Chapter 23 – Fate is Truly Too Unpredictable

Guan Lan and Zhuang Lin were staying in a large suite. Although it had a balcony and a porch connecting them, it was essentially two separate bedrooms.

Zhuang Lin: “I accidentally got my bed wet—”

Guan Lan: “Oh, then call the front desk and have them come clean it up.”

Zhuang Lin began to ponder how much he would have to compensate the hotel if he were to saw off the bed legs.

This trip was semi-self-guided. After the company arranged accommodations, they didn’t require unified activities, leaving everyone to manage their own schedules. The sunlight outside was just right, and as Guan Lan looked down from the window, he saw people who had already finished tidying up their rooms heading to the beach in small groups.

Guan Lan had changed his clothes and was about to head to the beach when Zhuang Lin walked in, practically blinding him.

Zhuang Lin was shirtless, wearing only shorts, and handed him a bottle of sunscreen: “I can’t reach my back, can you help me apply it?”

Since graduating from university and no longer needing to use public showers, Guan Lan hadn’t seen fresh, naked bodies up close in such a vivid 3D view. The sudden stimulus was too much, and he involuntarily took half a step back.

Half a second later, seeing Zhuang Lin’s pure and upright gaze, he felt he had overreacted.

It wasn’t noticeable before, but now with his shirt off, Guan Lan realized Zhuang Lin had a great physique. Broad shoulders, a wolf-like waist, with beautifully defined but not exaggerated muscle lines. His skin was like white porcelain, glowing. The texture was top-notch too—from his neck to his shoulders, down his trapezius muscles along his spine to his waist, his touch was met with the elasticity and tension of youth.

Zhuang Lin used every bit of his acting skills to keep his facial expressions within a normal range during that minute.

He felt Guan Lan’s hands kneading his back muscles for a long time, silently praising himself for the push-up training he’d done before coming here. It hadn’t been in vain.

He hoped that the next time Guan Lan touched those muscles, it wouldn’t be with a kneading motion but with a scratching one.

The moment this thought crossed his mind, he immediately felt lecherous and his ears turned red.

Guan Lan screwed the cap back on the sunscreen and handed it to Zhuang Lin, giving his back a satisfying slap that made a crisp “smack” sound: “I didn’t realize it before, but you’ve got a good body.”

Zhuang Lin felt a shiver run through him from the slap.

Zhuang Lin: “Should I apply some for you too?”

Whether it was psychological or not, he felt his voice tremble slightly.

Guan Lan: “No need, I’m not taking my shirt off.”

Zhuang Lin suppressed the immense disappointment rising in his heart, still unwilling to give up: “The water’s so nice, aren’t you going to go in?”

Guan Lan: “My idea of a vacation is finding a picturesque place with fresh air and doing absolutely nothing for three days.”

Ji Xianlin once said he watched women’s basketball just to see their legs.

And a collective beach trip for a large entertainment company was essentially a grand exhibition of all kinds of beautiful legs.

Zhuang Lin thought, well, at least I’ve seen the legs. I’ll just have to wait for a private moment to see the rest.

They were fair and straight—a fine pair of legs.

True to his word, Guan Lan found a nice spot on the beach, set up a lounge chair, and lay down.

Zhuang Lin wanted to sit beside Guan Lan and chat, or just quietly bask in the sun together. But as the person with the best English skills in the group, he was quickly dragged away by others who wanted to go sightseeing and needed a translator.

Guan Lan leaned back in his beach chair, watching the vast sky and water, the white gulls chasing the waves, feeling the tension in his mind slowly dissipate.

Not far away, two little girls were sitting together building sandcastles. One was Lin Shize, and the other Guan Lan didn’t recognize, but he guessed she was Qi Fei’s daughter. There were only two girls of that age in their group, and their mothers were sitting nearby chatting.

Lin Xuewen and Qi Fei were more than a decade apart in age, but just as Zhuang Lin had said the day before, at first glance they seemed like contemporaries.

Lin Xuewen spotted Guan Lan and called him over: “What are you looking at over there? Come and chat.”

What could a single guy like him contribute to a conversation between two mothers sharing their experiences raising daughters?

But when his mentor called, he naturally obeyed and immediately went over.

Lin Xuewen: “We were just talking about Zhuang Lin.”

Guan Lan: “You think Zhuang Lin is good too, right?”

Lin Xuewen: “Yes. Among the newcomers signed this year, he’s the best.”

Guan Lan: “Then I’ll have to tell the boss. Zhuang Lin was my discovery, so I should get a commission from his earnings in the future.”

Lin Xuewen: “Peining probably won’t agree to that. You’d better discuss it with Zhuang Lin and see if he’s willing to give you a cut of his share.”

Qi Fei: “Sounds reasonable. I’ll vouch for him.”

Guan Lan laughed: “Forget it. If this gets out, not only would I be accused of sexual harassment, but also of extorting money. A lecher and a Scrooge—what a great reputation that would be.”

Lin Xuewen: “Oh, so you do care about your reputation? I thought you didn’t care at all.”

Guan Lan: “Well, it’s my own reputation after all. I can’t completely ignore it.”

Lin Xuewen: “You don’t need to care. We make a living with our skills. We don’t need to cater to anyone’s whims.”

