Put away your magical powers now!.

Chapter 266 [If you can't beat them, join them]

Chapter 260 [If you can't beat them, join them]

After leaving Lin Qingquan's place, Chen Yan walked around for a while before receiving a call from Lin Xianyu.

After the call connected, the fox demon's tone was clearly somewhat uneasy: "Um, Your Excellency..."

Chen Yan deliberately sneered: "Little fox, you've gotten quite bold, haven't you? You actually set a trap to deceive me."

"That... it was Immortal Master Lin's order. How could I, a mere fox demon with insignificant cultivation, dare to disobey? That immortal master possesses extraordinary magical power; I wouldn't dare utter a single word of dissent in his presence!" Lin Xianyu said with a fawning smile, "Please, Your Excellency, do not blame me..."

Chen Yan didn't actually have any business dealings; Lin Qingquan, that old fox, set up this scheme for his own benefit. As for Lin Xianyu, that little fox, she was merely caught in the middle and used as a tool; she truly had no ability to resist.

Seeing that Chen Yan was no longer blaming her, Lin Xianyu seemed relieved and her tone became slightly more relaxed as she tentatively asked, "My lord, have you met Immortal Master Lin?"

"Ah."

"Um...so, are you coming back now? I've arranged a banquet to make amends to you properly," Lin Xianyu said with a grin, her tone undisguisedly ingratiating.

Chen Yan glanced at the time, thought for a moment, and then said, "I still have to see a friend."

"Is it the person who came with you today..." Lin Xianyu said, quickly recalling, "Is it Mr. Zhao from Shanhe Media? Since he's your friend, why don't you invite him along? Let me treat you..."

Chen Yan had nothing else to do, so he agreed: "I'll ask him first. If he has no objection, I'll ask him to come over with me."

After Chen Yan hung up the phone, he received an address link sent by Lin Xianyu on WeChat.

He called Zhao Shanhe again. When the call connected, Zhao Shanhe was already back at the company, busy with work. It was quite noisy on the other end, but when Chen Yan said that Lin Xianyu was inviting him to dinner, Zhao Shanhe readily agreed.

"A top-tier actress is treating me to dinner, of course I have to go!" Zhao Shanhe exclaimed excitedly, laughing loudly, "Brother, where are you? I'll come meet you first!"

Chen Yan looked up at the hotel where Lin Qingquan was staying and gave him the address.

Zhao Shanhe was taken aback, then burst into laughter: "What a coincidence! I'm right here in the hotel!"

The call was quickly disconnected. Two minutes later, Zhao Shanhe rushed out of the hotel, but his clothes were obviously put on in a hurry, and one of the buttons was fastened incorrectly.

Chen Yan stood still, staring intently at Zhao Shanhe, and laughed, "What's this...?"

Zhao Shanhe chuckled and gave a knowing look.

Chen Yan thought to himself, "Well, Zhao Shanhe was there when Lin Qingquan was playing Si Lang on set a while ago. He's only been back for a short time, and this guy has already shown up at the hotel."

"That big client you mentioned on the phone the other day, Lin Qingquan, we've arranged for him to stay at this hotel—we have a negotiated rate with our company anyway, and when we booked the room, I booked an extra one. A girl happens to be visiting Hengdian these days, so she's dropping by to see me..."

Chen Yan laughed, looking at the beads of sweat on Zhao Shanhe's forehead, and said, "A girl suddenly appears? When did you meet her?"

"I met her when I was working in Jinling Prefecture. She was an event planner. We got to know each other and had a good impression of each other. She recently took a vacation and came to Hengdian for tourism, so I hosted her."

Chen Yan glanced at the kid's misbuttoned shirt and said meaningfully, "Have you taken him to the hotel?"

Zhao Shanhe replied casually, "We're all just ordinary folks. She's not some innocent girl, and I'm not the innocent boy I used to be. We just took a liking to each other and had a friendly match."

After a pause, Zhao Shanhe patted his chest and said, "Brother, don't worry, I'm not the kind of scumbag who deceives people's feelings. I made it clear to her before that I don't talk about feelings."

But guess what? When I said that, she actually laughed at me, saying that it was awkward to be so blunt, and that when people are out having fun, some things don't need to be said outright; it's enough to understand each other... See, she's much more carefree than me.”

Chen Yan looked at Zhao Shanhe. This guy's appearance was actually no different from when they parted ways in Jinling Prefecture a few months ago.

But it's quite obvious that the innocent naiveté that belongs to college students in their eyes has almost completely disappeared.

Just a few months ago, he was heartbroken over a scumbag junior sister, but now he can easily say things like "If we like each other, let's have a friendly match."

In fact, Chen Yan didn't know whether this change was good or bad for Zhao Shanhe.

