Chapter16

Song Wang was pulled back into the quieter area of the neighborhood by Cen Zhen.

Her face flushed slightly due to nervousness, and in a low voice, she angrily reprimanded Song Wang, “Are you out of your mind? What if someone recognizes you? What if someone records a video and posts it online? How are you going to explain that?”

Song Wang uncontrollably grabbed her hand. “I don’t care what others think. I only care about you, you know that.”

“I don’t know,” Cen Zhen shook him off. “Did you really care? What kind of care was that? Leaving me in the Hua Mansion, ignoring me? Not even calling me once in three days when you were on a business trip? Or playing with other actresses and hyping things up?”

Although Cen Zhen hadn’t officially entered this industry, she had been exposed to all kinds of gossip since school. Regarding Song Wang and Jiang Yuan, no matter how much he explained, how innocent he claimed to be, it couldn’t hide the fact that from the very beginning, he had been seeking publicity through this connection.

Song Wang didn’t know how to defend himself, and could only weakly say, “You already know it’s all for publicity, so why take it seriously?”

Cen Zhen sneered, “So, should I give you guys a thumbs-up?”

The conversation reached a deadlock, and the air fell silent for a moment. After a while, Song Wang suddenly smiled, “All this talking, it’s really about the person who just sent you back, right? Cen Zhen, it’s you who’s changed, not me.”

Cen Zhen was silent, took a deep breath, and said, “Think whatever you want.”

She turned and walked away. Just before she left, she remembered something, turned around, and looked at Song Wang, “You once said that if I ever had good resources and connections, you’d be happy for me, right?”

She coldly smiled. “You can be happy for me now.”

Cen Zhen had never thought that the words Song Wang once said would now come back to him like a boomerang. She and that sunny boy had ultimately reached this point.

After going home and changing clothes, Cen Zhen took a taxi to Yawan Building. Thanks to her previous visit, she was familiar with the route and it felt easy today.

The receptionist was the same familiar young lady. Upon seeing Cen Zhen, she immediately recognized her and smiled, “It’s you! Here to see the second young master again?”

Cen Zhen nodded. “Yes.”

The young lady shook her head and picked up the phone, muttering to herself, “I wonder if he’ll meet you. What do you need him for?”

“…I’m a newly signed artist from the company. He knows.”

The young lady froze for a moment, then immediately put down the phone, her eyes widening as she looked at Cen Zhen. “Is it you?”

Her surprised expression left Cen Zhen confused. “What’s wrong?”

But the surprise wasn’t limited to just the receptionist.

All the employees had received an internal memo in the morning, informing them that the company was setting up an Artist Department and had already signed an artist.

This unexpected change shocked everyone. Zhongshi was known in the entertainment industry for being a solid company. They had the best resources and teams, but for all these years, they had focused on various project investments and development, staying away from the troublesome world of artists.

But now, with the arrival of the second young master, not only was the Artist Department being established, but an artist had already been signed.

Everyone was waiting, eager to find out what kind of excellent artist had prompted Meng Fanchuan to initiate such a bold reform.

Looking at Cen Zhen, the receptionist immediately understood.

It was her. The woman who had confused him the first time they met.

“I’m Chi Yu. Everyone calls me Xiao Yu,” the receptionist said, her curiosity shining as she looked at Cen Zhen. “The second young master is in his office. Please follow me.”

Cen Zhen followed her inside. As she entered the cubicle area, everyone looked up, realizing from Chi Yu’s gaze that this was the mysterious signed artist.

Tall and graceful, her long hair swayed with her steps, and even from a distance, her extraordinary aura was unmistakable.

Meng Fanchuan’s office was on the 37th floor. When they reached the door, Chi Yu gently knocked. “Second young master, Miss Cen is here.”

What they didn’t know was that just before this, there had been an intense discussion in the office.

The participants were Wang Yuan and Wen Hui, who had learned of the signing news. Today was supposed to be Meng Fanchuan’s first official meeting after taking over the company, but when they received the reform email in the morning, they were both taken aback.

From Wang Yuan’s perspective, the young master was acting on a whim. Just the day before, he had told him to keep a distance from Cen Zhen, to stay out of trouble. Yet the next moment, he was creating the Artist Department and signing this troublesome beauty.

