Chapter 459: Champions in the Spotlight

As noon approached, Director Li Yue slipped away to say a quick hello to Xie Bingran, made his rounds of goodbyes, and then headed out first.

Clearly, his main reason for coming was to discuss the Spring Festival Gala with Xu Chen.

Before leaving, he gripped Xu Chen’s hand and made a personal plea once more.

Bing Ge landing a spot on the Eve of the Lunar New Year Gala was a huge deal.

And just as Li Yue had said, it was a golden opportunity that countless people begged for.

In the entertainment world, so many stars and their agencies poured in massive funds and connections just to get a brief appearance on the Gala.

Yet Bing Ge got the invitation effortlessly.

Of course, it was all thanks to her identity as an Asian Games champion—after all, showcasing national heroes on New Year’s Eve fit perfectly with the Gala’s patriotic vibe.

Convincing Bing Ge to join was a no-brainer; no need to hesitate.

Li Yue’s concerns were spot on.

Given Bing Ge’s personality, she might actually turn down the Gala invite just to spend time with Xu Chen.

Lunch was the production company’s standard work meal.

The shoot with the endorser was on a tight schedule, so they were rushing.

They only had half an hour for lunch; the director’s team wolfed down their boxed meals and dove back into work.

Sun Yashi had wanted to take ‘Young Xu Chen’ downstairs to eat, but Xu Chen figured it was too much hassle and said, ‘Let’s focus on the footage,’ so they ate boxed meals right on set.

Of course, the production team hooked up their ‘client’ with better food—even though it was takeout, it came from a proper restaurant.

Xie Bingran and Liu Shengnan had their meals arranged separately, as athletes had specific dietary requirements from the national team.

The two of them were in the dressing room’s lounge, enjoying a undisturbed midday break.

After eating a bit, Xu Chen told Sun Yashi he wanted to ‘take a walk,’ meaning he was heading off to hang out with Bing Ge.

Wu Feifei and Su Rong caught on immediately; they were still chewing their food as they jumped up to follow Xu Chen.

In the lounge.

Bing Ge and Liu Shengnan had just finished eating when the makeup artist came in to fix Bing Ge’s look for the afternoon.

‘Am I interrupting?’ Xu Chen asked quietly.

Liu Shengnan smiled and said:

‘Not at all.’

Xu Chen brought over two boxes of cut fruit, handing one to Liu Shengnan and setting the other in front of Bing Ge.

Bing Ge sat still while the makeup artist worked, just blinking and flashing a smile at Xu Chen.

Su Rong had already dashed over, grabbing a small fork and beaming a sweet, cute smile at Bing Ge:

‘Stay put, Bing Ge—I’ll feed you!’

…

Xu Chen had planned to chat with Bing Ge, but with Wu Feifei and Su Rong around, he couldn’t get a word in.

The two girls kept the conversation buzzing with giggles and chatter.

Xu Chen sat for a bit before Sun Aimi knocked on the door and poked her head in:

‘Boss, Paul’s team is here, and our electric bike has arrived.’

Xu Chen nodded. ‘Got it, I’ll go greet them.’

On the second-floor set.

Bao Jun Sen showed up with a big crew, making quite the entrance.

A brand-new ‘Chenfeng Ice Power’ bike was already positioned in the shooting area, with Bao Jun Sen directing a few technicians to adjust its spot.

Gu Xinxi and Tang Xiaowei spotted Xu Chen and hurried over, calling him ‘Boss.’

This electric bike for the shoot was the one Gu Xinxi and Tang Xiaowei had carefully transported from the company.

It was the only one they had, so they handled it with extreme care, escorting it all the way without a scratch.

Bao Jun Sen saw Xu Chen and quickly dropped what he was doing to say hello.

‘Long time no see, Young Xu Chen!’

Through their Jeep collaboration, Xu Chen was already familiar with this Paul, who spoke with a thick Hong Kong accent, and they greeted each other warmly.

‘Thanks for the hard work, Paul—helping us with this ad shoot.’

Bao Jun Sen replied, ‘Getting to work on your project and shoot Xie Bingran is an honor for me!’

‘I just found out that your family runs Chenfeng Technology as well…

You’re way too low-key, Young Xu Chen!’

Xu Chen said, ‘You’re too kind—it’s just a growing startup.’

Sun Aimi was still upstairs, keeping an eye on the ‘Head & Shoulders’ shoot, so she couldn’t handle this side.

