STYL - 1

At 7:55 p.m., cruise ships moved back and forth on the Huangpu River, their reflections mingling with the dazzling neon lights of the cityscape along both banks. The shimmering glow of endless prosperity danced across the water’s surface.

On the sixth floor of a hotel just across the road, the banquet hall was filled with an air of elegance and star-studded glamour—no less spectacular than the view outside.

Shen Tang lowered her head to glance at the program schedule she had received two minutes ago.

Ahead, there were steps. Her agent, Sister Li, reached out to steady her while gently reminding, “Be careful.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Shen Tang caught sight of the step and confidently placed her stiletto heel down.

The name Chen Nanjin stood out prominently on the program list.

Her interest in reading further vanished instantly.

Sister Li didn’t notice her cold expression. “I didn’t expect Director Chen to show up tonight as well.”

“Hmm, his name is on the list,” Shen Tang replied indifferently, folding the program neatly and handing it back to Sister Li.

Sister Li tucked the paper into her bag. “I’ll wait for you backstage.”

Before entering, Sister Li meticulously checked Shen Tang’s gown and makeup—everything was impeccable.

The sound of countless camera shutters clicking was something Shen Tang had long grown accustomed to.

Her back was straight, her steps unhurried, her gaze indifferent, as if nothing in the world could faze her.

Tonight’s event was a broadcasting network’s annual investment conference. The guest seats, usually facing the stage, were now occupied by top executives from various companies.

Shen Tang and the other actors were seated in a separate area.

“What’s going on tonight? Even Director Chen is here.”

“It’s not surprising—he has a series to promote. I heard several big-name executives are also here. Normally, only mid-level managers attend these conferences.”

The murmurs around her continued.

Shen Tang walked directly to the seat marked with her name. She nodded briefly at familiar faces from a distance but didn’t engage in small talk. She disliked idle chatter, and others knew better than to bother her.

The hands of her wristwatch ticked silently.

At 8:09 p.m., the investment promotion conference finally began—nine minutes later than scheduled due to the late arrival of some VIP executive.

The vice president took the stage to deliver the opening remarks, the usual formalities that few in the audience paid attention to.

It wasn’t until the TV drama promotion segment that the atmosphere began to pick up.

“Director Chen hasn’t been seen in public for a long time, but his charm hasn’t faded one bit. Just standing there brightens the whole stage. By the way, I was at a dinner with Director Chen recently, and they mentioned you. He couldn’t stop praising you, saying that Shen Tang has this incredible tenacity and perseverance…”

Shen Tang hadn’t listened to a single word the actress beside her was saying. Her unfocused gaze lingered absently on the stage.

Seeing this, the actress awkwardly trailed off and turned her attention back to the stage, where Chen Nanjin was answering the host’s questions.

Chen Nanjin was forty-nine years old and had been in the industry for nearly thirty years. Neither his appearance nor his physique showed any signs of aging or weariness.

He was hailed as the "ageless heartthrob."

From award-winning actor to renowned director, his name was a golden brand.

In thirty years, Chen Nanjin had almost no scandals—except for one incident twenty-five years ago.

At the time, Chen Nanjin was twenty-four and secretly married the daughter of a wealthy family, registering their marriage in Las Vegas despite her family’s disapproval. They even had a child—a daughter.

Back then, the internet wasn’t as widespread, so only a handful of netizens were aware of the爆料. Eventually, the story fizzled out.

Rumors suggested that the young woman’s father had suppressed all media coverage.

A few years later, Chen Nanjin met his current wife. Married for over twenty years, they remained deeply in love, often cited as a model couple in the entertainment industry. Their first child, a daughter named Chen Yinuo, was born within the first year of their marriage.

The earlier rumors about Chen Nanjin’s secret marriage and child were never mentioned again.

Tonight, the drama Chen Nanjin was promoting at the investment conference starred his daughter, Chen Yinuo.

This marked their first collaboration.

And it was the biggest selling point of the series.

“We’d like to invite Yinuo on stage to share some interesting stories about working with her father.” The host’s words rippled through the room like a stone thrown into a lake.

Even those who had been chatting idly turned their attention toward the stage.

But Shen Tang, her eyes lowered, didn’t look up.

As the host interacted with Chen Yinuo, Chen Nanjin glanced toward the audience, as if searching for someone. His gaze swept over the VIP section where the celebrities sat, but the dim lighting revealed nothing.

Down below.

Shen Tang looked at her watch, her fingertips brushing against the dial, following the movement of the hands.

The actress beside her leaned over to speak. “Director Chen is here to support Chen Yinuo. Without a doubt, her series will be the biggest winner of tonight’s ad investments.”

“Hmm.”

Shen Tang absentmindedly played with her watch, showing little interest in the interaction between Chen Nanjin and his daughter. An aura of icy detachment surrounded her, warning others to keep their distance.

