Chapter 169: The Pig Has Grown Up

After finishing her shopping trip, Ji Ya returned to the company and first met up with Su Xiaolin.

Following Lin Yu's successful advancement in the talent show, the next step was to negotiate his upcoming shooting contracts.

A new contract for every single episode of the show—though the exact reasoning behind this setup remained unclear, seeing the appearance fee raised by another million on the contract brought a satisfied smile to Lin Yu's face.

He had taken yet another step closer to his modest little goal of earning one hundred million first!

"If you can advance again in the next round of competition, the prize money will probably be even higher," Su Xiaolin offered a "kind" reminder.

Naturally, she wouldn't mention that this also meant a higher salary for herself.

How much could an agent make? When artists flourished, their managers' paychecks rose right along with them!

Not to mention, Lin Yu was the kind of artist who preferred his manager not to meddle in trivial matters.

Work-related affairs were personally reviewed by Ji Ya, while Lin Yu managed his private life all by himself.

Su Xiaolin basically just had to lie back and collect her paycheck.

Who wouldn't be thrilled by such a sweet deal?

...

Ji Ya still had some instructions to give Su Xiaolin, so she gestured with her eyes for Lin Yu to step outside first.

Once he had left, Ji Ya sat down on the sofa, picked up Lin Yu's work schedule that Su Xiaolin had brought from the company, and frowned.

"A-Yu has already accumulated a certain level of popularity. Judging by his current traffic and exposure, those previous contract offers are no longer suitable."

"Are the rates too low?"

"Yes."

Ji Ya analyzed the situation in a calm tone: "Did you forget my instructions?"

"To give him the company's best resources?"

Hearing this, Su Xiaolin looked somewhat aggrieved.

The gigs on that schedule were already the absolute cream of the crop, meticulously handpicked from the countless offers the company received!

Boss, if you're going to doubt my sincerity like this, I'm going to break down!

"From now on, strictly control the quality according to standards fit for an artist with a million fans, and carefully screen for the absolute best choices on his behalf."

With that final remark, Ji Ya turned around and walked out.

Su Xiaolin wore a miserable expression, ready to curse aloud!

Boss, you really spoil Lin Yu way too much!

Signing him personally was one thing, but now you're handing him all the top-tier resources the company has to offer too!

Oh, sure, and this is what you two call a completely innocent relationship?!

...

Lin Yu had just finished washing up in his room and was planning to lie down and scroll through some short videos when his phone chimed with a notification message and a knock sounded on the door simultaneously. He initially intended to check the message before answering, but then he heard Ji Ya's voice calling out.

"A-Yu, did you sneak out to mess around again?!"

What?!

Mess around?!

Was he that kind of person?!

To prove his innocence, Lin Yu hurried over to open the door.

The moment it swung open, Ji Ya barged right in, casting her gaze around the room before finally locking her eyes onto his phone.

Lin Yu instinctively wanted to hide it—mainly because... if Ji Ya were to see the messages on that phone, the consequences would be unimaginable!

Who would have thought...

Ji Ya sighed and gave a stern warning: "You'd better behave yourself tonight and not go out drinking again, you hear me?"

Seeming to guess that he wouldn't be completely obedient, she added: "I'm warning you, Xiao Lin has been placed in the room right next to yours. If you dare to sneak out, you're finished!"

Lin Yu blinked with a look of pure grievance: "How can you do this?"

"Why on earth not?"

"She's my manager and I'm her artist. Living right next door is going to make people suspicious."

"As long as you don't harbor any crooked thoughts, nothing will happen."

"Get to sleep right now. If you disobey me, don't blame me for twisting your ear."

With a cool parting shot, Ji Ya watched him climb into bed before finally turning around to leave with peace of mind.

Yet the moment she departed, Lin Yu popped his head out from under the covers, looked left and right, and after confirming that the boss was truly gone, pulled out his phone to check the message from earlier.

It was from Wang Fei.

