Chapter 100: Hot Pot Gathering

Tianyu Entertainment Company timed things perfectly. Just as public opinion began to wane, they suddenly posted a photo on Weibo showing Brother Ma signing contracts with Lin Zheng. At the same time, the post claimed that Tianyu intended to sign Lin Zheng and Xie An, mentioning that last night, following a gathering of the program crew, the two were invited for a private get-together.

The post also joked on Weibo, wondering which entertainment reporter only liked handsome men and beautiful women, asking why Brother Ma’s aged face wasn’t included in the picture. Once the post went up, it sparked a fresh wave of responses online.

Several artists under Tianyu Entertainment also shared the post, affectionately referring to Lin Zheng and Xie An as their junior sister and junior brother in the comments. Of course, some artists close to Brother Ma couldn’t resist teasing him a bit, saying that if he were a reporter himself, he wouldn’t include Brother Ma in photos either, as it might ruin the aesthetic.

By evening, the criticism aimed at Lin Zheng and Xie An had lessened considerably, and the incident even brought new attention to their Weibo accounts. This is the entertainment industry—scandals, even if unsavory, often provide more visibility than obscurity.

In any case, the matter was considered smoothly resolved.

That evening, to celebrate Lin Zheng’s successful signing with Tianyu Entertainment, Mo Qi treated the two to a spicy hot pot dinner. But since the three had gained some fame, and Lin Zheng and Xie An were currently in the eye of the storm, dining out risked attracting unwanted attention.

Mo Qi frowned thoughtfully and said, “Forget it, let’s just buy the ingredients and cook at home.”

“There’s no stove in the dorm,” Lin Zheng said. “How would we cook? Maybe we should go to my place.”

“Young people making noise makes us adults uncomfortable. I actually thought of a place—we’ll go there.”

“Alright, we’ll follow you.”

After a quick change of clothes, the three took a taxi to the mall and returned laden with four large bags of food. They headed to Shen Yijue’s apartment.

Lin Zheng leaned close to Mo Qi and whispered, “So you meant going to King Shen’s place? Wouldn’t that be awkward?”

After all, King Shen gave off an unapproachable vibe. Going to his home to cook hot pot felt like they might be thrown out at any moment.

“King Shen rarely comes to the apartment,” Mo Qi explained, unlocking the door. “He’s super busy with work every day, and lately, he’s been shooting movies and doing night shoots. We’re the ones with all the free time.”

“Come in.”

Mo Qi carried the bags to the kitchen. Lin Zheng and Xie An hesitated for a moment, then nervously stepped inside.

Shen Yijue appeared at the top of the stairs on the second floor, holding a classical music CD, and immediately noticed Lin Zheng and Xie An struggling with their bags.

“Shen... King Shen,” Lin Zheng stammered, her tongue tied.

Xie An stood behind her, also looking at Shen Yijue.

Despite wearing a gray-white casual outfit and slippers, Shen Yijue’s presence was undiminished. The loose knit sweater added a subtle elegance to his otherwise cold demeanor.

Xie An felt a bitter pang but quickly buried it deep inside, thinking of his current relationship with Lin Zheng.

Shen Yijue descended the stairs, glanced briefly at the kitchen, nodded at Lin Zheng and Xie An, then went to the living room to place the CD.

Mo Qi came out of the kitchen, surprised to see Shen Yijue. “King Shen, aren’t you filming today?”

“No night shoot tonight,” he replied, setting down the CD and turning to Mo Qi.

Mo Qi rubbed her nose. “Lin Zheng just signed with Tianyu, so we’re celebrating with hot pot. Want to join us?”

“Alright.”

Mo Qi’s casual invitation was unexpectedly accepted.

“Great. When it’s ready, I’ll call you from the study.”

Shen Yijue nodded, then said to Lin Zheng, “Congratulations.”

“Th-thank you,” Lin Zheng stammered.

He nodded again and returned upstairs to his study.

Once he left, Lin Zheng exhaled deeply. “That scared me—I didn’t expect to run into King Shen as soon as we walked in.”

Mo Qi laughed. “Besides his poker face, King Shen’s actually easy to get along with. Come on, let’s start washing the vegetables. Xie An, put the electric cooker we bought on the dining table.”

The three of them began working together in the spacious kitchen.

Washing, peeling, chopping, and seasoning—they were busy for quite a while before everything was ready.

“Mo Qi, won’t half a bag of spicy hot pot base be too much?”

“We have so many ingredients; it won’t be,” Mo Qi said, wiping her hands on her apron. “You two start cooking. I’ll go upstairs to call King Shen down.”

As Mo Qi left, Lin Zheng and Xie An were left alone.

Neither spoke; the silence was awkward.

Mo Qi knocked on the slightly open study door and pushed it open. “King Shen, dinner’s ready.”

Shen Yijue closed his files and looked up. Mo Qi stood in the doorway wearing a blue-and-white checkered apron, one hand on the door handle.

“Come here.”

“Lin Zheng and Xie An are still downstairs waiting, and the food’s already cooking,” Mo Qi said, standing her ground. She hadn’t forgotten the handcuffs and chains in the drawer.

Shen Yijue sat in the soft chair, expressionless as he watched her.

Mo Qi pursed her lips, reluctantly stepping forward and muttering, “Why do you want me to come over?”

“Turn around.”

Mo Qi looked at him suspiciously but complied.

“King Shen, you’re not planning to strangle me with your bare hands, are you...”

Before she could finish, she felt a sudden chill on her neck.

Shen Yijue stood behind her, fastening the clasp of a chain. Using his height advantage, he leaned over her shoulder to check, then nodded in approval.

Mo Qi picked up the jade Buddha pendant at her chest and glanced sideways at Shen Yijue.

The pendant was translucent and lustrous, cool to the touch—clearly high-quality Hetian jade, undoubtedly very expensive.

“Such a precious gift—I probably shouldn’t accept it,” Mo Qi said, reaching to remove the pendant.

Shen Yijue pressed her hand down, slightly displeased. “You feel itchy all over if you don’t spoil the moment?”

“But this kind of jade costs tens of thousands, maybe more. The saying goes, ‘No reward without effort.’ Accepting it without giving anything back makes me feel like you’ll sell me off the next second.”

Shen Yijue found this both exasperating and amusing. “Even if pork prices rise, they sell by weight—you wouldn’t fetch much.”

“Who says I’m worthless?” Mo Qi instinctively retorted, then realized she’d just admitted to being a pig.

“Can’t you live without insulting me?” she snapped, rolling her eyes and tucking the pendant inside her collar. “Let’s go downstairs for hot pot.”

Men wear Guanyin, women wear Buddha. Shen Yijue placed his matching men’s jade Guanyin back in the drawer and followed Mo Qi downstairs.

The longer Mo Qi was gone, the longer Lin Zheng and Xie An remained silent.

“Why haven’t you two eaten? The food’s getting cold. Come on, eat up,” Mo Qi urged, pulling out a chair and sitting down with Shen Yijue silently beside her.

Her presence broke the heavy silence between Lin Zheng and Xie An.

“Let’s raise a glass together—congratulations to Lin Zheng on signing her contract!”