SFBF CH94.2

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Every single person who called him addressed him as “Teacher Shen” with the utmost warmth and affection, making Shen Qing feel too embarrassed to hang up directly.

Gu Huaiyu also had an entertainment company under his name. According to the internal professionals of that company, the situation Shen Qing was currently facing was completely normal. Once a person shot to explosive fame, invitations for work and collaborations would inevitably pour in like snowflakes or cattle hair, completely overwhelming them.

It was just that Shen Qing was truly vexed by the constant disturbance, so Gu Huaiyu suggested finding someone to handle these trivial matters for him.

When Li Hong heard about it, he immediately volunteered on the spot, stating that he could temporarily share the burden for Madam.

After all, regarding Madam looking for a manager—even though their own family owned an entertainment company—according to President Gu’s intentions, not just anyone could serve as Madam’s manager. They needed to undergo evaluation and interviews to ensure they were both capable and trustworthy before they could be employed. This would require time.

Secondly, during his past internship, Li Hong had worked inside an entertainment company. His loyalty went without saying, and his capability was well-proven; him stepping up to fill in temporarily was the most suitable arrangement.

Lastly, it was simply because President Gu paid far too much.

…Just serving as President Gu’s special assistant already made his annual salary feel a bit excessive. Assistant Li felt genuinely embarrassed, so at a time like this when Madam needed a rescue, he naturally considered it his bounden duty!

Thus, the special assistant to President Gu, in order to relieve the worries of President Gu and Madam, had recently taken on the role of Shen Qing’s personal manager as well.

The result was that the meticulous and responsible Assistant Li came to find him today holding various invitations and contracts, among which there were actually two movie scripts!

“What is the meaning of these scripts? Someone is inviting me to act?”

Li Hong: “Yes. These are scripts where if you read them and find them satisfactory, you can sign the contract and prepare to join the crew.”

Shen Qing: “……”

Assistant Li hastily added: “Oh, please rest assured, Madam. These two scripts have been meticulously screened by us. From the directors and producers to the screenwriters, scripts, and your character settings, everything is excellent. They are truly high-quality projects! Otherwise, I wouldn’t have brought them to show you.”

Li Hong said with a smile.

…The key point was that they had always known their Madam was very relaxed and preferred to take things easy, and Madam had previously stated not to randomly accept work for him.

However, these two scripts were genuinely superb, and the other invitations and commercial contracts he brought along were all things Assistant Li deemed participatory and highly valuable. As Madam’s manager, even if Madam had no interest, Li Hong felt he had an obligation to bring them before Madam—that was his job.

Otherwise, what did President Gu hire him for? They could have just found a customer service agent to answer the phone and state that their Madam had no interest in participating in any commercial activities, and that would be that!

Shen Qing: “…So the scripts you received weren’t just limited to these two?”

Li Hong nodded: “After being reviewed and evaluated by professionals, a great many have already been eliminated.”

Shen Qing: “……”

Shen Qing fell silent. It was nothing, he was merely marveling at the sheer efficiency and drive of the people in this industry… He had truly only just shot back to explosive fame a few days ago!

But then again, Shen Qing also understood that the scripts Assistant Li could bring before him must have been judged from a professional standpoint by Li Hong as projects he should accept as an artist. Only then would they be brought to his face.

Thus, Shen Qing did not disappoint the painstaking efforts of Assistant Li and the team behind him, stating: “I will look over both the scripts and the contracts. Thank you for your hard work, Assistant Li.”

“It’s no hard work at all.” Hearing Madam speak this way, Li Hong felt a bit overwhelmed by the courtesy.

Yet he still couldn’t help but emphasize: “These few advertisements and these two scripts are genuinely excellent… Uh, the opportunities are rare, it would be a true pity to miss them.”

“Alright, I will look over them carefully and give you an answer later.”

Following that, Shen Qing’s gaze fell upon the few contracts next to them. “Oh.”

Assistant Li was highly adept at reading expressions. Without waiting for Shen Qing to ask, he automatically introduced: “These are invitations sent to you by some advertisers. Similarly, enterprises with poor reputations or low commercial value have already been filtered out by us. These are all relatively suitable for you.”

Shen Qing: “……”

He directly picked up those few contracts to flip through them. He discovered that the ones Assistant Li brought to him were all commercial invitations from well-known brands, basically all of which Shen Qing had heard of. Some were century-old classic shops, while others were international luxury labels…

Remarkably, even that high-end jewelry brand from which Gu Huaiyu had previously gifted him the pink and blue diamonds had invited him to be their spokesperson!

