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Wedding Preparations

“The PR team will handle this. You guys mustn’t speak up now, or else the other party would recriminate!” He Hua said earnestly, seemingly afraid that they would personally get involved.  

Hearing this, Su Shen said nothing, but Xie Yan started tapping away on his phone, not knowing what he was doing. He Hua specifically turned around and saw him on his phone, feeling helpless as he advised, “If you clarify it yourself, Cen Qing will definitely play the pity card, and she will still latch onto you. It will eventually turn into a series of messy confrontations, and she will steal all the limelight.” 

Xie Yan, who was still engrossed on his phone, replied without even lifting his head, “I won’t clarify.”

Hearing this, He Hua was doubtful. He couldn’t believe that Xie Yan would be so obedient.

Su Shen leaned over and peered, catching a glimpse of something before she glanced at He Hua strangely. She then closed her eyes and leaned back to rest. She had a feeling that He Hua’s phone was about to ring.

Two minutes later, He Hua kept staring at Xie Yan when his phone suddenly rang. He immediately answered, “Hello? No?”

Not knowing what he had heard, he glanced at Xie Yan again and then promptly hung up the call before going on his phone. With a look, he instantly frowned. 

Xie Yan’s Studio V: Our studio’s artist, Xie Yan, purely has a professional relationship with Ms. Cen Qing. They have minimal personal contact outside of work. All the rumors circulating online are false, and we will take legal action to hold the responsible individuals accountable for spreading false information.

He Hua had always been in charge of the studio’s account, and Xie Yan never cared about these matters. He didn’t know when Xie Yan learned of the password, but when he saw this post, he immediately glared angrily at the person in the back.

The car continued to speed along the highway. By now, Xie Yan had put down his phone, and noticing He Hua’s gaze, couldn’t help but look back. “What’s up?”

As their eyes met, He Hua said nothing and turned around to make a call to the PR team. Well, it was nothing new; they had always clarified things like this before. It was just that Xie Yan’s wording this time was particularly hurtful, and it could easily spark a catfight between their two fans.

Naturally, Su Shen also saw that statement and felt that Xie Yan was indeed a troublemaker. Everyone knew that accounts of artists’ studios were managed by the staff. The studio’s official statement would undoubtedly be more formal and effective. Posting it from a personal account would come across as emotional and create a sense of a catfight.

“I’ve already instructed the PR team to draft a clarification statement. If you rashly post something without careful consideration, what if someone catches onto something in the wording?” He Hua couldn’t endure it any longer and finally spoke up.

Usually, companies would hire someone to carefully craft important statements to avoid giving netizens any chance to pick at any holes. It was rare to make a statement so directly as Xie Yan. However, Su Shen felt that his post was still quite formal. 

“You can delete it if you want,” Xie Yan said nonchalantly as he wrapped his arm around Su Shen’s shoulder, burying his head into her neck and taking a light breath. 

Su Shen found it somewhat amusing. So this is how instant deletions usually happen?

Up ahead, He Hua didn’t want to say anything more. He seemed accustomed to Xie Yan’s behavior. When they arrived at Xie Yan’s house, he specifically reminded them not to post anything else.

Su Shen responded with an “okay” and then entered the house with Xie Yan. He went to take a shower while Su Shen leaned back on the sofa, scrolling through her phone. By this time, that statement had already garnered 50,000 comments, and #Xie Yan’s Studio Statement# was trending.

Netizen A: I have to hand it to He dada in this industry. Every time, he clarifies so quickly and ruthlessly. [joy]

Netizen B: The team behind Xie Yan is truly a breath of fresh air in the industry. If every artist were like him, there wouldn’t be so many hype scandals in the entertainment industry. [joy] 

Netizen C: Hahaha, just a “professional” relationship. Are the faces of the diehard fans hurting? [smiley face]

Netizen D: Always throwing oneself at others. Even if Cen Qing wants to be the mistress, nobody wants her anyway. [vomit]

Netizen E: My poor Su Su, minding her own business at home, yet trouble comes knocking from above. [pitiful]

As Su Shen scrolled through the comments, she also felt a headache coming on. This incident today had once again thrust them into the center of attention, and it would definitely continue for a few more days. She had no idea what else might happen next.

Just as she was about to go and pour herself a glass of water, her phone rang. Noticing it was her mom, Su Shen immediately answered the call. Her mom’s voice immediately came through, asking probingly, “Where are you?”

Hearing this, Su Shen sat muddleheaded on the sofa, unsure of how to respond. Should she say that she was already living together with Xie Yan?

“Ay, I know you youngsters are quite open, but you’re still a girl. Don’t get yourself pregnant before getting married.”

Su Shen blushed and didn’t know how to explain herself, stammering, “Actually… we…”

“Alright, alright, as long as you know,” Mama Su replied, continuing, “Your dad and I have discussed it. You’ll be turning 26 next year, and it’s indeed time for you to get married. Don’t always just focus on your career. A family requires effort from both sides. No matter how loving your guys’ relationship is, it will fade if you guys keep filming every day. Don’t talk to me about dedication or professionalism. When you get married in the future, be more sensible and prioritize your family more. No matter how much money you have, it can’t buy family happiness.”

It was rare for her mom to be so sentimental. Su Shen uttered an “en”, her eyes becoming slightly teary. Her parents cared about her a lot.

“I can see that his family likes you too, and your mother-in-law is easy to get along with, so I’ve discussed it with your dad. We know getting married right away is unlikely, so discuss it with Xie Yan and see if it’s possible to have the wedding on the Lantern Festival next year. We’ve consulted a fortune teller, and that day is suitable for marriage.”

Hearing this, Su Shen didn’t know what to say as she held the phone. The Lantern Festival felt pretty near to her, just one or two projects away. However, she would most likely need to prepare for the wedding in between.

“I’ll… ask Xie Yan later then?” Su Shen said softly.

At that, Mama Su said a few more words and advised her to take necessary precautions before she hung up the call.

Su Shen covered her face in embarrassment and leaned back on the sofa. Her mom definitely knew that she was living with Xie Yan.

“Ask me what?”

Suddenly, Su Shen heard a voice coming from nearby. Placing her hands down, she saw Xie Yan slowly coming down from upstairs, his hair still wet.

“Nothing much,” Su Shen took a nearby cushion and hugged it in her arms, her gaze wandering. “It’s just… my mom said… to have us get married on the Lantern Festival next year. What do you think?”

Approaching her, he looked down at her from high above. He frowned and pondered for a moment before saying, “Although it’s a bit far away, we can take our time planning.”

Su Shen: “……..”

“I want both a Chinese and Western wedding. During the toasting, I want to wear a traditional Chinese wedding gown. As for the venue, have you thought about where to have the wedding?” As she spoke, Su Shen suddenly realized that there were still many things she hadn’t prepared for.

Xie Yan sat beside her and arched a brow. “So, it turns out you’re even more eager than I am.”

“No way!” Su Shen suddenly got up and glared at him while pretending to be calm, blushing. “Don’t spout nonsense. It’s clearly you who keeps going on and on about these things every day.”

Seeing her about to leave, Xie Yan quickly grabbed her hand and lowered his head to kiss the back of her hand. “En, it’s me who’s been longing for you. That’s why I have time for the latter half of the year. We have plenty of time to prepare.”

Tugging her hand, Su Shen realized once again how cunning this man could be. He knew that she was thin-skinned, yet he continued to tease her like this. To make matters worse, he would put on a pitiful facade, tugging at her soft-heartedness.

“Prepare however you want, I’ll go make some soup,” Su Shen said, retracting her hand and heading toward the kitchen.

Su Shen actually felt quite helpless. She knew that Xie Yan must’ve planned this for a long time, going as far as refusing any work for the latter half of the year. But did he ever consider the possibility that she might not accept his proposal?

Su Shen didn’t know where he had gotten his confidence from, and she didn’t want to think about it. There was still plenty of time, so she decided to take it slow and simmer a soup. 

Looking at her retreating figure, Xie Yan gazed at her for a while and couldn’t help smiling. He then picked up the nearby laptop and started playing with it. 

The next day, Su Shen had to go on set, and Xie Yan had to go back abroad to film. However, his movie was about to finish shooting. Nevertheless, Su Shen felt very vexed. Being abroad, she didn’t think much of it, but once she returned home, the paparazzi would swarm in and take photos of her. Headlines like “Xie Yan & Su Shen’s First Appearance After Going Public, Smiles Indicating Stable Relationship” would definitely emerge.

Su Shen had already figured out the patterns of the media. However, she knew that it was inevitable for reporters to show up at the opening ceremony the next day. 

The filming location was in Zhejiang, and the opening ceremony was at 1:00 pm, so Su Shen had to go to the airport a bit earlier. Xie Yan accompanied her, just that they wouldn’t be on the same flight. 

He Hua was following behind Xie Yan, accompanied by a few bodyguards. Knowing that there would be fans trying to take photos of them once they appeared, Su Shen took off her sunglasses before entering the lounge. Turning back and glancing at Xie Yan, she said, “I’m going now. Take care of yourself.”

Xiao Zhou held her suitcase while keeping an eye on the people taking photos of them. There were people coming and going at the airport. Wearing a cap, Xie Yan pulled Su Shen into his arms and whispered, “When I come back, we can go and register our marriage first.”

Su Shen: “…….”

Blushing, she pushed him away and put on her sunglasses. Without looking back, she headed toward security to join the queue. Meanwhile, He Hua glanced at Xie Yan helplessly. The lovey-dovey phase between these two lasted quite long. They didn’t even care about their public image and openly hugged each other in such a crowded place. 

Su Shen couldn’t help but notice that a gaze was fixed on her from behind until she entered the lounge, only then did she feel a bit more at ease. Sitting in a corner with a mask and sunglasses on, she suddenly realized that Xie Yan thought and planned too much. They had just set a wedding date, and now, he had already planned for them to register their marriage. His planning skills were truly impressive. 

Just the thought of getting married to Xie Yan after being together for over a year felt surreal to her, like a dream. In a blink of an eye, she was already at the stage of getting married.

It all felt so surreal. After arriving in Zhejiang, Yao Yin picked her up from the airport before going to the filming location together. There were a lot of reporters waiting outside. As they saw Su Shen, they immediately swarmed around her. Thankfully, there were security guards on site who quickly separated them. 

Since she was the most famous one among the cast and was also the female lead, she occupied center stage during the incense-burning ceremony. The rest of the cast were all newcomers and were all easy on the eyes. The male lead was somewhat shy and would smile whenever he saw her. However, the actress playing the supporting female lead, who was also a newcomer, would sweetly call her “jie” this or that. But that was how the entertainment industry worked; if you weren’t famous, no one would pay attention to you. 

However, the reporters outside were still crowding around. This was her first public appearance after going public, and they definitely wanted to get an exclusive scoop. Yao Yin said that evading them wasn’t a solution and suggested that it would be better to openly accept interviews. It could even form a beneficial relationship with these media outlets. 

Unable to avoid it, Su Shen could only accept interviews from those few reporters. As soon as they were let in, Su Shen was immediately surrounded, and the sound of camera shutters clicking incessantly filled the air.

