52: Wrap-up celebration banquet

Shen Lian glanced at Zheng Ge, then looked away and turned to find Director Dai.

Dai Tong had already been forced to drink two rounds, and he was feeling a bit tipsy. His voice had unconsciously grown louder. He pulled Shen Lian over, slapped him heavily on the shoulder, and introduced him to the people around them, "This is the biggest surprise I've had since we started filming. You'll understand once 'Li Kuan' appears."

Shen Lian smiled humbly and toasted the producers, screenwriters, and investors present.

Under the lights, the young man lowered his head, his lips touching the rim of the glass. With his eyelashes cast downward, he looked like a beautiful glass sculpture.

"Director Dai." Zheng Ge's voice rang out from behind.

As the lead actor, he was naturally the center of attention, not to mention Zhou Tangsi paving the way and finding resources for him.

But the scene at this moment was somewhat subtle.

In the past, the timid and insecure Shen Lian, standing beside the radiant Zheng Ge, wouldn't even have been able to lift his head and would have had to retreat in solitude amidst a chorus of congratulations that didn't belong to him.

But now, no matter who looked at him, they felt that Shen Lian was far too dazzling.

Sensing the profound gazes of the crowd, Zheng Ge pursed his lips slightly.

"Director Dai, you guys go ahead and talk. I'm going to go check on Consort Huang and the others." Shen Lian didn't engage with Zheng Ge and found an excuse to slip away.

Just kidding. Zhou Tangsi might appear the next second, and if that delusional man saw him standing with his precious Zheng Ge, who knows what kind of fit he would throw.

Shen Lian was unaware of the incident in Lin City where Zheng Ge had asked Chu Yilan for help, so Zheng Ge's internal journey was far more dramatic than he imagined.

"Mr. Zheng, CEO Chu said that from now on, you don't need to send him any more messages. This is the last time I will answer your call. I wish you a smooth career and great success. Goodbye."

These words from Secretary Cui hit Zheng Ge's ears like a thunderclap on a clear day.

In fact, Zheng Ge could feel that something was slipping away, spinning out of control. The only thing he could pinpoint was Chu Yilan's attitude—first blocking his contact information, and now, refusing to help with even the smallest favors, clearly drawing a line in the sand.

Zheng Ge admitted that he felt somewhat uncomfortable.

After all, in Zheng Ge's perception, Chu Yilan might hesitate regarding any request he made, but he would never refuse.

And many people in Zhou Tangsi's circle were saying that Shen Lian was now with Chu Yilan.

Dai Kangle had also warned him over the phone not long ago, "CEO Chu seems to have truly fallen for Shen Lian. I saw it with my own eyes!"

Zheng Ge's mind felt numb at the time, and he replied, "Maybe he's doing it just to show me."

"You weren't even there, why would he do it to show you?" Dai Kangle thought Zheng Ge was being overly confident. "Forget it. Anyway, your real boyfriend is Zhou Tangsi, I'm just telling you. But it would be best to keep Chu Yilan around; after all, most of these rich people have no heart. What do you think?"

Zheng Ge hung up the phone in frustration.

Following that was the incident where Shen Lian saved someone and trended on social media, along with fans controlling the narrative, which led to Zheng Ge being berated by passersby for a long time, calling him an "ugly vase" and "love-brained."

Adding it all up, everything couldn't escape the name "Shen Lian."

Even at today's wrap party, Shen Lian had to steal the spotlight.

Zheng Ge once thought that he would never take Shen Lian to heart again. Back during the talent show… the days when that person was shrouded in brilliance were already over. Under Zhou Tangsi's constant torture and suppression, Shen Lian had lost his original pride. Now, the one standing in the spotlight was himself.

Looking at Shen Lian mired in the mud, Zheng Ge couldn't help but feel some sympathy, but this sympathy was built upon schadenfreude.

Those halos describing gentleness and goodness were constantly placed upon him, and over time, Zheng Ge came to believe he was that kind of person.

But in reality, even the slightest sign of Shen Lian trying to stand up made him lose sleep and appetite.

