Lin Shen’s graceful posture suddenly froze.
Lu Jing gave him a cold glance, his expression clearly saying, “What nonsense are you talking?”
Qi Zhang shrugged and smoothly changed the subject: “What about that marriage agreement between you two—”
Lu Jing: “Don’t mention it in front of him.”
Qi Zhang kicked a piece of broken glass on the floor: “So you’re just going to keep it from him?”
Lu Jing: “That agreement has always been a thorn in his heart. I don’t want our relationship to become muddled because of it.”
Qi Zhang leaned back against the sofa: “I really don’t get you two. Why can’t you just lay everything out in the open? You’re so awkward about it. Anyone can see Lin Shen has feelings for you. It’s just you scaring yourself all the time.”
Lu Jing watched the light refracted through the wine bottle under the chandelier, his voice somewhat hoarse: “You don’t understand. There’s always a layer of gratitude between his feelings for me. Maybe even he can’t tell whether it’s more affection or more gratitude.”
“Yeah, I really don’t understand all these complications between you. But you’ve been married for over two years now, and we friends have been watching for over two years. No contractual marriage partners are like you two—so loving and affectionate,” Qi Zhang said. “If you ask me, while Lin Shen can’t remember anything now, you should just forget that agreement too. Pick a good day to go public with your fans, then be the perfect couple in your circle.”
“The entertainment industry isn’t as simple as you think.” Lu Jing took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore.”
Lu Jing’s tone turned serious: “I remember you knew an expert specializing in amnesia research when you were abroad?”
Qi Zhang thought for a moment: “There was someone like that, but that old man is quite eccentric. I’m not sure if he’d be willing to help.”
Qi Zhang sat up straight: “Here’s what I’ll do—I’ll contact him first and notify you as soon as I get in touch.”
…
Lu Jing sat in the driver’s seat, about to start the engine, when his phone rang.
He answered. It was his agent, Han Wei: “Lu Jing, are you free right now? The publicity team suddenly arranged an interview. If you’re not busy, could you go over? I’ll send you the address.”
Lu Jing held the steering wheel with one hand: “Send it to me, I’ll head over now.”
When he saw the address, Lu Jing’s eyes flickered, then he drove into the street.
After a few turns and traffic lights, Lu Jing finally stopped at the base of a building over sixty stories tall.
Lin Shen’s photoshoot location today was also here.
Ren Chen waited at the entrance. Upon seeing Lu Jing, he stepped forward and handed him the tablet in his hand: “This interview was arranged last-minute and isn’t particularly important. It’s mainly to give the fans a little treat, so just answer casually.”
Lu Jing took the tablet and entered the elevator. On the way up, he briefly asked a few questions and had a basic understanding of the situation by the time the elevator reached the floor.
As he stepped out of the elevator, a commotion sounded from not far away—someone seemed to have been scalded, and the scene was momentarily chaotic.
“This coffee is still steaming hot, hurry to the restroom and rinse it with water!”
Lu Jing frowned and was about to change direction when he suddenly heard a familiar voice.
“It’s fine, I’ll go rinse with cold water for a while. You all continue with your work.” The speaker was Lin Shen.
Lu Jing stopped in his tracks.
Another voice chimed in immediately: “How can that be? The shoot is about to start. If you delay everyone because of this, will you take responsibility for the losses?”
“Let go,” came the voice of Lin Shen’s manager. “Jin Yucheng, don’t go too far!”
Jin Yucheng: “I’m going too far? Why didn’t he say it was too far when he snatched my endorsement? Why didn’t he say it was too far when he delayed everyone’s time because he got scalded?”
Someone couldn’t stand it and spoke up for Lin Shen: “Jin Yucheng, it was clearly you who spilled coffee on Lin Shen. We all saw it.”
Jin Yucheng was about to say more when someone suddenly yanked him. Losing his balance, he staggered and stumbled backward several steps.
“Who the hell dares to touch me—” Jin Yucheng turned around with a fierce expression, but his eyes widened instantly upon seeing who it was, his arrogance vanishing into thin ash.
