Chapter 56

Yang Yunran fell silent for a long time upon hearing this, then said, “Kevin, maybe you should find someone else. This person is my ex-boyfriend.”

Zhou Kai corrected him, “No, I’m talking about this Evan, not that Evan.”

Zhou Kai thought Yang Yunran was referring to Jiang Fan, who had just debuted.

This confused Yang Yunran even more: “Which Evan are you talking about?”

Zhou Kai clarified, “I mean your boyfriend Evan, not your ex-boyfriend Evan. Which one were you talking about?”

Because of the mix-up with the name Evan, Yang Yunran was puzzled: “I was talking about my ex-boyfriend. Who are you referring to?”

Zhou Kai explained, “His Chinese name… I forgot, but he’s the American one! Not Jiang Fan!”

“Who is Jiang Fan?” Yang Yunran was bewildered. “I meant the American one, you mean Jiang Yi, right? We broke up, so don’t ask him to be the lead in my music video. Let him focus on acting in movies.”

Zhou Kai suddenly understood, “Oh, so you’ve also broken up with him? Alright, that’s good. Focus on your work then. Dating will only slow down our money-making! I’ll reply to the email… OK, I’ve rejected him! It’s better not to get back together; then the million-dollar deal will go smoothly without a hitch.”

Yang Yunran replied, “Okay, remember to arrange other auditions for him.”

Even though they had broken up, Yang Yunran still didn’t want to interfere with Jiang Yi’s career.

Zhou Kai personally replied to Jiang Yi’s email.

[“Sorry~ We’ve already chosen a suitable male actor, and Teacher Ye Ye expressed unwillingness to cooperate with you!”]

Jiang Yi replied promptly:

[“There’s something I want to ask you to tell him.”]

Zhou Kai saw an attachment: “?”

What does he mean?

Zhou Kai opened the attachment, which was a loading image, so he patiently waited for ten seconds.

Jiang Yi ingeniously used the attachment’s Trojan program to manipulate Zhou Kai’s computer, searching for Yang Yunran’s name and accessing all related files.

After waiting impatiently for ten seconds without the download completing, Zhou Kai lost his patience and replied:

[“Although I’m willing to pass on your message, I advise you not to persist! You’re not worthy! Don’t contact him anymore!”]

Jiang Yi asked, [“Did he say that?”]

Zhou Kai ignored him after that.

Jiang Yi didn’t send any more emails either.

By hacking into Zhou Kai’s computer, Jiang Yi had already found Yang Yunran’s current address and the location of the audition. He had no interest in being the lead in that music video; he simply wanted to meet Yang Yunran and discuss some matters face-to-face rather than over unclear phone conversations.

How could he communicate clearly over the phone regarding such important matters?

Furthermore, Yang Yunran’s passive approach to dealing with this situation was giving him a headache.

After confirming the location, Jiang Yi bought a plane ticket and flew over.

Lately, Yang Yunran has been busy recording shows early and late, sometimes spending more than twenty hours in the studio, facing criticism from mentors who seemed to pick on trivial matters.

“Hakimi, there’s a noticeable pitch problem in the chorus you just sang.”

Yang Yunran, known by the stage name “Hajimi,” adjusted his voice through pitch modification and asked, “Where?”

The mentor, a “musical poet” in his late thirties or early forties, renowned for his talent and having written a famous work in his teens, held a respected position in the music industry.

Yang Yunran, though often appearing modest on the surface, was someone who never compromised in his own field.

He asked directly, “Where exactly is the problem?”

The male mentor explained, “It’s in the line, ‘Has now turned into smoke,'” and sang the line again. “Did you modify the pitch processing yourself, or did you go off-key during the pitch modulation?”

Yang Yunran replied, “I arranged the backing track myself, Teacher Lu. As a professional musician, you must have noticed that I actually re-arranged the entire song in an R&B style, incorporating heavy instruments like African drums. The processing of that specific lyric is consistent throughout the entire song.”

