Shen Zhe quickly flipped through the documents in his hands, then looked up and gave the young man a deep gaze. Perhaps his gaze was too sharp, it caught the youth’s attention. The boy, startled, glanced up, and after a brief moment of eye contact, he was the first to look away.
Those eyes seemed to speak, filled with both curiosity and unease, cautiously seeking comfort here, only to be frightened away by Shen Zhe’s gaze. Somehow, Shen Zhe suddenly felt a pang of heartache. He immediately found himself amused by this thought—how could that be possible?
However, his gaze softened considerably, and he spoke seriously to the young man on the sofa, “Qi Chen, given your qualifications, you don’t meet the threshold to enter Jingnian.”
The boy’s expression dimmed, but then the male voice paused and continued, “However, Jingnian can give you a chance out of respect for Grant. The time won’t be long—a three-month trial as a trainee. During these three months, aside from basic training, you can shoot a cover for Grant. The salary can be discussed separately. If agreed, your father needs to provide a written consent, allowing you to sign a contract with Jingnian.”
As soon as the words fell, Shen Zhe saw the previously dejected boy’s eyes light up. His lips parted slightly, as if wanting to say something, but after thinking for a moment, he closed his mouth again.
Watching the boy’s tender lips, Shen Zhe, feeling a bit uneasy, unbuttoned one button of his shirt collar, finding it easier to breathe.
“If you have any requests, feel free to bring them up. I’ll consider them.”
Shen Zhe didn’t notice that he had already made this matter something to handle personally, whereas in the past, these small tasks were always taken care of by others in charge.
Wei Xicheng looked at the man’s hand resting on the table—elegant and jade like with clearly defined knuckles. In his heart, he silently praised Shen Zhe’s hands, while his face lowered, his brush-like eyelashes casting a small shadow on his face.
“No.”
Grant, waiting anxiously on the side, asked, “Qi, where’s your father? Why isn’t he here yet?”
Shen Zhe thought of the information he had read earlier, describing the boy as naturally timid, withdrawn, sensitive, and silent.
“Your father’s contact information,” Shen Zhe asked as he took the assistant’s phone, ready to dial. “I’ll speak to him.”
The boy softly recited a string of numbers, and Shen Zhe dialed, putting it on speaker.
As he pressed the speaker button, he noticed the boy’s lips move slightly, but he still didn’t say what he truly wanted to say.
The call connected, and the first sounds were those of a man shouting, women laughing, objects clashing, and other strange noises—it all sounded chaotic.
Shen Zhe’s face darkened, and Grant’s expression became equally complicated. They were adults, so naturally, they understood what was happening. The only child in the room bit his lip, lowered his head, and remained silent.
“Who the hell is calling me right now? I’m busy! Talk later!” the voice on the other end growled, about to hang up.
“Mr. Qi, I’m the person in charge of Jingnian Entertainment and Film Company. We want to sign a contract with Qi Chen, and we need your consent for him to participate in all media productions,” Shen Zhe calmly said before the call could be disconnected.
There was a brief silence on the other end, then, “Jingnian?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll be right there.” There were sounds of rustling from the other end, followed by a woman’s protest, “Damn it, move aside, don’t ruin my good time.”
Shen Zhe hung up, his face expressionless.
Silence filled the room.
Even the usually talkative Grant could tell that Shen Zhe was in a foul mood and didn’t dare speak. Naturally, Shen Zhe’s assistant also kept quiet, and the already reserved boy became even more unwilling to talk.
The atmosphere grew tense and awkward. After some time, Shen Zhe spoke.
“Keeping your head down like that, doesn’t your neck hurt? Look up.”
When Wei Xicheng raised his head, he noticed a faint smile in Shen Zhe’s dark, ebony-like eyes.
He rubbed his eyes, about to take a closer look when a voice called out, “Qi Chen!” which interrupted his thoughts. He looked in the direction of the voice and saw a man in a light blue suit walking towards them.
Qi Chen stood up, and as the man approached, he lowered his head and softly called, “Dad.”
Although Qi’s father had long indulged in debauchery, faint traces of his youthful appearance remained. Though his steps were unsteady and dark circles lingered under his eyes, he still looked quite young. The light blue suit gave him an air of frivolity and arrogance.
Qi Chen’s aura was ethereal, like a spirit untouched by the world, while the man before them looked like he belonged to the lowest depths of society. The contrast in their temperaments made it hard to believe they were related.
Qi’s father smiled and reached out to touch the boy’s hair. But before he could say “Good boy,” the boy tilted his head, avoiding his touch.
His father’s face stiffened, and just as he was about to scold the ungrateful child, he saw a handsome, elegant man nodding politely toward him.
Having kept up with entertainment news for years, Qi’s father immediately recognized the famous actor Shen Zhe and hurriedly bowed, “Hello, Mr. Shen.”
