Shen Nanxian looked at Liu Lanci’s retreating figure with lingering affection until the figure disappeared. Only then did he turn around and get into the car, preparing to head to the company to handle work.
“Boss, good afternoon.” As soon as Shen Nanxian settled in, the secretary respectfully knocked on the door of the president’s office.
“Mhm, come in.”
Shen Nanxian leaned back against the chair, raised his eyes to glance at the secretary, and asked, “What is it?”
“Would you like to sign this document now?” The secretary respectfully handed over a stack of materials.
Shen Nanxian frowned and glanced at that stack of materials, then lowered his head to review the documents in front of his desk, saying absent-mindedly, “I will handle it. Put it there, you can go out.”
“Understood.” The secretary acknowledged and left. Without any extra glances, she walked away very briskly.
Shen Nanxian was very satisfied with this. He had finally found a secretary who would not calculate angles to fall onto him, nor would she deliberately spill scalding hot coffee on his trousers.
After reading the last few pages, Shen Nanxian closed the folder and stood up, walking toward the floor-to-ceiling window.
Standing by the window and overlooking the bustling metropolis beneath his feet, Shen Nanxian’s lips curved into a faint smile. He wondered what Liu Lanci was doing right now, whether he had been bullied, and whether he missed him.
Recalling their previous agreement, Shen Nanxian immediately picked up his phone to make a call, but no one answered for a long time.
“Has he not finished yet?” Muttering a word, Shen Nanxian continued to read the documents in his hand, waiting for Liu Lanci’s call back.
Time ticked away drop by drop, and Shen Nanxian’s patience grew increasingly thin. He simply tossed aside the documents in his hand, stood up, and walked out of the office, intending to go to the film set.
“Ding ding ding! Ding ding ding.”
Suddenly, a series of pleasant ringtones came from his pocket. Shen Nanxian stopped in his tracks, took out his phone to take a look, and seeing it was not Liu Lanci, answered the call with disappointment.
“Hello, who is this?”
“May I ask if you are Mr. Shen Nanxian?” A male voice came from the other end of the phone.
“It is like this. While filming, Teacher Liu was hit by a prop and is currently undergoing surgery.”
After hearing the phone call, Shen Nanxian’s expression drastically changed, and he questioned with a hurried tone, “What is going on? Why did this kind of situation happen midway through filming?”
“This, we are not clear about this either. We only know the director said Teacher Liu is rather seriously injured and asked to contact his family members.”
“I understand.” Shen Nanxian hung up the phone, sprinted out of the company, and rushed to the hospital.
When Shen Nanxian arrived at the ward, Liu Lanci had already passed the danger zone and was lying quietly on the hospital bed resting. Hearing the sound of the door opening, his gaze turned toward the entrance.
“Lanci, how do you feel?” Shen Nanxian strode to the bedside, took hold of Liu Lanci’s right hand, and asked with concern.
Liu Lanci slowly opened his eyes. Upon seeing Shen Nanxian, he revealed a reassuring smile and said softly, “It’s fine. You don’t need to worry. It’s just that my ankle got hit, nothing major.”
Even though Liu Lanci said this, his pale cheeks and the cold sweat on his forehead all exposed his current weakness.
Shen Nanxian heartache-strickenly stroked Liu Lanci’s little head, asking softly, “Does it hurt a lot? If it hurts, bite me.”
Liu Lanci shook his head.
“Hungry, right? What would you like to eat? I’ll have someone prepare it.” Shen Nanxian looked at Liu Lanci gently and asked considerately.
Liu Lanci blinked a few times, gently tugged at Shen Nanxian’s sleeve, and said, “A-Nan, I’m tired. I want to sleep for a bit. Will you accompany me, okay?”
Looking at Liu Lanci’s haggard little face, Shen Nanxian lowered his head to kiss his forehead, gently massaged his little head, nodded, and said, “All right. Close your eyes and rest, I will guard you.”
“Mhm.” Liu Lanci smiled sweetly, then slowly closed his eyes, his breathing gradually growing even.
Inside the ward, it was quiet enough to hear the wind blowing from the air conditioner and the ticking sound emitted by the equipment.
However, the outside world was turning upside down. Online media outlets were overwhelmingly reporting the news of Liu Lanci being injured by a prop and being kept as a kept mistress, and many photos even circulated around.
At this, Shen Nanxian’s fans refused to sit still. Any minor celebrity dared to come and ride on the coattails of popularity; this time, it was absolutely unbearable!
Comment after comment surged forth like a tide, and the entire entertainment industry instantly exploded. Those who usually envied Liu Lanci and those who secretly loved Shen Nanxian all erupted at this moment, condemning Liu Lanci’s actions one after another.
“This cheap slut Liu Lanci is so disgusting, he actually got kept as a kept mistress.”
“The person above can curse all you want, but don’t drag President Shen into this.”
“You guys tell me if there’s a possibility that the two of them are dating.”
“Supporting the person above. I am an employee of the Shen Corporation, and Liu Lanci is the boss’s wife.”
“Hehe, please, brain-dead fans don’t entertain yourselves. Before speaking, delete the video promoting Liu Lanci’s endorsements.”
“Believe it or not, as for the promotion, that was ordered by the Boss.”
“I’ll just quietly eat melons and silently ship the CP.”
The Shen Corporation’s public relations department did not know how to handle this matter either, pacifying all sides while seeking help from Shen Nanxian.
Upon learning about this matter, Shen Nanxian was so angry he laughed. These people were simply too idle; he was openly pampering his wife, and yet they could still fabricate such vicious scandals.
Without a word, Shen Nanxian had his assistant contact major media outlets to clarify the matter and also issued a statement saying that he and Liu Lanci were in a pure fiancée relationship, hoping everyone would refrain from spreading rumors and slander.
Shortly after Shen Nanxian’s statement was published, the public opinion on the internet shifted immediately, as Shen Nanxian’s influence was still quite substantial.
Shen Nanxian’s fans instantly announced they were heartbroken over their unrequited love. For a time, peace was restored, and all those malicious comments disappeared.
Yet, Shen Nanxian could not feel happy at all. Instead, a surge of anger was pent up in his chest. He had never concealed his relationship with Liu Lanci, and someone must have been fanning the flames behind these malicious comments.
“Nanxian, what is wrong with you? Why is your complexion so ugly?” Just as Shen Nanxian was deep in thought, with a vague suspect already forming in his mind as he began drafting a revenge plan, he heard the slightly hoarse voice of Liu Lanci coming from beside his ear.
Shen Nanxian quickly regained his composure, turned sideways, reached out to pull Liu Lanci into his arms, held him tightly against his chest, placed his warm palm over Liu Lanci’s icy left arm, and said softly, “I’m fine. I just think some people are too idle and it’s time to find them something to do.”
On the other side, Ren Cha was smashing things left and right. Clearly a kept arrangement, Shen Nanxian actually twisted it into a fiancée relationship. To save face, he was throwing away all dignity.
Ren Cha’s newly appointed fiancée, Song Wenwen, immediately stepped forward to comfort him, using her body to temporarily smooth away Ren Cha’s anger.