CHAPTER 18 (PART 2)

Hearing that, Wen Heng, who was sitting a short distance away in the corner, subtly shifted his position.

—Jiejie?

He furrowed his brows, just slightly.

Wen Heng didn’t intend to interrupt their conversation, but the café was quiet, and their voices were easy to hear.

In contrast to the moody, melancholic tone of his music, Fu Shan looked like a sunny, handsome guy—like a recent college graduate, eyes still bright and clear.

Facing Gu Sheng, he was extremely polite. He asked, “Jiejie, did you come alone?”

Gu Sheng looked at him with a smile, a little surprised—he was a sweet, well-mannered little brother.

“Nope, someone came with me.”

Fu Shan nodded and didn’t press. Noting that Gu Sheng kept things pretty businesslike, he got straight to the point. When talking about his work, his demeanor subtly changed.

“I’m tired of writing little love songs. This time the concept is different,” Fu Shan explained with a rather abstract tone. “This song is about pain.”

Gu Sheng raised her brows. “Oh? What kind of pain?”

Truth be told, she had a bit of personal insight into various flavors of “pain.”

Fu Shan lowered his handsome face slightly and said softly, “Honestly, after being in this industry for a while, I’ve started to feel a little depressed. Some of the pain is physical, some is mental. I want to express that.”

Wen Heng, listening in: “…”

He couldn’t hold back a scoff.

How painful could it be?

“Actually, I was the one who suggested to Qingjian-ge that you be the female lead in my MV,” Fu Shan said, his clear eyes fixed intently on Gu Sheng. “I just have this feeling you’d be a perfect fit.”

“I looked into your variety show schedule—before you start recording episode three, we can finish all the filming.”

“And as for the pay—I think you deserve the best.”

The amount Fu Shan quoted her was on par with what it cost to hire a top-tier actress—definitely sincere.

Everything about the offer was so thoughtful it left little room for refusal.

Gu Sheng narrowed her eyes.

“In short, I’m really looking forward to working with you, Jiejie. No matter which agency you’re signed with, I’d be happy to collaborate officially! If you agree, we can start shooting in a couple of days. I truly believe we’ll create something soulful together!”

Gu Sheng thought it over—she really couldn’t find a reason to say no.

So she smiled and said, “Alright.”

Fu Shan instantly beamed with joy.

Wen Heng, listening to them practically sealing the deal, remained expressionless, his gaze cold.

Just then, his phone buzzed—it was a WeChat message from Qi Qingjian.

[Bro, are you at Jialai? With sis-in-law?]

[How’s she getting along with Fu Shan?]

[That kid’s a little emotionally intense, but otherwise pretty easy to work with.]

Wen Heng expressionlessly moved his fingers and sent back a single emoji.

[🍵] (tea)

Qi Qingjian: [Huh? What tea?]

Wen Heng put his phone away and looked toward Gu Sheng in the distance, who was smiling as she spoke with a pure-faced boy, whose eyes sparkled like stars.

—Green tea.

Gu Sheng took a sip of coffee and heard the system say faintly:

“Host, you seem to be in a good mood.”

—Of course I am. The job talks went well, and the kid was sweet and considerate.

But she suddenly thought of something and asked, “Hey, this doesn’t count as breaking up the CP, right? He’s just talking business with me.”

The system replied in that same faint tone:
“It depends on the other party’s subjective intent.”

Just then, Fu Shan remembered something and smiled again. “Jiejie, Du-ge will talk to you about the contract later. I really hope we end up at the same company~”

Meanwhile, in Wen Heng’s ear:

Beep—

You will experience your 17th pain episode in 40 minutes. Please prepare accordingly.

Wen Heng looked up toward the two people in the distance and narrowed his eyes slightly.

…

Du Yanzhi stepped out of Director Zhao’s office.

“If it’s Gu Sheng, Yanzhi, you can handle the talk. If she wants to come, great. If not, we won’t push it.”

President Zhao was the boss of Jia Lai. He didn’t see Gu Sheng the way Du Yanzhi described—he wasn’t that optimistic about her.

He knew she was Wen Heng’s wife, and also knew that she used to be just an ordinary person, a rich heiress at that. Women like her, with wealthy backgrounds, tended to be uptight in the entertainment industry. They thought they were special, unlike regular minor celebrities—troublemakers, basically!

What Zhao really had on his mind was Tracing Back, the drama. He had originally thought that if he greased enough wheels, he could shove one or two of his own people into the cast. Who would’ve thought the situation would suddenly shift—they were now doing merit-based auditions?

As they walked to the elevator, the doors opened—and Gu Sheng was right there inside.

Behind her stood a tall man. Du Yanzhi raised his brows slightly, and Zhao instantly recognized him: Wen Heng!

The reason Zhao cared so much about Tracing Back was because Wen Heng was playing the male lead. It was guaranteed to be a hit next year. Even if Jia Lai couldn’t land the female lead, as long as they could get a second lead in there, either male or female, it would become a cash cow. Besides, he’d heard that Wen Heng had a big stake in the investment.

