Chapter 3 – Remembering Our First Meeting

Zhou Junzhuo parked his car and walked toward them with an imposing aura.

The four boys couldn’t help but straighten their posture and respectfully greeted him, “Teacher.”

Zhou Junzhuo acknowledged them with a nod, then turned to Guan Lan, “I knew you’d be here.”

He raised an eyebrow, “Getting bold, huh? Not answering my calls?”

His tone carried the air of a scorned lover catching their partner in the act, making the kids hold their breath.

Guan Lan pretended to check his phone, “Ah, when did you call? It was on silent, I didn’t see it.”

Zhou Junzhuo wasn’t letting him off the hook, “I’ve been slaving away in the studio all day, and here you are taking people out for barbecue. Living the good life, aren’t you?”

Guan Lan, “Oh, I didn’t want to bother you since you were busy. If I knew you were free, I’d have definitely invited you.”

The kids were sweating bullets listening to Guan Lan’s tone, which sounded almost coquettish.

They couldn’t figure out the relationship between these two.

Zhou Junzhuo reached for a drink on the table. He picked up one can—it was Coke. He picked up another—still Coke.

Zhou Junzhuo, “What the hell? It’s all Coke? Is this how you throw a party? No alcohol?”

Guan Lan, “They’re all singers. Drinking isn’t good for their voices.”

Zhou Junzhuo shot back, “And barbecue is?”

Guan Lan, “…Alright.”

He didn’t want to explain to Zhou Junzhuo that “taking young artists home for barbecue” and “taking young artists home for drinks” were two entirely different things. Even though he could be irresponsible, he still had some sense of boundaries.

Zhou Junzhuo, “Not enough people, it’s boring. Why don’t you call your whole harem over?”

Guan Lan, “…Huh?”

And just like that, things spiraled out of control.

When the industry’s top producer and the hottest singer decided to throw a party, practically everyone in the music scene who was in Beijing and had the time showed up.

Guan Lan had to order another truckload of food and alcohol.

Although Beijing’s real estate was expensive, his place was on the North Sixth Ring Road, almost in Huairou, practically in the mountains. The price wasn’t too high, so the space was quite large, easily accommodating dozens of people without feeling cramped. Sure, the place reeked of smoke and alcohol, but he didn’t live there regularly. Hiring someone to clean it up would make it out of sight, out of mind.

Guan Lan’s mind wandered to these trivial matters, completely unaware of the monumental significance this day would have on his life.

Zhuang Lin didn’t want to come.

He was a principled, upright person. Why would he want to get involved with a notorious rule-breaker like that?

He was practically dragged here by his manager—his own cousin.

His cousin said, “Do you want connections or not? Do you want to network or not? Do you want to survive in this industry or not? You think talent and good looks are enough to succeed? How old are you to be this naive? It’s not just China, it’s the same in America, the same everywhere—it’s all about connections, all about networking! Are you some virgin maiden that a party is going to ruin your chastity? No matter how outrageous Guan Lan is, do you think he’s going to assault you in front of dozens of people? Lu Qing is going, Huang Ruiteng is going, why are you so high and mighty, so precious? Are you bigger than Huang Ruiteng? Meeting a few more people, saying a few more words—are you going to die from it? You don’t want to go? My daughter doesn’t want to go to school either, I don’t want to go to work either, I’d rather go home and be a housewife, have ten hunks dance around me every day. Is ‘I don’t want to go’ a valid reason? Do you think the world revolves around you?”

This tirade left Zhuang Lin’s head spinning, and he quickly surrendered, rushing to the party.

Though there was one question he didn’t dare ask:

Does your husband know about your wish to have ten hunks dance around you every day?

Zhuang Lin had seen Guan Lan on TV. On TV, Guan Lan was good-looking, but he figured it was all makeup and styling. In person, he must be repulsive, with a sleazy vibe that no amount of elite aura could mask.

But he wasn’t.

Even with his eight layers of prejudice, Zhuang Lin had to admit that Guan Lan was indeed good-looking—maybe even better-looking than on TV.

He sat comfortably on the couch, slightly tilted his head as he chatted with someone, his smile a far cry from the sharp, cold demeanor he had on TV.

…A guy this good-looking who still resorts to underhanded tactics? Definitely a pervert.

The person he was talking to was Li Yanyao—the only person Zhuang Lin was somewhat familiar with at the party. It was Li Yanyao who had invited him. Seeing Zhuang Lin walk in, he waved him over.

…Zhuang Lin had planned to quietly blend into the shadows as a wallflower for half an hour and then leave. Unfortunately, out of basic politeness, he went over.

Li Yanyao, “This is Zhuang Lin. He just returned from Juilliard, signed with Huixin Entertainment, and is working on his debut album.”

Guan Lan, “Ah, a young talent.”

Despite his age, he spoke with the tone of a seasoned veteran.

Zhuang Lin, “Hello, Teacher Guan.”

Guan Lan, “Juilliard’s not easy to get into. What did you study? Vocal?”

Zhuang Lin looked at him with a hint of challenge, “Composition.”

Guan Lan didn’t seem to notice, “A creative genius, huh?”

Li Yanyao, “Yeah, haha, he’s really talented. You should search ‘Edward Zhuang’ on YouTube. He’s quite popular.”

Guan Lan, “Oh, I’ll have to check that out. Gotta learn from the best.”

Zhuang Lin, “The honor is mine.”

This response was incredibly rude. For someone of Guan Lan’s status to say “learn from the best” was him being humble and giving face. For a junior to take that as an invitation to climb the ladder was downright shameless.

Li Yanyao looked a bit embarrassed, but Guan Lan didn’t take it to heart, thinking that Zhuang Lin, having just returned from the U.S., might not be used to the flattery in the domestic industry.

