Chapter 40

Jiang Yi’s patience with Professor Chen clearly waned; if not for the fact that Chen was his boyfriend’s uncle, he wouldn’t have said so much.

Especially when Professor Chen said, “By the way, I just asked about that companion Zhao Youmo. Jiang Yi, don’t mention his name in front of Baby.”

Jiang Yi frowned, “What’s wrong with his name?”

“They… mentioning it might upset Baby. Just remember that,” Professor Chen replied cautiously.

“Why would mentioning him upset him?” Jiang Yi pressed further. It was unusual for him to be so curious, as he generally showed little interest beyond lab work.

“I’ll need to know the reason so I can comfort him during this time,” Jiang Yi added.

After a brief hesitation, Professor Chen said, “It’s a bit of a family matter… That person has a special status. Oh, by the way, do you prefer University A or H? I have recommendations for both; your credentials are suitable for either.”

Jiang Yi didn’t mention that both universities had emailed him last year, and he had declined.

Professor Chen’s obvious reluctance to elaborate on the matter made Jiang Yi suspicious. What special status could a companion have? Why would mentioning him upset Yang Yunran?

Yet Jiang Yi had indeed noticed it; every time “dog-walking guy” was brought up, Yang Yunran seemed to show signs of ambivalence.

The next afternoon, Yang Yunran was studying in the school library when he told Jiang Yi, “You don’t need to pick me up later. I have plans for dinner.”

Jiang Yi had just finished his lab work and called to ask, “With whom?”

“Someone from a music company,” Yang Yunran replied.

“Is your foot still hurting? Can you walk?” Jiang Yi inquired.

“It’s fine now, not hurting anymore,” Yang Yunran assured him.

“Can we still dance tonight?” Jiang Yi asked.

“Probably not tonight. The discussion might run late. I also have a meeting…” Yang Yunran sighed, feeling overwhelmed. Finding time for love meant sacrificing sleep.

Yang Yunran wanted to be close, but it seemed his boyfriend wasn’t keen, so he relented.

After a moment of silence on the phone, Jiang Yi said, “How long will you be busy? I’ll pick you up after dinner and accompany you while you study tonight.”

Yang Yunran couldn’t give a clear answer. “I’ll contact you later,” he said before hanging up.

When Jiang Yi drove over later, he happened to see Yang Yunran getting into a sports car.

The guy in the sports car seemed familiar from the recording studio—Levi. Jiang Yi remembered him distinctly; Levi had looked at Yang Yunran with admiration during their meeting. Levi had asked Yang Yunran out to dinner that day, but Yang Yunran hadn’t agreed.

Why had he agreed today? Levi was indeed from a music company…

Jiang Yi didn’t follow the car. Instead, he sat silently in his own car for a while before watching the sports car drive away.

Lin Wei picked up Yang Yunran and took him to the restaurant, where they met Zhou Kai. Yang Yunran disliked these kinds of dinners, always feeling compelled to attend, especially around leaders. Entertainment managers like Zhou Kai were inscrutable, and conversations with them required caution to avoid saying the wrong thing, becoming gossip fodder outside.

“Does Teacher Ye drink?” Zhou Kai shook hands with him upon entering the private room.

Yang Yunran said he didn’t drink. “Kevin, you don’t have to call me ‘teacher’; I’m not a veteran in the entertainment circle. Just ‘Ye Ye’ or ‘Yang Yunran,’ or ‘Roy’ is fine.”

Zhou Kai hesitated but still didn’t want to call him “Ye Ye”; he always felt he was taking advantage.

“By the way, Yunran, did you watch our drama yesterday? We used your song ‘Shaoguang’ as the theme song. Netizens loved it, found it very fitting, and were asking who the singer was. Our official account is tagged ‘Ye Ye’ for you. By the way, I haven’t seen anything else on your Weibo besides some songs and videos. Do you manage it yourself?” Zhou Kai showed him screenshots of the netizen reviews. 

