With the unstable factor of the Shen family resolved, Shen Zhiyi quieted down for a long time. She stopped causing trouble and focused on preparing for her exams at home.

This allowed Jiang Chen to breathe a sigh of relief while quickly settling into his work routine.

Lu Chiyuan’s schedule was packed, leaving him little free time.

Following Jiang Chen’s suggestion, he leveraged Xu Chen’s connections to bypass the company and have Xu Chen’s mother recruit Ling Qi. Jiang Chen was tasked with choosing one of Lu Chiyuan’s companies to place Ling Qi in.

Though unfamiliar with the business, Jiang Chen had his cheat-like system. After digging into some company gossip, he selected an entertainment company under Feilong Media.

Lu Chiyuan handed the matter to Xu Chen, who, despite his usual carefree demeanor, acted decisively. Within days, Ling Qi was freed from his previous contract, joined the new company, and was assigned a new manager.

The new company’s treatment was unexpectedly generous, with resources tilted in Ling Qi’s favor—a windfall that felt like a gift from the heavens.

Ling Qi, however, wasn’t blinded by the opportunity. Having been exploited and suppressed by his former company, which left him depressed, he didn’t believe he had the value to warrant such investment. Anxious, he insisted on meeting Lu Chiyuan in person. When Xu Chen relayed this to Lu Chiyuan, he didn’t refuse, and Jiang Chen met the man whose fate had changed because of his suggestion.

Ling Qi carried a faint air of melancholy, shy and refined, like a lone tree standing in the rain—his world silent, yet he was the only touch of green in an endless curtain of rain.

Lu Chiyuan and Ling Qi spoke privately for a long time. As Ling Qi left, Jiang Chen, who was delivering a report to Lu Chiyuan, ran into him at the elevator.

Jiang Chen nodded politely, letting him go first.

Ling Qi pressed the elevator button, then hesitated, looking up at Jiang Chen. “You… you’re Assistant Jiang?”

Jiang Chen nodded, and Ling Qi broke into a genuine smile, his eyes crinkling. “Thank you.”

Jiang Chen was puzzled. “Thank me for what? I think this is our first meeting.”

Ling Qi didn’t explain, only saying softly, “Can I add you as a contact?”

The request was a bit forward for a first meeting, but Jiang Chen didn’t refuse.

He added Ling Qi as a contact, watched him head downstairs, and soon forgot the brief encounter.

Lu Chiyuan’s office door was open. Jiang Chen knocked and entered, handing over a file. “Brother Lu, this is from the planning department. Needs your approval and signature.”

Lu Chiyuan took it, scanned it quickly, found no issues, and signed.

“There’s a party tonight. Come with me,” he said, eyeing Jiang Chen’s outfit. It was suitable—no need to change. “We’ll leave after work.”

Jiang Chen nodded. “Alright. Anything I need to prepare?”

Lu Chiyuan thought for a moment. “How’s your alcohol tolerance?”

“Pretty good,” Jiang Chen almost said, but recalling the original body’s low tolerance, he amended, “Average. Should I ask Assistant Lu to go instead?”

Before Jiang Chen joined, Lu Chiyuan usually attended such events with Lu Mingxuan. Drinking was inevitable at these gatherings, and Jiang Chen worried the original body’s tolerance wouldn’t hold up.

“No need. You don’t have to drink.”

Lu Chiyuan didn’t need Jiang Chen to take drinks for him. At these events, no one dared push him to drink without reading the room.

Besides, tonight’s event was just a routine birthday banquet hosted by someone with ties to the Lu family. Lu Chiyuan couldn’t skip it, but he planned to make a brief appearance and leave.

The banquet started at 8 p.m., the hall filled with guests, glasses clinking.

As soon as Jiang Chen and Lu Chiyuan arrived, the host warmly greeted them, exchanging pleasantries with Lu Chiyuan.

Jiang Chen observed the crowd. His recent work had deepened his understanding of this world, and he could quickly assess the familiar faces passing by.

The host was a big name in the entertainment industry, and many from the circle were present—top idols, minor celebrities, some with invitations, others tagging along as plus-ones.

Snowball, buzzing with excitement, hopped around in Jiang Chen’s mind: [So much gossip! Chenchen, did you fall into a gossip goldmine?]

Jiang Chen followed Lu Chiyuan, a smile on his face, calmly handling those who approached to network.

[Gossip thrives where people gather. Don’t you feast on it daily at the company? Just a change of scenery.]

Snowball hopped onto Lu Chiyuan’s shoulder, tail swishing, eyes gleaming.

[Small gossip can’t compare to the big stuff. Look to your left—that guy in the black pinstripe suit. Married a mistress twenty years younger last month, and now he’s parading his new sidepiece at social events. And behind him, that gorgeous lady with her date—look familiar?]

