Chapter 161: Very Annoying, Very Annoying

Lu Yan He rarely used Weibo, especially his verified account, which had previously been managed by Zhou Ping'an; he basically never logged in, and only after the contract was terminated did the account return to his own hands.

He took out his phone and logged into his Weibo.

Upon checking, he saw many unread messages.

He clicked to open them and found notifications for massive amounts of reposts, comments, likes, and private messages.

Was it really because he hadn't logged in for so long that there were so many messages?

Or was it caused by tonight's trending search?

Lu Yan He opened Chen Ziyan's chat window and copied the passage she had sent him.

After reading it carefully, Lu Yan He was surprised, yet also silently felt admiration for Chen Ziyan.

—Legend has it this powerful father-in-law can add a hundred points to my college entrance exam score? Instead of daydreaming, it's more reliable to go to the cinema and watch Senior Brother Shang Yongzhou's new movie; whether one will have a powerful father-in-law in the future is still unknown, but what is certain now is that going to the cinema to watch "Carpe Diem" is truly seizing the day!

While refuting this absurd rumor, she also avoided stealing the spotlight and promoted "Carpe Diem".

It was foreseeable that, due to this trending search, his Weibo post responding to the matter would be seen by many people.

This was also a huge surge of traffic, which naturally helped promote "Carpe Diem". Most crucially was his attitude; he remembered that his identity tonight was simply to help promote the movie "Carpe Diem".

He Lan was still wondering what Lu Yan He was looking at while holding his phone when someone in the live chat sent a message saying Lu Yan He had just posted on Weibo.

Tonight, Lu Yan He had fallen into a public opinion crisis.

Mainly because, in the background audio of the official live stream for the movie "Carpe Diem", two people were discussing Lu Yan He.

When He Lan saw Lu Yan He on the trending search with the words "father-in-law" following his name, her heart skipped a beat, but after hearing the amplified audio, she breathed a sigh of relief.

These two were definitely the ones spreading rumors and gossiping behind his back; the tone in their voices sounded like naked jealousy.

He Lan expressed her belief in and support for Lu Yan He without a second thought.

Lu Yan He had just finished the college entrance exam; how could he possibly be married!

Moreover, claiming Lu Yan He was climbing high branches and hugging thighs—hah! He Lan simply didn't believe it.

Which person climbing high branches would study as hard as they could every single day for a whole year?

If he had really latched onto a thigh and had a legendary father-in-law, why hadn't he received any good resources or been pushed to become hugely famous?

Since following Lu Yan He, He Lan had become increasingly familiar with and understood Lu Yan He's situation, knowing what kind of circumstances and treatment Lu Yan He faced at Star Entertainment.

Even so, was there a legendary father-in-law supporting him?

They were spreading rumors without even checking the facts!

He Lan had worried this matter would affect Lu Yan He's mood, but she didn't expect Lu Yan He to start the live stream as usual, appearing completely unaffected.

It was just that a group of people had flooded into the live chat, questioning and mocking Lu Yan He sentence after sentence.

Those words were full of provocation and denigration, unpleasant to hear; even He Lan felt anger rising in her heart upon reading them, let alone Lu Yan He himself.

Fortunately, he wasn't used to looking at the live chat while streaming, so he hadn't seen them at all.

Until he suddenly picked up his phone and posted a Weibo message.

He Lan immediately exited the live stream, opened Weibo, and found the post Lu Yan He had sent.

As she read it, she laughed.

It seemed Lu Yan He wasn't angered by such rumors, just somewhat dissatisfied, muttering a simple response.

He Lan posted in the comments section: You look very handsome in a suit today; I believe in you, and I'll go see "Carpe Diem" this weekend! -

There were quite a few people reading Lu Yan He's Weibo post.

Chen Siqi was one of them.

After the college entrance exam, Chen Siqi had not met Lu Yan He.

She also had no mind to meet Lu Yan He; as soon as the exam was over, war broke out at home.

When bringing up which university to attend in the future, Chen Siqi wanted to leave Yuming and study elsewhere, but Liu Weian didn't know what devilish scheme she was hatching, insisting that girls shouldn't go too far from home and that she should just find a university in Yuming.

