After four months, Chi Li's first world tour came to a perfect close near the end of the year.
As predicted online, the mysterious man attended every single event.
The movie in which he made a cameo appearance was released at Christmas, and the few minutes of footage were repeatedly analyzed by everyone.
It has been more than a year since the name first appeared in the public eye.
He didn't become a fleeting internet sensation, nor did he follow the path of a brilliant decline as Chen Hao and his ilk claim; instead, he stood steadily in the public eye.
At Starlight Entertainment's annual meeting, he unsurprisingly took the seat at the head table.
Many seniors are quite interested in this newly crowned God of Wealth.
"By the way, I've never acted in An Yihe movie before. What's it like?"
"You're the king of TV dramas, why are you eyeing other people's movies?"
Just out of curiosity.
Chi Li maintained her standard business smile and said politely, "This is also my first time being the lead, so it's really hard to say what it feels like... If I had to say, it would be that although this old man is old, he has amazing energy."
I was with An Che all the time while filming, so I naturally started calling him "old man."
There was a moment of silence among the crowd. Some wanted to remind him to be careful with his words, but then they remembered his infamous moments and swallowed their words.
"Haha, capable directors are definitely high-energy people," someone chimed in.
The next question followed, "I heard he has a bad temper, is that true?"
"It's probably true?" Chi Li asked uncertainly. "I've seen him throw tantrums at other people, but never at me."
Some people gasped, "No wonder he's not hesitant to call someone an old man..." It turns out he gets special treatment.
Someone, unwilling to give up, pressed on, "Why didn't I send it to you?"
"Uh..." Chi Li was a little flustered, trying to understand the question and answer, "Is it because I don't often make mistakes?"
Even if An Yihe has a bad temper, he shouldn't be nitpicking and making trouble for no reason, right?
There was another moment of silence on the table.
Those in the music industry don't care much, but those in the film and television industry are all treated with utmost respect.
Especially those who have worked with An Yihe and know how strict he is with filming requirements.
"You haven't had any systematic acting training, have you?" A new question popped up. "Could you tell me how you got the role?"
"You and An Che have a good relationship. Was he the one who introduced you?"
"Why did you hear my name as soon as you arrived?" An Che suddenly appeared behind Chi Li, put his hands on his shoulders, and answered for him, "It wasn't me who recommended you, I haven't had a chance yet."
Chi Li turned her head to look at him. "... Why are you here?"
"Attending as a family member." An Che blinked, as if to say, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
"Family members?"
This word sparked whispers among the people at the table.
An Che pricked up his ears, ready to listen to everyone gossip about his rumored affair with the president of Starlight Entertainment, when he heard—
"Oh dear, did An Che manage to steal Shen Xunye's boyfriend after all?"
"The help Shen Xunye can offer is still too little..."
"With our company backing him, does Chi Li need to seek other assistance? Every resource in the company has already been selected by him before it's allocated."
"So you're just tired of it... Trying something different is fine too."
"Hey--" An Che couldn't help but put his hands on his hips, abandoning all the image he usually maintained in public. "Who said I'm Chi Li's family member?! I have the same phone number as him, can't you tell?"
Someone bluntly asked, "Didn't you like a post about being a '1' back then...?"
"Well..." He touched his nose guiltily, "There was a reason for that."
"Oh, so could you tell me who your family members are?" someone asked casually.
Gossip is ultimately human nature.
"You'll find out soon enough..." An Che raised his chin with a hint of smugness.
"Oh~ so..." The gossipy crowd shifted their focus to Chi Li, asking, "You and Shen Xunye haven't broken up yet?"
Are you two a business relationship or truly in love?
"If I mention your name when I ask him to organize a fan meeting, will I get a discount?"
Chi Li tilted her head, touched her temples with her fingers, and gently rubbed them.
Someone added, "Don't worry, we're all tight-lipped, we won't tell anyone."
"We are indeed still in a relationship." Chi Li indicated that she was fine and answered the questions one by one. "We're not a business couple. If you want a discount, you don't need to mention my name, just mention our company's name."
"Huh?"
Nobody understands why it's acceptable to just state the company name.
But before they could even ask, the answer came to them on its own.
Shen Xunye followed behind Shen Yu and appeared in everyone's sight.
"Hello, Mr. Shen--"
Everyone at the table stood up and exchanged pleasantries.
Shen Yu briefly responded to their greetings and then asked everyone to sit down.
Some people kept glancing at Shen Xunye, their gossipy hearts stirring.
"This is my younger brother." Shen Yu made way for Shen Xunye forward. "Everyone can get to know him."
Shen Xunye nodded slightly as a greeting. "Hello everyone."
"Holy crap... so that most outrageous rumor online was actually true?"
"Then Shen Qiang...? Could they be born to the same mother?"
"It's the same mother," Shen Xunye answered, resolving everyone's questions. "The Shen family doesn't have the kind of power struggles you see in TV dramas, so you can rest assured."
An Che quickened his pace, took Shen Yu's arm, and complained, "Why did you only introduce your brother and not your wife?"
Shen Yu: "..."
Everyone at the table. "∑(||?"
"Not his wife yet," Shen Yu calmly corrected An Che, placing his hand over An Che's. "He's her boyfriend."
An Che pouted with satisfaction.
Shen Xunye walked behind Chi Li and imitated her. "Hello everyone, this is my boyfriend."
"We're complete strangers, why are you stuffing dog food into my mouth...?"
"I told you you'd hear big secrets at the company's annual party!"
"What's so secret about the second one? It's practically public knowledge already..."
"These two are brothers, isn't that a secret?"
"I always have a feeling that knowing the big boss's secret would be dangerous..."
Will I even make it out of this company's annual party alive...?
"It's not a secret," Shen Yu had to explain, "But it's not something we can just talk about casually. I hope everyone will refrain from mentioning it in public."
Everyone quickly said they understood.
After another round of polite greetings, the two men surnamed Shen, along with their boyfriends, were the first to leave the annual meeting.
"It's that time of year again when everyone's crowding the red carpet." An Che slumped on the sofa, looking utterly dejected. "Last year you were riding high, but you were just starting out, so you didn't get an invitation... As a result, the event itself wasn't as popular as your solo performance. With you this year, it should be a bit more interesting."
Chi Li didn't care. "I'm just out here to make my presence known."