Chapter 82: Just the Unspoken Rules

"Will Ayu go on stage and immediately perform the legendary broom-and-dung Lu Bu act? That's hilarious."
"This is a talent show, not a fight club!"
"You bunch of fools, seriously, it's a waste that none of you are screenwriters."
"Quick question: Is scalper selling tickets for 250 an insult directed at me?"
"Damn, we're already at the scalper ticket-selling stage?"
...
After handing over the account to Xiaolin, she logged in and was stunned by the flood of comment notifications and likes that popped up.
This kid's got it—his very first post on Weibo drew such a crowd, and the comment section for 'Decent' on OO Music had over ten thousand messages. Suddenly, she understood why Ji Ya wanted to treat Lin Yu differently.
A fresh graduate with no background and little strength, but boundless potential. Xiaolin’s impression of him shifted dramatically.
This was a promising trend; it was up to him to see how he'd develop from here.
Ji Ya was still busy with meetings, so Xiaolin took it upon herself to manage interactions with 'Talent Show.' Of course, she didn’t forget to promote the show, conveniently attaching the listening link for 'Decent.'
On OO Music, 'Decent' ranked fifth in plays, and had climbed to third on the new songs chart.
Past eleven o'clock, Ji Ya rubbed her tired brow as she listened to Xiaolin report that Lin Yu had just left the recording studio. Her eyes brightened—was Ayu secretly working on a new song again?
His body had barely begun to recover from its wounds, and already he was quietly making progress, writing songs in his spare time. He was working hard.
But when Ji Ya found him in his office, he was sound asleep. She asked the studio staff and learned he'd only gone in to marvel at the professional equipment.
She felt a pang of frustration.
Her anticipation evaporated instantly, and she bristled with indignation. Everyone else was working hard, and here he was napping?
She walked over, crouched down, and poked his face with a pen.
He didn’t wake, only raised his hand to scratch his cheek.
Ji Ya frowned and poked him harder.
He suddenly rolled over, mumbling as if protesting the disturbance to his sleep.

By this point, Lin Yu was awake. As he turned, he squinted open his eyes to see who was teasing him, discovered it was Ji Ya, and deliberately continued to pretend to sleep.
Seeing how soundly he slept, Ji Ya grabbed his ear and twisted it hard.
"Ah!"
His sharp cry startled Xiaolin, who was standing at the door. She pushed it open to find Ji Ya tugging Lin Yu’s ear. Lin Yu, fifteen centimeters taller than her, bent slightly, while Ji Ya, at one sixty-five, stood on tiptoe.
She teased him, and he laughed.
The scene looked suspiciously like a lovers’ spat.
Though Xiaolin was young, her family had served as stewards and assistants to the Ji family for generations. The man at the old master’s side was her brother.
She’d grown up alongside Ji Ya, but rarely saw the young lady display such intense emotion. Ji Ya had always been taught never to reveal too much emotion in front of others.
This was the price of standing at the top: always worried that a fleeting expression or gesture might impact the company. Recently, the hottest online topic was about a certain tech company president whose face was stiff as a robot at press conferences, expressionless even when drinking water.
But all these rules crumbled in front of Lin Yu.
Ji Ya easily noticed Lin Yu’s cooperation, and her smile was harder to suppress than Ak’s.
"Enough fooling around. Come eat with me."
Lin Yu scratched his head—was he yanked awake just for a meal?
He hadn’t expected the boss to be such a foodie! More importantly, a foodie who sought company for meals!
Seeing Xiaolin was there too, they invited her along and headed to a restaurant.
Ji Ya, a VIP at the city’s top restaurants, ordered quickly, and the dishes arrived in no time. Before eating, Ji Ya questioned Lin Yu.
"Ayu, have you prepared for your debut show?"
Xiaolin chimed in, "The debut's planned as a promo for 'Decent.' The song's trending online, so we’ll reinforce the audience’s impression. The flight to the filming location is booked—a private jet leaves tonight at ten, lands at eleven thirty."
Ji Ya nodded with satisfaction. Xiaolin was only twenty-one, but her upbringing was far superior to most, and her family’s steward tradition gave her keen insight.
"So, have you chosen the song for the next round?"
"I've already picked a few popular old songs for Ayu to choose from."
"Has he decided?"

After their conversation, both women turned to Lin Yu for the final question.
Watching their seamless, serious dialogue, Lin Yu had thought himself an outsider, as if everything was decided for him. Now, he finally had a chance to speak his mind.
"I don’t intend to do a cover."
During this period of skyrocketing popularity, covering any song would be working for someone else. It was better to sing his own.
He had indeed made preparations in the studio—he’d simply conspired with the recording teacher to trick the boss into thinking he hadn’t done much. Based on his previous songs’ performance, surprising the women was far more rewarding than telling them in advance.
Ji Ya trusted him, asked no further, and Xiaolin wasn’t one for gossip. She simply bowed her head and quickly settled with the show staff that if Lin Yu advanced, his own soundtrack would be played. She soon nodded to Ji Ya, indicating all was handled.
"Sister Xiaolin, you’ll be coming along, right?"
Xiaolin glanced at Ji Ya, and the two women exchanged a wordless look.
Lin Yu, you’re still too young.
"If Xiaolin isn’t there, you wouldn’t survive the first round."
"Xiaolin represents the strongest face of Jifei Agency. With her present, the show staff and veterans will show you respect."
"But rest assured, most of the senior participants this time are from our company—they are your true seniors. If you encounter any issues, someone will lend you a hand."
"Still, you must rely on your own ability. Don’t let yourself be mocked as someone who can’t stand on his own."
Xiaolin was amazed. In her twenty years of knowing Ji Ya, this was the first time she’d heard her speak so much in one breath.
Xiaolin added sharply, "If not for Jifei and the boss, you wouldn’t even have been invited."
Lin Yu knew all about the unspoken rules of the circle; he’d read plenty online, and after entering society in his past life, he’d been battered by reality. He understood the complexities of relationships and vested interests.
Without Jifei, he wouldn’t be here, able to join the show.
Ji Ya saw his solemn expression and reassured him, "Don’t worry. To put it bluntly, the organizers are just trying to capitalize on your current popularity and traffic. It’s mutual exploitation, nothing more."
"You’re lucky—the spot was originally meant for another producer, but due to certain reasons, he didn’t sign the contract. The vacancy happened to be filled by you."