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We’re Not Familiar

Upon hearing the host’s question, Su Shen couldn’t help but feel slightly nervous and looked down. She was really afraid that Xie Yan would do something unexpected.

However, the person on the big screen just smiled upon hearing that and said insipidly, “Because I like it, so I wanted to take on the role.”

“AHHHHHH!”

The fans below went madly crazy. If they could, they would’ve rushed up to the stage.

Su Shen breathed a sigh of relief but felt that his words were a bit strange, yet she still stood there indifferently and said nothing.

At this point, the host seemed to have remembered her — the female lead, and asked in passing as he looked at the big screen, “This seems to be your second time working with Su Shen. Do you guys have more of a rapport now?”

Hearing this, the person on the big screen seemed to look in the direction of Su Shen and replied unhurriedly, “We had a rapport from the beginning.”

“AHHHHHH!”

The fans could hardly control themselves, and the whole venue was filled with screams, only Luo Han, Li Xue, and the rest who seemed to be in the know remained indifferent. 

The host waited until the crowd quieted down before turning to Su Shen and asking, “Su Shen, what kind of person do you think Xie Yan is?”

Suddenly being called on, Su Shen subconsciously glanced at the big screen, only to meet with his gaze. She immediately cleared her throat and replied in all earnesty, “He’s very conscientious. He’s taught me a lot of techniques on set, and I feel like any progress I’ve made is thanks to Xie laoshi. But he usually doesn’t let me call him Xie laoshi, afraid that I’ll call him ‘old’.”

“AHHHHH! NOT OLD!”

The fans below started going crazy again, not expecting her to make a little joke at the end. The host also laughed, “So what do you call him in private?”

At that, Su Shen was taken aback. She had always called him by name, and Xie Yan had always called her by name too. They didn’t seem to have nicknames for each other.

“Just by name. Maybe that way he’ll feel a bit younger,” Su Shen said, unable to suppress a light laugh.

“So you’re saying I’m old?” The person on the big screen counter asked. 

His sudden words caused the fans below to scream again. Su Shen felt that they shouldn’t talk any longer, or else Xie Yan might not control himself. 

“Not old, not old. Xie laoshi is forever 18,” Su Shen politely smiled at the person on the big screen.

Dong Gu, on the other hand, almost couldn’t contain his laughter, and even Luo Han had a slight smile. They didn’t expect that the usually serious Xie Yan could make jokes.

Only the host could laugh without restraint, “AHAHAHA, it looks like you guys are pretty close.”

Su Shen maintained a smile on her face and swept a glance at the rows of cameras below before saying seriously, “Actually, he seems pretty boring, but he’s also actually pretty boring in private too.”

As her words fell, the whole room burst into laughter, even some of the photographers below couldn’t help but laugh. It was the first time someone had dared to poke fun at Xie Yan like this openly.

After laughing, the host looked at the big screen and said, “Xie Yan, do you think Su Shen’s right?”

Hearing this, the person on the big screen looked in the direction of Su Shen and said nonchalantly, “Actually, I’m not very familiar with her.”

At that, the fans below laughed, and Su Shen looked at the male host, “Let’s hang up, there’s nothing good to talk about.”

The host found the banter between the two of them quite amusing. In fact, there wasn’t much left to talk about. But he still smiled and turned to the big screen, “Well, we look forward to seeing you appear with the rest of the cast next time.”

Hearing this, the person on the big screen just uttered an “en” before hanging up the video call.

The host continued the interview with other questions. As the topic of the town still hadn’t subsided, he seized the opportunity to ask, “You mentioned before that you already have a boyfriend. Is he also from the entertainment industry?”

In an instant, almost all the cameras were focused on her. Su Shen held the mic, and her exquisite face showed no other emotions. “I can’t say for now, but I’ll tell everyone someday.”

Given such an opportunity to have an open interview, the host naturally wouldn’t let it go and continued to ask, “How long have you guys been together then?”

At that, Su Shen smiled and looked at the host. “That’s a secret.”

Since the host was not a cunning reporter and needed to control the stage, he couldn’t make it awkward for the artists, so he didn’t continue to pry further and instead moved on to other topics.

After the press conference ended, Su Shen did an interview with Tangerine Entertainment. When she left and got into the car, a swarm of reporters surrounded her, asking her questions about her romance. Fortunately, Yao Yin was prepared for this, and with the help of a few bodyguards opening the road, Su Shen was able to get into the car smoothly.

She still had to rush back to set at night, so Su Shen went to the airport immediately. Sitting in the car, Yao Yin was discussing her schedule with her. 

“I haven’t accepted any new gigs for you recently. You only have one variety show and a fashion event next week. After you finish filming your next movie, I won’t accept any new work for you. Take some time to focus on engagements, and take a break.”

Hearing this, Su Shen sitting in the rear just softly responded with an “mhm”. She had been constantly hopping from one production set to another for the past two years. It was indeed time to rest for a bit. 

On another note, as she thought of Xie Yan, Su Shen suddenly blocked him on WeChat and then leaned back to rest, feeling satisfied. 

She thought that Xie Yan would call her, but he didn’t. When she arrived at the airport, there were already many fans waiting for her. Despite the bodyguards opening the way, Su Shen still took a while to pass through security. She received a lot of gifts from fans, and she and Xiao Zhou could barely carry them all. In the end, some things had to be checked in.

When they landed, Yao Yin didn’t accompany her back to set. The chauffeur only sent her and Xiao Zhou back. However, a van kept following them. Su Shen was used to this kind of stalking, so she always made sure to pull the curtains tightly when she returned to the hotel.

When they arrived back on set, it was already 6:00 pm, and everyone was eating dinner. Su Shen asked the makeup artist to hurry and do her hair and makeup. As the press conference broadcasted live, Su Shen wanted to see what people were saying online but noticed that Xie Yan had made a post on Weibo, with a screenshot of her having blocked him. 

Xie Yan V: Calling me Xie laoshi in public, but does this kind of thing in private. [photo]

Netizen A: AHAHAHA, LMFAO!

Netizen B: When I saw “message sent but rejected by the other party”, I laughed and sprayed water all over my cat. [joy]

Netizen C: So sweet!!! Shipping my Crab Cake CP!!!

Netizen D: Who told you to say you’re not familiar with her? [joy]

Netizen E: Su Shen, you’re dead. My Xie laoshi is angry! [sly smile]

Netizen F: What’s with this strong smell of dog food*? [joy]

dog food – Chinese internet slang for PDA

Seeing this, Su Shen knew that Xie Yan was going to cause trouble. He had actually posted a screenshot. This was too brazen!

However, she quickly @ Xie Yan in a reply.

Su Shen V: We’re not familiar, thank you. [smiley face] // Xie Yan V: Calling me Xie laoshi in public, but does this kind of thing in private. [photo]

Xiao Zhou, who had been watching from the side all this time, quietly ate a huge pile of dog food and had been holding back until now. Who knows how much shock she has been through.

Su Shen still didn’t unblock Xie Yan. After it became a trending topic on Weibo, those antis accused her of using Xie Yan to hype again. No matter what she did, those people always had something negative to say about her, but she had learned to be accustomed to it.

This drama wasn’t aired weekly but was broadcasted at the prime time slot of 7:30 pm every night. The day before the premiere, Su Shen returned to her condo because their cast had to record a variety show earlier the next day.

Su Shen didn’t go over to Xie Yan’s house, and she didn’t know when he returned either. It wasn’t until the next day when she went to the recording studio that she saw Zhao Tong outside asking a staff member for the itinerary. 

Seeing her approaching, Zhao Tong quickly went up to greet her. “Su Shen, you’ve gotten skinner again.”

Zhao Tong wasn’t an alpha man like Xie Yan. He knew that girls liked it when people complimented that they had gotten skinnier. Su Shen smiled upon hearing his words and glanced over at the resting area in front of her. However, instead of asking about Xie Yan, she took off her sunglasses and said with a smile, “You’ve put on some weight though, it seems like the food there is pretty good.” 

“Absolutely not. How can their food compare to your cooking?” Speaking of this, Zhao Tong leaned in and whispered, “Yan ge has become even more picky, only eating vegetables and not even touching meat or fish.”

There were staff coming and going around them. Su Shen cleared her throat and didn’t say much before she and Xiao Zhou went to her own resting room. Meanwhile, Li Xue and the rest were in the adjacent resting room. It was clear that with fame came different treatment and status.

Su Shen had already gotten her makeup done, so she didn’t need to get any more makeup done. She was wearing a simple blue dress. Coming to her resting room, she sat down and let Xiao Zhou help style her hair a bit. Soon after, a female staff member came in and went over the show itinerary with her.

The drama was going to premiere tonight, but Su Shen didn’t feel nervous at all. After all, there weren’t many competing dramas in the same season recently, and as long as the post-production editing wasn’t bad, this drama wouldn’t flop.

After sitting down in front of her, the staff member looked at the script and said, “There’s going to be a game where it will test your understanding of your partner later. We will group you and Xie Yan together. Later, a staff member will tell you what Xie Yan wrote through the earpiece. There will be five questions, you only need to answer three of them correctly.”

Generally speaking, variety shows had scripts and routines, and some CP moments were very likely created by the production team. Su Shen didn’t have any objections upon hearing that and just responded with a soft “en”.

Just at this moment, the door was suddenly pushed open, and Xie Yan walked in. Like before, he was pretty casual and didn’t dress up for the show. At most, he just did his hair.

Upon seeing him, the female staff member immediately stood up and nodded somewhat excitedly, “Hello, Xie laoshi.”

It was the first time that she had seen her idol up close. The female staff member tried to maintain a smile on her face, and the other party also smiled at her. “I have something to say to Su Shen.”

As the female staff member was still immersed in the image of her idol smiling at her, she was suddenly brought back to reality when she heard his words. Glancing at Su Shen, she quickly and tactfully left the room. She felt that some rumors might not be groundless after all!

Seeing Xie Yan close the door, Su Shen leaned back on the sofa and covered her legs with her coat while casting a nonchalant glance at him. “Xie laoshi, we’re not familiar. Please behave appropriately.”

At that, he immediately came near and sat next to her. She tried to move away, but he tightly wrapped his arm around her waist before staring at her fervently. “If you’re not familiar with me, then who are you familiar with?”

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Live Press Conference

“I’ll just drag it out.” Su Shen looked down and scrolled through her phone, not bothered at all. In any case, if she didn’t say anything, others couldn’t do much about it.

Seeing this, Yao Yin just took another glance at her and said nothing before turning around and leaving the resting room.

While scrolling through her phone, Su Shen accidentally came across her own Weibo. Normally, her posts would only have about 20,000 comments, but now it has exceeded 100,000. Although the trending headline had been removed, many people had taken a screenshot of her reply and were sharing it everywhere.

Netizen A: Su Shen’s definitely the first rising starlet I’ve seen to admit to having a boyfriend. [joy]

Netizen B: I don’t even help* grannies to cross the road, but I’ll stan* xiao jiejie. [joy]

* – this is a play on words, the character for help (扶) is when someone is helping or supporting someone, and stan is (服), both characters have the pinyin (fu) but different tones

Netizen C: Whose idol didn’t keep it a secret? Su Shen’s the first female celebrity I’ve seen who’s so candid. [joy]

Netizen D: NOOOO!!! GODDESS BELONGS TO ME!!!

Netizen E: My Su Su has a boyfriend; the antis can scram. [smiley face]

Netizen F: Is Jiang Yin the boyfriend? Gazing as a CP fan [pitiful]

Female artists had it different from male artists when it came to matters of love. As long as their male S/O was handsome and didn’t have any scandals, fans would generally accept it. However, male artists’ female fans always fantasized that their idol’s girlfriend was themselves, making it difficult for them to accept their idol having another girlfriend.

Even if they did go public, Su Shen’s fans probably wouldn’t cause an uproar, but the same couldn’t be said for Xie Yan’s fans. If they went public now, some would definitely say that they were doing it as a publicity stunt for their drama, only after the drama finished airing would this doubt disappear. 

Su Shen sat there scrolling through her phone. Not long after, a staff member informed her that it was time to enter. Xiao Zhou touched up her makeup before she made her way into the venue. The press conference still hadn’t started, but the seats below were already filled with people. Su Shen’s seat was the second seat, and since Xie Yan hadn’t come, his seat was left empty.

The big screen on stage was currently displaying the promotional poster for their drama. Su Shen remembered that when she first signed the contract, the producer had said that they would put Li Xue’s image next to hers. But now, Li Xue’s position was far away from her. Only she and Xie Yan were front and center, with her being more front too. This was the most realistic aspect of the entertainment industry. If she was still an unknown actress, the producer would’ve definitely placed her and Li Xue on the same level. 

“Why didn’t Yan ge come?” asked Luo Han curiously, leaning over from the side. 

Hearing this, Su Shen simply replied softly, “He’s filming overseas and can’t make it back.”

