Chapter 11. Contact me via private message. ...

There was a large farmers' market near the rented house. When Sheng Yi arrived, Cao Jun and Liang Hui were already there.

Liang Hui is Fu Xiaodan's boyfriend. They dated in college and lived in the same city after graduation, but they didn't have many opportunities to see each other. Recently, Fu Xiaodan has been busy with work, and even on weekends she only goes between home and her company. The two haven't seen each other for a long time.

This time, it was Cao Jun who took the initiative to ask him to accompany him.

Sheng Yi and Fu Xiaodan walked ahead, while two men followed behind carrying bags, chatting idly.

Sheng Yi wanted to help them with some of their work, but Cao Jun simply put his hands behind his back and said with a grin, "Don't be shy with me, or I'll feel embarrassed to eat too much later."

Fu Xiaodan pushed her shoulder and walked forward, "It's okay, let them take it. That's just how he is, if you're too polite he'll think you don't consider him a friend."

We'll just go along with their good intentions.

The group divided the work and waited for the food to be cooked, which was about the time they had originally expected.

Since everyone was around the same age, they had plenty to talk about. Moreover, Fu Xiaodan and Cao Jun were both very outgoing, and after a few plates of meat, the atmosphere at the table had become very lively.

Sheng Yi still found a moment to apologize to Cao Jun in person. Cao Jun waved his hand generously. In fact, there have been many outrageous gossip stories about Wen Shili over the years, but most of them don't have pictures. They are just for fun and not many people take them to heart.

Besides, Wen Shili didn't care about these trivial matters; otherwise, he wouldn't have allowed the gossip about himself and President Lin to circulate for so long, and become more and more outlandish.

Actually, in his opinion, it's not bad to have a few beauties every now and then to give people a break, so that if it goes on for too long, even straight people won't be accused of being gay. Sometimes he even starts to wonder if Li Ge will actually find a boyfriend.

With her worries put aside, Sheng Yi focused on the food in her bowl. Cao Jun watched with curiosity, "Can female celebrities eat this much at night?"

Sheng Yi looked completely bewildered and pointed at herself, "You mean me?"

Cao Jun nodded, and Fu Xiaodan chimed in, "He's got hundreds of thousands of followers, can't he at least acknowledge his status?"

Sheng Yi almost choked on her words. Indeed, things were different now; she had fans now too.

She recalled the collaborations she had just finalized. If they were considered obscure before, they could now be considered to have barely reached the threshold of being considered obscure. Most importantly, she hadn't spent a single penny on marketing, yet money had already been deposited into her account. In retrospect, she had benefited from Wen Shili's influence.

Sheng Yi opened Weibo and followed Wen Shili. She hoped that more such a lucky charm would come her way in the future.

The comments under her latest Weibo post are full of fans urging her to share more about her life. Sheng Yi dug out photos of food she had just taken and asked for everyone's opinions, "Can I post them on Weibo?"

Since no one was on camera anyway, nobody cared. Surprisingly, someone in the comments section actually counted the dishes she ate, saying, "So much food, she'll gain several pounds after eating this, right?"

Sheng Yi's smile froze, speechless. She can't gain weight, you know!

Seeing that her movements had suddenly become much more refined, Fu Xiaodan laughed so hard she almost fell over. Liang Hui gently supported her waist to prevent her from accidentally falling off the stool.

Cao Jun looked on with envy, "Don't you guys get tired of each other after all these years? How come I'm still a single dog?"

Liang Hui felt embarrassed by his words and glanced down at Fu Xiaodan, but still held onto her back without letting go. Fu Xiaodan completely ignored this teasing and scoffed, "It's your own fault for not holding on tighter."

Cao Jun lamented, "If only I had had a campus romance, I wouldn't have met many girls after graduation." Besides, working alongside such a big star, even if he did meet them, they wouldn't even notice him.

Fu Xiaodan directly exposed his past, "It's your own fault for being so clueless. Back then, when someone asked you out, you said you wanted to play games." Cao Jun wasn't bad-looking, and he had no shortage of girls expressing their affection for him in college, but he just couldn't pick up on the signals.

Thinking of this, Fu Xiaodan had an idea and looked at Sheng Yi, "Yi Yi, you must have had quite a few boys chasing after you in school, right? Did you like any of them?"

Sheng Yi was caught off guard by being called on suddenly, and after thinking seriously for a moment, she said, "I don't quite remember."

Cao Jun, who had been listening intently, couldn't help but feel a little disappointed upon hearing this. "They're being too formal with us."

Sheng Yi looked completely innocent. "I really don't remember."

Look at this acting! It's as if it's your fault if you don't believe her. It's much more lively than in that terrible drama. Cao Jun really can't understand how someone's acting can be so bad.

These days, fans are always stubborn and say, "If you're so good, then you do it!" But honestly, with that level of skill, if he were to act, the result would probably be about the same. With such a "gem" preceding him, anyone would have a huge boost in confidence, so it's no wonder that Sheng Yi hasn't received any significant roles since.

Just as he was thinking this, he heard Sheng Yi say to Fu Xiaodan, "I might be joining the crew next week."

"Wow, that's great! Is it ancient or modern?" Fu Xiaodan didn't see anything wrong with it.

"A period drama."

"That must take a long time to film."

"It's alright, my role has few scenes." But it's much better than before.

Seeing the two of them discussing so enthusiastically, Cao Jun sighed, wondering what kind of role was going to be ruined this time.

Sheng Yi trended on social media last time because of Li Ge, and with her face, she's sure to have a lot of buzz for a while. But whether she can monetize that popularity depends on her own opportunities.

Over the years, many female celebrities have tried to take shortcuts, employing various methods both overt and covert. As long as they don't go too far, Star Entertainment generally doesn't bother with them. Eventually, even fans have come to turn a blind eye, lest they become an inescapable nuisance.

