Chapter Eleven: Lies Flow Freely from the Lips

"..." Watching the mother and son walk away, Chen Qi swallowed the second half of his sentence that was already at his lips.

He glanced down at his own clothes.

He wasn’t even wearing a suit—how did he look like a salesman?

Seeing that the mother and son had reached the nearby bus stop, he hurried after them.

Perhaps it was a woman’s intuition, but the young mother, holding her little boy’s hand, sensed something and turned to look back, catching sight of Chen Qi approaching.

She was visibly taken aback, regarding him with a mix of confusion and caution.

Meeting her wary gaze, Chen Qi dispensed with pleasantries and got straight to the point. “Hello, I’m not here to sell you anything. I’d like to ask for your help in filming a commercial.”

“A commercial?” She was startled again, her face clearly showing her surprise.

“I work for Blueprint Advertising,” Chen Qi said, pulling out his employee badge. “Our company has a decent reputation in the industry—you can check us online; the number’s there. If you’re worried, you can call to verify my identity.”

She hesitated for a few seconds but eventually shook her head. “I’m not interested, thank you.”

Chen Qi was momentarily speechless, but he didn’t give up. “Please don’t worry. It’s a legitimate ad. It’ll be aired as a public service announcement on CCTV. There’s no risk to your image at all.”

Just then, a bus pulled up.

The young mother politely shook her head and boarded the bus with her son.

To her surprise, Chen Qi followed them onto the bus.

“You...” She looked at him in shock, clearly flustered.

“Don’t be afraid—really, I mean no harm,” Chen Qi said as he sat behind her. “I’ve spent over half a month searching for the right actors, and I’ve tried reaching out to professional models and actors, but none were quite right. Now that I’ve finally found you two, I can’t let you go.”

He made up the story on the spot.

The young woman seemed dazed, unaccustomed to such situations.

She genuinely hadn’t encountered anything like this before! Other salesmen usually left after being turned down, and even the most persistent would only try to keep the conversation going. None would shamelessly follow her onto a bus.

Chen Qi looked at her sincerely. “Miss, why don’t you verify my identity first? I really want you and your son to be in this ad. Don’t worry—it’s a paid job, five hundred yuan a day. For both of you, that’s a thousand yuan per day.”

Whether it was Chen Qi’s sincerity or the promise of five hundred yuan a day that moved her, the young woman’s eyes brightened, and she didn’t refuse again, though she still seemed conflicted.

“I assure you, it’s a proper public service ad. If you find anything inappropriate during the shoot, you can bring it up and refuse to continue at any time—I promise.” Chen Qi handed her his badge again, encouraging her to check his credentials.

She bit her lip softly, and after half a minute of silence, seemed to make up her mind. She stared at Chen Qi for a few seconds, then began searching for information about Blueprint Advertising on her phone.

Watching her, Chen Qi breathed a silent sigh of relief, full of anticipation.

There was indeed information about Blueprint Advertising online, and after browsing for a few minutes, the young mother called the number listed on their official website in front of Chen Qi.

“Hello, Blueprint Advertising.” The call was quickly answered.

“Hi, I’d like to ask if you have an employee named Chen Qi?”

“One moment, please...” There was a brief silence. “Yes, Chen Qi works in our Creative Department.”

“All right, thank you.”

After hanging up, she looked at Chen Qi, her expression noticeably warmer.

“Let me explain the details of the ad.”

The young mother glanced at him and gave a barely perceptible nod.

“It’s actually very simple and won’t take more than two days to shoot. All you’d need to do is film a scene where you wash an ‘elderly woman’s’ feet, and then your son washes yours.” Since there weren’t many people around, Chen Qi gave her a straightforward explanation of the shoot.

“That’s all?”

“That’s basically it.”

Hearing how simple it was, the young mother was clearly tempted.

Five hundred yuan a day—for two days, she and her son could earn two thousand yuan, which was nearly half a month’s salary for her.

“You said just now it’s five hundred a day for the ad?” She wanted to confirm.

“That’s right,” Chen Qi replied confidently.

“He has to be in it too?” She pointed at her little boy, who was eyeing Chen Qi curiously.

“Yes, both of you are essential. And you’ll both be paid the same. Before we start, I’ll have you sign a simple contract—so you can rest easy.” Chen Qi did his best to allay her concerns.

The young mother was silent for a moment, then said, “But it’s hard for me to take time off. I’m only free the day after tomorrow, on the weekend.”

Hearing that she was inclined to agree, Chen Qi was overjoyed. “That’s no problem—I’m not in a rush. We’ll work around your schedule and aim to finish shooting this weekend! How does that sound?”

She looked at him and finally nodded.

“So it’s settled?” Chen Qi let out a sigh of relief. “Give me your phone number, and I’ll contact you.”

She recited her number, and after saving it, Chen Qi got ready to get off the bus. “All right, then. I still need to find someone to play the grandmother, so I’ll be on my way.”

“Wait.” The young mother, perhaps emboldened by something, called out to him. She hesitated, then asked, “The role of the grandmother... hasn’t been filled yet?”

“No,” Chen Qi shook his head, thinking she was worried about the schedule. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to have someone before the shoot.”

“That’s not it...” That clearly wasn’t her concern. “Are there any requirements for the grandmother’s role?”

Chen Qi was puzzled for a moment, then quickly caught on. “Is there an elderly person in your family?”

The young mother nodded shyly. “My mother-in-law.”

Chen Qi considered, then said, “If it’s convenient, could I meet her? It’s hard to say what’s needed without seeing her.”

“Of course,” the young mother replied, delighted.

If her mother-in-law could be chosen as well, it would mean even more income for their family—a welcome prospect for a household that was far from wealthy.