Perhaps thinking that she and Li Xue were on bad terms, the organizers didn’t arrange her and Li Xue’s seats together. Instead, they placed Luo Han in between. Luo Han played as the third supporting male lead. The second supporting male lead was Dong Gu. In the past two years, he relied on his acting to make a name for himself playing villainous roles. In terms of popularity, he was even more popular than Luo Han. However, he hadn’t taken on supporting male lead roles lately, and this drama was most likely his last one.

As soon as it was 2:00 pm, the press conference began promptly. The host quickly came on stage to liven the atmosphere, and the back row was filled with cameras. When the host called them to come on stage, Su Shen got up and walked up to the stage with the others.

Su Shen stood next to the host while the flashes from below kept going off. Unlike before where she always introduced herself last, the host kindly handed her the mic this time. “Su Shen, why don’t you introduce the role you played in the drama?”

Facing the rows of cameras below, Su Shen smiled and said into the microphone, “I played as He Yan in the drama. She’s a reporter with a strong sense of justice, but because she just stepped foot into society, she’s a bit timid at critical moments.”

“Ahaha, how timid is she?” The host followed up and asked, “Are you also timid in real life?”

The cameras below continued to focus on her, and Yao Yin was also watching her from below. Su Shen just smiled at the question and said to the host, “I’m so-so. I usually don’t meddle in other people’s business, unless something really makes me angry, then I might not be able to control myself.”

“AHHHHHHH! SU SU, I LOVE YOU!”

The fans in the last row were holding up her name and shouting crazily, momentarily filling the entire venue with their screams. Su Shen maintained a smile on her face, occasionally looking down below and didn’t say anything more.

Once the fans below quieted down, the host proceeded to let the other cast members introduce themselves. Each member of the cast had a high popularity and could carry a show as a lead actor or actress. Now that they were all gathered together, there was no doubt that there would be a lot of things to discuss. 

After Luo Han introduced himself, the host directed his gaze toward Su Shen again. “I heard that you have worked with Luo Han before, is that right?”

Su Shen didn’t have a mic in her hand. Just at this moment, Luo Han, next to her, suddenly handed the mic to her. She took it and replied, “Yes, we worked together before on my first drama.”

The cameras below turned to focus on her face again. Su Shen remained indifferent. The male host turned his gaze to Luo Han, “Luo Han, do you think Su Shen has changed?”

Su Shen handed the mic to Luo Han, who remained calm and replied earnestly, “She has changed a lot. There’s a major improvement in her acting. She used to be more girl-like, but she has become more mature now.”

“So you’re saying she’s not a little girl anymore?” The male host chuckled and asked in response.

As his words fell, a trace of discomfort appeared on the handsome and fair face of the man. Su Shen, who was next to him, immediately took the mic and said with a smile, “Maybe there’s an old man living in my heart now.”

“Ahahaha….” The host laughed, looking reproachful. “No, it’s clearly a beautiful young lady!”

“AHHHHHH!”

As the fans below started screaming again, Su Shen laughed. Her exquisite face held a slight smile, and her slender fair legs made the female fans below even more excited.

After everyone had finished introducing themselves, the host looked at the audience solemnly and said, “As Xie Yan is filming, he can’t be here in person, but we have prepared a video call to see what he’s doing.”

Su Shen had thought that they would just ask Xie Yan to record a VCR to be played at the press conference, but she didn’t expect that the organizers wanted a video call. Seeing the staff below making an “OK” sign, the large screen behind them promptly flickered to show a live video feed.

The screen suddenly showed a wide and tidy hotel room with a man in a bathrobe sitting on the sofa. He seemed to have gotten a little paler. His handsome features were slightly softened at this time. It was already nighttime where he was, so it was dark outside the windows. Seeing him, the fans below went crazy and screamed loudly again.

“Hi Xie Yan, can you hear us talking?” said the host holding a mic.

As his words fell, the man on the big screen responded calmly, “Yes.”

As soon as he spoke, the fans below screamed even louder. Su Shen turned her head away and didn’t want to look at him. He knew that he was going to do a video call, yet he still didn’t change his clothes. Who was he wearing a bathrobe for?

“Everyone’s here at the press conference, and since you couldn’t make it, do you feel regretful?” The host asked, starting the usual questionnaire. 

Hearing this, the person on the screen remained indifferent but kept his gaze on the camera. “It is indeed regrettable that I could not be there in person. Thus, thank you for everyone’s hard work.”

There was no undulation in his tone. The fans didn’t know if it was their illusion or not, but they felt that their idol’s gaze was particularly warm, so they screamed like mad down below.

Su Shen was facing the big screen at an angle with no expression on her face. The host felt that Xie Yan was not as difficult to interview as rumored. Striking the iron while it was hot, he asked as he looked at the person on the big screen, “This is your first drama. What was the most appealing and moving aspect of this drama for you?”  

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My Boyfriend’s Very Young

Hearing this, Su Shen just smiled and said, “There are still many things worth learning from Ding laoshi.”

As their eyes met, Ding Yan just glanced at her peculiarly and said nothing before taking her script and leaving. 

This was a scene where the female lead followed after the male lead, who often went to the supporting female lead, thinking that he liked her. She didn’t believe that the male lead would fall in love with a dancer.

Getting ready to film, Su Shen was already sitting in the old-fashioned dressing room that the production crew had built. In the previous scene, the male lead had just left, and the female lead came to see her out of curiosity but was ridiculed and mocked by the female supporting lead. 

“Ok, all departments ready, action!”

As the director’s words fell, the camera immediately panned over. Sitting in front of the vanity, Su Shen smoked slowly. The woman in the mirror looked alluring and seductive. Just at this moment, a timid figure suddenly appeared behind her. 

“You… you’re the woman that Hu dage* likes?” The girl wearing a student uniform from the Republic of China era stared at the captivating woman in the mirror. 

dage – literal translation is “Big Brother”, a term to also address a male who is a few years older than you

Su Shen didn’t turn around and only glanced at her from the corner of her eye before saying apathetically, “What? Does this miss also want to come sing at our Bailemen*?” 

Bailemen – the name of an old-style ballroom or singing hall. It was a type of entertainment venue in China in the 1920s and 1930s. It typically offered music, singing, dancing, drinks, and other services, and was one of the main entertainment venues of that era.

“You!” The girl’s eyes widened, and a trace of indignation appeared on her face before she boldly and righteously shouted toward her, “You’re not suitable for Hu ge!”

At this, the camera focused on Su Shen’s face. She arched a brow before smiling slightly. Suddenly, she stood up and walked unhurriedly toward Ding Yan while holding a cigarette between her fingers. Looking at her from left to right and top to bottom, she sneered just as the other party felt uneasy. “I’m not suitable? Are you?”

As if pierced by her contemptuous gaze, Ding Yan glanced at Su Shen before continuing with clenched teeth, “In any case, I hope you stop bothering Hu dage!”

“Bother?” Su Shen seemed amused by the word, and her red nails slowly slid down Ding Yan’s powdered face, all the way down to her bulging chest, before stopping. “People in our line of work never bother our customers.”

Leaning over, she blew a smoke ring in front of her face as her red lips slightly parted. “Only the customers bother us.”

As their eyes met, Ding Yan was momentarily dazed as she looked at the exquisite and enchanting face in front of her. Just as she was about to speak, the director shouted “cut”.

“Ding Yan, what’s wrong with you? Did you forget your lines again?” Sitting in front of the monitor, Director Li yelled in displeasure. He didn’t care whose face it was. 

Seeing the other staff looking at her meaningfully, Ding Yan took a deep breath before apologizing to the director. “I’m sorry. Let’s do it again.”

One’s aura was directly proportional to experience. Hence, many young actors tended to be excessive when acting opposite veteran actors, lacking the naturalness and composure of the veterans. However, in the first scene between Su Shen and Ding Yan, it made people immersed in the performance. Those who watched the video online would naturally know that the two of them didn’t get along. However, Su Shen’s aura wasn’t lacking because of her age. Contrarily, she appeared quite dominant because of her role. It was hard to imagine that her acting was once so terrible. 

The scene was quickly reshot and passed. Su Shen then immediately returned to the dressing room. She could tell that Ding Yan was targeting her, and it was only going to get worse. In that case, she might as well strike first and gain the upper hand.

When Su Shen called Yao Yin, she mentioned the incident with Ding Yan. Yao Yin seemed to know what she was referring to and reassured her not to worry. She had already talked to Ding Yan’s manager, who promised that such a “slip of the tongue” would not happen again.

It’s never a good idea to have a face-off with someone, especially if they have a lot of connections. In the end, both parties would suffer, and it would only benefit others. As for Yao Yin’s approach, Su Shen said nothing since she didn’t want to have a public falling out. However, if the other party continued to act in this way, she couldn’t care less. 

On another note, there was news from the movie directed by Director Xu. It was almost certain that the role was hers. The reason it took so long to confirm was because one of the investors wanted to promote a newcomer who still hadn’t even graduated yet. However, after a few days of stalemate, they finally decided to give her the role. After signing the contract, she would join the set in the middle of next month. This movie needed to be released during the Spring Festival of next year, so filming would most likely be accelerated. The movie she was filming now would also wrap up in the middle of next month, so it was quite streamlined. 

Not a few days later, an explosive allegation broke the internet again.

Third Sister Entertainment V: According to an insider’s revelation, Su Shen terminated her contract with Starlight in early April of this year. Moreover, her current manager is Yao Yin, not He Hua. But, He Hua previously fought back against netizens for her, which is worth pondering.

Netizen A: Didn’t Director Li cast Su Shen for this movie last year? She only terminated her contract this year — impressive. [smiley face]

Netizen B: If she didn’t have a strong background, how could she have been chosen for Green Blood Sword and Little Sunlight? And to have Xie Yan as her co-star? How strong of a background was this?!

Netizen C: No matter how much these diehard fans whitewash, your idol is still just a prost*tute who only knows how to sleep with bald old men!

Netizen D: Wasn’t Green Blood Sword a role that was given to Su Shen by Starlight? In any case, Starlight is still one of the three giants in the entertainment industry. They can’t even give her this role?

Netizen F: Recently, there are too many people who envy the resources and opportunities of my Su Su. No matter how much the antis hate, my Su Su’s acting is still better by a mile than a certain dog. [smiley face]

She didn’t know who was trying to slander her, but almost the whole internet was probing her background. Su Shen knew that her drama with Xie Yan was about to be aired, so naturally there would be people trying to prevent it from being a hit. Else, if the drama were to be a hit, she would definitely threaten the interests of those A-list starlets.

Su Shen sat in the dressing room while the makeup artist styled her hair. Xiao Zhou next to her kept complaining about the haters being too much. Su Shen remained silent and took out her phone to reply to the netizen who accused her of sleeping with bald old men.

Su Shen V: My boyfriend’s very young, thank you. [smiley face]  // @Flying Mouse: No matter how much these diehard fans whitewash, your idol is still just a prost*tute who only knows how to sleep with bald old men!

After replying to the comment, she didn’t care about the aftermath, and directly turned off her phone to focus on reading the script. Later during filming, the staff all looked at her strangely.

Tomorrow was the press conference for the premiere of their drama. After wrapping up work at 7:00 pm, Su Shen returned to the hotel to pack. After she finished packing, she immediately asked the chauffeur to take her to the airport.

Xiao Zhou, who was sitting next to her, kept exclaiming in surprise, “OMG, it’s like a timely rain!”

Leaning against the seat, Su Shen glanced at her. The latter had been looking at her phone and laughing, saying, “Fan Meng was seen entering and leaving a producer’s room late at night, kissing passionately in an embrace!”

Su Shen arched a brow, and her sleepiness instantly vanished. Opening her phone, Fan Meng was the top trending search, and at No.2 was still about her. However, Su Shen’s trending headline must’ve been taken down somehow as it wasn’t showing on Hot Search.

The video showed Fan Meng and a middle-aged man wearing a gray shirt enter a gated community, followed by a unit litting up. The curtains were drawn open. As the two chatted, they suddenly locked in an embrace. Although it was quite blurry, a vague outline of their figures could be seen when zoomed in. Nonetheless, Fan Meng didn’t dare to deny it since she didn’t know how much material the paparazzi had in their hands.

The hotel scandal before had only just died down. This time, there was solid evidence. Netizens had completely lost faith in Fan Meng. Initially, Su Shen thought she would continue to be trending for a few more days, but it seemed that the onslaught of attacks was coming to an end.

However, the timing of Fan Meng’s scandal was too timely, as if someone was helping her. Su Shen called Yao Yin, and she said she didn’t hear any news about it, but this helped her out a lot.

However, Su Shen still thought it was weird. It’s impossible for such a coincidence to happen in the world, so she gave He Hua a call, and he quickly answered.

“Hey, Su Shen, not to criticize you, but why are you so willful just like Xie Yan, and admitting that you have a boyfriend without any prior notice? It’s lucky that you both want to go public, otherwise, do you know how many fans you would lose?” As soon as He Hua answered the phone, he started lecturing.

