SFBF CH95

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The news of Shen Qing signing with Xingcheng Entertainment quickly spread throughout the industry.

His high-profile contract termination with his previous agency had already caused quite a stir. Coupled with his recent resurgence in popularity and the high level of discussion surrounding him, any slight movement on his part was bound to attract industry attention.

What’s more, Xingcheng Entertainment was a top-three powerhouse in the entertainment industry, widely known for its abundant resources, excellent channels, and favorable treatment of its talent. Countless people broke their necks trying to get signed by Xingcheng.

However, precisely because Xingcheng offered such prime resources, its criteria for signing artists were exceptionally high. Unlike smaller agencies, Xingcheng didn’t force its artists to attend social dinners or entertain clients to secure business opportunities. Correspondingly, its selection process and training for artists were notoriously rigorous. They let talent speak for itself.

For these reasons, the news of Shen Qing signing with Xingcheng Entertainment was quickly fanned into a trending topic. After all, Shen Qing’s previous nickname had been “Vase Shen”—suggesting he was nothing more than a pretty face, yet he had signed with an agency that demanded the highest level of artistic capability.

It was such a prime topic for speculation that marketing accounts naturally refused to let it slip by in their pursuit of traffic. However, ordinary netizens didn’t care much about Xingcheng’s long-standing reputation or standards, nor were they interested in which agency artists signed with, so the topic didn’t gain much genuine traction.

—What? You’re saying Shen Qing is just a vase who doesn’t deserve to join a top-tier company known for talent, so his signing with Xingcheng must involve an inside deal?

—Please, did you not see Shen Qing’s live martial arts performance? Even if he used to be a mere vase, he isn’t anymore! He’s a vase with actual skills! There’s nothing wrong with a big company signing him!

To Shen Qing’s hundreds of thousands of new fans, Teacher Shen signing with a major agency was completely normal! Anyone claiming he didn’t deserve it was the one with the problem!

Thus, the scandal failed to take off.

What was truly noteworthy, however, was that right after signing with Xingcheng, Shen Qing secured several major brand endorsements in quick succession.

Currently, three brand partners had officially announced Shen Qing as their newest brand ambassador. One of them was even the inaugural global ambassador for SMB—a world-renowned yet notoriously low-profile luxury jewelry brand!

That feat alone earned Shen Qing three spot entries on the hot search list in a single day.

It felt as though overnight, a young man named Shen Qing had become a permanent fixture on the trending topics. His advertisements lined the streets, and he even landed the splash screen ad on a major video streaming site.

Yet this sudden rise didn’t feel entirely unreasonable. In recent years, artists who blew up overnight were few and far between. Under such competitive conditions, anyone who managed to explode in popularity was bound to be flooded with resources. Especially as his historical idol drama continued to air, Shen Qing’s popularity kept climbing steadily.

This summer was unmistakably a grand celebration for the “Qingsi” fanbase.

A few days later, Shen Qing’s Weibo follower count jumped by another million, official surpassing five million followers in total.

“Did you hear? That newly famous Teacher Shen is currently in our building shooting concept photos.”

Inside the Xingcheng Entertainment building, several trainees were chatting animatedly as they walked out of a practice room.

“Is he shooting the SMB commercial? Will there be tons of real jewelry on set? I really want to go take a look!”

“Look at you, acting like you’ve never seen the world! So what if there’s a lot of jewelry? Is anyone going to let you wear it, or even touch it?”

“…I honestly don’t get how Shen Qing managed to sign with a brand like SMB right off the bat… He used to be a vase, and his recent comeback is just from a historical drama. That doesn’t match SMB’s high-luxury vibe at all. Besides, SMB has never hired celebrity ambassadors before.”

“You’ve got it wrong. That ‘Teacher Shen’ isn’t here today for SMB; he’s shooting a skincare commercial.”

The person who chimed in was named Zhan Yu.

Zhan Yu continued, “Originally, the brand wanted him to shoot in the neighboring city. But Teacher Shen acts like a big shot and didn’t want to travel, so he came to our company to shoot it instead.”