The mentor frowned. He knew “Hakimi” was the same as “Haliyeh,” an unheard-of internet singer.

Did he dare to challenge him like this?

The assistant in the audience, with a worried look, glanced at the cameraman, who was zooming in for a close-up of Yang Yunran.

She was concerned about potential malicious editing later on. In variety shows, the safest approach was to remain silent. Once too many words were spoken, no matter how the program appeared, the editing could turn it into something completely different.

Especially since Yang Yunran and the male mentor were now arguing about this issue.

The mentor pointed out, “The issue lies in your arrangement.”

Yang Yunran asked calmly, with a hint of sarcasm, “Is that so? Could you please specify?”

Clearly unwilling to say more, the mentor retorted, “I don’t know who you are. Everyone knows we have top-tier stars in our program, but I’m not sure if you’re one of them. Anyway, regardless of your identity, I can only give your performance a sixty, and your arrangement, to me, is unacceptable!”

He then pressed the red light for Yang Yunran.

In the control room, the assistant director exclaimed, “Great! This segment is good. Capture more close-ups; we’ll definitely use them in post-production.”

The assistant director added, “The other mentors are giving green lights. We want to keep Hajimi for the next round!”

The male mentor who had argued with Yang Yunran unhappily removed his earpiece and headed backstage, asking the director, “Who is he anyway? He shows no respect for his elders! I gave him critiques on his singing for free, and he doesn’t appreciate it?! It’s so frustrating!”

The director advised him to calm down and said, “Mr. Tang, it’s all about generating buzz. Relax. Hakimi is relatively young and not deeply rooted in the entertainment industry. He might not know the etiquette.”

“He’s an internet singer, is he very popular? If he talks to me like that, showing no respect, even after entering the entertainment circle, he should know the rules.” Mr. Tang spoke with hands on his hips.

“He’s not very famous,” the director wanted to say, “but his singing ability is solid. Fans criticize this Haliyeye mostly for his unattractive appearance and wearing a mask, but few criticize his singing.”

After leaving the stage, Yang Yunran removed his mask, changed into casual clothes, and still covered his face with a mask and sunglasses as he left the TV station.

He seemed to bump into an artist from another company head-on. The male artist had makeup on his face, wore a light blue suit, was tall and imposing, and was followed by his manager. The assistant gasped and exclaimed, “Sister Du, it’s Evan.”

The female manager, Xiao Du, who was under Zhou Kai, glanced at the assistant and asked, “Doudou, are you bringing an artist to record a program?” She glanced at Yang Yunran and remembered the recent internal discussions about a mysterious artist, “Are you Haliyeye?”

Yang Yunran nodded politely and said, “Hello.”

The young male artist beside Xiao Du stared at Yang Yunran in disbelief, his lips trembling as if he wanted to speak but held back.

Xiao Du greeted Yang Yunran happily, “I’ve heard so much about you, Teacher Ye Ye! You’ve signed up with our company! I’ve been a big fan of your songs! I listen to them often. I never expected you’d come to Hunan for a program!”

Jiang Fan gestured with his eyes to catch Yang Yunran’s attention, hoping he would notice him.

Yang Yunran did indeed look at him.

Yang Yunran thought to himself, “Is this male star having a twitch in his eye?”

Meanwhile, Yang Yunran continued talking with his manager.

Xiao Du said, “Alright then, let’s get together another day. There’s a great barbecue place nearby!”

Yang Yunran politely exchanged a few words and left.

Xiao Du didn’t know that Yang Yunran was Haliyeye, nor did she know about the history between him and Jiang Fan.

After Haliyeye left, Jiang Fan hesitated to leave, looking back as if he wanted to follow.

In the end, for whatever reason, he forced himself to hold back.

He had just debuted with his group. Although not in the center position, his rankings and popularity were close to it. Today, he came to record the program with his seven teammates.

There was no room for error, especially fearing discovery by his teammates.

However, Jiang Fan couldn’t restrain his curiosity: “Haliyeye… Did he really sign with our company?”

