A Chance Encounter
Although Xiao Jinghan was short on money, he had very exacting taste. He insisted on going to a high-end formalwear shop to buy a suit.
Most of the suits in the shop were made to order, with only a few ready-made ones displayed in the windows. Fortunately, Xiao Jinghan was a walking clothes horse. As long as something was his size, it fit him as though it had been tailored just for him.
He tried on several suits, repeatedly asking Shen Sining which one looked best on him. Growing impatient, Shen Sining picked a brown one at random and told him to take the card and go pay.
The suit needed a few small alterations, so a sales clerk took Xiao Jinghan to the back to have a tailor adjust it. With nothing better to do, Shen Sining sat on the shop’s sofa and read the newspaper.
A little while later, a young man walked in and looked around. When he spotted a man sitting on the sofa, exceptionally handsome and with an air of effortless distinction, he couldn’t help taking a second look.
Feeling someone’s gaze on him, Shen Sining looked up from the newspaper and met the young man’s eyes.
“Excuse me, is there a sales clerk around?” the young man asked with a polite smile.
Shen Sining set down the newspaper and scanned the shop. When they’d arrived, there had only been two clerks. One had taken Xiao Jinghan to the back, and the other had presumably stepped out on some errand.
“No one at the moment,” Shen Sining said. “Someone should be back soon.”
The young man wore an oversized basketball jersey and shorts. He looked like a high schooler fresh off the court, completely out of place in a suit shop. Still, he was handsome, in a clean-cut, dashing way, and when he smiled, his white teeth flashed, bright and sunny.
He struck up a conversation with Shen Sining as if they were old friends. “Are you here to buy a suit too?”
Shen Sining gave a noncommittal “Mm.”
The young man gave him an open once-over and smiled. “The suit you’re wearing looks great. Did you buy it here?”
Shen Sining’s brow creased slightly. “No.”
The young man could tell Shen Sining wasn’t eager to talk. With an apologetic look, he said, “Sorry. I need to buy a suit in a hurry, so I took the liberty of asking. I hope you don’t mind.”
“It’s fine.” Seeing the sincerity in the young man’s expression, Shen Sining couldn’t bring himself to brush him off completely. He pointed to the samples in the display window. “The suits here are custom-made. If you’re in a hurry, you can pick a ready-made one from the display.”
“Really? Thanks for telling me.” The young man browsed the display, then pointed to a white suit on a mannequin. “What do you think of this one on me?”
Shen Sining shook his head. “White will make you look darker. It doesn’t suit you.”
The young man scratched his head sheepishly. “Aw, I’ve gotten a little tan from playing basketball these past few days. People used to compliment me on how fair my skin was.”
Shen Sining was even more convinced he was dealing with a high schooler. In a calm voice, he warned, “The suits here cost a lot more than the ones at a department store.”
The young man flashed a grin and winked slyly. “Are you worried I can’t afford one?”
Shen Sining didn’t answer, which amounted to a yes.
The young man’s grin widened. “Don’t tell me you think I’m underage? I just look young. I’m already in college.”
Shen Sining had little interest in learning about strangers, but the young man wasn’t about to let him off that easily.
“Then what color do you think would suit me? Could you help me choose?”
Shen Sining pointed at random. “That dark blue one.”
The young man didn’t seem to think Shen Sining was brushing him off. He happily went over to look at the blue suit on the mannequin, took it down, and tried it on. Then he stood in front of Shen Sining. “Does it look good?”
Shen Sining felt as though something was seriously off today. Why did he keep getting roped into choosing clothes for people?
He gave the suit a cursory glance and played along. “Looks good.”
The young man beamed. “I think so too. Thanks. You have a great eye.”
“Of course he does.”
Shen Sining hadn’t noticed when Xiao Jinghan came up behind him. He was already wearing the suit he’d just bought, which made him look even taller and more imposing. The crisp suit also emphasized his cool, distant air.
He’d only been gone a moment, and Shen Sining had already picked up someone else. The guy even looked like a high schooler who hadn’t grown into his looks yet. Shen Sining would even make a move on a minor. He really had no standards.
Xiao Jinghan looked at Shen Sining without expression and said coldly, “Darling, I’m wearing the suit you picked out for me. Do you like it?”
His tone made Shen Sining feel that if he dared say no, Xiao Jinghan might fly off the handle at any moment.
So Shen Sining had no choice but to lie. “Ahem… I like it. I do.”
Satisfied, Xiao Jinghan sat down beside him and pressed close to his shoulder, marking his territory.
The young man’s gaze moved between Xiao Jinghan and Shen Sining. He smiled and said nothing more. Just then, the clerk returned and took him off to try on suits.
Xiao Jinghan suddenly picked up one of the little cakes the shop served to its customers. “Want some cake?”
“Hm?” As usual, Shen Sining couldn’t keep up with Xiao Jinghan’s leaps in thought. “No. We’ve got the suit. Let’s go.”
“But I want some.” Xiao Jinghan studied the little cake in his hand. “Look, there’s a tiny strawberry on top. It looks so tempting. Bet it’s sweet.” He turned to Shen Sining. “You like strawberries, right? Want me to feed you?”
Shen Sining felt like he was about to run out of air again. He hurriedly waved him off. “No, I don’t like them. I don’t want any!”
