“President Zhang.”
“I thought you wouldn’t be here.”
Zhang Shan had always taken good care of herself. In recent years, she had been less involved in the company, but she seemed more relaxed than before.
“I was just on the phone and didn’t have time to come over.”
“It’s fine… please sit down.” Zhang Shan put down her handbag and smiled, “Speaking of which, it’s been a while since we last met. I’ve been wandering around… but as you get older, you have to make the most of your time to travel and find some fun, right?”
Sheng Min smiled, “President Zhang, did you travel along the southern coastline this time? Did you enjoy it?”
“Yes, it was good, but very hot. I got sunburned badly. Look, I’m much darker now. That’s why I rushed back…” Zhang Shan complained a little, half in jest, then suddenly changed the subject. “It’s a good thing I came back. Your little issue is easier to handle now. If you leave it to the people below, things just get dragged out, and small issues end up getting blown out of proportion.”
Sheng Min hadn’t contacted her about this matter, as Li Xuan had already handled it. But he still picked up the bone china pot on the desk and poured her a cup of floral tea. “Thank you for the trouble, President Zhang.”
“No trouble, it was just a few phone calls.” Zhang Shan waved her hand. “But I’ve been thinking, I don’t remember you having this kind of assistant before.”
“Didn’t Zhang Ge mention it?”
“This cousin of mine… when it comes to him, I always take whatever he says with a grain of salt.” Zhang Shan said disdainfully, “Just like how I never believed that thing between you and Qin Zhengchen was real.”
Sheng Min took a sip of tea, and the jasmine fragrance lingered in his mouth. “That was indeed not real.”
“What about this one?”
Sheng Min held the cup, answering without addressing the question directly: “I won’t let the company be put in a difficult position.”
This clearly didn’t convince Zhang Shan. “So it’s real?”
“What?” Sheng Min raised his eyes and gave a gentle smile.
Zhang Shan also smiled, “This kind of thing, if it were any other artist in the company, I’d think it’s nothing. Forget dating, there are people who sleep with fans, or get involved behind the company’s back, it’s all messy. I’m not surprised by men or women… but for it to happen with you, it’s a bit surprising to me… Of course, I can understand it. I always remember you were just a newly signed kid back then, foolishly calling me ‘Jie’. Now you’re twenty-two, taller than me by more than two heads… But there’s one thing I need to ask clearly, are you just fooling around, or is this serious?”
Sheng Min gently leaned back against the sofa. “Why do you say that, President Zhang?”
“If it’s the former, that’s fine. Today you meet, tomorrow you part. You have the capital for it, no reason why others can do it but not you. There’s no such unfair thing… You say you don’t want to trouble the company, and I understand. You’ve earned a lot for the company over the years, so neither the company nor I are afraid to handle this.” Zhang Shan was still smiling. “But if it’s the latter… Sheng Min, I don’t think it’s worth it.”
Sheng Min pressed his lips together, not speaking, as he turned the decorative ring on his finger.
“His name’s Li Xuan, right?” Zhang Shan spoke slowly, noticing Sheng Min’s eyelashes flutter. “The son of the CEO of Xinge Optics? I met his father at an entrepreneur conference a couple of years ago, but since we’re in different industries, we didn’t talk much. The kid’s good-looking… I heard he opened a game studio? I’ve heard about that game, it’s quite popular, right?”
Zhang Shan quickly finding out about Li Xuan’s background seemed very much like the decisive way she had worked in previous years. Sheng Min paused for a moment. “I didn’t tell the company in advance, that’s my mistake.”
“It’s a small thing. You only lost a few game endorsements. You’ve already admitted it, and the company can afford the loss.”
The air conditioning in the building was too cold, and it made Sheng Min feel a bit chilly. Zhang Shan stood up and adjusted the temperature slightly before walking back to him. “I’m just a little curious. You’re doing all this for him. What’s he doing for you?… All the second-generation rich people I’ve dealt with are shrewd, they can scheme better than their parents.”
“I promoted ‘Nook’ without him even knowing. I don’t need him to do anything for me. Who his father is doesn’t matter either.”
“So you admit it?” Zhang Shan smiled.
“It doesn’t make a difference whether I admit it or not, and whether yesterday’s events matter doesn’t make a difference either.” Sheng Min shook his head and said calmly, “I’m sure Zhang Ge has already mentioned his existence to you. Whether it’s him or not, whether this person exists or not is irrelevant. It could be anyone around me.”
Zhang Shan raised an eyebrow slightly, carefully examining Sheng Min’s face. But Sheng Min’s gaze showed no signs of hiding anything. After a while, she sighed and said, “I really haven’t seen you in a long time. You’ve grown up.”
Sheng Min didn’t respond to her seemingly complimentary remark. Zhang Shan continued, “It doesn’t make a difference to me or the company, but what about you?”
