Chapter 171: Does he... like me?

Cheng Yao did not plan to enter the film and television market just yet; for the time being, he needed to accumulate resources.

Zheng Yuechan said, "If you need a director, I can introduce a few reliable and dedicated professionals to you."

"I will consider it."

That was what he said, but after establishing his company, Cheng Yao had no intention of hiring a director. Relying on the skills and aesthetic sense of a Best Actor, coupled with learning through skill cards, he could direct films himself.

It wasn't that he was worried about Lin Ketong and the others falling victim to the unspoken rules of the industry; rather, he simply disliked others meddling in his affairs. In his domain, he held the right to speak and the power to decide; he didn't need anyone pointing fingers and giving directions. Besides, he wasn't doing this for the sake of making money or learning.

He kept these thoughts to himself, though—the entertainment industry was just that kind of place.

Once upon a time, he too was a youth who sat glued to the television screen, passionate about dramas. But nowadays, turning on the television only revealed heavily made-up youths, completely stripping away any desire to watch. Aside from a few special programs, dramas and movies relied solely on selling pretty faces.

Scraping off a layer of skin meant a trip to the hospital—straight to the ICU! Getting a haircut required anesthesia—full anesthesia!

Cheng Yao was practically speechless. While it was somewhat exaggerated rhetoric, it reflected the morbid state of the current entertainment industry.

Taking a bite of caviar, Xia Shiqi said, "By the way, my fans gave feedback that the toothbrushes produced by your company are fantastic with great cleaning results. I wanted to ask, is the teeth-whitening effect real?"

"Theoretically, yes. With long-term use, the effect will be better, though it varies from person to person."

"That answer is as good as saying nothing."

Xia Shiqi asked again, "The new project you mentioned last time—you're looking for a spokesperson? Can you secretly leak what the next product will be?"

"Soap."

"Soap?"

As Cheng Yao's words fell, not only was Xia Shiqi stunned, but Zheng Yuechan also couldn't help asking, "Are you determined to walk all the way down this single path? You're really locking horns with daily necessities, aren't you?"

"Yes, my products have a market."

In this regard, Cheng Yao displayed unparalleled confidence—not confidence in himself, but in black technology. If even this couldn't conquer the market, then whatever else was currently out there must be absolute junk.

"Daily necessities are already saturated by now, aren't they? There are so many brands that people don't even know which one to use. I feel like most people choose to trust old brands, like Safeguard, Rejoice, Head & Shoulders..."

Cheng Yao replied, "It's different. The soap we're going to develop next will bring a huge surprise."

Zheng Yuechan smiled without a word, thinking, *So confident?*

Xia Shiqi said, "Sister Zheng, Cheng Yao said the endorsement should still go to me."

"You might as well just become Summer's exclusive spokesperson."

"If Summer develops well, I can consider it. It's a win-win, after all."

There were actually many endorsements like this, such as Wahaha and others. The spokesperson remained the same person, but no one knew what the landscape would look like after a generation change.

Unknowingly, time slipped away bit by bit.

The two women and one man chatted quite happily. With Xia Shiqi acting as a human lightbulb, Cheng Yao had no opportunity to flirt with Zheng Yuechan.

Ever since that night, Zheng Yuechan was like an egg with a tiny crack, and Cheng Yao felt as though he had awakened the bloodline of a fly, possessed by the urge to buzz around that crack whenever he saw it. After all, flies don't bite unbroken eggs.

Cheng Yao felt that this analogy wasn't very flattering—wasn't he indirectly cursing himself? But a true gentleman knows when to bend and when to stretch; Wang Wengbo could claim to be an eel just to get laid, so being a fly wasn't so bad either, as long as there was a meal to be had.

Occasionally catching Cheng Yao looking at her with a strange gaze, Xia Shiqi would quietly avert her eyes, her mood turning somewhat unnatural.

*Could he... possibly be interested in me?*

She had to admit, Cheng Yao was genuinely handsome, wealthy, and capable. But he already had a girlfriend!

Xia Shiqi's mind was in turmoil. If Cheng Yao really harbored such intentions, she would maintain her rationality so they could at least remain friends.

Withdrawing his gaze with a look of feigned disdain, Cheng Yao suspected that Zheng Yuechan had brought Xia Shiqi along on purpose. Otherwise, she could have just invited him to her home in broad daylight.

...

When the afternoon tea concluded, Cheng Yao handed the script over to Zheng Yuechan and said with a smile, "Please hold onto this for me for now. Give it back to me when the time comes; taking it back now is useless."

"Alright then. You can look for me when you need it." Zheng Yuechan smoothed her hair.

Taking advantage of her inattention, Cheng Yao stole a few glances at her proud figure, feeling a profound sense of regret that he hadn't been able to visit Zheng Yuechan's place last night. It was truly a pity. Fortunately, Zhang Ya had compensated him by keeping him bouncing all night long.

Xia Shiqi put on her sunglasses, a face mask, and a hat—no exaggeration, she was considered a mainstream traffic star now.

"Cheng Yao, keep in touch via phone if anything comes up."

"Alright, bye-bye."

"Bye-bye."

Once in the car, Xia Shiqi hurriedly turned to Zheng Yuechan: "Sister Zheng, your nephew—does Cheng Yao like me? I noticed his gaze was a bit strange earlier."

"?"

Zheng Yuechan glanced at Xia Shiqi, thinking, *Where on earth does your confidence come from?*

Xia Shiqi had seen Cheng Yao's girlfriend before; she was even prettier than Xia Shiqi, possessed an incredible temperament, was involved in the arts, and wasn't short on money. How could she possibly compete?

"Don't let your imagination run wild. It must be your imagination."

