He realized for the first time how “don’t let good resources go to outsiders” could be used.
Though… was Jian Feiyang really considered an “insider” for Guan Junhao?
Fan Qing couldn’t help but chuckle wryly.
Still…
He raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone carrying a hint of testing.
“So, you’re really just going to give up like that?”
He didn’t know Guan Junhao very well, but he did know a little.
A few years back, Guan Junhao’s position on the variety show had basically been set in stone. Aside from occasional cameos or minor roles in dramas, there wasn’t much else.
In other words, the only thing keeping Guan Junhao fed and maintaining his popularity was this very show.
So if Jian Feiyang really became a regular, what about Guan Junhao?
What would he even do?
There was an odd silence on the other end of the line.
Guan Junhao couldn’t help but feel a pang of unease at Fan Qing’s question.
After all, who would willingly hand over a livelihood they’d been holding in the palm of their hand if they didn’t absolutely have to?
Still…
He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to speak the truth.
“Honestly, I’m not afraid of embarrassment. I’ll just tell you straight.”
He had failed before—he could never really speak the truth to the other old members, only manage awkward half-answers.
Yet here he was, able to speak honestly to someone he’d just met, Jian Feiyang. That in itself felt… strange.
“I’ve thought it over. If there really isn’t room for me there, I’ll seriously consider whether to renew my contract with the company. If it comes to it, I might just retire from the industry, settle down, get married, and live a quiet life.”
Guan Junhao spoke from the heart, but his disappointment was clear.
“Honestly, I’ve saved a few million over the years. Not a huge amount, but enough to buy a house and live a simple, stable life.”
He paused, quickly adding:
“I’m not trying to be pessimistic, just… sometimes you have to see things clearly. And Jian, you’re different. Your manager’s way better than mine, and you’re more capable than I am. You don’t have to worry about not making a living.”
His words were heartfelt.
He’d heard from Jian Feiyang that Fan Qing even managed what Jian Feiyang ate and drank.
If only his manager had been as attentive as Jian Feiyang’s, would he have ended up like this?
“That might be a misunderstanding.”
Unexpectedly, Guan Junhao heard Fan Qing’s rebuttal.
He paused, slightly puzzled.
“What misunderstanding?”
Fan Qing casually stroked Jian Feiyang’s soft hair and spoke lightly.
“You don’t know what Jian Feiyang’s situation used to be, do you?”
Guan Junhao: ?
Was there some backstory he hadn’t known?
Fan Qing briefly summarized Jian Feiyang’s previous circumstances. After hearing it, Guan Junhao let out an astonished sound.
“No way… I thought Jian was under the same manager as Jingyuan and Nie Luo? How… how could it end up like this?”
No wonder Jian Feiyang always praised Fan Qing in front of him. In comparison, it really was a world of difference!
“So having the right manager is really important, huh?”
Fan Qing’s tone hinted at more.
“It is important, but I didn’t have a choice. I couldn’t choose.”
Guan Junhao looked helpless.
He wasn’t young anymore. Losing a secure position in the entertainment world in his late twenties, nearly thirty, who would want to take him on?
“That’s not necessarily true.”
A thought gradually formed in Fan Qing’s mind. After thinking it over, he handed the phone back to Jian Feiyang.
“You two go ahead and play. Don’t let him make any hasty decisions. I’ll contact him later.”
With that, he quickly took out his own phone and stepped outside.
He had a bold idea forming.
Jian Feiyang held the phone lightly, his tone cheerful.
“Guan Ge, it’s me~”
“Hm? Aqing? He said we should go ahead and play, that he had something to take care of. Oh, and he said don’t make a decision too quickly.”
“What’s he up to? I have no idea. But Aqing usually has a plan.”
“Really?”
Guan Junhao hesitated, gritted his teeth, and hung up the call with his manager.
Fine, he’d wait!
He didn’t want to deal with the manager or the company anyway!
“…What did you just say?”
Jin Yi rubbed his eyes, half-convinced he hadn’t fully woken up.
He’d stayed up last night, furious at those two, barely sleeping until dawn. And now, Fan Qing’s call disturbed his sleep, and he didn’t even understand what the man was talking about.
“Just woke up?”
Fan Qing, noticing Jin Yi’s lazy tone, thought for a moment and, for once, decided to show a rare kindness.
“I’ll call in a couple minutes. Will you have time to wash your face?”
So the old man was only giving him two minutes to wake up, huh?
Jin Yi felt like he’d discovered a new continent.
Still… Fan Qing—what kind of person was he? This was the first time in Jin Yi’s life he’d encountered someone like him!
Damn it!
But he had to admit, it was a bit interesting.
Jin Yi actually spent two minutes washing his face, then ran over eagerly.
“So… you were saying you want to collaborate with me?”
Had he really heard that, or was it just a half-asleep hallucination?
Fan Qing nodded.
He glanced at the notes he’d just pulled up on Jin Yi and smiled with quiet significance.
“I heard that recently, Second Young Master Jin’s family happened to give you an entertainment company to practice managing?”
Jin Yi felt a little annoyed.
“Yeah… they insisted I’m old enough to start learning business and making money, so they shoved it into my hands.”
