The big shot was right beside me!

"Yun Xiaoran is Lone Cloud himself!"

Looking at the profile on his screen, Zhou Zeyu blurted it out without thinking, then sat with his mouth hanging open, unable to speak for a long time.

After his face cycled through blue, purple, green, and red, Zhou Zeyu slowly began typing, his expression a sight to behold:

"Man, you're unbeatable. What else can I even say?"

Just as Yun Xiaoran was about to send a smile to show his respect, two more messages popped up from Zhou Zeyu:

"You... fuck! Fuck! Lone Cloud, you fucking bastard! You had me completely fooled."

"You were playing dumb so you could show me up, weren't you? We're done. (smiling face)"

Yun Xiaoran feigned hurt as he replied:

"You never asked. How is this suddenly my fault?"

Sitting at his computer desk, Zhou Zeyu's expression shifted like stormy weather, but soon cleared up.

The songwriter was his friend. Now he even had a big shot he could latch onto.

He could already imagine what would happen next.

Everyone would fight over the rights to this song. Entertainment companies would probably assign people to watch for every song Lone Cloud released from now on, scrambling for the copyrights and even the cover rights.

So what was he waiting for?

Zhou Zeyu decided to latch onto Yun Xiaoran early. Naturally, he became even friendlier, showering him with praise before bringing up that same old idea of meeting Zhou Zeyu in person again.

After all, although they had only ever chatted online, they knew they lived in the same city.

"Lone Cloud, my man, let's meet up. Just come out, and I'll take you to a club and get you a dozen hot girls. Whatever type you like, take your pick. I mean it..."

"...No. I'm not interested in that stuff."

Yun Xiaoran deftly turned down this sort of meetup that felt more like an invitation to get ambushed.

His so-called newlywed wife was already more than enough to deal with every day. If someone actually took him to a club and ordered hot girls for him...

Then Yun Xiaoran would undoubtedly turn out just like his favorite novelist from his previous life: all big talk, but actually still a virgin.

Still.

There was one important point.

The girls at those clubs were all cosmetic enhancements and artificial curves.

If he really compared them, even twenty-odd hot girls put together might not measure up to Shen Jin.

His newlywed wife's figure was even more perfect than the women in AI-generated pictures from his previous life. She stood out in every way, whether in looks, figure, or bearing.

Even the grace in her everyday gestures was nothing like that of an ordinary girl.

But the more exceptional she was, the more pressure Yun Xiaoran felt.

"If you really don't like hot girls, let's find a restaurant and have a meal. I want to ask you for some songwriting tips. After all, I've got a big shot right beside me. Might as well make the most of it."

Considering that Yun Xiaoran had refused several invitations to come out, Zhou Zeyu figured he might be an overweight shut-in with no confidence, so he added:

"I'm not shallow, you know. I don't judge people by their looks."

"What the hell? If it's songwriting tips you want, just call me on QQ or send a message."

"Messaging doesn't have the right feel."

"You're a songwriter and singer. What more 'feel' do you need?"

Zhou Zeyu was determined to get Yun Xiaoran to come out:

"Bro, it's not like you're some innocent maiden I'm trying to defile. I'm not some sword-fighting maniac looking to cross swords with you, either. Besides, you've been fooling me since yesterday. Isn't that enough already?"

Seeing Zhou Zeyu plead so miserably, Yun Xiaoran began to waver. He had come to this city alone and had no friends here.

More importantly, Zhou Zeyu had a pretty good personality, unlike his newlywed wife, who wore a stern face all day.

"All right. In that case, meeting up wouldn't hurt."

"Let's make it the day after tomorrow."

Over the next half day or so, the recording and singing equipment he had bought online for twenty to thirty thousand yuan all arrived.

It might not compare to the big brands, but as long as it could capture the flavor of the songs, it would do.

Yun Xiaoran quickly finished writing out the lyrics. This time, he had chosen one of the biggest hits from his previous life, "Blue and White Porcelain."

Before he could finish writing the score, Zhou Zeyu was already calling him in a rush.

"Bro, are you busy?"

"What's up?"

Yun Xiaoran was baffled. Hadn't they agreed to meet the day after tomorrow? Why was he suddenly in such a hurry after only half a day?

"Come out for a bit. Where are you? I'll pick you up."

"Oh, okay."

Still confused, Yun Xiaoran headed out anyway.

That was probably how guys approached outings. A carefully planned trip with all the research done might get fewer than three out of ten people to show up, but one casual call from a buddy, and attendance was mandatory.

If the meeting escalated from sharing a cigarette to sharing a bottle of iced tea, it might well be a matter of national importance.

Yun Xiaoran didn't want Zhou Zeyu to know he lived at Dragon Lake Blue Shore, so he arranged to meet him at a roadside café.

Yun Xiaoran dressed casually. Although this was a different planet, fashion wasn't all that different.

"I'm here. Where are you?"

The moment he sent the message, the door of a silver-gray sports car resembling a Porsche opened from the inside in the temporary parking lane two or three meters ahead.

A tall, slim man of about twenty-five or twenty-six got out and noticed the absurdly handsome Yun Xiaoran standing nearby. His eyes lit up, but then he dismissed the possibility.

Lone Cloud was so resistant to meeting in person, and he wrote songs. In Zhou Zeyu's imagination, Yun Xiaoran had to be an overweight shut-in, weighing at least ninety kilos.

He definitely couldn't be that man up ahead who looked even more handsome than he did.

He picked up his phone and placed a voice call to Yun Xiaoran.

Yun Xiaoran's phone vibrated. As Zhou Zeyu's eyes gradually widened, he picked it up and glanced at the screen.

Instinctively, he looked up at Zhou Zeyu, who was holding his phone.

Their eyes met, and both were surprised as they realized who the other was.

Yun Xiaoran had noticed the man getting out of an electric car earlier, but he hadn't connected him with Zhou Zeyu.

He knew Zhou Zeyu's family probably had a bit of money, but he hadn't expected him to be rich enough to drive around in a brand-new SU7...

Zhou Zeyu was stunned too.

It was one thing for Lone Cloud to write incredible songs, but why the hell was he so handsome as well?

Even in a simple white shirt and jeans, he stood out in the crowd.

He put all those young heartthrobs and aging hunks in the entertainment industry to shame.

Though he was utterly astonished, the good manners instilled in him from childhood took over.

Zhou Zeyu quickly stepped forward with easy confidence and offered Yun Xiaoran his hand, praising him sincerely:

"Bro, we finally meet. You're way more handsome than I imagined."

Yun Xiaoran hadn't expected the goofball he'd been chatting with for days to be such a polished, handsome young man from a wealthy family in real life. He reached out to shake his hand, looking slightly reserved:

"Thanks. I'm happy to meet you too. My name's Yun Xiaoran. You can just call me by my name from now on."