* * *

He handed the documents to Cheng Susu, asking her to try handling them on her own. If her body couldn’t adjust in a short time, these were skills she would inevitably need to learn. After delegating the task to her, he lay down on the couch, covering his face, quietly feeling distressed.

Originally, he wasn’t this way.

After all, he had carried out this series of actions under Cheng Susu’s identity.

So, it was Cheng Susu’s reputation that was at stake.

He felt no shame.

But he forgot that Cheng Susu could laugh at him without restraint.

In fact, on her way to the company, Cheng Susu had spontaneously made a couplet for him.

She sent it to him via WeChat.

“On stage, a master of verbal battles,
Off stage, a rookie encountering trouble.”

The horizontal inscription: “The ever-changing you!”

He hadn’t expected Cheng Susu to be so humorous.

But the humor was at his expense.

Zhong Ce felt a pang in his chest as he thought of it, and he thought he might just shut himself off from the world.

“Knock knock.”

Someone was knocking at the office door.

Without looking up, Cheng Susu said, “Come in.”

Zhong Ce, however, glanced sideways, and in that fleeting moment, he saw Xiao Gao, the person who had made him embarrassed. His eyes darkened, and he felt even worse.

But he recognized the chubby man behind him.

Zhang Ciqiu, a variety show director, had worked on several popular shows with excellent viewership ratings.

He had recently been planning a new project.

Zhong Ce quickly got up from the couch, rushing over to Cheng Susu’s side. There were two chairs in front of the desk, and the two of them usually sat close to each other to adapt to each other’s working style. Without hesitation, he ran over and plopped down into one of the chairs, patting Cheng Susu on the shoulder and raising his chin.

Xiao Gao dared not meet his eyes.

Occasionally, when their eyes accidentally met, he would shiver.

After bringing Zhang Ciqiu into the office, Xiao Gao quickly excused himself and left.

Cheng Susu exchanged a glance with Zhang Ciqiu, leaning back in her chair and raising an eyebrow.

Zhang Ciqiu didn’t hesitate, stating his purpose right away.

He had been thinking about creating a reality show with celebrity couples or partners. Such shows not only attract fans for the participating stars but, if done well, can also be highly marketable.

The specifics of the show were nearly planned out, but they hadn’t yet decided which celebrity couples to invite.

The choice of guests is crucial to the show.

Good guests can drive viewership and generate hot topics.

So, Zhang Ciqiu was being particularly cautious. He had already listed several couples but still wasn’t satisfied with the choices.

It wasn’t until he saw a trending search this morning that he decided to approach his boss.

After explaining the situation, Zhang Ciqiu was a bit nervous.

He saw Zhong Ce frown, and his heart sank, feeling like this idea was doomed. But he didn’t want to give up so easily.

“Actually, presenting a loving couple image to the public is good for the company’s development.”

Many celebrity couples, who were already estranged in private, appear inseparable on camera, and ultimately, this kind of image sells.

However, as soon as he finished speaking, Zhong Ce’s frown deepened.

Cheng Susu narrowed her eyes, clearly not interested in participating in the show.

With their fake relationship, could it really withstand the scrutiny of the cameras?

Moreover, she was still maintaining her composure, even thinking about divorce.

“We’re not really suited for this,” she gently declined. “We’re not used to living under constant public attention, and we might not achieve the desired effect for the show.”

Zhong Ce glanced at Cheng Susu.

He actually didn’t care much.

But Zhang Ciqiu had a point: the couple’s public image does affect the company, and for that reason, he felt that it wouldn’t hurt to try.

However, seeing that Cheng Susu wasn’t keen on the idea, he decided to let it go.

He nodded and added, “My wife is right.”

Zhang Ciqiu: “…”

Just as he was about to persuade the boss’s wife a little more, he was taken aback by the sudden support for her stance.

But he really didn’t want to give up!

At that moment, Cheng Susu’s phone rang.

Without thinking, she glanced down at the screen. Seeing the caller ID, her eyes darkened, and her lips, which had been slightly curved, suddenly pressed into a straight line.

Meanwhile, Zhong Ce casually scoffed and, with an indifferent expression, grabbed his phone. He leaned toward Cheng Susu and whispered, “Let’s talk more with the director. I feel like this might turn around.”

Cheng Susu: “…”

Zhong Ce lazily got up, entered the break room, closed the door, and answered the call.

As soon as he picked up, the voice on the other end immediately asked, “Why didn’t you stop Yun Yun, Zhong Ce?”

Zhong Ce smirked, replying cheerfully, “I can’t stop her.”

Hearing this, Cheng Susu’s mother was momentarily stunned. She instinctively wanted to scold him, but then paused, taking a deep breath. “Yun Yun is about to lose her job because of this. She didn’t do it on purpose; she’s young and makes mistakes. Can you talk to Zhong Ce and ask him to show some mercy?”

“Sure,” Zhong Ce responded with a bright smile.

Cheng Susu’s mother didn’t expect it to be this easy. She paused, pursed her lips, and was about to say more when, suddenly, Cheng Susu ended the call.

Cheng Susu’s mother: “…”

Zhong Ce leisurely exited the break room and, seeing that Zhang Ciqiu was still there, decisively said, “We’ll participate in this show.”

Cheng Susu furrowed her brows.

Zhang Ciqiu was confused, not understanding why he had changed his mind so quickly.

Zhong Ce was relaxed, “Don’t be surprised. A woman’s words are like lies.”

Zhang Ciqiu: “…”

Zhong Ce patted Cheng Susu’s shoulder to comfort her, then added, “But I have a suggestion. Let’s invite Zhu Lin Yun and her boyfriend to join as well.”

As soon as he said that, Cheng Susu immediately understood.

Zhong Ce kept smiling throughout the conversation, his smile deepening as he spoke, though it didn’t reach his eyes, making it unsettling. “This should be more controversial, don’t you think?”

* * *