"Actually, he originally planned to break up." After taking enough photos, Shen Ling quietly swaggered over.
Chi Li narrowed his eyes, a dangerous glint in them. "You want to break up?"
"He can't bear to see you give up your career," Shen Ling quickly explained under Shen Xunye's deathly gaze. "He said if we couldn't reach an agreement and he forced you to choose between your career and him, he would break up with you so you could focus on your career. He just wanted to watch you be happy from the sidelines..."
Chi Li pushed Shen Xunye away with a look of disgust, smoothing out the wrinkles in her clothes from the hug. "Old-fashioned and outdated ideas."
"Haha..." Shen Ling laughed twice, then quickly stopped herself. "He quickly dismissed the idea, saying he just couldn't bear to break up."
Shen Xunye nodded. "Mm."
Before he said he couldn't bear to break up, he pictured Chi Li standing happily on the stage, with Jiang Yue beside her.
Could he allow such a scenario to happen? Absolutely not!
"You're smart to know what's good for you." Chi Li grabbed Shen Xunye's tie and bared her teeth at him. "If you keep thinking about this nonsense, I'll bite you to death."
Shen Xunye whispered, "... I won't dare again."
After learning about Old Madam Shen's attitude, Shen Xunye and Shen Ling felt much more at ease.
They could finally begin to enjoy the banquet.
Shen Ling skillfully led the two in playing board games, then joined in a small wine tasting session, and finally learned how to make their own perfume together.
After exchanging perfumes with Shen Xunye, Chi Li finally saw a familiar face.
"Brother Shen Qiang!" Shen Ling waved excitedly at Shen Qiang. "Come here!"
Shen Xunye remained silent and moved closer to Chi Li.
We can't let Shen Ling find a chance to ship an unorthodox couple.
" Little Chi Li." Shen Qiang approached, raised his hand to pat Shen Ling's head, but his first words were to Chi Li. "I heard you managed to win over the old lady?"
Chi Li: "..."
... This news spread really fast.
"I can't say it's all settled..." Chi Li carefully chose his words, "I can only say that we're letting go for now."
If things don't go as planned, or if something else happens, or if new changes occur, these are all unpredictable.
"You're quite impressive." Shen Qiang casually picked up a glass of wine. "When I chose to pursue acting, I wasn't allowed into my home for two years... Later, I used my celebrity status to save one of my family's businesses, which allowed me to return."
"You look so miserable?" Shen Ling exclaimed in surprise. "I didn't see you at the family dinners those two years; I thought you were being arrogant and not coming."
Shen Qiang was speechless. "Use your brain! Did I have any cards to play back then?"
Shen Ling: "... Okay."
This was the first time Shen Xunye had learned about Shen Qiang's past. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "If I want to make money, where should I go?"
The other three all turned their gazes to him.
"You're the only one in the family who can have money to spend without doing anything!" Shen Ling's eyes widened, and she said with heartache, "Why are you so foolish as to work so hard to earn money?! If you don't want a comfortable life, can't you let me have it?"
Shen Qiang smiled enigmatically, "What? Don't want Chi Li's fans to say you're a gigolo?"
Chi Li stated, "One person in the family who can earn money is enough."
He's getting way too many business offers right now.
"Just spending money won't earn you a voice in this family." Shen Xunye pointed to the ground beneath her feet. "I don't want to see this happen again, and have to push my boyfriend out again."
"The power to speak isn't something you can simply gain by 'making money'," Shen Qiang said seriously. "Making money through the Shen family's connections and networks is vastly different from making money by carving out a new path yourself. Think about how Shen Yu defeated everyone else?"
Shen Yu transformed Starlight Entertainment from a small talent agency into a leading large-scale comprehensive entertainment group in the industry, without relying on any member of the Shen family.
Chi Li's expression was slightly strange. "... Shen Yu?"
That's not his... direct supervisor?
Is the "Shen" in Shen Yu also the "Shen" of this Shen family?
"... I haven't had a chance to tell you yet." Shen Xunye touched his nose, a little embarrassed, and said, " Shen Yu is my eldest brother, Shen Qiang is my second brother... He's the brother I mentioned before, the one who works at your company."
Chi Li's head buzzed for a moment. "... You weren't lying back then."
It is indeed my brother, and he is indeed at work, but he didn't say his name or what kind of job he was in.
When you saw his rich kid behavior, why didn't you make any connection?
"Anyway... that's not the point." Shen Xunye tugged at Chi Li's sleeve in a fawning manner. "The point is to help me think of a way to make money."
"Let me be frank," Shen Qiang chuckled. "There's no way you can become the next Shen Yu. You'll still have to rely on connections. As for other opinions, let's wait until his specialty arrives before considering them."
Shen Ling nodded solemnly. "That's right, let's listen to Brother Shen Yu."
Shen Yu arrived shortly afterward.
But this person was so popular that people kept coming to talk to him, and Shen Xunye couldn't find a good opportunity to approach him.
It wasn't until the banquet ended that the three people, excluding Shen Ling, were collectively invited to his hotel.
"If you ask me, he should just set up a new entertainment company, sign Chi Li over, and then lie back and count his money," Shen Qiang said casually, crossing his legs.
"Sure," Shen Yu said expressionlessly, "As long as he can afford the penalty for breach of contract."
"Even brothers have to pay a penalty for breaking the contract?" Shen Qiang rolled her eyes slightly, her gaze shifting upwards.
Shen Yu glanced at Chi Li sitting next to Shen Xunye. "Don't ask for a penalty for breach of contract. What if he doesn't appreciate it and kills my cash cow?"
Chi Li: "..."
Shen Xunye: "... I'm not that bad, am I?"
Although he had no such intention, he still had to protest his innocence.
"I'm not going to waste my breath on you." Shen Yu pulled out a business plan and tossed it in front of Shen Xunye. "This is the company I've been planning to get someone to set up. If you're interested, you can use it as practice."
Shen Xunye lowered his head and flipped through the pages.
The project proposal contained many technical terms, but that didn't prevent him from understanding it.
This company is a short drama production company.
Short dramas are a concept that has only emerged in the last two years, but as an emerging industry, they have long attracted Shen Yu's attention.
However, the board members, who were overly proud, felt that short dramas were not highbrow and strongly opposed Starlight Entertainment lowering its standards to enter the short drama market.
Shen Yu knew perfectly well that persuading them to embrace short dramas would probably be more troublesome than registering a new dedicated short drama production company, so he decisively chose the latter.
"Let me make this clear beforehand: short dramas and the domestic entertainment industry operate under two different systems. Don't even think about getting my cash cow to act in them."