Chapter 455 - 454: What-If: Did the Big Shot Vie for Favor Today? 23

Chapter 455: Chapter 454: What-If: Did the Big Shot Vie for Favor Today? 23

The moment Zhang Chen walked in, his eyes were drawn to Shi Lan. He didn’t immediately realize she was the cat he’d picked up until the shop owner pointed her out.

Pleasantly surprised, he walked over and stroked her small head. "I never would’ve guessed you’d be so beautiful after a bath. Very nice, very nice."

Shi Lan meowed twice affectionately at her future owner.

His reservations gone, Zhang Chen finally scooped the cat into his arms. For the sake of his future financial prospects, he was determined to take good care of this cat, so he asked the pet shop owner quite a few questions.

The owner, who was also quite fond of Shi Lan, answered patiently. Afterward, Zhang Chen bought a large number of cat supplies from the shop.

Yan Huoshui had about three scenes to film that afternoon. With a promising contract now in hand, Zhang Chen didn’t need to worry about other matters for the time being, so he took the cat directly to the set for a visit, conveniently ordering afternoon tea for the entire crew.

As the saying goes, it’s hard to bad-mouth someone after accepting their gifts. Now that the crew had eaten food provided by Brother Yan, they wouldn’t be so quick to gossip. Zhang Chen also made sure to have a word with the director, asking him to remind the crew not to spread rumors.

The director had specifically brought in a top-tier star in the hopes of making the show a massive hit, so naturally, he didn’t want any negative press about the lead actor spreading before its premiere.

He had also spoken about this with the investor who’d brought in the new male actor. After all, the new female actress sponsored by that same investor was still on set, which served as a form of leverage. The investor was cooperative enough; besides, no one smart would want to cross a top-tier star. You never know when a future collaboration might be possible. More importantly, this investor had a nagging feeling that Yan Huoshui’s background was anything but simple.

Take Master Ming, for instance. The investor’s family had once offered millions to have him perform a divination, but the man had flatly refused. Yet on a recent TV show, despite the presence of numerous other guests, he had singled out Yan Huoshui and given a reading only to him. It was strange, to say the least.

In short, the incident didn’t end up making many waves.

Shi Lan had watched plenty of TV shows, but she’d never seen a star up close. Now, thanks to her new life as a cat, she was following Zhang Chen and spotted two celebrities she actually recognized.

One was the first-place winner of a talent competition from two years prior, and the other was a veteran character actor known for playing villains.

As for the others, Shi Lan didn’t recognize them.

Just then, the door to Yan Huoshui’s private dressing room opened. He emerged wearing a purple and gold period costume, a cascade of long white hair flowing around him, his stride calm and graceful.

Shi Lan’s pupils instantly dilated.

’Th-th-this man... I recognize him! Isn’t he that top-tier star, Yan Huoshui? The one my best friend has been fawning over all year, going on and on about how handsome he is?’

Right now, no one in the entertainment industry could compare to that face.

Seeing him in the flesh, Shi Lan was utterly captivated.

’My best friend certainly has good taste. That face is the very definition of handsome, and this period costume suits him perfectly. The gold-threaded sash around his waist only serves to emphasize his broad shoulders and narrow waist, accentuating his tall, slender frame. He has the natural aura of an immortal, the ethereal air of an unattainable beauty.’

It wasn’t just her who was staring. The crew had seen this several times, yet they were left awestruck every time.

Yan Huoshui spotted Zhang Chen. He frowned slightly, puzzled. "What are you doing here now?"

As he spoke, he tilted his head, his gaze falling on Xiao Li standing nearby. His pale pink lips curved into a smirk. "Did Xiao Li run and tell on me?"

Xiao Li lowered his head guiltily. Zhang Chen quickly cleared his throat. "No, no, he was just reporting what happened. I trust you to have a sense of propriety when you’re out and about. I just came by to let you see the cat."

