chapter 6
“Shen Bai, why are you at the entrance of Dingsheng Company again today? I feel like you’re everywhere.” As Liu Xin left, Su Jin looked at Shen Bai’s serious expression, already accustomed to his elusive nature.

Su Jin always felt Shen Bai’s gaze carried a hint of teasing, though his face remained as expressionless as ever, showing no noticeable change: “Is Elsa-jie here today?”

He walked straight toward the elevator.

Su Jinfan stood firmly in place, asking, “What exactly do you want?”

Shen Bai wasn’t visiting Ding Sheng Company for the first time to see Su Jinfan, but never before had he been so brazen as today. Though unclear why Shen Bai was looking for Elsa, she had a gut feeling it couldn’t be anything good.

Seeing that Shen Bai didn’t seem to be joking with her, and noticing how impeccably dressed he was in his suit, Su Jinfan sensed he was serious. Though she initially wanted to refuse, she ended up following behind him.

“Mr. Shen, please come in.” The voice of Elsa came from inside the office.

Su Jinfan was just about to leave when Shen Bai grabbed her and pulled her into the office along with him: “Elsa, this matter concerns Su Jinfan. I think it’s better for her to know directly.”

Shen Bai always maintained a polite yet distant demeanor when handling official matters, even when facing Elsa, who had been in the entertainment industry for years and was a decade older than him. His presence never seemed weaker than hers. And whether it was Su Jinfan’s imagination or not, she always felt that Elsa’s attitude toward Shen Bai had shifted slightly—almost bordering on ‘respect.’

“Alright, Xiaofan, you can sit too.” Elsa didn’t refuse and even addressed her affectionately this time. Su Jinfan frowned slightly but took a seat at the side. Perhaps it was professional ethics—one always had to know their place.

“Shen Bai, what brings you here today?”

Elsa frowned slightly, speaking in an extremely tactful manner as if hinting at something indirectly.

“Our company is very interested in several new productions you’ve launched this year. If possible, we’d be willing to invest in all of them.”

Su Jinfan stood there dumbfounded, her mind swirling with thoughts of investments and shares. Shen Bai was merely a lawyer—why would he be discussing investment matters with Elsa? Could it be that he was acting on behalf of some investment firm to negotiate? Though Su Jinfan had no concrete answers, she couldn’t stop speculating.

“That’s good to hear. These productions are our company’s major pushes this year. Especially ‘Peerless Beauty’—it’s this year’s grand production. The director, production, and cast are all top-tier talents in the country. Shen Bai, what do you think?” Elsa’s expression remained neutral, but her mind was already calculating. The lineup for “Peerless Beauty” was something rarely seen in the entire entertainment industry—it was bound to fetch a high price.

Shen Bai glanced at the script placed on the table, still maintaining his usual expressionless demeanor, which genuinely disappointed Sister Elsa.

Could it be that even a script like this fails to catch the eye of Young Master Shen?

Meanwhile, Su Jinfan secretly chuckled to herself. The investment price for this film was absurdly high, making it genuinely difficult for anyone to accept immediately—especially someone like Shen Bai. To get this man to crack a smile, one would first need to cure his chronic poker face.

“Let’s go with this one. The theme and structure are quite innovative, and I heard the director is a newcomer who just returned from Canada. Isn’t this the perfect time for the film industry to support fresh talent?”

He randomly pulled out one and pushed it toward Elsa, who was momentarily stunned by the film Shen Bai had handed her—”Long Song”? What’s so great about investing in such a low-budget production? Isn’t it just destined to flop? Could it be that this young master Shen has so much money he doesn’t know where to spend it?

“This film isn’t bad, but its theme clashes with ‘Peerless Beauty,’ and its credentials…” Elsa asked uncertainly. Logically speaking, among the scripts she had, there were countless better than this one!

Shen Bai glanced at Su Jin Fan, then turned to Elsa and said quite seriously, “Elsa, the money I invest in films comes from my company. Do you know that every actor and director builds their skills bit by bit? This is a long-term career. Have you ever thought about developing in this direction?”

Shen Bai’s words were undoubtedly for Elsa’s benefit—they conveyed that “good films” are propped up by popular young stars and quirky characterizations, while also giving Elsa plenty of room to step down gracefully.

“Mr. Shen is right.” Elsa cleared her throat, regaining her composure as she said to Su Jinfan, “Xiao Fan, this is a good movie. You should perform well.”

Only then did Su Jinfan realize that the script in Elsa’s hand was the new film “Chang Ge” she was about to take on. She gave Shen Bai a slightly odd look but still managed to say respectfully, “Thank you, Sister Elsa.”

If he were just a lawyer under an investor, he wouldn’t have the authority to influence which movie to invest in—it would be no different from a whim. Yet, the Shen Bai before her was indeed peculiar. After knowing him for so many years, all she knew was that his family was well-off and that he was a lawyer. Beyond that, she had no other information.

