Chapter 29

Since childhood, I’ve never lacked confidence.

Zhou Yi, with the woman’s slender fingers resting against his chin, was “forced” to tilt his head up and meet her gaze, raising an eyebrow with amusement: “You won’t be the exception either.”

“Reverse psychology?” Xiao Yaxuan, still catching her breath after dancing, leaned in close to the man’s face.

As their eyes locked, Zhou Yi could even feel the heat of her breath brushing against his skin.

“No, I’m merely stating a fact.”

Zhou Yi shrugged, noncommittal: “If you want a love affair with no outcome, I’m happy to play along.”

Infatuation and love are not the same.

Infatuation is a state; love is a relationship.

In matters of romantic relationships, Zhou Yi clearly drew a sharp distinction.

“Is that so.”

Gazing into the man’s deep, honest eyes, Xiao Yaxuan’s smile deepened: “Won’t you regret it, Zhou Yi?”

“I never feel regret—it’s too negative for me.”

The man lifted his hand to brush away her fingers from his chin, then chuckled: “So, are you still going to star in my MV?”

“Of course, why not?”

Contrary to Zhou Yi’s expectations, after he made clear his stance—casual sex okay, romance not allowed—Xiao Yaxuan didn’t retreat. Instead, she pressed forward, declaring herself a woman of her word, never to back down.

At just twenty-one, she had absolute confidence in herself.

In age, fame, status, and physique, she matched him perfectly—she couldn’t imagine any rival.

Born into wealth, raised in luxury, wanting nothing but getting everything, she refused to believe Zhou Yi could be her obstacle.

Unless he fancied those old women from Hong Kong.

“Then, good luck?”

Zhou Yi laughed aloud, earning a glare from Xiao Yaxuan—but inside, she felt a little lighter.

Sitting down on the floor like Zhou Yi, she shed her sweat-stained jacket and lay flat on her back, staring at the ceiling above, savoring a moment of peace.

Since releasing her first album at the end of last year, she hadn’t felt this relaxed in conversation for a long time.

This man, Zhou Yi, gave her a strange feeling.

Talking to him felt like shedding every burden from her shoulders—he never brought up sales or style, never worried about this or that, never treated her with exaggerated respect or hidden agendas.

“What kind of song is the MV you want me to star in? A ballad?”

Considering Virgin Records’ positioning of her, Xiao Yaxuan, hands clasped behind her head, turned her head slightly to look at the man leaning against the wall.

“No, a pop dance track—it’s your specialty.”

Zhou Yi rubbed his knuckles and shook his head: “You know well enough that Warner has Guo Tianwang, a dancer. To boost popularity, my album will include two pop dance tracks.”

Xiao Yaxuan, already debuted, was no stranger to this veteran-leading-newcomer model: “So you’re the little Guo Fucheng?”

“No, the company won’t promote me as ‘Little Guo Fucheng.’ They just want to use pop dance tracks to draw attention. As a new artist with an album from the mainland, if I don’t create a buzz upfront, hardly anyone outside the mainland will notice me.”

At this, Zhou Yi’s lips curled slightly with mockery: “Though I think it’s unnecessary.”

“Your company’s right. The music market is so fierce now—it’s safer to debut with a gimmick. Once you’ve built a name, everything else follows.”

“Of course, using dance tracks has drawbacks—like the Golden Melody Awards.”

Xiao Yaxuan, using herself as an example, sounded wistful: “This award is currently the most prestigious in the domestic music scene, but no matter how many times the judging panel changes, pop dance tracks have never earned their approval.”

“If your album ends up including dance tracks, be prepared to get zero nominations—or even no recognition at all.”

She wasn’t exaggerating—it was a hard fact.

The Golden Melody Awards’ implicit bias against dance music has long existed—even legends like Li Wen have had no connection with it. This is one reason why Yao Qian, CEO of Virgin Records, holds a grudge against the awards.

Back then, as Li Wen’s producer, Yao Qian crafted her album to perfection, catapulting her to diva status—only for the Golden Melody Awards to ignore her entirely. Furious, Yao Qian refused to submit any future entries.

That’s why, despite her debut album selling nearly half a million copies, there was never a whisper of nomination for Xiao Yaxuan last year.

Because Yao Qian never submitted her album under the company’s name.

In today’s world, where the Golden Melody Awards’ reputation grows ever larger, few big names dare to ignore them—Yao Qian is one of them.

He has the influence to act on a whim.

“If I don’t get it, I don’t get it. For my first album, I want fame, sales, and a broad fanbase—not those stubborn old dinosaurs.”

Zhou Yi, fully prepared for this, didn’t care: “Even if I don’t win the Golden Melody Awards, I can still aim for the Hong Kong Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award. I’m certain to get something there—at least those people are more generous than the insular old dinosaurs at the Taiwan Golden Melody Awards.”

As one of the two most prestigious music awards in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award has grown increasingly diluted in recent years—but it still holds some standing, and winning it wouldn’t be embarrassing.

As for the Taiwan Golden Melody Awards, Warner will definitely submit his album—no doubt about that.

Whether he wins, however, is hard to predict—even Zhou Yi can’t say for sure. After all, albums with dance tracks are inherently disadvantaged in the Golden Melody Awards’ judging.

Moreover, his mainland origin is another debuff.

His advantage lies in pioneering a new Hiphop-infused style, carving out a visible new path for the youth.

But considering even Zhou Dong, at the peak of his career, has been tormented by the Golden Melody Awards…

Better focus on sales. Making money matters most.

“You’re so openly mocking the Golden Melody Awards’ judges—aren’t you afraid I’ll leak it?” Xiao Yaxuan teased, grinning at Zhou Yi’s remarks.

“Please. With your teacher’s terrible relationship with the Golden Melody Awards, no one would believe you.”

Zhou Yi scoffed: “If it did leak, people might even say you’re using me to deliberately slander the Golden Melody Awards.”

“After all, as long as you’re with Virgin, you’ll never get a nod from them. Even if they nominate you, getting a nomination is doubtful. No matter how popular your song becomes—even if it’s playing on every street corner—it won’t matter.”

“...”

Stung, Xiao Yaxuan reached out and grabbed Zhou Yi’s neck, breaking their safe distance—skin touched skin.

“You signed a contract, right? Go change clothes. Shoot two simple scenes, then we’re done. I’ll come to your place later to star in your MV.”

“My scenes are that few?”

“Obviously. The audience watches me, not you.”

“Not necessarily—I’m this handsome, maybe I steal the show.”

“...”

Though she couldn’t outargue Zhou Yi’s sharp tongue, the ever-playful and inexperienced Xiao Yaxuan tossed him an umbrella: “Wear the white T-shirt and jeans you have on. Shoot a few shots of you walking in the rain on the street, brushing past me.”

“Then record a voicemail message on your phone—that’s your entire role.”

“Your MV is this simple?”

Looking at the script—barely half a page long—Zhou Yi raised an eyebrow, his expression odd.

Then he flubbed it.

“Cut.”

“Zhou Yi, after you finish your expression and movement, don’t look at the camera or the director—it breaks immersion. Fix that habit.”

In work mode, Xiao Yaxuan showed Zhou Yi, a first-time MV actor, her serious side—and taught him a few basic lessons on acting in music videos.

The most fundamental rule: don’t look at the camera, but make sure every move you make is clearly aimed at it.