Having obtained the answer, Shen Nanxian nodded. Immediately afterward, he took out his phone and made a call to his assistant, instructing him to find a suitable company. He wanted to buy it and open an entertainment agency dedicated exclusively to supporting Liu Lanci.
“Mr. Shen.”
Liu Lanci stood beside Shen Nanxian, not knowing what to say anymore.
He was inherently someone not skilled in fluent conversation. Now, being cared for in such a manner by Shen Nanxian, he was utterly incapable of describing his feelings at this moment. He could only use two words to express the emotion within his heart: touched!
“I am doing this willingly, so do not refuse.” Shen Nanxian looked at Liu Lanci with a smiling gaze, his tone very gentle. His hand lifted naturally, lightly stroking the stray locks of hair blown about by the wind on Liu Lanci’s forehead.
“Thank you, I will work hard to repay you.” Liu Lanci took a few deep breaths, trying his best to calm his emotions, and then bowed to thank Shen Nanxian.
“I hope you will prove your value through practical actions.” Shen Nanxian lightly patted his shoulder, his tone carrying a hint of encouragement.
Shen Nanxian not only found a top-tier manager for Liu Lanci, but he also invested in several high-production-value scripts for him. Liu Lanci’s developmental momentum was exceptionally strong, and it was entirely foreseeable that he might become an international superstar in the short term.
Of course, this was also thanks to Shen Nanxian’s comprehensive support and escorting protection. Otherwise, how could those old foxes possibly let go of a piece of clean and appetizing meat like Liu Lanci?
“Xiao Liu, your performance today was exceptionally good.” Director Lu looked at Liu Lanci with satisfaction, giving him a thumbs-up.
Liu Lanci offered a humble smile and replied: “Thank you for the praise, Director Lu.”
“Mm, I have high hopes for you. I believe your path ahead will stretch out further and further.” Director Lu continued speaking: “You are far too capable of enduring hardship. Occasionally, you should eat something sweet.”
“Thank you for the reminder, Director Lu.” Liu Lanci responded respectfully. Although he did not understand what Director Lu was talking about, saying thank you could never be wrong, right?
Director Lu nodded and then asked him: “Do you have time this evening? I would like to invite you out for a meal.”
“I am sorry, Director Lu, I have already made plans with someone.” Liu Lanci politely declined. Today, Shen Nanxian had finally finished discussing business and returned from abroad. He needed to go back and cook a delicious meal for Shen Nanxian. That was all he was capable of doing.
Director Lu frowned and said: “So that is how it is. Seeing you look so happy, is the person you are meeting someone you hold dear?”
“Yes.”
Liu Lanci blushed slightly. Shen Nanxian was indeed the person he held dear, while simultaneously being someone he dared not hope to reach.
Director Lu did not ask any further, watching Liu Lanci step into the van, and then sighed as he said: “Ah, the flower already belongs to someone else!”
“Whose flower belongs to someone?” Director Lu’s friend had arrived from a distance and happened to catch Director Lu’s words. Looking over at the departing van, a sense of sourness welled up in his heart: “Old Lu, the iron tree is about to bloom, but what a pity, it did not end up blooming.”
Director Lu shot a sideways glance at the other person, too lazy to bother responding.
As night fell, the lights of Xinghe City twinkled dimly. A black sedan slowly drove toward a high-end villa district.
Shen Nanxian walked into the house and did not see Liu Lanci. There was only the faint fragrance of food floating through the air. He took off his coat, hung it on the coat rack, slipped into slippers, and walked into the kitchen.
“Cici, it smells so good!”
Shen Nanxian moved close to Liu Lanci, inhaling the scent on his body while the corners of his mouth curved upward. He then let out a sigh of exclamation, though whether he was referring to the fragrance of the food or the person remained unclear.
“Wash your hands quickly and let us eat. I made fish, stir-fried bamboo shoots, and boiled soup.” Liu Lanci wiped his hands and removed his apron, setting it aside.
“I will dish out the soup for you.”
