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

Chen Shouyi paused slightly in the hand holding the cup.

The capital city, Zifu Temple.

There's only Shouzhuo in the temple right now, it's not that there's anything she can't see.

But in what capacity did she arrive?

A worshipper coming to offer incense? A tourist coming to visit? Or a master's wife coming to see her disciple?

However, to be fair, he really didn't have anything to hide in the capital.

Zifu Temple is just an ordinary Taoist temple. Except for the backyard where he cultivates, which is off-limits to outsiders, other places are open to visitors.

Moreover, with Yao Mei here, we can continue our dual cultivation, a sure win.

"Okay." Chen Shouyi smiled at her. "Come find me after you finish filming."

"Really?" Chen Yao's eyes lit up even more, and she leaned forward slightly. "Then it's a deal."

"It's settled."

Chen Yao sat back down contentedly, swinging her legs gently on the edge of the bed. After swinging them a couple of times, she seemed to remember something and suddenly sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"It's a good thing you left," she said, leaning back and supporting herself on the bed with her hands. "Otherwise, Jin Chen would definitely still be coming over every day."

"Mr. Jin is indeed quite hospitable," Chen Shouyi said.

"You call that a comparison?" Chen Yao stopped what she was doing. "She clearly said to you the first time she met you that you were hers."

"Yeah?"

Chen Shouyi thought about it and realized that there seemed to be such a thing.

Chen Yao could tell from his expression that he didn't take it to heart at all, and her little bit of resentment subsided considerably. Oh well, he wouldn't remember what others said anyway.

"Does she text you often now?" Chen Yao tilted her head and looked at him, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"It's alright." Chen Shouyi thought about the messages on his phone. "They're all just trivial topics, like greetings, the weather, and health tips."

He paused, then added, "But as you know, Benefactor Jin gave a lot of money as incense offerings, so we should still respond politely."

When Chen Yao heard the title "benefactor," he was taken aback for a moment, and then burst out laughing.

Yes, Jin Chen gave incense money.

She suddenly felt that this matter wasn't worth arguing about anymore; after all, who would argue with a customer?

"That's true, he's a client after all. We can't be too perfunctory."

"certainly."

Chen Yao put his hands behind his back, leaned forward slightly, and curled up the corners of his mouth.

"Okay then, after you leave, I'll ask Nazha to have a meal with me to thank her."

"...Why are you looking for her?" Chen Shouyi's smile faltered for a moment.

"Of course, we'll just chat." Chen Yao smiled naturally, and had even already decided which restaurant to go to. "The hot pot restaurant we ate at last time was pretty good, and she likes it too. We can chat while we eat."

Chen Shouyi remained silent for a moment.

Is Yao Mei really that fierce?

He reflected on Chen Yao's changes over this period, wondering why she had become so direct after they had become familiar with each other.

That's fine, anyway, the Jin Chen system had already ruled it unqualified, so no matter what we do, it won't affect the important matters. Let her handle the things between her and Jin Chen herself.

My thoughts became clear instantly.

Chen Shouyi nodded and smiled: "Okay."

Seeing his reaction, Chen Yao's smile deepened even further:

"Then it's settled. You can go with peace of mind."

The two went downstairs, and a black minivan was parked in front of the hotel.

Chen Shouyi handed the suitcase and canvas bag to the driver and stood beside the car.

Chen Yao stood in front of him, looking up at him.

Message me when you arrive.

"it is good."

Let me know when you get back.

"Um."

"And—" Chen Yao paused, then smiled, "Never mind, that's all. You can go now."

Chen Shou glanced at her, reached out and opened the back door, bent down and sat down. Through the car window, he saw Chen Yao take two steps back and wave at him.

The car drove out of the hotel and onto the main road. Chen Shouyi leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.

-----------------

Chen Shouyi arrived in Shanghai in the afternoon.

The driver drove directly to the south tower of Xiangjiang Plaza. He told the driver to wait while he took the elevator upstairs.

Liang Yin was looking at documents in her office when she heard a knock on the door. She looked up, saw it was him, and smiled.

"Master, you're back. How did things go in Hengdian?"

"It's alright." Chen Shouyi sat down in the chair opposite her. "It went much more smoothly than expected."

"How was your first time filming?"

Chen Shouyi thought for a moment and gave a fairly fair assessment: "It's quite interesting."

Liang Yin smiled and didn't press him for details. She closed the folder on the table and poured him a cup of tea.

"Where's Fang Xu?" Chen Shouyi asked, taking the teacup.

"He went to 'Love O2O' to oversee the art direction." Liang Yin sat back down. "There's a problem with the scene design, and he has to go there in person to make the final decision."

Chen Shou nodded, not paying any attention. Although Fang Xu seemed unreliable in front of him, he was quite capable when it came to getting things done.

Liang Yin pulled an itinerary from the drawer and pushed it in front of Chen Shouyi.

"Master, let me go over the schedule with you. Filming for 'Love O2O' starts on June 10th, and your scenes will last about a month and a half. Then..."

She paused for a moment, then smiled a little shyly.

"The project for 'A Love So Beautiful' has been finalized with Mr. Fang, and the approval process is underway. We plan to film at a school during the summer vacation, with filming tentatively scheduled to begin in early August. If all goes well, we should be able to finish filming in about twenty days."

