The face mask ad was a third-tier endorsement, but for Shen Lian to turn things around and land it so quickly was already impressive.
On the day of the shoot, it wasn't Jiang You who drove the minivan over, but his new male assistant, Li Yi.
Jiang You was in the back, checking through everything they needed for the day.
During Shen Lian's days off, Jiang You and Li Yi had been working together and getting used to each other, so they were fairly familiar by now.
When he saw Shen Lian, Li Yi greeted him politely. "Mr. Shen."
Hu Kailan and Jiang You had both briefed him beforehand. Shen Lian acknowledged the greeting and said, "Mind if I call you Little Li from now on?"
"Sure, sure. Whatever you like."
Li Yi drove steadily, occasionally trading barbs with Jiang You along the way.
Shen Lian listened quietly. As long as they got along, that was all that mattered.
The studio was at Spring Grass's headquarters. The name was a little rustic, but over the past two years, it had become a rising star among domestic brands, and its office building was anything but shabby.
Unlike his previous shoot, where no one had received him, this time staff came forward as soon as the car stopped, bustling around with tea and water before politely asking a few questions.
Shen Lian knew the drill. As long as the brand had everything ready, he could "get to work at the speed of light."
These days, Shen Lian had both the looks and a feel for the camera. Apart from the time spent on makeup, the shoot went exceptionally smoothly.
The person in charge was there on set. Perhaps Shen Lian's professionalism suited him, because once the shoot ended, he offered to treat Shen Lian to a meal.
Li Yi immediately stepped outside to make a call. He returned in under a minute and stood beside Shen Lian, saying quietly, "Brother Hu says it's fine to get to know him. This guy's pretty reliable."
Hu Kailan was no useless fool like Qian Gao, so Shen Lian gladly accepted.
There were two men and one woman from the brand. With Shen Lian and his two assistants, a private dining room was more than enough.
Everyone had things to do, so they only ate, without drinking.
Shen Lian found that refreshingly simple. Halfway through the meal, he stepped out to use the bathroom.
Afterward, he leaned near the end of the corridor, wondering what to message Chu Yilan. They hadn't been in touch all morning, and he worried Chu Yilan might start brooding.
Chu Yilan was sensitive, and having just undergone scar revision treatment, he always seemed a little down. Seeing him like that made Shen Lian's heart ache, so he was happy to put more thought into pampering him.
"Holy shit, buddy..."
Before Shen Lian could decide what to write, someone suddenly slung an arm around him from behind, bringing a wave of alcohol fumes. If he hadn't recognized the voice, he would almost have driven his elbow backward.
"Mr. Feng? Out for a meal too?" Once he saw who it was, Shen Lian put away his phone.
"Yep." Feng Yueshan was clearly drunk, swaying on his feet. "What about you? Who are you eating with?"
To Shen Lian, that sounded like someone checking up on him.
"Business partners from Spring Grass," Shen Lian answered.
Feng Yueshan tugged at his arm. "Where? Let me see."
Shen Lian pointed at the private room's door. "Right there."
To his surprise, Feng Yueshan actually pushed the door open.
Even drunk, a trace of clarity entered Feng Yueshan's eyes as he surveyed the room. Yep, just a table full of food. No cigarettes, no alcohol. Passed!
Feng Yueshan closed the door and told Shen Lian, "I'm in 101. Come hang out once you're done eating."
"I still need to go home and keep Master Chu company," Shen Lian said.
"Is he a child?" Shen Lian's utterly serious expression left Feng Yueshan speechless. No wonder Ning Sixian had said over the phone that these two had hurt his eyes.
"I'll invite Yilan over too."
"Then there's no problem," Shen Lian said.
Feng Yueshan stared at him for a moment before coming out with, "All right, then."
Feng Yueshan staggered away, and Shen Lian returned to the private room.
He had barely sat down when the man treating them said, "That gentleman just now... he looked like Mr. Feng from Skyreach International?"
"That was him," Shen Lian said.
The man's expression shifted slightly at that, but he didn't dare ask more. He simply grew even more courteous toward Shen Lian.
Once the meal was over, Shen Lian saw the business partners off, reminded Li Yi and Jiang You to drive safely, and headed to 101.
He came face-to-face with a server who was just about to leave, then heard Feng Yueshan call out, "Shen Lian! Over here!"
The smoke in the room wasn't too heavy, but liquor bottles lay scattered everywhere. As soon as Shen Lian sat down, someone offered him a drink. Feng Yueshan raised a hand to stop them. "No drinking, no drinking. This one doesn't drink."
The other man looked puzzled. "Why not?"
"To keep me alive!" Feng Yueshan said. "Seriously, he doesn't drink."
Feng Yueshan was clearly the most important person there. After Shen Lian exchanged a few words with him, everyone got up to move elsewhere. With food and drinks taken care of, it was time for entertainment and karaoke.
One group left and another arrived. Amid the dim, lavish surroundings of the entertainment club, Shen Lian ordered a glass of lemon water.
In the darkness, his features looked even more defined and beautiful. The soft line from the bridge of his nose to his lips was unforgettable. Shen Lian gazed at the drink in his glass, and when he lifted his eyes, ripples seemed to spread through their tender depths. He blended into the scene, yet stood apart with a gentle, refined beauty.
Quite a few people secretly stared, mesmerized.
Feng Yueshan sent Chu Yilan several messages, all of which disappeared without a response.
Fine. Ignoring me, are you?
Undeterred, Feng Yueshan switched to video calls.
On the third attempt, Chu Yilan answered. He was clearly in his office, and the first thing he said to Feng Yueshan was, "You're this bored every single day. How does your old man put up with you?"
"We're at Morning Star. Come hang out."
"I'm busy. Next time," Chu Yilan said.
"No, this time."
Chu Yilan raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you get to make decisions for me?"
Before he had finished speaking, Feng Yueshan flicked the camera briefly in a certain direction.
Chu Yilan's expression changed at once. "When did you invite Shen Lian over?"
"Holy shit! You spotted him that fast?"
"Which floor of Morning Star?" Chu Yilan asked.
Feng Yueshan was speechless. "...You really are a fucking piece of work."
It was noisy all around, so Shen Lian hadn't noticed Feng Yueshan calling Chu Yilan. He merely turned his head and saw Feng Yueshan cursing about something with a look of wounded outrage.
"Ditching your friends for your lover!"
Who would believe it if he told them that Master Chu would one day ditch his friends for his lover?
Feng Yueshan gave Shen Lian a couple of reminders. "If you feel like drinking, go ahead. If you don't, forget it. I'm going over there to entertain a few friends."
Shen Lian took a sip of lemon water. "Sure."
Sure enough, one of the newcomers, seeing Shen Lian for the first time, couldn't resist asking a friend beside him, his eyes still fixed on Shen Lian.
"Who's that?"
"Someone Mr. Feng brought."
"Which family's young master?"
"Some minor celebrity, I think."
A minor celebrity? That made things easy.
Unable to resist the urge, the man approached with a drink and plopped down beside Shen Lian. However hard he tried to rein in his expression, he couldn't hide the lust written across it. "Have a drink?"
Shen Lian glanced at him and said calmly, "Sorry, I don't drink."
"Come on. Who doesn't drink on an occasion like this?" As he spoke, he pushed the glass he'd been drinking from toward Shen Lian's lips.
Shen Lian leaned back and immediately raised a hand to block it. "I really don't drink."
The man gave a soft snort. "Seriously? You're just an actor. Isn't the whole reason you came here to..."
Before he could finish, someone grabbed him by the collar from behind and hauled him to his feet.
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