“Wow, as expected of Brother Zhan! You even know about that!”

“Of course! Brother Zhan is our senior, after all. He has a dedicated manager, so naturally he knows way more than us.”

Zhan Yu didn’t confirm or deny the praise, but he looked thoroughly displeased—not at all like someone who had just been flattered by his peers.

A visibly younger trainee beside him added, “…I heard that Brother Zhan’s manager was originally trying to secure that exact skincare commercial for him, too…”

At those words, the expression on Zhan Yu’s face shifted from unamused to downright sinister.

What the trainee said was true. His manager had indeed been vying for that skincare endorsement, and it had seemed very likely he would get it—until it was suddenly handed over to Shen Qing, who had materialized out of nowhere.

Noticing his dark expression, his companions quickly tried to voice grievances on his behalf: “How can they do this?! It’s not our place to care if the company signs artists like Shen Qing, but he’s just a parachuted newcomer! How can he snatch Brother Zhan’s gig? Brother Zhan is a veteran here!”

Zhan Yu had started acting at fifteen, making him a former child star. Later, he participated in an idol survival show and was now twenty-two years old. Having been in the industry for seven years, he was indeed a veteran.

Another companion chimed in with a complaint: “If the company keeps pulling stuff like this, none of us will ever have a chance to shine. That Shen Qing is also twenty-two, right? Same age as our Brother Zhan! If the company only pours resources into whoever is currently hot…”

In the entertainment industry, age was a massive factor.

Zhan Yu had already gained a bit of fame at fifteen, putting him ahead of the pack with far more opportunities than others. Unexpectedly, aside from the drama he filmed at fifteen, he failed to produce any notable works for the next three years.

Out of options, he signed with Xingcheng—the agency with the strictest requirements for artists—and was assigned to his current manager.

His manager was fairly attentive to him, but the route laid out for him was to act as a trainee and re-debut through a survival show. During those two years, idol selection shows were wildly popular. Combined with his past screen experience, Zhan Yu had higher topic appeal than others, giving him a distinct edge in those competitions.

Zhan Yu agreed to the manager’s proposal and threw himself into practicing singing and dancing.

His grit paid off when he placed second in the selection show. Afterward, he received a steady stream of press releases and gigs. However, waves behind pushed the waves ahead; once he passed twenty, Zhan Yu suddenly realized that within his own company alone, several younger, more popular heartthrobs had suddenly materialized out of thin air!

…Losing resources to other fresh faces within the company was one thing; after all, internal competition had always been a survival of the fittest.

But that Shen Qing had relied on nothing but his face for years after debuting. He wasn’t even as good as Zhan Yu himself. He was just a parachuted nobody…

Thinking of this, Zhan Yu nearly ground his teeth to dust, his voice dripping with intense sarcasm: “Well, who can blame him when he’s the one with traffic right now? A major brand commercial like that—if they don’t give it to him, are they going to give it to you guys? Would you be advertising for the brand, or would the brand be using you to boost its popularity? Is the company really that stupid?”

The group of trainees who were randomly lashed out at: “…”

Exchanging glances, some eyes showed fear, while others could barely suppress an eye-roll, feeling nothing but disdain for Zhan Yu.

By the age of twenty-two, Zhan Yu had basically been forgotten by traffic and capital alike. Currently, he just held onto the two million followers he had accumulated over the years, occasionally taking small gigs and posting on Weibo to maintain a shred of presence.

Anyone in the know understood that Zhan Yu’s current predicament was entirely his own doing—he had high ambitions but low capabilities.

For instance, the company had recently arranged for him to train alongside these seventeen-and-eighteen-year-old trainees, promising to put him on a famous variety show later on.

To young trainees who had never stepped onto a real stage, what an incredible opportunity that was! Yet Zhan Yu spent his time wallowing in self-pity, complaining about his compensation package and claiming the company failed to see his brilliance.

No one had ever seen him train properly. Instead, those around him constantly had to listen to his negative complaints, which hindered everyone else’s ability to focus on training.

