This time, Shen Yuchen didn’t drag it out. He replied almost instantly, sending an address and agreeing to meet at 7:30 PM the next day at the restaurant.

The restaurant is in a mall near the Minghua district, which is quite convenient to get to.

Because he was asking for a favor, Yu Yan arrived an hour early to the restaurant and ordered a few signature Cantonese dishes.

Shen Yuchen seemed to like roasted goose, the whole thing.

Last time, he had two bowls of boat porridge, the whole thing.

He also liked boiled cabbage hearts, the whole thing.

For the main dish, he ordered fried rice noodles, his favorite.

After ordering, he unwrapped the chopsticks and bowls, rinsed them with tea, and then sent a message asking when Shen Yuchen would arrive.

No sooner had he sent the message than the door to the private room was pushed open.

“Brother Chen, you’re here.”

Yu Yan stood up, enthusiastically helping Shen Yuchen hang his coat and scarf on the coat rack, then poured him a cup of tea.

“Da Hong Pao, I brought it from home. Try it, Brother.”

Shen Yuchen paused briefly, his gaze lingering for a moment on the table setting before he took the tea.

“You need something from me,” Shen Yuchen said bluntly.

Yu Yan chuckled twice, “Nothing escapes your sharp eyes, Brother Chen.”

“Say it,” Shen Yuchen said, tapping his fingers absent-mindedly on the table.

He didn’t ask a lot of questions or speculate on whether Yu Yan needed money.

Yu Yan sighed quietly in relief, then laid out the whole situation with Cao Yuanye.

His request wasn’t high; he just hoped that the hospitals under Minghua could take in Cao Yuanye’s mother and provide her with the best treatment. As for the medical expenses, Yu Yan was willing to cover everything himself.

The night before, he had researched Minghua’s private hospitals online. Their expert teams were highly professional, with many doctors who had received medical awards.

But private hospitals were not only expensive, but also not easy to get into.

The tapping of Shen Yuchen’s fingers stopped, and he bent his knuckles slightly, suddenly smiling, “You still care about the family life of artists?”

“Isn’t this due to circumstances?” Yu Yan chuckled twice and poured more tea for Shen Yuchen. “From a long-term perspective, Cao Yuanye is a good artist who can bring a lot of money to the company. This small investment at the beginning is nothing, and I can cover the medical costs myself.”

Shen Yuchen lightly tapped the table, looking at the sincere young man, who was smiling with a slight look of flattery, afraid he might not agree.

The young man had fair skin, with long, raven-like lashes fluttering gently, and dark eyes that always sparkled with starlight. When he smiled, his eyes slightly bulged, and there were two lovely dimples at the corners of his lips.

He was so sincere that no one could bring themselves to refuse him.

“Bring the patient’s medical records when transferring hospitals.”

Yu Yan’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Thank you, Brother, I owe you one.”

He then poured Shen Yuchen another bowl of boat porridge.

Yu Yan turned and sent a concise message to Cao Yuanye about the situation, also mentioning Minghua to reassure him.

Even if Cao Yuanye didn’t believe him, he surely couldn’t doubt Minghua.

Minghua’s industries covered various fields and had a solid reputation, so Cao Yuanye must have heard of it.

While he was sending the message, Shen Yuchen answered a phone call, seemingly about the company’s annual meeting.

Yu Yan immediately put down his phone and asked, “Brother, is the company’s annual meeting for employees from both the headquarters and all branches?”

At the previous year’s meeting at Chaoxing, there was no distinction between the headquarters and branches. Regardless of rank, even interns who hadn’t yet been confirmed could attend, and one intern even won a full-house smart home customization.

But Minghua’s subsidiaries were much more numerous than Chaoxing’s, and there were more employees, so he wondered how large the venue would have to be to accommodate them all.

“Previously, yes. It depends on the planning department’s arrangement this time,” Shen Yuchen nodded.

“Can I go? Bring my artists along.”

“You’re all employees of the company, aren’t you?”

Yu Yan sighed in relief. “That’s true, but I heard many companies don’t give normal labor contracts to their artists and streamers. It’s more of a cooperation agreement, so they’re not considered employees, and they don’t get benefits like social security.”

