At the doorway, Sang Ji looked at the young man who had opened the door for her, taking a few seconds to react.
Hmm, this outfit leans toward an idol style—it must be Shen Xi.
She made the judgment in her mind.
“Sis,” Shen Xi greeted her with neither warmth nor coldness.
Inside, Shen Ci was holding two plates of food as he looked toward Sang Ji.
“Sister, I made dinner. It’s ready to eat.”
His expression was identical to Shen Xi’s—neutral and almost devoid of emotion.
It wasn’t that he was deliberately being aloof.
It was simply his nature, naturally reserved and not prone to showing emotion.
His face was quite deceptive; only a few close to him knew he was introverted and solitary, while others simply assumed he was cold by nature.
“They really are twins, huh? They look exactly alike, and even their voices are the same. If it weren’t for their different styles, you wouldn’t be able to tell them apart.”
System 001 marveled.
008 was unimpressed. “Making a fuss over nothing.”
001 retorted, “Could you tell them apart?!”
Ignoring them, Sang Ji handed the shopping bags in her hand to Shen Xi. “Mom’s gifts for you.”
Shen Xi took them, glanced casually at the contents, and set them aside.
Their mother was always like this—accumulating piles of gifts over time and then dumping them all on them during a visit.
As if trying to make up for something.
Sang Ji had come straight to see them after getting off the plane, and now, smelling the familiar aroma of home-cooked food, she suddenly felt hungry.
She glanced at the dishes on the table.
Nice, all her favorites.
“Let’s eat first,” she said to Shen Ci, curving her lips slightly. “It’s been a while since I’ve had your cooking.”
Shen Ci’s eyes brightened slightly, a subtle change in expression revealing his happiness.
Shen Xi: “…”
Suddenly, he didn’t feel as hungry anymore.
At the dining table, Shen Xi ate quietly until Sang Ji suddenly asked him, “Shen Xi, you’re going to be on a variety show soon, right?”
Shen Xi was taken aback, not expecting her to bring up the show.
He couldn’t help but recall the events of the afternoon.
When the company had first paired him with Liang Shiyu, he had really wanted to shout at them—
He had a sister.
He didn’t want to call some stranger “sister.”
But he knew Sang Ji would never accompany him on the show.
Every time she returned to the country, she only stayed for a few days and was always busy.
“Yeah,” he replied briefly, assuming she was just making conversation.
Sang Ji then asked, “Shen Ci, you received an invitation for the show too, right?”
Shen Ci looked up.
Sang Ji said calmly, “Don’t want to go?”
Actually, the production team had initially planned to invite both Shen Xi and Shen Ci to participate.
No show or event in the Domestic Entertainment Industry had ever managed to book both of them together.
What outsiders didn’t know was that Shen Ci only liked to focus on what he enjoyed. Apart from acting, he disliked all social engagements and never participated in any interviews or shows.
Over time, this inevitably gave people the impression that he was difficult to work with, and he had offended quite a few people because of it.
Despite this, major production teams never gave up—if they managed to book one, they’d try to book the other.
Just in case—what if they succeeded? The buzz would be explosive.
After enough attempts, rumors began circulating that the two didn’t get along.
Otherwise, why had they never appeared together or interacted even once? If it wasn’t intentional avoidance, what else could it be?
In truth, they weren’t deliberately avoiding each other. They hadn’t been in the industry for long, were signed to different companies, and their work naturally had little overlap.
But if they cared about such trivial speculation, they wouldn’t be who they were.
Thus, the relationship between this pair of top-tier traffic star twins remained a mystery.
Hearing Sang Ji’s question, Shen Ci lowered his gaze, concealing his emotions. “I… have no interest.”
If his sister found out he was still avoiding contact with others, would she think he was useless?
Sang Ji rested her chin on one hand, a slight smile curling at the corner of her lips. “What if I went with you?”
Shen Ci: “…”
Shen Xi: “??”
“How could that work?” Before Shen Ci could react, Shen Xi spoke up anxiously.
What kind of joke was this? If his sister accompanied his brother on a variety show, what would he do?
Keep pretending to be siblings with someone else?
No matter how he thought about it, it felt strange!
Besides, did she really have that much free time? The show would take several months to film.
“Hmm? Why not?” Sang Ji asked him.
Shen Xi searched for a suitable reason. “Shen Ci… he has a movie that’s almost confirmed. He might not have time for it.”
Sang Ji looked at Shen Ci. “Is that true?”
Shen Ci remained silent for a few seconds.
Movies could be filmed later, but the chance to participate in a show with his sister might only come once.
If his sister joined for the entire duration, she would be around for several months.
Since their parents’ divorce, they had never had the opportunity to spend that much time together.
Almost without hesitation, he made his decision.
“If my sister wants to go, then I’ll participate.”
Sang Ji said cheerfully, “Hmm~ Then it’s settled.”
Beside them, Shen Xi fell silent.
What was going on…
He was the one who was supposed to join the variety show. Why didn’t she offer to go with him?
She didn’t even ask him…
Strange, why did his eyes feel a bit sore?
…
Sang Ji turned her head and noticed Shen Xi’s eyes were red.
Uh.
“…Are you about to cry?”
…He wasn’t!
Shen Xi glared at her, flustered.
If she wanted to go, fine. He didn’t care at all.
Once they were on the show, he wouldn’t call her sister.
Yes, that’s how it would be.
Seeing him like this, Sang Ji couldn’t help but feel nostalgic. Such expressions had become rare as he grew up.
When they were children, if she ever took Shen Ci out to play without him, he would tearfully accuse her.
If the situation were reversed, Shen Ci would simply remain silent.
