5.5 million views…
Lin Luan lay sprawled out on his bed, arms spread wide, holding his phone above him as he watched the video of Shen Yu playing and singing that had been uploaded online.
In just a few short days, this unexpectedly captured video had already gone viral on the internet, racking up millions of views and tens of thousands of comments, its popularity far beyond what they’d ever expected.
Lin Luan scrolled down the screen and glanced at the comments section.
[Angel voice! Who is this girl?]
[Singing and playing guitar in the rain, the vibe is amazing!]
[The handsome guy beside her is good-looking too, is he their agent?]
[Hurry up and update!]
Whoa, it’s really blowing up?!
To be honest, in Lin Luan’s original plan, they would have to perform at least ten times or so before they might get a video that could go a bit viral.
This situation was truly outside of his expectations.
Their very first video had exploded in popularity, and it wasn’t even one they produced themselves. Should he call it luck? Or was Shen Yu just that talented?
Just as Lin Luan was about to keep reading the comments, his phone suddenly rang.
“Ring, ring, ring.”
A vibration shook the air.
“Pa.”
“Damn!”
The phone slipped from Lin Luan’s hands and smacked him in the face.
He rubbed his sore nose where it had hit, then answered the call.
“Luan!” It was Shen Yu calling, “A company just contacted me!”
Lin Luan shot up from bed, his eyes lighting up, “A company? Really? Which company?”
“They’re called Youwan Entertainment.”
Shen Yu’s voice was accompanied by the sound of pages turning, “It’s the second biggest entertainment company in Chang City. I checked their profile, and if they’re willing to give me resources, it’s not impossible to make it to the top of the industry within three years.”
Lin Luan sat up straight, his expression turning serious. He’d been around; he knew there was no such thing as a free lunch.
“Youwan Entertainment?” He pondered for a moment, “What are the exact terms?”
“A one million signing bonus, a promise to release a solo album within a year, a dedicated vocal coach and production team, and the profit-sharing ratio is especially generous…”
Shen Yu’s voice sounded a bit uncertain, “The conditions are so good it’s almost unsettling.”
Lin Luan frowned slightly.
An unknown newcomer, and just one video was enough to get such an offer? That went against all industry norms.
“That really is too generous.” His voice grew calm, “With a contract like this, either you’ve found a true talent scout, or there are other motives at play. When do they want to discuss it in detail?”
“Tomorrow afternoon. Luan, can you come with me? I really feel like I need you there.”
“Of course.” Lin Luan agreed without hesitation, “I’m your agent, it’s my responsibility.”
“…Mhm!” Shen Yu let out a soft laugh, “Alright, I’ll contact you then.”
The call ended.
Lin Luan had a vague feeling he’d heard of Youwan Entertainment before, but he couldn’t recall the details.
Better look it up first.
Lin Luan got up, pulled his chair over to the desk, and sat down.
Just as he was about to look into Youwan Entertainment’s background, his phone rang again.
He thought it was Shen Yu calling back with something else, so he picked up without looking, “What’s up, Shen Yu? Did you forget to tell me something?”
There was a brief silence on the other end, then a voice he knew all too well spoke, “So that girl’s name is Shen Yu, huh?”
Lin Luan’s hand shook and he nearly dropped the phone.
Crap!
It was Su Jin!
“Su—Su Jin?” He immediately adjusted his tone, “Sorry, I thought it was someone else.”
“Looks like you’re quite busy.” Su Jin’s voice was unreadable, “I saw that video.”
Lin Luan’s heart tightened.
“Video? What video?” He decided to play dumb for now.
“Don’t play the fool.” Su Jin cut straight through, “That girl singing and playing guitar in the rain, isn’t that you standing next to her? Over five million views, Agent Lin?”
Lin Luan knew he couldn’t hide it, so he admitted, “Yes, that’s a friend of mine…”
“Friend?” Su Jin interrupted, “What kind of friend would make my boyfriend skip rest and run around for someone else?”
“Miss Su Jin, I was just doing a favor.”
Lin Luan caught the displeasure in her words and hurried to explain, “She’s my childhood friend, always wanted to do music. I was just supporting her within my means…”
“Childhood friend?”
Su Jin picked up on the key words, her tone turning cold, “Lin Luan, have you forgotten your identity? You’re my boyfriend now, at least during the contract period, so you need to mind your image.”
“I’m sorry, Miss Su Jin, I didn’t think it through.” He apologized sincerely, “I promise I’ll be more careful from now on.”
The other end was silent for a moment, then Su Jin’s tone softened slightly, “What exactly is your relationship with her? Is she…your girlfriend?”
“Eh? No, not a girlfriend, just a friend.” Lin Luan answered truthfully.
He couldn’t help feeling a bit puzzled—why did Su Jin care so much about his relationship with Shen Yu?
“Just a friend?” Su Jin sounded a little more relaxed, “That’s good, then.”
What—what does “that’s good” mean?
Before Lin Luan could think any further, Su Jin continued, “Come downstairs.”
“Huh? Now?” Lin Luan was caught off guard.
“Yes, right now.” Su Jin replied blandly, “I’m downstairs at your building.”
“My father will be coming to test you as my boyfriend in just one week. We need to rehearse, at least enough to look like a real couple.”
Lin Luan walked over to the window and looked down.
Sure enough, that familiar Bugatti Veyron was quietly parked at the entrance to the alley, looking completely out of place among the old apartment blocks.
“I’ll be right down.” He hung up, and changed into the suit he had worn to the banquet hall before.
Leaving through the stairwell, he saw Su Jin had been waiting in the driver’s seat for a while already.
He sat in the passenger seat and buckled his seatbelt, asking, “Miss Su Jin, how are we supposed to rehearse?”
Su Jin didn’t answer right away. Instead, she looked him up and down, frowning, “First, you need to drop that form of address. No boyfriend calls his girlfriend ‘Miss’ all the time.”
“Then…what should I call you?” Lin Luan felt a little awkward.
“Just call me Su Jin.” She started the car. “Next, couples have natural physical contact. You’ll need to get used to that.”
As she spoke, she naturally reached over to adjust his collar.
Her fingertips brushed lightly against his neck, and Lin Luan instinctively shrank back a little.
Su Jin withdrew her hand, her tone flat, “See? Like that. Your reaction is too stiff. If my father were around, he’d see right through us in an instant.”
Lin Luan took a deep breath, slipping into ‘performance mode’, “I’ll do my best to adapt.”
“Not ‘do your best,’ you must.” Su Jin glanced at him, “I’ll be coming over often this week. We need to develop the tacit understanding of a real couple.”
“Now, let’s start with something simple. Have dinner with me.”
“Alright.” Lin Luan replied.
Su Jin glanced over at Lin Luan and pouted, then the car rolled smoothly out of the alley.
She fiddled with the fingers that had just straightened Lin Luan’s clothes.
She missed that feeling a little…
Su Jin quietly let out a sigh of relief in her heart.
That Shen Yu…
At least she’s not his girlfriend.
That’s good.