TL: Hua
When the news of Lin Yanran going viral on the international web was first mentioned in scattered posts, the majority of people’s initial reaction was disbelief.
Especially when they heard he went viral for playing the guzheng, his haters dismissed it as even more preposterous.
[I’ll livestream eating my keyboard if Yanran knows how to play the Guzheng.]
[Hilarious. He’s so poor; where would he get the money to learn the Guzheng?]
Xie Ning sneered as he typed these two lines in the forum, convinced that these people were pulling his leg.
He was a fan of Bai Tianyu.
Years ago, he had suffered a brief bout of depression due to overwhelming pressure, and it was Bai Tianyu’s songs that helped him recover during that darkest period.
It was only natural that he became Bai Tianyu’s fan, and consequently, he naturally disliked Lin Yanran intensely.
As a fan of the opposing artist, he had thoroughly researched Lin Yanran.
He knew that this person was poor in every respect, had a particularly impoverished family, always looked desperate for money, and would participate in any trashy gigs back in the day.
Although the other party had been trying hard to whitewash himself recently, as far as Xie Ning was concerned, he could never be cleansed.
This included the so-called “divine concept stages” that everyone praised and the “inspirational life-coach persona.”
In his view, it was nothing more than being repackaged by a powerful new company that helped him establish a new image.
He would crash and burn sooner or later!
As an anti-fan familiar with Lin Yanran’s past, he still firmly believed that a fool was a fool, and no matter how beautifully packaged, he was merely an elaborate fool.
Therefore, when Yanran’s fans started trying to promote Yanran’s viral guzheng performance, he was completely skeptical.
If a person like that played, it had to be a crash course. How could it possibly be amazing?
The thought had just crossed Xie Ning’s mind when he heard his roommate, who was scrolling through short videos, exclaim loudly twice.
“Damn, this guy is kind of awesome.”
Along with his roommate’s voice, Xie Ning heard a familiar guzheng melody.
Because people online had just mentioned Yanran’s guzheng, Xie Ning was particularly sensitive to the instrument.
He immediately walked over and looked down at his roommate’s phone screen.
In the center of the screen, on an antique-style stage, a guzheng player was concentrating with his head bowed, playing the guzheng.
Dressed in flowing white robes, he had an otherworldly grace, like a banished immortal.
That ethereal appearance was so beautiful it seemed unreal…
But he was a real person, and he was…
His most hated Yanran!
Xie Ning thought he was mistaken. He snatched his roommate’s phone and put it close to his eyes to examine it carefully.
Looking sideways, vertically, and diagonally, from every angle, it was that face he hated the most.
The worst part was that even though he hated him, he had to admit that the ancient charm in his playing was perfectly captured. Paired with a face that even haters couldn’t find fault with, it was genuinely… captivating.
The video was only a very short segment, and it was the kind that a marketing account would post with commentary. Xie Ning felt uneasy after watching it. He immediately rushed back to his computer and started surfing the web faster.
He then discovered that video-sharing sites, several short video platforms, and social platforms like Weibo were already flooded with videos of [Yanran’s Guzheng Goes Viral Internationally].
This was the first time that Lin Yanran had gone viral with the general public even before people in the fan circles, like himself, who followed trends with 5G speed, could react.
He quickly opened a video-sharing site. He didn’t even need to search; the video was pushed directly onto his homepage.
In just a few hours, the views had already surpassed several million.
He immediately clicked on the video, and before the sound and picture appeared, millions of barrages of comments had already occupied the entire video page.
[Welcome to the: Mom asked me why I’m watching this video on my knees series]
[Welcome to the: Immortal Playing the guzheng series]
[Welcome to the: Making international friends drool series]
Xie Ning frowned with displeasure at the praise from ordinary viewers.
He endured the discomfort of the public fawning over Yanran, quickly skipped ahead a few seconds, and wanted to see just how impressive this performance was.
And then… he heard the perfectly adapted Farewell played by Lin Yanran.
