Chapter Forty-One: Lord Shen and I Discuss a Relationship

Director Shang called Jiang Yunzhu over with a beaming smile. “Come over, Xiao Zhou, let me introduce you. This is Shen Tingxiao, one of the investors in our film.”

Shen Tingxiao lifted his eyelids, his gaze sweeping lightly over Jiang Yunzhu. His eyes seemed veiled in a thin mist, making his thoughts unreadable. He tilted his head, expressionless, yet Jiang Yunzhu felt as though his glance lingered on her for an unusually long time.

She couldn’t quite guess what he was thinking. She stepped forward and offered a polite greeting, “Hello, Mr. Shen.”

“Mm.” Shen Tingxiao withdrew his gaze as if he hardly knew her, but the corners of his mouth curved faintly upward.

Director Shang was long accustomed to Shen Tingxiao’s temperament. He clearly intended to play matchmaker between Shen Tingxiao and Jiang Yunzhu, so he made room for the two of them, his enthusiasm as if arranging a family wedding.

He seated Jiang Yunzhu beside Shen Tingxiao and introduced her, “Tingxiao, Xiao Zhou used to be a manager back home. She’s got quite a few promising talents under her wing. As for our film, aren’t we still short a few actresses? Why don’t you chat with Xiao Zhou and see if she has anyone suitable.”

Jiang Yunzhu sat by his side, obviously not expecting the investor to be him.

After arranging them together, Director Shang drifted off to drink and chat with the others.

The female artists Jiang Yunzhu had brought were also busy socializing.

Only Jiang Yunzhu and Shen Tingxiao seemed separated from the rest by an invisible barrier, their quietness almost unnatural—yet beneath that calm, a current seemed to stir.

“Mr. Shen, a toast to you.” Jiang Yunzhu poured herself a drink, but before the glass could reach her lips, a hand stretched out and intercepted it.

That hand was long and strong, with clearly defined knuckles—a kind of strength that brooked no refusal.

“Mr. Shen?” Jiang Yunzhu was a little puzzled.

Shen Tingxiao didn’t drink it either. He set the glass before himself and stared at her, his eyes deep as a bottomless lake, as if he might draw her in entirely.

He said nothing, and the atmosphere grew strangely tense.

Jiang Yunzhu felt uncomfortable under his gaze and searched for something to say. “I didn’t expect you to be the investor.” There was a hint of nervousness in her voice.

“Don’t want to see me?” Shen Tingxiao finally spoke, his tone flat and emotionless, yet Jiang Yunzhu caught an edge of sarcasm, as if he was questioning her.

It wasn’t that.

It was just… such a coincidence.

“No,” Jiang Yunzhu answered honestly.

Shen Tingxiao looked at her, the corner of his mouth twitching with a complex expression.

Jiang Yunzhu found him more and more inscrutable.

The silence was unbearable.

She couldn’t let the stalemate continue. After a moment’s thought, she pulled a figurine from her bag and handed it to him, her movement a touch hurried, as if eager to break the awkwardness. “This is for you.”

“Trying to bribe me?” Shen Tingxiao didn’t accept it, but his lips curled slightly—whether in mockery or something else, she couldn’t tell.

Jiang Yunzhu felt a little uneasy, but offending an investor was out of the question.

She pressed the figurine into Shen Tingxiao’s hand, then extended her other hand, palm open, her eyes expectant. “My acrylic badge.”

Shen Tingxiao’s gaze flickered over, catching sight of a ring on her finger. He arched a brow, his gesture naturally aristocratic. “Are you seeing someone?”

Jiang Yunzhu didn’t answer, her curiosity piqued, while her heart inexplicably beat faster. “Mr. Shen, you seem quite concerned about my relationship status.”

“Pretty girls tend to get deceived easily,” Shen Tingxiao replied. It sounded like a warning, but his tone betrayed a streak of domineering certainty.

Though his words were brusque, the intention was kind. Jiang Yunzhu held back and chose to thank him. “Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Shen, but there’s no need to worry. My parents keep an eye on me.”

“Oh?” Shen Tingxiao seemed interested, leaning in slightly. A faint scent of tobacco hovered near her. “Besides me, do your parents also introduce you to blind dates?”

