4: I want to take care of you.

Two minutes later, Shen Lian naturally stood at the entrance changing his shoes.

Chu Yilan stood to the side, stiffly holding the roses.

Finally, Chu Yilan spoke up and asked, "Where did you go?"

"Working," Shen Lian replied. "I passed out from the fever yesterday and missed a commercial shoot. The Agent called today and nearly tore me a new one."

Chu Yilan snorted coldly. "In such a hurry to make money?"

He hadn't had Shen Lian blacklisted yet, so there was no need to save up for contract termination fees.

"I'm not making any money," Shen Lian sighed. "I'm working for free."

Seeing Chu Yilan frown slightly, Shen Lian explained, "Aren't I about to terminate my contract with the Entertainment Company? They're desperate to squeeze me like a sponge. There's a ton of work, but the pay is pitifully low. After buying flowers for you today, I only have 880 left in my bank account."

After saying it, Shen Lian felt it was inappropriate. If a man can't make money, what face does he have left?

So Shen Lian quickly tried to make up for it: "But don't worry, I know the entertainment industry well. There will definitely be opportunities. Next time, I'll buy you an even bigger bouquet of roses."

As Chu Yilan listened, his heart felt an unexpected thud.

No one had ever said such things to him before.

"Is there any food?" Shen Lian asked. "I'm so hungry."

Chu Yilan called for Aunt Fen.

The stew Aunt Fen made was incredibly fragrant. After eating and drinking his fill, while Aunt Fen went to the kitchen to clean up, Shen Lian had something to discuss with Chu Yilan.

"Um, Master Chu, since you brought me back, I might as well stay here for a while."

Chu Yilan lifted his eyelids. "What is your face made of?"

Shen Lian chuckled. "Mainly because I have nowhere else to go. I can pay rent."

Chu Yilan: "Pay with what? This bouquet of roses? Or your 880?"

"Don't be like that, Master Chu. Trust me," Shen Lian said. "In three months at most, I'll be able to make a lot of money."

Chu Yilan just assumed Shen Lian was talking nonsense.

His gaze then fell on the roses by his hand. Chu Yilan hadn't received many flowers in his life and didn't even like them, but this time, Shen Lian seemed to have filled a small gap in his heart.

Chu Yilan was the type to seek revenge for even the smallest grievance, but he also wouldn't forget even the slightest kindness.

Forget it; if he let him go, the guy would just starve to death anyway.

"You like them that much?" Shen Lian's eyes lit up. "Then I'll give them to you every day from now on."

Chu Yilan said with a cold face, "Say one more word and get out."

Shen Lian's smile grew even wider. The so-called villain was actually quite easy to please, which Shen Lian found incredibly cute.

I'll give them! A sea of flowers in the future! Massive fields of them!

That night, before going to sleep, Shen Lian received a call from the Agent.

Seeing the name Qian Gao, he smiled as expected.

Those three hours today weren't spent in vain.

Qian Gao originally thought Zhao Ban would tear Shen Lian to shreds; not only had he stood them up all day, but his talent was also poor.

To his complete surprise, the advertiser called in the evening, full of praise for the final cut, and even complimented Shen Lian's looks and screen presence.

One partner even made inquiries on the side, hinting at wanting to have dinner with Shen Lian.

This forced Qian Gao to re-evaluate Shen Lian's worth.

Qian Gao currently had two variety shows on hand, both with mediocre ratings, so he urgently needed a highly controversial topic or a sacrificial lamb.

Qian Gao thought of the internet-wide hate campaign Shen Lian had faced recently; the buzz was still there, and a plan formed in his mind.

Qian Gao scheduled a meeting for the next day, and Shen Lian readily agreed.

Shen Lian's bedroom was right next to Chu Yilan's. Aunt Fen was on the first floor and rarely came up.

Before taking a shower, Shen Lian felt a slight dizziness. He paused for a few seconds but didn't take it seriously at all.

But as soon as the hot water hit him and he started applying body wash, something felt wrong. His ears were buzzing. Shen Lian suddenly remembered that the Original Host had heart disease. Terrified and trembling, he pulled on his pants and ran out.