Xie Ning was a novice regarding the guzheng, but even the most ordinary person had the basic skill to appreciate music.
Although Xie Ning was extremely reluctant to admit it, Lin Yanran had indeed adapted this Western pop song into an antique-flavored Guzheng piece. The fusion of Chinese and Western elements was just right, with no sense of discord. The auditory effect was truly excellent.
As Xie Ning listened, he couldn’t help but check the on-screen comments and realized that everyone felt the exact same way.
[This song is really sad. It’s about eternal parting, but his adaptation is particularly good. I somehow heard a feeling of being able to meet a friend even after the flowers have fallen. It’s very moving and humane, making the parting less regrettable.]
[I’m crying. It’s completely harmonious. Is this really a blend of Chinese and Western music? I thought it was originally like this.]
[Did Yanran adapt this himself? I thought he was playing from a score.]
[No one has played this song before, and there’s no sheet music online. It must be his own adaptation.]
[The adaptation is too amazing, wuwuwu. Yanran is so strong.]
Looking at the screen full of praise, Xie Ning felt that these netizens were too easily influenced.
Were they praising him to the high heavens just because he went viral on the international web? Although no one had played this song before, the combination of Chinese and Western styles wasn’t that novel, right? Many Guzheng internet celebrities in China could do it, too.
Thinking this, he was about to type: [The playing is just so-so. Why doesn’t he challenge some classical masterpieces?] when the video moved on to Lin Yanran’s second piece.
As soon as the tune started, the on-screen comments exploded.
[*Autumn Moon Over the Han Palace*! Holy cow!!]
[Ahhh! The Ten Great Classical Chinese Pieces!!!]
[This is genuinely promoting our traditional culture!]
[Oh my god, oh my god, Yanran actually played this piece abroad!!]
[I’m crying over this expressive power. Too amazing.]
[The playing is so advanced. It really feels like Master Qin, the Guzheng master.]
[How can Yanran play this so well? I cried just trying to play the simple Grade 4 version.]
[As someone who has played this piece, just watching him play makes my left hand start to hurt.]
This song brought out many people who had studied the guzheng. Seeing so many professionals give Lin Yanran such high recognition, Xie Ning silently deleted the comment he was preparing to post…
Damn it, the other party actually managed to show off.
Xie Ning looked at the two minutes remaining and couldn’t help but murmur.
He’s played a Western pop song and a classical masterpiece. He’s been praised and marketed so heavily.
Let’s see what other tricks you can pull off in the end.
Since he couldn’t easily find an angle to criticize the first two pieces, Xie Ning folded his arms and waited for Lin Yanran’s third piece.
As a self-proclaimed keyboard warrior, as long as Lin Yanran repeated a style in the next piece, he could find fault with it.
But he never in a million years expected that for Lin Yanran’s third piece, he wouldn’t even be able to find an angle to criticize.
Because… he had no idea what the person was playing.
[Nuclear Warning Ahead!! Non combat personnel evacuate at lightning speed!!][mfn]Meme used in this kind of bullet comments to warn the audience/viewer that something crazy is about to happen.[/mfn]
[Nuclear Warning Ahead!! Non combat personnel evacuate at lightning speed!!]
[Nuclear Warning Ahead!! Non combat personnel evacuate at lightning speed!!]
Autumn Moon Over the Han Palace, with its long-lasting ancient charm, had just concluded, and many people were still immersed in the classical atmosphere when the little “broadcast reporters” immediately started reminding everyone to prepare themselves.
Those who frequently browse this video-sharing site knew that content preceded by such comments was usually phenomenal.
Seeing this message, Xie Ning also instinctively pricked up his ears and focused intently on the screen.
A few seconds later, the gentle ancient tune was still lingering in the air when a series of dense and rapid string sounds immediately grabbed everyone’s attention.
[I felt something was off from the very first note! Yanran is coming out swinging with pure killing intent this time.]