Chen Siqi said that if her scores were to attend a university in Yuming, she definitely wouldn't get into a good one.

Liu Weian said that for a family like hers, it didn't matter if she didn't attend a good university.

Chen Siqi was so angry she cursed Liu Weian, saying her treacherous intentions were obvious to everyone.

Liu Weian, however, accused Chen Siqi of failing to understand her intentions.

"I am a stepmother; just that one identity alone, the gaze of others can crush me dead; whether I raise my head or not, it seems I am that kind of vicious person." Liu Weian turned around and complained to Chen Siqi's father, "If I were truly a vicious person, why would I insist on keeping her by my side? I would have sent her far away long ago, letting her fend for herself."

Chen Siqi heard these words at the door, her chest heaving with anger, yet she couldn't just burst in and continue to question Liu Weian.

Otherwise, her eavesdropping would become a fact.

Because of this matter, the atmosphere in the home had become extremely bad these past few days, reaching a point where almost no one spoke voluntarily.

After experiencing the initial anger, Chen Siqi also regained her composure and thought about what she should do; just at this moment, while browsing Weibo, she saw Lu Yan He's trouble tonight.

Indeed, everyone has their own troubles.

Chen Siqi had originally wanted to find Lu Yan He to talk, but now she no longer thought that way.

Let everyone sweep their own doorstep snow.

After graduation, no longer attending the same school every day, no longer seeing each other daily, many words that could be spoken casually now required a solemn "perfect timing, favorable conditions, and harmonious human relations" to be uttered.

Telling others about one's own troubles is also a trouble for others.

Not everyone has a thick skin.

Especially Chen Siqi.

But Li Pengfei's skin was very thick; he never cared about such things.

After resting at home for a few days, Xu Zijun went out to work as a tutor.

A student who had just graduated from the college entrance exam couldn't command a high price as a tutor, but because she was in the top thirty of the third year at No. 13 Middle School, people were still willing to hire her; in the end, at a price of twenty yuan per hour, a family with a high school sophomore student hired her to tutor their child for four hours a day, earning eighty yuan a day.

For Xu Zijun, this was already a huge sum of money.

She was saving money for her university.

However, Xu Zijun spends two hours commuting from home to Yuming each day, and another two hours returning after her tutoring session; accounting for other delays on the road, she spends nearly five hours traveling daily.

After learning this, Li Pengfei gave Xu Zijun a pair of headphones and a power bank.

"Looking at your phone on the bus is bad for your eyes; listen to music or a radio drama instead," Li Pengfei said.

Xu Zijun does have a phone, but it is a secondhand one she bought herself; it was very cheap, purchased for two hundred yuan, and it still lags a bit.

Li Pengfei had actually considered buying her a new phone directly, but recalling what Lu Yan He had said earlier, he temporarily abandoned the idea.

One cannot give a gift that is too expensive directly.

Li Pengfei said, "Once I get my driver's license and a car, I can pick you up and drop you off every day."

Xu Zijun shook her head: "No need; that would mean you running two round trips daily, which is very tiring."

Li Pengfei: "I'm not tired."

His eyes darted about, full of energy.

Seeing this, Xu Zijun laughed.

"Even so, no need."

Li Pengfei: "Alright, alright, if you're not willing, then forget it, but your tutoring is great; this way we can see each other every day."

Li Pengfei wore a beaming smile.

Previously, when Xu Zijun wasn't tutoring, she rarely came over because she lived far away.

Li Pengfei's time meeting her decreased accordingly.

Now, after Xu Zijun finishes her tutoring each day, Li Pengfei picks her up, they eat a meal together, and then he takes her to the station.

Not eating at home every night; if it weren't for the fact that he just finished the college entrance exam, his father would have scolded him long ago.

Yet, although the days were happy, Li Pengfei was secretly worrying about the future.

Will he and Xu Zijun be able to get into universities in the same city then?

What if they end up in different places?

Li Pengfei chatted with Lu Yan He about this worry.

Lu Yan He replied: No solution.

Li Pengfei:???

Lu Yan He: If you endure it, lovers will eventually marry; if you don't, a long-distance relationship will drive you apart; it all depends on yourself.

Li Pengfei: I regret not studying hard enough now; if my score had been a bit higher, my options would have been much broader.

