Yu Wanlai thought that was fine. Before signing the contract, he should see the company, so the two of them left the café and took the elevator upstairs.

The company occupied only three floors, which was smaller compared to other entertainment companies, but as they walked around, the various music rooms, dance studios, and facilities were all quite good. After Zhang Chang finished revising the contract, he came back with someone, and Yu Wanlai felt the person looked familiar but couldn’t place him. The three of them sat down, and Zhang Chang spoke, “I see you’re also good-looking. Have you considered developing a career in the entertainment industry?”

Yu Wanlai immediately rejected, “No, I don’t act. If acting was required, we probably wouldn’t be signing today.”

Zhang Chang chuckled, “I’m just asking, don’t be so quick to shut it down. Well, if it’s only singing, do you play any other instruments besides guitar?”

Yu Wanlai let out a sigh of relief. He was actually quite satisfied with this company. “I also play the piano, violin, and drums, though I haven’t practiced in a long time, so I’m probably a little rusty.”

Zhang Chang looked at the person sitting beside Yu Wanlai and then back at him, “That’s great! Have you thought about developing a career in large-scale concerts?”

Yu Wanlai thought that would be perfect. He actually preferred this direction, but since this type of performance didn’t have much commercial value, very few entertainment companies were willing to pursue it. Yu Wanlai nodded, “Sure.”

Zhang Chang then took out a pen and placed it on the table. After both contracts were ready, he handed one to Yu Wanlai, “Then there are no issues. Go ahead and sign. You can take another look if you’d like.”

Yu Wanlai confirmed that the previously discussed points were fine and then signed decisively. Zhang Chang took the signed contract and kept it. “Alright, from now on, I’ll be your manager. Next, we’ll focus on recording your album and debuting. But there’s one thing I need to mention upfront—at first, we’ll mainly focus on arranging singing events for you. Concert performances won’t be frequent. Once your fame is more stable, we can gradually shift focus. After all, both the company and you need to eat, right?”

Yu Wanlai had no objections. “Alright.”

Then Zhang Chang added, “How about doing a live stream? Something like a talent live stream, singing, playing instruments, anything to gain some fans.”

Yu Wanlai was stunned. “…You want me to live stream?”

“…I don’t have any instruments at home.”

Zhang Chang was taken aback and quickly glanced at his boss. “What? No instruments? How did you practice then?” He hoped they hadn’t signed the wrong person.

Yu Wanlai had to explain further. “I used to have them, but I don’t now.”

Zhang Chang breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s fine, that’s fine. We can make it work. If you don’t mind, you can come to the company to stream.”

It was then that the person sitting next to them, who had been waiting for the right moment, spoke up. He extended a hand to Yu Wanlai. “Hello, I’m the company’s boss, Gu De.”

Hearing the familiar name, Yu Wanlai looked at the man, and a sudden realization flashed in his mind. He remembered now, and with a look of recognition, he said, “Oh, you… you’re…” It was really a small world—he couldn’t believe this person was going to be the one to deal with him.

Gu De smiled, “Looks like you finally remember me. Got time? We can celebrate your signing and your official debut as one of our artists.”

Yu Wanlai was about to refuse but saw Zhang Chang giving him meaningful glances, so he reluctantly agreed.

They went downstairs, and Yu Wanlai followed them to the parking lot. When he saw that Zhang Chang wasn’t getting into the car, he asked, “Aren’t you coming? Then I…”

Gu De waved to Zhang Chang. “He’s coming. Get in.”

Zhang Chang got into the car and sat next to Yu Wanlai. Looking at his boss and then at Yu Wanlai, Zhang Chang said, “The boss never really pays attention to newcomers. Why is he suddenly coming with us to sign a contract? Oh, so you two know each other.”

After dinner, Gu De asked Yu Wanlai, “Where do you live? Should we take you home?”

Yu Wanlai felt something was off. He thought, “Why is the boss being so nice?” He quickly rejected, “No, I’ll go home on my own.”