The manager replied, “Yes, that Haliyeye was signed by Kevin recently. I don’t know what he looks like, and it’s kept confidential internally. A driver who saw his face said he’s quite handsome, which has piqued everyone’s curiosity.”

Jiang Fan nodded, “Yeah… quite handsome.”

It had been almost half a year since Jiang Fan last saw Yang Yunran.

Back then, Yang Yunran had blonde hair, was always groomed meticulously, and looked flawless. He had helped Jiang Fan arrange his MIT summer school application and even gave him money to use, but he had a terrible temper and often scolded him.

When they were together, Jiang Fan found him annoying, but after being apart for so long, seeing him again, he suddenly felt it was quite nice.

Jiang Fan withdrew his gaze, “He’s got quite good resources, huh?”

Xiao Du said, “Yes, our boss has given him a lot of excellent resources. He’s about to shoot a music video and release an album. They’ve selected some quite famous male actors for auditions. Normally, wouldn’t they just use regular models for these MVs? But Mr. Lin treats him differently, maybe there’s some background.”

Indeed, there was some background. Jiang Fan knew it, and he also wanted to go. He felt like Xiao Du might not know about his history with Yang Yunran, perhaps because Zhou Kai hadn’t mentioned it. So he asked, “Where is the audition for his MV casting?”

Xiao Du asked, “You want to go?”

Jiang Fan replied, “I like his songs. I’m curious.”

As Xiao Du checked the audition location, she said, “Oh, I remember now. Last time you were recording a program, you even used my phone to watch him. Haha, you even sang one of his original songs, right? Back then, he wasn’t very famous and hadn’t signed with a company. He’s gotten quite popular recently. I listen to his OST every day… Found it! It’s next Wednesday, on the 26th floor of the Guanghua Building. That’s where the auditions will be held.”

Yang Yunran had already returned to Beijing. He had no programs scheduled for this week and had rushed to record a bunch of them a few days ago because the staff at the pet sanctuary had called, saying Hali was experiencing some separation anxiety and hoped he could visit when he had time.

Yang Yunran flew back non-stop. He had been busy with work recently and couldn’t take care of his pet. Boarding the dog here for half a month was not an ideal solution either.

If he wanted peace of mind, he no longer had a private jet.

Yang Yunran didn’t have any friends he trusted enough to entrust such a large dog to, whether agents, uncles, or family members… none were suitable.

Because Yang Yunran had already sent the DNA test report with Zhao Youmo to the foster parents last week without meeting them in person, he messaged:

“I have found out that the hospital mixed me up with Zhao Youmo. When you receive this message, I will already be out of town. I will try not to disturb the family harmony in the future. I wish your family happiness and well-being.”

The formulaic wording carried a sense of detachment from the world, frightening Yang Liming and his wife into thinking he was contemplating suicide. They nearly called the police, especially since Yang Yunran couldn’t be reached while on the plane.

Later, they managed to contact him and learned he was fine, diligently working. The couple didn’t know what to say.

“Yang Yang unexpectedly didn’t make trouble for us,” Chen Fangru focused all her attention on her son who had just returned recently. The two children had completely different personalities. Zhao Youmo was optimistic, cheerful, intelligent, resilient, and very kind. Even when they didn’t have much money, they still transferred money to the welfare home in their hometown every month. Chen Fangru said, “As for Yang Yang, his temper wasn’t good to begin with. After going to the United States, it seems that distance has made him more mature. He used to never say thank you when I bought him things, and he rarely called me ‘mom’…”

Yang Liming, reading the newspaper, added, “He has improved a lot since going to the United States. I haven’t heard of any troublemaking incidents, and he even graduated smoothly. I thought it would cost several million to buy him a diploma.”

Yang Liming had already planned that if Yang Yunran failed his exams, he would settle the matter with money. However, Yang Yunran unexpectedly graduated smoothly with an A+ GPA in all subjects, which was surprisingly mature for him in every aspect.

Now, even his “wishing your family happiness and well-being” sounded like polite words from a stranger.

