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The two were sitting too close together. Sheng Li wore a pair of denim shorts, her pale, slender legs brushing against Yu Chi’s sweatpants. His tall, upright figure exuded a casual, almost lazy charm, and the air around them was filled with his clean, refreshing scent.
Sheng Li’s heart raced, her body inexplicably weakening. She tilted her head up to look at him intently, her lips only inches away from his chin—a slight tilt of her head would bring them close enough to kiss.
Her voice was low, almost a whisper: “Yes, if I buy you out, then you’ll be mine, won’t you?”
When Sheng Li had heard Yu Chi mention Starshine Entertainment in the private room earlier, she had seriously considered this idea. Even Rong Hua, who had been in the industry for nearly two decades, hadn’t heard of the company.
She tried searching it on Baidu.
Thankfully, though small, the company at least had a page on Baidu Baike.
Registered in Hangzhou, the legal representative was Jiang Nan. As for other information, it was practically useless. For instance, the artists under their label—Sheng Li didn’t recognize a single one. The most famous among them had played a third-tier male lead in a web drama. That drama had bombed in ratings, and Sheng Li hadn’t even heard of it.
A search on Weibo yielded similar results—their artists’ profiles resembled those of struggling internet celebrities, not successful ones.
Someone like Yu Chi, with top-tier looks, charisma, and acting talent, being wasted at such a company for ten years was nothing short of criminal.
But Yu Chi would likely refuse any offer.
“You sure do have high hopes,” Yu Chi’s voice remained low and hoarse. Without a trace of emotion, he turned his head toward the window, subtly shifting his casually resting hand as if feeling slightly uncomfortable. “And besides, there’s no need.”
“Why isn’t there? You’re only eighteen, and six years is a long time.” Sheng Li furrowed her brows, wanting to clarify something. “Was it Jiang Nan who signed you? I know you didn’t do it voluntarily. Was it your stepdad and stepmom who signed for you?”
“My mom’s real, though she might as well have been a stepmom.” Yu Chi spoke as if discussing someone else’s life, his tone consistently calm. “Jiang Nan was convinced I’d become a big star, so he paid them 300,000 yuan to sign me to a contract.”
Three hundred thousand yuan—that’s all it took to sell their son.
Sheng Li felt sickened by these so-called parents and pressed further: “Then why haven’t you acted or appeared on any shows these past few years? Based on Jiang Nan’s style, he should’ve been squeezing every drop out of you.”
Why so many questions? Yu Chi shot her a glance, his tone tinged with impatience: “You know how narrow the roles are for kids. When he first signed me, I was only thirteen or fourteen. At that age, finding suitable and standout roles is tough. Initially, he had high standards—he thought since I’d worked with He Yuanren and been praised as a genius, he could push me into a high-end career. But he wasn’t very capable, and I didn’t cooperate either.”
Yu Chi had been just a child back then, and despite his rebellious streak, he hadn’t done anything extreme. Jiang Nan, cunning and shameless, hadn’t expected Yu Manqi, Yu Chi’s biological mother, to sell her own son for 300,000 yuan. That incident had deeply enraged him. With limited resources at his disposal, Jiang Nan struggled, and Yu Chi’s resistance only made things worse. After being rejected from several poorly made productions, he stopped trying altogether.
Sheng Li stared at his profile, growing fonder and more sympathetic with each passing moment. “So… the broken arm, broken leg, and head injuries—are they true?”
Yu Chi paused, surprised she would connect the dots. He lifted his left hand slightly and said indifferently: “Only this hand was broken. My legs and head were fine.”
“Did you do it yourself?”
Yu Chi didn’t want to elaborate or play the victim. Casually, he replied: “More or less.”
Sheng Li looked at him with complex emotions, falling silent for a while. Unable to bear her gaze, Yu Chi placed his hand over her head and gently turned it away. “Stop staring. You’re a big star—you’ve seen plenty of handsome men. Why keep looking at me?”
