Once Chi Li left, Li Ming sprang out of his chair. "Young master, what brought you here... and why did you agree to such an outrageous request?"
"My eldest brother couldn't stand me spending all day out drinking and partying, so he specifically called me over to give me a scolding." Shen Xunye walked over to the sofa, sat down, and began scrolling through Chi Li's Moments. "So I decided to find myself something to do."
"And the thing you found..." Li Ming's broad face turned purple from holding back his words. "Was selling BL on a show with an artist under your eldest brother's company?"
"Is that a problem?" Shen Xunye casually liked every one of Chi Li's Moments posts. "Besides, I was invited. He looked so desperate, like he couldn't survive without me selling BL with him. I really couldn't turn him down... anyway, doesn't solving the problems of an artist under my eldest brother count as doing something worthwhile?"
"...It does," Li Ming managed to say.
Shen Xunye said, "Then arrange it for me."
"I really can't make that decision. Please discuss it with your eldest brother." Li Ming made the humble plea of a small fry.
Shen Yu had specifically summoned his good-for-nothing younger brother for a scolding, so he surely wanted him to help shoulder some responsibilities or find something worthwhile to do.
If Li Ming sent him off to woo men on a livestreamed variety show without reporting it first, his career as a manager would be over.
"Fine, I'll tell him in a bit." Shen Xunye never made things difficult for the employees under him.
"You can tell me now." An authoritative voice came from the doorway.
Li Ming hurried forward to welcome Shen Yu inside, guided him to a seat on the sofa, then bustled about pouring a cup of tea and handing it to him.
...One message had actually brought the big boss himself over.
"Don't you get tired of keeping a straight face and pretending to be an old man all day?" Shen Xunye fished a mint out of his pocket and tossed it into his mouth. "I've found something to do. All you need to do is agree."
Li Ming took the hint immediately, quietly explaining what had happened from the side and presenting Chi Li's profile with both hands.
The moment Shen Yu saw the first page of the profile, he understood why Shen Xunye had inexplicably decided to get involved.
"Don't mess with my artists," Shen Yu said flatly. "And this is a livestream. Once you get involved with someone, it won't be so easy to get out of it."
Shen Xunye was the youngest son of the Shen family, with two older brothers and an older sister. He had been doted on since birth and had never suffered the slightest hardship.
The good news was that, thanks to his education at school and in society, he hadn't grown into a bully who abused his power.
The bad news was that, because his wishes had always been fulfilled far too easily as he grew up, he couldn't muster any enthusiasm for anything and had become obsessed with extreme sports.
After he broke his leg twice, his family banned him from doing them again.
To address the emptiness inside him, a psychologist had suggested that he fulfill his emotional needs through romantic relationships.
Shen Xunye had dutifully followed the doctor's advice, pursuing relationships with quite a few beautiful men and women and showing astonishing enthusiasm in the early stages of each.
But not a single relationship had lasted longer than a month.
According to the historical records, his last romantic pursuit hadn't even lasted three days.
After realizing that so-called "romance" didn't work either, Shen Yu had made Shen Xunye stop this treatment.
But he really couldn't stand watching Shen Xunye seek comfort in drinking and partying, so he had called him over for a scolding today, hoping to have him find something worthwhile to do.
He hadn't expected that the moment he took his eyes off him, Shen Xunye would get ideas about "romance" again.
"This one's different from the others." Shen Xunye circled the mint with the tip of his tongue, then rolled it between his teeth and crunched it.
Shen Yu tossed the tablet displaying Chi Li's profile onto the coffee table. "When have you ever said anything else?"
"Oh, come on... this time really is different." Shen Xunye didn't blush at all as he lied, but after receiving a murderous look from Shen Yu, he added, "At worst, you can just tell him I died."
Shen Yu: "..."
He really didn't hold back when it came to cursing himself.
"Then just give him some compensation and a few resources. Wouldn't that do?"
"All that trouble, just to buy you a few days of novelty?" Shen Yu was furious.
Shen Xunye dug at his ear with his pinky. "Wouldn't that be worth it?"
Shen Yu said, "Killing you sooner would be better value."
Shen Xunye tried to negotiate. "Wait until I'm done selling BL."
Shen Yu: "..."
Only after watching the livestream in the lounge for over an hour did Chi Li receive a message from Shen Xunye.
Shen Xunye: All sorted.
Shen Xunye: Want to meet?
Considering that he had dragged the other man aboard his pirate ship, and that this would also be a good opportunity to discuss the personas they needed to present on the show, Chi Li decided to meet.
Chi Li: I'll treat you to a meal.
Shen Xunye: Sure *^_^*
And so the two met in Starlight Entertainment's cafeteria.
Only after ordering his favorite dishes did Chi Li remember to ask, "You can eat all of these, right?"
Shen Xunye raised his eyebrows slightly. "Aren't you going to ask what I want to eat?"
He had thought that, as the person treating, Chi Li ought to let his guest choose the dishes.
"No one without dietary restrictions could turn down these dishes." Chi Li poured Shen Xunye some complimentary lemon water. "Anyone who doesn't like them has no taste."
Smiling, Shen Xunye picked up the water and took a sip.
This guy's personality... really was quite distinctive.
"Why aren't you looking at me like that anymore?" he asked innocently.
Chi Li didn't understand. "Like what?"
Shen Xunye said, "Like you did in the elevator."
Chi Li: "..."
How rude.
We're already going to be selling BL together, and he's still bringing up embarrassing questions like that.
"I wasn't mentally prepared in the elevator, and your face and figure... well, seduced me." Chi Li simply shifted the blame onto him. "I prepared myself just now, and it's not my first time seeing you, so I won't lose my composure."
Shen Xunye leaned forward slightly and blinked slowly, his voice low and unhurried. "But I'm seducing you right now, too."
His "seduction" skill had already stopped working on their second meeting? That wouldn't do.
Chi Li: "..."
Chi Li said, "This won't work. You're being way too greasy right now."
Shen Xunye nearly failed to maintain his smile. No one had ever said that about him before.
Of course, he didn't know that revenge was all Chi Li had on his mind right now. Flirtatious words like these, meant for two mutually attracted and willing people, couldn't move him at all.
"Pick another persona." Chi Li opened the "popular CP personas" Gu Nan had compiled and sent him, then held it out in front of Shen Xunye. "Pick a few you like, and we'll rehearse."
Shen Xunye lowered his eyes to look. "Secret crush, tsundere, iceberg, sunshine, loyal dog..."
"Hey, don't read them out loud." Chi Li looked around, only relaxing after confirming that no one was looking their way. "Read the rest quietly."
Shen Xunye raised no objections.
Only after scanning all the terms did he say leisurely, "By the way, I'm not very good at acting."