Su Shen naturally knew it wasn’t right to do so, but if a person was always so rational, wouldn’t that be too tiring?

Looking at the night scenery of the city outside the window, Su Shen said insipidly, “I know. By the way, what’s going on with Fan Meng?”

This was too much of a coincidence, almost as if someone was helping her.

Speaking of this, He Hua on the other end became even angrier. “Do you know who was behind this leak?”

Su Shen said nothing, but she guessed it to some extent. Based on Fan Meng’s character, how could she let her off so easily.

“I originally wanted to just suppress the situation and let it go. After all, it’s not good to offend too many people. But after the scandal today, I thought it was weird, so I immediately went to inquire about it. Who knew it was Xie Yan who contacted that news studio to release the information without even telling me. Now, he completely offended the other party. We’re all in the same industry. Why go so far and push people to a corner?”

Hearing the words from the other end, Su Shen leaned against her seat and said insipidly, “Then, did she ever think about whether she would push me to a corner when she slandered me?”

At this, the person on the other end suddenly fell silent. After a while, he sighed, “Forget it. Since it has happened, let it be. She brought it upon herself.”

Su Shen said nothing, and the call soon ended after the other party said a few more words.

People were realistic. At the end of the day, He Hua was a businessman who valued his interests above all else. He definitely didn’t want to do something that completely offended others, but of course, if it was Xie Yan who was being targeted, he would’ve definitely retaliated immediately. After all, he was close with Xie Yan, and compared to his friend’s girlfriend, he certainly didn’t want to lose so much. 

That was just how reality was. Perhaps Xie Yan knew that he wouldn’t agree, which was why he acted in secret. Su Shen wanted to give Xie Yan a call, but she realized that it was still daytime over in Europe, and he was likely still filming, so she waited until tomorrow morning to call. 

She hadn’t seen the comments on Weibo, and she didn’t know what kind of reactions those netizens had to her response. She couldn’t be bothered to check either. She replied and that was it. She didn’t regret it. 

Yao Yin came to pick her up the next day for the drama’s press conference. There were many paparazzi parked outside the venue. They thought that Xie Yan would come as it was his first drama, so they made sure to come. 

Su Shen was now able to have her own resting room. The press conference still hadn’t begun, and Xiao Zhou was reading the itinerary to her. Just at this moment, Yao Yin, dressed in a white ladies’ suit, walked in. 

“Many media outlets have asked for an interview with you, but I’ve declined all of them except for the one with Tangerine TV. After all, it’s your sister’s segment, so they shouldn’t ask any crafty questions,” said Yao Yin as she sat down next to her. 

Su Shen wore a simple white dress today, with her hair tied into a bun, making her look younger. Although Xie Yan couldn’t come, the rest of the cast had arrived, including Li Xue and Luo Han who were in the adjacent resting room. However, because of her increased fame, she was able to have a room to herself.

“Since Xie Yan couldn’t come, should we ask him to record a VCR and send it over?” Su Shen leaned lazily on the sofa and stretched.

“That works too, as long as there’s enough time to arrange it. But it’s also fine, you are capable of holding the fort now even if Xie Yan’s not here. However, there’s one thing you should be concerned about,” Yao Yin said with a solemn expression as she looked at her. “Do you know that everyone online now knows you have a boyfriend? What will you say when the reporters ask you about it later?”

Previous | Index | Next

Savage

“I didn’t ask you to do it openly…” Su Shen muttered as she broke away from his hands on her waist as she tried to walk forward. 

Xie Yan pressed her against the wall again and stared at her fervently. “I don’t like sneaking around.”

As their eyes met, his expression was serious, and didn’t appear to be joking. Su Shen blinked, unsure of what to say for a moment.

Male celebrities in the entertainment industry generally didn’t like to go public with their relationships for fear of losing fans. Some even concealed their marriages. Su Shen had never seen someone like Xie Yan who wasn’t afraid of losing fans. He wasn’t someone who was particularly high-profile, so why was he so high-profile with his relationship?

“Didn’t He Hua say that we would go public on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival?” Su Shen’s voice whimpered before wrapping her arms around his waist and whispered, “It’s only one month away. After that, you won’t have to sneak around anymore.”

Her voice was very soft, and there were still a few raindrops on her forehead. Xie Yan caressed her head and said tenderly, “Go take a shower, be careful not to catch a cold.”

Su Shen looked up and said, “You…”

“Don’t worry.” Xie Yan kissed her forehead, smiling slightly. “I can endure for a month.”

He had already endured for half a year, let alone just a month.

Su Shen glanced at him suspiciously, still doubting him as she went into the room to get a change of clothes and take a shower. She couldn’t help but feel that Xie Yan might not follow the plan.

After taking a shower and washing her hair, Su Shen blow-dried her hair before walking out, only to find Xie Yan reading his script. She figured he had probably taken a day off and came back without telling anyone.

Not knowing if he had slept on the flight or not, Su Shen walked over and sat down next to him. Glancing at his script, she noticed that most of it were action scenes, without any lines of pain or grumbles. “Did you use a stunt double when you were filming?”

Hearing this, Xie Yan turned his head slowly. She had already removed her makeup, and her lips were light pink. A few strands of hair were sticking to her fair face. A glimmer hinted in Xie Yan’s eyes for a moment, and he simply replied with a soft “en”.

Be that as it may, Su Shen knew that he must’ve not used a stunt double. Most international films preferred the actors to perform their own stunts unless the scene was particularly dangerous and required a stunt double.

“Today, Yao jie took me to audition. I don’t know if I will pass or not,” said Su Shen, as she ran into the room and brought out a script to give to him.

Taking the script, Xie Yan skimmed through a few pages without much change in his expression. “It’s alright.”

Sitting cross-legged on the sofa, Su Shen noticed that he was reading attentively and frowned as she said, “I saw Tong Le today. She…”

She appeared to be puzzled. When Xie Yan looked up, he saw a perplexed expression written all over her face. There was no anger, no lament, and no regrets, only an emotion that was hard to understand.

Putting down the script, Xie Yan embraced her waist and pressed her onto the sofa. “Don’t think about these unhappy things. Actually, I have always had a regret in my heart.”

Hearing this, Su Shen immediately widened her eyes and asked, “What?”

The hand on her waist tightened as Xie Yan lowered his head slightly, whispering in her ear, “The kiss scene we had in our previous movie, I always felt like we didn’t do it well.”

Su Shen: “……..”

Thinking of that awkward kiss scene, Su Shen immediately blushed and turned her head away from him, and pushed his shoulder. “It’s… all in the past. Just a kiss scene, what’s there to do well or not about it.”

Actually, now that she thought about it, she could sense that Xie Yan was uncomfortable during the kiss scene. However, the movie had been off the shelves for so long, why did he suddenly bring up that kiss scene?

“As an actor, we should not leave any regrets behind.” Xie Yan stared at her as he spoke, and before Su Shen could react, he kissed her fiercely, launching an aggressive attack.

As the overwhelming masculine breath hit her, Su Shen knew that resisting was useless, so she simply closed her eyes and clench her teeth, letting him do whatever he wanted.

When the beam of light above became blurred, the dubious atmosphere instantly spread to every corner of the room. Suddenly, Xie Yan’s eyes darkened as he looked up and said, “Su Shen, open your mouth.”

His voice was hoarse, carrying a strong desire. Su Shen slightly opened one eye, only to meet a pair of pitch-black eyes. Just as her cherry lips were being sealed again, something suddenly charged in before she could say anything.

He lightly knocked on her teeth and gently sucked on her lower lip as his big hand slowly slid over her smooth skin. His scorching kisses continued to trail down her fair and tender neck…

Panting, Su Shen’s mind right now was blank. It wasn’t until her hand was placed on his shirt button that she heard a deep and hoarse voice say, “Help me unbutton.”

She instinctively recoiled, thinking about the filming tomorrow, she could only whisper, “I…”

“I’ll be very gentle,” he muttered with his head buried in her neck.

Thinking that they hadn’t seen each other for half a month, Su Shen’s heart softened, and she reached out to unbutton his shirt tremblingly…

At some point, the lights turned off, and in the darkness, the sound of the heavy rain outside and the muffled groans of the man inside the room gradually merged into one…

The next day, the sun rose from the east, and the morning rays sprinkled on the ground. Su Shen was awakened by the alarm clock. When she opened her eyes, the sun was already high in the sky. The room had AC on, and Su Shen buried her head in the blanket, lying in bed for a while before getting up to go wash up.

When she came out, a man looking at his laptop was sitting in the living room. He looked refreshed and full of joy, just like someone who had just replenished their Yin with Yang. With a stomach full of anger, Su Shen silently went to the table to have breakfast without asking how he bought it.

“I may not be able to come back for the premiere conference,” Xie Yan suddenly turned his gaze to her.

Hearing this, Su Shen just replied with a soft “oh,” since it wasn’t uncommon for Xie Yan to skip these events.

“But, I will go with you to attend a variety show for promotion.” Xie Yan looked at her tenderly, and when he saw a hickey on her neck, he immediately leaned over and whispered, “I gave you my first time again.”

Hearing this, Su Shen glanced at this shameless man from the corner of her eye, and put down the bun in her hand blushingly before snorting disdainfully. “It’s for promotions. If you want to give, give it to that variety show. I’m not even part of the TV station!”

Noticing that Xie Yan was becoming more and more indecent, Su Shen picked up the cup of soymilk and walked away. Seeing this, Xie Yan laughed lightly and followed after her.

After getting into the car and seeing that Xie Yan was going to accompany her, Su Shen said nothing and sat alone to the side drinking her soymilk. Xiao Zhou in front could clearly sense the weird atmosphere between the two of them, but she didn’t dare to utter a sound, and the car instantly became quiet.

After arriving at set, Su Shen got out of the car and saw that Xie Yan had also gotten off. Taking a look around, she said, “It’s crowded here. You don’t need to send me off anymore.”

She was wearing a pink mask, revealing a pair of bright eyes. Taking a step forward, Xie Yan caressed her head and said tenderly, “I’ll leave in a bit. Take care of yourself and don’t keep things to yourself. Your matters are my matters too.”

Brief partings always made people somewhat sad. Su Shen’s temper immediately vanished and just nodded slightly, looking at him as she said, “Be careful. Remember to use a body double.”

Xie Yan nodded with a smile and glanced at the staff coming and going out of the set before turning around and getting into the car. It wasn’t until the car drove away that Su Shen slowly walked into set. 

She knew that Xie Yan probably couldn’t take time off work to attend the premiere conference, but being able to appear on a variety show for promotions was also a hot topic. He Hua must’ve been ecstatic. He had longed for Xie Yan to attend variety shows for the quick and easy money, but it seemed that Xie Yan only wanted to do it this one time. 

Coming to the dressing room, she was a little late today, so she had to get her makeup and hair done immediately. Xiao Zhou seemed to have something to say but hesitated. Su Shen was getting her hair done and said, “What’s wrong?”

Hearing this, Xiao Zhou didn’t know what to say. She simply handed her phone to Su Shen. Taking it, Su Shen looked at it and frowned.

Yesterday, there was an opening ceremony for a film festival. Su Shen didn’t attend because she had an audition. However, Ding Yan must’ve gone, and not only that, but she also said some implicative words.  

Without any hesitation, Su Shen directly opened the backstage interview video. In the beginning, there were sounds of cameras flashing and clicking non-stop. Ding Yan was wearing a black strapless mermaid gown, smiling at the cameras. Suddenly, a female reporter asked her, “I heard that you’ve been filming with Su Shen lately. There are rumors about her background. What are your thoughts?”

Facing the reporter’s question, Ding Yan just politely smiled and said into the microphone, “I think rumors aren’t credible in the first place. However, I haven’t spent much time with Su Shen since she’s often not on set, so we haven’t had many chances to interact. But, I think actors should be judged by their skills. After all, opportunities are for those who are prepared. The director often praises her for her talent.”

This video clip spread widely. Although Ding Yan’s words appeared to have no faults, there were too many gaps in between. Recently, while Su Shen’s fanbase had increased significantly, her antis had also been on the rise. The fans of other starlets would immediately mock her at the wisp of smoke. When she woke up the next morning, she found that she was trending on Hot Search.

Netizen A: Talent? AHAHAHA, Director Li must’ve not seen Miss Su’s debut works, right? [smiley face]

Netizen B: Emmmm, don’t tell me that her acting, which was as bad as a pile of shit when she debuted, is talent?

Netizen C: Not often on set, was she gone to meet her sugar daddy? [vomit]

Netizen D: Who’s an award-winning actress right from the start? At least my Su Su is constantly improving, unlike some people who are stuck in the same place and rely on their past achievements. [smiley face]

Netizen E: Haha, just because she’s not on set doesn’t mean she couldn’t be attending events, no? Has Mu Yao ever stayed on set the entire time while filming?