“Where did you hear that?” Shen Yuchen suddenly laughed.

“Zheng Gui said so.”

Compared to other companies, Yu Yan still felt Minghua was better. Not only did they have a strong background, but the company was also more legitimate and didn’t do exploitative things.

Of course, none of this would be possible without the efforts of the big boss, Shen Yuchen. If he weren’t such a good person, Minghua wouldn’t have implemented these policies.

When the meal was nearing its end, Yu Yan finally received a message from Cao Yuanye.

Cao Yuanye didn’t refuse this time, but his response was cold, just a simple “okay.”

Yu Yan could finally relax. As long as Cao Yuanye agreed, the rest of the process would be much easier.

“By the way, Brother Chen, do you have a good lawyer’s firm to recommend, specifically for contract termination cases?” Yu Yan asked.

Shen Yuchen’s voice was slow and gentle. “The company has a legal team. You can contact them.”

“Is it really that simple?” Yu Yan made an OK gesture.

The company’s solid systems had solved many of his problems. Aside from the public relations department’s reluctance to spend money on Jian Ran last time, he was generally satisfied.

After dinner, Yu Yan quickly took out Yu Chen’s secondary card to pay.

Shen Yuchen didn’t stop him but helped him grab his coat.

As dusk settled and the city lights flickered on, the wind howled, breaking off branches laden with snow.

Yu Yan shivered, zipping up his down jacket all the way and putting on the hood, wrapping himself up tightly with only his eyes showing.

Shen Yuchen was still wearing a cashmere coat, even with the buttons undone, revealing a black cashmere sweater underneath.

Wasn’t he cold?

“Did you bring a driver?” Shen Yuchen asked.

Yu Yan shook his head. “No, the driver’s off work.”

“I’ll drive you back.”

“Thank you, Brother.” Yu Yan skillfully got into the Rolls Royce’s front passenger seat, threw his scarf on the center console.

Shen Yuchen handed him a bag from the back seat. Yu Yan paused for two seconds, “What’s this?”

“The clothes you left at my place before,” Shen Yuchen explained.

Yu Yan’s face lit up in realization. “Thanks, Brother. Those clothes were really comfortable. Should I transfer the money to you?”

The clothes were from when he had stayed at Shen Yuchen’s apartment during a heavy snowstorm. They looked freshly washed, with a light fragrance.

Shen Yuchen had even had someone send him new clothes to change into. Since they were his size, they didn’t fit, so it would be more practical to just give him the money.

“No need, they were bought for you.”

As expected, Shen Yuchen wouldn’t accept the several thousand yuan from him.

“I’ll buy you something next time.” After a brief pause, he added, “The best.”

“Okay.” Shen Yuchen didn’t refuse, but he didn’t take it to heart.

The black Rolls Royce cruised down the street, moving slowly with piano music Yu Yan had carefully selected playing in the background.

The warmth in the car made Yu Yan’s cheeks feel hot. He drowsily fell asleep, only waking up when they arrived at his home.

“Thanks, Brother Chen. Be safe on your way back.”

“Okay.”

Yu Yan wrapped his down jacket tightly, adjusted his hat and scarf, and mentally prepared himself before opening the car door.

Even so, he was still shaking from the cold.

Seeing him jog into the house, Shen Yuming suddenly chuckled softly.

The phone on the central console lit up with a message from Shen Muyang, asking for money to invest.

The smile on Shen Yuming’s face gradually faded, and he impatiently turned off his phone, stepped on the gas, and drove off.

The house was warm, and Yu Yan casually tossed his clothes on the sofa. He opened the “Anyone Who Can’t Stand Us Go (4)” group chat and informed them that a new little buddy would be joining soon.

