36: They broke my leg if I showed it to others.

Sun Binghe didn't show his face. For one, Shen Lian could handle it; for another, he had met Zhou Tangsi in business circles before.

Mr. Shen was right; the Boss probably didn't want him to be exposed prematurely.

Shen Lian was still very angry when he returned to his room, until Chu Yilan replied to his message: [Don't send photos next time. If you have the guts, strike this pose in front of me.]

Shen Lian was amused, thinking, 'Then just consider me gutless.'

Shen Lian was fine with being a bit flirtatious over the phone, but how far had they actually progressed? Doing that would be too fast.

Shen Lian also emphasized: [I've only shown it to you alone.]

Chu Yilan snorted softly. I'll break your legs if you show them to anyone else.

He was also coaxing Shen Lian, seeing that Zhou Tangsi's sudden outburst had made Shen Lian very unhappy.

And Zhou Tangsi really did start looking for people to kick Shen Lian out after he went back.

As a result, as the message passed through the ranks, the answer he got was: No.

Not only did the investors say no, but Dai Tong wouldn't agree either.

The character 'Li Kuan' had almost come to life in Shen Lian's hands, and he performed it exceptionally well. Dai Tong could already imagine the wave it would cause after its release. This was a highlight and a guarantee of reputation. Why would he replace him just because Zhou Tangsi asked? Although Dai Tong had bowed to investment over the past two years, you couldn't just throw money in his face.

Anyway, after two days of fussing, the atmosphere on set remained strange for two days. Shen Lian continued filming as usual, and Director Dai showed no intention of letting Shen Lian stop.

Wei Fanchen originally had a wait-and-see attitude, even planning how to ridicule Shen Lian—after all, Shen Lian had cursed him out quite harshly that night—but in the end, nothing happened.

Because of this, Wei Fanchen didn't give up and went to Dai Tong to probe for information, only to be sternly rebuked: "Why are you asking about this? What does it have to do with your filming? Can you even handle the role of the Duke's Heir? If not, we'll replace you!"

Shen Lian privately asked Sun Binghe: "Did Master Chu take action?"

"Probably," Sun Binghe replied. "Aside from everything else, the Boss and Zhou Tangsi have always been at odds. Of course, it has nothing to do with Zheng Ge. You're the Boss's person now; how could he let Zhou Tangsi call the shots?"

Shen Lian hummed softly. In his previous life, he was the backer and connection for others; in this life, being protected by the big villain... honestly, it felt pretty good.

"You're saying it was Brother Yilan's idea? How is that possible?"

Zheng Ge was very skeptical when he heard this news from Zhou Tangsi.

Zhou Tangsi's tone on the other end of the phone was displeased: "Xiao Ge, I remember telling you not to call Chu Yilan so affectionately."

Zheng Ge quickly explained: "Oh, don't be so petty. He helped me so much before, and even got disfigured for my sake..."

"Then why didn't you choose him?" Zhou Tangsi interrupted.

Zheng Ge was furious. "Zhou Tangsi, you bastard!"

The cliché jealousy drama. Usually, at this point, a cannon fodder would be needed. In the past, with one call from Zhou Tangsi, Shen Lian would rush over. The news would reach Zheng Ge, followed by a 'he chases, he escapes' plotline. Zheng Ge might even find Chu Yilan in his grief and drag him down with them.

As it turned out, Chu Yilan had blocked Zheng Ge, and Shen Lian had long since stopped contacting Zhou Tangsi.

Their resentment suddenly lacked an outlet, leaving both of them feeling a bit frustrated.

Shen Lian was unaware of this; his scenes were almost finished.

Even though Director Dai added scenes for Shen Lian, his progress bar moved very quickly.

During this time, he focused on filming, leaving the Social Media Platform to be managed by Hu Kailan.

There wasn't much going on this afternoon. Shen Lian was resting when he received a call from Hu Kailan: "Take a photo and send it to me."

"Hmm?"

"Business," Hu Kailan said. "Fan feedback hasn't been that bad lately, and the hype from the cosplay has died down. We need something new."

