"But you can't make a decision this hastily, can you?" Xu Chun rubbed his temple. "Do Mom and Dad know?"
"No."
Xu Chun was about to lose his temper. "Then hurry up, pack your things, and get back home."
"Why should I?" Xu Jin's face turned red. "Bro, you have no right to interfere!"
Xu Chun looked at the little brat and felt his hands itching, but in the end, he could only sigh helplessly and try to persuade him in a gentle voice. "This industry isn't as simple as you think. You jumped into it on impulse without discussing it with the family. I'm afraid you'll regret it someday."
Xu Jin wouldn't listen to any of that right now. He was adamant that if Xu Chun could do it, so could he.
Xu Chun was at a loss. He rubbed the space between his brows helplessly. "All right, hurry back. I'll tell Mom and Dad in a bit."
Hearing that, Xu Jin knew Xu Chun was still angry and hurriedly made his escape.
He had just rounded a corner when he bumped into a hard, broad chest. He was about to curse the person out, but when he looked up, he froze.
How could he not recognize this man? It was Xie Jianyuan, the superstar who had been wildly popular lately.
But why did this superstar have a habit of eavesdropping?
Xu Jin was about to speak when he saw Xie Jianyuan looking at him expressionlessly, his gaze frighteningly cold.
"Don't make your brother angry."
"?"
"Or I'll beat you up."
"..."
Chapter 19: Clingy
Meanwhile, when Lu Xian learned that his only choice was to appear on a dating variety show, he couldn't help asking in confusion, "Aren't there any others?"
Mr. Li had clearly told him that Su Li had two top-tier variety shows. He had long since set his sights on the talent show, but Su Li had only mentioned one, which was why he asked.
Su Li glanced at him and said only, "Xu Chun is going on the talent show."
Lu Xian's face went pale, and he couldn't help blurting out, "Sister Su, how could you do this?" As soon as he said it, he realized he had misspoken. Only when he saw no obvious anger on Su Li's face did he breathe a slight sigh of relief.
Su Li frowned and looked at him seriously. "I'm your manager. Why can't I do this? Of course I weighed your commercial values carefully before making this decision."
She paused, then continued, "I can understand how you feel, but this is reality. We're not running a charity to help the poor." When a manager had more than one artist, it was only natural to save the best opportunities for the more popular one.
Lu Xian found her words grating, every one of them piercing his heart. When had he become the one who needed charity?
Su Li looked at Lu Xian and sighed inwardly. The company's upper management was backing Lu Xian and had made it clear they intended to promote him, so she had always given him whatever good opportunities she had. With that kind of support, even a good-for-nothing could be propped up, so it was no surprise that Lu Xian had reached his current top-tier status.
But now even the company's upper management had to weigh Xu Chun's commercial value carefully. It seemed Lu Xian could no longer take first pick of opportunities as he pleased.
Lu Xian's nails dug deep into his palms. The stinging pain finally helped him calm down a little, and he forced a smile. "Sister Su, I understand."
Su Li gave a noncommittal hum. Then, as if she had suddenly remembered something, she continued, "Oh, right. See when you can give Xu Chun's assistant back to him."
Lu Xian seemed deeply shaken. He stared at Su Li in disbelief and said in a trembling voice, "What?"
Su Li looked away. "Xu Chun doesn't have many assistants around him. He might be very short-handed in the future." The implication was that Xu Chun might become even more popular, so he would need more assistants.
Lu Xian's expression twisted for an instant, but he quickly returned to normal. "You arrange it. I'll do whatever you say, Sister Su."
Su Li nodded in satisfaction. She liked how obedient and sensible Lu Xian was.
But the instant she turned to leave, Lu Xian's face darkened. The timid, obedient look vanished from his face, replaced by a vicious gaze.
Xu Chun!
He wouldn't let the person who had taken his things get away with it!
When filming officially began, Xu Chun and Xie Jianyuan looked over the show's rundown. When he saw that the production team planned to promote Xu Jin and another boy by having them play up a romantic connection, a vein bulged faintly at his temple.
"Director, I understand that the show needs to stir up buzz and attract attention, but isn't it a little inappropriate to play up a romance between them like this?" He imagined how furious his parents would be if they found out that Xu Jin was appearing online, flirting with another boy.
"What's the problem?" The director knew Xu Jin was his younger brother. "I understand how you feel as his guardian, but you should know this is the fastest way to attract young fans. I'm giving Xu Jin this opportunity for your sake. After all, there are plenty of people lining up for it."
Xu Chun's frown deepened.
The director rolled up the script and patted Xu Chun on the shoulder. "Don't look so worried. Your brother may not be our main focus, but we can at least guarantee him a place in the top ten."
The director's plan was to use the fact that Xu Chun was Xu Jin's older brother as a selling point, promoting it heavily to generate buzz.
Xu Chun had been getting plenty of attention lately. If they made good use of it, they wouldn't have to worry about raising the show's profile.
After the director left, Xie Jianyuan turned his head slightly to look at Xu Chun, his thin lips curving up seemingly without thought.
"Chun-ge, do you really hate it when two men stir up dating rumors?"
Xu Chun said, "It's not that I hate it. I just don't think it's worth it." He paused, then sighed softly. "Xu Jin is my younger brother. Naturally, I have to look out for him."
"Don't worry. He'll understand how much thought you've put into this for him, Chun-ge." Xie Jianyuan smiled, then casually slipped an arm around Xu Chun's shoulders. "Let's head back first. They might all be waiting for us."
Xu Chun looked at the hand resting on his shoulder. It was fair and slender, with well-defined knuckles. Sure enough, even an attractive person's hands were pleasing to look at.
Then he seemed to think of something, and his brows drew together.
Still, wasn't Xie Jianyuan a little too clingy?