Although Zhongshi’s position in the industry was solid, they didn’t have to worry about people like Shen Zesheng. Meng Fanchuan had come to Shanghai to reflect on his actions, and he should just stay quietly as the young master. Suddenly, he was doing something like this, and it made Wang Yuan feel uneasy.

As for Wen Hui—

“I admit this girl is pretty. If you like her, go ahead and pursue her, but don’t bring her into work and cause trouble.”

Meng Fanchuan lazily responded, “How do you know I’m causing trouble?”

Wen Hui had no idea what Meng Fanchuan was thinking. She didn’t know Cen Zhen well enough to gauge where things were between them. But having watched Meng Fanchuan grow up, she knew all too well his rebellious and unpredictable nature.The father-son relationship was tense. If this was just a strategy by Meng Songnian to intentionally exile him, there was no need to delay a girl's future.

“Fanchuan, are you serious?” Wen Hui asked meaningfully, addressing both him and the work.

Meng Fanchuan casually spun around in his chair. “Do I look like I’m playing around?”

Wang Yuan, standing by, wiped the sweat from his brow: You might as well just show up every day and play around.

Persuasion was useless, so Wen Hui reluctantly agreed. But privately, she gave Wang Yuan a confidentiality order, “Don’t announce this to the public yet. Let’s keep it low-key for now. If she really becomes popular and brings benefits to the company, then it will be easier to explain to Mr. Meng.”

Wang Yuan agreed, thinking the more high-profile Meng Fanchuan made it, the more worried he became.

When Cen Zhen arrived, the three of them had just finished their discussion. She knocked and entered, wearing a simple T-shirt and long pants, standing before them. “Young Master Meng, Mr. Wang, Miss Wen, I’m Cen Zhen.”

On the way here, Chi Yu had introduced the key people in the company to her. Cen Zhen had a good memory and stood confidently before senior figures like Wang Yuan, neither humble nor arrogant.

Although Wen Hui and Wang Yuan had seen her before, seeing her up close like this still made them think—Meng Fanchuan’s decision wasn’t without reason.

Cen Zhen had a face capable of turning heads, a natural beauty that couldn’t be denied—she was born with a look that others envied.

It was no wonder that Shen Zesheng, unable to get her, had been so furious.

At this moment, Meng Fanchuan looked up from his seat and gestured to Wen Hui, saying to Cen Zhen, “Let me introduce you to your manager, Aunt Hui.”

Wen Hui: “...?”

Wen Hui widened her eyes, staring at Meng Fanchuan with an expression of “don’t try to fool around,” but when Cen Zhen politely greeted her with “Aunt Hui, please take care of me,” Wen Hui inexplicably lost her temper.

“Alright, alright.”

Meng Fanchuan continued to give instructions to Wang Yuan, “Arrange an assistant for Miss Cen. Make sure they’re attentive.”

Wang Yuan responded, “Got it,” but then suddenly asked, “Can it be either a man or a woman?”

Meng Fanchuan stared at him for three seconds, his expression unreadable, before responding, “Yes, unless you want to do it yourself.”

With just that look and those words, Wang Yuan instantly understood what was meant. “Don’t worry, Young Master Meng, I know what to do.”

Meng Fanchuan hated being called “Young Master” all the time, as it made him feel older than he was. “If you keep calling me that, I’ll stop working.”

Wang Yuan: “...”

“Alright, alright. Director Xie just called me yesterday asking about the progress. Since Miss Cen has signed, I’ll arrange another meeting with the director as soon as possible to discuss the filming details,” Wen Hui said, already in work mode.

Cen Zhen nodded in agreement, “Okay.”

“As for the rest, we’ll take it slow. I also need some time to plan,” Wen Hui said, then looked at Meng Fanchuan. “Do you have anything to add?”

Meng Fanchuan clearly had his own thoughts. He raised his chin and gestured for them to leave. “You two can leave now. I need to speak with Miss Cen alone.”

“Fine,” Wen Hui shrugged, and she and Wang Yuan exited the office.

After they left, the large office was left with just Meng Fanchuan and Cen Zhen.

For some reason, whenever they were alone, Cen Zhen always felt awkward and unsure of what to do. Even though the office was spacious, facing Meng Fanchuan, she still felt like an invisible force enveloped her, keeping her tense and on edge, not daring to relax.

“Young Master Meng… What do you want to say?” Cen Zhen took the initiative to ask.