After a moment, she said leisurely, “Did I say I wouldn’t go with you?”
Shen Xi froze, as if pondering the meaning of her words.
“However, there’s a small issue on your end that needs to be resolved first.”
Shen Xi blinked hard to avoid the embarrassment of actually shedding tears.
A small issue… Did she mean the company?
Seeing his expression brighten, Sang Ji remarked in surprise, “It seems you really want me to go with you.”
Shen Xi: “…”
No, he didn’t really want it that much.
When Sang Ji left the Minggang Apartments, the driver was already waiting downstairs.
The driver asked if she wanted to return to the Sang family’s old residence.
After a brief moment of thought, Sang Ji replied, “Let’s go to Beicheng Gongguan.”
Beicheng Gongguan was one of the top-tier apartments in the capital, located in one of the city’s tallest buildings.
Although she only returned a few times a year, it was regularly cleaned and maintained.
After resting for the night, Sang Ji woke up early as usual.
From her floor, she could overlook the entire city, with the distant skyline fully visible.
Overall, she quite liked it.
The weather was pleasant today, with no clouds or fog to obscure the sunrise.
The indoor space was spacious and included a private swimming pool.
Sang Ji swam for a while and attended to some work matters.
The brands under her management were all being handled by dedicated teams, requiring little of her attention except for major decisions. Although she had been involved with the group’s affairs while abroad, there was still some time before she would formally take over, so she wasn’t too busy.
In short, she had plenty of time to take a break and participate in a variety show.
Working without enjoyment would only leave a person drained.
After methodically handling all her tasks, she left at the agreed-upon time.
After receiving the call from Shen Ci’s team last night, the director had been so excited he couldn’t sleep.
What incredible luck had come his way?
He had actually managed to pull off something so seemingly impossible!
Shen Xi and Shen Ci—one a top-tier traffic idol, the other a top-tier traffic star, and a pair of twins at that.
Just mentioning these two names together was a guaranteed recipe for attention.
Having them appear on the same show would undoubtedly send shockwaves through the domestic entertainment industry.
Now, sitting in his office, he was restless, almost wishing he could take the contract straight to their doorstep.
Sang Ji and the lawyer arrived early at the television station building, just as Shen Xi and Shen Ci were getting out of their car.
Their respective managers were already waiting at the entrance of the production team’s office.
Shen Xi’s manager looked visibly displeased, while Shen Ci’s manager appeared much calmer in comparison.
As the group entered the director’s office, the director immediately stood up to greet them.
Upon seeing Shen Xi and Shen Ci, he was momentarily stunned.
They really did look alike…
A face like that, even one, was already a miracle of creation.
Seeing two at once was genuinely awe-inspiring.
When he saw Sang Ji, he was taken aback again. “Are you… their older sister?”
He had worked with many female celebrities famous for their beauty, but it was rare for someone to leave him as astonished as he was now.
This would be another major selling point!
He silently resolved to make this collaboration happen, no matter what.
After exchanging pleasantries with the director, Sang Ji got straight to the point.
Their request was simple: since this was a family-themed variety show, if Shen Ci and she were to participate, they should be grouped with Shen Xi as fellow guests.
The production team naturally had no objections to this request, as they had originally intended to invite Shen Xi and Shen Ci as a pair, with other partners merely as backup options.
However, this meant the production team would need to communicate with the guest originally scheduled to partner with Shen Xi.
Sang Ji added, “If Ms. Liang Shiyu’s team disagrees, then Shen Xi will consider withdrawing from the show. The breach-of-contract penalty is not an issue, and of course, Shen Ci and I would also have no reason to participate.”
This statement immediately unsettled the director and his team.
Withdraw? That was absolutely out of the question.
Shen Xi’s manager tried to intervene, “Shen Xi’s contract is still with the company. He should follow the company’s arrangements. How can you make decisions on his behalf?”
Shen Xi sneered, “You really are the company’s loyal lapdog.”
Just as the manager was about to lose his temper, Sang Ji remarked casually, “I wouldn’t mind taking the company to court over a contract termination. Coincidentally, the lawyer here with me specializes in such cases. Would you like to discuss it with him?”
The manager fell silent. A lawsuit against the company had nothing to do with him; he had only spoken up because he couldn’t stand Shen Xi acting so freely.
Lacking any real authority, he chose to keep quiet.
The director quickly formulated a plan.
The simplest solution at the moment was to find a new partner for Liang Shiyu.
As compensation, they could even let her team decide on the candidate.
When signing the contracts, Shen Xi and Liang Shiyu had signed separately with the production team, and the contracts did not specify that they had to participate as sibling guests in the same group.
If the other party proved difficult to negotiate with, the investors backing their show were not to be trifled with either.
The director immediately contacted the other party’s team on-site.
Not long after, Liang Shiyu’s side responded, expressing willingness to cooperate with the production team’s arrangements.
The matter was resolved relatively quickly, and Sang Ji felt somewhat satisfied.
The director said eagerly, “All three of you, shall we sign the contracts now?”
After the lawyer carefully reviewed the contracts and confirmed there were no issues, Sang Ji and Shen Ci signed.
Meanwhile, Shen Ci’s manager stood by, filled with mixed emotions.
Was it really okay for this guy to go on the show…
…
Holding the contracts, the director felt a weight lift from his heart.
Everything was for the sake of the show’s popularity!
Seeing his delighted expression, the assistant director beside him couldn’t help but remind him, “There’s still one more issue. Didn’t we invite that person… who supposedly has quite a history with Shen Ci? Will they agree?”
The director thought for a moment, then said dismissively, “Never mind. If they’re unhappy, they can just withdraw.”
This time, he was determined to make a name for himself!