Cheng Tong, Zhou Tao, Zhu Peng... As they listened to Ye Chen sing "Friends," they couldn't help recalling the wonderful days they'd spent on campus. They joined in humming along, their eyes brimming with tears...
As Ke An watched Ye Chen sing and play, the admiration in her eyes grew stronger.
Ye Chen was definitely going to become the King of Songs. He was simply too outstanding.
The other Star Shine Media staff went from skepticism to fascination, and finally stared at Ye Chen in awe and admiration.
They hadn't encountered such an outstanding singer in a long time.
It seemed Star Shine Media was about to produce another genuine King of Songs.
After listening to Ye Chen sing and play, Fu Yi, sitting at his computer, was also deeply shocked.
He hadn't expected Ye Chen to be even more impressive than he'd imagined. Not only could he write songs, he could sing and play them beautifully, too.
Seeing netizens compare him to Ye Chen, Fu Yi realized that he was the one coming up short.
Fu Yi's gaze darkened.
He was afraid he wouldn't be able to hold on to his title as King of Songs.
Especially when he saw netizens saying that Ye Chen and Su Ningwei would make a perfect couple.
Watching Ye Chen on the livestream, Fu Yi snapped the fountain pen in his hand in two.
After finishing "Friends," Ye Chen faced the camera and said, "I dedicate this song to all of you. I hope you and your friends will remain close for years to come. Next, I'll answer a few of the questions everyone's most curious about."
"I've officially joined Star Shine Media and become one of their artists. My new song will be released soon, so I hope you'll all continue to support me."
"And a lot of you have been asking whether I'm married, and whether I wrote 'Baby' for my own children. I am married, and I did write 'Baby' for my three little ones. Thank you for your concern. There's a lucky draw for gift bags and laptops in the upper-left corner, so don't forget to enter."
As soon as Ye Chen finished speaking,
the chat exploded with messages again.
"What idol announces he's married with three kids as soon as he debuts? Isn't he worried about losing his girlfriend fans? He could've at least lied to us for a while!"
"I haven't even been in love, and I'm already heartbroken... Waaaah..."
"┭┮﹏┭┮... Why isn't Star Shine Media doing anything about this? Such a handsome artist, debuting already married with three kids—is there any justice?"
"Hey, sis above, don't cry yet. Maybe Ye Chen got married and had kids before signing with the company. Star Shine Media couldn't do anything about that, could they?"
"Exactly. I actually like singers who are this honest. Anyway, I was drawn in by Ye Chen's looks, and stayed for his talent."
"Same here. I was drawn in by Ye Chen's looks, and stayed for his talent. As long as the songs are good, that's all that matters."
"Right, artists are people too. They get married and have children. I understand. I hope you'll be happy together for a long, long time!"
"Sigh... I'd just started shipping Ye Chen and Su Ningwei as a couple, but now that's all over. I'd hoped they could be a power couple."
"..."
After Ye Chen announced his marriage, his fan count didn't drop. It grew even faster.
His follower count quickly surpassed 100,000.
But after Ye Chen announced that he was married with children, Fu Yi felt a little relieved.
As long as Ye Chen wasn't tied to Su Ningwei,
he still had a chance.
He'd heard Su Ningwei was making a comeback.
When she did, all he had to do was pull a few strings and stir up another rumor linking them,
or even get together with Su Ningwei for real. Then he'd surely beat Ye Chen, who was already married with children, and secure his title as King of Songs.
At the thought, a sinister smile appeared on Fu Yi's face.
Su Ningwei's circumstances were unusual, and the matter was being kept tightly under wraps.
The staff handling Ye Chen's livestream had all been personally selected and assigned by Ke An. They'd also signed confidentiality agreements.
Even company insiders weren't allowed to let anything slip.
So Fu Yi had no idea that Ye Chen was with Su Ningwei.
The other entertainment companies saw that Star Shine Media had already poached Ye Chen and were furious, but there was nothing they could do but watch.
After all, Star Shine Media was the industry leader, with deep pockets and considerable clout.
Ye Chen had said everything he needed to. Seeing that the livestream had gone on long enough, he said, "It's getting late, so I'll end the stream here for tonight. Thanks again for all your support and company. I need to go take care of the kids, too, so get some rest. Let's look forward to my next livestream together."
After the livestream ended,
Ke An and the other staff at the scene broke into enthusiastic applause.
"That was fantastic! Tonight's livestream went so well. You were amazing, Ye Chen—you even sang another wonderful new song. We'll add this one to the album, too," Ke An said with a broad smile.
Ye Chen nodded. "Sure."
"You worked hard tonight, too. Get some rest. I'll call you when it's time to record," Ke An said as she packed up.
"Everyone worked hard. Let me treat you all to a late-night meal," Ye Chen offered.
"No, no. You should focus on looking after your wife and kids. You can treat us another time," Ke An replied with a smile.
The other staff members also said he didn't need to go to the trouble.
Ye Chen didn't press them. Instead, he sent several large red envelopes in the work group, telling the staff to use them to buy whatever they wanted to eat.
The staff liked Ye Chen even more after that: he was tall, handsome, promising, generous, down-to-earth, and easy to get along with.
After Ke An and the others left,
Ye Chen was just about to head back to the bedroom and share his joy with Su Ningwei
when the familiar little-girl voice sounded in his mind.
[ Ding! Congratulations on completing the hidden mission: surpassing 100,000 followers. ]
[ Congratulations! You've unlocked the top chef skill; composition skill +1; the lyrics and score for "A Man Should Be Self-Reliant," performed by George Lam of Earth Star, have been unlocked. ]
All kinds of chopping and stir-frying techniques flooded into Ye Chen's mind.
Compared to the confinement meals he'd known how to make before, the top chef skill offered a far greater variety.
His knife skills and control of the heat were on a completely different level.
Confinement meals were still a little bland.
With these skills, once Su Ningwei was out of confinement, he'd have to cook up something delicious and let her eat to her heart's content.
"A Man Should Be Self-Reliant," performed by George Lam, was also an uplifting song, brimming with passion and vigor.
Ye Chen thought of the male streamer who'd recently been all over the internet for saying, "Eating a peach makes me feel so cool and refreshed."
He figured it was time to give everyone's ears a good wash.
They needed to hear a song full of masculine spirit and passion.
Unable to resist, Ye Chen hummed the tune to "A Man Should Be Self-Reliant" as he headed cheerfully toward the master bedroom.
That livestream had brought in an incredible haul. It felt great.
The moment he stepped into the room,
Su Ningwei eagerly threw herself into Ye Chen's arms and gave him a passionate kiss.
When they finally parted,
Su Ningwei looked up at Ye Chen with shining eyes, full of admiration and affection. "Honey, you were so handsome today! You were amazing. Your follower count passed 100,000 in a single livestream, and they're all music fans. You're really incredible."