Lu Yan He: Then repeat a year?

Li Pengfei: I'd be crazy to repeat a year; I only managed this much because you kept pushing me; without your nagging, how many days could I have lasted?

Lu Yan He laughed.

Li Pengfei indeed lacks patience.

However, Li Pengfei reminded Lu Yan He.

He also began to consider one thing: if he fails to get into Yuming or Zhenhua, should he choose a top university elsewhere, or settle for a lesser option and pick another university within Yuming?

Lu Yan He felt that the score he had worked so long to achieve would be a huge waste if he didn't attend the best university his score could get him into.

But if he leaves Yuming, there would be many inconveniences.

On Monday, Lu Yan He went to the company again.

He noticed everyone's gaze toward him had changed again.

These past two days, Lu Yan He's "father-in-law incident" had exploded onto the trending searches, and he had issued a response; what was once a matter of private discussion had become a public entertainment topic.

Before Lu Yan He responded, people could spin the story however they liked; now that he responded and explicitly denied it, those who previously believed it began to harbor doubts.

Is it true or false?

Lin Desheng's favor toward Lu Yan He was something everyone saw with their own eyes.

Yet Lu Yan He's so forthright denial left everyone puzzled, wondering if there was some misunderstanding involved.

The people at Star Entertainment naturally already knew that Wei Zhuoran was the one who had discussed Lu Yan He riding his father-in-law's coattails in the background audio of the livestream.

Everyone was therefore somewhat curious about what the scene would be like if Lu Yan He and Wei Zhuoran met.

However, the two did not meet as everyone had expected.

Lu Yan He went to the rehearsal room as usual, while Wei Zhuoran did not come to the company at all.

Artists generally do not stay at the company often; unless, like Lu Yan He, they need to use the company's rehearsal room or go to sign contracts, otherwise, they don't have to clock in, so why run to the company all day?

At noon, Tu Song proactively invited Lu Yan He to lunch.

His face practically had the words "want to ask about the gossip" written on it.

The two went to their usual spot again.

As soon as the dishes were ordered, Tu Song immediately asked: "Last Saturday, did you have a conflict with Wei Zhuoran?"

"No, what conflict? Both our Agents were there," Lu Yan He said. "He said some nonsense and got scolded by Sister Ziyan."

Tu Song laughed.

"Serves him right, what a foul mouth," he cursed. "Are there still many people talking about you online now?"

"Not really; I haven't checked much; I posted on Weibo and then stopped looking," Lu Yan He said. "It was completely baseless; let people say whatever they want."

"Are you and Lin Miaomiao really not dating?" Tu Song asked, somewhat puzzled. "I heard you even went on dates with her in our company's little garden."

"Dates? Don't be ridiculous; sitting together for a cup of coffee and chatting; in other people's eyes, that's a date? Then their definition of dating is pretty poor."

Tu Song, however, felt somewhat envious and said, "Even if you're not dating, you're still good friends; I really envy you."

"It's not what you think; although Lin Miaomiao and I know each other, it hasn't reached the point where she sends me opportunities through Aurora Video," Lu Yan He said helplessly. "I know many people in the company spread all kinds of rumors, like that I got signed by Sister Ziyan thanks to Lin Miaomiao's connections, but since you are under Sister Ziyan, you should know best: would Sister Ziyan be the kind of Agent who casually takes on an artist based on such a slight connection?"

Tu Song came to his senses, pondered for a moment, nodded, and said, "No."

"Simply put, many people still don't believe I was noticed by Sister Ziyan purely for my own merits," Lu Yan He shrugged. "So they must find other reasons on me to prove I didn't do it on my own."

"That's just too despicable." Tu Song felt the same way and immediately shared his indignation.

The door was yanked open with a "whoosh."

Ma Zhiyuan walked in alone, his expression unfriendly; upon suddenly seeing Lu Yan He, he immediately frowned.

Lu Yan He, seeing him, also wiped the expression from his face.

Hot air surged wildly inside.

Ma Zhiyuan closed the door, walked in, and actually strode straight up to Lu Yan He.

"Wei Zhuoran stopped work for half a month because of you?"

Lu Yan He heard this and looked utterly bewildered.

