Meanwhile…
“What did you say? Jian Feishuo agreed to let Jian Feiyang appear on a variety show? Or was it about Guan Junhao?”
Jing Yuan stared at the agent, eyes wide in disbelief. How could this be?
The agent took a long drag, his hoarse voice raspy.
“Not just that. There’s something else. Nie Luo seems to have found out, and now you’re being sent to handle him on ‘Tomorrow’.”
He slowly curved his lips into that usual gentle smile.
“Still, my brother’s the best to me. Nie Ge… he might just be a bit too ambitious, so don’t take it to heart.”
The agent waved his hand.
“That’s not a problem.”
Not a problem?
Jing Yuan’s smile faltered for a moment.
The next second, he heard words he didn’t want to hear.
“The problem is, he secretly contacted the production team in advance and gave up this spot.”
Gave up?
Jing Yuan was stunned.
That was Tomorrow, a top-tier variety show! Nie Luo actually just… gave it away?
If that was the case, what about the opportunity for himself?
The agent, clearly irritated, spoke again.
“I don’t know what he was thinking. Isn’t such a golden opportunity a waste if he doesn’t take it? Now he’s willing to give it up for someone else. If it’s meant for someone, why not give it to someone on our side?”
Nie Luo’s action was practically a slap in the face.
Jing Yuan had already tested the waters with the production team several times, and now Nie Luo had suddenly stepped in to hand over the slot, leaving the team scrambling to adjust plans behind the scenes.
Jing Yuan readily agreed.
“Yeah, I really don’t understand what Nie Ge is thinking.”
If Nie Luo doesn’t want it, why shouldn’t he take it?
Jing Yuan’s next words slipped out.
“Brother, my upcoming schedule…”
His tone carried urgency; he had rearranged many commitments for this variety show, leaving a significant gap that could harm his popularity.
“Do you think I haven’t considered this?”
The agent was a little exasperated.
“Nie Luo’s move caught me completely off guard. If you’d been on Tomorrow, your value would have surged. I already turned down projects that couldn’t offer the right terms, so now I can’t find a suitable resource for you!”
Disaster after disaster!
For the first time, Jing Yuan found this agent completely foolish.
Why refuse outright? Didn’t he know that once his fame rose, even higher offers would come naturally?
Truly… an idiot.
Jing Yuan was still annoyed when his phone suddenly lit up.
Instinctively, he glanced at it.
Jian Feishuo? What could he want…
Wait.
Suddenly, Jing Yuan’s frustration gave way to hope.
This was exactly what he needed.
Without Tomorrow, there was still another variety show he could join.
“Alright, just make sure the production team keeps an eye on Ah-Yang then.”
After hanging up, Jian Feishuo’s expression was stone-cold.
Fan Qing sipped his health tea, reclining comfortably into the sofa.
The couch, though unassuming, was surprisingly soft and supportive.
Once he moved out of that cramped rental, he might consider getting one like this—if the person was still willing to see him, that is.
Fan Qing remained calm.
“…You already guessed he would agree?”
Jian Feishuo noticed Fan Qing’s relaxed demeanor and asked.
“Mr. Jian, you flatter me,” Fan Qing replied, taking another sip of tea.
“I’m not a fortune-teller reading Jing Yuan’s mind. I couldn’t have guessed.”
He had merely noticed, while observing Nie Luo, a recommendation about a newcomer appearing on a variety show.
Combined with his memory of the novel where Jing Yuan had been on that show, it was easy to deduce that this program, like in the original plot, likely belonged to Nie Luo.
Being a top-tier project, anyone—even someone at Jing Yuan’s current fame—wouldn’t lightly rearrange their schedule for it.
So freeing up time for this show was perfectly logical.
However…
Nie Luo’s actions diverged from the original story.
Fan Qing squinted, sipping his tea.
While he expected Jing Yuan to latch onto Jian Feishuo’s hook, Nie Luo’s move—why did it differ from the original plot?
Could the butterfly that shouldn’t have existed have caused this outcome?
A faint, gleeful glint shone in Fan Qing’s eyes, obscured by the haze.
Jian Feishuo caught sight of it, alarm bells ringing in his mind.
“I thought answering others’ questions first was just basic courtesy.”
The displeasure in Jian Feishuo’s expression was undeniable.
“I thought I’d already answered Mr. Jian’s question.”
Fan Qing set down his cup.
“Though I don’t know why Mr. Jian would follow advice from an outsider like Jing Yuan to suppress Jian Feiyang, I believe once Jing Yuan and Jian Feiyang appear on the show together, Mr. Jian will naturally see whether Jing Yuan’s suggestion was well-intentioned or not.”
Jian Feishuo frowned.
“And if he doesn’t have good intentions toward Ah-Yang? What about his safety…”
“Mr. Jian, you flatter me,” Fan Qing said, standing.
The tailored cut of his suit revealed a tall, straight posture, the straight legs and erect shoulders leaving no trace of the recent slight hunch he had.
“Jian Feiyang going on the show? Naturally, I’ll be keeping an eye on him. His safety is my responsibility.”
