Pirates began to dominate the Chinese entertainment industry.

Ji Yun looked around the large courtyard house, which combined three units and was worth hundreds of millions of yuan, through the car window.

This courtyard house is located in the heart of Beijing's urban area, yet it manages to achieve tranquility amidst the hustle and bustle thanks to its enormous size.

The courtyard has undergone modern renovations, preserving the charm of old Beijing's rockeries and flowing water while also incorporating the convenience and comfort of modern living.

It's likely that these kinds of houses will be very difficult to buy in the future.

"Let's go, they might still be playing." Gao Yuanyuan got out of the car and led him to the first floor via the elevator from the underground parking garage.

Finally, they met the princess in a room that was making crackling noises.

"One of Bamboo, Pong!" She was wearing her home pajamas, her hair casually draped over her shoulders, and she threw out a card with her face flushed red.

Opposite them were Na-young, Yu Feihong, and Sun Nan.

Ji Yun looked at the piles of chips in front of the other three people, and then at the few thin bills in front of the princess. It was heartbreaking to see, but she was excited and waved her hand with great momentum.

The princess, seated in the main seat, instinctively looked up upon seeing a figure, her face suddenly freezing: "What brings you here?"

After saying that, he glared at Gao Yuanyuan again, his eyes asking: Did you tell him?

Gao Yuanyuan nodded in agreement.

The princess immediately became obedient.

Na-young then turned her head, her gaze curious as she looked Ji-yun up and down, and asked the princess with a surprised expression, "Oh my, you've changed your taste?"

Old women speak without restraint.

The princess chuckled and kicked her: "He's the author of those two songs of mine."

"Hey!" Na-young's eyes widened. "This young man? He's young enough, and you gave him such a good contract?"

"Isn't it worth it?" The princess raised an eyebrow.

"That's definitely worth it," Nayoung chuckled.

Yu Feihong and Sun Nan also looked on in surprise, clearly having heard Ji Yun's two songs and knowing their quality.

"Perfect timing, handsome! When are you free? How about another song? Besides the treatment Old Wang gave you, I'll give you an extra million." Na Ying was incredibly generous.

"Sister Na, he probably wouldn't even look at your little bit of money," Gao Yuanyuan said with a smile.

"A million is nothing?" Na-young asked, looking at Ji-yun with confusion, "A rich kid?"

"You've been fighting since yesterday, haven't you seen the news? Let me give you a proper introduction." Gao Yuanyuan walked to Ji Yun's side, raised her hand, and said with pride.

"My only artist, Ji Yun, is not only a director and songwriter, but also the 'Little Stock God of Shanghai' who earned more than 300 million yuan in a month."

All four of them wore blank expressions.

The princess asked blankly, "Yuanyuan, did you see some fake news from some unscrupulous paparazzi? Over 300 million a month, is that Japanese yen or Korean won?"

Gao Yuanyuan gave her a charmingly disdainful look and directly showed them the pictures on her phone. These were legitimate financial news articles published by the official media outlet, Shanghai Daily.

"It's not just in Shanghai, it's spread all over the country." Gao Yuanyuan smiled like a fox. "Now, writing songs costs extra!"

Na-ying glanced at Ji Yun's news and was speechless. She had worked for almost half her life and might not have earned that much money. Among the people present, perhaps only Old Wang had more wealth than him.

An 18-year-old billionaire... She felt like she'd fallen asleep from playing mahjong and wasn't awake yet. She pinched her forearm; it hurt...

She said, her face downcast:

"How about two million? Is a month enough? We're about to release our song, any later and it'll be too late."

"Do you think cabbage is something you can buy with money?" the princess said irritably. "Songwriting is about inspiration; what good can you expect from something forced out?"

The usually haughty princess turned to Ji Yun and whispered an apology: "...I think I'll just release one song this year and apologize to my fans again."

"No need for that," Ji Yun said with a smile.

"Huh?" All five of them looked at him at the same time.