But why was he so good to her? Not only did he invest a large sum, but his actions today seemed to have even made Elsa treat her with more respect within the company.

“Why did you do this?” Su Jinfan felt that if she couldn’t figure this out, she wouldn’t be able to sleep peacefully.

“What do you mean by ‘why’?” Shen Bai asked, seemingly genuinely confused about what Su Jinfan was referring to. In truth, he wasn’t acting impulsively—he simply believed Su Jinfan’s movie script was more polished, and although the director was young, he had already gained some recognition abroad. It was just that in the domestic environment, his talent had been overlooked.

Having known him for a full six years, Su Jinfan was all too familiar with his indifferent personality. Now, thinking back, she realized she actually knew nothing about Shen Bai. But hearing Elsa address him as “President Shen” was something she couldn’t quite accept.

“Su Jinfan, no matter who I am, at least I’m still Shen Bai, right? People must always look forward. Don’t concern yourself with who I am—just remember that I’ll always be the Shen Bai by your side.” Shen Bai understood Su Jinfan’s doubts, but he didn’t seem inclined to explain why. What mattered to him was his place in Su Jinfan’s heart.

“Don’t worry, I would never deceive you about anything. Don’t overthink this matter.”

Shen Bai’s eyes were both sincere and warm, though that warmth was fleeting. Yet, Su Jinfan still couldn’t forget the slight electric sensation it sent through her heart.

When Su Jinfan returned to her dressing room, she was still somewhat dazed, her mind filled with the lingering words, “I’ll always be Shen Bai by your side.” It wasn’t until Tianxin walked in that she snapped out of it. “Earlier, Sister Elsa had a brief meeting with the company—it seemed to be about your movie.”

“Knock, knock, knock~” The sound of knocking suddenly echoed, and a girl in her mid-twenties walked in from outside.

As soon as Tianxin saw it was Fang Yao, she stood up respectfully to pour tea.

Fang Yao had always been one of the company’s top agents and maintained a good relationship with Su Jin. The three of them—including Tianxin—often went out for tea together.

The purpose of Fang Yao’s visit today was clear. Elsa had assigned Su Jin a new agent—none other than this top-tier agent in front of them. Rumor had it she had entered the industry at just eighteen, and the stars she had propelled to fame were countless. In seven years, she had created miracles for the company. It seemed these arrangements were made by Elsa out of consideration for Shen Bai’s influence.

Fang Yao seemed to be in high spirits, her smile practically overflowing as she exclaimed excitedly, “Su Jin, oh Su Jin! I knew Elsa’s judgment couldn’t be wrong. Who would’ve thought you had such remarkable talent? Truly worthy of being an artist under our Dingsheng!”

“Fang Yao, what do you mean?” Su Jinfan frowned and asked Fang Yao beside her.

“The specifics are unclear, but apparently a major investor arrived today and invested a full 200 million in your film. I heard it directly from the company’s upper management during the meeting—there’s absolutely no mistake.” Fang Yao gestured animatedly while speaking loudly.

“Come on, let’s thoroughly discuss the workflow for this film. Xiaofan, you’ve faced significant setbacks because of that incident and are prone to online criticism—a magnet for negativity. We must rebuild your reputation and aim for this movie to be a blockbuster.”

Fang Yao, full of enthusiasm, pulled out a notebook and presented a tailor-made plan for Su Jinfan.

“I’m sorry, Fang Yao. I know this is your job, and you take it very seriously. But could you just let me be alone for now? We can discuss this tomorrow after I’ve had time to process it.”

Su Jingfan sat quietly, her voice filled with confusion and bewilderment. Fang Yao naturally understood how Su Jingfan must be feeling—being personally chosen by an investor and receiving massive funding would leave any celebrity at a loss.

“Oh! You’re right. You just got back to the company, and here I am bombarding you with all this. I’ll discuss any other issues with Tianxin first and then come to you. It’s getting late—you should go rest now.”

Fang Yao smiled as she saw Su Jingfan out of the office, adding before she left, “Xiao Fan, in the entertainment industry, it’s perfectly normal for investors to take an interest in an actress. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll understand what to do.”

“What do you mean, Fang Yao?”

“The company today is A&R Group, the largest investment firm in City A. Anyone who can represent A&B must be absolutely extraordinary.”

Fang Yao placed a hand on Su Jin’s shoulder. Back then, because Su Jin refused to admit defeat and insisted on competing with Liu Xin, she snatched the female lead role from Liu Xin. If something like this were to happen again, the investment they had secured would surely fall through.

“Xiao Fan, I’ve known you for so long, I understand your personality. But those who achieve great things must exercise patience. An investment from A&R Company isn’t something just anyone can obtain.”

Su Jinfan glanced at Fang Yao and said with a smile, “Fang Yao, I haven’t been in this industry for just a day. There are some things I can handle on my own.”

Only after receiving Su Jinfan’s assurance did Fang Yao feel reassured enough to leave.

Shen Bai, just who exactly are you?

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