“There may be plenty of handsome men in the entertainment industry, but none quite like you. Besides, I don’t think they’re better-looking than you.” Sheng Li smoothed her hair and continued to stare. “Are you really refusing my help to buy you out? I’ll support you, and you’ll definitely become a huge star.”
“No. I don’t want to act anymore, and I don’t want fame.” Yu Chi’s tone was indifferent.
Sheng Li was taken aback, unable to believe him: “But you once said you wanted to attend film school.”
Yu Chi glanced at her and chuckled lazily: “Isn’t Tsinghua or Peking University good enough?”
Sheng Li: “...”
Such arrogant words weren’t something anyone could say, yet they were incredibly alluring when coming from him.
“They’re great schools, truly excellent—ones I could never get into in my lifetime.” Sheng Li smiled brightly at him. “So, can this older sister have a boyfriend who’s a top-tier academic younger brother? To make up for lost opportunities?”
Yu Chi flatly refused: “No.”
Sheng Li raised an eyebrow, unfazed, and continued: “Don’t reject me so quickly. This older sister is pursuing you.”
From the front seat, Uncle Liu let out a long sigh. Sheng Li asked: “Uncle Liu, why are you sighing?”
“I’ve never seen you endure such frustration. Isn’t it said that pursuing a man is as easy as lifting a veil? But here we are, facing a brick wall.” Uncle Liu sighed again.
Sheng Li chuckled: “It’s fine. He’s young—I’m willing to coax him.”
Yu Chi glanced at her expressionlessly.
Uncle Liu sighed once more.
________________________________________
Early the next morning, the two boarded a flight back.
Sheng Li spent the entire flight reading through a script. Just minutes after getting into the car, she rested her head on Yu Chi’s shoulder and muttered: “Let’s go to the hospital to pick up Fat Yuan Yuan first.”
Yu Chi, who had been replying to messages on WeChat, paused and turned to look at her. After staring for a few seconds, he returned to his phone.
At the hospital, they picked up Yuan Yuan—who wasn’t as chubby anymore. She had lost several pounds during her hospital stay. Sheng Li sized her up and teased: “Looks like you’ve lost some weight. How many pounds?”
“Eight pounds!” Yuan Yuan sighed.
Once in the car, Yuan Yuan noticed Yu Chi in the front passenger seat and whispered: “Yu Chi’s here too?”
“Yes, he went to Beijing with me,” Sheng Li said matter-of-factly.
Yuan Yuan’s eyes widened: “Huh? Then… why didn’t Sister Rong call to scold me?”
“She wouldn’t scold you while you’re hospitalized.” Sheng Li rolled her eyes. “Sister Rong might be intense, but she wouldn’t do that over something like this. Besides, I haven’t done anything wrong.”
Before reaching the film city, as they passed through an older residential area, Yu Chi turned to the driver and said: “Stop here for a moment.”
“What are you doing?” Sheng Li glanced outside.
Yu Chi unbuckled his seatbelt, opened the door, and stepped out with one long leg. He glanced back at her: “The hotel’s soundproofing is terrible. I rented a place inside this neighborhood to grab some things.”
“When did you rent a place?”
“A few days ago.”
Sheng Li frowned as she looked at the entrance of the neighborhood. “I told you to move into our hotel, but you didn’t. Renting a place here—don’t you think it’s troublesome? It’s pretty far from the filming location.”
“Not really.” Yu Chi pointed to a row of green bicycles nearby. “Ten minutes by bike—I won’t be late.”
The key point was whether he’d be late?
Sheng Li thought for a moment and said: “Alright, go ahead. Come to the set at 2 PM.”
After Yu Chi left, Sheng Li turned to Yuan Yuan: “What about that computer I asked you to order—is it being delivered today?”
“It arrived yesterday. I had the hotel sign for it.”
Back at the hotel, Sheng Li poured herself a glass of water. Seeing Yuan Yuan crouched on the floor unpacking her things, she kicked her lightly: “Stop fussing. I’ll organize everything later. Rest a bit more.”
