"Wow!"
The man's eyes lit up instantly. "Handsome guy, you're handsome too! Are you interested in doing me a favor?"
Yu Wenli: "..."
"Not interested," Xing Jiahe refused directly.
He always hated trouble, and this person, at first glance, was clearly trouble.
The man was not annoyed and said with a smile, "Allow me to introduce myself, I am a model agent, Du Lun."
He took out two business cards from his card holder and offered them with both hands.
As they were elders, Yu Wenli and Xing Jiahe couldn't refuse.
After the two received their business cards, Du Lun smiled again, looking endearingly foolish.
"The company address and my private phone number are on it."
"If you two still don't believe I'm a good person."
"I can show you my ID..."
Saying this, he was about to lower his head to get it, but Xing Jiahe impatiently stopped him.
"Just say what you want."
Du Lun chuckled, "I'm a model agent."
"I approached you, of course, because I want to cooperate, with this shop."
He pointed his thumb in the direction of Wen Tingxue.
"Qing Shang Hua Fu is famous in the design circle for its original Hanfu. They have always only made women's clothing."
"Only recently have they started to develop a menswear line."
"But the boss is very picky. They've been looking for models for over half a month and haven't found anyone suitable."
At this point, Du Lun couldn't help but stroke his chin.
His eyes lit up as he stared at the two, as if they were two mountains of gold.
"I see you two have distinguished bearing and extraordinary demeanor."
"You're clearly prime material for modeling. How about..."
He rubbed his hands and said with a smile, "We cooperate?"
Yu Wenli: "..."
Xing Jiahe: "..."
Du Lun: "The price is negotiable. If it's really not possible, we can split it fifty-fifty..."
Yu Wenli suddenly pushed him away and walked towards the shooting center with a slight frown.
Du Lun blinked in confusion. Did he say something wrong?
The next second, Xing Jiahe also pushed him away and hurried after him.
Du Lun: "...?"
Are kids these days so arrogant?
He hadn't finished speaking yet.
Du Lun turned his head and watched the two figures disappear.
Tsk.
They are indeed handsome.
It's a waste if they don't become models.
"Hmm?"
Du Lun's eyes widened as he saw the owner of Qing Shang Hua Fu talking to that young lady.
And he was so gentle, is she his daughter?
Du Lun couldn't help but walk over.
...
Wen Tingxue, who was chatting happily, suddenly felt a chill down her back.
She turned around and saw Yu Wenli standing not far away, his expression indifferent.
His dark pupils were frighteningly deep.
Wen Tingxue's heart sank.
It's over, the vinegar jar has been overturned again.
"Brother Yu~"
Wen Tingxue quickly waved him over.
Her flowing wide sleeves swayed back and forth, like a butterfly flitting among flowers.
The elegant man opposite Wen Tingxue turned to look at Yu Wenli.
The moment their eyes met, even the slow-witted Xing Jiahe could sense something was wrong.
What's going on?
Is this a love triangle?
"Brother Yu, do you want to check him out?"
Yu Wenli shook his head and then walked over.
In the middle of the flower sea, Wen Tingxue instinctively held his arm.
Yu Wenli's mood improved slightly because of this action.
But his gaze towards the man was still guarded.
To be honest, he had never seen her smile so happily at anyone.
Even Song Ruining, who had taken care of her since childhood, might not have received such treatment.
Wen Tingxue, unaware of his thoughts, smiled and introduced:
"This is Teacher Sha, who taught me sand painting, the one I mentioned to you."
"He is also the owner of Qing Shang Hua Fu. Isn't it a coincidence?"
"The boss who picked me at first glance was also Teacher Sha."
"Otherwise, I would have been rejected by the online photography company."
The man in the silver-gray suit smiled faintly, "How could that be? My Yi Yi is naturally a model material."
"Even without me, the online photography company would have signed you."
Wen Tingxue smiled shyly, showing a rare dependence and admiration on her face.
Yu Wenli's hand, which was in his pocket, clenched suddenly.
My Yi Yi...?
She calls him so intimately.
Yu Wenli suppressed the emotions on his face with a slight catch in his breath.
To avoid revealing any inappropriate emotions and losing face.
The man, before Wen Tingxue could introduce him, smiled and asked:
"You must be the Brother Yu that Yi Yi talks about constantly, right?"
"Hello, I'm Sha Zhengxin, Yi Yi's sand painting master."
The man extended his hand, his movements graceful and kind, but his eyes showed undisguised hostility.
Yu Wenli shook his hand calmly, his gaze unwavering, and said, "Hello, I am..."
"Yu Wenli, I know you. You're the 'face' of Jiangcheng."
Sha Zhengxin interrupted him with a smile and let go.
He maintained control of the situation throughout.
Yu Wenli had never been led by the nose like this before and was inevitably annoyed.
However, before he could retaliate, Sha Zhengxin lowered his eyes and said to Wen Tingxue, "Yi Yi, you need to touch up your makeup."
"Ah? Oh..."
Wen Tingxue, unable to understand the animosity between them, stood there nervously, clutching her skirt.
She seemed to be hesitating whether to leave.
Yu Wenli reached out and patted the back of her head, coaxing her softly, "Go ahead."
Sha Zhengxin gave Du Lun a look, and Du Lun immediately took Wen Tingxue away.
Smoking is not allowed at the shooting location. Sha Zhengxin nodded towards the resting area nearby, "Shall we chat?"
"Brother Yu?"