What situation was stopping work for half a month?

Ma Zhiyuan, however, wore an expression that clearly blamed Lu Yan He for the matter.

"What, dare to do it but not admit it?" Ma Zhiyuan sneered, glaring at Lu Yan He. "Wei Zhuoran said you rely on your father-in-law; did he get it wrong? If you're dissatisfied, go find Wei Zhuoran yourself and let your Agent stand up for you. That's truly shameless."

Lu Yan He took a deep breath.

"I rely on my father-in-law? Which father-in-law? Go on, tell me."

Ma Zhiyuan said, "Your relationship with Lin Desheng is known throughout the entire company; what are you pretending for?"

"Lin Desheng?" Lu Yan He curled his lip. "Ma Zhiyuan, I'll ask you one question: do you dare say this to Lin Desheng's face?"

"Why would I need to say it to Lin Desheng's face?"

"Confrontation." Lu Yan He said in a deep voice. "Since you all think Lin Desheng is my father-in-law, then go ask him and see if that's the case!"

Lu Yan He's voice rang out with conviction; he showed no fear. This spirit made him appear righteous and stern, with no hint of guilt.

Ma Zhiyuan, who had been fuming, was stunned for a moment and had no immediate reply.

"If Wei Zhuoran hadn't spread rumors, why would he stop work? Who do you think I am, that I could make him stop work? The people managing you are your own Agent; if you have questions, go ask him!" Lu Yan He said angrily. "I've been tolerating you up to now, and you've only gotten worse. If you come running to my face to accuse me again without cause, better have evidence, or the one stopping work won't be just him!"

Ma Zhiyuan's eyes instantly turned cold.

"Are you threatening me?"

"I'm warning you." Lu Yan He's gaze was firm and powerful, showing no retreat. "From start to finish, I have never provoked any single person from your MX. Instead, you come to provoke me once, twice. Do you think I'll keep tolerating it? This time, I only denied your rumors; next time, I'll directly release the names of the rumor-mongers. Want to try?"

Ma Zhiyuan clenched his jaw.

"Want to try?" Lu Yan He demanded.

Ma Zhiyuan tightened his fists, fell silent for two seconds, then snorted and nodded. "Fine. With Chen Ziyan as your Agent, you've got plenty of backbone. Let's see how this plays out!"

He turned and strode out of the hotel; the door was yanked shut by him with force, making a loud "bang."

Contempt showed in Lu Yan He's eyes.

Fierce on the outside, weak within.

Lu Yan He withdrew his gaze and, looking up, saw Tu Song watching him with admiration.

"You were so cool just now."

Ma Zhiyuan was seething with anger.

How dare he?

How dare he?!

Ma Zhiyuan's face turned green with rage.

Lu Yan He actually dared to threaten him!

At the same time his anger flared, a hidden fear stirred deep within Ma Zhiyuan.

Because he was truly being threatened.

If Lu Yan He really named names on Weibo about the rumor-mongers, they couldn't refute it; it was all hearsay, with no evidence.

Lately, Ma Zhiyuan himself had been having a rough time. Originally, there was a very popular two-person team competition show to record, but because the originally scheduled partner was Wei Zhuoran, he was dragged down and couldn't record the show either.

Otherwise, Ma Zhiyuan wouldn't have flown into such a rage and taken it out on Lu Yan He.

Go question Lin Suyang?

Ma Zhiyuan had already gone, but Lin Suyang simply told him with a stern face that Wei Zhuoran had committed a major mistake and must accept punishment, and that Wei Zhuoran had indeed accepted it.

Ma Zhiyuan went to ask Wei Zhuoran why he accepted the punishment, but Wei Zhuoran refused to say, stammering and brushing it aside.

The words Lin Suyang had said gave Wei Zhuoran a shock, waking him from the illusion of being a top star, but he also didn't want to let Ma Zhiyuan see him as a joke.

Competition within MX was fierce, and Ma Zhiyuan was the type who wouldn't let teammates steal his spotlight.

Wei Zhuoran spoke vaguely, so Ma Zhiyuan took it as Chen Ziyan acting on Lu Yan He's behalf; due to Chen Ziyan's influence, Lin Suyang and Wei Zhuoran had so weakly stopped work for half a month and apologized to people.

