“I want to go too.”
A boy who wasn’t selected muttered under his breath, “I’ve been here longer than him; he just arrived today. Why does he get to go and I don’t?”
The manager glanced at him, his tone very blunt: “The guests requested it tonight the best-looking ones go to accompany the dinner. He’s better looking than you; are you not convinced?”
The boy wanted to argue, but after looking at Song Yuanxi’s face, he didn’t have the thick skin required to claim that Song Yuanxi wasn’t better looking than him.
The lounge went quiet. The manager led them along the corridor toward the private rooms.
Likely arranged in advance, there was no one passing through this corridor at the moment.
“Manager, what are we supposed to do once we meet the guests later?”
Song Yuanxi leaned toward the manager and asked in a small voice.
He needed to understand the situation first so he could handle the guests and find a chance to fish in troubled waters to look for Shen Yu.
The manager looked at him. Perhaps thinking he was quite sensible for a first-timer and liking his good looks the manager smiled and told him: “The guests get bored eating and drinking; they need you to liven up the atmosphere, accompany them during the meal, and have fun. There’s nothing else you need to do. If a guest has a request, use your own judgment.”
Song Yuanxi was silent for a few seconds, then asked softly, “What if I can’t fulfill a guest’s request?”
He didn’t know what kind of requests these people would make. If it was just the waiter’s work, that would be fine, but if it was something excessive, he certainly couldn’t do it.
The manager turned to look at him, saying reassuringly, “Don’t worry. The guests come here to enjoy the ‘scenery’ while they eat; they won’t make excessive requests. Even if they do, you can refuse, and I will arrange for you to leave.”
The manager added, “However, if you choose to follow a guest into their car and go home with them, that’s your own business. Don’t come looking for me then.”
Song Yuanxi fell silent. It seemed the high-end service staff here still had some autonomy. The club was likely just a high-level “pimping” intermediary and didn’t belong to the more extreme category, which was probably why it hadn’t been reported or shut down.
Having finished speaking, the manager led them to the door of a private room just as a waiter arrived to deliver dishes.
Song Yuanxi looked up and saw the name of the room was Yushu Pavilion, and his heart sank further.
Although it saved him the trouble of searching for the room, it also made him feel pessimistic about the goal of his visit.
Upon entering the room, he indeed saw Shen Yu, who was laughing and chatting with others.
Unaware of what topic they were on, Shen Yu waved his hand and said, “Not at all, not at all. How could I compare to Liang Han? You must be joking. If word gets out, people will say I’m arrogant.”
Yet the expression on his face remained smiling, without a hint of “not at all.” He was clearly being arrogant.
The person opposite him was quick-witted and naturally didn’t take the modesty seriously, continuing the flattery: “Ai, I’m not joking! You have much more market value than Liang Han! I heard Liang Han’s side is preparing some big historical drama with a grand reputation, even asking me to invest. I wouldn’t even look at it! When it comes to acting in historical pieces, you’re the superior one! That Liang Han only built up his status through hype in the film industry!”
These words made Shen Yu beam with pride.
However, Chang Yu, who was hosting the dinner, spoke up to dampen the swelling ego: “Keep this talk to private conversations. Don’t let outsiders hear it!”
“What if they hear it?” The person didn’t care and looked toward the door.
The manager was leading the group in, and the door wasn’t closed yet.
He deliberately raised his voice: “I’m telling the truth. Even if Liang Han himself were here to hear it, I wouldn’t be afraid.”
This display was somewhat provocative.
Chang Yu smiled slightly, showing nothing on the surface but feeling a bit annoyed inside. He suddenly said, “Really? I heard someone invited Liang Han to eat here today. Maybe he really can hear you.”
“…”
The man’s expression instantly retracted. He stared fixedly at Chang Yu.
A few seconds later, he lowered his voice and laughed, “President Chang, you’re joking with me, right? Isn’t it said that Liang Han never comes to places like this to eat?”
Chang Yu didn’t speak; he just gave him a look that left the other person unsure if it was true or false, but ultimately, he didn’t dare to speak recklessly anymore.
