Chapter Eleven: Jin Liuran

“Su Xia, why didn’t you tell me when you returned to Seoul?”

A young female voice nearby carried a hint of irritation.

“I was busy. You’re busy too.”

The man gave an embarrassed smile, yawned, and leaned lazily against the sofa.

The girl beside him was Jin Liuran, a member of Triples.

Because they lived in the same neighborhood of Banpo-dong in Seoul, they had known each other for quite some time.

“Not even a message?”

“Hmm…”

“I forgot, sorry.”

Listening to Jin Liuran’s reproach, Lin Shouxia lowered his head and finally chose to apologize.

His life was neither too hectic nor entirely easy, but it certainly wasn’t so busy that he couldn’t send a simple message to check in.

The truth was, he had simply forgotten. Since returning to Seoul, it hadn’t crossed his mind.

“What else do you remember?” Lin Yinglu took off the hat from her brother’s head and placed it on the rack by the door. She felt the style looked strangely familiar.

It seemed like she had seen it somewhere before.

She clearly remembered that Lin Shouxia hadn’t been wearing a hat when he left. Was this a new artist outfit he bought on the way?

“I don’t remember anything,” the man shook his head, his expression tinged with embarrassment.

Lin Yinglu was still the same Lin Yinglu—she spared no pride for herself.

“You still remember the contract, don’t you?” Lin Yinglu sneered, her tone tinged with dissatisfaction.

It was clearly a great opportunity to study abroad, and his grades and performance had always been good. Suddenly, he returned to Seoul to sign with Loen, which made her feel all her enthusiasm had been wasted. She couldn’t quite put into words how awkward she felt.

“Staying abroad won’t help me realize my dream of standing on stage.”

“Does signing with Loen guarantee that?”

Lin Yinglu turned to glare at her brother, her face darkening, her breaths growing heavier with anger.

The child was becoming more and more disobedient. Was it because he was studying abroad during his rebellious phase that it was only now erupting?

Jimin had even said there was some secret hidden within him; that was why she came to see him. It was just a rebellious phase—a desire to prove he could live without relying on the family.

But it was unclear what Jimin and Lin Shouxia had talked about today. She wondered if Jimin could help her uncover some answers.

Actually, there had never been much trouble in the sibling relationship. Their parents were busy with work, and Lin Yinglu had always played a semi-parental role in daily life.

But pampering aside, Lin Yinglu never spoiled her brother.

It was precisely because of this that she cared so much about his making decisions without informing anyone.

“Loen is a fairly capable entertainment agency.”

“Besides Lee Ji-eun, have they really cultivated any top-tier artists?”

What Lin Yinglu couldn’t understand was her brother’s choice to sign with Loen.

There were many well-managed entertainment companies. Even if he truly needed to sign with an agency to realize his dreams, the big three and the recently rising HYBE were clearly better options.

They all had abundant experience in training male artists. By contrast, Loen was almost synonymous with IU. There was no way it was an ideal agency for him.

“Oppa, have some tangerine,” Jin Liuran interrupted, seeing the siblings on the verge of an argument.

Not wanting to just watch, she tried to shift their attention elsewhere.

Jin Liuran deeply understood Lin Shouxia’s feelings. Like him, she was willing to pay the price to realize her dreams.

But Lin Yinglu’s concerns were also valid.

From a parent’s perspective, whether it was choosing to pause studies for a dream or suddenly returning home without a word, Lin Shouxia was clearly stepping onto a difficult path.

“I will become the next artist representative of Loen.”

Lin Shouxia gently pushed away the tangerine slice Jin Liuran offered, stubbornly holding his head high to prove his decision to those who doubted him.

“Words alone?”

“By talent!”

“My single will be released soon, and then we’ll let the results speak!”

“What kind of results?”

“If it’s just making the top 100 on the Japanese charts, I won’t accept it.”

For Loen, placing their artists on the Japanese charts was easy—something Lee Ji-eun could do with just a flick of her finger.

Such results couldn’t be a valid benchmark. He needed better, more convincing evidence.

“I’ll stay on the Melon Top 100 chart for at least a week!”

The effect of a senior’s promotion only shows on the first day and in real-time rankings.

But if he could remain on the chart for a week or longer, it would be an impressive achievement for a rookie.

Of course, this wouldn’t be easy.

But just like the decision he made a month ago to board a flight back to Seoul, a steady, uneventful life was not what he wanted. He wanted to stand on stage, to prove himself through music like his seniors.

“If you can do it, I won’t interfere with your work anymore.”

“And if you can’t…”

“I’ll talk to the company about temporarily stopping work to go back to school.”

The siblings shared similar temperaments to a degree—both unwilling to give in easily. The difference was the sister was more lively, while the brother was more reserved.

Jin Liuran was stunned. She had come today to confront, not to cause trouble for Lin Shouxia.

Yet the siblings so openly made a bet right before her eyes, making her feel a slight pang of guilt.

If she hadn’t mentioned it, would Lin Shouxia and Lin Yinglu have avoided this quarrel?

“Onni…” Jin Liuran grasped Lin Yinglu’s arm, trying to mediate.

As an artist who had debuted for some time, Jin Liuran understood how difficult Lin Shouxia’s wager truly was.

“Liuran, it’s none of your business,” Lin Yinglu said, patting the girl’s hand with much more softness.

“Shouxia…” Seeing no effect on her sister, Jin Liuran turned to the brother, trying to find a breakthrough.

“Liuran, don’t try to persuade me,” Lin Shouxia shook his head, refusing Jin Liuran’s good intentions.

To be honest, he wasn’t very confident himself.

But, as Choi Seung-min had just told him in the office, if he wanted to carve his own path instead of being defined by labels, he had to give his all.

If his results were good, he would have the confidence to speak loudly in front of Lin Yinglu; if his results were good, the company would provide the promotional resources already prepared for him.