Chapter 6

Xia Wansheng stared blankly at the red exclamation mark for a long time, fiddling with his phone in an attempt to re-add his manager, who had been "out of touch for days."

He could only hope he wasn't beyond saving in the man's eyes.

After searching for a while, he realized he couldn't send any messages. Just as he was about to give up, he finally spotted the manager's profile picture in his blacklist.

Had he really blocked him himself?

Xia Wansheng opened his computer to check the message history and discovered that the last thing the original owner had sent to his manager was: "I wouldn't deign to cater to those idiots who know nothing."

The tone was arrogant, cool, and extremely rebellious.

Xia Wansheng sighed, thinking to himself that it was hard to say who the real idiot was. He had originally assumed the manager had deleted him because he couldn't stand the original owner's deceit, but after much effort, he found it was the original owner's own handiwork.

He figured the original owner must have been unable to keep up the charade and lashed out in shame.

The friend request was accepted almost instantly.

The manager, Ji Yang, sounded cautious: "Wansheng, don't be impulsive about this lottery thing. The PR department is already working to suppress the trending topics. Just focus on writing your songs."

Xia Wansheng said airily, "This lottery is just to give back to my fans. I wasn't acting on impulse."

Fearing he was acting up again, Ji Yang initiated a video call.

The screen was immediately filled with a high-definition close-up of a face.

Ji Yang: "..."

Xia Wansheng sat upright at the desk like a primary school student, bracing himself for the impending storm. Even though it was the original owner who had deleted the manager, he was the one in the body now. Taking the blame was something he’d grown accustomed to after years in the corporate grind; Xia Wansheng was well-versed in it.

Xia Wansheng greeted him naturally, "Long time no see, Yang-ge. I've turned over a new leaf and am planning a comeback. Do you think I still have a chance?"

Ji Yang hesitated, "During the time you were out of touch, did you... get locked up?"

He hadn't heard any recent entertainment news about Xia Wansheng. Could he have broken the law in a moment of stupidity?!

Ji Yang struggled to say, "Don't worry, I'll explain things to your fans. You don't need to be ashamed of your time in rehabilitation..."

"Wait, wait," Xia Wansheng had intended to wait for him to finish, but the more he heard, the more off it sounded. He interrupted, "Yang-ge, you've misunderstood. I didn't break the law; I just had a change of heart."

Recalling the original owner's haughty attitude, Xia Wansheng tried to act the part: "What's the point of bickering with those snobs who only care about social status? Once I become a global superstar, they'll all be begging me to write albums for them."

He rubbed his nose guiltily after saying it.

Seeing him so determined, Ji Yang finally let out a sigh of relief, saying with satisfaction, "As long as you didn't go to jail, and as long as you're willing to cherish your public appearances, you'll definitely have a chance to get popular again."

Ji Yang studied the young man on the screen. Even in standard definition, his handsome features were evident; if he just reined in his temper, he was the standard face of the group.

He had watched Xia Wansheng grow up; he had been the most hardworking in the company and debuted quickly. It was only because he refused to soften his personality that he ended up being blacklisted by the entire internet. Although he had burned bridges with many investors, it was good that he had finally come around.

"I'll come to your place tomorrow. There have been a lot of shifts in industry relationships lately, and some details are hard to explain over the phone," Ji Yang said thoughtfully.

Xia Wansheng had wanted to agree immediately, but he caught himself halfway through saying "no problem." He realized the location might be an issue.

He was currently staying at the Yu family villa.

Next door was Yu Congyan’s bedroom; it was easy to walk into the wrong room if you didn't turn on the lights at night.

"Yang-ge, I'm staying at a friend's place right now. It hasn't been tidied up much, so why don't I send you the location and you can come find me?" Xia Wansheng proposed.

Anyway, the CEO, Yu Congyan, would be at the office during the day and wouldn't be home.

Ji Yang readily agreed: "Alright, see you tomorrow."

After hanging up and hearing the "beep," it finally felt real to Ji Yang that Xia Wansheng had actually contacted him voluntarily. He wondered what had triggered such a sudden grasp of professional norms.

Ji Yang sighed, dragging a long-unopened folder from the corner of his desktop. He thought to himself that he hadn't misjudged the kid after all—Xia Wansheng was finally willing to focus on his career.

He took a satisfied sip of his favorite iced Americano, marveling at the young singer-songwriter's potential.

A new message popped up on his phone.

Ji Yang guessed it was the address. He swiped the screen open without a second thought, his eyes locking onto a somewhat unfamiliar location name!

He spat out his iced Americano.

The usually calm and even-tempered Ji Yang choked on his coffee, gasping for air. He checked the location again, unable to believe his eyes.

Wasn't this the location of the Yu family villa?!

He had thought Xia Wansheng had turned over a new leaf and decided to humble himself before the powerful, but had he actually found a backer for himself instead?

Ji Yang’s emotions were complex. Emotionally, he hoped it was a genuine romance with a slight gap in social standing, but his logic clearly told him this likely involved a transactional relationship.

As a competent manager, he rarely interfered with an artist's private life, but Xia Wansheng was still young. As his mentor, he felt responsible for protecting him from going astray.

