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

Chen Shouyi was taken aback.

He looked at Chen Yao's hand outstretched in mid-air, then at her expression—a forced stern face with a smirk on her lips—and burst out laughing.

He stood up, reached out, and took her small hand in his.

Her hands were soft, her fingers slightly cool, and they trembled slightly the moment he grasped them.

"Hello, I am Chen Shouyi."

"puff--"

They both turned their heads at the same time.

Zhang Ruoyun passed by them at some point and was standing three steps away, watching them.

His lips twitched, then he laughed so hard he bent over, one hand clutching his stomach and the other holding onto the prop box beside him, his whole body shaking like a leaf.

"Seriously, do you two have to go to such lengths?"

Chen Yao blushed slightly, turned her head and glared at him. Zhang Ruoyun's laughter stopped abruptly when he was glared at by her.

He cleared his throat, quickly straightened his back, adjusted the collar of his costume, then took a step forward and stood upright in front of Chen Shouyi, trying his best to show a serious and earnest expression.

"Ahem. Hello, I'm actor Zhang—"

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Yao had already reached out and grabbed his sleeve, pulling him back forcefully.

Zhang Ruoyun was pulled back half a step, his words cut off. Chen Yao didn't care whether he struggled or not, and dragged him towards the rest area.

"Daoist Master, look how fierce Teacher Chen is!" Zhang Ruoyun turned around and shouted at Chen Shouyi as she was being pulled along.

Chen Yao smiled slightly at Chen Shouyi, then tugged at his sleeve, quickened her pace, and pulled him further away.

Chen Shouyi stood there, watching the two figures disappear into the distance, and burst into laughter.

The morning passed quickly. On set, the lighting technicians were adjusting the lights, the crew members were moving props, and the director's voice could be heard from the walkie-talkie from time to time.

After watching a few scenes, Chen Shouyi gradually got a feel for the rhythm of the production crew.

How the actors move, how the cinematographer focuses, how the crew resets after the director yells "cut"—these details are all new to him, and he will soon be using them.

Fortunately, he has both talent and a cheat code, so he absorbs information very quickly.

After having lunch, Chen Shouyi found a quiet corner, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes to rest as the afternoon sun slanted down through the gaps in the roof.

He was meditating, and the spiritual energy in his dantian was slowly circulating, traveling through the meridians in a small cycle.

The surrounding noise gradually faded away; the director's shouts, the crew's footsteps, and the buzzing of walkie-talkies all subsided beneath a layer of still water.

Then he heard Shouzhuo's voice.

"Master, this benefactor is looking for you."

Chen Shouyi slowly withdrew the spiritual energy in his body into his dantian, feeling it become even more solid, before opening his eyes.

Shouzhuo stood beside him, followed by a woman in her early forties with neat short hair, wearing a navy blue suit jacket and carrying a briefcase.

"Hello, Master, I am Liang Yin, an artist manager from Huace Croton." She gave a polite smile. "President Fang arranged for me to come and take over your work."

Chen Shouyi stood up and nodded slightly: "May the Heavenly Venerable grant you boundless blessings. Benefactor Liang, you must have had a long and arduous journey."

"You're too kind, it's all my pleasure."

Liang Yin sat down opposite him, took a folder out of her bag, opened it, and placed it on her lap with nimble movements.

"When I arrived, I first met with the production team. The contract had already been discussed with them, and the salary, shooting period, and work schedule were all agreed upon."

Chen Shouyi nodded without interrupting her.

"Your scenes are concentrated in fifteen shooting days. The production team will schedule them according to your schedule and will not take up your other time."

The contract clearly states your wishes: filming will wrap up at 10 PM.

She paused for a moment, then said, "President Fang specifically instructed that we need to communicate with you in advance about filming night scenes."

Chen Shouyi's opinion of Fang Ying rose even higher. He only mentioned these details briefly on the phone, and Fang Ying immediately arranged everything.

"There's one more thing," Liang Yin said, closing the folder. "President Fang asked me to tell you that the incubation center has been approved."

The group will officially establish the Croton Media Self-Produced Drama Exclusive Artist Incubation Center tomorrow morning, with Mr. Fang concurrently serving as the center's head.