Yet, among the new trainees practicing together, a few still liked to flatter Zhan Yu because he was a senior, often joining him in complaining about the company’s unfairness and the cruelty of the entertainment industry.

Truth be told, every single one of the young seniors in the company whose popularity had surpassed Zhan Yu worked many times harder than he did.

Xingcheng’s practice rooms were open twenty-four hours a day for free, equipped with water, electricity, air conditioning, and heating—never closing their doors. If anyone were curious enough to make a surprise visit in the middle of the night, they would invariably find people practicing inside.

Needless to say, Zhan Yu was never among them.

Resentful as they were, the young trainees who found Zhan Yu unpleasant weren’t about to talk back to a senior over this. They chose silence.

However, Zhan Yu caught two of them rolling their eyes. Already suppressing a wave of anger, he immediately marched right up to one of them.

“What? Did I say something wrong?” He demanded with a scowl, his expression turning even darker. “You look like you’re not convinced.”

“…I’m not, Brother Zhan,” the young trainee replied, startled.

Zhan Yu sneered, “That Shen Qing is only coming to the company for the first time today, and it’s not even guaranteed he’ll come back often. You don’t need to be in such a rush to suck up to him.”

The others: “…” They maintained their silence.

With rage burning inside him, even though the juniors who disagreed with him had quieted down, Zhan Yu didn’t hold back; instead, he grew even more animated: “I know you guys still believe that hard work brings rewards. But as your senior, I genuinely advise you not to be so naive. What’s the point of hard work? Luck is what matters most!

“Hmph, take that Shen Qing for example. He hasn’t produced a single decent work since his debut and was blasted for over three years, only to suddenly blow up after attending a single fan meeting. That… I can only say he hit a stroke of incredible luck.”

“Da?”

Suddenly, a toddler’s voice sounded out.

The group paused in their tracks and turned around. Standing in the hallway at an unknown moment was a small child.

He was only as tall as an adult’s thigh, wearing a soft goose-yellow short-sleeved cotton top, cropped trousers, and what appeared to be custom-brand children’s shoes. His eyes were huge and round, looking utterly adorable. Upon locking eyes with the group, he suddenly ran toward them, his chubby, baby-fat cheeks jiggling with every step. When he reached them, he came to a firm halt on both feet and stared straight up at them.

“Aww, whose kid is this? He’s so cute!” Someone couldn’t help exclaiming.

Xingcheng consisted of two adjacent buildings. The neighboring building housed administration, while the building they were currently in contained practice rooms, dorms, a cafeteria, as well as various broadcasting halls and photography studios that were occasionally rented out. Thus, it wasn’t uncommon to see a child star or two wandering around, and everyone was used to it.

However, this child was a fresh face—and he was so lively and adorable that he left an instant impression.

Most of the trainees were barely more than kids themselves and generally weren’t fond of young children, but seeing such an adorable toddler for the first time, they couldn’t help surrounding him.

The teens who had just been scolded to their faces by Zhan Yu crouched down to get a closer look at the little boy.

“Little guy, where did you come from? Where are your parents?”

Zhan Yu, who had just finished lecturing his juniors only to be abruptly sidelined: “…”

Zhan Yu felt as though his punch had landed on cotton, leaving his frustration hanging uncomfortably in the air.

However, he quickly regained everyone’s attention—not because of anything he said or did, but because of the child who had just been questioned.

The tiny toddler ignored the questions from the other older brothers. Instead, he puffed out his small chest, walked straight up to Zhan Yu, tilted his big head back, and declared: “Uncle, what you said is wrong!”

Zhan Yu: ?!!

“What’s wrong?” Zhan Yu asked, momentarily unsure if the child was talking to him.

The cute, impeccably dressed child with porcelain-white, chubby cheeks replied seriously and clearly: “Luck is super important, but hard work is still necessary! Before Shen Qing attended that fan meeting, he worked super, super hard, too!”

“…”

Standing before them with a round head, round eyes, and a puffed-out chest, the child showed zero stage fright, speaking as crisply as a little adult.

