Chapter 138 – Acting Debut as Family (1)
They entered the room their faces stretched to wide smiles. It was a sight unnerving to Shen Yichong…
“Mr. Shen, we’d like to invite you and your wife to appear in our next blockbuster variety show, ‘My wife and I.’ It’s a variety segment showcasing the daily interactions between husband and wife.”
There it was! Shen Yichong’s mouth almost pulled to a grimace, his face dark. “I’m not an actor. I don’t need exposure,” he said in a clipped tone, hoping to deter the duo.
The In the Limelight director rubbed his hands. “Yes, we know Mr. Shen’s standing. And of course, you don’t need to exchange your privacy for anything, but…”
As he spoke, he fished out his tablet from his bag and turned the dark screen on to one of their recent episode.
“We put on the trailer for the next episode just this seven o’clock. Boss Shen, can you look at the overwhelming response of the online community? In less than an hour, it has trended far beyond our usual episodes!”
Shen Yichong bowed his head to glance at the raised tablet. He was greeted with Yu Yaoyao’s acting for the river scene. It showed the clip of him carrying her drenched body from the water as he had jumped in… even till she threw up in a plastic bag and asked the director five lunchboxes for specific members of her family. All of these extra scenes were included in the trailer.
And this trailer alone has already exceeded twenty million views, the comments only piling up by the minute.
[Who is this little sister like a fairy? She cried for wasting food, vomited from uneasiness, and even asked two meals for his husband, who works at night. What a perfect wife!]
[The previous comment probably misunderstood what keeps the husband busy at night! Nightly activities drain a lot of energy, so it’s understandable he should eat more. Children don’t understand these things yet and should sleep early.]
[She wasn’t joking when she said women have two stomachs… hey, hey, boss Shen whom they have blurred in this video is really his wife’s slave! Despite the number of assistants surrounding them, he still dived into the water to retrieve his madam himself!]
[Two sweet! That bridal carry is too dazzling!]
[Looking forward to more clips with the Boss Shen! Oh, I can see this aunt laughing all the time!]
[When will the feature be shown, I’ll give chicken legs to the cameramen!]
[I bet my money that this Boss Shen is a natural lady-killer. If those long legs and lean physique are anything to go by!]
Shen Yichong read some comments and felt a little headache.
“Mr. Shen, ‘My wife and I’ is not merely a show, but also a way for the public to comprehend madam Shen’s unique and innocent personality.” The chief executive producer adjusted the frame of his glasses on his nose.
“Although she has continuously received great feedback on all her current projects and she has recently gone into snack advertising… she can completely go beyond that and allow the public to see a more personal – call it intimate if you will – side of her. She is on the rise, and naturally, an artist on their way to stardom needs more push, more exposure.”
Shen Yichong’s mouth quivered. Go beyond that…? Yu Yaoyao?
The In the Limelight director further enthuses, seeing Shen Yichong’s hesitancy. “The most trivial thing is that this is not the first time we’ve worked with each other. Mr. Shen, our team, will definitely respect your wife’s privacy and will not cross the line. You can even check the clips first. No scenes that are detrimental to your image and your life will be transmitted in any way.”
The chief executive producer nodded solemnly, “Furthermore, Mr. Shen’s child is still young, isn’t he? Madam Shen often leaves home to work, which could inevitably lead to some troubles in the family… However, this program can be filmed at home or in the nearest vicinity. Shooting time is also flexible.”
Shen Yichong scrunched his eyebrows and opened the schedule for the program and basic plan they handed over. Just when he was about to speak, the door to the bathroom opened.
The little bun with his damp hair donning a pair of tiger slippers ran out from the inside, surprising both men at the door.
Shen Yichong waved to his son, “Say hello to your two uncles.” He picked up a towel from nearby and began to dry his son’s hair.
The little bun obediently and politely greeted the director and the chief executive producer with bright eyes.
“Uncle, did you just say that you would give my mommy a chance to work from home?”
Shen Rui, the little bun, sat beside his father, not a glimmer of nervousness on his face as he inquisitively asked the question in a clear voice.
Shen Yichong’s heart suddenly thumped. Yet he was too late to stop his son from talking. He suddenly felt something ominous in his chest.
Director Zhao Yu was somewhat surprised but soon nodded, smiling at the young fellow, a glint on his eye present. “Yes, this will give your mother more time to spend with you. Do you like that?”
The little bun nodded enthusiastically and turned to look at his father with an expectant face. But he could already understand his dad’s expression at a glance—his dad was against the idea.
The little bun’s mouth immediately thinned to a line, disapproval in his tone. “Dad, mom is working hard outside. She isn’t eating enough. She fell into the water, caught a cold, and she also injured her hands. I think she should be at home.”
Zhao Yu immediately looked at Liu Zhengjiang with surprise in his eyes.
Shen Yichong, on the other hand, took the program, scowling. “Shen Rui, this is not just the problem.”
The little bun’s cheek bulged out, but he could only look at his dad with a dejected look.
Liu Zhengjiang tried to pursue him further, “Boss Shen, if you have any concerns at all, we will surely negotiate. If you and your wife join, I can assure you that you will be the stars of the program, and this means for exposure for madam Shen.
“Of course… if you feel pressured to show up, we can make some adjustments. For example, we can add more scenes depicting your daily life that would make you feel comfortable. You just need to act as you usually do—it’s not actually acting anymore.”
When the little bun heard this, he glanced at his father a second time. He was apprehensive that his father couldn’t be able to act.
Shen Yichong saw his son’s gaze, his mind blanking in the next moment.