If things really go too far, I will personally come out and slap them in the face.

The sudden surge of the rumors surrounding Sheng Yi to the top of the trending searches was not only due to someone secretly spending a fortune, but also because of those few photos. Sheng Yi's good looks caused some people to lose their ability to think rationally, believing whatever the marketing accounts said.

Anyone who believes a woman like that, who claims no boys pursue her, is truly out of their mind.

After seeing Cao Jun off, Fu Xiaodan followed Liang Hui out the door. They had taken many photos that evening, and with Fu Xiaodan's skillful editing, they looked quite presentable. Sheng Yi liked both Cao Jun's and Fu Xiaodan's photos and also selected a few to post on her WeChat Moments with the caption: "Friends gathering."

Soon after, Sheng Yi received many notifications of likes and comments, and she chose to reply to a few.

Even Xiaoyou chimed in, "You guys had hot pot and didn't invite me!"

He then commented on Cao Jun, "You traitor."

It seemed their relationship was much better than she had imagined, and she replied warmly, "Definitely next time."

Switching back to the chat interface, Feng Shu had also left her a message: "Any plans for tomorrow? How about we grab a bite to eat together?"

He was just active on social media, wouldn't it be too obvious to suddenly pretend to be dead? But when Sheng Yi thought of his girlfriend, he didn't know how to reply.

She remembered Huang Bei telling her friend Amy that she had a firm grasp on her boyfriend's every move. But they were classmates, and Feng Shu had apologized to her last time; to deny it again would make her seem guilty. It didn't seem worth it to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Sheng Yi thought for a moment and agreed, "Okay, you decide the time and place."

Feng Shu didn't stand on ceremony with her and sent her several restaurant options ten minutes later.

One is a famous Western restaurant, so famous that even someone like her who doesn't like Western food knows it's expensive. Another is a trendy restaurant that has become popular in the last few months. During the last shoot, the makeup artist mentioned that she and her friends were going to check it out; it can have hundreds of tables when it's crowded. There are a few other restaurants as well, which Feng Shu thoughtfully introduced briefly at the end.

In the end, Sheng Yi chose a hot pot restaurant.

Feng Shu sent a smiling emoji, "Do you like hot pot that much?"

Sheng Yi was too embarrassed to say it, but she was afraid the scene would be too awkward. Hot pot restaurants are lively, and you can eat in a busy atmosphere without having to stare at each other, plus you're less likely to make a bad choice. It's simply the best option.

Wen Shili only saw Cao Jun's post on WeChat Moments before going to bed. It featured a bubbling hot pot broth, a table laden with dishes, and several people making funny faces. Even through the screen, one could almost feel the joy of taking the photos.

It turns out that this was the day they had arranged to meet.

A few days earlier, Cao Jun had been discussing some kind of gathering with someone, seemingly oblivious to everyone else. The people in the conversation weren't hard to guess. It was a soft female voice, with a slight upward inflection when she was happy. Wen Shili wanted to remind him to be mindful of his words, since the other person was also in the industry, but Cao Jun clearly considered her a friend, and he didn't want to be seen as a petty person.

She must have been drinking; the woman in the corner had an unnaturally glossy complexion, as if she'd spilled a rouge box. Her eyes were watery, and she tilted her head to give a peace sign to the camera, radiating youthful innocence.

But he knew that she wasn't so innocent at heart.

Lin Hao seemed to have long forgotten that first meeting, and left a comment under the photo: "Please send me your contact information."

Before Cao Jun could reply, Xiao You simply said, "Get lost."

After a moment's hesitation, Wen Shili sent Cao Jun a WeChat message.

The next day, Fu Xiaodan went on a date with her boyfriend, and Sheng Yi also left home right on time to meet him.

Feng Shu had originally said he would pick her up, but to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings, she chose to go out by herself and take the subway.

I was too lazy to put on makeup, so I just threw on a denim T-shirt, loosely tied my hair in a ponytail, and carried a canvas bag. I kept it as simple as possible.

Compared to the bustling crowds in several popular shopping districts, this mall was much quieter, with only a few diners sitting and waiting for tables at the restaurant entrances.

Sheng Yi arrived at the store fifteen minutes early, and Feng Shu had already taken a number and was queuing. When he saw her coming, he smiled and waved to her.

Compared to his student days, Feng Shu had grown much taller. He had fair skin and a gentle temperament; he wasn't overly aloof or unapproachable, nor was he too rigid or prim. With this simple movement, girls around him couldn't help but glance at him. Just like back then, the girls in his class would whisper amongst themselves when he passed by.

Sheng Yi smiled, walked to his side, and asked, "How long have you been here?"

"I just arrived a little while ago."

There were two tables ahead of them. Feng Shu led her to a seat and handed her the menu, saying, "You can take a look at what you'd like to eat first."

Sheng Yi looked at the different flavors of the hot pot bases on the paper, turned her head and asked him, "Can you eat spicy food?"

People in S City prefer milder flavors. She has lived here for several years and has become somewhat assimilated, but compared to the locals, she is naturally no match.

Unexpectedly, Feng Shu also loves spicy food. After discussing and deciding on the hot pot base, Sheng Yi randomly picked a few dishes and then handed the choice back to him, saying, "You can decide, I'm fine with anything."

Feng Shu asked her if she had any dietary restrictions, but Sheng Yi shook her head.

The small tables turned over quickly, and their number was called soon. Sheng Yi got up and followed Feng Shu inside, vaguely hearing a girl behind her complaining to her boyfriend, "Look at other people's boyfriends."

The boy coaxed, "Baby, handsome men are the best at lying."

Sheng Yi suddenly felt that perhaps she had made a mistake in coming here again.