“Embarrassed? Then I’ll try it for you.” Xiao Jinghan plucked the strawberry straight off the cake and took a bite. Pale pink juice trickled from the corner of his mouth. He swept it up with the tip of his tongue, his Adam’s apple slowly bobbing.
Watching him, Shen Sining couldn’t help swallowing too.
“It’s sweet. Are you sure you don’t want any, President Shen?” Xiao Jinghan held the remaining half-strawberry to Shen Sining’s lips. Shen Sining felt that if he ate it, he’d never hear the end of the “little strawberry” joke, so he firmly refused again.
Xiao Jinghan raised an eyebrow, a suggestive smile curling at the corner of his mouth. In a voice only the two of them could hear, he asked, “Or… is President Shen hoping I’ll give him a strawberry-flavored kiss?”
“…”
Shen Sining finally lost it.
* * *
Shen Sining didn’t say a word to Xiao Jinghan for the rest of the day, right up until they went to the dinner that evening.
Xiao Jinghan seemed to realize he’d taken the teasing too far. He behaved himself the whole way there and didn’t provoke Shen Sining again.
The dinner was being held at a private club. Shen Sining brought Xiao Jinghan into the private room and glanced around. Besides Qin Heng, there were several producers and investors. Quite a few had brought artists from their companies. On the surface, it was just a dinner, but everyone knew they were there to compete for roles.
What surprised Shen Sining was that he spotted a familiar flash of blue at the table.
It was the young man they’d met that afternoon at the suit shop. He was sitting fairly close to Qin Heng.
In his blue suit, with his hair slicked back, the young man had lost some of his boyishness and looked considerably more mature. Shen Sining guessed he was an artist with one of the companies.
The young man noticed Shen Sining come in too. A flicker of delight lit his eyes, and he playfully winked at Shen Sining in greeting. Shen Sining responded with a nod.
Xiao Jinghan saw the whole exchange. He gave a cold, humorless snort. “President Shen really never forgets to charm people wherever he goes. Am I invisible or something?”
“Don’t start.” Shen Sining looked away and took Xiao Jinghan to their seats.
Qin Heng was a major name in the industry and made all the casting decisions himself. Investors couldn’t just foist people on him, so all they could do was bring their artists along and introduce them. Getting picked was a matter of luck.
Shen Sining had already done some digging. Qin Heng’s next project was called Scheme of the Heir, a period drama about court intrigue. The story focused on men, so almost everyone at that evening’s dinner was male.
Men could be just as ruthless in their scheming as women. The moment the dinner began, the jockeying for advantage started and didn’t let up.
The producers and investors took turns bringing their artists over to toast Qin Heng. Everyone praised their own artists to the skies, but Qin Heng merely smiled and made no promises to anyone.
To the others, Shen Sining was a newcomer to the industry, while Xiao Jinghan was little more than an insignificant actor. Everyone was busy making small talk with one another, and almost no one paid them any attention.
But the two of them had such striking presence that being ignored did nothing to dim them. Now and then, they would lean their heads together and speak quietly, oblivious to everyone around them. They looked every bit the refined, distinguished young gentlemen, a sight pleasing enough to catch Qin Heng’s eye.
Scheme of the Heir was about the sons of some dynasty vying for the throne. When casting, Qin Heng paid close attention to the actors’ bearing. It was rare to meet young men who seemed to have been born with an aristocratic air, and he couldn’t help taking an interest in these two.
“Oh? And who might these gentlemen be?” Qin Heng asked, looking past the people surrounding him toward Xiao Jinghan and Shen Sining.
Shen Sining promptly stood and took Xiao Jinghan over to toast him. “Director Qin, how do you do? I’m Shen Sining, president of Siyi Entertainment. This is one of our artists, Xiao Jinghan.”
Xiao Jinghan followed up. “Hello, Director Qin. I’ve long admired you. It’s an honor to finally meet you in person.”
Siyi Entertainment was a new company, and Qin Heng probably hadn’t even heard of it. Still, he chatted with them for a few minutes without putting on airs. Xiao Jinghan handled himself with ease, and a hint of appreciation showed in Qin Heng’s eyes. But with so many people present, he didn’t say much more.
Another group soon came over to toast him. Qin Heng patted Xiao Jinghan on the shoulder and offered a polite, noncommittal “Let’s keep in touch.” That was the end of it.
Shen Sining had only come to give Xiao Jinghan some face time with Qin Heng, and that goal had been achieved. He turned to head back to his seat when he heard a familiar voice behind him introducing himself.
“Hello, Director Qin! I’m Xu Luonan from Fenghua Entertainment.”
Shen Sining stopped short. The name seemed oddly familiar. Then he remembered: wasn’t Xu Luonan another male lead (top) in the original novel?
Curious, Shen Sining turned around and found himself meeting the blue-suited young man’s eyes again.
Could he really be Xu Luonan?
Xu Luonan was chatting with Qin Heng, but all the while he was keeping Shen Sining in the corner of his eye. When he saw Shen Sining turn around, a bright smile immediately spread across his face.
He’d known it. His pretty big brother was bound to look back at him!
In the original novel, Xu Luonan was the sunny, enthusiastic wolf-pup type, and Shen Sining proved no exception. He couldn’t resist a wolf pup’s charm, and Xu Luonan’s row of perfect white teeth dazzled him.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, Shen Sining could almost hear Xiao Jinghan give another disdainful snort.