Xing Jiahe was worried that the visitor was not friendly and did not want Yu Wenli to go with him.
Yu Wenli gave him a reassuring look.
In the resting area.
Sha Zhengxin was elegant, and even his smoking had a unique charm.
He looked like a seasoned elder.
His eyes were etched with the unique marks of time.
They say a man at forty is like a flower.
Yu Wenli had never believed it before, but now he did.
With Sha Zhengxin's looks and demeanor, anyone would be captivated.
Whether an eighty-year-old woman or an eighteen-year-old girl.
"You don't need to see me as a rival. Yi Yi's dependence on me is earned through genuine affection."
The man saw through his thoughts and said with a faint smile:
"Young Master Yu, I saw you in a sand painting video. I came here today because of you too."
"Oh?" Yu Wenli raised an eyebrow. "Director Sha might as well speak frankly."
Sha Zhengxin turned his gaze to Wen Tingxue, who was still glancing this way even while touching up her makeup.
"I've watched Yi Yi grow up since she was little. I know her personality best."
"She is sincere in her dealings with people. For every bit of kindness shown to her, she wishes to return tenfold."
"So, she often gets hurt, but she doesn't learn her lesson."
"The next time she meets someone who is kind to her, she will still offer her sincere heart."
"Yu Wenli, I treat her as my daughter."
"If you're just playing around with her, I hope you'll let go. Otherwise..."
Sha Zhengxin suddenly turned his gaze, his expression shifting in an instant, "I won't let you off."
Yu Wenli: "..."
Yu Wenli frowned. "On what grounds do you assume I'm just playing around?"
"There are so many girls in Jiangcheng. With your fame, you can have any kind of girl you want."
"Why would you set your sights on Yi Yi?"
"Do you think she's not worthy?" Yu Wenli scoffed.
"No," Sha Zhengxin shook his head, "She is worthy, but I fear she will get hurt more. To be blunt, you look like a playboy."
Yu Wenli: "..."
Although he had heard such things more than once, this time, it felt the most uncomfortable.
"Looking like a playboy doesn't mean I am one. If you are sincere with Yi Yi, I am no less."
Sha Zhengxin raised an eyebrow. "Don't speak too soon. You are both still young and haven't experienced any storms."
Yu Wenli smiled. "What exactly do you want to say?"
"Not to mention the distant future, let's talk about her maternal grandmother's family," Sha Zhengxin flicked the ash from his cigarette.
"Believe me, if you're still together in the future, that family has plenty of ways to cause trouble."
"Can you handle it? Or will you give up on her out of exhaustion?"
"Even more so, if someone stronger than you pursues her, or if someone more outstanding than her pursues you."
"Will your relationship still be as strong as it is now?"
"Young people, don't speak too definitively, it's easy to spill."
...
"What were you guys talking about?" Wen Tingxue asked, tugging at Yu Wenli's clothes.
Yu Wenli came back to his senses. "Is your relationship with him even better than with your cousin?"
"Hmm? Why compare them?" The young lady was confused.
They are people from completely different worlds.
Yu Wenli said, "The look in your eyes when you look at him is something even your cousin can't get."
Wen Tingxue: "..."
Is that so?
How did she not notice?
"Hmm..." The young lady pondered for a moment.
"Perhaps it's because Teacher Sha and I used to exchange letters."
Although her cousin was very good to her, he only appeared during winter and summer breaks.
And the time was always short, so she was always afraid her cousin would change.
Therefore, every time they met, she needed him to comfort her for a while before she could let go of her unease.
But Teacher Sha was different. As long as he wasn't busy, he would write to her.
He even stated in his letters when he would be busy and might not be able to write, so she wouldn't have to wait.
"You've been in contact all along?" Yu Wenli was surprised.
Wen Tingxue shook her head. "We lost contact three years ago. He said he was busy starting a business and told me to study hard."
She was sad for a while then, but she didn't expect that when they met again, she would still unconsciously rely on him.
Yu Wenli remembered Sha Zhengxin's inexplicable and metaphorical words, and he felt a sense of unease.
"Tell me again about what happened between you two."
Wen Tingxue: "?"
But seeing the unusual expression on his face, she didn't ask further.
"Teacher Sha was my art teacher when I was in elementary school."
"He taught me many things. A few times when I was kicked out of the house, Teacher Sha took me in."
"It was also during those times that he taught me sand painting, and then he asked me to go to his house to learn sand painting."
"Later, in the third grade, he resigned from the school and started a business with his wife, which is now Qing Shang Hua Fu."
After listening, Yu Wenli asked, "What did he tell you?"
"Nothing much, he just said he wanted to adopt me as his goddaughter or something."
"Goddaughter?"
"Yes, his wife couldn't have children, so they don't have any children yet."
Wen Tingxue thought for a moment and added, "And he told me this a long time ago."
"He even told my grandmother, but after my grandmother flatly refused, he didn't mention it again."
"What's wrong?" Wen Tingxue grabbed his unusually cold fingertips.
She asked with a slight frown, "Is there a problem?"
Yu Wenli smiled. "Brother is just asking, don't be nervous."
Wen Tingxue: "..."
She wasn't being nervous, there was clearly a problem.
"Teacher Sha has always been very good to me. He's also very good to his wife. He's a very, very good teacher and husband."
The young lady couldn't help but defend Sha Zhengxin.
Yu Wenli raised an eyebrow and teased, "A very, very good husband? How did Yi Yi determine that? Did Yi Yi ever be someone's wife?"