The actress tactfully fell silent. Shen Tang had always been aloof, unconcerned with others’ opinions.

Once, marketing accounts had speculated about Shen Tang’s background. Her parents’ details were unknown, and whenever filling out forms requiring parental information, Shen Tang simply drew a slash.

It was said that she grew up with her grandfather by the sea and took his surname, Shen.

Many attempts to dig into her past yielded no valuable clues. Some netizens commented: 【Shen Tang must come from an extremely wealthy family. Her cold, noble demeanor can’t be cultivated in an ordinary household.】

Others agreed enthusiastically.

But every post speculating about Shen Tang’s background was eventually deleted without a trace.

To this day, no one knows who Shen Tang’s parents are.

She has never spoken of them to anyone.

Once, during a show, a popular young actress jokingly remarked that she wanted to meet Shen Tang’s parents to see what kind of divine beauty produced such a goddess-like daughter.

Shen Tang’s face darkened immediately.

Behind her back, some in the industry insinuated that Shen Tang lacked parents, which explained her lack of upbringing.

Despite these whispers, Shen Tang rose to fame over the past five years, stepping over scandals and thriving in the industry.

In this world, everyone dreams of being Chen Yinuo—having a father like Chen Nanjin to shield her from life’s storms.

But in reality, everyone aspires to become a woman like Shen Tang.

When you have no powerful family to rely on, you rely on yourself.

Shen Tang’s fingers traced the watch hands eleven times before suddenly pausing.

‘Clap-clap-clap—’

The applause erupted with particular enthusiasm.

Everyone bid farewell to Chen Yinuo and Chen Nanjin as they left the stage.

Shen Tang slowly raised her head. The stage was empty except for the host, who had moved to the side.

On the massive screen above, a trailer for the drama starring Shen Tang began to play.

Both her series and Chen Yinuo’s were being promoted by the same broadcasting network. The two dramas shared similar styles, and during production, marketing accounts had already drawn comparisons between them multiple times.

The main reason was that Shen Tang and Chen Yinuo were polar opposites in terms of appearance and personality, yet they portrayed heroines of similar styles.

Though Chen Yinuo hadn’t inherited her parents’ perfect looks, she was sweet and talented, earning high praise in the industry.

Thanks to her parents’ harmonious relationship, Chen Yinuo was known for her kindness, humility, and gentle yet carefree nature.

Completely opposite to Shen Tang’s character.

She was selfish and cold-hearted.

“You’re next to go on stage. Let me check your makeup,” the actress beside her offered warmly.

Shen Tang pulled herself together, offering the first smile of the evening. “Thank you.”

Even with a smile, she still exuded an air of aloofness.

As the host announced, “Please welcome Shen Tang,” many heads turned in the direction he gestured.

Some were seeing Shen Tang in person for the first time. Rumors described her as ‘beautiful and untouchable.’

President Tan was one of those seeing her for the first time. He had come to the conference specifically because he heard Shen Tang would be there—otherwise, he wouldn’t have bothered attending in person.

What interested him were, at most, business and beautiful women.

His gaze followed Shen Tang’s sensuous and graceful figure as she moved to the center of the stage. She wore an off-the-shoulder white haute couture gown, and the strand of begonia flowers on her arm looked strikingly vibrant against the fabric.

President Tan leaned over to Yan Heyu beside him and remarked, “It seems the gossip online isn’t always false.”

Yan Heyu was also watching the stage.

Their seats were in the front row, directly facing the center of the stage, offering a perfect view that allowed them to see everyone on stage clearly.

They were what others referred to as the "sponsor fathers."

And Yan Heyu was the big shot who had arrived nine minutes late.

After a moment, Yan Heyu replied slowly to President Tan, “What gossip isn’t false?”

President Tan briefly explained the rumor:

Everyone who had seen Shen Tang in person claimed she didn’t photograph well. Yet, even on camera, she was already breathtakingly beautiful. One could only imagine how stunning she must be in real life.

This topic had even trended on social media.

President Tan commented, “Shen Tang really does look better in person than on TV.” And not just slightly better—he hadn’t come for nothing.

Yan Heyu offered no opinion. In front of outsiders like President Tan, he had no interest in commenting on the woman of his childhood friend.

President Tan left half of his thought unspoken: the wildness Shen Tang exuded stirred a man’s desire to conquer.

He wasn’t particularly close to Yan Heyu, so he kept such inappropriate thoughts to himself.

It wouldn’t do to keep staring at Shen Tang—it would make him seem like he’d never seen a woman before—so President Tan struck up a conversation with Yan Heyu. “You’re such a busy man. How did you find the time to fly all the way from Beijing for this investment conference?”

