SFBF CH96

Having finished teasing his little child, Shen Qing acted as if he had only just remembered there were still other people standing across from them. He looked directly at Zhan Yu and said, “Back to the main topic—you don’t honestly think my kid started an argument with you just over whether someone works hard or relies on luck, do you?”

Zhan Yu and his followers: “?”

They were completely baffled by Shen Qing’s sudden shift to a serious demeanor.

The young man who had just tucked away his smile instantly transformed into a completely different person. He tilted his chin up slightly, a sharp, fierce gleam flashing in the eyes shaded beneath his baseball cap.

Shen Qing’s voice was smooth and refined, carrying an effortless authority without a hint of anger.

In this moment, the impression his handsome features gave wasn’t a warm, gentle spring breeze, but absolute cold detachment.

He resembled a noble, immaculate flower blooming on a snowy mountain peak—flawless and exceptionally breathtaking, yet explicitly warning everyone just how dangerous and unreachable he truly was.

Shen Qing casually flicked his eyelids up, his tone flat: “Isn’t the actual point that you and your companions were talking about me behind my back, using insinuations to call me a parachuted newcomer, and implying I snatched your brand endorsements and resources?”

As he finished speaking, a slight smile reappeared on his fair, delicate face—though it was blatantly laced with sarcasm.

Shen Qing said, “Ao-zai heard every word, which is why he ran over to confront you.”

What had actually upset and angered Ao-zai was their sneaky, veiled accusations that his stepfather was stealing other people’s resources.

After all, that was a completely different matter—it was equivalent to throwing dirty water, smearing his Little Dad’s character and reputation!

It was just that Ao-zai was too small; he didn’t understand what “snatching resources” meant, nor did he know how to phrase it.

Even if Ao-zai didn’t fully comprehend the terminology, he could feel the distinct malice and disgust in Zhan Yu’s conversation directed toward his Little Dad.

Hearing people trash-talk his Little Dad was frustrating enough, but doing it in such a nasty tone? How could President Ao possibly tolerate that!

That was why he had charged forward on his short little legs.

Furthermore, although Ao-zai didn’t understand what snatching resources entailed, he had retained every single word of Zhan Yu’s conversation and could recount it to Shen Qing verbatim, without missing a single syllable.

And Shen Qing, who knew his child inside and out, naturally understood everything instantly.

Having it pointed out once more that Ao-zai wasn’t merely meddling in other people’s business, but had stepped up to argue because they were throwing covert shade about his Little Dad stealing resources, proved—plain and simple—that Zhan Yu had been in the wrong from the very beginning.

Zhan Yu: “…I…”

Before Zhan Yu could say another word, Bai Meng spoke up from the side: “There was something like that going on?”

She immediately pulled out her phone and asked Zhan Yu directly, “Who is your manager?”

Zhan Yu: “Ah?”

The group on Zhan Yu’s side froze completely, thoroughly spooked by Bai Meng’s line of questioning.

Bai Meng stated firmly, “I want to ask him how he explained things to you, and see whether he failed to communicate, or if someone here is deliberately stirring up trouble.”

Bai Meng didn’t actually need to ask who Zhan Yu’s manager was; since Zhan Yu had been with the company for a while, she already had a faint memory of him.

Quickly dialing the number, Bai Meng asked Zhan Yu’s manager to come over immediately.

Her tone was utterly decisive, leaving zero room for delay.

“Wait, no…” Zhan Yu’s eyes widened, completely at a loss for how to explain himself.

The trainees behind him stood by in total bewilderment, having no clue what was unfolding.

Hanging up the phone, Bai Meng provided a brief explanation: “Teacher Shen had already secured those brand endorsements before signing with Xingcheng.”

The trainees across from her: “…”

They seemed to grasp the situation instantly…

Shen Qing arriving at Xingcheng with resources already in hand versus Shen Qing signing endorsements after joining Xingcheng were two completely different scenarios!

What that implied was self-evident.

Bai Meng added, “Yes, that’s right. You could say Mr. Shen brought those resources with him to Xingcheng.”

Having said that, Bai Meng adjusted her glasses and looked straight at Zhan Yu: “Why you failed to secure that commercial—did your manager not explain it to you clearly? That goes against company rules.”

Internal policy strictly prohibited artists from comparing themselves to others, starting drama, or competing over internal resources.