“Mm.”
The two of them sat down to enjoy dinner. Liu Lanci picked up a piece of fish meat, preparing to place it in Shen Nanxian’s bowl, when unexpectedly, Shen Nanxian leaned right in and swallowed it directly into his stomach, only to say delicious right after.
Liu Lanci froze for a moment. After snapping back to reality, his eyes widened into twin circles, his ear tips quietly turning red. Yet, pretending as though nothing had happened, he lowered his head and continued eating the food in his bowl.
Shen Nanxian looked at him, the corners of his mouth curving slightly upward as he used his chopsticks to transfer a chicken leg into Liu Lanci’s bowl: “You have lost weight. Eat more to nourish your body.”
Liu Lanci raised his head to lock gazes with Shen Nanxian, seeing the concern hidden in the depths of his eyes. He could not help pressing his lips together as his heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and he proceeded to eat the chicken leg Shen Nanxian had picked out for him.
He could not understand why Shen Nanxian was always like this, showing meticulous care toward him like an elder, making him inexplicably feel a deep sense of closeness, surpassing family even though they were not blood-related.
If Shen Nanxian knew that Liu Lanci had slapped a family-member label on him, he would likely be left crying tears of laughter.
The two of them happily partook in dinner, after which they cleaned up the table and went off to busy themselves with their respective tasks.
Shen Nanxian returned to the study to work, while Liu Lanci went to the living room to pour himself a glass of fruit juice and drink it.
Liu Lanci checked the time. It was already ten-forty. He wondered when Mr. Shen would rest, as staying up late caused hair loss. Imagining a bald Shen Nanxian in his mind, he could not help letting out a chuckle.
His laughter woke System 222, which had been sleeping in its doghouse. It raised its head to check the time. It was time to eat. Because it had been lying down for too long, its body felt a bit numb, so its four legs moved independently of each other as it laboriously walked over to Liu Lanci’s side.
It arched its head against Liu Lanci, its gaze repeatedly glancing sideways toward the kitchen. Its meaning was extremely clear.
“222, you are finally awake. Your dog food was made a long time ago. I will go heat it up for you.”
Liu Lanci wildly ruffled the dog’s head a few times and walked toward the kitchen. In his heart, he still harbored a lingering question: Why did Shen Nanxian name the Husky 222? That name was a bit of a tongue-twister. Wouldn’t it be simpler to just call it Triple Two?
222 did not read Liu Lanci’s thoughts because its host forbade it. If it had read them, it surely would have wailed in grievance. It did not want this name either, but since it was the host’s 222nd system, it ended up with this moniker.
When Shen Nanxian emerged from the study, it was already midnight. The window was open, and the breeze from outside filtered in, rustling the gauze curtains in every direction.
He slowly strolled into Liu Lanci’s room, effortlessly and familiarly tucking the blanket in around Liu Lanci.
After he left, Liu Lanci on the bed opened his eyes wide, staring fixedly at the doorway, and remained awake for a long time.
The next morning, while eating breakfast, Shen Nanxian noticed that Liu Lanci’s expression looked off, so he took the initiative to ask: “What is wrong? Did someone bully you?”
Liu Lanci shook his head, paused to think, and said: “Mr. Shen, I think there is a ghost in the villa.”
Shen Nanxian: “…” This small world was supposed to be normal and not a supernatural realm. How could there be talk of ghosts?
“It is a perverted ghost, too. It touches me every day. When Mr. Shen is not in the villa, I do not stay home either, and those few days passed by very…” Liu Lanci looked at Shen Nanxian and continued: “Mr. Shen, should we perhaps hire a…”
Shen Nanxian: “…” How was he supposed to explain that the ghost in question was actually him, and that he was merely tucking Liu Lanci in with his blanket every night? How on earth had things devolved into this?
As Shen Nanxian pondered how to explain, Liu Lanci let out a sneaky chuckle, which happened to be caught by System 222.
System 222 could only conclude that love makes a host blind!