127: Busy

"Teacher Shen, thank you, thank you so much..." Chen Mu hadn't finished speaking before he realized there was someone else sitting in the car.

Chu Yilan's dark eyes were deep; he didn't release any aggression, but Chen Mu inexplicably felt as though he were being seen through inside and out.

The man's looks were exceptionally superior, his temperament steady with a compelling sense of pressure. In the short two seconds of eye contact, Chen Mu unconsciously straightened his back.

Shen Lian gave Chu Yilan a gentle nudge with his elbow.

Chu Yilan shifted his gaze and looked out the window without saying a word.

"He's just like that, no ill intent," Shen Lian followed up. "Where do you live?"

Chen Mu hurriedly said, "You can just drop me off at any intersection. Where I live is quite far from here, so I won't trouble Teacher Shen."

Shen Lian said, "It's no trouble."

Chen Mu insisted, "Really, there's no need. Teacher Shen has already helped me twice today."

Chen Mu spoke gently and calmly, with a full sense of humility and propriety. Sensing his persistence, Shen Lian had the driver pull over near a bus stop.

After Chen Mu got out of the car, the gaze he cast back was sincere and earnest. "Teacher Shen, if you ever need me for anything in the future, please don't hesitate to contact me."

They hadn't exchanged contact information; Chen Mu had given all the power of choice to Shen Lian. If he had asked for it, it might have seemed like he had ulterior motives, whereas if Shen Lian wanted to get in touch with him, it would be very simple.

Shen Lian said, "Alright, stay safe on the road."

"Yes, goodbye Teacher Shen." As Chen Mu spoke, he nodded toward Chu Yilan. "Goodbye, sir."

As the car drove away, Shen Lian saw through the rearview mirror that Chen Mu had just caught the next bus.

Shen Lian remarked, "He's quite polite."

Chu Yilan didn't refute him. "Mm. Did you two just meet?"

"Yes." Shen Lian explained what had happened at the trade association. "Yilan, that Xiguang Media—is it an independent company or does it have a backer?"

Chu Yilan recalled carefully. "Independent. They're doing okay in the entertainment industry. If they had a backer, I wouldn't be unaware of it."

Shen Lian gave an "oh." After signing with Star Opening, he hadn't thought about leaving, so he hadn't paid much attention to other entertainment media companies.

Shen Lian then wrapped his arms around Chu Yilan's neck, his tone becoming playful and tender. "Next time you're off work, just go straight home. You don't need to wait specifically for me."

"I like to." Chu Yilan freed a hand to pull him into his embrace, his fingertips lightly grazing Shen Lian's shoulder. "Are you filming a commercial tomorrow?"

"Yes, and then the more important thing is the red carpet for the Golden Scale Award," Shen Lian added. "I'll be going with the blazing fire crew to build some presence."

Chu Yilan truly felt that his darling's presence wasn't low at all; the level of discussion about him on Social Media Platform had consistently been in the top three lately.

Aunt Fen had left some warm chicken soup—exactly two bowls. Shen Lian and Chu Yilan didn't let it go to waste, finishing it in a few gulps before going upstairs to rest.

With the holiday completely over, Shen Lian became busy.

Hu Kailan had reassigned several of the artists under him and now focused on following Shen Lian whenever he was free.

As the weather turned warmer, Hu Kailan, wearing casual pants and a yellow shirt with a small mustache, stood beside Jiang You with his arms crossed, full of confidence. "What do you call this? Professionalism! Look at how the photographer was barking at that artist just now, spit flying everywhere. As soon as it's Shen Lian's turn, his expression turns pleasant."

Jiang You was a total "Shen Lian fanboy." "Right! Exactly! Brother Shen is invincible!"

Work wasn't an issue for Shen Lian; he even enjoyed it to some extent. What he found annoying were the business dinners, yet they were unavoidable. Over the next week, he ate out five days out of seven. No matter what the dish was, it all tasted the same by the time it hit his mouth.

Fortunately, Hu Kailan's scheduling was appropriate, managing to get Shen Lian home before ten o'clock at night.

Chu Yilan's mood was very stable.