But even if Wei Zhuoran was in the wrong, so what?

They were MX, the most popular idol group in the entire company; was it worth suffering such a huge loss over such a small matter?

Wei Zhuoran stopping work for half a month delayed how much work?

Ma Zhiyuan still felt the anger pent up inside him.

Lin Suyang wouldn't stand up for Wei Zhuoran, and Wei Zhuoran himself was weak, but Ma Zhiyuan felt absolutely that he couldn't let Lu Yan He feel triumphant over this matter.

He already had a legendary Agent; if he succeeded so easily in this, where would that leave MX in the future?

Would the ranking of all these young artists in the company have to change?

Lu Yan He hadn't even achieved anything yet, yet he was forcing Wei Zhuoran to bow; in another couple of days, on the company's artist page, would Lu Yan He be ranked first among the younger generation?

Ma Zhiyuan resolved to teach Lu Yan He a lesson.

Li Zhen and Chen Biqiu got out of the car and looked up at the tall building before them.

"Star Entertainment has such a huge enterprise right here, yet it isn't even valued by its boss; I really don't know what background this big boss has," Chen Biqiu mused, thinking of some rumors he'd heard.

Everyone said the true boss of Star Entertainment wasn't even in this industry; when Star Entertainment was first established, it was only to please his girlfriend at the time. Now, look, it's reached this level, yet he still doesn't care, almost never showing up, leaving Hong Qi to manage things with several vice presidents.

Li Zhen said, "Star Entertainment is the largest idol artist company in the industry; yet it still has Jiang Yuqian and the others as top-tier stars. The artist lineup is indeed strong."

"Indeed, otherwise why would we come to your door personally?" Chen Biqiu pouted. "Which other company doesn't come to us proactively?"

This time, their proactive visit was due to both the need to persuade Zhou Ping'an to let Li Zhibai join "Young Days" and the fact that Star Entertainment was too big and powerful for them to act arrogant.

Entering the company building, Chen Biqiu and Li Zhen went straight up.

"Are you really sure? Li Zhibai, Yan Liang, and Lu Yan He—do you want all three?" Chen Biqiu confirmed again.

"Mm." Li Zhen nodded. "I've observed them for a few days. Their daily interactions are very interesting; I believe the audience will like this combination."

Chen Biqiu nodded and sighed. "Then the next step is to deal with Zhou Ping'an, that iron rooster who lives in a money pocket."

Thirty minutes later, Zhou Ping'an, bored out of his mind, finished listening to the program introduction. Finally, they got to the main topic. Upon hearing the offer, Zhou Ping'an exploded.

"Two hundred thousand per episode?" Zhou Ping'an looked at the two of them in shock. "Old Chen, you're a senior program producer in the industry. Don't you know Li Zhibai's current market rate? Are you trying to bribe a beggar?"

Chen Biqiu forced himself to hold back the anger rising in his heart and explained, "We are inviting Li Zhibai as a regular cast member. The season has twelve episodes in total, not a flying guest. Besides, our program is very relaxed to record and doesn't require the artist to do any extra preparation. For a whole season, it only takes about thirty days to record, which is far less time than a regular program requires."

Zhou Ping'an: "That's way too little! Last month, when Zhibai recorded "Battle Youth", they gave fifty thousand. Yours isn't even half of that!"

Chen Biqiu said, "What kind of program is "Battle Youth"? For him to record one episode, from preparation to completion, it takes at least a week, right? Our slow-life variety show type requires completely different time. On average, one episode takes only two to three days. Calculated by time, is the pay too low?"

Zhou Ping'an immediately retorted, "Who calculates it like that?"

"I'm just discussing the matter at hand. Our program isn't recorded separately; the recording time is fixed and not scattered, which also makes it convenient for you to book him for other work at other times," Chen Biqiu said. "You know I've been in this line of work for a long time. Would I shortchange you?"

"This price is way too low; it will affect our future rates," Zhou Ping'an said. "Moreover, your program doesn't look like it's going to be a hit. Director Li Zhen, right? Saying this might be a bit hurtful, but after all, this is your first time as a program director; you have no experience."

Li Zhen: "..."