“Su Shen, what do you think of the rumors online?” A female reporter from a news outlet asked, extending her microphone toward Su Shen. 

Knowing that she was referring to the matter involving Cen Qing, Su Shen maintained a solemn expression in front of the numerous cameras. “I’m not quite sure why people would say such things. These baseless rumors are undoubtedly groundless.”

Immediately after, another reporter extended their microphone. “Before, netizens captured photos of you and Xie Yan meeting each other’s parents at a restaurant. Is there good news on the way?”

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Setting The Date

Pushing away his black cap, Su Shen fixed her hair before glaring at him sternly. “Then, I’ll tell my dad that you deliberately made us late!”

Hearing this, Xie Yan smiled as he held her hand. “Is it my fault that you spent half an hour doing your makeup?”

Su Shen: “…….”

Feeling a bit embarrassed, she coughed lightly and then turned to the nearby server. “Could you please show us the way?”

“Of course!” Eating a pile of dog food in front of her, the server suppressed her excitement and courteously guided them. It was just that her expression remained tense, fearing that she might inadvertently reveal any unusual reactions.

As soon as the two of them left, several servers at the reception desk gathered together and stared in the direction of Xie Yan in disbelief. “OMG! Am I seeing things? Is that… Xie Yan and Su Shen?” 

“AHHHHHH!” exclaimed a short-statured server, gripping their phone tightly in excitement.

“So handsome! Too suave! I can’t, my blood vessels are about to burst!” exclaimed a server, clutching their chest with an exhilarated expression.

“I’m going to post on Weibo!” A rather tanned server immediately started typing away on their phone with excitement.

Upon entering the room, only Xie Yan’s parents had arrived. Xie Quan was dressed in a Mandarin Collar jacket and sat there drinking tea while Xie Yan’s mom wore a cyan qipao and had a shawl draped over her shoulders. The surroundings were adorned with antique decor, refined and elegant. Seeing the two of them, Mama Xie immediately got up and smiled, pulling out a chair for her. “Shen Shen, you’re here. Come sit!”

“Auntie, no need to be so polite. I can do it myself.” Su Shen immediately smiled and took a seat.

Due to trying to shake off the paparazzi at first, they were a bit late. Seeing Xie Yan’s dad, she nodded politely and said, “Hello, Uncle.”

Sitting there, Xie Quan took a sip of tea and smiled kindly when he saw the two of them. “It’s good that you two went public. It’s not good for youngsters to hide their relationships all the time.”

Hearing this, Su Shen couldn’t help but look down in embarrassment. Her dad had mentioned that he had arrived in the parking lot. With that in mind, she got up and looked toward the door. “My family has arrived. I’ll go and get them first.”

“No need, just have Xie Yan go!” Mama Xie held her hand as she looked at Xie Yan.

He got up and quickly left the private room. Without Xie Yan around, Su Shen felt a bit uneasy and sat there, pouring herself a cup of tea.

Mama Xie looked at her with a smile, seemingly more and more satisfied as she looked. When she noticed the ring on Su Shen’s ring finger, a hint of understanding crossed her eyes. “Shen Shen, what are your plans for the future?”

Su Shen paused as she was about to pour herself some tea. Seeing Mama Xie smiling at her, she pretended to be calm and placed the teapot down. “As for plans, it’s mostly up to Xie Yan. I usually follow his lead.”

She knew that Xie Yan would certainly take her current situation into consideration when making future plans.

“En, but that’s just him. I mainly want to ask, have you considered when you and Xie Yan will have children after getting married?” Mama Xie stared at her intently and added, “Xie Yan doesn’t tell us anything. But people in your guys’ line of work often prioritize their careers, so we’re a bit concerned. After all, time flies by quickly.”

She didn’t expect her to be worried about this. Actually, Xie Yan’s mom had already expressed it very euphemistically. Su Shen explained somewhat apologetically, “This… Auntie, there’s no need to worry. Xie Yan and I believe in letting things happen naturally.”

“Great!” Mama Xie immediately held her hand with delight, her still attractive face filled with appreciation. “With your words, both his dad and I are reassured.” 

Speaking of this, Xie Quan over there looked somewhat displeasedly at her. “What are you discussing with such a young girl? A sensible child-like Su Su would surely have her own plans. She’s still young, so don’t have this aged thinking.”

Hearing this, Mama Xie immediately glared at him in dissatisfaction. “I wonder who’s the one always nagging about having grandchildren? And now you’re saying this to me?!”

Su Shen sat there feeling awkward, wishing she could find a hole to hide in. Blushing, she sat there sipping her tea quietly.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open and several figures entered. Seeing them, Xie Quan immediately got up and walked over with a smile, “In-laws!”

Upon seeing Xie Quan, Papa Su didn’t expect the other party to be so enthusiastic. He shook his hand with a smile and exchanged pleasantries. “Ahaha, look at this child, feeling all embarrassed now.”

Su Shen blushed and remained silent, enduring the gaze of everyone in the room.

“Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. With a sensible child-like Su Su, it’s our family’s good fortune that Xie Yan found her!”

During their lively conversation, Su Shen looked at Xie Yan sitting beside her puzzledly and stared at the two dolls in his hand. “Where did you get those?”

Hearing this, he handed the items to her helplessly. “Just now, someone gave them to me.”

Su Shen: “…….”

Taking the two dolls, she lowered her voice and said, “Quickly tell He Hua to bring two bodyguards over. There will probably be a lot of people waiting outside later.”

They had already been recognized, and word spread quickly. There would definitely be a lot of people waiting outside later. If they don’t have bodyguards, it would be difficult to leave.

“I already told him,” said Xie Yan as he picked up the teapot and filled her teacup naturally.

While the others were busy ordering dishes, they had mostly overlooked Xie Yan and Su Shen. They engaged in conversations about current social topics and shared amusing tidbits from Su Shen’s childhood, creating a harmonious and joyful atmosphere.

Su Shen hadn’t told her parents about her accepting Xie Yan’s proposal yet. However, she felt that her parents wouldn’t say much about it, except perhaps discussing when the wedding would take place.

After ordering the food, the server glanced at Xie Yan fervently. Su Shen squeezed the two cute dolls and suddenly felt that this matter would definitely be spread online again today. 

“As you can see, they have been together for quite a while now. They’re both grown up, and I think it’s best for them to settle down,” said Xie Quan with a smile as he looked at Papa Su beside him.

The latter smiled and said nothing, turning his gaze toward Su Shen. She had been keeping her head down and whispering to Xie Yan. It could be seen that they had a great relationship. 

“This… It’s best for the youngsters to decide. Nowadays, arranged marriages are not in fashion anymore.” Papa Su threw the ball to Su Shen.

Su Shen looked up and stared at her dad in a daze. Just at this moment, her hand was grabbed by Mama Xie again, and she said with a smile, “Shen Shen, the style of this ring isn’t very nice, is it? Let Xie Yan buy you another one another day.”

Su Shen: “……..”

Across from them, Mama Su suddenly noticed the sparkling ring on Su Shen’s hand. Surprised and a bit reproachful, she felt that this brat should have mentioned it earlier. How could she accept someone’s proposal without even saying a word?!

“Ahahaha, this matter isn’t urgent. They’re both quite busy, and their schedules are full, aren’t they? Moreover, we need to choose an auspicious day. Such matters require to be considered at length,” Papa Su laughed once again.

Just at this moment, the door was suddenly pushed open, and two servers walked in, carrying dishes. Their gaze inadvertently swept over Xie Yan and Su Shen, but they quickly placed the dishes on the table and left.

“Uncle’s right. I have time anytime, but such matters do require careful consideration,” Xie Yan suddenly said.

Su Shen, beside him, pursed her lips and said nothing, feeling that Xie Yan was making a retreat to advance.

Papa Su, sitting across from them, felt somewhat helpless. The other party came well-prepared. Although Xie Yan seemed decent, he still didn’t want to easily marry off his daughter like this.

“Right, right, right. This is not a small matter. I’ll find a fortune teller to calculate you guys’ compatibility based on your birth charts and see if this year is suitable for marriage. Anyway, there’s no rush. Let’s take our time,” Papa Su said, pointing at the dishes in front of them. “Let’s eat!”

Seeing this, Xie Quan raised a glass of wine in front of him in rapport. “Come, let’s have a drink!”

The sensitive topic seemed to have passed, and Su Shen still sat there awkwardly without saying a word. Xie Yan would occasionally pick up some of the dishes and place it in her bowl. The dinner became unusually complicated. It was clearly a matter of sooner or later, yet they had to probe each other. 

When He Hua arrived, they still hadn’t finished their dinner yet. He waited outside for a while and said that there were already many people waiting outside. It seemed that they couldn’t leave through the main entrance. There was no choice but to let their parents go first since those fans wouldn’t recognize them. 

They could only go through the back door, but there were quite a few people waiting there as well. When they saw her and Xie Yan, they immediately started screaming, “AHHHH! XIE YAN!”

“AHHHH, SU SU, CAN YOU GIVE ME AN AUTOGRAPH?!”

A group of fans immediately started taking photos with their phones. The bodyguards tried to prevent them from getting too close and were also afraid of hurting them, but the fans were fearless. The car was already parked beside the road. The fans’ screams attracted the attention of passersby, who turned to look and started taking photos with their phones as well. 

The fans were so wild that the bodyguards were momentarily unable to block them. A fan’s pen even accidentally poked Su Shen’s arm. Just at this moment, her shoulder was grabbed by Xie Yan and he pulled her into his arms, practically half-carrying her into the car.

The car quickly sped away, and it wasn’t until they couldn’t see the group of fans behind them that He Hua finally breathed a sigh of relief. “Fortunately, you guys informed me in advance. Else, there would’ve been no way for you guys to come out from there today.”

He Hua’s statement wasn’t an exaggeration. Nowadays, the behavior of fans was crazy, and some fans were even capable of doing extreme things such as forcibly kissing celebrities. Moreover, they were surrounded by so many people, even the noise was deafening.  

“By the way, don’t just simply announce your wedding date. At most a week in advance, okay?” He Hua immediately added.

Sitting in the rear, Su Shen didn’t know what to say. The wedding date hadn’t even been decided yet, and she still needed to probe her parents’ thoughts on the matter.

“Do you prefer a Chinese-style wedding or a Western-style wedding?” Xie Yan suddenly turned to look at her.

Su Shen: “…….”

She wanted to laugh, but she glanced at him in all earnesty, “There’s no rush. The date hasn’t been set yet. Although I agreed to your proposal, our parents haven’t decided on a date. It could be next year or the year after. Nothing’s set yet.”

He Hua in front was a bit speechless. It turned out that despite all the efforts, Xie Yan still hadn’t won over his future in-laws?

Seeing her earnest expression, Xie Yan leaned over and whispered, “How about we make a bet?”

Su Shen: “……..”

“I’m not betting with you. You can wait patiently,” Su Shen replied, looking down to scroll through her phone. Beside her, Xie Yan simply looked at her with a smile before closing his eyes and leaned back without saying a word. 