Gu De didn’t press the issue; it seemed like a polite gesture. He took out his phone and showed his WeChat QR code, “Then, can I get your contact information this time? We’ve gotten to know each other now, right?”

Zhang Chang stood to the side, trying to minimize his presence. With that said, Yu Wanlai took out his phone, and the two of them added each other on WeChat.

That evening, Yu Wanlai deliberately bought a bunch of groceries to prepare for a hotpot dinner on his own. Since the contract was already signed, his work at the bar could no longer continue. As he was waiting for the water to boil, his phone suddenly rang—it was a call from Jiang Cheng. Since he had changed his phone number, only the new company and Jiang Cheng had been in touch with him. It felt like he had completely cut ties with the Yu family.

He answered the phone, and Jiang Cheng’s urgent voice came through, “Boss, where are you? You haven’t replied to me on WeChat. Did you know Bai Jian is getting engaged to Yu Qingyue next month? Are you really not coming back?”

Yu Wanlai had been in a good mood earlier, but Jiang Cheng’s call immediately brought him back to reality. He regretted answering the phone and now felt irritated again. “So what if they’re getting engaged? What does that have to do with me? Not coming back! Goodbye!”

Jiang Cheng hurriedly tried to stop him, crying, “Wuwuwu, please don’t, boss. Can you come back and help me?”

Yu Wanlai clicked his tongue in annoyance. “What is it now? Why do you always bring up unrelated stuff? Just tell me what’s actually going on.”

Jiang Cheng was silent for a moment before replying, “…It’s related! Very related!”

Yu Wanlai didn’t understand what the connection was. “How is it related?”

Jiang Cheng hesitated before speaking, “…Bai Jian can’t get engaged to someone else. Can you help me and make them cancel it?”

Yu Wanlai was confused. “What’s wrong with getting engaged to the originally planned male lead? Are you out of your mind? You want me to break them up? You want me dead, don’t you?”

Jiang Cheng, holding the phone, shook his head. “No, no, Yu Qingyue likes you. She won’t kill you.” He wasn’t worried about that, but once she got married, it might be a different story. After all, Yu Qingyue wasn’t the type to be indecisive.

Hearing Yu Qingyue’s name, Yu Wanlai felt uncomfortable. “What’s going on? Hurry up and tell me! If you don’t tell me, I won’t help.”

Jiang Cheng had no choice but to tell the truth. “Fine, fine, I’ll tell you. That day, Bai Jian and I had some drinks, and… we ended up… together?”

Yu Wanlai turned off the stove and stood up, walking to the couch to sit down. “What? What do you mean ‘together’?”

Jiang Cheng clicked his tongue. “Boss, when did you become so slow? We slept together! Slept together!”

Yu Wanlai leaned back on the couch, not particularly concerned. “So what if you slept together? What’s the big deal? You’re a woman, so stop thinking you’re a man. It’s not possible.”

Jiang Cheng was speechless. She rolled her eyes. “You really are dumb! I mean we slept together, like kissed and hugged!”

Yu Wanlai was in disbelief. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “What? You two women slept together? Is Bai Jian a man? Are you lying to me?”

Jiang Cheng was furious. She wasn’t going to dwell on that issue anymore. “No, no one is a man. Anyway, boss, help me out. Don’t let them get engaged… wuwuwu.”

Yu Wanlai scratched the armrest of the couch. “How can I help you with something like this? You didn’t even say you slept together, so go find someone else. Make her take responsibility for you.”

This guy really had guts! He dared to interfere between those two, not even afraid of his own life.

Jiang Cheng was really on the verge of tears now. “Wuwuwu, Bai Jian is mad at me. She won’t see me anymore!” She had been so scared after waking up that morning that she ran away.

Yu Wanlai felt a headache coming on. He rubbed his temples. “What is all this nonsense? Why is she mad at you? Did you force her? If so, confess. I can’t help you.”

Jiang Cheng: “…I didn’t!”

“It’s her who got me drunk and tricked me! She’s the one who should turn herself in!”

