Spring Night of Misty Rain - Chapter 12

Regardless of anything else, the awkwardness Shen Zeyu had felt dissipated significantly upon receiving that message from Xu Luosu.

She didn’t continue the conversation. Instead, she openly browsed Xu Luosu’s “Moments” to complete her work. As she sketched and took notes, she took a moment to check the date and realized it was April 8th.

April 8th—an Aries. It was no wonder the girl seemed so radiant, possessing a seemingly inexhaustible supply of energy every single day.

A birthday, though…

Since Xu Luosu was such an important partner, it felt only right to send her a gift.

But what would be appropriate?

Shen Zeyu thought for a moment. Suddenly, she recalled the emerald yu-jue (jade slit ring) Xu Luosu had worn the day they rode the Ferris wheel together. An idea instantly took root.

That evening, she went to the storage room and rummaged through her belongings. Finally, at the very bottom of her safe, she found a jade bracelet. She carefully placed it into a jewelry box and set it on her nightstand, waiting for the right opportunity to give it to Xu Luosu.

However, Xu Luosu didn’t return for some time, leaving Shen Zeyu to toil away at the character styling alongside Meng Fei.

Originally, Shen Zeyu hadn’t intended to involve herself in this production, but she couldn’t withstand the combined pressure from Qin Zhiyue and Meng Fei.

At first, the two of them were polite, keeping in mind that Shen Zeyu was recovering and merely asking her to “give it a try.”

But once Shen Zeyu turned in the drafts for the character Ye Lan within a week, they discovered that she still worked as quickly and efficiently as she always had. Suddenly, all their “gentle care” and “sympathy” vanished.

Every day, the moment Shen Zeyu stepped out of the gym, she was practically escorted home by Qin Zhiyue’s assistant to sit in the meeting room and work alongside them.

Not only was she designing the styling, but she was also revising the script and even participating in the casting process.

Shen Zeyu’s head was spinning from the workload. Nearly every day, she would collapse onto her bed the moment she returned to her room, falling into a deep, unshakable sleep.

In her spare moments, she would call Chen Ci, her voice full of complaints. “I think Xu Luosu planned this all along. She doesn’t even need to show her face to have Qin Zhiyue and Meng Fei trap me into working.”

“If I had known it would be like this, I never would have sold her the script!”

“This isn’t work for humans. I’m exhausted—more tired than I am after the gym. I can’t do this anymore!”

On the other end of the line, Chen Ci was helping her children with their homework and was already nursing a headache. Hearing Shen Zeyu’s grumbling, she nearly burst out laughing. “Hahaha! If you ask me, she’s doing a great job.”

“Look at you—for all your complaining, aren’t you doing the work perfectly?”

Shen Zeyu huffed. “I’m doing it well because I have experience! If I couldn’t even handle this, I would have spent all these years in the industry for nothing!”

Chen Ci was delighted and laughed heartily. “Hahaha! Excellent. You’ve even learned to be boastful and confident again. It seems people really do need to work after all.”

She let out a sigh of sentiment, leaving Shen Zeyu so annoyed she was speechless.

While Shen Zeyu fumed, Chen Ci enjoyed the spectacle. Once she had laughed her fill and caught her breath, her voice softened. “A-Ze, do you still feel that creating is a painful process?”

Clutching her phone, Shen Zeyu leaned against the window and gazed out at the brightly lit courtyard. Sparks of light flickered in her eyes. She paused for a long while before speaking. “Sometimes it still feels painful, but… it’s become bearable.”

During this time, she had worked with many strangers without feeling even a hint of disgust or rejection. In fact, she even felt a bit happy. This likely meant her desensitization was a success.

The corners of Chen Ci’s lips curled upward. “Is that so? That’s wonderful. Do you still love creating?”

Shen Zeyu fell into a sudden silence. It was a long time before she replied, “I don’t know.”

She was still lost in the mists of her life; all her joys and sorrows remained hazy and chaotic.

Chen Ci sighed and offered comfort. “It’s alright. Take your time.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard. Do it if you want to, and if you don’t, just say the word.”

“If it’s too hard for you to say it, I’ll play the villain for you.”

Shen Zeyu nodded and gave a simple, “Mm.”

In the blink of an eye, it was early May, and the weather in Jinwu was gradually growing hot.

On May 3rd, Tang Qingyue officially joined the crew to film her look-test photos. At the same time, Xu Luosu arrived with a group of top influencers from her company for their own styling sessions.

It was only then that Tang Qingyue realized Xu Luosu was the big boss behind Kaige.

Kaige was currently the largest MCN (Multi-Channel Network) company in the country.

While the two were in the dressing room, Tang Qingyue tilted her head up, allowing Xia Siqi to work on her face. She pursed her lips and whispered, “I remember Kaige was registered eight years ago. Did you buy into it later?”

Beside her, Xu Luosu was trying her best to keep her eyes wide so Meng Fei could put in her colored contact lenses. She replied in a thin voice, “No. The company was mine from the very beginning.”

Tang Qingyue was shocked. “Eight years ago, you weren’t even fifteen. How did you think of starting a company?”

Xu Luosu told her a story.

Back in high school, she had known a female streamer who was an incredible gamer. Having nothing better to do, Xu Luosu spent every day supporting her. Later, the streamer was sexually harassed by a high-level executive at her agency. She wanted to terminate her contract but couldn’t leave due to an astronomical termination fee. Out of a sense of justice, Xu Luosu used the money she had earned from trading stocks to buy out the streamer’s contract and started her own company.

At that time, major video platforms hadn’t yet taken off. She had caught the trend at exactly the right moment, and with the help of a very brilliant classmate, the company grew larger and stronger.

The people nearby listened in awe. Even Tang Qingyue couldn’t help but admire her. “You are amazing.”

Xu Luosu smiled modestly. “It was all just good luck.”

“Good luck is a talent in itself,” Tang Qingyue remarked. She gave a whistle of appreciation and asked half-jokingly, “So, did ‘Little Boss Xu’ come to the entertainment industry this time to let her top influencers test the waters, or is there another reason?”

Just as she asked this, Shen Zeyu—who had just been liberated from the “clutches” of her trainer—happened to push the door open. She stopped in her tracks upon hearing the question.

Xu Luosu was enjoying the conversation and didn’t notice the footsteps outside. She wrinkled her nose and replied, “Of course not. I’m only letting them try out minor roles like extras. The important supporting roles still need to go to talented actors.”

“Otherwise, if I put together such a great lineup—hiring you, Teacher Qin, Teacher Meng, and Sister Siqi—and didn’t film it properly, wouldn’t that be a waste of Senior Sister Shen’s script?”

“I also want to borrow everyone’s prestige to make a name for my company. Naturally, I’m hoping for a massive hit!”

She was young, wealthy, and ambitious. The women present were all quite flattered by her compliments.

Meng Fei, in particular, covered her face and said theatrically, “It’s over, it’s over. The Little Boss’s tongue is too sweet. I’m going to have to work for her for the rest of my life.”

The room erupted into laughter at her reaction.

Outside the door, separated only by a thin wall, Shen Zeyu leaned against the surface. Wearing her small leather shoes, she tapped her foot against the baseboard. With her hands behind her back, she looked up at the large, branch-like chandelier hanging nearby. For some reason, she found herself thinking back to what Xu Luosu had said when inviting her.

A guarantee of a safe environment?

An environment that was safe both physically and mentally?

Thinking about it now, it seemed Xu Luosu had actually kept her word.