Zheng Ge was in a bad mood, and no matter how Zhou Tangsi coaxed him, it was useless. The last time, Zhou Tangsi lost his patience. Not knowing what Zheng Ge was thinking, he blurted out, "If it were Yilan, he would definitely listen to me finish."

Zheng Ge regretted it immediately, but it was too late. Zhou Tangsi's expression changed on the spot, and he slammed the door and left.

And then the two of them had been in a cold war until today.

Regardless of everything, Zheng Ge felt that the current situation was absolutely terrible.

Shen Lian was huddled among the actresses, eating; he had already polished off four small cakes. Huang Jiacan couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you going to drink?"

"No," Shen Lian shook his head. "When I get drunk, I like to take advantage of people."

Huang Jiacan laughed. "Who could you possibly take advantage of?"

Shen Lian let out a scoff.

By the time Shen Lian started clearing out the fruit platter, Wei Fanchen arrived late.

Wei Fanchen looked miserable, even more miserable than Zheng Ge. Since filming started, he had been chewed out by Director Dai, and when he performed poorly, he was chewed out by his Agent. Without Shen Lian to act as a foil, he had no excuse to get close to Zhou Tangsi, and his resources were being blocked. He was truly a loser.

Seeing Shen Lian, Wei Fanchen wanted to roll his eyes to the heavens.

Huang Jiacan: "Is he sick in the head?"

"Don't worry about him," Shen Lian said with a smile. "It's a good thing that seeing me makes him uncomfortable. If I let someone I hate have a good time, that would be my incompetence."

Huang Jiacan admired this mindset of Shen Lian's.

Halfway through, the entire main cast had to go up to toast, and Shen Lian didn't run away.

He and Huang Jiacan had spent ten minutes beforehand mixing champagne, fruit beer, and some kind of low-alcohol cocktail in a specific ratio. The scent that wafted up was surprisingly very close to baijiu.

Huang Jiacan was shocked at the time.

Shen Lian shared half with her and whispered, "Drink it without worry, don't be afraid. This stuff won't get you drunk."

Huang Jiacan: "Where did you learn this?"

"Just messed around with it when I was bored," Shen Lian replied. In his past life, during his busiest times, he drank until he couldn't tell north from south. If he hadn't thought of some tricks, he would have ended up in the hospital with a perforated stomach.

There are always more solutions than problems. Shen Lian took a sip with a smile; it was actually quite sweet.

A business partner clinked glasses with Huang Jiacan. Unexpectedly, Huang Jiacan drank it all in one go and turned her glass upside down to show not a drop remained, signaling that he shouldn't "keep fish" (leave leftovers) either.

The other party hurriedly poured half a glass of white liquor to keep her company, praising Huang Jiacan as a heroine among women while looking like he was about to vomit his heart and liver out. After dealing with him, Huang Jiacan cast a grateful look at Shen Lian, thinking that she had to get the recipe later!

Regardless, after all the fuss, it was inevitable that the main cast ended up sitting together.

According to their standing, Zheng Ge sat in the middle with Huang Jiacan beside him. Shen Lian was on the right side of the sofa; he didn't talk to anyone and just listened quietly, occasionally picking up a couple of melon seeds to eat.

Shen Lian was right; the more he acted like this, the more uncomfortable Wei Fanchen and Zheng Ge felt.

In the past, because of Wei Fanchen's intentions, Zheng Ge had been two parts wary of him. Now, however, the two of them had somehow formed a united front.

"Hey Zheng Ge, that CEO Chu, hasn't he contacted you lately?" Wei Fanchen lowered his voice, full of mockery.

Zheng Ge's expression changed slightly, annoyed that this person was bringing up sensitive topics. But the next second, seeing Shen Lian and thinking of those rumors, Zheng Ge suddenly changed his mind.

"He doesn't contact me anymore," Zheng Ge said. "My Zhou Tangsi is the jealous type."

Some who knew the inside story started to jeer, indicating that this was quite the display of public affection.

Shen Lian sipped his tea unhurriedly; in any case, he wasn't the one eating this dog food.