Chapter 20

Before the show officially started filming, there was a routine of promoting it online, and the buzz had been building over the past few days.

Originally, the publicity team treated it casually, just posting a few things without much thought; the copywriting was mostly template-based with minor tweaks.

The show had only gained a bit of attention because of Xia Wansheng, and now that the controversy had long passed, the publicity team assumed everyone had already forgotten about this obscure, struggling program.

But as always, hate lasts longer than love.

Almost as soon as the teaser posts went live, the topic exploded.

Netizens, silent for a long time, quickly gathered, counting down the days until the show’s premiere, eager to invite everyone online to watch and mock Xia Wansheng.

“I heard this time it’s going to be fully live-streamed. I bet he can’t even write songs. Think he’ll chicken out at the last minute?” someone gloated.

“He’ll probably claim some health issue just to get by. I don’t believe he’d really show up.”

He had been so blatantly fake when writing songs and releasing albums before. If he appeared on the show, wouldn’t he be practically inviting public ridicule?

No one would be foolish enough to do that.

Ji Yang was naturally worried. As Xia Wansheng’s manager, he needed to be mindful of the artist’s mental well-being.

“How about we just skip the show? The live broadcast requirement is too demanding, and since that was a later addition, it wouldn’t be breaching contract if we pull out now.”

This setup was clearly designed to make things difficult for Xia Wansheng. He was just trying to make a comeback in the entertainment world; he shouldn’t be shackled forever by past incidents.

Xia Wansheng had just finished a vocal lesson and promptly declined a friend request from Teacher Feng’s disciple.

He pondered the situation for a moment, his expression sincere.

“Actually, I think I do have some talent,” Xia Wansheng said earnestly.

Handling a live broadcast shouldn’t be too hard; the only catch was that he probably wouldn’t be able to switch off in front of the camera.

He figured he might as well treat it as a company-funded trip.

Ji Yang: Is this kid daydreaming again?

“Alright, alright, I know you’re talented,” Ji Yang replied perfunctorily, thinking to himself that he’d better have the PR team prepare in advance.

The company originally paid little attention to Xia Wansheng’s career, even instructing to shelve him.

But somehow, they suddenly changed their minds. Not long ago, someone was sent personally to check on Xia Wansheng, inquiring if he was interested in acting in a film by a promising new director.

The role was appealing, and the company wanted to use this opportunity to switch Xia Wansheng’s manager.

Ji Yang agreed without hesitation.

He himself was somewhat marginalized in the company. Now that Xia Wansheng wanted to seriously pursue his career, it was only natural to have a more suitable manager.

Ji Yang took out his phone and messaged Xia Wansheng, saying he was coming to the villa to hand over some work.

Just as he was thinking how lucky he’d been to accompany the artist for a while but couldn’t hold back Xia Wansheng’s future progress any longer, feeling a bittersweet pang—

His phone suddenly pinged.

“Bring some skewers quietly when you come, no spice.”

Ji Yang: ???

The gloomy mood he’d been building evaporated instantly.

The villa was just as usual. Butler Zhang opened the door, and Ji Yang, holding skewers, felt like he was meeting in secret.

What should have been a straightforward handover now felt awkward; he stiffly stepped inside under Butler Zhang’s scrutinizing gaze.

“Mr. Xia is already waiting for you in the sitting room,” the butler indicated.

The butler clearly caught the scent of barbecue on Ji Yang and was wondering whether to casually let Yu Congyan know.

When there’s skulduggery afoot, there’s usually a deeper meaning; maybe it was better to say something.

Ji Yang pushed open the door and saw Xia Wansheng dozing, a book covering his face, seated in a chair.

Hearing the door open, Xia Wansheng rubbed his eyes awake and greeted weakly, “Good morning.”

Ji Yang glanced at the clock — it was already 2 p.m. — and saw Xia Wansheng’s obvious signs of sleep deprivation, his worry deepening.

“Have you been staying up late writing songs recently?” Ji Yang clung to a sliver of hope.

Maybe Xia Wansheng was just too busy creating to have energy otherwise, rather than being out of control…

“No, I haven’t been writing lately,” Xia Wansheng replied honestly.

