NGSB Chapter 2

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Chapter 2

Pan Lun was in charge of three artists. However, his contract with the “God of Music,” He Shushan,[1] had ended last year, allowing the singer to be snapped up by CX Entertainment. Only Qi Wenyuan and Lin Xi were left. He Shushan’s status in the entertainment circles was obvious, while Qi Wenyuan was regarded as one of its Heavenly Kings.

When Pan Lun had signed on Lin Xi, everyone assumed he’d be the next God of Music or Heavenly King. But Pan Lun got a cruel taste of reality when Lin Xi mercilessly displayed his talents–as a complete and utter vase.

Singing? He couldn’t even carry a tune.

Acting? His face was as stiff as a board.

Even variety shows were out of the question, as Celestial Fairy Lin excelled in being a wallflower. Albeit, he was the prettiest wallflower anyone had ever seen. Thus, Pan Lun did his best to dig up two roles for Lin Xi before giving up on the boy. His business matters were left to a little newbie manager to take care of instead.

“Hey chief, why did you suddenly decide to paint the wall?” the so called “little” newbie manager in charge of Lin Xi was a tubby named Wang Fang[2]. He was currently climbing the stairs while carrying two tubs of paint and a plastic bag filled with two brushes, a bottle of cleaning solution, and two protective set of clothing. Ever since Lin Xi decided to restart from scratch and enter the entertainment circle again, he had vowed to do his very best. Although this new body had its unmistakable charms, everyone had to rely on their own skills to form social connections and qualifications in the business. Looks alone wouldn’t cut it.

Now that he wasn’t a Heavenly King anymore, it felt as if a load had fallen off his shoulders overnight. He had never cared about Wang Fang before, but now even he seemed pleasing to the eye. That chubby body…hm, well, he was more handsome than Pan Lun, at any rate.

“It’s about time I repainted it. Let’s change.” Lin Xi put on the dark-hued protective clothes before dipping an old cloth into the cleaning solution and scrubbing at the mess of words on the walls. Then he found some old newspaper to protect the curtains from getting stained by the mess.

Wang Fang got dressed as he spoke. “I told you to give up on Pan Lun ages ago. He’s about to get married already. Look at what happened to Heavenly King Qi–a Heavenly King, even! Thank goodness you didn’t agree to do those things with him yet.”

Lin Xi gave a start as he realized the implications of those words. His beautiful eyes widened as his eyelashes trembled. “You’re saying that Lin Xi…that I haven’t agreed to Pan Lun’s request yet?”

Wang Fang gave him an odd look. “Weren’t you the one who said you’d decide on Pan Lun’s request this weekend? But something like that happened before you ever made a choice. Now you’ve gotten to see his true face.”

Thank God Lin Xi hasn’t turned that stupid yet. When he imagined being involved with that man in two lifetimes, Lin Xi really felt disgusted. The little tubby only stared at him before suddenly realizing something. “Are you still going to do it with him?”

Lin Xi’s lips quirked into a warm grin before he glanced at Wang Fang with hooded eyes. “It was only wanting to do something for him, but…not anymore.”

Wang Fang covered his eyes with a wail. “Chief, don’t screw with me, ah! I already have a girlfriend–besides, I’m straight! A completely straight male!”

“…….”

—

The duo busied themselves for an entire night before cleaning off the words on the wall. Because both of them were newbies, they ended up painting the walls in alternating hues of light and dark. It was a comical sight. Still, Lin Xi exhaled once they were done and collapsed into the light blue sofa to rest. The little tubby was huffing for breath as well, but only gave Lin Xi an aggrieved look.

“Chief, why didn’t you prepare a stool for me?”

Lin Xi gave a start before pointing at the spotless bed nearby. “Why don’t you just sit there?”

Wang Fang only glared at him resentfully until goosebumps rose on Lin Xi’s skin. Finally, he said, “If I do, you’re going to spend days cleaning off the germs again.”

“…..” No wonder this room looked like someone disinfected everything with ultraviolet rays.

“Come pick me up tomorrow morning. I’m going to Tianyu.”

Wang Fang gave a start. “Eh? You’re going to the company at a time like this?”

Lin Xi nodded with a grin. “Mhm, exactly at a time like this.”

If he didn’t seize the chance to move against Pan Lun while he was defenseless, he’d never get another opportunity again. Lin Xi had signed a 10-year contract with Tianyu with a 5,000,000 yuan penalty. That was a paltry sum to Qi Wenyuan, but almost impossible to pay for a newbie who was only considered a vase in the industry. Of course, if Lin Xi grit his teeth and bore the penalty, he could still find ways to pay it off. Anyone with ordinary skills could pay off the cost with his face in one or two years, but…

When Lin Xi thought of Pan Lun’s waning looks as he lost 5,000,000’s worth of assets, even he ached for Tianyu’s sake.