Netizen F: Ding Yan’s such a savage. Sure enough, the entertainment industry isn’t what it seems. [joy]

After scrolling through the comments, Su Shen found that many marketing accounts had already reshared the video. It couldn’t be helped, she was currently the target of a multitude of arrows. The market was only so large; people with conflicting interests would definitely take the opportunity to add fire to the oil. However, Ding Yan really knew how to choose the timing, to actually shade her just before her drama was about to be aired.

She sent a message to Yao Yin asking about the situation, and she only said that they would try to take down the trending headline as soon as possible. The company would also issue legal warnings to the antis who were being aggressive. However, those rumors about her having a sugar daddy would likely dissipate once she and Xie Yan went public. After all, no matter how much she explained now, those antis would still find ways to attack.

Su Shen naturally knew that this wasn’t something that could be easily resolved and didn’t bother with the things online. Putting away her phone, she went out to film. Coincidentally, this was a scene where she would be filming with Ding Yan, who was wearing a student outfit from the Republic of China era, listening to the director’s explanation with a smile. People who had seen the news were looking at the two of them meaningfully. 

Su Shen walked toward the director with her script in hand. The director seemed unaware of the situation online and was looking at the two of them solemnly, saying, “Later, Ding Yan, you should stop two meters away from Su Shen before speaking. Su Shen, you should wait three seconds after she finishes speaking before turning around. Got it?”

“En,” Su Shen nodded earnestly, with no expression on her face.

On the other hand, Ding Yan couldn’t help glancing at her, still smiling. “Su Shen’s acting’s so good that it’s putting pressure on me.”

Previous | Index | Next

Surprise Attack

When all the lights focused on her alone, Su Shen was stunned momentarily before she smiled and got up to go on stage. Her dress was not long this time, so she soon arrived on stage. The female presenter smiled and presented her with the award.

The host over there was still warming up the crowd and said, “This year, Su Shen still has two more dramas to bring to you all. We look forward to her continuing to bring better works to everyone.”

The music’s rhythm was very bright and cheerful, which was especially suitable for this scene. Su Shen held the trophy and stood in front of the microphone, facing countless pairs of eyes below before diplomatically saying, “Thank you very much to all the friends who have been supporting me, and I also want to thank the committee for the recognition. I will continue to work hard to improve myself and strive to bring better results to everyone.”  

“Clap clap!”

Suddenly, there was a wave of applause from below. Although it was all for show, Su Shen still smiled and held the trophy as she walked down to sit in her seat.

The award ceremony resumed handing out the other awards. Ye Qianqian continued chatting with her about some hilarious things, deliberating ignoring Mu Yao at the side. Su Shen knew her intentions and still went along with it. Even if there were no grudges between female artists, they could become enemies if there was a conflict of interest.

After the awards ceremony ended, Su Shen sat in the car waiting for He Hua while scrolling through her phone. Fans of Yang Zhi and Mu Yao accused her of winning the award through foul play, which caused their fan bases to start attacking one another.

Netizen A: This b***h used a water army to manipulate the voting, being rich is so great. 

Netizen B: Mu’s dogs should stop barking around. [vomit] Your idol’s drama flopped, stop throwing mud at others. [vomit] Already 30 and still acting in idol dramas, yes, our Su Su should respect her elders and give this award to her. [smiley face]

Netizen C: If it wasn’t for He Hua, would this b***h have such good resources? She would’ve still been acting in web dramas in some corner. [smiley face]

Netizen D: No matter how much the antis envy and hate, it’s useless. My Su Su has good resources and opportunities. Hardworking people will always get corresponding rewards. [smiley face]

After reading some of the comments, Su Shen became calm because it was the hype of the drama that helped her win the award. If it was usually, she might not have such a high popularity, but it was alright, she still had two dramas this year to strengthen her popularity.

It wasn’t until someone knocked on the window twice that Su Shen opened the door and got out. She saw He Hua standing outside with a woman wearing a black blazer dress. The woman appeared to be in her 30s and had an ordinary appearance, but she had a great aura, looking very smart.

“Let me introduce you, Yao Yin, she’s also a partner in our agency. She had been managing several new talents in our agency, but she will be your new manager henceforth. I have already transferred most of your matters to her in the past few days, so you can go to her if you need anything,” said He Hua solemnly.

The parking lot was empty. Looking at her new manager in front of her, Su Shen smiled and extended her hand, “Hello, Yao jie.”

“No need to be so polite,” Yao Yin smiled and shook her hand, with a slight smile on her face. “I’ll be responsible for your matters henceforth. When I get back, I’ll send you your recent schedule.”

“Okay, thank you.” Su Shen replied politely with a smile.

Seeing that she was still so polite, Yao Yin couldn’t help but look at her teasingly. “It’s rare for Xie Yan to have a girlfriend. A few days ago, he was so petty that he didn’t even let me accept any kissing scenes for you. I didn’t expect him to be so jealous.”

Hearing this, Su Shen cleared her throat. No wonder the scripts that He Hua gave her didn’t have any kissing scenes; it turned out that it was all because of Xie Yan.

He Hua was already accustomed to this and glanced at his watch before saying to Su Shen, “I need to fly to Europe to find Xie Yan later. If you have any issues, just contact Yao Yin.”

Hearing this, Su Shen just nodded before getting into the car. She also had to rush back to set overnight.

Sitting in the car, she searched Yao Yin’s name and found that she had indeed managed many big stars, including an international award-winning actress. However, most of them had already semi-retired. Before, she was a manager for another entertainment agency and later started an agency with He Hua and them. Naturally, opening one’s agency would definitely make more money.

After returning to the hotel, she took a shower and sat on the bed, opened her laptop, and found that Yao Yin had sent her a schedule. Looking through it, Su Shen found that she didn’t have too many engagements, but there would be a bit more in the last few days of the month because she and Xie Yan’s drama would begin promoting. She also had an audition for that movie in a few days, so she needed to carefully look through the script in the next few days.

Just as she was about to go to sleep, her phone rang. Seeing that it was Xie Yan, Su Shen deliberately took a long time to answer before lying in bed and said muffledly, “What do you want?”

The other end of the call went silent for a moment before a deep and mellow voice sounded, “I miss you.”

In an instant, Su Shen’s face turned red. She didn’t expect him to be so straightforward. Before, he would go around in a circle, but now, he had become like this.

“I don’t believe you. You used to come visit me, but you don’t anymore.” Su Shen muttered as she turned over in bed, putting her phone next to the pillow.

Hearing this, a chuckle came from the other end of the call, followed by a deadpan tone, “Do you miss me then?”

“I don’t miss you at all,” Su Shen immediately retorted, stretching her slender and fair arm over the blanket before closing her eyes. “I don’t want to talk to you anymore. I’m going to sleep.”

Every time, he would steer her to say that she missed him. She refuses to say it this time.

“Su Shen.”

“Do you know what you seem like right now?” sounded a deep and mellow voice from the other end of the call.

As soon as she heard that, Su Shen knew that he wasn’t going to say anything nice, so she turned over and said to the phone, “I don’t wanna hear.”

At this, the person on the other end chuckled lightly, “You’re like a child who says one thing but means another.”

No one had ever said that to her before. Su Shen also realized that she had become a bit childish recently, no, it should be said that she became childish since she started dating Xie Yan. 

“You’re the child here. I don’t wanna talk to you anymore.” Su Shen said and then immediately hung up the phone before covering herself with the blanket.

It’s a state that Su Shen had never dared to imagine before, but she didn’t know why she had become like this. Just as Xie Yan said, she now acted like a child who needed to be coaxed.

It was all because of Xie Yan’s influence. He was always teasing her even though he knew that she was too shy to say those words. Men were always so playful, especially someone like Xie Yan who was both cunning and playful.

……

On the day of the audition, Su Shen took a day of leave. Director Li knew that she was going to the audition and had even encouraged her. Su Shen was grateful and felt that if she didn’t perform well this time, it would be a letdown for Director Li’s recommendation. 

When they arrived in Zhejiang, it was already 1:00 pm. Su Shen had to rush to the hotel where the audition was held immediately, and Yao Yin accompanied her, explaining the current situation to her.

“The audition for this movie has all newcomers. They don’t have much acting experience, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Director Li mainly likes the freshness and vitality of newcomers who have the courage to innovate. During your audition, try not to leave too many traces of your acting. Otherwise, there should be no problem.”

Sitting in the rear, Su Shen looked at the gloomy weather outside and felt that there might be a thunderstorm today. She took note of Yao Yin’s advice, knowing that sometimes a small detail could change many things.

When Su Shen arrived at the hotel, she immediately went up to the 8th floor wearing a cap and sunglasses. At the same time, two service staff seemed to have noticed her, but since Su Shen walked so quickly, they only took a few curious glances at her. The biggest con of increased fame was that it made going out inconvenient, but there were gains and losses, and there was nothing that could be done about it.

When she arrived on the 8th floor, there were young faces in the corridor discussing something, all of whom were there for the audition. When they saw Su Shen, two of them seemed excited, but most of them were wary. After all, they were newcomers and didn’t have much advantage compared to Su Shen.

Yao Yin led the way and Su Shen followed after her to the dressing room. Several newcomers who were also auditioning for the female lead were already seated inside, and they fell silent when they saw Su Shen. However, Su Shen spotted an acquaintance she hadn’t seen in a long time.

“Tong Le?”

The woman sitting in front of the dressing table in a blue dress was none other than Tong Le. Su Shen didn’t expect to see her here and immediately sat down next to her and said, “I forgot that you graduated this year.”

Seeing her chatting with an acquaintance, Yao Yin simply glanced at Tong Le and then walked out of the dressing room.

Tong Le also didn’t expect to see her here. The woman sitting beside her was still as beautiful as ever. Even an ordinary person would know that Su Shen’s name had been the talk of the town lately, not to mention people in the entertainment industry. Her life seemed to have been a cheat, with good resources and such a great boyfriend, which would make anyone envy her. 

“You’re so busy that I’m afraid to even freeload a meal anymore.” Tong Le laughed, but her expression was not as cheerful as before.

Su Shen noticed that she seemed to have altered her nose, but there were other people in the dressing room, so she didn’t want to ask anything and just started talking about something else.

“When do you have time? I’ll treat you to a meal.” Su Shen said with a slight smile, sitting there with her head turned and looking at the person next to her. 

This was a modern movie, so there was no need to be styled for the audition. The staff would directly inform them to go to the audition room later. However, Su Shen knew that everyone sitting in this dressing room was auditioning for the female lead. She also noticed that Tong Le seemed different from before.

“Sure. If you pass the audition, remember to treat me to a meal.” She smiled and sat there nonchalantly looking at Su Shen.

The latter smiled and said, “Perhaps you might be the one to pass the audition. After all, Director Xu likes to use newcomers.”

Hearing this, Tong Le brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and said expressionlessly, “My acting is not as good as yours. How can I be better than you?” 

Looking at her, Su Shen paused for a moment before smiling again, “You make it sound like my acting was great before.”

Knowing that she was referring to her acting in web dramas before, Tong Le just smiled. The two of them didn’t chat for long before a staff member notified them to go to the audition room, with Su Shen being the first one.

As she walked out of the dressing room, Su Shen looked back at the people inside, and then entered the audition room, thinking about the script’s plot. There were four people inside, the super-tanned middle-aged man was the director, and the other three were the producer, screenwriter, and assistant director.

Seeing her, the director in the middle smiled and handed her a sheet of paper. “Here are three scenes. You can choose which one to audition for.”

It was basically an improvisation. All three scenes were internal monologues without much dialogue. After looking through them, Su Shen said to the director, “I’ll audition for the first one.”

This was a scene where the female lead was moved by the male lead and suddenly doubted whether she should use him for revenge. But when she returned home, she found her mother writhing in pain in bed. She stood at the door, staring at the scene inside, and was suddenly determined to take revenge.

There was no dialogue, and it all relied on the expression in her eyes. The director and the rest didn’t seem to expect her to choose this scene, but they also didn’t say anything and just watched her performance silently.

The room was large, without any props; it was basically a performance without any physical objects. Taking a deep breath, Su Shen walked to the east side of the room. Then, her expression changed as she looked down slightly and walked forward aimlessly, not knowing what she was thinking. Suddenly, she looked up at the ceiling, pursed her lips, and continued to walk forward with a perplexed expression. Not knowing what she had heard, she suddenly widened her eyes and took a few steps forward to the wall, looking in the direction of the door with one hand propped on the wall.

From the director’s point of view, all that could be seen was Su Shen’s fingers gradually tightening on the wall, her lips tightly pursed, her face expressionless, only her eyes gradually turning red. As her five fingers clenched into a fist, tears started to trickle down her cheeks. She stared at the door fixedly, and after a while, she calmly wiped away the tears from her face with her hand before turning around and leaving.

After the scene ended, the female screenwriter immediately handed her a tissue, and Su Shen walked over and took it while thanking her.