[International friends: Why is the murderous aura suddenly so heavy!]
[Mom asked me why I suddenly knelt down.]
As the music progressed, Lin Yanran’s movements in the video became faster and faster, the intensity increased, and the momentum was grand.
By the time the piece reached its climax, all that could be seen in the video was his fingers quickly dancing on the strings, the speed so fast that they were almost a blur.
Netizens were stunned.
[The hand speed is so fast!! But why is every note still delivered clearly to the ear?]
[Is this what a master looks like?]
[Yanran, why is your facial expression so gentle, yet your guzheng music can kill?]
[In the middle of winter, I’m actually breaking out in a cold sweat from listening!]
[That left-hand plucking is so stunning, awesome]
[That momentum!!! A thousand troops and ten thousand horses!!]
[I confirmed with my eyes that this is someone I can’t learn from even in 800 years]
[Wuwuwu, does any master know the name of this song? Why have I played the Guzheng for ten years and never heard it? This kid desperately wants the sheet music to play along]
This piece of music was very short, lasting less than two minutes.
But after listening to it, Xie Ning’s mind could not calm down for a long time. The emotionally powerful feeling left his head buzzing.
Looking at Lin Yanran, dressed in white robes, in the video, bowing confidently and elegantly amidst the applause of all the foreigners, Xie Ning felt a moment of inexplicable pride.
He silently closed the video, his expression particularly strange.
Alright, considering that the playing was genuinely awesome, he would grant Yanran a “day of breathing rights.” He wouldn’t criticize him today.
As for the keyboard…
Can things said online be taken seriously???
As Xie Ning thought this, the final guzheng melody involuntarily surfaced in his mind again.
He had carefully read all the on-screen comments and replies but found that no one seemed to know what he was playing.
This feeling of being constantly hooked and craving for an answer was too unbearable. So, he logged into his alt account and patrolled the various social media platforms again, attempting to find the original piece.
Not just Xie Ning; other netizens felt the same way.
As a result, people posted threads on major forums, asking what the last song Yanran played was called.
Initially, many netizens who had seen through layers of marketing tactics retorted:
Stop marketing! I’ve seen this title hundreds of times. Can the water army change their strategy? Do you really think netizens are ignorant and can’t figure out a song?
Ten minutes later, the direction of the discussion shifted to:
Wuwuwuwu, I’m sorry, Teacher Yanran, I take back what I said just now. I’m here as a genuine fan. I beg a master to come forward and solve this mystery. What is the name of this song? It’s so awesome, so awesome!
More and more people were asking for the song’s name, and it even started trending on the hot searches.
Even the comments under Lin Yanran’s Weibo were half filled with compliments and declarations of love, and half were asking for the name of the third song.
Just when everyone was hoping Lin Yanran would come out and tell them, they never expected that an international fan would be the one to find the answer for everyone.
Lin Yanran’s video was popular not only because of his excellent guzheng playing and high attractiveness but also because the background was very exquisite.
Furthermore, the videographer was extremely thoughtful and captured a strong sense of atmosphere, which appealed to international viewers in every aspect.
Therefore, the speed at which his video became popular internationally was astonishing. It was being discussed and shared not only on YouTube but also on various international social media platforms.
International fans, just like domestic netizens, frequently discussed what the third song was in their conversations.
With such high discussion in a short period, a foreigner finally uncovered the song.
The person was a fan of Cao Zhengpeng and shared a treasured video from a concert a few years ago, which included a duet performance by Cao Zhengpeng and a famous Guzheng master.
It was then that domestic netizens realized that the mysterious and stunning piece was the song Beacon Fire, which Lin Yanran had previously discussed with Cao Zhengpeng on the show!
[I previously thought Yanran was bragging when he said he had heard Teacher Cao’s early concert, but I didn’t expect it to be true…]
[Holy crap, he really did go to listen to Teacher Cao’s concert. Teacher Cao wasn’t famous back then. His music appreciation level is quite high.]
