Category: Film Empress’s Daily Face Slapping

Playing Mahjong

Looking at her mom’s face full of suspicions, Su Shen blinked and plucked up the courage to say, “He… He’s my boyfriend.”

As soon as her words fell, Mama Su’s eyes opened wide, and she immediately looked toward the sofa. She could only see his side profile, but his appearance did not seem bad. As she was about to walk a bit forward, she walked a few steps back as she thought of something and angrily dragged Su Shen to the kitchen with a scowl. 

As soon as the kitchen door closed, she looked outside with a frown. “When did you suddenly get a boyfriend? You’re not lying to us, right?”

Isn’t it often seen on TV that the female lead would find someone to pretend as her boyfriend to deceive her parents?

Su Shen was shocked by her mom’s imagination, so she could only answer honestly, “His name is Xie Yan, and he’s also in the entertainment industry. But, he’s different from others. He doesn’t even film kiss scenes. He’s absolutely different from the people in the entertainment industry you thought of.”

Xie Yan?

The name sounded familiar to her. Frowning, Mama Su stared at her. She suddenly remembered that on Chinese New Year’s Eve, this Xie Yan had called Su Shen. So these two had kept it a secret until now!

“Hmph! He’s great just because you said so? You naive girls are the best to deceive!” Mama Su snorted. Knowing that she still had two dishes to make, she glanced at Su Shen again and said, “Get out quickly! I’ll go and take a look at your sudden boyfriend later!”

Seeing how angry her mom was, Su Shen was a little scared, so she slowly opened the kitchen door and walked out. When she walked towards the sofa with hot tea, she saw that her dad, Xie Yan, and several relatives were playing mahjong!

It seemed like they were playing big just by the lofty amount of cash on the table. Her uncle was frowning, and it seemed that he had lost a lot, while her dad was just smiling and couldn’t tell whether he lost or won.

Su Shen walked over and placed the tea cups on the stool beside everyone. She then pulled a stool and sat next to Xie Yan. Looking at his hand, he was one tile away from winning, but there already appeared two tiles of one dots*, and it wasn’t certain that there would be more in the wall*. 

dots – in Chinese or Japanese mahjong, the standard set of tiles for Mahjong has 36 Dots/Circle, 36 Bamboos, and 36 Characters, numbered from 1 – 9

wall – in Mahjong, the wall is the stack of tiles stacked in front of every player, usually in two rolls on top of each other, waiting to be drawn by each player to create a winning hand

“This tile can’t be thrown. If I throw it, you guys will win.” Her uncle deliberately showed everyone a glimpse of his tile and then proceeded to see if the other three’s expressions changed or not. 

It was a one of bamboos and hadn’t appeared on the table before. No wonder her uncle didn’t dare to throw it. However, the other three people’s expressions remained unchanged, and sat there without saying anything. Seeing this, her uncle pressed his luck and threw the tile out!

“Pong*!”

Pong – three identical tiles, if you have two of the same tiles and another player throws away the same tile onto the table, you can pong it, which helps you get closer to winning

Her brother-in-law immediately turned over two one of bamboos, and her uncle also breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that no one ron* him.

ron – the call when the winning tile is discarded by another player

However, when it was her brother-in-law’s turn to throw out a tile, he also hesitated for a bit before suddenly throwing out a one of dots. 

Just as Su Shen wanted to say something, she saw her dad turning over his hand suddenly. “Ron!”

According to the order, it should be Xie Yan who won, and her dad wouldn’t be able to. However, Su Shen didn’t say anything, and Xie Yan also just calmly mixed and shuffled his tiles with the other tiles on the table, as if nothing had happened. 

Her brother-in-law was just playing along to make her dad happy, giving him a large wad of cash without blinking an eye. 

In Su Shen’s opinion, Xie Yan’s acting was so good that he didn’t even blink an eye when he saw his winning tile. He threw away the game so naturally, poor him. 

“Do you want some tea?” asked Su Shen softly. 

This was an automatic mahjong table, so everyone was already taking their tile. Xie Yan turned his head to look at her and nodded slightly. Su Shen then immediately took the teacup on the side and fed it to his mouth. The tea shouldn’t be scalding hot by now. 

Seeing this scene, Lin Yuanjin drew his tile while smiling, “Shen Shen, when will you invite uncle to drink your wedding liquor?” 

Hearing this, Su Shen’s hand trembled and the tea almost spilled out. She placed the teacup down blushingly. Just as she was about to say something, her dad began his daily scolding ramble, “Look at her, she’s still a child and doesn’t understand anything. It’s hard for anyone to want her.” 

“Why wouldn’t anyone want me?” Su Shen couldn’t help retorting. 

Xie Yan smiled and looked at her tenderly, “There is someone.”

As their eyes met, Su Shen couldn’t help but blush and suddenly got up. She didn’t want to watch them playing at all. In the end, only her dad won from this kind of deceptive playing, and both Xie Yan and her brother-in-law were just giving money away.  

Far away from the mahjong table, Su Shen was sitting on the sofa and watching cartoons with the group of children. Her little nephew naughtily asked her to hold him again. 

It was finally dinner time after a long wait. The mahjong table was also dismissed, and the dinner table was full of people. After Su Shen sat down, Xie Yan sat next to her as expected. Facing the pairs of eyes looking at her, she felt restless and nervous. 

Finally, after her mom sat down at the table, she looked at Xie Yan with a smile and said, “You’re Xiao Xie, right? Auntie didn’t cook much today, please make do, ahaha.”

There were at least a dozen dishes on the table. But, Su Shen knew that her mom was also a smiling tiger. She looked polite on the surface, but no one would know what she was thinking.

“Auntie’s too courteous. If this is considered make do then I might’ve not made do before,” said Xie Yan politely. 

Hearing this, Mama Su waved her hand with a smile and said, “You’re too kind.”

For these sorts of dinners, drinking was inevitable. Su Shen didn’t drink, but for the men, they have to drink. However, as Xie Yan had to drive, he couldn’t drink. Her dad began to probe as soon as he drank. 

“Xiao Xie, what are your plans for the future with Shen Shen?” Papa Su took a sip of wine and said unhurriedly.

Sitting there, Su Shen felt as if she was sitting on pins and needles, so she just focused on eating. Frankly, she hadn’t even thought about any plans, just letting nature take its course. 

“Su Shen’s still in the midst of developing her career, so it depends on when she wants to get married. However, after marriage, I will transition to working behind the scenes and won’t take on many projects, so we won’t be separated for too long,” said Xie Yan earnestly.   

Hearing this, Papa Su nodded with satisfaction. Although he didn’t know if Xie Yan would continue to be so good to Su Shen in the future, this could still be observed for a while longer.

“As for marriage, this matter doesn’t need to be rushed. Su Shen’s still in the midst of developing her career right now. It’s good for you youngsters to get to know more about each other, in case you can’t bear some of this girl’s shortcomings,” said Papa Su with a smile.

Su Shen naturally knew that her dad was testing Xie Yan. Although her parents often told her to find a boyfriend, they would be very strict if she really found one. 

Xie Yan nodded slightly and said, “Uncle is right. These matters can be planned slowly.”

At this, Papa Su smiled and said nothing, continuing to drink. After eating a little, Su Shen held her little nephew to go play. 

She was actually somewhat moved. It was the first time that she had seen Xie Yan be so respectful and polite. Unlike before, when they first met, he seemed to not even bother to say an extra word. Now, he was not as aloof as before. 

After dinner, her dad, brother-in-law, and several others sat on the sofa and chatted. Meanwhile, Su Shen and her mom were washing the dishes in the kitchen. But this time, her mom was not so aggravated. 

“Xie Yan’s not bad. There was no artful talk, and he was polite and reasonable. Moreover, he treats you well. Unlike your brother-in-law, who is a shrewd businessman. If he hadn’t treated your sister so well, I wouldn’t have agreed to their marriage!” Mama Su said as she washed the dishes while frowning. 

Su Shen was washing the dishes, and when she heard that, she just smiled and said nothing. It was just that Xie Yan was good at acting. He was not so easygoing in private, else he would’ve been oppressed by He Hua over the years.

“As for marriage, he still needs to be observed for a while. Time reveals a person’s heart. Whether he will always be good to you or not depends on whether he will show his true colors in the future,” said Mama Su seriously. 

Hearing this, Su Shen nodded without saying anything. She just didn’t expect that her mom would let him off so easily. 

When she walked out of the kitchen, most of her relatives had already left. Her brother-in-law was talking to Xie Yan about something, with a smile of a businessman on his face. When Su Shen walked over, the two shook hands again. Then, her brother-in-law and her sister walked towards the front door. 

Su Shen didn’t know where her dad had gone to, so she came to Xie Yan’s side, and after looking around, she looked at him and whispered, “What did you talk about with my brother-in-law?” 

Seeing her, Xie Yan couldn’t help but put his arm around her shoulder, lowered his head, and said softly, “Did you miss me these past two days?”

Su Shen: “…….”

Blushing, she didn’t say anything. However, even without asking, Su Shen could guess what it was about. They were all part of the entertainment industry, so there were many opportunities for the two of them to work together. A businessman like her brother-in-law would definitely not miss a chance to collaborate. 

“Who missed you? You brought a present for my dad yet didn’t bring one for me. When my brother-in-law chased after my sister, he sent her breakfast every day and picked her up and off from work. I received nothing.” Su Shen frowned and suddenly felt that she was too easy to chase after. 

Hearing her words, Xie Yan almost laughed from anger. He caressed her head and said helplessly, “You’re the most heartless person I’ve ever seen. You really think I’m lacking money to act in an idol drama?”

Su Shen: “…….”

Thinking was one thing, but him saying it aloud was another. Su Shen subconsciously blushed and looked down before coughing, “I… I didn’t know you would do that.”

When she thought about it now, Xie Yan was actually quite crazy. In order to chase her, he specially went to act in an idol drama. At that time, many people in the industry were confused, with many concluding that he must’ve been lacking money.

“Cough cough!”

Hearing this, Su Shen trembled all over and immediately took two steps back. Her dad, wearing a pair of glasses, came over with a pot of tea in hand. When he saw the two of them, he walked over to the sofa and sat down with a smile. “It’s a good thing when youngsters are in love. Don’t feel embarrassed.”  

Facing her dad’s teasing eyes, Su Shen coughed and immediately said solemnly, “Dad, it’s late. I have to go back to set later, I’m gonna go first.”

At this, Papa Su nodded. “Go, go. Be careful on the road. Bring Xiao Xie back more often in the future.”

Su Shen nodded blushingly. She then immediately turned around and went back to her room to grab her purse. When she came out, her mom nagged her to eat more. Su Shen then left the mansion with Xie Yan. 

As soon as she walked out of the mansion, she immediately breathed a sigh of relief. She went through a rollercoaster of emotions for the latter half of the day, but fortunately, nothing happened.  

After getting in the car, Su Shen looked at Xie Yan and asked, “How’s the discussion with your next project?”

That Hollywood project had been repeated by He Hua endlessly. 

“Not bad,” said Xie Yan, turning the steering wheel and backing the car. 

As the car gradually drove away from the mansion, Su Shen leaned against the seat and rested exhaustedly. She couldn’t help but ask, “How much did you lose today?”

Speaking of this, Xie Yan couldn’t help but turn to glance at her. His handsome face had a hint of tenderness. “Are you worrying about my money?”

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Meeting the Parents

No matter how many antis were still causing a ruckus, the viewership of the drama broke records on the first day. However, at the same time, Wang Cheng’s xianxia drama was also airing. Perhaps there was too much hype, the viewership of the xianxia drama starring Jiang Yin and her was even a little higher, but it still needed to be observed whether viewership would decrease later on. 

Netizen A: Those who said my Su Su’s acting was poor, please step out. The General Hospital Ophthalmology Clinic welcomes you. [smiley face]

Netizen B: AHAHAHA if there was no comparison, I wouldn’t even know. Zhu Qinqin’s acting instantly became scum.

Netizen C: Passerby turned fan. Director Li said that Su Shen was the best among the starlets. I finally believe it now. [joy]

Netizen D: Yang Zhi didn’t make any breakthrough with her performance in Immortal Road, still retaining her own style. However, Su Shen performed beyond expectations. In The Song of Troubled Times, she looked so villainous, yet her performance of a sweet, naive young girl was not cringy either. [joy]

Netizen E: I thought Director Li was flattering against his conscience before, but I just want to slap myself in the face now. Su Shen’s acting indeed tops the other starlets. [joy]

Netizen F: This b***h bought a water army to help her brainwash again. She said she had no connections, but why did He Hua recommend you among the many other artists under Huayan Entertainment?

Netizen G: The antis are slandering to the best of their abilities. If fans leave the fandom, I’ll surrender. [smiley face]

For the past two days, Su Shen had been continuously filming, and her matters were still in the middle of being handovered. She wasn’t clear about anything else, except that a few paparazzi lay in wait outside every day. On the other hand, it seemed that He Hua got addicted to fighting with netizens, or perhaps it was to hype the drama. He directly mentioned the netizen who said why he recommended Su Shen.