【He Zhiyu: Who is it? Wen Xia? Or another beauty?】

【Jian Ran: Is it Cao Yuanye?】

【Song Yunqing: Maybe? I saw him arguing with Chen Hao on set today.】

【Yu Yan: It’s him.】

【He Zhiyu: Wait, who’s Cao Yuanye? I don’t know him.】

【He Zhiyu: What are you guys talking about that I don’t know? Are you secretly chatting behind my back?】

【He Zhiyu: Are you excluding me? Do you have a little group behind my back?】

Maybe feeling that typing messages wouldn’t express his displeasure, He Zhiyu switched to voice messages.

Several voice messages quickly popped up, and Yu Yan casually clicked on them.

【He Zhiyu: Oh my Buddha! I can’t live anymore, you’re actually excluding me.】

【He Zhiyu: Do you have no conscience? I’m going to expose you, let the netizens criticize you.】

【Song Yunqing: Shut up!】

【He Zhiyu: Oh my Buddha! It’s bad enough you exclude me, but now you won’t even let me talk.】

【Jian Ran: He’s an actor in our crew.】

【He Zhiyu: Right, right, you’re in the same crew, you’re together, and I’m not!】

【Yu Yan: Shut up! He’s a newcomer, and he’s been bullied by Chen Hao. You need to protect him a bit.】

【He Zhiyu: Bullied by Chen Hao? That stand-in?】

【Yu Yan: Yeah, yeah, he’s been bullied quite badly. Don’t make him feel uncomfortable.】

After the message was sent, He Zhiyu stopped responding. Could it be that he was really angry?

It didn’t seem likely. He Zhiyu was probably just joking.

Maybe he should clarify that there was no little group?

Suddenly, a message popped up in the chat. Yu Yan looked at it and then laughed, deleting the text he had just typed.

System prompt: He Zhiyu changed the group name to “Keep Playing Music (5).”

【He Zhiyu: Ready, when can my little brother join the group?】

Little brother?

Yu Yan thought for a moment about He Zhiyu and Cao Yuanye’s physiques, and slowed down his typing speed.

Now was not the right time to add Cao Yuanye to the group. At least he had to wait until the contract was signed.

He hoped Minghua’s legal team could be efficient, ideally lowering the penalty fee to a reasonable level and peacefully terminating the contract without going to court. Delaying too long would not be beneficial for Cao Yuanye’s future development.

But even if Cao Yuanye terminated his contract with Chen Hao’s company, he’d probably still have to stay in the “Twenty Years” crew and finish filming his parts. Director Fang wouldn’t allow any flaws in the drama.

He had to talk to Director Fang to see if they could re-sign Cao Yuanye to the crew and include his name in the actor list.

To show his determination, Yu Yan specially brought two bodyguards along with the legal team to discuss the contract termination with Chen Hao’s company.

Chen Hao had probably received the news and knew he couldn’t keep Cao Yuanye. He also didn’t demand a high penalty fee because he feared Minghua.

However, he set a condition: Cao Yuanye had to sign a confidentiality agreement, not revealing that he had been a stand-in, and he had to cooperate with all the filming in the “Twenty Years” crew. The actor list couldn’t indicate that he had worked as a stunt double.

After consulting with the lawyer, Yu Yan asked for Cao Yuanye’s opinion and ultimately agreed to Chen Hao’s terms.

While sending Cao Yuanye’s mother to a private hospital under Minghua’s banner, Yu Yan signed an artist contract on his behalf and added him to the group chat.

Half a month later, Jian Ran’s filming in “Twenty Years” was completely finished.

On the wrap-up day, Yu Yan specifically went to the set to deliver flowers to him but was met with several hours of cold stares from Lu Yan.

Yu Yan also secured him a cameo role in a movie from the company’s resources. It wasn’t a big part, but the role was distinctive and memorable, although the film wouldn’t begin shooting for a while.

Yu Yan originally wanted to get him into a couple of variety shows to transition, but Lu Yan refused, explaining that Jian Ran was in slightly better condition and wasn’t as stammering anymore. If he encountered someone taking advantage of him, what if it worsened his condition?

After thinking it over, Yu Yan agreed that Lu Yan had a point and didn’t push the matter.

The popularity of “Hello, Friend” remains high, and Jian Ran, benefiting from Lu Yan’s influence, was invited to attend the platform’s red carpet night.

