Chapter 84

After that day, Yang Yunran found himself immersed in an unprecedented social whirlwind. Whenever he went to the company, people would actively greet him and introduce artists, as if he wasn’t just another signed artist but someone worth ingratiating oneself with.

Some people were discussing: “Yesterday when I got off work, I saw Mr. Ye getting into a very ordinary Volvo, so low-key!”

“No way, I just met him at work today, he got out of a black Rolls-Royce!”

“Duoduo is his assistant, right? Does Duoduo know?”

Turning to the mentioned Duoduo: “……”

Of course, Duoduo couldn’t say anything. Upon hearing that Yang Yunran had arrived, he went downstairs to greet him. Yang Yunran was surrounded like he had entered a brothel: “Teacher Ye Ye, our child at home is 19 years old this year, debuted in movies, here’s his profile. Can you consider him for the endorsement of Senyu’s essential oils?”

Senyu is one of the essential oil brands acquired by Yang Wanyu Group. Endorsing it is low-risk and lucrative, and they’ve been eyeing it for a long time.

Yang Yunran was about to have a social panic attack, pressing down his hat: “Sorry, this isn’t under my jurisdiction. You should go to the brand’s side…”

Duoduo interjected: “Sorry, everyone, please don’t block the way. The artist has other engagements…”

“Teacher, we’ve known each other for a long time…”

A voice came from behind the crowd: “What’s everyone doing? Not working?”

“Mr. Lin…” Everyone scattered instantly.

Mr. Lin pressed the elevator button to rescue Yang Yunran. She asked him, “There’s a rumor in the company that Yang Wanyu is your mother, and endorsements need your approval, is that true?”

Yang Yunran said, “It’s not true, it’s just gossip.”

“Tell me the truth, is Yuduo Yang really your mother?” Mr. Lin remembered from previous information that it wasn’t like this; his mother’s surname should be Chen, and she was Yang Liming’s wife.

Yang Yunran hesitated and said, “That part is true.”

Is the information incorrect?

Or did Yang Liming remarry?

Mr. Lin wasn’t one for gossip, so she stopped asking more. She had more important things to do.

A shareholders’ meeting was unexpectedly called today, and the big boss and his wife also attended.

Mr. Lin held 13% of the company’s shares, making her the third largest shareholder. The second largest was the boss’s wife, holding 18%, and the largest shareholder was the chairman, with 26.2%.

Due to the sudden exposure of the chairman’s scandal online, catching everyone off guard, the company’s stock price plummeted overnight, prompting an immediate shareholders’ meeting the next day.

Clearly, the company’s employees didn’t know what had happened. Agents were still busy discussing an endorsement deal for Senyu.

Mr. Lin went up to the top floor for the meeting, while Yang Yunran continued recording songs as usual.

Facing another round of scrutiny, someone ran up and asked if he could get an autograph from William, claiming they were close.

They were all rebuked by Zhou Kai.

Zhou Kai pushed open the recording studio door for him, his attitude changing. Before, he had treated Yang Yunran as someone he could manipulate, thinking that despite his wealthy parents, the entertainment industry had its own rules and ways to play. Even with such connections, interference was impossible, let alone being blacklisted or even jailed.

Now suddenly realizing that he might not be able to manipulate him at will, Zhou Kai became more polite: “Teacher Yang, I just heard that Yuduo wants you as the spokesperson. It’s said that there are 26 endorsements from the group for you to choose?”

Yang Yunran shook his head, “You’ve got it wrong.”

Zhou Kai persisted, “It was said by Mr. Li, if you don’t take this endorsement, don’t let it go to others. I have some artists on hand, would you like to have a look? Of course, your personal endorsement would be the best. With so much money, why not take it?”

Yang Yunran explained again that wearing a mask and endorsing cosmetics wouldn’t be convincing, so he declined.

Zhou Kai asked, “Will you never take it off? Won’t you consider it in the future…?”

Yang Yunran said no. Things were fine as they were now. Sometimes, when he walked without a mask on the street, not many people recognized him. No one wondered if he was homosexual, or if he was dating someone. He could go to school and find Jiang Yi without being harassed by fans, because he didn’t have any.

“Kevin, I’m going to record now. Later, send me the artists’ profiles, and I’ll forward them. If there’s a suitable candidate, the brand will inform you. There’s nothing else I can do.” Yang Yunran put on his headphones and ignored him thereafter.

