He kept his eyes on the lazy Susan, quickly grabbing a bite of whatever dish came up. Seeing that he wanted to eat but was too embarrassed to turn the table, He Zeyu used serving chopsticks to serve him a few dishes.
Song Shi'an looked up and smiled at him, "Thanks, brother, you eat too."
He Zeyu waved his hand. "You eat yours, I'm on a diet."
Xu Fei, who was sitting two or three seats away, hadn't taken her eyes off Song Shi'an since he came in.
She's been involved with all sorts of people in the entertainment industry, but this is the first time she's encountered someone so clean-cut and youthful.
A perfect face, impeccable body proportions, and what interested her most was the clean look in his eyes. Based on her experience, he was probably a virgin who had never been in a relationship.
She held her wine glass and swirled it gently, then suddenly asked, "Is this Xiao An's first time working with us?"
Song Shi'an was engrossed in his meal when he heard his name called. He quickly swallowed the meat in his mouth, looked up at the person who had asked the question.
He racked his brains but couldn't remember who this person was, so he could only smile politely and say, "Yes, it's our first time working together."
The other investors exchanged glances; everyone knew what Xu Fei was up to.
One of them, holding a wine glass, smiled and said, " Xiao An is a newcomer, isn't she? She hasn't been in the entertainment industry for very long. Every TV series that President Xu has invested in these past few years has been a hit."
The meaning is quite clear; these words practically scream "unspoken rules."
The director frowned. These old geezers were courting death. Song Shi'an was someone Stars Entertainment had spoken to.
He quickly picked up his glass and continued, "Mr. Xu certainly has excellent taste, otherwise he wouldn't have invested in our drama. Xiao Song is Stars Entertainment's ace. Right now, the child's studies are the priority. It will be difficult to get him to play the lead role after graduation."
Xu Fei understood the director's meaning and quickly put away her thoughts, putting on a smiling face again, "The entertainment industry needs more new faces. Everyone, eat as much as you like, and order more if you're not full. Xiao Song, please take as much as you want."
Song Shi'an was inexplicably fed a few more polite words, looked up at Xu Fei, smiled and said thank you, then lowered his head to continue eating.
He Zeyu slowly loosened his clenched fist, looked at Song Shi'an who was eating heartily without a care in the world, and shook his head helplessly. How could this kid still be so innocent after a year in this cesspool?
Ji Wang chuckled softly from his seat; the entertainment industry was far more chaotic than he had imagined.
He hadn't even finished his meal when he said, "Something came up, I'm leaving," pushed back his chair, and went straight out the door.
The director forced a smile and went around to each of them, none of them giving him any peace of mind.
After eating and drinking their fill, Song Shi'an wiped his mouth and took Lin Fan straight back to the hotel.
After taking a shower and lying in bed, he turned on his phone and saw a bunch of unread messages popping up on the second-hand platform. His heart skipped a beat, thinking there was something wrong with his electric scooter, so he quickly clicked on it.
The screen is filled with newly followed accounts, but scrolling down reveals only unfamiliar profile pictures. Is the platform even giving away fake followers?
Chi Xun sent a video link. " Shi'an, this fan service you're giving away is a bit special."
Song Shi'an clicked in and saw a mint green electric scooter parked in a courtyard. A red bow was tied to the handlebars, and inside the bow were written the words "Wishing Teacher Song Shi'an a pleasant trip".
The video title reads, "Is this real or fake? I bought it for 500 yuan including shipping. The shipping cost probably exceeded that amount. It's like getting a brand new car for free."
The comments section features fifteen electric scooter buyers.
"[Image] I have one too! I saw it late at night and bought it immediately, I'm so happy!"
"I hadn't even unpacked it when I got home, but after seeing the video, I rushed over to take it apart. And it really is there! So this is An'an's little car!"
"No... does this mean he sold the car someone gave him right away? Isn't that a bit much? Is a celebrity that short of money?"
"You upstairs looking for trouble, huh? What's given to An'an is naturally his. What kind of family has a dozen or so electric scooters parked around? It's practically like paying for postage to give it away for free!"
"I just want to know the name of An'an's secondhand platform, I'm also waiting!!! I want to buy too!!!"
"What a down-to-earth celebrity! They even sell secondhand items. That's good; at least they didn't throw them away."
After watching the video, Song Shi'an just wanted to die on the spot. Luckily, it didn't spread too widely. Life is full of spectators.
He secretly messaged the video blogger to ask for the video to be deleted. The blogger replied instantly with "Okay, okay," and then quickly deleted the video. He then excitedly screamed in the room while holding his phone.
The parents in the next room, woken by the noise, knocked on the door. "Daughter, what's wrong?"
The girl quickly exclaimed, "It's okay, it's okay!"
Song Shi'an breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the video disappear; he had saved face.
He tucked his phone under his pillow and closed his eyes peacefully.
They arrived at the port early the next morning, before it was fully light. Song Shi'an was so sleepy that her eyelids were drooping, and the makeup artist pressed her down in a chair to finish her makeup and styling.
He leaned against the railing by the dock, trying to clear his head with the sea breeze.
Fang Ruoning heard from her brother that someone had borrowed their family's dock to film a movie today, so she got up early to come and take a look, and also to help her brother check the goods.
As she walked down from the high place, she saw a red figure leaning against the railing in the distance.
A red motorcycle jacket accentuated his sharp shoulders, the sea breeze tousled his hair, and his long, slender, and fair fingers, gripping the railing, made him a true heartthrob from behind.
Fang Ruoning slowed her pace. "These are the actors we're filming today? Who is he?"
Then she saw a man run over and say something to her, and the man turned around.
Fang Ruoning's breath caught in her throat.
A face with a roguish grin, a clean and sharp jawline, and a lazy air about it. The sea breeze blew from behind him, lifting the collar of his red jacket and brushing against his chin.
He exchanged a few words with the man, and then suddenly smiled, the light in his eyes shining brightly in the harbor in the early morning.
Bang--!
Fang Ruoning's heart skipped a beat from the sudden loud noise.
Looking closely, she saw the red figure fall straight down right before her eyes.
Her ears were ringing.
He... is dead!
What followed was as if something had been fast-forwarded: the sound of sirens ripped through the wind in the harbor as they drew nearer, and a group of special police officers poured out from both sides of the dock and pinned another group of people to the ground.
The clanging of handcuffs, harsh shouts, and intermittent static from the walkie-talkie blended together in a chaotic mess.
Someone crouched down to check the pulse of the red figure, shook their head, and pulled over a white cloth to cover it.
Fang Ruoning stood still, the wind blowing from the sea lifting her skirt.
She stared at the face covered by the white sheet, her mind filled with only the last image: his smile as he turned his head, and the words she hadn't quite heard through the wind.
Fang Qi called Fang Ruoning several times, but she ignored him and walked over with a frown.
The director yelled "Cut!"
Song Shi'an got up from the ground, dusted himself off, and rubbed his elbow, which he had bumped when he fell. This cement floor was too hard; he was sure to get bruises all over.