How Did the Top-Tier Male Lead Fall in Love With Me? 24

Chapter 24

The edited version of the first episode of Wonderful Adventure would be broadcast in a week, and then a week after that, the second episode would be filmed live.

During the break, besides his daily racing training, Shen Wu also had to learn acting from scratch. He was so busy that his life was a straight line between the film set and the racing team.

There was another problem with the Racing Heartbeat crew.

After Shen Wu joined the crew to play the second male lead, the second male lead outshone the male lead in every aspect.

Qi Shijun was quite dissatisfied.

So what if Shen Wu was on a variety show with Meng Huaizhi and had a long-standing friendship with him? In this crew, he was still the one who called the shots.

Therefore, the Racing Heartbeat crew had just lost an actor not long ago, and now they were facing the big trouble of the producer and financier threatening to withdraw their investment.

Under pressure from the investors, Shen Wu saw that the director Wen Qiehua was in a difficult position and volunteered, “Director Wen, why don’t I help you think of a way? If it really doesn’t work, we can just reduce the second male lead’s scenes. I’m fine with it.”

“But I’m not!” Wen Qiehua, however, cared more than the actor himself and was not very polite. “Then I’ll have to trouble you to help, Xiao Shen. Hehe, thank you so much for this!”

Nothing had even been settled yet, but Shen Wu had already received the thanks of the director who was fighting for him. This help, he had to give it whether he wanted to or not.

In the past, his first consideration would naturally have been Shen Ping.

Just as he had said when he signed with Star Entertainment, he shouldn’t let the benefits flow to outsiders. When there was an opportunity to make money, the first people he thought of were his own family.

Besides, if Shen Ping could invest in a drama that Nan Dengwei was in, he might be able to build a good relationship with this future film emperor, and maybe avoid the fate of the entire company becoming a stepping stone for the film emperor.

As for now.

He was already at M+ Entertainment.

When he arrived, Meng Huaizhi had not yet finished his meeting, so he went to the president’s office on the top floor to wait.

Before Meng Huaizhi went abroad, M+ Entertainment, which he had founded, had already reached a considerable scale, and now it was even more magnificent.

Meng Huaizhi’s office was the same as it was three years ago.

After Meng Huaizhi finished his work and returned to the office, he saw Shen Wu sitting casually on his desk.

Just like many years ago when Shen Wu had sat on his desk and disturbed his studies, he had been so righteous, claiming that he had to sit high to win the game.

His daze was fleeting, and then he walked over with a calm expression.

Shen Wu hadn’t expected Meng Huaizhi to come back so soon, and his rebellious teenager behavior was caught red-handed.

This desk was big enough for three or four people to sit side by side. He only occupied a corner of the desk, and Meng Huaizhi sat in the boss’s chair in the middle of the desk. The two of them, one up and one down, did not conflict.

It’s just letting him sit on the desk. As an older brother, he wouldn’t be so petty. Thinking this, he didn’t get off the desk.

Meng Huaizhi sat down, his expression indeed unchanged, and only said, “Wait for me for another ten minutes.”

He then lowered his head to review the investment proposal on the desk, not avoiding Shen Wu.

M+ Entertainment sounded like an entertainment company, but in reality, it didn’t have many artists. The only one who was well-known was Meng Huaizhi, the boss and the top artist. M+ Entertainment was more like M+ Media, with most of its business in film and television production and investment.

This happened to align with Shen Wu’s purpose for coming.

Shen Wu didn’t pay much attention to M+ Entertainment’s business plan. His gaze shifted and landed on the stack of sheet music at the other end of the long table.

“Huaizhi-ge, is there a possibility that the reason you haven’t been able to write a new song in three years has a lot to do with you sitting behind a desk to write? Actually, you could try to break away from your current rigid and monotonous life.”

Meng Huaizhi thought to himself that he didn’t spend that much time in the office, but he was curious about what kind of suggestion Shen Wu, who had just criticized the desk, would give.

He hummed in question, the end of the sound rising, but the pen in his hand didn’t stop.

“For example,” Shen Wu’s eyes curved, and he looked down at him with a smile, “you could sit on the desk like me.”

In the quiet air, the rustling sound of the pen tip rubbing against the paper suddenly disappeared.

Meng Huaizhi looked up. In that instant, he could clearly see his own reflection in Shen Wu’s eyes.

The dark, bright eyes, like top-grade gems, were more dazzling than the winter noon sun outside the window.

He suddenly felt that, at least for today, his tie was indeed too formal and rigid.

In his daze, the office door, which was not completely closed, was silently pushed open.

Meng Huaizhi pulled himself out of those overly dazzling eyes and confirmed that Shen Wu was just joking. He said with a hint of helplessness, “…Get off the desk.”

