◎Do It at Home◎
“It’s too hot here.”
Song Chan casually made an excuse, lifted her hand to touch her burning hot face, turned her head to lean closer to the host, and simply stopped looking at him.
The host very tactfully chimed in: “ZE Fashion is so generous; they’ve got the live venue’s heating cranked up full blast.”
“I see the camera guy over there wiping sweat too.”
She brushed it off with a joke, and the live stream had already reached its end.
After the host wrapped up the final promotions, Su Yicen and Song Chan randomly drew 10 audience members and gave away signed copies of the 20th Anniversary Issue.
The live stream finally ended smoothly.
The director clapped his hands, praising the two of them: “The live stream was a complete success today! Thank you for your hard work, Teachers.”
Amid everyone’s celebratory cheers, the temporary live venue was quickly dismantled. The first thing they moved was that background board that had smacked Song Chan several times.
Su Yicen and Song Chan didn’t move, standing amid the bustling crowd, looking somewhat out of place.
“Is your head okay?” Su Yicen suddenly asked her.
Song Chan froze for a moment, not reacting.
Su Yicen lowered his gaze, his eyes flicking to the top of her head: “It hit three times—did it really knock you silly?”
“I’m fine.” Song Chan shot back irritably: “Are you okay? That hit on you sounded louder than my three combined.”
At that, Su Yicen’s lips curved slightly: “At least you’ve got a conscience. I didn’t block it for you for nothing.”
ZE Fashion’s schedule was over, and Su Yicen had other engagements to rush to next.
Seeing that Song Chan had no intention of leaving, he asked: “Does Teacher Song have anything else?”
“If not, I’ll head out first.”
Song Chan pursed her lips. She still hadn’t gotten his pre-interview from him. The “wait a second” on the tip of her tongue hadn’t come out yet when the host’s voice rang out nearby.
“Teacher Su, please wait a moment.”
In just a few minutes, the host returned in a new outfit. She was a beautiful woman who had let down her bound-up braids, her long hair reaching her waist with an outstanding air of elegance.
Smiling, she walked to Su Yicen’s side, seemingly ignoring Song Chan entirely.
“Teacher Su, could we take a photo together?”
Though phrased as a question, her phone’s front camera was already open.
A group photo was no big deal, so Su Yicen looked at Song Chan. Seeing no change in her expression, he raised a brow and turned sideways.
“Teacher Song, how about joining us for the photo?”
This was clearly nothing like what the host had planned, but she couldn’t openly object and could only hope Song Chan would refuse.
Song Chan wasn’t stupid. She dealt with all sorts of temperamental people at the company every day and naturally knew what the host was thinking. She also understood what the man in front of her meant.
After all, she couldn’t lose face for Su Yicen in front of others, but she didn’t want to offend the host either.
Song Chan came up with a compromise. She called out to the other staff: “Everyone, stop what you’re doing for a sec. Let’s take a commemorative photo.”
And so, what was supposed to be a three-person shot turned into a massive group photo of dozens of people.
As the core figures of the live stream, Su Yicen naturally stood in the center. He had no opinion on it at first, but he saw right through the host’s deliberate attempt to sidle up close to him.
Facing the crowd’s gazes, Su Yicen took half a step back to widen the distance between them and pulled Song Chan to the center.
“Teacher Song is in charge of the 20th Anniversary Issue, so she should be in the C position.”
With that, he glanced up at the host, his gaze carrying invisible pressure.
“We follow the host’s lead. Right?”
His stare was too sharp; the host didn’t dare say more and could only agree: “Teacher Su is right.”
After the photo, the host showed no sign of leaving. She pulled out that famous breakout photo of Su Yicen and asked: “Could I trouble Teacher Su for a signature?”
As long as requests stayed reasonable and at an appropriate distance, Su Yicen generally didn’t refuse fans.
He nodded slightly, took the photo and pen, and scrawled his signature with a flourish.
Seeing Song Chan looking over from the side, he asked her: “Do you want one too?”
Song Chan subconsciously wanted to refuse, but she thought of Qian Ya fangirling and how Qian Ya had asked her to get a signature from Su Yicen on the way over.
She nodded: “Yeah, give me one.”
But obviously, she had nothing prepared. Su Yicen chuckled helplessly. He’d truly never imagined a time when his signature would be hard to give away.
He shook the pen in his hand and said to the host: “Mind if I borrow this?”
From his suit pocket, he pulled out a white eyeglass cloth. Su Yicen carefully wrote his name on it stroke by stroke.
He folded the signed eyeglass cloth neatly and stuffed it into Song Chan’s hand, instructing her.
“Don’t just give this to anyone casually.”
The conference room had mostly emptied out. Song Chan pocketed the eyeglass cloth with his signature and was just about to ask Su Yicen to do the pre-interview before leaving.
Right then, Feng Zheng arrived to pick him up for the next engagement. Su Yicen walked up to her unhurriedly.
His eyes flicked up at the corners, a glint in his deep gaze, completely ignoring Feng Zheng’s urging.
