Marry a female star at a bargain price

At 6:30 a.m. on Monday, Cao Yuanzhi got up sleepily and drove Lin Xiao from Ninghai to Mashan County.

The sun was just rising when we set off.

When we arrived in Starlight Town, the sun was already high in the sky, and it was close to 11 o'clock.

Upon entering the town of Xingguang, the surrounding area becomes noticeably more lively, with license plates from all over Nanzhou visible everywhere on the main roads and side streets, including many from other regions.

Lin Xiao was already used to this kind of thing and was almost immune to it.

Cao Yuanzhi was quite surprised, and for a moment he thought he had taken the wrong road. He checked the navigation several times before he was sure that he was in Xingguang Town, Mashan County.

"Wow, your celebrity effect is really something! Starlight Town is almost as lively as Ninghai!"

"So-so, third in the world!" Lin Xiao replied arrogantly.

"Ha, you're getting all worked up over calling you fat!"

"I don't want to be out of breath, the problem is you're not thinking straight!"

"How am I not working properly?" Old Cao protested.

Lin Xiao said helplessly, "Three episodes of 'Back to the Good Life' have already aired, and the show's popularity has boosted offline traffic. Starlight Town has seen a surge in tourists for half a month now. You've been here twice recently, so you should have seen it by now. Why are you so surprised?"

Old Cao retorted, "I have indeed witnessed it, but the previous two times I came were on weekends and during summer vacation. I thought it was understandable that everyone would take advantage of the holidays to bring their children to the place where Mayor Lin frequents to ride the wave of popularity. Now that summer vacation is over, and today is Monday, there are still so many people in the town. This is quite outrageous and strange. Shouldn't I be shocked?"

Lin Xiao thought about it and felt that what Lao Cao said made sense.

The popularity of Starlight Town has indeed gone a bit too far, making it necessary to be careful.

He couldn't help but feel a little alarmed.

Just as the car was about to arrive at the town government, the two men took a look and were even more shocked.

At the simple, low gate, a large number of young people carrying long lenses and microphones were squatting, almost blocking the entire gate. Many others were also standing at the gate live streaming on their phones.

The scene was incredibly crowded with red flags waving and people everywhere.

Old Cao was startled and quickly braked. Lin Xiao was also a little at a loss when he saw the situation.

After hesitating for a moment, he quickly got out of the car and waved for Lao Cao to retreat.

Ever since his scandal broke and he left the entertainment industry, Lao Cao has developed "camera phobia," and without hesitation, he turned around and ran away.

Lin Xiao glanced at his watch; it was already 10:50, and there were still ten minutes left before the team meeting.

The town government building was converted from an abandoned primary school. It's a small place and doesn't have a small gate.

The main gate is the only entrance and exit.

In other words, if he wants to go back to his workplace today, he has no choice but to force his way in!

Taking a deep breath, Lin Xiao strode forward.

When he was still more than 50 meters away from the gate, he was spotted by a sharp-eyed internet celebrity. With a shout, dozens of people gathered at the gate rushed over, creating a scene even more lively than a celebrity chase at an airport.

"Mayor Lin, when will the official version of your song 'Rice Fragrance' be released?"

"Teacher Lin, the whole internet is shipping you and Han Xixi as a couple right now. You two have such a great relationship, do you have any secrets to keeping your marriage fresh?"

How do you balance your civil service job and your music creation career?

"Did you participate in 'Back to the Good Life' to promote the development of Xingguang Town, or did you participate to make money, as some netizens have speculated?"

"Teacher Lin, would you mind saying hello to my fans in my live stream?"

"Brother Lin, you've released two songs in the last two months. Are you planning to officially enter the music industry as a full-time singer?"

"Mayor Lin, there are rumors online that you married Han Xixi to climb the social ladder by using her father's connections. What is your response to this?"

"Brother Xiao, when are you and your wife going to have your second child?"

"Mayor Lin, you're back from outside at this hour, are you just starting work?"

"..."

The noise from dozens of people was so loud that it hurt Lin Xiao's ears.

The midday sun didn't bother Lin Xiao much, but the cameras these people were using almost blinded him.

Lin Xiao was hesitating about how to extricate himself and whether to respond to these sharp or gossipy questions.

The various groups who asked the questions started arguing amongst themselves!
"He definitely won't be entering the music industry. With Teacher Lin's talent, he would have done it long ago. Why would he wait until today?"

"If Brother Lin really becomes a professional singer, it will be a blessing for the entire music industry, and also a blessing for us fans!"

"Whether someone has a second child or not is none of your business. Where did you come from, you trash reporter?"