Professor Chen said, “You always compare the two children. But, sadly, they’ve both gone to work abroad.”

People’s hearts are biased, and one cannot be completely fair. One child was raised from childhood, and the other had just returned after suffering hardships abroad.

Chen Fangru focused on making up for the past and devoted all her attention to her biological son. Professor Chen understood this. So he made a greater effort to contact Yang Wanyu. After much inquiry, he found her private number and gave her a call.

“Ms. Yang? This is Professor Chen Fangzhou from the Institute of Biology. We’ve been in touch before.”

Yang Wanyu explained, “I’m sorry, Professor Chen. I remember you. It’s just not convenient for me to return to China recently. Is this sample collection using the latest technology? What are the chances it could help me find my child?”

After a moment of contemplation, Professor Chen replied, “About sixty percent. I can’t guarantee a hundred percent.” In fact, he had found information about the missing children and knew that the child was probably Zhao Youmo, as his appearance matched exactly with Zhao Youmo’s childhood photos. Zhao Youmo had been abducted and missing for nearly a year before being found at the age of three.

Yang Wanyu was taken aback. “With such a high probability, then I must…”

Midway through the call, Professor Chen seemed to hear a deep male voice saying, “No, Wanyu, your health doesn’t allow you to fly, and you still need to prepare for surgery.”

Professor Chen didn’t hear clearly but sensed it was about her inability to fly.

He said, “Well… If you’re unable to come in person, that’s alright, but I do need your sample.”

Yang Wanyu replied, “I’ll ask my husband to bring the sample back. Thank you, Professor.”

Professor Chen was a bit surprised. So, she’s married now? According to Baidu, he thought she was still unmarried.

He agreed, and they ended the call.

In the hospital room, Yang Wanyu handed the sample bag to the man in front of her. “Xu Xing, this is very important. Please make sure to deliver it to Professor Chen personally.”

Xu Xing took the sample bag. “Where did this professor come from? Can he be trusted? What if he uses your sample for something else?”

Yang Wanyu said, “You’re overthinking it! This is crucial to finding our son. I’ve been searching for him for so many years…” She couldn’t even remember her son’s exact appearance anymore. There were few childhood photos, and he was initially named “Youran” after birth. Later, a roadside master said, “This name won’t do. It needs to be changed; it’s not his name.”

Because the child was always sick, Yang Wanyu changed it.

Later, when the child was lost, her husband became paralyzed due to drunk driving, and medical expenses were high. She had to open a hair salon and run the store herself.

Ten years ago, when the brand made some progress, they received their first investment.

As for Xu Xing, he is the child’s biological father. A few years ago, the two reunited at a summit, having experienced unsuccessful marriages and their own life paths. Xu Xing inherited the family business and became a better entrepreneur than his father.

He invested heavily in her brand, and Yang Wanyu acquired many similar brands, focusing more on distributing missing person notices to every customer across the country, not necessarily her child, just hoping to help some people.

Earlier this year, the two remarried.

They never gave up on finding their son.

However, Xu Xing did not know Professor Chen and was unsure if he would use Yang Wanyu’s sample for anything else. So, he planned to go back in person. To personally watch Professor Chen do the sample analysis, with a 60 percent probability? With such a large stake, either Professor Chen was exaggerating, or he was very confident.

But he didn’t want to waste too much time on the way, so he asked his special assistant to arrange a private jet. The assistant asked him, “Mr. Xu, which private jet are we flying this time? Boeing’s large model or Gulfstream’s small one?”

As for Yang Yunran…

He found a flight that allowed pets in the cabin, spending several times the normal fare. Finally, he brought Harry on the plane. However, it was a specialized pet service, filled with various sizes and breeds of dogs. Harry looked quite pitiful, curled up in the airline crate, squeezing his nose through the gap to stay close to his owner.

Because the casting for the music video was starting this Wednesday, Yang Yunran wanted to personally participate in the casting process. For his first album, he hoped for perfection.