Yuli Lili had seen many people like Shen Yunqing in the entertainment company, who mistakenly believed they could obtain everything with their beauty, only to end up with nothing in the end. Previously, when Shen Yunqing frequently interacted with Yin Haidong, Yuli Lili had assumed there was mutual affection between them. She thought that when transactions masquerade as love, it somehow elevates their worth. At that time, she had envied Shen Yunqing’s luck, but within a day, everything changed—Yin Haidong’s choice for the position of wife had shifted, and those who relied solely on their looks would inevitably face dire consequences.
“Lili Jie, you know the reason, right? Please tell me! If you tell me, I can give up and won’t pester Haidong anymore.” His heart ached painfully as he repeated Yin Haidong’s name. Shen Yunqing’s eyes widened in confusion, tears streaming down her face.
As it turned out, she had already fallen in love with Yin Haidong, which is why her heart hurt so desperately, as if she were about to die. “Even for the sake of childhood friendship, Haidong shouldn’t be this heartless. Someone must have said something, right? Who is it? Who has torn our feelings apart?”
Yuli Lili slowly shook her head under Shen Yunqing’s fervent gaze, “I don’t know.”
“Lili Jie…” Shen Yunqing couldn’t believe that Yuli Lili, who always stood by her side, would turn against her.
“Yunqing, don’t think about it anymore. Focus on improving your acting skills. With your looks, you’ll definitely become popular within three years.” The trend for slender and beautiful youths was rising, and if Yunqing debuted in a group, she could easily become a sensation.
With the shortcut to success and love both gone, Shen Yunqing found it hard to accept, yet she gradually calmed down and stood her ground stubbornly, refusing to leave.
Yuli Lili felt a headache coming on; she absolutely couldn’t mention Fan Luojia. Shen Yunqing’s relentless entanglements were wearing her patience thin. Her intentions had never been pure, and to stir up trouble without any relationship was excessive. Yuli Lili was relieved that Yin Haidong had chosen Fan Luojia instead of the blundering Shen Yunqing.
“Yunqing, come take a group photo!” someone called from a distance.
Shen Yunqing’s body stiffened; she couldn’t give up on Yin Haidong yet also didn’t want to miss the chance for publicity with the photo.
“Go on, you’re so good-looking! What if this photo makes you popular? Once you’re strong enough, President Yin will have to refuse!” Yuli Lili planted a seed of hope in Shen Yunqing’s heart.
Shen Yunqing listened, finding some sense in it, and after looking back several times, she finally walked away.
Shuai Chang seemed to have been watching the situation outside the car all along. The moment Shen Yunqing walked far enough, he rolled down the car window for Yuli Lili to get in.
Yuli Lili sat in the passenger seat, secretly observing Yin Haidong through the rearview mirror. He pressed his right hand against his brow, looking exhausted, and she wondered if it was because of Yunqing.
Shuai Chang closed his eyes to rest, knowing they still had a long journey ahead on the country roads, and he couldn’t afford to waste energy.
Yuli Lili looked frail but seemed fine after a long ride—something Shuai Chang envied.
Fatigue greatly diminished Shuai Chang’s work efficiency; not only couldn’t he carve out time for lunch, but even the end of the workday had been pushed back.
Worried that Fan Luojia might be concerned, he called him.
“Hello, Brother Haidong.” Fan Luojia’s voice eased Shuai Chang’s fatigue instantly.
“Luojia, I’m working late tonight and unsure when I’ll be done. You should go to bed and don’t wait for me.”
There was a moment of silence, during which Shuai Chang could hear Fan Luojia’s breathing, “Are you hungry? Should I bring you dinner?”
Shuai Chang felt that this was the most pleasant moment of his day, “Sure, I want boiled pork slices, dry-fried green beans, and corn rib soup.”
Fan Luojia’s voice softened a bit, “Okay. I’ll be at the company in an hour.”
After hanging up, Yuli Lili knocked on the door and entered, “President Yin, dinner time is here. What would you like to eat? I can order for you.”
Shuai Chang smiled and shook his head, “No need; Luojia is coming to bring me food.”
Yuli Lili displayed an envious expression, “President Yin is so lucky.”
Shuai Chang was unapologetic, “That’s right.”
Taking advantage of Fan Luojia not arriving yet, Shuai Chang continued with the meeting. The company management usually went out to eat at this time, so they were puzzled as to why the president seemed so spirited and not at all hungry. Nonetheless, in the meeting, he actually confirmed several film scripts for production, including which popular stars would play the lead roles.
One script was postponed under Shuai Chang’s insistence, “Let’s not rush the lead casting; let’s wait a bit longer.” Fan Luojia would join the cast of “A Long Song” in a month, with a shooting period of around a hundred days. Given that editing and release would likely take another two months, they could work on this project during that time so that both dramas would premiere one after the other. With an outstanding script, an excellent production team, and a lead actor with impressive acting skills, there was no doubt Fan Luojia would become immensely popular—and in turn, the Yin family would reap substantial profits.
After the meeting concluded, Shuai Chang was the first to exit the conference room, with Yuli Lili and the vice president flanking him.
The vice president was a “person of interest” sent by the Yin family, a graduate of a prestigious university, highly capable, and just in his early thirties, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and possessing an elegant demeanor.
“Yu Ting, come to my office for a moment. I need to talk to you.”
Ling Yuting nodded and smiled slightly, “I happen to have something to say too.”
At the door of Yin Haidong’s office, Yuli Lili discreetly entered the assistant’s office to allow the two executives some privacy.
“I’m planning to promote someone.” Shuai Chang stated directly.
Ling Yuting’s eyes sparkled, but his smile remained unchanged, “What a coincidence; it seems we’re talking about the same thing.”
Shuai Chang was surprised, “Yuting, you know him?” The relationship was quite subtle; aside from just revealing it to Yuli Lili, no one else should know.
Ling Yuting responded, “You’ve been frequently involved in the casting of film and television projects lately. As the company’s vice president, I naturally have to understand the reasons behind your actions,” he adjusted his glasses, “to prevent you from acting impulsively and making decisions that could lead to losses for the company.”
Shuai Chang didn’t take offense at the sharpness in his words, chuckling and shaking his head, “Yuting, you’re still so meticulous.”
“Just fulfilling my responsibilities.”
Ling Yuting accepted the tea Shuai Chang offered him, taking a small sip, letting the bitterness invade his senses, and savoring the lingering sweetness as the tea flowed down his throat.