However, as soon as Su Shen opened Weibo, she saw a post that caught her attention. It was an explosive allegation made by a marketing account, claiming that she was a third party in a relationship. According to the post, Xie Yan was originally with Cen Qing, but her interference led to their breakup!

Seeing that she was scrolling through her phone, He Hua at the front said unhurriedly, “These are all tactics employed by marketing accounts to generate buzz. The company is already working on getting them to apologize and delete the post.”

Su Shen knew that He Hua was referring to this because the hashtag #Xie Yan & Cen Qing# was trending as No.3 on Hot Search, which wasn’t there in the morning. It must’ve just emerged. Fans from different sides were engaged in heated arguments. Yao Yin must’ve done some PR as some influential Weibo accounts hadn’t reposted the post. However, there were still some people accusing her of being a mistress in the comments.

Netizen A: Rumors nowadays require no cost at all. Didn’t Xie Yan clarify that there was nothing between him and Cen Qing ages ago? Why do these diehard fans insist on believing and spreading such rumors? Do they need a slap in the face to learn their lesson? [smiley face]

Netizen B: The kiss scenes with that b***h were all positioning, okay? If they were really together, did they need to???

Netizen C: You could tell that Su White Lotus isn’t a decent person with just one look. She has the face of a mistress. [vomit]

Netizen D: It must’ve been that b***h seducing Xie Yan. After all, he can help pave the way for her. [smiley face]

Netizen E: Cen Qing, that b***h’s diehard fans are really willing to throw themselves under the bus. Just wait for my Yan ge to clarify. [smiley face]

Netizen F: The kiss scenes between Xie Yan and Cen Qing were staged, but with Su Shen, it’s the real deal. Do the diehard fans not know what’s real and what’s fake?

For the past few days, they had been the subject of talk, so it was expected that someone would try to stir up trouble. However, Su Shen didn’t expect it to happen so soon. These marketing accounts love spreading rumors for the sake of clout. But if she were to get labeled as a mistress, it would be a permanent stain on her reputation, much harder to wash up than having poor acting.

Feeling upset for no apparent reason, Su Shen suddenly handed her phone to Xie Yan and said unhappily, “I’m a mistress?”

Hearing this, Xie Yan, who had his eyes closed, immediately opened them and seemed somewhat displeased when he saw the content on the screen. He frowned and asked, “When did this happen?”

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Being Recognized

Today’s Hot Search was dominated by the meteor shower. There were many people who had taken better pictures than her, and when Su Shen was scrolling through the photos taken by others, she noticed that her Weibo was bombarded with comments just as she was about to exit the app.

She hadn’t even clicked on the comments, which had already exceeded 3,000 in just one minute, when her phone suddenly rang—it was a call from Yao Yin.

After answering the call, a voice full of helplessness came from the other end, “Didn’t we agree on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival?”

Leaning against the sofa, Su Shen didn’t know what to say. The bright lights above were dazzling. Her gaze shifted and saw the instigator walking down from upstairs. 

“I… I don’t know either. It’s all because of Xie Yan. But whether it’s a day earlier or a day later doesn’t make much of a difference. Let’s just leave it at that.” Su Shen sat cross-legged, glaring at the man approaching her.

At this point, Yao Yin didn’t have much to say. Fortunately, they had already taken care of notifying various media platforms in the past few days, so they just needed to control the comments now. 

“Alright. You should respond back to Xie Yan later then. Just reply with a heart emoji, so as not to provoke unnecessary discussions. We don’t want to stir up trouble,” Yao Yin said earnestly.

Hearing this, Su Shen just responded with an “okay” before ending the call. When she went to check the comments after the one-minute call, the comments under Xie Yan’s post had already exceeded 20,000, with most of them filled with grief. 

Netizen A: Is this… them going public?

Netizen B: Just now, I made a wish upon the shooting stars, hoping that Xie Yan and Su Shen would be together. So, does this mean my wish came true? [joy]

Netizen C: NO!!! Hubby’s mine! They must be joking!!!

Netizen D: This must be fake!!!

Netizen E: This meteor shower brought upon a nightmare. [joy]

Netizen F: I predict that Weibo will explode tonight. Leaving my mark here first!

Netizen G: I can’t believe it. Is this a victory for the shippers? [joy]

Su Shen was still scrolling through the comments when she received messages from Wang Cheng and some others congratulating her. As the sofa sank beside her, Su Shen turned around and looked at the man who did not reveal any signs at all. She didn’t know what to say. 

“He Hua said we should post a couple photo when going public. I forgot about it,” Xie Yan said, placing his hand behind her back and looking at her in all seriousness. 

Glancing at him, Su Shen didn’t know what to say before suddenly opening her camera and moving closer to him with a smile. “Let’s take a photo then.”

Her smile hinted at mischief, but Xie Yan complied and reached out to pull her closer, resting his head again hers as his nose brushed against her ear, his gaze fixated on her.

Su Shen didn’t like her position, so she adjusted his head to face the camera before capturing two photos. 

She opened BeautyCam* and applied several filters. After photoshopping Xie Yan’s face into charcoal, she was finally satisfied and tapped the save button.

BeautyCam – a smartphone app for retouching selfies

Logging into her main account, Su Shen posted the photo on Weibo. 

Su Shen V: But you’re so ugly. [photo] // @Xie Yan V: Not as beautiful as you [heart] // @Su Shen V: The meteor shower today is so beautiful. [photo]

After posting it, she thought it was hilarious and showed the photo to Xie Yan. “Beautiful?”

Xie Yan remained silent as he saw her edit the photo throughout. Seeing her laughing so happily, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gradually wandered to her waist, pressing her against the sofa. His gaze was fervent. “You’re the most beautiful.”

The ring on her ring finger still felt cool as it sat snugly between her fingers. Su Shen couldn’t help but feel a little shy and turned her head slightly. Xie Yan buried his head in her neck, taking a deep breath and nuzzling against her. Suddenly, he stood up and princess-carried her in his arms.

Su Shen was forced to hold onto his neck, her face blushing deeply. However, she didn’t resist this time and allowed him to carry her all the way upstairs to his room.

As she was placed on the soft bed, a figure immediately pressed against her. There were no words exchanged, and his passion was as eager as ever.

In the darkness, with the moonlight shining through the windows, their figures intertwined inside the room, filling the air with desire.

……

As a ray of warm sunlight seeped through the crack in the curtains the next morning, two fair and slender arms emerged from beneath the soft blanket. As the body moved, the blanket slipped down, revealing a neck adorned with hickeys. The person on the bed slowly opened their eyes and instinctively reached for the phone on the nightstand. 

The AC was on in the room, perhaps feeling a slight chill, she tucked her arms back into the warmth of the blanket with one hand holding her phone. As she opened her phone, numerous missed calls and messages appeared, along with headlines from various apps proclaiming #Xie Yan’s Love for Su Shen#.

Su Shen was shook and massaged her waist in discomfort. She felt that Xie Yan had no sense of moderation at all. Wasn’t he just back from abroad? How could he have so much energy!

Opening Weibo, five out of the top ten trending headlines were occupied by her and Xie Yan, including #Wang Cheng’s Blessings# and #Jiang Liankai & Xie Yan#. Some familiar and unfamiliar had also reposted their posts. There were genuine well-wishes, but there were also those seeking clout. Her feed was filled with news about her and Xie Yan.

Overnight, her response to Xie Yan’s Weibo post had accumulated 150,000 comments!

Netizen A: I’d rather this meteor shower never happened. [sob]

Netizen B: AHAHAHA, Su Su, does Xie laoshi know that you’ve edited him like this?

Netizen C: AHHHHH, they actually got together!

Netizen D: So this is my Su Su’s sugar daddy. Can I have such a handsome sugar daddy too? [joy]

Netizen E: Su Shen must’ve saved the Milky Way. No wonder she has abundant resources and opportunities. It turns out she has a boyfriend to protect and support her. [joy]

Netizen F: A meteor shower that caused so many girls to lose their hubby. [joy]

Netizen G: Can those who said my Su Su accompanied old men come forward? Is my Yan ge an old man?

Netizen H: Yan ge: “Yes, yes, yes, you’re the most beautiful! [dog head emoji]”

Netizen I: Her resources and opportunities came from relying on a man in the end. It’s just a matter of whether it’s done openly or behind the scenes. [smiley face]

After scrolling through the comments for a while, there were some antis that said she was not worthy of being with Xie Yan, as well as some of Xie Yan’s fans boycotting her. However, perhaps because their on-screen chemistry was already established in the drama, these negative comments didn’t hold much weight, and they were quickly countered by other fans. Additionally, with the help of the company’s moderation, Weibo’s homepage was mostly filled with blessings and envy.

Originally, their popularity was already quite high recently. But now that they went public, it had only intensified. It was definitely going to continue for a few days, but with He Hua overseeing everything, there shouldn’t be any major issues.

Getting out of bed, Su Shen washed up before heading downstairs, and she just so happened to see Xie Yan coming out of the gym on the second floor, with a towel draped around his neck, his body glistening with sweat, and his arm muscles well-defined. As he wiped the sweat off with the towel, he walked toward her.

Seeing him, Su Shen immediately went downstairs.

Seeing this, Xie Yan couldn’t help but chuckle as he looked at the person dashing downstairs. “Why are you in such a hurry?”

Su Shen quickly arrived downstairs. Upon hearing his words, she looked up at the person upstairs and glared at him angrily. “What do you think?!”

Leaning against the railing with one hand, he watched as she quickly fled into the kitchen. He couldn’t help but let out a chuckle before turning around and entering the bathroom in his room.

Despite being dissatisfied with him, Su Shen still prepared some Shredded Pork & Vegetable Noodles with a hint of resentment. After she finished making them, the person upstairs also came down after taking a shower.

From a distance, Xie Yan caught a whiff of a fragrant aroma and saw that petite figure coming out of the kitchen with two fried eggs. The busy figure instantly made a certain part of his heart fill. Xie Yan felt that the happiest thing in the world was being able to have breakfast made by her every morning.

“I suspect that you initially pursued me because I can cook, didn’t you?” Su Shen sat at the table, picking up the noodles in her bowl while glancing at the man over there.

The man took a few big steps and sat down next to her, picked up the chopsticks, leaned in, and stared at her fervently. “With so many chefs out there, why would I pursue you?”

Hearing this, Su Shen couldn’t help but cough. Taking a kleenex to wipe her mouth, she looked at him and said shamelessly, “Because I’m the most beautiful, of course.”

Seeing her pretending to be calm, Xie Yan chuckled before picking up some noodles with his chopsticks from the bowl with a smile. “Yes, you’re the most beautiful.”

Su Shen said nothing further because no matter how much she improved, her skin couldn’t be as thick as that of Xie Yan.

Tomorrow was the Dragon Boat Festival, but the online buzz about her and Xie Yan was still ongoing. Even some interactions from the shows they attended together have been dug out as if those people have become addicted to exposing everything. The kiss scene from their first movie had also been dug out.