“What’s your interpretation of the ending?” The director suddenly asked.

The director’s sudden question about the ending caught Su Shen off guard. She stood there for a moment before calmly replying while holding the tissue, “I think the female lead is a person who values relationships. Throughout her life, the only person who treated her well was her mother, so she also yearned for love. The male lead treated her very well, so she wavered and considered giving up her plan to use him. However, because she grew up with a seed of hatred, it was not easy to remove it completely. But she knows how good the male lead is to her. She loves him, even if she doesn’t want to admit that she fell in love with her enemy’s son. When the misunderstanding was resolved in the end, she still couldn’t get over the mental barrier in her heart. However, she still yearns for him, hoping that he will wait for her, even though in reality, he may have started a new family for other reasons.”

Hearing this, the female screenwriter laughed and said, “Your interpretation is exactly what I wanted to express. However, I have written it to be an open-ended ending. Why the male lead would start a new family is up to each person’s interpretation. What do you think is the reason why the male lead didn’t wait for the female lead?”

Facing their intense gazes, Su Shen pondered for a moment before answering earnestly, “People are realistic. As long as his love for the female lead isn’t the first priority, he won’t wait for her forever, and realistic factors will not allow him to wait for her forever.”

The director had heard that Su Shen didn’t come from a traditional performing arts background, and he liked that about her. He felt that actors who came from a traditional performing arts background had too many limitations in their acting styles, so he preferred to work with newcomers. The approach that some newcomers had toward acting was still not fixed, so there was a lot of room for development in their acting. Su Shen’s performance just now without any props or lines really moved him. Before, he had thought that Li Xun was exaggerating when he said that Su Shen was the top-rising female actress among the new generation. However, with what he had just witnessed, he believed that Su Shen’s potential was far greater than that.

“Okay, you can leave now,” the director suddenly said.

The director didn’t show whether he liked her performance or not, and Su Shen didn’t hesitate to bow slightly before turning around and leaving the audition room. Perhaps still immersed in the emotions from the scene, tears continued to fall from her eyes. Yao Yin came over and hugged her, leading her back.

After coming down and getting in the car, Su Shen then slowly came back to her senses. However, she realized that she hadn’t said goodbye to Tong Le. She asked Yao Yin, who was driving in front, “Do you know Tong Le?”

She had noticed that the way Yao Yin looked at Tong Le earlier was a little weird, even though it was a small movement, she still noticed it.

“Tong Le? The girl you were chatting with?” Yao Yin continued to turn the steering wheel, appearing calm without much emotional fluctuations before saying calmly, “She’s Yunxing Entertainment Fang zong’s woman. That Fang Kun likes these young girls the most. Although he has a wife, his wife turns a blind eye to it. It’s common in the industry. But Fang Kun has always been generous to his women. He gave her a role not too long ago. It’s worth noting that a starlet like Yang Zhi would normally be invited to play it..”

As for these unspoken rules, Yao Yin seemed to have become accustomed to them, as they were the norm in the entertainment industry. However, Su Shen still felt somewhat uncomfortable after hearing about it. Many people would choose this shortcut to fame, but she didn’t expect that Tong Le would also go down this path in just over a year.

This was just every person’s choice. So, all along, Su Shen felt very lucky. She had her sister to help her, and later, there was Xie Yan to help her. Otherwise, she might’ve still been just an extra in some drama. Su Shen would not dislike Tong Le for this. Although she wouldn’t choose this path, she also had no right to judge others for right or wrong, because Su Shen had also experienced the plight of relying only on herself. So, in the past, she had been climbing up the ladder. It was just that this life she was fortunate enough to have such a great family. 

Despite this, she still felt a bit perplexed. By the time they returned to Shanghai, it was already 7:00 pm. There was no night shoot tonight, so she didn’t have to go to set and went straight back to the hotel. Yao Yin just had her wait for the news. Generally speaking, as long as the other newcomers didn’t stand out particularly, the role was hers.

The thunderstorm also started in Shanghai. Su Shen forgot to bring an umbrella, and she got quite wet when she rushed into the hotel after getting out of the car. In any case, she had to go back and take a shower.

Su Shen made her way to her room and swiped her room card. As she pushed open the door, she was surprised to see the lights on inside. Sitting on the sofa was a familiar figure who turned to look at her before saying, “Didn’t bring an umbrella?”

Seeing him, Su Shen immediately felt awkward and closed the door. The man got up from the sofa and walked towards her. Su Shen took only a few steps before she was grabbed by the waist and pressed against the wall. “Not bringing an umbrella when you go out, you don’t know to have someone fetch you one?”

He was too tall, and Su Shen found it exhausting to keep looking up at him, so she looked down and softly snorted, “Leave me be.”

Her face was still dotted with a few tiny raindrops, and her red lips pouted slightly, just like a sulky child. Xie Yan pursed his lips and couldn’t help but look down, his gaze piercing as he stared at her. “This matter can’t just leave you be.” 

“So you knew it was raining outside, but you didn’t bother to call and ask if I had an umbrella. Instead, you sneakily launched a surprise attack. Didn’t you say you wouldn’t come back to see me?” Su Shen looked up and glared at him.

Her arms were covered in raindrops, and Xie Yan reached out to hold her round and soft shoulders with one hand while lightly stroking the damp strands of hair at the back of her head with the other. “Okay, I was wrong. I’ll come see you openly in the future,” he said with a chuckle.

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Previewing the Relationship

The silver screen industry was actually a small circle. If you offended a bigshot director and you didn’t have a strong background, it was basically equivalent to being blacklisted by the mainstream silver screen industry. You would not have the chance to participate in some big productions and work with famous directors. However, if someone was willing to help you get into this small circle, it would definitely be helpful for your future opportunities because these big directors all liked to use acquaintances or people recommended by acquaintances. They rarely used unfamiliar actors because they didn’t need big-name stars to carry their movies. On the contrary, their movies could make actors famous. Therefore, they always chose actors based on their own preferences rather than their fame.

Upon hearing that Director Li recommended her for the audition, Su Shen was also surprised. With this, he was slowly leading her into the circle of famous directors, which was an opportunity that many people could not even dream of.

Hearing what He Hua just said, Su Shen simply responded with a soft “en”.

“By the way, you guys’ drama will start airing at the beginning of next month. I think we should warm up your guys’ relationship in advance so that when it’s announced, it wouldn’t be abrupt. Moreover, it can provide free publicity for the drama. What do you think?” He Hua suddenly suggested.

Hearing this, Su Shen was speechless. This guy really knew how to cut promotion costs. But she didn’t have any strong opinions on the matter, as she believed that someone as experienced as He Hua would handle things appropriately.

“What kind of hype do you have in mind?” Su Shen asked as she closed her laptop and crawled into bed.

Hearing this, a solemn voice sounded from the other end of the line. “What do you mean by hype? You guys aren’t hyping a CP. This is just making the most of the situation. When the time comes, as long as you guys interact more on Weibo, show a little ambiguity, such as posting couple outfits and couple phone cases, and leave the rest for others to guess. Do you still need me to teach you, youngsters, this kind of thing?”

He Hua’s voice was full of doubt. These two didn’t even know how to flirt properly. All they knew was getting caught by the paparazzi. They didn’t have any of the romance that youngsters should have.

Upon hearing his words, Su Shen didn’t know what to say. She and Xie Yan didn’t have any couple outfits or phone cases at all. It was too cringy.

“I… I’ll consider it with Xie Yan. Alright, I need to rest now,” said Su Shen and hung up soon after as the person on the other end went silent.

She lay in bed, with one arm out and exposed to the cool air blowing from the AC. After a moment of contemplation and feeling that Xie Yan must still be awake, she decided to send him a message, telling him what He Hua suggested.

Su Shen: What do you think of buying the same phone case?

After a while, a message was sent over by the other end.

Xie Yan: I prefer matching rings.

Turning off her phone, Su Shen blushed and pretended not to have seen the message before going to sleep. This man really didn’t miss any opportunity to tease her.

A few days later, Su Shen heard from He Hua that Xie Yan had gone abroad to film. Su Shen didn’t contact him, but she looked forward to him coming back to see her. This must be what it feels like to be in love, right?

—Mid-Month—

When the awards ceremony came around, He Hua accompanied Su Shen to attend the event. In the past, she would walk the red carpet with the rest of the cast, but this time, she walked alone. It wasn’t toward the end, walking after Li Xue, but before Yang Zhi. Ultimately, although her popularity and clout weren’t bad, it was still not stable. If her next drama was a hit, only then could she be considered to have truly entered the ranks of A-list starlets.

“I asked you guys to flirt, didn’t I? How come there’s been no interactions? Don’t tell me that I have to teach you how to do it?” said He Hua, turning back to look at her as they waited in the car for the red carpet.

As their eyes met, Su Shen looked down in embarrassment. What could she do? Right now, Xie Yan enjoyed teasing her, asking if she missed him every time they talked. She was afraid to even chat with him now.

“This… no need to rush, I know what to do,” replied Su Shen calmly.

Hearing this, He Hua just glanced at her without saying anything. These two really made him feel exasperated. When they should show PDA, they didn’t; when they shouldn’t, they insisted on doing so. In the end, he’s the one who has to worry.

Since it was quite boring, Su Shen wanted to take a selfie and post it online. She was wearing a white cocktail dress today. Although it was simple, it was well-fitted. It was styled by the top styling team that He Hua had hired, and the outfit was tailored according to her opinions and figure. Su Shen was quite satisfied with the result, so after taking a selfie and adding a filter, she posted it on Weibo.

Su Shen V: Entering the venue soon~ [photo]

After posting the selfie, a staff member outside informed them that it was almost her turn, so Su Shen had to put away her phone and get out of the car.

Walking the red carpet alone for the first time, Su Shen could clearly feel that there were more reporters calling out to her to look their way. She kept smiling, and when she reached the middle, the hostess asked her to go over for a bit.

“Su Shen, your hit drama just recently finished airing, and I heard that you have two more dramas to be released this year. You’re gonna dominate the screen~” The hostess laughed jokingly.

Facing so many cameras around her, Su Shen just smiled slightly, then held the microphone and joked with the hostess, “That’s why sometimes I think I’m going crazy.”

At this, the hostess laughed again and said, “Everyone says that your acting has improved so quickly. Are you happy to see it yourself?”

The cameras around her were still flashing, and occasionally, there were cameramen asking her to look at the camera. However, with so many cameras around her, Su Shen could only answer the hostess’ question for now, “I don’t think it’s the best, only better. I will continue to work hard and not let myself stay stagnant.”

Afterward, the hostess asked a few more questions before leaving Su Shen to pose for some photos alone before making her way toward the inside of the venue.

She was sitting with Li Xue and Ye Qianqian. Beside Li Xue was Yang Zhi and beside Ye Qianqian was Mu Yao. As Mu Yao and Yang Zhi didn’t get along, they could not sit together. Li Xue and Mu Yao also couldn’t sit together because they didn’t get along. Ye Qianqian and Yang Zhi didn’t get along either, so they couldn’t sit together. Su Shen and Yang Zhi had conflicting interests, so the production team separated their seats. Just with these few seat arrangements, the intricate and complex relationships and conflicts could not be fully described. As the seats were close to each other, it was inevitable that people would compare who was more beautiful, and this would lead to catfights among fans.

Li Xue’s look today was unremarkable but not ugly, while Yang Zhi went for a more mature look with a blazer dress, giving off an intellectual vibe. Ye Qianqian opted for a girly girl look, wearing a pinky A-line dress that looked quite ethereal. On the other hand, Mu Yao’s look was a bit of a failure, exposing her thick calves, and her black lace dress appeared somewhat outdated. However, she would probably photoshop later. Each studio has a dedicated photo editor, and the salaries of top photo editors were also quite high.

When Su Shen took her seat, Li Xue was already sitting there. Shortly after, Ye Qianqian also arrived. Su Shen had met Ye Qianqian on the reality show before, they were not close, but they could still chat.

“Su Shen, what kind of mask do you usually use? You’re so fair.” Ye Qianqian started chatting with her out of boredom.

Women usually chatted about these kinds of topics, especially in the entertainment industry where appearance was highly valued. Su Shen just smiled at the question and whispered, “I usually don’t use masks, but I pay attention to applying sunscreen. The effect of most sunscreens is average, but I know of an Australian brand of sunscreen that’s not bad. I’ll send it to you later.”

“Ok, I thought you had some brightening methods too. Look at how tanned I am, I even want to go get a whitening injection,” joked Ye Qianqian. She really envied people with fair skin, especially those like Su Shen who were both fair and slim, which made others jealous.

Su Shen just smiled upon hearing that. By this time, Mu Yao and Yang Zhi had also arrived. Once they had all taken their seats, Yang Zhi seemed to strike up a conversation with Li Xue in order to avoid being alone. This left Mu Yao somewhat isolated, but she wasn’t one to sit idle. She immediately began chatting with an actress in the row behind her. 

