Chapter 53 Shen Yizhen

There was only a single, roughly two-meter-wide path leading to Peninsula Number Three. Half of the island was covered in trees, while the other half consisted of buildings, including inns, restaurants, and bars.

At present, however, the area was undergoing reconstruction. The restaurants and bars were not yet open, but the valley itself was quite lively, with vehicles driving into it from time to time.

Perhaps the production team had coordinated with the local management, as a few inns were open for business.

Guided by the staff members, Xu Shujian and Song Yue entered one of the inns.

Most of the architecture here was made of wood, designed in the style of old-fashioned attics. After taking a look around, Xu Shujian thought to himself that it was no wonder reconstruction was necessary.

The tourism industry had long since passed the phase of wild, unchecked growth; the current focus was entirely on environmental protection, safety, and hygiene.

At a table by the window, Xu Shujian spotted a somewhat familiar figure.

Xu Shujian first glanced at Song Yue. He knew about this segment of the show—the production team had mentioned beforehand that there was a part where they could invite friends to join them. However, Xu Shujian had felt it was unnecessary, paid it no mind, and had never considered inviting anyone.

Little did he expect that Song Yue would actually invite a friend over.

"Sister Zhen, why are you here?"

Xu Shujian greeted her as he walked over.

Shen Yizhen was one of the top artist managers in the domestic entertainment industry during its earlier years. A former member of Xu Shujian's old boy band, Yu Zimo, had once been managed by her. Under Shen Yizhen's management, Yu Zimo successfully transitioned from a singer to an actor. While his career wasn't necessarily overwhelmingly successful, he at least steadily broadened his professional capabilities.

After terminating his contract, Yu Zimo went abroad to study at a top-tier music conservatory. When he returned to making music, the public response was mediocre, but his fans still treasured him like a precious gem, and he maintained the status of a top-tier celebrity in the music scene.

Then there was Wang Xue. This could be considered the era that cemented Shen Yizhen's fame as a manager. Wang Xue and Lin Xiaoxian were artists from the same generation. Among the four major young actresses of that time, Lin Xiaoxian married Zhang Qidong, while Wang Xue surged forward triumphantly, starring in numerous film and television works.

Shen Yizhen's greatest strength lay in her public relations prowess. Wang Xue was embroiled in scandals several times, but Shen Yizhen personally stepped into the fray to write public statements on her behalf, managing to turn the tide on multiple occasions.

Later on, Wang Xue also terminated her contract with her, followed by Wang Xue's tax scandal, which ultimately reduced Wang Xue's name to a taboo within the industry.

Subsequently, Shen Yizhen established her own artist management agency. Xu Shujian retained a very clear memory of her.

Because after Shen Yizhen founded her agency, she had visited him three times at his thatched cottage, earnestly attempting to coax Xu Shujian out of retirement, though Xu Shujian had declined.

The two of them were quite familiar with each other, and they had each other's WeChat contacts and phone numbers.

Shen Yizhen was slightly plump, with an easygoing demeanor. She first gave Song Yue a gentle hug, and then extended her hand toward Xu Shujian, saying, "Shujian, long time no see!"

The two shook hands and took their seats.

It was already noon, and Xu Shujian began ordering dishes. He still had seven hundred yuan left, which was more than enough for a meal here.

"Don't order too much. I heard your funds are limited. Are you surprised to see me?"

Shen Yizhen directed this remark at Xu Shujian, sitting opposite both him and Song Yue.

Xu Shujian laughed and said, "Indeed I am surprised. I thought that even if she wanted to invite a friend over, she would have invited Qin Xinzhu—hiss—"

The moment Xu Shujian uttered that name, his thigh was pinched by Song Yue.

"What's wrong? Can her name not even be mentioned?"

"Xinzhu? Come to think of it, I'm quite familiar with her myself. There's a prevailing notion in our industry that she could easily debut as an artist herself, but she simply prefers the role of a manager," Shen Yizhen chimed in.

