Mistaken Canary Chapter 24 (Part 2)
Chapter 24.2
The lounge was located within the office building, so the three of them took the elevator from the top floor to the eighth floor. Inside, people were bustling, and two bodyguards were stationed at the door.
Zhuo Shu casually shoved his hands into his pockets and glanced at Ying Tongchen. Seeing him walk in first, he smirked and followed, his mood complacent, a smug satisfaction settling over him.
When he reached Ying Tongchen’s side, he lowered his voice, “Since you did a stellar job today, I’ll lend you a hand.”
“With what?” Ying Tongchen shot him a sidelong glance. “To watch the crowd fawn over someone else?”
“Exactly.” Zhuo Shu’s gaze drifted toward the dressing room, where Liu Li'ang was being readied by a flurry of staff, “You’re both human, but why’s there such a stark difference? Look at his scene, and then at yours. Aren’t you green with envy? Don’t you feel a pang of jealousy? A touch of bitterness?”
Ying Tongchen: fairy frowning.jpg
“So your goal right now is to undermine me?”
“Half a yes, half a no, I'd say. You’re just too content with being complacent.” Zhuo Shu grinned, clearly trying to provoke him. Besides, maybe Liu Li'ang could help him out, and it wouldn’t hurt to ride on his coattails a little.
Ying Tongchen: “You’re the one who’s f*cking content with mediocrity…”
“Look.” Zhuo Shu jerked his chin in Liu Li'ang’s direction, “So many people are gathered around him. Aren’t you jealous?”
"Heh, not envious in the slightest," Ying Tongchen emphasized, his tone sharp.
Zhuo Shu: "You say you're not envious, but your tone’s practically oozing with it."
"..." Ying Tongchen went silent.
Meanwhile, the agent noticed Zhuo Shu and quickly leaned into Liu Li'ang's ear to whisper, "Nine o’clock direction, Chairman Zhuo from K.W is here to see you. I heard he's been looking into resources in the entertainment industry lately. Make sure you perform well."
Liu Li'ang, currently having eyeliner drawn, rolled his eyes slightly and muttered, "Is this another portly, balding man or a bloated drunk?"
The agent, seeing Zhuo Shu approach, discreetly pinched Liu Li'ang's arm with a smile. "Chairman Zhuo, hello."
"Hello. Do you have sufficient staff here? If you need anything, just contact my secretary," Zhuo Shu said.
Liu Li'ang was immediately captivated by the deep, magnetic voice. As a voice-con this voice was precisely his type. He couldn't help but glance over, his eyelids fluttering as his heart skipped a beat.
The man walking in exuded a commanding aura—tall, dressed impeccably in a suit that fit him like a glove. His features were strikingly handsome, his sharp jawline and intense eyes creating a presence impossible to ignore. One couldn't help but feel drawn into his gaze.
Why hadn't anyone told him that Chairman Zhuo was this devastatingly handsome?!
He was far more attractive than his previous bankroller!
"Ah, Li’ang, hold still, eyeliner’s still being applied," the makeup artist adjusted his head, using a cotton swab dipped in makeup remover to fix the smudged line and start over.
Liu Li'ang could only force a smile, awkwardly twitching the corners of his mouth as he tried to steal a glance at Zhuo Shu from the corner of his eye. "Chairman Zhuo, sorry I can't look at you properly while I'm getting my makeup done."
"It's fine, carry on. I'm just here to observe," Zhuo Shu said casually, pulling up a chair. "Sit down."
Liu Li'ang was confused for a moment, hearing the sound of someone sitting but still seeing Zhuo Shu standing. In the mirror, he could clearly see a man sitting behind him, his long legs crossed, though his face was obscured by his own head.
Ying Tongchen, bored, had taken a seat and pulled out his phone.
Zhuo Shu glanced down, feeling a mix of frustration and a touch of understanding. It seemed Ying Tongchen was deliberately avoiding engaging with the popular figure, using his phone as a shield.
This meant that this stimulation therapy was working.
In that case, it needs to be applied more frequently.