Yang Yunran replied carefully

, “I have an assistant who handles video editing and posts for me. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to manage it all on my own.”

“Where did you find your assistant, online?” Zhou Kai asked.

“It was through a friend’s recommendation,” Yang Yunran answered.

Zhou Kai continued, “Having just one assistant might not be enough. Our CEO really likes you, watches your live streams every day. Have you considered returning to China after graduation?”

“I’m still considering,” Yang Yunran replied thoughtfully. The sincerity shown by Zhou Kai’s visit did touch him.

“We’d like to collaborate on global album distribution and exclusive song rights. It would definitely surpass the few tens of thousands you get for licensing a single song now. Of course, I know money isn’t an issue for you,” Zhou Kai added with a chuckle. “A singer’s career focuses on popularity and holding concerts.”

Yang Yunran nodded but didn’t speak, waiting for the other party to propose terms. He was looking for someone to release an album, but the conditions from major record companies were somewhat strict.

Zhou Kai thought to himself, truly deserving of being a top rich second generation, displaying such composure. While his fame was lacking a bit, witnessing it firsthand, this demeanor was unmistakably genuine.

“Do you know the internet singers who are popular now?” Zhou Kai mentioned a few names. “They all have teams. Have you heard this song on Douyin?”

Zhou Kai played a well-known internet song, and Yang Yunran nodded. “I’ve heard it.”

Zhou Kai continued, “This song has high online popularity, but the singer isn’t well-known. Our partner invited him to a show last year for a fee of a hundred thousand… Your songs are distinctly different grand, and sophisticated in writing, avoiding clichés. Each one can be considered a masterpiece of recent years!”

“Thank you for your praise,” Yang Yunran replied.

Zhou Kai praised him extensively and finally presented Lin’s conditions: “We have the largest market in China. Our company has maintained excellent cooperation with major platforms and TV stations for many years. If you’re willing, we can do a 40-60 split, or even 30-70, because Mr. Lin particularly likes you. You know this is currently the highest offer in the market.”

“I know you’re sincere,” Yang Yunran nodded, “but for now, I just want to stay behind the scenes, so I need to think about it.”

“Behind the scenes? That’s fine too! But honestly, Yunran, with your looks and young age, it’s a pity to stay purely behind the scenes…” Zhou Kai hadn’t been impressed watching videos, but in person, he felt Mr. Lin’s sharp vision.

Yang Yunran indeed had exceptional looks, different from his previous appearances on variety shows and TV, exuding a unique charm despite his ordinary attire. Was this the relaxed aura of a true second-generation?

Mr. Lin could discern this even from Harry Ye’s masked appearance; he had to admit it.

Yang Yunran lacked strong ambition; the entire entertainment industry was merely a game of capital, and so-called top stars were just toys of capital. He simply wanted stability, to maintain his medical income after leaving the Yang family.

Moreover, now living in Boston, hardly anyone recognized him as a minor celebrity, which felt liberating—able to walk the streets hand in hand, free from paparazzi worries.

The conversation with Zhou Kai was quite pleasant. Jiang Yi said he’d come to pick him up, and Yang Yunran casually sent the address.

As the dinner drew to a close, Yang Yunran started eating ice cream. Suddenly, Zhou Kai brought up, “Oh right, Yunran, I was browsing your social media the other day and found something interesting.”

“What was it?” Yang Yunran asked.

Since Yang Yunran’s social media didn’t have many followers, Zhou Kai had just casually checked it for work.

Zhou Kai showed him a screenshot, “Who’s this guy from your academic appeal meeting? Not a star or an internet celebrity, right?”

Seeing the screenshot of Jiang Yi’s profile, Yang Yunran hesitated, “…”

At the time, Yang Yunran had noticed people discussing this matter but hadn’t paid much attention, never expecting it to still have traction months later.

Zhou Kai asked, “Is he your friend? Haha, just curious if he has any aspirations to become a star?”

