a few bites, felt a bit sleepy, and went to the restroom to wash his face.

To his surprise, when he came out, someone was standing three meters away. Hearing the movement, she turned around; it was Mother Jiang.

Shen Lian understood; she was here for him.

A moment of silence followed. Mother Jiang didn't speak, and neither did Shen Lian.

This interval was long enough for Mother Jiang to size Shen Lian up several times. Finally, she frowned slightly. "Mr. Shen, Xiao Nong is immature. He must have caused you a lot of trouble these past few days."

"It's fine," Shen Lian said pointedly. "I'm busy filming, so I don't have time to care."

Mother Jiang showed a slight smile. "That's good. Work shouldn't be delayed by trivial matters. Xiao Nong has been spoiled by us. We're just thinking that when he gets a bit older, we'll find a capable girl who can keep him in line."

"Mhm." Shen Lian nodded. "Jiang Nong has good qualities; he'll find someone."

Mother Jiang's eyes still held suspicion, but she said, "I'm very glad Mr. Shen thinks that way."

"You can stay glad then," Shen Lian said indifferently. "I have someone I like, and in my heart, that's the only person I'll ever recognize for the rest of my life. Jiang Nong is just too young to distinguish his own feelings. At a time like this, you elders should guide him properly instead of trying to shift the blame onto others, don't you agree?"

Clatter. Something fell to the floor.

Shen Lian and Mother Jiang looked up at the same time and saw Jiang Nong walking out from the end of the corridor.

"You have someone you like?" Jiang Nong looked angry. "You're lying, right?"

Shen Lian was silent for a long time before asking, "So you heard when your mother was giving me trouble, right?"

Jiang Nong was instantly stunned.

Shen Lian didn't bother saying more. If the person standing here today were Chu Yilan, who would dare say a single bad word about Shen Lian? Chu Yilan would have made them leave on a stretcher. But Jiang Nong didn't care about the embarrassment inflicted on Shen Lian; he only cared about whether his own feelings could find an outlet.

Self-centered people don't realize what's wrong.