Zhuo Shu looked at the most favored person in the room, Liu Li'ang, and gave a professional smile. "Mr. Liu, you're quite successful in the entertainment industry, aren't you?"
Liu Li'ang instinctively glanced at his agent. His agent gave him a subtle nod, and he immediately understood. "It's been alright, I guess. There's a lot of competition, and getting into the big screen is still a bit difficult."
"Your recent TV series went viral across all major social networks, that’s far beyond 'alright.' You wouldn’t believe the struggles some people face in this industry," Zhuo Shu said, glancing seemingly casually at a certain someone who was staring down at their phone. "There are still quite a few people in the industry who haven’t even made a name for themselves."
"Exactly—to really establish a foothold, you have to keep striving," Liu Li'ang replied.
"Exactly. But some salted fish just keep being lazy, so what can you do?"
"Then make them suffer a bit. They’ll quickly learn the consequences of constant inaction."
Suffer? Zhuo Shu fell silent for a few seconds, starting to wonder if he had been too kind to a certain salted fish with the surname Ying, to the point where it was making him even more complacent.
The more he thought about it, the more it seemed to make sense. After all, the Bentley Ying Tongchen drove today was something he'd given him.
The fact that he dared to speed in it illustrated his fondness for it.. He even wanted to nap inside the car. That was just beyond reasonable limits.
"Thank you, Mr. Liu, for your insightful advice," Zhuo Shu said knowingly.
Liu Li'ang: What advice???
While Liu Li'ang was still trying to decipher his meaning, he suddenly heard Zhuo Shu command, "Return the car back to me."
"So soon?"
A cold voice cut through the air from behind Liu Li'ang. His makeup was nearly done, so out of curiosity, he turned around and saw a striking profile, the sharp features framed by coldly gleaming glasses.
Though he could only see part of the face, it was enough to reveal a captivating appearance.
Zhuo Shu nodded. "Mhm, if you do well, I'll give it back to you."
Ying Tongchen kept his head turned to the side as he spoke, pursing his lips and thinking for a moment. "How about I return it in a couple of days? It'll help with publicity, so you don’t lose face."
Hearing that, Zhuo Shu felt a surge of satisfaction. "Alright, then. I'll let you keep it a little longer."
"Mm."
Liu Li'ang: "..." This conversation felt way too f*cking familiar. He recalled back when he was still a trainee, he'd used to act the same way, begging his bankroller for a car.
With that thought, he couldn't help but glance at the man wearing glasses, wondering: Were keeping serious-looking canaries the trend now?
Just then, the man turned his head, and unexpectedly, their eyes met briefly. He politely said, "Hello."
Liu Li'ang froze for a second, staring at his face. For a heartbeat, he forgot to respond.
"I'm heading home now." Ying Tongchen, feeling bored out of his mind, decided the celebrity ‘sightseeing tour’ had gone on long enough. He stood up and left.
Zhuo Shu didn’t linger either. The two of them walked out the door, one after the other.
"Wait!" Liu Li'ang suddenly rushed out, grabbing Ying Tongchen's arm, examining him closely. "Hey, handsome, haven’t we met somewhere before?"
Ying Tongchen looked into his eyes and shook his head. "No, I don’t think so."
Zhuo Shu furrowed his brows, his gaze radiating a threatening aura as he looked at Liu Li'ang. How dare he use such clumsy flirting tactics on his person? With a sneer, he said, "Take your hand off him. This lazy salted fish is not someone a person like you can touch."
Ying Tongchen: Fairy frowning.jpg
"Oh, my apologies." Liu Li'ang quickly withdrew his hand, emphasizing again, "I really feel like I've seen you before. What’s your name?"
Before Ying Tongchen could speak, Zhuo Shu cut in, "His name is Dah Dee*."
(TLN: For those who are confused, please read that name 10 times, fast 🤭)
Liu Li'ang: "......"
Ying Tongchen: "......"
"R—Really?" Liu Li'ang asked weakly.
"Mhm, that’s right." Ying Tongchen decided that from now on, this would be his nickname.
.
.
.
Author's Note: The "Chairman losing his name series"—I get Zhuo Silly, but what’s with "Zhuo Mollycolly," hahahaha.