He’d been dragged by Old Feng to morning exercises in the park every day, plus practicing breath control and pronunciation corrections. Half the day was spent like that, and when he got home, he just wanted to lie down—no energy left for songwriting.

He had even specifically asked the production team if he needed to prepare any works in advance.

The director-in-chief, with a broad smile, assured him that wasn’t necessary; the show wanted genuine reactions.

Ji Yang’s last hope was dashed. After hesitating, he finally muttered, “Be careful.”

Xia Wansheng: ??? Careful about what?

“I’m here to talk about your upcoming work schedule,” Ji Yang tried to mask his expression and sound calm.

This was probably their last conversation.

Once Xia Wansheng got a new manager, hopefully, his career would improve.

Xia Wansheng locked the door, opened the windows, and expertly grabbed a skewer, then listened half-heartedly to Ji Yang’s explanation of the next steps.

When he heard the company wanted him to act, he outright refused.

“I don’t want to.”

He didn’t want to be stuck on set, working around the clock for months. If that happened, Yu Congyan might forget what his ‘white moonlight’ even looked like. How could they claim any deep, unforgettable feelings then?

“This is a good opportunity, and the role was allocated by the senior managers. If you participate, you can learn a lot from Sister He,” Ji Yang appealed earnestly.

He himself had only recently entered the industry and couldn’t offer many chances.

Xia Wansheng had been half-hearted before, so the company had neglected him and handed him over to Ji Yang. But now that Xia Wansheng wanted to focus, naturally, the company wanted to promote him properly and perhaps make him a steady cash cow.

“The company wants to replace my manager?!” Xia Wansheng finally understood.

He didn’t remember this part in the original story. Even when the original owner constantly self-sabotaged, Ji Yang had still given him chances out of goodwill.

“The company is doing this for your development. You can think it over.”

To be fair, Ji Yang knew Xia Wansheng had the talent to become famous. If he nurtured him successfully, his own standing in the company would rise sharply.

But he couldn’t afford to stall Xia Wansheng’s promising future.

“I don’t want to go. And you know me, Yang Ge. If I meet unreliable people, and something goes wrong, I’ll be the first to take the blame,” Xia Wansheng said.

He had always thought their bond was solid, and Ji Yang was a decent person who never dragged his artists to shady parties.

But now the company wanted to replace his manager outright, and Xia Wansheng felt the security vanish. Regardless of Ji Yang’s character, a new manager might just be a ruthless exploiter.

He didn’t want to slave away at a grind like that, even in the gaming world.

Only by coasting together could this peaceful life last long.

Ji Yang saw Xia Wansheng’s firm stance and, on the surface, expressed regret, but inside he was somewhat pleased.

He hadn’t expected that when Xia Wansheng was desperate to get famous, he’d think to leave at the first good chance, but instead, he stayed.

Clearly, Ji Yang had underestimated the artist. He resolved to guide Xia Wansheng carefully, step by step, to become the top influencer online.

But the talent agency was less pleased upon hearing the news.

“He actually refused?! With such generous conditions, and he still isn’t satisfied? He’s not even famous yet and already acting like a diva!” the department manager scolded.

They had seen him behaving obediently and trying to debut recently, so they gave him this chance, only to be met with such ingratitude.

“He doesn’t want to act? Looks like he hasn’t rested well lately. Just send a notice to refuse any other events for now. Let him rest properly,” the manager snarled.

He had plenty of ways to deal with unruly newcomers: shelve them for a while, then take them to dinners to show face. Most would learn to compromise.

No need to waste more effort on him.

“By the way, the Feng master’s training program wanted to recruit for promotion, but none of the new talents we submitted passed the screening...” the assistant reporting this was sweating profusely.

Why did all the bad news fall on him today?

The manager clicked his tongue. “Those are the company’s most talented rookies. If they don’t want such a great promotional platform, then Feng’s program deserves to fail.”

He promptly crossed out all of Xia Wansheng’s upcoming events.

He wanted to see how long a minor star with no income and a huge breach-of-contract penalty would last in such an environment.