Whenever an artist secured a gig—or was close to securing one but lost it in the end—the corresponding manager was required to publicly explain the reasons why. This rule was designed specifically to prevent backstabbing, suspicion, and petty infighting.

…Shen Qing had “taken” the resource Zhan Yu was close to getting before he even signed with Xingcheng.

That meant the brand had simply evaluated Shen Qing as having far higher commercial value; it had nothing whatsoever to do with him signing with Xingcheng or parachuting in.

Yet the people around Zhan Yu had repeatedly claimed Shen Qing was a parachuted newcomer and that the company favored whoever had current traffic.

…And the reality was, Zhan Yu’s manager must have already explained the exact reason why he didn’t land the commercial. Under those circumstances, Zhan Yu still went around telling others that Shen Qing stole his gig…

Those who already disliked Zhan Yu instinctively took a step back—partly out of genuine disgust, and partly to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

One person couldn’t hold back a scoff: “So the truth is he just lacked capability, yet he blamed others for stealing his resources…”

“Exactly,” another whispered to a peer. “When your popularity and heat can’t even compare, don’t make excuses. Brand partners are in it to make money. If they hired him, would he be advertising for the brand, or would the brand be using its platform to boost his popularity?”

—Those words were almost identical to the sarcastically bitter remarks Zhan Yu had hurled at them earlier to vent his own frustration.

Now, those words were returned to him in full.

Zhan Yu: “…”

Zhan Yu didn’t even have time to care about his juniors’ sudden insolence and disrespect.

Because his manager had indeed explained to him the real reason why he ultimately failed to secure that skincare commercial…

It was indeed because the brand had completed its final evaluation and determined that Shen Qing possessed far superior commercial value.

And that evaluation had genuinely taken place before Shen Qing signed with Xingcheng.

He knew all of it…

Yet, even if it wasn’t the company favoring Shen Qing, he had still lost that opportunity!

It was an endorsement his team had fought for over multiple rounds—one that was supposed to be a sure thing!

As long as he landed that commercial, boosted his Weibo popularity, and attended a few commercial events, he could have leveraged the upcoming variety show to maintain his heat for the rest of the year!

Instead, because of Shen Qing’s sudden explosion in popularity, the brand had dumped him without a second thought…

How could he possibly accept that!

Now that things had reached this point…

“I never once said the company was being biased by handing my resource over to Shen Qing.”

The implicit meaning was that his manager had indeed disclosed the truth behind the lost commercial.

In a moment like this, offending his own manager was out of the question. After hurriedly clearing his manager’s name, Zhan Yu pointed straight behind him: “Those words came from them! I never said any of that!”

The “them” he pointed at included the grey-haired teen and a few others who had flatteringly followed his lead ever since he joined their practice group.

Hearing this, the grey-haired teen and his peers immediately turned sour: “…It was us who said it, that’s true, but Brother Zhan, you never corrected us or denied it either!”

The young trainees were stunned once again. They knew Zhan Yu wasn’t a good person; flattering him had simply been a way to hopefully ride his coattails later, or to get on his manager’s good side so they might be picked up by a decent agent.

They never expected this guy to be so utterly shameless as to throw them under the bus on the spot!

Besides, seeing how things stood now, no one believed Zhan Yu had any future left in the industry anyway. The trainees immediately bit back: “Brother Zhan, how can you act like this? When you misled us into badmouthing people on your behalf to vent your anger, you certainly didn’t talk like this! Now it’s all our fault?”

“Yeah! How were we supposed to know what your manager told you? You led us to believe the company was biased and handed Teacher Shen the resource, so we believed it! How could we know your manager told you something completely different?!”

“You little brats!”

Zhan Yu was reaching his boiling point. Just as he barked at them, his manager arrived on the scene.

“Zhan Yu! What do you think you’re doing?!”

Zhan Yu’s manager, Lin Wenjue, was very young and had several years less seniority than Bai Meng. Back when he first joined the company, Bai Meng had been the one mentoring him. The moment Manager Bai called for him, he had rushed over immediately.

The resource he had tried to secure for Zhan Yu had indeed slipped away, but the truth was, that brand had been a stretch for Zhan Yu to begin with.

Lin Wenjue had only managed to secure that opportunity by relying on internal connections within the partner company; losing it was always a distinct possibility.

He had explained this to Zhan Yu long ago, explicitly telling him that while he could hope for the best, he needed to be prepared for failure.

