Lest You Get Banned Before Your Debut.

Shivam rarely attended social events.

At his level, the people who usually socialized were similar to him. And there were obviously very few of them.

When he attended the cocktail party that night, Shivam originally planned to stay for no more than two hours.

After making an appointment with Isha, they would meet outside in two hours and go home together.

He held his glass and made conversation.

Then, someone came to invite him to take a seat.

Shivam followed that person. Many people were already sitting at the table. He took off his coat.

Originally, there would be waiters for such a banquet. Shivam casually handed over his coat.

However, it was not a waiter who took his coat. It was a young man.

The man was in his early 20s and looked extremely delicate. His peach-blossom eyes were filled with affection, making them look sexy. He was tall and looked very familiar.

It was as though Shivam had seen him before.

"Mr. Pratap, let me help you." The man took Shivam's coat and put it aside.

The others at the table laughed kindly. They all knew about the scandal between Shivam and Ish Pratap. The man who took the initiative to please Shivam was obviously similar to Ish Pratap. They wondered how he got into such an occasion.

However, no one else at the table expressed any disgust toward the attractive man. It was just like how a few more beauties at a banquet like this would only make them laugh.

Shivam frowned slightly, and a cold glint flashed across his eyes.

It seemed that someone had specifically targeted him and placed a man here. His appearance and attitude were all chosen according to Ish Pratap's appearance. That person was very attentive.

Shivam sat down. Because the man had already helped Shivam put down his coat, his actions were much bolder. It seemed that the interaction earlier was enough to establish a connection between the two of them. It also seemed that Shivam had silently admitted something.

The man's Adam's apple was slightly protruding, and his white shirt was wrapped around his delicate figure. He looked gentle yet mighty.

"Mr. Pratap, let me pour you some wine." The man picked up a bottle of red wine and poured some for Shivam.

The people around the table only laughed and were happy to see this happen. Some people were used to these romantic scenes, but they were also happy to see the romantic scenes of others.

However, they did not notice the coldness in Shivam's eyes.

Shivam didn't drink or pick up his chopsticks. The man was attentive and occasionally chatted with others.

Shivam took out his phone and tapped on Whatsapp.

Isha said that she was still filming and would take a while to come over.

Shivam frowned slightly. The laughter of the people around him made him feel strange and uncomfortable.

"Everyone, please excuse me." Shivam stood up.

Everyone was used to his coldness and alienation. He had never stayed long on such occasions.

However, when Shivam got up, the man also got up. He helped Shivam get his coat and handed it to him, intending to help Shivam put it on.

Shivam refused. He took the coat and put it on his wrist.

The young man immediately followed him out.

Outsiders said that Shivam was difficult to come into contact with. He almost never said anything to others, let alone let outsiders touch his clothes.

But just now, his first test was a success. Shivam did not reject the coat he handed over. He knew that success was in sight.

It turned out that even a man like Shivam couldn't refuse him as long as he acted this way.

"Mr. Pratap." The man quickly followed with a smile on his face. His peach blossom eyes were filled with charm.

Sometimes, when a man was flirtatious, he would be very different from a woman. It was a very different kind of beauty.

The man knew this too, so his smile widened. "Mr. Pratap, it's rare for us to meet by chance tonight. I wonder if I can chat with you the next time we meet?"

"Which company are you from?" Shivam suddenly asked.

The man was delighted. "I haven't signed on with a company, but I'm already a trainee. I'm good at singing and dancing. I'm interested in acting."

"Then stay away from me the next time you see me, lest you get banned before you can debut." Shivam's voice was cold and powerful.

The man was slightly stunned. "I don't quite understand what you mean..."

"If you're too stupid, you'll be easily banned." After saying that, Shivam adjusted his cufflinks.

He turned around, his tall figure appearing exceptionally cold and distant.

The man came back to his senses and frowned in embarrassment. Sure enough, Shivam didn't like him.

Even though he was already the same type as Ish Pratap, Shivam was still not moved at all.

If he didn't take a fancy to him, why did he allow him to take his coat and hand it back?

He just couldn't figure it out.

He had no choice but to reply to the person who had arranged for him to come. [Shivam didn't buy it at all. I was rejected.]

When Manish received the news, he wasn't surprised. "Forget it. A man like Shivam Pratap isn't someone ordinary people can approach. We can only rely on ourselves for the movie."

Tinki was really disappointed. She had thought that by getting a man who was a similar type to Ish Pratap and had undergone all kinds of training, he would be able to please Shivam Pratap.

Unexpectedly, they returned in defeat.

This gift had failed miserably.

......

Isha originally planned to look for Shivam after filming.

Therefore, when she saw Shivam, she was pleasantly surprised.

"Your party ended early?" she asked as she changed.

"Well, there was nothing much to do there, so I came over first." Shivam smiled as he watched her change out of her clothes. Isha looked the most comfortable in men's clothes.

Isha only needed to take off the costume she was wearing on the outside, so she changed quickly. She took his arm and they walked out together.

It was a little cold at night, but Shivam was only wearing a shirt. He didn't intend to put on his coat.

"Aren't you cold?"

"No."

"Then let me wear it." Isha flinched.

Shivam reached out and hugged her. "Get in the car immediately."

He quickly led her to the car and turned on the heater.

Isha felt strange. "Why can't I touch that coat?"

"Because someone else touched it."

"What kind of person would touch something so important?"

Shivam recalled what had just happened, and a trace of helplessness flashed across his eyes. "A man."

Isha guessed something from his embarrassed expression. "So, there's actually a man who wants to snatch my husband from me? Oh my God, what kind of fate do I have? Other people only have the same sex as their competitors. My life is twice as difficult."

Shivam said seriously, "I like men, but not every man will be liked by me."

