18: Big Exposure

For twenty minutes, Shen Lian didn't even lift his head, devouring a large bowl of pickled fish and finishing off all the side dishes Aunt Fen had prepared.

Seeing him swallow the last bite, Chu Yilan said in a deep voice, "Anyone who didn't know better would think there's a famine going on."

"I'm hungry," Shen Lian said, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I haven't eaten all day."

As an adult male, that bit of water and half a fish was basically the same as not eating.

"Weren't you being generous? Giving the corn to the ladies first."

Chu Yilan leaned back in his chair. The overhead light clearly illuminated the scar on his face, and the sharp shadows on his features gave him a somewhat fierce appearance.

But Shen Lian wasn't afraid at all; instead, he asked with a smile, "Did Master Chu watch my livestream?"

Chu Yilan: "..."

"Zheng Ge fell so hard while catching fish. Master Chu didn't feel bad for him, did he?" Shen Lian's voice softened.

Chu Yilan keenly sensed the danger and frowned. "I didn't watch it."

He really hadn't watched it.

Shen Lian knew this man disdained lying, so he immediately felt relieved. His confidence surged as he said, "I thought so. How could Zheng Ge be as good-looking as me?"

Chu Yilan: "..."

Chu Yilan wanted to retort, but it was the truth.

On the variety show's public forum, Shen Lian's popularity and trending status were already at the top. Anti-fans tried to find an ugly photo of him, only to find that every picture posted ended up boosting his popularity.

Was it a joke? Did Shen Lian reach the top tier of the entertainment industry and win the best actor award based on luck? He knew all the tricks of variety shows inside out; as long as the camera was on, it was nearly impossible to catch him looking bad.

Xingtu Entertainment finally recognized Shen Lian's renewed value and wanted to renew his contract, but Shen Lian didn't agree.

Where were they before? When the Original Host was being blacklisted by the entire internet, the Entertainment Company issued a statement saying 'the artist's personal behavior has nothing to do with the company,' helping Zhou Tangsi trample all over the Original Host. Was there any point in staying in such a dump?

Qian Gao, likely acting on instructions from the Entertainment Company's higher-ups, sent some threatening messages to Shen Lian on WeChat, implying that he had nothing now and that if he left the Entertainment Company, it would be too difficult to rise again, so he shouldn't be ungrateful.

Shen Lian's response: I happen to love being ungrateful.

Qian Gao had been dealt with by Feng Yueshan that day and didn't dare to pressure Shen Lian. After getting a definitive answer, he stopped talking.

The Entertainment Company originally wanted to squeeze Shen Lian dry, but now that his reputation had reversed and he wouldn't renew his contract, the Entertainment Company didn't want to give him any more exposure. They clearly wanted to wait for his popularity to die down and watch Shen Lian regret it.

Regret was impossible. Shen Lian was enjoying good food and drinks with Aunt Fen and seeing Chu Yilan every day. He was cultivating their relationship, and his days couldn't be more comfortable.

Even in his past life, after achieving everything, this kind of peace and tranquility was a luxury for Shen Lian.

Standing at the peak meant turbulent waves beneath his feet; when would he have the time to watch falling flowers?

"Master Chu?" Hearing the sound of the door opening at the entrance, Shen Lian poked his head out from the kitchen. "You're back?"

"Mm," Chu Yilan responded flatly. Seeing flour on Shen Lian's face, he asked, "What are you doing?"

"Learning how to make desserts with Aunt Fen," Shen Lian said. "I'll let you try some in a bit."

Chu Yilan: "I'm afraid of being poisoned."

Knowing he was a tsundere who said one thing but felt another, Shen Lian ignored him and put the shaped molds into the oven.

"Leave the rest to me," Aunt Fen said with a smile. "Go on out."

"Sorry to trouble you, Aunt Fen."

Shen Lian returned to the living room and saw Chu Yilan leaning on the sofa with his eyes closed, resting. The man's expression was cold, but there was a hint of fatigue at the corners of his eyes.

When a warm hand touched his temples, Chu Yilan was startled.

"It's me," Shen Lian asked. "Not feeling well?"

"No," Chu Yilan said softly, allowing Shen Lian's movements. "Your contract with the Entertainment Company is about to expire, right?"

"Mm."

"Any plans?"

Shen Lian: "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Chu Yilan gave a light scoff. Shen Lian seemed considerate and sensible, but in reality, except for when he was saying sweet nothings, he never uttered a single word of submission.

In fact, if Shen Lian just mentioned it, given his recent performance, joining Star Opening wouldn't be a problem. If he insisted on being stubborn, then let him be.

"Have the roses withered?" Shen Lian suddenly asked.

He was too close. His breath brushed against the base of Chu Yilan's ear, sending a tingling sensation like an electric shock.

Chu Yilan instinctively wanted to pull away, but the hand on his knee suddenly clenched into a fist as he held back.

Only others avoided him; there was no reason for him to avoid others.

"They've withered. Why?"

Shen Lian chuckled. "I'll give you new ones tomorrow."

Chu Yilan didn't respond.

