Being a gigolo was too much for him, so he had to become a music superstar.

Lin Buyi's heart sank suddenly.

You've lost weight? You've gotten fairer?

He knew this was not an illusion.

He barely saw the sun for the past month, spending every day "working" in the villa. How could he not be tanned?

As for being thin, that was an inevitable result.

Being exploited like that every day, even an iron ox would lose three sizes.

He felt uneasy, but he couldn't show it on his face.

He absolutely could not let his sister know how he was earning money for her surgery.

"What nonsense are you talking about? You haven't lost weight at all." Lin Buyi forced a smile and pinched his sister's cheek. "It's probably because you've been working a lot of overtime at the company lately and haven't been sleeping well at night. You look a little pale. But it's normal for men to work hard."

He lied, saying he had found a high-paying internship at a large company, which would allow him to afford the hospital fees.

"You can't neglect your health even if you work overtime." Lin Qingxue believed her and pouted, her voice full of concern. "Brother, don't push yourself too hard. My illness... it can be treated slowly. Don't wear yourself out."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." His sister's concern warmed Lin Buyi's heart, and all the humiliation and exhaustion seemed to disappear at that moment.

He patted her hand and changed the subject, saying, "What do you want to eat? I'll go out and buy it for you later."

"I want to eat the roasted chestnuts from that stall near the hospital!" Lin Qingxue immediately perked up.

"Okay, no problem," Lin Buyi agreed with a smile.

After chatting with his sister for a while, and then going to the nurses' station to inquire about her recent condition and pay a fee, Lin Buyi finally left the ward.

He planned to go and buy his sister the roasted chestnuts she wanted to eat first.

Walking on the street outside the hospital, Lin Buyi felt much more relaxed than when he arrived.

But when he thought about the remaining 100,000 yuan shortfall and Su Nianwei's performance evaluation plan, his brows furrowed tightly again.

What should we do?

Do we really have to take a gamble?

As he walked along with his head down, feeling troubled, a program playing on a large screen on the street corner caught his attention.

That was a promotional video.

Exhilarating music, dazzling stage lights, and young faces flashing across the screen.

"Ignite your dreams, sing your way to the future! The second season of Future Star, a music talent show co-produced by Tianhai Entertainment and Blueberry TV, is now open for nationwide auditions!"

At the end of the promotional video, several large, gold-plated characters appeared in the center of the screen, making them very eye-catching.

"The champion will receive a prize of five million!"

Five million!

Lin Buyi stood on the street in front of the hospital, his eyes fixed on the huge LED screen on the street corner.

five million.

These three words hit him like a hammer blow.

What he needs most right now is money; he's still short 400,000 yuan for his sister Lin Qingxue's surgery. If he could get this 5 million, he could not only afford the surgery, but also the subsequent nutrition and rehabilitation costs, and even buy his sister a small house.

More importantly, with this money, he could finally get rid of that woman, Su Nianwei.

No longer will I be locked in the villa every day, no longer will I be treated like a toy, and no longer will I have to sell my dignity and body for ten thousand yuan a day.

Lin Buyi took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and slowly walked to the stall selling roasted chestnuts next to the hospital.

"Boss, half a pound of chestnuts, please, the hot kind."

The shop owner, a man in his fifties, quickly packed the chestnuts and handed them over, saying, "Young man, twenty yuan."

Lin Buyi scanned the code to pay, picked up the warm paper bag, and sat down on a bench next to him.

He didn't rush to give the chestnuts to his sister; he needed time to think.

He took out his phone, opened a search engine, and typed in "Future Star Season 2".

The webpage instantly displayed countless pieces of related information.

Lin Buyi clicked on the top official announcement and read it carefully.

Future Star is a talent show co-produced by Tianhai Entertainment and Blueberry TV. The first season was a huge hit, producing several currently popular singers. The second season is even more impressive, touted as an S-level production, with the champion's prize money soaring to five million.

He continued scrolling down to see the registration requirements and competition format.

The preliminary selection process consists of two stages: online registration and offline auditions.

Lin Buyi frowned. He clicked on the registration page, only to find that the page displayed several large words: Registration has closed.

Is it over?

His heart sank, and he quickly searched for other news and forums.

He saw an insider post on a forum dedicated to discussing entertainment gossip.

"According to inside sources, the contestant list for the second season of Future Star has been basically finalized. Now all the major talent agencies are scrambling to recruit people, and the production team has already started internal test recordings. There are at most two weeks before the official start of filming."

Two weeks.

Lin Buyi gripped his phone tightly.

Time was too tight, and the registration channel had already closed. As an ordinary person with no connections, he couldn't even get in the door.

Even if he has countless classic songs from his past life as his backing, even if he knows he can win, he doesn't even have the qualification to participate, so it's all in vain.

He leaned back on the bench, looking at the gray sky above.

What should we do? Should we just give up like this?

Should I go back to being Su Nianwei's kept woman and endure the remaining ten days?

Lin Buyi felt a bit of back pain when he thought about the performance appraisal Su Nianwei had mentioned that morning.

Three or four times a day, if he really did as she said, he definitely wouldn't live to see the day he raised the money.

He had to participate in the show; it wasn't just about the money, it was his only lifeline.

But how can I get a spot in the competition?

Tianhai Entertainment...

A piece of information suddenly flashed through Lin Buyi's mind.

In the original owner's memories, he had heard people at school gossip about Su Nianwei's background.

She is the heiress of the Su Group, whose businesses span various industries, including the entertainment industry.

Tianhai Entertainment appears to have shares in the Su Group.

Su Nianwei is an indirect shareholder of Tianhai Entertainment.

Lin Buyi's eyes lit up.

If Su Nianwei were to step forward, getting a spot in a talent show would be an absolute breeze.

But...should we ask her for help?

He approached Su Nianwei earlier for money; it was a direct transaction where he sold himself to get money to save his sister's life.

Now, he wants to ask her for a spot in the talent show.

Will Su Nianwei agree?

She kept him in the villa to satisfy her own desire for control and possession. How could she easily let him go out to participate in any talent show?

Not only do they have to show their faces in public, but they also have to get out of her sight.

Given that woman's personality, she would definitely try every means to torment him, and even make more outrageous demands.

Lin Buyi mentally went through all the possible scenarios.

The worst-case scenario is that Su Nianwei refuses and then threatens him with her sister's surgery fees, forcing him to stay in the villa.

But what if she agrees?

He was confident that he could get that spot and stand on that stage as long as he could.