After accepting the new job, the Best Actor rose early alongside Dr. Jin.
As was his habit, he dropped Jin Yan off at the hospital before returning to the seaside villa to share another brunch with his parents. After the meal, he moved to the backyard, reclining in a rattan chair to enjoy a rare moment of sunshine.
After dozing for a while, his manager called. Zhou Shu picked up.
"Zhou Shu, is it convenient to talk?"
"It is. I’m lying down, soaking up the sun."
"You’re enjoying yourself far too much!" the manager exclaimed, his voice dripping with envy. "In this entire entertainment industry, I doubt there’s a second person who could be so leisurely while under a forced suspension."
Zhou Shu reached out to brush away a falling leaf, murmuring, "That’s only because you haven’t met enough people."
"Fine, fine, I won’t get into a debate with you. Let’s talk business. The partner’s side has finalized everything and sent over a contract. I’ve looked it over; there are no issues, so I’ve already forwarded it to Julia. The company’s representative happens to be willing to come to Haicheng, so you won’t have to toss and turn all the way back to the capital. I’ll have Julia go with you when the time comes."
"Alright." Zhou Shu processed the information, then asked, "Anything else?"
The manager sighed, sounding helpless. "Nothing else. I won’t disturb the Best Actor’s sunbathing. Julia will arrange the specific itinerary and timing; she’ll likely call you later."
"Okay, I understand. Thanks for the hard work."
Zhou Shu hung up after a polite thank you. He figured Julia must be swamped lately and that he probably wouldn't receive that call for a few days.
As it turned out, his prediction was entirely wrong. Not ten minutes later, Julia’s phone call came through.
"Hi, Shu-ge, did you miss me?" The voice on the other end was as charmingly obnoxious as ever.
Zhou Shu gave a cold snort. "It seems you’ve been dreaming quite a bit lately." Recalling the events of the pet shop opening the previous day, his hidden gossiping heart began to stir. "So, about you and Goofy..."
Before he could finish the question, the owner of that obnoxious voice burst into laughter.
"Oh my, I didn't realize our Best Actor was actually a Gossip Alpha?" After her bout of sarcasm, Julia gave a rare serious answer. "I invited him to stay at my place. Old Zhu has met him."
Zhou Shu was stunned. He truly hadn't expected things to move in this direction. He had a faint feeling that Gou Feifei meant something different to Julia, but he hadn't expected that man could truly be tamed one day.
"Congratulations." The gossiping Best Actor knew when to stop, and the two began discussing work.
Julia had already organized all the materials within the last half hour and had scheduled a meeting with the representative for tomorrow afternoon. Apparently, the other side intended to have Zhou Shu shoot several product sets immediately; they would provide the photography and other set designs themselves.
Consequently, with high efficiency, Julia had already booked the photography studio they frequently collaborated with in Haicheng for the day after tomorrow at noon.
Zhou Shu noted the time and specific requirements in his memos, then took a screenshot and sent it to Jin Yan.
Before long, he received a reply.
[Okay, Ge. Go and work hard, I’ll be fine.]
Zhou Shu was amused to the point of laughter by this "green tea" feigning of martyrdom. Not to be outdone, he sent a reply back.
[You work hard too, Dr. Jin.]
[...]
In the blink of an eye, it was time for the appointment with the brand representative the following day. Julia arrived early to pick him up and give him a simple styling. In an instant, the two of them donned the imposing aura of power players in the entertainment industry.
Over the years, Julia had served not only as an assistant but also as a semi-bodyguard. Whenever she donned her "battle robes," she adopted a "slay anyone in her path" attitude. It was no wonder the hashtag #JuliaDominantlyProtectsHerHusband had trended back then.
The brand representatives were already waiting for them at the agreed location. The contact person couldn't hide her excitement upon seeing Zhou Shu.
"Hello, Movie King Zhou. It is truly an honor to finally meet you. My name is Ella." She politely extended her hand, and Zhou Shu responded with a light, half-palm handshake.
"Hello."
After a few pleasantries, Ella took out the documents in her hand.
"We already sent the company profile and cooperation details to your agency and Ms. Julia. This document contains the specific details for this collaboration."
Zhou Shu took the materials and gave them a cursory glance. "Four looks, six sets of product photos."
"Yes, there are six pieces of jewelry in total: three necklaces and three rings." Ella pointed to the catalog. "Two of the sets involve wearing multiple pieces, so four looks are sufficient."
Julia looked at the sample catalog and realized this jewelry brand truly had a keen eye. This collection suited Zhou Shu’s temperament perfectly—cold and elegant. However, she wondered if the Best Actor could easily manage the hint of "softness" revealed from within now that he was away from Zhou Duo.
While Julia and Ella finalized the styling details, the Best Actor idly flipped through their company profile.
The jewelry brand was called *Elves*, named after the "elves who make gifts for Santa Claus." The new products they wanted Zhou Shu to endorse were also inspired by "Christmas." They intended to use the Christmas season to break into the domestic market.
In recent years, more and more people in the country had begun celebrating Christmas, with its popularity sometimes even surpassing many traditional festivals. Zhou Shu didn't consider this a matter of worshiping foreign things; it was just like how many countries around the world celebrated the Lunar New Year. Humans weren't that different, after all, and festivals were simply a way to express joy.
He flipped through a few color pages and found himself genuinely admiring the brand. In particular, their couple rings were each endowed with a unique meaning. Zhou Shu suddenly felt a strong desire to meet the designer.