"This is ridiculous! Coming to this remote mountain village to become the town mayor just to climb the ranks? Is this a promotion or an exile?"

"Netizens are brainless, are you brainless too? With the songs Lin Xiao wrote, he could live a life of ease just from the copyrights. How desperate would he be to waste his time in this poor, remote place just for a promotion? He has nothing but ambition and passion. Is that so hard to understand?"

When will the official version of "Rice Fragrance" finally be released?

"Mayor Lin is so dedicated to his work, he must have just returned from an inspection tour. Can't you tell?"

"Exactly, they weren't driving or carrying a bag; it's obvious they went out again after going to work!"

"What are your intentions in spreading rumors that a dedicated and hardworking town mayor was late?"

"Mayor Lin is such a good leader! He doesn't even take a car when he goes out for inspections. He walks out in this sweltering heat. He's truly admirable!"

"Yes, look at Mayor Lin's dark circles under his eyes. He must be working hard from dawn till dusk every day!"

"But bro, even if you're tired, you still have to write songs. My 200 million fans and I are pinning our hopes on you for the Chinese music scene!"

"Me too!!!"

"..."

Lin Xiao didn't say a word, watching helplessly as dozens of people became more and more excited as they talked, and then they started arguing, and then they started fighting.

Before long, arms and legs were flying everywhere at the gate, and cell phones and cameras were smashed all over the ground.

Just then, Office Director Yao Jun came out with two young cadres, took advantage of the chaos to snatch Lin Xiao away, and escorted him back to the compound.

Lin Xiao breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Sitting in the office, I felt both annoyed and amused; the world seemed so surreal.

A large group of people traveled all the way to Starlight Town to ambush him in order to gain attention; they certainly have the courage and perseverance to do so.

The attempt to block the way succeeded, but instead of getting answers to a series of questions, the anti-fans, career fans, and CP fans became dissatisfied with each other and started fighting on the spot.

Lin Xiao was completely dumbfounded.

Now that he had escaped, he couldn't help but admire his own cleverness in stopping the car in advance to allow Lao Cao to escape.

Moreover, because he stayed in Ninghai yesterday, he didn't bring his briefcase. Today, he's empty-handed, and at first glance, he really does look like he just came back from an inspection tour.

This image gave several career-oriented fans (public sector) immense psychological satisfaction, and they were moved to tears on the spot. They almost wanted to worship him as a model of dedication to his job that moved the whole country, and they would not allow anyone else to slander him in the slightest.
Lin Xiao was drunk.

What's going on here? My big fans will surely defend me.
The more he thought about it, the more surreal it seemed. He stopped worrying about it and went to his office to hold the weekly team meeting.

……

After a busy afternoon, it was already six o'clock before I knew it.

Lin Xiao didn't drive today, so he took a ride home in Deputy Mayor Dong Jianhui's car. He sat in the back seat, avoiding the various madmen who were trying to ambush him at the entrance.

We successfully exited the gate, left Xingguang Town, and headed towards Mashan County.

"Mayor, these reporters and internet celebrities have gone crazy trying to ride this wave of attention. I'm afraid you'll be surrounded by this many people every day from now on... cough cough, you can't just keep hiding like this. Don't you have to come up with a plan? cough cough!"

Old Dong looked worried.

This was the first time Lin Xiao had ridden in Deputy Mayor Dong's car, and in the back seat no less.

The vehicle was clean, but the performance of the old-style electric vehicle was far behind the technology of recent years. It was bumpy and shaky to drive, and had a very pungent smell of sweat that could not be dispelled even with the air conditioning on.

That's all.

The key point is that Lin Xiao, sitting in the back seat, saw a corner of a payment code sticking out of the pocket behind the passenger seat.

Lin Xiao immediately realized what was going on.

He was somewhat surprised, but more so felt helpless and nervous.

It is against regulations for civil servants to hold part-time jobs. Although the policy has been relaxed in the past two years, it is still necessary to report to the organization before using spare time to increase personal income in accordance with laws and regulations.

As the town mayor and Dong Jianhui's direct superior, Lin Xiao had not received any applications or reports from Dong Jianhui.

In other words, Lao Dong was secretly making extra money by driving for ride-hailing services.

That would be absolutely non-compliant!
If caught, the worst-case scenario is a verbal warning, while the worst-case scenario is a disciplinary action; either way is possible.

Of course, when Lin Xiao saw the QR code for receiving payment, his first thought wasn't what would happen to Lao Dong if this were discovered.

Because this is actually not easy to discover.

Even though Mashan County is small and the probability of finding someone you know is high, Lao Dong is known for his optimism and kindness. He doesn't hold a high position and is the kind of hard-working person in the system. He can't take someone else's position, nor will he make enemies with anyone.

