STYL - 7

Shen Tang read Jiang Cheng Yu’s message twice in her mind, word by word.

The screen slowly dimmed.

She rarely called him, even when she encountered trouble. She preferred to solve problems on her own and wasn’t used to relying on others, not even him.

But he still meticulously prepared everything in advance.

By the time she came to her senses, her eyes had already adjusted to the darkness of the room. The sofa, vase, dressing table, and even rows of skincare products began to take shape in faint outlines.

Shen Tang sat up and stuffed a pillow behind her back.

Jiang Cheng Yu was about to take off. She quickly typed a reply: [Mm.]

A single “Mm” seemed perfunctory and cold compared to his long message.

Her conscience pricked her, so she added: [I don’t do business negotiations either, so there won’t be any emergencies. But even if there aren’t any, I’ll still call you. If I can’t get through the first time, I’ll call again. If it still doesn’t connect after a few hours, I’ll keep trying until I reach you. You woke up so early—get some sleep on the plane.]

She counted the characters—it was more than ten words longer than Jiang Cheng Yu’s message.

This was their longest exchange of messages yet.

Jiang Cheng Yu: [Why are you awake so early? Did I wake you?]

Shen Tang didn’t tell the truth: [No. I have a flight to catch too.]

Jiang Cheng Yu: [When replying to me in the future, just be sincere. Don’t strain yourself trying to match my word count or outdo me.]

Shen Tang: “......”

She silently laughed.

Jiang Cheng Yu quickly followed up: [I’m about to switch to airplane mode.]

Shen Tang: [Okay.]

He didn’t reply further.

Shen Tang was wide awake now. Her flight to Xiamen wasn’t until noon, so she didn’t need to get up this early.

The vividness of her dream lingered, seeping into every cell, especially the scene where Chen Nanjin scolded her.

She picked up the remote control and lightly pressed a button.

The blackout curtains in the bedroom slid open soundlessly.

The eastern sky began to brighten.

Shen Tang leaned against the headboard and watched the sunrise over Shanghai.

Later, she drifted off into a light sleep until her assistant knocked on the door.

At ten o’clock, they headed to the airport. Shen Tang’s head was foggy as she forced herself to freshen up.

The assistant tidied the room and packed everything that needed to be taken.

The script on the bedside table remained untouched at the same angle Shen Tang had left it the previous day.

The assistant didn’t dare ask questions and quietly placed the script in her bag.

On the way to the airport, Shen Tang scrolled through her trending topics and saw someone deliberately targeting her.

A few days ago, she attended the anniversary celebration of sports brand A. Today, a marketing account edited a video showing her wearing a limited-edition outfit from sports brand B.

When she wore that outfit from brand B, she wasn’t yet an endorser for brand A.

But the video implied that she wore it after becoming an endorser for brand A.

Endorsing brand A while wearing brand B was a recipe for offending the parent company.

If the clarification statement were poorly written, it would appear as though she lacked emotional intelligence, pleasing neither brand A nor subtly offending brand B.

If she didn’t clarify, brand B would gain free publicity, inevitably angering brand A.

Her phone rang—it was Sister Li calling to ask if she had seen the trending topic.

“Yes.”

Shen Tang knew who was targeting her—the previous female endorser for brand A. After the brand replaced her with Shen Tang earlier this summer, the former endorser grew resentful and launched smear campaigns against her.

Whenever Shen Tang attended events, that person hired trolls to attack her online.

Sister Li: “I’m calling to tell you not to pay attention to her. We can’t afford to offend them. Control your temper, okay?”

Shen Tang responded perfunctorily: “Mm.”

“The trending topic is being handled. Focus on your event. Didn’t Jiang Cheng Yu give you a trending package at the beginning of the year? It works well for removing trends too.”

Shen Tang: “...”

________________________________________

Shen Tang caught up on sleep during the flight. By the time the plane landed, she felt much better.

The evening event was the 20th anniversary celebration of a fashion magazine, attended by numerous stars.

The venue was filled with big names vying for attention.

Shen Tang arrived late. Most guests were already present, chatting and taking photos with familiar faces.

After signing autographs and posing for pictures, Shen Tang went to find her seat.

Huo Teng waved at her. The organizers had arranged their seats next to each other.