“I’m fine now. There’s no way you can do this yourself,” Yuan Yuan giggled. “You can’t live without me.”
Seeing how lively Yuan Yuan seemed, Sheng Li let her be. Sitting on the couch, she said: “Stay at the hotel and rest these next few days. No need to come to the set with me. Order a small birthday cake to be delivered to my room tonight.”
Yuan Yuan froze, alarmed: “For Yu Chi? Why deliver it to your room?!”
Sheng Li smiled mischievously: “Yuan Yuan, help me think of a way to lure Yu Chi into my room tonight.”
“...”
Yuan Yuan shook her head in horror: “Nope, no ideas, not thinking about it.”
“Why are you so scared?” Sheng Li sneered. “I just want to date someone—not hook up, sleep with fans, or sponsor some young guy.”
Yuan Yuan thought of Lu Xingyu and glanced at Sheng Li. “But Sister Rong will say you lack ambition.”
“Forget her. If I don’t date at 23, am I supposed to wait until I’m 32?” Sheng Li picked up her phone and messaged Zhou Sinuan on WeChat.
Sheng Li: [Queen Zhou, tell me—how would you feel if someone preferred being sponsored by you rather than dating you?]
Zhou Sinuan, likely busy, didn’t reply immediately.
After resting for a bit, Sheng Li left for the set at 1 PM. The shoot went smoothly, wrapping up by 10 PM. After changing clothes and getting into the car, she received a picture from Yuan Yuan. Opening it, she saw it was a birthday cake already placed in the mini-fridge in her room.
Sheng Li was still waiting in the car for Yu Chi when Uncle Liu suddenly drove off. She quickly called out: “Yu Chi hasn’t gotten in yet—don’t drive off!”
Uncle Liu pointed ahead: “He left already. He just rode off on his bike.”
Sheng Li leaned out to confirm. Sure enough, she saw Yu Chi riding his bike into the night. The wind billowed his T-shirt, and even his silhouette radiated youthful energy.
One thing she hadn’t lied about—she had indeed harbored feelings for a handsome top student in high school. But it had only been a fleeting crush, not deep affection. Still, she realized she had always liked this type of guy. Yu Chi was even handsomer and more unique than that former top student.
Back at the hotel, Sheng Li showered, applied light makeup, and changed into a lavender spaghetti-strap dress. Glancing at the clock, it was already 11:30 PM.
Sitting on the couch, she eyed the birthday cake and new laptop on the table, then glanced at the clock again—it was almost midnight, and the day would soon turn to the 29th. She picked up her phone, opened Yu Chi’s chat, and pondered how to lure him over.
Pretend to be sick? What illness?
Too serious would seem fake—Yu Chi might call 120. And Yuan Yuan was around.
Too mild wouldn’t work. Ugh, why was Yu Chi so difficult?
That’s when Zhou Sinuan finally replied.
Queen Zhou: [Let me ask you—how would you feel if someone preferred sponsoring you rather than dating you?]
Sheng Li: [????]
Sheng Li: [No wonder you’ve been feuding with me for years and haven’t been driven out of the industry. I’ve long suspected someone’s backing you. Tell me, who’s your sugar daddy?]
Queen Zhou: [Which young actor at the set dared reject you?]
Sheng Li: [How do you know it’s a young actor?]
Queen Zhou: [The main actors either have girlfriends or are married with families. The oldest, Teacher Lu, has a married son. Other than a young, handsome junior, who else could catch your eye?]
Sheng Li thought for a moment and typed slowly: [Your boss?]
A few seconds later, Queen Zhou: [It’s not Yu Chi, is it?]
Queen Zhou: [Though I haven’t met him in person, guys his age tend to be pure and innocent. If you approach them too aggressively, they might think you’re playing with them.]
Zhou Sinuan, guarding her secrets, was trying to pry into Sheng Li’s affairs. Their plastic sisterhood was truly fitting. Sheng Li thought to herself, Yu Chi isn’t innocent. If he were, would I be this troubled?