Lin Shen was also startled to see the newcomer and was about to speak when Lu Jing beat him to it: “Go to the restroom first and rinse the scalded area with cold water.”
Lu Jing glanced at the spots where the coffee had splashed on Lin Shen and his reddened wrist, his expression unreadable but his tone carrying a chilling edge: “I’ll handle things here.”
Lin Shen dragged his bewildered manager, Huang Ge, out of the lounge. Only when cold water flowed over Lin Shen’s hand did Huang Ge snap back to reality: “Did I see that right? The person who just helped us out was actually Lu Jing, the film emperor?”
Truth be told, Lin Shen was also a bit dazed. He numbly let the cold water envelop his reddened skin and answered Huang Ge in a faint voice: “Probably not mistaken.”
Huang Ge stared at the flowing tap water, digesting the fact that the big shot who never liked to meddle in others’ affairs had actually stepped in to help them. Only then did he belatedly start worrying about his own artist: “Does it still hurt?”
Lin Shen assessed the sensation: “Not anymore.”
Huang Ge didn’t believe him: “Really?”
“It’s really not that serious. Did you think I was stupid enough to stand there and let him pour it on me?” Lin Shen said. “I dodged when he threw it, so not much splashed on me.”
Huang Ge: “This area is all red.”
Lin Shen sighed: “It’s bound to be a bit red, but it’s nothing serious.”
Brother Huang knew Lin Shen’s temperament—whether he was truly in pain or just pretending, he always acted indifferent.
“Alright, there’s a hospital nearby. In a moment, you go to the hospital first, and I’ll explain the situation to the person in charge.”
Lin Shen turned off the faucet. “No need. The shoot is about to start, and there’s no time to go now.”
“But—”
Brother Huang was about to persuade him further when footsteps echoed from the doorway. Both Lin Shen and Brother Huang turned to see Ren Chen, Lu Jing’s assistant.
Ren Chen stood at a moderate distance and said to Lin Shen, “Mr. Lin, the boss asks you to come to his dressing room.”
Lin Shen was a bit surprised. “Now?”
Ren Chen replied, “Yes, just follow me.”
It was unclear what Lu Jing had done, but the previously noisy and chaotic environment had returned to its usual quiet.
Ren Chen led the two to the door of Lu Jing’s dressing room. After knocking, a voice from inside said, “Come in.”
Ren Chen pushed the door open, and Lin Shen stepped inside.
Brother Huang made a move to follow, but the door slammed shut with a bang. Ren Chen looked at him and smiled faintly. “The boss wants to meet Mr. Lin alone. Please wait outside for a moment.”
Brother Huang glanced at the tightly closed door, then at Ren Chen’s mysterious smile, feeling as if the world had suddenly become surreal.
Inside the room, Lu Jing held Lin Shen’s arm to examine his injury. “Does it hurt?”
The warm touch on his arm made Lin Shen’s heartbeat quicken involuntarily. He shook his head and whispered, “It doesn’t hurt.”
“I’ve already contacted the person in charge. Your shoot will be postponed. Go to the hospital first to treat the burn.”
Hearing this, Lin Shen looked up and met Lu Jing’s eyes, sounding a bit anxious. “It’s really fine. The burned area is just a little red and will heal soon. There’s no need to postpone the shoot for me.”
Lu Jing frowned at him.
Lin Shen felt a bit intimidated but insisted, “I promise I’ll take responsibility for my own health.”
“Burns are no small matter.”
Lin Shen knew Lu Jing was worried about him, but this endorsement was also very important to him.
Moreover, Jin Yucheng’s stunt today was meant to prevent him from participating in the shoot on time, thereby embarrassing him in front of everyone.
If that happened, it wouldn’t just be his own face on the line—it would also reflect poorly on the second young master of Chiyun.
Those in higher positions never bother to understand the process; they only care about the results. If Jin Yucheng succeeded today, the problems Lin Shen would face in the future would only multiply.
So no matter what, he couldn’t let Jin Yucheng have his way.
Faced with Lu Jing’s concern, Lin Shen could only reply earnestly, “Please believe me, it will definitely be fine.”