[I don’t care about his music appreciation level. I just want to know: since the name of this song was so difficult to uncover, can someone tell me how Yanran was able to play it?]
[There is no sheet music for this song anywhere online, right?]
[By memory? But that concert was years ago.]
[His memory couldn’t be that good, could it? Did Teacher Cao give him the sheet music?]
Just when one problem was solved, everyone realized that the follow-up question made them even more curious than knowing the name.
After all, if he could really play it after only hearing it once, that would be too incredible!
Only the person involved could know the answer. Netizens gave up when they couldn’t guess the reason, no matter how much they speculated.
Their attention was then immediately drawn to the international fans.
Because they found that this group of people genuinely loved Lin Yanran.
Soon, a streamer did a live broadcast, translating how international fans were praising Lin Yanran online.
The praise was roughly divided into two categories:
The first category was emotional analysis.
[I used to find these ancient tunes boring, but I have to admit, I was immediately drawn in by his Farewell. Then, as I kept listening, I found that these Guzheng pieces were so mesmerizing. I admit I have fallen in love with Chinese culture through Yanran.]
[Every time I think he has touched me the most, he plays the next piece, and I find the next piece is even better.]
[Oh my god, this is truly the most beautiful music I have ever heard.]
The second category was unconditional praise.
[Sigh, sigh, Yanran is my wife, hug, hug]
[Wuwuwu, is this a fairy who walked out of a painting?]
[So handsome, so handsome, so handsome. He is too good-looking. This is my dream lover.]
[Why, why? Why does China have such a beautiful instrument and such a beautiful person?]
Listening to the streamer read out these over-the-top compliments from international fans, the bullet comments were filled with satisfaction.
“However… it’s not all like this. Although ninety-nine point nine percent of people are praising him, there are still some people from certain countries who are quite sour.”
After saying this, the streamer clicked the mouse on a block of text.
Everyone looked closely.
Good grief, people from a certain country are, as expected, never late to sourly criticize our country’s excellent people and traditional culture!
[This guzheng playing is completely inferior to our country’s national treasure master.]
[Why do you act like this is the first time someone ever played the guzheng? It’s very ordinary.]
[Aishibal[mfn]Ok I’m pretty sure this certain country is S**th K**ea💀[/mfn]~~ Is this all there is?]
After hearing the streamer’s translation, the netizens couldn’t sit still.
[Are they deliberately lying with their eyes open?]
[These sourpusses are unbearable to watch.]
[Wait for me to open an accelerator. Although I’m not a fan of Yanran, I won’t allow people from the thief nation to be so presumptuous.]
The streamer saw everyone getting agitated and comforted them, “Don’t worry, don’t worry. The clown has already been countered by Yanran’s foreign fans.”
He then casually translated one reply.
[The question is, is your national treasure master as handsome or as naturally good-looking as him?]
[May I ask where your so-called string instruments originated from?]
Hearing this, the bullet comments exploded with laughter.
[Foreigners have some subtle sarcastic skills in them.]
[Did you notice that they only dare to criticize Yanran’s guzheng skills, but not his looks, hahahaha]
[Come on, our Yanran is just a celebrity. The Guzheng is probably just a side job. Why do people from a certain country constantly bring out their national treasure masters for comparison?]
[This, of course, means that Yanran’s playing is genuinely awesome, hahaha.]
The streamer translated the comments under the video for a while and then opened a large international social media platform to translate the fans’ comments.
“Hey, hey, this person is very fervent.”
The streamer then read out the posts from this fervent fan.
“The Creator must have given you the greatest favor.”
“This is a feast, a unique art.”
“Ah, my deity, the fire of the universe cannot express my ardent love for you.”
“The most perfect man in the world must be you.”
“Those who speak ill of Yanran, please go back and look at your own face in a basin of water. This statement accepts no rebuttal.”
“He is the muse of the era, the most perfect art, an unparalleled genius.”
