Chapter 13

“Okay,” Ye Chen responded, dragging his swivel chair over to Shen Mofeng’s side. 

Shen Mofeng propped his legs up, casually resting his elbows on the armrest of the chair, leaning his upper body towards Ye Chen to make it easier for him to see the script. Ye Chen sat upright, slightly turning his head to look at the script, with their heads about twenty centimeters apart.

Seeing this, Military Strategist Hou calmly hooked his chubby little hand, and the five divine beast cubs formed a line, sticking to the wall, crawling towards the direction behind Ye Chen. Hundun Cub had not yet transformed into human form and could not crawl without hands or feet. It could only fly, but to blend in with the group, it reluctantly folded its wings and rolled forward on the ground, rolling, rolling, rolling…

Acting with Shen Mofeng was extremely beneficial for improving his acting skills. Shen Mofeng usually carried a somewhat arrogant air in his dealings with others. However, once he entered work mode, he had no airs at all. He communicated with his acting partners without reservation and didn’t bother beating around the bush. He would discuss how to better perform the scene, what issues the other party might have, and how to improve, all straightforwardly.

For newcomers like Ye Chen who urgently needed to improve their acting skills, Shen Mofeng’s pointed guidance was more valuable than gold. Therefore, Ye Chen listened attentively, gradually becoming engrossed, ignoring the seemingly obedient but actually mischievous five cubs in the dressing room.

Midway through the acting lesson for his little fan, Shen Mofeng subconsciously took out a cigarette case, opened it with one hand, and was about to pick up a cigarette when he suddenly realized it wasn’t good to let the child inhale secondhand smoke. So, he closed the cigarette case and put it back, rubbing his temples wearily.

“Shen Ge, it’s okay, I don’t mind,” Ye Chen quickly said upon seeing this.

Shen Mofeng shook his head, picked up where he left off, and continued speaking.

Before joining the industry, he didn’t have a heavy smoking habit, but after joining, with multiple shoots and busy schedules, it became common for him to go without a full night’s sleep for a week straight. He couldn’t tolerate caffeine, but needed to stay alert, so during night shoots, he relied on cigarettes. It didn’t bother him before, but in the past two years, he started coughing severely every winter.

Ye Chen initially frowned, but then remembered the four pear tree seedlings that had arrived yesterday and hadn’t been planted yet, and his brow smoothed out.

People often say that eating pears clears and moistens the lungs. But first, whether it’s truly effective or not is a question, and second, even if eating pears really can clear the lungs, eating ten pears a day probably isn’t as effective as smoking one less cigarette—though this statement only applies to ordinary pears for ordinary people.

Ye Chen had previously asked Jing Ling what other effects his spiritually cultivated fruits and vegetables had besides being delicious and accelerating the growth and development of divine beasts. Jing Ling’s response was that spiritually cultivated fruits and vegetables could roughly confirm about eighty percent of the rumors and exaggerations in the social media circle… which meant that eating the vegetables and fruits grown by the descendants of Shennong according to various rumors in the social media circle would indeed have therapeutic effects. Whether you’re sick or not, they could help treat illnesses and prolong life.

One can imagine that if spiritually cultivated fruits and vegetables were to enter the mortal market in large quantities, it would be extremely unfavorable for future generations to debunk rumors…

When the pears arrive, I’ll have to get some for Shen Ge and figure out a way to ensure he eats them every day… Ye Chen’s mind wandered for a moment before he quickly brought his attention back. He continued to gaze down at the script, his dark and dense eyelashes framing his quiet demeanor. His lips, with their tempting shape, slightly pursed in apparent distress as he listened to Shen Mofeng’s interpretation of a certain detail in the script.

Shen Mofeng’s eyelids flickered, suddenly recalling the soft sensation in the palm of his hand that night. He cleared his throat and asked, “Did you understand?”

Ye Chen pondered for a few seconds, then his features suddenly relaxed, and he cheerfully replied, “Yes, Shen Ge, thank you for explaining so much to me.”

That earnest and studious look of his was quite adorable. A difficult-to-express itch arose in Shen Mofeng’s heart, so he turned his head to openly observe Ye Chen, absentmindedly saying, “You’re welcome. If I can train you well and get you on track, it’ll save me some trouble too.”

Ye Chen pursed his lips and turned his head to look at him, his bright eyes brimming with youthful vigor.

Shen Ge is really too kind. With his status, he still takes the time to teach a young actor like me. He’s truly admirable! Ye Chen’s heart surged with emotion, almost turning into a genuine fan.

The problem is, even if he becomes a fan, he can only become a rational fan, not the kind of fanatic fan who blows rainbow farts… 

“Little friend…” Shen Mofeng’s lips curled slightly as he asked in a low voice, “What are you thinking?”

Wishing my Shen Ge all the best! Longevity like the southern mountains! May he have a peaceful life! Ye Chen fervently offered a sincere blessing in his heart, then replied in a normal tone, “Nothing…”

At this moment, Hundun Cub and Qiongqi Cub, who had been lying in ambush behind Ye Chen for some time under the guidance of Hou Cub, suddenly leaped into the air. The two little furballs flapped their wings, one on the left and one on the right, pressing against the back of Ye Chen’s head, and then forcefully pushed forward…

Assault team, attack!

Ye Chen was completely unprepared. His cheek suddenly pressed close to Shen Mofeng’s forehead, but in the split second before their foreheads touched, he sensed something was wrong and stiffened his neck to stabilize himself.

Both of them were stunned.

Ye Chen realized it was the divine beast cubs playing tricks on him. He quickly pushed his chair back from Shen Mofeng, his face filled with genuine shock and innocence.