There was drama even if women weren’t speaking. People sitting around them could clearly feel the invisible war between these women.

After the award ceremony began, Su Shen stopped chatting with Ye Qianqian and instead went on her phone. She noticed that Xie Yan had commented on her Weibo post.

Thinking it was a fake account, she clicked on it to check. But with that 70 million follower count, it was evident that it was his real account. For a moment, Su Shen even suspected that it was He Hua who had commented. However, from the tone of the comment, she knew it was Xie Yan himself.

Xie Yan V: Got it. //@Su Shen: Entering the venue soon~ [photo]

Netizen A: This…. scared me, I thought it was a fake account. [joy]

Netizen B: OP, you’re not alone. This awkward chatting tone of Yan ge’s, it must be him. [joy]

Netizen C: They actually… interacted???

Netizen D: Xie Yan and Su Shen have worked together in a drama. They are great friends, thank you. [smiley face]

Netizen E: AHAHAHA, with that awkward chatting tone, Yan ge, you can easily lose friends. [joy]

Su Shen felt helpless. She knew from the tone that it was definitely Xie Yan himself. He actually had the time to comment on her post, he really did as He Hua instructed. However, Su Shen was very worried because she didn’t fully trust Xie Yan, and had a feeling that he might post something unexpected. After all, he was a repeat offender.

At this time, the award ceremony had started awarding awards, and the camera would sweep a shot of the audience from time to time, so Su Shen put away her phone and watched the stage.

Wang Cheng was also in attendance, but he sat on the other side and received the award for “Media’s Most Noticed Actor”. When it was time for the “Outstanding & Popularity Award”, the camera would sweep a shot of their row of people from time to time.

The award presenter was still warming up the stage. Ye Qianqian, on the other hand, jokingly whispered to her in a good mood, “If you win it, you’ll definitely anger a lot of people to death.”

Knowing who she was alluding to, Su Shen smiled and said nothing. Li Xue, beside her, remained indifferent. Since her news media index wasn’t high, she knew she wouldn’t have a chance at the award. On either side, Yang Zhi and Mu Yao also remained indifferent. This award was actually just for the fans, so they would have more confidence when arguing with other fans in the future.

“The winner of the 28th TV Drama Outstanding & Popularity Award is…” The female presenter glanced at the winner card and then looked down at the group of actors below before saying into the microphone, “Su Shen!” 

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New Script

As their eyes met, Su Shen pursed her lips and glared at him, pushing his shoulder gently. “Don’t… think that I don’t know what you want to say.”

Xie Yan always liked to set her up like this. She didn’t understand it before, but she definitely understood it now.

“What do you think I wanted to say?” Xie Yan arched a brow as he fixed his gaze on her.

Su Shen remained silent, pursing her lips. She realized that Xie Yan was becoming more and more mischievous, always teasing her.

“It turned green.” Seeing that the light turned green ahead, she immediately pushed his shoulder.

Just at this moment, a honk sounded from behind them. Xie Yan smiled and pinched her soft cheek before returning to his seat and stepping on the gas pedal.

Su Shen glanced at him before closing her eyes and resting. She was exhausted from yesterday and wished she could sleep for a day and a night. 

It wasn’t until they arrived at the airport that she woke up in a daze. By this time, the scene outside was already bustling with people. Rubbing her temples, Su Shen sat up straight before reaching for the door. As if she had just thought of something, she turned to look at the person beside her.

“I’m going abroad soon.” He said, with one hand on the steering wheel, gazing at her. “You won’t see me until a month later.”

A month later would be at the premiere for their drama. Xie Yan would definitely be back for it. But at the thought of not seeing him for a month, Su Shen felt a little strange. 

“Well… you won’t come back to see me?” She said softly as she blinked her eyes, with one hand still on the car door.

Looking at her eyes full of his reflection, Xie Yan’s eyes darkened. However, he resisted his impulse and turned away from her. “You don’t miss me at all. Why should I come back to see you?” 

There were people coming and going under the bright sunshine. She didn’t know if there were any paparazzi following them this time or not, but she didn’t think too much of it as she muttered under her breath, “I won’t miss you at all.”

Seeing her push open the door and get out of the car just like this, leaving him sitting in the car watching her disappearing figure in the crowd, Xie Yan couldn’t help but smile wryly. Why did he fuss with someone who was so thin-skinned?

Just before turning the car around to go back, his phone suddenly made a sound. Glancing at it, he saw it was from Su Shen and immediately picked up the phone and opened the message.

Su Shen: I probably will miss you.

Looking at the message on the screen, a smile that couldn’t be dispersed appeared on Xie Yan’s face, but the message was soon unsent by the sender.

He cleared his throat and immediately sent a message over.

Su Shen was queuing to go through security. She deliberately pulled her cap down even more and looked at her phone in a hurry as soon as it sounded.

Xie Yan: What did you unsend?

Realizing that he didn’t see her message, Su Shen didn’t know whether she felt relieved or disappointed. Nevertheless, she replied with “It’s nothing” and decided to wait a little longer before unsending a message next time.

Checking-in went pretty smoothly, but after getting on the flight, she was recognized by the flight attendants, so she signed some autographs and took several photos with them before finally resting. 

When she returned to set, it was already 6:00 pm, and the crew was still having dinner. Su Shen took the opportunity to go and have her makeup done.

Perhaps due to her recent small hits, some of the crew members would ask her for autographs. However, Xiao Zhou had some ready-made ones in her bag. These were all signed by someone that the agency had hired, as it was impossible for her to sign hundreds of photos alone when giving fan service to fans. Hence, people in the industry would use people like this to forge their signatures, it was practically a perfect imitation. However, Su Shen would still sign a few photos herself. 

When Su Shen returned to the hotel after wrapping up work, it was already 11:00 pm. She took a shower and laid down in bed exhausted. He Hua said that he had sent her a few scripts and asked her to look through them.

Su Shen leaned against the bed and opened her laptop to check the attachments in her inbox. These were all movie scripts. Perhaps, He Hua thought she should focus on entering the silver screen. After all, she still had two dramas waiting to be aired, and movies were the best way to improve her status in the industry.

Among the scripts, two of them were commercial movies with the role of the female lead. The production crew was average, but for someone like her who had just entered the silver screen, it was almost impossible to land this kind of role. However, with He Hua’s ability, it wasn’t uncommon to obtain such opportunities.    

However, these two commercial movies were too mainstream, and the scripts were average, not particularly outstanding. Su Shen was more interested in this modern and realistic movie. 

It was a story about a girl seeking revenge. Her father was a senior executive of a corporation but was reported by someone for embezzlement, leading to his arrest, where he eventually died in prison. The person who reported her father took over his position and lived a colorful life, continuously getting promoted. Meanwhile, the girl’s family fell apart after her father’s imprisonment. Her mother suffered from a serious stomach illness that required hospitalization, but they had no money. As she needed to raise her daughter, she had no choice but to go work as a dishwasher, writhing in pain every night. The girl could only stand outside the door silently crying. Relatives avoided them because of her father’s embezzlement, and her mother did not want to ask anyone for help. She struggled to raise her daughter to adulthood and told her that her father was wronged and was framed by someone. 

The seed of hatred sprouted in the girl’s heart. She worked part-time to support herself through college, and that was where she met the male lead. After discovering that the male lead’s father was the one who reported her father, she began planning her revenge.

She began to get close to the male lead, who already had feelings for her, so soon enough, they got together. He treated her very well, and she had moments of wavering, but every time she saw her mother, whose temples were filled with gray hair, the seed of hatred grew again. When the male lead took her home to meet his family, she hid her true feelings and his family all liked her a lot. However, in order to take revenge, she intentionally snuck into his father’s study when he wasn’t at home and leaked confidential business information to the male lead’s father’s rival. Moreover, when she was staying over at the male lead’s house one night and taking advantage of his father coming home drunk, she put on an act that he was trying to force himself on her, which caused the male lead to come down from upstairs to witness this scene, causing him to hate his father and bringing the female lead away. 

The male lead had a falling out with his family. He didn’t expect his father to be this kind of person. The female lead started to soften her heart. She didn’t expect the male lead to break ties with his family for her. The female lead didn’t feel happy at all even when the male lead’s father accepted to be investigated for leaking confidential business information, and his mother had a car accident while running to and fro. 

At this point, the male lead finally became aware of the female lead’s plot. He questioned her, and she admitted that she was behind everything, revealing everything and saying that everything was his father’s fault. If it wasn’t for him, her family wouldn’t have fallen apart.

The male lead, however, didn’t hold it against her and instead, brought a recording from his father. It turned out that the female lead’s father was indeed involved in embezzlement, and the male lead’s father reported him in an attempt to climb up the ranks. He didn’t blame her and only hoped that she could let go of her hatred. 

However, the female lead couldn’t let it go and couldn’t accept the truth about her father’s embezzlement. Despite the male lead’s repeated efforts to persuade her to stay, she still left with her mother to another city. The male lead’s mother underwent surgery and recovered. His father was also cleared of his name. Many years later, the male and female leads met once again. By then, he already had his own family, while she remained alone in the entire world.

This was a heavy story. Hatred could really destroy a lot of things. The one who loved first was the one who left first. The one who claimed to not have loved ended up being the one who couldn’t forget. 

The director of this movie was a super well-known one. Not understanding how He Hua got hold of this script and thought that some things needed to be said, she gave He Hua a call. 

The call rang for a bit before finally connecting. It was clear that the person on the other end still hadn’t slept as he said after connecting, “How was it? Did you meet Xie Yan’s parents today?”

Leaning against the bedhead, Su Shen rubbed her temples and felt that her vision was a bit blurry after looking at her laptop for too long. “Not bad. By the way, I’ve read the scripts you sent me. I think that the revenge one is not bad, but why would they come to me for this kind of production?” 

This was what puzzled Su Shen the most. This kind of big production usually sought actresses who had won a Best Actress. Could it be that He Hua has some connection with that director?

Hearing this, He Hua replied slowly, “It was Director Xu who came to us on his own initiative. He wants to use all newcomers for this movie. Plus, it seems like Director Li recommended you to him, so he sent over the script. But, you still need to audition. As long as your performance is not too bad, you should be able to pass.”

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Satisfied

Su Shen looked at Xie Yan somewhat awkwardly as the latter sat there indifferent and saying calmly, “Good things come to those who wait.” 

Su Shen: “……..”

She sat blushing in the corner of the sofa, while the Chinese opera was still singing in a high-pitched voice. Mama Xie glanced at Xie Yan in shock, as if she hadn’t expected that after only a few months of not seeing him, her son would say such corny words. 

Xie Quan also looked at his son strangely before turning to smile at Su Shen. “Xiao Su, you’ve been shooting a film with Li Xun lately, right?”

“That’s right.” Su Shen nodded slightly.

Xie Quan looked a bit older than the photos online, with white hair on his temples and deep wrinkles on his forehead. When looking at Xie Yan, he immediately exuded an aura of authority, like those directors who directed and gave commands without compromise. However, he appeared friendly and kind when he stood up. 

“Not bad. To be able to be chosen by him means that you’re definitely capable.” Xie Quan smiled, picked up the hot tea on the table, and took a sip before continuing, “But I’ve watched your performances, and your acting is too harsh sometimes, which is your biggest flaw.”

Hearing this, Mama Xie couldn’t help but glare at him. “How could you say that? Do you think you’re still directing?!”

“Auntie, it’s okay. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to hear Uncle’s opinions,” said Su Shen in a hurry.

It was rare to have a veteran director give her advice, which was a fortune that she couldn’t get even if she wanted to. Naturally, Su Shen wouldn’t refuse.

Xie Quan glanced at Mama Xie and said, “Do you know what art is?”

With that, Mama Xie coldly snorted and said, “I don’t! You’re super amazing!”

After saying that, she turned around and went out to water the flowers. Su Shen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Some veteran artists could be quite persistent about certain things.  

After seeing her leave, Xie Quan suddenly picked up the remote and switched to Hunan TV. Just at this time, her drama was being rerun. It just so happened to be airing the scene where Su Shen was being chased and driven to the edge of a cliff. The cliff was created through CGI, so Su Shen had to imagine the scene in order to deliver her performance. 

“From a professional perspective, there are no flaws in your performance in this scene, and in the eyes of the general audience, it is indeed good acting. However, on a deeper level, your acting is limited to just that – acting,” said Xie Quan as he switched to a movie channel. Just at this moment, a foreign blockbuster was playing, with the female lead having won an Oscar for her performance. The movie had once swept the world.

“Look at this, where do you think the difference lies between your performance and hers?” Xie Quan asked as he looked at her solemnly.