The other trainees were amazed that a child so young could not only understand their conversation but also express his viewpoint so articulately.

Meanwhile, Zhan Yu—having just been lectured by a toddler—completely lost face.

He—a senior three or four years older than these trainees, who had debuted many years prior—was actually being publicly preached to by a tiny kid!

Zhan Yu’s expression turned as dark as it could possibly get.

He glanced behind the child to check for cameras, making sure this wasn’t some random prank show. Once confirmed, he couldn’t help arguing back: “What do you know at your age? Do you even know what luck is, or what hard work means? And how do you know how hard Shen Qing worked?”

“Mm-hmm, I know!”

The previous questions had been thrown out too fast by the older brother, so the tiny toddler cleverly executed a tactical retreat on those. Instead, he nodded directly to answer the final question: “I saw it! Even though Shen Qing is usually, um, a bit lazy… this time, he really worked super, super hard practicing!”

“Ha, you little brat…” Zhan Yu was running out of patience. He didn’t actually care whether Shen Qing worked hard or not. The reality was that someone like Shen Qing—who had debuted solely on his looks and flopped for years—had suddenly exploded in popularity with ease, while Zhan Yu had worked his way from actor to idol only to be abandoned by the times. It left him furious and deeply resentful!

Losing his temper, Zhan Yu yelled in a harsher tone: “Whose kid is this?! Is nobody watching their own child?! Adults chasing stars are corrupting their own kids!”

Assuming the child’s parents must be trashy and tasteless for becoming fans of Shen Qing, Zhan Yu felt even more disdain. He didn’t bother waiting for anyone to claim the kid, speaking with outright hostility: “Do you even know who Shen Qing is? Claiming he works hard—did you see it with your own eyes?!”

“I did see it!”

The child’s crisp voice rang out again: “Shen Qing is my Little Dad!”

“…What?”

Although the child was small and his voice was milky, his pronunciation was remarkably clear and accurate. Everyone present heard him distinctly claim that Shen Qing was his father.

“…I just remembered, doesn’t Shen Qing have a son?” A trainee standing near Zhan Yu murmured.

When Shen Qing suddenly blew up and signed with their company, the trainees in Zhan Yu’s circle—driven by jealousy or a desire to know their hidden competition—had secretly looked up Shen Qing’s past profile.

The man undoubtedly had plenty of dirt from his past that was easy to find. Seeing that others described him as introverted, lacking acting skills, unable to sing or dance, and devoid of variety show sense, everyone—including Zhan Yu—had felt somewhat relieved. They convinced themselves that Shen Qing’s sudden popularity was just a fluke reliant on pure luck. A person’s luck couldn’t stay good forever; he might crash and burn tomorrow.

Yet, the thought that even someone like him could blow up and achieve success they might never reach in their lifetimes made them feel even worse. Jealousy burned within them.

During their search, they had also learned that Shen Qing was a father. Shen Qing’s marriage wasn’t a secret; rumor had it he had married a rich older man with several children, making Shen Qing a stepfather.

…Connecting the dots, it made sense. “Little Dad” meant his stepfather.

“Shen Qing brought his kid along? On his very first day at work?? Is that appropriate?” One of Zhan Yu’s trainee followers exclaimed in surprise upon realizing the situation.

This trainee had dyed grey hair, pale eyebrows, and deliberately applied chalky makeup, giving him an eerie appearance.

The grey-haired youth voiced his shock, and the others felt the same… Regardless of whether Shen Qing was a father now, he had only just regained his fame. Countless people were waiting to dig up dirt to ruin him, yet he brought his child along without any attempt at concealment…

Was his manager not checking him at all?!

“Little Master!”

Just then, another group rounded the corner into the hallway. Leading them was a middle-aged woman, followed by two men in suits who appeared to be bodyguards. In the middle walked a man and a woman in professional business attire.

The trainees recognized the woman instantly: she was Ms. Bai Meng, the company’s star manager.

To trainees who hadn’t debuted—and didn’t even know if they ever would—a manager was practically a deity. Let alone a top-tier manager of Bai Meng’s caliber! Even Zhan Yu’s own manager would have to greet Ms. Bai with an obsequious “Sister,” let alone Zhan Yu himself.

