Chang Qing

The rain kept falling on and off, the damp air mingling with the smell of sodden earth. Every so often, Shen Lian would tell Chu Piggy, "You're a lucky little survivor. You're bound to go places someday, young fellow!"

That was right. Under Shen Lian's unilateral rule, the little black-and-white kitten had been named "Chu Piggy."

Chu Yilan had no objection to the name itself, but he had serious objections to the surname. He kept feeling that Shen Lian was insulting him in a roundabout way.

Shen Lian simply played dumb.

Aunt Fen, on the other hand, called the kitten "Piggy" with perfect ease.

In the study-

Shen Lian turned his head and pushed Chu Yilan away, saying hoarsely, "I need to go to Lin City the day after tomorrow."

Chu Yilan caught his chin and kissed him. "What for?"

"Work. A location shoot. The brand requested it. I'll probably be there for two days."

Chu Yilan suddenly found Shen Lian's job rather irritating. He never stayed put. One word from his manager, and he was ready to leave.

"The flowers will arrive at your office on time. Call me if anything comes up."

Chu Yilan gave a soft huff. "What could possibly come up?"

On the day of his departure, Shen Lian got up early with Chu Yilan. The van was already waiting outside. He had carried his suitcase all the way to the entryway when he glanced back and found Chu Yilan still standing where he had left him. Although his face was expressionless, looking as aloof as ever, Shen Lian felt he needed to do something.

He put down his suitcase, walked over, and hugged Chu Yilan.

Master Chu lowered his eyes to look at him. "How old are you?"

"Yes, yes, I'm the one who can't bear to leave. One last hug." Shen Lian chuckled mischievously.

Some of the gloom in Chu Yilan's eyes faded. Finally, he raised a hand and patted Shen Lian's back twice. "Travel safely. Come back as soon as you're done."

"Definitely!"

Li Yi and Jiang You had everything ready. As soon as Shen Lian got into the van, they set off.

The drive to Lin City only took three hours. They just needed to arrive before two thirty that afternoon.

Shen Lian checked the shoot requirements and related details again, then chatted with Jiang You and Li Yi. Time passed quickly.

But the closer they got to Lin City, the harder it rained.

The van skidded, leaving Li Yi no choice but to switch on the warning lights and hazard flashers and pull over for the time being.

Rain hammered against the windows with sharp, rattling cracks. Shen Lian almost thought it was hailing.

Jiang You stayed in contact with the brand. They said scouting locations would be difficult in this weather anyway, so Shen Lian should take his time and stay safe.

[We've pulled over. We'll keep going once the rain eases up.]

Shen Lian had barely sent the message when the reply came: [If it's this much trouble, just come back.]

Shen Lian laughed. [Don't be ridiculous. Get on with your work. I'll contact you when we arrive.]

After another full hour of delays, Shen Lian and the others finally made it to the location the brand had specified.

It was a large shooting venue, filled with staff rushing around with racks of couture clothing or making nonstop phone calls.

Over the past two years, Aifur had made a name for itself in skincare and handbags. Its slogan was "Must-have essentials for the sophisticated woman," and considerable effort had indeed gone into its products. It now enjoyed plenty of attention and affection from consumers.

So when Hu Kailan brought up working with Aifur, Shen Lian was surprised. Since when had he become this popular?

"Your Brother Hu had to beg everyone under the sun to land this for you." Hu Kailan was gradually becoming more confident in Shen Lian now, so he only offered a token reminder. "It's not one of their popular products, but please get through the shoot smoothly anyway."

Shen Lian said, "Of course."

Hu Kailan wanted to assign Shen Lian two bodyguards, but Shen Lian declined.

There was no need. With a mask and sunglasses on, who would recognize him? Not even half the fans who had left him had returned yet. He wasn't at the stage of drawing massive crowds. Having two security guards with him once he arrived would be enough.

After they had waited five minutes, someone from the brand finally hurried over. She was a young woman of about twenty-four or twenty-five, wearing towering heels and a fitted office skirt. The first thing she did was apologize to Shen Lian. "Sorry, Mr. Shen. Something held me up."

Shen Lian was easygoing about it. "No problem. What have you arranged?"

"I'll take you to the VIP lounge for a rest first. It's been a tiring journey, so you and your assistants can have some tea. With rain this heavy, no one can go outside."

"Sure."

The moment they entered the VIP lounge, everything around them grew quiet.

Jiang You ordered a milk tea and updated Hu Kailan on their progress.

"Whoa." Li Yi suddenly let out an exclamation, then lowered his voice. "Isn't that Chang Qing?"

Chang Qing?

The name sounded familiar to Shen Lian, and a handsome, finely featured face drifted through his mind. Oh, the industry's "iceberg beauty." He looked up, and sure enough, there he was.

Chang Qing specialized in fantasy cultivation dramas, particularly those aloof, otherworldly master roles, which he nailed every time. Just when everyone thought he could only stay in his comfort zone, he shot to fame with a police crime drama.

In it, he played the second male lead, a man of few words with a sensitive, gentle heart who ultimately died for justice. That steely, resolute look in his eyes was unforgettable, overturning the audience's preconceived notions in one stroke.

Later, a few veteran actors who knew Chang Qing said he actually had an incredibly broad range and was born for this profession. His only flaw was laziness. He played "masters" because he was used to them; it saved time and effort without getting in the way of making money.

His fans didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Yet no one could accuse Chang Qing of phoning it in, because he had never botched a single role he took on.

As if that weren't enough, Chang Qing had astonishingly good opportunities. Even when he played a supporting role, it was in a major, popular IP adaptation with a star-studded cast.

Through the original owner's memories, Shen Lian recalled something else.

Chang Qing had once appeared on a show with Zheng Ge. Someone-who knew which side-had paid to get "Zheng Ge is a little Chang Qing" trending. Even though Zheng Ge already had a decent fanbase at the time, he had been torn to shreds.

Zheng Ge was fine on his own, but putting him alongside Chang Qing? No.

In acting alone, the latter could wipe the floor with the former.

As for their looks, to quote the netizens at the time: [I don't understand how a rabbit spirit has the nerve to stand next to an immortal.]

Precise and vicious.

At that moment, Chang Qing had his head tilted slightly back, letting his male assistant straighten his folded collar. Seeming to notice something, he looked their way.

Shen Lian met his gaze openly and nodded with a faint smile.

Out of politeness, Chang Qing gave a slight nod in return.

He doesn't seem hard to get along with, Shen Lian thought.

Chang Qing had landed an endorsement for the latest perfume, while Shen Lian had landed... a pair of unusually designed trousers.

Those black drop-crotch trousers, priced at eighteen thousand, were an outright assault on Shen Lian's sense of aesthetics. But there was nothing he could do. They were paying too much.

Chang Qing apparently had an outdoor shoot as well. For now, he was stuck in the VIP lounge, sitting diagonally across from Shen Lian.

When Li Yi looked up for the fifth time, Shen Lian asked with a smile, "What, is he your idol?"

"No." Li Yi hurried to explain. "Mr. Shen, I'm completely loyal to you!"

"Come on. It's perfectly normal for you to have an idol of your own."

"It's not me. It's my little sister," Li Yi continued. "Her birthday's coming up. She's absolutely crazy about Chang Qing, and he's the only person in the industry she likes."

Shen Lian made a thoughtful sound and made a mental note of it.