"Old Zhou, she has always been my assistant director. To be honest with you, if I didn't think highly of her, and if this weren't my own program, would I have gone through all this running up and down?" Chen Biqiu said. "If this program doesn't become a hit, that's your prejudice. In terms of making programs, I am the professional. Don't you trust my eye?"

Zhou Ping'an clicked his tongue. "Is this a matter of eye? Just say it straight. Is your program budget not high? Does the video platform have an offer? What level are you planning to make it?"

Current programs are internally categorized into S+, S, A, and B tiers.

Chen Biqiu said, "The budget is indeed not high, but this is the first season of the program, so it doesn't require much budget. I didn't intend to take advantage of you. Twenty thousand is the price I calculated based on Li Zhibai's current market rate. Don't pretend; whether I'm shortchanging him or not, you know clearly in your heart."

Chen Biqiu's stance was so tough that Zhou Ping'an found nowhere to bite.

"Anyway, this price is way too low."

"I will let another artist of yours join this program." Only at this moment did Chen Biqiu bring up Yan Liang. "Buy one get one free, okay? Yan Liang probably can't get a regular cast position anywhere else right now, right?"

This sentence instantly sparked Zhou Ping'an's interest.

Yan Liang was the least popular of the three artists under him and the hardest to get resources for outside.

If Yan Liang could also become a regular cast member, there would be room for negotiation.

"Why not pull Cheng Hai in as well?" Zhou Ping'an thought. Cheng Hai didn't have a regular variety show either.

Chen Biqiu said, "You know our budget isn't high, but there's no way we can afford to hire another artist at twenty thousand per episode all at once, unless you give us another discount?"

Zhou Ping'an immediately raised his hand, making a stop gesture. "Hold on. Getting a bargain on Lu Yan He isn't enough; now you want another discount? Just Yan Liang. How much pay are you planning to offer Yan Liang?"

Chen Biqiu: "Just go by the market price. If I'm not mistaken, last time he came to my program, he got thirty thousand?"

Zhou Ping'an: "Thirty thousand? That's way too shabby."

"Then tell me, which other program has ever offered Yan Liang a higher price?" Chen Biqiu asked directly.

Zhou Ping'an immediately changed the subject. "One program wants two of my artists. Who knows if your program will be a hit."

"If it becomes a hit, will you return their pay to us?" Chen Biqiu, familiar with Zhou Ping'an, struck the vital point as soon as he opened his mouth.

Zhou Ping'an glared at him. "There's no such way of playing."

Chen Biqiu breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. Seeing Zhou Ping'an's reaction, he knew this matter was almost settled.

What followed was just haggling.

When it came to Lu Yan He, Chen Biqiu's negotiation tactics were not so smooth.

"Thirty thousand? Too low." Chen Ziyan said imperiously. "Although Lu Yan He's popularity isn't high and his fame isn't great right now, he is at least a positive-energy artist. His public image is unique among young artists. His participation in recording your program also adds incidental value to the program's image."

Chen Biqiu's aura was much weaker in front of Chen Ziyan.

"But sponsors won't give Lu Yan He more money just because he is a positive-energy artist," Chen Biqiu said. "Teacher Chen, I know Lu Yan He is your favorite, but his current market rate is indeed right here. You also know that in our variety show business, we can't look at any long-term returns; we just make quick money. Even if Lu Yan He becomes famous a year later, it won't reflect back on our program."

Chen Ziyan asked, "Do you know what day Thursday is?"

Chen Biqiu was stunned. He seriously calculated it but couldn't recall what special day Thursday was.

"Your birthday?"

Chen Ziyan: "..."

She rolled her eyes at him.

"It's the day the college entrance exam results are released," Chen Ziyan said. "By then, Lu Yan He will be the only idol artist in the entertainment circle to get into a key university solely through his academic score. With such an identity, do you think thirty thousand yuan per episode is worthy of him?"

Chen Biqiu sucked in a sharp breath of cold air.

He was truly speechless and choked up.

If the person saying this weren't Chen Ziyan, he really would have spat back.

The results haven't even come out yet, and she's so arrogantly claiming he can get into a key university?

Even if he gets in, so what? Can good academic scores be monetized in the entertainment industry?

