Chapter Thirteen: She’s in Big Trouble

Chen Fang had not expected Ji Mei to have such confidence in him.

But…

He was equally confident in himself.

Ji Mei was right!

He needed a company willing to invest resources in him.

“I’ll give it a try,” Chen Fang replied with a smile, lowering his head to fiddle with the recording studio equipment.

Seeing this, Ji Mei said nothing more, simply watching him quietly.

After a thorough inspection, Chen Fang extended his right hand toward Ji Mei and bowed slightly. “I wonder if I might have the honor of asking Miss Ji Mei to play guitar accompaniment for me?”

“Ridiculous!” Ji Mei retorted, feigning annoyance, but still gently placed her left hand in his palm.

So warm!

A faint blush tinged Ji Mei’s cheeks.

Chen Fang’s hand was hot—so hot it sent a tingling sensation through her body.

Inside the recording studio, it was just the two of them.

A few seconds later, the guitar sounded first.

Ji Mei’s guitar skills were impressive, befitting her professional training. She was certainly better than Pang Tong, who was self-taught. If Chen Fang didn’t possess the “Master of All Instruments” skill card, he wouldn’t have been able to match her level on the guitar either.

One flawless take!

The recording of “Anhe Bridge” was a success.

The progress was much faster than Chen Fang had anticipated.

Immediately afterward,

Chen Fang and Ji Mei completed the recordings of “Zebra, Zebra” and “Confession Balloon.”

So far,

Chen Fang had only sung these three songs.

Registering song copyrights in China was a simple process: create a personal account on any music platform, upload the recorded songs, provide the complete sheet music, and wait for approval.

After all the hustle,

By the time they left the studio, night had already fallen.

“Stay for dinner,” Ji Mei said softly.

Chen Fang rubbed his aching wrist, leaned against the doorframe, and smiled, “Will we be drinking tonight?”

“If you’d like, we can,” Ji Mei replied with a sly smile.

Chen Fang instinctively reached out and patted Ji Mei’s head. “Forget it. You drank too much last night. If you drink again today, your body won’t handle it.”

Ji Mei felt both delighted and a little disappointed.

But soon,

She placed her hands on her hips, looking up at him. “I’m five years older than you! Don’t use that tone as if you’re coaxing a child!”

“I didn’t. I don’t think of you as a child,” Chen Fang replied, casting a glance at Ji Mei’s figure.

Yes…

Definitely not a child.

Ji Mei noticed his mischievous gaze and covered her chest. “You little pervert!” With that, she hurried into the kitchen.

To Chen Fang’s surprise, Ji Mei’s culinary skills were exceptional. Ordinarily, someone living in a villa would have hired a housekeeper to cook and clean, but Ji Mei hadn’t. The entire villa housed only her; apart from occasional cleaning services, she handled all the cooking herself.

Truly virtuous!

Gradually,

Chen Fang realized that what he liked most about Ji Mei was not her figure but the ease and comfort he felt when with her.

After dinner,

Chen Fang didn’t linger.

He could have stayed the night without issue.

But Ji Mei received a call and had to go out late.

With the hostess away, Chen Fang had no reason to remain.

Back at the rented apartment,

Pang Tong was sitting on the sofa, scratching his feet and giggling lewdly as he tapped away on his phone. “Those legs, that chest… Where’s my tissue?”

He sat up and looked around.

No tissue in sight.

But he did find Chen Fang.

The two exchanged a silent look.

Awkward.

“Fatty, I have to say, your approach to weight loss… is quite novel.” Some people diet, some exercise, but Pang Tong had chosen a different shortcut.

“I was just blowing my nose! You have to believe me!” Pang Tong’s face turned red.

Chen Fang, feigning seriousness, replied, “Of course I believe you!”

At this point, it was impossible to tell whether it was the nose or something else.

Chen Fang chose to be sincere.

After all, with Pang Tong in such a state, any further humiliation might push him over the edge.

As he walked toward his room, Chen Fang remarked, “Fatty, I’m thinking of joining Future Stardom Entertainment. What do you think?”

Pang Tong paused. “Go for it.”

Clearly,

He knew nothing about the company’s internal problems.

But

Chen Fang had no intention of telling him.

If Pang Tong knew, he might try to stop him.

This way was better.

However,

A pressing issue remained.

How was Chen Fang going to contact Future Stardom Entertainment?

He could probably find their phone number and address online, but going over so proactively would make it seem like he was desperate.

No!

Chen Fang pondered.

“Fatty, tomorrow we’re going back to the street to busk.”

He announced.

Pang Tong had no objection. Their short video account hadn’t started earning money yet, and they still needed busking to tide them over. Rent was due soon, and he certainly didn’t have enough in his bank account.

Chen Fang was willing to gamble.

Would Xi Yuanyuan and that chopping board green bean show up at the corner again?

If they “happened” to meet once more, he could pretend to have thought it through and finally agree to join Future Stardom.

Perfect!

Fortunately, he hadn’t outright refused them before, only said he’d think about it.

Midnight.

Check-in!

Excellent!

This time it wasn’t laundry detergent, but a full set of pots and pans.

Over the next few days, Chen Fang and Pang Tong kept busking at the street corner. The good news was that after several days, they had saved enough for rent and food for the next month. The bad news was that Xi Yuanyuan and You Nianwei hadn’t appeared again.

“Young people these days, not a shred of perseverance.”

“Even if I politely declined, at least come back and ask a few more times!”

“With that work attitude, how can you be a good agent?”

Chen Fang scrolled his phone absent-mindedly.

If all else failed,

He’d just have to make the first move.

He could search for the company’s address online, call them directly, and mention Xi Yuanyuan’s name. That should work.

Another bit of bad news: after several days of opening boxes, he hadn’t gotten anything good. He was close to having a complete set of household essentials, but nothing related to entertainment— not even a bottle of health tonic.

“My luck has run out,” Chen Fang sighed.

Suddenly,

His hand froze as he scrolled.

“The second round of the Starlight Road auditions is about to begin. This round’s judges are Teacher Guo Ping, Teacher Cheng Wenjian, Teacher Hai Kuo, and Teacher Du Wenshan.”

Chen Fang was momentarily stunned.

Where had Ke Min gone?

The other three judges were the same as in the first round, but Ke Min had been replaced by someone named Guo Ping.

He didn’t dwell on it.

Thinking back, he realized he hadn’t reached out to Ji Mei in days.

She was likely busy preparing for the second round of auditions and had no time to spare.

Just then,

Pang Tong emerged from the bedroom, looking thoroughly satisfied, his chubby cheeks scrunched into a chrysanthemum.

Glue might be bad for the body,

But it was good for the spirit!

From Pang Tong’s appearance, it was clear he’d spent the night communing with Miss Five Fingers.

“Take care of yourself,” Chen Fang reminded.

Pang Tong paused, his face stiff. “Get lost! I’m happy for another reason. Check this video out, Chen Fang. Ke Min is in big trouble.”