He had never imagined Zhan Yu would only hear what he wanted to hear… Lin Wenjue, who had genuinely tried his best for Zhan Yu, now felt thoroughly disheartened and furious. He had explained everything clearly, yet Zhan Yu had gone off and stirred up trouble in public!

The absolute biggest taboos in the company were internal strife and petty infighting among artists!

And now he had been caught red-handed by Manager Bai herself!

Although Bai Meng was technically just a manager—on the same administrative rank as him rather than a superior—she was a veteran star manager. Not only did she have direct access to top executives, but her words carried immense weight in the company!

At a complete loss for what else to say to Zhan Yu, Lin Wenjue—who had originally planned to give Zhan Yu one last chance—didn’t offer his artist a single word. Instead, he turned to Bai Meng: “Sister Meng, I am so sorry for making a scene in front of you.”

“It’s not just this matter,” Bai Meng said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

“This Mr. Zhan here has been intimidating his juniors, bullying other trainees, and even preaching that no one should bother working hard… Perhaps you ought to conduct a deep investigation. We cannot allow this kind of behavior in our company—one bad apple spoils the whole barrel.”

Lin Wenjue: “…”

Lin Wenjue turned his gaze toward the other trainees.

Although these trainees didn’t have dedicated managers yet, the company had always attached great importance to new talent.

After undergoing training and evaluations by instructors, they would eventually be selected by managers to debut based on their performance scores. They were essentially the company’s future, and upper management kept a close eye on them.

Who could have guessed that instead of leading his juniors through proper practice, Zhan Yu had been brainwashing them with claims that hard work was useless?!

“…How many times have I told you to focus on yourself and learn from the younger generation?!” Lin Wenjue decided to abandon Zhan Yu completely. If upper management found out his artist was bullying newcomers, his own career could be put on the line!

“Did you really think I had you train alongside the newcomers just so you could play the big-shot senior? I sent you to the rookie practice room because your current commercial value no longer justifies assigning instructors for private individual lessons! The company needs to turn a profit! I didn’t want to crush your self-esteem, but did you seriously lose all perspective on your own standing?!”

Zhan Yu: …

The other trainees: ?!

The young trainees didn’t know the internal workings of the company, and being young and inexperienced, it had never crossed their minds that Zhan Yu had been placed in their group simply because he was too washed-up and lacking in skill to warrant private lessons.

After all, Zhan Yu acted the part convincingly, constantly projecting the image of an experienced senior who had once enjoyed massive fame. He frequently used a mix of authority and favors to manipulate them, which was why the trainees had feared him or tried to suck up to him.

To think that even this was just a fake persona!

In an instant, the grey-haired teen and his clique—who had consistently supported Zhan Yu—were completely dumbfounded, looking as if they had swallowed flies. So all their daily flattery had just been directed at a total fraud?!

Meanwhile, the trainees who had always disliked Zhan Yu but dared not speak up felt a wave of regret. If only they hadn’t been so timid and terrified of losing their chance to debut, and had reported him to an instructor instead, they wouldn’t have been duped for this long!

Having his dignity completely stripped away in front of his juniors, Zhan Yu didn’t dare offend his manager. After all, Lin Wenjue was the absolute last straw he had left to cling to.

Yet he also knew his remaining opportunities were likely gone. The shock was overwhelming; he could only stand there with his head hung low, not daring to look up.

At that moment, his manager’s voice sounded once again, sounding noticeably warmer and friendlier—though it wasn’t directed at him…

“This must be Teacher Shen, right? Heavens, who is this adorable little child?!” Lin Wenjue let out an exclamation of delight.

Bai Meng introduced them: “This is Teacher Shen, and this is Teacher Shen’s young master.”

“So adorable! What’s your name, little guy?” After greeting Shen Qing, Lin Wenjue crouched down to get a closer look at the toddler.

Bai Meng standing beside them: “…”

She desperately wanted to point out that his artist had been arguing with this exact adorable child just moments ago.

However, Bai Meng had no intention of adding fuel to the fire. She planned to bring this up with Lin Wenjue in private later to give him a subtle hint…

The reason Bai Meng didn’t want to bring it up now wasn’t to protect Zhan Yu, but because when Zhan Yu was arguing with little Ao-zai earlier, her heart had nearly leaped out of her chest!