Luckily, the overall shooting plan had been reviewed multiple times, and since they’d worked with Bao Jun Sen’s team before, things felt solid.

After chatting with Xu Chen for a while, the director dashed off to get back to work.

Xu Chen gave a few instructions to Gu Xinxi and Tang Xiaowei, asking them to help Bao Jun Sen here while he returned to the ‘Head & Shoulders’ set.

After all, they were still in the midst of the ‘Head & Shoulders’ session, so Xu Chen didn’t want to neglect that completely.

When Xu Chen got back, Bing Ge’s shoot was already underway.

Director Woody was efficient, having switched to a new scene—the ‘scalp lab’ setup.

Xu Chen returned to the monitor and sat with Sun Yashi, diligently overseeing the work.

Wu Feifei and Su Rong trailed after Sun Aimi, following the shoot closely.

The two girls were fully engaged, even stepping in as Sun Aimi’s assistants.

One held the script documents, the other gripped the walkie-talkie to relay feedback.

They looked totally professional.

The filming progressed smoothly and methodically.

By four in the afternoon, as Director Woody called ‘Wrap,’ applause erupted in the studio.

A pretty assistant director handed Xie Bingran a bouquet of flowers.

Next came the group photo session—many on-site staff had been waiting for this.

Working with an Asian Games champion was an honor worth bragging about.

Plus, with her idol-like charm, she’d already won over a few women in the director’s team.

Director Woody waved over Xu Chen, Sun Yashi, and John to join.

In the big group shot, Bing Ge was front and center.

Xu Chen and Sun Yashi were pulled to the middle, standing on either side of Bing Ge.

After the flashes, laughter filled the air.

Everyone scrambled for solo shots and autographs with Bing Ge.

So Bing Ge, still holding the flowers, turned into an autograph machine.

‘Thanks for your hard work, Young Xu Chen!’ Sun Yashi said, shaking his hand again.

‘You too, Sia—personally overseeing the shoot.’

Xu Chen wasn’t just being polite; as a group director at Procter & Gamble, Sun Yashi dealt mostly with foreigners above her.

For a shoot like this, even with a star involved, she could have left it to her subordinates.

But she came herself and stayed the whole time—not just for the Asian Games champion, but to mend ties with Young Xu Chen.

‘There were some hiccups early on with this project…

Thanks for letting it go, Young Xu Chen—we pulled it off smoothly!’

Sun Yashi spoke sincerely, looking a bit embarrassed.

‘It’s all part of the job, Sia. No need to apologize!

We’ll handle the editing, revisions, and final delivery—East Morning Star Advertising has it covered.’

‘Appreciate it, Young Xu Chen!’

Director Woody came over, chatted a bit more with Sun Yashi and Xu Chen, then they all walked her downstairs.

Sun Yashi said to Xu Chen:

‘You go ahead with your stuff—I know you have more shooting to do.’

Xu Chen smiled. ‘Thanks, Sia!’

In the dressing room.

Bao Jun Sen had brought his team’s makeup artists to touch up Bing Ge’s look.

The overall style for the Head & Shoulders shoot wasn’t over-the-top, but it still needed adjustments.

Bao Jun Sen and the makeup artist discussed a few things in Cantonese.

Seeing Xu Chen enter, they smiled and greeted him.

Xu Chen nodded with a smile: ‘Carry on with your work!’

Liu Shengnan was ready to head back first— with Xu Chen around, Xie Bingran would be fine.

Xu Chen politely saw Coach Liu downstairs.

‘Make sure Bing Ge gets back safe and sound, or Coach Cheng will have your head!’

Liu Shengnan joked.

‘Don’t worry, Coach Liu—I’ll return her exactly as she is.’

Liu Shengnan got into a business van, and Xu Chen watched it drive off before heading back upstairs.

On the second-floor set.

‘Chenfeng Ice Power’ filming was in full swing.

Bing Ge had changed into a custom athletic outfit, prepared by the director’s team.

The clothing was designed to match the ‘Chenfeng Ice Power’ bike’s style in colors and elements.

The bike’s design came from a top design institute in Beijing, one of China’s leading industrial teams.

In fact, the strong initial sales of ‘Chenfeng Ice Power’ were largely due to its sleek look.

Especially in the northern market, like Tianjin, where electric bike factories focused on practicality with outdated designs.

‘Chenfeng Ice Power’s modern style was a visual knockout.

