3: Rose

Given the Original Host's current notorious reputation, there was certainly no company van to pick him up, not even an assistant.

Following the address on his phone, Shen Lian took a taxi.

To prevent being recognized and having banana peels thrown at him, he still wore a mask. However, the pair of eyes revealed were exceptionally beautiful and delicate, making the driver unable to resist stealing several glances.

Filming an advertisement was as simple as drinking soup for Shen Lian. He planned to finish it quickly and return to Chu Yilan's place.

Arriving at the filming site, staff members were rushing back and forth. Shen Lian caught one, took off his mask, and asked, "Hello, excuse me, which filming hall should I go to?"

The Young Girl was stunned, speechless for a long moment by the sudden sight of such peerless beauty. Gradually, she felt the person in front of her looked a bit familiar... "...Shen Lian?"

"Yes."

Young Girl: "..."

She had seen Shen Lian before. When the Agent brought the youth to the filming site, he would lower his head and hunch his shoulders, his expression carrying a somewhat pitiful fawning. He was nothing like he was now, where it felt like even the sunlight wasn't as dazzling as him.

The Young Girl's heart softened, and she said, "I'll take you there."

Shen Lian curled his lips into a smile. "Thanks a lot!"

On the way, the Young Girl couldn't help but remind him, "You didn't show up yesterday, and the great photographer Zhao Ban was furious."

"Mm-hmm," Shen Lian replied. "I had a fever yesterday and couldn't get up."

The sympathy in the Young Girl's eyes deepened.

Everyone knew Shen Lian was about to be abandoned by the company, so they were in a hurry to squeeze out his last bit of value. As a result, he had endless work every day; even an iron man wouldn't be able to handle it.

"We're here." The Young Girl led him to the entrance of Studio 3.

Shen Lian expressed his gratitude once again.

As soon as he entered the studio, he heard a mocking and playful voice. "The great star Shen Lian finally deigned to show up?"

Honestly, working with a noob was a real mood-killer, but Shen Lian was cheap. After the split between the two companies, it was basically like getting him for free.

Shen Lian stood at the door, looking at the photographer Zhao Ban with a humble and respectful attitude. "I'm sorry for breaking the appointment yesterday. I'll follow your arrangements today; we can shoot however you like."

Zhao Ban was stunned.

Then, taking a closer look, Zhao Ban realized that although the other party was just wearing simple black pants and a white shirt with casually styled hair, his expression was lazy. No matter how much he restrained his emotions, pride emanated from his features, instantly matching the feeling Zhao Ban wanted.

This Shen Lian... how did he seem like a completely different person?

Zhao Ban was someone who prioritized "feeling." He immediately called the staff to start working.

To his great surprise, Shen Lian's sense of the camera was excellent... The youth took advantage of his 1.8-meter height; although he was on the lean side, his proportions were well-balanced. His waistline was clearly revealed through the folds of his clothes during his movements, and his beautiful face carried an aura of ease and mastery.

Zhao Ban pursed his lips and gestured for Shen Lian to change his pose. He didn't even have to explain in detail before Shen Lian adjusted to exactly what he wanted.

The youth gave a faint smile—three parts flirtatious and seven parts distant. It drew people in to look, yet they dared not approach or offend.

Zhao Ban got into the zone and instinctively sought perfection. Frowning, he said, "Not seductive enough."

But the advertiser required this specific outfit—a common style of black shirt. There wasn't much room for maneuver.

Shen Lian nodded upon hearing this, indicating he understood.

Zhao Ban: "?"

Shen Lian scanned the surroundings, his eyes lighting up slightly. He walked quickly to a table, pulled out a red rose from a vase, and then poured half a bottle of water all over his chest.

Zhao Ban: "??"

After doing these, Shen Lian turned to look at Zhao Ban. He still had that relaxed and free demeanor, but his eyes instantly carried a hook.

Zhao Ban: "???"

Shen Lian sat on a chair, his legs positioned casually, playing with the rose in his hand.

It was just an improvisation. In his past life, Shen Lian was the darling of every lens; he knew exactly what those photographers liked.

With a wet chest, Shen Lian looked lazy and decadent, like a rose blooming to its limit in the dark night, about to wither yet overflowing with fragrance.

It felt as if with a hard squeeze, thick and beautiful juice would overflow into one's palm.

It was a scalp-tingling sexual tension.

As Zhao Ban pressed the shutter, he only felt his mouth go dry.

Meanwhile, the entire studio had fallen silent at some point. Everyone stopped their work and stared intently at Shen Lian.