From the moment Ms. Bai appeared, the trainees lined up like soldiers awaiting inspection, lowering their heads to listen attentively.

However, the group walked past in a hurry. Including Bai Meng, no one paid any attention to the trainees; they rushed straight toward the “Little Master” in question—the small child.

The middle-aged woman in the lead quickened her pace and crouched down before the child: “Oh my, Little Master, why did you run off on your own? You scared me to death!”

The stylishly dressed, adorable child spun his little body around, brought his feet together, and sweetly threw his arms around the woman’s neck: “Nanny Zhang!”

“It’s them! They said Little Dad only got famous because of luck!” The child’s crisp voice rang out again as he raised a chubby little hand, pointing straight at Zhan Yu. “This uncle also scolded the other older brothers, telling them not to work hard!”

The crowd: “…”

Ao-zai, dubbed the “Little Master,” had articulated his point with absolute clarity. His voice was naturally loud, making it impossible for the adults present to miss a single word.

For a moment, everyone’s expressions turned exceedingly complex.

Bai Meng looked directly at Zhan Yu, her gaze stern.

Meanwhile, the teens who had been lectured by Zhan Yu under the guise of seniority instinctively straightened up, feeling both aggrieved and immensely relieved…

Seniority-based bullying occurred in every company, but it was particularly frequent in entertainment agencies. As juniors, even when unfairly berated, they had no choice but to endure it. …What else could they do? They didn’t even have dedicated managers of their own—who could they complain to? The dance instructors? No one liked a newcomer who stirred up trouble.

But having their grievances voiced by a little child was a completely different story. At least they weren’t the ones causing a scene.

And to think a kid this small actually knew the word “scolded”? He even understood that Zhan Yu was yelling at them… This child was way too smart! He must have only overheard a tiny snippet, yet he grasped the entire situation instantly…

The trainees who had disagreed with Zhan Yu from the start now looked at Shen Qing’s child as if he were a little deity. Some had astonished expressions, while others felt profoundly grateful.

Who could have guessed that in the end, the only person to speak up for them would be a little kid!

Regardless of whether anyone else took the child’s words seriously, these trainees were genuinely grateful to the little boy right now.

Panicking, Zhan Yu quickly denied it. He stole a glance at Bai Meng’s facial expression, then said to the child on the ground: “What are you talking about, kid? When did I ever say—”

However, the toddler—whose height barely passed an adult’s knees—remained fiercely resolute, shaking his head directly: “No, you did say that!”

Zhan Yu: “…”

The child continued: “You said hard work is useless and that you only need luck! But Ao-zai thinks luck is super important, but if you don’t work hard, you can’t catch luck when it comes!”

At this point, the child paused and looked around, his big eyes blinking. Normally, at times like this, Ao-zai would ask his Little Dad if he was right, and Little Dad would give him a response. But right now, Little Dad wasn’t here…

Ao-zai blinked, tilted his head back up toward the uncle, and sighed: “Uncle, are you usually… um… always lazy?”

Zhan Yu: …???

How on earth did this kid know he was usually lazy?! No, wait… This kid was so tiny and had only just met him—how could he possibly know he slacked off???

The child crossed his chubby little arms and said with a solemn, knowing air: “My Big Dad said that only people who are constantly lazy and narrow-minded don’t want others to work hard! Because other people’s hard work will widen the distance between them, leaving the lazy ones even further behind.”

Saying this, the chubby toddler shook his head at the uncle—this uncle’s situation looked exactly like what Big Dad had described!

The trainees who disliked Zhan Yu were already nodding vigorously across from him. If it weren’t for the fact that they still had to train with Zhan Yu later, they would have applauded the kid on the spot.

Mainly because this child read people with terrifying accuracy and summarized everything so brilliantly. What’s more, he actually said it out loud! It was the ultimate catharsis!!