Zhao immediately lit up with a warm smile. “Mr. Wen! What a surprise to see you here!”

Wen Heng gave a slight nod, then turned to Gu Sheng. “I’m accompanying my wife.”

Gu Sheng glanced at him sideways, thinking, This jerk calls me his wife so naturally now, huh.

President Zhao had no interest in Gu Sheng whatsoever. He thought running into Wen Heng today was pure luck and clung to him immediately, trying to build rapport.

Du Yanzhi looked at Gu Sheng and made a welcoming gesture. “Let’s chat over here.”

Gu Sheng nodded. “OK.”

Du Yanzhi brought Gu Sheng into Jia Lai’s reception room and poured her a glass of water.

He had assumed that since Gu Sheng was a newcomer, he’d have to explain a lot. But to his surprise, she was highly professional when it came to discussing work. Beyond the basics like contract length and revenue splits, she even asked very clear and detailed questions about management scope—something most people tended to overlook.

Du Yanzhi’s appreciation for her deepened. He was genuinely starting to want her on board.

But it was also clear that Wen Heng had no intention of letting her go.

Otherwise… he wouldn’t have followed her to Jia Lai. Just his presence alone was sending a message.

Zhao had cornered Wen Heng, going on and on—both openly and subtly—about how they hoped Tracing Back would consider more of Jia Lai’s actors. If any were selected, they would absolutely get professional coaching. Acting skills wouldn’t disappoint Mr. Wen.

Wen Heng listened quietly out of courtesy, never interrupting.

But then, out of nowhere, he asked, “If Gu Sheng signs with Jia Lai, will you send her to Tracing Back?”

Zhao’s smile froze. This was a trap of a question.

Because… he had no idea what Wen Heng actually meant!

In the past, these two were known in the industry for their “fake” marriage. But now they were a trending CP, and Gu Sheng’s popularity had skyrocketed. If not for that, Zhao wouldn’t have agreed to a meeting about signing her. But realistically, if there really was a slot in Tracing Back, Gu Sheng wouldn’t even be in the running. Sure, she was hard to beat in looks, but in experience and professionalism, there were plenty better.

Zhao smiled awkwardly and dodged the question.

That told Wen Heng everything he needed to know.

He admitted he was biased—he wanted Gu Sheng to make her own decision, but he also hoped she would choose to sign with him.

—Because while Jia Lai didn’t believe in her potential, he saw something real in her.

Wen Heng glanced down at his watch. The countdown from the system’s 40-minute warning had just one minute left.

He told Zhao, “I’ll think about it,” then turned and headed to the reception room.

“Congratulations! This time’s pain level: Level 2.”

Wen Heng froze mid-step at the familiar system message.

…The last time he’d been “congratulated,” he got paralysis from the waist down!

“#18: Nasal passage blockage.”

“…?”

Although the symptom was a bit odd, Wen Heng visibly relaxed.

As long as it didn’t affect mobility, it was manageable.

Through the glass wall, he could see Gu Sheng and Du Yanzhi sitting across from each other. His pace quickened instinctively.

“Jia Lai really is sincere—at least, I personally am,” Du Yanzhi said with a smile. “Besides acting opportunities, our variety show department is strong. We could get you on other lifestyle shows or bring you in as a guest on idol competitions…”

By this point, Gu Sheng had already made up her mind.

But before Du Yanzhi could finish, he spotted Wen Heng approaching and joked, “Mr. Wen, coming to steal talent?”

The reception room was dazzlingly bright, and the glass walls couldn’t hide the scene inside—two top-tier actors squaring off over the same woman! What kind of drama was this?!

Everyone on that floor—and even the whole company—was secretly watching, wishing they could just “happen” to walk by the reception room a hundred times.

Du Yanzhi noticed Wen Heng’s dark expression and started calculating.

From what he understood, Gu Sheng had a strong sense of independence. People like her hated being controlled. If Wen Heng tried too hard to keep her close, it might actually push her toward him.

But then, Wen Heng opened his mouth—and choked up. “I… won’t interfere.”

Gu Sheng: ?

Du Yanzhi: ??

All the eavesdroppers: ???

Wen Heng only realized after he spoke—it wasn’t just his nose that was blocked.

…His whole face was out of commission.

Tear ducts included. His eyes welled up instantly.

“It’s fine,” he said with a thick nasal tone. “Gu Sheng can choose whatever she wants.”

Gu Sheng finally put it together: “……”

Damn it, it’s the pain response again!!

Du Yanzhi was completely stunned.

This touching scene only ended when Gu Sheng reached out and held onto Wen Heng.

Like she had made her choice between the two sides.

“Sorry,” she said to Du Yanzhi, face full of secondhand embarrassment.

And just like that—Wen Heng recovered.

No more tears. No more choking up. No more nasal voice.

All the emotion vanished in an instant—his performance left even Du Yanzhi completely floored.

—Wen Heng, you damn green tea flirt???

And as Wen Heng held Gu Sheng’s hand and walked out of Jialai under the stunned, speechless gazes of everyone, he lightly wiped away a tear.

—Sorry for the disturbance. Turns out, the green tea was me all along.

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