Jiang Yunzhu pressed her lips together, unsure how to respond, wondering why Shen Tingxiao was so interested in her love life.

Not wanting to dwell on the topic, she seized the initiative, her heart pounding. “If you’re so concerned about my future, Mr. Shen, why not introduce me to someone yourself?”

“There’s no one decent in this industry but me,” Shen Tingxiao said, legs spread slightly, his thumb idly spinning his signet ring—a gesture that felt like a declaration.

Jiang Yunzhu joked, her voice tinged with both nervousness and expectation, “Then why don’t you date me, Mr. Shen?”

It was meant as nothing more than a lighthearted jest, emboldened by the atmosphere—she wouldn’t ordinarily dare tease Shen Tingxiao like this.

Yet as soon as the words left her lips, Shen Tingxiao narrowed his eyes, observing her with a piercing gaze, as if trying to see through her. In an instant, the air thickened with a strange tension, the calm before a storm.

He said nothing, his stare assessing, weighing her worthiness. At that moment, someone bumped into Jiang Yunzhu, spilling wine over her shoulder and shattering the stifling mood.

“So sorry, truly sorry,” a young man’s voice interrupted them. Jiang Yunzhu immediately stood, only to realize that Director Shang had been replaced by a young man at her side, and her clothing was now mostly wet.

“Sorry, big sister,” the speaker said—a handsome, sunny boy with a trendy style. He wore a black cross earring in his left ear, and though he was clearly made up for the occasion, his vibrant energy was impossible to hide.

Jiang Yunzhu’s heart stirred. She waved it off. “It’s fine, I’ll just take care of it in the restroom.”

Sizing up the boy before her, she smiled. “Which agency are you with?”

A faint blush crept up his cheeks. “I’m freelance—no agency.”

Oh, that’s perfect. The boy had a nice aura; if she could sign him, he’d make a good pair with Sang Bai. Their chemistry might even create something special.

“What’s your name?” Jiang Yunzhu asked, her eyes bright with anticipation.

The boy was about to answer.

“Pour me a drink,” Shen Tingxiao suddenly knocked on the table, his voice abrupt and commanding, brooking no refusal.

With a hospitable spirit, Jiang Yunzhu was about to pick up his glass when Shen Tingxiao caught her hand, his eyes locking onto the young man with a hint of warning. “You.”

The boy glanced at the full glass in front of Shen Tingxiao, dared not question, and took an empty glass to pour a drink at the side table.

Jiang Yunzhu withdrew her gaze. Noticing her own untouched wine, she looked at Shen Tingxiao. “But there’s one right here.”

“It’s yours,” Shen Tingxiao stated concisely. “If you don’t mind, I don’t either.” His tone carried a trace of ambiguity, making Jiang Yunzhu’s heart race.

She was about to say she hadn’t touched it, but meeting his eyes, her heart skipped a beat.

In the dimly lit room, Shen Tingxiao’s eyes gleamed with a sharp light, his pupils like deep, icy pools, making Jiang Yunzhu feel like prey before a beast.

Enough.

Jiang Yunzhu instinctively felt she should keep her distance from Shen Tingxiao—not get too close.

She sidestepped the topic. “I’m going to the restroom.”

With that, she turned and hurried out, her steps flustered, as if fleeing something.

Even after being gone for a long time, she could still feel that piercing gaze. She entered the restroom to tidy her clothes.

As she was about to leave, someone blocked the doorway.

“I remember you,” a drunken man slurred, refusing to let Jiang Yunzhu pass. He grabbed her hand in a painful grip. “Last time, you even gave me your card.”

He wasn’t from their private room—clearly, he’d mistaken her for someone else.

Jiang Yunzhu kept her composure, trying to free herself. “Sir, you’ve got the wrong person.”

But in the next moment, the man shoved her against the wall, pain jolting up her back.

“I didn’t get it wrong. It’s you, you little tramp. Last time you were in my bed—now you turn your back on me?” He leaned in, inhaling deeply at her neck. “You were wild for it last time. This time, I’ll satisfy you again.”

Jiang Yunzhu’s expression darkened, but she remained calm, her voice low and warning. “Sir, let go of me, or I won’t be polite.”