She never wanted to experience anything like that ever again!

This wasn’t just any ordinary toddler.

This was President Gu’s child!

If it weren’t for the fact that this little kid was completely resilient and sharp enough to verbally dismantle Zhan Yu without suffering a scratch—if he had lost the argument, been brought to tears by Zhan Yu, or anything of the sort…

President Gu might not blame her directly, but other top executives would certainly make her life miserable!

Lord knew when she heard Zhan Yu claim the child was talking nonsense, Bai Meng had wanted nothing more than to step forward and scream at him to shut his mouth.

However, revealing the identity of President Gu’s young master was not her place.

She was merely a manager tasked by upper management to accompany Mrs. Gu while he shot concept photos. Since the people around Mrs. Gu hadn’t spoken up, she hardly had the authority to blurt it out…

Just then, the tiny human toddler who had been hugging Shen Qing’s leg straightened his little body once more. Putting his small feet together and standing tall with his chubby body, the child piped up crisply: “Hello Uncle! My name is Ao-zai!”

“Ahhh~ Ao-zai! Hello, hello! My last name is Lin, so you can just call me Uncle Lin.”

Uncle Lin greeted him warmly. Since everyone knew Shen Qing had a child, he wasn’t surprised.

It was just that the child had given his nickname, and Lin Wenjue was curious about his real name… Shen Ao? Or something else Ao? …Or did he not share Shen’s last name at all?

Regarding gossip about Shen Qing, this manager knew just as much as the general public online; being a manager at Xingcheng didn’t give him any special insider knowledge.

Yet that in itself was abnormal.

Given Teacher Shen’s current level of public attention, how could it be impossible for anyone to dig up dirt or background details on him?

Experience told Lin Wenjue that Shen Qing’s background was anything but ordinary.

And even without a powerful background, given the speed of Shen Qing’s explosive surge in popularity, even if he hadn’t been assigned a manager yet, it wouldn’t be Lin Wenjue’s turn to manage him. He would almost certainly be snatched up directly by Bai Meng or one of the other top-tier managers.

The entertainment industry was just that competitive. It wasn’t only artists who struggled to make it; managers had to refine their skills, work tirelessly, and possess a stroke of good luck!

However, Lin Wenjue had always been open-minded. He didn’t believe in useless struggles, so he hadn’t bothered asking around about who would become Teacher Shen’s manager, nor was he overly curious about Shen Qing’s background.

That was why he simply exchanged a few polite words with Shen Qing before focusing his attention entirely on the human toddler!

“Is the ‘Ao’ in your name like the ‘ao-wu’ roar of a little beast? That’s such a unique name.”

“It’s super unique!”

Saying this, Ao-zai asked Nanny Zhang to hand him his tiny backpack. He then fished out a small card and handed it to the uncle: “Here! This is Ao-zai’s… signature!”

The manager took the card. It had a light yellow background, featuring a very unique character for “Ao” drawn with a marker—the mouth radical was drawn extra large, and the extending strokes were long, making it look like a little child waving his arms while crying out for food.

It gave off a vibe that was both ridiculously cute and hilariously dramatic.

Incredibly adorable.

Just looking at the signature made one want to reach out and rub the cheeks of the child standing right in front of him…

Seriously! Beyond cute!

“Such a cute signature—did Ao-zai draw it himself?” Lin Wenjue’s heart quivered. He genuinely adored children, especially clever and cute ones—so much so that he completely forgot about the head-splitting mess Zhan Yu had caused!

Ao-zai said, “Yes! But it was designed by my Little Dad! My Little Dad is super amazing!”

“Wow, that really is amazing!”

Speaking of which, Lin Wenjue looked at Shen Qing again… From a professional manager’s perspective, Teacher Shen’s physical appearance was a once-in-a-century rarity.

No wonder he had managed to leap straight into the ranks of third-tier celebrities purely by debuting on his looks alone back in the day.

And regardless of how past online reviews had described Teacher Shen as dull, untalented, or lacking capability, this manager didn’t buy it for a second.

Lin Wenjue had a keen eye for talent and a sharp mind for managing artists.

His talent discovery of Zhan Yu several years ago—guiding him through a survival show to regain popularity—was proof of his capability.

It was just that over the years, Zhan Yu’s mindset had warped; he had become increasingly superficial and volatile, a far cry from the grounded, determined youth he once was.

