Although Lu Wei was present, he didn’t utter a single word. To Lin Si, he seemed like a Buddha sitting in the center seat—emotionless, without any joy or sorrow.

Zhang Tingxi acted as the spokesperson, delivering such a long-winded speech that Lin Si was almost on the verge of falling asleep.

Liao Ji nudged him a few times under the table, and Lin Si finally fought off his drowsiness. He rubbed his neck and raised his head toward the stage.

He had only intended to glance at Zhang Tingxi, but his gaze was intercepted halfway.

For about five seconds, he and Lu Wei stared at each other amidst Zhang Tingxi’s monologue. Then, as if by mutual agreement, they both looked away, clearly unwilling to prolong the eye contact.

Lin Si thought to himself: Lu Wei probably really believes I’m Lu Shaoming’s kept little lover.

Lu Wei had such bad taste. And such a slow brain.

Stupid and unsophisticated.

The new official’s long-winded inaugural speech finally ended. Lin Si yawned, got up from his seat, adjusted his mask and sunglasses, and got ready to head home to build a snowman.

He hadn’t even reached the door yet when a few fellow artists called out to him, led by the ever-familiar Bai Fan.

Bai Fan asked for a group photo, and soon everyone else chimed in, making small talk and asking all sorts of trivial questions.

Lin Si pulled his mask down to his chin. “Fine, let’s take the picture.”

A crowd surrounded him, with Bai Fan sticking so close he was practically hanging off him. The sheer number of people made it unclear whether Bai Fan’s actions were deliberate or accidental. Lin Si shifted slightly to the side, trying to pull his arm away and tuck it behind him.

They had barely taken a few photos when Zhang Tingxi approached, nodding politely at both Lin Si and Liao Ji.

Lin Si silently thanked Zhang Tingxi for rescuing him. He immediately pulled free from the group, apologized to his colleagues, and hurriedly followed after him as though escaping.

Liao Ji glanced at him. “Does Mr. Zhang need something from me?”

“I don’t have any business with you. It’s Mr. Lu who’s waiting for you.” Zhang Tingxi led them to what used to be Li Zhong’s office and pushed the door open. “Mr. Lu, Lin Si and Liao Ji are here.”

Lu Wei sat in the boss’s chair, his back straight and posture impeccable. His collar, as Lin Si had noticed before, was perfectly neat, without a single flaw.

Lin Si privately suspected that his tie was made of high-precision titanium alloy.

He also reasonably assumed that Lu Wei must have been the class model student back in elementary school, probably even a little Young Pioneer leader.

“I’ll leave you to it, then.” Zhang Tingxi closed the door behind him.

“Mr. Lu,” Liao Ji greeted.

Lu Wei’s gaze landed on Lin Si’s face. “Sit.”

They sat down in the two chairs in front of the desk. The desk was large, leaving quite a bit of space between them and Lu Wei, which made the conversation feel even more distant.

“Shengshi Entertainment is now under Zhang Tingxi’s management. I hope you’ll work well with him in the future,” Lu Wei said.

Liao Ji nodded immediately. “Understood, Mr. Lu.”

“The reason I called you here is to inform you about one thing,” Lu Wei continued, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly as he looked directly at Lin Si. “Previously, Li Zhong didn’t know about you being an Omega. From now on, Zhang Tingxi won’t know either.”

Lin Si abruptly lifted his gaze, locking eyes with Lu Wei, his expression steady but questioning.

Lin Si had assumed Zhang Tingxi was one of Lu Wei’s people and that it was only a matter of time before Zhang Tingxi learned about his secret. He hadn’t expected Lu Wei to choose to keep it for him.

His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he said, “Thank you, Mr. Lu.”

“The level of control Zhang Tingxi has over your matters will remain the same as what Li Zhong had—no more, no less,” Lu Wei stated, his tone calm but firm. “As for the authority that Lu Shaoming used to have over you, it’s now mine. Do you understand?”

Lin Si was reluctant. If he had to pick one person at Shengshi Entertainment that he least wanted to deal with, it would undoubtedly be Lu Wei.

But he could only nod and say, “Understood, Mr. Lu.”

“Good. You can leave now,” Lu Wei dismissed them.

Liao Ji opened his mouth, as if wanting to say something, but ultimately kept silent and followed Lin Si in standing up.

Just as they were about to pull open the door, Lu Wei’s voice came from behind them. “Lin Si, I hope you remember what I’ve told you. Don’t cause unnecessary trouble for either of us.”

