Huayu: This top star doesn't play by the rules.

Ever since she confided in Chen Chao at the dinner party, Sister Qian has become the number one wingman between Chen Chao and Meng Ziyi, and has started to find ways to create time alone for the two of them.

Just like when Meng Ziyi was going to the film set to shoot in the morning, Sister Qian called Chen Chao over to help her because she said she had too much stuff to carry.

In the evening, she would take Li Yitong and Chen Xingxu to the night market, leaving the hotel suite completely to the two of them, with the always flawless reason being, "You two should rehearse your lines properly so as not to delay tomorrow's filming schedule."

That day, she finished work early, so Sister Qian made arrangements to go to the beach to watch the sunset. But just before leaving, she suddenly clutched her stomach, frowned, bent over, and let out a low groan.

Seeing Sister Qian's condition, Meng Ziyi instinctively wanted to help her up, but she waved her hand and refused, saying, "It's nothing, it's just my old ailment acting up again. Tongtong and Xingxu, I'll have to trouble you to accompany me to the hospital."

While speaking, Sister Qian secretly winked at Li Yitong and Chen Xingxu, hinting, "Ziyi, you and Xiao Chen just wait in the hotel. Don't wander off, or we won't be able to find you when we get back."

Seeing Sister Qian walking towards the door with the help of Li Yitong and Chen Xingxu, Meng Ziyi subconsciously wanted to follow her, but was stopped by a look from Sister Qian.

And so, the three of them quickly left the room. Before leaving, Li Yitong thoughtfully closed the door behind her, leaving Chen Chao and Meng Ziyi looking at each other in the living room.

The room fell silent instantly, with only the sea breeze blowing in through the half-open window, carrying the faint, fishy smell unique to the seaside.

Meng Ziyi's cheeks flushed slightly, and she unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes with her fingers. Her eyes darted around, not daring to look at Chen Chao. She now understood that Sister Qian was not uncomfortable at all; she was clearly making room for the two of them on purpose.

"I'm still a little worried about Sister Qian. Should we go and check on her?" Meng Ziyi muttered softly, seemingly unaccustomed to the atmosphere. But as soon as she stood up, Chen Chao grabbed her wrist.

Feeling the warmth from her wrist, Meng Ziyi's body stiffened slightly, and she subconsciously looked up at Chen Chao, meeting his gentle eyes.

"Don't worry, with Tongtong and Xingxu with you, Sister Qian will be fine." Chen Chao's voice was calm and gentle. He didn't loosen his grip on Meng Ziyi's wrist; instead, he tightened it slightly. "And now, Ziyi, I have something I want to tell you."

Meng Ziyi's heart skipped a beat. As if sensing something, she held her breath, obediently sat back on the sofa, lowered her eyes, and her ear tips were so red they looked like a little rabbit huddled in a corner, waiting to be sentenced.

"From the first time I saw you in the elevator, with potato chip crumbs on your lips and hurriedly hiding your snacks, I thought you were especially cute."

Looking into her eyes, Chen Chao spoke with utmost seriousness, "Later, during the training camp, you brought me snacks every day. When I went to Hengdian for the audition, you were even more nervous than me and prepared a whole bag of things for me."

"Having you by my side these past few days has made me feel especially happy and at ease." He paused, his fingertips gently stroking her wrist. "Meng Ziyi, I like you, not the kind of liking between friends, but the liking of wanting to be with you."

As Chen Chao finished speaking, Meng Ziyi's tears fell without warning, not from sadness, but from joy.

From the first time she saw this smiling boy in the elevator, she was smitten. In their subsequent interactions, that smitten gradually turned into love. However, she never dared to confess, afraid that if she broke the ice, they wouldn't even be able to remain friends.

She sniffed, then looked firmly into Chen Chao's eyes: "Chen Chao, I like you too, I like you so, so much!"

As their feelings for each other were revealed, the last barrier between them disappeared. Chen Chao naturally reached out and pulled her into his arms, quietly feeling each other's breath and heartbeat.

When Sister Qian and her two companions returned, chatting and laughing, they saw two people sitting side by side on the sofa, very close together.

Faced with this scene, a knowing look flashed in Sister Qian's eyes, but she pretended to know nothing, waving her hand while clutching her stomach: "Oh, it's nothing, it's nothing. My old problem will be fine after taking medicine. I'm sorry to have worried you two."

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On the other hand, Weibo Music's exclusive interview, coupled with Sina's top-tier promotional resources across the entire platform, has led to the hashtags #ChenChaoInExchangeOfLife# and #HiddenTalentActorInTheCondorHeroes# dominating the charts for the past few days.

In the interview, Chen Chao's unique understanding of music, his seriousness and reverence for performance, combined with his handsome appearance and calm and gentle speech, won him countless fans.

The song "Exchange the Rest of Our Lives" skyrocketed in popularity, topping the charts for new songs, hot songs, and rising stars on three major music platforms: QQ Music, NetEase Cloud Music, and Kugou Music.

In just a few days, the song garnered over 500 million views across the internet, with over a million cover and fan-made videos on short video platforms, making it the most viral hit single of the year.

Correspondingly, Chen Chao's Weibo followers also skyrocketed, from one million to more than three and a half million.

The Super Topic community has consistently ranked first on the Star Power Ranking Newcomer List, and fan clubs and data stations have been established one after another, showing the potential to become a top star.

With fame comes trouble, and with fame comes the attraction of capital. Many brokerage firms, like sharks smelling blood, contacted Chen Chao through various channels.

Chen Chao declined all the offers from these talent agencies, stating clearly and firmly that he had no intention of signing with any agency at the moment.

In his past life, he had seen many artists ruined by exploitative contracts from management companies. Behind those seemingly generous terms lay extremely harsh profit-sharing restrictions and a complete surrender of control over their work.

Even with a contract that had bound him to others for over a decade, now that he's been given a second chance at life, he will never hand over his life and career to someone else to be controlled by.

Therefore, if he chooses not to join a talent agency, he only has one path left to choose from...

"So, Chen Chao, you're planning to go it alone and set up a studio that only serves you?" After hearing Chen Chao's idea, Chen Xingxu immediately guessed his plan.

Nodding slightly, Chen Chao made no attempt to hide anything. He knew very well that Chen Xingxu was one of the few independent individuals in the industry, with his studio entirely controlled by his family, making him the most suitable person for him to learn from. "Yes, that's why I came here specifically to learn from you."

With a slight furrow of his brow, Chen Xingxu pondered for a moment before speaking in a deep voice, giving him the most crucial and pertinent advice.

"If you want to go solo, your most important task right now is not to register a company or assemble a team, but to find a trustworthy, reliable agent who understands the rules of the industry."