However, at the same time, there were also more antis who said that she relied on Xie Yan to climb up in the industry, claiming that without Xie Yan, she wouldn’t have such good opportunities. But Su Shen ignored these comments. After all, the agency would continue to handle PR for her.

The next day was the Dragon Boat Festival. Even if Yao Yin didn’t mention it, Su Shen also knew that there would be paparazzi waiting outside for them, and not just one. But there was no choice, they had to go out for dinner. Although the paparazzi couldn’t enter, as soon as their car left the residential area, several vans immediately followed after them at a steady pace.

It wouldn’t matter much even if they were photographed now. The main concern was how the media would write about it.

The place they went to for dinner wasn’t a five-star luxury hotel but a unique and retro-style restaurant with a tranquil ambiance. After parking the car, as they entered the restaurant, Su Shen glanced at the name of the private room on her phone that her dad sent.

“Do you have a reservation, Miss?” A smiling female server immediately greeted them.

Su Shen didn’t wear a mask and sunglasses today and had some light makeup on. Upon hearing the server’s words, she smiled. “Yes, the Bamboo Room.”

The woman before her had exquisite brows and eyes, and her figure was perfectly showcased in a blue-waisted dress. Looking at this rare beauty, the server felt a sense of familiarity, as if she had seen her every day but couldn’t put a name to her face. 

There were people coming and going in the lobby, yet it remained tranquil. Just at this moment, a man wearing a black cap walked in from outside. As soon as Su Shen saw him, she immediately pointed toward the inside of the lobby and said, “Hurry, we’re already late.”

As soon as the man appeared, several nearby servers immediately froze in their tracks, staring toward the entrance in disbelief.

The female server closest to Su Shen seemed to have suddenly remembered something, but she continued to maintain her expression while stealing glances at the man from time to time.

Approaching her, Xie Yan held her hand in passing and placed his black cap on her head, and said in a low voice, “It’s not like we’re getting married. Why are you in such a hurry?”

Previous | Index | Next

Proposal

“I never said that!” Su Shen glared at him before quickly closing her eyes, refusing to look at him

Xie Yan had completely lost all sense of boundaries now. She definitely wouldn’t be able to win against him.

Seeing her silence, Xie Yan also remained silent. He simply gazed at her, still putting his hand over her shoulder, pulling her into his embrace. After a slight resistance, she eventually yielded and rested in his arms.

Xiao Zhou, who was sitting in the front, clenched her teeth. Her maidenly heart had overflowed to the point where she couldn’t contain it anymore!

Finally arriving at the hotel, Su Shen asked the chauffeur to send Xiao Zhou back while she herself got into Xie Yan’s car.

She went back to her room and grabbed her luggage, not bothering to avoid the paparazzi. She openly and boldly got into Xie Yan’s car, knowing that there were paparazzi behind them taking pictures. It’s whatever. They were going to go public in two more days anyways.

After getting in the car, it was still pouring heavily outside. Large raindrops pelted the car, and the entire sky was gloomy. After wiping off the raindrops from her body, she sat there and began scrolling through her phone. Today was the official announcement of Director Xu’s Path of Sin. As she would be joining the crew for filming in a couple of days, this was also the time when the production team announced some of the key cast and creative members. 

The male lead was a newcomer through and through, reportedly still studying at a film school. Although he wasn’t particularly handsome, he had that kind of “movie face” that was easy on the eyes. The rest of the supporting cast were also newcomers, and surprisingly, she was the most well-known among the cast.

Netizen A: It’s different when you have the backing of Huayan. It’s an opportunity that others can’t ever get in their entire lifetime. Miss Su managed to secure it in just a few months. [smiley face]

Netizen B: Are they using so many newcomers because they’re afraid that veteran actors will overshadow her?

Netizen C: The antis are truly amusing. My Su Su has both fame and looks. She’s also the only post-90s starlet who won a mainstream film award. Please take the time to understand. [smiley face]

Netizen D: Even if she has a great company, this opportunity’s too awesome. It can even rival that of A-listers.  

Netizen E: When someone becomes famous, they attract more controversies. Even with great resources and opportunities, they will still face criticism. My poor Su Su. [heart] In passing, watch tonight’s finale of Little Sunlight!

Netizen F: Looking forward to Su Su’s new movie! Let certain people be jealous. It’s not our fault that we have great resources and opportunities. [smiley face]

Nowadays, there were antis of hers all over the internet, but she also gained many fans. Now, she had around 40 million followers on Weibo, with most of them being young fans. They engaged in online quarrels with the antis almost every day. Su Shen had gotten used to it. After all, her fans would control the comments, saving the company from having to spend money on water armies. 

Today was the finale of the drama, and next month, her crime drama with Li Hao would start airing. This marked a turning point in her career. After all, idol dramas were just meant to gain popularity, and it was necessary to transition to other genres once she achieved that. 

“Is Auntie Wang at home today?” she suddenly turned around and asked.

With one hand on the steering wheel, Xie Yan didn’t even turn his head and said, “No.”

Hearing this, Su Shen looked at him suspiciously. Almost every time she went over to his house, Auntie Wang wasn’t there. It must be because this person was keeping her away again.

As if guessing her thoughts, Xie Yan turned his head slightly and parted his lips. “Auntie Wang’s daughter-in-law just gave birth to a son. She won’t be coming anymore.”

Su Shen: “…….”

Upon hearing the topic of childbirth, she turned her head away inadvertently, closed her eyes, and leaned there in silence.

It was whatever before since it was always during her safe period. Today… also seemed to be a safe day too.

“What are you thinking?”

As they approached a red light, Xie Yan braked the car and leaned over, gazing at her slightly flushed face.

“Nothing!” Su Shen abruptly opened her eyes. When their eyes met, she moved a bit over uneasily. She suddenly realized that her thoughts were becoming more and more open-minded, and she couldn’t believe she was even considering such things. It must be Xie Yan’s influence that was corrupting her.

Seeing her wandering gaze, Xie Yan smirked and said nothing before continuing to drive.

By the time they arrived at Xie Yan’s place, the rain had already stopped. The rain had come and gone just as quickly. It was now pitch-black, with a faint glimpse of moonlight shining through. After entering the mansion and having Xie Yan carry her luggage upstairs, Su Shen was worried that he might be hungry, so she went to the kitchen and quickly made some egg noodles.  

After Xie Yan finished showering and came downstairs, she was also about to take a shower when the person sitting on the sofa suddenly said, “There’s a meteor shower tonight.”

Su Shen paused in her steps, holding the staircase railing as she turned to look at him, somewhat confused. “You pay attention to these things?”

She knew that there was a rare meteor shower called the Perseids today. However, she didn’t expect Xie Yan to also pay attention to these things.

“You don’t care about me, so, of course, you wouldn’t know,” he replied, eating his noodles while looking up at her.

Su Shen cleared her throat and quickly climbed up the stairs in small steps. She admitted that she rarely paid attention to Xie Yan’s hobbies, mainly because he didn’t show any particular interests prominently. Could it be that he liked astronomy?

She had heard that the meteor shower would begin after 9:00 pm today, so Su Shen immediately went to grab some clothes and took a shower. Although she wasn’t particularly interested in astronomy, being able to witness a meteor shower was considered lucky.

When Su Shen finished showering and blow-drying her hair, Xie Yan was no longer in the living room. The light in his room was on, but his figure was nowhere to be seen. Su Shen walked inside and saw a figure standing on the balcony. He was wearing a black T-shirt, tall in stature, and was currently bending over a telescope placed on the balcony. Currently, the night sky had only one bright full moon, casting a silver glow all around.

The evening breeze was gentle, and the balcony remained pleasantly cool. Su Shen hadn’t expected him to have prepared a telescope. It seemed that he did have some interest in astronomy after all.

“Is it here?” She walked over with a cup of coffee and sat down, leaning back as she quietly watched Xie Yan adjust the telescope.

“Almost.”

Xie Yan bent down to observe the moon through the telescope for a while before straightening up and looking toward the vast night sky at the edge of the balcony. Noticing his silence, Su Shen suddenly felt that he seemed a bit strange today and couldn’t help but set her cup down and walked over to him.

Standing behind him, she took a deep breath and blushed before wrapping her arms around his waist from behind nervously. Feeling him tense up, she said softly, “Sorry, I’ll definitely make an effort to get to know you better from now on.”

Xie Yan must’ve definitely been unhappy because she hadn’t shown interest in his matters.

Her tender body pressed against his back, and her soft voice held a hint of apology. She was always like this, even though she didn’t know anything about love, she constantly learned how to care for his feelings. From the very beginning, she would blush whenever she approached him. But in the end, she would allow him to get close because she didn’t want him to endure it anymore. She always appeared passive, but as long as he treated her well, she would remember it forever.

As he held the small hands on his waist, he turned around and looked down at the bare face in front of him. Unable to resist, he pulled her into his arms and said, “No rush, you have plenty of time to get to know me.”

Gently holding onto his waist, Su Shen buried her head in his firm chest and murmured, “But, I don’t treat you as well as you treat me.”

Deep down, she was afraid to easily trust people. She knew nothing about love and only understood the concept of personal interest. However, with Xie Yan’s appearance, she came to understand that in this world, apart from family, there could be someone who wholeheartedly cared for you without expecting anything in return.

“So moving, I can’t help but want to do something,” Xie Yan chuckled while looking down.

Hearing this, Su Shen couldn’t help but look up and playfully punched his shoulder before saying unhappily, “Why are you like this?”

No romantic sense whatsoever, no wonder you’ve been single for so long! 

“What kind of person am I? Do you even know what I’m talking about?” Xie Yan leaned against the edge of the balcony and arched his brow in earnest.

The gentle evening breeze rustled, and the moon in the sky became even brighter. Su Shen didn’t feel like talking to this person anymore. As she picked up the cup from the table, about to leave, a streak of light suddenly flashed across the sky. Turning around, she saw numerous trails of light cutting through the night sky. Su Shen stood frozen in place, completely mesmerized.

“Meteor…”

She grabbed her phone to record a video with great interest. Meanwhile, Xie Yan remained leaning there smiling as he said, “You can see it even more clearly through the telescope.”

Hearing this, Su Shen came back to her senses and immediately bent down to look through the telescope. The telescope was aimed at the moon, and occasionally, there would be meteors gliding past. But when she saw the words on the moon, she was shocked and stood there in a daze before finally looking up at the man in front of her.

“Pretty?” He asked with a smile.

He rarely smiled in front of others, but in front of her, he always had a smile on his face. With a lump in her throat, Su Shen pretended to be calm and parted her lips, “You…” 

Taking a step forward, a small red box suddenly appeared in his hand while looking at her fervently. “A meteor shower is hard to come by.”

The evening breeze rustled her hair, and Su Shen bit her lower lip lightly, holding back her tears and taking a step back. “You… how… did you…”

“The meteor shower is almost over, don’t you want to see?” He extended the red box in his hand, his deep gaze fixated on her bare face, focused and determined. 