Those words felt good to hear. He was about to express his agreement when Lin Xuewen continued: “You’re not married. You can date whoever you want, change partners as often as you like. As long as it’s not immoral or illegal, ignore the gossip of petty people.”

…Guan Lan didn’t know whether to be moved or embarrassed.

Qi Fei: “That’s true. In life and work, just strive to have a clear conscience.”

Guan Lan tearfully accepted this persona: “Exactly, that’s how I think too.”

Qi Fei, being tactful, realized that the mentor and student had some personal matters to discuss. After chatting for a while longer, she went to play with the children.

Lin Xuewen: “Have you thought about what I told you last time?”

He hadn’t at all.

Last time, Guan Lan had been troubled for two or three days before forgetting it completely, like a goldfish.

Lin Xuewen: “I’m not trying to ruin your vacation by bringing this up—but are you interested in becoming your own boss?”

Guan Lan: “What??”

Lin Xuewen: “Don’t be so surprised. Haven’t you ever thought about branching out on your own?”

Guan Lan honestly replied: “No, I haven’t.”

Lin Xuewen: “…Then think about it now.”

Guan Lan: “First of all, I don’t have the money.”

Lin Xuewen: “That’s the least of your worries. With your connections and reputation in the industry, can’t you attract tens of millions in investment? As your mentor, I’ll invest a thousand first, okay?”

Guan Lan: “Are you serious, Master?”

Lin Xuewen: “Why would I joke about this? Do you think I’m like you?”

Guan Lan: “How could I possibly be a boss?”

Lin Xuewen: “You already manage over a hundred people. Being your own boss wouldn’t be much different, except you’d have one less person above you, giving you more freedom.”

Guan Lan: “But the pressure would be much greater! With investors and shareholders expecting profits, and over a hundred employees relying on me for their salaries, the pressure would be overwhelming.”

Lin Xuewen: “So, there are pros and cons. It’s up to you.”

Guan Lan: “I need… I need to think about it.”

Lin Xuewen: “This time, think seriously. Don’t just forget about it like last time.”

Guan Lan: “Okay, okay, but let me finish my vacation first.”

Lin Xuewen: “Wait, there’s one more thing.”

Lin Xuewen’s other matter was actually about asking him to mentor her eldest son, Yang Yuze.

Lin Xuewen: “When he was in middle school, he wanted to drop out to pursue music. His father negotiated with him, agreeing to let him do it on the condition that he finish school until he was eighteen. It was supposed to be a temporary measure, thinking he’d forget about it in a couple of years. But the kid’s determination was strong. This year, after graduating high school, he brought it up again, saying he wanted to sing. His father couldn’t go back on his word, so he agreed to give him a year to sing. If he doesn’t make any progress by this time next year, he’ll have to obediently go abroad to study.”

Guan Lan: “It’s rare for him to be interested in music. If he has talent, it wouldn’t hurt to let him try for a couple of years.”

Lin Xuewen waved her hand: “He’s not cut out for it. I’m his mother, and I’m in this industry. Can’t I tell? On the way here, I listened to Zhuang Lin’s songs. He’s nowhere near as good as Zhuang Lin. If he weren’t my son, by your standards, you wouldn’t even look at him. Don’t give him any special treatment because of me. Mentor him as you see fit, let him see that there are always greater talents out there.”

Guan Lan understood the underlying message: guidance was secondary, the main goal was to crush Yang Yuze’s enthusiasm, extinguish his burning love for music, and ultimately make him obediently go to an Ivy League school to study, fulfilling his responsibilities as a second-generation heir.

Guan Lan: “Understood, Master. Leave it to me.”

——————————————————————————

While Guan Lan’s emotions were turbulent, Zhuang Lin’s were even more tumultuous.

Zhuang Lin didn’t know what was wrong with Yang Peiqing, but when Yang Peiqing hinted at his relationship with Guan Lan for the eighth time, he couldn’t suppress the impulse to confront his boss: “President Yang, can I ask, are you interested in me or in Guan Lan?”

Yang Peiqing was momentarily stunned by the question but didn’t get angry. Instead, he sighed: “Neither… It’s my wife who’s interested in Guan Lan.”

At first, Zhuang Lin didn’t grasp the meaning of this. He thought Yang Peiqing’s wife was a fan of Guan Lan.

Yang Peiqing: “Did you know Guan Lan was with Chen Jin?”

Zhuang Lin: …

Yang Peiqing: “Well, not exactly together. They broke up, but who knows?”

Zhuang Lin: “…Guan Lan is single now.”

Yang Peiqing stared at him: “Are you sure?”

Zhuang Lin: “President Yang, I did a variety show with both of them. I don’t think they’re a couple. They seem like really good friends.”

Yang Peiqing chuckled a few times, giving Zhuang Lin a look that said, “Young people are so naively pitiful”: “Seeing is believing. Would you dare to go back and ask Guan Lan about it?”

Zhuang Lin’s heart was shaken.

Yang Peiqing’s certainty instantly overturned his own not-so-solid conclusion. Recalling the details of Guan Lan and Chen Jin’s interactions, everything now seemed tinged with ambiguity.

Guan Lan’s exes—one a rising star in the music industry, the other a popular variety show host—how much more tumultuous could his love life get?