novelraw Chapter 48 Liu Yifei sees through it all at a glance
Chapter 48 Liu Yifei sees through it all at a glance
Song Ze did not respond immediately.
He picked up the slightly cool red robe in front of him, tilted his head back, and gulped it down.
The astringent taste rolled down my throat into my stomach, and my heart suddenly started beating a little fast.
Yang Mi rested her chin on her hand, her fingertips tracing circles on the edge of the purple clay teapot, a signature "I'm just watching you pretend" smile on her lips.
"Stop with your scheming," she pushed the teapot aside. "I didn't set any traps for you. I'm just asking you one question—are you comfortable at Xingyao?"
Song Ze remained silent.
Comfortable? Zhang Juan risked her life to pave the way for him, of course he's comfortable.
But comfort does not equal safety.
With Xingyao's size, it doesn't even have the qualifications to back him up.
"You're the only one in your company who can really make a name for herself right now," Yang Mi counted on her fingers. "Bai Lu hasn't even made it yet, and the rest of the trainees can't even pass the auditions for online variety shows. Your manager is completely devoted to you, but what can she do to protect you?"
She leaned forward, and a wisp of smoke rose from the ashes of the sandalwood.
"Whether it's 80 million or 100 million, Jiaxing will cover it for you. You come here clean and honest, and focus on writing songs. You can go on variety shows if you want, or not take any if you don't. Scripts will be handed to you, you choose, and no one will dare to sign for you if you don't agree."
She paused, then her tone suddenly softened.
"Song Ze, I'm not here to do business with you."
"I'm here to follow my idol."
Song Ze was stunned.
Yang Mi picked up her cup of tea, but didn't drink it; she just held it in her hand and twirled it.
"I listened to 'Liang Liang' on repeat for a month. My assistant can testify—I played it in the car, in the makeup room, and even listened to it with headphones while waiting to film night scenes. Later, I told my team, 'Who wrote this? Find them for me.'"
She put down her teacup and looked directly at him.
"They investigated and came back saying he was a newbie, holed up in that tiny, run-down company, Xingyao, taking on all sorts of random business deals. I thought to myself, is this guy crazy? Anyone with that talent would be a marketing genius all over the world by now, but he's just trying to hide himself away."
"Later I understood."
She held up a finger and tapped him.
"You don't want to be famous at all."
Song Ze's Adam's apple bobbed.
Yang Mi didn't wait for his response and continued talking on her own.
"Don't panic, I'm not interested in your plans. Whether you want to become famous or run away, that's your freedom. I just simply think—" Her eyes curved into a smile, softening her usual shrewdness, "someone like you shouldn't be overlooked."
Song Ze looked down at the pot of ruined Longjing tea.
He finally realized what was wrong.
Song Ze leaned back in his chair, shedding the nonchalant facade he had worn before entering.
"Sister Honey," he said, his voice two octaves lower than before, "I appreciate your sincerity. To be honest, it's a bit much."
Yang Mi raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.
"But I'm the kind of person who's afraid of owing someone something." Song Ze interlaced his fingers. "If someone is good to me, I have to repay them tenfold before I can sleep. If you put these conditions in front of me, my first reaction isn't to be touched, but to calculate how many albums I have to sell in the next five years to live up to your expectations."
He smiled bitterly.
"I can't figure it out. The more I try to figure it out, the less I can sleep."
Yang Mi listened quietly, then picked up the glass of cold tea and took a sip.
Did you think I was going to say 'No need to calculate'?
Song Ze did not respond.
"Of course I'll do the math." She put down her cup, her tone becoming serious. "I'm not supporting you for charity; I believe you can help Jaywalk Studio establish its music division. You didn't have a company backing you up; you've come this far all by yourself. I'm betting on how high you can fly with a professional team. I've already done the math for you, and the conclusion is that I can afford to bet on you. So you don't need to do it again."
She stood up and picked up her trench coat.
"Go back and think about it. Call me if you figure it out, or if you don't, that's fine too. Keep writing the song, keep going on 'Singer,' and I'll still contact you first when a suitable opportunity comes along."
She walked to the door and turned back.
"By the way, if you really do run off to Sanya to go fishing—remember to send me two boxes of fresh ribbonfish."
The door opens. The door closes.
The sound of high heels gradually faded away at the end of the corridor.
Song Ze sat alone in the tea room, looking at the pot of ruined Longjing tea, and suddenly burst out laughing.
This woman.
He took out his phone and added a note next to Yang Mi's name.
