Zhou Qianqian was speechless for a moment. Did she have to say that Wu Chengjin was really good for nothing except for his looks, and that he could only wait to find a sugar daddy to rely on, which was why he wanted to choose Miss Ruan?
It would have been fine if Ruan Qing'an had agreed, but now that he hasn't, it's the most troublesome thing, making Zhou Qianqian feel caught in the middle.
"Let me see it."
Shi An took Ruan Qing'an's phone directly, and after seeing the contents, his eyes gradually turned cold.
The sleeping beasts were awakened, and their rampant spread was terrifying.
Just then, Shi An's clothes twitched slightly, and Ruan Qing'an tugged at him, blinking her leaden gray eyes: "I'm fine, aren't I?"
"...You're so smart."
Shi An sighed helplessly, but the imposing aura of impending storm subsided somewhat. He pushed Ruan Qing'an to Li Hong's side and said, "Director Li, thank you for your help. I'll leave the contract drafting to you for now and handle things here."
Li Hong nodded: "Okay."
"Hey, is it time to sign the contract?"
Hearing Ruan Qing'an's question, Li Hong smiled, much more amiable than before: "I am very satisfied with Shi An. If no one else auditions for this role and there is no one better than him, then he will be chosen. He is very suitable."
Ruan Qingan laughed and said, "My brother Shi is definitely amazing!"
"I'm happier than if you were being praised."
Shi An tapped her forehead with his finger: "Alright, you go and discuss the contract with Director Li first, I'll handle these things."
After Ruan Qingan and Li Hong left the terrace area, only Zhou Qianqian and Wu Chengjin remained. The relaxed atmosphere vanished instantly, replaced by a tense and confrontational atmosphere.
Zhou Qianqian gave an awkward smile: "Brother Shi, I'll be leaving with Wu Chengjin now. See you next time...see you next time."
"Click—"
The sound of a lighter suddenly interrupted Zhou Qianqian's attempt to drag Wu Chengjin away. She cautiously raised her head.
The tall man blocked the exit of the terrace area. He nodded and lit a cigarette. His dark eyes glanced over, cold and sharp, with a hint of ferocity that sent chills down one's spine.
Shi An, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, remained indifferent and aloof: "Zhou Qianqian, I owe President Jin and Bei Xing a debt of gratitude, and he didn't make things difficult for me when I left."
"But this is the last time."
His eyes suddenly turned cold.
Zhou Qianqian shuddered. She only knew that Shi An was a workaholic, but she didn't expect that he just never paid attention to anything else before. Apart from acting, he didn't care about these things at all.
Shi An has connections and influence in the industry, while Ruan Qing'an is powerful and influential. The two of them together...
Zhou Qianqian sighed: "I understand, Brother Shi."
So this is what Shi An, who used to only know how to act and was indifferent to everything else, really is like...?
Only after Shi An left did Zhou Qianqian quickly help Wu Chengjin up and check his injuries. Shi An's blows were quite skillful; they weren't visible on the surface, but they were very painful.
Seeing Wu Chengjin's indignant expression, Zhou Qianqian advised, "Don't do anything rash. You saw it yourself, the sugar daddy won't take you."
"So I just got beaten up for nothing?!"
Wu Chengjin's face was contorted with rage: "Is there no justice in this world? How can Shi An be allowed to act so recklessly?!"
Hearing this, Zhou Qianqian wanted to spit water on his face.
It's one thing to seek a sugar daddy, but to try and force yourself on someone else? How much did she drink?
But Wu Chengjin clearly didn't think he had done anything wrong, and was so angry that he couldn't help but curse repeatedly: "And that Ruan Qing'an, I don't know what's so good about Shi An's deadpan face, he's really out of his mind!"
Before Zhou Qianqian could speak, Wu Chengjin staggered to his feet, limped forward, and shoved Zhou Qianqian away.
...
In the evening, Charlie also rushed back, and Nguyen Thanh An specially booked a private room at the Royal Kitchen to entertain them.
After a few rounds of drinks, Charlie was quite drunk, his face flushed, which made him appear even more generous and magnanimous. Li Hong, who had been keeping a straight face, relaxed a bit and was put on Charlie's arm as they drank.
