The phrase “biological father” sounded distant. Under normal circumstances, no one would deliberately emphasize that someone is their biological parent.

But thinking back to Shen Yucheng’s argument with his father during Yu Chen’s engagement banquet, Yu Yan could understand.

He stammered as he spoke, “Well… don’t feel bad.”

“Yu Yan—” Shen Yucheng chuckled softly. “I wasn’t looking for your comfort.”

“I just wanted to tell you that there are many unfair things in life. There’s no need to dwell on something so trivial.”

Yu Yan suddenly realized, “I get it now.”

It turned out Shen Yucheng was comforting him!

Actually, he hadn’t been dwelling on it. While setbacks in his career naturally brought some sadness, his brother had already paved a smooth path for him.

This wasn’t a suitable topic for conversation, so Yu Yan naturally transitioned to discussing the company’s annual party. After chatting for a while, they ended the call.

Lu Yan and Jian Ran’s names were still trending online, the buzz showing no signs of dying down, but Yu Yan couldn’t be bothered to care.

Just then, Xiao Man sent over a few opportunities—roles for male second or third leads in TV dramas, as well as some fitting endorsements.

Yu Yan wasn’t planning to let Jian Ran take on any TV dramas for now. He had his eye on a supporting role in a film instead, but the endorsements were worth considering. He picked two brands and asked Xiao Man to do a background check. If there were no issues, they could proceed with signing the contracts.

Fame truly made a difference—opportunities now came knocking on their door.

Since managing more artists, Yu Yan spent less time at the company, often out on fieldwork. He was either visiting sets or accompanying artists to commercial performances and shoots.

After the incident where he took Jian Ran and Song Yun to a scenic spot to shoot the Luyu advertisement—an event that He Zhiyu found out about—He Zhiyu caused a fuss in their group chat, insisting that Yu Yan take him along for a commercial shoot as well.

Out of all the artists, He Zhiyu was the least troublesome. His cousin, He Xuan, was far more capable than him.

But in the end, Yu Yan couldn’t say no to He Zhiyu and ended up accompanying him to the shoot.

This time, it was for a watch advertisement. The watch was from an internationally renowned brand. Based on He Zhiyu’s level of fame, he wouldn’t have qualified for this gig, but his good looks and family background made it happen.

“Did your cousin help you land this endorsement?” Yu Yan asked curiously.

He Zhiyu shook his head. “A friend of mine has shares in this company.”

“You have such impressive friends?” Yu Yan was dumbfounded.

If that was the case, why had He Zhiyu struggled so much before, even considering drinking with clients to secure opportunities?

“I promised my family early on that I wouldn’t go abroad. Otherwise, I’d already be a Hollywood star by now,” He Zhiyu said with a look of regret.

Yu Yan was silent for a moment. “Well, you’d better stay put in the country.”

“That’s not happening. I’ve got an offline event abroad soon, and at the beginning of next year, I’ll be attending Milan Fashion Week.” He Zhiyu chuckled. “When I mentioned it to my dad last night, he didn’t even hit me.”

“Consider yourself lucky.”

Yu Yan was somewhat distracted, his gaze falling on a few sample watches. Each one was beautiful.

The black watch in the center caught his eye—a simple design with a solid gold dial inlaid with a single diamond.

Suddenly, someone bumped him on the shoulder twice, and He Zhiyu’s voice came from beside him. “I want to ask you something.”

“What is it?”

“What’s Cao Yuanye been up to lately? Why is he ignoring me? He doesn’t even reply to my messages,” He Zhiyu said with a hint of dissatisfaction.

Yu Yan glanced sideways at him and replied slowly, “He’s been ignoring me too.”

He Zhiyu burst into laughter. “Then I’m relieved.”

“His mother’s in the hospital. If it’s not something urgent, don’t bother him.”

Yu Yan had discussed with Cao Yuanye to take a break from acting after finishing Twenty Years. They’d wait until after the new year to pick up another project.

He picked up a sample watch and examined it carefully before looking up its price on his phone. Around six figures—not outrageously expensive.

“What? Interested?” He Zhiyu raised an eyebrow. “That doesn’t seem like your style. Planning to gift it to that guy you went on a date with last time?”

Yu Yan turned his head. “Why do you talk so much? Go touch up your makeup and don’t waste time.”

“Hey, tell me. Did you really leave Jian Ran alone in Lu Yan’s lounge last time to go on a date with some young guy?” He Zhiyu looked like he was dying to hear gossip.

“Mind your own business.”

Yu Yan turned and walked away. It seemed like He Zhiyu wanted to follow him, but the cameraman caught him first.

Downstairs in the mall, there was a counter for the same brand of watches. However, the model He Zhiyu was endorsing was a new release that wouldn’t be available until next month.

Yu Yan swiped his card and registered his information, arranging for it to be delivered to him next month.

It was just in time for the new year—a gift for his brother.

The clerk politely handed him a receipt. “We also have a watch from the same series that might suit you. Would you like to take a look?”

Scanning the display, Yu Yan’s gaze landed on a black mechanical watch on the left side of the counter. It had no elaborate decorations, only a sleek design and a brand logo engraved with striking craftsmanship.

To be honest, he didn’t know much about watches and wasn’t in the habit of wearing one, so he couldn’t tell if it was good or not.

The saleswoman, perceptive as ever, took out the watch. “This one is also a new release. It’s perfect for gifting.”

Five minutes later, Yu Yan walked out of the mall, somewhat bewildered, holding the watch.

Shen Yuchen had about five or six watches he frequently wore. Although Yu Yan had never intentionally looked up their prices, he could guess they were worth a fortune.

This watch, priced barely in the six-figure range, wasn’t nearly as extravagant. He wondered if Shen Yuchen would even like it.