Yu Wanlai was about to laugh. This person was so funny; it’s a shame they didn’t write novels. He shook his head and commented, “Okay, this story is so melodramatic. No wonder it’s a melodramatic tale. Even a random passerby can come up with such a ridiculous story.”

“Then go report her!” Jiang Cheng snorted coldly, “Hmph! You’re still not coming back, huh? Fine, come or don’t! Don’t regret it!” With that, she hung up the phone.

The room fell silent again, but Yu Wanlai couldn’t calm down. The noise was still in his mind. He turned the stove back on, sitting at the table, waiting for the water to boil. The steam rose gently, drifting up to the ceiling until it disappeared. Yu Wanlai threw the meat slices into the pot, picked up a piece, and tasted it. Suddenly, he realized something was wrong. He looked down and noticed that he hadn’t put the hotpot base in yet, and the dipping sauce bowl wasn’t even touched.

Yu Wanlai tried to swallow the meat, but the taste of boiled meat in plain water was too bland and tasteless. He ended up spitting it out. He didn’t want to eat anymore, so he turned off the stove, unplugged it, and lay down on the bed, preparing to sleep. However, until the sun slowly rose, he still couldn’t fall asleep.

Yu Wanlai had no choice but to get up again and return to the dining table. His stomach had been growling for a while. It turned out to be the worst hotpot he’d ever had. The meat slices had melted after sitting for so long, the vegetables were no longer fresh, and the sesame sauce was bitter. In short, nothing was good.

After eating, Yu Wanlai sat on the bed, wrapped in the blanket, and watched the sun set again, bringing nightfall once more. He thought of Yu Qingyue and then remembered Jiang Cheng’s words. In fact, not long after, he realized that he liked Yu Qingyue too, and had liked her for a long time. He had just always thought of her as a younger sibling, continuously avoiding his feelings because he believed they were just characters in a book, destined to return to the right track sooner or later. Later, he felt that liking a bunch of written characters was too foolish, and risking his life for them wasn’t worth it. He valued his second chance at life more than anyone else, so he did everything he could to ignore those feelings, thinking it would get better in a few days.

But as countless sunrises and sunsets passed, and the leaves outside started to turn green, he still didn’t feel any better. In fact, he found himself thinking about Yu Qingyue more frequently.

Suddenly, Yu Wanlai threw off the blanket, and the wind from the movement shook his hair. He grabbed a random set of clothes from the wardrobe, put them on, grabbed his phone, and ran out the door. Fine, he admitted defeat. He couldn’t win against Yu Qingyue, and he couldn’t win against himself. He accepted that he liked her. No matter if she was data or text, he liked her deeply.

Yu Wanlai hailed a cab downstairs, told the driver the address, and anxiously sat in the back, staring out the window at the never-ending streets. The driver noticed his messy hair and disheveled clothes, as if he hadn’t slept, and figured he was in a hurry. Connecting the address to his guess, the driver asked, “Kid, what’s going on? You look so anxious.”

Yu Wanlai didn’t hear him at first, then realized and was about to answer when the driver spoke again, “Is your wife running off with some rich guy? Are you going to catch them in the act?”

“I’m telling you, catching them is one thing, but don’t be too impulsive. You can’t let it escalate. You don’t know, there was this one case back in our area, the husband chased the two and stabbed them several times. In the end, the man died, and the woman went to prison…”

“You know what? It’s such a shame! I say, nothing is more important than life. Ruining your life over a few scoundrels isn’t worth it, don’t you think?”

Yu Wanlai: … Don’t scare me! He wasn’t a third party. Bai Jian didn’t even like Yu Qingyue. In the original story, she did, but the original plot didn’t necessarily have to happen. At least he was still alive and well now. The Yu family hadn’t split up either.

He shook his head, forced a smile, and said, “I’m not going to catch them.”

The driver nodded, understanding, and then tried to smooth things over, “Ah, so you’re trying to win her back? Oh, good for you! You’ve got the right mindset! With that kind of heart, you’ll succeed in whatever you do.”