That was why Lin Wenjue was so firm in his decision to let him go.

He would offer all the opportunities he could, but every chance was given only once.

Even though losing Zhan Yu meant he currently lacked any high-topic artists under his belt, leaving him at a career dead-end…

Lin Wenjue held firm to his choice.

—His decisive nature, unique vision, and creative ideas for making artists stand out made him inherently suited to be a great manager.

This was also why, among numerous junior managers, he received special care and attention from Bai Meng.

To Lin Wenjue, whether a person possessed natural star quality was remarkably easy to spot.

After seeing Shen Qing in person, he wanted to slap his own knee in regret: Why hadn’t he reached out to Teacher Shen before he blew up again?!

If he had seen Teacher Shen in person back then, he would have known instantly that this man was destined to blow up. If he had fought to become Shen Qing’s manager back then, he could have ridden his rise to success as well!

But it was too late to say anything now.

Teacher Shen was currently red-hot, far beyond his reach.

However…

“Is little Ao-zai interested in becoming a child actor and doing some filming?” Lin Wenjue asked, his eyes sparkling with interest.

“What?” Everyone, including Shen Qing, froze.

Lin Wenjue knew his question was a bit abrupt, but in his eyes, this child was ridiculously suited to be a child star!

First off, his appearance was incredibly endearing—unbeatably cute and highly recognizable.

Secondly, the kid was remarkably intelligent, capable of understanding adult conversation and expressing his own viewpoints clearly—a quality that was exceptionally hard to find!

Most importantly, he had raw charm.

In this child, Lin Wenjue saw a natural spark no less luminous than his father’s!

Even if their company didn’t actively push child stars, Lin Wenjue didn’t want to let such a rare gem slip by.

Fearing Shen Qing might be resistant, he quickly added, “Ah, even just taking on a few commercials would be great! There are plenty of brands looking for child actors these days. With how cute and expressive the young master is, he would definitely be a massive hit! …If Teacher Shen doesn’t mind, I happen to have a similar resource on hand right now. Whenever you have time, I can invite the brand representatives over to discuss the details.”

Shen Qing: “…I haven’t really thought about it from that perspective.”

Bai Meng beside them: …

No, she had actually shared the exact same thought as Lin Wenjue.

Bai Meng’s eye for talent was just as sharp as Lin Wenjue’s—perhaps even sharper, given her greater experience.

From the very beginning, she had noticed that the young master of the Shen household was unique and exceptionally well-suited for a child-star debut.

So why hadn’t she brought it up?

Because she was the one who knew beforehand that this young master’s other father was her ultimate boss!

Who would dare suggest putting the young master of the unpredictable, cold, and aloof President Gu into acting?

Mrs. Gu himself was an artist, and even when he came to their company, she didn’t dare casually tell him what to do!

Although Bai Meng had access to top management, there were still levels among executives.

In fact, after working at the company for so many years as a founding member recruited at high cost when Xingcheng was established, Bai Meng had only seen President Gu two or three times—and the last time was two or three years ago.

—Even though Xingcheng belonged to President Gu, it was merely one relatively small company under his vast corporate portfolio.

Yet those two or three encounters had been more than enough to make Bai Meng revere President Gu from a distance.

She had interacted with plenty of wealthy, elite figures, believing she had long mastered the art of remaining calm and composed.

That was, until she met President Gu.

…There had never been another person who, upon first meeting, projected such an instant sense of cold detachment, aloofness, and an utter lack of vitality, like a pool of stagnant water.

His position was simply too high, and his demeanor too icy, leaving people feeling numb with awe.

Precisely because she was a keen judge of character, Bai Meng harbored a deep fear of him—President Gu was someone who could make you loyally serve as his employee, but whom you would absolutely never want to interact with on a personal level!

Every time she recalled this, Bai Meng couldn’t help turning to look at the young man beside her.

She felt immense admiration and amazement toward Teacher Shen.

…This young man, youthful, striking, and effortlessly approachable, was actually President Gu’s partner!

Not just Mrs. Gu.

He was the person President Gu cared about and cherished most in the world.

…

Which brought up the question: how on earth did the young man pull it off?

Leaving everything else aside, when he talked with President Gu, did he really not feel intimidated at all?

Bai Meng wasn’t the first person to be curious about the story between Teacher Shen and President Gu, but like everyone else, she knew nothing of the details.

