Don’t laugh, that little expression was quite vivid; he could have sworn he saw a tiny person named "He Jinxia" furrowing her brow, looking at him with puppy dog eyes.
Sheng Yan’s lips curved into a shallow smile as he typed another message, "The best way to learn is by doing. If you really want to learn something from me, start acting with me as soon as possible."
He Jinxia was taken aback by his words.
What was Sheng Yan’s status?
A top-tier superstar, beyond the reach of A-list celebrities.
An aspiring second-tier star struggling to break into the forefront.
Who knew how long it would take before she could act opposite Sheng Yan!
He Jinxia: "Ideals are beautiful, but reality is harsh."
He Jinxia: "To act opposite you, I at least need to become a top-tier celebrity... right?"
Sheng Yan: "You’re thinking too much. I meant we should get together to act when we’re both free."
Caw caw caw, it was as though three crows flew overhead, bringing an inexplicable chill to the air.
Mrs. Sheng and Mrs. He were silently lurking in the chat, each mother feeling differently.
Mrs. Sheng was anxious about her son’s intelligence, while Mrs. He thought that although it was a bit cold, at least the two were communicating smoothly, which was a good sign.
Just as everyone thought the WeChat conversation had come to an end, He Jinxia’s phone vibrated a few times just as they arrived at the restaurant.
He Jinxia took it out to see that Sheng Yan had privately messaged her on WeChat.
"The media invited to the press conference by the crew will have already established a good relationship, especially those who broadcast live. If a journalist dares to do that on a live broadcast, there must be something backing them. What’s your plan?"
He Jinxia lowered her eyes slightly and soon made up her mind.
She asked Luo You and Zhang Dayou to enter the private room and order first while she went to the restroom.
Cheng Xiaohua demonstrated her professionalism as a top-tier assistant, closely following He Jinxia to prevent any unforeseen accidents.
He Jinxia instructed Cheng Xiaohua to stand guard outside the bathroom. She then went in, scanned the area to make sure it was empty, and dialed Sheng Yan’s number on her phone.
Sheng Yan was waiting for He Jinxia’s response, never expecting the wait to lead to a phone call.
He glanced at Zhang Ming sitting in front of him, who kept sneaking peeks at him. When their gazes met, a flash of embarrassment crossed Zhang Ming’s face, and he immediately coughed lightly, swiftly turning his head back to the front.
Zhang Ming whistled nonchalantly and struck up a conversation with the chauffeur, "The weather’s nice today, isn’t it? It’s not raining." Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on NoveI-Fire.ɴet
The honest and straightforward chauffeur chuckled, "Brother Zhang, it’s not raining, it’s snowing."
Watching the awkward exchange between the two men in the front, Sheng Yan in the backseat casually withdrew his gaze and answered the phone.
"Hello, what’s up?" His mellow voice floated over, soft and gentle like a lover’s whispering murmur.
He Jinxia was caught off-guard by his voice and felt her heart flutter.
She fanned her face with her hand, cleared her throat, and also lowered her voice to discuss the pressing matter with him.
"My team believes that the ’Small Bridge, Flowing Water, People’ crew can continue filming, but since there was a car accident at the press conference that affected my reputation, my team is asking for compensation for the damage to my reputation," she explained.
Sheng Yan’s eyes twinkled as he countered, "Do you want to continue shooting?"
He Jinxia shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly and said, "I follow my team’s advice."
Sheng Yan: "You have a good team."
At that moment, He Jinxia’s eyes lit up.
The reason why she had called Sheng Yan was partly because Sheng Yan had just happened to private message her asking about the incident, which was inconvenient for her to type out a response to on WeChat, and partly because she wanted to probe for some information from Sheng Yan.
With a sly smile, she spoke in a relaxed tone, "So you also agree with my team’s analysis, right? That ’Small Bridge, Flowing Water, People’ can continue shooting and will be able to be successfully aired during the summer slot?"
Sheng Yan’s expression paused, a glint of light crossing his eyes, as he chuckled lightly, "Trying to fish for information from me?"
The corners of He Jinxia’s mouth couldn’t help but curve upward as she feigned ignorance, "No, aren’t these the things you’ve told me?"
Sheng Yan silently slapped a label onto He Jinxia in his mind—crafty.
Sometimes she seems foolish, but at other times, very smart.
He didn’t directly answer He Jinxia’s question but said ambiguously, "Gu Qiao has been making arthouse movies for many years. They might be niche, but she still has connections."
He Jinxia blinked and persisted, "So does that mean ’Small Bridge, Flowing Water, People’ will be able to set a release date smoothly?"
Sheng Yan’s lips moved slightly, and he coldly uttered two words, "Guess."
"Bang bang!" Just then, the bathroom door was knocked, He Jinxia got the hint and immediately said, "Someone’s coming, I’ll talk to you later."
Before Sheng Yan could speak, she quickly hung up the phone on her end.
Now it was Sheng Yan’s turn: "..."
Listening to the busy tone on the phone, Sheng Yan tugged at the corner of his mouth, put down his phone, and picked up the financial newspaper beside him to read.
For some reason, he felt like he had been used and then discarded.
Sheng Yan adjusted the tie on his shirt somewhat irritably.
During the meal, He Jinxia was inevitably recognized by the restaurant’s staff; they took a cheerful photograph together, and after He Jinxia left, the staff posted the picture on Weibo.
By the time the paparazzi caught wind and found out which restaurant it was to rush over there, He Jinxia had already returned to the new residence Luo You had prepared for her.
The new apartment was located in a residential area within the third ring of Imperial City, with a very poetic name—Dongting Lake Garden.
According to Luo You, Dongting Lake Garden is vast, not only boasting beautiful greenery and facilities like a gym, swimming pool, and wellness center, but it’s also specifically marketed to celebrities.
The security there is excellent; paparazzi can hardly infiltrate, and many A-list celebrities, even top-tier superstars, reside there.
To be able to rent a two-bedroom apartment in Dongting Lake Garden was a matter of luck; there was a celebrity who just happened to want to rent out their apartment, and Luo You had a friend in real estate management who told him about it when he saw Luo You was looking for a place.
To prevent the apartment from being snatched up by someone else, Luo You didn’t even go to view the apartment but transferred the money right away to rent it.
He Jinxia had only officially moved in yesterday, and sitting alone on the fairly spacious living room sofa, she looked around the empty house, feeling a bit unaccustomed.
It was indeed a bit large for one person.
He Jinxia sighed lightly, took out her phone, and shot a short video of the house to send to the group chat, adding an evocative mention of Mrs. He and a message that read, "It’s so big and empty!"
Convincing Mrs. He to move to Imperial City was a massive project that couldn’t be rushed, so He Jinxia decided to start with a daily dose of selling the struggle.