Shi An, on the other hand, didn't drink a drop of alcohol and just shook his head helplessly.
Seeing the faint smile on his lips, Ruan Qingan leaned closer: "You do drink, Brother Shi, what's wrong?"
"I'm drunk too, who's going to take care of you?"
Shi An glanced at Ruan Qing'an, then flicked her forehead with his finger: "You're a girl, after all. Drinking with three grown men, we're all drunk. What if something happens to you?"
"Oh, I see."
"Eat yours."
Shi An poured her a glass of cola and spoke to her as if she were a child.
At that moment, Charlie saw them and couldn't help but click his tongue: "Old Li, let's have a good chat since we're both single."
"Come on, who wants to talk to you?"
Li Hong nudged the bearded drunkard, but still said good-naturedly, "Fine, you've indeed found me a good prospect."
"Of course! Go watch my music video, it was filmed by Miss Ruan and Shi An, it's really good, otherwise why would I recommend it to you? Do you really think just anyone can catch my eye?"
Charlie laughed loudly, clearly pleased with himself.
Li Hong couldn't help but shake his head: "Okay, thank you."
Charlie: "You're welcome. Give me a bigger share if you make money, my friend!"
Li Hong's temples throbbed with anger: "You bastard!"
Watching Charlie and Li Hong interact, Ruan Qingan and Shi An couldn't help but chuckle; the two were quite amusing.
The atmosphere was just right, and the contract was settled. After a whole day of auditions, Li Hong realized that there were really few who could compare to Shi An. They hit it off immediately and were just waiting for filming to begin.
But at this very moment—
A phone call suddenly came in; it was from Qiming Entertainment.
Ruan Qing'an was slightly taken aback. On the other end of the line was his secretary's anxious voice: "Young Master Ruan, something has happened. Someone on the internet is attacking Shi An, saying that he got the role early by using connections!"
"..."
Ruan Qingan's expression darkened, and he suddenly asked Li Hong, "Director Li, have you leaked the news about this audition?"
"No, we'll notify you when the other roles are selected."
Li Hong stopped drinking: "Something happened?"
Ruan Qingan nodded: "Yes, there are some negative comments about Shi An online. Shi An and I are afraid we will have to leave now. Sorry."
"It's alright, it's alright, you guys go ahead."
Charlie quickly replied, though he was so drunk he was almost slurring his words, he still managed to react quickly and waved his hands repeatedly at Nguyen Thanh An.
Ruan Qing'an then gestured and left with Shi An.
Because the news on the internet was spreading rapidly under the manipulation of those with ulterior motives, they could only avoid the public eye and quickly get on the bus through the back door of Yu Chu Fang to avoid encountering people with ill intentions.
Only after getting into the car did Ruan Qingan say with a headache, "Let me think, the two most troublesome things are..."
"First, the audition."
"Secondly, there are connections behind this."
Hearing this, Shi An narrowed his eyes: "Could this matter about the sugar daddy have been leaked by Ruan Qingling?"
"I don't think so, Brother Shi. If it were her, she probably wouldn't be so mild-mannered. Instead, she would launch a massive attack to suppress you, instead of using the audition as a cover."
Thinking of this, Ruan Qing'an realized: "Wu Chengjin...right, it could also be him!"
"...I'll handle it."
Shi An frowned; he had some dealings with this thing before.
Ruan Qing'an nodded slightly: "However, the most urgent task now is to stabilize Ruan Qingling's side, so that she won't take advantage of our troubles to kick us when we're down. I'll go and deal with her side right away."
"Okay, as for the matter between Wu Chengjin and you, I can handle it."
Ruan Qing'an glanced sideways: "Brother Shi, what are you planning to do?"
Shi An simply exhaled a smoke ring indifferently, his arm resting on the steering wheel, the neon lights flashing outside, his dark eyes like an abyss: "I will handle the matter of the sugar daddy."
"I have a solution that will solve the problem once and for all."
Ruan Qing'an was slightly taken aback, blinked, and looked somewhat incredulous.
037: [Um... I have a feeling the male lead is going to cause trouble?]
Ruan Qingan: "Don't say that, I think so too."
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