But he hadn’t even set foot in the company yet—who actually wanted to go to work willingly?
“So, Second Young Master Jin, do you have any plans for running the company?”
Fan Qing prodded, leading the conversation carefully.
Based on what he knew of this Second Young Master Jin, Fan Qing figured…
Jin Yi had… no plan.
“No plan at all,” Jin Yi admitted honestly.
“The company’s got a vice president to manage it anyway. If I need money, I’ll just swing by and check on things.”
Managing a company? That was impossible. The boy was determined to remain a lifetime playboy!
“That sounds a bit… wasteful,” Fan Qing mused, already guessing the truth.
He chuckled lightly, rubbing his thumb along his index finger.
“Wasteful?”
Jin Yi looked confused.
“Does Second Young Master Jin have a favorite sports car recently?”
Fan Qing didn’t reply directly. Instead, he suddenly shifted the topic.
“Huh? Sports car? Well, no… but there’s this new off-roader that I think is pretty amazing. Its specs are blablabla, the engine is blablabla, the manufacturer says blabity-blah… anyway, it’s great! I really want one!”
Jin Yi rattled on, spittle flying, in a full-blown excited rant.
Fan Qing ignored all the chaotic details and struck straight at the heart of the matter.
“So… have you actually gotten this off-roader, Second Young Master Jin?”
Jin Yi froze mid-sentence. After a long pause, he admitted with a glum expression:
“No… I don’t have the money.”
“Could it be that after your family handed the company to you, you’ve just been letting company funds cover your expenses?” Fan Qing guessed.
Jin Yi choked again.
“…How did you know?”
Damn! This Fan Qing was terrifying!
Bingo. Just as Jin Yi was nodding off, someone handed him a pillow. Fan Qing felt a thrill of satisfaction.
“Since that’s the case, have you considered making money from the company yourself to buy that off-roader? Relying on family money isn’t nearly as satisfying. If it’s your own money… you can’t just buy whatever you want. So… interested in working with me?”
The devil whispered, and Fan Qing once again displayed his seductive skill with words.
As expected, Jin Yi bit the bait.
Damn it! This Fan Qing was originally just an assistant, but somehow, like with Nie Luo, he’d completely trapped them both.
Even though Jin Yi didn’t really want to work, the thought of collaborating to earn money for his dream off-roader… made him wickedly excited!
“What… what exactly do you want?”
Jin Yi licked his lips nervously.
Second Young Master Jin might just be the perfect future charity ambassador—or even a matchmaker, Fan Qing mused.
“Let’s meet somewhere to talk. I’ll bring someone along for you to meet.”
“Bring… someone?”
Jin Yi froze, inhaling sharply. Wait… what?
Why bring someone? Who? Could it be… that person?
Damn! So Fan Qing was that kind of person!
Jin Yi was both shocked and excited, then agreed immediately.
“Then why not come to my place? My villa is perfect for this kind of gathering.”
Villa? Perfect?
Fan Qing raised an eyebrow. This Second Young Master Jin was clearly misunderstanding something.
But no matter. A villa was indeed suitable for a meeting—much more private than any other place.
He nodded and quickly arranged the meeting time with Jin Yi.
Afterward, he returned to his room. Jian Feiyang was still on the phone with Guan Junhao.
“Garbage company!” Guan Junhao raged.
“Garbage company!” Jian Feiyang echoed.
“Terrible manager!” Guan Junhao roared.
“Terrible manager!” Jian Feiyang repeated.
Fan Qing: ?
“Are you two cosplaying as a broken record? Or performing ‘the essence of humanity’?”
Jian Feiyang exclaimed innocently, “No, we’re just venting with Guan Ge.”
Guan Junhao: ?
You’re venting so sincerely… and it’s just ‘with me’??
“Stop shouting. Tell Guan Junhao to get ready. Tomorrow, we’re going to meet someone.” Fan Qing poured a cup of warm water and took a sip.
He frowned ever so slightly. Last night he’d only worn a biker jacket for a spin—was that still too taxing?
He quickly ordered some cold medicine from a local pharmacy. Looks like his health still needed time to recover—better to take it slow.
“Meet someone? Who?”
Guan Junhao froze.
Jian Feiyang replied obediently, “I don’t know, but Aqing has already left.”
Guan Junhao: ?
Not telling the person involved anything?
Jian Feiyang added an “oh” and said, “But usually Aqing just notifies me about things he arranges, maybe it’s just a habit.”
Guan Junhao: …So Jian Feiyang, you have natural mischief in you, huh?
But wait… what does it mean, “just notifies me about what he arranges”?
I’m not even one of their manager’s clients…
Wait a second.
Guan Junhao’s eyes widened slowly. Could it be? Could it really be?
The next day, Guan Junhao appeared before Fan Qing, dressed in a suit, as if walking a red carpet.
Meanwhile, Jin Yi arrived in sunglasses, flip-flops, and floral shorts.
Fan Qing wore a simple white shirt and jeans. Even he, usually composed, couldn’t help but be filled with question marks.
Were these two deliberately mocking him?
Silence.jpg
First update of the day~
Your friendly “pre-stocked update fairy” is still on duty~