"Is it my imagination?"

Xia Shiqi nodded gently.

Zheng Yuechan withdrew her gaze. In her heart, she felt that Cheng Yao had been looking at her the entire time; she had simply chosen to pretend she didn't notice. From every angle, Zheng Yuechan didn't think Cheng Yao would fancy an artist under her management—there was no sign of it, and she hadn't anticipated it in her daily interactions either. Therefore, she concluded that Xia Shiqi was overthinking things.

Generally speaking, a woman's intuition is rarely wrong. She sighed softly and said:

"Shiqi, the most important thing for an artist is endurance—being able to persevere. If you can avoid getting into a relationship over the next few years, your career will skyrocket. On the contrary, the company will reduce your resources or even marginalize you. Do you understand?"

"I understand, Sister Zheng."

Xia Shiqi wasn't completely clueless; she was gradually coming to understand these realities.

...

After Xia Shiqi and Zheng Yuechan left, Cheng Yao checked the time—it was already 3:30 PM.

He had no strong sense of belonging to Shanghai, so he wandered aimlessly through the streets. Looking around, cities were essentially the same at their core; the only real difference was the city center, while other areas felt more or less identical. Aside from the downtown area, nowhere else in Shanghai gave him the visual impact of Lujiazui or the Bund.

Buying a bottle of cola, he occasionally spotted sports cars driving past.

Luxury cars were everywhere. Cheng Yao occasionally entertained the thought of getting one himself; even though he was wealthy now, he wasn't fundamentally different from these people. Therefore, he became even more determined to accomplish something—even if it were illusory, a mere reflection in a mirror and the moon in the water, even if it were solely for a tiny shred of superiority.

Abruptly, his phone rang.

"Hello."

"Cheng Yao, come to the school gate. Let's head over early."

"Alright, coming right now."

Hailing a Didi, Cheng Yao hopped into the passenger seat: "Master, Shanghai Conservatory of Music."

...

It wasn't far—a twenty-minute drive.

When he arrived at the conservatory, Zhang Ya, Rong Xue琳, and Cheng Linlin were already waiting by the roadside, along with an unexpected figure.

Li Yingshan. Standing among them, she gave off a relatively mature vibe. Zhang Ya possessed a maturity in her mindset and thoughts, but Li Yingshan's was merely superficial.

Just as he stepped out of the car, Zhang Ya waved happily from across the street.

"Where are we eating? Amazon?"

When it came to food, Cheng Yao remained quite focused; women and fine cuisine were the two things in life that should never be failed.

Zhang Ya shook her head: "Originally we were going to the Amazon buffet too, but then we thought we might as well choose something a bit more upscale."

"You guys decide, I'm easy."

"Let's go."

Li Yingshan glanced at Cheng Yao a few times. Compared to their previous encounters, she truly couldn't tell that this young man was actually so wealthy.

Ten minutes later, the group arrived at the most popular buffet restaurant near Lujiazui, a veteran Japanese-style buffet.

Zhang Ya hugged Cheng Yao's arm: "The king crabs here are unlimited, and the sashimi platters and prawns are quite fresh. The online reviews are all stellar."

"Yeah, whereas Amazon is a bit different from their advertising, plus it has a strict two-hour time limit."

Stepping inside, the restaurant was quite bustling. The seafood tanks at the entrance were filled with living seafood. Cheng Yao inspected the king crabs; it wasn't his first time eating them, and he could tell at a glance that they were frozen.

"The texture of frozen ones isn't great."

"Just make do with it, big boss," Rong Xue琳 rolled her eyes.

A few minutes later, the large table was already covered with a gout-inducing feast.

Finally finding a moment, Rong Xue琳 couldn't help asking, "What does your boyfriend do?"

"His family sells cosmetics and has quite a few stores in Shanghai. He hasn't specified what exactly he does, and he can't compare to Zhang Ya's boyfriend."

"No, no, he just sells toothbrushes," Zhang Ya didn't want to drag Cheng Yao into the spotlight.

Cheng Yao went about his own business, mixing honey sauce for the steamed king crab, realizing he had misjudged. Although it was frozen, the crab legs still tasted fresh and sweet, clearly having been frozen for a short period. Still, he never believed anyone could eat enough to get their money's worth here. Even with his appetite, he lacked the confidence, let alone with four girls present.

The amaebi and botan shrimp sashimi were exceptional—clusters of crystal-clear shrimp meat served with dipping sauce, exceptionally fresh and delicious.

"This place is good, much better than the ones in Nanjing."

Zhang Ya and the other girls naturally chatted about bags, lipsticks, and other cosmetics—topics Cheng Yao had no interest in and couldn't join.

Since several students from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music were sitting together, it would be strange if they didn't talk about music...

Then again, having tested into the conservatory, those truly standing at the peak were only a handful; the rest were merely green leaves meant to set off the flowers.

"When is the national competition?"

"Registration starts in mid-month and ends in late December. We'll probably have to go to the capital then."

"Beijing?"

"Yes."

Cheng Yao nodded gently: "I've never been to Beijing either. I want to go see the flag-raising ceremony. Call me along when you go; I'll treat you all to dinner. Or are you still partnering with Zhang Ya?"

Cheng Yao glanced at Rong Xue琳.

Rong Xue琳 shook her head: "We'll see how things go. There might be a better choice. This time was just too rushed; if we had a more tacitly cooperative duo, winning first place in the Star Cup shouldn't have been a problem at all—a custom-built piano, ugh!!!"

Zhang Ya also felt it was a pity, as the piano was exceptionally valuable.

...

*Ps: My sleep schedule has been a bit messy lately, so updates are a bit late. Don't mind it, haha.*

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