Chapter 123: Shen Jixing Has Disappeared

Zhou Yili was somewhat distracted today.

"Didn't we decide the opening track would be on a loop?"

The agent had only just opened the tracklist when he realized that their entire morning of discussion had been a complete waste of time. Unable to contain his frustration any longer, the agent finally shouted, "Are you even listening to me? Is your head so full of wanting to marry Shen Jixing that you can't focus?"

Zhou Yili: "..."

He couldn't really blame the agent for spreading rumors. For some unknown reason, word had leaked today, and the entire company was gossiping that the esteemed actor Shen called Zhou Yili "hubby" in private.

It didn't take long for the agent to figure out who had started the rumor.

"Stop spouting such blatant truths."

Zhou Yili curled his lips in a nonchalant smirk, then went back to revising the documents. His long fingers hovered over the keyboard as he paused to ask, "What was the opening track again?"

The agent: "..."

He finally sensed that something was off. "What's wrong with you today? Why are you so absent-minded?"

Zhou Yili couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Just then, the office door pushed open. Xiongxiong, having bought afternoon tea, came in to pay his respects to the "Empress Dowager." Though he was on Shen Jixing’s payroll, he had effectively become one of Zhou Yili’s subordinates.

Zhou Yili tapped his long fingers against the desk. "Little Raccoon, come here."

Xiongxiong: "?!"

"Who's a little raccoon? My legal name is Xiong Chumo."

Xiongxiong was not the type to easily bow to Zhou Yili just because the final result would be a glittering, star-studded romance.

Zhou Yili replied with a lazy, "Oh, so you're a bear, then. Come here."

Xiongxiong instantly lost all his strength and resolve.

"What is your brother’s schedule like later?" Zhou Yili asked.

Shen Jixing’s schedule was drawn up by Pei Ming, but it was Xiongxiong who arranged the transport and handled the notifications. Xiongxiong knew it by heart, but he said, "There’s nothing on the schedule."

"A lot of endorsements were looking for my brother, but he said he wasn't taking any for the time being. The director of that variety show begged him to sign on for another season, but he didn't agree to that either."

Zhou Yili thought to himself: *That settles it, then.*

He had been feeling restless all day. Since Shen Jixing had nothing going on, he would have to keep the man by his side—even if he had to tie him there. He decided he was going to bring his beautiful "ornament," Shen Jixing, along to work.

Zhou Yili weighed his options and asked casually, "Why didn't he agree?"

"Because you were busy."

As soon as Xiongxiong finished the sentence, he noticed Zhou Yili had frozen.

"I’m just guessing, just guessing!" Xiongxiong realized how suggestive that sounded. "My brother didn't actually say that, but I think it’s highly likely. After all, my brother has already sacrificed a lot of endorsements for your sake..."

The words hung in the air.

The entire atmosphere turned deathly silent.

Even the agent looked on, suspicious and gossipy. "Sacrificed a lot of endorsements? Wasn't Shen Jixing’s contract terminated because of the fallout from the trending topics?"

Zhou Yili’s dark eyes fixed on Xiongxiong.

A chill ran down Xiongxiong’s spine.

He bolted from the office. "It’s over, I let it slip! If my brother finds out, he’s going to kill me, ahhhh!!!"

The agent looked at the young assistant as if he were a complete idiot.

"What kind of nonsense is that? You weren't even involved with Shen Jixing back then, so how could he... you don't actually believe that, do you?"

It wasn't that Zhou Yili believed it. It was just that he had always had his suspicions.

Shen Jixing’s incident had broken out so suddenly, with public opinion exploding in a short time. By the time he found out—just an hour late—Shen Jixing had already successfully extricated himself and arrived at his doorstep, falling asleep on his sofa, looking exhausted and docile.

Zhou Yili had been trying to find out who the whistleblower was, but he couldn't find a trace. His best guess had been Boyu, but Boyu didn't want Shen Jixing to leave. Even the wire-snapping incident had ended all too conveniently; he hadn't even had time to investigate before the culprit was caught.

It seemed as though Shen Jixing had been quietly protecting him all along.

"Impossible. That’s too ridiculous."

Zhou Yili didn't buy it. "How could he deliberately make himself look so pitiful just because he wanted to come find me?"

Shen Jixing wasn't a fool.

"He could have just come to see me normally. Given his ability to seduce people, it’s not like I wouldn't have taken the bait..."

The agent was just about to leave when his lips twitched. "You’re actually proud of that?"

Such shameless, unearned confidence.

Zhou Yili simply felt that Shen Jixing was not someone who would compromise or give anything up for the sake of others, nor was there any need to.

"Just ask him and you'll find out," the agent said with a laugh. "You love-struck fool."