Chapter 16
The next day was the weekend, and City C was still congested at 8 a.m.
Xia Lanzheng sat in the car, looking out the window quietly. He passed by Chu Linchuan's door this morning without making a sound.
Chu Linchuan was in a very bad mood last night. In response to his explanation, he put on his headphones, closed his eyes, and went straight to sleep.
"Brother Li, how long did you wait yesterday?"
Xiao Li didn't answer this question, and hesitated, "Young Master, the Second Young Master called you but no one answered. He looked very unhappy, so he must be really worried."
Xia Lanzheng had been tossing and turning all night, with dark circles under her eyes. She took a sip of her matcha latte and asked, "What are his hobbies?"
Xiao Li nodded: "I think so... I remember the Second Young Master likes puzzles."
puzzle?
I didn't expect Chu Linchuan's hobby to be so simple.
After hearing Xia Lanzheng say thank you, Xiao Li glanced in the rearview mirror.
Xia Lanzheng suddenly looked him in the eye and smiled gently, "Little Brother Li, what's your full name?"
"Me?" Xiao Li was surprised. "Li Ping'an."
Xia Lanzheng nodded after hearing this: "When my uncle and aunt chose your name, they must have hoped that you would be safe and sound..."
He said it casually, looking outside, "Brother Li, you can park here. I'll just go through the main entrance."
Li Ping'an remained in a daze until Xia Lanzheng entered the Xingpai gate. The figure in his sight disappeared. He slapped his forehead and suspected that he had not woken up yet.
Next to him was the coffee that Xia Lanzheng bought for him.
So strange.
Has the young master finally overcome his 21-year-long rebellious period?
Xia Lanzheng had no way of knowing what Li Ping'an was thinking. He was preoccupied with himself at the moment and sat stiffly in the large leather chair in the office.
In front of me was the magazine from my last photo shoot.
The photo takes up a larger space than expected, and his name is even marked in a footnote below it.
Yu Jiawei looked him over like a treasure, and Xia Lanzheng's scalp tingled. "Brother Yu, just tell me what's going on. I can handle it."
Yu Jiawei sat on the hard bench by himself and said, "Aiya!" "What are you talking about? You performed very well this time. All the data is good. Xiaoxia, you have potential!"
Xia Lanzheng couldn't help laughing: "Diving?"
Yu Jiawei pretended to be mysterious, took out his cell phone and placed it on the table.
This is a report that was rushed out overnight, which provides a detailed analysis of Xia Lanzheng's commercial value, Weibo popularity, fan growth, related entries, etc.
Xia Lanzheng's expression changed again and again.
The emotions of "Is he about to usher in the spring of his career?" and "Is Brother Yu too exaggerated?" intertwined together, turning into a casual but very deliberate "Wow".
On Weibo, the term #thiswho is on the hot search again. Surprisingly, the behind-the-scenes footage of Xia Lanzheng's shooting released by the brand was on the headlines.
[Xia Lanzheng, a very cute fully automatic lamb.]
【What is this! The chosen long-haired beauty! 】
[What an authoritative face! ]
[This face is very good to my eyes!!! Is there any director who would like to take a look and give him a script!]
Seeing Xia Lanzheng completely oblivious, Yu Jiawei chuckled, "It's been hanging all night, you really don't know?"
Xia Lanzheng flipped through the pages and saw a fan art of herself, and quickly turned off her phone.
"You know Director Yu has been holding open casting calls, right? His assistant contacted me."
"Should I prepare then?"
As soon as Xia Lanzheng finished speaking, a video call came in on her phone.
Yu Jiawei seemed to change his expression and continued with a curved mouth.
Xia Lanzheng bit her straw while listening to the polite words from the other end of the phone. Her hair, which could not be tied up, was disheveled, half covering her flushed face.
He fanned himself with his hands, and the camera suddenly turned towards him, sweeping from top to bottom and from left to right.
He looked at the man on the phone, with thick eyebrows, stubble, and a baseball cap with countless patches on it.
Having just looked up some information last night, Xia Lanzheng suddenly had a flash of inspiration in her mind and immediately sat up straight: "Director Yu."
His voice was smooth and non-aggressive, and paired with his doe eyes, he seemed a little clever but not much.
Yu Shuang nodded silently, and the camera fell into someone else's hands.
After Xia Lanzheng looked back and forth at four or five people in turn, a man who looked like an assistant spoke.
"Okay, sign the contract now and join the team tomorrow."
Yu Jiawei said yes repeatedly, and Xia Lanzheng went through the process in a daze, holding the pen, signing, and putting the cap on the pen.
Click, the video is disconnected.
Xia Lanzheng fell into deep thought. Is this the treatment a supporting male role deserves?
...It doesn't feel good.
Yu Jiawei was immersed in joy, his face flushed. "You'll be joining the crew soon. It's a shame to waste the magazine's attention. I plan to ask you to find time to show up on the live broadcast!"