To make sure he stood out at the red carpet event, Yu Yan brought him to the studio five hours in advance for styling.

“I’m a little nervous, what should I do?” Jian Ran awkwardly adjusted his bow tie, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

Yu Yan straightened his clothes. “Don’t be nervous, relax. There will be many occasions like this in the future. Just don’t wrinkle the tuxedo; it won’t look good in photos.”

Jian Ran immediately relaxed and patted his clothes. “Should I pay for it?”

“No, don’t worry.”

The tuxedo was sponsored by a brand, and it had to be returned after the event.

The sponsored tuxedo was a standard size, and although it was a little loose on Jian Ran and didn’t fit snugly, it still looked good overall.

“That’s good.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Yan pushed the door open. He had just finished filming and hadn’t started his styling yet. He looked lazy and casual.

“Why are you here?” Jian Ran asked in surprise.

Lu Yan didn’t answer. His gaze slowly moved from Jian Ran’s face to his clothes, his thick brows furrowing slightly, seemingly dissatisfied.

It looked like this guy was going to start nitpicking again!

Sure enough, Yu Yan hadn’t even settled into his chair when he heard Lu Yan begin to complain in a very displeased tone.

“Where did you dig this out from?”

Yu Yan blinked and replied, “It’s sponsored by the brand.”

“What kind of crappy brand is this? How dare they give ill-fitting clothes, clearly looking down on Xiao Ranran. What kind of manager are you?” Lu Yan turned away, irritated.

Jian Ran immediately stopped him. “Lu Yan, I think it looks fine.”

Yu Yan took a deep breath and calmed down. “The brand sponsors the styling studio, not the artist.”

Given Jian Ran’s current popularity and standing in the entertainment industry, no luxury brand would specifically sponsor him with a fitting tuxedo.

But the styling studio collaborating with Xinghai was owned by a well-known designer and had great influence in the fashion world, so many luxury brands lent clothes to the studio.

“Are there any other clothes?” Lu Yan began to criticize seriously, acting as if everyone owed him millions.

Yu Yan felt that Lu Yan was just looking for trouble and clearly wasn’t planning on letting Jian Ran change clothes.

Moreover, the tuxedo Jian Ran was wearing was one of the best picked from hundreds of outfits. The other tuxedos were either not suitable due to the brand or the fit itself.

Although this tuxedo wasn’t the perfect fit, it was the best option among all.

After all, they received the red carpet invitation late and didn’t have enough time to prepare a custom tuxedo for Jian Ran, even resizing the available ones.

Yu Yan nonchalantly responded, “There’s a blue suit from D brand’s autumn collection, with a national style element.”

“Isn’t this brand copying ethnic patterns?” Lu Yan was dissatisfied.

“J brand’s white embroidered suit.”

“That’s last year’s design.”

“C brand’s sapphire blue faux two-piece suit.”

“Their spokesperson is my rival.”

“F brand’s double-breasted peaked lapel suit.”

“Why are they all suits? Don’t you have anything else? If your taste is lacking, you can ask the stylist,” Lu Yan grew even more upset and even kicked the chair under Yu Yan’s feet, but Jian Ran stopped him from mentioning it.

Yu Yan felt a twinge of irritation in his eyes but spoke sharply, “The clothes are in the room. You can choose yourself.”

Lu Yan wasn’t angry; he dragged Jian Ran into the room.

After just two minutes, Lu Yan’s voice came from the room, grumbling.

“This one won’t do, the brand is on a downhill slope, it’s not worthy of you.”

“This one also won’t work, the design is too avant-garde, not suitable for you.”

“This one’s even worse, this brand insults China, I’ll put it on the dishonor pillar for life!”

“This one won’t do either…”

Fifteen minutes later, the two came out, and Jian Ran hadn’t changed clothes.

Yu Yan sneered. “Big star, have you made your choice?”

“What kind of junk is this? This is how you manage artists?” Lu Yan kicked an empty chair and sat down.

Yu Yan felt like the next thing Lu Yan would say was asking about Jian Ran’s penalty for breaking the contract.