However, he is aloof and doesn't pry too much into other people's lives—as long as they don't do anything wrong, things that are consensual are a matter of personal freedom.

However, looking at Zhao Shanhe's appearance at this moment, it is clear that another warrior of pure love in this world has died completely.

All he remembered was that last year, when he was drinking with Xiao Zhao, Xiao Zhao's face was flushed, and he put his arm around Xiao Zhao's shoulder and talked about the future.

"After graduation, I'll go back to my hometown and maybe inherit my parents' small entertainment company. I'll marry a cheerful and good-tempered wife, have two children, and ideally, raise a dog."

I'll work hard, earn money, and then focus all my energy on being good to my wife and kids! That'll be enough for me in this life!

Now, this young man stands before me, disheveled, with that carefree, wandering smile on his face.

Zhao Shanhe took Chen Yan's phone, glanced at the address link Lin Xianyu had sent, and laughed, "I know this place well. It's a very famous restaurant in Hengdian. The food is pretty good. Many celebrities have been there."

As he spoke, he led Chen Yan to the parking lot, got into his secondhand Buick sedan, and drove with ease, holding the steering wheel with one hand while skillfully lighting a cigarette with his other hand.

"Brother, it has to be you. When you called, that girl had just gone to take a shower, and I hadn't even had a chance to do anything yet! Really, it's only because of you that I pulled myself back from the brink, put on my clothes, and came out to eat with you!"

Our friendship has reached a point where it's practically unbreakable!

Chen Yan glanced at Zhao Shanhe: "Today you were advising me not to get involved with female celebrities in the entertainment industry and to treat Lu Sisi well. Look at yourself now..."

“Our situations are different.” Zhao Shanhe shook his head. He suddenly turned to look at Chen Yan, his playful tone disappearing as he said seriously, “Brother, you have no idea how lucky you are. Good girls like Lu Sisi are almost extinct in this world.”

If you meet one, cherish him.

As for me, the people I met before were the wrong ones. I've been back for a few months and I've come to terms with it. In this day and age, normal people are too few and far between, and the chances of meeting a normal person are slim.

As he spoke, he sneered, "I've also talked to my parents. In their generation, once you had a partner, it was considered basic to keep a certain distance from other members of the opposite sex. It didn't need to be explicitly stated or boasted about; it was the bare minimum, you understand?"
And now? Good grief, everyone's talking about their own space, accusing the other person of being too controlling. They keep saying, "My personal space is so important! You're putting pressure on me! You're suffocating me!" They call the other person a control freak, but I'm your partner, not your slave…

They talk about freedom, but deep down they're just looking for something better while still having their cake and eating it too.

Zhao Shanhe's tone gradually turned sarcastic: "Do you know? The girl I arranged to check into the hotel just now has a boyfriend in Jinling Prefecture. When she was in front of me, she was texting her boyfriend, lying and saying that she was traveling with her best friend."

I was also curious and asked her, "Isn't it wrong of her to treat her boyfriend like this?"
Do you know what people are saying?

"How to say?"

"People say that her boyfriend's family is not well-off and cannot meet the living standards she wants after marriage. She is dating him now just to find someone to share the expenses of living in a big city like Nanjing."

Chen Yan smiled.

Zhao Shanhe shook his head: "Anyone who marries a girl like that will be incredibly unlucky."

“That kind of person is really awful.” Chen Yan sighed, but asked in a very serious tone, “Xiao Zhao, you know this kind of behavior is awful, but what you’re doing now… isn’t it also…”

Zhao Shanhe's face stiffened, but a complex emotion flickered in his eyes.

After a moment of silence, Zhao Shanhe took a deep drag of his cigarette and slowly exhaled it all.

"Brother, there are too many rotten people in this world."

"I...couldn't beat them, so I joined them."

The topic was rather profound, and both of them fell silent as they spoke.

Chen Yan knew that this was because a lingering spirit of the pure-hearted warrior in Zhao Shanhe's heart was still haunting him after his death, which was why he said these words.

If some time passes and he becomes completely numb, he probably won't even be able to say such sentimental things anymore.

If you can't beat it, join.

Zhao Shanhe's words were tinged with helplessness and sadness.

·
We arrived at the restaurant in the early evening. Although it was only a short time before we arrived, the restaurant was already almost full.

There were also parasols and some tables and chairs outside the door.

It was autumn, and Hengdian was in the south, so the weather was just right – neither too hot nor too cold. Many diners preferred to sit on the outdoor tables to eat.

Zhao Shanhe parked the car and came to the restaurant entrance with Chen Yan. They saw Lin Xianyu's assistant standing there and quickly walked over to greet them when she saw them from afar.