He was used to it. Shen Lian was very calm; after all, every laurel placed on his head in his previous life was earned through solid achievements. The Original Host had the same face as him, so there was no reason to lose.

Zhao Ban originally felt that taking even one extra photo of Shen Lian was a waste. Now, his entire camera was full of him. A task planned to end in an hour was stubbornly stretched into three hours of shooting.

He couldn't help it; he was just too good-looking.

Shen Lian had come out in the afternoon, and now it was sunset.

When the shoot ended, Zhao Ban spoke much more politely. "Teacher Shen, you're really a hidden gem."

Shen Lian didn't argue. "The company previously required a certain persona, so there was no choice."

Zhao Ban showed an expression of sudden realization. So that was it. Then Shen Lian's company... was quite lacking in vision.

After finishing the follow-up work, Shen Lian took a taxi back the way he came.

Now that he was free, Shen Lian had time to think about Chu Yilan.

The more he thought, the more elated he became.

That's right, he was attracted by looks, he lusted after Chu Yilan's body, he was base.

But realistically, after being single for twenty-eight years, suddenly encountering a crush he liked—the feeling of magnificent fireworks exploding before his eyes—was a rare experience for Shen Lian.

Shen Lian was a person with very low desires because he had everything in his past life. But now that he had someone on his mind, he seemed to have suddenly turned back into a young lad, with his heart fluttering like a trapped bird.

As for the mess left by the Original Host... Shen Lian didn't think it was that bad.

He was the kind of person who, as fans put it, was "stubborn" and "tough." Of the many who once wanted Shen Lian dead, not one could out-compete or outlast him.

While he was unconscious yesterday, Shen Lian had gone through all the plot points of the book again.

There wasn't much of substance; the whole thing was about the emotional tug-of-war between Zhou Tangsi and Zheng Ge. The Original Host was cannon fodder who died after appearing only a few times.

On the contrary, Chu Yilan suffered quite a bit in the later stages, which made Shen Lian somewhat unhappy.

Chu Yilan's parents died early, so he hadn't experienced much familial affection. Zheng Ge's sentence, "I'll be your family from now on," broke through his psychological defenses.

But Zheng Ge treated Chu Yilan entirely as a backup. The so-called thrilling love between the protagonists trampled over other people's lives and sacrifices.

Shen Lian disliked it very much.

"Wait," Shen Lian suddenly spoke up. "Driver, please pull over for a moment. Three minutes, I'll add ten yuan."

The driver naturally had no objection.

After getting out of the car, Shen Lian jogged to a flower shop and bought a bouquet of red roses.

Whoever he liked, he was willing to coax and pamper.

By the time Shen Lian returned to Chu Yilan's villa, it was already dark.

Humming a song, he stepped up the stairs. Unexpectedly, before he could ring the bell, the door opened.

Chu Yilan stood at the door, his whole body radiating a hostile aura.

Shen Lian blinked. What was going on?

Chu Yilan had brought Shen Lian home not just because of some inexplicable reasons, but also with the mindset of watching a show.

It was like suddenly finding a plaything that acted spoiled and foolish when bored; he wanted to see just how far the other party could go.

But when Chu Yilan got home today and didn't see anyone, anger began to boil in his chest.

Playing him?

Chu Yilan suddenly reached out and grabbed Shen Lian's collar.

Because of his position, Shen Lian lunged forward abruptly, nearly kneeling on the steps.

Chu Yilan's strength was too great; he was practically lifting him. The man's sharp features looked like a cold, glinting blade in the night.

"You already ran away, so why did you come back?" Chu Yilan's eyes were full of mockery. "What, Zhou Tangsi won't help you, and you're worried I'll retaliate, so you came back with your tail between your legs..."

Before he could finish, a bouquet of roses was thrust in front of him.

Immediately after, an even more stunning face appeared from behind the roses. Shen Lian said with a smile, "I didn't run away. I bought these specifically for you. Do you like them?"

Hit by a sugar-coated shell right in the face, Chu Yilan's anger was kicked out in an instant. He truly hadn't reacted yet.

"Where would I go?" Shen Lian didn't seem to mind Chu Yilan's brutality at all, saying with a hint of comfort, "It's my fault. I forgot to ask Aunt Fen to leave a message for you. I thought I'd be back sooner."

Chu Yilan was a person who deeply lacked a sense of security and detested deception.

Shen Lian smoothed his fur. "If you still don't believe me, then how about a kiss?"

He lightly puckered his lips and leaned in. Chu Yilan, having never experienced this, felt his ears burn and hurriedly pushed him away.