My daily life is getting weird because I am caught between being in a band and being an idol.

"Hey?"

The other three people present were all stunned.

"Huh? To your agency, producer?"

Xingnan snapped out of her daze, her tone tinged with surprise.

Chaoyang nodded and said with a smile, "Yes. Although I'm very happy to be the producer for these kids... as the number of idols increases, my energy is indeed limited. Although there is another member in the agency assisting with business, she can't share the production work. As for you, you have great potential as a producer."

He paused, his tone becoming more realistic and frank, "Of course, I probably can't offer you a salary commensurate with your status; I can only offer you the hourly rate for part-time workers. After all, you also have your own idol activities to take care of."

"So... does that mean I can cultivate musical sounds?"

Xingnan's tone carried a hint of anticipation.

Chaoyang gently shook his head.

"No. I'm just assisting you with my work. Your producing skills are still lacking, and you're far from being able to stand on your own. As extra compensation, I can teach you these things. Of course, if you transfer to the producing department in university, you should be able to learn these things there too, but that's up to you to decide."

After listening, Xingnan lowered his head and pondered for a while.

"...Well, that's a good proposal, senior...Although there might be unexpected events later, I'm currently willing to learn from you."

Shi Wangxingnan even started calling Chaoyang "senior".

"...You agreed too easily...Won't I be persecuted by a rich family again later?"

Chaoyang sighed helplessly, glancing at Xingnan's confident expression, but couldn't help but think of some things that had happened in the past.

He recalled the incident not long ago when Xiangzi's maternal grandfather sent someone to secretly film him. Although the matter was eventually resolved, the feeling of being secretly watched still haunted him. Now, he had begun to cultivate a constant state of vigilance and awareness of his surroundings.

Perhaps it's because of the producer attribute bonus, but now I feel like I can sense whether anyone is watching me, even if I don't look.

He sighed inwardly, secretly rejoicing that his intuition was gradually strengthening.

Xingnan seemed to sense his unease, and gently waved her hand, her tone reassuring.

"Hehe, how could that be? But... I do need to convince my family. After all, I received top-tier idol training from a young age, and if I suddenly say I want to switch to something else, they might not easily agree."

After hearing this, Chaoyang patted his chest and said with a smile.

"If you need anything, feel free to call me anytime. After all, I'm really looking forward to seeing you shine in the producer field, given your talent and hard work."

Xingnan looked at Chaoyang's resolute expression and smiled slightly.

"Then please leave it to senior."

. .

After dinner, Kotone slipped back to her dorm early, and Asahi and Nina had no reason to stay any longer. The two boarded the train back home. The carriage wasn't crowded, and they could see the faintly shimmering night view through the window.

Rencai remained silent for a long time before finally speaking hesitantly.

"Um... Mr. Hiraishi, actually I was a little embarrassed to say this earlier, but we're at a crucial moment right now... It's truly a time for learning..."

Chaoyang looked up at her and calmly finished her sentence.

"A music festival, right?"

"Hey, you knew that too?"

Renna looked up at the rising sun, seemingly surprised that he had so easily guessed what she wanted to say, but she still nodded.

"Of course I need to know what my artists are doing, otherwise how can I be a producer... I just can't do anything with you."

Chaoyang smiled helplessly.

"This is a one-time exception. You can't use this as an excuse in the future. After all, I've said it many times: many artists in the agency work while studying, and their burden is not much lighter than yours."

"Hmm...I know..."

On the train ride home, as the carriage swayed, Nina gradually calmed down. Leaning back in her seat, perhaps because of the satisfaction after the meal and the fatigue from the long journey, she unknowingly fell asleep, her head gently tilting to one side, eventually resting on Asahi's shoulder.

Asahi felt the weight on his shoulder and turned his head slightly to look at the sleeping Nina. Her cheeks looked especially soft because of the warm lights inside the train, and her breathing was very steady.

"...She is most feminine when she is asleep."

Chaoyang whispered to himself that he naturally wouldn't disturb her, but simply adjusted the position of his shoulder slightly so that she could lean on him more comfortably.

And so, time slipped by quietly, and the tram slowly made its way to its destination. Before they knew it, they had arrived at their stop.

"Rin, wake up, we've arrived."

Asahi called softly a few times, but Renna didn't respond at all, sleeping soundly and still quietly leaning against him.

"There's really no other way..."

Asahi sighed softly, then stood up and carried the sleeping Renna out of the carriage. She wasn't particularly heavy, but as he walked out of the station, Renna unconsciously nuzzled her head against his back, as if she had found some familiar sense of security.

In her sleep, Nina seemed to recall scenes from her childhood, playing with her father. Back then, when she was tired from playing, she would always lie peacefully on her father's back and fall asleep. Unconsciously, she murmured a sentence.

"......dad......"

Upon hearing this murmur, Chaoyang paused slightly, then lowered his head and muttered a complaint.

"I'm not that old yet... Hmm, is that sleep talking? What a brat."

Despite the teasing tone, his steps became more steady, as if afraid of waking the girl on his back.

Back at the apartment, he took a key from her pocket in front of her door, inserted it, and gently turned the lock.

As soon as the door opened, a smell of dust hit the door.

This guy... has really been living in my house for the entire time now.

Chaoyang frowned, looked around, then decisively closed the door, locked the key, and sighed.

"It's too late to clean at night..."

After thinking it over, he finally made a decision that "went against his ancestors' wishes" and took Rencai back to his room to sleep.

Back in the room, Chaoyang gently covered Rencai with the blanket, looked at her sleeping face, and murmured to himself.

"What a worrying brat."

Chaoyang spread out her bedding on the ground, washed up briefly, and prepared to rest.

Just before turning off the lights, he couldn't help but glance back at Rencai on the bed.

The quietness of the nina at this moment is surprisingly alluring.

Consider this my payment for carrying you back.

He gently leaned down and placed a tender kiss on Rencai's forehead, careful not to wake her. Then he turned off the light, crawled into the blankets on the floor, and closed his eyes.

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