"Teacher Chen, Teacher Zhao! Hello! Well, Sister Xianyu is an artist after all, so it's not appropriate for her to come out and greet you both. She sent me to wait here."

Seeing the assistant covered in sweat, Chen Yan knew she must have been standing there for quite a while. He nodded sincerely, "Thank you, you've worked hard."

The assistant bowed and scraped, saying, "Oh, you're too kind. It's all part of my job. I'll offer you a few drinks when we go inside."

Looking at the young woman's face, which already held the shrewd smile of someone from the entertainment industry, Chen Yan nodded and followed her inside with Zhao Shanhe to a private room on the second floor. On the way, the assistant continued with polite remarks: "The food here is excellent. The owner himself is a master of Hunan cuisine! Yet he sent his son to Guangdong to study cooking for three years, learning authentic Cantonese roast suckling pig! Everyone who's eaten here raves about it."

"You need to make a reservation. Our Sister Xianyu went to great lengths to secure a private room and ordered a roast suckling pig made by the owner's son himself, just to specially entertain a distinguished guest like you."

Chen Yan chuckled inwardly; there was some wisdom in those words.

These words imply that the host has put a lot of thought and sincerity into the hospitality, and that the host wants the guest to appreciate the gesture.

Moreover, the key point is that it would be inappropriate for Lin Xianyu to say such things herself, but it would be more subtle and less obvious if an assistant said them.

The entertainment industry truly excels at interpersonal relationships.

As soon as the door to the private room opened, Lin Xianyu stood up and greeted them at the door.

This top-tier actress has clearly changed her makeup and styling, wearing a pure and alluring dress that isn't too revealing, with the hemline reaching just above her knees by a fist's width.

She revealed her pair of fair and straight legs at just the right amount of detail—this level of exposure was better, yet it didn't exude any allure.

The makeup was light, but it was clear that she had put thought into it, especially the eye makeup, which accentuated Lin Xianyu's already alluring and glamorous style.

Lin Xianyu went straight up, grabbed Chen Yan's arm with both hands, and dragged him to sit in the main seat. Her eyes were filled with a pleading look: "Teacher Chen... please be magnanimous and don't hold this against me, okay?"

Chen Yan calmly withdrew his arm. He clearly sensed that the little fox was using her innate divine power on him, a kind of charm technique. The fluctuation of her vital energy made Chen Yan immediately aware of it.

In other words, his divine sense is now strong and his perception is sharp. If he were still a second-level cultivator, he probably would have had a hard time noticing it.

He took a deep breath, circulated his vital energy silently, and his eyes immediately cleared. When he looked at Lin Xianyu again, he felt that the woman's charm had faded somewhat.

After Chen Yan sat down without making a sound, Lin Xianyu sat down next to him. Zhao Shanhe looked on with curiosity, unable to figure out what kind of powerful background his brother had that could make this top-tier actress lower her posture like this.

Zhao Shanhe sat on the other side of Chen Yan, but the assistant did not sit next to Lin Xianyu; instead, she sat next to Zhao Shanhe.

After serving the dishes, Lin Xianyu personally poured wine and served food, acting like a little maid and treating Chen Yan like a young master.

Even a piece of fish had to be carefully cleaned of all the bones with fine chopsticks before being placed in Chen Yan's bowl.

Chen Yan remained calm and composed as he accepted Lin Xianyu's service.

The assistant, however, looked at Chen Yan with increasing respect.

She didn't actually know Chen Yan's background, so Lin Xianyu naturally wouldn't tell her. She just casually mentioned that Chen Yan had a very powerful background, so she should get to know him.

Unexpectedly, Lin Xianyu adopted such a demeanor—even when her own agency's boss invited her to dinner, Lin Xianyu was only polite and courteous; how could she have such an almost humble attitude?

The assistant had a sudden thought. She knew that she was not qualified to curry favor with a "big shot" like Chen Yan. The only person at the table who was qualified to curry favor with Chen Yan was her employer, Lin Xianyu.

So she simply focused all her attention on Zhao Shanhe, toasting him repeatedly and showering him with sweet words as if they were free.

"Mr. Zhao, I'm new to this industry and not very knowledgeable. What works has your Shanhe Media produced before?"

"Hmm..." Zhao Shanhe took a sip of wine, his eyes darting around, and deliberately said casually, "You've filmed quite a few. Hmm... you've filmed 'The Return of the Pig,' 'The Legend of Zhen Huan,' and 'The Storm Riders'..."

As Zhao Shanhe casually uttered those resounding names, the assistant felt as if an earthquake had struck her heart!
These are all super popular works!

But... wait a minute!

I've been in this industry for quite some time now.

I know all about the production companies and other details of these classic, super-popular dramas.

I've never heard of Shanhe Media being mentioned there.
If we're talking about time, it's been over twenty years since we started counting from "The Return of the Pig".