‘Good-looking and fun to ride—that’s Chenfeng Ice Power.’

That simple line perfectly captured the bike’s appeal and user experience.

The shoot went on without a hitch.

The script was straightforward—mostly Bing Ge posing casually with the bike, plus a few dynamic shots.

No acting challenges; Bing Ge nailed it easily.

But they still tweaked for perfect lighting and angles, leading to several retakes.

Darkness had fallen outside.

At the monitor, Xu Chen leaned in, reviewing the playback.

Director Bao Jun Sen jogged over with his walkie-talkie:

‘What do you think, Young Xu Chen?’

Xu Chen set down his headphones and nodded with a smile:

‘Perfect!’

Bao Jun Sen grinned and turned to shout in Cantonese toward the shooting area:

‘Wrap!’

There were still flowers and group photos, but it wrapped up quicker than the Head & Shoulders shoot.

Bing Ge went to remove her makeup and change; Wu Feifei and Su Rong happily tagged along.

The director’s team packed up equipment while Bao Jun Sen smiled and approached Xu Chen:

‘Can I treat you to dinner, Young Xu Chen?’

Xu Chen gave an apologetic look.

Bao Jun Sen chuckled, understanding that Xu Chen needed to be with Xie Bingran.

Xu Chen waved to the side, and Sun Aimi, Gu Xinxi, and Tang Xiaowei hurried over.

‘Boss…’

‘I have to drop Bing Ge off— you all take care of dinner with Paul.’

Gu Xinxi said, ‘No problem!’

Bao Jun Sen replied, ‘You’re too kind, Young Xu Chen— I should be hosting!’

After a bit more small talk, Xu Chen emphasized the timeline:

‘This ad’s editing and post-production will be tough on you, Paul.

We’re on a tight schedule for the northern market promo—aiming to launch before the Lunar New Year.’

Bao Jun Sen said, ‘Don’t worry, Young Xu Chen—I’ve cleared my schedule for the year.

The editing and post team is ready; we’ll pick shots tomorrow and jump into the rough cut.’

‘Thanks, Paul.’

Xie Bingran had changed back into her original black outfit and emerged, with Wu Feifei and Su Rong clinging to her arms like accessories.

Bao Jun Sen offered to walk Xie Bingran and Xu Chen downstairs, but Xu Chen waved it off:

‘You all keep working—no need to see us out!’

Downstairs, Xu Chen started the car and glanced at Xie Bingran in the passenger seat, and Wu Feifei and Su Rong in the back:

‘Everyone starving?’

Su Rong jumped in first: ‘Starving!’

Xu Chen looked at Wu Feifei:

‘Miss Wu, got any dinner spots to recommend?’

‘Why me?’

‘In China, for great food and fun, ask two people and you’re golden—

Fang Jun’s sister or you.’

Wu Feifei smirked proudly:

‘I do know a spot nearby—a Cantonese place.’

Xu Chen lit up: ‘Let’s go!’

Wu Feifei’s pick was indeed close, just a twenty-minute drive near Nanxiang Ancient Town.

With ‘sports star’ Xie Bingran along, they opted for a private room.

Xu Chen scanned the menu and knew it was a top-notch Cantonese spot.

Maybe it was hunger, or just the craving for Cantonese food after so long, but everything looked tempting.

Wu Feifei checked Bing Ge’s preferences, and Xie Bingran just said, ‘Anything works.’

Su Rong, clutching the huge menu, was excited:

‘I’ll have oyster omelet, roasted pigeon, pineapple buns, ginger撞奶 ice cream, and Yangzhi Ganlu!’

…

Wu Feifei started ordering more conservatively, but Xu Chen said generously,

‘I’m treating—go all out!’

Wu Feifei beamed: ‘Alright!’

Both young ladies loved food, and Bing Ge was a bit of a foodie too.

The table filled up with dishes.

Luckily, Cantonese portions were small, so they could try more varieties.

Su Rong couldn’t finish a whole pineapple bun, so she happily split it with Bing Ge.

With her cheeks stuffed, she said:

‘Feifei’s got a knack—random spots and they’re this good!’

Wu Feifei remembered something, pulled a poster from her bag, and handed it with a pen to Bing Ge:

‘Bing Ge, sign this for me—it’s for my mom…’

Then Su Rong quickly pulled out one too:

‘And sign one for me—it’s for my dad…’

Xu Chen: ‘…’