Shen Wu looked at him, the smile not yet completely gone, making his “oh” sound a bit perfunctory, but his body obediently complied.

Luo Jinyi, who had forgotten to knock, happened to see that smile, and Shen Wu’s unusually bright and moist peach blossom eyes.

Her heart skipped a beat. From an outsider’s perspective, she felt that she had seen too much in that gaze.

Again, it was something that shouldn’t be seen in a younger brother’s eyes.

Shen Wu got off the desk, turned, and saw Luo Jinyi at the door. He greeted her politely, “Sister Jinyi, you’re here.”

“Ah, yes,” Luo Jinyi came back to her senses and hurried over with the documents. “These are the documents that were left in the conference room just now, President Meng, please take a look.”

Meng Huaizhi glanced at the extra pile of documents on the desk. “Mm, I’ll look at them later.”

“Then I’ll be going now.”

“Okay.”

Luo Jinyi left the office, closing the door behind her.

Shen Wu sat down on the guest sofa and started to talk business with Meng Huaizhi.

The official plot of the novel had not yet begun, but Nan Dengwei was bound to become a film emperor. At that time, his old works would be dug up one by one by his ardent fans for archaeological purposes, but the drama Racing Heartbeat had never appeared, nor had the director Wen Qiehua.

Even without his interference, this drama might have fallen through for various reasons.

Shen Wu sighed again at the irresistibility of the script and once again made a decision to change his fate.

“Qi Shijun is demanding that Director Wen change the script back, otherwise he’ll have the producer withdraw their investment,” Shen Wu said.

“Withdraw their investment?” Meng Huaizhi seemed to disagree. “If they withdraw their investment, Wen Qiehua won’t keep him as the male lead either. He won’t be willing to give that up.”

Shen Wu was taken aback.

Since it was just an empty threat, why did Wen Qiehua ask him for help?

“But Wen Qiehua definitely hopes to change the producer,” Meng Huaizhi timely answered his question.

“Huaizhi-ge, the script for Racing Heartbeat is really good, and Director Wen is also very responsible,” Shen Wu said with a smile. “Look, why don’t you invest?”

“Longsheng Media won’t really withdraw their investment,” Meng Huaizhi said.

Longsheng Media was not big, but not small either. It naturally couldn’t compare to the media giants with decades of history. But in recent years, it had been in the limelight, producing several well-known hit web dramas, mainly targeting the mass market and taking a populist route.

Shen Wu couldn’t directly mention the novel, so he could only beat around the bush and offer more tempting conditions. “Xiao Nan has a lot of potential. He gained a lot of fans on Wonderful Adventure last time, and his public image is also very good. If you invest, you can also promote him. The response after the drama is broadcast will definitely be very good.”

“Promote Nan Dengwei?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“I still need to consider the investment.”

Shen Wu was taken aback, not expecting Meng Huaizhi to react like this. The last time he had sent that Director Hong from the KTV to prison, he had done it without a second thought, and had not even told him before he acted.

Only then did Shen Wu realize that the male lead described in the novel was impartial and professional in his work. Although he would occasionally protect the main character shou and indirectly let him ride on his popularity, he had never directly provided him with resources.

“Mm, then you can consider it,” Shen Wu didn’t insist. “I’ll be going now.”

Shen Wu left the president’s office, and Luo Jinyi took the initiative to see him off.

Inside the elevator, the closing doors blocked off the entire top floor.

Shen Wu safely took out a lollipop from his pocket and skillfully unwrapped it.

He wasn’t very fond of sweets. Meng Huaizhi had practically watched him grow up and knew all his habits and preferences.

The day he left the hospital, in the car back to the dorm, Meng Huaizhi had keenly asked about the lollipop in his mouth.

This time, he had learned his lesson. Only after he was completely out of Meng Huaizhi’s sight did he put the lollipop, which he used to quit smoking, into his mouth.

Luo Jinyi’s knowledge of Shen Wu was limited to “the younger brother of Meng Huaizhi’s family friend,” and the few times she had seen him.

She glanced at the tall young man with a lollipop in his mouth and didn’t say much.

But after one glance, she couldn’t help but glance again.

Shen Wu didn’t eat lollipops like many children, licking them a few times and then taking them out, making his mouth sticky and messy.

He just held the lollipop in his mouth, his cheek puffed out in a round ball, and didn’t move for a long time.

After seeing Shen Wu off, Luo Jinyi had a sudden thought. She looked at Shen Wu, who was holding the plastic stick in his mouth, and asked, “Are you trying to quit smoking?”