She only knew that even Assistant Li, the person President Gu trusted most, had been dispatched to serve as Teacher Shen’s manager.

Furthermore, regarding Teacher Shen’s visit to shoot concept photos today, upper management had attached extreme importance to it. Not only had they instructed her to personally host him, but they had also called her in beforehand to brief her on numerous details…

Of course, given Teacher Shen’s current sky-high popularity and the fact that he arrived with several brand deals in hand, it was only natural for upper management to value him immensely.

After all, Teacher Shen had earned his way in purely through capability—rumor had it that if President Gu hadn’t personally recruited him, Teacher Shen wouldn’t have signed with their agency at all.

Yet listen to what upper management had instructed her, aside from taking good care of Teacher Shen… Things like: Do not pry into Teacher Shen’s private affairs, Be respectful and warm toward Teacher Shen, but do not get overly intimate, and so on…

It had left Bai Meng feeling quite nervous.

She had assumed Teacher Shen would be just as aloof, noble, and difficult to serve as President Gu.

Instead, the person she met was more approachable, easygoing, and conversational than average people!

That was why Bai Meng had been completely baffled… Aside from looking poised and mature beyond his years, how did this young man look like anything other than a bright, cheerful, and talkative youth?

Was this really the partner of someone like President Gu??

It was only later that Bai Meng realized why leadership had warned her to care for Teacher Shen without getting overly close…

Because President Gu was a doting husband to an absolute fault!

Mrs. Gu had arrived with the young master around ten in the morning. They had only toured half the company, eaten a single employee lunch, and shot a few sets of concept photos in the afternoon.

During that short span, President Gu had called on video twice!

Making video calls was fine, but he didn’t discuss anything serious or work-related at all. The first call was President Gu asking his partner how the company was, how things were progressing, and whether he was satisfied.

The second call seemed to be asking how the food was, how the young master was doing, whether he was used to the lunch, and so forth…

If she hadn’t accidentally caught a glimpse of that formidable, imposing face on Mrs. Gu’s phone screen, Bai Meng wouldn’t have believed for a second that the cold, distant President Gu, who had long stopped appearing in public, actually had such a side!

Having been forcefully fed a mountain of couple PDA, Bai Meng had gained a crystal-clear understanding of the relationship between Teacher Shen and President Gu, as well as their importance in each other’s hearts.

No wonder Teacher Shen had vanished for over half a year previously. He had completely disappeared; even when he resurfaced on his fellow apprentice Liu Xilin’s variety show and gained a prime opportunity to blow up again, he hadn’t made a single move…

Turns out he had simply stepped into the role of the company’s owner!

Presumably, if it hadn’t been for promoting the historical drama with the cast, Teacher Shen wouldn’t even have returned to the industry.

Bai Meng was career-oriented and deeply passionate about her work.

Yet she couldn’t deny that when one felt tired from work and wanted to rest, being able to genuinely lie back and relax was an incredibly happy and enviable lifestyle!

Sitting on countless properties, holding millions upon millions in assets, lying flat whenever he wanted, and returning to work whenever he felt like it… Teacher Shen’s life was nothing short of a cheat code!

Then again, Teacher Shen was Teacher Shen, and everyone else was everyone else.

How could a ordinary person hope to match Teacher Shen’s personal charisma?

For starters, plenty of people chose to lie flat, and plenty of people became wealthy spouses, but very few could instantly blow up upon returning to the screen.

…Furthermore, just because President Gu spoke with a warm, smiling voice in video calls with Teacher Shen didn’t mean he was no longer Gu Huaiyu.

Bai Meng vividly remembered the cautious, walking-on-eggshells tone of upper leadership when instructing her. Looking at Lin Wenjue now, she could only think that ignorance was bliss for this young manager.

—Anyone who knew who Ao-zai’s other father was wouldn’t dare suggest making him a child actor!

While Bai Meng was busy shooting glances at Lin Wenjue to hint that he stop making reckless suggestions, Teacher Shen unexpectedly rubbed his chin, leaned down, and asked the young master: “Is Ao-zai interested in becoming a child star?”

“What’s a child star, Ao?”

The little toddler standing by Shen Qing’s leg tilted his head up to ask.

“A child star is just a kid version of a celebrity,” Shen Qing crouched down, unable to resist gently squishing Ao-zai’s cheeks. “The work is pretty similar to what Little Dad does.”

