Turns out I Was the CEO's White Moonlight [Rebirth] - Chapter 4

An awkward silence instantly fell over the room.

No one could have imagined that this new actor who had just walked in would have the audacity to openly flirt with the new CEO of Yaoyu Entertainment in front of everyone. And not just flirting he even had the nerve to ask the CEO to act alongside him? Is he insane?

Besides, with CEO Shen’s perpetually stoic face, aren’t you afraid of failing to gain anything and instead ruining your own audition!?

Everyone in the room was on the verge of a breakdown.

Xie Yun stared at the hand that was placed close to Shen Yelin’s face, his expression gradually darkening.

The system chattered incessantly in Shen Yelin’s ear: “Host, I’d like to formally interview you about your feelings right now. Are you particularly excited, overjoyed, feeling like you’ve reached the peak of your life in this moment of a chaotic showdown?”

Shen Yelin said, “System, I have a question.”

“What is it? Tell me, I’ll definitely satisfy your curiosity!”

“If the peach blossom energy around me explodes,” Shen Yelin said calmly, “can it shut you up?”

The system: “Whimper.”

After a moment, it shamelessly returned with a humiliated tone: “Yes!”

“How much?”

“Add a bit more fuel to the fire.”

Shen Yelin shifted his posture, leaning back in his chair. He lowered his head slightly, opened the script, and said indifferently to the newcomer, “I don’t know how to act in operas. If you’re planning to have me act alongside you, the effect will be terrible.”

The implication was that he hadn’t directly refused.

His manners were truly impeccable.

The people around couldn’t help but think: Even after being treated so disrespectfully, he still didn’t embarrass the other person on the spot.

“No problem!” Seeing that his flirting might actually work, Han Li was overjoyed, his smile growing even brighter. “CEO Shen just needs to read the lines. I can continue acting from there.”

Shen Yelin added, “I can’t memorize lines either.”

Han Li said, “That’s fine! You can just read from the script!”

“And I can’t act at all.”

“Then you can just sit and read!”

The people around were practically moved to tears by this little star’s professional-level flirting: Look at this blatantly obvious ulterior motive! Look at this shamelessness! If we tore off his face and used it to patch up a city wall, would it be stronger than reinforced concrete?

Xie Yun watched Shen Yelin and Han Li, one cold and indifferent, the other warm and enthusiastic, conversing with each other, his frown deepening.

Even the casting director sitting next to him sensed something was off and asked worriedly, “Brother Yun, are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Xie Yun replied with a smile.

Seeing that the conversation was about to reach a dead end and there was still no movement around, Shen Yelin looked up at Han Li, his peripheral vision monitoring the movements beside him. He slightly parted his lips, gave a slight nod, and said, “Alright ”

” Wait.”

Before he could finish, he was indeed interrupted. Shen Yelin followed the voice and saw that it was Xie Yun.

The other man wore a gentle yet distant smile as he addressed Han Li, who was standing beside him: “Let’s not trouble CEO Shen. I’ll act alongside you instead. After all, the birthday party last night went on very late, and he didn’t get much rest. He must be tired. Let’s not bother him with such a small matter.”

Then, turning to meet Shen Yelin’s gaze, his smile became slightly more genuine: “I’m not wrong, am I, Senior?”

As soon as these words were spoken, a small commotion immediately rippled through the room.

Those affiliated with Yaoyu naturally knew their boss was a graduate of B University, and Xie Yun was also famously known in the industry as a top student from B University. But with so many graduates from B University out there, who could have guessed the two shared such a connection? Not only did they know each other long ago, but they also seemed quite familiar?

Once this connection became clear, the people around them immediately looked at Xie Yun with a different light.

No wonder, no wonder. No wonder Mr. Shen, who was rarely seen on set, suddenly showed up to observe the audition but explicitly stated he wouldn’t interfere with the process. They had initially thought Shen Yelin was planning to break away from his usual clean-cut image to secure resources for a girl he was keeping. Turns out, he was actually here to support Xie Yun!

Recalling the earlier commotion outside, everyone’s pitying gazes fell on Shen Xuan, who was holding the script with an innocent expression. They thought: This poor girl probably doesn’t even know her true standing, how tragic! But since she was so arrogant just moments ago, she only has herself to blame.

As for Han Li, whom Xie Yun had directly called out, no one paid him any attention anymore.

Shen Xuan, bewildered, accepted the mix of schadenfreude and pity from the crowd, still not fully grasping the situation. But a fool’s intuition is often sharp. Holding her phone, she quickly sent a message to Shen Yelin: “Bro, I feel like the plot is taking a weird turn.”

Shen Yelin felt his phone vibrating wildly in his pocket and glanced sideways to see Shen Xuan typing furiously on her phone. He didn’t need to guess what she was sending. His expression unchanged, he locked eyes with Xie Yun for a moment and asked the system in his mind, “Is that enough?”

“More than enough,” the system hurriedly replied.

Shen Yelin relaxed slightly and gave Xie Yun a slight nod. “Then I’ll trouble you.”

“No trouble at all,” Xie Yun smiled at him. “If you’re not feeling well, Senior, you can head back and rest. Don’t worry too much about our previous agreement. Your health is more important.”

“Are you going back?” the system quietly chimed in. “I think it’s better to stay. Look at your junior here so devoted and cunning. Leaving now would be too heartless. I really want to see him perform a dark turn and tear that little white lotus apart.”

“Didn’t I tell you to shut up?”