Lin Si was a little confused—he couldn’t recall what Lu Wei had said to him before.

Seeing the blank look on Lin Si’s face, Lu Wei’s gaze darkened further.

“Lu Shaoming might have treated you differently,” Lu Wei said, his tone sharp and carrying a distinct warning, “but I’m a businessman. So I hope you remain valuable. Keep your secret well. Remember what you can and cannot do.”

Lin Si tilted his head up slightly, meeting Lu Wei’s eyes directly.

Four years ago, at the top floor of Shengshi Group, through his blurred vision, Lin Si had looked up and seen Lu Wei with the same expression—eyes full of contempt, as if Lin Si were a disposable object, something Lu Wei could discard without a second thought.

And in the end, Lu Wei had done exactly that.

Over time, Lin Si had come to believe that, no matter how cutting a person’s words might be, their heart might not be as cold. That belief crumbled when he encountered the Lu family.

From the very beginning, he was forced to protect a secret that didn’t need protecting, and now he stood here, judged and warned like a criminal.

Facing Lu Wei, Lin Si realized there was no one in the world he despised more.

He curved his lips upward, both corners rising in a practiced, syrupy smile—the kind often worn by those boneless, submissive Omegas who clung to Lu Shaoming’s arm. His voice was sweet and obedient as he replied, “Of course, Mr. Lu.”

As expected, he watched Lu Wei’s brows knit together tightly, his expression twisting with barely concealed disgust.

“Excuse me, I’ll take my leave now, Mr. Lu,” Lin Si said, not waiting for Lu Yan’s permission before pushing the door open and striding out. His steps were so hurried that he didn’t watch where he was going and bumped shoulder-first into Zhang Tingxi.

“Whoa! What’s the rush?” Zhang Tingxi exclaimed in surprise.

Lin Si steadied himself. “Apologies.”

“Finished talking with Mr. Lu?” Zhang Tingxi patted him lightly on the shoulder in a gesture of encouragement. “Lin Si, Mr. Lu values you highly. Keep working hard, and you’ll go even further.”

“Thank you, Mr. Zhang.”

Though in his heart, Lin Si thought he’d probably just end up being more irritated by Lu Yan.

Liao Ji caught up from behind, and Zhang Tingxi continued, “Mr. Lu mentioned that Lin Si is preparing for a career shift. The work plan for next year needs to be finalized soon. Once it’s ready, send it to me,” he said with a smile. “I’ll hand it over to Mr. Lu for review.”

“Understood,” Liao Ji replied.

Zhang Tingxi continued, “So far, the only things confirmed are next year’s movie shoot and a summer magazine feature, right?”

“Mr. Zhang, you know about Twilight?” Liao Ji raised an eyebrow.

“Of course I do. Mr. Lu personally instructed me to handle it,” Zhang Tingxi said. “Though Mr. Lu is young, he’s meticulous and steady in his work. He noticed how you got the short end of the stick under Li Zhong, so he made it a point to even things out for you.”

He added, “Qin Xiao has been eyeing a spot in Twilight for ages, but the magazine always told him there were no openings.”

Lin Si, who had been fuming a moment ago, finally shifted his expression. Clenching his molars, he asked skeptically, “Lu Wei?”

“Yes,” Zhang Tingxi replied, leading them to a quieter spot. After a sigh, he continued, “I get why you’re worried. You’re not the only one. Others feel the same—concerned that now that Mr. Lu has replaced the old Lu family head and Li Zhong, those who were close to them might face suppression.”

Liao Ji quickly waved it off with a smile. “No such concerns, Mr. Zhang.”

“I’m just saying,” Zhang Tingxi smiled. “I didn’t have any experience in the entertainment industry before this. Taking over so suddenly has me on edge too. For now, you rely on Mr. Lu, but I’ll work hard to get up to speed quickly so you can start depending on me too. No need to be so on edge. Mr. Lu has a stronger sense of justice than you think—he won’t stoop to doing anything shady.”

Liao Ji gave Lin Si’s waist a light pat from behind.

Lin Si took the cue and said, “Thank you, Mr. Zhang. We understand.”

Zhang Tingxi nodded. “Good. Pass the message along to others too. Here’s to a smooth collaboration going forward.”

Liao Ji shook hands on behalf of Lin Si. “You’re too kind, Mr. Zhang.”

