Chapter 28 – The New Rap Sensation

“You’re mine.”

Oh my God, that sounds like a declaration of love!

Shen Fubai was ready to perform an acrobatic dance, flipping his lute and soaring through the air like a celestial being from Dunhuang.

Ever since meeting Jiang Heng, Shen Fubai had mastered the art of flying high, both literally and figuratively. Jiang Heng could make him feel weightless, detached from reality, lost in a daze, soaring thousands of miles away.

Shen Fubai’s eyes curved into a playful smile. “Sure. I’ll sign a contract selling myself to you; from now on, I’m yours.”

Shen Fubai knew that Jiang Heng was merely discussing a work contract with him, nothing more than business. But couldn’t he refrain from using such a tender tone?

He felt like he was signing a sugar daddy contract, being kept as a pet.

Shen Fubai wasn’t fond of the money-driven transactions within the industry, but if it was Heng Heng… Well, no need to think twice. He was all in. Please don’t spare him, this delicate flower.

He was doing this willingly!

Jiang Heng’s heart fluttered, suppressing the urge to take flight on the spot. He maintained a calm facade. “You’ll have absolute freedom. The studio won’t force you into jobs you dislike. You can take a break whenever you want. You’ll get first pick of resources, and the split will be eighty percent to you, twenty percent to the studio.”

Listen to this—it sounded like a perfect dream.

Shen Fubai was stunned. “An eighty-twenty split?”

Was this nurturing talent or worshipping deities? Sheng Entertainment, the black-hearted company, split profits fifty-fifty with its artists, which was already outrageous. Even Huayao, known for its integrity, offered a seventy-thirty split, with the artist getting the larger share.

An eighty-twenty split? Wasn’t that a recipe for bankruptcy? Did they even have a clue about business? Did they care about making money?

Jiang Heng: I’m a braindead fanboy. I don’t want money, I just want you.

If it weren’t for fear of being too forward, Jiang Heng would have given Shen Fubai the entire studio for free and worked for him.

Shen Fubai doubted his own hearing. “Did I hear that right? You only want twenty percent? That’s too… little.”

I don’t mind being your money-making tool, Heng Heng!

Jiang Heng grew nervous. “Is it too much? How about ninety-eighty? Ninety percent to you, two percent to me.”

Shen Fubai: “…”

Shen Fubai: “You might as well gift me the studio.”

Jiang Heng: “It’s not out of the question.”

Shen Fubai: “…I was joking.”

With such incredible benefits, Shen Fubai was tempted to jump ship and join Jiang Heng’s studio immediately. It wasn’t really about the money; what mattered was that under Jiang Heng’s banner, he would officially become an artist under Jiang Heng’s studio. With Heng Heng’s name attached, he would effectively become part of the Heng Heng family!

But it wasn’t the right time. At least not until after the drama “Pear Blossoms” premiered.

The scandal over his contract termination would inevitably cause a stir, adding another blot to his non-existent scandalous history. He could imagine the number of people who would accuse him of betrayal. Such a controversy could negatively impact Director Xu’s new drama’s ratings.

After finishing their meal, Jiang Heng was called away. He had a scene to shoot with a veteran actor and needed to rehearse lines with his senior.

Jiang Heng acknowledged the call and bid farewell to Shen Fubai. Shen Fubai nodded, watching him leave before continuing his solitary walk under the sun.

He had work to do in the afternoon as well, needing to head to the makeup room for styling. However, he assumed that Yang Yingying’s makeup wasn’t finished yet, so he didn’t want to disturb her.

The sun shone overhead, and flowers smiled at him.

Recalling Jiang Heng’s invitation earlier, Shen Fubai felt that the sunlight was warm and the breeze gentle. The world seemed utterly delightful.

He walked to a secluded area, ensuring no one was around, and let out unrestrained screams and shouts.

“Ahhhh! He ate my food! He threw away my bowl for me! He invited me to join his studio! And he told me to do whatever I want!”

If Shen Fubai had a handkerchief in his hands, he would have bitten it to suppress his excited emotions.