[Grab a beer?]

Well, well, well—so all that sweet and obedient act back at the production studio was just a front?!

Couldn't even wait, huh?

As expected!

A man's words are nothing but deceitful lies!

Claiming he'd never drink again, declaring that alcohol was a waste of life—all completely fake.

In reality, they were all total lushes!

Of course, he was one too.

[Let's go!]

Replying swiftly, he scrambled into a change of clothes and bolted out the door!

...

The three of them quickly converged at the hotel entrance. Si Shaozhe pulled his hat down low with a panicked expression, glancing left and right. Making sure his "elder sister" was nowhere in sight, he still asked with a trembling voice,

"Are we really going for beer?"

Lin Yu and Wang Fei looked at him as if he were a complete idiot: "Why else would you have come downstairs?"

The hailed cab arrived at the curb, and to their surprise, it was the same kind-hearted driver uncle from yesterday.

The driver looked amused upon seeing the three of them and chuckled teasingly, "Well, well, sneaking out behind your wives' backs again?"

Lin Yu and Wang Fei each grabbed one of Si Shaozhe's shoulders, shoved him into the back seat, and laughed back at the driver, "That's right."

"Oh? Dragged along against your will again?"

Si Shaozhe: "..."

Stop with the "Oh's"! He was a top-tier celebrity for crying out loud, didn't he deserve a shred of dignity?!

"Are the three of you heading to yesterday's bar again?"

Lin Yu shook his head: "Nonono, just drive for now, we'll see along the way!"

...

The car came to a smooth halt in front of the bar's entrance. Remembering the trouble they had stirred up at that quiet pub the day before, the three of them certainly wouldn't dare return there.

They had originally wanted to just listen to some good music and enjoy a few drinks in peace—though as for yesterday's fiasco, Si Shaozhe was entirely to blame.

"Your alcohol tolerance is trash, so drink less once we're inside."

"You got so sloshed yesterday that it became a whole issue with the managers, and now we're forced to go clubbing instead!"

The two men cast stern warning glances at him in unison.

"Once we get in there, you stick close to us! If you can't hold your liquor, don't drink!"

"Save us the trouble of you pulling another stunt. I really can't deal with you."

Si Shaozhe wore a face plastered with question marks.

If they found him such a burden, they shouldn't have dragged him out here by force, dammit!!

"Let's try to keep a low profile tonight and stay out of trouble so we don't get chewed out when we get back."

Si Shaozhe scratched his head with an innocent look: "I didn't want this either! Yesterday's incident... was mainly because the singer on stage was just so..."

The two men exchanged glances. What he said made sense, but it was still fundamentally his fault.

...

Together, the three of them stepped into the bar, where the marketing manager greeted them with a beaming smile.

Lin Yu and Wang Fei browsed the digital menu to place their order. Through several previous drinking sessions, they had learned the hard way that ordering expensive, high-end liquor had far less severe repercussions on the body the next day.

As they placed an order for several bottles of top-shelf imported spirits costing tens of thousands, the marketing manager's eyes narrowed into slits from grinning so widely.

Did these three wealthy yet utterly clueless fools not realize that no matter how expensive the liquor you order is, you'll never actually get genuine alcohol in a nightclub?

With the drinks ordered, the three of them started chatting, and Wang Fei steered the topic first.

"Hey guys, the next episode is recording ahead of schedule. If we finish early, do you want to grab some more drinks afterward?"

Just then, the drinks were brought to the table, personally served by a young woman dressed in revealing, scant attire.

As she leaned forward, her skirt—barely long enough to cover anything—dipped just enough to offer a tantalizing glimpse of the scenery within.

Watching her pour the drinks, all three men tacitly averted their gaze, making sure not to look where they shouldn't.

"Why wouldn't we?" Lin Yu chuckled softly, and then he and Wang Fei both turned their eyes toward Si Shaozhe.

Both of them had already made up their minds; now it all depended on what this kid thought.