The kind that doesn't need to be guarded against.
Then he hailed a car and headed straight for a private residential area outside the Third Ring Road.
Before getting off the bus, I bought a signature strawberry mille-feuille from a popular shop on the street corner.
Skillfully bypassing security patrols, they entered the building by fingerprint lock and took the elevator directly to the top floor.
The door was pulled open from the inside.
Liu Yifei stood in the entryway.
She was without makeup, wearing a light gray cotton loungewear set two sizes too big, and rabbit-patterned cotton slippers.
A feeling of complete relaxation without any warning.
Her gaze fell on the pink cardboard box, lingering for a second.
Song Ze opened the shoe cabinet and pulled out a pair of men's slippers, stepping inside.
"I bought it while passing by. The queue stretched all the way to the curb, and I figured you'd like it."
Liu Yifei took the cardboard box and placed it on the island counter, then walked back to the piano and sat down. A light and cheerful melody flowed out; it was a new piece she had recently been composing.
Song Ze sank into the sofa, opened the cardboard box, scooped out a spoonful of mille-feuille pastry, and stuffed it into his mouth.
The music stopped.
Liu Yifei turned around, rested her arm on the edge of the piano bench, and tilted her head to look at him.
"So, it's not just about delivering afternoon tea, is it?"
Song Ze tossed the plastic fork into the paper plate and smiled wryly.
"My friend Honey invited me for tea today."
"I know," Liu Yifei said in a flat tone. "She made a statement to the industry last week—Jaywalk Music is short of a leader, and she has her eye on Song Ze. Anyone who wants to poach him is welcome to try."
Song Ze was taken aback: "She's that assertive?"
"She's always been like this." Liu Yifei got up and walked to the island counter to pour water. "Yang Mi is as shrewd as a fox, but once she catches someone's eye, she'll protect them at any cost. Years ago, a newcomer under her management was replaced by the investors, and she personally flew to the set and stayed for three days to get the role back."
Song Ze paused for a few seconds, then took out his phone, opened the notes app, and slid it across the coffee table.
"The conditions she gave me."
Liu Yifei took the phone and swiped up and down to scan the lines of text.
There was no gasp of surprise. There was no astonishment at the sheer amount of money Jiaxing was spending.
She placed her phone on the piano lid, held the mug in both hands, and steam rose from her eyelashes.
Are you tempted?
Song Ze leaned back on the sofa, crossed his arms behind his head, and stared at the ceiling.
"It would be a lie to say I wasn't tempted." He paused, "but something just felt off."
Liu Yifei blew on the steam rising from the rim of the cup.
Then she said something that made Song Ze straighten his back instantly.
"Because you're not ready to be treated like this."
Song Ze suddenly looked at her.
Liu Yifei didn't look back, but looked down at the swaying water in the cup.
"You're used to keeping your distance from people. Your relationship with Zhang Juan is a working one, your relationship with Bai Lu is a collaborative one, and you can even distance yourself from the world by slacking off on dating shows. You write songs to make money, accumulate breach of contract fees, and plan to run away, and the premise of every step is—not owing anyone anything."
She raised her head, her eyes clear and bright.
"Now suddenly someone comes along and tells you: I admire you, I'll give you top-notch resources without expecting anything in return, you can leave anytime you want, just remember to send me some ribbonfish when you leave. She doesn't ask anything of you, so you don't know how to respond."
Song Ze's Adam's apple bobbed violently.
He remained silent for a full minute before nodding. His voice was a little hoarse.
"...You're the first one to understand."
Liu Yifei curled up in the single sofa, like a cat nestled in the sunlight.
"So what you're struggling with isn't just whether or not to go to Jaywalk Studio. You're thinking—why do you deserve it?"
Song Ze didn't say anything, but his expression already admitted everything.
Liu Yifei turned to look out the window.
"When I was in Hollywood, a production company offered me a contract renewal with performance-based clauses. The resources were top-notch, and the money was so much that it surprised even me. I turned it down."
She turned around and smiled.
"It's not that the terms are problematic; they're perfectly clean. It's that I had a plan in mind—if I took these things, I'd have to follow their lead from now on. It's not the contract that's binding me; it's that I can't accept it myself."
She suppressed her smile and became serious.
"But you're different from me. You're talented, have principles, and clear goals. You're not someone who'll be ruined by excessive praise. You don't need to feel indebted to Yang Mi for what she wants to give you."
"You only need to ask yourself one question—"
"If you join Jaywalk Studio, will you become the person you want to be faster?"