“Although you have returned to China, I really want to steal you back to France.”
After listening to the streamer’s cringe-worthy compliments, the bullet comments were full of “hahaha.”
[This foreign fan is too good at giving flowery compliments. I couldn’t say those words.]
[Who is this crazy man who sounds like a wife-fan?]
[How did he know Yanran’s name?]
Seeing the questions in the bullet comments, the streamer immediately went back to check the person’s profile and was shocked.
“He is Harold.”
[What about Harold?]
[Who is Harold?]
“France’s best-selling author last year.”
“Oh, and the video of Yanran going viral was uploaded by him.”
The bullet comments were silent for two seconds.
[I apologize for the intrusion…]
[The quality of this fan is truly amazing.]
The streamer realized he had stumbled upon a major figure’s homepage, so he continued to scroll down.
Then he discovered that the person had also excitedly posted a photo of the autograph he managed to get from Lin Yanran yesterday, and magically, the likes had already exceeded 800,000.
Seeing this number of likes, everyone finally realized that Lin Yanran was genuinely popular on the international web!
In fact, the domestic response was the same.
Lin Yanran’s wave of popularity even pushed the live viewership of the online translation streamer past two million.
Not only that, but his Weibo also rapidly gained followers overnight, with many foreign fans circumventing the Great Firewall to follow him.
The comments under his Weibo were full of straightforward “I love you”s and various broken Chinese declarations of affection.
However, everyone who became popular couldn’t escape the fate of being led by the trend.
Soon, people online began to question, suggesting that Lin Yanran’s sudden fame was a deliberate, meticulously planned stunt, pre-arranged and capitalizing on the opportunity of going abroad for the show.
Unfortunately, before these people could gain any traction, they were immediately shut down by Cao Zhengpeng and Gao Zitai.
Cao Zhengpeng: So the job you found was playing the Guzheng! Your performance of Beacon Fire was truly awesome. It’s hard to imagine you memorized it after hearing it only once.
Cao Zhengpeng’s tone seemed surprised but was subtly full of humble-bragging.
His true inner thought was actually: Look how talented my fan is!
However, netizens didn’t interpret it that way. They only interpreted the line “you memorized it after hearing it only once” as proof that Yanran’s memory was far from ordinary, reaching a god-tier level.
While netizens were still marveling at Cao Zhengpeng’s post about how incredible Yanran was, Gao Zitai followed up, directly confronting those who claimed it was a setup.
Gao Zitai: Script? Setup? I was with him the whole time when he went out to look for work. We both worked at the same restaurant. Who was filming us? Zhang Shanfeng’s following PDs? Is it that hard to admit someone is genuinely talented? Your mind is so narrow. If you think there’s a script, here’s a pen, go ahead and arrange one for me too.
People who had watched the live broadcast earlier had a subtle feeling that Gao Zitai’s attitude toward Lin Yanran was somewhat complicated.
But fearing an argument, everyone kept quiet.
This time, seeing him suddenly jump out like a protective puppy to fiercely defend Lin Yanran completely bewildered the netizens.
But despite the confusion, they caught a crucial detail from Gao Zitai and Cao Zhengpeng’s words.
That is, after the production team turned off the live broadcast, they had the guests go out and find work the next day.
And this performance by Lin Yanran was an improvised performance during his shift!
Soon, the official Weibo account of Incredible Journey was bombarded by netizens.
[Be smart and broadcast the first episode now, let the audience see the context!]
[VIP has been renewed. The esteemed member commands you to broadcast the first episode now!]
[You were hiding such a wonderful segment from us. You are truly cunning!]
[Promise me you are not allowed to cut even a single second of this segment of Yanran!]
Just like that, Incredible Journey exploded in popularity before they even had time to market themselves, immediately trending on the hot searches.
However, after seeing all this, netizens eventually focused their attention back on Lin Yanran.
Everyone began to wonder.