—

The next morning, the little tubby drove an old white business car to the doors of Lin Xi’s building right on time. It puttered a bit before stopping at the curb. Both the wheels and chassis were covered with mud. After Lin Xi got on, he discovered that the windshield wipers moved oddly as well when the swiped across the dashboard. Sensing Lin Xi’s staring, Wang Fang half joked, “Chief, once we earn more money we can exchange for a better car.”

Lin Xi only gave a helpless sigh. “No need, we should try to save up.”

Wang Fang nodded before stepping on the gas and putting the car into gear. After a few moments of struggle, the vehicle lurched forward. Lin Xi stared at the changing scenery outside and scrunched his brows. His gaze was withdrawn and the set of his shoulders slightly uncertain. Once he annulled his contract with Tianyu, he’d have to give up the company-issued apartment as well. That meant he’d have to find a new place to live as soon as possible. There wasn’t much money on his bank card while Qi Wenyuan’s personal assets were beyond his reach. The few thousand there, combined with the few thousand in hard cash at his apartment were all he had.

The most pressing matter at the moment was to figure out how to make money.

Meanwhile, the car turned right and entered a street lined with tall buildings that blocked out the piercing rays of the rising sun. Between the space of every building peeked the sunshine, which shone upon the divine visage of the man in the car and made him nothing short of ethereal. By the time they reached Tianyu’s doors, Lin Xi saw the crowds of reporters blocking the entrance with a cold gaze. He was nothing like the man they’d tried to intercept yesterday.

Wang Fang found a parking space farther off before the two of them got off and headed for the crowd of reporters. Huli Web’s correspondent Zhao Bo[3] had missed the first wave of morning news that day because of a traffic jam. By the time he reached Tianyu, he had long been pushed back into the outer circle of reporters and couldn’t even see the front door. Now he was playing listlessly with his Canon 6D while hoping that Pan Lun would exit early enough for him to take a few pictures.

When someone in the crowd shoved him, Zhao Bo happened to see the two figures heading their way from their car. His eyes widened as he sucked in a breath. A pair of quiet, dark phoenix eyes had swept over him briefly, but that fine face didn’t show a trace of expression at the sight. Zhao Bo still felt lightheaded from the glance. Of course, he’d heard of the Number One Vase in Show Business, but…since when had Lin Xi been beautiful enough to dazzle?!

Today he was dressed in in a cream-colored trench coat that stuck to his long, slender body. It accentuated his slim form as it fluttered in the wind, painting him as some winged deity. Those arched phoenix eyes were minutely curved at the edges, while his fine, pointed chin was half buried in a brown cotton muffler. He was a brilliant sight today, like a luminous pearl that had finally revealed its luster! Zhao Bo couldn’t tell what had changed beyond sensing that today’s Lin Xi had reached yet another new standard of beauty.

If the Celestial Fairy Lin of the past was a laughable vase at the apex, today’s Lin Xi was an irresistible, alluring existence. His pretty eyes seem to be lit with an especial radiance that gave him an otherworldly aesthetic.

A walking celestial fairy!

Zhao Bo subconsciously raised his camera and focused its high-definition lens on Lin Xi. As if sensing the motion, Lin Xi turned to glance at him with his lips curved up into a half-smile. The very air stilled at the sight. Zhao Bo’s finger slipped onto the camera shutter in surprise before the revolving door closed upon the alluring figure. Thankfully, years of experience prevented his grip from shaking more than once as he took his pictures. He quickly tightened his grip and activated burst mode.

By the time he lowered his camera, Lin Xi had already slipped inside Tianyu via a side door, his solitary figure tall and straight.

—

“Chief, someone seemed to have taken a photo of you just then,” Wang Fang said as he pressed the button for the elevator.

The pretty smile had long vanished from Lin Xi’s face, to be replaced with a somber expression. “Mhm, it was a report from Huli.” Naturally, he’d noticed the work pass on the man’s chest ahead of time and smiled on instinct to show his best side when he saw the camera too. Now he furrowed his brows, feeling a little uneasy. Just then, he’d made the same expression he used to make as Qi Wenyuan. It’d taken him days of practice in front of the mirror to get the best angle and expression. But how would it look on a face like Lin Xi’s? It won’t…backfire, right?