Yu Yan’s eyelid twitched, and he spoke without holding back, “If it doesn’t work for you, go look for it yourself.”

“Fine!” Lu Yan immediately agreed, “I’ll have someone bring the tuxedo over in an hour.”

With that, he turned and left in a hurry, not even listening to Jian Ran.

Hmm?

Is that it?

He didn’t argue with him?

Something felt off.

Although it was supposed to take an hour, about twenty minutes later, Lu Yan had someone deliver the dress—G brand’s velvet beaded suit.

The velvet fabric was soft, with black beads threaded on it, gathering into a blooming rose shape on the right shoulder.

Yu Yan quickly searched for it, and seeing that it was priced in the six-digit range, he immediately urged Jian Ran to change into it.

It seemed that Lu Yan was actually capable!

With this, Yu Yan felt increasingly inadequate as a manager. After managing to secure a decent opportunity for his artist, he had overlooked other aspects.

It was still true that they weren’t famous enough, and the company’s resources couldn’t be focused on them.

But in a year… maybe just a few months, things might improve.

Jian Ran came out of the fitting room, dressed in the new outfit. “Uh… is it okay?”

Yu Yan’s eyes immediately lit up. “Looks great!”

“Lu Yan really knows what he’s doing! He got you this dress, and not only is it beautiful, it fits perfectly. A suit has to be custom-made to look good, and this waistline is perfect, not a bit off—just right!”

Perfect fit…

Jian Ran was very thin, and standard-size clothes usually didn’t fit him well, unless they were custom-made. No brand would make clothes that fit perfectly otherwise.

Yu Yan suddenly realized!

No wonder Lu Yan didn’t deliver the dress personally. No wonder he kept picking on things—he was waiting for this moment!

Thinking even deeper, why did they only receive the invitation on the day of the event?

Yu Yan couldn’t help but mutter a few curses.

“What’s wrong?” Jian Ran asked curiously.

“Nothing… nothing. The red carpet is about to start, I’ll take you there.”

“Thank you.”

Yu Yan went with Jian Ran to the red carpet event but stayed in the car, watching the live stream on his tablet.

Jian Ran was one of the first to appear, and there was no major reaction when he stepped out, just a few scattered comments praising him.

When Lu Yan appeared, the comments exploded, and even the live stream froze for a few seconds.

Yu Yan had to exit the live stream, change networks, and shut off the comments.

When he re-entered, he had missed the moment when Lu Yan walked the red carpet, but he caught him answering the host’s question.

“The dress I’m wearing today is from the G brand, a velvet beaded suit from their autumn collection. Only two sets of this series were made; the other one was just worn by Jian Ran. This suit suits him very well.”

Yu Yan: “…”

Lu Yan!!!

Yu Yan didn’t dare open Weibo and hesitated for a long time before nervously checking the comments.

The comments were overwhelming and gave him a headache.

“Lu Yan really stands up for justice!!!”

“You little rascal, tricking your wife into wearing clothes from your own endorsement, huh?”

“Wow, you’ve been holding this in for so long, and now you’ve done something big!”

“Wuwu, what’s the difference between this and wearing couple’s outfits?”

“Whatever, this is basically Lu Yan’s wedding today!”

“I’ll donate one million, put it under Yu Yan’s name.”

“I’ll donate ten million, also put it under Yu Yan’s name.”

…

They’ll put it under his name?

He won’t pay a single cent!

Yu Yan gritted his teeth, angrily exiting the live stream.

As expected, the trending topic exploded, but this time there weren’t many negative comments. Most were about the couple shipping them.

Thanks to Lu Yan, his name was also frequently appearing in major comment sections, becoming everyone’s cyber ATM.

“Keep the music playing” In the group, everyone was watching the drama. In just five minutes, He Zhi Yu had already sent dozens of links to the group.

[Song Yun Jing: @Yu Yan, is this dress brand-sponsored or sponsored by Lu Yan?]

[Yu Yan: I got tricked by Lu Yan, he brought it.]

[Song Yun Jing: No wonder.]