Guan Lan, “Let’s collaborate more in the future—I didn’t bring my business card today. If you want to contact me, ask Yanyao.”

Zhuang Lin thought this guy was so fake. If he didn’t want to give his contact info, he should just say so. Saying he didn’t bring his business card at an event like this? Who’s he kidding?

He didn’t know that Guan Lan genuinely hadn’t expected the party to turn into such a large gathering. Not bringing his business card was just that—he didn’t bring it.

Their first conversation was nothing more than a superficial, insincere exchange.

Li Yanyao looked unhappy, “What’s your problem? I’m not asking you to grovel, but can’t you at least talk normally? What kind of attitude is that?”

Zhuang Lin, “For someone with such low morals, this is the most polite I can be.”

Li Yanyao, “Your logic is bizarre. Did he try to pull any shady moves on you? Did he do anything to you? What’s it got to do with you? You’re not dating him, why care about his character? In business, it’s all about professional relationships. Why focus on his personal life? He’s a senior, a big shot in the industry, and he’s been nothing but polite to you. Think about it—are you in the right here?”

Zhuang Lin, “It’s a matter of professional ethics, not personal life.”

Li Yanyao immediately felt their values were too different to have a meaningful conversation. He thought Zhuang Lin’s stance was like saying, “Because the company’s chairman has a mistress, I won’t buy their shampoo”—standing on some moral high ground, stupid and unnecessary. If it weren’t for their long friendship, he’d have slapped him by now.

Guan Lan didn’t take Zhuang Lin seriously.

Studying abroad used to be a big deal, but it wasn’t that special anymore.

It was all about the work—whether you graduated from Juilliard or some vocational school, it didn’t matter. What mattered was your output. Juilliard graduate or YouTube influencer, back in China, you still had to prove yourself.

Besides, seeing how close he was with Li Yanyao, Guan Lan felt he wasn’t reliable.

Li Yanyao was a rich kid dabbling in the industry, relying on his looks and voice to sing and pick up girls. This Zhuang Lin might have a bit more substance than Li Yanyao, but they were cut from the same cloth. Juilliard—a world-renowned institution—wasn’t something just any family could afford. Probably only families wealthy for generations would send their kids abroad to study art.

He found NEXT, “I was planning to treat you guys to a proper meal. I had it all planned out—barbecue during the day, games at night, stay over, and send you back tomorrow morning. But now it’s not happening. If you’re bored, I’ll arrange for someone to take you back.”

Ning Xun, “No, no, we’ve already eaten more than we have in the past year. Plus, we’re getting to meet so many seniors. It’s great. Don’t trouble yourself.”

Guan Lan, “Alright, let me know when you want to leave.”

After taking care of the “little imps,” it was time to deal with the “main wife.”

Four little imps combined were still easier to handle than this one.

Zhou Junzhuo, “Surrounded by admirers, living the good life, huh?”

Guan Lan, “…Who am I surrounding myself with?”

Zhou Junzhuo, “Even if you haven’t acted on it, you’ve definitely thought about it.”

Guan Lan could only look at him with a helpless expression.

Zhou Junzhuo, after saying it, felt like he was being ridiculous, like a jealous, unreasonable spouse. It was ugly.

Others might misunderstand Guan Lan, but after knowing him for so many years, saying something like this was too harsh.

He was just filled with restless frustration, unable to stop himself from acting out, and feeling worse afterward. That Guan Lan had tolerated him for so long was a testament to his good temper.

He adjusted his mindset and softened his tone, “I just want to remind you to be careful. Don’t go around flirting with everyone. You might not mean anything by it, but others might get the wrong idea.”

Guan Lan, “Don’t worry, I know my limits. I’m just chatting with them. I’ve never crossed the line.”

You have no idea about limits.

Twenty-year-old kids, away from home, struggling in the entertainment industry. Then comes a senior with both ability and charm, caring about your work and life, taking you out to eat and relax, warm and considerate. Anyone even slightly inclined that way wouldn’t be able to resist.

Flirting without commitment is just being a jerk, don’t you know that?

For Guan Lan, being considerate and thorough came naturally to him. It seemed like he was being attentive, but he wasn’t putting in any special effort.

When Lin Xuewen had her baby, he didn’t give a red envelope. Instead, he gave her a high-end skincare gift set, beautifully packaged, with an extra tube of stretch mark cream he had specially ordered from abroad. Lin Xuewen’s husband even wondered, “Why is your apprentice so thoughtful at such a young age? Is he into you?”

But his mentor knew him better. She said, “This kid is just naturally good at handling things. It’s not intentional. He’s like this with everyone.”

Her husband still wasn’t convinced and added Guan Lan on WeChat to subtly probe.

Then Guan Lan understood. From then on, every holiday, he would send gifts to his mentor in pairs, one for each spouse, to show there was nothing inappropriate.

Lin Xuewen’s husband was a successful CEO. He told his wife, “Your apprentice really knows how to handle things. If he ever wants to leave the industry, send him to me. I’ll make him my executive assistant.”

Lin Xuewen told this to Guan Lan as a joke, and Guan Lan told it to Zhou Junzhuo as a joke.

Zhou Junzhuo didn’t think it was a joke. Look at how you’ve made her husband suspicious, and that’s your own mentor! You still haven’t learned your lesson!

If one day something happens and you run into some unreasonable brute who breaks your leg, what will you do then!

…Though, if he broke his leg, I’d take care of him, and he wouldn’t be able to go out and flirt anymore. That might not be so bad.

—Zhou Junzhuo felt that after harboring a crush for so long, he had become something of a psychological deviant.