Chapter 37 – The Sweet and Naive Top is Full of Tricks

In the past few days, Zhuang Lin and Guan Lan finally got a taste of what it feels like to be a couple in the entertainment industry—both of them were so busy they felt like they were ascending to the heavens, barely touching the ground. Despite living under the same roof, they hardly saw each other. They called each other every two hours, agreeing to chat for only five minutes, but neither of them wanted to hang up. It always dragged on until Zhuang Lin’s assistant begged repeatedly, almost resorting to pleading with their life on the line. In the first thirty years of his life, Guan Lan had never imagined that he would become so clingy in a relationship. For a while, he couldn’t even look at himself in the mirror.

Guan Lan didn’t immediately resign from Tianlong; this was the result of his negotiation with the boss. Yang Peining, of course, didn’t want him to leave. At first, he tried every possible way to persuade Guan Lan, offering raises, better benefits, and even shares in the company. Only then did he realize that Guan Lan was truly determined to leave.

Finally, Yang Peining said helplessly, “If you’re determined to leave, I naturally can’t stop you. You’ve been with me for so many years, and we should part on good terms. I’ll give you a generous farewell bonus. I only have one request—give me one month.”

This request wasn’t unreasonable. Moreover, after all these years of working together, Yang Peining had treated him well, and Guan Lan deeply respected his boss. They would still be in the same industry, crossing paths frequently, so it was best not to end things on bad terms.

Guan Lan: “Alright, I won’t reveal anything to anyone during this month.”

Yang Peining: “Do you think starting a company is that simple? Have you thought about the business registration, taxes, professional qualifications, how to choose a location, how to structure the company, what the registered capital should be, and what the equity distribution will look like? And you can’t be a one-man army—do you know who among your team might want to follow you? Have you even talked to them? Not to mention the recording contracts for the artists. Zhuang Lin is a given, but what about the others—Lu Qing, Yao Jie, Zhou Junzhuo? Have you discussed it with them? Honestly, one month is already tight. You’d better start preparing as soon as possible.”

Guan Lan was stunned.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t thought about these issues, but it was surprising that Yang Peining would say such things from his position. If he were to make such a big move, wouldn’t it stir up rumors and unsettle the company?

But since the boss had given his blessing, Guan Lan didn’t hold back. He began to untangle the myriad of tasks and started making preparations.

Later, it was Chen Jin who told him what Yang Peining was really up to. He had long wanted to carry out a large-scale personnel overhaul in the company, but with the intricate web of interests below and the board of directors above, he had never found the right opportunity. When Guan Lan’s departure became inevitable, Yang Peining immediately shifted his focus, using the situation as leverage to negotiate with the shareholders:

Now that Guan Lan is leaving, the entire company is in turmoil. Everyone is saying he was forced out by certain internal factions, and the situation is getting out of control. If you don’t let me clean things up, the company is doomed. The cultural and entertainment industry is a virtual economy—there’s no physical property. Once the pillar leaves, the company could collapse in an instant. Over the past decade, countless entertainment and talent agencies have gone under. Even though Tianlong is big, it’s not invincible. A thousand-mile dike can collapse because of an ant hole, and Guan Lan is no ant hole—his departure will leave a gaping hole the size of a wall. This is a critical moment of survival. The building is about to collapse. Whether we can cut off the dead weight and heal the wounds is up to you.

In the end, Yang Peining successfully convinced the entire board. The big shots all felt that if the company wasn’t cleaned up, it would be finished. He was finally able to act freely and carry out a complete reshuffle.

That morning, Guan Lan had been running around looking at office spaces. In the afternoon, he contacted investors to raise funds. When Chen Jin told him all this in the evening, Guan Lan was deeply moved.

He shared this with Zhuang Lin and sighed, “I feel like even if I practiced for a hundred years, I’d never reach his level as a boss.”

Zhuang Lin: “What kind of level is that? Manipulating power, bluffing and deceiving—don’t you dare learn from him.”

Guan Lan: “You don’t understand. When I talked to him, he was trying to keep me one minute, offering me shares and whatnot. As soon as he realized he couldn’t keep me, he immediately started thinking about how to make my departure work in his favor. That’s terrifying.”