—

Down below, Zhao Bo was staring at the photos on his LCD screen when his heart gave a lurch. He ended up choking and coughed a few times before recovering his wits. As he looked longer at the photo, he suddenly felt that it was worth it being a reporter in his lifetime. Thank goodness I set my camera to take five pictures with one click, whew!

33 floors up, Lin Xi was standing in front of a large wooden office desk, staring expressionlessly at a downhearted Pan Lun. Yesterday, the man had just gotten out of the police station before receiving Lin Xi’s phone call. When it rained, it poured. While Qi Wenyuan had died on one side, Lin Xi wanted his contract annulled on the other. Meanwhile, his fiancée Chen Ru was demanding him for an explanation while the company was being pressured by reporters. He’d grown a few extra white hairs and aged overnight from all the stress.

“Lil Qing[4], ah, why do you want to terminate the contract? Did you want to act in more shows, or maybe try singing?” Pan Lun suppressed his fidgety air to ask patiently.

Lin Xi’s inward smile was cold while he maintained a distant expression. “Pan Lun, just annul the contract.”

“You…”

Wang Fang had just found out Lin Xi was planning to cancel his contract, so he was staring at Lin Xi in astonishment. His mouth opened and closed a few times before finally sealing shut. Then he stood quietly to the side.

Lin Xi signed the agreement to terminate his contract before taking his materials and leaving the room. Wang Fang hesitated, his gaze darting between the two men. Finally, he decided to chase after Lin Xi. As he waddled over like a little wife, Lin Xi paused for a long time before he finally spoke.

“Although you’re my agent, I’m not a Tianyu artist anymore. Why are you still following me?”

Wang Fang lowered his head affectedly before finally deigning to speak. “Chief, I can’t work here anymore either. How about I just leave with you?”

“…and if I can’t afford to pay your salary?”

“Chief, don’t scare me like that!” the tubby’s eyes widened in alarm.

Lin Xi couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight. In a helpless voice, he said, “Don’t worry. A little thing like your salary is still within my means.” Mm, although I only have a month’s worth of wages for you right now. When the tubby didn’t reply, Lin Xi looked at him in puzzlement, only to see the man staring at him with a conflicted expression.

Finally, he said with an aggrieved air, “You’re screwing with me again, chief…”

“…….”

As the door closed behind them, Pan Lun’s face finally fell. He dashed the porcelain cup by his hand to the ground, where it smashed against the marble floor and shattered into pieces. Hearing this, he gave a start and stared blankly at the mess beneath him. Abruptly, he realized that this was the same cup that Qi Wenyuan had given him while confessing his feelings for the first time. His mind thought back to their last struggle on the rooftop and the cold, piercing words that had brushed past his ears. They seemed to scrape at his heart like knives, cutting deep into the flesh to draw fresh blood. Once again, he recalled the sight of Qi Wenyuan’s eyes when he pushed the man off the roof. There had been no fear, only disbelief, surprise, disappointment and disdain.

But why!? I’ve always been the useless one in Qi Wenyuan’s eyes! Even in bed, he’s the top more often than me. I’m Pan Lun, Tianyu’s gold-medal agent! I’ve managed the God of Music, the Heavenly King…

With a start, Pan Lun stiffened in his seat.

There’s no more…

All of the people under his management had left.

Unlike the oppressive air of the 33rd floor, Huli reporter Zhao Bo was happily clutching his cell phone downstairs. He was speaking to the chief editor on the other end of the line. “Chief editor, I already have a great angle to tackle the Tianyu roof murder story.”

“…what kind of angle? You’ll know it when you see it. I’ve taken some great pictures!”

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Translator’s Note: This is one of Mo Chen Huan’s earlier stories (written back in 2015), so the plot and characters maaay be less polished than her later works. Despite this, I’ve found it to be a mellow and fun read like all of her stuff. My advice is to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the tale. Don’t get too picky with the details, haha. (In other words, I don’t know how Lin Xi dealt with that 5,000,000 penalty either. Maybe it’s Main Character Halo at work!)

༺ Chapter Glossary ༻

[1] He Shushan (和舒杉) – He is a “peaceful,” Shu is “easy, leisurely,” Shan is “China fir.” One of Pan Lun’s original three artists and the God of Music before signing on with CX Entertainment last year.

[2] Wang Fang (王方) – Wang is a surname that means “kingly,” Fang means “square.” The newbie manager assigned to manage Lin Xi. A tubby with a girlfriend of his own.

[3] Zhao Bo (赵博) – Zhao is a surname, Bo means “abundant, plentiful.” A news reporter for the Huli web.

[4] Lil Qing (小清) – Qing means “clear.” Pan Lun’s pet name for Lin Xi.