She looked at Chen Shouyi, her tone slightly solemn: "President Fang said that if it's convenient for you, you can go to Shanghai tomorrow to sign the contract."

Chen Shouyi paused slightly, then nodded.

"Very well, I will go tomorrow."

"Then I'll wait for you at the company." Liang Yin smiled, then took a thick file folder from her bag and handed it to her with both hands.

"This is Zhuo Yun's complete script. Also, Boss Fang said this is your first film, and she wants to take it back to see what the role is like and whether it's suitable for you. I'll bring it to her when I go back."

"Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Fang." Chen Shouyi accepted the gift. "Please tell Mr. Fang that I will arrive on time tomorrow."

"I'll definitely bring it." Liang Yin nodded, glancing down at her watch.

"Master, I've delivered the script, and everything has been clarified with you. I need to catch the high-speed train back to Shanghai to report back. Mr. Fang is waiting to see your feedback on the script."

Chen Shouyi nodded: "Shouzhuo, see Benefactor Xialiang off."

Shouzhuo responded and led Liang Yin out of the shed area.

Chen Shouyi sat down and was about to open the file folder when he sensed someone moving towards him from not far away. He moved the file folder to the side and looked up to wait.

Not far away, Chen Yao stared at Liang Yin's retreating figure for a few more moments before looking away.

"May I come over?" Chen Yao asked quietly, holding a few cups of coffee.

"You've already arrived," Chen Shouyi said with a smile.

Chen Yao was taken aback by his words, but she had already taken a step forward, so she simply quickened her pace and stood next to him.

She bent down slightly, placed the coffee on the table, glanced at the file folder, then looked at Chen Shouyi: "Who was that just now?"

Chen Shouyi looked up and met her gaze: "He's my agent, here to discuss the contract."

Chen Yao blinked, her expression clearly freezing for a moment: "Manager?"

"I told Director Zhao yesterday that we need to discuss some details before I can take on this role."

"Yes, yes... but you didn't say you signed a contract." The information in Chen Yao's mind was rapidly rearranging itself.

Chen Shouyi smiled as he watched her struggle to process the information.

"Since I'm an actor, I naturally need to find a professional to handle things, and I don't know anything about these things."

"You're so fast! When did this happen?"

Chen Yao's voice unconsciously rose a little, then she took a deep breath, as if forcing herself to calm down.

She pulled up a chair and sat down next to Chen Shou, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. "Have you figured out their situation yet?"

She became more serious, and her speaking speed increased considerably:

"There are tons of fraudulent talent agencies in Hengdian. K-jie wanted to sign you last time, but you didn't agree. I thought you didn't like being tied down, but I didn't expect you to find one so quickly—"

As she spoke, her voice lowered, as if she were talking to herself, or perhaps she was worried for him.

Chen Shouyi felt a slight stirring in his heart when he saw her earnest and worried expression.

"I'm not stupid, of course I made sure I understood everything before signing."

Chen Yao looked at him, her worry still lingering, clearly not believing he could be that shrewd when it came to signing contracts.

She opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something more.

Chen Shouyi added with a smile, "I signed a contract with Mr. Fang Ying from Juku, so there's no need to worry."

Chen Yao's expression changed from worry to stunned, and then she visibly breathed a sigh of relief:

"Oh, it's Manager Fang... That's good, that's good. They're a big company, so they're reliable."

After she finished speaking, she suddenly realized something. She looked up and met Chen Shouyi's ambiguous gaze.

Chen Yao's face flushed red.

"I'm just worried you've been tricked into signing a contract of servitude." She quickly looked away. "After all, you're a newbie, you don't know anything."

Chen Shouyi looked at her and smiled: "It's quite nice to have someone helping you take care of things."

"You...you shouldn't overthink it. What if, what if we sign with a scam company? That would be a real problem."

Chen Yao's ears were already bright red. She picked up her coffee and took a big gulp to hide her embarrassment, then frowned at the bitterness.

It took her a while to recover, and she put the cup back on the table, finally getting the conversation back on track.

"But then again," she tilted her head and looked at him,

"K-jie offered you good enough terms—a custom-made drama with the male lead and even a role opposite Shishi—and you turned them all down. What exactly did President Fang offer you that made you agree?"

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