He Hua V: @Little Bug, Su Shen is an up-and-coming actress under our agency. If I don’t recommend her, do I recommend you? [smiley face]

Netizen A: AHAHAHA He dada’s* still so frank. [joy]

dada (大大) – this is an online honorific to address a respected person in a particular industry who has a status of “O’ Great One” or “Great God” 

Netizen B: Because my Yan ge’s not hardworking, He Hua finally found a hardworking person to share the resources in his hands. [smiley face]

Netizen C: Others are worried that their idol has no resources, while I’m worried about my Yan ge having too many resources to pick from. [joy]

Netizen D: Under Boss He, I wouldn’t be surprised if Su Shen became the leading actress of a big IP. [joy]

He Hua definitely knew how to hype and didn’t need to buy any headlines at all. Su Shen’s name trended on Hot Search every day. If there was no comparison, there would not be any hurt. With the addition of Zhu Qinqin’s poor acting, the discussion of this drama became more and more intense. Those netizens kept boasting about how good her acting was, but Su Shen felt that they were thinking too highly of her. There were many actresses with great acting, it was just that they were not famous.  

On the 25th, Su Shen took an early flight back to Shanghai, but because of how high her fame was recently, there were paparazzi following her nonstop. She got out of the car and entered a store. She then exited from its backdoor and quickly got into another car. 

After finally getting rid of the paparazzi, she immediately rushed home. As it was not a milestone birthday, it was not a big party. However, Su Shen bought a car for her dad, which cost her about 20 million, but it would be delivered in the afternoon.  

As soon as she stepped into the house, she saw a little figure running back and forth inside. When he saw her, he immediately ran over with his short legs. “Auntie!” 

Su Shen held her little nephew in her arms and walked inside with a smile. “Xi Xi gained some weight again. Did Mama feed you a lot of yummy food?”

In the living room sat some of their relatives, all of whom they were pretty close with. Su Shen greeted them one after another with a smile. 

“Nope. Mama doesn’t even allow me to eat chocolate. I don’t like her at all!” The child wrapped his arms around her neck tightly, pouting with unhappiness. 

Just at this moment, Su Ruan, who was sitting on the sofa, immediately got up and walked to her. In less than two steps, she arrived in front of her and lightly slapped the child’s bum twice. “If you don’t get down now, you won’t have any jelly today!” 

The child seemed to be afraid of her and pursed his lips, hugging Su Shen’s neck aggrievedly, as if he was about to cry.

“Xi Xi, be a good boy. If you eat too many sweets, you’ll have cavities. Next time, auntie will make you meatloaf, okay?” Su Shen caressed the child’s face, and her heart softened seeing his aggrieved look. 

Seeing this, Su Ruan couldn’t help chuckling, “If you like children so much, have one soon.”

At this, Su Shen couldn’t help but blush. Just at this moment, the relatives sitting on the sofa also echoed, “Su Shen’s so famous lately. Our Xiao Xin loves watching your drama the most.”

“Yep, yep, yep. I’ve been chasing after that drama on South Hunan TV. Su Shen, did you end up with the male lead in the end?”

Looking at her three paternal and eight maternal aunties discussing, Su Shen just kept silent with a smile on her face. Although her dad had a company, it was not listed. Her family could only be considered a well-off one and couldn’t be compared to those wealthy large families. These relatives of hers weren’t super rich, but they wouldn’t be like those relatives on TV.

“It’s more angsty later. If I tell you the ending, it won’t be interesting.” Su Shen put down Xi Xi with a smile. 

Her words equated to not saying anything at all. Her relatives asked her about the drama one after another, and some matters in the entertainment industry. Everyone was curious about the entertainment industry. Su Shen even signed some autographs for the children of several of her relatives. They said they were going to give it to their classmates. 

Ultimately, she had no choice but to hide in her room. Not long after, Su Ruan came in and closed the door mysteriously as if she was afraid of someone eavesdropping. 

“Didn’t you say that Xie Yan is coming over today? Why didn’t you tell mom? Or, do you want to give them an unexpected surprise?” Su Ruan walked to the window with a grin while she looked at the entertainment news on her phone. “I heard that your endorsement fee is as high as five million now. How much is Huayan giving you?”

It wasn’t anything to hide from, so Su Shen straightforwardly said with a smile, “They’re giving me 70% of it. Although my endorsement fee right now is five million, He Hua is still taking over from Liu jie, so he didn’t accept many endorsements for me because it would be a loss to accept right now. He said that after the drama finished airing, my fame will increase, and my endorsement fee will be higher then.”

At that, Su Ruan couldn’t help laughing, “That’s a really good plan.”

Su Shen definitely didn’t need to worry about resources and opportunities being under He Hua. Su Ruan was just worried that in order to generate revenue, He Hua would accept engagements for her like crazy. 

“Oh right, uh… I’m going to tell dad about Xie Yan right now and then, let him tell mom. Will this be a bit better?” Su Shen looked at Su Ruan somewhat uneasily. 

The latter pondered for a bit, and before she could say anything, a notification suddenly sounded in the room. Su Shen was taken aback, and when she looked at her phone, she found that it was a message from Xie Yan. He said that he had arrived!

Su Shen’s heart began to beat faster inexplicably. She came to the window nervously and found that two cars slowly stopped in the parking lot at the front, among which was Xie Yan’s car!

“What’s wrong? He’s here?” Noticing her change in emotion, Su Ruan also looked out the window. 

It was her first time bringing someone to meet her parents. Su Shen felt inexplicably nervous and ashamed. She was a little scared that her parents would object. In any case, she still hoped to receive the blessing from her family. 

Taking a deep breath, she pretended to be calm and went downstairs. There was a cartoon that children liked watching playing downstairs, and her relatives were also still chatting about skincare and beauty.

Her dad was still sitting on the sofa and chatting with a relative about current hot topics. Su Shen directly walked out of the front door which attracted the attention of the people behind her. 

As soon as she stepped out of the mansion, Su Shen saw Xie Yan getting out of the car. He paid special attention to his clothes today, wearing black trousers and a white shirt paired with a relaxed blazer. He had even styled his hair. Next to him, there was a brand new Aston Martin. She had also wanted to give that car to her dad, but it was too expensive. This kind of limited edition would at least cost 40 million RMB.

“You… why are you so fast…” Su Shen looked left and right before walking up to the car and touching it. “What are you doing…”

“I don’t know what your father likes.”

Su Shen: “…….”

Her dad liked cars the most. How could he not like it?

“I also bought a car for my dad. How am I going to present my car with this!” Leaning against the car, Su Shen snorted. “Moreover, you’ve never given me a present.”

Seeing her pouting red lips, Xie Yan couldn’t help but walk up to her and wrap his arms around her waist. Not seeing her after a few days, he kissed her on the lips. His eyes darkened. “I’m already all yours. You still want a present?”

This was the entrance of her house. Su Shen couldn’t help but punch him on the shoulder with denunciation, blushingly. 

“Shen Shen, who is it?”

Immediately, Su Shen stood up straight with sweat all over her forehead and saw her dad coming out of the door with the newspaper in his hand. 

After seeing Xie Yan, Papa Su couldn’t help but look at him up and down, feeling that he looked familiar. “Is this your friend?”

Sweat broke out on Su Shen’s back. This was the first time in her life that she had been so nervous.

“Hello, Uncle. I’m Xie Yan.” Xie Yan smiled and nodded at Papa Su.

As soon as he spoke, Papa Su suddenly remembered this name, and immediately looked at Xie Yan with realization. “Yes, yes, look at my memory. This brat truly… Why didn’t you invite a guest in for a cup of tea?”

Seeing the enthusiasm on her dad’s face, Su Shen swallowed her throat and pretended to be calm as she looked at Xie Yan beside her before saying softly, “Dad, I… I’m dating Xie Yan.”

Hearing this, Papa Su was stunned. Although he was shocked, he was still a businessman and had a good impression of Xie Yan, so he quickly reacted and glared at Su Shen with some blame. “Why did you just say it now? So preposterous!” 

Her dad was a smiling tiger*, so Su Shen wasn’t sure what he was thinking. At this moment, she could only lower her head apologetically, “I… I was busy.”

smiling tiger – an outwardly kind but inwardly evil person; to hide a dagger with a smile

“Busy, busy, busy! You’re busy every day, busier than even your sister!” Papa Su looked at her unhappily. 

Seeing this, Xie Yan immediately said, “It’s my fault, only coming to see you and auntie now. I hope you guys don’t mind.”

Hearing this, Papa Su naturally waved his hand amicably. “No, no, that’s alright. It’s obvious that this girl was thoughtless. You guys are usually so busy. It must’ve not been easy for you to have the time to come here to celebrate my birthday today.”

Su Shen: “…….”

Xie Yan was busy. Then, was she just idling her days away?

“Dad, this is Xie Yan’s birthday present for you. I also bought you a car, but it won’t be delivered until this afternoon.” Su Shen immediately walked up to the car and touched its roof.

If she didn’t mention it, Papa Su wouldn’t have noticed the Aston Martin. At a glance, he saw that it was the one that he hadn’t been willing to take the splurge on!

“No, no. It’s too expensive, and it’s not even a milestone birthday, no need for a present.” Papa Su quickly waved his hands, appearing solemn. He knew the price of the car before him. 

Just as Su Shen was about to say something, Xie Yan gave the key to her. His handsome face appeared courteous. “Then, think of it as a present from Su Shen. I didn’t know what you liked, and I didn’t think of those things.” 

At that, Su Shen immediately placed the key into her dad’s hand. “You’re in luck. Xie Yan hasn’t even given me a present before.”

Hearing this, Papa Su couldn’t help but knock on her head and said angrily, “Look at you, not a bit civil.”

In the end, he accepted the key and looked at Xie Yan more amicably. After so many years of doing business, he was somewhat accurate in judging people. Although he had heard that the entertainment industry was messy, this Xie Yan seemed to be very attentive to his daughter. There was not a trace of deception in his eyes. 

When they entered, the people inside saw that there was a new guest and couldn’t help but look this way. Several children who chased after stars naturally recognized Xie Yan at a glance and couldn’t believe it, covering their mouths.

Papa Su had been chatting with Xie Yan happily from beginning to end. After entering the mansion, he looked at Su Shen unhappily. “Go and make tea quickly.”

The latter frowned, glanced at Xie Yan, and then went to make tea. Meanwhile, she saw Xie Yan and her dad sitting on the sofa and chatting with her uncles. 

“Is that your friend?” Just at this moment, Mama Su just so happened to come out of the kitchen.

Su Shen was taken aback, with hot tea in her hand. Seeing that her mom just served a dish, she hesitated before taking a glance at Xie Yan, only to find that the group of people seemed to be chatting happily. The children were also sitting quietly aside watching TV, but most of them were looking at Xie Yan. 

“I…” Su Shen suddenly felt a little embarrassed. 

“What’s the matter?” Mama Su turned around and wiped her hands with her apron before taking a serious look at the person on the sofa. “Why did you suddenly bring your friend home today?”

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Agency-Hopping

Xie Yan looked at his watch and then came to Su Shen’s side before whispering, “I’m leaving.”

Hearing that he was leaving, Su Shen naturally breathed a sigh of relief. The man swept a glance around the set before landing his gaze on Zheng Tong for a moment. He then lowered his cap and said, “I’m going to Europe. He Hua will help you with the contract. Remember to tell me if there’s anything.”

Su Shen nodded. She didn’t know if there were any paparazzi nearby, but she still stepped forward to hold his hand and said tenderly, “I’m just acting, don’t think too much about it.”

Seeing that she was so earnest in explaining, Xie Yan chuckled before caressing her face. “I will remember how many times you kissed him.”

Su Shen: “…….”

Without waiting for her to speak, Xie Yan lowered his cap and walked out of the film set. Su Shen stood there and stared at him for a while until the director called for positioning, only then did she run back to the alley. 

She also didn’t want to reshoot the scene again, so she prepared herself for a long time this time. Fortunately, everything went well this time, and the director didn’t have them reshoot it. 

Xie Yan most likely went to Europe to discuss the script, but because of her matter, He Hua didn’t go with him. At night, He Hua informed her to go to Starlight Entertainment to terminate her contract tomorrow. 

Su Shen had no choice but to ask for half a day’s leave from the production crew at a moment’s notice. She then flew to Shanghai early the next morning. He Hua had already been waiting for her at the company headquarters. This was the third time that Su Shen came to the headquarters. The receptionist was stunned when she saw her, but she didn’t block her. 

Starlight Entertainment had a lot of newcomers and would sign many fresh new bloods every year. Su Shen was also one of them. After signing the contract, they would need to work on their physique and get a feel of the camera but these people practically didn’t have any resources. The company would let them have a chance at best in the dramas produced by them. Unless there was a stroke of luck, such as meeting an eminence willing to promote them, they would have to find a sponsor. Thus, the unspoken rules of the entertainment industry were wide. After all, the resources and opportunities were in the hands of a very small number of famous people, but those unknowns occupied more than half of the entertainment industry.  