Shen Wu’s cheerful mood seemed to be suddenly crushed by a heavy stone, and he almost bit the hard candy. His eyes darted away, and he mumbled a few random sounds, very perfunctorily.

Shen Wu’s appearance gave Luo Jinyi a more familiar feeling, like her father who had once tried to quit smoking.

But her father would only show such a guilty expression when he occasionally couldn’t resist and was caught smoking secretly by her.

Luo Jinyi was lost in thought as she watched the car carrying Shen Wu drive away.

She went to the office again to report Meng Huaizhi’s schedule for the next period. After she was done, she still stood by with the documents.

It seemed she had something to say but was still hesitating.

The large office was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Meng Huaizhi looked up. Luo Jinyi knew him and guessed that he was about to say, “Is there anything else?” as a gentle way of asking her to leave.

Luo Jinyi pondered for a long time and finally spoke before he could, “President Meng, can I ask how you and Shen Wu decided to get married? Was it just to deal with the old master?”

Meng Huaizhi: “Mm.”

Luo Jinyi had been Meng Huaizhi’s manager for six years and also knew that Old Master Meng Zhenshen did not support his music career. He had even, in a fit of anger, made him choose between freedom of marriage and his musical dream.

Meng Huaizhi had always treated Shen Wu as a younger brother, she knew that. And the fact that they had been living apart for three years after getting married, and even she, his manager, had not noticed anything, showed that this marriage was just to deal with the old man.

Meng Huaizhi had also said that Shen Wu was his “spouse in the legal sense.”

Not the broader meaning of “spouse.”

In the quiet gap of the conversation, Meng Huaizhi couldn’t help but recall the scene from three years ago.

When Shen Wu learned of the choice his grandfather had given him, he had come up with a plan, “You can just find someone to marry and then get a divorce in a few years. But… if you marry a girl, it might not be good for her reputation. And what if she falls for you during the marriage? Will you be responsible or not? Whether you are or not, it’s pretty scummy.”

At that time, Meng Huaizhi had frowned at his words. He had never thought of joking about someone’s marriage. Shen Wu’s words were clearly not suggesting he do so.

“Or, you can find someone to get engaged to, to appease the old master first, and then go abroad to study music. He can’t control you when you’re abroad. Even if your relationship with your fiancée is a sham, it won’t be easily exposed,” Shen Wu then proposed a more feasible suggestion.

But Meng Huaizhi had said, “Getting engaged and then breaking it off will also cause gossip and affect her reputation.”

“That’s true,” Shen Wu nodded, then suddenly changed the subject. “Why don’t you get engaged to me? I don’t mind.”

Meng Huaizhi still remembered his mood at that time. His face must have uncontrollably shown surprise, and more indescribable emotions.

Shen Wu had smiled easily, his tone light as if he were just choosing breakfast. “Or, to solve it once and for all, why not just marry me?”

Luo Jinyi pulled Meng Huaizhi’s thoughts back to reality. “So, you were looking for a contract marriage partner, and Shen Wu volunteered?”

Meng Huaizhi: “No. I wasn’t planning to get married. It was Shen Wu who suggested I marry him, to solve it once and for all.”

Luo Jinyi: “…And you just agreed?”

Meng Huaizhi: “Mm.”

Luo Jinyi: “…”

She had come here to tell Meng Huaizhi about Shen Wu’s feelings, but after a few questions, why did it feel like something was wrong everywhere?

According to her logic, it should be: Meng Huaizhi was forced by his grandfather to find someone to marry—Shen Wu, who had a crush on him, took the initiative to offer himself—Meng Huaizhi, considering that he was a younger brother he knew well, agreed.

But Meng Huaizhi said he hadn’t planned to get married.

That’s true. As a grandfather, he couldn’t really joke about his grandson’s marriage.

No matter how she thought about it, it didn’t seem right, but Luo Jinyi could only bite the bullet and continue, “President Meng, does Shen Wu like you?”

She paused and added as if to herself, “To deal with your family, you could have just pretended. Why did you really get the certificate… If it’s not you who likes him, then it’s him who likes you.”

Meng Huaizhi was silent for a few seconds before he said, “He just sees me as an older brother. You don’t know his family situation.”

Shen Wu’s family of four seemed happy and complete, but in reality, it was a blended family. Shen Ping was his half-brother, so their relationship was bound to be more distant than that of full brothers.

Meng Huaizhi had never liked the overly forbearing and deep-minded Shen Ping.

But regardless of Shen Ping, as the youngest son of the family, he had an older brother. It was normal for him to habitually rely on and trust the older brother from a family friend.

Luo Jinyi hadn’t expected Meng Huaizhi to react so nonchalantly to such bombshell news.

Then it was no wonder that Shen Wu would silently hide his feelings.