But then again, Shen Yuchen had worn a hand-knit scarf a few times, so he probably wouldn’t reject this either, right?

Well, it was already bought, so Yu Yan decided to treat it as a thank-you gift for Shen Yuchen for preparing clothes for him last time.

When he returned to the shoot location, He Zhiyu was nearly done with his session.

“You really bought that watch? Let me see,” He Zhiyu reached out for the bag.

Yu Yan moved back, avoiding his hand. “That watch hasn’t been released yet. This one’s for myself.”

Immediately, He Zhiyu lost interest. “Alright then. I still have about an hour to go. After I’m done, I’ll take you to a great place.”

Catching the key phrase, Yu Yan immediately grew cautious.

“What great place?”

“Relax, it’s not a bar.”

Yu Yan agreed, then turned to send a message in the family group chat, letting them know he’d be home late.

He Zhiyu had a strong presence in front of the camera, so filming such a commercial wasn’t challenging for him. In just three hours, all the photos were completed.

After the shoot, Yu Yan found himself once again sitting in the nanny van, now headed to a newly opened racing club with He Zhiyu.

“This club is still in its soft opening phase, but the owner is a friend of mine and gave me a membership. We’ll do a couple of laps to support the place,” He Zhiyu said with a particularly bright smile.

Even though it was only a soft opening, the club was already quite lively. Before they even entered, Yu Yan could hear the roaring engines and constant cheers from inside.

The large screen outside the club live-streamed the thrilling scenes from the track, along with the top three racers who had clocked the fastest times.

Yu Yan’s brows slowly furrowed. “This is the ‘great place’ you were talking about?”

“Of course! No man can resist speed and adrenaline.”

Yu Yan was silent for a moment before glancing at him sideways. “But… I don’t have a driver’s license.”

He Zhiyu froze, staring at him for a long moment. “You’re in your twenties, and you’re telling me you don’t have a driver’s license?”

“Mm.”

Growing up in an orphanage and later living with an elderly grandmother, he never had the chance to get close to cars.

After starting work, he walked everywhere within two hours’ distance and took the bus for farther trips. He rarely even took the subway because buses only cost two yuan for many stops, whereas extended subway rides cost extra.

The first time Yu Yan took the subway was in winter. Since it was heated, he stayed on for a few extra hours, only to find he’d been charged 16 yuan for overtime—an entire day’s worth of food money.

“It’s fine. I’ll take you for a few laps,” He Zhiyu slung an arm over his shoulder and led him into the club.

The deafening roars of engines, screeching brakes, cheers, and the wail of ambulance sirens echoed in his ears.

The scene of a car crash replayed vividly in Yu Yan’s mind, stirring unease.

He pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth, took a deep breath to suppress the discomfort, and said, “I’m not going.”

He rarely thought about that accident. Perhaps it was because he usually rode in slow-moving cars that it didn’t come to mind. But seeing these high-speed vehicles racing, it all came rushing back.

He Zhiyu thought carefully for a moment. “Do you have some sort of trauma?”

“Something like that,” Yu Yan brushed it off, unwilling to elaborate.

“The more scared you are, the more you need to overcome your fear. I’m a great driver; don’t worry.” He Zhiyu pointed at the three names on the big screen one by one. “See those? They’ve all been defeated by me before.”

Despite his confidence, there was a big difference between racing and just riding in a regular car.

Even just hearing the roar of the sports car engines made Yu Yan feel a bit uneasy, let alone the thought of actually sitting in one.

He Zhiyu continued to persuade him. “Trust me, have you heard of desensitization therapy? All you need to do is ride with me once, and you’ll never be scared again.”

“Look at little Ranran. He used to stutter, saying one word at a time. Now he can say three words in one go. Give it another two months, and he’ll be cracking tongue twisters on a stand-up comedy show.”

Yu Yan was starting to feel slightly swayed, but he still didn’t agree.

“What, are you planning to never learn how to drive? Don’t blame me if this happens: everywhere you go, you’ll need a driver, and your parents will know your every move. You start dating someone, and they’ll immediately know your partner’s appearance, height, and even their home address. Isn’t that suffocating? Doesn’t that bother you? What if your partner breaks up with you because of this?”

He Zhiyu kept talking while half-dragging Yu Yan into the club.

In the end, Yu Yan gave in, changed into a brand-new racing suit, and sat in the co-driver’s seat—the navigator’s position—of a sports car.

He looked at the empty track in front of them, dazed for a moment. “Did they clear the track?”

“No, this is the slow lane,” He Zhiyu replied, pulling out his phone for a selfie. “Look over here, smile!”

“How am I supposed to smile with a helmet on?”

His voice carried an edge of nervousness.

“Does it matter?” He Zhiyu chuckled. “Hold on tight.”

Before Yu Yan could respond, the red sports car shot forward like an arrow off the bow. The powerful acceleration pressed him firmly against the seat.

He gripped the edge of the console tightly, mentally cursing He Zhiyu several dozen times.

Although the speed wasn’t considered fast for a racetrack, it was overwhelming for someone like Yu Yan, who was used to slower vehicles.

After a few laps, He Zhiyu slowed down, and the tense, uncomfortable feeling gradually eased.

The sports car finally came to a halt at the finish line.

“Well? Didn’t I tell you? Only racing can give you this kind of speed and thrill.”

It didn’t seem as hard to accept as he thought.

Was it because He Zhiyu had been decelerating instead of accelerating?

“Let’s hit the fast lane for a few laps,” He Zhiyu suggested enthusiastically.

“Next time,” Yu Yan replied.

When he went to the changing room to switch back into his clothes and grab his phone, he noticed over twenty missed calls popping up on the screen before he even unlocked it.

He froze slightly, preparing to call back.

“Whoa, why do I have so many missed calls?”

—That was He Zhiyu’s voice.