If it weren’t for her sister, Su Shen might have had no choice but to be an extra in dramas. In fact, the only real opportunity that Starlight ever gave her was that crime drama with Li Hao. 

Along the way to the 5th floor, people greeted her from time to time, and Su Shen responded back to each of them. When she first got signed on, no one paid attention to her at all. But, society was realistic, and the rules were like this.

When they reached the CEO’s office, they knocked twice before the person inside said “enter”, only then did they push the door open and walk in.

In the big and tidy office, there were several different voices talking. There were four people sitting on the leather sofa, and several documents were on the glass coffee table. As per usual, He Hua leaned against the sofa and spoke with the middle-aged man in a black suit across from him. A slightly younger man beside him was reading over the documents. It seemed that he was a lawyer.

“Good morning, Qin zong,” said Su Shen as she walked up to the middle-aged man to greet him.  

At that, Qin zong looked at her with a smile. “Although it’s up to this point, I still want to detain you. We have found a solution to this matter. Additionally, as long as you stay, our company will give you a seaside villa and give you priority in resources and opportunities. What do you think?”

She was at about the peak of her fame right now, which was the most profitable time. Naturally, Starlight didn’t want her to leave at this critical moment, but she would definitely not look back with how things were at this stage. 

After sitting down next to He Hua, Su Shen glanced at Liu jie across from her and said to Qin zong, “I know that the company has been good to me, but you all also know that I’m dating Xie Yan. If our teams merge, it will be much more convenient.”

Seeing that she brought up Xie Yan as an excuse, Qin zong lowered his head slightly and said nothing. He Hua, on the other hand, suddenly said with laughter, “That’s right. She will leave sooner or later. Anyway, it’s just a matter of time.”

“There are no problems.” Just at this moment, the lawyer finished reading the contract and pushed it on the table.

Seeing this, He Hua didn’t say anything more. He looked at Su Shen and pointed at the contract on the table. “Sign it.”

The stamp of Starlight Entertainment’s legal team had already been stamped on it. Without hesitation, Su Shen picked up the pen on the table and signed her name on the two copies of the contract. 

At this point, Qin zong naturally wouldn’t put on a show to offend He Hua. Instead, he looked at Su Shen with a smile. “Although it’s a pity, you were still a part of our company. If there’s any good production from our company in the future, perhaps we can cooperate again.”

They were all civilities, and He Hua was the best at it. He immediately laughed and said, “That’s for sure. There will be a lot of opportunities to work together with the old boss in the future.”

At that, Su Shen just smiled and kept silent. Not long after, she walked out of the office with He Hua. Liu jie didn’t say a word to her throughout. Su Shen glanced at her meaningfully and then left. 

Xiao Zhou was an assistant assigned to her by the company and had a contract with Starlight Entertainment. However, Su Shen was used to working with her, so she brought her over. The salary of an assistant was low, with many averaging three or four thousand a month in the industry. Although they worked themselves to death, six thousand a month was already considered high. Su Shen gave her 10,000 a month, so Xiao Zhou naturally followed after her. 

After leaving Starlight Entertainment’s headquarters and getting in the car, He Hua sent her to the airport to rush back to Jiang City to film. In passing, he threw her a contract. “Have a look.”

Sitting in the passenger seat, Su Shen took over the contract and looked through it. It looked about the same as what He Hua had said last time. 

“This is a family compensation of three to seven. The newcomers at our agency are usually fifty-fifty. Anyways, I’m not good at managing a starlet like you, so I’ll find a new manager for you after a while. But during this period, I’ll take over your affairs for now. The drama starring you and Jiang Yin will air on the 23rd. I’ll release a clarification statement the day after tomorrow stating that you have already changed agencies. You just need to continue to film at ease these two days.” 

After hearing what he said, Su Shen closed the contract and decided to read it carefully after going home. “If you’re busy, you can go check in on Xie Yan first.”

That Hollywood script for Xie Yan was more important than her matter. 

“I also want to go check in on him, but do you think he will rest assured if you’re alone?” He Hua turned to glance at her and said helplessly, “I have so many scripts, but he doesn’t want to accept any. Have you ever seen such a person?”

Hearing this, Su Shen wanted to laugh. This was probably what it meant for something to always conquer another. He Hua would probably follow up by saying that there was no way to deal with a stubborn man like Xie Yan. 

“Filming is very hard. It’s good for him to have a rest.” She said insipidly. 

Looking at these two, He Hua was at a loss for words. Everyone else was scrambling for good opportunities and resources, yet one of them was lazy to the point of not wanting to film and another insisted on playing a supporting role rather than being the leading actress. No wonder they were a couple. 

It was exactly 1:00 pm when she returned to set. With no time to eat anything, Su Shen quickly went to get her makeup done and prepare to film. At night, her sister called, but she didn’t say much about her termination with Starlight Entertainment and just told her to decide by herself. 

The day before the drama aired, Huayan Entertainment finally released a statement, declaring that she had terminated her contract with Starlight Entertainment a while ago and that the rumors online were not true. 

He Hua also reshared the post and even spoke out for her. 

He Hua V: It was I who recommended Su Shen to Director Li, but she passed the audition with her own strength. As for the rumors online, we will take legal measures against them. Those who attack and slander artists of Huayan Entertainment will not be let go. [smiley face]

Netizen A: No wonder her resources were so good, it turns out that Su Shen had switched agencies. [joy]

Netizen B: This clarification clears up everything. I’m convinced by He Hua’s capability. After all, he’s one of the top three agents in the entertainment industry, which was not something to be said so casually. [joy]

Netizen C: This is the epitome of being an ungrateful wretch. Starlight paved so many paths for her. Now that she meets a better agency, she immediately throws herself into their arms. I pity Starlight. 

Netizen D: Do the antis have nothing to say now? Have y’all never heard of a fine bird choosing a tree to nest in? If y’all find a job at a company with a higher salary, y’all would rather stay at a company with a low salary and poor working conditions?

Netizen E: Didn’t the antis say that my Su Su had XXX in exchange for resources? Does your face hurt right now? [smiley face]

Netizen F: Am I the only one focused on the fact that Xie Yan and Su Shen have the same manager? [job]

Netizen G: Poor Su Shen, being splashed by dirty water for so long; how stressful it must’ve been. [heart]

Netizen H: Let’s call it a day. Miss Su has a drama airing tomorrow. It’s all just a publicity stunt. 

The effect of the clarification was not that obvious right now. He Hua said that he would have the water army continue to explain, which not only attracted more attention but also could gradually improve her image with the public.

The drama was to air tomorrow, so the more hype, the better. Not long after, He Hua directly mentioned the netizen who said she was hyping and that it was all just a publicity stunt. 

He Hua V: @Lemon Juice, we aren’t some big company, but we can still afford a few million in advertising. How dark is the heart of those who think to use this to hype? [smiley face]

It didn’t take long for the headline of He Hua arguing with a netizen to be on Hot Search, but most of the netizens were on He Hua’s side. Everyone knew that no one would use this kind of matter to hype, so only a very small number of antis continued to make a ruckus. 

The night before the drama aired, He Hua had her release a clarification statement. The drier the better. After contemplating for half a day, Su Shen finally made a post.

Su Shen V: Purely slander. Thank you. [smiley face]

Previous | Index | Next

Caught In The Act

Su Shen paused in her steps and looked at the person on the sofa in confusion. “Nope. What’s wrong?”

At that, Xie Yan said nothing when a voice suddenly sounded from the laptop, “I’ve known Su Shen for a long time. She’s very earnest and dedicated to her work.”

Zheng Tong’s voice was still being played. Su Shen felt a little helpless. She definitely spoke no more than five sentences with Zheng Tong in private.

“That’s because he was nice to speak out for me. We’re really not familiar with each other.” She explained. 

Xie Yan continued to watch the video and said in passing as he heard that, “I understand. He is nice.”

Su Shen: “…….”

Ignoring him, Su Shen went straight to the bedroom to grab some clothes and take a shower. Xie Yan had to go abroad to shoot next month so he’d just been at home during this period. He didn’t need to attend any engagements either. Su Shen was really afraid that he would just stay by her side. The reporters were fixed on her now, so it was easy to be photographed. If this were to follow, she would definitely be attacked. 

After taking a shower, Xie Yan was still sitting on the sofa reading a script when she came out. Perhaps it was the script of his next work. After drying her hair, Su Shen walked over to pour herself a glass of water and then came to the sofa before sitting down. “It’s my dad’s birthday on the 25th. Are you free that day?”

As soon as her words fell, Xie Yan paused whatever he was doing. He shifted his gaze and landed on her bare face before arching a brow. “You want to take me home?”

Feeling a little embarrassed by his gaze, Su Shen placed her glass down and turned away from him. “I… I just said it casually, and you don’t necessarily have to.”

She was wearing light yellow pajamas, revealing her slender and fair legs. Her neck and ears were slightly red, and her two hands held the throw pillow tightly. After putting down the laptop, Xie Yan leaned over to hold her waist, directly pressing her down onto the sofa.  

“Of course, I will go to my father-in-law’s birthday.” He buried his head in her neck and lightly kissed it. 

Blushing, Su Shen patted his head which was rubbing against her, and said, “Who’s your father-in-law? Shameless.” 

Why didn’t she notice that Xie Yan is like this before? Or do men let themselves go after tasting it?

“Xie Yan.” She suddenly looked at the person in front of her strangely. 

The latter looked up, and his big hand had already slipped into her pajamas, but he still appeared proper. “En?”

As she stopped his restless hand, Su Shen glared at him and said, “Did… you like me from a long time ago?”

She didn’t dare to think about it before. But now, she realized that Xie Yan had treated her differently from way before. But why did he like her, a newcomer?

Facing her curious gaze, Xie Yan arched a brow before asking in a mellow voice, “What do you think?”

Su Shen: “…….”

“I… mhm…” She widened her eyes and placed her hands tenderly on his shoulders, being forced to bear his intense attack.  

Enveloping her soft lips, he sucked them gently as his hand slipped into her pajamas, wandering freely on her smooth skin.

“Xie Yan…” Su Shen looked up and gasped for air while grabbing his short hair, seemingly wanting to say something. 

The air surrounding them instantly became full of enamor. Burying his head in her neck, Xie Yan nibbled it and said muffledly, “I know you know everything.”

His hoarse voice sounded in her ears, and Su Shen’s heart began to beat crazily. Her neck was itchy, and she couldn’t help but blush and push at his shoulder. “I can’t today… I… I… I really can’t…”

His hand was already at the clasp of her bra, but he suddenly stopped before looking up and frowning. 

Seeing the perplexed expression on his face, Su Shen’s face was as red as a tomato. Although she knew that it would make him feel uncomfortable to stop, she had no choice. She really couldn’t today, so she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek before saying softly, “I… I really can’t. You can sleep on the sofa today?”

It wasn’t that she didn’t allow Xie Yan to sleep on the bed, but he would only feel more uncomfortable this way. 

Frowning, he took a deep breath while buried in her neck and said hoarsely, “You must make it up to me next time then.”

Su Shen: “……..”

How could she make it up to him? It was usually him who had the say.

Blushing, she nodded slightly. Seeing this, Xie Yan kissed her on the lips again before he got off the sofa and walked towards the bathroom.

Listening to the sound of water from the bathroom, Su Shen immediately ran to the bed and lay down blushingly. She was actually a little relieved that she couldn’t do it today. Else, if Xie Yan had still remembered what she said last time, she wouldn’t be able to film tomorrow for sure. 

Not long after, the other side of the bed sank, and a fiery hot hand appeared on her waist. Su Shen turned around, only to see Xie Yan caress her hair and said hoarsely, “Stop moving around and sleep.”

Seeing him close his eyes, Su Shen also followed after and fell asleep slowly in his arms. 

It was still drizzling nonstop outside. It was not until the morning rays of the next day dispersed the moody clouds. Su Shen got up at 7:00 am since she had to get styled before filming began. However, seeing that Xie Yan was still sleeping, she carefully went to wash up so as not to wake him up.  

When she went out, the driver was already waiting for her downstairs. Xiao Zhou bought breakfast and waited for her downstairs. She felt a little guilty when she saw her coming down. 

Taking over the cup of soymilk, Su Shen said nothing. When the car started to move, Xiao Zhou plucked up the courage to show her sleeve and said excitedly, “Su jie, look, this is my idol’s autograph!”

Glancing from the corner of her eye, Su Shen noticed that there was indeed Xie Yan’s autograph on her sleeve. She didn’t really understand the feelings of fans. Xiao Zhou followed her every day on set and had seen so many celebrities, so she should know that these people were no different from ordinary people. But, why was she still so crazy about Xie Yan?

“You gave him the key just because of an autograph?” said Su Shen, looking at her somewhat mellowly. 

Hearing this, Xiao Zhou immediately waved her hands and said, “No, no. I wanted to call and tell you, but your phone was off.”

