Chapter 27

Zhu Jianxin was baffled by the laughter. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Cheng Yu shook his head, his gaze falling on the lone figure dancing in the practice room. "I just think it's quite a coincidence."

Wasn't it? The person dancing inside was the first spokesperson Cheng Yu had invited after taking over C&C Jewelry.

"Ling Yi!"

Hearing someone call his name, Ling Yi turned around instinctively. When he saw Cheng Yu standing at the practice room door, he asked suspiciously, "(Do you know me?)"

Cheng Yu was stunned too. How had his little spokesperson forgotten how to speak Mandarin after just a few years apart?

"Why are you speaking Korean?" Cheng Yu asked with a deep frown, clearly displeased.

For some reason, Ling Yi grew nervous. He walked over stiffly and looked to Zhu Jianxin for help.

Zhu Jianxin was a little confused as well. "You know Ling Yi?"

With a stern expression, Cheng Yu continued staring at Ling Yi.

"I... I'm not very good at speaking Mandarin." Under Cheng Yu's gaze, Ling Yi swallowed nervously and explained, "I-I'll practice hard."

Coming back to his senses, Zhu Jianxin explained, "He's a trainee our company recruited from South Korea. He is Chinese, but he lived in South Korea with his parents from a young age and only returned to China this year, so he isn't very fluent in Mandarin. His professional skills are excellent."

Of course Cheng Yu knew how capable his spokesperson was. He simply hadn't expected Ling Yi to be a trainee at Tianguang Entertainment. After all, when Cheng Yu had known Ling Yi in his previous life, Ling Yi had already stopped dancing and switched careers to become an actor. He hadn't expected that after waking from a dream and returning eleven years into the past, he would encounter an old acquaintance so soon.

In a good mood, Cheng Yu pointed at Ling Yi and smiled. "Him."

"(What?)" Ling Yi stared blankly at Cheng Yu. Remembering that Cheng Yu disliked him speaking Korean, he pointed at himself with his long fingers, his face full of confusion. "?"

Cheng Yu clapped his hands. "...We still need someone who can talk."

"Wait!" Zhu Jianxin frowned and said, "Ling Yi can't debut yet. The company hopes he'll train for another year—"

"Ling Yi's dancing still needs another year of training?" Cheng Yu raised his brows without the slightest courtesy, his expression plainly saying, Are you kidding me? "Then shouldn't that bunch of scene kids from earlier be sent back to the furnace and remade?"

Zhu Jianxin looked at Cheng Yu awkwardly and explained in a low voice, "It was Young Master Cheng's decision. He wants to hold Ling Yi back a little longer. There's nothing we can do about it."

As he spoke, he furtively glanced at Cheng Tianguang.

Cheng Yu understood immediately. He rolled his eyes in disgust. "Is President Cheng always this unreliable when doing business?"

Cheng Tianguang was a little embarrassed as well and hastily explained, "I'm not entirely sure what's going on either. My younger brother has always handled the specific arrangements for artists' debuts and their job offers."

Just then, a somewhat frivolous voice sounded behind them. "Big Brother, I heard you went out and signed an absolute little beauty. Where is he? Let me feast my eyes—"

Before he could finish, Cheng Yu tilted his head and looked over coldly.

That slightly unhinged, dangerous gaze carried a killing intent so tangible it seemed like two sharp sword beams had stabbed straight through the newcomer's forehead. His voice cut off abruptly. Like a squeaky toy chicken grabbed by the neck, his face turned red from holding it in.

Chapter 27

The atmosphere instantly turned grim. Cheng Tianguang coughed twice awkwardly and stepped in to smooth things over. "This is my younger brother, Cheng Tianrui. He's also the director of Tianguang Entertainment's artist management department. You'll have plenty of chances to work together in the future."

Then he made a point of introducing Cheng Yu to Cheng Tianrui. "This is Cheng Yu, the second young master of C&C Jewelry, and also a newly signed artist at our company. He'll be joining the other trainees on Shining Stars and debuting as part of a group."

The moment Cheng Tianrui heard "C&C Jewelry," he understood what was going on. Though he was a lecherous man by nature, he knew perfectly well whom he could provoke and whom he absolutely could not. Cheng Yu was someone he had to keep at a respectful distance.

With that in mind, Cheng Tianrui burst into laughter and extended his hand to Cheng Yu. "I never expected you to bring back such a distinguished figure after one trip out, Big Brother. I knew it—the Second Young Master Cheng has such extraordinary bearing. No ordinary family could cultivate someone like you. Please take care of me in the future."

Cheng Tianrui had lowered himself so much that although Cheng Yu looked down on people like him, there was no need to offend him too thoroughly when they would be working together in the future. He merely nodded slightly. "Likewise, I hope Young Master Cheng will guide me."

The expression in his lowered eyes and brows gave the Cheng brothers a fleeting sense of elegant, romantic nobility. It was as though they had suddenly been transported into a ballroom filled with perfume and glamour.

Cheng Tianrui awkwardly withdrew his right hand. For some reason, he suddenly felt guilty, as if he had been presumptuous and rude.

Cheng Yu could not be bothered with their thoughts and simply asked, "Are there any other trainees? I need to pick someone with a good temperament who can speak."

Cheng Tianguang snapped back to his senses and signaled Zhu Jianxin to gather the remaining trainees.

Cheng Tianrui still did not understand what was happening. After asking Cheng Tianguang about it, he learned that Cheng Yu had chosen Ling Yi as his teammate. He glanced at Ling Yi, who was still standing there without having fully processed things, and could not help frowning.

"Actually, our company has quite a few trainees. Would Second Young Master Cheng like to reconsider?" Cheng Tianrui put on an expression that said he was thinking of Cheng Yu's best interests and earnestly advised, "Leaving aside the fact that Ling Yi can barely speak Mandarin, don't you think his image is a little too similar to yours? If you form a group and your images clash, it'll be very difficult to market you afterward."

Only after Cheng Tianrui pointed it out did Cheng Tianguang truly take notice. He examined Ling Yi carefully for a while and realized that Ling Yi really did resemble Cheng Yu somewhat—not in appearance, but in temperament. Both had cold, quiet dispositions. The difference was that Cheng Yu had a far stronger presence, one that made people instinctively fear overstepping their bounds. Ling Yi, on the other hand, was simply cool and reticent—the kind of aloof, handsome idol type that was very popular these days.