"This little one is quite a looker now that it’s all cleaned up."

He held up the little white cat for Yan Huoshui to see.

In the drama *God*, the protagonist lacks a "root of emotion," so his eyes are gray. Consequently, Yan Huoshui was wearing gray contact lenses, which gave his focused gaze a faint, icy quality.

Mindful that they were in public, Yan Huoshui kept his voice controlled. "There’s nothing to see. I already told you, if you want to raise it, you raise it yourself. I don’t need a cat."

Zhang Chen was holding her just by her front paws, so Shi Lan’s body was facing Yan Huoshui, her fluffy belly brazenly exposed.

Even though it was covered in fur, Shi Lan felt a little embarrassed and tried to curl her tail upward to cover herself.

Because she was trying so hard, her tail began to sway uncontrollably back and forth.

Yan Huoshui had initially only given her a passing glance, but now he couldn’t resist looking again at her tail. As if finding some new form of amusement, he let out a soft chuckle. "Is this cat... shy?"

"Male or female? Let me see."

Seeing his hand reach toward her, Shi Lan’s tail began to twitch even more erratically. She even strained to curl her hind legs upward, as if trying to do a crunch.

"Hahahaha, how interesting."

Yan Huoshui’s hand stopped mid-air. He was just teasing her, but he noticed the cat’s pupils had dilated, an obvious reaction to his words.

’This cat... it seems to understand what people are saying.’

’Interesting.’

His eyes shifted. "Alright, fine. You can keep it for now. It might be good for a laugh when I’m bored. This cat... is acceptable."

Zhang Chen was surprised by his sudden change of heart, but regardless, his willingness to accept the cat was a good thing. "Great, great."

He chuckled happily.

Just then, the director called for everyone to prepare for the next scene. Zhang Chen stopped bothering Yan Huoshui and stepped to the side, still holding the cat.

Shi Lan silently ground her teeth. ’That bastard, he was testing me!’

’I’ve decided to switch sides. I’m not going to be a casual fan like my best friend. From now on, I’m his anti-fan.’

’Besides, he’s so short-tempered with his assistant and manager in private. He can’t possibly be a good person.’

Shi Lan was cursing him internally, but when she saw Yan Huoshui act, she quickly became mesmerized. He was truly the most promising candidate for this year’s Best Actor award; his skill was almost on par with that of a veteran performer.

He’s incredible!

Before she knew it, Shi Lan had forgotten all about her earlier anger. Her "Dislike Meter" for him, which had been at a solid 60, suddenly plummeted to 20.

Although she still found him a little annoying, Yan Huoshui hadn’t done anything truly awful. That remaining 20 points of dislike felt shaky and precarious; it was probably just that their first impressions of each other hadn’t been the best.

Yan Huoshui wanted to wrap up his scenes as early as possible, so after finishing one take, he didn’t even rest, simply urging the director to move on to the next.

Even though he only had three scenes, filming still lasted from daylight until past eight in the evening, with only a brief break for dinner.

When it came to acting, Shi Lan could sense Yan Huoshui’s professionalism and dedication.

The truth was, with his natural talent, he could have easily become a famous idol. But he never participated in any talent competitions. He started out as a complete newcomer, debuting on a music variety show with a single original song that went massively viral. He only appeared on that one episode, leaving coolly after his performance, but he unexpectedly ended up dominating the internet’s attention.

Later, he was invited back to the show to perform two more original songs. After that, he appeared on a celebrity variety show where a short dance he performed also earned him widespread praise online. Then, he shifted his focus back to acting.

Shi Lan didn’t follow celebrities, so she only knew all this because her best friend had told her. Her friend had even made her listen to his songs and watch his dance videos. Shi Lan had to admit he was genuinely talented.

Except for that temper of his.

Because as soon as they got back in the car, he started being picky again. "Zhang Chen, why is there cat fur on the back seat? Don’t tell me you put that filthy thing back there."