“Ah? Is this real?”

Looking at this commercial collaboration invitation, Shen Qing was dumbfounded once again. In the past, he had always been a consumer and had never even dreamed of collaborating with these mega-luxury brands. But now, someone was suddenly inviting him to be their spokesperson…

“It is absolutely real.” Speaking of this point, Li Hong was also a bit excited: “You have no idea how popular you are right now! You are currently number two on this month’s Top Male Celebrity Popularity Chart!”

The ranking of this chart was entirely authentic, representing that Shen Qing had leaped from a washed-up, third- or fourth-line male star into a first- or second-line big shot.

Number one was the male lead of their historical idol drama, He Zecheng. Through his hard work over the past two years, He Zecheng had already established himself as a first-line star, and as the male lead of the show, it was completely normal for him to top the popularity chart while the drama was airing as a massive hit.

Shen Qing, on the other hand, was an absolute dark horse that had burst out of nowhere, so it stood to reason that he instantly attracted the attention of many collaborators.

Li Hong: “I feel this brand of jewelry suits you incredibly well. The name of their latest jewelry collection is called ‘Enigma,’ and in the words of their Executive Director, you, Madam, are just like an enigma.”

Shen Qing: “……”

The brand jewelry Assistant Li was referring to was precisely the one from which Gu Huaiyu had previously gifted him the brooch and diamond ring. It had to be said, there was quite a bit of fate involved. Furthermore, Shen Qing genuinely loved their jewelry and diamonds… Speaking of it this way, he felt a tiny bit tempted.

Li Hong: “Moreover, if you accept this endorsement as their spokesperson for the Asian region, within the duration of the collaboration, their jewelry will be provided to you with absolute priority. When attending commercial events and the like, you can also wear them for free as promotion. By the way, their house previously never hired celebrities for endorsements; it was only after the new CEO took office that they changed their past marketing strategy. This is the first time they are hiring a global spokesperson! Personally, I feel this opportunity is practically tailor-made for you, Madam!”

Shen Qing: “!”

He felt even more tempted! Especially since doing an endorsement for such a brand wasn’t troublesome—just shooting a few sets of photos and a commercial MV, after which everything would be left to the brand and the team to operate. It was far more relaxing than the subsequent promotions and campaigns for a television drama.

And the reality was indeed as Assistant Li stated; this opportunity was rare. With the timing, geography, and harmony of people all perfectly aligned, it was practically an opportunity delivered right under Shen Qing’s nose.

…He could earn money, continue to lead a relaxed lifestyle, and enjoy beautiful jewelry! If he didn’t accept this job, it would truly be a bit hypocritical.

Shen Qing was not that kind of person. He immediately expressed his thoughts, stating he was willing to accept it.

Aside from endorsing this jewelry brand, Shen Qing additionally accepted two other endorsements and sponsorships. The work and activity schedules could be easily spaced out without overlap, and the brands did not conflict with one another.

Having an exceptionally capable, responsible, and worry-free manager truly made a world of difference. Doing this work felt incredibly comfortable.

The “lying flat” lifestyle Shen Qing pursued lately was no longer just about wanting to lie down and do absolutely no work at all. Lying down constantly could also get exhausting. He discovered that what he truly desired was this kind of career that didn’t require too much exertion, wouldn’t drain him, and could even enrich his life.

…In truth, it was just another form of being a relaxed slacker. After all, if he truly felt tired, he could still choose not to do whatever he didn’t want to do.

Yet freedom was not merely about being able to avoid doing what one didn’t want to do. Being able to do whatever one wished to do was also an expression of freedom.

For instance, in the entertainment industry, not just anyone could secure such premium collaboration opportunities. He could spend money out of his own pocket to pay a brand in reverse to collaborate with them just for popularity and vanity, but that would ultimately be self-deception.

To truly achieve explosive fame and have the large brands he already favored come knocking on his door—the sense of satisfaction and the building of self-confidence resulting from this was absolutely something money could never buy.

Shen Qing hadn’t expected that merely participating in a commercial promotion would reap such an unexpected windfall… The people online all said he had made a magnificent comeback against the wind, turning the tables beautifully using the opportunity of Fang Hanyi trying to slander him.

Shen Qing did not deny this statement; it was just that his original intention had never been to “turn the tables” for his own sake.

But regardless, this turnaround had indeed allowed him to secure highly premium resources—even someone like Shen Qing, who completely misunderstood the inner workings of the entertainment industry, understood how precious these resources were. He was not a lingering, indecisive person either. Shen Qing rarely made decisions, but once decided, he would execute them without internal friction.