They had wanted to say these exact words for ages!!! If this weren’t a normal world, they would have called this kid a master on the spot. …Even without fantasy elements, in their hearts, this kid was an absolute god! Truly brilliant!

Zhan Yu, on the other hand, was nearly thrown into a fit of rage. If Bai Meng and the child’s guardian hadn’t been standing right there, he would have blown his top long ago.

Noticing Bai Meng’s scrutinizing gaze on him and wanting to avoid leaving a bad impression with the company’s top manager, Zhan Yu could only stubbornly defend himself. He snapped at the child: “Your dad taught you that? Your dad sure knows a lot! Then why didn’t he teach you not to poke your nose into other people’s business?!”

Zhan Yu hadn’t caught the fact that the “Dad” Ao-zai mentioned was actually his “Big Dad”; he assumed the child was referring to Shen Qing. Although he had never met Shen Qing face-to-face, he had clearly added another charge against Shen Qing in his mind.

Zhan Yu made no effort to hide his displeasure, glaring down menacingly at the child before him. In his mind, the kid was meddling, and since he belonged to Shen Qing, he was inherently insufferable.

Zhan Yu looked at the child with intimidating, threatening eyes, attempting to shift the blame back onto him.

Yet before he could say another word, the child directly refuted him: “No! Ao-zai isn’t meddling in other people’s business at all!”

Stared down by an adult’s terrifying glare, the child showed not a shred of fear; instead, he puffed out his chest and argued back with rock-solid logic: “It was you, Uncle, who was talking bad about my Little Dad behind his back first! Ao-zai only paid attention to what you were saying because I heard you talking about my Little Dad!”

The subtext being: If you hadn’t been talking trash about my dad behind his back, I wouldn’t have bothered with you in the first place.

…

The toddler’s crisp, decisive rebuttal placed Zhan Yu back in the line of fire.

The adults and trainees only just realized it—right, the kid had stated from the very beginning that he came over to confront Zhan Yu because Zhan Yu was talking trash about his father. So it really wasn’t a case of nosing into other people’s business.

It was just that when the child had spoken up for the trainees earlier and exposed Zhan Yu’s terrible conduct, the debate had grown so heated that everyone else had forgotten the initial trigger.

Clearly, the toddler hadn’t forgotten.

This human toddler’s logic was crystal clear!

…So Shen Qing’s child was not only sharp-tongued, but also this intelligent and quick-witted? Details that adults forgot in the heat of an argument were remembered effortlessly by a child, who delivered them with sharp logic and agile thinking…

The trainees standing behind Zhan Yu exchanged glances, their eyes filled with fondness and envy. He was adorable, clever, quick-witted, and fiercely protective of his father. Even though these trainees were mostly seventeen-and-eighteen-year-old teens, they desperately wished they could have a toddler like this!

Except for the few trainees who stubbornly backed Zhan Yu, the rest of the trainees nodded in unison toward Bai Meng—it really was Zhan Yu who had trash-talked the child’s father first. They could all vouch for it!

Now, they were finally willing to step forward. Normally, when it came to their own dignity, they endured it to avoid making trouble and risking their debut chances. But they couldn’t just stand by and hide while a little child fought their battles for them! That wouldn’t be right!

Zhan Yu: “…”

“Ao-zai,” a clear, refined voice sounded out as another group arrived down the hallway.

This time, the person leading the group wore a black baseball cap, dressed in simple yet stylish clothes, with long legs. He approached them swiftly, and upon hearing the voice, the kid named Ao-zai immediately turned around, raised his chubby little body, and lunged toward the approaching young man.

“Little Dad!”

The toddler’s voice had been milky all along, but now it sounded infinitely softer and sweeter.

Shen Qing caught the boy and smoothly picked him up.

Ao-zai rubbed his chubby cheeks against Shen Qing’s face. Feeling the soft, fair face pressed against his, Shen Qing almost cooed at the sweetness. But realizing that the boy rarely acted this clingy, he sensed something was off. He looked at the group across from them and asked Nanny Zhang, Manager Bai, and the others, “What happened here?”