“Qi Chen perfectly fits the image we have in mind for one of our projects this term, so I want him to join our company as a trainee for three months. His performance during this period will determine whether he has the ability to become a full member of the company.”
Qi’s father kept nodding. “I have no objections; I’ll leave it all to you. Qi Chen can be disobedient at times, so I’d be glad if you had someone keep him in line. As for the money part…”
Shen Zhe waved his hand and took a contract from the assistant. “We won’t mistreat Qi Chen. Although his previous resources and image haven’t been ideal, we will still offer him a standard pay rate for the photoshoot. During the trainee period, the company will cover his meals and accommodation, but no extra compensation will be provided.”
Qi’s father’s expression changed. “Three months with no pay?”
Shen Zhe nodded.
After weighing the potential benefits, Qi’s father gritted his teeth and agreed. “Fine.”
Since both sides had no issues with the contract, it was quickly signed.
As Qi’s father tucked away the pen, he glanced at Shen Zhe and said, “If there are any big bosses or good opportunities, make sure to introduce them to Qi Chen. He can handle any dirty or hard work.”
Shen Zhe’s face, usually carrying a trace of a smile even in anger, grew completely cold.
“Mr. Qi, now that the contract is signed, you may go.”
Qi’s father winked at Qi Chen, suggesting he should act as he had previously taught him. This was a big company, and the people involved were all wealthy big shots.
The boy stood there, clutching his shirt hem and biting his lip, looking pitifully thin.
Shen Zhe could only feel his temples throbbing. How could there be such a father, who would personally push his child into the fire, especially such a beautiful child?
Grant didn’t understand the complexities of the situation, when he found someone particularly displeasing, he simply followed his instincts. He gently pulled the youth behind him, then quickly let go of his hand, fearing the boy would end up with red-rimmed eyes again.
Grant’s tall figure stood between Qi’s father and the boy, not completely blocking their line of sight, but seemingly building a protective wall around the boy.
Shen Zhe watched as the boy stared blankly at the man’s broad back. He pressed his fingers to his temples, never having found Grant this annoying before. “Assistant Li, help Mr. Qi get a taxi.”
After sending Qi’s father away, Shen Zhe noticed that the boy behind Grant visibly relaxed, his body no longer tense.
“Grant, Anran will be here in ten minutes.”
“What?! Shen! You know I don’t like her.” Grant stood up hastily, ready to leave, and turned back to ruffle Wei Xicheng’s hair, saying, “Looking forward to our collaboration.”
Watching Grant’s hurried figure, Shen Zhe walked over to Wei Xicheng. “Come with me.”
Wei Xicheng was puzzled. Did Boss Shen have so much free time? Before he could gather his thoughts, he felt a hand fall on his head, then quickly withdraw.
At sixteen, he stood at about 1.78 meters (5’10”), but next to Shen Zhe, his height felt utterly insufficient. With his character, he would never dare look up at Boss Shen’s expression to gauge his thoughts. Wei Xicheng could only obediently endure this gesture and subtly create some distance from Shen Zhe.
Naturally, since he didn’t look up, Wei Xicheng couldn’t see the deep gaze that Shen Zhe directed at him.
Shen Zhe took the lead, moving forward, rubbing his fingers together. The soft sensation from earlier still lingered on his fingertips, but an undeniable current pulsed through his fingers, causing his body to tingle. He nearly sighed out loud, wishing to experience that touch again.
Wei Xicheng remained silent, obediently following the man behind, his head down like a little follower.
“Shen, Mr. Shen.”
The soft voice from behind made Shen Zhe pause mid-step, turning around to look at the little quail. If he remembered correctly, this was the first time the boy had taken the initiative to speak since their meeting.
“What’s the matter?” With this thought, he couldn’t help but soften his tone, though the lingering effects of that static energy made his usually clear voice sound a bit hoarse. The pronunciation of his words intertwined, reminiscent of the laziness one feels upon waking up.
Shen Zhe frowned. There was no time to ponder; he saw the little quail lift his head, his face flushed, his lips pressed together as he managed to squeeze out a single word: “Thank you.”
“Thank me for what?”
For pulling me out and treating me to a meal, of course.
Wei Xicheng fidgeted with his shirt hem, looking somewhat at a loss. He dared not make eye contact with Shen Zhe again and lowered his gaze to stare at his toes.
“I, I…”
After waiting for a long time without hearing what followed the “I,” Shen Zhe felt the little quail still needed some time to learn how to speak. As for what he wanted to say, Shen Zhe understood it well enough.
“Are you hungry? Keep up.”
“Um…”
The tall man walked ahead, but his pace was slow. The somewhat thin boy followed closely behind, occasionally glancing up at the figure in front of him.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
**Author’s Note:**
Shen Zhe: Can you generate static electricity? Show me.
Stupid Author: ???
Shen Zhe: Get out, next one.
