"What are you talking about?"
"We're talking about that woman you just served, the one who gets to eat for free for a month!"
"Huh? Her? I've never seen a man like that before! Paying for that woman's meals for a month! And lying to her saying it's a restaurant promotion..."
Shen Tong didn't hear what they said next, only the phrase "lying to her saying it's a restaurant promotion" stuck in her mind. In that instant, she understood this bizarre, strange situation. No wonder it was free - someone was paying for it behind the scenes. Shen Tong immediately thought of who that person might be. It must be Liang Xiaoyuan. He was always quietly helping her from behind, giving her the greatest support. Even though she had hurt him with that incident, he was still quietly encouraging her in such a subtle, gentle way. Her heart was filled with emotion, and she wanted nothing more than to see Liang Xiaoyuan right away.
Thinking of this, Shen Tong's mind went blank as she rushed out of the bathroom shouting, "Did that man just leave?"
The three waitresses were all startled and shook their heads in unison, saying, "No."
Hearing this, Shen Tong rushed to the center of the restaurant, looking left and right for Liang Xiaoyuan. Suddenly she saw Liang Xiaoyuan preparing to leave the restaurant and shouted, "Liang Xiaoyuan! Stop right there!"
Everyone in the restaurant turned to look at Shen Tong. Liang Xiaoyuan turned back in surprise, looking for the source of the voice, and discovered it was Shen Tong.
Shen Tong ran over, panting as she said, "It was you."
Liang Xiaoyuan didn't speak, silently acknowledging.
"Let's sit down and talk," Shen Tong said, pulling Liang Xiaoyuan towards the café.
After sitting down and catching her breath, Shen Tong said awkwardly, "Thank you."
"No need to thank me," Liang Xiaoyuan said gently, his jet-black eyes filled with tenderness.
"No," Shen Tong immediately said, "And I'm sorry."
Liang Xiaoyuan understood and said, "Actually, I was also in the wrong last time." The weight in his heart gradually lifted, and the two of them seemed to have reconciled.
"Although we each work for our own artists, sometimes I'm too selfish. I clearly made mistakes in this matter too," Shen Tong said, lowering her head.
"It's not really your fault. It's just that day, I felt like you weren't the Shen Tong I knew. Although you do love money and can be sharp-tongued sometimes, you've always been able to distinguish right from wrong. That day, you seemed very strange to me," Liang Xiaoyuan poured out his true feelings.
"Although Chen Xiaoyong is jealous, she is still my artist after all. Sometimes I have no choice but to act for her benefit. I'm really sorry about that day. In the future, I'll do my best to manage Chen Xiaoyong better and strictly prevent such incidents from happening," Shen Tong said sincerely.
As both of them spoke calmly and openly, the atmosphere improved greatly, and their relationship became much less awkward than before.
"Actually, I'm a person who really loves money. Maybe it's just my nature," Shen Tong's face was full of confusion. "Sometimes I feel like nothing is as reliable as money. It seems like only money can give me a sense of security. So at that time, I was only thinking about how to handle the situation and not lose my job. Sometimes I feel like I..." She covered her face with her hands, showing Liang Xiaoyuan a vulnerability he had never seen before. Her small frame trembled slightly, her eyes reddening.
Liang Xiaoyuan's eyes were full of pity, his expression one of concern. He reached out to stroke Shen Tong's back, moving his hand up and down, slowly consoling her, "Don't say anymore. There are some things we can't control, but we can try to change. Perhaps looking at things from a different perspective will open up new possibilities. Don't push yourself too hard."
"Mm, I know. But..." Shen Tong's voice started to choke up as she spoke.
Liang Xiaoyuan's warm, sturdy hand patted Shen Tong's back, making her feel both comforted and aggrieved. It was as if all the hardships of so many years were transmitted through her back to his hand, then flying away through his palm. Those grievances seemed to have found an outlet. She held back her tears, but her expression was more sorrowful than if she had cried.
After a while, Shen Tong regained her composure. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and said, "It turns out being comforted feels so good. I even won a prize." The vulnerability in her eyes seemed to flicker a few times before disappearing without a trace. Her face displayed her usual smile, and her bright eyes regained their spirit.
Liang Xiaoyuan withdrew his hand, smiling awkwardly, and said, "At that time, I didn't know how to comfort you. Knowing you love money, I came up with this idea."
Shen Tong smiled mischievously, "Anyway, I graciously accepted it."
"Now that you know, haven't I lost out?" Although Liang Xiaoyuan said this, his expression remained gentle. "This won't do. I need to be present when you eat, otherwise you might order a lot of expensive dishes. Won't my wallet be empty soon?"
"Cheapskate, how much can I eat?" Shen Tong retorted.
Seeing Shen Tong regain her spirit, Liang Xiaoyuan felt relieved. After deliberating for a long time, he still decided to ask her about what happened today.
"By the way, today with Xia Zixuan," Liang Xiaoyuan paused before continuing, "What happened?"
"Nothing," Shen Tong seemed to avoid the topic.