After a pause, Su Shen instinctively reached out with trembling hands to open the box. As the box slowly revealed its content, the diamond on the ring inside seemed to shine even brighter than the meteors in the sky.

“I’ve said before that I have plenty of time for you to get to know me. So, are you willing to get to know me?” Xie Yan’s gaze remained focused on her, and it seemed that only her figure was reflected in his pitch-black eyes.

Although she had said that he had never proposed to her before, when the moment actually came, Su Shen didn’t know what to think anymore.

The meteors continued to streak across the sky as Su Shen looked at the man before her. Taking a deep breath, she slowly extended her hand and said clearly, “If the size is not right, then I won’t marry you.”

Looking at her trying to be calm, Xie Yan couldn’t suppress his smile and held her fair wrist before slowly sliding the ring, sparkling with brilliance, onto her slender ring finger.

Su Shen was surprised that the size was just right. She didn’t know how he managed to buy the perfect size, but it was also possible that he had secretly measured her ring size. After all, Xie Yan was the most cunning. 

“Although the ring is ugly, I’ll reluctantly accept it,” she said as she turned her hand over and glanced at the ring on her finger before glancing at Xie Yan somewhat embarrassedly. She then quickly grabbed her cup and ran off.

Seeing her swiftly retreating figure, Xie Yan smiled and touched the telescope, deciding to store it away.

After going downstairs, Su Shen’s heart was beating faster. Sitting on the sofa in the living room, she took a while to calm herself down before finally believing that she had indeed accepted Xie Yan’s proposal.

Everything happened so suddenly, and she wasn’t aware of anything at all. Remembering the words on the moon, she searched online and discovered that Xie Yan had someone engraved the words on the eyepiece. He didn’t even actually like astronomy!

Just moments ago, she had felt so guilty. This person was too scheming.

However, he had always been like this, and Su Shen was too lazy to bicker with him about these things. She then posted a photo of the meteor shower she had just taken on Weibo.

Su Shen V: The meteor shower today is so beautiful. [photo]

While still messaging with He Hua on the balcony, Xie Yan happened to come across that Weibo post. He smiled and sent a message to He Hua before logging into his own main account.

Xie Yan V: Not as beautiful as you [heart] // @Su Shen V: The meteor shower today is so beautiful. [photo]

Previous | Index | Next

Came Back Early

“But, that’s too direct. There should be a buffer period,” said Yao Yin.

She had the typical mindset of doing publicity stunts in the entertainment industry, but Su Shen was really tired of all the hype. It wasn’t good to have too much hype. Wherever she went, people were secretly taking photos of her. Some passersby liked to take pictures of her when filming and leak them online too. She didn’t even dare to talk more than necessary with Zheng Tong, afraid that someone would photograph it.

“I need to discuss this with Xie Yan,” Su Shen said. 

Hearing this, Yao Yin naturally didn’t say anything further and left after exchanging a few words. She had other matters to attend to.

Su Shen naturally wouldn’t discuss this with Xie Yan, since he was indifferent about such matters. But, she didn’t want to continue with the publicity stunts. It was definitely not a good idea to say this to Yao Yin right now, considering that they were still getting to know each other. Instead, she planned to let Xie Yan discuss it with He Hua, since He Hua’s familiar with Xie Yan’s personality. This way, she could avoid rejecting Yao Yin outright. 

In the evening, Su Shen gave her dad a call and bashfully mentioned the dinner invitation from Xie Yan’s dad. Her dad readily agreed, thinking it was about time they met. They decided to set the meeting on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival.

With everything packed together, Su Shen didn’t say much more about it and simply just informed Xie Yan about the matter. He said that he would come back in a few days. Su Shen told him not to rush, as there were still many days left. However, she had a feeling that Xie Yan might not listen to her. 

The drama was only 35 episodes, so it was soon going to finish airing. On the 16th, the day Su Shen wrapped up filming, the drama had already aired its third-to-last episode, and the viewership had reached nearly the peak. The drama was practically trending almost every day, and Yao Yin mentioned that the quality of scripts offered to her had improved significantly. Her remuneration had also increased to 450,000 RMB per episode, with some reaching as high as 500,000 RMB. However, Yao Yin did not accept any more idol dramas for her, only accepting some endorsements. 

On the day Su Shen wrapped up with filming, it was only she whose scenes were done. The main leads still weren’t. The supporting female lead died early. For her final scene, Su Shen spent a long time delving deep into the character. Perhaps to match the storyline, there was no scorching sun that day. Instead, the sky was covered with dark clouds, as if it was about to rain at any moment. 

The previous gunfight scene had already been filmed, so this time they only needed to shoot the scene where the supporting female lead got shot while saving the male lead.

With a blood pack in her mouth, she rested as the makeup artist continued to touch up her makeup. The props team was busy tidying up the set when the director approached her with a rolled-up script in hand.

“Su Shen, you need to relax. Don’t be nervous. Act in your most natural state. If this take NGs, we can film it again. Definitely don’t be nervous, okay?”

Seeing the serious expression on the director’s face, it was hard for anyone not to feel nervous. Su Shen smiled and mumbled with the blood pack in her mouth, “Got it.”

The old desolate streets were stained with blood, and the debris of broken street stalls was scattered on the ground, with a few candied hawthorn skewers rolling on the ground. The sky was covered with dark clouds, and a chilly south wind swept through the desolate streets, giving an eerie and sinister atmosphere. 

All departments were prepared and ready. Su Shen’s hair was intentionally disheveled. As she and Zheng Tong got into position, surrounded by closely positioned cameras, she still felt a hint of nervousness. For any character, the first and last scenes were crucial and left the most lasting impression on the audience. 

“Okay, all departments ready, action!”

As the director’s words fell, the blower fans placed on the street began to blow vigorously, causing the banners on the street to flutter in all directions. Coupled with the dark clouds in the sky, it seemed as if a thunderstorm was about to descend at any moment. 

“Stop! Don’t run away!”

A group of pursuers chased relentlessly from behind, gunshots echoing throughout the street. Su Shen, while wearing high heels, was pulled frantically by Zheng Tong as they dashed forward. Zheng Tong would turn around and fire shots at the pursuing soldiers from time to time.

“I… I can’t run anymore!” Su Shen’s steps began to slow down, gasping for breath as she looked at Zheng Tong.

“Do you want to die?!” Zheng Tong glared at her, then turned back and fired a shot before pulling Su Shen and running forward frantically. 

The cameraman followed after her as she ran. Parting her mouth, Su Shen turned to look at the pursuers behind her. As if something caught her eye, her pupils dilated. After a momentary pause, she abruptly turned around and shielded Zheng Tong. Her body trembled as she placed her hand over her chest, quietly bursting the blood pack. The vivid red liquid spread from her chest to her palm, and her entire body began to fall backward.

“Mu Mian!”

Zheng Tong widened his eyes in disbelief as he supported her. Immediately, he raised his hand and fired a shot, taking down one of the pursuers. Then, he quickly helped Su Shen up and hurriedly led her into an alley ahead. 

Navigating through the winding alleys, where twists and turns seemed endless, he had managed to lose sight of the pursuers. He then carefully placed Su Shen on the ground and leaned her against the wall.

As the crimson liquid trickled from the corner of her mouth, Su Shen parted her eyes slightly as she leaned against the wall. She slowly extended her hand which was stained with blood. Zheng Tong was taken aback before reaching out to grasp it.

“I… I saved you… once again…” Her vermilion lips curled into a bewitching yet melancholic smile. 

The production crew had prepared a sprinkler truck, and at this time, it began sprinkling water, as if it was pouring rain from the sky. The patter of rain flowed from her forehead to the corners of her lips, creating an imperceivable beauty. 

Zheng Tong tightly held her hand and hesitated for a few moments before swallowing hard, his eyes turning bloodshot. “I… I will definitely save you!”

Just at this moment, a thunderous roar echoed in the sky, and it really did begin to pour heavily. The director didn’t call for a stop, and Su Shen forgot to pause as well. With half-opened eyes and heavy breathing, she smiled. “You… You’re not the kind of person who deceives oneself.”

The heavy rain seemed to have washed away her makeup, and the color of her vermillion lips faded. Rain trickled down her fair neck and reached her chest, but it couldn’t wash away that patch of crimson.

“Don’t talk anymore, I’ll go and take you to a doctor!” Zheng Tong said, immediately reaching out to support her shoulder.

Leaning there still, Su Shen looked at him insipidly with a perplexed expression, her breath barely discernible. “Do you think… anyone will remember me?”

“Yes! Definitely!” Zheng Tong grasped her hand tightly, unable to distinguish whether it was rain or tears on his face. He simply stared at her, this woman who was obsessed with money as if it were her life. 

Looking at the man in front of her, Su Shen smiled. Raindrops slid through the crevices of her lips as she gently moved them. “But… I… I don’t like… being a hero…”

Looking as she slowly closed her eyes, the thunder in the sky continued to rumble. Her last words echoed in his ears. The alluring and bewitching face before him shed its facade, revealing a pureness that stirred a sense of empathy within people. 

Zheng Tong pounded his fist on the ground, his body already soaked by the rain. The camera pulled back until the director called “cut,” and his assistant immediately came over with an umbrella and a dry towel for him. 

Xiao Zhou quickly came over, holding an umbrella. Su Shen opened her eyes and looked at the sky full of rain. She was still in low spirits as warm tears mixed with rain trickled down from the corners of her eyes. Draping the towel over her shoulders, she walked toward the constructed studio. The director was sitting in front of the monitor speaking with a man dressed in black. Seeing him, Su Shen sniffled and walked over to them. 

Seeing her soaked appearance and her seeming to be immersed in the emotions of the scene, Xie Yan immediately took a few steps forward and embraced her in his arms. His large hand gently caressed her damp hair as he softly whispered, “It’s alright now.”

Smelling the familiar scent from him, Su Shen’s nerves finally found a sense of belonging. Realizing that there were still many people around, she quickly raised her head and looked around with a hint of embarrassment. 

The other crew members carried on with their tasks as if nothing had happened, but occasionally, their gazes would be directed in their direction. Only the director, sitting in front of the monitor, spoke frankly, “This take passed. I didn’t expect you two to cooperate so well. I thought it would take us the whole day.”

At that moment, Su Shen didn’t think about any acting techniques. She simply let herself be immersed in the character and went with the flow. Even now, she still felt terrible. The feeling of being fully immersed in the role was truly difficult to bear. 

“It’s all thanks to director’s guidance,” Su Shen said earnestly as she wiped the rain off her face with the towel.

Hearing this, the director simply smiled. “Even a talented director needs exceptional actors to bring out their potential. It was your own ability that made it possible. Alright, go change your clothes quickly, or Xie Yan might start cursing.”

At that, several staff members around them couldn’t help but laugh. Nevertheless, they all envied Su Shen. Her current fame and success, although partly attributed to her talent, were undeniably intertwined with her relationship with Xie Yan. Being able to find a boyfriend who could pave the way for her was definitely a fortunate opportunity.

Just at this time, Ding Yan, who was sitting and reading the script over there, cast a displeased look at Su Shen. It seemed that she regarded Su Shen as someone who had merely relied on a man to achieve success and fame.