Whenever Shen Lian pushed the door open and entered, he would see the man in loungewear, looking unreasonably handsome, either flipping through a financial magazine or with a laptop on his lap processing business matters. Beside him lay Chu Zhumi dozing off. It was no exaggeration to say the day's fatigue was swept away instantly.

Damn, isn't this what a person lives their whole life for—these few moments?!

Shen Lian's mood suddenly became exuberant. If he could control it, fine; if not, he would fiercely rip off his tie, throw aside his jacket, and under Chu Yilan's deep, dangerous gaze, pounce like a hungry wolf.

Of course, the ending was without exception: he would be held down firmly by Chu Yilan. Turning the tables was impossible. When Shen Lian was driven to tears by Chu Yilan's lack of restraint, he could still force out a bit of flirtatiousness: "This is called... dying under a peony flower, even as a ghost, one remains romantic!"

Chu Yilan: "..."

Yang Bin had once lamented, "Is there anything harder than my Dui-ge's mouth?"

Chu Yilan, who rarely joked, calmly added a line: "Shen Lian's mouth."

Yang Bin snapped his head back, his expression terrified. Wait, CEO Chu, are you telling me such private matters too?

Chu Yilan: "..."

Truly a headache.

Sun Binghe had cautioned Kuang Chenghai, "Shen Lian can't drink. If you don't want to die, remember this point. Otherwise, I won't even need to look for you. Believe me, being pressed down at the Hengtai headquarters will be worse than me coming for you."

Kuang Chenghai nodded like a woodpecker. "Mm-hmm!"

Thus, the task of accompanying people for drinks fell to Hu Kailan.

But Brother Hu was willing.

For a gold-medal Agent, what could be more joyful than the artists under them rising higher and higher? Not to mention Shen Lian had promised to lead him to fortune!

When others asked, Hu Kailan would slur his words, coming up with excuses like "Shen Lian is allergic to alcohol," "He just had surgery for appendicitis," or "Grade ten stomach ulcer, the doctor said drinking will kill him." Anyway, after a while, Shen Lian felt that according to Hu Kailan's descriptions, he had one foot in the grave.

A few days later, Shen Lian received a call from Dai Tong.

Dai Tong asked if he was free to fill in for a role. The original actor was acting like a diva and refused to film. The part wasn't large but was very important, and progress was currently stalled.

Hearing Dai Tong's angry and anxious tone, Shen Lian smiled and said, "Hey, what's the big deal? I remember you love durian, Director Dai. Should I buy a few and bring them over? Send me the script, and I'll look at it on the way."

Dai Tong burst out laughing. "Alright, alright, you kid!"

Once some artists became famous, it would be hard to invite them again, but Dai Tong felt Shen Lian was different; the core of this person's character had never changed.

Hu Kailan had originally arranged something else, but upon hearing Shen Lian's explanation, he thought for a moment and agreed.

The filming location was at the largest film studio in Qudu. It was a period drama. Shen Lian looked at the electronic script Dai Tong sent over; the role he was filling in for was a eunuch, a villain in the show.

Shen Lian said, "I've played a eunuch before; I have experience."

Jiang You: "?"

"Brother Shen, I've watched all your roles, and there wasn't a eunuch."

In his past life, he had played a 'Lord of Nine Thousand Years' that became a massive hit and charmed countless people. Shen Lian smiled. "It was when I was studying with a professional teacher."

"Oh." Jiang You nodded.

Arriving at the film city, Shen Lian called Dai Tong as he got out of the car. He had sharp eyes; before he could find Dai Tong, he spotted Chen Mu sitting on the steps in a corner of a pavilion, silently eating a boxed lunch alone.

As Shen Lian approached, his first impression was that the lunch was really meager: boiled cabbage and stir-fried tomatoes with eggs, with only a few bits of egg floating on top.

Sensing a shadow in front of him, Chen Mu looked up. After a moment of daze, he hurriedly stood up, nearly spilling his lunch. He managed to hold it steady, wiped his mouth, quickly swallowed the food inside, and said with some surprise, "Teacher Shen?"

"Mm." Shen Lian smiled. "Are you filming here too?"

"Yes, playing a small role."

When he said "small role," his eyes were full of composure, as if he were saying "the weather is nice today." Such a temperament was clear and pure.