Teacher Ji was generous indeed. Everyone enjoyed the meal and left the restaurant thoroughly satisfied.
Mo Xingyu slung an arm around Shi Wei's shoulders. "What time are you leaving tomorrow? Want to go together?"
"I'm not going with you." Shi Wei pushed his arm away. "My manager's coming to pick me up."
"Oh." Mo Xingyu sighed regretfully. "I'm heading off to shoot another drama too. I won't have Brother Shi protecting me anymore."
Shi Wei told him to take out his phone. "Take a handsome photo of Brother Shi, print it out, and stick it on your wall. Guaranteed to..."
"Protect your home and ward off evil?"
Ji Hanchuan supplied the ending from behind them.
Shi Wei: ...
"Hahahaha, come on, Brother Shi. I'll make sure you look imposing." Mo Xingyu successfully snapped a photo of Shi Wei glaring at him.
Mo Xingyu gave it his approval. "Great. That look could really protect a home."
His shoulder was suddenly bumped, and the phone slipped out of his hand, only for another pair of hands to catch it immediately.
Ji Hanchuan very "accidentally" deleted the photo he had just taken of Shi Wei. "Sorry, I think I deleted it."
"It's fine, it's fine." The innocent Mo Xingyu took his phone back, not daring to hold it against Ji Hanchuan.
Ji Hanchuan nodded and left, concealing his accomplishment.
Back at the hotel, Shi Wei packed his luggage right away. After a night's sleep, he went to the set with Mo Xingyu early the next morning to say goodbye to everyone before leaving.
"You're leaving, Xiao Wei? I'll really miss you." Xu Xirui looked reluctant to part with him. "I still have a few days of filming with Brother Hanchuan. I'll come hang out with you when we're done."
Shi Wei said, "You'll miss me? Then maybe I shouldn't leave. I'm free anyway. Staying here to learn would be pretty nice."
Xu Xirui: ...
He knew someone as shameless as Shi Wei really was capable of stubbornly sticking around like that.
He forced a smile. "But don't you have work? The company even found you an endorsement."
"Wow, you know more about my work than I do." Shi Wei's tone dripped with sarcasm. "Thanks so much for your concern."
Xu Xirui glanced uneasily at the people around them. "I only knew because I saw your manager's Moments post. Brother Bei was showing off about getting you an endorsement."
Shi Wei: ...That really did sound like something Brother Bei would do.
He took out his phone and opened Moments. Before he could find it, Xu Xirui smiled and made an excuse to leave.
"Weird. Brother Bei hasn't posted anything at all."
Shi Wei understood. Xu Xirui really had been showing his "concern" through other means.
Whatever!
Shi Wei ran over to Ji Hanchuan. "Teacher Ji."
Ji Hanchuan had already had his makeup done. Dressed in light armor with his long hair tied up, he looked thoroughly masculine.
"Mm."
"Teacher Ji, I'm leaving." Shi Wei lowered his voice. "Hubby, I'll be waiting for you at home."
Ji Hanchuan grew pensive and looked into his eyes.
-Why is this bastard so cold?
-He must think that with a nuisance like me finally leaving, he won't have to pretend he isn't interested in Xu Xirui anymore.
Ji Hanchuan froze.
Was he afraid?
"Then I'm off."
"Wait."
Shi Wei turned back to look at him. Ji Hanchuan said, "Don't get into trouble."
"Oh." Shi Wei asked without shame, "Then is causing trouble okay?"
Ji Hanchuan said, "...Get lost."
Shi Wei got lost remarkably quickly. He climbed into Ma Xianbei's car and said warmly, "Brother Bei, long time no see. I missed you so much."
Ma Xianbei pulled smoothly away. "Unfortunately, seeing you makes me really miss the days when I couldn't see you."
Shi Wei: ...
"Brother Bei, I heard you got me an endorsement?"
"Yes. It's a jeans brand called Bowei. You're their one and only global ambassador."
Shi Wei was stunned. "That impressive? May I ask how many stores they have nationwide?"
Ma Xianbei said, "...Zero."
Shi Wei dug at his ear. "Brother Bei, I don't think I heard you properly."
"They sell online," Ma Xianbei explained. "Let's not aim too high. They're a good brand, just not well-known. Don't worry. Would Brother Bei lead you astray?"
Shi Wei was very laid-back about it. "If you say so, Brother Bei, then I'm sure it's fine."
The two arrived at Billion Star.
Ma Xianbei took Shi Wei upstairs. "Shi Wei, don't be nervous. Manager Gao just wants to ask you a few questions."
A man who looked to be in his thirties was waiting for them in the conference room.
"Manager Gao." Ma Xianbei led Shi Wei in to greet him.
Gao Zhizhang sized Shi Wei up haughtily. "You're really something, bringing down the company's top actress with a single recording. Do you know how much you've cost the company?"
Here it comes.
Instead of blaming the person who did wrong, he blamed the person who exposed it.
Shi Wei stayed quiet as a mouse.
"Why didn't you come to the company first when you got that recording?" Gao Zhizhang slammed the table. "Do you have any regard for this company at all?"
Ma Xianbei frowned, his fists clenching as he listened.
What nonsense. If we'd handed the recording to the company back then, you would've sacrificed Shi Wei to protect Wang Jun'er for sure.
But he was only a manager with neither power nor influence. What could he do before the higher-ups besides bow and scrape?
"I wouldn't dare."
Ma Xianbei was telling himself to endure it when he heard Shi Wei speak beside him.
Shi Wei, shut up!
Shi Wei ignored Ma Xianbei's warning look. "Manager Gao, Wang Jun'er insulting Director Zhang outraged everyone on set. If it hadn't been settled, it wouldn't have ended with just the top actress being taken down."
Gao Zhizhang hadn't expected Shi Wei to dare talk back.
But he had no rebuttal either. Wang Jun'er had relied on having a sugar daddy and done something this stupid. This outcome was entirely down to her arrogance and overbearing behavior, offending someone she shouldn't have.
Making a sugar daddy voluntarily admit to keeping an actress, and even expose so many scandals and deals, seemed ridiculous. But on closer thought, that kind of power was terrifying enough.
Although Wang Jun'er was now universally reviled, at least their company, Billion Star, had distanced itself from her.
"You still shouldn't have done it without notifying the company first." Gao Zhizhang tried to salvage his dignity. "Do you know how much the company has lost?"
Are you a broken record? Shi Wei's ears were practically growing calluses. "If there's nothing else, Manager Gao, could I go home and rest?"
Gao Zhizhang snapped, "You dare disregard me too?"
Shi Wei simply adopted a cloyingly innocent tone. "How would I dare? It's just that if I don't get enough rest, I won't have any energy when I go on Sister Yutong's variety show in a few days."
Gao Zhizhang's eyes lit up. "Chen Yutong? She invited you onto her new variety show?"
"Yes, Manager Gao. She invited Ji Hanchuan too."
Gao Zhizhang stood up excitedly. "He-he'll be going too?"
"...He hasn't agreed." Shi Wei sounded less than confident.
Gao Zhizhang sat back down, his expression composed. Even without Ji Hanchuan going, getting a personal invitation from Chen Yutong was still a lucky break for someone of Shi Wei's standing.
"Then go home for now." Gao Zhizhang looked displeased. "Ma Xianbei, take good care of him."
Shi Wei yawned. "Manager Gao, I'll be off, then."
Gao Zhizhang ignored him.
Once the two of them had left, Gao Zhizhang immediately took out his phone and made a call.
The voice on the other end was soft and endearing. "Brother Zhizhang, did you see Xiao Wei?"