While clearing his desk, Ji Yang struggled with his thoughts and silently stuffed a thick copy of the "Criminal Law" into his bag for tomorrow's meeting.

Looking at his bulging backpack, Ji Yang steeled himself, determined to play it by ear tomorrow. He couldn't let any lamb lost in the vanity fair go to waste.

Meanwhile, the "lost lamb" Xia Wansheng was in the kitchen, holding a vegetable knife, trying to recall his improved recipe for scallion-fried lamb from his notes.

Back in his rental apartment, he had been a busy bee, usually just slapping together whatever he could for meals. Now that he had some rare free time, he felt the urge to cook his favorite dish himself.

Even if he couldn't quite remember the recipe, he was determined to recreate this scallion-fried lamb that he hadn't had time to make in ages. He had even borrowed a handful of red chili peppers from the housekeeper—a rare luxury here.

Everyone in the villa catered to the CEO’s delicate stomach, so the food was always bland and watery. After eating that way for days, Xia Wansheng felt like he was losing his will to live.

"First, cut a little scallion and ginger, prepare two hundred grams of lamb... how much cilantro was it?"

Xia Wansheng instinctively reached for his pocket to check his notes, only to realize he was in a world within a book—his old notes wouldn't be there.

The old housekeeper, standing by in the kitchen, felt his heart racing. Xia Wansheng had stopped halfway through chopping, staring blankly at the knife.

The housekeeper didn't dare blink, terrified that if he looked away for a second, the kitchen would end up blood-spattered.

"Housekeeper Zhang... what are you doing standing at the kitchen door?"

As soon as Yu Congyan returned from the company, he saw Housekeeper Zhang, who should have been preparing dinner, blocking the kitchen door as if acting as a human exhaust fan.

Was there someone else in the kitchen?

The housekeeper turned around, looking as if he’d finally found a savior. "Mr. Yu, you're finally back!"

The agile housekeeper quickly stepped aside so Yu Congyan could see into the kitchen.

Xia Wansheng was standing in front of a sharp, gleaming knife, looking dazed as if lost in some unpleasant memory. His gaze wandered between the ingredients before finally settling on his own fingertips.

Forget it, it didn't matter if there was cilantro or not. He was going to make this dish today.

Xia Wansheng pressed down on a chili pepper, ready to start chopping. Before the knife could even descend, his wrist was grabbed by someone, the force so sudden and strong that it made him wince in pain.

Xia Wansheng hissed, looking up in confusion at Yu Congyan, who was clutching his wrist. "What's wrong?"

Was he afraid he was going to poison him?

"Why are you in the kitchen? Auntie Liu will prepare dinner," Yu Congyan stopped him from chopping the peppers, his heart still suspended in mid-air.

Was Xia Wansheng allergic to chili peppers too? Was he trying the same trick again?

Xia Wansheng, with his wrist still held, looked at him as if he were a moron. "I just wanted to cook a dish myself."

He wasn't the overworked corporate slave "Little Xia" anymore; he had money, time, and talent. What was wrong with cooking a few dishes he liked?

The CEO couldn't possibly be denying him even this bit of freedom, could he?

"If there’s something you like to eat, you can tell Housekeeper Zhang. There's no need to cook yourself," Yu Congyan said, meeting Xia Wansheng's gaze. Only then did he realize his previous actions were inappropriate. He coughed and released his hand, trying to appear natural.

"No need, I'll do it myself," Xia Wansheng thought, no one was going to rob him of the satisfaction of cooking.

Yu Congyan, who had read countless books, felt his expression turn cold, interpreting this as Xia Wansheng putting on a brave front.

Was Xia Wansheng implying that his living conditions in this villa were difficult?

Yu Congyan looked at Housekeeper Zhang, who had been silent since earlier. Looking at that kind face, he really couldn't imagine him secretly mistreating them.

It was probably just another clumsy lie.

Seeing Xia Wansheng reach for the knife again, Yu Congyan had no reason to stop him. He could only give the housekeeper a look, signaling him to keep a close eye on everything Xia Wansheng did.

When things were abnormal, there had to be a hidden motive. He couldn't let any more accidents happen until he found the truth.

Finally able to return to his study to deal with the remaining work, Yu Congyan leaned back in his chair and looked out the window. Unbidden, he remembered the day Xia Wansheng had fearlessly thrown open the window and threatened to jump.

The usually all-powerful CEO rubbed his temples in a headache.

What had triggered Xia Wansheng? Ever since that day, he had been like a completely different person. His logic was irrational, and he treated his own life as if it were a joke.

It was absurd.

Now, instead of investigating why Xia Wansheng had betrayed him, Yu Congyan was more worried that he might suddenly die.

Xia Wansheng spent quite a while clattering around in the kitchen, eventually managing to produce the improved scallion-fried lamb, even with his recipe memory failing him.

He hadn't been stingy with the fresh chilies, and he had even added a liberal splash of chili oil, which was quite untraditional.

Once the dish hit the table, the vibrant red color and the spicy, savory aroma made it clear that this plate of scallion-fried lamb was completely out of place with the rest of the meal.