[He Zhiyu: [picture]]

[He Zhiyu: Look at this wedding photo that netizens edited. It actually looks quite real.]

[He Zhiyu: @Jian Ran, when are you getting married? Brother will be your best man. I’ll donate ten billion, put it under Yu Yan’s name.]

Marriage?

A sudden flash of inspiration struck Yu Yan’s mind, and he belatedly realized Lu Yan’s strange behavior.

So… was “upholding justice” actually true?

Maybe because he felt typing wasn’t satisfying enough, He Zhiyu switched to voice messages. His little mouth was chattering nonstop, and in just a short while, he had already sent a bunch of one-minute-long voice recordings.

Yu Yan couldn’t be bothered to open them, so he casually replied with a few emoji stickers.

However, it seemed Jian Ran had some free time and was debunking rumors in the group chat.

This matter didn’t provoke widespread backlash among netizens, so after consulting with the PR department, Yu Yan decided to leave it alone. After all, the attention came from Lu Yan; there was no reason to let it go to waste.

Suddenly, a new message popped up on WeChat. Director Zhou sent him an invitation to a TV station gala. This was someone who had added him during Yu Chen’s engagement and was said to have some connections with his family.

Yu Yan thanked him and quickly took a screenshot to share in the group chat.

[Yu Yan: There’s a gala in a few days. Come with me. Several platform heads will be there.]

[He Zhiyu: To pour drinks? Times have changed, and my value has skyrocketed. If you want to keep me, you’ll have to pay more!]

[Yu Yan: No pouring drinks. We’re going to grovel.]

[He Zhiyu: I’d rather pour drinks.]

TV station staff are usually quite prideful, and dealing with them to get resources is basically going in with the attitude of a servant.

The gala was an internal year-end event for the TV station, attended not only by their staff but also by many directors, artists, and editors who collaborated with the platform. The gathering included a lot of people in the industry, and if luck was on their side, they could make some valuable connections.

But Yu Yan already had his eyes on something—a TV station drama series.

Initially, Yu Yan had planned to bring a few artists to attend the gala together. Even if they couldn’t secure any resources, at least getting some face time would be worthwhile.

However, just before the event, Jian Ran fell ill, and Cao Yuanye had to stay home to care for his mother, leaving neither of them able to go.

In the end, Yu Yan only brought He Zhiyu and Song Yunjing to the gala.

Although it was called a gala, it was essentially just a cocktail party—a group of people gathering to eat, drink, and chat.

In less than ten minutes, He Zhiyu had already greeted several groups of people.

“You know all of them?” Yu Yan asked curiously.

He Zhiyu raised his chin slightly. “Of course. It’s perfectly normal to know people in the circle.”

Yu Yan was silent for a moment. “I don’t think I’ve seen that group of people on TV before.”

“They participated in a talent show with me but got eliminated during the auditions,” He Zhiyu said casually.

“If they were eliminated during the auditions, how did you know them?” Song Yunjing asked in surprise.

Talent show auditions are usually held regionally in each province, and those eliminated early don’t even make it to the program’s production team.

He Zhiyu vaguely replied, “I ran into them at a cocktail party once and chatted for a bit.”

Thinking back to that group of people’s somewhat unorthodox attire and the two familiar faces, Yu Yan recalled seeing those two at a meal Zhang Yuan had taken him to at Que Ming Club. However, at the time, his attention had been focused on almost having his pants pulled off, so he hadn’t paid much attention.

Having experienced a few ups and downs, Yu Yan was now quite familiar with these kinds of situations.

He looked at He Zhiyu, his gaze filled with curiosity.

He Zhiyu, feeling his scalp tingle under Yu Yan’s stare, rubbed his face. “Do I have something dirty on my face?”

“What kind of cocktail party was it? Was it legit?” Yu Yan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Song Yunjing instantly caught on and almost blurted out, “Don’t tell me you really went to entertain guests? And yet you kept warning us not to do it.”

“I didn’t! I wasn’t! Don’t talk nonsense!” He Zhiyu denied three times in a row.