Su Shen: “……..”

Okay, her phone did die yesterday.

Arriving on set, everyone was busy setting up the scenery. Seeing that the director was there eating breakfast, Su Shen walked over and asked for a day’s leave from him. After all, she had to go back to celebrate her dad’s birthday on the 25th. Moreover, she was in the midst of terminating her contract, so she couldn’t ask Liu jie to help her ask and could only rely on herself. 

The director was quite easy to talk to and just asked her to come back a bit early to film the night scenes. Naturally, Su Shen nodded in agreement. 

When she arrived at the dressing room, she let the stylist do her hair. She didn’t know what He Hua did, but all those gossip accounts that had exposed her of relying on backhanded methods to get roles had deleted their posts from Weibo. However, the discussion online still varied. He Hua said that he would announce that she had left Starlight Entertainment a day before the drama starring Jiang Yin and her aired. This way, it would wash away all the suspicions about her and promote the drama simultaneously. He doesn’t let any chance of fervor slip from his hands. 

The scenes for today’s filming were for the beginning of the film, and it seemed that the kiss on the cheek scene was part of it. Filming was supposed to start at 9:30 am, but because Ding Yan arrived late, work was delayed until 10:00 am.  

In an alley, Su Shen and Zheng Tong were standing there, and when all departments were ready, the director yelled “action”. 

When the cameras were aimed straight at the two of them from the nine o’clock position, Su Shen held a fan in her hand, and the fan slowly slid from Zheng Tong’s forehead to his jaw. She smiled, “Why did this gentleman drag this lady here in such a hurry?”

There were people searching outside. Zheng Tong turned around to look at the entrance of the alley from time to time, having no time to pay attention to her. 

Su Shen parted her red lips slightly and slowly leaned in and said flirtatiously, “Pulling me here and not saying anything. You men are all the same.”

“Quick, go look over there!”

Just at this moment, several patrolmen suddenly passed the entrance of the alley with guns in their hands. Zheng Tong immediately turned around, wrapped his arms around her waist, and turned his back toward the entrance. 

Su Shen blinked and suddenly looked up and softly pecked his right cheek with a smile. Facing the shocked look in his eyes, she giggled and said, “I can see that this gentleman is a novice at first sight. No worries, I’ll teach you.”

Her jade-like finger was already touching his chest and slowly wandering down….

“CUT!”

As soon as the director shouted, Zheng Tong immediately released his hold on her waist. Su Shen embarrassedly nodded slightly and walked out of the alley. There were many staff members coming and going outside. The director was sitting in front of the monitor, and a familiar figure stood beside him.  

Su Shen’s heart skipped a beat. The other party also seemed to have noticed her gaze and looked in her direction. As their eyes met, Su Shen inexplicably felt guilty. She didn’t expect that he would come here openly. She immediately felt ill at ease, but she still braced herself to walk over. 

Seeing her coming, the director said slowly, Su Shen, your eyes aren’t seductive enough. We need to reshoot the scene later.”

After saying that and seeing that Su Shen said nothing, the director looked at Xie Yan behind him with a smile, “A kiss is fine, right?”

With a black cap covering most of his face, Xie Yan glanced at the monitor which was playing the playback upon hearing that and said indifferently, “Too much, and it’ll be a problem.”

Hearing this, Su Shen immediately blushed. Facing the teasing expressions from the surrounding staff, she wished she could dig a hole into the ground. 

“If you continue to watch here, Su Shen certainly won’t be able to do it in one shot.” The director smiled meaningfully at Xie Yan. 

It was just acting. Su Shen immediately coughed and said to the director seriously, “Let’s do it again. I’ll pay attention to my expression.” 

There were still traces of rain on the bluestone from last night. The warm sunlight shone all over the ground. She was wearing a red qipao, outlining her glamorous figure vividly. Looking at her, Xie Yan frowned and said nothing. 

It was the director, however, who couldn’t help but look at the person beside him, “Are you sure you want to continue to watch?”

Previous | Index | Next

Clarification

At that, Director Li’s expression immediately became somber. He didn’t even look at Su Shen and said to the male reporter who asked the question, “I don’t know why there is such a rumor. In my films, actors and actresses are chosen based on whether they fit the character or not. Every role in the film is chosen by me, and no one can intervene. At first, I felt that Su Shen’s image was more suitable for the female lead, and I even wanted her to try auditioning for it, but it was she who wanted to audition for the supporting female lead.”

At this, Ding Yan’s smile became a little forced. Isn’t the director saying that she was picking up a role that others didn’t want?!

“At first, I didn’t think highly of it, but I still let her audition for it. However, her performance was beyond my expectations. Among all of those who had auditioned for this role, no one suited the role more than her. Moreover, she especially learned to smoke for this role. In the beginning, someone joked with me that her acting was very poor, and I was shocked. Although she was not as good as those experienced actors, I haven’t met a newcomer at her age as expressive as her.”

The director’s high praise startled Su Shen. If this was in the palace, it would be a flattering remark containing a double-edged sword. However, with Director Li’s status, what he just said was a thorn in the flesh, and if he said anything wrong, it would also be a slap to his face. 

Therefore, those reporters were exhilarated. No matter whether Su Shen’s acting was good or not, it would be a headline with what Director Li just said. 

“Yep, Su Shen’s usually very hardworking. If she doesn’t understand anything, she would come to find me or Zheng Tong. I think she’s a very earnest and dedicated girl.” Ding Yan added. 

If this was to be dissected very closely, it meant that she flattered those on top and stepped those on the bottom. There were so many people in the crew, yet she chose to ask the two leads. The antis would definitely libel her for wanting to stick to Zheng Tong. 

Just when Su Shen was about to say something, Zheng Tong looked at the camera and said unhurriedly, “I’ve known Su Shen for a long time. She’s really a person who’s just absorbed into her work. Due to an NG, she often has to smoke a lot for a scene. In the end, she would be there coughing.” 

At that, Su Shen couldn’t help but glance at Zheng Tong. They weren’t really familiar with each other, yet he was willing to speak for her. 

Even Ding Yan couldn’t help glancing at Zheng Tong. She couldn’t see that they had known each other for a long time. However, this Su Shen’s really formidable, to actually have so many people speaking out for her. 

Zheng Tong was not a person who liked to get involved in other things in the entertainment industry. Now, he was actually willing to speak for Su Shen. Those reporters seemed to have found another thing to write about.

“Then Su Shen, what do you think about the news that you chased after Xie Yan online?” A female reporter extended her mic toward her. 

Facing so many cameras, Su Shen’s expression remained the same, and replied calmly, “We’re really good friends. It’s absolutely not true.”

“Yes, I remember that Xie Yan’s girlfriend was introduced by Su Shen,” the director interjected with a smile. 

Ding Yan tried her best to keep a smile on her face. If she weren’t facing so many cameras, she would’ve rolled her eyes. 

Su Shen also laughed and said nothing. Yes, she introduced herself.

Perhaps those reporters felt that they had enough news to write about, so they began to ask about the film. After half an hour was up and the interview was over, those reporters took some photos of the set and then left. 

After they left, Su Shen couldn’t help but thanked the director. 

The director sat in front of the monitor and looked at her with a smile. “Just treat me to a wedding toast when you and Xie Yan get married.” 

Su Shen couldn’t help blushing and then found an excuse to leave. 

Filming continued until 10:00 pm. The video of the interview from the day was posted online by those media outlets. Not long after, she shot through to No. 1 on Hot Search. 

Netizen A: Those who said that my Su Su relies on connections, does your face hurt? Does your idol who relies on connections choose not to play as the female lead but as the supporting female lead?

Netizen B: For those who don’t know Su Shen’s acting, go and watch The Song of Troubled Times. Her acting isn’t bad. I feel that with Director Li’s status, he isn’t one to lie. Maybe Su Shen did get the role through her own effort.

Netizen C: Thank you for your clarification, Director Li. Your praise is too high. My Su Su has always wanted to be a great actress. Soon, those antis will come to slander her again. But who told my Su Su to get a slice of such a good cake? Of course, some people will be jealous of her. [smiley face]

Netizen D: I think Su Shen’s acting is not bad but isn’t it a little too much to say that she’s the best of the new generation?

Netizen E: introduced a girlfriend to Xie Yan [sob] why didn’t you just let him be single!

Netizen F: My Crab Cake CP sunk again [smiling with tears]

Netizen G: The biggest mystery in the entertainment industry. So, who on earth is Xie Yan’s girlfriend? [sob]

Netizen H: Tsk, tsk, tsk. Miss Su’s really amazing. All of a sudden, she’s the best among the starlets and to even have Director Li help her boast. How formidable is her background? To even audition for the female lead role. With all due respect, if she doesn’t have connections, how could Miss Su audition for the female lead with her fame?

The comments online were all mixed, and the antis still didn’t stop. She had to rely on terminating her contract with Starlight and having He Hua announce that she had changed to Huayan, only in this way could they perfectly explain why she had such good opportunities. 

It began to drizzle again at night. Sitting in the car and looking at the rain outside the window, Su Shen was somewhat lost in thought. After the car stopped, she put on her cap and walked to the hotel. 

Just at this moment, her phone suddenly rang. It was from He Hua. Su Shen pressed the elevator button before answering the call. 

“I spoke with Starlight’s Qin zong today, and the termination fee is a given. But they agreed not to make it a big deal and just settle it in private. Ten million. I’ll deduct it from Xie Yan’s dividends.”

Hearing the words from the other end of the line, the elevator just so happened to open. Frowning, Su Shen walked in and said, “You didn’t say that at the beginning. You said that the termination fee will be paid by the company. The company’s not Xie Yan’s. You and the others also hold shares. Why is it that Xie Yan’s paying it all now?”

At that, the person on the other end went silent and obviously didn’t expect that she would grasp this hole to help Xie Yan save money.

“Well… Xie Yan was willing to pay for it for you. What can I do?” He Hua said helplessly. 

Hearing this, Su Shen immediately said, “No can do. Even if he wants to, I won’t agree. Anyway, he can’t pay for it. The company has to. I’ll call him later.” 

Ten million was also money, and Xie Yan didn’t appear to be such a fool. It was obvious that He Hua was behind it. This person was such a leech and thief!

“Okay, okay. The company will pay for it. Xie Yan’s done for. When he marries you in the future, he definitely won’t have a secret stash of money left.” He Hua sighed helplessly.  

Su Shen snorted, “That’s our business. Public matters are public. Private matters are private. I’m signing with Huayan, not just to Xie Yan alone.”

He Hua must’ve thought that it was easy to fool her since she was young. She had to read the contracts carefully in the future. 

“Fine, fine, fine. I’ll take you to sign the termination contract once it’s done, and it should be within these two days. Don’t make any statements right now. I’ll have our legal team send a warning to those gossip accounts. As for those who are slandering you, we’ll talk about it after this wind blows,” said He Hua seriously.  

At that, Su Shen didn’t say anything more and quickly hung up the phone. 

Although He Hua was shrewd and liked to entrap people, there was nothing to say about his capability. This kind of old fox indeed had a wide range of connections, but it happened that he met a person like Xie Yan who would not budge no matter what he said. As they say, there was always one thing to conquer another. 

When the elevator reached the tenth floor, Su Shen took out the room card from her pocket and opened the door. But as soon as she opened the door, the light was on inside. 

Clenching her phone vigilantly, Su Shen pressed against the door and swept a glance around the room, only to find the sound of water from the bathroom, as if someone was taking a shower.  

Su Shen took a few steps back and double-checked the room number, confirming that she didn’t go to the wrong room. Clenching her phone, she walked a few steps into the room vigilantly and yelled toward the bathroom from far away, “Who are you?!”

As her words fell, the sound of water in the bathroom stopped. Su Shen took two steps back on guard and neared the wall. She couldn’t help but shout, “If you don’t come out right now, I’ll call the police!”

At that, the door of the bathroom suddenly opened, and a tall man walked out. He was only wearing a pair of gray sweatpants, and his upper body was naked. His nearly perfect muscles were covered with a lot of water droplets. Seeing him, Su Shen immediately turned around and closed the door blushingly.

“Why are you here? And not wearing any clothes!” Su Shen snorted with her back to him, blushing. She was not Xiao Zhou, so she wouldn’t be so easily seduced by Xie Yan.

Throwing the towel onto the sofa, Xie Yan came behind her in two to three steps and wrapped his arms around her waist. He buried his head into her neck and took a deep breath. “It’s not like you haven’t seen it before. Get used to it slowly.”

These words were so vulgar that Su Shen turned red from anger. Every time he would say these dirty words, she would become speechless. 

“Hmph, I… I didn’t see you at all last time, and I don’t want to see you… take off your clothes either!” Su Shen stammered for a long time before uttering these words blushingly.

Hearing this, Xie Yan chuckled while burying himself into her neck. “But, there’s still a mark you scratched on my shoulder. Wanna see it?”

His teasing tone almost made Su Shen deceased. Thinking that he had actually said it out loud, Su Shen suddenly wanted to ram her head against a wall out of embarrassment. 

