Gu Weichen hid the amusement in his eyes. After watching Little Maojie enter the kindergarten, he walked over to Shen Xuanrun and greeted him politely.
"Mr. Shen, what a coincidence. We meet again."
Shen Xuanrun smiled genteelly. "Quite a coincidence, Mr. Gu."
Coincidence, my ass. Little Xinxin and Little Maojie go to the same kindergarten, and they're even in the same class. Of course we'll run into each other at drop-off and pickup. That's perfectly normal, okay? Shen Xuanrun wore a serene expression while silently grumbling to himself.
Gu Weichen laughed in exasperation. "It's truly an honor to meet someone as interesting as you, Mr. Shen."
Shen Xuanrun smiled too. "It's also a tremendous honor for me to meet someone as outstanding as you, Mr. Gu."
Mutual flattery in business. Who couldn't do that? Shen Xuanrun thought silently.
"I've heard that the Shen Family's young master is a refined, courteous gentleman. Seeing you in person truly beats hearing about you a hundred times," Gu Weichen said, staring intently into Shen Xuanrun's eyes.
Shen Xuanrun's gaze darkened, and he smiled gently. "You flatter me, Mr. Gu. How much of what outsiders say is actually true?"
Shen Xuanrun lost five HP in round one.
Shen Xuanrun continued with an innocent air, "By the way, my grandfather and your father, Old Master Gu, are old friends. Strictly speaking, I should call you Uncle, Mr. Gu. I was rude before."
"...There's no need to stand on such ceremony." Gu Weichen felt deeply disheartened. Am I already that old?
Gu Weichen had been born when Old Master Gu was advanced in years. He wasn't particularly old himself, being twenty-nine that year, and he looked very young, but he was indeed a full ten years older than Shen Xuanrun.
Gu Weichen had only half his HP left in round two.
"Un-cle Gu, I have something to do, so I'll be off first. Take your time~." Shen Xuanrun deliberately stressed each syllable, striking him where it hurt, then left like a gentle breeze without a trace of reluctance.
Gu Weichen was KO'd in round three, without even a chance to play a card.
Shen Xuanrun returned to his apartment and had been memorizing his lines for only a few minutes when Sister Chen arrived in her sky-high heels.
Hearing the doorbell, Shen Xuanrun saw Sister Chen open the door and walk in.
She went straight to the sofa. After sitting down, she picked up an unopened bottle of mineral water from the table and drank until only a little remained at the bottom in a single gulp.
Watching Sister Chen's actions, Shen Xuanrun exclaimed inwardly, Oh-ho.
"Sister Chen, what's wrong?" Shen Xuanrun asked in puzzlement after waiting for her breathing to settle.
"Wasn't the male lead for 'Battle in the Sea of Commerce' still undecided? Well, they've decided now. It's Jiang Yi," Sister Chen said irritably.
Jiang Yi was the second-tier celebrity managed by Huang Shuangru. His fans were always comparing their acting skills to praise him and disparage Shen Xuanrun, saying Shen Xuanrun couldn't hold a candle to their idol and was just a useless pretty face. Sister Chen had always been furious about it.
"You must do well this time. As long as Jiang Yi doesn't overshadow you in your scenes, you can get his fans to quiet down a little," Sister Chen told Shen Xuanrun, her face full of hope.
"And that Huang Shuangru! When I said your acting had improved tremendously, she said I'd gone crazy wanting you to become famous and told me to wait for Jiang Yi to make you eat your words."
Shen Xuanrun recalled the original novel's plot. A few years later, Jiang Yi was exposed for organizing group gambling, soliciting prostitutes, and even procuring women, harming several innocent young girls.
This was also a famous operation targeting prostitution and organized crime, and several important officials were involved. It seemed the investigation had lasted several years before everyone was finally caught in one sweep. It had caused a huge stir online at the time.
He remembered that, in the book, the young female lead's father had caught the person behind it all and had also been in charge of the operation. Jiang Yi was among those arrested. Uncle Shen had also told him to keep his distance from these people in the entertainment industry and not get involved in anything illegal.
The book opened with a description of this incident, and the female lead's father had been promoted several military ranks because of it. As a result, apart from the vicious supporting female character who feared nothing and no one, no one dared provoke the female lead. This laid the groundwork for her carefree life later on, leading to her sweet naivety and indiscriminate compassion.
Huang Shuangru, as Jiang Yi's manager, also suffered a blow and was cursed by netizens. After she left the industry, no one heard anything more about her.
However, Huang Shuangru seemed to know nothing about it in the book. Although she and Sister Chen appeared to be bitter enemies, they were rivals with a love-hate relationship. After hurting each other for several years, they also regarded each other as friends; both were simply too stubborn to admit it. Of course, Huang Shuangru wasn't a bad person at heart, either.
After the incident, although Sister Chen said nothing, she still worried about Huang Shuangru, who so often argued with her, and even secretly transferred money to Huang Shuangru's account.
Seeing Shen Xuanrun remain silent, Sister Chen was used to it. She left after finishing her instructions.
Shen Xuanrun sat on the sofa, lost in thought, and did not notice that Sister Chen had already left.
If Jiang Yi continued acting in "Battle in the Sea of Commerce," then when he was blacklisted in a few years, "Battle in the Sea of Commerce" would also be taken down.
Shen Xuanrun didn't want "Battle in the Sea of Commerce" to be taken down. More than anything, he wanted his first role to remain available. He didn't want his efforts to vanish just like that, nor did he want a scumbag like Jiang Yi to harm more innocent people.
Apparently, the investigation had lasted three years before evidence of their crimes was finally discovered. After working out the timing, Shen Xuanrun realized it seemed to have started around this time. He could use Uncle Shen's help to get that scumbag Jiang Yi blacklisted ahead of time.
But logically, he should know nothing about this operation. How could he tell Uncle Shen about it without arousing suspicion? Besides, he would be joining the production in just a few days. If he didn't want filming to be delayed, Jiang Yi would have to be blacklisted within a few days of his joining the production, or before he joined it. Only then could the losses to filming be minimized and a new male lead quickly brought in.
Shen Xuanrun suddenly thought of someone.
By the time Shen Xuanrun finished thinking, lunchtime had already passed, and Teacher Sun would be arriving soon. He ate a little something, then waited for Teacher Sun so he could begin learning more techniques.
After studying with Teacher Sun for several days, Shen Xuanrun's acting improved tremendously. Once he received Teacher Sun's approval, Sister Chen gradually began to feel reassured as well.
The day before he joined the production, City H was suddenly hit by a torrential downpour. The rainstorm came so abruptly and fiercely. People had only just experienced the power of the lingering autumn heat when dark clouds filled the sky, and the stifling air weighed down on them until they could barely breathe. The eve of a storm was always frighteningly quiet. At last, the torrential rain erupted out of the silence.
Shen Xuanrun stood quietly inside the villa, watching the downpour outside the window, hoping only that the sky would clear after the rain and a rainbow would follow the storm.
Behind him, Little Li was packing his luggage for joining the production the next day. Shen Xuanrun had turned down the new personal assistant Sister Chen had found for him. He only felt at ease working with someone he knew.