Thus, after finalizing several commercial collaborations with Assistant Li in an extremely short amount of time, these work contents were settled just like that, taking no more than a few minutes from start to finish.

Afterward, Shen Qing returned to his art studio.

…Although President Gu had long gifted him that world-famous painting from the study, and he had already invited Teacher Zhang to view it when the teacher came to give lessons—even allowing Xu Yujie to open his eyes along with them—since he had promised Gu Huaiyu he would participate in the exhibition, Shen Qing would do it.

However, the content of the oil painting for the exhibition was still a secret; no one was allowed to see Shen Qing’s work. Even when discussing these matters with Assistant Li, they had been sitting at the small bar right at the entrance of the studio. Let alone Assistant Li having never seen it, even President Gu was not permitted to see Shen Qing’s painting before the exhibition.

Yet, there was still an exception.

Shen Qing pushed open the door to the studio and from a distance, he spotted a little glutinous rice ball crouching on the ground, shaking his chubby arms, completely occupied with whatever he was busy doing.

Shen Qing walked over. Hearing the sound, Ao-zai, who was crouching there, raised his head directly. His large, dark, grape-like eyes fluttered, and his big cheeks were smeared with two patches of paint—one blue patch and one green patch. It looked a bit comical yet immensely adorable.

…Having not seen him for just a short while, this cub had already made a mess of his own face.

Shen Qing said nothing, picking a clean spot on the floor to sit down cross-legged. He reached out his finger to wipe at the cub’s soft cheek, but failing to clear the paint away, Shen Qing gave up and looked at Ao-zai’s painting, asking: “What is little Ao-ao drawing?”

Duoduo had officially started his summer vacation two days ago. At young master Duo’s own request, Shen Qing had signed him up for a summer training camp. Thus, on the second day of vacation, the cub Duoduo had directly plunged into the training camp.

The training camp was full-time. He still returned home to sleep at night, but during the day, he was even busier than when he was at school. …It was the kind of grueling, elite-building training camp where there was physical training in the early morning, fixed academic classes in the forenoon, and horse riding, various ball sports, piano, and drawing in the afternoon.

As the youngest student inside, if Gu Duo wished to keep up with the pace of the older children whose average age was ten, the hard work he had to put in was naturally much greater. For the past two days, this cub had been leaving early and returning late. Upon reaching home, he was mostly exhausted into a puddle of mud and went straight to sleep, lacking even the time to hang out with Ao-zai.

Therefore, lately, whenever Ao-zai had nothing to do, he preferred to tunnel close to Shen Qing’s side. Those hired private tutors were still different from family to the baby, and Shen Qing also felt that Ao-zai playing entirely by himself might be a bit lonely, so during the day, he would do his best to accompany Ao-zai.

Of course, the fact that Ao-zai could match his wavelength and play together with him was also a very important factor. For instance, if Shen Qing played the piano, Ao-zai could play along with him. If Shen Qing painted, Ao-zai would change into his little overalls—wearing an outfit matching Shen Qing’s styling—and smear his own creation in the studio. As for Shen Qing going out to play, shopping, or eating delicious food, it went without saying that Ao-zai was completely okay with all of it.

The greatest trait of this cub was that anything worked for him, and as long as no one actively provoked him, he would absolutely never court trouble. He appeared lively and unruly, but in reality, he was incredibly obedient and reasonable. Even regarding the matter of his brother entering the brutal training camp for half a month and being unable to play with him, Ao-zai expressed absolute understanding. Not only did he understand, but Ao-zai also actively declared that for these two weeks, he would be completely good and wouldn’t lose face for his brother!

At the same time, Ao-zai’s tiny head possessed a grand perspective. Without anyone teaching him, he knew the training camp his brother went to was meant for older kids, stating that he would also go when he grew a bit older, while simultaneously feeling no rush to go right now.

Who wouldn’t adore a cub who was so sensible, obedient, theft-level cute, and managed his own life so clearly?

After Shen Qing drew close, Ao-zai scrambled up with his little body, bringing his painting to show his Little Dad. His little overalls were also covered in paint. It was completely obvious that during the brief window when Shen Qing had gone out to discuss matters with Assistant Li, Young Master Ao had indulged heavily in passionate creation.

Shen Qing could also decipher his drawing. It depicted a blue sky and green grass, with a large tree upon the grass, a yellow plant that was roughly the size of the tree, and two soft, white blobs that should be two small animals. Judging by the color, Shen Qing reasonably suspected they were two little sheep.