“…”

Tears in its eyes, the system heartbrokenly vanished.

Shen Yelin wasn’t feeling well at the moment, and Xie Yun’s words had hit the mark. If not for considering the other’s reputation, he would have already turned and left. But even though Xie Yun had offered him an early exit, it wasn’t the right time to leave.

“No need,” he lowered his head again. “Let’s finish this round of selection first.”

But Han Li, unwilling to give up, struggled to speak. “Although I’m touched that Senior Xie is willing to act with me, I still think Mr. Shen is more suitable…”

“Oh?” Xie Yun raised the corner of his lips. “Are you saying you doubt my acting skills? That I can’t cooperate with you or deliver the performance you want?”

“No…”

“Then, you simply don’t want to act with me? You think I’m not worthy of you?”

“I…”

Shen Xuan watched excitedly. “Bro, I didn’t come here for nothing. Xie Yun is so cool!”

Shen Yelin deleted all her messages into the trash bin.

Xie Yun appeared gentle and amiable on the surface, but beneath that facade, he wasn’t as easygoing as he seemed. After all, he was someone who had clawed his way to the top in the entertainment industry, with a talent for devouring people without leaving a trace. A superficial, low-level player like Han Li was simply no match for an actor of Xie Yun’s caliber. What’s more, Han Li’s acting skills were only average, and his confidence had been utterly crushed into dust.

Shen Yelin sat in his chair, calmly watching the entire scene unfold. It had to be said that this rendition of Farewell My Concubine felt more like a farce than a drama. When the performance finally ended, Han Li, who had played the role of Yu Ji, collapsed to his knees with a despondent thud, looking utterly disheveled.

Xie Yun stepped forward to deliver the final blow, extending a hand to him. “Mr. Han, I think your acting skills still need some refinement. Perhaps this role you’re aiming for isn’t quite suitable for you.”

Han Li’s face turned deathly pale.

Upon hearing this, Shen Yelin sent a message to Shen Xuan: “Let’s go home.”

“Huh? So early?” Shen Xuan was a bit reluctant. “I wanted to watch a bit more.”

“Then go back by yourself. Don’t take my car.”

“…”

Go back by herself?? How could she keep up the act then??? Was this even human behavior?!

Shen Xuan was filled with grief and indignation. After weighing her options between perfecting her persona, indulging her fantasies, and continuing to admire her idol, she adjusted the oversized sunglasses on her nose and stood up with an exaggerated sway.

“Alright, let’s go home,” Shen Yelin heard her say mournfully.

Seeing her move, Shen Yelin also stood up from his chair and placed the script on the table. Taking in the varied expressions of everyone in the room, he said in a calm tone, “Carry on. I have other matters to attend to and must take my leave.”

Shen Xuan, once again oblivious to the situation, latched onto his arm. Immediately, Shen Yelin noticed Xie Yun’s expression, which had just softened, shift once again.

Pretending not to notice the other’s fluctuating emotions, Shen Yelin simply said, “My apologies.”

“It’s fine,” Xie Yun replied, his eyes curving into a smile. “Your health is more important, Senior. Make sure to get plenty of rest.”

“Thank you.”

With Shen Xuan, the hopeless deadweight, in tow, Shen Yelin slowly made his way out of the set under the watchful eyes of everyone present.

In the car, Shen Xuan tearfully complained to him, accusing Shen Yelin of being cold and heartless. She had dressed up so elaborately to go out, only to leave Yaoyu Entertainment after just over an hour. Shen Yelin, utterly exhausted, closed his eyes and listened to her rambling beside him, eventually drifting off to sleep.

When he woke up again, he was met with a particularly aggrieved face.

Shen Yelin glanced out the window they were already at his doorstep. He opened the car door and stepped out, then said to Shen Xuan, who was still sitting inside, “If you’re so into fangirling and love acting so much, how about I find you a script someday? You can play the female lead, and I’ll ask Xie Yun to play the male lead for you.”

Shen Xuan instantly fell silent.

Though she was a drama queen herself, she had no interest in becoming an actress. Fantasizing in private was one thing, but actually enduring the hardships of acting held no appeal for her.

Seeing that she had finally quieted down, Shen Yelin instructed the driver to take her home. He then returned to his current residence and made up for all the sleep he had lost.

If you really think about it, including the time his soul was separated from his body, he hadn’t rested in a long while. The ordeal of death and rebirth had taken a toll on him both mentally and physically, and the combined exhaustion was truly overwhelming.

Shen Yelin slept until the afternoon, only to be woken by a call from his assistant, Joan.

She emailed him the schedule for the next few days and asked, “Mr. Shen, are you still planning to attend the dinner with Yuelin Media tonight? If you’re not feeling well, I can let them know and reschedule. Or would you prefer to postpone it?”

Shen Yelin held the phone and searched his memory for a moment, recalling that there was indeed such an arrangement. Back then, Yaoyu Entertainment needed to expand its channels and had approached Yuelin Media, which had been steadily growing over the years. Both sides found what they needed in each other, and after a few years of cooperation, things had developed quite well.

His personal relationship with Fu Jianyi, the CEO of Yuelin Media, was passable. Before this collaboration, the two had only known each other by name, maintaining a polite acquaintance. It was only after working together that they gradually became familiar, barely maintaining a friendship.

Despite their ordinary relationship, Fu Jianyi had shockingly confessed his feelings to Shen Yelin at his funeral.

Come to think of it, the dinner where they first grew closer happened to be the very one scheduled for tonight.