"I'll write songs, but besides money, I have another condition." Ji Yun looked at Na Ying, "You'll have a cameo in my next movie."

In the original "Goodbye Mr. Loser," Na-young could only be played by a body double, but since he was filming it, he naturally had to find the real Na-young to film close-up shots.

He figured that the songs by women he'd listened to were better used to exchange for resources than to let them gather dust.

"Okay." Na-ying readily agreed, unaware that she was going to play herself and was about to get a brick thrown by Ma Dongmei.

"No, I'm more professional than her at acting in movies, why don't you cast me?" The princess glanced at the smug Nayoung.

"Then you should come too, make a cameo appearance and sing the theme song." Ji Yun was not polite to this diva.

"Alright then~" the princess smiled.

"What kind of song do you want to sing?" Ji Yun asked.

The princess thought for a moment and said, "Since 'Those Bygone Years' is gone, then write me another slow-paced ballad."

Gao Yuanyuan and Yu Feihong cast interested glances. They had both heard the song "The Fleeting Years" before. The nostalgic feeling of "unrequited love and fleeting youth" really appealed to the fetishes of artsy girls. They didn't expect there to be a follow-up.

"OK."

Ji Yun agreed, then looked around the room.

The princess followed his gaze: "What are you looking for? Shall I help you look?"

"Do you have a guitar? Hurry up, I'm in a rush, I have plans for this afternoon," Ji Yun urged.

"Huh? Now? Right here?" The princess glanced at the messy mahjong room, with beer bottles and skewers scattered everywhere...

Gao Yuanyuan looked at Ji Yun with some excitement, as it was the first time she had heard Ji Yun create a piece live.

Yu Feihong was somewhat disappointed. In this kind of environment, how could a song written casually compare to a song with a sense of nostalgia like "The Year in a Hurry"?

"Brother, I won't pay you for something I've fooled," Na-young said. "My money doesn't come from thin air."

"It came from playing mahjong." The princess glared at her.

"I'll go get it for you." Gao Yuanyuan ran out the door impatiently.

A short while later, she returned carrying a guitar she had somehow found, her chest heaving violently.

Na-young then took a high-end tape recorder from the living room and pressed the record button in advance.

Ji Yun took the guitar and sat down on the sofa in the mahjong room: "Sister Fei, is there anything else you want? Tell me all at once."

The princess tapped her chin with her finger: "It has to be a slow song, the melody and lyrics can't be too complicated, it has to be simple and unpretentious, yet touching—"

"Alright, alright, don't make things difficult for him," Na-young quickly advised, knowing that it was impossible to satisfy all his demands.

Ji Yun searched her mind for content that could both satisfy the princess's needs and fit the theme of the movie "Charlotte".

……

Ji Yun moved her hands, pressing down on the strings with her left hand and plucking them with her right.

"The book always describes delighted evenings, bicycle rides, conversations between him and her, the girl's white dress, and the boy's love for seeing her in it..."

The visuals are simple, yet they exude a clean and youthful vibe.

The group quieted down and listened to the song. The boy's voice was gentle and clear, without any showy techniques, yet it was the most touching.

Three top stars, immersed in this innocent emotion, savored the youth they had missed.

Gao Yuanyuan listened intently, her eyes shining. She didn't understand any advanced techniques; she just thought it sounded good, had a certain charm, and that the voice and lyrics told a story.

Yu Feihong sat at the mahjong table, propping her head up with her hand and listening casually.

At first glance, the song seems simple and unadorned, until Ji Yun sings it—

"...I'm slowly starting to like you."

We'll slowly grow closer, slowly talk about ourselves, and slowly walk together.

Slowly I want to cooperate with you, slowly I want to give myself to you...

I'll slowly grow old with you...

The chorus reaches its climax.

The two top-tier mature women and the two divas suddenly raised their heads, their eyes sparkling like aurora borealis, radiant and dazzling.