Chen Shouyi raised an eyebrow.

Early August? That basically means that as soon as "Love O2O" finishes filming, they'll have to move on to the next project, with only a few days' break in between.

"Is it in such a rush?"

"It is a bit rushed." Liang Yin put her hands together, her tone apologetic. "The main reason is that we need to borrow the school to film, so it's better to do it during the summer vacation. If we miss July and August, we'll have to wait until the winter vacation, which will take too long."

"I didn't originally intend to schedule such a full program for you, but both of these are urban dramas with relatively simple scenes, so they're not too difficult to film. The main thing is that we need to catch up with the school's summer break."

Liang Yin looked at Chen Shouyi and said seriously, "Once these two films are finished, everything will be fine. After September, you have all the time you need. Whether you want to go back to the temple to cultivate or rest, the company won't schedule any new work for you."

Chen Shouyi did the math in his head: Weiwei would be filmed from mid-June to the end of July, and A Love So Beautiful would finish filming in August, after which he would be free starting in September.

The renovation of the Taoist temple also requires design, which can be started in the fall without delay.

These current projects are a genuine source of motivation; the sooner they are filmed and released, the shorter the return cycle will be.

Besides, there will be plenty of time after September, enough for him to go back to the temple and stay for a while.

"That's settled then." Chen Shouyi nodded. "The sooner we finish filming, the sooner we can upload it."

Liang Yin visibly breathed a sigh of relief. She picked up a thick file folder from the table and handed it to him with both hands.

"This is the script for 'A Love So Beautiful,' which has already been revised once. Please take it back and take a look. Let me know if you have any thoughts, and I will communicate with the screenwriter."

Chen Shouyi took the book and casually flipped through a few pages. Jiang Chen, a cold and aloof academic genius, is all talk and no action. The character is indeed simple, much easier to play than the complex role of Zhuo Yun.

"Where's Ruonan?" He put the script down beside him.

"I'm packing at home." Liang Yin glanced at the time on her phone. "I should be here soon. I told her you were coming back today, and she was so happy."

Chen Shouyi nodded. Before returning this time, he had told Liang Yin that Ruonan would be going back to the capital with him.

This girl has been in Shanghai for a few days now, and she's gone through the company's processes with Liang Yin several times. She should have gotten the hang of the basics. It's better to train her gradually than to keep her at the company all the time.

"Oh, right," he remembered another, "how's Chu Ran doing lately?"

"It's pretty good." Liang Yin flipped through the evaluation form in her hand. "We've done several rounds of evaluations over this period. Her physical presence, lines, and camera presence are all on point."

However, she's only sixteen. I've spoken with her mother, and we've decided to let her focus on her studies at school for a while, and not arrange for her to join the production team yet.

Chen Shouyi hummed in agreement, then asked, "Wouldn't the female lead in 'A Love So Beautiful' be a good fit for her? They're both high school students."

"The persona doesn't quite fit," Liang Yin shook her head. "Her temperament is more bright and dignified, while Chen Xiaoxi is soft and cute. They're not on the same wavelength in terms of appearance or temperament. Forcing it would just waste her potential."

Chen Shouyi thought about it and agreed. Wang Churan's face was indeed not suited to the cute and adorable style, so having Wang Churan play Chen Xiaoxi was not quite right.

"I mentioned it to President Fang before," Liang Yin added, "when casting for 'Three Lives Three Worlds,' we'll find her a suitable supporting role there; period drama suits her better."

Chen Shouyi agreed: "This is a good direction."

"As for the female lead," Chen Shouyi asked again, "do you have a direction now?"

"It's not decided yet." Liang Yin pulled out another folder from the table. "We've sifted through some lists, mostly from Hua Fanxing, but there are a few from outside."

She opened the folder and pushed it in front of Chen Shouyi. "I was just about to send you the list. There are a few people here who are qualified, but I feel like they're missing something."

Liang Yin leaned back in her chair, her tone tinged with helplessness.

"Currently, our incubation center only has you and Chu Ran signed contracts. Chu Ran is still too young to attend classes yet. We haven't encountered any promising talents recently, so after considering all options, we still have to rely on people from Xingzhi."

As she said this, she looked up at Chen Shouyi, her eyes filled with anticipation:

"Master, you're also the artist consultant for our center. Could you take a look when you have time? Or could you recommend any suitable candidates to your friends on WeChat who have consulted you before?"

Chen Shouyi smiled; this consultant title was something Fang Xu had urged him to take.

Fang Ying is nominally in charge of the incubation center, but she is usually too busy to get away, and Liang Yin is the one who actually runs the operation.

Fang Xu felt that since the Taoist priest was the center's first signed artist and had a unique eye for talent, he might as well give him the title of consultant so that he could help with talent selection.

Chen Shouyi also thought it was quite suitable, since he could tell at a glance who was worth signing and who wasn't.

Helping Liang Yin screen people is a good thing for the incubation center, and it's also a small favor for him.

If you encounter someone with whom you share a common affinity and are certified by the system, it will be convenient to sign in directly.

"Okay, I'll take a look when I have time, and recommend some suitable ones to you."