When did Yanran learn the guzheng? When did he learn French? When did his handwriting become so good?
Faced with these three deep questions from netizens, many of Lin Yanran’s old fans didn’t know how to answer.
Because they didn’t know either.
In the end, everyone discussed it without reaching a definite conclusion and could only attribute everything to the fact that Yanran never stopped improving himself during the period he was shelved and suppressed by the company.
All the wonderful things he displayed today were acquired through his accumulated effort and hard work during that time.
After reaching this speculation, netizens were once again inspired by Lin Yanran’s diligence.
Soon, the hashtags #Yanran’sEffortNeverStopped, #ThereIsAKindOfEffortCalledYanran, and #TheHarderYouWorkTheLuckierYouGet were trending in the top ten.
The international virality and domestic popularity led to tremendous attention on Lin Yanran within the domestic entertainment industry.
While Lin Yanran was still in Gu Siye’s car, at least five companies had already contacted him to discuss contract issues, including two of the most prominent and famous large companies in China.
This wave of popularity had mostly occurred while Lin Yanran was on the plane, so a lot of matters had now accumulated and were waiting for him to deal with upon his return.
After saying goodbye to Gu Siye, Lin Yanran hurried home to take a shower and then went about handling these matters one by one.
Because he had many commitments and other affairs, Lin Yanran needed a company to help him consolidate and manage everything.
Finding a new agency became more urgent, so over the next two days, Lin Yanran quickly reached out to these companies.
The companies this time were much stronger than the one Lin Yanran had terminated his contract with previously. Due to his consecutive bursts of popularity, he had much more leverage, and the various companies offered him exceptionally generous terms without him even having to ask.
However, comparing the companies, the larger ones with deeper financial resources were naturally more willing to invest. Their terms, whether for future planning or resource allocation, were particularly favorable.
After some screening, Lin Yanran kept the documents for two major companies.
One was the currently surging Shunyi Entertainment, and the other was Siyu Entertainment, a company with few artists but known by everyone in the industry.
This company’s reputation was so impressive that simply naming one of its artists was enough to convey its weight—Gu Siye.
Gu Siye had previously mentioned that his friend wanted to sign him, but Lin Yanran never imagined that this friend would be the ace agent from the same management company.
However, remembering Gu Siye’s advice not to feel pressured because of their connection, Lin Yanran took his words to heart and, putting everything aside, compared the terms of Siyu and Shunyi one by one.
After reviewing them, he ultimately decided to choose Siyu.
Yingying saw Lin Yanran’s intention and asked him, “Is it because of Gu Siye?”
“But Shunyi’s terms are also quite good. Their company has a very strong relationship with the fashion industry, so it will be much easier to secure various high-level brand endorsements and appear in major magazines. Plus, they are very good at marketing, and their overall image seems quite high-end…”
It was known in the industry that Shunyi Entertainment had recently signed many A-list artists. The company did an excellent job with their career planning and marketing, and two of their artists had successfully regained popularity and seen a surge in buzz.
With two successful examples, Yingying felt that Shunyi was much better than Siyu at generating traffic.
Lin Yanran nodded, then pointed out Shunyi’s flaw to Yingying.
“Shunyi Entertainment is indeed very good at marketing and packaging, but their flaw is also marketing and packaging. Haven’t you noticed? Every artist who joins their company is assigned a persona. While the effect might be very good in the short term, no matter how exquisite or perfect these marketed personas are, they are still just personas, not truly compatible with the person themselves. They will collapse and backfire one day.”
This is why people often feel that some celebrities suffer from persona collapses.
After Lin Yanran spoke, he thought of the three-year plan the company’s representative had confidently laid out for him during their conversation that morning.
The representative told him: “We can create the persona most aligned with market tastes for you. Now that your Guzheng playing is popular internationally, your albums can lean towards the Chinese-style, and your film and television roles can focus on the xianxia[mfn]Immortal cultivation[/mfn] genre to stabilize this image. At present, there is a shortage of artists and traffic in the traditional Chinese-style sector. I believe you can perfectly fill this gap, and the profits will be substantial.”
