Don't call me a singing god, I just want to go back to doing scientific research.

However, both of them were much more relaxed.

The music director of Guanghe Entertainment, holding a cup of hand-drip coffee, leisurely said to his subordinate, "Go, contact the media we know and hype up the value of this 'closing curtain' to the sky."

The subordinate was taken aback: "Director, this...aren't we supposed to sign him? This might be detrimental to us."

The director took a sip of coffee and smiled. "It doesn't matter. Whether we get the contract or not isn't important. What's important is that I want Xingchen and Leran to know that if they want to get their hands on this piece of meat, they won't get it without breaking a few teeth."

……

At the scene of the program, the live broadcast had already been turned off, and the audience was leaving one after another, still feeling excited.

Gu Yang packed his things, slung his bag over his shoulder, and came out from backstage.

"Gu Yang! I've liked you for two years! Can I get your autograph?"

Several little girls crowded at the exit, looking at him with bright eyes, as if they were seeing stars.

Upon hearing this, Gu Yang's eyes lit up.

Unexpectedly, I ran into one of my old fans here.

What are you doing here?

He didn't have many fans; after two years, he had barely managed to put together a fan club. Probably because nobody knew he would be participating in the show, there were very few of his longtime fans present, and they didn't even bring a support sign.

"Ahhh! Gu Yang talked to me!"

The little girl leading the group was so excited she almost jumped up and down, frantically handing over the notebook.

Gu Yang smiled as he accepted it and carefully signed his name.

"We came here for summer vacation and luckily managed to snag tickets, so we came to see what the fuss was like," the little girl said, her cheeks flushed as she held up the autograph book. "I never expected to see you! I'm so lucky!"

"Really?" Gu Yang laughed cheerfully. "Then I hope you'll always be this lucky. It's getting late, you should head back soon, it's not safe tonight."

"Gu Yang, over here, over here!" Agent Li waved frantically from the van not far away. "The car is ready!"

"I'm leaving now, remember to go back soon!"

"I know, Yangyang, get some rest."

Gu Yang nodded, waved, and only breathed a long sigh of relief after getting into the car. The fans' enthusiasm was hard to refuse; thankfully, there weren't many people today.

If we make it to the second round, the number of fans will definitely be more than this, and getting in and out will be a big problem then.

"You really scared me to death today!" Manager Li stepped on the gas, and the car drove off smoothly. "What a sensation! How come I didn't know you were such a good singer? 934 votes! Do you know what that means?! Even King Zhuo specifically asked to see your friend!"

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Gu Yang took out his phone, and there was Ling Luo's latest message on WeChat, lying quietly in the background.

"Well done, I'll give you extra food when we get back."

As he looked at the words, a wide smile crept onto his face.

"What are you grinning about?" Manager Li glanced at him through the rearview mirror, her tone still excited. "By the way, with such a good result in your first performance, it'll be easier to negotiate resources later on. I'll see if I can get you one or two guest appearances on top-tier variety shows these next few days, so you can get some exposure and make a stronger impression on the audience."

"Wait a minute," Gu Yang looked up, "take on a variety show?"

"That's right! Variety shows are the fastest way to get exposure right now." Manager Li named two popular shows, "They're both very popular. I'll use my connections to see if I can get you in."

Gu Yang frowned.

"I need to ask Ling Luo's opinion on this matter."

Ling Luo is smarter than him; he can definitely analyze the pros and cons of these things more thoroughly.

"You..." Manager Li almost choked on her breath, speechless. "You're the artist, and he's your boss?"

Gu Yang didn't reply, but just looked down at his phone.

Seeing this, Agent Li could only shake his head helplessly.

This kid is probably going to be completely under Ling Luo's thumb.

When I got home, there was no one in the living room, but I heard a clanging sound coming from the kitchen.

Ling Luo, wearing an apron, came out carrying the dishes.

"You're back. Wash your hands and eat."

"Why didn't you wait for me to go together? It would have been so much more convenient to ride in my car." Gu Yang threw his bag on the sofa and went to the kitchen doorway.

Ling Luo put down the dishes, took off her apron and casually draped it over the back of the chair, her voice flat: "I promised to give you an extra meal, so of course I had to come back early to prepare it. Go wash your hands."

"Okay!" Gu Yang ran to the table and immediately saw the bowl of chilled mung bean soup. He immediately picked up a spoon and took a big gulp.

The cool, sweet soup slid down my throat, instantly extinguishing the heat I felt from the recording session.

"You're alive again!" Gu Yang sighed with relief, then picked up his chopsticks. "By the way, Teacher Zhuo said she wanted to see you, and I saw you nod. When are you going to see her? I'll make an appointment for you."

Ling Luo pushed the bowl of mung bean soup towards him again, indicating that he should drink more.

"On the way back, I listened to a few of Zhuo Tongyu's songs. He used to prefer sad love songs, but this time he chose inspirational songs on the show. He probably wants to change his style."

Ling Luo knew that Zhuo Tongyu wanted to see him now because of the mutual appreciation between creators.

But once the second episode airs, Zhuo Tongyu's thoughts will probably change.

At that point, it won't be about mutual respect anymore, but rather a senior's direct scrutiny and exploration of a formidable newcomer.

After thinking it over, Ling Luo said, "No rush, see you after the second phase ends."

Gu Yang nodded, asked no more questions, and buried himself in his food.

When will you start filming for the second episode?

"Next Monday."

"Okay, I'll give you a new song tomorrow. This song is a bit difficult, so practice it a lot these next few days." Ling Luo said casually, as if she were just saying that the weather was nice today.

"Oh, right!" Gu Yang suddenly remembered, almost spitting out his food. "Why didn't you negotiate the price with Brother Li? The company has to pay for the song!"

"We talked," Ling Luo said, placing a piece of green vegetable into his bowl. "I said, it's up to you."

"Hmm, then you go and negotiate. If I go, I might get exploited by them again."

After he finished speaking, he slowed down his eating, unconsciously poking at the rice in the bowl with the tip of his chopsticks, again and again.

The restaurant quieted down, with only the occasional soft clinking of bowls and chopsticks remaining.

Ling Luo put down her chopsticks and looked at him quietly.

"You want to know why I arrived at the scene so late?"

Gu Yang suddenly looked up, a confused expression instantly appearing on his face: "Huh? I didn't..."

"Alright, not bad acting." Ling Luo's lips twitched, but the smile was icy and didn't even reach her eyes. "I went to my old workplace and met with my teacher."

Gu Yang paused in his eating, his spoon hovering in mid-air, as if something was stuck in his throat.

Work again.

Judging from Ling Luo's appearance, that wound is probably not only on his hand, but also on his heart; it hurts at the slightest touch.

Gu Yang's Adam's apple bobbed, but he ultimately swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue, replacing them with a silly grin: "Oh, that's great! By the way, let me tell you, about that teacher Ni Yuelan today..."

He began to gesticulate wildly as he recounted the amusing incidents, deliberately hyping up the atmosphere as if the previous silence had never occurred.

Ling Luo listened quietly without interrupting him.

But hidden within those deep eyes was a silent, icy sea that Gu Yang couldn't understand.