Zhou Kai thanked him and left. He searched the internet for recent photos of Yang Wanyu, but they were quite old. Then he looked up at Yang Yunran recording in the studio.

Surprisingly, they really looked alike.

A calm month passed. The production team and the station received warnings from above and had to suspend broadcasting for rectification, issuing apologies. A few days later, the final episode aired smoothly without any waves. However, the ratings had dropped to an unwatchable level. There was no champion to be found, and after the awards ceremony, everything fell silent again. It was like a small pebble that had sunk into the deep pool without causing any ripples.

Throughout the entire broadcast of the show, the most memorable moment turned out to be the day Haliyeh was eliminated and sang a song—

Yang Yunran didn’t pay attention to it. He only cared about his singing career and personal life. Later, Duoduo told others that after Mr. Ye expressed his dislike for being surrounded, gradually no one surrounded him anymore, except for Jiang Yifan.

But when Yang Yunran said, “Jiang Fan, what you’ve lost is just an endorsement. If you keep following me, next time it won’t just be an endorsement you lose, but your job until you’re out of work.”

Jiang Fan immediately realized it was Yang Yunran who caused him to lose the endorsement. He dared not bother him again. Even though he envied what Yang Yunran could bring to his future, he was afraid that Yang Yunran would truly ruin his career.

No matter how the agent tried to persuade him, he refused everything: “It’s been over between us for a long time. Don’t make me go to him again. He’s already annoyed by just seeing me. What if he really blacklists me? How do I know what background he really has? I’ve never been to his place… Haha, his current boyfriend? I’ve seen him, but definitely not as handsome as me.”

When the agent Xiao Du heard him say this, she actually thought Yang Yunran had found someone less attractive than Jiang Fan. But one day after work, she saw a Porsche in the company parking lot.

Porsches worth millions were quite common in their company’s parking lot. Even Mr. Lin drove one, and some artists used them as their private cars. So she mistook it for a celebrity’s vehicle and didn’t pay attention to the license plate. She went over and said, “Brother Luo, how come you have time to come to the company today? You didn’t even notify me, I could have come down to greet you!”

The car window slowly rolled down, and the man in the driver’s seat turned his head, revealing a face that stunned her—a face she had never seen so handsome despite mingling in the entertainment industry for years. High nose, thick eyebrows, deep-set eyes—it made her pause for several seconds. “I’m sorry, I got the wrong car…”

Jiang Yi didn’t say anything and rolled up the window again.

Shortly after, she received a message, drove the car to the elevator entrance, and got out to meet Yang Yunran.

Doudou saw off Yang Yunran downstairs. Yang Yunran stared at the car and asked Jiang Yi, “You said you changed cars. Is this the new one?”

“Yes,” Jiang Yi opened the car door, “I picked it up this afternoon.”

Yang Yunran was amazed, “Did the lab give out year-end bonuses?”

“Yeah,” Jiang Yi started driving away, while asking him, “Are the seats comfortable? Need any adjustments?”

“They’re good. Your previous car was fine too. Why did you suddenly change?” Yang Yunran asked, puzzled. This car… didn’t fit Jiang Yi’s usual spending habits.

Jiang Yi glanced sideways. “I promised you six months ago that I’d get you a car once the bonus came in. I bought this one and put it under your name. Want to drive it? Let’s switch seats.” Jiang Yi wanted to assure him that he hadn’t been deceived; everything he said would be fulfilled.

Meanwhile, Sister Dou saw this scene and rushed over with Doudou into an elevator. She asked, “Is that President Ye’s boyfriend?”

Doudou quickly shook her head, denying it. Sister Dou muttered, “Just as I thought… Jiang Fan said he wasn’t as handsome as him. Is he lacking brains or eyes?”

Jiang Yi’s school was on break.

Yang Yunran wasn’t yet, so Jiang Yi asked him how he planned to spend his time. Yang Yunran pulled out his schedule: “I’ll be at the local place recording a gala for the three days before New Year’s Eve. I’m just singing a chorus, so I can go home after that. What about you? Going back to your hometown?”

“No, my family is coming here for the New Year,” Jiang Yi said. He had briefly taken Yang Yunran to visit the house he bought for his parents when they weren’t home, but they didn’t stay long.