This short-term plan was actually a good path given his current popularity, but Lin Yanran didn’t like it.
Because once he was packaged in this way, his persona would constantly have to align with this direction.
In other words, he would always have to deliberately act as the person the audience expected him to be.
In the long run, if he ever wanted to transition, it would be extremely painful.
For him, the popularity from playing the Guzheng was just an accident. He was unwilling to forever confine himself to this single point because of it.
He still wanted to try many things in the future, create different music, and participate in different roles.
In terms of non-restriction and non-deliberate positioning, Siyu did an excellent job, giving him a great deal of autonomy.
As Lin Yanran was thinking, Hong Huixue from Siyu called him.
“Xiao Ran.” Hong Huixue’s mature and rational voice sounded. She didn’t beat around the bush and went straight to the point.
“I assume you have finished reading our company’s contract and proposal. I wonder what you think?”
Lin Yanran was not surprised by Hong Huixue’s call.
If he were an agent, knowing that other companies were also competing, he would also seize the opportunity to call first and gauge the situation.
Opportunities are seized, not waited for.
Lin Yanran was already more inclined toward Siyu, and now that Hong Huixue had called, he could feel the importance the other party placed on him.
So, Lin Yanran sincerely replied, “I believe all the terms and future plans set out by your company are fine.”
A smart person could tell the result from a single sentence. Hong Huixue didn’t say much else, smiled faintly, and said, “That’s good. If you have any other requests, you can bring them up. The company will satisfy them to the fullest extent possible.”
Hong Huixue’s words surprised Lin Yanran a little.
As is generally known, brokerage companies are not charities.
But this was the first time he had seen a company so generous and so considerate of its artists.
Although Shunyi Entertainment was also generous, there were still some stricter clauses and conditions that restricted him.
But Siyu was completely different.
The conditions they offered were already extremely good, and they were almost overly indulgent towards him.
Even with all this, Hong Huixue actually let him make any requests he wanted…
This sincerity was not just ample; it was one hundred percent.
Lin Yanran agreed, and the two arranged to meet next week to discuss the details.
After hanging up the phone, Hong Huixue immediately called Gu Siye.
“Boss, the matter you gave me is almost settled. Remember to give me a bonus after the contract is signed.”
Gu Siye let out a low, faint chuckle. “No problem, I’ll even give you another car.”
Hearing that she had earned another car, Hong Huixue couldn’t help but whistle.
“May I be so bold as to ask one more question? Why did you treat Yanran so specially?”
After speaking, Hong Huixue quickly covered her tracks, adding, “Of course, he is indeed excellent; I’m not questioning your professional judgment.”
Gu Siye chuckled softly, speaking calmly, “You said it yourself; he is excellent.”
Hong Huixue couldn’t see Gu Siye’s expression, and hearing his ordinary tone, she believed him.
After the call ended, the man by the enormous floor-to-ceiling window, looking out at the night view, showed no change in expression, but a flickering, uncertain light flashed in his eyes.
Why did I treat Yanran so specially?
What if I have selfish motives?
Gu Siye closed his eyes, giving the answer that only he knew.
Since he had memories, everything in his life, both academic and professional, had been smooth sailing. Everyone considered him a winner in life.
But only he knew that there had always been an emptiness in his heart, a feeling that a part was missing.
All beautiful and attractive things seemed bland and lusterless in his eyes.
There was a time when he couldn’t even find interest in anything.
To fill the void in his heart, he even chose to try acting to experience different lives, attempting to fill that blankness.
But the effect was minimal.
This sense of detachment from the world made him feel like an observer.
In his eyes, the world was like a black-and-white silent film, having nothing to do with him.
Until he met Lin Yanran for the first time.
A cluster of fireworks shot up into the night sky, and his entire world was illuminated.
