Since the end of the press conference, Zhou Zike’s phone hasn’t stopped ringing.
Tang Zhen wasn’t in a good state. He was huddled in the car, wrapped in a jacket by Wen Xin, tilting his head, looking drowsy. Wen Xin tried calling him, but he wouldn’t wake up. Perhaps speaking those words at the press conference had exhausted Tang Zhen’s energy.
Guo Xiaoli sat in the passenger seat and asked Wen Xin if A-zhen had forgotten his lines.
The things Tang Zhen needed to say were finalized in a phone call with Guo Xiaoli the day before, written down on a piece of paper for him to memorize repeatedly. Wen Xin said, “It almost went wrong. When I went up to give him a glass of water, I slipped a note underneath.”
Guo Xiaoli nodded, seemingly satisfied.
The car entered the underground parking lot, and the two women got out of the car. Qi Lu went to support Tang Zhen, and he leaned against him, opening his eyes and whispering something. Wen Xin didn’t hear it, but she happily said to Guo Xiaoli, “Guo-jie, Tang Zhen Laoshi is awake.”
When they returned home, Tang Zhen sat down on the sofa. His long hair was disheveled, and he was wearing a cotton T-shirt that revealed his overly thin collarbones. Wen Xin handed him a glass of water, which he held but didn’t drink. Guo Xiaoli was talking to him animatedly, with several stacks of documents, including text, photos, and flowcharts, spread out on the table in front of her. There were words like “Mattias 10th Anniversary” written at the top. Guo Xiaoli asked Tang Zhen if he liked the event plans, how he felt about certain proposals, and whether he liked them or not.
Tang Zhen listened, but he didn’t respond with a definitive answer. He simply obediently listened.
Guo Xiaoli knew that asking him was futile, but she still asked. In the past, Tang Zhen used to provide numerous suggestions and modifications for every aspect of Mattias’ event plans, even down to the details of concert stage designs. Guo Xiaoli folded the documents and placed them on the table, saying, “You can take a look at them during these days when you’re not working.”
Tang Zhen half-opened his eyes. “Guo-jie… you’ve worked hard,” he said softly.
Guo Xiaoli looked at him, holding her bag in front of her knees. She said, “A-zhen, there’s just over a month left until the music festival. You know, right?”
Tang Zhen listened.
“This year, the company has decided to change the venue for the music festival. The previous location was too small. Luckily, Mr. Mao knows a few friends who own some islands. I’m going to visit each one in the next few days, and if we find a suitable place, maybe we can switch to a bigger venue for future events,” Guo Xiaoli explained.
Tang Zhen nodded blankly.
“As the company has grown to where it is today, everything is new and better,” Guo Xiaoli earnestly expressed. “You need to keep up. Everyone is waiting for you.”
“I know,” Tang Zhen replied.
Wen Xin walked over, added some water to Guo Xiaoli’s glass, and then sat down next to Tang Zhen’s feet.
Guo Xiaoli continued, “The second half of the year will get busier. We need to prioritize your and A-Yun’s 10th-anniversary album and tour. We also have to record a few special programs for you, as several TV stations have approached me about it. I’m waiting to meet with them. I’ve already informed the brand side, and once the promotional period starts, they’ll have our new 10th-anniversary advertisements spread across all channels.”
As Wen Xin listened, she couldn’t help but smile and said as she leaned against Tang Zhen’s leg, “By then, everyone will know that our Tang Zhen Laoshi has no problems at all!”
Tang Zhen made an effort to smile too. He held the water glass, and ripples formed inside it.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Ktf mbwqjcs lr gfjiis qeaalcu lc j iba bo foobga atlr alwf,” Xeb Wljbil rjlv. “Rba pera obg sbe jcv C-Tec, yea jirb obg Wljb Tjcu jcv atf batfgr. Coafg atf werlm ofralnji, atfs’ii yf ublcu ab Ajqjc obg j ktlif.”
Qfc Wlc kjr ajxfc jyjmx. “Ct?”
“Qtja’r kgbcu klat sbe?” Xeb Wljbil ibbxfv ja Qfc Wlc jr lo rtf kjr jybea ab ibrf tfg mgert.
“They just came back not too long ago, didn’t they?” Wen Xin asked. “They were there at the end of last year. How long have they been back?”
“They signed a contract and only released two singles,” Guo Xiaoli said.
