Chapter Twenty-Five Placing All Their Hopes on Chen Fang

That afternoon, Chen Fang received a call from Ji Mei.

Ji Mei had gotten drunk again. Coupled with her exhaustion from the past few days, she didn’t wake up until noon. Luckily, nothing happened with Chen Fang in bed the previous night—otherwise, she doubted she’d have woken up at all today.

Ji Mei was filled with regret.

Wine and desire are truly harmful!

From today onward, no more drinking!

Chen Fang teased Ji Mei for a bit before hanging up. Since the third round of the talent show hadn’t yet been scheduled, Ji Mei could finally rest. Soon enough, she’d be busy again.

Chen Fang was still dreaming of a bright future, unaware that his personal Kuaishou account had erupted into chaos.

“Chen Fang just liked Queen An’s post.”

“That’s not all—his personal account only follows one person: An Tinghan.”

“Who would have thought, Chen Fang is a fan of An Tinghan!”

“As the saying goes, you may not be An Tinghan’s fan, but your idol definitely is.”

“Chen Fang is handsome, An Tinghan is beautiful—looking forward to this dream collaboration.”

“I wouldn't mind if these two were shipped as a couple.”

“I object to this union!”

“A talented man and a beautiful woman—who are you to object, you toad?”

“Another clout-chasing guy.”

“Nowadays, every man with a little fame tries to ride Queen An’s coattails. She won’t pay attention to these clowns. If you ask me, send a lawyer’s letter and they’ll quiet down.”

...

An Tinghan’s account was ablaze with discussion.

Previously, her fans had targeted Cheng Jie, believing he wasn’t worthy of being paired with An Tinghan. Now, their attention had shifted to Chen Fang.

Though Chen Fang was more handsome than Cheng Jie, his status in the industry was even lower. In the eyes of An Tinghan’s fans, he was just another calculating man trying to leech off her popularity.

In the outskirts of the capital, in a luxurious villa, the sound of the television echoed through the grand living room.

On TV, a yoga instructor was explaining the essentials of each pose. A woman dressed in white yoga pants and a black sports bra followed along, her graceful figure moving through a series of alluring stretches.

At that moment, the villa’s front door opened.

“You’re home early today,” the woman practicing yoga in the living room said, without taking her eyes off the television.

“Tinghan, you’re joining a romance show next month. How can you keep eating junk food? You need to manage your figure!” The middle-aged woman who entered sighed. In previous years, An Tinghan was at the peak of her career, releasing three or four songs a year. Now, it seemed she had given up, her schedule nearly empty—and she was almost a shut-in.

Hearing this, An Tinghan finally turned to her manager. “Aunt Tong, what else do I have scheduled this year?”

Truthfully, she wasn’t eager to join the romance show. The company simply wanted to keep her in the public eye since her popularity was fading, but of all things, they scheduled her for a romance show.

“There’s a concert in the middle of the year.”

“A new single release in September.”

“The year-end music festival.”

That’s about it.

Aunt Tong sat on the sofa and checked the trending topics on her phone—a manager’s habit, staying up to date on the latest entertainment buzz.

An Tinghan lay on the floor. “Seems like I’m a bit too free.”

A superstar with only four events in a year—not just free, but almost forgotten. It seemed she’d have no choice but to do the romance show. With no new songs or appearances, if she backed out of the only show she had, she’d vanish from the public eye.

“This person is interesting,” Aunt Tong murmured.

Hearing this, An Tinghan got up and walked over to her manager’s side, glancing at the phone screen. Instantly, her eyes lit up. “Who’s this guy? He’s so handsome!”

“Chen Fang,” Aunt Tong replied. “A street musician.”

A street musician?

Suddenly, An Tinghan’s interest faded. She’d thought the entertainment industry had produced a new heartthrob.

Still, she had to admit—this Chen Fang was truly handsome. Though she wasn’t someone who cared much for looks, seeing Chen Fang gave her a little thrill, like a schoolgirl seeing her crush.

Aunt Tong’s gaze flickered. “Soon, he won’t be just a street singer.”

“What do you mean?” An Tinghan was puzzled.

Aunt Tong could only sigh at her charge’s innocence. “All the recent trending topics are about Chen Fang. He auditioned for ‘Starlight Road.’ In the first round, he called out a judge on stage, then silenced everyone with an original song. In the second round, yet another original song, and he crushed the competition.”

Such a protagonist’s start had made Chen Fang a hot topic.

The next moment, Aunt Tong looked at An Tinghan with amusement. “There’s something else interesting—it’s a bit related to you.”

An Tinghan perked up but raised a hand. “Wait, don’t say it yet.”

Pat-pat-pat—An Tinghan ran barefoot to the kitchen, grabbed a pile of snacks, then returned to the sofa, tearing open wrappers. “Okay, tell me now.”

Aunt Tong could only shake her head.

“Remember Cheng Jie?”

“Of course.”

“The judge Chen Fang argued with in the first round was from Cheng Jie’s company. In the second round, Cheng Jie tried to overshadow Chen Fang on stage, but was defeated again.”

At this, An Tinghan’s mouth dropped open, both cheeks bulging with snacks.

“A street performer?”

Something didn’t add up. Since when could a street singer outperform trained trainees?

Aunt Tong scrolled through the trending topics. “Apparently, Chen Fang is your fan—he liked and followed your Kuaishou videos.”

In an instant, An Tinghan’s confidence returned.

“See the charm of your big sister! Fans everywhere!”

Aunt Tong couldn’t deny that—An Tinghan did have plenty of fans.

Munching on her snacks, An Tinghan asked, “Does the company have any plans for Chen Fang?”

Aunt Tong scrolled on, her tone flat. “The company is interested in him, especially since you’ve been lying low. But they’re still debating what kind of contract to offer—some say D-level, some say E-level.”

Most newcomers received contracts like that. And, after all, An Tinghan’s company was one of the three top entertainment giants in the country—they wouldn’t break industry rules for a single rookie.

An Tinghan paid little attention. New faces popped up in the industry every year. But only she had managed to break through. Who knows? By tomorrow, Chen Fang’s name might have disappeared.

She was still wondering what to eat next when suddenly, Aunt Tong shot to her feet, her eyes full of disbelief.

Seeing her reaction, An Tinghan was puzzled. “What’s wrong, Aunt Tong?”

“Future Star Entertainment just signed Chen Fang.”

Future Star?

An Tinghan frowned. That company didn’t have a great reputation. Most people avoided it—had Chen Fang been duped?

But that wasn’t the real shock. What truly stunned Aunt Tong was that Future Star had signed Chen Fang with a B-level contract and would be holding a press conference tomorrow to announce it.

A B-level contract! While other companies were still debating whether to give him a D or E, Future Star boldly offered a B.

“A B-level contract,” Aunt Tong muttered, frowning deeply. Had Future Star put all its hopes on this newcomer? If Chen Fang didn’t take off, the company was truly doomed.