In her previous life, Xia Lanzheng worked as a central control, the kind who shouted "123 to connect" in the live broadcast room.
Because I couldn't hold back my laughter, I only did it for two days.
"Does it have to be broadcast?" Yu Jiawei looked disappointed after saying that. Xia Lanzheng explained, "I burst out laughing whenever I talk in the live broadcast room."
"Then just keep quiet and show your face."
“But I still have some social anxiety.”
"Why would you, someone with social anxiety, enter the entertainment industry?" Yu Jiawei patted his shoulder. "Before you even join the crew, quickly correct these bad habits!"
He did what he said and walked out of the office in a swagger. Within ten minutes, he returned with a paper bag and a USB drive for Xia Lanzheng.
Yu Jiawei issued a task: "Study hard on the information I prepared for you."
Xia Lanzheng had no reason to refuse and was dragged to a crash course in high emotional intelligence, and then she discussed the matter with Yu Jiawei in a daze.
Finally, it was agreed that he would show his face. Yu Jiawei would keep an eye on the backstage and immediately help him cut off the live broadcast if he said something wrong.
At noon in the company cafeteria, Yu Jiawei took the initiative to swipe his employee card for Xia Lanzheng.
My colleague laughed when he saw me: "So generous today? Last time I wanted to borrow your card for a cup of coffee, who said I had to pay it back with interest?"
"Go away," Yu Jiawei waved his hands repeatedly, "I'm in a good mood today. Can't I give my artist a little extra food?"
The man was also a veteran agent, and his eyes naturally fell on Xia Lanzheng.
Xia Lanzheng was wearing only a white T-shirt and jeans, which was as simple as it could be. Even so, he would be easily spotted even in a crowd of people.
She doesn't have the boring beauty that is common in the entertainment industry. She has a special temperament. Her eyes are clear, but if you look closely, they are energetic.
Xia Lanzheng stood by the window of the corn and pork ribs soup, frowned and hesitated for two seconds.
Then Yu Jiawei and his colleagues heard him say, "Uncle, please stop shaking your hands. Can you give me an extra piece of pork ribs?"
Yu Jiawei quickly sent his colleague away, and the two of them sat down with their plates. Xia Lanzheng chewed the chili in the spicy chicken.
"Brother Yu, can I get a company cafeteria card?"
"Yes," Yu Jiawei laughed at his heartless attitude, "I have a question for you."
Xia Lanzheng: "Well, what?"
The moment he looked up, he noticed that everyone was looking at him from behind - everyone was secretly sizing him up.
Yu Jiawei spoke in a low voice at this time.
"Mr. Chu took you to the school celebration yesterday?"
Xia Lanzheng put down her chopsticks and said, "I'm going..."
He finally heard what the table behind him was talking about.
"Don't look back, Brother Yu is watching."
"Is it the new guy that Mr. Chu brought last night?"
"Yes, wool curls, no mistake."
"How about it?"
"It's quite outstanding. Wow...it's quite a big eater."
Yu Jiawei raised his eyelids and glanced over. The person at the back table smiled bitterly and fell silent.
"Tell me the truth," Yu Jiawei pushed the yogurt over, "What's your relationship with Mr. Chu?"
Xia Lanzheng didn't dare to answer and insisted, "A distant relative."
Yu Jiawei: "How far is it?"
Xia Lanzheng: "It's very far, otherwise my last name would definitely be Chu."
Yu Jiawei had a blank expression on his face as he put a straw into the yogurt.
Xia Lanzheng felt uncomfortable being stared at and thought she might as well tell the truth. She would be discovered sooner or later anyway, so it wouldn't be shameful to slide on her knees.
He swallowed, and Yu Jiawei suddenly laughed.
"I didn't expect it to be true? I called last night and asked, and Mr. Chu told me the same thing, word for word."
The yogurt was placed in front of Xia Lanzheng again. Xia Lanzheng was in disbelief: "Exactly the same? How did he say that?"
"Distant relative."
Yu Jiawei frowned exaggeratedly, imitating Chu Linchuan's tone.
"Of course it's super far, otherwise his last name wouldn't be Xia."
*
"Zheng Zheng is back?"
Chu Linyu was sitting in the living room watching a movie, and there was a crackling sound coming from the TV.
Xia Lanzheng glanced over and saw Cheng Lan's face appearing before her eyes, spitting out blood uncontrollably.
"..." Xia Lanzheng couldn't bear to look closely, "Brother."
Chu Linyu wanted to pause the playback, but his hand shook and he pressed the wrong button, causing the volume to suddenly increase, and the sound of Cheng Lan vomiting blood became clearer.
"What happened?" Chu Linyu wondered.
Xia Lanzheng looked upstairs: "No, is Chu Linchuan home?"
Chu Linyu's hands trembled again, and he turned off the TV directly: "In the study on the second floor."
Xia Lanzheng was carrying two bags and walked upstairs quickly after hearing the words.