Wen Xin wore a displeased expression.
Guo Xiaoli observed her and suddenly thought of something else. “By the way, Zhou Zike has been performing well recently.”
Wen Xin widened her eyes.
“He’s been focusing on his work. He even called me this afternoon asking where Qi Xing was,” Guo Xiaoli leaned back against the chair, relaxing her body, and exclaimed, “He can finally think about someone other than himself.”
Guo Xiaoli called out to Wen Xin again, “Contact Lan Zhuang tomorrow and see how many gifts they have taken, and report the expenses to the finance department.”
Wen Xin waved her hand and said, “No need, Zike said he personally gave them.”
“How can we accept gifts from him when our company is organizing an event for A-zhen?” Guo Xiaoli said. “If word gets out, people will think that I, Guo Xiaoli, am coveting things from his Zhou family.”
“We really don’t need it. Zike said it was just his way of helping us out,” Wen Xin insisted.
“Why are you concerned about the company’s money?” Guo Xiaoli asked Wen Xin. “Are you forcing Zhou Zike to pay for it?”
“He doesn’t need to pay for it. Lan Zhuang’s hotel belongs to his family,” Wen Xin said confidently.
Guo Xiaoli looked at Wen Xin with interest. “Do you know that he and his family are practically estranged?”
Tang Zhen’s hand trembled as he held the cup.
Judging by Wen Xin’s expression, she genuinely had no idea.
“You don’t even know how much money he earns,” Guo Xiaoli said, laughing and looking at Wen Xin as if she was a little fool.
Wen Xin wasn’t really dumb. With Guo Xiaoli’s prompt, her mind started working. Although she wasn’t very familiar with the income situation of other artists, she knew about her Tang Zhen Laoshi. Even in a difficult year like the previous one, where Tang Zhen only released one compilation album and didn’t complete any film projects or have any solo endorsements, and had very few variety show appearances, Tang Zhen’s annual income still exceeded Wen Xin’s salary by hundreds or even thousands of times.
Song royalties were the biggest chunk of his income. Tang Zhen was the first artist in Asia Star Entertainment to write his own songs, and he had even written songs for many other singers. These songs accumulated over time, with many becoming classic hits, and the royalties kept increasing like a snowball, reaching astronomical figures by last year. He also earned a considerable income from merchandise sales. ASE’s star merchandise industry had developed to a mature stage, and while Tang Zhen might not be at the top of the sales rankings, he still maintained a substantial fan base. Additionally, Tang Zhen had the advantage of being a veteran and a key contributor to ASE, so the company took a minimal cut from his earnings, which was his natural advantage.
And what about Zhou Zike? He didn’t write songs, compose, act, or participate in any solo activities. However, when it came to merchandise sales, he consistently occupied a significant market share. The number of solo endorsements he had surpassed KAIser and even the entire company. There was a saying within the company that Zhou Zike’s fans had such strong purchasing power because there were too many people who wanted to see him, and he was too difficult to see.
Considering only merchandise royalties and endorsement fees, Zhou Zike’s income already far exceeded that of most artists in the company. And when you added KAIser, the rising idol group, to the equation, Zhou Zike had a share in all their group albums and tours… he was involved in every activity.
Wen Xin suddenly felt puzzled. Why did she, like many others who didn’t understand him at all, think that Zhou Zike was just a playboy relying on his wealthy family’s support to make a living?
Wen Xin felt a little unhappy because of Guo-jie’s tone, as if she was mocking her for knowing so little about Zhou Zike, and even harboring biased thoughts, while still holding onto her immature mindset like a little girl.
“How do you know he’s going to cut ties with his family?”
“His sister called me, but I didn’t have time. There’s nothing I can do,” Guo Xiaoli said. “I can’t control Zike’s temper, and I certainly can’t meddle in their family affairs.”
Wen Xin was lost in thought when Tang Zhen’s phone kept vibrating non-stop in her bag. She took it out and saw that it was just as she had anticipated.
Instinctively, she was about to answer the call, but then she remembered it wasn’t her phone and immediately turned to Tang Zhen, saying, “Zike is calling you.”
Interestingly, Guo Xiaoli, who was sitting across from them, glanced over more sensitively in their direction.
Tang Zhen reached out and took the phone, lowering his head to look at the screen displaying the name “Xiao Zhou.” He froze, staring at the screen without any reaction.