Seeing that the body in his arms was trembling from anger, Xie Yan stopped teasing her and pinched her cheek. “Xiao Zhou gave me the key.”

Xiao Zhou came back early, but she didn’t expect it was to open the door for Xie Yan. Su Shen glared at him and then walked towards the sofa. 

Taking off her cap, Su Shen took off her coat while looking at him. “He Hua said that you were going to pay the termination fee for me? Why not the company?”

Knowing that she was shy, Xie Yan went and put on a T-shirt. When he came back, he replied insipidly, “Ignore him.”

Hearing this, Su Shen ran to the other side of the room and poured herself a glass of water. “I was wondering why you were suddenly so dumb to get ripped off by him. He really won’t miss any chance of ripping people off.”

“Are you helping me save money?” Sitting on the sofa, Xie Yan stared at her with a laptop in his hand.

There were only two lamps lit in the living room, and it was not particularly bright, so Su Shen’s red ears went unnoticed. After drinking a sip of water, she then put down the glass and walked towards the bedroom.  

“I’m going to take a shower. Play by yourself.”

Just when she was about to go grab some clothes and take a shower, Xie Yan, who was looking at the laptop, suddenly asked solemnly, “Are you familiar with Zheng Tong?”

Previous | Index | Next

Terminating Contract

Su Shen had already made up her mind regarding her relationship with Xie Yan. Her dad’s birthday was on the 25th and it would be a good day to break it to them. However, if this matter was not resolved, her parents might directly have her retire from the entertainment industry.  

“At dad’s birthday this month, but please help me out a little at that time. You know mom, she…” 

Before she could finish her words, sounds of a child’s laughter came from the other end of the line. “Don’t worry. Mom is stubborn, but she’s soft-hearted. As long as you like him and he is not a person with bad morals, she definitely won’t break apart the pair of mandarin ducks. I very much support you in pursuing your career. No matter if it’s someone else’s money or family money, it’s not as comfortable as using your own money. No matter what, I will always support you.”  

Su Shen felt very moved. The biggest gain in this life was having a family who loved her, which cannot be exchanged for anything.   

“I know. I will find a way to resolve this matter,” said Su Shen earnestly. 

Knowing that she had her own thoughts, Su Ruan didn’t say much and just cautioned her before hanging up the call. 

In the early morning, a hint of the morning sun was already hanging in the sky. The golden rays of sunlight sprinkled on the earth as if to dispel the humidity of last night. The production crew was still as busy, and Ding Yan still didn’t come. Needless to say, it was impossible for her to get up so early, but it was too troublesome to change to another actress now. Moreover, it would also offend Ding Yan. The producer could do nothing but endure.  

Leaning against the wall of the corridor and looking at her phone in a daze, Su Shen actually had already thought of a way to explain everything. In this way, no matter what good resources she had in the future, no one would doubt her. But if she did so, she would undoubtedly let Liu jie down. 

After pondering for a while, she finally called Liu jie’s number. It rang for a long time before she answered the phone. Not long after, Liu jie’s voice came through, “The company has been trying to deal with the matter online, but the most troublesome thing is not the person who wants to ruin you. You’ve been doing well recently, which has threatened many people’s interests, and you have offended a lot of people. Now, they all want to step on you. This is the most difficult part.”

There were phone calls coming in from time to time from the other end. Clearly, Liu jie had already returned to the company. 

“I see. I’ll wait a bit more then.” Su Shen felt that she should trust Liu jie once more. 

At that, the other party responded before hanging up the call. 

The comments online didn’t damper Su Shen’s mood. Filming went pretty smoothly for today’s scenes. However, after a day of simmering, the comments online were getting more and more intense. Although the headline was taken down from Hot Search, the topic #Su Shen Stealing Roles# had over 80 million hits. All the major forums and threads were as long as skyscrapers, analyzing the resources and opportunities she had since her debut. The final conclusion was that she must’ve had a sugar daddy behind her. 

Netizen A: As soon as she debuted, she was the leading actress for a web drama, followed by a supporting female lead role in a big IP. She stepped on Fan Meng and boasted about how good her acting is, and even stole roles from Mu Yao and Yang Zhi. If a newcomer didn’t have a formidable background, how could she have these awesome opportunities?! 

Netizen B: My poor Tang Xuan, a Best Actress in Drama yet her role was actually snatched by a C-list starlet. The entertainment industry is too complicated. 

Netizen C: I thought Fan Meng was disgusting enough, but I didn’t expect this b***h to be even more disgusting. You guys can form a team of b***hes. [smiley face]

Netizen D: My Su Su’s family background is so good, so how could she need a sugar daddy? It’s just because my Su Su had blocked someone’s way. The truth will come out sooner or later!

Netizen E: Su Shen’s really the epitome of a white lotus. She looks innocent and pure on the surface. Before, she bound herself to Jiang Yin, but when she saw that it was more suitable to hype a CP with Xie Yan, she then threw him aside. I want to vomit at the sight of her now. [vomit]

Netizen F: Rumors are really based on just one’s mouth now. Stop talking nonsense, and show evidence if you have the ability to! 

Netizen G: Miss Su, you rock! No doubt about it! Taking down the headline on Hot Search as soon as it appeared. Can’t afford to offend you! 

Currently, there was a sudden downpour of antis flooding the comments on her Weibo, and some passersby were also beginning to turn into an anti. If it went on like this for long, it would not only affect her reputation but also affect her resources and endorsements. 

During the day, Xie Yan called her, but she didn’t have the time to answer it as she was still filming. Until at night, after hesitating for half an hour, she finally gave He Hua a call. 

The call connected after three rings, and He Hua’s leisurely voice instantly sounded, “I thought you would only believe in your Starlight.”

Standing in front of the French window and looking at the busy and bustling city outside, Su Shen went silent for a bit before saying insipidly, “What do you think I should do then?”

He Hua had been waiting for her to say that, and this was the only way to solve the problem as matters stand. As for Liu jie… 

“Do whatever you want, but you have to think it over. This is not what I’m forcing you to do. In fact, you should’ve done it a long time ago, or there wouldn’t be such a matter as today. In this industry, relationships are important, but the most important thing is one’s own interests.”

Hearing the words from the other end of the line, Su Shen paused before saying softly while looking out the window, “Then, you deal with it. I don’t want this to continue any longer.” 

At that, the person on the other end naturally laughed and said, “Do you really think I did nothing?”

Su Shen said nothing. The person on the other end said lightheartedly, “I know that your production crew will open up to allow the media to visit tomorrow. I’ve already spoken with the production crew. The director will speak out for you. As for your contract with Starlight, I’ll go discuss it with them personally. You can leave this to me. Don’t make any statements, I’ll make a statement when the time comes.” 

It was apparent that He Hua had planned it long before, but she had no choice. Starlight’s PR was indeed too bad. Su Shen had given Liu jie time, but up to now, the company hadn’t made any formidable counterattacks. She could wait, but if it went on like this, she didn’t know what her parents would think.  

After hanging up the call, Su Shen went to take a shower and go to bed. The next day, the production crew would open up for the media to visit, but it was in the afternoon. There was still filming in the morning, so she had to get there early in the morning to get styled. Just in time, Liu jie arrived. 

Noticing that the atmosphere was amiss, Xiao Zhou, the makeup artist, and Xue Zhixin all went out. When there were only the two of them left in the dressing room, Liu jie lit a cigarette and sat down on the sofa. “The company’s working on a solution. I think you should give the company another chance. This is not a small matter. I hope you understand.”

As long as she terminated her contract with Starlight and He Hua announcing that she had long joined Huayan Entertainment, it would not be strange for him to help her get a supporting female role in a big IP with his status in the industry. With this, it would explain how her resources and opportunities were so good before, and those rumors would be discredited. No matter how those people would libel her as a role snatcher, it would be useless. 

“I know what I’m doing. Even if I don’t terminate the contract right now, there will still be such a day when I get married to Xie Yan in the future. As terminating the contract now can help me solve this problem, I can only do it. I know that the company has been great to me, but at this time, I can’t joke about my reputation. I can tolerate it, but Xie Yan can’t, and neither can my family. I hope you can understand.” Su Shen said earnestly. 

Their eyes met. Liu jie said nothing. The woman in front of her was wearing a royal blue qipao, which showed off her already good figure to be even more exquisite and vivid. Among the entertainment industry full of beauties, that attractive and refined face of hers was at the forefront. She remembered that when they first met, she was still an heiress who was willful and reckless. Liu jie didn’t think she would have much development, because the entertainment industry never lacked beauties and EQ decided everything.  

Unknowingly, the willful and reckless heiress became more reserved and steady, and even her acting improved. Liu jie thought that she would bring forth an A-list actress, but it seemed that things had already been out of her control. 

Liu jie exhaled the smoke slowly. When it dispersed in the quiet dressing room, she suddenly said, “My words remain the same. I hope you can think it over. I can’t make a decision on this matter, Qin zong and the others won’t agree either. You’re violating the contract, there will be a lawsuit.” 

“If He Hua can’t even solve this, I don’t think he will pull me over so confidently,” said Su Shen with a laugh. 

Looking at the calm woman in front of her, Liu jie took another deep breath of smoke before standing up with a perplexed expression and sweeping a glance at her. “I’ll see what the company will say.”

As soon as her words fell, she quickly left on her high heels. When the dressing room was closed, Su Shen sighed again. She didn’t want to come to this. Everyone had feelings, and so did she and Liu jie. However, what He Hua said was right. Feelings were not worth more than one’s own interests. She was only human after all. 

Often, there were cases where artists would terminate their contracts with their former agency, followed by a nasty dispute in the entertainment industry. However, Su Shen believed that He Hua would solve it amicably.  

The comments online didn’t decrease but increased instead. It was not until the afternoon when the media came to visit that Su Shen had just finished a scene, and then several of the main cast and the director gathered together to accept an interview. 

The director stood in the middle, with Zheng Tong and Ding Yan beside him. Su Shen was at the far side. However, she still felt that those cameras were flashing toward her. After all, this was her first appearance after the scandal, and the media naturally hoped that she looked haggard. 

“I heard that this play will be very melodramatic. Director Li, will you be able to film the essence of the original work?” a female reporter asked. 

Facing the dozens of mics in front of him, the director laughed and said composedly, “The adaptation will definitely be different from the original work. The feeling I want should be a little different from the original work.”

The other staff on set were all busy, and the media visit was only for half an hour. After that, they had to resume filming. 

At that, a male reporter extended his mic and continued to ask, “What do you think of the rumor about Su Shen and the film online?”

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Slander

“Kiss on the cheek?” Xie Yan asked in a strange tone. 

“Don’t worry. I’m just doing it for show, lightly touching it.” Afraid that he would be worried, Su Shen explained.

Hearing this, the person on the other end couldn’t help but ask, “You kiss him?”

Su Shen was taken aback and paused before saying somewhat guiltily, “It’s just for show.”

From where she was, they would be confined in the ancestral hall if they even took another glance at other men. But in the entertainment industry, let alone kissing on the cheek, a real bed scene with touching the chest was there. If it was any other large-scale scenes, Su Shen would definitely not accept the play. No matter how good a play was, it was not as important as her own bottom line, but it was not so difficult to accept just a kiss on the cheek. After all, there were no other plays with just a kiss on the cheek scene. 

“When will you shoot this scene?” The man on the other end of the phone asked muffledly.

Hearing this, Su Shen thought for a bit before answering, “I’m not sure about the progress, but it should be around the beginning of the month.”

The filming by production crews was done according to the scenery, not according to the script, so Su Shen was not very clear about it. 

At that, there was no sound from the other end of the line. After a long while, a muffled voice uttered, “Got it.”

Somehow, she felt a little guilty, so Su Shen said that she was going to shower and quickly hung up the call. 

It was still raining outside. Su Shen drew the curtain closed, got her pajamas, and went to take a shower. She had to get up early tomorrow. Although she didn’t have many scenes, she could still go and see how the others acted. Although Ding Yan’s character was not subjected to talk about, her acting had nothing to be said. As a Best Actress in Film, the gold-bearing of it was much more solid than that of Fan Meng. 

Work began at 9:00 am the next day, so Su Shen arrived on set at 7:00 am to get styled. The weather was not so cold now; it was just right to wear a qipao. The production crew was already setting the scene, and some of the extras were wandering outside. They were all passersby and just needed to walk back and forth. The hawkers who showed their faces would earn a hundred bucks per day, and the ones who didn’t have to show their faces would earn from sixty to eighty. Moreover, it doesn’t come with boxed lunches either. Even so, it still couldn’t stop everyone’s dream of becoming famous. 

When she entered the dressing room, Xue Zhixin was eating hot and sour noodles, which was fresh among the female stars. It was just that the entire room smelled of sour bamboo shoots. 

Seeing that she was staring at her, Xue Zhixin immediately put down her chopsticks and explained, “Let me tell you, people should enjoy the present. What’s wrong with getting fat? Isn’t the reason why we are working so hard to earn money so we can eat well? People these days are all trying their best to lose weight to the point of not even daring to eat a steamed bun. What’s the point of living then?”