He said to her: “Could I get a photo with Teacher Song?”
Song Chan was a bit stunned: “Didn’t we just take one?”
“That’s different.” Su Yicen stood beside her: “A photo with my collaborator shouldn’t be too much, right?”
It really wasn’t, and there was no good reason to refuse.
Seeing her tacit approval, Su Yicen called Feng Zheng over to take it.
Feng Zheng grumbled: “Ancestral boss, we’re gonna be late over there.”
But knowing he couldn’t win against him, he quickly pulled out his phone from his bag and fiddled with the focus.
On the phone screen, the two of them were spaced so far apart they were almost out of frame.
Feng Zheng waved his hand: “Do you two have some deep grudge? Can you scoot closer?”
Song Chan sighed and reluctantly stepped closer to Su Yicen. But he took a step toward her, nearly pressing right up against her.
She shifted sideways a step and reminded him: “Partners taking a photo should keep a normal social distance.”
“Okay.” Su Yicen agreed and stepped back half a pace.
The distance between them could still fit another person, but at least they fit on screen now.
Feng Zheng looked at the two on the screen: one radiant and showing a rare smile, the other stunningly beautiful but expressionless, looking utterly perfunctory.
As a competent manager and photographer, how could Feng Zheng tolerate such a composition?
He held the phone with one hand and leaned in: “Teacher Song, could you get a bit closer to Yicen and smile?”
“Troublesome.” She muttered, though reluctant, she cooperated for the sake of a smooth pre-interview.
Her lips curved into a stiff smile as she leaned toward the person beside her.
“Good, good!” Feng Zheng nailed the angle: “Three, two, one…”
The moment the shutter clicked, Song Chan felt the person next to her shift closer again. She looked up and met Su Yicen’s eyes staring right at her.
The flash went off, capturing the moment perfectly.
Feng Zheng, witnessing it, felt like he’d been fed a faceful of PDA. He grimaced: “You two shooting an idol drama? With the deep affectionate gaze and all.”
Song Chan averted her eyes and stepped back to Feng Zheng, asking: “Can I see that photo just now?”
She didn’t know why she’d suddenly said that, only thinking how to dodge Su Yicen and avoid developing an irregular heartbeat at such a young age.
Feng Zheng had no issue and reached to hand her the phone. But before she could take it, a hand from the side intercepted.
Su Yicen’s tone was cool: “Let me see.”
She tried to grab it, but Su Yicen was too tall. With one raise of his arm, she couldn’t reach, so she resorted to threatening.
“Su Yicen, don’t push it.”
He didn’t care, his fingers quickly tapping on the screen: “Teacher Song must be joking. What did I do?”
With that, he smirked in satisfaction, held the phone overhead, and handed it back to Song Chan.
He told Feng Zheng: “It’s too ugly. I deleted it.”
Song Chan checked the album—nothing but file screenshots, no group photo. She handed the phone back to Feng Zheng.
“Sorry about that.”
“No problem.” Feng Zheng took it back, face unchanged as he opened WeChat. Sure enough, he’d spotted that the supposedly deleted photo was quietly sitting in his chat with Su Yicen.
He quietly backed out without poking at Su Yicen’s intentions.
Glancing at the time, he urged again: “No other business for you two Teachers this time, right?”
“Yicen, we’re really gonna be late if we don’t go.”
“Let’s go.”
Su Yicen was in high spirits, striding ahead, but turned back to wave at Song Chan.
“Looking forward to seeing Teacher Song next time. Here’s to a pleasant collaboration.”
The staff who’d moved the sofas earlier returned to continue setting up, and the conference room bustled once more.
Song Chan called after him: “Teacher Su, wait.”
She saw Su Yicen pause mid-stride, but only for that instant before he resumed his normal pace.
He walked too fast; the distance between them kept widening. Song Chan had to call louder.
“Teacher Su, wait!”
His steps didn’t slow a bit.
Song Chan had to jog a couple steps, cut in front of him to block his path: “I’m calling you—didn’t you hear?”
Su Yicen fell silent. He just wanted her to take the initiative and approach him once.
“I hear you now.”
“So, does Teacher Song have something for me?”
Seeing him like this, Song Chan fumed. Though she felt their distance had closed quite a bit, she hadn’t expected such a teasing side hidden under his aloof exterior.
Irritated, she said: “Do the pre-interview before you go.”
“With Teacher Song?”
Song Chan: “Who else?”
“Oh.” Su Yicen agreed, glanced at his watch, stepped back to circle around her, leaned down close to her ear, and murmured softly.
“No time. We’ll do it at home.”
His deliberately drawn-out tone was loaded with meaning, stirring ripples in her heart. Song Chan dodged Su Yicen’s gaze, her face flushing red.
Snapping back, she chased after him.
“Work time is for work. I’ve got other things to do when I get back.”
Seeing her blush, Su Yicen teased: “Teacher Song, if you’re up for doing some other things…”
“I’d be happy to keep you company.”