"Ella, I don't mean to interrupt, but I wanted to ask if your brand's designer is also based overseas?"
"It's my fault for not introducing him just now. Our brand's designer is the founder himself. He has insisted on drawing his own sketches for years; every design is his own concept." Ella smiled as she opened the first page of the company brochure. Zhou Shu looked at the handsome Alpha pictured there, then tilted his head slightly toward Julia.
Clearly, Julia caught Zhou Shu’s provocative look. She raised a cold eyebrow at him, as if to say, "I'm currently immune to all poisons."
"By the way, if I may be so bold as to ask, would it be convenient for Movie King Zhou to meet our boss?" Ella said. "He likes your work very much and has always wanted to find an opportunity to collaborate. If you don't mind, he hopes to treat you to dinner when he comes to Haicheng in a few days."
Zhou Shu paused, lowering his eyes slightly as he glanced toward Julia.
Julia caught his meaning immediately. She leaned forward with a smile.
"We also admire your brand's design and culture, and it would be an honor to meet the designer himself. However, Shu-ge is a public figure and is currently at the center of a storm. We are truly afraid that a private itinerary might stir up some negative effects."
Ella nodded in understanding. "Rest assured, Ms. Julia. Our boss's itinerary is also completely confidential. He has private jets both domestically and abroad, and he is picked up and protected by specialized personnel upon landing. If that is your concern, you can leave it entirely to us."
Seeing Zhou Shu tap his fingers twice, Julia softened her stance. "Then we can discuss the specifics when the time comes. Let's focus on completing tomorrow's work first."
Seeing room for negotiation, Ella’s eyes crinkled as she happily agreed.
The meeting didn't end until near dinner time. They bid Ella farewell and headed toward the parking lot.
At that moment, a dark shadow flashed around a corner of the parking lot, only to vanish into the night an instant later. No one noticed it had ever been there.
After getting into the car, Julia drove straight to the pet hospital. They were each there to pick up their respective Enigmas from work.
And so, the poor Jiang Rong, who had stayed behind at the hospital after work for a pet training class, watched the two couples depart, shedding tears of strength from behind the front desk.
The four of them found a restaurant for dinner. During the meal, Zhou Shu gave Julia a meaningful look.
After seeing the *Elves* couple ring designs that afternoon, an idea had suddenly struck him. He had only just realized that he and Jin Yan hadn't bought couple rings yet; evidently, Jin Yan had forgotten about it as well.
It was just as well that he'd forgotten. This way, Zhou Shu could ask the *Elves* designer in a few days if he could design a pair of rings for them. The price didn't matter, as long as they were unique.
Thus, Zhou Shu gave Julia a mission: find a way to get Jin Yan’s ring size.
Upon receiving her boss’s "secret signal," Julia immediately pulled a ring box from her bag.
"Holy crap! Baby, are you proposing to me?" Gou Feifei, sitting beside her, practically leaped from his seat. Jin Yan watched the boisterous behavior of his "fellow kind" and pressed a hand to his forehead.
"Have some shame. Don't even think about hearing me say, 'If anyone's proposing, it should be you,'" Julia said with a faint, charming smile, exposing Gou Feifei on the spot.
"This is a ring the brand gave us today. It’s a size too big for Shu-ge. Let's see which of you two it fits, and that person can have it." Julia casually placed the ring box to the side. Gou Feifei obediently pinched the small band and tried it on his hand.
Then, everyone present except Jin Yan widened their eyes.
A beaming Gou Feifei exclaimed, "Holy crap! This size is perfect! It’s like it was tailor-made for me!"
Zhou Shu gave a silent, cold laugh, then narrowed his eyes at Julia.
Julia’s eyes darted around. *Crap! It actually fits him that well? It’s over. Shu-ge is going to skin me alive in a minute...*
Seeing the plan go awry, Julia decided to just go for broke. She snatched the ring off Gou Feifei’s hand and tossed it in front of Jin Yan.
"Everyone gets a turn. You try it too."
"..." Zhou Shu turned his head away, silently gritting his teeth.
Once Gou Feifei realized what was happening, he began to whimper with a look of grievance.
But to everyone's surprise, Jin Yan was unexpectedly cooperative. He tried it on, and the size was actually a perfect fit as well...
Julia’s lips twitched a few times. She beckoned to Jin Yan. "Alright, give it back. First come, first served."
Zhou Shu was completely speechless. He shifted his weight several times, sitting in awkward restlessness.
Jin Yan unconcernedly took the ring off and handed it back, then squeezed Zhou Shu’s hand. "What’s wrong, Ge? Are you uncomfortable?"
"Yes, I’m uncomfortable," Zhou Shu said, his eyes darting toward Julia.
But on the other side, whether they were simply too busy to pay him any mind or were intentionally avoiding eye contact, the two of them were currently in the throes of passion while putting the ring on.
Jin Yan leaned closer to Zhou Shu’s ear. Zhou Shu turned his head to look at him.
"Then we’ll head back right after dinner. I’ll make you feel comfor—"
"Shut up!"
"Okay, Ge."
***
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
Elves | Elves | The name of the jewelry brand.
艾拉 | Ella | The brand representative for Elves.
指围 | Ring size | Literally "finger circumference."
朱丽丽 | Julia | Zhou Shu's assistant/manager.
苟飞飞 | Gou Feifei | Julia's partner.
江荣 | Jiang Rong | An employee at the pet hospital.