________________________________________
The old residential area was quiet and still in the depths of night. The only sound came from Yu Chi’s rhythmic typing. He had rented a one-bedroom apartment of about 40-50 square meters. The previous tenant was likely a woman, as the place was kept impeccably clean.
His phone lit up briefly.
He glanced at it, picked it up, and opened the voice message.
Sheng Li’s voice, tinged with a hint of crying, sounded pitiful. She said, “Yu Chi, my stomach hurts. Can you buy some medicine and bring it to me?”
Yu Chi frowned, looked down at his screen, and quickly typed with one hand: [Where does it hurt?]
The other party requested a voice call.
He accepted immediately and asked, “When did it start hurting? If it’s serious, we should go to the hospital.”
On the other end, Sheng Li sniffled, her voice trembling as if enduring immense pain. She replied weakly, “It’s been hurting for a while. I’m not sure where exactly, but it might be gastroenteritis. Can you buy some medicine for me?”
“Alright.” Without hesitation, Yu Chi grabbed his keys, stood up, and headed toward the door.
There was a 24-hour pharmacy near the film city. Yu Chi rode his bike there quickly. The pharmacist on duty, a young woman, had been dozing off but perked up instantly when she saw Yu Chi walk in.
A handsome guy to wake her up during the night shift—what a blessing!
When Yu Chi arrived at the hotel entrance, he called Sheng Li. She answered almost immediately, and he whispered, “I’m at the hotel entrance. Ask Yuan Yuan to come downstairs and get it.”
Sheng Li’s voice was soft: “Yuan Yuan just got discharged from the hospital. She’s definitely asleep by now. Don’t bother her—just bring it up yourself.”
“Aren’t you worried someone might see?” A strange feeling welled up inside Yu Chi. Something about Sheng Li felt different tonight. He hesitated slightly. “You’re not tricking me, are you?”
Sitting on the couch, Sheng Li nearly burst out laughing. She sniffled again, feigning a trembling voice: “Why would I trick you? If I didn’t care about tomorrow’s shoot, why would I bother with all this in the middle of the night?”
Yu Chi took a deep breath, resigned. “Give me your room number.”
“1029.”
“Mm.”
“Don’t hang up yet.” Sheng Li’s voice still trembled as if in pain, but in reality, she was grinning like a sly fox, her eyes curved with mischief and mischief. “Most people on this floor are crew members, and they’re probably asleep by now. Still, to be safe, we should be cautious. It wouldn’t be good if someone saw us.”
As Yu Chi approached the elevator, he realized he couldn’t enter without a keycard. He had no choice but to take the emergency staircase.
Hearing the sound of footsteps climbing the stairs, Sheng Li suddenly remembered this detail. She asked, “Can’t you use the elevator?”
“Mm.” Yu Chi, tall and long-legged, took two or three steps at a time. By the time he reached the eighth floor, he was slightly out of breath. “Sister, if you’re tricking me...”
“What if I am? What will you do?”
Yu Chi reached the tenth floor, let out a soft snort, and didn’t respond.
“You’re on the tenth floor?” Sheng Li stood up casually and walked toward the door. “Yu Xiaochi, when you get to the door, if there’s no one around, give me a secret code, and I’ll open the door for you.”
The hotel corridor was carpeted, muffling any sound. Yu Chi stood in the dimly lit hallway, holding a bag of medicine, his steps hesitant as he stared at the cold, empty corridor.
He remained where he was and asked softly, “What’s the secret code?”
Sheng Li’s voice was gentle: “I’ll tell you when you get to the door. Only you.”
Yu Chi lowered his gaze, stepped forward, and turned left, scanning the room numbers as he passed.
1025, 1026, 1028...
“I’m here,” he said quietly.
Behind the door, Sheng Li’s heart pounded wildly. Whether from excitement or nervousness, her palms were tingling.
“So... make a sound, will you?”
“...”
“The code. Squeak.”
“...”
Yu Chi stared at the door with cold eyes, his expression unreadable as he muttered the absurd secret code.
“Squeak.”
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