No rejection meant he liked it.

Shen Lian could always find the hidden awkwardness in Chu Yilan's character through his brief silences.

Others were afraid, but Shen Lian found it cute.

The small cakes Shen Lian made tasted pretty good. After being massaged for over ten minutes, Chu Yilan felt much more refreshed and graced him by trying one.

Aunt Fen was overjoyed.

Lying in bed that night, Shen Lian finally saw the message from Zhu Yingyu.

They had added each other as friends after their first introductions. Zhu Yingyu sent a string of sighing emojis, and Shen Lian replied with a question mark.

The other side immediately showed "typing..."

[Feng Susu invited me to an anime convention and even said she'd help me with my cosplay. Do you think I should go?]

Shen Lian recalled that Feng Susu and Zhu Yingyu had some friction during the recording. [It should be fine. What did your Agent say?]

[It was my Agent who told me to go, saying it's the last wave of hype. It just so happens I've never done this kind of costume and makeup before, so I can make a short video later.]

Shen Lian: [Go.]

Zhu Yingyu: [Why don't you come with me?]

Shen Lian raised an eyebrow slightly and agreed.

Although the company Zhu Yingyu worked for was small, they were very good to their artists. Shen Lian had his own motives; he wanted to see if he could get in touch with some relevant people.

The next day, Shen Lian woke up early, but he still didn't see Chu Yilan. The other man had left half an hour before him.

Shen Lian didn't trouble Jiang You and took a taxi to find Zhu Yingyu.

Zhu Yingyu was backstage putting on makeup, with Feng Susu standing beside her. When Shen Lian pushed the door open, the two women were laughing coquettishly.

Oh?

Zhu Yingyu happily called out, "Shen Lian!" while Feng Susu greeted him somewhat awkwardly. She had made things difficult for Shen Lian to some extent, but that was partly the production team's intention.

Feng Susu seemed to be doing well, but in reality, she had no choice.

Without her needing to say much, Shen Lian nodded to show he understood. It was a minor issue.

Shen Lian found a stool and sat down, looking at the exaggerated costumes on the floor. He had an air of lazy elegance wherever he went. Feng Susu had been too busy dealing with the variety show before to think much of it, but now she kept glancing at Shen Lian.

Shen Lian looked up. "Is there something on my face?"

Feng Susu shook her head. "No, but you look like a flower."

Shen Lian: "?"

Today, Feng Susu was cosplaying a character from an anime. One of the highly popular characters was named "Snake Flower," who was enchantingly beautiful, always charming, and always had eyes full of affection. This character was very demanding regarding looks and height. In the past, every time someone cosplayed him, they would be criticized. Over time, no one was willing to do it anymore.

But seeing Shen Lian, Feng Susu had an idea.

Shen Lian narrowed his eyes. "Don't even think about it!"

Feng Susu had a rare moment of inspiration. "The exposure will be huge!"

Shen Lian: "..."

Ten minutes later, Shen Lian was pressed down in front of a makeup mirror. Three makeup artists surrounded him, their eyes lighting up at the sight of such a face.

Shen Lian sighed. How did things end up like this?

But since he had accepted, relying on his incredible professional standards, Shen Lian asked for Feng Susu's iPad and patiently went through the materials related to "Snake Flower."

Just like interpreting a character for a movie, this step was essential.

"Snake Flower" had purple robes and white hair, with small silver snakes extending outward from both sides of his head. As the Snake King, his crown was quite complex and exquisite. The key was the robes; being too fat wouldn't show off his slender and elegant figure, while being too thin wouldn't fill them out.

Once the waistband was buckled, Shen Lian turned around, his arms slightly open, a soft and gentle smile floating in his affectionate eyes.

In just an instant, it was as if Snake Flower had suddenly come to life!

Shen Lian asked, "Will this do?"

Feng Susu's nose tingled. "Daddy!"

Shen Lian said with disgust, "Why do you all love calling me daddy?"

On this day, the usually quiet cosplay forums, Tieba, and Social Media Platform all exploded.

Snake Flower was already a character that had broken into the mainstream, with enduringly high popularity. Fans had even reached the point where they refused to see cosplays of him because real people couldn't portray him properly, and they felt their white moonlight was being defiled.

Shen Lian let the cameras crowd around him. He hadn't acted in a long time and was in high spirits, so he sincerely used his eyes and body language to present Snake Flower.

It was almost a perfect one-to-one recreation.

A Young Girl in a pink cosplay outfit rushed up to Shen Lian, her excitement making her incoherent. She was a young reporter and actually wanted to ask Shen Lian questions, but in a moment of brain fog, she handed the microphone to Shen Lian first.

So, Shen Lian parted his thin lips and recited Snake Flower's classic line.

"How can snake venom compare to the human heart?"

"If you keep looking at me like that, I'm afraid it won't be long before you fall in love with me."

"Ahhh!!!" Screams erupted all around.

"Snake Flower! My Snake Flower!"

When Yang Bin returned with Chu Yilan after a meeting, he saw the female special assistant holding her phone and screaming at the door.