“You’re not going to take a photo with Director Chen?” Huo Teng asked, nodding toward a table at the front.

Following his gesture, Shen Tang looked over. She hadn’t noticed earlier when she walked down the stage from the side, but now she saw a crowd three layers deep surrounding someone.

The man in the middle wore a shirt and suit, exuding charm with understated elegance.

To her surprise, Chen Nanjin was also attending tonight’s banquet.

He rarely appeared at such events. Apart from filming and acting, he only occasionally promoted new dramas on variety shows. Otherwise, he was almost impossible to encounter.

Chen Nanjin was an idol spanning generations.

The title of “timeless heartthrob” suited him perfectly. Even Huo Teng was one of his fans.

“I just took a photo with Director Chen,” Huo Teng said with a faint smile.

Shen Tang echoed his smile. “There are too many people. I’ll pass on joining the crowd.”

Avoiding the limelight fit Shen Tang’s aloof personality. Huo Teng then mentioned a TV drama Chen Nanjin had been preparing for a long time. “That Early Summer —have you come across the script?”

Instead of answering, Shen Tang countered: “Are you interested too?”

Huo Teng nodded, regretfully saying, “My schedule doesn’t allow it. After Sheng Xiao wraps up, I’ll be preparing for my concert.”

He had read the script. “The female lead’s personality is similar to yours. After reading it, I thought only you could pull off that kind of aura. It’s an open casting. If your schedule permits, you should audition.”

Shen Tang didn’t want to delve into the drama, so she deflected: “Only I can pull off that aura? If others heard you say that, it would offend quite a few people.”

Huo Teng laughed heartily, a rare occurrence. “I’m speaking the truth. Not every role suits you, but this female lead made me think of you immediately.”

“By the way, it’s a dual-female-lead story.”

The female lead resembling Shen Tang was clearly favored by the screenwriter, with more screen time and highlights.

He shared more information he knew: “The other female lead is reportedly set to be played by Chen Yinao. Director Chen is the producer, and Zhou Mingqian is directing. With such a production team, what are you hesitating about?”

Huo Teng’s heartfelt words touched Shen Tang deeply, but there were things she couldn’t explain to outsiders. She simply replied, “I’ll see what I can do.”

Actively pursuing a project helmed by Chen Nanjin? That might happen in another lifetime.

________________________________________

The more she tried to avoid someone, the harder it was to escape them.

As the banquet neared its end, Shen Tang went to bid farewell to the magazine editor.

The editor was chatting with Chen Nanjin, laughing and clinking glasses.

Shen Tang stopped mid-step, intending to retreat, but the editor had already spotted her. She was stuck.

The editor raised her glass from afar, signaling Shen Tang to come over.

Shen Tang asked a waiter for a glass of wine and walked over gracefully.

She ignored Chen Nanjin completely.

“Where did you disappear to? I didn’t see you all night—I thought you hadn’t come,” the editor teased Shen Tang. They were close friends, so she spoke casually.

Shen Tang clinked glasses with her. “You were like the moon surrounded by stars. My heels fell off before I could squeeze through the crowd. Finally, here I am.”

The editor sighed. “You little rascal.”

Unsure how familiar Shen Tang was with Chen Nanjin, the editor introduced them.

Chen Nanjin had been watching Shen Tang since she approached, but she refused to spare him even a glance. When the editor introduced them, she reluctantly looked over, her eyes icy.

“Director Chen.” Shen Tang greeted him respectfully, perfectly embodying the demeanor of a junior in front of a senior.

She thanked her acting skills for coming in handy at this moment.

Besides addressing him as “Director Chen,” she refused to utter another word to him.

Someone called the editor over for a group photo.

The editor patted Shen Tang’s shoulder. “Ask Director Chen for advice.”

Leaving the two alone, the editor excused herself.

The atmosphere instantly plummeted to freezing point.

Chen Nanjin’s gaze fell on the scar on Shen Tang’s arm. Ever since she publicly explained how she got injured, she no longer bothered to conceal it.

“How old were you when you got injured?”

As soon as he asked, guilt and sorrow washed over him.

Chen Nanjin shifted his gaze to Shen Tang’s face.