This Mr. Zhao looks to be only in his early twenties, right?

Is it a family business?
But I've never heard of Shanhe Media before...

However, for someone to receive such a humble reception from Lin Xianyu, their status and position must be extremely high. That's something that couldn't be added.

Maybe...

The assistant had a sudden inspiration and came up with a brilliant idea.

Got it! Could Shanhe Media be the hidden capital behind those blockbuster drama producers?

The assistant trembled at the thought, his eyes filled with excitement. Looking at Zhao Shanhe in front of him, he felt as if he were looking at a god of wealth!

This is a powerful figure! I have to latch onto him!

·
The food was indeed exceptional, befitting the thriving business here.

However, having eaten those foods imbued with vital energy in the realm, Chen Yan now only tastes the flavors of these "mortal" foods.

During this time, Zhao Shanhe probably drank too much and went out to find a toilet—although this kind of restaurant is popular, it's good enough if it has private rooms, it's not high-class enough to have a toilet in the private room.

The assistant, eager to curry favor, saw Zhao Shanhe get up and offered to accompany him and lead the way.

Once Chen Yan and Lin Xianyu were alone in the room, the feigned drunkenness on Lin Xianyu's face vanished instantly. Her gaze cleared as she looked at Chen Yan, still carrying a hint of ingratiation: "My Lord, please accept this as an apology..."

“I don’t blame you. That Lin Laodeng… well, that is, Lin Qingquan, is an old friend of mine. He was just joking with me, so he won’t hold it against you.”

Lin Xianyu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

For cultivators in this world, the Patrol Division is like a sword hanging over their heads. How could Lin Xianyu dare to offend Chen Yan?

She stood up and bowed respectfully to Chen Yan: "Thank you for your magnanimity, Immortal Official!"

"After you finish filming, do some charity work. That'll be your way of thanking me." Chen Yan casually picked up a piece of stir-fried pork with chili and put it in his mouth. Suddenly, he remembered something and said, "Your little assistant looks at me like I'm some kind of Buddha... What did you say to her? Even if it's Principal Wang, you wouldn't let her look at me like that."

"Tch, what's so special about being a rich kid?" Lin Xianyu shook her head, then laughed and said, "I lied to her and the people at the company, saying that you are someone I met by chance... a powerful person with a very strong background, but I can't say it outright."

However, if I get involved with you, you can guarantee me a solo performance on the Spring Festival Gala every year!

Chen Yan has only one eyebrow.

That little fox is quite the braggart!

The Spring Festival Gala is a traditional event in China. Although its ability to create stars has weakened in this era, real stars don't need to rely on the Spring Festival Gala to become famous.

However, it has become a political symbol!
Being able to appear on the Spring Festival Gala means that the artist is recognized by "the higher-ups".

Those who get to perform a solo on the Spring Festival Gala are artists with extraordinary backgrounds.

To put it simply, even if an artist or actor is only average in terms of fame and popularity...

However, the reason they've been able to appear on the Spring Festival Gala for so many consecutive years is not because of a group of seven or eight people singing a medley, each only giving a line or two. Instead, each time they go on stage, they perform a solo for an entire program…

Don't hesitate. If you encounter this, greet the teacher with the utmost politeness and respect! Then, act like a primary school student meeting their homeroom teacher, obediently and respectfully bowing your head.

Even if such a person isn't some great immortal, who knows who might be a celestial being standing behind them!
Chen Yan casually asked Lin Xianyu about the progress of the previous donations, but after waiting for a while, Zhao Shanhe and his assistant did not return.

"No, could Xiao Zhao have fallen into a pit?"

Chen Yan got up and left his seat to walk out. Lin Xianyu hesitated for a moment, then took out a mask, put it on, and followed him out.

The two walked a few steps in the second-floor corridor toward the restroom. Just as they reached the stairwell, they heard Zhao Shanhe shouting from downstairs.

"Come here! You're not leaving this room today if you don't apologize!!"

Chen Yan's heart skipped a beat. He casually went down the stairs and saw Zhao Shanhe blocking someone at the entrance of the lobby on the first floor. Zhao Shanhe was grabbing the person's clothes with one hand and pointing at a figure next to him with the other: "How dare you! You think you're so great just because you bully the weak!"

Chen Yan initially thought that Zhao Shanhe was going to play the hero and save the damsel in distress because his assistant had been bullied, but when he looked again, he was stunned.

The assistant was standing right next to him, pointing at the person Zhao Shanhe had grabbed and scolding him.

Beside Zhao Shanhe, a thin figure was squatting on the ground.

He held his head in his hands, and in front of him was a broken, overturned foam plastic box—this was a child.

(End of this chapter)