Teased by the director, Su Shen forced a laugh and walked to the lounge area. Once inside the lounge, her spirits remained low. She forgot that Xie Yan was also present and proceeded to the partitioned area to change into clean clothes, lost in her own thoughts.

When she came out and saw the person sitting on the sofa, she couldn’t help but be startled, “What are you doing here?”

Xie Yan: “……..”

He leaned back on the sofa and said nothing, just kept staring at her.

Su Shen rubbed her damp hair. As if realizing something, she placed the changed clothes into her bag in a daze.

The lounge was quiet. Looking at her quietly tidying up her belongings, Xie Yan suddenly took a step forward and wrapped his arms around her waist, burying into her neck and taking a deep breath. “It’s just acting, it’s not real.”

The familiar sensations of his breath made Su Shen blink, and her mood seemed to have improved slightly, but before she could regain her senses, she found herself pressed against the wall. A large hand suddenly rested on her thigh, giving a light pat on her tender bum. “Shouldn’t we settle the matter from last time now?”

As their eyes met, Su Shen suddenly remembered the prank she played on him the last time. She immediately tensed up, and all the low spirits vanished in an instant before saying cautiously, “I… I was just joking with you.”

“Oh? A joke?” Xie Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, his voice deepening. “Then, how about I play a joke on you too?”

“No!” Su Shen immediately covered her mouth with her hand, staring at him with wide eyes, and whispered, “You… you can’t do this. It was you who didn’t keep your word.”

Her clear eyes reflected his figure. Xie Yan leaned in and whispered into her ear, “En? How about I don’t move this time?”

Blushing, Su Shen shook her head vigorously, refusing to believe him. She tightly covered her mouth with both hands, afraid that he would seek revenge on her.

Seeing her nervous and guarded expression, Xie Yan chuckled and caressed her head. He smiled and walked over to the table to pick up his phone. “Let’s go. I never hold grudges.”

Su Shen: “……..”

Only an idiot would believe his words, but Su Shen said nothing further. After some playful banter, she completely stepped out of the role. It was still raining heavily outside, and there was an unwritten rule in the industry that when someone played a dead person, they would receive a red envelope. Thus, the assistant director gave her a red envelope. It was a symbolic gesture so it was just a small amount. 

As they were leaving, Xue Zhixin hinted to Su Shen to remember to invite her to their wedding in the future. Su Shen pretended to be calm and said “sure” before packing her things and getting into the car.

The chauffeur was driving in the front with Xiao Zhou sitting at the front as well. Su Shen sat in the rear and looked at the person beside her as if she thought of something. “Why did you come back so early?”

The Dragon Boat Festival was the day after tomorrow. Why did Xie Yan come back a day earlier?

The heavy rain was pouring outside, relentlessly hitting the car windows. Xie Yan leaned back against the sofa and looked at his phone. Upon hearing her words, he put his arm around her shoulder and whispered, “I came back because I missed you.”

Xiao Zhou: “…….”

She clutched her heart, trying her best to control her expression. She couldn’t handle it. Why is she so excited even when eating dog food?!

Su Shen glanced at him unhappily. They weren’t the only people in the car.

“After I finish shooting this movie, let’s go look at houses. What kind of house do you like?” Xie Yan suddenly turned to look at her in all seriousness.

Su Shen frowned and had a puzzled expression. They hadn’t even decided whether they wanted to get married yet, and he was already talking about looking at houses?

Xiao Zhou, who was sitting in the front, felt like she had stumbled upon some exclusive news. However, she tried her best to control her expression and dared not make a sound.

“I don’t want to go and see. You haven’t even proposed to me, so why should I go and look at houses with you?” Su Shen turned away, closed her eyes, and leaned back to rest.

Seeing her leaning there without saying a word, Xie Yan leaned in and tightly embraced her waist, his voice deep, “So, are you saying that as long as I propose, you will marry me?”

Previous | Index | Next

Preparations For Going Public

The dimly lit interior of the car was quiet, with occasional sounds from the people outside. Looking at the furry head resting on her neck, Su Shen felt a bit helpless. Sometimes, Xie Yan could be more childish than her. 

She didn’t push him off, but just said helplessly, “We’re not kids anymore. We have to prioritize our careers.”

Though she also wished for Xie Yan to stay, this was the nature of their profession. Separations were inevitable. 

“But in my eyes, you’re just a kid,” Xie Yan suddenly looked up, gazing at her fervently.

As their eyes met, Su Shen cleared her throat and her eyes started to wander. “You… you’re the kid here. If you want to stay, then stay. Why do you want me to say it?” 

Staring at her awkward expression, Xie Yan chuckled softly before leaning down to gently kiss her forehead. Afterward, he reached over and opened the car door for her.

A hot breeze blew in from outside. Su Shen turned her head slightly, as Xie Yan simply rubbed her hand and said tenderly, “Go, remember to let me know once you’ve arrived.”

Su Shen blinked her eyes as they exchanged a glance, feeling somewhat emotional. The next time they meet might be half a month later. Thinking about how he had been resting through the whole ride, it was clear that he was still jet-lagged. Now, he had to go back again. Su Shen knew that Xie Yan was willing to attend this variety show mainly because he wanted to come back and see her. 

“Xie Yan,” she suddenly called out softly. 

That soft utter made a certain someone arch a brow, staring at her intently. 

Looking down, Su Shen blinked. “I… I brought you a present. Close your eyes and don’t move, no matter what happens later.”

It was dimly lit inside the car, but Xie Yan could still see Su Shen’s fair and exquisite face. Knowing that she had a present for him, Xie Yan became quite curious and obediently closed his eyes, eager to see what present she had brought for him.

Seeing him close his eyes, Su Shen emphasized once again, “You can’t move, okay? If you move… you won’t have a wife in the future.”

Hearing this, Xie Yan couldn’t help but smile. This remark was too cunning.

Seeing him keeping his eyes closed, Su Shen looked around nervously, biting her lip before making up her mind and suddenly wrapping her arms around his neck, leaning in close and planting a kiss on his lips.

The awkwardness of her clumsy skills made Xie Yan’s heart skip a beat.

Feeling his body tense up, she continued blushingly, imitating the way Xie Yan had kissed her before. However, when she saw him with his eyes open, she was startled and immediately tried withdrawing. But a large hand at her waist firmly held her upper body, and with a swift movement, she was pressed back onto the car seat. 

“Mhm… You said… you… won’t move…” Su Shen widened her eyes, staring intently at this man who didn’t keep his word. 

The latter greedily and passionately sucked on her rosy lips as if he had consumed poppies, his kisses filled with fervor and urgency. Upon hearing her words, he shifted his kiss to her cheek and said, “Has anyone told you that you shouldn’t trust a man’s words?”

Su Shen widened her eyes, panting while silently cursing the shamelessness of this man, convinced that he would never find a wife in the future. 

“I… I have another surprise for you. Close your eyes again,” she said timidly.

Hearing this, Xie Yan immediately closed his eyes with a smile, eagerly anticipating her “surprise”.

“Move over a bit, sit further away from me,” she said gently, sounding particularly meek and obedient.

Hearing this, Xie Yan obediently moved over a bit. Seeing his expectant expression, Su Shen bit her lip and suddenly pushed open the car door, swiftly getting out of the car.

As a gust of hot breeze enveloped her, Su Shen leaned against the car door and smiled at the person inside the car. “Xie laoshi, has everyone ever told you that you shouldn’t trust a woman’s words either?”

Without thinking about what expression Xie Yan would have, Su Shen smirked and closed the door forcefully. Just at this moment, Xiao Zhou approached her, pushing their luggage forward. 

Su Shen glanced at the busy surroundings and slowly put on her mask. She approached Zhao Tong and instructed him, “Xie Yan’s a picky eater. You must keep a close eye on him at all times. If he refuses to eat, call me immediately. Don’t let him neglect his health.”

Hearing this, Zhao Tong nodded earnestly. He wanted to let her know, but Yan ge didn’t allow it.

As if seeing through his thoughts, Su Shen added with a frown, “I promise to not have him blame you for letting me know.”

Zhao Tong: “……”

He felt that Su Shen definitely didn’t know about Yan ge’s scheming tactics, but at this point, he could only agree and figure it out later. 

Su Shen was still somewhat worried about him, but it couldn’t be helped, time was running out. She glanced at the person inside the car and then walked with Xiao Zhou toward the airport lobby.

By this time, three episodes of the drama had already aired. Sitting in the lounge, Su Shen kept her head down as she scrolled through her phone. She could sense that a few passersby were secretly taking pictures of her, but she had become accustomed to it.

At this time, the top trending headline on Hot Search was #Xie Yan’s Acting#.

Netizen A: AHHHHHH! The scene where hubby saved the female lead from nowhere was soo handsome!!!

Netizen B: I’ve completely become a fan of this drama. Xie Yan’s acting has shot my maiden heart!!!

Netizen C: Especially the last scene of Episode 3 where Xie Yan stepped back and handed the water to the FL, it was too dashing! 

Netizen D: This drama’s simply the pinnacle of idol dramas! The ML & FL’s acting made me a fan!

Netizen E: I feel like Xie Yan and Su Shen have such AMAZING chemistry, especially when the ML appeared and placed his hand behind Su Shen’s head. So adorbs [joy]

Netizen F: This drama’s simply a feast for the eyes. I don’t care, I’m shipping the Crab Cake CP. [joy]

Netizen G: Xie Yan has a girlfriend, and Su Shen has a boyfriend. Could it be that they are together? [grin]

Nowadays, this drama was being discussed on several major platforms, but He Hua knew that it wasn’t suitable for Su Shen to trend on Hot Search at the moment. Thus, Su Shen’s name didn’t appear on Hot Search. This way, it avoided accusations of her seeking hype from the antis. However, it was different for Xie Yan. He had always been low-key, so even if his exposure was a bit more now, no one would say much about it. Moreover, this kind of idol drama attracted many young fans for him. Although these fans may not provide any significant value to him, since popularity was never a focus for the silver screen.

When more and more people started to take photos of her, it just so happened to be time for boarding. After boarding the flight, she turned off her phone and leaned back to rest.

During the flight, two flight attendants approached her for a photo, and Su Shen cooperatively took a few shots with them. When she arrived at the hotel after getting off her flight, it was already 2:00 am. She still had to film tomorrow, so she went to sleep as early as possible. 

In the following days, the drama’s ratings continued to climb, possibly due to the absence of other popular dramas during the same season. It consistently dominated the spotlight and had even surpassed four one day. Su Shen’s followers also grew to 30 million. Yao Yin mentioned that many reality shows had offered her high prices for appearances, and numerous scripts had been offered to her as well. However, at the same time, the number of antis also increased. They spread rumors about her having a strong background, pulling strings to act alongside Xie Yan. The hateful and vulgar comments intensified, and some antis even went as far as displaying her black-and-white photos on car windows, which made the news. Yao Yin promptly contacted the authorities to handle these matters. 