“You’re rapping?” A cold female voice came from behind the wall.

In a split second, Shen Fubai composed himself. “Sister Li?”

Li Man entered from the gate, looking at Shen Fubai with interest. “Are you planning to switch careers again? Just when you became an actor, now you want to be a rapper? Your shouting has quite a rhythmic sense.”

“I’m flattered, but with my broken voice, I can’t be a rapper. At best, I could become material for ghostly video edits,” Shen Fubai said.

Li Man: “…You’re too self-aware.”

“There’s no helping it. One must know their place in life,” Shen Fubai shifted the topic. “Sister Li, why are you here today?”

Managers were not personal assistants; they generally didn’t follow their artists around all day.

Li Man explained, “Xiao Lin called in sick. Since he’s not here, I have to come and keep an eye on you.”

“It’s alright, Sister Li. I’m not helpless. There’s no need to worry about me…” Shen Fubai was touched. Sister Li usually appeared strict, but she genuinely cared for him.

Li Man sneered. “Who’s worried about whether you can take care of yourself? I’m afraid that without anyone to manage you, you’ll go wild.”

Shen Fubai: Do you have to know me so well?

“Tell me, what did you have for lunch today?” Li Man was well aware of Shen Fubai’s gluttonous nature. Having a metabolism that allowed him to eat without gaining weight wasn’t enough; his diet also needed to be healthy. Despite Shen Fubai’s constant requests for snacks, sweets, and additional meals from Xiao Lin, everything was controlled within reasonable limits. Li Man chose to turn a blind eye to it.

Today, with Xiao Lin absent, Li Man was very concerned that Shen Fubai would indulge himself and order a feast fit for an emperor.

Shen Fubai feigned innocence. “What am I supposed to eat? Without Xiao Lin around, I didn’t dare venture out alone. I grabbed a boxed meal from the set, and there was even scrambled eggs with tomatoes.”

Of course, he wouldn’t mention swapping meals with Heng Heng. That was their sweet little secret.

Li Man remarked sarcastically, “How tragic.”

“Yes, I’m truly pitiful. My shredded green pepper and pork only had green peppers and no pork. And then there was radish and cabbage. How miserable I am,” Shen Fubai pretended to wipe away tears.

Compared to Shen Fubai’s usual standard of living, his experience today was indeed quite distressing.

Li Man pulled out a tissue from her bag and handed it to him.

“Thank you.” Shen Fubai got carried away with his act, sniffled, and wiped away nonexistent tears.

Li Man interrupted: “I’m telling you to clean the oil stains from the corner of your mouth—you seem to have eaten some braised pork.”

Shen Fubai: “…oh.”

You should have played along with my performance.

Shen Fubai wiped his mouth clean and looked around, finding no trash bin. He crumpled up the tissue and stuffed it into his pocket.

Li Man glanced at her watch. “Why haven’t you gone to get styled at this hour? Are you slacking off because no one’s managing you?”

Shen Fubai defended himself. “I’ve been wronged. Someone else is using the makeup room.”

Li Man frowned. “Who?”

Shen Fubai replied, “Yang Yingying.”

Li Man’s brows furrowed even deeper. “The makeup room belongs to you. What’s she doing there? I’ll go and ask her to leave.”

Li Man, striding in her heels with a fierce aura, resembled a nun ready to mete out punishment. Shen Fubai quickly stopped her. “Sister Li, forget it. She has scenes to shoot in the afternoon as well. Makeup rooms are scarce, and I didn’t need it earlier. It’s fine if she uses it.”

Li Man countered, “But you need it now.”

Shen Fubai shrugged. “It’s not a big deal. I can wait a bit longer.”

Li Man stated, “Wine, you climbed to the top of the entertainment industry not to yield to others.”

Shen Fubai whispered, “I really don’t think it’s a big deal.”

Li Man spoke earnestly. “You’re not a newcomer to this circle; you should understand the rules here. In this place, those with talent receive better treatment. You don’t have to be humble. Others may not appreciate it and might see your good-naturedness as an opportunity to climb up using you.”