Lu Jing glanced once more at the spot where Lin Shen had been scalded, then reached out and ruffled his hair. “Alright, but if you feel any discomfort at all, contact me immediately. Don’t push yourself too hard.”
Lu Jing’s lounge was spacious, and directly across from him stood a full-length mirror. Through its surface, Lin Shen saw Lu Jing’s distinct, knuckled fingers buried in his own hair, while his own ears flushed with a faint, barely noticeable shade of pink.
Lin Shen returned to his own cramped, shared lounge for minor actors. As soon as he entered, everyone looked at him with expressions ranging from surprise to envy.
One person, straightforward by nature and standing close to Lin Shen, asked without reservation, “Lin Shen, when Lu Jing suddenly appeared earlier, it was absolutely stunning. Lu Jing is famously known as the ‘Iceberg God’—he never gets involved in the industry’s petty squabbles. For him to help you today, does that mean he’s taken a liking to you?”
Lin Shen was drinking water when he abruptly heard the words “taken a liking to you,” nearly causing him to spit it out.
“Cough, cough,” he coughed twice, taking a moment to recover before realizing that the phrase “taken a liking to you” didn’t carry the same meaning he had initially thought. “What are you thinking? If even someone like me could catch his eye, then everyone here could sign with Lu Jing’s company.”
“Come on, Lin Shen, don’t be so modest.”
Everyone started teasing him again, so Lin Shen quickly finished his water to divert their attention. “Alright, alright, Lu Jing’s thoughts are beyond our understanding. Let’s just focus on doing our jobs well today.”
Just then, someone came to notify them to prepare, as filming was about to begin.
The filming process went relatively smoothly. Once everyone left the lounge, they knew to keep their mouths shut and no longer discuss what had happened earlier, simply standing in their positions and playing their respective roles.
After the commercial shoot, everyone dispersed, leaving only Lin Shen behind to shoot promotional posters. By the time the posters were finished, night had already fallen outside.
Throughout the entire afternoon, Brother Huang had been trying to pry something out of Lin Shen. Lin Shen, as usual, brushed him off, leaving Brother Huang utterly confused. In the end, Brother Huang even believed Lin Shen’s explanation: “I visited a temple a few days ago to pray, and the deities there are quite effective.”
In the hallway, as Brother Huang was pressing Lin Shen for details about which temple he had visited, they unexpectedly ran into an unwelcome guest.
Jin Yucheng leaned casually against the wall, a cigarette held between his fingers, exhaling a cloud of white smoke.
Hearing the noise, he glanced sideways at Lin Shen, then straightened up, casually tossing the cigarette to the ground and crushing it under his shoe.
After completing this series of actions, he walked toward Lin Shen, his tone unfriendly. “Lu Jing was just in a generous mood today and happened to help you out. Don’t think for a second that you’ve actually caught his eye. Do you really believe he helped you because you’re special?”
Lin Shen shot him a disdainful glance, then didn’t spare him another look, walking straight past him.
Behind him, Jin Yucheng was clearly dissatisfied with his attitude, gritting his teeth as he shouted, “Stop!”
Lin Shen didn’t pause his steps.
Jin Yucheng continued to taunt him, “Lin Shen, aside from a bit of luck, you’re utterly useless. Don’t delude yourself into thinking you can rise to the top by clinging to Lu Jing. He only helped you because…”
Lin Shen finally stopped.
He turned and looked at Jin Yucheng, cutting him off. “No matter what reason Lu Jing had for helping me, I’m very grateful.”
Seeing Jin Yucheng’s expression darken, Lin Shen deliberately feigned nonchalance. “Oh, sorry, I forgot that some people can’t even get a glance from Lu Jing, let alone have the chance to feel grateful to him.”
“So whether Lu Jing was being kind or just took a liking to me, it’s none of your concern.”
After saying this, he turned and walked away without a care for Jin Yucheng’s reaction.
Brother Huang followed behind Lin Shen, clapping enthusiastically. Jin Yucheng’s face had turned completely dark.
A few steps later, they reached a corner. As Lin Shen turned the corner, he looked up and saw Lu Jing standing by the window.
Lin Shen’s confident stride suddenly faltered.