“Does dat mean Ao-zai can go to work now?” Having his chubby cheeks squished didn’t stop Ao-zai from catching the key point.

The next moment, his chubby body bounced straight off the ground in a little jump: “Yay! Ao-zai wants to go to work!”

“Ah? Ao-zai actually wants to work? So impressive!”

Shen Qing knew Ao-zai loved showing off, had great camera sense, and had plenty of free time. Since someone had suggested commercial shoots, he figured it wouldn’t hurt to try—he hadn’t expected Ao-zai to already hold the concept of working at such a young age, leaving him pleasantly surprised.

“Yes!”

Praised for being impressive, Ao-zai immediately puffed out his little chest again.

With big, round, sparkling eyes, the fair, chubby human toddler nodded seriously: “Brother said dat if we study hard now, it’s so we can work hard in de future, and den… take care of Little Dad!”

Shen Qing: …

“Uh, when did your brother say that to you?” Shen Qing asked.

He was equally adept at catching key details.

…Shen Qing had always assumed Duo-duo studied so fiercely because he had lived through tough times and feared losing access to education again, which was why he fought for every second.

Yet today, Shen Qing suddenly learned a completely different story… Duo-zai had been pushing himself and his younger brother to study so diligently… all so they could grow up and support him?

…

It was for his sake?

Overcome with astonishment, Shen Qing disregarded the public setting and asked Ao-zai directly when Duo-duo had said that.

Ao-zai answered every question promptly. Thinking back seriously, he said, “A really long time ago! Two or t’ree months ago! Ao-zai… Ao-zai can’t remember clearly anymore.”

…Even with a memory as sharp as his older brother’s, Ao-zai was still too tiny. With his daily routine consisting of eating, drinking, playing, and sleeping, time was a blurry concept to him.

However, Shen Qing had already gotten the answer he needed. Instinctively, he opened his arms wide and pulled the toddler into a tight hug.

How to put it? He was deeply moved.

…

In fact, he was extraordinarily moved!

Studying was exhausting.

Even more so for children so young.

Previously, when they studied relentlessly out of fear and anxiety, Shen Qing had felt pained and heartbroken, yet could only offer quiet support because he knew stopping them would make them feel worse.

Now, suddenly discovering that the core motivation behind the boys’ tireless self-improvement was their desire to protect him… words couldn’t describe the swell of emotions in his chest. It was heartbreaking and painful, yet brimming with joy, leaving the corners of his eyes moist.

Shen Qing held Ao-zai tightly in silence. Wrapped in his embrace, the tiny toddler remained obedient, raising his little arms slightly. Ao-zai let out a soft “Da?”, but didn’t struggle.

Although he didn’t know what had come over his Little Dad, Ao-zai stood motionless with immense thoughtfulness, extending a tiny hand—no larger than an adult’s palm—to gently pat his Little Dad’s shoulder blade… Wrapped in the hug, his short arms could only reach that high!

Yet that didn’t stop Ao-zai from comforting his Little Dad, determined to be the solid, reliable little pillar by his side!

While father and son shared this touching moment, the group of onlookers stood by, completely baffled by the scene.

Why had Teacher Shen suddenly hugged the child with an expression on the verge of tears the moment he heard the kid wanted to work to support him?

…Could Shen Qing’s financial situation actually be dire? Was marrying a wealthy spouse just a facade while they were actually drowning in debt?! Was that why Shen Qing made a comeback, and why he reacted so emotionally when his kid offered to work for him?!

This sudden turn of events was completely unexpected, yet thoroughly exhilarating!

…If that were true, wouldn’t Teacher Shen’s relaxed, effortless persona completely crumble?

And what kind of parent relied on a four-year-old child to earn money, weeping with joy at the mere suggestion? Wasn’t that the textbook definition of a toxic, exploitative parent?!

Zhan Yu—who had just been thoroughly humiliated and had abandoned all resistance—instantly perked back up. He quietly slipped out his phone, attempting to record a video clip as evidence.

If he could actually capture something on video and release it online with the right spin… the topic of Shen Qing coming back solely to rake in money while forcing his four-year-old stepson to work would guaranteed hit the trending searches and headlines!

Lin Wenjue chimed in as well: “…You don’t need to worry about compensation. Child stars earn quite well, and I will actively push to secure maximum financial benefit for you, Teacher Shen…”

Unlike Zhan Yu’s malicious intentions, Lin Wenjue viewed the matter far more positively.

