Jiang Li had already called Yang Yi while she was outside earlier.
Upon hearing the news, Yang Yi’s first reaction wasn’t “I can’t believe the production team is going this big this time,” but rather—
“Wait, the production team is this loaded? They actually managed to get Shang Chi?!”
Sensing the silence on the other end of the line, Yang Yi coughed, deciding that the top priority was to protect her artist’s fragile, easily bruised heart.
She thought for a moment, unsure how to comfort her, then after mulling it over for a few seconds, she reported a number.
Jiang Li froze for a beat. Before she could even process it, she heard Yang Yi add gently yet ruthlessly: “That’s your penalty clause.”
Jiang Li was silent for at least a full minute.
Just as Yang Yi was starting to wonder if the call had been dropped, she heard Jiang Li slowly force out two words through gritted teeth, a double entendre in every sense.
“I’ll. Do. It.”
Yang Yi: “…”
…
The promotional photos required individual shots and group shots of all the guests.
Since two of the guests hadn’t arrived yet, the staff could only have the photographer take the individual shots of the guests who were present first.
Under the staff’s orderly arrangements, the shoot went fairly smoothly.
Soon it was Jiang Li’s turn.
She emerged from the makeup room, her gaze sweeping across the studio almost imperceptibly.
Not catching sight of Shang Chi, she let out a quiet breath of relief and walked confidently into the set that had already been prepared.
The set featured a pure white sofa. She sat down sideways, crossing her long legs.
As the lighting came into position, she raised her fair, slender fingers and lightly rested them against her cheek before finally lifting her eyes to the camera.
The photographer was frozen in place by the look Jiang Li cast his way.
In the entertainment industry, where trends change at lightning speed, beauties were never in short supply.
But not every one of them could possess beauty as striking as hers—bold yet ethereal, impossible to ignore.
Some beauties stunned you at first glance, but upon closer inspection, they felt hollow and dull.
Jiang Li was different. Her beauty could withstand scrutiny.
Her face, hailed as the modern standard for plastic surgery templates, was undeniably exquisite.
Her skull was perfectly shaped, her skin smooth as congealed cream—under the HD lens, not a single flaw could be found.
Her eyes shimmered with a limpid clarity, like a clear spring cascading down a mountain. But when she cast a faint glance your way, they seemed to hold fragments of a shattered galaxy, carrying a sense of story that belied her age.
In short, Jiang Li had been born with eyes that could speak.
The photographer, marveling at her, clicked the shutter again and again, and the shots came together quickly.
When the shoot ended, Jiang Li rose and bowed to the photographer, smiling. “Thank you for your hard work, Teacher Photographer. Everyone’s been working so hard.”
Though this photography team had never worked with Jiang Li before, they had collaborated with other popular young actresses.
Some had been arrogant, some had thrown diva tantrums, and some had lacked professional competence—but rarely had they encountered someone as polite as Jiang Li.
After all, they were just an unknown photography team.
Everyone flusteredly waved their hands, flattered. “You’re too kind, Teacher Jiang. This is what we should do.”
Jiang Li smiled and was about to turn and leave when her peripheral vision caught a tall, languid figure leaning against the wall directly ahead.
She froze for a moment.
When had Shang Chi gotten there? Hadn’t the male guests’ individual shots already finished?
Their gazes met unexpectedly.
The man’s gaze was deep and unfathomable, his refined features hidden in the shadows, yet appearing all the more striking. He stood there silently, exuding a natural presence that was impossible to ignore.
How long had he been standing there?
Jiang Li pursed her lips uncomfortably, about to pretend nothing was wrong and look away, when she noticed the man’s thin lips move slightly, as if he were silently saying something.
Jiang Li furrowed her brows slightly, studying him for a good while before she finally made out what he was saying—
“Pervert.”
Jiang Li: “…”
A dead memory suddenly came back to haunt her.
Was it really such a big deal that she, while drunk, had very accidentally touched his abs?
Did he have to hold a grudge about it until now?
Was this ever going to be dropped?!
Jiang Li shot Shang Chi a fierce glare, her confidence far exceeding her actual justification.
The photographer, who had been wondering why Jiang Li had suddenly frozen in place, turned around and noticed that sparks were practically crackling where the two’s gazes met.
His heart skipped a beat.
How in the world had the two of them managed to lock horns again in just that short span of time!
He shot a look at the staff member nearby, who quickly caught on. Fearing that the two might start arguing at any moment, the staff member hurried over.
“Sister Xiao Li, please step aside and rest for a moment. Once the other two guests arrive, we can take the group photo.”
Jiang Li withdrew her gaze, acknowledged with a soft sound, and followed the staff member toward the lounge nearby.
She was wearing a water-green strapless maxi dress today, the large expanse of exposed skin delicate and luminous like fine jade, casting a soft, glossy sheen as light shifted across the studio.
The slightly elongated hem was adorned with tassels, swaying gracefully and elegantly with each step she took.
As she passed by the man, it was as if a summer breeze had swept through, carrying a fresh and distinctive scent that drifted, alluringly, into his nostrils.
Shang Chi raised his hand slightly, and the tassels of Jiang Li’s dress slipped through his slender fingers as she walked by.
In the lounge.
The guests who had already finished their individual promotional shoots were seated, each staring at their phones with expressions of shock and disbelief. Whatever they were looking at had them so absorbed that they didn’t even notice her enter.
Xiao Jiu looked up and saw her, immediately pulling her over to an empty seat beside her. “Sister Xiao Li, sit here.”
Still young and new to the industry, Xiao Jiu couldn’t keep things bottled up inside. Seeing Jiang Li’s bewildered expression, she leaned in and whispered, “Sister Xiao Li, you just finished your shoot, so you probably haven’t heard yet, right?”
“What’s going on?”
“We only found out a moment ago when we were scrolling through Weibo. Remember that investor Meng Yang—the one who was exposed with a bunch of scandals but kept insisting he was being slandered and threatened to send lawyer’s letters to the victims? He’s trending again!”
Jiang Li raised an eyebrow. “Hasn’t he been trending nonstop lately?”
Though the buzz wasn’t as intense as when it first broke, he’d remained on the hot search list the whole time, never dropping off.
“This time is different…”
Xiao Jiu was about to say more, but perhaps remembering her agent’s warnings belatedly, she cleared her throat and lowered her voice. “Sister Xiao Li, maybe you should just check Weibo yourself.”
Jiang Li opened Weibo and finally understood what had happened.
Half an hour ago, someone had anonymously posted a Weibo entry, detailing in full Meng Yang’s usual tactics for taking advantage of female artists, and had also released a portion of Meng Yang’s private photos.
The victims in the private photos were all pixelated, but it was still clear that they were all in a state of unconsciousness.
The Meng Yang who had been loudly proclaiming his innocence was, this time, truly nailed down beyond any doubt.
Meng Yang must have offended someone.
After scrolling through the trending topics, Jiang Li mentally closed the case.
Just then, Shang Chi walked in from outside. Jiang Li suddenly recalled that the timing of Meng Yang’s scandal breaking was precisely the day after she had nearly gotten into trouble.
Was this… a coincidence?
The moment she looked up, she met the man’s meaningful expression—that of a victim who had grown wary of being coveted.
The next second, he chose a seat farthest away from her.
Jiang Li: “…”
Reading too much into things was uncalled for.
It must be a coincidence 🙂