"Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
"Congratulations to Younger Sister for escaping the sea of suffering and seeing the light!"
The three members of Sky Curtain were raising their glasses to celebrate, still at the same skewer restaurant.
A moment ago, Fat Tiger had sent his younger sister the video of Zhou Yiyi getting caught cheating.
After seeing the shocking, hideous display from the flawless giegie she'd idolized, Fat Tiger's sister had completely fallen apart.
After a bout of loud sobbing, she'd finally seen the light.
She'd taken the initiative to kneel before their parents and apologize, swearing she'd never get involved with fan culture again.
She'd also left all of Zhou Yiyi's fan groups on the spot and thrown every piece of merchandise she'd bought into the trash.
"Your sister took quite a hit this time. Fatty, why don't you go back home and keep an eye on her for your aunt and uncle?"
They clinked glasses again, and Lin Mu spoke to Fat Tiger.
"No need, Brother Mu. My mom just called and said my sister's being very obedient now. She even gave my dad a shoulder rub and massaged his legs!"
Fat Tiger's face was glowing. As he spoke, he lifted the bottle and gulped straight from it.
He was genuinely happy.
Three years!
His sister had been obsessed with that piece of trash Zhou Yiyi for three years, and the whole family had suffered for it.
At last, the clouds had parted and the sun had come out!
Fat Tiger felt so relieved, as if a huge stone that had been weighing on his heart had finally been lifted.
His family still owed a lot of money because of his father's illness.
But things would get better, and life would gradually return to normal.
Just now, after his sister had been cured of her fan-culture sickness, his mother had suddenly asked about his love life.
Now, the biggest concern in Fat Tiger's family—aside from paying for his father's treatment—was when he'd bring a girl home.
"Fatty, how about I set you up with someone? There are a few pretty girls at my factory."
They clinked glasses again, and Lin Mu spoke to Fat Tiger.
"No way, Brother Mu. You don't even have a girlfriend. How could I dare find someone before you?"
Fat Tiger wiped the booze from the corner of his mouth and grinned.
"Oh, I was going to give you a chance to get close to a mature, attractive director. Never mind, then."
Lin Mu smiled nonchalantly.
"Who? Chen Xin?"
Fat Tiger's eyes lit up.
The "mature, attractive director" Lin Mu meant was Chen Xin, the chief director of Pure Voice.
The female director was in her thirties, the age when a woman was at her most mature and alluring.
She wasn't as pretty as a young actress, but she had her own elegant, voluptuous charm.
Fat Tiger was into that sort of thing. He'd had his eye on Director Chen for ages.
Of course, it had always been nothing more than a fantasy. He was a paparazzo, and she was a variety-show director; their paths would never cross.
You could even say they were sworn enemies.
There was no chance at all.
Now that he'd heard Brother Mu say he might get a chance to meet her, Fat Tiger was suddenly getting excited.
"I'm going to find someone to get in touch with Chen Xin and tell her about Zhou Yiyi, so she can prepare in advance. We can't let that piece of trash ruin Pure Voice."
Lin Mu spoke slowly.
"So, Brother Mu, you want me to warn Chen Xin? Give her time to prepare and find someone to replace Zhou Yiyi."
Fat Tiger pointed at himself.
"Right."
Lin Mu nodded.
"No problem! Brother Mu, you're my real brother! No, my real dad!"
"Get lost. I don't have a son as ugly as you!"
"And one more thing..."
Lin Mu turned to Zhang Hen. "Get in touch with Liu Qiang later and tell him Pure Voice is in a hurry to find a replacement judge."
Fat Tiger immediately caught on. "Brother Mu, are you really planning to take control of the whole judges' panel? Didn't you say you didn't want to win?"
"Better safe than sorry," Lin Mu said flatly.
Zhang Hen, who'd been quietly drinking on the sidelines, suddenly asked, "Brother Mu, why do we care if this show survives?"
"Of course I can't let it fail. I'm on the show too," Lin Mu replied matter-of-factly.
Zhang Hen still felt something was off. "That's the only reason?"
"What else would it be?" Lin Mu asked.
Zhang Hen relaxed. "I thought Brother Mu was doing all this for a woman. Sorry, Brother Mu. I misunderstood you."
He raised his glass, clinked it against Lin Mu's, and drained it in one satisfied gulp.
Fat Tiger looked at the idiot's silly expression and was about to say something, but Zhang Hen poured himself another drink, stood up with his glass, and declared passionately:
"Brother Mu, Fatty, it's settled. We three brothers—whoever gets a partner first is a dog!"
Fat Tiger muttered under his breath, "It's the ones who don't get a partner who are damn dogs."
But he still grinned and clinked glasses with Zhang Hen. "Well said. Having each other is enough. What the hell do we need women for?!"
The two of them looked at Lin Mu.
Lin Mu rose to his feet, expressionless. "I'm going to the bathroom."
Half an hour later.
Just a few kilometers from that skewer restaurant, three women were having a late-night meal in a private dining room.
One was young and beautiful, with a bewitching air about her: Zisu, a staff member on the Pure Voice production team and the daughter of Jiangrong Satellite TV's deputy director.
Another was poised and elegant, with a tall figure: Li Lan, a beautiful host.
The oldest of the three was mature and voluptuous, with an irresistible charm: Chen Xin, the chief director of Pure Voice.
"Lan, I ran into this incredibly handsome, cool guy backstage. I'm practically smitten!"
The hopeless romantic Zisu was gushing to Li Lan about her crush on the guy.
"Don't get me started. I really don't want to keep filming this crappy show. Every day, this ugly man picks on me and messes with me. I'm about to lose it!"
Li Lan's cheeks were flushed. Reeking of alcohol, she was venting to her friend about how miserable the show was making her.
"You're so beautiful, Lan. Who would dare make you mad?"
"That's because of that—forget it, I shouldn't say. Your backstage crew signed a confidentiality agreement, so even if I told you, you couldn't tell me who he is. Let's just say he's an incredibly ugly man!"
"Then let's talk about my handsome guy instead. Lan, he's so good-looking. Every time I see him, I practically get wet!"
"Is there someone that handsome among this season's contestants? Bring him out and let me have a look after filming wraps."
"Sure, sure! If you're interested, Lan, the three of us can get together!"
"Get lost, you shameless little vixen!"
The two girls were enthusiastically discussing the ugly man and the handsome guy, while Chen Xin stared out the window, her brow furrowed.
For some reason, after filming today, she'd felt restless, as if something was about to happen.
Could Zhou Yiyi have gone to harass Feng Bingbing again?
If she'd known Zhou Yiyi was that kind of person, she never would have invited him!
Sigh. She'd let the leaders at the station talk her into it, and that was how she'd ended up inviting a top star.
She should have stuck to her guns.
Just as Chen Xin was worrying, her phone suddenly rang.
She picked it up and answered, her voice weary.
"Hello?"
"Hey, beautiful, how about adding me on WeChat? I've got a really interesting video to send you."
Click.
Chen Xin hung up and tossed her phone onto the table.
"Xin, who was that?" Zisu asked.
"A spam call."
Chen Xin shook her head, then raised her glass and clinked it against her friends' glasses. Zisu and Li Lan were drinking, while she had juice. She liked to stay sober.
Ding.
Her phone chimed with a text message. Chen Xin picked it up impatiently and glanced at the screen.
In an instant, her eyes widened and her expression froze.
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