Song Yunjing wore a knowing expression. “No wonder earlier this year, at half past midnight, you called us in the group chat, tearfully begging us never to take shortcuts for resources. And you even conned me into treating you to a seafood feast.”

Yu Yan’s eyes widened in shock, holding his breath, but his instincts told him He Zhiyu wasn’t that kind of person.

Though He Zhiyu could be a bit silly at times, he wouldn’t do anything against his morals. Besides, his assistant was his cousin, and she would definitely keep a close eye on him.

He Zhiyu’s eyelid twitched, and he began speaking faster, “I was tricked into going! I thought it was just a casual dinner and drinks, but who knew it was a filthy party! They organized some disgusting silver-themed gathering. It was so gross that I left without even eating. Barely two hours after I left, they got busted.”

“Later, I found out that my dad had known about it beforehand. He deliberately set me up to be tricked into going and had people watch over me from the shadows. He didn’t want me to attend that party but also wanted to ruin my chances in the entertainment industry,” He Zhiyu said, his tone full of indignation.

Yu Yan let out a sigh of relief. “Good thing you didn’t stay.”

“Damn, it’s disgusting just thinking about it. Makes me nauseous,” He Zhiyu cursed a few times. “Don’t be fooled by me making polite small talk with them—it’s all part of my public persona. I wouldn’t even dare sit near them. I’ve almost got PTSD from the whole thing.”

“Condolences,” Song Yunjing sighed.

“Forget it, let’s not talk about this mess anymore. Let’s find that station director to have a chat later,” Yu Yan sighed.

He hadn’t expected He Zhiyu’s father to push him so hard back then, to the point where He Zhiyu almost considered using entertainment events to trade for resources.

Maybe He Zhiyu thought “entertaining guests” just meant simply having drinks with people, but once his father caught wind of it, he escalated the situation dramatically to force He Zhiyu out of the entertainment circle.

That was something Yu Yan wasn’t in a position to judge.

With Director Zhou’s introduction, Yu Yan quickly met the station director.

Perhaps due to the sheer number of people offering drinks, the director was already drunk, reeking of alcohol.

Yu Yan held his breath but still toasted him.

The director leaned lazily against the sofa with a grin. “Ah, the young master, right? I’ve heard much about you!”

“You flatter me,” Yu Yan chuckled politely and quickly introduced He Zhiyu and Song Yunjing. “These are the artists from our company.”

He Zhiyu and Song Yunjing were quick to catch on and immediately toasted the director.

The director was perceptive and quickly got to the point. “I heard you both got your start in talent shows?”

“Yes, yes, you’ve got a great memory, Director!”

He Zhiyu barely made it through the talent show thanks to his looks, while Song Yunjing wasn’t as lucky. She encountered favoritism during the competition and didn’t even make it to the finals. Eventually, she switched to acting.

The entertainment industry now was like that—idols turned to acting, singers ventured into acting, and even models were starring in films. On the flip side, actors were doing live-stream sales. People would do whatever it took to make money.

“Perfect timing. Our station is launching a music variety show. Would you two be interested?”

“A music variety show?”

Yu Yan didn’t agree right away but instead looked to He Zhiyu and Song Yunjing for their input.

Though they both had a background as idols, singing wasn’t their strong suit. Participating in a music show would just hand ammunition to haters.

Yu Yan was still more interested in the station’s drama series investments. These were major productions, and even getting a supporting role would be a big opportunity.

The station head nodded. “I have a friend whose daughter is a streamer. Let her pair up with Xiao He. The buzz won’t be small.”

Understood. This meant having He Zhiyu boost a rookie’s career, likely creating a CP (couple pairing) for publicity.

Even though He Zhiyu didn’t have many representative works yet, he was still a talent-show debut artist who had acted in several TV dramas and films. Pairing him with an internet celebrity on a music show…

Yu Yan couldn’t even begin to imagine the online backlash they might face.

“Station Head, wouldn’t that be a bit inappropriate?” Yu Yan lowered his gaze, lightly biting his lip.

“Think it over. Young people shouldn’t always aim for too much too soon,” the station head said nonchalantly, waving it off as he left. Their station didn’t lack popular artists.