While he was curious about Teacher Shen’s financial situation, he wasn’t overly invested, nor did he have any desire to judge Teacher Shen just because the child could earn money.

After all, the entertainment industry was full of all kinds of people; he had seen it all and knew every family had its own difficulties.

Besides, being a child star wasn’t child labor—it could offer the kid valuable experience and fun, while earning some money on the side. What was wrong with that?

As long as the child was willing, it was totally OK.

And clearly, Teacher Shen’s kid was more than willing!

“Teacher Shen, are you currently short on money? Hearing that your child wants to work to support you seemed to make you so happy…”

Seeing that Shen Qing had finally released the child after a long hug, Zhan Yu—anxious to record evidence—spoke up, attempting to lead the conversation with his words.

Hearing his voice, Bai Meng cast another stern, disapproving glare toward him, thinking to herself: What on earth is Zhan Yu talking about? And what is Lin Wenjue emphasizing?

Teacher Shen could be short on anything, but money was the absolute last thing he lacked!

Before Bai Meng could speak, and before Shen Qing could address Zhan Yu’s question…

A voice suddenly rang out, carrying an unmistakable air of authority, calling out Bai Meng’s name.

Following the sound, everyone turned toward the end of the hallway. Approaching them was a man in a wheelchair, flanked by two or three men in suits—the high-level executives of their company.

Top management rarely showed their faces, but everyone recognized them to some degree.

Which was precisely why, upon seeing their high-level executives surrounding a man in a wheelchair like planets orbiting a sun as they slowly approached, everyone froze in place.

…The man in the wheelchair possessed sharp, defined facial features, a deep facial structure, and a completely expressionless face.

—If not President Gu, whom Bai Meng had seen two or three times, who else could it be?!

“…President Gu.” Bai Meng hurriedly greeted him, then turned to greet the other three executives one by one.

The rest of the trainees, hearing Bai Meng’s greeting, turned their eyes in unison toward the man seated in the wheelchair…

This was President Gu?

…

Forget about the artists in their company—anyone in the entire entertainment industry knew that the ultimate boss behind Xingcheng was Gu Huaiyu.

Even though he hadn’t appeared in public for a long time, every newcomer entering the industry would be informed about the mysterious boss behind Xingcheng at the appropriate time.

After all, he was rumored to be remarkably young, tall, exceedingly handsome, and possessed a cold, commanding presence—a man handsome enough to debut as a top star on looks alone.

Yet good looks were only one aspect. More importantly, he possessed extraordinary capability and formidable methods, once recognized as the most dynamic and powerful young entrepreneur in Huacheng.

In other words: immensely powerful and extraordinarily wealthy!

With credentials like that, he naturally became the target of flocking suitors among the entertainment industry’s handsome men and beautiful women.

Once upon a time, there were rumors of artists engaging in public fistfights over him, as well as a famous movie star making dramatic scenes over him before vanishing from the industry altogether.

Even after he began using a wheelchair due to an accident, his reputation in the industry over the past two years remained imposing—he was still the ultimate figure everyone sought to please and flatter whenever given the chance.

…A wheelchair.

So the man standing before them was undoubtedly… that legendary Gu Huaiyu!

However, President Gu almost never visited Xingcheng, and rumors said he hadn’t made a public appearance in two full years.

So why was he here today… An unannounced inspection?

Just as everyone was trying to process the situation, the man in the wheelchair—now close to their group—suddenly spoke. His deep, magnetic voice resonated as he asked toward their direction: “Are you finished?”

Everyone: ?

What?

Who is President Gu asking?

“All finished,” Shen Qing—wearing his black baseball cap—answered naturally, his voice calm and composed as everyone exchanged bewildered glances. “Though, why are you here?”

Everyone: ???

Everyone was thrown into utter confusion, collective question marks practically floating above their heads.

And at that exact moment, Shen Qing’s cute, expressive son spun around half a circle and charged straight toward the man in the wheelchair on his short legs.

The smart, nimble human toddler moved with agile precision. Upon reaching Gu Huaiyu, he threw his chubby body forward with a soft plop, wrapping his arms around the leg of the man in the wheelchair.

“Big Dad!” Ao-zai’s voice rang out as crisp as a bell.

Everyone: ???!