A top star in the Chinese entertainment industry, but also a Taoist priest.

After the group finished eating, the waiter came in, cleared away the dishes, and brewed a new pot of tea.

Jin Chen suddenly turned to look at Chen Shouyi. If the Taoist priest were still wearing that purple Taoist robe tonight, Jin Chen would never have dared to speak.

But things are different now. The Taoist priest, dressed casually, looks like an ordinary person with outstanding temperament, which immediately makes the distance between them much closer.

Jin Chen took a deep breath and cheered himself up. He figured he might as well give it a try; the worst that could happen was rejection.

"Taoist priest, let's go to karaoke together later."

Chen Shouyi had just picked up his teacup when he heard this and glanced at her. Sometimes, a sense of distance really is just a matter of what you wear.

"Yes, yes, let's go together," Nazha immediately chimed in. "Taoist priest, can you sing?"

Chen Shouyi wasn't particularly interested in karaoke, but he wasn't averse to it either. He had refused when Zhao Mingyuan and the others invited him before because he just couldn't muster the enthusiasm for a room full of grown men.

Just as he was about to speak, a cell phone rang suddenly.

It's Nazha's phone.

She glanced down at the screen, her expression changed slightly, then she stood up, took her phone, and quickly walked to the window in the corner of the private room.

"Feed".

Although Nazha lowered her voice, the private room was only so big, so even if she lowered it, she could still be heard.

Jin Chen watched her retreating figure, a slight smirk playing on his lips. He moved closer to Chen Shouyi and whispered, "It must be Zhang Han."

"Zhang Han?" Chen Shouyi's eyebrows twitched slightly.

"Yes, he's Nazha's boyfriend."

Jin Chen thought he didn't recognize him, so she quickly added, "It's the one who acted in 'Meteor Shower,' Murong Yunhai, played by Zhang Han."

She's really famous now, and she's filming in Hengdian right now. The two of them go on dates every few days.

Chen Yao, sitting next to Jin Chen, couldn't help but chuckle as she listened to Jin Chen gossip about Nazha.

Jin Chen caught her smiling out of the corner of his eye and immediately pulled her into the water: "Yaoyao knows too, right?"

When Chen Yao was called on, he adjusted his glasses, suppressed his smile, and nodded: "Yeah, they are indeed quite nice."

With Chen Yao's endorsement, Jin Chen became even more energized, lowering his voice even further:

"Master, you don't know, Zhang Han is really into Nazha. He comes here every few days. Nazha doesn't say it, but she's actually quite clingy to him. The two of them are very affectionate."

Jin Chen wasn't just chatting idly. She was secretly calculating her next move.

Naza's looks are top-notch, not just in Hengdian, but in the entire entertainment industry.

Those deep, bright eyes, that high, straight nose, those translucent, fair skin—she was a natural focal point. If she were to spend too much time with the Taoist priest, the competition would be too fierce.

Although Nazha has a boyfriend, Jin Chen knows very well that in this industry, boyfriends are never an absolute guarantee.

Besides, the Taoist priest is far superior to that pond owner in both looks and temperament. If Nazha hangs around him every day, what if she suddenly has an epiphany?

It would be best if Nazha and her boyfriend left quickly and didn't get involved. Jin Chen thought to himself, but his smile grew even brighter.

So what she said just now, on the surface, was gossiping, but in reality, she was giving the Taoist priest a heads-up: he's already taken, so he shouldn't even think about her.

After listening, Chen Shouyi smiled and nodded, but in his heart he thought to himself: The pond owner is indeed very lucky.

He was no stranger to the entertainment industry, and of course he knew Zhang Han.

Although there are countless flaws and the "contracting a fishpond" meme has been played by netizens for several years, it is undeniable that he is indeed famous.

Moreover, Zhang Han is a man who finds really high-quality partners.

Let's not even talk about Zheng Shuang. After breaking up with her boyfriend, she got together with Gulnazar. Both of them are great beauties.

The thunderstorms really boosted his performance.

Chen Shouyi merely nodded slightly, echoing Jin Chen's words, "Benefactor Zhang is indeed a blessed person."