Chu Linchuan has his own study, located in a secluded corner on the second floor. Normally, no one dares to enter it, and even the maids who clean the room will not pass by there.
It was also Xia Lanzheng’s first time there. She hesitated at the door for a long time before finally knocking.
"who?"
"I."
The conversation seemed familiar, but Chu Linchuan asked directly.
"Who are you?"
Xia Lanzheng didn't reply, so she knocked on the door again. The door was opened from the inside, and Chu Linchuan, without his glasses, squinted slightly as he looked in.
"Here you go," Xia Lanzheng avoided looking at him and handed him a brown paper bag. "An apology gift. I'm sorry for what happened yesterday."
Chu Linchuan stared at the palm of his left hand. There was a red mark on the palm of his hand, and the lines on his hand were blurred and complicated.
It was these hands that a palmist at a temple fair once commented: "Your life will face more obstacles than others, especially in your love life. It will not be smooth and may even be bumpy."
At that time, Chu Linchuan ran back to look for someone, and Xia Lanzheng, a primary school student who had not yet completed nine years of compulsory education, squatted like a mushroom.
"Who is my friend?"
"..." The master waved his fan and pointed at the palm of Xia Lanzheng's left hand. "But your mole is well-shaped. I can help you reduce it a little bit."
The lanterns hanging on the stall cast soft light, illuminating the small mole under Xia Lanzheng's index finger, a small light pink mole.
The hand in front of him raised slightly, and something was faintly revealed at the edge of the red mark. Chu Linchuan was stunned.
Xia Lanzheng curled her fingers. "I heard from Brother Li that you like puzzles, so I went to buy one. It's a new model that just came out the day before yesterday. I guess you don't have it yet, right?"
Chu Linchuan stretched out his hand without saying anything. Xia Lanzheng took a step back, but someone held her shoulders.
Chu Linchuan led him into the house and closed the door to block out the outside noise.
The curtains in the room were closed, and three table lamps were on, casting a warm yellow light.
There were puzzle pieces scattered on the floor, bits and pieces of the one on the left were pieced together, and the one on the other was only missing the last few pieces.
Judging from the assembled parts, this is a festive illustration with a lively atmosphere.
Xia Lanzheng didn't understand Lin Chuan's intentions. If possible, he wouldn't even want to set foot in this space.
"Is there something wrong?" Xia Lanzheng asked.
His face looked soft in the warm light, like a freshly baked white steamed bun that would bounce back automatically if flattened.
Chu Linchuan took out the things in the bag and said, "Check your apology gift."
Xia Lanzheng got anxious after hearing this: "I bought it at an offline store. It's super, super, super expensive. I guarantee it's authentic."
Chu Linchuan glanced at him and said, "I understand. No need to emphasize it three times."
Xia Lanzheng quietly moved away and squatted beside the unfinished puzzle.
"Why don't you put these two pieces together? Aren't they right next to each other?"
Chu Linchuan's voice came from above: "Don't touch that, leave it there."
"Oh," Xia Lanzheng let go and squatted there without moving, "Did you deliberately take me to the school celebration yesterday?"
When he lowered his head, his slender neck was exposed. If someone gently pinched it at this time, he would definitely stare at him and mutter, "What are you doing?"
Chu Linchuan rubbed his fingertips on the side of his thigh: "Why should I do this?"
Xia Lanzheng still couldn't help herself and placed the second to last piece of the puzzle in the corresponding position without pressing it down.
"You feel sorry for me and want to help me? Now everyone in the company knows that I'm your distant relative. Even though it's a very distant relative, it's still a good opportunity for me to get involved."
Chu Linchuan made a move, raised his foot, and rubbed Xia Lanzheng's leg with the shoe surface intentionally or unintentionally.
The old Xia Lanzheng would never apologize to him.
Chu Linchuan hated his stupidity and arrogance, and watched coldly as his family doted on him endlessly.
It seemed that no one noticed that the core of the body had changed.
I don’t remember when it started, but the well-behaved and sensible younger brother in my memory became blurred and was blocked outside my barrier by Chu Linchuan.
Xia Lanzheng thought she was secretly pinching the puzzle piece, tapping it lightly with her fingers, vaguely revealing the mole in her palm.
Chu Linchuan seemed to be thinking about something, staring at that place in a daze.
The missing piece of the puzzle on the ground was completed, revealing a large red lantern.
The person squatting on the ground turned around dissatisfiedly: "Did you kick me on purpose again?"
Xia Lanzheng looked up and glared at him. Chu Linchuan had put on his glasses without him noticing: "No one kicked you, don't try to scam me."
Xia Lanzheng wanted to say something, but Chu Linchuan pressed the recorder on his phone.
His own voice came from it.
He seemed to be very angry, but also seemed quite proud.
Chu Linchuan slowly smiled.
"Even if I, Xia Lanzheng, starve to death, get targeted, or even be hidden away, I will never ask you, Chu Linchuan, for help!"
"no way!"
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