Song Yue turned her face away and did not reply to Xu Shujian.

Qin Xinzhu was the beautiful manager Song Yue had introduced to Xu Shujian two years prior, whom his previous self had largely ignored.

Xu Shujian had merely brought her up in passing.

"Sister Zhen, when did you and Song Yue become so close?"

"About two years ago, I suppose. By that time, I had actually stopped interfering with day-to-day artist management. As you probably know, I went into live streaming, started my own clothing brand, and began running around participating in various variety shows myself. Back then, President Song contacted me to ask if I was still managing artists, and that's how we met."

Shen Yizhen stopped there, as she and Song Yue had maintained contact ever since.

To put it bluntly, it was all because of Xu Shujian.

Song Yue had the intention of having Shen Yizhen manage Xu Shujian, but Xu Shujian himself refused to give his nod of approval, leaving the matter at a standstill.

Shen Yizhen truly no longer worked as an artist manager. By now, she was practically half an artist herself—the kind of figure who could sit at the table and take a slice of the pie.

It wasn't that she disliked the job of artist management, but rather that she had reached its ceiling and accumulated enough capital to pursue other ventures, which was why she changed careers.

Even now, quite a few people approached her to manage artists, but she consistently passed them on to her company. Managing ordinary artists held no more appeal for Shen Yizhen.

However, if Xu Shujian were truly willing to make a comeback, she felt she could come out of retirement.

This was also the reason why she and Song Yue had reached a consensus and decided to make an appearance on this show.

Upon seeing Shen Yizhen, Xu Shujian roughly guessed the underlying reason. He gently patted Song Yue's leg as a gesture of yielding, and then spoke to Shen Yizhen.

"So, Sister Zhen, you're not here to mediate the conflict between us, are you?"

Shen Yizhen smiled. "If the conflict between you two could be mediated, you wouldn't have come here in the first place. But I'm willing to listen, as long as you're willing to talk. Oh, and by the way, there's another point: even if you don't say anything, I'll still find out, because I'm also a guest commentator in the observation room for this show. I signed the contract this morning."

Xu Shujian was momentarily stunned, then leaned back in his chair.

Shen Yizhen began pouring tea, filling the cups for all three of them.

She picked up her cup, gently tapped it against Xu Shujian's cup, and drained it in a single gulp.

Xu Shujian understood. These actions demonstrated sincerity, and Shen Yizhen's words carried another layer of meaning: even if Xu Shujian exhibited any unfavorable behavior during the show, she would be there in the observation room to oversee and guide the narrative.

Xu Shujian reached out to pick up his cup of tea, gently tapped it against Song Yue's cup, and likewise finished it in one go.

A smile appeared on Song Yue's face, and she picked up her cup as well.

This was what she had wanted to do for Xu Shujian from the very beginning: pull him away from the screen, and now, return him to the screen.

Shen Yizhen was undoubtedly well-suited for Xu Shujian; of that, there was no doubt.

She possessed sufficient clout and high professional standards. Crucially, she was now a public figure herself, meaning Shen Yizhen would fiercely cherish her own reputation and refuse to do anything unseemly.

Throughout her career managing so many artists, no accidents had ever occurred during any of their collaborations, and any contract terminations happened upon expiration. On the contrary, after those artists parted ways, their subsequent career developments often fell short of how they had fared under Shen Yizhen's management.

Song Yue felt that her own appearance served as a subtle reminder, one that would make Shen Yizhen even more cautious and consequently pay closer attention to Xu Shujian.

There was only one thing Song Yue had failed to anticipate: that an unexpected incident would occur during the recording period, stirring ripples in her heart once again.

"How should I put it? Perhaps I cared too much about external outcomes and ended up ignoring the scenery along the way. Sister Zhen, can you imagine? Driving all the way here, I felt that even the fallen leaves looked unimaginably beautiful..."

Song Yue began to share the story of herself and Xu Shujian with Shen Yizhen.