"Really? I saw that after he left, your expression... wasn't good," Liang Xiaoyuan noticed Shen Tong's surprised gaze and quickly explained, "I was just worried about you, so I... followed you." His voice grew softer towards the end until it disappeared, his face clouded with doubt.
"It's really nothing. Thank you," Shen Tong thought about the matter and felt a headache coming on, forcing a smile.
"If there's anything I can help with, just let me know," Liang Xiaoyuan looked at her with concern.
Being around Liang Xiaoyuan always felt reassuring. Shen Tong looked at him and recounted the day's events, concluding with, "I'll figure something out!"
Liang Xiaoyuan listened silently for a while before saying, "How about this? I know quite a few directors. I can ask around to see if there are any good TV dramas or movies, or any shows that your two artists could participate in."
"Thank you so much!" Shen Tong exclaimed joyfully, her eyes fixed on Liang Xiaoyuan.
"Don't provoke Xia Zixuan anymore. He's dangerous too," Liang Xiaoyuan said nervously. More importantly, he felt uncomfortable seeing Xia Zixuan and Shen Tong together.
"That's all I can do to help you," Liang Xiaoyuan looked at her tenderly and said, "If you need anything in the future, don't hesitate to ask. Just order this humble servant around."
"Then this humble queen will order this milk tea!" Shen Tong said with a grin. The weight in her heart had finally been lifted. It really was best not to argue with Liang Xiaoyuan.
The two of them returned to their usual state of casually having milk tea or meals together whenever they had the chance.
This was the first time Liang Xiaoyuan and Shen Tong had met since reconciling, and it was at the company.
"The director wants to see you," Manager Wang came to notify her again. Actually, Manager Wang was afraid Shen Tong would speak ill of him, trying to make herself look good in comparison.
"Little Shen, I've always treated you well, haven't I?" Manager Wang asked with a smile.
Shen Tong, feeling nervous, still spoke sweetly, "Manager Wang treats all of us very well!"
Manager Wang's smile widened, and he quickly said, "Not at all, it's what I should do. So with the general manager and director..." He deliberately left the second half of the sentence unfinished, waiting for Shen Tong's reaction.
"Of course I won't speak ill of you. I'll need to rely on you a lot in the future. It's just a pity that as a lowly person like me, I can't really say much to the general manager and director. Otherwise, I would definitely tell them in detail about how good you've been to us!" Shen Tong smiled obediently, her words as sweet as honey. She knew clearly that she couldn't offend anyone in the company and needed to maintain good relationships. One more connection meant one more path.
Manager Wang smiled at Shen Tong and said, "You're such a good employee. You'll definitely have a bright future!"
Shen Tong thanked him profusely. After Manager Wang left, her face was full of doubt. What could it be? It was the first time she had been called to meet at the company. Could it be because of the favor she had asked last time? Shen Tong's heart leaped with joy.
As soon as she entered the office, she saw Liang Xiaoyuan's face full of worry, though he was still gentle towards her.
"Shen Tong, I've talked to all the directors I know. They all say there are no suitable roles for Su Xiao," Liang Xiaoyuan said helplessly.
"What about Chen Xiaoyong?" Shen Tong quickly asked.
"There are actually a few roles. The directors say it's possible. One is with Director Li, whom you've already met. The other is actually just a minor role, a small part," Liang Xiaoyuan said.
"I understand. Su Xiao isn't famous enough, so no director dares to use him. If things don't go well, it could end in a disaster, so directors don't want to take the risk," Shen Tong said, hitting the nail on the head. "And I know Chen Xiaoyong's personality. She has a big ego, so she probably won't be satisfied with this role."
"However, some variety shows have expressed interest in interviewing both of them," Liang Xiaoyuan said, reaching out to list those shows.
"That's fine too, but given Chen Xiaoyong's personality, she might not participate in small shows. Your efforts might go to waste," Shen Tong said worriedly, sighing before continuing, "But thank you for your hard work!"
Liang Xiaoyuan smiled, his jet-black eyes shining brightly, "It's nothing, just a small effort. I'm just sorry I couldn't be of more help."
"It's alright, you're already much more capable than me!" Shen Tong said, blinking her eyes. "I'll treat you to a meal next time."
With that, Shen Tong closed the door and left, leaving behind Liang Xiaoyuan smiling tenderly.
Back at the studio.
"Here's the recent schedule. Take a look," Shen Tong calmly distributed the papers in her hand, instructing them.
Chen Xiaoyong looked at how much there was, then looked closely at those shows. Her face lengthened, and she complained loudly, "Why is there so much?" She flipped through the papers in her hand and shouted, "And they're all small shows, not popular at all! There's no use in participating!"
Su Xiao maintained his cold and aloof demeanor, but the dissatisfaction in his eyes attacked Shen Tong.
"If you want to be famous, if you want to release albums, you need to increase your exposure. You need to let the audience see you and pay attention to you," Shen Tong explained patiently. "It's not easy to have so many opportunities. Although the shows are small, it's still better than staying in the company all day."
"But there's no need for such a tight schedule every day, right? Besides, participating in these small shows won't make us famous," Chen Xiaoyong brushed away the hair in front of her face, her alluring face full of anger.