That afternoon, Shen Qing had come to Xingcheng to shoot concept photos, and Ao-zai had expressed interest, so Shen Qing brought him along.

After meeting with several managers and executives at Xingcheng, having lunch together, and agreeing on the afternoon shoot schedule, Shen Qing had become familiar with Bai Meng and the others—and Ao-zai had become completely comfortable with “Auntie Bai” and the rest of the staff!

So while Shen Qing went off to shoot in the afternoon, Ao-zai was taken around the company to play by Bai Meng and other managers, accompanied by Nanny Zhang and the bodyguards.

Once Shen Qing finished his shoot, he followed the bodyguards’ directions all the way here, only to be greeted by his baby’s soft, clingy affection.

“Don’t even get me started! That guy over there was not only slandering you, Madam, but he was also arguing with our Little Master,” Nanny Zhang reported immediately upon Shen Qing’s inquiry.

Nanny Zhang was usually a very protective nanny. In the past, if an adult spoke to a child in her care like that, she would have stepped up immediately to defend the child and tear into the offender.

However, Madam’s way of educating the young masters was unique, and the young masters themselves were exceptionally sharp and capable. Over time, Nanny Zhang had learned not to rush to the rescue, but to let the boys handle things themselves first.

Usually, when the young master got into an argument, she would stand to the side—admiring his cleverness with immense pride while keeping a close eye on the opponent to prevent them from suddenly getting aggressive.

Of course, that usually happened when the young master met slightly older, rowdy kids while out. It was rare to encounter an adult who would actually get into a shouting match with a tiny child.

Yet, even against an adult, their young master hadn’t suffered an ounce of loss!

Recalling the scene just now, Nanny Zhang wished she could recount the whole thing to Madam on the spot. But it was better to let the young master tell it himself.

Nanny Zhang simply glared at Zhan Yu across from them and commented, “That guy is really something else—only capable of badmouthing people behind their backs. This is the first time I’ve ever seen a celebrity with such terrible manners.”

Shen Qing: Huh?

Over the next half a minute, Shen Qing got the rundown of the whole story—whispered directly into his ear by Ao-zai.

After listening, Shen Qing: “…”

He wasn’t surprised that someone was talking about him behind his back. Although his follower count had surged recently and the world around him seemed to have turned harmonious overnight—his WeChat was flooded daily with greetings, care, dinner invites, meet-up requests, and gifts, while the internet was filled with praise rather than the constant backlash of the past—Shen Qing wasn’t foolish enough to think everyone loved him.

He didn’t care at all about other people’s opinions of him.

Thus, he didn’t even bother looking at the guy across from him, not sparing him a single glance. Shen Qing was far more concerned about Ao-zai’s sudden clinginess.

Even though he won the argument, Ao-zai had been facing an adult. According to Ao-zai’s description, the guy’s tone had been quite rude, and he might have even intimidated the kid… Could little Ao-zai have suffered some psychological trauma?

As it turned out, Shen Qing was overthinking it. After a quick check, he confirmed that Ao-zai hadn’t been scared by Zhan Yu in the slightest.

As for the sudden clingy face-rubbing, Ao-zai hadn’t really thought about it—he just felt like nuzzling his dad and being best friends with Little Dad forever!

Far from feeling threatened, Ao-zai actually held intense disdain for that adult—a feeling he had harbored from the very beginning.

Ao-zai thought that uncle was truly embarrassing. He didn’t work hard himself, so he dragged others down with him, while claiming his Little Dad didn’t work hard and relied entirely on luck… Every single part of it showed how weak and insecure he actually was.

So an adult like that wasn’t scary at all. Ao-zai felt that—what was that idiom again?—he was just a paper tiger!

Ao-zai had maxed out his mockery towards the guy.

Shen Qing: “…”

Only then did he finally raise his eyes to glance at Zhan Yu across from them.

His gaze held a tinge of pity.

After all, once the little dragon-king maxed out his taunt skill, ordinary mortals couldn’t handle the heat.

So honestly, why did you have to run your mouth? Look at you now, running straight into our President Ao’s hands!