Chen Ziyan didn't care at all about his inner mutterings.

"You can also wait until the college entrance exam results are released before discussing Lu Yan He's pay with me, but at that time, I will quote a higher price," Chen Ziyan said. "This is a life-observation program. No program can invite an idol artist who just got into a key university through academic scores after a year of counter-attack in senior year as a guest specimen, because before this, such a thing simply didn't exist. Such an artist, the first program after the college entrance exam, such a gimmick and potential heat—you know better than I do. The cards are already on the table. Do you think my current request of fifty thousand yuan per episode is low?"

Chen Biqiu: "..."

Chen Biqiu didn't know if what Chen Ziyan said made sense, but the way she spoke, as if everything she said was logical and reasonable, was truly intimidating.

He was momentarily intimidated and didn't know how to continue haggling.

After coming out of Chen Ziyan's office, Chen Biqiu and Li Zhen both unconsciously wiped the sweat from their heads.

Chen Ziyan's aura was too powerful; sitting in her office, they unconsciously felt a huge pressure.

Headache.

They walked towards the elevator.

"Producer Chen, what brings you to our company?" a somewhat familiar voice suddenly called out from behind them.

Chen Biqiu and Li Zhen both turned around in surprise at the same time.

Ma Zhiyuan of MX looked at them with a beaming smile, radiant and bright.

"Zhiyuan, you're at the company too?" Chen Biqiu said; he had previously invited Ma Zhiyuan to record a program, so they were acquainted. "We have a show in preparation and came to chat with your company's Agent."

Hearing this, Ma Zhiyuan glanced at the office they had just exited.

"Looking for Chen Ziyan?"

"Mm."

"You're not thinking of inviting Lu Yan He to record this show, are you?" Ma Zhiyuan asked.

"What's wrong?" Chen Biqiu asked, puzzled by Ma Zhiyuan's question.

Ma Zhiyuan asked, "Are you two in a hurry to head back? Our company has a sky garden; let me treat you to a cup of coffee?"

In the evening, after finishing class, Lu Yan He was drenched in sweat.

Today, He Shuyi had guided him to liberate the constraints of his heart and unleash his emotions completely; he had shouted and screamed in the rehearsal room alongside her, and finally, under the collision of intense emotions, tears had flowed from his eyes.

"The thing acting fears most is affectation, a state young artists are very prone to falling into. That's why, just now, I made you run and jump, shout and scream, draining all your excess energy before having you act. Did you feel all your strength concentrate on this scene? No energy left to add anything extra?"

Lu Yan He nodded. "Before, I was thinking about covering every aspect perfectly. Today, I stopped managing that; my brain was so tired it went blank, and my attention actually became more focused."

"You must remember this feeling, because you currently lack the ability to handle multiple threads at once. Once you pursue perfection, it's easy to overact or act incorrectly," He Shuyi said. "You must start acting from a single point. Once you've acted that one part well, then consider the others. Simply put, start by leveraging your strengths. One particularly good asset of yours is your eyes; they are deep and carry a sense of story. Furthermore, your acting style isn't exaggerated, and your sense of detail is rich. These are your strengths. You should base yourself on these areas to add to your performance. In other areas, you must subtract. When you don't know how to act, having no expression is better than making random expressions."

Lu Yan He smiled and agreed.

Many of He Shuyi's suggestions were extremely practical, and Lu Yan He had even taken specialized notes on them.

"Thank you, Teacher He."

Lu Yan He saw He Shuyi off, tidied up his things himself, and entered the elevator.

It was the evening rush hour; the elevator stopped at almost every floor as people wanted to get on.

Lu Yan He retreated to the very back.

When the elevator stopped at some intermediate floor, Lu Yan He saw Li Zhen, Chen Biqiu, and Ma Zhiyuan walk in together.

He froze for a moment.

Mainly because he knew Chen Biqiu and Li Zhen were preparing the program "Young Days," seeing the three of them appear together instantly sparked a thought in his mind: Could they be wanting to invite Ma Zhiyuan to record this show?

If that were the case, Li Zhibai and Ma Zhiyuan would probably end up fighting on the show.

He estimated he would end up fighting along with them.