As expected, Shen Tang showed disdain and refused to acknowledge him.

Bound by the public setting, Shen Tang didn’t walk away.

Holding her wineglass, she clinked glasses with him, saying nothing, and drank on her own.

From afar, it looked like they were discussing a collaboration.

Chen Nanjin had no choice but to drink with her. The alcohol burned his throat. “Tangtang, your father told me…”

“Director Chen, you’re drunk,” Shen Tang interrupted, clinking glasses with him again. “Excuse me.”

Just like in the hotel lobby in Shanghai, she left him with a resolute back view.

________________________________________

Back at the hotel, the assistant prepared warm milk for Shen Tang.

Shen Tang sat in front of the vanity mirror, removing her jewelry. In her ears, Chen Nanjin’s two lines from the banquet kept replaying: “How old were you when you got injured?” “Your father told me…”

“Tangjie, does your stomach hurt?”

“No, I didn’t drink much tonight.”

The assistant relaxed.

Shen Tang had a low tolerance for alcohol. Whenever she drank too much, her stomach would ache, requiring medication to recover.

Before leaving, the assistant took That Early Summer script from her bag and placed it on the bedside table. To ensure Shen Tang wouldn’t avoid flipping pages, she opened it to the first page and arranged it neatly at an angle.

Shen Tang observed the assistant’s actions clearly through the mirror. However, she had no intention of touching that script.

It was tailor-made for Chen Nanjin’s daughter, Chen Yinao. How could she possibly intrude?

She had hoped that drinking a bit of red wine tonight would help her sleep well.

Approaching midnight, Shen Tang was still listening to lullabies.

The more she listened, the more awake she became.

Unable to sleep, Shen Tang dialed a number impulsively.

Even after dozens of seconds of ringing ended, she couldn’t figure out why she suddenly wanted to call Jiang Cheng Yu.

In three years together, she rarely brought up personal matters or family issues with Jiang Cheng Yu.

He never asked either.

The call went unanswered.

Not because it couldn’t connect.

This situation was rare.

For the first time, Shen Tang waited for Jiang Cheng Yu’s call, staring at the minutes ticking by on her phone screen, the screen dimming and brightening repeatedly.

Fifteen minutes later, he called back.

Rustling sounds came through the line as Jiang Cheng Yu dried his hair. “I was showering.”

He had landed in the city for his business trip two hours ago and checked into the hotel half an hour ago.

Jiang Cheng Yu briefly explained why he hadn’t answered her call earlier and softly asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Shen Tang lay on her pillow. “Didn’t we agree this morning on WeChat? Even if I don’t have an emergency, I’ll still call you until I get through.”

She just wanted to hear his voice, to talk to him about anything.

Rarely did they contact each other twice in a day without any pressing matters, just like ordinary couples exchanging mostly trivial chatter.

Jiang Cheng Yu sent the towel back to the bathroom. After a moment of consideration, he brought up: “Do you remember the New Year’s gift I gave you?”

How could she forget?

A sportswear set. She had split the top and pants, turning them into gifts for their third anniversary and New Year’s.

“Why bring this up now?” She remembered. “Didn’t you say it was nice when you tried it on?” Of course, the pants were slightly short.

His legs were long, and even the largest size wasn’t enough.

“You’ve given me gifts, but I haven’t given you one yet.” Jiang Cheng Yu sat back on the couch. “Does your drama crew have holidays during the New Year?”

Shen Tang: “No holidays. We don’t stop even during the Spring Festival.”

“I may not have time either during the New Year. Let me give you your gift in advance.” Jiang Cheng Yu had already considered what to give her. “Would you prefer a custom gift or me spending a week with you?”

He emphasized: “Spending time with you isn’t an empty promise. I’ll take a few days off after returning.”

Shen Tang didn’t respond immediately.

Both options were extremely tempting, especially him spending six or seven days with her.

She asked: “Can I have a combination?”

Jiang Cheng Yu didn’t understand at first: “What kind of combination do you want?”

“You spend four or five days with me, and I get half of the custom gift.”

Jiang Cheng Yu chuckled. She truly didn’t like being at a disadvantage. He always indulged her playful requests. “I’ll spend five or six days with you, and I’ll give you all the other gifts too.”