During the half-minute Shen Qing and Ao-zai were communicating, no one else uttered a sound. The father and son were whispering to each other, leaving no room for anyone else to interject—even though Zhan Yu was once again nearly exploding with rage.

Technically speaking, Shen Qing was the hot new signee at the company. Although he didn’t have as many past works as Zhan Yu, he was still his senior in terms of current status—and the entertainment industry cared only about status.

Yet Zhan Yu simply refused to accept it.

The father and son across from him were talking about him—even if he couldn’t hear every word clearly, they were definitely discussing him.

At first, Zhan Yu wanted to make excuses, but then he thought: Why should I explain anything to Shen Qing? He can think whatever he wants! That was why he held back initially.

However, when he realized that Shen Qing—having learned the whole story—didn’t throw a fit, but merely spared him a single final glance filled with pity…

Zhan Yu finally lost control. Who the hell does Shen Qing think he is?! So what if I badmouthed him?

“Talking behind someone’s back was wrong of me, but did I say anything incorrect?!” Zhan Yu snapped. “Teacher Shen, say it yourself—are you relying on luck right now or not?!”

“I am,” Shen Qing replied without a moment’s hesitation, blinking his eyes.

Zhan Yu: “…”

By now, Shen Qing had put Ao-zai down. Having gotten his cuddles, the toddler wanted to stand on his own two feet again.

Having just finished the skincare commercial shoot, Shen Qing wore no makeup at all, appearing completely bare-faced. Dressed in long jeans and a short-sleeved T-shirt, the tall, slender young man stood elegantly. Up close, his skin and complexion looked even better than on television, his figure lithe and flawless.

The trainees behind Zhan Yu had been dazed ever since Shen Qing appeared. They had seen plenty of famous stars, but someone whose natural, unmade-up state looked this good was truly rare.

Hearing Shen Qing candidly admit to relying on luck, the trainees were stunned: “…”

This senior seems… a bit different from other celebrities.

Normally, shouldn’t he establish a hard-working persona first?

Especially since just a few days ago, Fang Hanyi from a rival company had lost a public feud against Shen Qing. Fang Hanyi’s angle of attack had been heavily marketing his own hard work while subtly implying that Shen Qing didn’t work hard. In today’s entertainment climate, regardless of whether one actually worked hard, maintaining a hard-working image was extremely important…

Shen Qing continued calmly: “However, my baby kept saying that luck is important, but hard work is important too. Please don’t twist his point. Furthermore, you don’t work hard yourself and want others to slack off like you—that is also a fact. My baby wasn’t wrong about that either.”

Ao-zai nodded along vigorously: “Yeah! That’s exactly what Ao-zai meant!”

Delighted that Little Dad understood his point completely, Ao-zai twirled around happily in place: “My Little Dad didn’t use to work super hard either, but Little Dad laid completely flat and encouraged others to work hard! He never acted like you, Uncle!”

Spinning around, Ao-zai got dizzy and plopped straight against Shen Qing’s leg, hugging it tight.

He added: “Oh, Uncle, don’t misunderstand either! My Little Dad worked super hard this time! He started practicing really early! Otherwise, how could Little Dad perform so well on stage? My Big Dad said Little Dad knows how to… balance tension and relaxation!”

Shen Qing: “…It’s called work-life balance, right?”

Ao-zai: “Ah, work-life balance!”

“Not bad.” Very satisfied with Ao-zai’s improving pronunciation, Shen Qing offered praise and patted the boy’s round head. “Though, when did your Big Dad tell you that? How could he do that—praising me behind my back again!”

Ao-zai: “Da?”

Tilting his big head up, his face was the picture of confusion: “When Big Dad praises you, he doesn’t do it behind your back either?”

Shen Qing: “…”

He was suddenly amused by the kid.

When he smiled, it was strikingly handsome. Ao-zai couldn’t help joining in, hugging Shen Qing’s leg, tilting his head up, and showing a mouthful of tiny white teeth as he giggled merrily.

Zhan Yu, who was bafflingly ignored once again: “…”

You father and son… seriously, enough is enough!