Yang Yunran sighed inwardly; things were indeed heading towards Jiang Yi wanting to debut.

Yang Yunran said, “I’ll ask him later.”

Zhou Kai just mentioned it casually. Although their company scouted potential stars worldwide, a good-looking guy like Evan was a dime a dozen. What they lacked were talented individuals who were also good-looking, much like Yang Yunran.

The dinner ended, and as they left the restaurant, Jiang Yi, waiting on the roadside, walked over to Yang Yunran. He was dressed in a plain black T-shirt with no patterns, showing a bit of collarbone, grey trousers emphasizing his slender figure, and holding a dog.

Seeing the Samoyed, Zhou Kai’s gaze locked onto the young man holding it under the streetlamp, warm light falling on his dark brows and eyes.

Yang Yunran exclaimed in surprise, “Jiang Yi, why did you bring the dog!”

The Samoyed leaped towards him, tightly held by Jiang Yi, scolding, “Harry!”

“This isn’t…” Zhou Kai started, but Yang Yunran interrupted, “This is my dog.”

“It’s not that one!” Zhou Kai stepped forward, handing out his business card.

Jiang Yi coldly and politely reached out to take the card, one hand holding the dog, and did not shake hands with Zhou Kai.

Yang Yunran glanced at the card, explaining, “This is Kevin, Jiang Yi. He thinks you’re handsome and have the potential to be a star. Kevin, this is Evan.”

Zhou Kai casually asked, “Hello, Evan. So many Evans. Our company also has… haha, quite similar to your name. Evan, are you interested in becoming a star?”

“Sorry, I’m not.” Since Jiang Yi was Yang Yunran’s partner, he remained polite but distant, lacking warmth.

Zhou Kai had seen all types of people and shamelessly added him on WeChat, then left with Lin Wei. Zhou Kai remarked, “Their relationship seems a bit special, are they dating?”

Lin Wei said she didn’t know. She remembered her “former husband,” seeming to have reconciled.

Yang Yunran crouched to pet the dog on the ground. Jiang Yi intended to discard the business card but, seeing no nearby trash bin and lacking the habit of littering, slipped it into his pocket.

Watching his actions, Yang Yunran sighed with a bit of frustration, head down.

Jiang Yi bent down to touch his hair, “Not feeling happy about the work discussion?”

“Not really,” Yang Yunran said, looking up. “It’s something else… You don’t really plan to become a star, do you?”

“I don’t,” Jiang Yi said, extending his hand to help him up. “Let’s go home.”

Opening the back seat door for the dog, Jiang Yi then held open the car door for Yang Yunran.

In the car, Jiang Yi fastened his seatbelt without looking at him. “What’s bothering you? Can you tell me?”

Yang Yunran stared at his pocket. “This is a secret.”

Because of the accompanying male student?

Jiang Yi lifted his gaze, eyes landing on his face. Seeing him listless and not wearing a seatbelt, Jiang Yi unfastened his own seatbelt, reached over, and helped Yang Yunran buckle up.

Yang Yunran felt Jiang Yi very close to him. The car was dimly lit, with faint dashboard lights. As Jiang Yi approached, his hormonal scent and shadow completely enveloped Yang Yunran, with a hint of aggression.

Yang Yunran stealthily reached for Jiang Yi’s pocket. He thought about quietly tearing up Zhou Kai’s business card that was inside but suddenly remembered they had also added each other on WeChat. When his hand reached Jiang Yi’s abdomen, he hesitated and stopped his movement.

Jiang Yi’s entire body stiffened.

He glanced at Yang Yunran, who had lowered his eyes. Yang Yunran seemed to be pondering some significant and unpleasant issue.

Jiang Yi didn’t evade. He gripped Yang Yunran’s wrist firmly.

“If touching it can make you feel better, then go ahead,” Jiang Yi said softly. “But not while I’m driving. Can it wait until we get home?”