No one would be so bored as to report him.

Lin Xiao's first reaction was to wonder why Lao Dong was so short of money.

He knew about Lao Dong's family; he had a son who was already in college, but he didn't know what his wife did for a living.

But in any case, Old Dong's salary as deputy mayor should be enough to support his son's college education. He shouldn't have to rely on taking on ride-hailing jobs after get off work to make a living, right?
"Could it be that Lao Dong was owed several months' salary before, so he started driving for a ride-hailing service to earn some extra money to tide him over?"

After thinking it over, Lin Xiao felt that this explanation was the most plausible.

He couldn't help but feel fortunate that he had gone all out to negotiate with the county leaders and ensured that all the salaries and bonuses of the cadres in Xingguang Town were paid in full.

Although the amount of money was small, he didn't care about it at all.

But for grassroots civil servants with low incomes and frugal lifestyles, it is the life-saving money for their entire families!

Lin Xiao felt both emotional and powerless.

After much thought, he decided to test Old Dong and see if he needed to help him out.

"Mayor?" Dong Jianhui called out to Lin Xiao from the driver's seat when Lin Xiao didn't answer.

"what?"

"Why are you spacing out? Are you thinking about how to deal with those internet celebrities and reporters who are trying to ride the wave of popularity?"

"them?"

Lin Xiao gave a light, cold laugh, "What's there to deal with! Just leave them hanging, and they'll fall apart on their own in a few days!"

Dong Jianhui's dark face twisted in disapproval of Lin Xiao's idea, and he fell silent for a moment.

"Old Dong, how many years have you been working?" Lin Xiao suddenly asked.

"Huh? Me? It's been over twenty years!"

"In your twenties?"

"Twenty... Let me do the math... Hmm... It should be twenty-five years. I started working when I was twenty!"

"Wow, that's quite a long time, you've been working here for a long time!"

"Yes!"

Dong Jianhui spoke with some emotion, chuckling, "There are advantages to having a long tenure. After working my way up, my salary has gradually increased, and it's considered a pretty good income in Mashan County!"

Lin Xiao smiled as well.

Old Dong wasn't lying about this. Although it sounds pitiful for civil servants in remote townships, their salaries and benefits are still quite good.

Especially for cadres with long service records, even if their rank is not high, their basic salary plus the increase based on their years of service, plus subsidies for remote areas and various allowances, make their income definitely above average in the local area.

In theory, there should be absolutely no problem with making a living.

That's why Lin Xiao found it puzzling and strange that Lao Dong was also working as a ride-hailing driver in addition to his regular job.

"Brother Dong, what year is your son in college?"

Lin Xiao asked again.

In the front row, Dong Jianhui was startled when he heard the town mayor call him "brother".

He was somewhat apprehensive.

When Lin Xiao first arrived, they were indeed very dissatisfied with this young kid becoming the town mayor. However, after half a year of getting along, Lin Xiao's professional skills and his efforts to improve everyone's lives have won over all the cadres, including Lao Dong.

Everyone genuinely accepted him as the town mayor, to the point that they overlooked his youth. Dong Jianhui was momentarily stunned before realizing that the town mayor sitting in the back was actually not even thirty years old—a complete junior!
Old Dong smiled, and the distance between him and Lin Xiao immediately decreased significantly.

I'm about to be a junior in college!

"A prestigious university, right?"

"Hey, what brand names are they? It's all about the kids' own hard work!"

When his son Dong Lele was mentioned, Dong Jianhui's dark face immediately lit up with a smile of satisfaction.

Lin Xiao glanced at her in the rearview mirror, felt a pang of emotion, and smiled, "Is Lele planning to stay in Haicheng from now on?"

"Oh, I didn't consider that. The kid is only a junior in college; it's too early to think about these things!"

"It's not early anymore!"

Lin Xiao asked cryptically, "To be honest, staying in a first-tier city does offer better career prospects, but the pressure when you first enter the workforce is immense. Especially buying a house; houses there are expensive, and it's incredibly difficult for ordinary families to afford one!"

Dong Jianhui nodded: "That's true, I wouldn't even dare to think about it!"

Lin Xiao had been observing Lao Dong's reaction and noticed that although he agreed, his expression didn't show much reaction.

Clearly, he didn't take the matter to heart.

Lin Xiao then ruled out Lao Dong's foresight in earning money to buy his son a house in a big city.

Undeterred, he asked about Lao Dong's wife's job, but Lao Dong gave a casual answer without any noticeable change in expression.

After the conversation, Dong Jianhui found nothing wrong with the situation.