"You like women, okay?" She corrected him.

Shivam chuckled and pulled her into his arms.

"Since you don't like to wear clothes that someone has touched, don't let anyone touch your clothes. Otherwise, you'll get cold."

"I didn't notice it at first. I thought it was a waiter." Shivam felt a little wronged.

Laughing at the look on his face, she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Okay, it's okay. It's just a man. If you've touched him, so be it. It's just clothes, nothing else."

Only then did Shivam feel better.

Originally, he wanted to throw away the coat, but it was from Isha. After thinking about it, he reluctantly kept it. However, when he went back, he would definitely have to hand it over to the butler for dry cleaning.

When the butler received the coat, he was a little puzzled. The coat was clean and there was nothing wrong with it. He could understand Mr. Pratap's request for having it dry cleaned, but asking him to do it three times was a little beyond his understanding.

However, so be it. It was Mr. Pratap's order, after all.

...

Manish and Tinki gave up on negotiating with Shivam Pratap. Now, their focus was on the managers of movie theater chains.

The most important thing about a movie was the screening slots. More slots meant better box office sales.

The managers gathered in the private room arranged by Manish.

They were not worried about Shivam Pratap at all. After all, the huge Pratap Group had never made any special arrangements for entertainment. Shivam Pratap had never personally handled the screening of movies either.

However, Manish was different. He had a long-term working relationship with them, and his every move was extraordinary.

Just like tonight, he directly found several female celebrities to accompany them. Manish's gifts to everyone were filled with sincerity.

"Boss Manish, don't worry. We've been old friends for a long time and have worked together many times. We definitely won't treat you badly. Besides, only you and Isha's movie will be released during this period. As for Isha Sharma, Pratap Group didn't come to us to make arrangements. You don't have to worry at all. When the time comes, we'll schedule more than 50% of the screening slots for you. Most of the venues will play your movie!" The managers patted their chests and promised.

Tinki gave a look, and the female celebrities beside her raised their glasses and said with a smile, "Thank you, Managers. You must enjoy yourself to your heart's content tonight. We have other things to do later."

"60 percent of the screening slots!"

"We'll give you 70 percent!"

As the glasses of wine went down their throats, the managers made bigger promises.

Tinki was finally relieved. Even if she didn't talk to Shivam Pratap, as long as she settled the movie theater managers, there won't be a problem with the box office results for her movie.

Isha's results would definitely be lacking compared to hers.

Isha indeed did not use these public relations methods. She only cooperated with the producers to promote the movie.

Her thoughts had always been more focused on the filming and quality of the movie itself. She did not have any other matters on her mind.

She had always trusted the market and viewers' judgment.

What mattered most was producing good work.

Soon, Tinki and Isha's movies were released.

Tinki and Manish had done a good job. After the meeting that day, their movie occupied almost 90% of every movie theater's screening slots.

In addition, the screening slots had long been swept away by Manish. None of the other movies had been released. All the audience who entered the cinema could only choose between two movies—Tinki's or Isha's.

However, Isha had very few screening slots, and the timings for all the slots were not very good. There were only late nights and mornings, so the box office results for her movie would inevitably be affected.

Even if the audience wanted to watch Isha's movie, it was difficult to find the right time.

Some of the audience who entered the cinema had no choice but to choose Tinki's movie.

.....

On the day of the screening, Tinki's movie had a good box office performance.

Tinki was finally ahead of Isha. Looking at the rising box office results, she was in a good mood.

On the other hand, Isha was not in a hurry. She was no longer a newbie in the film industry. She had encountered many twists and turns in her previous movies. She knew that the market had its own aesthetic standards.

She was equally calm this time.

Even so, there was always a sense of ritual. Whenever her movie was released, she would go to watch it with Shivam. This time was no exception.

Although the box office results were dominated by Tinki, Isha was still in a good mood.

Shivam was driving, and she was holding onto a bottle of Coke. Later when they entered the venue, she could buy popcorn. This was what a happy life looked like.

There was a slight traffic jam as they approached the movie theater.

Seeing that it was almost time, Isha said, "Stop the car here first. I'll get the tickets and meet you in the lobby."

"Okay." Shivam drove steadily.

When they reached the parking lot, Isha quickly ran toward the cinema. Shivam looked at her back and couldn't help but laugh.

Isha did not dress up as a man tonight, but she had still disguised herself. She wore a furry panda hat on her head and a mask, which was enough to cover her face.

Besides, her movie was screened late at night as if it were some shameful movie. There probably wouldn't be many people coming to watch it.

She ran to get the tickets and didn't care about buying popcorn anymore. She followed the crowd and called Shivam. "I won't wait for you in the lobby. I'll wait for you at the ticket counter. There's no time."

Unexpectedly, there were actually quite a few people here. Perhaps because it was the weekend, many people stayed out until quite late. The audience was not as small as Isha had expected.

Time was of the essence. She mingled with the crowd and walked together in the direction of the movie theater, but suddenly, she heard a cry.

A woman was crying and shouting: "Daughter, my daughter... My daughter..."

Isha hesitated for a moment. She was about to enter the venue, but she still subconsciously turned around.

At this moment, the other audience members were busy entering the theater. No one paid attention to the crying woman. Because it was late and there were not enough staff, they were all busy with work and did not care about what was happening.

Isha was an abandoned child and also a mother, so she was particularly sensitive to such things.

She thought to herself, 'Could the woman's daughter have gotten lost in the crowd?'

Instinctively, she ran toward the woman and said soothingly, "Ma'am, don't cry. What does your daughter look like? How old is she? Where was she just now? I can help with the search and call the police for you."

"My daughter, my daughter... She's my daughter..." This was the woman's only answer, and she kept repeating it. It was a confusing situation.

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