Jiang Chen, holding a glass, glanced casually. The pinstripe suit guy looked about fifty, sporting a beer belly, with an elegant, intellectual woman by his side—an odd match.

The man whispered to someone nearby, then, arm around his companion, walked toward Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen thought his glance had offended them, but the man bypassed him, aiming straight for Lu Chiyuan.

“Mr. Lu, what a surprise to see you here. A pleasure,” the pinstripe man said, raising his glass with a fawning smile.

Jiang Chen recognized that face—a business partner running a family enterprise. His divorce had tanked his business, and their contract, set to end this quarter, wouldn’t be renewed.

[This guy’s rotten. His wife helped him build everything from scratch, but once he made it big, he ditched her for being “old and faded,” leaving her and their daughter penniless. He’s living it up with his flings while they’re stuck in a rental, scraping by.]

Snowball clicked its tongue, cursing. [Scumbag, up to no good. Chenchen, don’t work with him. His company’s fudging materials—it won’t hold up to scrutiny.]

Jiang Chen’s eyes widened. Before Lu Chiyuan could respond, he stepped forward, glass raised, his smile skin-deep. “Mr. Huang, a pleasure. Heard you just got married last month—still in the honeymoon phase. Why didn’t you bring your wife tonight?”

Though shorter than Lu Chiyuan, Jiang Chen towered over Huang. Stepping in front of Lu Chiyuan, he blocked the man’s view, clinking glasses to derail his pitch.

Lu Chiyuan stood behind, glass in hand, not stepping back. Their closeness could be mistaken for an embrace at a glance.

“You… you are?” Huang hadn’t met Jiang Chen and frowned, annoyed at this upstart stealing Lu Chiyuan’s attention.

But when Lu Chiyuan stayed silent, watching Jiang Chen with interest, glass in hand, Huang realized Jiang Chen wasn’t just some nobody.

“Just a humble employee, not worth mentioning. Mr. Huang’s a big man—surely you won’t mind a toast from me.”

Jiang Chen’s smile was bright. Huang glanced at him, then at Lu Chiyuan. Whoever Jiang Chen was, Huang couldn’t afford to act superior in front of Lu Chiyuan. He downed his champagne.

Seeing the empty glass, Jiang Chen pressed on. “Mr. Huang, what a drinker! Our CEO has another appointment, so we’ll take our leave.”

With that, Jiang Chen pulled Lu Chiyuan through the crowd.

Huang, left with an empty glass, couldn’t chase after them. By the time he grabbed a new one, they were gone.

The crowd whispered, stunned that someone dared touch Lu Chiyuan so boldly.

“He won’t follow. You don’t need to go so far,” Lu Chiyuan said, stopping.

Feeling resistance, Jiang Chen turned. Lu Chiyuan smiled. “You can let go now.”

Focused on ditching Huang, Jiang Chen hadn’t realized how suggestive it looked, dragging Lu Chiyuan through the crowd.

His instinct was to protect Lu Chiyuan from a bad deal. Snapping back, he realized he’d overstepped and released Lu Chiyuan’s hand, covering with, “Brother Lu, I didn’t mean it. I just thought Huang was up to no good. Our contract with his company’s ending—he’s probably testing your stance.”

“I noticed,” Lu Chiyuan said, seeing Jiang Chen’s nerves. “Relax. I wasn’t planning to work with him.”

A man disloyal in marriage wasn’t worth partnering with, system or no system.

Relieved that Lu Chiyuan wasn’t upset by his initiative, Jiang Chen exhaled. In his haste, he hadn’t noticed they’d reached the edge of the crowd.

The gorgeous lady and her date, pointed out by Snowball, sat in the lounge area ahead. The date said something that made her beam, tapping her cheek. He leaned in for a kiss.

[Whoa, eyes off!]

Jiang Chen quickly looked away. Up close, the date looked familiar—he’d seen him somewhere.

[Isn’t that the endorser from the hospital meeting? The one cozying up to a sugar mama and stirring drama?]

It clicked. Jiang Chen stole another glance, noting the rising star’s charm—no wonder the rich lady was smitten.

[Heh.] Snowball chuckled sleazily. [There’s more. Look around—those endorsers from the meeting? They’re all here.]

Jiang Chen scanned the crowd, spotting familiar faces laughing and mingling, occasionally glancing at Lu Chiyuan, debating whether to approach.

The entertainment circle was indeed a gossip jackpot.

[Snowball, are they all here because they knew Brother Lu was attending?]

While eating up the gossip, Jiang Chen’s mind stayed sharp. These people, usually scattered across the globe, were all here today.

Besides the host’s connections, Jiang Chen suspected another reason.