As it turned out, even the best make mistakes—he had overestimated this body.

Shen Lian performed a flat-ground trip right at the bathroom door. His ankle even banged against the sliding door, and he immediately hissed in pain.

A few seconds later, Shen Lian heard someone knocking on the door.

When he had come in, the door was only slightly ajar because he had intended to go out later for some water.

Immediately after, the person outside ran out of patience and pushed the door open.

Chu Yilan had just come out of the study and happened to be passing by.

Shen Lian was in a white T-shirt and boxers. The moment Chu Yilan saw him, his eyes darkened because Shen Lian was wearing his clothes.

It couldn't be helped; Shen Lian hadn't had time to move his luggage in yet. He'd mentioned it to Aunt Fen before bed, and she immediately found a few items from a small room that Chu Yilan hadn't worn in ages.

"After Xiao Lan took over the company, he refused to wear these childish clothes anymore. They're basically new; you don't mind, do you?"

Of course, Shen Lian didn't mind.

Right now, Shen Lian was sitting on the floor. His fair ankle was swollen, the skin was scraped, and blood was seeping out.

Chu Yilan really wanted to ask, "Are you a pig?"

But he held back when he saw Shen Lian's noticeably pale lips.

Chu Yilan stepped forward with a frown, asking as he helped Shen Lian up, "How did you fall?"

"Probably low blood sugar." Shen Lian wasn't sure either, but saying something like heart disease sounded too dramatic. He'd find time to go to the hospital for a check-up later.

Chu Yilan wasn't satisfied with this answer: "It's your own body, and you don't even know?"

Shen Lian smiled. "I've just been too busy lately."

Chu Yilan replied, "Then you can stop working."

Shen Lian couldn't help but stop and turn to look at Chu Yilan.

This sounded... interesting.

Chu Yilan, not understanding, raised an eyebrow.

Someone who is too aggressive, no matter how outstanding they are, is always feared. Chu Yilan was a prime example; his features were always sharp and cold, but Shen Lian wasn't afraid.

"Don't look at me like that," Shen Lian whispered.

The warmth in Chu Yilan's hand suddenly went cold. The scar on his face... "I'm a total pervert; you're so handsome I really can't control myself."

Chu Yilan: "..."

He really wanted to find some tape to seal Shen Lian's mouth shut.

Where did he learn to say these things? One after another.

Chu Yilan brought the medical kit. Shen Lian didn't dare actually let him do it, so he hurriedly said, "I'll do it myself."

Chu Yilan stood to the side, and the words on the tip of his tongue were suddenly forgotten.

Under the bright light, he saw that the skin on Shen Lian's ankle was like white porcelain, and the oversized T-shirt and shorts made the young man's waist look even slimmer.

Shen Lian dabbed on some iodine; when it hurt, he just frowned slightly without making a sound.

Once Shen Lian had packed up the medical kit, Chu Yilan said in a low voice, "If the work is too tiring, you don't have to do it."

Shen Lian looked up and found that Chu Yilan's expression held a hint of seriousness.

The meaning of this was very clear.

Chu Yilan could support Shen Lian, but the reason for doing so was rather intriguing.

A test? Revenge? Both seemed plausible.

Shen Lian also knew that Chu Yilan wouldn't reconcile with him so easily. Once he agreed, he would become a bird kept in a cage by Chu Yilan—at least, that's how the outside world would see it.

If Chu Yilan were even more ruthless, he could wait for Shen Lian to fall in love with him and then kick him away—a truly heart-wrenching move.

But deeper down, Shen Lian could still sense a tiny bit of compromise.

He suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for him.

Chu Yilan hated warmth, yet he unconsciously yearned for it.

Because of a single "I like you" that didn't mind the scar on his face, and because of that bouquet of roses, Chu Yilan was willing to give Shen Lian a chance.

Even if this chance was only one-time, and one wrong move would wake a beast and lead to eternal damnation, Shen Lian still felt for him.

"No way," Shen Lian said, his face beaming with joy. "Master Chu, the work isn't tiring. I want to make money because I want to support you."

Chu Yilan: "..." I shouldn't have even bothered asking.