“You going somewhere for the New Year? You can come with me,” Jiang Yi looked at him, then turned his eyes back to the road.

Yang Yunran pondered, “I think… your brother has a bad temper, and your parents are more traditional. They probably wouldn’t accept me, right?”

Jiang Yi reached over and gently touched his head, the soft touch was comforting. “Don’t worry too much. They might not easily accept it, but they can’t change my mind.”

This matter had crossed Jiang Yi’s mind many times.

Because his parents’ opinions weren’t very important to him, Jiang Yi had hinted at it twice on the phone before, but his parents were worried, wondering if he was ill to say something like, “Mom, Dad, can you accept me marrying a man?!”

As a result, Jiang Yi hadn’t returned home for a long time. He hadn’t told Yang Yunran, at least for a few months.

Also, because his parents knew so little about him, they still thought he was studying in the United States and hadn’t come looking for him. Occasionally, they’d call, saying he’d been brainwashed by capitalism and urging him to return to China and visit a temple to cleanse himself.

“I’ll convince them when I go home,” Jiang Yi wasn’t someone to leave things unsettled. He wasn’t sure how it would go, but his parents wouldn’t stand a chance against him.

Jiang Yi changed the subject, asking, “Will you still be recording on New Year’s Eve? What about your parents?”

“I have a grandmother living in the United States. I haven’t seen her… I might go visit her this time.” Yang Yunran said, remembering the other grandmother who had once come crying and fought with him and his mother. But Xu Xing said Grandma was kind and eager to see him, but old and unable to take a plane.

Jiang Yi asked again, “Will you fly to the United States alone on New Year’s Eve to visit your grandmother? Will someone accompany you?”

Yang Yunran explained, “No one will accompany me. My parents will have gone early, so I’ll fly alone. But don’t worry about me. It’s a family plane.”

Jiang Yi frowned slightly, “Did your dad arrange a new boyfriend for you again?”

“No!! Not this time!! I’ve emphasized not to arrange for one, so there won’t be one, just two captains and two flight attendants.” Yang Yunran explained with great effort, ensuring he would report when he boarded the plane and finally be free.

A week later.

On New Year’s Eve, Yang Yunran finished recording the program, and it was already early in the morning of the first day of the New Year. Due to several rehearsals, he didn’t look as lively as he did in the live broadcast. He got into the car tiredly, noticing a figure in the dimly lit back seat.

Doudou closed the door and sat in the front passenger seat, sealing off the middle. Yang Yunran turned around just then, discerning in the darkness from the scent and figure, “Jiang Yi?”

Jiang Yi turned on the rear dome light, revealing deep eyes and brows. Yang Yunran was surprised, “How come you’re here? Weren’t you… supposed to be at home eating dumplings with your family?”

“My manager got me a ticket. I watched the performance backstage and was worried you’d be alone on New Year’s Eve, so I came over.” Jiang Yi said.

Yang Yunran was participating in the Spring Festival Gala on satellite TV, which allowed him not to remove his mask. After the program was finally recorded, he was exhausted on the way to the airport and didn’t expect his boyfriend to be waiting for him!

After Yang Yunran’s surprise, he undid his seatbelt and sat in the back row, laughing, “Why did you suddenly come to see me off! It’s just going to the airport. You flew all the way here just to fly back later?”

Jiang Yi buckled him in again, holding his hand in hers and said, looking up, “To accompany you to Los Angeles, then I’ll fly back on my own.”

Yang Yunran widened his eyes, “Not accompanying your family?”

“I spent a few days with them earlier.” Jiang Yi said.

Yang Yunran thought for a moment, “Then why did you spend over ten hours flying with me?”

“Just to be with you.” Jiang Yi said, smiling gently. “And to pick up something in New York on the way back.”

Yang Yunran noticed the focused gaze that Jiang Yi directed at him, his earlobes slightly reddening. “But flying is quite boring. Actually, I can make phone calls too. You’ve specially accompanied me for over ten hours of flight, won’t you be too tired? How about…,” he blinked, “I go by myself instead, sleep through it, and arrive.”

“Making calls can’t do many things, and the signal in the air isn’t stable,” Jiang Yi calculated, intertwining their fingers. “You’ve been away from me for a week, don’t you miss me?”