“What are little sheep?”

Shifting into a kneeling position, Ao-zai tilted his head up, opening his large round eyes to look at his Little dad with a face full of suspicion: “Deise are… the doggies!”

“…Er-gou and Gou-dan?”

Shen Qing revealed a shocked expression, unable to help falling into deep thought: Although among the two dogs at home, Er-gou’s fur was white, it wasn’t this milky, pure white kind of dog either. As two proud, pure-blooded Chinese Pastoral Dogs, their own family dogs clearly possessed multi-colored patterns. Distinct and richly layered!

Therefore, these two were definitively two bundles of little sheep.

However, in order to encourage Ao-zai’s creative enthusiasm, whatever he said it was, that’s what it would be. Shen Qing immediately nodded, stating: “Looking at it this way, it truly is. Ao-zai is so awesome!”

Simultaneously, he apologized to Er-gou and Gou-dan in his heart. Although your image on the painting temporarily resembles little sheep, please believe in your Big Brother Ao-zai; he will restore your full appearance in the future!

The little “Dragon Aotian” baby who received praise was indeed delighted, giggling merrily as he lunged straight into Shen Qing’s arms. Shen Qing didn’t mind the oil paint covering the cub either. Availing the momentum, he opened his arms wide and caught the plunging baby.

The child was soft, gentle, and carried a milky fragrance, completely filling Shen Qing’s embrace all at once. Ao-zai’s crisp laughter echoed through the studio once more.

This time, it was Assistant Li, who had accompanied President Gu over, witnessing this warm and sweet scene from the doorway, which naturally gave rise to many thoughts in his mind.

At this moment, Shen Qing turned his head and spotted Gu Huaiyu at the door. He simply carried Ao-zai and walked toward his direction.

“You came at just the right time,” Shen Qing said.

“Assistant Li has told me everything.” Gu Huaiyu spoke almost simultaneously with him.

The two exchanged a glance. Gu Huaiyu raised his head slightly, and Shen Qing said with a smile: “Then it seems you already know, I’ve accepted some work!”

Gu Huaiyu followed by curling his lips: “Mm.”

Regarding Shen Qing’s work, Gu Huaiyu’s current attitude was to neither actively encourage nor offer opposition; everything was entirely for Shen Qing himself to decide.

However, accepting the advertisements this time was something Shen Qing had been the first to personally nod and agree to. Since that was the case, Gu Huaiyu took the initiative to make the subsequent arrangements for him: “You should still find an entertainment agency to sign with. Afterward, handling work, as well as financial and tax matters, will be much more convenient.”

“Mm, mm.” Shen Qing raised no objections.

When going to participate in the new drama’s promotion, Gu Huaiyu had suggested he sign with an entertainment agency. Since President Gu owned an entertainment company under his name anyway, Shen Qing was perfectly fine signing whenever. However, at that time, Shen Qing only intended to complete the work left unfinished by the original owner—participating in a few promotional events and cooperating with the crew to forward some Weibo posts. Finding it troublesome, he had said forget it and hadn’t signed.

The current situation was obviously different. Not only had his work increased, requiring a team to coordinate, but generating business income as a celebrity indeed involved financial processing links like tax payments. This made finding an entertainment company the simplest and most convenient route.

Thus, Shen Qing gladly agreed to President Gu’s proposal, blinking his eyes at the other party as he deliberately asked: “Then does President Gu’s company still take me in?”

Shen Qing possessed standard apricot-shaped eyes, the eye shape inherently rounded, while the upturned tail of his eyes carried a unique charm. Furthermore, at this moment, he deliberately opened his eyes wide, just like the Ao-zai in his arms, staring at the person opposite him with large, round eyes…

The expressions of the father and son suddenly achieved absolute unison.

Gu Huaiyu’s hand resting on the wheelchair saw his long fingers lift subconsciously as he said: “For Teacher Shen to sign with our company is naturally our absolute honor.”

Having said this, his raised long fingers dropped again, tapping lightly on the armrest of the wheelchair, his thin lips curving upward: “Moreover, why speak of taking you in? Everything in this house belongs to you. It should be Teacher Shen taking us in instead.”

Shen Qing: “……”

They hadn’t even been away for three days yet, so how did it feel like President Gu’s speech was becoming increasingly playful? …It carried a few hints of his own flavor!

Ao-zai, who was being carried in his Little Dad’s embrace, had no idea what was happening, but he liked the current atmosphere immensely. He couldn’t help but lift his little foot, simultaneously raising his head to look at his Little Dad: “Teacher Shen, take us in!”