“Just you?”
Jian Feishuo’s suspicion flared.
“You’re just a lowly assistant. If something happens, what could you possibly do…”
“Hm?”
Fan Qing suddenly stepped forward, and the face Jian Feishuo had never properly looked at suddenly loomed right in front of him.
For the first time, Jian Feishuo noticed the eyes behind Fan Qing’s glasses.
Clear. Pure. Not because of innocence or naivety.
But because this person knew exactly what he wanted.
In that instant, Jian Feishuo instinctively recoiled.
Yet Fan Qing’s voice reached his ears first, a low, almost hypnotic whisper that seemed to pull at his mind.
“You haven’t forgotten our deal, have you? Before Jian Feiyang goes on the show, I should already be his manager. Isn’t that right?”
Jian Feishuo froze, a flash of irritation crossing his mind at his earlier instinct to dodge.
But he thought: just a small assistant—so what if he became a manager? His status didn’t entitle him to come this close!
As such thoughts crossed his mind, Jian Feishuo stepped back sharply, showing clear displeasure.
“You don’t need to remind me this way. It’s a deal, and I certainly haven’t forgotten.”
Fan Qing, having just straightened, paused mid-step.
?
What method had he used?
What was Jian Feishuo even talking about?
The thought vanished as quickly as it appeared.
As long as Jian Feishuo fulfilled what he agreed to, the rest didn’t matter.
Jian Feishuo acted swiftly.
When Fan Qing saw the official announcement from the show confirming Jian Feiyang and Jing Yuan, his status officially changed—from a mere assistant to a manager.
Though still constrained by the company, the manager title already gave him significant leverage compared to his previous assistant role.
For instance, managing Jian Feiyang’s Weibo account.
Even with mental preparation, Fan Qing was taken aback when he accessed it.
It was just a Weibo account with verifiable credentials—but the account was pristine, almost as if the user didn’t exist.
Fan Qing remained silent for three seconds before selecting a photo of Jian Feiyang he had previously taken and posted it.
Afterward, he pinged Director Ma, who quickly tagged Jian Feiyang’s account—naturally, Jing Yuan’s account wasn’t left out either.
Neither Fan Qing nor Director Ma would leave room for criticism.
Jian Feiyang’s post gained traction quickly, and Jing Yuan’s account followed suit.
With both official accounts sharing posts, the fact that two newcomers would join the next episode became undeniable.
Previously incited fans suddenly found themselves in an awkward position.
Guan Junhao’s fans fared slightly better; though upset initially, his frequent posts about recovery plans and rehab during hospitalization kept their focus on him, not others.
Jing Yuan’s fans, however, were more embarrassed.
Some passersby recalled their earlier antics and couldn’t help mocking.
“Hilarious! Previously, someone was hopping around claiming their brother’s status wouldn’t let him do this low-tier variety show. Now, does it hurt to see reality?”
“Exactly. And do they really think people wouldn’t recognize them even after pretending? Everyone knew who they were messing with before—stop pretending!”
“Just curious—JY’s here, and the other one is a total newcomer. Are they really comparable? This makes no sense…”
“Yes, the newcomer isn’t qualified. So JY shouldn’t come down to this low-tier show. Just stay high up in the sky! And yes, it’s unfair—the newcomer and JY are from the same company and same manager, yet nobody seems to notice!”
Fans had truly become terrifying.
Jian Feiyang’s gaze went vacant, looking at Fan Qing with confusion.
“Ah-Qing… why are you showing me this?”
Fan Qing studied him calmly for a moment before putting away his phone.
“Nothing, just letting you know that Weibo is a bit chaotic now. From now on, your account will be under my management.”
Jian Feiyang slowly typed a question mark.
He thought: but… Ah-Qing, can’t you just do this directly? Why hurt my little heart first?
Even if Jian Feiyang internally grumbled, he obediently followed Fan Qing’s guidance, monitoring his own physique and stamina.
By the time the show began, faint lines of abdominal muscles were visible around his waist.
Jian Feiyang touched them in awe.
“Ah-Qing, I think I’m starting to see eight-pack abs! And a shark line!”
It was the first time he had seen anything like this on himself—a little shocked by how fit he looked.
Fan Qing scrutinized him, letting out a small sigh.
“Too bad there isn’t enough time.”
Faint lines still couldn’t compare to well-defined abs—they lacked visual impact, especially on camera.
However, considering Jian Feiyang had never been managed for fitness before, even half a month of effort yielding such results was satisfactory.
Fan Qing casually traced his own abdomen with his fingers, noting silently how much less developed his own foundation was in comparison.
Clearly, his training was even more brutal than Jian Feiyang’s, yet to this day he still hadn’t managed to carve out even a hint of definition.
Thinking of that, a trace of regret crept into Fan Qing’s eyes.
But…
An image suddenly flashed through Fan Qing’s mind—the body that could only be described as flawless.
Recalling the strength and warmth he’d once held in his palms, Fan Qing’s Adam’s apple bobbed lightly.
That—that was the perfect body he had long dreamed of.