Lu Yan He was blocked in the corner of the elevator; the three of them, Chen Biqiu included, did not see Lu Yan He inside.

When they reached the first floor, Lu Yan He waited for the people in front to exit before he went out.

He returned, filled with worry, and told Li Zhibai and Yan Liang about the matter.

Upon hearing this, Li Zhibai immediately said, "What? If Ma Zhiyuan is also recording this show, then I'm not going."

He detested Ma Zhiyuan deeply and was absolutely unwilling to cooperate with him.

Lu Yan He said, "I don't know if I'm overthinking it, but if it really is like this, we need to make preparations early."

"Prepare for what? If Ma Zhiyuan records, then I won't record. It's that simple," Li Zhibai said without hesitation. "Anyway, the contract hasn't been signed yet."

"Since they went to the company today, they might have already spoken with Zhou Ping'an."

Li Zhibai said, "I'll call Zhou Ping'an right now."

"Don't rush," Lu Yan He stopped Li Zhibai. "We don't know the situation yet; maybe I'm just overthinking it."

Li Zhibai said, "Then who do we ask? Li Zhen?"

"Let's ask Li Zhen," Lu Yan He nodded. "She definitely knows."

At a small roadside eatery.

Li Zhen was having dinner with Chen Biqiu.

The small shop was bustling, filled with the din of crowds, yet the two of them appeared somewhat silent.

What Ma Zhiyuan had told them that afternoon had left both of them somewhat stunned.

"Does Ma Zhiyuan have a conflict with Lu Yan He?" Li Zhen asked.

Chen Biqiu looked around to confirm there were no acquaintances nearby before saying, "I don't know, but for Ma Zhiyuan to go to such lengths, there must be a significant conflict."

"Then..." Li Zhen looked at Chen Biqiu, "You're not really planning to agree to Ma Zhiyuan, are you?"

"Losing Lu Yan He to gain a Ma Zhiyuan; no matter how you calculate it, that exchange is worthwhile," Chen Biqiu said. "Ma Zhiyuan is even more famous than Li Zhibai. If he's willing to join, we can apply for more production funding and secure more sponsors."

Li Zhen looked somewhat conflicted and said, "But didn't you also say that Ma Zhiyuan's personality isn't suitable for recording this kind of life-observation program?"

Chen Biqiu sighed and nodded, saying, "That is indeed my concern. Besides, Ma Zhiyuan's asking price is even higher than Li Zhibai's; the production budget will definitely become tight as a result."

"Although he is very famous, he isn't suitable for this show. In the end, the program won't be liked by everyone," Li Zhen said. "There are many shows that play the celebrity card, gathering a bunch of popular stars to record, but in the end, the result isn't good, and it's all wasted effort."

"But Ma Zhiyuan's joining would allow us to secure higher production funding, achieve a higher rating for the show, and attract more sponsors," Chen Biqiu sighed. "You know, Zhenzhen, we can't make choices based entirely on suitability for the program."

Hearing Chen Biqiu's words, Li Zhen felt somewhat disheartened. She wanted to say something more, but just then, her phone rang.

It was actually Li Zhibai calling.

Li Zhen was somewhat surprised as she answered the call.

"Hello? Why are you suddenly looking for me?" Li Zhen switched her emotional state to answer the phone; these conflicted emotions could not be let sensed by the artist.

Li Zhibai asked, "Sister Zhenzhen, you're not still planning to invite Ma Zhiyuan for this show, are you?"

"Ah?" Li Zhen froze for a moment.

Her subconscious reaction was: How did Li Zhibai get news so fast?

"We have indeed made contact," Li Zhen hesitated for a moment, then decided not to hide it. "But nothing is confirmed yet. What's wrong? Isn't he an artist from your same company?"

"Forget it. I'm unwilling to record a show with this person. If you invite him to record, then I'm quitting," Li Zhibai said. "If I record a show with him, I will definitely fight with him. One hundred percent. I'm not lying to you."

Li Zhen stood stunned on the spot.

"Huh?"

"I really hate this idiot, really hate him," Li Zhibai emphasized.

Li Zhenzhen hung up the phone with a blank expression, then turned to look at Chen Biqiu, who wore an equally puzzled face, her own expression still utterly bewildered.