Meng Fanchuan’s gaze was strangely heavy. After a brief pause, he spoke two words: “Move out.”

Cen Zhen froze, her lips parted to ask why, but she hesitated and didn’t.

Although Meng Fanchuan didn’t explain the reason, Cen Zhen could roughly understand. Perhaps it was because of Song Wang’s appearance in the morning, which had upset him. From a public perspective, Song Wang’s emotional instability was troubling. If he kept interfering, it would be bad for both of them. Moving out from her current place seemed like a clear choice.

From a private perspective, Cen Zhen wasn’t sure if Meng Fanchuan minded their continued contact.

He was offering conditions that seemed perfectly normal on the surface, but Cen Zhen didn’t believe such a big favor would fall into her lap for no reason.

Sure enough, when she agreed to look for a new place soon, Meng Fanchuan handed her a card. “Move to this place for now. I’ve already contacted the housekeeper, and they’ll help you settle in.”

Cen Zhen: “Where is this?”

Meng Fanchuan didn’t hide the truth. “My house.”

Cen Zhen: “...”

He invited her to meals, offered resources, and now even gave her a place to stay... Though he hadn’t done anything yet, every step he took was so familiar.

Cen Zhen would have preferred that they had just gotten it over with on the first day, rather than this slow, gradual process of her being kept in the dark, unsure and uneasy.

She didn’t know what he was thinking or what his next step would be.

Not asking any more questions, she lowered her head, took the card from him “understandingly,” and said, “Thank you.”

“There are just some daily necessities inside. I won’t be living there for now. You can stay and focus on filming the promotional video first,” Meng Fanchuan added.Cen Zhen suddenly remembered that Uncle Wei had mentioned that Meng Fanchuan’s city residence was being prepared, and soon he wouldn’t have to travel so far back and forth to the manor every day.

So, was this the new house he was planning to move into?

Her palm, which was holding the room card, felt slightly damp. Cen Zhen paused for a few seconds before gathering her courage to ask for clarification. “Then... where will you live?”

Meng Fanchuan observed her expression, and for some reason, he recalled Chen Xiangan's words, "new lover." He got up and walked over to her, leaning on the desk as he looked at her. “Miss Cen is worried that I have nowhere to live?”

When he said this, his voice dropped, and the way he breathed had a hint of seduction. Cen Zhen’s eyes burned slightly at the edges, and she had to look away. “How could Young Master Meng not have a place to live?”

She only hoped that if he ever suddenly decided to visit her, she’d have some time to prepare.

Meng Fanchuan could clearly tell she was uneasy. He pulled at his lips and sat back down. “If nothing urgent happens, I won’t be coming over.”

“Then...” Cen Zhen raised her head and tested him, not giving up, “What would count as urgent?”

Meng Fanchuan looked puzzled. “...What do you mean by urgent?”

What exactly was he pretending?

Cen Zhen had dealt with many difficult men, but she had never met someone like Meng Fanchuan—both free-spirited and pure as jade.

He should get an Oscar for best actor, she thought to herself.

Forget it, Cen Zhen didn’t want to press further. After all, this was a transaction between her and him. Whatever he asked for, she would just comply.

“Nothing, then I’ll go ahead and move later.”

Wang Yuan was very efficient in his work. By the time Cen Zhen left the company, her assistant had already been arranged.

Chi Yu didn’t expect to be chosen as the new top actress's assistant, and her salary even increased by 2000 yuan. She was both excited and thrilled.

“I’m also 21 years old. Can I call you Zhen Zhen?”

“In the future, I’ll be your assistant. If you need anything, just let me know.”

“We’re really destined to work together!”

Cen Zhen agreed with her words. Indeed, there was some fate between them.

After all, when Meng Fanchuan first learned her phone number, it was probably because this receptionist “defected.”

She had given her number to Cen Zhen, who then handed it to Meng Fanchuan, which eventually led to the events that followed.

If it weren’t for her, Cen Zhen and Meng Fanchuan might have already stopped communicating after that “We don’t need to stay in touch” conversation.

Cen Zhen smiled and asked Chi Yu, “The number I gave you last time, did you give it to Young Master Meng?”

Chi Yu’s smile faded, and she pretended to be busy and forgetful. “What number? I don’t remember. By the way, Zhen Zhen, the company treats you so well. They even gave you an employee dormitory.”

