Huayu: You were supposed to be a top star, but you've become capital?

The indignation in the reception room was easily dispelled by Lin Shen's offer to take them out to dinner.

The two followed him and quietly left through the side entrance of the company, getting into a waiting van.

The car drove to a private restaurant with excellent privacy. The private room was elegant and quiet. The dishes had been ordered in advance according to Lin Shen's habits, mainly light and refined Cantonese cuisine, with some Jiangnan flavors as well.

Dishes were served one after another: crystal shrimp, steamed grouper, crab roe tofu, blanched bok choy, and a bowl of clear matsutake mushroom and chicken soup, all exuding a wonderful aroma.

At first, Bai Mengyan and Yang Chaoyue were clearly still preoccupied with the internet.

Bai Mengyan, in particular, after taking a couple of bites of rice, couldn't help but look up at Lin Shen:

"Brother Shen, are you really not going to care about those comments? They're saying some really nasty things."

Lin Shen was picking up a piece of fish when he heard this. He put down his chopsticks, picked up a wet wipe, and wiped his hands.

"Why bother with it? Why make things harder for yourself? Mengyan, remember, you're an artist now. There will only be more of these kinds of comments in the future."

He paused, then looked at Bai Mengyan seriously and said:

"The online discussions may seem lively, but it's hard to say how many of them are genuine comments from ordinary people. Especially on topics with clearly opposing viewpoints, more than 80% of them are just paid trolls and extreme fans stirring up trouble."

If you get angry, you've already lost; that plays right into their hands. Stay calm, focus your energy on what's important—that's far better than anything else.

Bai Mengyan listened, and although she was still a little unconvinced, she felt that what Brother Shen said made sense. She obediently said "Oh" and nodded vigorously. She turned her anger into appetite and scooped up a spoonful of crab roe tofu and mixed it into her rice.

Lin Shen turned his gaze to Yang Chaoyue, who was sipping soup but had his ears perked up, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"And you, Xiao Yang, why are you making such a fuss? You're my assistant, you've seen it all, why are you still so easily flustered?"

Yang Chaoyue blushed when his name was called, put down his soup spoon, and twisted his fingers a little embarrassedly.

"I...I just saw other people's comment control and trolls saying those things about you, and I couldn't help it. What do they know!"

Lin Shen chuckled, didn't continue the topic, and picked up the serving chopsticks to put some food on each of their plates.

"Alright, let's eat. If we don't eat now, Mengyan will devour all the good food."

Bai Mengyan was engrossed in her work when she heard this. She looked up, puffed out her cheeks, and mumbled:

"No way! Chaoyue, you should eat too!" she said, and enthusiastically picked up a shrimp for Yang Chaoyue.

The atmosphere quickly relaxed, and attention finally returned to the delicious food in front of them.

The two growing girls had good appetites and ate heartily.

Bai Mengyan, who had been training all afternoon, was naturally well-fed. Yang Chaoyue, though young, was also very active and didn't skimp on meals, having been running around with Lin Shen for a long time.

Lin Shen eats relatively restrainedly, and he has always planned his diet in order to maintain the best appearance on camera.

But compared to many celebrities who strictly diet and put down their chopsticks after a few bites, his appetite is quite good.

This is mainly due to his consistent training over the years, which allows him to burn more calories. In addition, he has a good physical foundation, so as long as he doesn't overeat, he doesn't need to go on extreme diets to maintain his condition.

Lin Shen was more enjoying this rare dining atmosphere where there was no need for social obligations.

"Chaoyue, try this chicken soup, it's so delicious!" Bai Mengyan enthusiastically ladled soup for Yang Chaoyue, and casually asked, "Hey, how old are you this year? You look so young!"

Yang Chaoyue swallowed the food in his mouth and answered honestly, "I'm sixteen."

"Huh? You're only sixteen?!" Bai Mengyan's eyes widened in surprise as she looked Yang Chaoyue up and down. "But you're so capable. I thought you were at least around my age!"

She looked at Yang Chaoyue's face, which, though still somewhat childish, already exuded a capable air, and then thought of how she usually busied herself with arranging her schedule in an orderly manner.

I suddenly felt a strange sense of wonder that I was being taken care of by a little girl, and at the same time, I felt a greater sense of closeness and admiration for her.

Yang Chaoyue raised his chin with a hint of pride: "That's right, I was personally trained by Brother Shen!"