If she had only suspected Shen Wu’s feelings before, now she was almost certain.

If Shen Wu were to muster up the courage to confess, he might only get a concerned and tolerant, “What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well? Did you lose a game of truth or dare?” from Meng Huaizhi.

More cruel than rejection.

For a person as cold as Meng Huaizhi, even his favoritism was silent. However, it was precisely this kind of favoritism that was particularly precious.

A young boy with a budding heart would easily fall deep into it if he was not careful.

Luo Jinyi thought for a moment and said, “President Meng, do you know that Shen Wu smokes?”

Meng Huaizhi refuted with great certainty, “He doesn’t smoke.”

“He didn’t smoke as a child?”

“He didn’t smoke as a child, and he doesn’t smoke now.”

“Are you sure?”

Meng Huaizhi looked up, his brow slightly furrowed, still firmly believing in his memory. “Mm.”

“Is there a possibility… that because you hate the smell of smoke, he doesn’t smoke in front of you and pretends that he doesn’t? But his addiction should be quite strong, otherwise, he wouldn’t need to have a lollipop in his mouth every day to quit.”

“Lollipop?” Meng Huaizhi repeated in a daze, and many memories were stirred up.

“Wait a moment,” Meng Huaizhi took out his phone and found Shen Ping’s name in his contacts. “I’ll make a call.”

And he got a positive answer from Shen Ping.

“When he was in high school, his worries increased, and the academic pressure was heavy, so Xiao Wu started to smoke,” Shen Ping said. “He knows you hate the smell of smoke and will try his best to endure it. He won’t smoke in front of you. You don’t have to mind too much…”

It was as if he was pleading for his younger brother.

Meng Huaizhi turned a deaf ear and only said, “How could you let a high school student smoke?”

He added in a deep voice, “And he’s your own younger brother.”

The other end of the phone suddenly fell into a dead silence.

Only then did Meng Huaizhi reply to Shen Ping’s “plea.” It seemed to be a question, but without any fluctuation, “Why should I mind?”

He then hung up the phone, not giving Shen Ping any chance to be glib.

Shen Wu had been smoking since he was sixteen, and Meng Huaizhi had been kept in the dark all this time.

There were many sufficient and reasonable explanations for this.

For example, because he was just an outsider with the surname Meng, his understanding of Shen Wu was naturally not as much as Shen Ping’s. Or, because he disliked the smell of smoke, Shen Wu didn’t want to be lectured by an older brother who was not related by blood, so he deliberately hid it in front of him.

Seeing that Luo Jinyi wanted to say something more, Meng Huaizhi spoke first, “Don’t speculate about Shen Wu anymore. You’re just my manager, not his.”

His expression and tone were as cold as usual, without any anger or annoyance, plain but inexplicably intimidating.

Luo Jinyi shut her mouth sheepishly, realizing that she had overstepped.

Just as she was about to turn and leave tactfully, Meng Huaizhi suddenly spoke again, “Why did you tell me all this?”

Luo Jinyi turned back. “You married him to resist the pressure from your family, and neither of you have feelings for each other. That’s fine, it’s a mutually beneficial arrangement. But if he likes you, whether for your sake or for his, should this marriage continue?”

“…You really are my manager,” Meng Huaizhi sighed lightly.

Luo Jinyi’s long speech was all for the sake of Meng Huaizhi’s career, hoping that he would get a divorce.

She had reluctantly and calmly accepted the news of Meng Huaizhi’s secret marriage before because it was already a done deal and irreversible, so she could only find ways to remedy it.

Meng Huaizhi hadn’t expected that she had been silently worrying about this matter all this time.

As the manager of a rising top-tier singer, this was also something she had to worry about.

Luo Jinyi had given Meng Huaizhi a possibility he had never considered.

He was a top-tier star pursued and admired by millions. Even the infatuation and obsession of tens of millions of people were just a passing cloud to him.

But if this feeling came from Shen Wu…

“If it’s true,”

Compared to divorce, Meng Huaizhi seemed to have other considerations. His dark pupils under his long lashes were heavy, his emotions unclear.

His voice suddenly softened, and a hint of an imperceptible ripple appeared in his cold tone.

“Then I owe him too much.”

Luo Jinyi didn’t react for a moment and said blankly, “Owe him what?”

Meng Huaizhi didn’t continue.

He looked down at his wrist, the upside-down “M,” which became a “W” symbolizing Shen Wu.

The tattoo he got when he was eighteen would be the most intimate mark Shen Wu would leave on him in this life.

Of course… he had gotten this tattoo himself.

It was his one-sided wish.

Towards a fourteen-year-old boy.

And now, Luo Jinyi was telling him that it might not have been one-sided.