Yu Yan realized what was happening: if they wanted to participate in the station’s invested TV dramas, they first had to follow this arrangement to promote a newcomer. It was essentially a “pledge of loyalty.”

No wonder many artists’ career resources fluctuated—it turned out they were forced to promote newcomers as part of the trade-off.

To be honest, Yu Yan didn’t want his artists to get involved in such deals. Otherwise, even if they reached the top, this would remain a black mark, and they might end up being leached off by the streamer.

“Just agree to it! What’s there to hesitate about?” He Zhiyu exclaimed. “It’s just singing a few songs with a streamer. Come on, this is way easier than those dinner parties.”

“They’re about the same,” Yu Yan sighed.

Song Yunjing hesitated, her expression conflicted.

He Zhiyu’s eyelid twitched. “Have you two gone soft? This is such a good opportunity, and you’re not taking it? I’m willing to take anything right now!”

Yu Yan was speechless. “Don’t take this one. I’ll find you better opportunities later. You don’t want something you can’t shake off even if you tried.”

“Really? Don’t lie to me.”

“Really.”

Yu Yan carefully reviewed his mental list of upcoming projects to see if there were any hidden gems he hadn’t remembered yet, while also instructing Xiao Man to gather more information.

After the gala ended, he first had the driver take Song Yunjing home before heading back himself.

At home, he watered the flowers on his terrace, snapped a photo of the full moon, and posted it on his Moments with a few casual complaints.

Of course, he excluded a specific group from viewing it.

Not long after the post, people started liking and commenting on it. Yu Yan casually replied to a few of them, when suddenly a message from Shen Yucheng popped up at the top.

Shen Yuming: “Trouble with the collaboration?”
Yu Yan: “It’s complicated.”

Yu Yan sighed and decided to stop typing, opting to call instead.

“Brother, you’re still up this late?”

“It’s not that late.” Shen Yuming took a sip of water. “What’s on your mind?”

Yu Yan sighed with a hint of grievance and explained the whole situation. “It really is a good opportunity, but I just don’t want them to join that music show. If we agree this time, won’t they make more demands next time? When does it ever end?”

“Take it slow. The artists under you are just starting out.”

Though it wasn’t exactly practical advice, Yu Yan still felt oddly comforted, his agitation easing significantly.

He was beginning to grasp the unspoken rules of the entertainment industry, but that didn’t stop him from venting a bit.

“Chen-ge, has your work always gone smoothly?”

The moment he asked, he felt it might’ve been a pointless question.

After all, Shen Yucheng inherited his company from his grandparents, who paved the way for him. What obstacles could he have faced?

“No,” Shen Yuming’s voice lowered, his tone heavy with emotion.

“Hm?”

On the other end of the line, there was silence, followed by the soft sound of a door closing.

It seemed that Shen Yucheng had gotten into bed, probably ready to rest at this hour, but his call had interrupted him.

After a long pause, a voice finally came through the phone.

“When I first joined the company, I started as a regular employee. Back then, Minghua wasn’t as big, nor did it have this name. I ran around everywhere for projects, asked people for help, drank with clients, and even ended up in the hospital several times with stomach bleeding.”

“Was it serious? How’s your stomach now?” Yu Yan pressed with concern.

Shen Yucheng let out a couple of light chuckles. “It’s much better now.”

“And yet you still smoke.”

Yu Yan’s tone carried a hint of complaint and dissatisfaction.

Shen Yucheng didn’t answer but continued, “I signed two overseas projects, brought in a huge amount of investment for the company, and eventually led it to go public.”

“That’s incredible!” Yu Yan straightened up. “Did you get promoted and a raise afterward?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“The credit for the projects was stolen. Someone else’s name was put on them.”

Shen Yucheng’s tone was calm and light, as if he didn’t care much about it.

Yu Yan was furious. “That’s shameless! They actually stole your achievements? Can’t they negotiate their own projects? Unbelievable! What happened after that? Did you take it back?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“The person who took credit for my projects…” Shen Yucheng paused for a moment, his voice soft. “Was my biological father.”