Although everyone rumored that Liang Han never visited such places, who knew if the news was true or false? It might just be a facade.
Seeing this, Shen Yu also restrained himself a bit and turned to look at the people entering.
After Song Yuanxi and his group entered, no one in the room paid them much mind.
The waiters served the food, and even with a group of handsome men and beautiful women standing there, the guests continued to chat about whatever they liked, not worried at all about being overheard saying anything improper.
It was likely because they knew these people had all signed non-disclosure agreements.
However, now that it was mentioned that Liang Han might be eating here, everyone quieted down.
He hadn’t expected these people to be so wary of Liang Han. Xu Rao was right; Liang Han was indeed more suitable.
If even Shen Yu was wary of him, then the company would certainly be wary too.
It was just a pity he didn’t know which room Liang Han was in; otherwise, he would have liked to go and test the waters.
Song Yuanxi kept his eyes downcast. For now, he had to get through this meal and observe Shen Yu’s behavior to see if he was actually fit to be a boss.
Shen Yu’s gaze landed on Song Yuanxi’s face. Although he couldn’t see the expression in his eyes, that face alone was enough to grab attention.
It was his favorite type.
In fact, every guest at the table looked at Song Yuanxi first.
Being too good-looking always made it easy to become the center of attention.
Someone smiled at the manager who brought them in and said suggestively, “The service here is as good as ever.”
“More than that; it’s clearly getting more and more high-end.”
This group clearly understood the situation here very well. They weren’t surprised; they laughed with a “knowing ignorance” and beckoned to the entering young men and women. One of them even waved at Song Yuanxi: “You, come pour me a drink.”
Chang Yu blocked him immediately. He glanced at Shen Yu and said with a smile, “Hey! Teacher Shen’s glass is still empty. He should be served first.”
He had noticed just now that Shen Yu’s gaze had lingered on this boy’s face. Clearly, Shen Yu favored this kind of sweet-looking appearance.
The man paused, looked at Shen Yu, and after a moment, his lust gave way to etiquette. He nodded with a smile: “True, true. Teacher Shen is the guest of honor today. Our project relies on Teacher Shen to take the lead in the future, so naturally, Teacher Shen should come first. Teacher Shen first.”
Normally, Shen Yu would refuse such a suggestion because there weren’t many boys here who fit his taste, so he would usually stall until the end and pick someone “just okay” to make do and avoid spoiling the fun. But today, he unusually remained silent, offering a tacit agreement.
Chang Yu scanned Song Yuanxi’s face a few times and finally understood why Shen Yu had been so reluctant to accept the people arranged for him previously.
None of them were as good-looking as this one.
The main thing was not just the looks, but the temperament. It was very special. The exterior had an air of stubbornness and unyielding persistence, yet the interior felt like it would be sweet, soft, and easy to handle.
Chang Yu gave the manager a “job well done” look. To have found such a person, Shen Yu would surely be pleased this time.
The manager then smiled and gave Song Yuanxi a nudge: “Go and take good care of the guest.”
When he saw him in the office earlier, he knew his looks would be a hit, which was why he immediately had him do high-end service. Now, his intuition was proven right.
The others looked at Song Yuanxi with a bit of envy. If he was favored by Shen Yu, the benefits would surely be many.
After all, among everyone at this table, Shen Yu was the most generous. Even if someone wasn’t chosen to be taken back and didn’t get career resources, they would still receive the service fee he gave.
However, no one spoke up like the boy in the lounge earlier. In front of patrons, speaking out of turn could offend them.
Song Yuanxi actually wanted to retreat the moment he saw Shen Yu’s gaze, but since he was already in the room, leaving immediately would be strange.
Besides, he wasn’t sure if Shen Yu was just acting the part because he was here. And maybe Shen Yu only liked women.
Though that would mean Shen Yu’s private life wasn’t clean and his character might be questionable, it didn’t necessarily mean he couldn’t be a boss as long as he didn’t like men, it would be fine.
Song Yuanxi walked over and poured wine for Shen Yu.