Zhuang Lin: “He’s a money-grubbing capitalist. You’re a creator—how can you compare? If you really became like him, would you still be able to write good songs?”

Guan Lan was startled: “You’re right. Ah, I’ve been so caught up in all these trivial matters lately, I almost lost sight of what’s important. Thanks for the reminder.”

Zhuang Lin would never admit that he just couldn’t stand hearing Guan Lan praise another man.

Zhuang Lin: “You’ve been working so hard these days. Let me give you a shoulder massage.”

Guan Lan closed his eyes and leaned against Zhuang Lin, enjoying the massage.

Zhuang Lin: “Should I massage your thighs too?”

Guan Lan swatted his hand away: “And here I thought you actually cared about me. Turns out you had ulterior motives.”

Zhuang Lin pouted: “Can’t you care about me a little? It’s been so many days. Don’t you miss it at all?”

Guan Lan: “I’m old now. Be considerate of the elderly, okay?”

Zhuang Lin had been holding back for days, and hearing the word “okay” made him hard instantly.

Zhuang Lin: “Where are you old? People say, ‘At thirty, you’re like a wolf; at forty, a tiger; at fifty…'”

Guan Lan quickly cut off this vulgar statement: “You, as a contemporary young artist, a role model for millions of teenagers, can’t you be a little more positive? Stop filling your head with such lowly thoughts.”

Zhuang Lin: “What’s lowly about it? I’m in my own home, having sex with my wife. What’s lowly about that? If no one had sex, how would humanity survive and prosper? How would the flame of civilization continue?”

Guan Lan was speechless: “No matter how much we have sex, we’re not going to produce a human.”

Zhuang Lin: “Practice is the only criterion for testing truth. How do you know if you don’t try? Besides, we’re almost out of condoms at home. Let’s just skip them today, okay?”

Guan Lan retreated to higher ground: “I’m really tired today. Let’s not go all the way, okay?”

Zhuang Lin: “Fine.”

Zhuang Lin: “I got a notification today—I’ve been nominated for the Golden Wheat Award for Best Newcomer. I wanted to celebrate with you… but then I thought, you’re busy with important things, and this isn’t a particularly significant award. I didn’t want to distract you…”

Guan Lan looked at his thick, dark lashes as they lowered to hide his eyes, and a wave of guilt washed over him.

Higher ground was lost.

Guan Lan leaned in and kissed him: “Congratulations on the nomination.”

Zhuang Lin looked up: “Should I get a condom?”

Guan Lan: “No need. Let’s make a baby.”

—

The next morning, Guan Lan lay in bed staring at the ceiling, pondering life.

He realized he had been far too complacent, underestimating Zhuang Lin’s intelligence.

This guy was supposed to be a naive sweetheart—when did he become so scheming?

Zhuang Lin: “There’s fish porridge in the pot. I made it early this morning. Remember to eat it when you get up. My assistant is downstairs already. I have an interview or something today… You’ve been working too hard, so don’t go out today. No career is worth sacrificing your health. I’ll call you from the set.”

He leaned in for a kiss, but Guan Lan pushed his forehead away with a finger: “I have a question for you.”

Guan Lan: “Did you use up all your intelligence in bed?”

Zhuang Lin: “No, I usually use it on the way to bed.”

Guan Lan: “…”

Zhuang Lin sat on the edge of the bed, acting spoiled: “I want a kiss. If you don’t let me, I’m not leaving.”

…Who cares! Leave or don’t! It’s not me who’ll get scolded if you’re late!

Seeing that Guan Lan had closed his eyes and wasn’t falling for it, Zhuang Lin reluctantly stood up: “Fine, I’m leaving. You’d better miss me.”

Then he patted Guan Lan’s stomach: “And the baby should miss Daddy too.”

Guan Lan: “Get out already!”

Zhuang Lin finally left. Guan Lan thought, I waited thirty years, and I ended up with this guy?

His phone beeped. It was a message from Zhuang Lin: “Forgot to mention earlier—stir the porridge before eating it. Be careful, the outside might be cool but the inside is still hot.”

“There’s pickles in the fridge.”

“But don’t eat too much.”

Guan Lan looked at the screen and slowly smiled.

I waited thirty years, but I’m glad I ended up with this guy in the end.