After a few seconds of awkward silence, Shen Mofeng’s lips twitched, forming a smirk that exuded a playful vibe. He teased, “What’s up, kiddo? Playing with yourself as your own prank victim?”

“No!” Ye Chen was so embarrassed that he didn’t know how to compose his facial features. His face turned red with genuine embarrassment as he futilely tried to explain, “It’s just… it felt like someone pushed me just now!”

Actually, it wasn’t just a feeling; someone did push him… but that couldn’t be revealed!

“In broad daylight…” Shen Mofeng chuckled. “Haunted?”

Ye Chen innocently widened his eyes and nodded vigorously, pretending, “That’s possible!”

“Oh, my dressing room is haunted.” Shen Mofeng pretended to believe him completely, casually teasing Ye Chen, “Maybe my car is haunted too… then I’ll have nowhere to go, I’ll have to squeeze into your car and stay with you, right?”

“No no no, there’s no haunting in your car.” Ye Chen’s face was burning so hotly that even his collarbones felt like they were on fire. He felt so ashamed that he wished he could crawl into a wastebasket and curl up into a ball of scrap paper. This unexpected situation caught him completely off guard. Even if he had a hundred brains, he couldn’t come up with a plausible explanation. His lips trembled as he explained incoherently, “I really, really didn’t mean to do anything to you. It’s just… maybe my neck cramped or something… but actually, it felt like someone really did push me, Shen Ge, please believe me…”

Shen Mofeng chuckled softly.

He understood teenage boys like Ye Chen. After all, he had been one himself. Although when he was Ye Chen’s age, he was busy engaging in mental battles with his father, refusing to inherit the family business on one hand, and preparing to pursue his passion for the film industry on the other, he had no interest in anyone sweeping him off his feet or sacrificing everything for anyone. But he completely understood the inability to control emotions in front of someone you’ve liked for many years…

After all, the atmosphere just now was really something else.

If he were the type to treat relationships casually, he would have seized the moment when Ye Chen suddenly woke up and froze, grabbing Ye Chen by the back of his neck and kissing him directly, claiming this little friend who suited his taste so well.

But he wasn’t.

Ye Chen had been single-mindedly pursuing his movie dream for years, remaining single for so long that even though he wasn’t as busy now, he couldn’t just casually end his single status with anyone. Because such casualness would make him feel like all the previous loneliness had been in vain, so he preferred to wait, wait for a real prince charming who could truly make him fall head over heels…

Seeing Ye Chen blush with embarrassment, Old Rogue Shen finally had a pang of conscience, thinking of throwing him a lifeline. However, just as Ye Chen was relieved, he blurted out, “By the way, Shen Ge, I’m straight!”

Shen Mofeng instantly retracted the lifeline he had reached out for, remained silent for a moment, and then sarcastically remarked, “Haha.”

That was too fake, almost worse than the ghost joke.

Ye Chen, confused, asked, “I really am straight, don’t I seem like it?”

Shen Mofeng sneered lightly, speaking in a tone as if talking to a child, “You do.”

Ye Chen: “…”

Because he claimed to be straight, Ye Chen lost the lifeline that he could have grabbed immediately, and Old Rogue Shen intentionally left him hanging, leaving him in an awkward situation for a while.

“Alright,” Shen Mofeng finally took pity on him, casually saying, “It’s not a big deal… tidy up your hair, okay? It’s a bit messy on the right side, and the next scene is coming up.”

Ye Chen felt like he had just received a pardon and quickly made his escape, followed closely by five divine beast cubs.

With so many people around on set and his urgency to fix his hair for the next scene, Ye Chen didn’t have time to analyze the behavior of cubs in detail. He hastily led the five balls of fur to a secluded spot and exclaimed, “What are you guys doing?!”

“We’re the head-pressing squad,” Hou Cub’s face was flushed. “Since you and the big brother just now were so close, shouldn’t we press heads to make you kiss?”

Ye Chen nearly collapsed with exasperation. He growled lowly, “What kind of messy things do you usually watch? Is this scene in Peppa Pig?!”

Hou Cub, afraid of exposing the fact that he secretly watched melodramatic love stories, shut his mouth tight and didn’t say a word.

“No more head pressing!” Ye Chen gritted his teeth, each word punctuated with determination. “Anyone who presses heads again will have to stand in the yard for an hour when we get back tonight. No pressing mine or anyone else’s heads, even if you’re close, understood?”

Hou Cub pouted in grievance, softly questioning, “Why though…”

“Because pressing heads is impolite,” Ye Chen calmed down a bit, explaining with a logic that a child could understand, “When one person wants to kiss another, they must have a very good and close relationship with that person. I’m not close to the big brother just now, so we can’t kiss each other, understand?”

“Understood,” Hou Cub nodded softly. “We won’t do it again in the future.”

“…Good.” Ye Chen sighed wearily, mentally and physically exhausted, then turned to find the hairstylist to fix his hair.

As Ye Chen walked away, Hou Cub blinked his eyes and said to the other cubs waiting for his command, “Don’t worry, even if we don’t press heads or hold hands, I have a way to help Gege.”

The author has something to say:

Ye Qiongqiong’s account book today:

Today’s income: one ton of fright

Today’s expenditure: one liter of cold sweat

Shen Mofeng: The child couldn’t help it, understandable.

Fully calculate the scheme Huo Cub: I still have a way ne! ╰(*°▽°*)╯

Ye Qiongqiong’s emphasis on educating the cubs shouldn’t be “no more head-pressing”, but rather “no more playing matchmaker between me and Shen Mofeng”… [doge]