* * *

As long as Zhu Linyun kept to her own business, he wouldn’t have bothered with her anymore. But she just couldn’t sit still and had to go find help to annoy him. That, he couldn’t tolerate. After thinking for a few seconds, he decided to turn the tables on her.

She wanted resources, didn’t she? Well, he’d give them to her.

Reality shows were a double-edged sword. They could easily make someone famous, but they could also ruin them, turning them into targets for online hate. After a few interactions, Zhong Ce knew very well that with Zhu Linyun’s personality, once she saw the show featuring both him and Cheng Susu, she probably wouldn’t be able to keep her cool. Even if she did, well, Zhong Ce narrowed his eyes, suppressing the coldness in them. He had a thousand ways to expose her true self.

Cheng Susu stifled a laugh, finally unable to resist and reached out to pinch Zhong Ce’s cheek.

“Thanks,” she said, fully aware that he was standing up for her.

Zhong Ce pulled out his phone. “No need for thanks. If they’re targeting you, they’re targeting me too. We’re in the same boat. We need to stick together, got it?”

Cheng Susu nodded, replying with a half-hearted, “Got it.”

The phone was Cheng Susu’s.

At that moment, Zhong Ce was randomly pressing buttons on her phone. Cheng Susu, curious, set aside her work and leaned closer to watch.

Zhong Ce was texting Cheng Susu’s mother.

The message was concise: he had talked to Zhong Ce and convinced him to cancel the contract. He also mentioned arranging a variety show appearance for her.

Susu: But the pay isn’t high.

Susu: You know she’s currently embroiled in a scandal. The director didn’t want to hire her at first, and even if they did, they were planning on offering zero pay. I managed to get her a little compensation, though…

Susu: Ask her if she wants to join.

A deliberate pause.

Susu: Oh, and by the way, the director is Zhang Ciqiu.

On the other end of the phone, Cheng Susu’s mother handed the phone to Zhu Linyun. Having been under the Cheng family’s protection, Zhu Linyun had always sailed smoothly. But when she saw the message from “Cheng Susu,” she trembled with anger. She had never been treated like this in her career, and her instinct was to reject the opportunity.

Anyway, Orange Entertainment wasn’t going to blacklist her. With her popularity, plenty of resources would come her way. But when she saw the name “Zhang Ciqiu,” she hesitated. The name carried an irresistible pull. Who in the industry didn’t know him? He had helped countless stars rise to fame through variety shows, skyrocketing their worth. Realizing this, Zhu Linyun gritted her teeth. So what if the pay was low?

Cheng Susu was a fool—this was practically handing her a stepping stone.

She took a deep breath and typed back with a smile: “Okay.”

Upon receiving the reply, Zhong Ce raised his chin smugly. “There, she took the bait.”

Cheng Susu: “…”

Her gaze remained fixed on the message Zhong Ce had sent.

After a long pause, she reluctantly gave a thumbs-up. “You really are…” shameless to the point of being impressive.

Yeah, a daily wage of two hundred. She had to argue for that.

Zhong Ce smiled at her, proud of himself, thinking that her next words would be praise. “Learn from me.”

The sunset painted the sky with an overwhelming heat and dryness.

Having temporarily dealt with the trouble Zhu Linyun caused, Zhong Ce returned to his work. Cheng Susu, however, wasn’t as efficient as him.

The whole afternoon was consumed by Zhang Ciqiu, and by the time the workday was nearly over, Cheng Susu looked at the pile of unfinished documents in front of her and sighed in despair.

Looks like she would have to work overtime. Her face fell.

But before she could wallow in her misery, Zhong Ce, usually the type to delegate work, unexpectedly showed some conscience and took away two-thirds of her workload.

A woman who immersed herself in her work was undeniably attractive.

Cheng Susu turned her face, her eyelashes lowered as she quietly watched Zhong Ce.

At this moment, besides wanting to give him a thumbs-up, she was more inclined to return the favor.

The thought crossed her mind.

Her thoughts couldn’t catch up, and she couldn’t control herself in time.

She smiled and mimicked him, saying, “You’re really amazing, dear.”

What goes around comes around.

Come on, let’s make each other uncomfortable.

Zhong Ce: “…”

Zhong Ce held back, but couldn’t contain it.

How to explain this? When he said those words earlier, there was no real feeling, maybe just a bit of mischief. But hearing Cheng Susu throw it back at him made him uncomfortable, like, his face was burning!

Wait, what’s going on? His ears were getting hot too???

Zhong Ce couldn’t stand it. He decided it was just embarrassment, which gave him the confidence to shove Cheng Susu away.

Cheng Susu didn’t mind.

She shrugged off his hand and turned her gaze elsewhere.

Her eyes casually fell on the computer screen displaying the date and time.

She furrowed her brow.

Counting on her fingers, she quickly calculated.

Then she thought back to the situation at home.

“Zhong Ce,” Cheng Susu looked at him again, her eyes filled with confusion. “After work, can you go to the supermarket with me?”

Zhong Ce thought he heard wrong. “What?”

Cheng Susu sighed. “The supermarket.”

Then, she covered her face. “You know, Aunt Flo’s coming soon.”

As soon as she said it, the air went dead silent. The atmosphere became so awkward it felt suffocating.

Zhong Ce: “…”

* * *