The phone kept vibrating, and Wen Xin softly reminded him, “Tang Zhen Laoshi, should you answer the call?” But Tang Zhen remained indifferent, his gaze fixed on the two words that kept flashing on the screen until it dimmed.
Tang Zhen’s hand was thin, and his nails were so pale that there was no trace of color. He gently held his old-fashioned phone, and when it vibrated, his entire hand trembled. After a brief silence, the phone vibrated again, and Wen Xin peeked at it—still “Xiao Zhou.”
Tang Zhen didn’t answer, nor did he reject the call. He just stared at the two words on the screen.
“Tang Zhen Laoshi?” Wen Xin called out to him.
Wen Xin’s expression was a bit strange. She patiently encouraged Tang Zhen to answer the call and thank Zike for his help today.
Tang Zhen’s doctor had told them that sometimes patients have poor decision-making abilities and rely on the people around them to tell them what to do next.
“Zike helped a lot this afternoon. He supported you all the way from home to the press conference. The gifts we received today were also prepared by him, as I just mentioned to Guo-jie,” Wen Xin explained to Tang Zhen, speaking as if she were a kindergarten teacher. Seeing Tang Zhen’s confused expression, she continued explaining, word by word, “You were unconscious the whole time, so you definitely didn’t know. Zike was the one helping. Do you want to thank him?”
Tang Zhen still didn’t answer the call. Wen Xin wanted to help him answer it, and as her hand touched his, he suddenly looked up at her.
“Thank him for me,” Tang Zhen handed the phone to Wen Xin and whispered.
“Okay…” Wen Xin looked at him. Guo Xiaoli said, “A-zhen, you’re tired today. Go to bed early. Qi Lu can help out.”
Guo Xiaoli kept checking the time, pacing back and forth on the living room carpet in her high heels.
Wen Xin spoke on the phone, “Zike, Tang Zhen Laoshi fell asleep. Yes, he asked me to thank you for your help today. Do you have something to talk to him about? Oh, I see. Let’s discuss it later then. He’s sleeping now, so I’ll hang up. Take care.”
Wen Xin ended the call and looked at Tang Zhen, who seemed to have relaxed a bit. She gently placed the phone on the table and glanced at Guo Xiaoli, who was still anxiously pacing in the room.
When Qi Lu came out of the bedroom, Guo Xiaoli said, “My nanny took the day off today, and my child is home alone. I need to go back early.”
Qi Lu paused for a moment and nodded.
“Just like usual,” Guo Xiaoli said, glancing towards the nearby bedroom door. “Keep an eye on him, make sure everything is tidy, lock the doors and windows properly. If anything happens, call me. I’ll know as soon as the phone vibrates, understood? Especially be vigilant at night.”
Wen Xin thought Guo Xiaoli had already left and quietly complained to Qi Lu in the living room. She said that Guo-jie was being too strict with Tang Zhen Laoshi, not allowing him to go here or touch that, keeping everything locked away. The house felt empty, and even the windows couldn’t be opened. If someone didn’t know, they would think Tang Zhen Laoshi was living in a prison.
Guo Xiaoli paused, closed the front door, then checked the time on her wristwatch. She walked swiftly into the elevator.
Watching the floor numbers descended, Guo Xiaoli suddenly remembered the phone call she received in the evening.
Zhou Zike had asked her on the phone why Qi Xing had been expelled.
“You fired him without even asking me,” Zhou Zike said.
“He managed to lose you, a grown man, not once but four times. What use is he to me?” Guo Xiaoli replied.
Zhou Zike laughed on the phone, as if he found it amusing that Guo Xiaoli couldn’t directly confront him, so she targeted the easy prey, Qi Xing.
“I actually have something to ask you too,” Guo Xiaoli said. “You rushed over here like a Good Samaritan. What are you planning?”
There was silence on Zhou Zike’s end, and Guo Xiaoli continued, “With just one phone call from Wen Xin, she managed to deploy you to the rescue. I didn’t know that Zhou Zike, the great Buddha, was so easily persuaded. Don’t tell me you really fancy that silly girl, Wen Xin.”
Zhou Zike laughed again.
Guo Xiaoli laughed as well.
“What do you really want?” Guo Xiaoli asked.
Zhou Zike said, “What I want, you can’t give.” Then the call ended.
