Chapter 2
But Su Yunzhe wasn’t so easy to deal with.
Sitting behind his desk, eyes fixed on a document, he didn’t spare Shen Yan a glance before dismissively throwing out a single word, “Go!”
“But…”
“Or the contract is void.”
Shen Yan tried to negotiate, but Su Yunzhe’s sharp response left him speechless.
He rolled his eyes internally, wanting to retort, “Void it then!” But clearly, he didn’t have the guts.
After all, after paying rent and buying a few essentials, he was nearly broke. For now, he had to rely on his sugar daddy to get by.
So, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go along with it.
Resigned, he sat back down and, with an innocent tone, said, “If President Su wants me to go, I’ll go. But I don’t have clothes for that kind of event, and I can’t afford any.”
That was the truth. After leaving Duan Yang’s house, all he had was a dress he’d “borrowed” from the cleaning lady.
Over the past few days, he’d bought a few changes of clothes, but they were cheap street market finds, definitely not suitable for a high-end event.
Hearing this, Su Yunzhe finally looked up at him.
Shen Yan had his hair tied in a ponytail, wearing a white T-shirt with a black-and-white checkered skirt, exposing a stretch of fair, slender legs, paired with white sneakers. It was a fresh look but certainly inappropriate for tonight’s occasion.
Su Yunzhe glanced at him briefly, then dialed his assistant, Lu Xiaoqing, and motioned toward Shen Yan with a nod. “Get her a gown.”
Lu Xiaoqing nodded, then smiled at Shen Yan as she approached. “Miss Shen, do you have any specific requirements for the dress?”
Shen Yan had a good impression of Lu Xiaoqing. She was the one who had helped him when he first came to sign the contract, and even escorted him downstairs afterward.
He smiled. “Just something simple, not too revealing. And no high heels. I’ll leave the rest to you, Sister Lu. Oh, and if possible, a necklace with a wide band.”
Shen Yan didn’t know much about women’s clothes. Even if asked, he couldn’t articulate any particular preferences. The only thing he was sure of was that he couldn’t handle wearing high heels.
Besides, tonight he was just going through the motions. What he wore, or how good it looked, didn’t matter much to him.
However…
He couldn’t help but raise a hand and awkwardly touch his neck, where he had used makeup to create a subtle shadow, visually concealing his Adam’s apple. But upon closer inspection, the deception was still visible.
Normally, he only dressed as a woman when meeting Su Yunzhe, who clearly wasn’t the most observant person. Shen Yan even suspected that, without makeup, Su Yunzhe still wouldn’t realize he was a man.
But tonight’s event was different. If someone sharp-eyed noticed he was a man, things would get complicated. Not only would Duan Yang find out, but he’d also face the consequences of deceiving Su Yunzhe, who, according to the original novel, despised being lied to.
So, just to be safe, it was better to have something to cover it up.
Lu Xiaoqing worked quickly. An hour later, she returned with the dress, along with matching shoes and accessories.
Su Yunzhe’s office was a suite, with a meeting and office area outside, and a private lounge in the back.
Shen Yan declined Lu Xiaoqing’s offer to help and went into the private area to change by himself.
The gown Lu Xiaoqing had chosen was a simple and elegant off-the-shoulder dress in a light color.
After changing, Shen Yan let down his ponytail, smoothing it out, and after confirming in the mirror that there were no visible flaws, he stepped out.
Lu Xiaoqing had already left for work, leaving only Su Yunzhe in the office, still focused on his documents. His long, slender fingers gripped a pen, signing his name smoothly and decisively after reviewing the contents.
Even upon hearing Shen Yan emerge, he didn’t bother to look up, completely unaware of his role in initially proposing a transactional relationship.
Shen Yan had no interest in getting his approval anyway. He glanced at the time, noticing that the dinner event was still a while away, so he sat back on the sofa. He took out the new phone he had bought just yesterday and opened his writing software, starting to draft the outline for his new book.
In his original world, Shen Yan had been a pampered rich kid, never lacking for money. He didn’t have big ambitions, enjoying daydreaming and making up stories. So, after graduating college, instead of working for the family business, he became a full-time web novelist.
Though he never wrote a breakout hit, he made enough to support himself.
Now, in this world, with only a middle school education, his chances of landing a proper job were slim, so he might as well return to writing.
Once Su Yunzhe finished his work, he pinched the bridge of his nose in fatigue and looked up, only to see Shen Yan lounging on the sofa as if his bones had melted. One hand held the phone, while the other lightly pressed against his lips. His eyes were fixed intently on the screen, brows slightly furrowed, as if deep in thought.
Suddenly, Shen Yan’s eyes lit up, and a bright smile spread across his face. He started typing energetically on his phone, growing more and more animated. His hand moved faster across the screen, like he was playing an enchanting piano melody.
Su Yunzhe’s gaze lingered on Shen Yan’s pale, delicate hands for an extra three seconds before he grabbed his suit jacket and walked out. As he passed by Shen Yan, he coldly tossed out, “We’re leaving.”
Shen Yan was in the middle of a key moment in his writing when the icy voice interrupted him, making him want to explode with frustration.
But when he looked up and saw who it was, his temper immediately vanished. Quickly, he gathered his things and followed, lifting the hem of his long gown.
The anniversary gala for Yunkong Entertainment was being held at Hongye Club, the most upscale venue in H City.
As the largest entertainment company in the country, Yunkong Entertainment boasted numerous top-tier celebrities. Naturally, its anniversary gala was a star-studded event.
Shen Yan had been dragged to similar banquets by his sister before, so he was no stranger to such scenes.
So, when Su Yunzhe abandoned him to go talk to some important figures, Shen Yan didn’t feel awkward. Instead, he grabbed some food and red wine, found a quiet corner, and sat down to eat.
He hadn’t eaten properly in days.
Since escaping from Duan Yang’s villa, Shen Yan hadn’t had a moment to rest.
First, he had to report his lost bank cards, then find a place to live.
He hadn’t realized how much trouble it was to rent a place, though that was mainly because he had no money. If rent weren’t an issue, it would’ve been much easier.
After finally securing a rental, he had to clean and furnish the place, buying everything from scratch, down to socks and underwear.
With just a few thousand yuan left after paying rent, every penny had to be carefully accounted for. For someone who’d never had to worry about money, it was absolute torture.
After two days of it, Shen Yan swore he’d sprouted a few gray hairs from all the budgeting. How could he have any appetite?
Now, finally, he had a chance to eat, but after just a few bites, someone interrupted him.
“Shen Yan?” A cold voice called out.
Shen Yan, still chewing, paused before looking up, surprised. When he saw who it was, his eyes widened slightly. Then, in a burst of excitement, he blurted, “Duan Yang? You’re Duan Yang, right? The one who played in… in…”
As he spoke, he sprang up excitedly and hurried over to Duan Yang. After a moment of thinking hard, a helpless expression appeared on his face. “Ah, it’s my fault. I got so nervous seeing a big star that I blanked out. I’ve watched all your movies, but now I can’t remember any titles.”
He seemed genuinely disappointed in himself, tilting his head and tapping it lightly as if trying to jog his memory.
The way he acted… he looked exactly like a fangirl meeting her idol.
Duan Yang frowned, staring at him. For a moment, he was taken aback, wondering if he had mistaken him for someone else.