"......May I borrow your phone to make a call?"

Shizheng was tasked with tidying up the aftermath. He borrowed a phone from Ye Jindu and called Wu Fangyu. At first, the call was ignored, and it wasn't until the third attempt that someone picked up.

"Hello, may I ask who is calling?"

As she listened to her agent's slightly impatient tone, Shizheng suddenly felt a twinge of guilt.

"It's me."

"Who are you?"

Wu Fangyu glanced at the unfamiliar incoming call and listened to a voice she had never heard before on the phone. Feeling a bit irritable, she hadn't been able to sleep since the guzheng disappeared last night. In the afternoon, she also had to reschedule a magazine photoshoot. The other party was a top-tier magazine, and the last-minute change caused dissatisfaction on both sides. The biggest concern for Wu Fangyu was that she had no idea what unexpected events may occur due to the mysterious disappearance of the guzheng, something she could not control.

Just as I was feeling frustrated and needed an outlet for my anger, I heard a voice pause slightly, as if clearing its throat, and then it said, "I am Shi Zheng."

As he spoke, he cleared his throat again.

"Shizheng? You--"

Wu Fangyu sneered, wondering what kind of joke was being played. If someone was going to make a fraudulent phone call, they should at least be more professional. But then he heard the person on the other end of the line calmly address him as "Sister Fang, it's really me."

Wu Fangyu remained silent for a few seconds, then erupted into a massive rage.

"Where did that stinky brat run off to? I thought you time-traveled or something. Even if you did, at least finish all your chores before traveling. Whether you go to Mars or the moon, I don't care—just go!"

Wu Fangyu's passionate emotional outburst made Shi Zheng unable to bear it, so she put the phone aside.

"Jie Fang, don't get too worked up."

"I'm not excited. I haven't slept a wink all night, afraid that when I open my eyes in the morning, I'll see the news headline: 'Renowned Actor Found Dead.' Also, what's up with your voice? Don't forget we have dubbing scheduled the day after tomorrow..."

"I might, be coming down with a cold."

The way they were hesitating and stuttering while speaking was completely different from Shizheng's usual style.

Wu Fangyu's face darkened as he asked, "Where are you right now?"

Shi Zhen paused for a second and replied, "At a... friend's place."

To make the lie more believable, Shizheng added, "I wasn't feeling well last night and coincidentally ran into a friend who offered to take care of me. I didn't have my phone with me, and I knew I had a shoot in the afternoon. I'm sorry—"

"I've already informed the other party about the extension. How are you doing now? I saw you didn't drink much last night, so why does your voice sound so weak?"

Shi Zheng not only had a hollow voice but also a hollow heart.

"No problem, I'll have a lozenge."

Wu Fangyu leaned against her forehead, feeling somewhat uneasy. Perhaps it was her intuition as a manager, but she had a nagging feeling that Shi Zheng was hiding something from her. However, over the years, Shi Zheng had always been a dedicated and professional artist, so she shouldn't be joking about her career.

"Okay, where does your friend live? Is it safe there? Should I have the driver pick you up?"

Shizheng had only a handful of friends, and Wu Fangyu didn't feel like she was one of those close friends.

"I don't need to, I will go directly to the dubbing company the day after tomorrow," he replied, evading the question in an extremely abnormal manner.

Wu Fangyu stared at the work schedule on the desk, with numerous speculations surfacing in her mind. Despite having collaborated with Shi Zheng in their careers for many years, she knew that their bond was ultimately tied together by the word "interest." She was not one to meddle in other people's affairs, but she was also not a manager who indulged artists in reckless behavior.

"Shizheng, no matter what happens, I hope you won't keep anything from me. Countless artists have had their careers ruined because they failed to timely communicate with their teams regarding 'unexpected incidents,' leading the media to break the news beforehand. I hope you won't become that kind of person."

Wu Fangyu's words were like a ringing alarm bell, striking at Shizheng's heart. Shizheng felt as if an invisible rope was tightening around his throat. He knew that his abnormality was evident at this moment. Wu Fangyu, being such an intelligent and alert person, would not fail to detect the flaws in his words. However, due to her own identity, she couldn't directly say the embarrassing things that were on her mind. But at this moment, Shizheng had no choice but to resort to lies.

"I have a sense of propriety."

He promptly hung up the phone.

He looked like a rebellious artist who had achieved fame and success, drifting apart from his agent.

Wu Fangyu wasn't wrong in saying that, but she never thought that one day she would still have to act in front of the people around her.

"The only person I trust—"

(Note: The original Chinese text provided does not have a complete sentence. This translation conveys the intended meaning while maintaining the original sentence structure.)

Not family, not friends, but a manager. Wu Fangyu, who accompanied him from an unknown small role to becoming a movie emperor, Zheng Zhen didn't know which was more ridiculous, the sudden transformation into an Omega or the rift between him and the only person he was close to.