Su Shen: “…….”

Xiao Zhou, behind her, was biting the straw for her soymilk, and when she heard that, she glanced at her own thick waist and felt that for beauty, she was better off living a meaningless life. 

“You’re right. I won’t deliberately refuse to eat either, I just eat less. If there’s something good, I will definitely eat it,” said Su Shen with a smile, and then sat down on the sofa while drinking her soymilk. 

Her desire for good food was actually not that high. Sometimes, she wouldn’t even think about it even if she had to eat less. However, to be at Xue Zhixin’s mentality was rare. It couldn’t be helped, the industry had standards. Sometimes, one would lose a lot of resources when one was too chubby. It was no wonder that those female artists would only eat cabbage and carrots.  

“You’re still young so this is a must.” Xue Zhixin ate a mouthful of hot and sour noodles and said while chewing, “Look at you—young, beautiful, and have a fab figure, and even a great boyfriend. You’re at the peak of life.”

She didn’t expect that she also knew about her relationship with Xie Yan. Feeling a little embarrassed, Su Shen looked down and continued reading her script without saying anything. 

Xue Zhixin was an outgoing person and became more and more enthusiastic the more she went on. Looking at her with gossipy eyes and with oil covered all over her mouth, she said, “I heard that Xie Yan doesn’t play around and never opens the door whenever an actress would knock on his door in the middle of the night. How did you get him? Did you chase him?” 

In this industry, there were too many unknowns trying to climb into famous celebrities’ beds. Xue Zhixin didn’t think Su Shen was the type to curry favors with others. It could be seen from details that were nurtured from childhood. But if so, why did Xie Yan suddenly fall in love with this girl among all of the beautiful women he has seen?  

If it was someone else, Su Shen would certainly ignore them. But Xue Zhixin was just straightforward and frank, and it was not like something she couldn’t say. 

After pondering for a while, she cleared her throat and said, “He pursued me.” 

Thinking about it now, Xie Yan had put in a lot of effort in pursuing her, to actually go and film an idol drama with her.  

“Ah? How did he pursue you then?” Xue Zhixin was so gossipy that she stopped eating her noodles. This was exclusive news, and also one of the big mysteries in the entertainment industry. 

“I… it’s actually nothing much, nothing special. Don’t think too much.” Su Shen laughed awkwardly. She didn’t want to know, but after thinking about it, she realized that Xie Yan seemed to have hinted to her a long time ago, but she didn’t dare to think that way.

“AH! Su jie, look!” Xiao Zhou suddenly leaned over and handed the phone to her. 

Su Shen put down her script, took over her phone, and looked. But when she saw the contents on the screen, she couldn’t help frowning. 

Entertainment Gossip Auntie Q&A: 

1. Auntie, auntie, I want to ask, with Su Shen’s fame, it’s not enough to be in Director Li’s film, right? Why are her resources so good? Is it true that she snatched Tang Xuan’s role?

Answer: 

Su Shen’s sister is the VP of Tangerine TV, so that’s why she’s a leading actress as soon as she debuted. However, her sister isn’t able to give her many too good of opportunities either. She’s rather ambitious. Before, she latched onto Jiang Yin and even chased after Xie Yan. The reason why she can be in Director Li’s film is because she has an indescribable relationship with a senior executive producer. You know what I mean. Originally, this film had decided on Tang Xuan, but it was changed because of the senior executive. Director Li isn’t very satisfied with her, but he has no choice. 

This was a gossip account that had over five million followers and often posted explosives on some matters. Some were true, some were false. The ones that were true were accurate. The ones that were false, others wouldn’t know. However, it was still rather famous among the gossip accounts. With this sudden explosive, some other news sites began to reshare it. This was from last night and wasn’t anything big at that time. It was still at the bottom of Hot Search after a night of it simmering, but the internet was already crazily cursing at her. 

Netizen A: This kind of woman who climbs into bed with others, I suspect that her Best Newcomer award came from sleeping. [vomit]

Netizen B: Poor Tang Xuan; this kind of woman who climbs in bed with others and has poor acting is simply a tumor in the entertainment industry. [vomit]

Netizen C: I believe in Su Su. Can news from a gossip account even be believable? Those who said my Su Su’s acting is poor, please go and see the optometrist. [smiley face]

Netizen D: So repulsive. I used to think she was quite pretty, but I didn’t expect her to be so depraved.

Netizen E: Are there no costs to spreading a rumor now? At the award ceremony, Tang Xuan personally said that she admired Su Su a lot. If she really stole her role, who would even say that? Gossip dog, karma will hit you back!

Netizen F: Too scary. Miss Su, please stay away from my Xie Yan in the future. He probably hasn’t seen your true colors yet. [smiley face]

Netizen G: I think Xie Yan and Su Shen’s relationship is pretty good. Didn’t they joke with each other before? Besides, if they were not on good terms, Xie Yan wouldn’t act with her, no?

Netizen H: Is it a publicity stunt? After all, Miss Su’s new drama is about to air. Emmmm

Netizen I: Is the OP above stupid? Would you hype like this?

Su Shen didn’t know who was trying to destroy her behind her back again, but it was clear that they had spent a lot of money. With so many water armies and the chain of follow-up reposts, this degree of publicity was usually done for promotions of a play. Moreover, the cost was not low, at least two million. The person behind this was really willing to spend a fortune on it.  

“Su jie, do you want to give Liu jie a call?” Xiao Zhou asked worriedly. 

This kind of news had to be clarified in time or it would easily damage her reputation with the public. Even if it was clarified later, it would still leave a bad impression. 

Su Shen returned the phone to her, but before she could call Liu jie, her sister’s call came in. 

Glancing at Xue Zhixin, Su Shen came to the corridor outside with her phone. Everyone was busy on set and rarely had time to follow the news online closely. 

As soon as the call connected, Su Ruan’s somber voice immediately came through from the other end, “Shen Shen, what’s going on?”

It was not a big deal if it was just a small-scale rumor, but when it came to reputation, her sister placed more importance on it than she did. Especially if her parents saw it, Su Shen couldn’t imagine the consequences. 

After a pause, she said softly, “This is an accident. I’ll deal with it as soon as possible.”

“I know that the entertainment industry is messy, but you also know that mom and dad had always disagreed with you entering. If they see this, how angry will they be? It’s clear that someone’s trying to destroy you. Do you think it will be so easy to calm the aftermath later?” Su Ruan earnestly explained. 

Hearing this, Su Shen also had a headache. She could wait for the company to deal with it, but her parents would not give her time to wait. 

“I’m not putting pressure on you. I know you want to be independent, but at this time, I have to help you. I’ll contact Liu Min and take down the headline on Hot Search before it gets bigger. As for the gossip account, if she doesn’t agree to delete the post, I will have the company’s legal team sue her. However, the person who wants to slander you won’t stop so easily. You have to solve this matter from the root. For example, ask the production team to clarify or have Tang Xuan put in a word for you. Understand?”

Hearing the words from the other end of the line, Su Shen also knew the seriousness of the matter, but even if the production team was to clarify right now, those netizens wouldn’t believe it. They would only think that it was a facade that she bought off the production team.

“I’ll think it over. Thanks, sis,” said Su Shen softly. 

At that, the person on the other end of the line also softened her tone a little. “I know you’re all grown up now, but you must take care of yourself, and don’t let mom and dad worry about you. Also, you can’t hide your relationship with Xie Yan from them always. When are you going to tell them?”

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Going On Set

Ding Yan was considered to be one of the A-list actresses in the industry. Although she was only in her 30s, she had already won a Best Actress in Film and acted in various genres. From the mouths of those famous directors, she was very expressive. Although her looks were not stunning, she had a little bit of a baby face and did not appear old. It was not surprising that she was the female lead of this film. In the eyes of the public, she had a great reputation but was unlikeable in the industry. She was well-known to be troublesome and hard to work with. However, only her image fit the female lead of this play among the actresses with acting skills in the industry, so there was no other choice. 

“I know what to do. By the way, can you discuss with the producer about that drama I told you about before and see if some details in the script can be changed?” Su Shen suddenly remembered. 

Hearing this, Liu jie just nodded slightly. “I’ll go and negotiate with them, but there are also many people fighting for this role. I heard that the producer is set on actresses like Tang Xuan, but it seems that the director wants you, hence why the producer invited you. However, we don’t know what will happen in the end. I’ll properly negotiate with them about these matters.”

At that, Su Shen just uttered an “en,” and didn’t say anything else.

When it was about time to board, they started to get in line. At this time, there would be paparazzi waiting at the airport and some professional fan photographers. Su Shen didn’t know if she had been photographed or not, so she wore a cap for as long as she could.

It was already noon when they arrived at Jiang City. The opening ceremony would be held at 1:00 pm, so Su Shen rushed to the filming site of the production crew. This filming location was all reminiscent of the Republic of China era, with many plays about the war of resistance against Japan filmed here. There were a large number of extras running back and forth here all year long for a dozen dollars a day. It was more for meeting a scout which could enable them to get their foot into the entertainment industry. After all, everyone thought that this industry was rich and glamorous. Who didn’t want to be the focus of attention? Unfortunately, most of those with no connections in this industry could only be subjected to small roles. If Su Shen didn’t have her sister’s help, she would be no different from these people. 

The set was closed off from the public, so those reporters couldn’t get in. It was drizzling today; the bluestone alley was wet. The entire film site was enshrouded by rain. Apart from being a film site, it was also a nice tourist spot.   

Production crews were superstitious and just like ancient Peking opera, they would worship God before going on stage every time. The time and position of the opening ceremony had already been determined, and it needed to be on time. However, it was already 12:55 pm, and Ding Yan still hadn’t arrived. The director and producer had a long face. They had heard that she liked to be a diva, but it was another thing to see it with their own eyes.

It was not until the 59-minute mark that a woman in red athleisure wear came in a hurry, followed by several assistants. Perhaps knowing that she was late, she apologized to the producer with a smile. Although the producer was certainly not happy on the inside, the other party had already apologized so they said nothing and asked everyone to quickly go burn incense. 

It was natural that Ding Yan would have her own dressing room. Su Shen had to share one with another actress, with only one makeup artist inside. Originally, there were two makeup artists, but Ding Yan’s side said that there were not enough hands on their end, so they simply took one with them. It was not a big deal, so Su Shen didn’t want to say anything more, but the other actress was not so good-tempered. 

“Does she think she has a lot of face? To have three makeup artists surrounding her and boast that she has a natural face, does she think that others don’t know she didn’t get shots?” With a cigarette in her mouth, Xue Zhixin crossed her legs and glanced at Su Shen, who was reading her script over there, from the corner of her eye. “Su Shen, let me tell you, this kind of person likes to win an inch and wants a foot. Today, she took your makeup artist, Tomorrow, she’ll change your lines!”

Su Shen, who was in the midst of reading her script, just smiled and looked up. “You think too much. She’s not at the level of being able to change lines.” 

For this kind of play, the director had the most authority, and even the producer would have difficulty intervening. Not mentioning whether Ding Yan had the power to change the lines and even if she did, she was introduced by He Hua. For a favor, the director wouldn’t easily change her scenes. 

“It’s hard to say. She’s famous for overwhelming actresses of the same cast., but contrarily, she likes to work with those xiao xian rous. I heard that she often has fun with those male models in private, and they even have a group—very open-minded at that. Last month, wasn’t there a scandal that Li Jin and a male model were swimming together abroad? That model was introduced by Ding Yan. She especially likes to do these pimp acts to expand her social circle. Otherwise, how else did she have so many good opportunities?!” Xue Zhixin inhaled smoke and slowly blew out a smoke ring. It was obvious that she was a veteran smoker. 

The makeup artist was still doing her hair. Hearing this, Su Shen just smiled and said nothing. This industry has always been dirty. Men had needs, and so did women. For those rather old female artists, who didn’t like young and handsome men? It was just that they concealed it very well. In actuality, the life behind the glamour was even more dark than ordinary people.   

Xue Zhixin was a B-list small-screen actress, and her acting was not bad, but her popularity was lukewarm. Perhaps it had something to do with her frankness. EQ could solve so many matters in the entertainment industry.  

The male and female leads had scenes in the afternoon, and it was not until evening that Su Shen had a scene. Moreover, it was a scene in the middle of the plot. Director Li was very strict and would explain some details in detail. 

“This cigarette is rather light. Remember to exhale the smoke ring after the male lead finished his first sentence. When the smoke ring is half dispersed, you can then speak.”

Director Li sat in front of the monitor and handed her a rarely-seen pack of cigarettes. Taking it over and having a look, Su Shen could tell that it seemed to be cigarettes produced in the Republic of China era. In terms of details, the production crew did a great job at it.  

“Zheng Tong, you have to pat off the rain from your body when you come in later. Remember to do that before going in to see Su Shen. Don’t look at her before patting off the rain.” Director Li looked conscientiously at Zheng Tong on the side. 