She noticed that he became very serious whenever he talked about acting. This was a scene where the hero was injured, but the heroine couldn’t go to his aid. The female lead cried very movingly. After observing the female lead in the movie and putting herself into her shoes, Su Shen’s initial thought was to cry even harder. But after being questioned by Xie Quan, she realized that she was making a mistake. She had been too focused on how to act, and not integrating herself into the reality of the scene. If she was the female lead, she would definitely have cried harder and more movingly. Contrastively, the female lead didn’t cry excessively, she just covered her mouth to stop herself from calling out the hero’s name, while tears filled her eyes. Although she didn’t cry hard, her sorrow was conveyed more effectively.

“However, if we truly immerse ourselves with the character, it would be hard to get out of character.” Su Shen’s expression also became serious. When it came to acting, they were now just a senior and a junior.

There were many classic movies both domestically and internationally, but the effort behind each classic was more than what people imagined. Acting was one thing, but immersing with the character was another. Getting out of character was not something that you can just smile and do.

Many comedians were classic on screen, but most had depression behind the scenes. There was an actor in the industry who became famous after winning three Best Actors awards for a single movie, but it was also because he immersed himself too deeply in the role that he often talked to himself in real life. He had to undergo treatment for a long time before finally recovering. However, he has since switched to working behind the scenes. Strong-willed people would know how to adjust their state of mind, but for those who weren’t, immersing themselves too deeply in a role could be harmful to them. In the Republic of China film that Su Shen was currently shooting, every time she immersed herself in the role, she would think of her past life, and there would be a myriad of emotions. At times like this, she felt just like the supporting female lead and really wanted to smoke a cigarette. However, she always sat alone for a while, adjusting her emotions before breaking out of character. It was an unpleasant feeling. As the saying goes, if you play other people’s lives too much, you wouldn’t be able to tell which one was truly yourself.

“If you want to win an award, you must have the heart to bear that award. But, you’re already great. It’s not easy to have such insight at such a young age,” said Xie Quan, smiling as he pushed his reading glasses up. “I’m just falling back on old habits. I can’t direct anymore, but I’ll still be able to make a documentary for when the two of you get married.” 

Hearing this, Su Shen felt embarrassed and looked down, her ears turning red.

Others may not know that she was shy, but Xie Yan knew. He deliberately put his arm around her shoulder before saying softly, “Ignore him. We’ll find someone to film ourselves.”

At that, Su Shen couldn’t help but glare at him and felt that Xie Yan was definitely the biological child of Director Xie.

Seeing that the two of them were still being so lovey-dovey, Xie Quan got up and went to his study. He felt that his son would be able to win his wife home soon. 

Seeing him leave, Su Shen still wanted to say something, but Xie Yan embraced her shoulder tightly and said earnestly, “Don’t listen to his rambling. You can treat acting as a hobby, but not as everything.”

As their eyes met, Su Shen felt that this sentence from Xie Yan contained a deeper meaning, but she didn’t think too much of it and just nodded. Naturally, she wouldn’t put all her energy into acting. After all, she still had other aspects of life to live. 

Xie Yan must’ve been influenced by his dad to enter the entertainment industry, but he didn’t choose to follow the same field as his dad in dramas, instead opting for movies. These two fields were completely different. If he had relied on his dad’s connections, he could have easily picked the best opportunities for dramas, but he chose to enter the film industry. Thus, Xie Yan’s first role was a male lead for a low-budget production. It’s worth noting that he was already under He Hua at that time, and an opportunity like this was ordinary. However, the film unexpectedly became a hit, possibly due to its originality and good box office performance at the time. Afterward, Xie Yan’s resources gradually improved, but he was too lazy and only filmed a maximum of two movies a year. The idol drama he filmed with her last year was an unexpected variable.

During lunchtime, Su Shen helped around in the kitchen, even though Mama Xie insisted that she didn’t need to. However, Su Shen insisted on staying and gradually took over the cooking. After making a table full of food, she went to the living room to call the father and son who were chatting to come and eat. 

“Shen Shen is truly the most talented girl I’ve ever seen. Not only can she cook well, but that piece of Su embroidery was also actually done by her. Goodness, I’ve hired professional embroiderers before and their work wasn’t even as good as hers. I can’t believe she did that herself,” Mama Xie said, her face filled with disbelief as she looked at Su Shen. Despite being shocked, she regained her composure and couldn’t believe that such a perfect girl was her son’s girlfriend. 

Feeling a bit embarrassed by her praises, Su Shen slowly took a bite of rice and smiled. “Auntie, you’re too kind. I usually don’t embroider so well. I outdid myself this time.”

The five dishes and one soup on the dining table smelled, looked, and tasted great. After taking a sip of wine with satisfaction, Xie Quan looked at Su Shen in admiration and said, “When you have time, I would like to have a meal with your parents.”

Hearing this, Su Shen nearly choked on her food. Just at this moment, someone handed her a glass of water. Without hesitation, she took it and slowly took a sip. She then looked at Xie Quan with embarrassment and said, “Um… I’ll let my parents know.” 

Her voice was soft and gentle, and her fair face held a hint of shyness. At a glance, one could tell that she was an innocent child. As Mama Xie looked at her more and more, she became increasingly satisfied. She had never expected her son to find her such a good daughter-in-law. Fortunately, she hadn’t pressured him to go on any more blind dates, or else they might’ve missed out on such a good girl.

“Do you want a drink?” asked Xie Yan, who was beside her and leaned over.

Hearing this, Su Shen simply shook her head and said, “No, water is fine.”

After saying this, she then took another sip of water. Meanwhile, Xie Yan picked up a few pieces of food into her bowl, seemingly worried that she wasn’t eating enough.

Watching this scene, Xie Quan could only shake his head slightly. His son seemed to have changed into another person since he started dating. He used to never make small talk with them, but now, he knew how to show concern for his girlfriend.

Su Shen was forced to eat a large bowl of rice. As she had to return to set in the afternoon, she had to go to the airport early. Before leaving, Xie Quan also left her his phone number, saying that she could come to him if she encountered any problems in the future. Nevertheless, he still had some connections in this industry.

Having been in the industry for decades, he had more than just a few connections. However, Su Shen just smiled and expressed her thanks. She naturally wouldn’t really come to him, but the pleasantries still needed to be said. 

After getting into the car, she was still a little muddleheaded. She felt like she had discovered a secret and wondered if He Hua knew about it.

“Does He Hua know about you and your dad?” Su Shen couldn’t help but ask.

As the car sped on the highway with Xie Yan holding the steering wheel, his expression remained indifferent. “No.”

Hearing this, Su Shen was somewhat still in disbelief. There should be some traces of it, unless Xie Yan never contacted his dad, or maybe they hid it well. If his childhood photos were not leaked, it would be difficult to tell as an adult.

“Are you going abroad sometime in the middle of this month?” Su Shen asked, turning her head and quietly gazing at his side profile.

Hearing this, the latter just uttered a soft “en” as the sunlight outside shone on his face, making his handsome features even more defined.

Su Shen quietly gazed at him for a while before eventually closing her eyes and leaning back to rest.

As the car slowly came to a stop at a red light, Su Shen opened her eyes slightly and saw that the light was red. Just at this moment, Xie Yan suddenly leaned over and grabbed her shoulders. “My parents really like you. What to do?”

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Meeting His Parents

Su Shen didn’t want to talk with him at all. This man was too cunning, appearing to be unassuming on the surface. No wonder He Hua had not been able to take advantage of him.

After breakfast, Su Shen went to change her clothes into a simple and elegant blue dress. If she overdressed, she would definitely appear too lofty. It was better to be down-to-earth and friendly. 

After getting in the car, it suddenly occurred to her that she still didn’t know what Xie Yan’s parents did, but she didn’t want to talk to him, so she just sat there and went on her phone.

The drama starring her and Jiang Yin was not broadcasted weekly, so the ending would already be airing next week. The viewership rating was steady at Top 2. Simultaneously airing, the popularity of Immortal Road had been dropping because it aired weekly. He Hua said that she had been nominated for the annual most popular actress of the year award at one of the small screen award ceremonies. Other nominees include popular young starlets such as Yang Zhi, Li Xue, Mu Yao, and Ye Qianqian. This was also a kind of affirmation of one’s fame, mainly based on various news media rankings of artists. Although their drama was not a huge hit, it was definitely a small hit. It was just that Zhu Qinqin had too many scenes in the latter part of the drama that wrecked the overall feel of the drama.

Netizen A: Poor Su Shen, only appearing for a total of 5 minutes in 3 episodes combined. Did this supporting actress join the production with investment? [smiley face]

Netizen B: Zhu Qinqin’s shitty acting has consistently been the same for the past decade. Whenever I see her, I just want to [vomit].

Netizen C: This drama’s to prop the supporting actress, right? Poor Su Su. [aggrieved]

Netizen D: The female lead is reduced to a supporting character. The supporting female lead won’t end up with the male lead later, right?

Netizen E: It’s said that Su Shen has a powerful background. If she really did, would her scenes be deleted to this extent?

Netizen F: I used to like Jiang Yin a lot, but after watching this drama, I’m suddenly repulsed by him. Why did he choose a scumbag role? [vomit]

Nowadays, people were all criticizing the latter part of the drama. He Hua must’ve enlarged the fact that her scenes were cut to gain the public’s sympathy. This was the best time to gain popularity since people generally sympathized with the underdog in unfair situations. 

Su Shen’s Weibo fan count has also increased to 15 million. Now, even a casual selfie could get tens of thousands of comments. Having experienced being attacked all over the internet, this feeling of being famous overnight did not excite her too much. The entertainment industry was ever-changing, and who knew if she would fall again tomorrow? it was better to keep a calm mindset. 

“We didn’t seem to use any protective measures yesterday.”

Su Shen: “…….”

His sudden words made her look up blankly. Looking at the man who was still driving, her face gradually warmed up. 

Turning his head slightly, he looked at her in all seriousness and said, “It’s alright. I’m not young anymore, and my parents have been wanting a grandchild.”

As their eyes met, Su Shen couldn’t help blushing, and for a moment, she didn’t know what to say. In the entertainment industry, getting married in your 30s or 40s was common, and getting married before 30 was already considered early. In the eyes of ordinary people, Xie Yan was at the right age to get married. However, in the entertainment industry, there were many people his age who had not yet gotten married. 

“But.… what if I’m not pregnant?” Su Shen couldn’t help but glance at him, feeling like she had already been subtle enough with her words. 

Hearing this, Xie Yan’s expression remained unchanged, and said in a deep voice, “We can get married first, then have a child.”

Su Shen: “………..”

Looking down, she didn’t say anything, but her cheeks were slightly flushed. Regarding marriage, she had always thought it was better to go with the flow, and she hadn’t even met Xie Yan’s parents yet, so she didn’t know if they would like her. 

Perhaps sensing her thoughts, Xie Yan turned to look at her and chuckled, “You weren’t so unconfident when you rejected me back then.”

At that, Su Shen immediately looked up and frowned. “When have I rejected you?”

She clearly agreed so quickly. Where was the rejection?

“I hinted at you so many times, but you ignored it. Isn’t that a form of rejection?” said Xie Yan, his voice tinged with inquiry as he turned the steering wheel. 

At that, Su Shen blushed and coughed lightly, keeping silent. She did notice Xie Yan’s feelings for her, but she didn’t want to date so early. However, Xie Yan had been persistent for so long that even if she was made of stone, she should have figured things out by then.

Under a weird atmosphere throughout the drive, the car eventually stopped at the entrance of a small mansion. Su Shen was a little nervous. Regardless, she still hoped to receive the blessings of both parents.  

After getting out of the car, she saw many kinds of flowers planted in the garden at the front, blooming beautifully in this season. There were beautiful purples and brilliant reds blooming gorgeously. The trees and branches were neatly trimmed. It could be seen that there was someone taking good care of them regularly.  

Su Shen didn’t not have any preparation at all. Upon hearing that Xie Yan’s mom liked Su embroidery*, Su Shen prepared a piece of embroidery showcasing various flowers in bloom that she had previously started when she was bored. Although she had only embroidered half of it, she recently fished it out again and had been working on finishing the other half whenever she had time. Su embroidery required a lot of time. If she hadn’t already embroidered half of it, she wouldn’t have been able to finish it in such a short amount of time.

Su embroidery* – one of the four major traditional styles of Chinese embroidery that originated from Suzhou; it is known for its delicate and intricate stitches, which are often used to depict natural scenery, flowers, and birds

For Xie Yan’s dad, she prepared some tea, as Xie Yan said that his dad did not particularly like anything, which made it somewhat difficult for Su Shen to decide what to prepare. 

“What should I do? I’m a little nervous.” She stood at the door and suddenly felt hesitant to go in.

This was the first time seeing her being so nervous. She wasn’t even so nervous at the awards ceremony last time. Xie Yan lowered his head and planted a kiss on her cheek. “Still nervous?” 

Su Shen widened her eyes and glared at him. The latter then held her hand and slowly led her inside. 

In the living room, there seemed to be Chinese opera playing, more specifically Peking Opera. The decor of the whole living room was reminiscent of the old generation, even the sofa was made of leather. On the wall hung a framed landscape painting, which was clearly the work of a famous artist. Upon closer inspection, Su Shen felt that she could paint something similar if she put in the effort. 

