An Ruo was stunned. Looking up, she saw his handsome face clearly smiling—this was the first time he had smiled so openly.
Though he occasionally smiled once or twice, it was usually just a slight curl of his lips, either a cold smirk or a mocking grin. It was rare to see him genuinely amused.
She felt a bit embarrassed and decided she would never trust those online scammers again. What kind of terrible movies were they recommending?
An Ruo composed herself and tried to get up from the man's embrace, but the arm wrapped around her back tightened gradually.
"Um... you should let me go first."
"I'm scared."
"Huh?"
"I said I'm scared of this horror movie." Shen Xiaoxing's mind went blank. Seeing her about to leave, he blurted out the words without thinking.
As the words fell, silence hung between them.
An Ruo sighed inwardly. *Bro, you can't see—what's there to be afraid of?*
She wasn't used to such an intimate position and struggled a little. The man, mistaking her movements for fear, only held her tighter!
Shen Xiaoxing lightly rested his chin on the top of her head. The faint fragrance emanating from her seemed almost magical, stirring memories of their passionate encounter that day.
Her delicate fingertips had grazed his shoulders, her nails digging into his skin, making him feel as if his whole body were burning with fire...
Suddenly, the phone on the table rang, startling them both.
An Ruo froze, then seized the chance to jump out of his arms. "My phone's ringing."
Shen Xiaoxing: *Damn it. Next time, I'll throw that phone far away!*
The caller was an unfamiliar number.
A sense of alertness struck An Ruo. She instinctively glanced at the man, whose gaze was fixed intently on the movie screen. Letting out a soft breath, she said, "I'll take this outside."
"Mm."
With his permission, An Ruo quickly walked out of the screening room and stood in the hallway, swiping to answer.
"Hello."
"Darling, why did it take so long to pick up?" The man's seductive voice came through. "I thought you'd forgotten about our deal."
An Ruo took a deep breath. "He was nearby just now. It wasn't convenient to answer."
This... didn't it sound like she was cheating on her husband behind his back?
Being forced to team up with Shen Tingfeng against Shen Xiaoxing was indeed sneaky, underhanded work!
Around the corner, a man leaned lightly against the wall. His dark, deep eyes narrowed, a cold glint flashing in them.
Shen Tingfeng's tone was flippant. "Oh, inconvenient? Did I interrupt your fun?"
She really couldn't communicate with this lecherous, womanizing jerk!
"Just tell me what you want directly."
"Come to the 14th floor of the Orton Hotel tomorrow afternoon."
An Ruo rested her hand on the windowsill, lifting her head to gaze at the distant night view. "I'm busy tomorrow."
"Don't refuse me, sweetheart. Otherwise, the consequences of my anger will be severe." Shen Tingfeng lay in bed, a naked, seductive woman sprawled across his chest. His voice was hoarse with breathlessness. "I have little patience. Once my temper flares, I tend to do extreme things."
From the phone came faint gasps and the woman's moans, echoing obscenely through the quiet hallway...
An Ruo ran a hand through her hair in frustration, ignoring the shameful sounds. Gritting her teeth, she took a few deep breaths to calm herself. "I'll try to make it tomorrow..."
The woman's pained yet ecstatic cries forced An Ruo to stop speaking.
"I'll wait for you, sweetheart," the man said hoarsely.
Not wanting to listen for another second, An Ruo quickly hung up.
Thinking of how Shen Tingfeng threatened her with An Che, her anger flared. She kicked the nearby trash can, but her soft house slippers hitting the metal sent a jolt of pain through her foot, making her hiss.
The next day.
An Ruo had barely arrived at the office in the morning when Manager Yao rushed in excitedly, gesticulating as she announced good news: "General Zhao from Star Media recommended a few artists under their label. Take a look—these are all relatively well-known actresses this year."
A stack of profiles was placed before her. An Ruo had been looking at so many beautiful women lately that her eyes were starting to blur.
They all had good looks and temperament. Choosing one was proving difficult.
Her eyes lit up as she pulled out a profile that caught her eye, muttering to herself, "Song Weiwei."
The name sounded familiar. She felt like she'd seen her somewhere before.
"This Song Weiwei is an all-around artist." Manager Yao seemed to have a good impression of her. "She debuted as part of a girl group and was popular overseas for a while. After the group disbanded, she returned to China to develop her career. In recent years, she's released songs and transitioned into acting in several films. She's quite famous."
An Ruo suddenly remembered. "I've seen her movie."
Wasn't she the one in that suspense thriller she watched yesterday? She played the second female lead, existing entirely in the male lead's memories.
"Many people in our jewelry department are her fans. So, what do you think? Her looks are undeniable, and her acting is decent, right?"
An Ruo nodded. "She's good."
"She's a singer-songwriter. She used to sing and dance in the girl group, so she has solid dance skills. Her overall abilities are impressive."
"Since she's agreed to join the competition, let's look forward to her good news."
All of these candidates were excellent, but choosing the final代言人 wasn't up to her alone.
That's why she proposed the talent show—to hear the public's opinion and select the most popular candidate as the代言人, while also laying the groundwork for the next production.