The retro building had people coming and going. The lighting crew had been adjusting the light over there, and the narrow space inside was a little congested. Ding Yan, who was still wearing her costume, was leaning against the chaise in the corner, drinking coffee leisurely, glancing over where the director was from time to time. 

The stylist had been helping Zheng Tong straighten the collar of his leather jacket. Hearing the director’s words, he just nodded while looking at the script. 

With the box of cigarettes in her hand, Su Shen came to the window and sat down to get a sense of the character. The window was open, and it was drizzling outside. In the dark night, the film site was boiling with noise, and not far away, there was the sound of gunfire from another crew. 

She was wearing a red qipao with a slit to her thigh. But because of her shawl, only a portion of snow-white skin to her knee was exposed. Under the dim light, her exquisite side profile with heavy makeup could be seen, and her red lips were slightly pursed. Her jade-like fingers slowly tore the cigarette box. 

Satisfied with the state of her getting into character, the director held the loudspeaker and shouted, “All of you, get out of frame. Cameraman, go over there. Yes, okay, get ready, action!”

Holding the camera, the cameraman swept a shot of the woman in front of the window, and then landed at the door. Just at this moment, the wooden door was pushed open, and a tall man walked in hurriedly. He closed the door, and then patted the raindrops off his shoulders. Then, his gaze slowly fell on the woman in front of the window. 

When the camera came over again, Su Shen took out a cigarette from the cigarette box, lit it, and slowly put it into her mouth for a smoke. Her thick curled eyelashes slightly trembled, as if she was enjoying the flavor of the cigarette. 

Zheng Tong came a few steps forward, leaving two meters away from her. After a pause, he asked seriously, “Why didn’t you kill him? Do you know how rare this chance is?” 

As his words fell, Su Shen slightly parted her lips and slowly blew out a smoke ring. She looked down slightly and said, “I sometimes think, I have helped you so much, but you seem to have given me nothing.”  

Her languid voice held a hint of indifferentness. Zheng Tong stared at the woman by the window, pursed his lips, and suddenly stepped forward. “If you wanted something, you wouldn’t have waited until today to ask me.”

“So, you’re confident that I will stupidly be used by you?” Su Shen glanced from the corner of her eye, and with a cigarette in her hand, she smiled sarcastically. “Do you know how many people die every day in Shanghai? I wonder if I will be one of them one day.” 

The light in the small building was not very bright, but the exquisite looks of the woman did not decrease the slightest bit. There was no expression on her face, but that pair of slightly smiling eyes made people feel as if they went through the ups and downs of life.  

The director in front of the monitor frowned tightly and stared at the screen. Even Ding Yan, who was drinking coffee in the corner, looked at this scene with a half smile. Interesting. So young, but schemes well. Else, she wouldn’t have been able to win over Xie Yan.

“You’re not the kind of person who’s greedy for life and afraid of death.” Zheng Tong stared at her and then put on his hat before turning around and leaving.

Su Shen snickered and took a deep breath of smoke. “How do you know that I’m not greedy for life and afraid of death?” 

Seeing that he paused his steps, Su Shen stepped two steps forward on her high heels and glanced at him with a cigarette in her hand. “Let me tell you, not everyone is as righteous as you. You’re asking me to help you, but why should I? What have you given me?”

“You…”

“Do you want to say that it’s my duty to sacrifice a bit for the poor, innocent common people?” Su Shen snickered and took another deep breath of smoke before walking over to the window slowly. “I help the poor common people, but who helped me when I was suffering?” 

“My parents were bombed when I was twelve years old. I narrowly escaped and had to follow a group of beggars wandering around the streets. Who helped me at that time?” Su Shen took a deep breath and said in a cold voice, “The winters in Shanghai are so cold. I remember one year, I was almost frozen to death. Eventually, a woman threw a copper coin in front of me. She looked at me with nothing but disdain, but I was so happy. But…”

She put her hand on the edge of the window, and her red nails slowly clasped the edge. “It was snatched away, and those people laughed at me. Do you know how desperate I was? But, who came to save me at that time?!”

Zheng Tong said nothing and just looked at the woman, who was caught up in her memories, with a perplexed expression. 

“Until one day, a human trafficker took me home. She had me washed up and fed me delicious food. I thought that there were still good people in the world. However, it was not until she sold me into…” Su Shen suddenly paused and turned around, staring at him fervently. “At that time, who came to save me?”

“Cut!”

When the director’s word fell, Su Shen seemed to still not have gotten out of character, so she stood in front of the window and took a few deep breaths before she came to the monitor with a smile. 

“Not bad. But Su Shen, you can speak slowly. This is not a memory, but simply a statement. You’ve already reconciled to life, so you have to tell it as if it was someone else’s story.” The director looked at her seriously. 

Hearing that, Su Shen nodded and began to reflect on the script. 

Although she had seen Zheng Tong at Jiang Liankai’s wedding before, Su Shen wasn’t very familiar with him. Contrarily, Xie Yan and he were rivals in a sense because they were about the same age. Fans liked to compare Xie Yan and him the most, and then turn it into a catfight. From looks to acting, the two of them were like fire and water. However, the relationship between Xie Yan and Zheng Tong was not that bad, but they weren’t close either.  

Later, there was another scene that was NG before it could pass. When she returned to the hotel, it was already 10:00 pm. As soon as she entered her room, her phone rang. 

Seeing that it was Xie Yan, Su Shen somehow didn’t want to answer it. But since she wasn’t there anyways, there was nothing she was afraid of. 

As soon as the call connected, a deep and mellow voice came from the other end. “Finished with work?”

Su Shen went to get a glass of water and sat down on the sofa. “I just got back to the hotel. What’s wrong?” 

Xie Yan was not the type to talk endlessly on the phone, so there must be something wrong with his sudden call. 

“Need me to come see you?” He said calmly. 

Hearing this, Su Shen felt a little embarrassed. They just separated today…

After taking a sip of water, she sat cross-legged on the sofa, holding her phone and saying softly, “Aren’t you being closely followed by the paparazzi? If it’s troublesome, it’s alright. I’m fine.” 

At that, there was a pause on the other end before a deep voice sounded, “En. Are there any kiss scenes in this film?” 

The scale of the plot in literary films was bigger than in commercial movies. Hearing what Xie Yan just said, Su Shen felt somewhat guilty before saying slowly, “I… I seem… to have a kiss on the cheek scene.”

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Moving Up the Date

It would’ve been better if he hadn’t told her. As soon as he said that, Su Shen was ill at ease and fell into a daze, feeling ashamed inexplicably. 

“Come, come, come, black chicken soup, good for replenishing blood.” 

The auntie came out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of hot soup with a smile. Su Shen didn’t dare look at her as blood surged to her face. She could only look down and continue biting the sandwich in her hands. 

“Are you free at the beginning of next month?” asked Xie Yan suddenly.

Su Shen paused before she turned to look at him. “What’s wrong?” 

Every time Xie Yan asked her if she was free, there was always something about to happen.

“Nothing. My parents are coming back around that time, and I want to bring you to meet them, that’s all.” Xie Yan drank his milk calmly. 

Hearing this, Su Shen tensed up. She didn’t know what to do when meeting the parents yet. 

Seeing her in shock, Xie Yan just caressed her head with a smile. “It’s okay, but there are some things that should be moved up the date.” 

Su Shen: “……”

She was stunned and didn’t understand what he meant.

Glancing at her stomach, Xie Yan said seriously, “There may be my daughter inside already. We have to be responsible for the child. It’s better to get married earlier.” 

Su Shen: “……”

She parted her mouth slightly and came back to her senses. She then turned around awkwardly and glanced at him. “Who do you think you are? Capable enough to have a daughter in one night?”

Su Shen hadn’t thought about birth control. However, if she really was pregnant, she would definitely give birth to it. Her career was not as important as her child. 

Hearing this, Xie Yan leaned in and squinted. “Do you know what you are saying?”

At that, Su Shen was taken aback. When she faced his dangerous of an expression, she immediately blushed and explained in a hurry. “I… I didn’t mean that. I’m just saying that the odds are too small, too small!”

“Too late.” He took the newspaper from the table and slowly opened it with a long face, appearing particularly scary. 

Su Shen subconsciously massaged her lower back. Last night, Xie Yan had restrained himself a lot already. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like if he was angry… 

“I didn’t mean that. If you’re like this, how would I dare stay at your place?” She blinked, inexplicably afraid. 

Glancing from the corner of his eye, Xie Yan suddenly put down the newspaper in his hand and propped one arm on the table. He then stared at her and said, “You clearly said I’m not capable. Shouldn’t I prove myself?”

His words were so frank that Su Shen could not bear it, so she looked down, away from him. “I didn’t say that you’re not capable…”

“But, I think that’s what you mean. I’m angry, what are you gonna do?” He arched a brow, his voice somber. 

Unable to stand his gaze, Su Shen got up and quickly ran to the sofa and sat down, ignoring him.

Looking at her petite figure, Xie Yan smiled helplessly and continued to read the newspaper.

Lying on the sofa, Su Shen massaged her lower back while pondering when she should tell her parents about her relationship with Xie Yan. It wasn’t a solution to delay it further either. 

It was her dad’s birthday on the 25th. She could tell them beforehand and then bring Xie Yan over on the day of. Her sister would definitely speak for her. Since Xie Yan was so principled, her mom would probably agree, right?

After pondering for a while, she sent a message to Xiao Zhou, asking her to go to her condo and bring her script over. She had to go on set tomorrow, so she had to prepare herself in advance. Xie Yan was also here, and he could even go over the script with her. 

……

It was the first time Xiao Zhou came to her idol’s house and everything seemed like a dream. But what made it even more dreamy was that she seemed to have discovered a great secret. 

Yesterday, her Su jie seemed to have slept with her idol!

When she rang the doorbell after taking a deep breath, the door opened after about ten seconds. It was opened by an amicable auntie. Xiao Zhou was taken aback but immediately nodded with a smile. “Hi Auntie, I’m here to deliver something.” 

“Quickly come in, Shen Shen’s inside.” The auntie smiled and then found a pair of slippers for her. 

Xiao Zhou was about to say that she wouldn’t go in, but with an ulterior motive, she wanted to see what her idol’s house looked like, so she changed her shoes and entered with the script. 

The living room was large, with a simple interior design illuminated by a warm white light chandelier. On the blue European-style sofa, a girl in a knee-length nightgown leaned against the sofa with her fair legs on the man’s legs covered by a throw in case of being cold. The man was reading a book, and it seemed that he said something which angered the girl, causing her to kick him. However, the man just smiled helplessly with a look of pampering.  

 Xiao Zhou took a deep breath and clutched her heart, walking over with the script in her trembling hands. “Su jie, here’s the script.”

Seeing Xiao Zhou, Su Shen immediately reached out to take the document folder. As she opened it and took out the script, she asked, “Did you see any paparazzi outside when you came in just now?”

At that, Xiao Zhou shook her head blankly. She really didn’t pay much attention. 

“Nevermind. If they took a photo, then so be it,” said Su Shen as she continued to look at the script. 

The usual paparazzi most likely would not recognize her assistant unless they had especially followed her. 

After a pause, Xiao Zhou glanced at Xie Yan at the side. Her idol really had no bad angles. After deglutition, she looked at Su Shen and said, “Su jie, I’ll go back if there’s nothing else then.”

“En,” uttered Su Shen softly while looking through the script. She still couldn’t find that feeling, there was still something missing.

“Xie Yan, do you think I should show a little bit of affection for the male lead?” Su Shen took the script and crawled over, sitting next to him and passing the script over.

The plot didn’t write that the supporting female lead liked the male lead, but from a certain point of view, the supporting female lead did like the male lead, at least in Su Shen’s opinion. 

Taking over her script, Xie Yan skimmed through it, and his eyes fell on the last scene. “What kind of person do you think she is?”

At that, Su Shen pondered for a while before saying earnestly with her legs crisscrossing, “I think she has low self-esteem, but she’s used to covering her heart with indifference. Even when facing the male lead, she didn’t show that she liked him. But in the end, she said that no one would remember her. This is the sorrow and pain of being a nobody. The male lead is an envoy of justice while she’s just an ordinary person that fell into the mud. However, she’s able to help the male lead a lot. On one hand, she wants to prove that there’s value to her existence, and on the other hand is because of the male lead. 

“Then, do you think this kind of person will show her true feelings?” Xie Yan glanced at her.

Su Shen frowned and pondered earnestly for a bit. “I also know that the supporting female lead won’t show it easily, but I’m wondering how she should look when facing the male lead.”

It was definitely not a good idea to express her like so directly or to occasionally show a little bit. She wanted to express this feeling in a natural, organic kind of way.

“Putting aside the factor that the supporting female lead likes the male lead, how do you think she should appear?” Xie Yan looked at her conscientiously. 

At that, Su Shen suddenly thought of something and nodded. “Right. Admire. If she admired him too much, then the audience will surely notice that her feelings for the male lead are not normal.”