Just at this moment, a middle-aged woman wearing purple athletic clothes suddenly walked out of the kitchen. She looked very young and had a great temperament. She was holding a plate of fruits. When she saw the two of them, her complexion immediately changed, and came over with a smile. “You heartless brat, you’re finally willing to bring your girlfriend home.” 

Approaching them, Mama Xie inadvertently glanced at Su Shen from top to bottom. Looking at her pretty face, she immediately smiled happily and said, “You must be Su Shen, right? What a beauty! Auntie has been abroad for a while. If I had known earlier, I would’ve come back to see you two earlier.”

As she spoke, the person sitting on the sofa watching Chinese opera also turned around and coldly snorted at the sight of Xie Yan. However, upon seeing Su Shen, his expression softened and put on his glasses before walking toward them.

“Uncle, please have a seat.” Su Shen hurried forward and gave her greetings. She couldn’t help feeling a bit surprised upon seeing him, who was in his 50s or 60s. 

Xie Quan was a well-known director for his expertise in producing works set in the Republic of China era and during the Anti-Japanese War. He had won three Best Director awards but had remained low-profile over the years as his works were mainly fictional historical works. Su Shen had heard of him before because her dad enjoyed watching these types of works, so she also followed the director in passing. However, Xie Quan hasn’t directed any work in recent years. Su Shen didn’t expect that he was actually Xie Yan’s dad!

“No need to be so formal, just sit down and make yourself at home,” said Xie Quan, pushing up his glasses and sitting across from her with a kind expression.

“Right, right, make yourself at home. Xiao Su, what kind of fruit do you like? Auntie will go get it for you,” said Mama Xie with a smile.

Su Shen immediately got up and said politely, “Auntie, it’s alright. I’m not very hungry.”

The TV was still playing Chinese opera. Mama Su kept smiling at Su Shen, becoming more and more satisfied as she looked at her. This girl had a beautiful smile and a great temperament. She had heard that she was also skilled in the four arts*. It turned out that her son also liked girls with classicality. 

four arts – guzheng, Go, calligraphy, painting

Speaking of which, seeing that Xie Yan was still looking at Su Shen, Xie Quan, who was sitting on the sofa, glanced at him and frowned. “You still know how to find a girlfriend! I thought you wanted to be single forever!”  

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Softhearted

“Hmph, do you think I will believe you?” said Su Shen, turning her head away from him. 

After glancing around, Xie Yan suddenly leaned over and kissed her slightly pouted lips before saying mellowly, “You have to believe me.”

Su Shen covered her mouth subconsciously and looked out the window, only to see He Hua staring toward them, frightening her to push him on the shoulder immediately. “Quickly drive!”

Seeing her panic, Xie Yan couldn’t help but chuckle. He stepped on the gas and slowly turned the steering wheel. 

When the car was far away from that street, Su Shen looked back at the TV station which was getting farther and farther before finally glaring at him. “You’re still saying you didn’t do it on purpose? You knew that He Hua was outside, but you still …”

Speaking of this, she blushed and turned her head away from him. She found that Xie Yan was getting more and more bad now. 

“He didn’t see it.” Xie Yan pursed his lips, but a faint smiling expression couldn’t help appearing on his face. 

“How could he not see it? You’re doing it on purpose, aren’t you? The phone call today was also on purpose. You sleeping during the day? Xie laoshi, your acting’s so great!” Su Shen frowned and turned to look outside the window. She didn’t believe Xie Yan would sleep during the day. 

Slowly turning the steering wheel with both hands, Xie Yan looked at the road ahead and explained insipidly, “I had a headache, so I rested for a bit.”

Hearing this, Su Shen immediately turned around and stared at him seriously. “What’s wrong?”

Glancing at her from the corner of his eye and seeing her concerned expression, Xie Yan smiled. “It’s nothing, just a chronic thing.”

Xie Yan wouldn’t use something like this to lie to her. It turned out that he really was unwell. Su Shen blinked and just stared at him. 

Perhaps being stared at by her made him somewhat uneasy, Xie Yan reached out to caress her head suddenly. “If you look at me like this, we might get into a car accident.”

The scenery outside the window was ever-changing. Su Shen looked at him helplessly and then continued to look at the road ahead. At this time, there weren’t many cars on the road, but if it was during the day, they would’ve been stuck in heavy traffic. 

“You didn’t have to come pick me up. The chauffeur would’ve sent me back,” said Su Shen suddenly lightly. 

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and asked, “Back to?”

Su Shen: “…….”

Blushing, she turned her head away and ignored him. Xie Yan was getting more and more cunning now. No wonder even He Hua couldn’t do anything about him.

They kept silent throughout the drive. At last, the car stopped at the door of Xie Yan’s mansion. Su Shen could only unfasten her seatbelt and get out of the car. After he parked the car, they then entered the mansion together. 

When the lights in the living room were turned on, the whole living room was shrouded in light. After changing her shoes, Su Shen came to the kitchen and opened the fridge. Since Xie Yan has a headache, he should eat something light, so she decided to make a bowl of women. 

But before she could take out the cabbage, a pair of hands suddenly appeared on her waist and a weight rested on her shoulder. A deep and magnetic voice instantly sounded in her ears, “I haven’t eaten all day.” 

Her neck itched. Blushing, Su Shen closed the fridge and waved the cabbage in her hand. “I’m making something for you right now.”

She didn’t have time to remove her makeup. The first thing she wanted to do was to cook dinner for him. Her bright eyes reflected his figure as if he was the only person in her eyes at this moment. 

He suddenly pulled her into his arms, burying his head into her neck and saying, “I want you to cook for me for a lifetime.”

The light overhead was so dazzling that it felt unreal. A certain area seemed to be throbbing. Blushing, Su Shen felt a little uncomfortable in his arms. “You’re too wicked. If I’m old to the point of not being able to move, you’re still gonna have me serve you?”

At this, Xie Yan chuckled and said cheerfully, “I’ll serve you then.”

After saying that, he released her and caressed her head. “I’m gonna take a shower.” 

Su Shen: “…….”

Looking at his figure going upstairs slowly, Su Shen felt that he was simply too wicked. If he was gonna go take a shower, go shower. Why did he need to tell her!

Holding the cabbage, she went to find some noodles. Since she had already eaten at the TV station, she only needed to cook a portion for one for Xie Yan. 

As she was afraid that the noodles would stick together, Su Shen didn’t pour any broth into the bowl until Xie Yan had come down. Then, she sprinkled some green onions into the bowl and served it to him. 

“Take your time. If it’s not enough, I’ll come down and make some more for you later.” After saying that, Su Shen went upstairs. After a whole day of work, she needed a bath. 

Seeing her disappearing figure from upstairs, Xie Yan turned his gaze to the fragrant bowl of noodles in front of him. It seemed that no matter what she made, it all looked very appetizing.  

When she came upstairs, Su Shen took out her clothes from the closet and specially checked if there was a towel before entering the bathroom. Fortunately, there were all kinds of towels this time. 

After washing her hair, she filled the bathtub with hot water before entering and laying down. When the hot water enveloped her whole body, the tiredness of the day seemed to completely disappear. 

After soaking for about ten minutes or so, Su Shen got up and put on her clothes. When she came out after blow-drying her hair, Xie Yan was still sitting downstairs watching TV. Looking at the finished bowl of noodles on the table, she couldn’t help but ask, “Do you want more?” 

Although it wasn’t good to eat too much at night, Su Shen still wanted him to eat more. 

She just took a shower, so her hair was still slightly wet. Under the loose nightgown, her fair slender legs seemed to be so lustrous. Xie Yan placed his laptop down, reached out to grab her fair wrist, and pulled her to sit on his legs. Without waiting for her to contest, he buried himself in her fragrant neck and muttered, “My head hurts.” 

Su Shen stopped her struggling movement. Seeing his frown, she reached out to touch his forehead and said worriedly, “If it hurts, let’s go to the hospital.” 

He should feel better with some prescribed painkillers. 

“No need,” said Xie Yan hoarsely, wrapping his arms around her soft waist and leaning against her neck with his eyes closed. “It’s a hereditary thing. I’ll be fine after a while.” 

Hearing this, Su Shen’s heart ached even more. She could only hug him, silently sitting there with him. 

She had thought it was a condition caused when Xie Yan was filming, but she didn’t expect that it was a hereditary thing. However, this kind of hereditary condition was the most difficult to cure, and the relapse was not regular either. Clearly, He Hua didn’t know about this either. Of course, it could also be because Xie Yan didn’t tell him. 

After a long while, Xie Yan then looked up and rubbed his temples. “I’m fine, you can go to bed first.” 

Su Shen was still sitting on his legs. Seeing his slightly relaxed frown, she paused before gathering her courage to put her arms around his waist. Feeling his body freeze, she said softly, blushing, “I… I’m scared that something might happen to you.” 

Feeling the slightly trembling petite figure in his arms, Xie Yan suddenly felt somewhat hopeless, so he held her shoulders and said fervently, “I’m fine now. If you want to sleep with me, then something will happen.” 

As their eyes met, Su Shen immediately evaded his gaze in a fluster. “I… I trust you.”

Hearing this, Xie Yan just wanted to laugh bitterly. He didn’t have the self-control to conduct himself in a proper manner. 

“Remember, my self-control is not that good.” As he spoke, he stared at her. Suddenly, he pressed her down on the soft sofa and kissed her red lips impatiently. He couldn’t tell whether he was in pain or in ecstasy. His hand slid along her snow-white leg to her thigh, wandering and caressing. 

Su Shen looked up and panted. Staring at the dazzling light ahead of her, she couldn’t help but ask, “Don’t … don’t you have a headache?”

“That’s why I need to divert my attention,” said Xie Yan hoarsely, as he trailed his kisses downward. Her faint fragrance attacked his nerves, making it impossible to ignore.  

He had given her a chance, so the fault was not on him. 

……

From the living room to the bedroom and then to the bathroom, Su Shen didn’t remember when she had fallen asleep. She just hated herself for being too softhearted!

When the alarm rang near her ears, Su Shen was still really sleepy, but she knew that she had to get up because she was going to meet Xie Yan’s parents today. 

As she slightly opened her eyes, a few rays of sunlight shone through the cracks in the curtains. Su Shen reached out to grab her phone, only to feel her whole body exhausted. It hurt last time, and it was exhausting this time, to the point where she wanted to sleep for another day and night. 

When she opened her phone and found that it was already half past eight, Su Shen immediately sat up on the bed. Just at this moment, a tall figure suddenly came in. Seeing him, she immediately pulled a long face. Men were all liars, and Xie Yan was the biggest liar of all!

“We can go in the afternoon if you’re still sleepy. I’ll let them know.” Brimming with vigor, Xie Yan seemed to be in a good mood as he came to the bedside, about to make the call as he spoke. 

Su Shen snorted and said hoarsely, “Who’s fault is it that I’m sleepy? What would your parents think of me if we delayed it to the afternoon when we had clearly planned it for the morning?”

Her hoarse voice was still so sweet-sounding. Looking at her lethargic face and seeing how she couldn’t even open her eyes, he couldn’t help but lean over and caress her head before saying softly, “Sorry, I couldn’t hold back.”

His self-control was never good, and he’s been trying his best to control himself. 

Glancing at him from the corner of her eye, Su Shen ignored him. This man was a big liar, promising that it was going to be the last round … 

“Go away! I’m going to brush my teeth!” Blushing, Su Shen tried not to think about what happened last night. 

The blanket perhaps was too smooth, so it slipped down, revealing the hickey bites all over her fair collarbone. With a slight cough, Xie Yan’s eyes darkened, and immediately looked away. “I bought soy milk and youtiao*. Make do with this for now.”

youtiao – Chinese fried doughnut sticks, a breakfast staple

He then turned around and walked out of the room. As soon as he left, Su Shen rolled around in bed again. At last, she had no choice but to get up with all her effort and get dressed.

When she came to the bathroom, she noticed that there was nothing on her neck, but there were hickeys elsewhere. She felt that Xie Yan was really too wicked. Knowing that she was going to meet his parents today, no wonder he didn’t leave anything on her neck.

After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she went downstairs and saw that Xie Yan was sitting there reading the newspaper all dapper. With a long face, Su Shen walked to the table and sat down before taking a sip of the soy milk. 

Seeing her poor complexion, Xie Yan put down the newspaper apologetically and said gently, “I’m sorry, I didn’t consider that you’ve been filming nonstop.”

Glancing from the corner of her eye and seeing the worry on his face, Su Shen’s heart softened again. “Forget it, just pay more attention next time.”

After saying that, she blushed all over again. Why did she have to say “next time” again!

Seeing that she looked down and didn’t dare to look at him, Xie Yan couldn’t help but lean over and stare at her with a smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely pay more attention next time.”

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