Shen Yu didn’t lay a hand on him; instead, he smiled at him very politely and gentlemanly, which made Song Yuanxi feel a little more at ease.
Seeing that Shen Yu’s side was settled, the other guests called the others to sit with them. The manager took a look and withdrew from the room, telling the waiters to keep an eye out so no issues arose.
Once the door closed and only the dining party remained, the topics became much more open, and the behavior more relaxed.
Song Yuanxi saw a guest put his arm around the waist of a boy who came in with them and even gave the boy’s butt a pinch: “It’s a pity for someone looking like you not to go into acting. We’re preparing a big production recently; do you want me to give you a small role?”
At the same time, his eyes drifted toward Song Yuanxi, the smile on his face looking somewhat lecherous.
“…”
Song Yuanxi froze for a few seconds, his eyelashes trembling. He didn’t care about the man’s words, but he hadn’t expected the man to be so direct as to get hands-on right in the private room. Clearly, the manager said earlier…
No, the manager said guest requests could be refused, but if one didn’t refuse…
His gaze swept over the boy being held; the other party didn’t look unwilling.
Probably, if one didn’t refuse, it turned into this.
If word got out, it was a “willing participation” matter, making it hard for outsiders to judge. It was only unbearable for those with a high moral sense, but it wasn’t illegal.
But what did it mean for this man to look at him while flirting with someone else?
Was he being treated as part of some flirting “play”?
Thinking about it made Song Yuanxi feel a bit disgusted, and his opinion of Shen Yu dropped a few notches along with it.
Beside him, Shen Yu suddenly asked, “What did you do before this?”
He was very close, his breath almost brushing against him.
It carried a scent of perfume or tobacco, giving off a very “sanctimonious” feeling.
Song Yuanxi withdrew his gaze and kept his eyes down. He didn’t know if he should tell the truth. After hesitating for a few seconds, he said in a low voice: “A minor actor.”
If Shen Yu was suitable to be his boss, lying to him now would be counterproductive.
Shen Yu wasn’t surprised. Many people in the industry came here to eat, so naturally, many small stars looking for opportunities would gravitate here.
He looked sideways at Song Yuanxi, flashing a warm and caring smile: “Oh? Then what plays have you been in?”
Song Yuanxi gave an embarrassed smile, a look of awkwardness appearing on his pretty face: “They were all small roles. You definitely wouldn’t have heard of them.”
Even if Shen Yu had heard of them, he didn’t want to say right now.
Shen Yu’s gaze stayed on his face, and he suddenly laughed, his tone changing slightly: “That’s true. You’re so good-looking; if I had seen you, I definitely wouldn’t have forgotten.”
“…”
Song Yuanxi’s heart instantly sank.
At this point, he could no longer make excuses for Shen Yu.
The senior executives and leaders at his company who acted as pimps had this same style of speaking on the surface, it seemed to mean nothing, but in reality, it was full of hints and testing.
What Shen Yu just said was exactly that style.
Shen Yu wasn’t as clean as the outside world believed; he likely had a girlfriend while also liking men.
Before Song Yuanxi could respond, others nearby overheard their conversation and chimed in with a laugh: “That’s easy! Teacher Shen can just introduce a role to him later.”
“Exactly, exactly. Teacher Shen, you have so many resources; it’s just a casual matter for you.”
Someone else gave him a meaningful look: “If you take good care of Teacher Shen today and he gets happy, he might just take you to the film set tomorrow.”
Although Shen Yu was already negotiating a new big production with them, they all knew he currently had a project filming that hadn’t wrapped yet.
Song Yuanxi didn’t speak, nor did he acknowledge the other looks and hints.
Shen Yu glanced at him and noticed his expression was a bit dazed. Though it made him look even more attractive, Shen Yu still asked, “What’s wrong? You think they’re boasting and I can’t do it?”
“Oh, no,” Song Yuanxi snapped out of it, shaking his head slightly and trying to maintain a natural expression, not wanting to provoke any resentment. “I just… my stomach suddenly feels a bit uncomfortable. I want to go to the restroom.”