Lin Xiao was confused and even began to doubt whether he was wrong. He thought that someone had just casually put the payment code there, or that he had indeed driven for ride-hailing services when his salary was delayed, but he stopped driving now that his salary and bonuses had been paid. Otherwise, he would not have put the payment code away.

The more Lin Xiao thought about it, the more likely it seemed, and he couldn't help but feel relieved.

"Brother Dong, we're all family. If you encounter any difficulties, please don't hesitate to ask me for help!"

Lin Xiao said sincerely.

Dong Jianhui was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled, coughed violently a few times, and said, "Alright, got it!"

……

back home.

I ate a meal, took a shower, and then played with my daughter, whom I hadn't seen for three days, for a long time.

Lin Xiao didn't return to his room until he had coaxed Ms. Lin Xiaoxi to sleep. He immediately collapsed onto the bed.

Han Xixi sat on the balcony, a desk lamp on, engrossed in writing something while hunched over the table.

"Wife?" Lin Xiao called out.

"Hmm?" Xixi didn't even turn her head.

"Wife?!"

"Ah."

"Wife?!!"

"Um……"

Xi Xi listened intently for a long time, and when she found there was no more sound, she slowly turned her head.

Mayor Lin was seen leaning against the headboard, his hands folded over his chest, looking quite menacing.

Xi Xi smiled helplessly.

She put down her pen, stood up, and came over with two adorable, blinking eyes. She leaned close to him and said with a smile, "What are you doing? Aren't you tired after a long day? You should lie down and rest for a bit. If you're sleepy, just go to sleep. Why do you have to bother me? I'm busy preparing my lessons!"

Lin Xiao's eyes flickered.

"Preparing lessons?"

"Yes, music class!"

"Isn't class starting the week after next? Why are you in such a hurry to prepare lessons?"

"Who said classes don't start until the week after next?"

Han Xixi said seriously, "Since you've agreed to attend the classes, you definitely have to attend every week!"

Lin Xiao was stunned.

"No! Didn't we agree before that you would teach the kids while the show was being filmed? The show is filmed every two weeks, so of course you would teach once every two weeks... Am I wrong?"

"You're right!"

Han Xixi smiled and reached out to pinch his face with both hands, giving it a playful rub.

Xi Xi said, "But teaching and nurturing people cannot be based on weighing pros and cons, nor can it be something you do only when you're bored! If you only teach when you're recording a show and don't teach when you're not recording a show, then you're not being a teacher, but rather using children to create a persona of a volunteer teacher for yourself!"

Lin Xiao was momentarily stunned, realizing he hadn't even noticed this before, and then it dawned on him.

"So, you're planning to go to class every week?"

"Correct!"

Xi Xi laughed and said, "Of course, the main reason is that after two lessons, I found that the children's foundation was too weak. If we want to really learn choral singing well, we must start from the basics and teach them slowly."

"One class a week is already the minimum frequency. If the interval is any longer, the students will definitely forget everything taught in the next class. It would be better not to have the class at all!"

Lin Xiao nodded. He had observed the entire first lesson and was well aware of the children's poor musical foundation.

My wife's considerations are very reasonable.

"That makes sense, but it will make you very tired, as you'll have to go to class every week!"

"What's this!"

Xi Xi laughed heartily, completely unconcerned. "I don't have anything major to do right now. I can teach the kids for half a day every Friday. It's not much trouble. Besides..."

Xixi was a little shy and didn't dare to continue.

Lin Xiao pressed further: "And what?"

Xi Xi then said shyly, "Moreover, after these two lessons, I found that those children really love music, and they listen very attentively in every class. I've been studying music for many years, and I've been a singer for about two years now, and I've achieved some success."

"But brother, to be honest, I've never really understood the meaning of studying music. Especially in the last two years, I've seen some negative things in the entertainment industry, and I've been smeared and insulted for things other than singing... Actually, I'm starting to doubt my original intention for choosing this path."

"But it wasn't until that day, when I stood on the podium, looking into the innocent eyes of dozens of children and hearing their simple yet heavenly singing voices, that I truly understood the meaning of studying and pursuing music!"

As Xixi spoke, her eyes shone with a brilliance that Lin Xiao had never seen on her face before.

He then realized that his wife's decision to become a music teacher was not a spur-of-the-moment thing, nor was it out of boredom or to pass the time, nor was it out of an overflowing compassion to give her her sympathy.

She truly loves music, and she truly loves passing on the torch of music.

This made her feel more satisfied and excited than singing a good song or receiving a lot of insincere applause and cheers in the entertainment industry.

This value orientation unexpectedly leads to the same conclusion as Lin Xiao becoming the mayor of this remote mountain town.