She didn’t have to show her admiration so explicitly to the audience. It could be reflected in a glance, so it wouldn’t feel too abrupt. The audience would certainly perceive some traces of it.

“It’s just a play. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.” Xie Yan wrapped his arm around her shoulder, holding her in his arms, and planted a kiss on her.

Su Shen blinked and turned away from him. “I’m not under any pressure. Pay attention to your image. Wang ayi* is looking over there.”

ayi – means auntie; a way of addressing an older lady who could be a relative, family friend, or a helper

Su Shen didn’t dare to look up at Wang ayi. Despite this, she still felt embarrassed. It was just that Xie Yan couldn’t keep his hands off of her.

“What are you afraid of? Wang ayi knows about everything.” With his arms around her waist, Xie Yan lowered his head and wanted to kiss her again.

Su Shen turned away and pursed her lips, avoiding his kiss.  

Knowing that she had misspoken during the day, Su Shen had a clever idea at night. After taking the key to the guest room from Wang ayi, she sneaked into the guest room very early and locked the door. She then blocked the door with a chair before she went to bed. 

Although she didn’t know much about relations between men and women, she knew that Xie Yan would definitely not let her go, so she decided to wait until he forgot that sentence. 

The next day, she had already asked her chauffeur to drive her to the airport, but Xie Yan insisted on sending her, so she had no choice but to sneak out of the mansion from the back door in case of being photographed by the paparazzi. 

The filming location this time was in Jiang City. Although it wasn’t very far, it would still be a two-hour flight. When Su Shen arrived at the airport, Liu jie called her and told her that she was waiting in the lounge. 

Looking at the busy road outside, Su Shen looked at the man beside her and said softly, “I’m going then.”

Seeing that she was about to open the door, Xie Yan suddenly leaned over and pressed her against the seat. His eyes fervent. “Why did you lock the door yesterday?”

Su Shen: “…….”

“I…….”

“Don’t think that I have forgotten that sentence.” He smiled and said seriously, “I will remember it always.”

Su Shen: “…….”

Just at this moment, her phone suddenly rang. Seeing that it was Liu jie, Su Shen hurriedly opened the door and got out of the car as if she found her lifesaver. She then waved to the person in the car, put on her mask, and entered the airport without looking back. 

So petty. Su Shen didn’t know that Xie Yan was such a petty person. As expected, a man’s heart was like a needle at the bottom of the sea. 

When she arrived at the lounge, Su Shen soon found Liu jie and Xiao Zhou. Seeing her coming, Liu jie glanced outside the airport and asked, “Has he left?”

Knowing what she meant, Su Shen nodded slightly and then sat down to take off her mask. 

There were people coming and going in the lounge. Liu jie sat beside her and after looking around, she then said conscientiously, “I don’t want to meddle in your private affairs as long as you guys are not photographed. This film will be very beneficial for you to enter the mainstream film market. By no means, you can’t make a mistake. The female lead this time is Ding Yan, who’s famous for overwhelming actresses in the same cast. Moreover, she’s close with Cen Qing. You have to be careful about all matters.”

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Fulfilling One’s Wish

“I…” Su Shen held the doorknob tightly and frowned. Ultimately, she slowly opened the door to a small crack and quickly reached out her hand. “Give it to me!”

Through the crack, he could see the mist in the bathroom. The arm she reached out was fair and slender, with drops of water on it. Some even slid to her wrist, leaving a winding watermark on her fair and tender arm.

“Do you need my help?” He asked in a hoarse voice. 

The woman inside neared the door, and her face was as red as an apple. She waved her fair arm outside and said, “Just give me the towel!

Looking at the towel in his hand, Xie Yan handed it to her. The latter immediately grabbed the towel and withdrew her hand, slamming the bathroom door with a BANG.

Looking at the shut tight bathroom door, Xie Yan chuckled and returned to his room. 

When Su Shen came out, it was already 1:00 am. There was everything needed in the guest room, but it was rare for Xie Yan to have time. She wanted to ask him about the script from before, but at the thought of what just happened, she was a little embarrassed. After hesitating for a long while, she ultimately walked towards his room.

When she came to Xie Yan’s room, he was sitting at his desk and looking at his laptop. After walking over, Su Shen sat down in front of the desk. “I received a script, and I think it’s pretty good, but the character’s a little risky. Can you help look over it?” 

As soon as he looked up, he saw the woman in front of him with her fair complexion reaching out to fiddle with the laptop on his face. There was almost no blemish on her bare face, but she was a little pale from not resting well. 

“Look, is the character of this female lead a little unlikeable?” Su Shen pushed the laptop over. 

Taking the laptop, Xie Yan looked at the words on the screen without changing his expression, and slowly scrolled down the page. Sitting across from him, Su Shen felt a little sleepy, but she still pulled herself together and continued to wait for him to finish reading. 

After an unknown amount of time passed and just when Su Shen was about to fall asleep on the desk, the person across from her finally moved the laptop over. 

“A drama ultimately is for the public to watch, even if it is close to reality. If the public doesn’t like it, it won’t become a word-of-mouth drama.” Xie Yan tapped the desk twice with his pen and said softly, “There’s no need to change the character, but the plot is flawed. The last scene can be changed to the Eldest Prince entering the palace to have an audience with the Emperor and encounter the female lead in the Imperial Garden as the ending, which will give the public an illusion that they can still be together.” 

At that, Su Shen nodded earnestly. “I’ll talk to Liu jie and see if she can negotiate with the production team.” 

As she said that, she moved to close the laptop and smiled, “There are too many people who like the female lead. Does this need to be changed?” 

“It’s human nature to like someone because of their beauty, This is just a reality.” As he said this, Xie Yan leaned over and stared at her. “Besides, it goes without saying that you’re beautiful.” 

As their eyes met, Su Shen’s heart couldn’t help pounding faster again. She immediately closed the laptop and didn’t know that Xie Yan could say sweet nothings. 

“I’m going back to sleep. You should also go to bed early.” She got up, glanced at Xie Yan, and walked to the door as she rubbed her neck. 

Seeing her passing by, Xie Yan immediately grabbed her fair wrist, shocking Su Shen for a bit. 

He got up and wrapped his arms around her slender waist; his eyes fervent. “I want to sleep with you.”

Seeing this kind of expression again, Su Shen held her breath subconsciously and blinked her big eyes, looking away from him. “D-didn’t you… not want to sleep with me last time?” 

Last time at the hotel, he went ahead and slept on the sofa alone.

“That was last time.” He looked down and kissed her bright red lips fervently, plundering everything from her in a hurry. The desire that he had endured for a long time finally exploded.

“Mhm…” With her eyes wide open, Su Shen clasped his shoulder weakly. Believing in Xie Yan, she closed her eyes and tried to bear the sudden storm.

Her waist was so slender as if it could be snapped with just a little force. Unknowingly, he had already pressed her on the desk, scattering the pen and script onto the floor. 

He gently kissed her fair and slender neck, nibbling it a few times. He then nibbled all the way down as if he got addicted to it. When he came to that fair collarbones, he felt her body tense. When he looked up, he saw her tightly closing her eyes and her eyelashes trembling. 

The light above her head seemed to become dim. It was already very dark outside. After taking a deep breath, Xie Yan buried his head into her neck and mumbled, “I just want to sleep with you. I won’t do anything else.”

If it was someone else, this was definitely a lie to trick a three-year-old. But if this person was Xie Yan, Su Shen knew that he would definitely not do anything else. 

Opening her eyes slightly, she saw the sweat on his forehead from enduring. Su Shen blinked and suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck, blushing. “If… you did do something… I won’t blame you.” 

Her voice was as light as the sound of a fly flying, but in Xie Yan’s ears, it was like a clap of thunder. He put his forehead against hers and swallowed. “Are you sure?”

He couldn’t believe what she had just said.

Su Shen closed her eyes and said nothing. Her pale face flushed. At this moment, her consent was the most powerful stimulant in Xie Yan’s eyes.

He princess-carried her and placed her on the soft big bed in a few steps. Looking at her nervous and tense face, Xie Yan kissed her on the lips and said in a hoarse voice, “I’ll be gentle.”

He then directly plundered her red lips, pried her teeth open, and wandered deep into her mouth. His fiery hot hand slowly wandered up along her smooth thigh, and the light above them blurred the lines between the two of them. 

Su Shen felt that this was the boldest decision she had ever made in this life. She didn’t want to see Xie Yan endure it anymore. 

When that sharp pain pierced straight into her mind, she couldn’t help but bite his shoulder. Her fingernails dug deeply into his arms, leaving a mark. The other party seemed not to notice it at all, allowing the dim light to envelop the two of them.

……

When the dazzling sunlight came in through the thick curtains, Su Shen subconsciously reached for her phone on the nightstand, but what she touched was a warm wall. 

Feeling a little sore in her arm, she couldn’t help but open her eyes slightly, looking at the bright and beautiful scenery outside the window. Turning around, she saw a familiar figure, and the other party’s naked upper body, with distinct muscles. 

Su Shen blinked and the memories from last night came pouring in. She didn’t make any noise and just bit her lower lip, pulling up the blanket to cover her face. 

“What should I do if you touch me so early in the morning?” He held her in his arms and pulled the blanket down with a smile. 

Su Shen covered her face with her hands and her face flushed. “I… I didn’t touch you anywhere. Don’t wrong a good person.”

Her voice was hoarse. The warm beam of light shone on her skin full of hickeys, which only made Xie Yan swallow. His big hand slipped into the blanket and did whatever he pleased on her smooth skin. 

“You clearly touched me just now. How can you not admit it?” He said in a hoarse voice and kissed her on the lips. His fiery hot kiss trailed down to her collarbone. 

Just as Su Shen was about to say something blushingly, the phone on the desk suddenly buzzed.

This was Xie Yan’s phone. With this understanding, Su Shen immediately patted the head on her chest and said, “Go and pick up the phone.” 

The phone on the desk was still buzzing. With a darkened face, Xie Yan got out of bed and went to pick up the phone on the desk. Immediately, He Hua’s voice came through, “Xie Yan, why aren’t you answering the phone? If I have something important to tell you, I’ll be anxious to death!” 

“What’s the matter?” He asked in an irked tone. 

The person on the other end paused before asking doubtfully, “What’s wrong with you? Who angered you again?”

Xie Yan would never show that he was upset.  

“If you have something, say it.” He put his phone on speaker and threw it onto the bed. Meanwhile, he picked up his T-shirt on the side and put it on. 

Lying in bed, Su Shen stared blankly at the phone on the bed. 

“What’s the matter? You should know it better than I do. Don’t post whatever on Weibo, and don’t go out lately. There are already paparazzi waiting outside. Tell Su Shen to be careful too. Also, is she at your house right now? If so, remember to close the curtains, and don’t make trouble for me again!”

Hearing the voice from the phone, Su Shen could not help but bury her head into the blanket shyly. Everything felt so unreal to her. She and Xie Yan actually did it…

Picking up his phone, Xie Yan said seriously, “Don’t call me in the morning and evening henceforth.”

After saying that, he hung up the call. Looking at the woman still buried in the blanket, he couldn’t help but pull the blanket away from her and planted a kiss on her cheek. “Rest a bit more. I’ll have Auntie make soup for you.”

Su Shen didn’t say anything. After watching him leave, she then went to the nightstand to get her phone. But as soon as she moved, she felt all of her bones seemingly cracking. 

She massaged her lower back while she opened her phone, noticing that the articles had been published online, with many of them covering her winning an award. Naturally, the company had something to do with it too. 

However, she found that an hour ago, Xie Yan had made a Weibo post, which was a photo of the sun outside the window!

Xie Yan V: The weather’s not bad today. [photo]

Netizen A: From the look of it, this was taken from the bed. 

Netizen B: Don’t be like this. I’m panicking. [joy]

Netizen C: My imagination is a little wild. Tell me, there’s no woman beside Yan ge, right? [joy]

Netizen D: Hubby, you weren’t like this before. [sob]

Netizen E: Why do I think there’s a woman lying next to him? [joy]

Netizen F: Promise me that you won’t post anymore. I won’t beg you to post a selfie anymore. [sob]

Su Shen also felt that Xie Yan had changed. He used to be so refined, but now…

Propping herself up, she looked at the hickeys all over her body and couldn’t help covering her face, not daring to open her eyes. Ultimately, she put on her clothes and walked towards the bathroom with difficulty. 

After washing up, she came downstairs. The auntie had already prepared breakfast. Seeing her coming down, she immediately walked out of the kitchen with a smile. “Shen Shen, you’re up? I don’t know what you like to eat, so I made a little bit more.” 

There were several varieties of breakfast on the table. Su Shen wanted to walk over to have a look, but her body suddenly hung in the air before she subconsciously grabbed an arm beside her. Xie Yan held her in his arms and strode over to the table. 

“Why don’t you feel ashamed at all…” Sitting on the chair, Su Shen looked at the auntie in the kitchen blushingly. 

The latter sat beside her and caressed her head as he heard that. “It doesn’t matter. The auntie knows all about it.” 

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