As soon as they left Shengshi Entertainment, Lin Si dashed into the car, shivering, only for his brief burst of energy to fade as he sat down, leaving him sullen and silent again.

“What’s wrong now?”

“Lu Wei is so annoying,” Lin Si muttered.

Liao Ji sighed. “I know.”

“How can someone like him exist? His words are so infuriating,” Lin Si grumbled, grabbing the down jacket from the back seat. Too lazy to take off his leather jacket, he wrapped himself up in it directly. “He acts one way on the surface and completely different behind your back.”

He turned his head to look out the window.

His face felt hot, and his emotions were in turmoil. One moment he was trembling with anger at what Lu Wei had said in the office, and the next, he felt inexplicably guilty over Lu Wei’s subtle gestures of goodwill.

“How old are you? Still letting a few words get under your skin?” Liao Ji chided. “Antagonizing him isn’t going to do you any good.”

Lin Si pulled his hat down over his head and muttered, “He doesn’t like me, and I don’t like him either.”

“Alright, alright, you don’t like him,” Liao Ji conceded, switching topics. “Then what do you think about Zhang Tingxi?”

Lin Si’s mind was still preoccupied with Lu Wei’s condescending gaze and sharp words. Without much energy, he replied, “He’s fine.”

“Anyone who can stay by Lu Wei’s side is probably not as easygoing as they seem,” Liao Ji mused. “But for now, this situation doesn’t hurt us.”

Lin Si didn’t want to talk about Lu Wei anymore. He let out a deep breath, as if trying to expel the thought of him, and pulled out his phone.

He held it close to his chest, opened the “Bubble” app, and clicked on the chat box with Y. His mood finally started to lighten.

Licking his lips, he sent Y a message: [I’m about to go build a snowman!]

[Flexing arm.jpg]

As expected, Y didn’t reply.

After getting out of the car, Lin Si insisted on dragging Liao Ji to stay outside. The two squatted downstairs, and it wasn’t until their leather gloves were soaking wet that they managed to build two snowmen. Of course, Lin Si had been slacking off—his snowman was clearly smaller than Liao Ji’s.

“I really feel like I’m raising a son,” Liao Ji straightened up, groaning. “Did I owe you something in my past life?”

Lin Si, crouching on the ground with a handful of glass beads, carefully pressed two completely black ones onto the bigger snowman’s face. Standing back up, he beamed with satisfaction, admiring it from all angles. Then, he wrapped the snowman in a prepared hat and scarf, finishing the job.

Liao Ji, shivering under the eaves, urged, “Hurry up, or you’ll catch a cold!”

After some thought, Lin Si picked out a couple more black beads from his palm and gave the smaller snowman matching black eyes.

“Quick, take a picture for me!” he waved energetically in the snow.

Liao Ji sighed, warmed his hands with his breath, and raised his phone. “Stand still.”

Lin Si stood in the middle, holding one snowman in each hand, grinning brightly. All the unpleasantness from a few hours ago seemed completely forgotten.

When Liao Ji insisted he go inside, Lin Si stubbornly hugged the larger snowman with both arms. “Wait! Take another picture of me like this!”

“Lin Si, have you been watching too many idol dramas?” Liao Ji snapped a quick picture and dragged him back. “Hello? Lin Si? Are you the legendary Lin Si who’s supposed to be explosively cool across the universe?”

Lin Si, shivering, took off running, laughing as he went. “I don’t know him! Who is that? Never heard of him!”

He pestered Liao Ji to send him the photos and carefully cropped out the surroundings, leaving only the two snowmen. Then, he sent the picture to Y: [All done! How do they look?]

It was around dinner time, so Y replied after five minutes: [You made two?]

Lin Si, munching on his nutritional meal replacement, quickly replied: [Yep, yep!]

Y: [Both have black eyes. Which one’s for me?]

Lin Si thought for a moment and realised that the bigger one was made by Liao Ji, and the smaller one was his own. So, he replied: [The small one.]

Y: [Why the small one?]

Amused by Y’s insistence, Lin Si laughed and set down his fork to type with both hands: [Because it’s free. You get the small one for free. If you want the big one, you’ll have to give me something in return.]

Y: [What do you want?]

Lin Si blinked mischievously and typed: [How about trying the relationship system with me?]

T/n: New Chapter is up! If you want to support me buy me a Ko-Fi. Happy Reading! 😄❤️