Jin Chen felt secretly pleased when he saw that the Taoist priest agreed with him.

She rolled her eyes, poked Chen Yao's arm, then glanced at Chen Shouyi, her eyes darting around:

"Let's go together later, Nazha definitely won't have time to come with us."

Chen Yao was poked by her, looked up, and seemed a little conflicted.

She actually really wanted to go back. At the dinner table just now, although she said she wasn't hungry, she hardly stopped eating.

If I go to karaoke now, I'll definitely have to drink alcohol, and my face will be puffy tomorrow.

There will definitely be a lot of media coverage tomorrow as filming begins. As one of the lead actresses, she needs to maintain a good condition.

Chen Shouyi didn't care. He had refused Zhao Mingyuan and his group before because he didn't want to go to a club with a bunch of grown men. It was noisy and he had to put on airs as a Taoist priest and deal with all sorts of small talk. Just thinking about it was exhausting.

But this time was different. Three girls invited him, so he went, since he wouldn't lose out anyway.

He glanced at Chen Yao and noticed the conflict on her face.

Jin Chen noticed it too. Her heart skipped a beat, and she knew something was wrong.

Given her personality, she really wanted to say, "Yaoyao, why don't you go back and rest first? I'll go with the Taoist priest." But she swallowed the words back.

No, we're eating together. If we send Chen Yao away now, it would be too obvious that we have ulterior motives.

The Taoist priest wasn't stupid; he could see through her scheme at a glance. What if he felt she was being too deliberate and decided not to go? Wouldn't that mean all his efforts would be for nothing?

Jin Chen's mind raced, but he put on a concerned expression and tilted his head to ask:

"Yaoyao, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Her question was considerate, but she was secretly hoping that as long as Chen Yao said she was not feeling well, she could easily let her go back to rest, and then she and the Taoist priest would go alone.

perfect.

Chen Shouyi also looked at Chen Yao.

Chen Yao's gaze lingered on Jin Chen's face for a moment, then settled on Chen Shouyi's face.

She naturally knew that Jin Chen wanted to get rid of her.

Normally, she would have just gone along with it. She wasn't the type to fight for things anyway, so she would have let Jin Chen do whatever she wanted.

But today is different.

Chen Yao's gaze involuntarily fell on Chen Shouyi.

He wore a navy blue cotton-linen shirt, the collar slightly open, the sleeves casually rolled up to his forearms, revealing a section of clean-lined wrists. His black hair was casually tied into a low ponytail with a few wisps falling naturally across his forehead. The warm yellow light from above cast a thin halo around his profile.

So lovely.

Chen Yao thought to herself.

And she didn’t know if it was just her imagination, but she always felt particularly comfortable when she was with Chen Shouyi.

It's not the kind of comfortable feeling of being happy with friends, but a relaxation that comes from deep within the body, like soaking in warm water, where every pore opens up.

The closer I got to him, the more pronounced this feeling became, and I felt much more energetic.

Chen Yao couldn't explain why, but she didn't want to leave so soon.

Chen Yao raised her head and met Jin Chen's gaze.

Jin Chen was giving her a wink, his eyes quickly glancing towards the door, the meaning couldn't be clearer: You go back first, I'll treat you to dinner later.

Chen Yao bit her lip, not going along with her wishes as usual.

"I'm just worried—" Chen Yao carefully chose her words, her voice not loud, but her meaning was clear.

"I ate too much just now. If I go to karaoke, I'll definitely have to drink, and my face will be swollen tomorrow."

After she finished speaking, she lowered her eyes somewhat guiltily, not daring to look Jin Chen in the eye.

Jin Chen was stunned.

She blinked, momentarily stunned.

Is Chen Yao... rejecting her?

This girl is usually very easy to talk to. Whenever I have an idea, she just says "um," "okay," or "fine," and agrees after hesitating for a moment.

What's wrong with me today? Did I take the wrong medicine?

Jin Chen's gaze lingered on Chen Yao's face for a moment, and then he suddenly understood something.

Good grief, Chen Yao, are you trying to steal it from me?