There seemed to be a trace of genuine concern in her eyes: “You’re not an impulsive person. Have you really thought this through?”
“He has thought it through.”
“Silly kid, what kind of potion did he slip you?” Zhang Shan shook her head. “…It’s fine to just have a casual fling. I won’t meddle with that. But if you use your fame to pave a way for him, that would be truly foolish… I’m the example right in front of you. I can’t say I single-handedly built the company, but I’ve definitely put in the bulk of the financial effort. And now? Why do you think I’m running around, only coming back once in a while? It’s because I’m sick of seeing him with his mistresses, those eyesores.”
Sheng Min frowned lightly, about to speak, but Zhang Shan gestured for him to remain silent. “I’ve come to terms with it. Let’s get back to you… if you hadn’t promoted this whole situation in the first place, I wouldn’t even bother discussing it. Sheng Min, you’re clever, but what’s your real intention? How serious are you? Two men getting married? What does he think about it?”
“President Zhang,” Sheng Min spoke seriously, “These matters will surely cause trouble for the company. You say it doesn’t matter, but it’s still my fault. For the commission on my contract, I’ll reduce it by five points to compensate for the company’s losses. As for the rest…”
After a brief pause, Sheng Min smiled lightly. “I trust him… and even if one day we part ways, I’ll be fine. But for now, he wants to be together, and I’m willing to.”
Hearing him mention the contract, Zhang Shan’s eyelids twitched slightly, but she still responded, “…You’re young. You’ve been in this industry for over ten years, seen a lot of people and you’re willing to give your name, give your money… But how long does he want this? Three or five years? Don’t tell me you’re talking about forever.”
This morning, Yang Xu had asked a similar question. Sheng Min glanced at his phone, which still showed no messages, and remained silent a little longer. “Until he no longer needs me.”
Zhang Shan was stunned for a second, then laughed after a moment.
“Alright.” She shrugged, “I get your point… I wasn’t planning to offer advice when I came today. On the way here, I thought, if you’re just having a whim, I’d leave right away. If you’re stubborn, I’d try to convince you, but now… I’m not sure how to advise you. Honestly, I don’t agree with it, but since you’ve said it, agreeing or disagreeing doesn’t matter.”
“The more I oppose, the deeper you might fall. I’m not a meddler, maybe you’ll break up someday… Don’t blame me for being blunt, sometimes people change faster than the clouds in the sky.” Zhang Shan stood up casually, picking up her handbag. “Well, I’ll leave it in your hands. You’ve got filming this afternoon, so I’ll head off now.”
“I’ll see you off.”
“No need.” Zhang Shan raised her hand like a kind elder patting his shoulder. “As for the contract, we won’t change it for now. It’s only a few months until it expires, and when it’s time to renew, if you’re still sticking around, we can change it then. Any other terms you want to modify, I’ll have the lawyer draft an initial version for you to look at in the next two weeks.”
Sheng Min didn’t respond immediately. He suddenly recalled something from the past. It should have been right after he’d joined the group and started to gain popularity, he had gotten the chance to audition for a male lead role in a movie directed by a famous director. There were several candidates, and they had each been asked to talk about their understanding of the character. That day, Zhang Shan had personally taken him to meet the director. Before he got out of the car, she told him not to be nervous, not to worry about talking too much, or saying the wrong thing. Sometimes, what mattered most was just one sentence.
By a twist of fate, Sheng Min didn’t end up getting the role in that film.
What was it called again? He remembered now—’The Drunk Man’s Intentions’.
Before Sheng Min could respond, Zhang Shan’s expression grew serious for a moment, then she smiled again. “If you think it’s too early, you can wait a little longer. There’s no rush. I don’t manage other people’s contracts anymore, but yours, I feel more at ease handling it personally. But I’ve got things to deal with lately, and I might be gone again in two weeks. I want to settle this quickly… Oh, and while meeting him, be careful not to get caught on camera. If I’m not in N City, handling it might be a bit tricky.”
Sheng Min’s grip on his phone tightened as he looked at Zhang Shan, but not with blame or disappointment. Her gaze flickered for a moment before she looked at him resolutely.
“I understand,” Sheng Min said after a long silence. “I’ll be careful. The filming schedule is tight, so we won’t meet often. As for the contract, let’s discuss it after the filming is finished.”
“Alright, I’m not in a hurry. By the way.” Zhang Shan exhaled quietly, as if casually remembering something, “Last month, when I was down south, I saw a big, beautiful silver phoenix at a silver shop. I couldn’t resist buying it. But now that I think about it, I don’t know where to put it. How about I give it to you? Don’t refuse. You’re the company’s cash cow now, a golden Buddha would be more fitting.”
“Thank you, President Zhang,” Sheng Min smiled faintly. “I’ll accept it.”
“Good. I’ll have someone send it to you.” Zhang Shan waved her hand lazily. “Alright, I’m off.”