And so, at this moment, Lin Xiao also felt incredibly good, experiencing a sudden and undeniably real mental orgasm.

He took his wife's hand.

The couple gazed at each other silently, their eyes revealing the unwavering resolve and radiance of comrades.

Xi Xi rarely saw her husband touching her and looking at her without any evil intentions in his eyes. She felt very strange and had a feeling that he was about to sing the national anthem at any moment!

"By the way, did your recording go well yesterday?" Xixi quickly changed the subject.

"It went well, pretty smoothly..."

After hesitating for a moment, Lin Xiao told his wife about Cao Yuanzhi signing a young female singer.

Xixi simply nodded without any further reaction.

"Don't you have any ideas?" Lin Xiao asked.

"Thoughts? What thoughts?" Xixi asked, puzzled.

"This girl has a similar temperament to you. Lao Cao clearly wants her to replicate your success. He even asked me to write a song for her!"

"Oh……"

Xi Xi remained calm and shrugged. "Then you decide what to do. This concerns the future of Xinxiangtu. It's your job to write songs and create them. As for who sings them, it doesn't matter. It's all for the promotion of Nanzhou Province anyway."

As Xixi spoke, she suddenly leaned over with a grin and put her two long, slender arms, like tender shoots, on Lin Xiao's shoulders.

"Since you write songs for other female singers, it might clear my name!"

"Injustice?" Lin Xiao found the word outrageous.

"Ha, it's not an injustice!"

Xi Xi said indignantly, "Even now, many netizens are still chasing after me and cursing me, saying that I used my beauty to seduce you and make you write songs only for me. How wronged I am!"

Lin Xiao hurriedly said, "Wait a minute! I didn't just write for you, I also wrote for Lao Cao, didn't I? I even sang two songs for myself!"

Xi Xi said even more indignantly, "Yes! But you and Lao Cao are both men. These haters say that they don't let you write songs for other female singers, and they monopolize all the songs sung by women, which makes your songs lose more possibilities, to the point that now you have no inspiration and can only write songs sung by men... Am I wronged or not!"

Lin Xiao was completely at a loss for words, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Since he became famous, there has been no shortage of online discussions about him and his wife, and from the perspective of different factions, there are at least a dozen or twenty different viewpoints.

Some people support them, while others condemn them.

Some people ship them as a couple, while others firmly believe that their relationship is purely transactional and based on hype rather than genuine affection.

Also, this morning at the entrance of his workplace, those reporters and netizens who were trying to ride the wave of the news each had their own angle and highlight, catching Lin Xiao off guard.

Lin Xiao thought that the perspective he had gained so far was comprehensive enough.

Unexpectedly, he even has a die-hard fan of his own career (music), so much so that even his wife dislikes him, feeling that this woman is hindering the display of his musical talent—even though Han Xixi has turned those songs into classics, almost no cover version can surpass them!
Lin Xiao was speechless and helpless: This generation of netizens is too divided!

"You really wouldn't mind if I wrote songs for other women?"

Why should I care!

Xixi smiled brightly and leaned in to give him a kiss. "Brother, you told me before: I love you, and you are free. Now I'm giving you the same thing, plus: I love you, so I support you and believe in you—forever!"

The last two words made Lin Xiao's heart tremble, and his eyes became hot.

The young couple gazed at each other silently, their love conveyed and exchanged in their eyes, and after a few exchanges, their passion was already boiling over.

Xi Xi sensed something was wrong.

Just as I was about to leave, I was a step too late. A warm, large hand embraced my waist, and a series of tender kisses fell like a gentle autumn rain.

"I...I haven't taken a shower yet..."

Xi Xi was so overwhelmed by the kisses that she used the last bit of her reason to utter those words in a low, hoarse voice.

However, the next moment, the fine autumn rain fell again, completely shrouding her in the desolate sky.

Xi Xi's rationality gradually blurred and then disappeared.

A gust of wind rose outside the window.

Then, the autumn rain really did fall, instantly engulfing the entire world.

Autumn has truly arrived.

There's an old saying that goes, "One autumn rain brings a chill," but that's clearly not entirely accurate.

It's inaccurate at least for now.

In the bedroom of Lin Xiao and his wife, the heat was soaring like a rocket, with nothing but scorching heat and no hint of coolness.

The sound of rain outside the window is quiet and gentle.

Lin Xiao's eyes were fixed on his wife, sweat dripping from his forehead, as he whispered in her ear.

"Wife?"

"Um……"

"I love you more each day than the day before!"

"..."

Xixi was unable to answer, biting her lip, her eyes barely open.

His only response was a sudden well of tears and a tight embrace around his neck… (End of Chapter)