This was what Meng Fanchuan had told people. When Wang Yuan got the news, he naturally instructed Chi Yu to accompany Cen Zhen back and help with the move.

Cen Zhen could tell from Chi Yu’s reaction that her guess was correct, but since so much time had passed, she didn’t feel the need to argue with her. After all, Meng Fanchuan was the one paying her salary. Chi Yu was just doing her job.

The two girls went back to the neighborhood and quickly packed their luggage.

Housing prices in Hu City were too high, and Cen Zhen’s apartment was rented. So, apart from some clothes, there wasn’t much to take. After packing two suitcases, the two of them left the community and headed towards the address Meng Fanchuan had given.

“I’ve been working at the company for half a year, and I’ve never heard of an employee dormitory,” Chi Yu said, envious of how Cen Zhen didn’t have to pay rent. But she also understood that Cen Zhen was an artist, someone who could make the company a lot of money, so it was normal for the company to treat her extra well.

What Chi Yu didn’t expect was how luxurious this employee dormitory would turn out to be.

The two girls stopped in front of Hu City’s most expensive neighborhood. Chi Yu was in a daze. “Jun Ting Hui? Are we at the wrong place, Zhen Zhen?”

The apartment was worth millions per square meter, a top-tier luxurious community with Dutch royal butlers... and this was supposed to be an employee dormitory?

Cen Zhen knew very well the origin of the house, calmly pulling her suitcase and saying, “Let’s go. This is the place.”

It was just her golden cage.

The Dutch butler had already been waiting downstairs. Speaking in somewhat broken but sincere Chinese, he politely took all her luggage. Chi Yu followed Cen Zhen into the complex, swiping the card to go upstairs, her mouth wide open in shock the whole way.

Such a handsome butler.

Such a wide elevator.

Such a luxurious lobby.

When they finally reached Cen Zhen’s “employee dormitory,” Chi Yu’s jaw dropped in amazement—

The entire apartment had floor-to-ceiling windows with a sea view, a romantic starlit ceiling, and an aerial garden. The luxurious black-and-gold style was cool and elegant, and from the window, one could overlook the city’s skyline without any obstruction.

Chi Yu excitedly ran around the room, inspecting everything, while Cen Zhen stood by the window, feeling very calm because she knew this wasn’t hers.

Just then, a voice suddenly came from the bathroom, “Zhen Zhen!”Cen Zhen turned around and saw Chi Yu holding a pair of men's slippers, a razor, and even a few shirts and other clearly male items, asking in confusion:

“Is there someone else living here?”

Meng Fanchuan had said that some daily necessities had been prepared, but she didn’t expect Chi Yu to find all these things. Cen Zhen was caught off guard and stammered, “...Uh.”

Before she could think of how to answer, Chi Yu seemed to have figured it out.

“Oh, I know now.”

The young girl blinked confidently and said word by word, “You, are, hiding, a, boyfriend.”

Cen Zhen couldn’t help but laugh.

A boyfriend? Meng Fanchuan?

That was absurd—there was no way she could make up such a thing. Besides, Cen Zhen couldn’t, and wouldn’t, entertain any thoughts about someone like him. Between them, at most, they were just business partners with mutual needs. It was just that, so far, Meng Fanchuan hadn’t yet come to claim his “share” of the arrangement.

Cen Zhen also wondered if this was the difference between him and Shen Zesheng.

Shen Zesheng was blatantly greedy and never hid his desires, but Meng Fanchuan had grown up with an aristocratic background. Was it possible that he, even when it came to unspoken rules, had a naturally lofty sense of pride, waiting for her to make the first move?

He had provided the resources, given her the house, yet remained indifferent, as if he had no desires at all.

But how could that be? There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world, and Meng Fanchuan wasn’t bored enough to do charity for someone like Cen Zhen.

This was Cen Zhen’s first time in such a situation, and she had practically zero experience in guessing the “sugar daddy” mindset. With a helpless sigh, she came up with an excuse to brush off Chi Yu: “No, it was probably the butler who made a mistake.”

As she spoke, she took the things from Chi Yu’s hands and quietly stepped aside to call Meng Fanchuan.

“Young Master Meng,” she said politely when the call connected. “There are some of your personal items here at the apartment. Would you like me to organize them and bring them to you?”

On the other end of the line, the young man paused for a moment before answering lightly:

“No need, just leave them there.”