After saying that, he felt he had been a bit presumptuous, so he smiled sheepishly and said, "It's mainly because Brother Shen taught me so well."

Upon learning that the other person was younger, Bai Mengyan's initial shyness as a new employee completely disappeared, and she quickly began to act as the older sister, making the atmosphere even more lively.

Watching the two interact, Lin Shen suddenly remembered a meme he'd seen online and found it amusing, so he casually asked:

"By the way, Chaoyue, you and Mengyan are from the same hometown, right? Both from Jiangsu Province."

"Huh?" The two girls stopped eating at the same time and looked at each other.

Bai Mengyan asked directly, "Chaoyue, where are you from?"

"I'm from Yancheng," Yang Chaoyue answered readily, then asked in return, "And you?"

"I'm from Diaozhou." After Bai Mengyan finished speaking, the two exchanged a glance, then turned to Lin Shen in unison to correct him as if it were the most natural thing in the world:

"Not from the same hometown."

Lin Shen couldn't help but laugh when he saw how united they were.

As expected, Jiangsu Province lives up to its reputation for being a "fragmented" province. Even between different cities, a sense of belonging among fellow Jiangsu natives isn't easy to establish.

He had only wanted to verify this internet meme from his past life, and seeing that it was indeed true, he stopped worrying about it and smiled, gesturing for them to continue eating.

"Alright, let's eat. We're not from the same hometown, but we're colleagues, from the same company. We're even closer than people from the same hometown," Lin Shen said with a smile, changing the subject.

During the casual conversation, the topic naturally shifted to the most important task ahead.

"The script reading is next week, and I'll be joining the production crew a few days after the National Day holiday..."

Bai Mengyan poked at the rice in her bowl, her earlier liveliness fading slightly, replaced by a hint of nervousness.

"This is my first time participating in this. I heard there are a lot of veterans here, directors, producers... What should I say?"

Yang Chaoyue swallowed the soup in his mouth and comforted her, "Sister Mengyan, don't be afraid, Brother Shen is here too! And Brother Yang is here too. Just stay with Brother Shen, everything will be alright."

Lin Shen also put down his chopsticks and took over the conversation: "A reading session is when everyone sits together and goes through the script from beginning to end."

Discuss the characters' logic and plot details, and try to find the right feel and chemistry between them. The director and screenwriter will make requests, and the actors can also offer their own understanding and questions about the characters.

He had intended to use a more colloquial analogy, saying "it's similar to playing a murder mystery game," but then he realized that murder mystery games weren't popular yet, so he changed his words:

"Just treat it as a more in-depth script discussion. Since it's your first time attending, don't rush to perform. Listen more, observe more, and get a feel for the atmosphere."

When the director or I bring up your part as Huo Xiuxiu, just combine it with the character biography you prepared and express your understanding and thoughts normally.

Bai Mengyan listened attentively and nodded repeatedly: "Yes, I understand! Just treat it like a class, listen more and talk less, and only speak when you're called on!"

She suddenly remembered something, and her eyes lit up.

"By the way, Brother Shen, Sister Rong taught me how to write character biographies, and I'm working on it now! But... I'm not sure if it's written correctly. Brother Shen, if it's convenient for you later, could you take a look?"

Bai Mengyan stared at Lin Shen expectantly.

"Sure," Lin Shen agreed readily. "Send it to me when you're done."

"Thank you, Brother Shen!" Bai Mengyan said happily, feeling that the rice in her bowl tasted even better.

After finishing their discussion of the reading aloud, the conversation turned to the other actors in the production crew.

Bai Mengyan asked curiously, "Brother Shen, is Tang Yan, who plays A Ning, easy to get along with? I think she's very pretty in photos, and she has a strong presence too."

Lin Shen recalled the few times they had met, mostly nodding acquaintances at award ceremonies or brand events, and his impression of this disgrace of the Central Academy of Drama was not particularly deep.

"The collaboration hasn't started yet, and we haven't had much contact privately, so I don't know much about him," Lin Shen said objectively. "He seems quite proper on the surface, but we'll only know his true personality once he joins the crew."

At this moment, Yang Chaoyue, who was standing next to him, suddenly whispered, "I...I feel like she might not be very easy to get along with."

"Hmm?" Lin Shen and Bai Mengyan both looked at her.