Compared to the previous antis, the current ones were even more fierce. This was an inevitable part of being a public figure. Su Shen didn’t want to let these things affect her mood. After all, antis would continue to hate, and she would continue to focus on earning her money.

On the day when she and Xie Yan’s reality show premiered, Xie Quan unexpectedly gave her a call!

Just at this moment, Su Shen had just finished filming a scene, and Xiao Zhou hurriedly handed her the phone, clearly noticing the incoming call displayed on the screen and knowing that this call was definitely not ordinary. 

Seeing the name on the screen, Su Shen was taken aback. She didn’t expect that it would be a call from Xie Yan’s father. Immediately, she took the phone and went to an empty lounge to answer the call. 

“Hello, Xiao Su?” A robust voice came through the phone.

“Hello, Uncle. How are you?” Su Shen immediately replied politely.

Hearing this, the person on the other end calmly asked with a smile, “Not interrupting your filming, am I?” 

“No, not at all. I was just reading the script,” Su Shen replied as she sat on the sofa, adjusting the AC temp to be lower with the remote.

At that, the person on the other end chuckled. “Well, here’s the thing. From what I know, you’ve been together with Xie Yan for quite some time now, but I haven’t had the chance to meet your parents. How about we arrange a day for me to treat your parents to a meal?”

Hearing the words from the other end of the line, Su Shen felt a bit at a loss and could only continue, “Um… I’ll definitely discuss it with my parents, and when they have time, I’ll let you know.”

After speaking, Su Shen was completely stunned. The phone call came so suddenly, and even if she was stupid, she knew what it meant when both sets of parents met. It would inevitably lead to a discussion about marriage, but Xie Yan hadn’t even proposed to her yet.

“Alright, alright. Continue filming, I won’t disturb you anymore. But, your health is also important. You youngsters always like to stay up late, and that’s harmful to your health. Look at Xie Yan too, you have to keep a close eye on him.”

Hearing the words from the other end, Su Shen naturally agreed repeatedly. After hanging up the call, she leaned back on the sofa, feeling a bit overwhelmed, and stared at her phone, contemplating whether to call her parents now or call Xie Yan.

Just at this moment, the door of the lounge was pushed open, and two figures walked in. Seeing her, Xiao Zhou stood at the door and said, “Su jie, the director said to use a body double for the next scene.”

The next scene was a gunfight where she had to jump from upstairs. She wondered what Xie Yan had told the director before because the director would allow her to use a body double for some dangerous scenes now. It’s worth noting that every director preferred actors to perform their own stunts for a more realistic effect.

“I got it,” Su Shen replied before turning to look at Yao Yin, who had unexpectedly visited set to see her today. 

After Xiao Zhou closed the door, Yao Yin unhurriedly walked over in high heels and sat across from her. She handed over a document bag while saying, “I originally didn’t want to accept any new roles for you, but the director of this play has been insisting on casting you. I heard that they approached you before, but it got delayed when you switched companies.”

Upon hearing this, Su Shen took the document bag and opened it to take a look. It turned out to be the script for that major leading role. The negotiations for this play were handled by Liu jie before, but after terminating her contract with Starlight Entertainment, she hadn’t heard any news from them. She didn’t expect them to be so persistent in casting her.

“The director of this play is quite influential in the industry, and the production crew is also top-notch. The main point is that they really want to cast you. Moreover, considering the scale of the production, they could have approached well-established actresses for the role. So, it’s actually a pretty good opportunity for you. However, I see that you’ve been pretty exhausted lately. How about you take some time to consider it?” said Yao Yin as she got up and went to the water dispenser to pour herself a glass of water.

After a moment of contemplation, Su Shen looked at the script before saying insipidly, “I’ll think about it and let you know in a few days.”

She was indeed exhausted. While money was important, it was not as important as her life. However, the director’s sincere intention and the long wait made Su Shen hesitant.

Seeing her hesitation, Yao Yin didn’t rush it. After taking a sip of water, she sat down on the sofa, holding her red clutch and looking at Su Shen earnestly. “No rush, take your time. Right now, the most important thing is about you and Xie Yan. In ten days, it’s the Dragon Boat Festival. If you two are certain about going public, I’ll discuss with He Hua about arranging to release a video of you guys going on a date.”

Hearing this, Su Shen frowned and nonchalantly placed the script back into the bag. “No need to go through all that trouble. We can simply have Xie Yan make a post on Weibo to confirm our relationship when the time comes.”

Previous | Index | Next

Punishment

Hearing this, Su Shen looked at the male host in all seriousness and said, “Actually, it’s still pretty manageable for us, but there were more dangerous action scenes for Xie Yan, so our parts weren’t bad compared to his.”

At that, the host suddenly smiled at her meaningfully, “Why didn’t you call him Xie laoshi?”

After the host said that, the fans below immediately started to scream again, and Su Shen immediately explained with a smile, “Xie laoshi said that calling him that way would make him even older.”

Xie Yan quietly looked at Su Shen without saying anything.

Fortunately, the host didn’t ask further and after finishing the first segment, it was Dong Gu’s turn to showcase his talent, which was a street dance performance, while they watched on both sides.

The stage had a very cool visual effect, and Dong Gu’s dance was not bad. Standing next to Xie Yan, Su Shen watched the stage and leaned over, asking, “When are you going back?”

It’s rare for the camera to sweep a shot over to their side. Su Shen knew that filming must be quite tight for Xie Yan, so it was already not easy for him to make time to come back and attend this variety show.

The lighting was dimmer on this side, and several of the hosts were watching the performance stage while swaying their bodies to the music. Seeing her lean over, Xie Yan looked down slightly, “If you want me to stay, I can ask for a leave.”

Su Shen: “…….”

As she looked up, she met Xie Yan’s line of sight. Blushing, she immediately cleared her throat and continued to watch the performance on stage. When it was over, she joined the others in applause.

When they went on stage again, it was the start of the games segment. The same game that the staff mentioned earlier to test your understanding of your partner. Su Shen and Xie Yan were teamed together, Luo Han and Li Xue, Dong Gu and the actress that played the third supporting female lead, while the male and female hosts formed the last team. The team with the lowest level of understanding would receive a punishment.

Su Shen and the girls sat on one sofa while facing a row of boys sitting on the opposite sofa. When the camera turned to them, a male host looked down at his cue card and said, “Okay, please write down the food that your partner dislikes the most.”

Without needing to think, Su Shen quickly wrote “meat” and then heard the voice of the staff in her earpiece, with only four words, “depends who made it”.

At this point, it would be hard for Su Shen to change her answer. This answer was not something that most people would write, and it would be highly unlikely for anyone to guess it correctly. In any case, Xie Yan’s really not playing by the rules.

“Okay, time’s up. Please flip over your whiteboard,” the male host said.

Su Shen could only flip over her whiteboard, but when Xie Yan flipped over his, the male host walked over in surprise and exclaimed, “Your least favorite food is based on who made it? Su Shen’s least favorite food is rice?”

Su Shen covered her mouth and smiled bitterly. She generally didn’t have anything she disliked eating, but because she needed to control her food intake, she ate less rice. Xie Yan’s definitely trying to use this opportunity to openly criticize her!

The host asked curiously, “Let’s do it one by one. Xie Yan, do you only eat based on who made the food?” 

Xie Yan sat there and cast a slight glance at Su Shen before saying, “En.”

After saying that, there was a moment of awkward silence. The host tried to break the tension in the air by saying, “True, people who are good at cooking make anything tasty. But why does Su Shen hate eating rice?”

Speaking of this, Su Shen immediately picked up the mic and explained, “Since I eat very little on set to lose weight, he might’ve thought that I didn’t like to eat rice.”

“Right, right, I understand!” A female host immediately echoed excitedly.

Seeing this, the male host could only shrug helplessly, “Okay, we don’t understand the world of women.”

As he spoke, he went to look at Su Shen’s whiteboard and found that she hadn’t guessed what Xie Yan’s least favorite food was either, so they naturally didn’t get points for this question. On the other hand, the male and female hosts earned one point, perhaps due to the understanding that came from years of working together.

“Okay, onto the second question. Please write down each other’s favorite color.”

Although Su Shen knew that Xie Yan liked black, she was afraid that he would give an unconventional answer again, so she waited for the staff to tell her through the earpiece. Not long after, the staff quickly informed her that Xie Yan’s answer was “none”!

Su Shen knew that he wouldn’t go with a conventional answer. They were supposed to go over the itinerary in the afternoon, but they forgot because of some things. 

Thus, Su Shen could only write down “black”, and for her own favorite color, she wrote “blue”.

“Okay, time’s up! Please flip your boards!”

As soon as the host finished speaking, Su Shen already gave up all hope. They were bound to lose again this time.

This time, they started from Luo Han’s side. He and Li Xue had actually answered correctly this time. There was no doubt that they were wearing earpieces. When it was Xie Yan’s turn, the host looked helpless. “I feel like Xie Yan really doesn’t follow the norm. He actually doesn’t have a favorite color?”

“However, looking at his answer, your favorite color is orange, Su Shen?”

At that, Su Shen flipped over her whiteboard, and upon seeing her answer, the host turned to Xie Yan and asked helplessly, “Why do you think Su Shen like orange?”

Su Shen didn’t know what to say anymore. She liked to wear orange shaded lipsticks, and Xie Yan must’ve thought that she liked the color too. 

“Intuition.” Xie Yan glanced at her again.

The host didn’t expect him to give a reason and just looked at the cue card in his hand before saying, “This time, Luo Han and Li Xue earned a point. Now, let’s move on to the third question. Please write down your partner’s ideal type.”

At that, the fans below began to scream again. Su Shen was curious to see what Xie Yan would write this time, but the staff told her through the earpiece that Xie Yan just wrote “As long as there are feelings, any type will do.”

Su Shen couldn’t simply write the correct answer at all this time, so she could only give up and jot something down based on her own thoughts. 

When it was time to flip over the boards, the female host went first this time. She and Li Xue both answered correctly. When it was Su Shen’s turn, the host finally felt a sense of normalcy upon seeing her answer. 

“Xie Yan, do you like young, beautiful, and sensible girls?” The host asked, then looked at Xie Yan’s answer, noticing that it was equivocal again, but it seemed very real at the same time. He said very helplessly, “You wrote that Su Shen likes fair xiao xian rou?”

Su Shen looked down and couldn’t help but cover her face with a sense of helplessness. How did she give Xie Yan such a misconception?

“But, Su Shen wrote that she likes someone who’s responsible, filial, and steady. You guys got it wrong again,” the host said very helplessly. He never expected these two to have no tacit understanding at all. 

They had already answered three questions incorrectly, and it was no surprise that they would answer the next two questions wrong as well due to the unpredictable nature of Xie Yan’s answers. As a result, their team did not score any points.

“Alright, the team with the highest score this time is Li Xue and Luo Han, and the team with the lowest score is Su Shen and Xie Yan, so you guys will receive the most terrifying punishment!”

As soon as the host finished speaking, a transparent glass box was pushed onto the stage by a staff member. Inside the box, two brightly multicolored snakes were coiled around, scaring the fans below, who shouted “no” as if they were the ones being punished. 