Huanyu was seeking an endorser. The matter, delayed because of Ling Qi, hadn’t been announced, but these candidates were clearly vying for it.

[Good guess,] Snowball confirmed. [Huanyu’s endorsement fee is hefty, and it boosts industry clout. It’s a hot ticket.]

Jiang Chen glanced at Lu Chiyuan, wondering if he should find an excuse to pull him away. These candidates were trouble—competitive but risky. Lu Chiyuan might be tempted.

“Brother Lu, when are we leaving…”

Before Jiang Chen finished, a shrill noise cut him off.

The banquet hall doors swung open, and Gu Tingsen entered flamboyantly with a companion. The party had started long ago, and arriving this late was rude, even with an invitation.

But because it was Gu Tingsen, the guests weren’t fazed—only surprised the host could pull him in.

Eyes that had lingered on Lu Chiyuan shifted to Gu Tingsen, brimming with unrestrained excitement.

Jiang Chen rolled his eyes. [Ridiculous. Who’s hyping this rude poser? Better to stare at Brother Lu and cleanse my eyes.]

Lu Chiyuan sipped his champagne, a faint smile crossing his face at the thought.

Amid the irrational frenzy over Gu Tingsen, Lu Chiyuan stood apart, an outsider observing the spectacle.

The world’s spotlight should’ve all been on Gu Tingsen, yet one beam of disdain broke away, landing squarely on him.

The host, surprised—having not invited Gu Tingsen—still greeted him as a guest.

Gu Tingsen’s companion, the rising starlet Liu Yunyan from the hospital encounter, smiled and greeted the host first. She was the actual invitee, with Gu Tingsen as her plus-one. She apologized for their tardiness.

Seeing Gu Tingsen as someone’s date was a first, and eyes on Liu Yunyan shifted, filled with flattery and praise.

Spotting familiar faces in the crowd, Jiang Chen thought mischievously, [If we could dump all these ticking time bombs on Gu Tingsen, would they crash and burn?]

[Dear, civilized societies don’t endorse sabotage. But even if you tried, you couldn’t gather these heavyweights—because that rising star’s about to crash.]

Snowball yawned, perched on Lu Chiyuan’s shoulder.

Jiang Chen noticed the rising star was gone, slipping out while everyone focused on Gu Tingsen.

[He brought his boyfriend in as a waiter. Earlier, when he was cozying up to the rich lady, his boyfriend got jealous. He’s upstairs in the changing room, smoothing things over. Want details on how?]

Jiang Chen’s mind flashed with inappropriate images, and he quickly waved it off. [No, no thanks.]

He lost his appetite for gossip and just wanted to leave.

But someone clearly wasn’t letting him.

Ignoring–

Gu Tingsen was about to speak when Jiang Chen, at that precise moment, deliberately tripped over his own feet, stumbling forward and "accidentally" splashing his champagne onto Gu Tingsen’s clothes.

Liu Yunyan gasped, and Lu Chiyuan turned, surprised.

Jiang Chen set down his glass, looking at Gu Tingsen with earnest innocence, his eyes wide with panic as he apologized profusely. “I’m so sorry! My foot slipped. There’s a changing room upstairs—should I help you clean up?”

The champagne spread across Gu Tingsen’s clothes. His gaze turned icy, like a coiled viper locked onto Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen feigned vulnerability, his expression flustered, like a startled rabbit ready to bolt at the slightest breeze.

Gu Tingsen’s cold stare shifted to amusement. Catching Lu Chiyuan stepping closer to intervene, he agreed first. “Sure.”

The little lamb’s scheming was transparent—easy to read.

Jiang Chen flashed a relieved smile.

[Two men make harmony, but three make a show. Snowball, is the rising star still in the changing room?]

[Yep, they’ve rolled from the sofa to the balcony by now.]

Jiang Chen led Gu Tingsen upstairs. Lu Chiyuan, realizing his plan, shook his head helplessly. His gaze cut through the crowd to the rich lady searching for someone.

Picking up a new glass of champagne from the table, Lu Chiyuan strolled over casually, dropping a hint that the rising star was in the upstairs changing room.

The gorgeous lady, half-skeptical, headed upstairs. She ran into Jiang Chen on his way back down and asked casually, “Is anyone in the changing room?”

Jiang Chen, inwardly chuckling, put on a hesitant expression. “There is, but it’s… hard to explain.”

His reluctance set off alarms in her mind. She quickened her pace, rushing toward the changing room.

Jiang Chen descended smoothly. Moments later, a piercing scream erupted from upstairs, loud enough to drown out the banquet hall’s chatter.

Guests looked up, and waitstaff hurried toward the noise.

Jiang Chen stifled a laugh. [Gifting the male lead an entertainment headline—don’t thank me too much.]