If it weren’t for helping out his childhood friend, he wouldn’t have bothered attending. His friend was too swamped to make it to the event, so he had asked Yan Heyu to show up and support the advertising campaign for Shen Tang’s drama. Yan Heyu replied simply, “I’m here to fulfill a favor.”

President Tan nodded along, though he didn’t fully understand.

The person who could personally get Yan Heyu to attend an investment conference must be someone of considerable importance.

After all, Yan Heyu was one of the princelings of Beijing.

________________________________________

Within five minutes, Shen Tang had finished saying what she needed to say on stage.

She was aloof by nature, speaking sparingly and valuing each word.

The host felt pressured when interacting with her, often struggling to keep up with her dry humor. He had worked with her on several occasions, and for a while, he even doubted his own hosting abilities.

Shen Tang gave a slight bow to the audience and exited the stage.

On the large screen, the trailer for another drama began to play.

Shen Tang headed straight backstage, where Sister Li was waiting for her.

The haute couture gown she wore today was a new piece from the brand’s autumn-winter collection, making its debut.

She had taken numerous photos earlier in the afternoon, and tonight they were scheduled to shoot night scenes.

Sister Li draped a coat over her shoulders. “Put this on. It’s colder tonight, and it’s chilly outside.”

Shen Tang asked, “No other plans for tonight, right?”

“Nope, we’ve got a 6 a.m. flight back to Beijing tomorrow,” Sister Li replied. Having been around Shen Tang for so long, she recognized the underlying meaning in her words. “What do you want to do tonight?”

Shen Tang glanced out the window. The moon hung high in the sky, and large clouds floated above the skyscrapers. She answered evasively, “Shanghai rarely has nights like this.”

Sister Li smirked. “Definitely more often than in Beijing.” She eyed Shen Tang. “The weather’s nice in Shanghai. So…?”

A faint smile curved Shen Tang’s lips. “It’d be a shame not to have a big meal on such a lovely night.”

Sister Li cut her down without mercy. “Forget it.”

Since her debut, Shen Tang had never had a proper full meal.

The most embarrassing incident occurred one night when she dreamed of being hungry and drinking yogurt in her sleep. For some unknown reason, she ended up snuggling intimately with someone in her dream, burying her face in their neck and drooling all over it while smacking her lips.

________________________________________

As soon as they stepped into the elevator, Sister Li received a call from the photographer. There had been a mishap during the hotel staff’s shift change, and now there was a party happening on the rooftop terrace. It wouldn’t end until two or three in the morning.

They had two options: either change locations or wait until the party ended.

There wouldn’t be much point in shooting night scenes in the wee hours. Sister Li consulted Shen Tang, “Should we go to the Bund instead and make up for the missed shots?”

Without hesitation, Shen Tang replied, “Go to the apartment.”

Sister Li remembered clearly, “Isn’t your river-view apartment rented out?” She frowned. “Wouldn’t it be inappropriate to disturb the tenants this late at night?”

Shen Tang pulled out her phone. “Not my apartment.”

Sister Li knew exactly whose apartment Shen Tang was referring to. Shooting on the balcony of that apartment would yield nearly the same view as the hotel rooftop.

Shen Tang retrieved the number and dialed.

After three rings, the call connected.

Shen Tang heard him politely excuse himself to someone nearby: “Excuse me, I need to take this.”

Whoever it was, they must be an important business partner to deserve such courtesy.

Soon after, hurried footsteps echoed, followed by the sound of a door opening.

“What is it?” he asked.

No matter how often she called him or how busy he was, he always answered her calls immediately. He never greeted her coldly with a curt “What do you want?”

Every time, he patiently asked, “What’s wrong?”

It had been a while since Shen Tang last heard his voice. Recently, she had been deeply immersed in the role of her latest drama, which had just wrapped up, and she was struggling to break free from the character.

His clear, distinct voice brought her back to reality in an instant.

Shen Tang said, “I’m in Shanghai right now. I need to borrow your apartment to take some photos.”

The apartment had originally been purchased for Shen Tang’s convenience whenever she visited Shanghai. Occasionally, he stayed there during business trips as well.

Though his tone carried a hint of amusement, it remained unreadable, devoid of any obvious emotion. “Are you so deep into your acting role that you’ve forgotten who I am to you? Why are you being so formal?”

Shen Tang wasn’t being polite. “I haven’t been there in six months, and I can’t remember the elevator password.”

There was a brief silence on the other end. The elevator had never had a password; it required a fingerprint scan.

But he didn’t press the issue.

Compared to his earlier detached and emotionless tone, his next few words were noticeably warmer and calmer. “Hold on.”

He hung up.

Shen Tang assumed he meant to send her the password.

Moments later, the apartment manager contacted Shen Tang, inquired about the shooting requirements, and prepared the space accordingly.