“The both of you have to take out five marbles each from this box.”

Hearing this, Su Shen almost couldn’t control her expression anymore. She was afraid of snakes the most. Although she knew that the snakes’ mouths were sealed, she was still very scared. The thought of having to take something out from inside made her scalp numb.

Su Shen kept stepping back and came to Xie Yan’s side, feeling angry that it was all his fault for not following a conventional answer.

“Okay, who wants to go first?” The host said with a look of amusement.

However, the girls on stage were all retreating in fear, seemingly to be afraid of the box. Especially with the playback of thrilling music in the background, making Su Shen feel even more uneasy.

However, it didn’t bother Xie Yan much. He handed the mic to Su Shen and rolled up his sleeves before walking up to the box. He then immediately stuck his hand inside.

The fans in the audience were about to cry, screaming even louder not to go through with it. Su Shen couldn’t bear to watch, but she peeked through one eye and saw Xie Yan’s hand reaching into the corner of the box, where one of the snakes coiled around his arm. Her heart raced with anxiety.

Soon after, Xie Yan grabbed a few marbles and put them on the plate, repeating a few times. When the host went to count them, he said, “Huh? Why did you take out thirteen?”

Hearing this, Xie Yan just casually glanced at Su Shen and said insipidly, “Took them altogether.” 

“AHHHHHHH!”

The fans below started screaming again. Su Shen’s ears turned slightly red, but she tried to control her facial expression as much as possible. The host didn’t make things difficult for her either, just glancing at the two of them meaningfully before ending this segment. 

Later, there was a game where they had to grab flags on an incline, but Xie Yan didn’t participate. However, Su Shen did. By the time the variety show ended, it was already 10:00 pm. At this time, their drama should also be finishing airing its third episode. 

Naturally, Su Shen wouldn’t let Xie Yan take another day off for her. After all, she had to rush back to set overnight too. After getting in the car, she looked at Xie Yan with reproach, “Don’t you dislike eating meat?”

Xiao Zhou and Zhao Tong were sitting in the front, with Xie Yan sitting next to her. Upon hearing her words, he slightly turned his head. “I like the meat you make,”

Zhao Tong: “……..”

The two people sitting in the front quietly ate a pile of dog food and felt stifled, hoping that they would arrive at the airport quickly.

“Even so, don’t you like black?” Su Shen said and emphasized, “Most of your clothes are black.”

“They just happened to be black.”

The car sped through the night. Looking at the serious expression beside him, Xie Yan couldn’t help but smile. Holding her soft hand, he continued to rest with his eyes closed. 

Su Shen: “……..”

She decided to stop talking, as Xie Yan never played by the rules. Fortunately, he didn’t like to attend variety shows either. With him like this, he was really not suitable for these programs. 

After arriving at the airport, Su Shen had to get out of the car first to avoid being photographed. 

The neon lights outside the car window were flickering brightly as pedestrians hurried by. There were other vehicles stopping there briefly too. Zhao Tong and Xiao Zhou tactfully got out of the car to take the luggage out from the trunk.

Until they were the only people left in the car, Su Shen glanced at Xie Yan beside her and said softly, “I’m leaving now. Take care of yourself.”

As she was about to touch the car handle, Xie Yan, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly leaned over and pressed her onto the car seat. Burying his head in her neck and taking a deep breath, he muttered, “Don’t you want me to stay?”

Previous | Index | Next

Variety Show Debut

“Anyways, I’m not familiar with you,” Su Shen turned her head and snorted without looking at him.

Seeing her childish behavior, Xie Yan couldn’t help but laugh. “How old are you? So childish.”

“It was you who said that you’re not familiar with me, not me,” Su Shen retorted while trying to pry off the hand on her waist. She noticed that lately, Xie Yan liked to be more touchy-feely with her.

The latter not only did not let go but leaned in to kiss her with a fiery gaze. “It was you who said I was boring.”

At that, Su Shen arched her brow and continued to pry his hands off her waist. “Am I wrong?”

Xie Yan had always been so boring, with nothing else to do except for always trying to beat around the bush to marry her.

As their eyes met, he turned his hand over and grasped hers, massaging it. Looking at her, his expression became weird. “So should I do something interesting now?”  

Seeing him getting closer, Su Shen immediately closed her eyes and pushed at his shoulder. “No, I was wrong.”

Her eyes were closed, and her fair face seemed a little tense. Her rosy lips were tightly pursed. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but Xie Yan felt that Su Shen was becoming more and more beautiful. 

Looking down, he reached out to fix a strand of hair on her forehead, placing it behind her ear before saying earnestly, “I just wanted to discuss the itinerary with you. What are you thinking about?”

Hearing his teasing tone, Su Shen instantly opened her eyes and glared at him angrily. “I wasn’t thinking of anything. You’re overthinking it.”

“Fine, I over-thought it,” said Xie Yan, sitting upright and seriously beside her as he picked up the script on the side and read it conscientiously.

Seeing him put on an act, Su Shen had the urge to kick him out, but ultimately just closed her eyes and leaned against the sofa in silence. 

It was only when she felt a warm touch on her lips that she suddenly opened her eyes. Just as she was about to speak, all sounds were instantly muffled by someone. She was a little unhappy and wanted to dodge it, but the back of her head was firmly clasped by a large hand.

Unable to push him away, she gradually softened and sank into the sofa, with a large hand firmly embracing her waist until it was released. Su Shen glared at him with watery eyes and said, “This isn’t your home. Why aren’t you paying attention to your image?”

Staring at her increasingly rosy lips, Xie Yan leaned in and kissed them again. His voice was deep and hoarse, “I’m already paying a lot of attention.”

Blushing, Su Shen didn’t want to talk to this person who had no bottom line, so she simply took the script and read it by herself.

She was looking down and holding the script tightly. Seeing her conscientious expression, Xie Yan chuckled softly, “You’re holding it upside down.”

Upon careful inspection, she realized that she was indeed holding the script upside down. However, Su Shen maintained her composure and glared at him. “This is my resting room. Xie laoshi, please leave.”

As their eyes met, Xie Yan cleared his throat and put his arm around her shoulder, leaning in close and whispering, “But Xie laoshi doesn’t want to leave.”

Meeting his wicked gaze, Su Shen turned away and ignored him, but Xie Yan’s presence prevented her from focusing on the script.

“Su jie, there’s only Coke here, no orange jui…ce…” As Xiao Zhou held onto the door handle, she caught a glimpse of the inside of the room and was so shocked that she quickly retreated and closed the door tightly.

Seeing the door close, Su Shen glared at Xie Yan angrily again. The latter finally got up and left her resting room, as if he was only here to discuss the itinerary with her.

Since she and Xie Yan arrived too late, they could only do a brief rehearsal of the important segments, and then they began the actual recording at night.

Originally, the production team planned to have each of them come on stage one by one, and have Xie Yan be the finale, but he didn’t want to, so they changed it to pairs. The first pair was Luo Han and a starlet that played the third supporting actress. The second pair was Dong Gu and Li Xue. They either sang or danced and had a colorful entrance. The production team saw that Xie Yan had no intention of singing, so they prepared a very cool entrance stage for them, letting them appear to be more mysterious. The stage design was also quite cool, with dancers filling the stage. When the circular door slowly opened and Su Shen and Xie Yan came out, the audience below erupted in screams. Luo Han and the others also moved toward them. When the music stopped, the fans below stood up and screamed crazily.

The camera quickly swept a shot of them before the four hosts came over, saying with laughter, “Wow, today is truly a feast for the eyes!”

The fans below were still screaming as if their lives depended on it. The hosts were also somewhat helpless and could only wait until the screams subsided a bit before looking at them. “We’re so glad that everyone can come to our show. Now, let’s start with some introductions.”

Su Shen stood next to Xie Yan, and she was wearing high heels, but fortunately, Xie Yan was tall enough so they looked natural together on screen. The camera also kept focusing on the two of them, but Su Shen was already used to it.

The introduction started from the other end. Each person in their cast had a significant fan base, so every time someone finished introducing themselves, the audience below would erupt in screams. It was obvious that the ratings for this episode would be very high.

When it was Su Shen’s turn to introduce herself, she received the mic and looked down at the camera with a smile. “Hi everyone, I’m Su Shen, and I play He Yan in the drama.”

“AHHHHHH!”

Fans in a certain section of the audience immediately raised signs of her name and began screaming. Su Shen smiled and then looked over at Xie Yan.

Xie Yan remained unfazed and said into the mic calmly and unhurriedly, “Hi everyone, I’m Xie Yan…”

Before Xie Yan could finish speaking, the fans below couldn’t help but start screaming wildly, wave after wave. Xie Yan was different from other artists. Fans rarely saw him at events, so his rarity made this appearance of his even more precious. To be able to see him right now, they naturally felt super excited.

“Okay, okay, everyone quiet down.” The male host couldn’t help but wave his hand, and the audience finally quieted down a bit. He then smiled and looked at Xie Yan beside him. “This seems to be your first time attending this type of variety show, right?”

Xie Yan: “En.”

Among interviewers, Xie Yan was notoriously known to not be easy to interview. The male host wisely shifted the topic to Su Shen, “On the big screen, Xie Yan’s always so serious and a man of few words. Su Shen, do you think this differs greatly from his personality in real life?”

When the camera turned to her, facing so many pairs of eyes, Su Shen just smiled and glanced at the serious-looking Xie Yan beside her before saying, “Sometimes, and sometimes not. Sometimes, he’s actually a scheming boy.”

“Hahaha…”

Laughter erupted from both the stage and the audience, and a female host looked at her curiously and asked, “Why do you say so? How is he scheming?”

At that, Xie Yan, who was beside her, looked quietly at Su Shen. She immediately pointed at him and said, “Xie laoshi won’t let me say it. He will get mad.”

On the other side, Dong Gu almost couldn’t help but laugh out loud. However, he could only continue to hold his laughter in. If he couldn’t hold it in anymore, he would look down and not let the camera catch him.

The host became even more curious, “But, he doesn’t seem to be like a scheming boy.”

“A real schemer won’t let you see that he has any schemes,” added Su Shen.

At that, everyone burst into laughter again. Xie Yan kept looking at Su Shen, as if he wanted to see what else she had to say.

“You’re dead meat now, I feel like Xie Yan got even angrier.” The host laughed and glanced at Xie Yan.

The latter’s expression remained unchanged and suddenly looked at Su Shen, “I never hold grudges.”

“AHAHAHA….”

The fans below burst into laughter again, seemingly finding their idol’s sudden change in demeanor amusing. Glancing at him from the corner of her eye, Su Shen just stood there without saying a word, knowing that Xie Yan was someone who held onto grudges. 

After the off-topic conversation was over, they naturally had to talk about the drama. After all, they came here to promote the drama. A male host looked at his cue card before turning his gaze onto Su Shen, who was more easy going. “I heard that there are a lot of action scenes in this drama, and that the actors generally don’t use body doubles, is that true?”

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