Shen Lian was still groggy, but he sat up after responding.

The sunlight coming through the window was just right. His hair was messy, yet he looked lazy and gentle. With his eyes half-squinted, Shen Lian finished snapping a bunch of selfies and sent them all to Hu Kailan before falling back asleep.

Hu Kailan was momentarily stunned when he saw the photos, then marveled at how much Shen Lian's aesthetic had improved. This look of a sleepy summer cat was exactly what female fans loved most.

In reality, he just hadn't fully woken up.

[Shen Lian's skin seems to be getting better and better...]

[Who said before that he was all makeup and styling? Damn this confident front camera, I can even see the pores on his face.]

[No editing at all, verified.]

[To be fair, setting aside his past history of seeking death, this face is indeed rarely matched in the industry.]

To accommodate that idiot Wei Fanchen, Shen Lian stayed with the crew for an extra week after his scenes were finished.

However, it wasn't boring. He flirted with Chu Yilan at night and taught Huang Jiacan tips for action scenes during the day. After a few rounds, Huang Jiacan had gained quite a bit of confidence.

"I feel like I'm terrifyingly strong now." Huang Jiacan waved her hand: "No stunt double for this part!"

As a result, while suspended on wires and under Shen Lian's direction, she actually completed a set of moves quite decently. Even Dai Tong praised her as he passed by: "Beautiful!"

Huang Jiacan was overjoyed, and after coming down, she excitedly punched Shen Lian's shoulder with her small fists.

Finally, the day of wrapping up arrived. Shen Lian put on the clothes of 'Li Kuan' for the last time, and the whole crew took a group photo.

Huang Jiacan and a few of her friends no longer hid it, dragging Shen Lian over to use him as a background for a flurry of photos. This face looked good in every shot; just looking at it made one feel better.

"Teacher Shen, someone is looking for you outside," a staff member reminded him.

Now that there was no "curfew," Shen Lian responded, made a peace sign for the last selfie lens, then rushed out of the crowd, tossed his hat on the table, and strolled out.

Shen Lian thought it was Hu Kailan or Jiang You.

When he saw the familiar black car behind the tree, Shen Lian's heart suddenly raced.

He raised a hand to rub his nose. Heh, he was a little shy.

That said, Shen Lian still strode forward.

As soon as he approached, the car door opened a crack. Shen Lian pulled it open and looked inside, locking eyes with Chu Yilan's deep gaze. The driver was sensible and had already raised the partition.

Something was suddenly ignited, sweeping through his entire body.

Chu Yilan was also sizing up Shen Lian. The Flying Fish Robe often mentioned in TV dramas fit Shen Lian perfectly—neither too long nor too short, fully showcasing the advantages of his stature.

Chu Yilan said in a low voice, "Get in."

Shen Lian pounced inside and slammed the car door shut in one smooth motion.

Neither of them wasted a single word.

Chu Yilan reached out to grab Shen Lian's waist, letting him adjust his position to sit on his lap. It wasn't an exaggeration; both adult men seemed famished, doing their best to deprive each other of the air between their lips and teeth. Low, ambiguous sounds echoed; they had been enduring this for over half a month.

If Shen Lian hadn't kissed Chu Yilan back then, Chu Yilan might have been able to endure it. Now, forget about enduring—especially with Shen Lian, who was seeking death by bombarding him daily with video calls, phone calls, and photos, making his flirtatiousness crystal clear.

Chu Yilan had a cold personality, but he wasn't freaking asexual. He held Shen Lian down and kissed him; the phone rang four or five times, but neither of them paid it any mind.

Finally, the heat died down. Chu Yilan and Shen Lian lightly pecked at each other's noses and lips. Chu Yilan's voice was raspy and impatient: "Who is it?"

Shen Lian took out his phone to look: "Director Dai."

The next second, his voice rose: "We've been kissing for an hour?!"

No way, it only felt like a few minutes to him.

Shen Lian comforted Chu Yilan a couple of times, told him to wait a bit longer, then rushed back to the set at lightning speed.