Shen Fubai explained, “I’m not being humble. She’s applying her makeup, and it doesn’t matter if I wait a bit longer…”

Li Man slapped her palm, frustrated. “Stay away from women like Yang Yingying. Haven’t you heard about her reputation? If you let her stay in your makeup room for a while today, believe it or not, tomorrow’s news will say that you two had a wild romp in there?”

Shen Fubai lowered his head. “I don’t understand.” Why must we assume the worst of people?

Li Man raised her voice. “You understand!”

Shen Fubai fell silent.

…Yes, he understood.

In the industry, positions were fiercely contested, leading roles were coveted, and every misstep could be magnified to the extreme. Media and netizens alike would overanalyze every detail, tearing apart celebrities for tripping, fainting, or getting involved in scandals. No one knew the truth behind these incidents. Everyone wanted to rise to prominence, and using tactics to gain attention was common.

But Shen Fubai found it baffling how people could engage in bitter feuds over trivial matters like wearing the same outfit, having identical rings, or standing in the same queue. He couldn’t comprehend why incidents like tripping and flashing, or even dating, which involved privacy, made headlines.

Perhaps he understood. People loved gossip, and celebrities sought attention, resulting in a win-win situation where no one lost. After so many years in the industry, he wasn’t a naive innocent. He just refused to conform to the established norms.

Maybe he loved acting for its own sake, not for the adoration of the masses, nor for the noisy and complex world of fame and fortune.

But being in the industry meant he couldn’t avoid being entangled in these matters. Here, if you acted too dignified, they’d say you were putting on a front. If you talked about dreams, they’d mock you as ridiculous. It seemed everyone was driven solely by money and fame, with no room for those who genuinely enjoyed singing, dancing, or acting. And if there were any, once they entered this cauldron, they were bound to be tainted black.

Shen Fubai said, “I think Yang Yingying’s acting skills are pretty good.”

Yang Yingying had been in the industry for eight years and remained stuck in the third tier. She was strikingly beautiful, but her excessive sensuality led to her playing vicious supporting roles repeatedly, leaving a deep impression on audiences as a conniving woman. Online, she received even harsher criticism than Shen Fubai.

Rumors abounded that she was kept by a wealthy benefactor—how could someone so gorgeous not be? Her sexy image and continuous stream of scandals had subjected her to countless slanderous remarks, tarnishing her reputation.

For someone like Shen Fubai, whose fans were mostly female, it was crucial to distance himself from her to avoid getting caught up in unnecessary rumors. Li Man’s concern was not unfounded.

Shen Fubai hadn’t interacted with Yang Yingying before. He only remembered seeing her play a wicked second female lead on TV long ago and thought she was a skilled actress. If viewers cursed her character, didn’t that prove she had succeeded in immersing herself in the role? How could that be a reason to attack an actor?

As for the sugar daddy rumors… Honestly, if she had a sugar daddy, would Yang Yingying have struggled in the third tier for eight years? She would have soared to stardom long ago. Judging someone’s character based on their appearance was absurd.

Shen Fubai didn’t like how Li Man spoke ill of Yang Yingying, so he said, “Sister Li, she might not be like that.”

Li Man responded, “Regardless of what she’s really like, in the public’s eyes, she’s not a good person. Getting involved with her brings nothing but trouble. Remember to keep your distance from her during the filming of this drama. It’s wise to be cautious of others.”

Shen Fubai lifted his gaze. “But Sister Li, in the public’s eyes, I’m just a vase who can’t sing in tune, can’t dance, has zero acting skills, and has a bad temper.”

How could one believe the words of the masses?

Li Man was taken aback, her attitude softening.

As a manager in the entertainment industry for so many years, she understood the world. But she had been with this child for six years and understood him as well.

In a world filled with deceptive appearances and hidden darkness, Shen Fubai was different.

He was a touch of white amidst the myriad of extravagance.

Li Man, now more gentle, asked, “But isn’t it true that you can’t sing in tune, can’t dance, have zero acting skills, and have a bad temper?”

Shen Fubai: “…” Let’s call it quits, Sister Li.