The Original Owner's Wish

The next morning, Gu Nian'an arrived early at Jubao Company to sign the contract termination agreement.

Once the agreement was signed, the tension in Gu Nian'an's heart finally eased a little.

He gave the seated man a casual nod, then hurried out of the oppressive office.

The middle-aged man sitting opposite him wore a grim expression, staring after his retreating figure as though he wanted to swallow him alive.

But when he thought of that man, he could only sigh helplessly. He had never expected Gu Nian'an to have someone backing him, much less the Fu Corporation, which he could not afford to offend.

Gu Nian'an hurried downstairs and came face-to-face with Li Manwen, who had just come in from outside.

The young man froze at the sight of her.

He remembered that, in the original novel, Li Manwen had done everything she could for the original owner. But ever since that last variety show incident, he really could not remember how the characters' stories ended.

He only vaguely remembered that the original owner had dragged her down later.

A trace of guilt inevitably entered his gaze as he looked at her.

Li Manwen noticed him then, too. As his manager, she had long known that Gu Nian'an was terminating his contract with the company.

But Jubao was hardly a good place, and she privately hoped he could get out of there.

Seeing him standing frozen in place, she laughed brightly and approached him. "I heard Baiyu signed you. Congratulations! Keep working hard."

Looking into her sincere eyes, Gu Nian'an felt warmth in his heart.

For some reason, he suddenly asked, "Manwen, why have you always looked after me so much?"

He genuinely wondered. Li Manwen was clearly very capable at her job, yet she had chosen to help the original owner, who could neither sing nor dance and did not even have a particularly good personality.

Li Manwen continued to watch him with a smile, though a hint of nostalgia entered her eyes. She said gently, "Have you forgotten? The first time we met, I asked you why you entered a talent show to join the entertainment industry. You told me, 'I want my mom to see me. I want to find her.'"

Gu Nian'an's mind went blank, and he froze on the spot.

"Snap out of it."

Still lost in his thoughts, Gu Nian'an was brought back by a tapping sound. He looked up at the person approaching.

The woman before him had a sharp gaze and wore a smart skirt suit. Her short hair lay neatly by her ears, and she wore gold-rimmed glasses-the very image of a career woman.

"Hello. CEO Fu told me about you. I'm your new manager, Lin Shuxue."

Gu Nian'an knew of Lin Shuxue. She was a top-tier manager at Baiyu Entertainment Company, had nurtured many A-list celebrities, and was exceptionally capable at her job.

The woman lifted her glass and took a small sip of water as she assessed his appearance. Though she had already seen his photos in his file, she still found him striking in person.

The young man had fair skin, with black hair falling softly by his ears. His eyes were even more stunning, as if naturally full of affection. When he looked at you, it seemed as though you were his entire world.

No wonder he had attracted attention from the moment he entered the industry, even without any particular talents.

Not just anyone could be a pretty face. Being one required actually being pretty.

There were plenty of attractive people in the entertainment industry, but very few like Gu Nian'an.

Looking into the young man's eyes, she said, "I won't ask about your relationship with CEO Fu, but you need to mind your boundaries. Don't give people anything to gossip about."

After all, prying a "cash cow" who had just gained some popularity and become linked to a whole slew of popular celebrities out of a place as ruthless as Jubao must have taken considerable effort, even for Fu Xiuyuan.

At that thought, she glanced again at his faintly puzzled eyes.

Lin Shuxue found it rather baffling. He had gone to all that trouble to rescue the young man from the tiger's jaws.

Yet after sending him to them, he had instructed them to let Gu Nian'an do whatever he wanted and not force him to accept work he did not want.

Having spent years in the entertainment industry, Lin Shuxue would not believe that there was nothing between Fu Xiuyuan and Gu Nian'an.

But she also trusted her judgment of people. The young man's eyes were clear and innocent.

He did not seem scheming. If he were, Jubao would not have marketed him the way it had.

She sighed inwardly. It did not matter. Taking on one well-behaved artist on the side was no great difficulty for her, especially with the Fu Corporation backing him.

Then she said calmly, "You're getting attention right now. A lot of brands and production crews want to work with you. What are your thoughts?"

Gu Nian'an lowered his eyes. His thoughts had been in turmoil ever since he learned from the original owner's manager, Li Manwen, that the original owner had entered the industry to find his mother.

He had assumed the original owner had entered the entertainment industry for fame and fortune, while he himself only wanted to leave it. Suddenly learning that this was not the case left him at a loss.

He had gained a new life through "Gu Nian'an's" body. Whatever else, he ought to help fulfill that wish.

But...

His mother.

Even if he found her for "Gu Nian'an," she would not be his mother, and there was no telling whether "Gu Nian'an" could return.

For a moment, conflicting feelings filled his heart. If he had never come, "Gu Nian'an" might have found his mother himself. He would also have received a large sum of money once his contract ended, enough to live without worry for much of his life.

And he was merely an outsider who had taken over someone else's body and would even take his mother from him.

The very thought filled Gu Nian'an with unbearable shame.

He really was a jinx, just as his mother had said. Anyone who got mixed up with him suffered...

After a moment, Gu Nian'an said quietly, "I... can't act, so I hope I won't have to take any work that requires acting. As for everything else, um, I can follow the company's arrangements."

Since he was "Gu Nian'an" now, he would find the original owner's mother in his place, even if she was not his own mother...

Once he finished speaking, he looked at the woman nervously. He knew he was asking rather a lot, but he really did not want to become too deeply involved in this industry. This was the only compromise he could make.

Seeing the apprehension in his eyes, Lin Shuxue gave a gentle smile. "That's no problem. If you don't want to act, you can take a few variety shows instead. CEO Fu instructed us to put your wishes first."

Obviously. With the Fu Corporation backing him, even if he only wanted to occupy a spot at Baiyu, Baiyu would still treat him like royalty.

Gu Nian'an blinked at her words.

The male lead had gotten him out of Jubao, placed him at Baiyu, and even arranged such a good manager for him. It must have taken a great deal of effort.

Thinking of how the man had looked after him ever since he came to this world, he felt waves of warmth in his heart.

He rubbed his fingers together unconsciously and silently decided to keep the man company until he left. At the very least, he would keep him from being as isolated and helpless as he had been in the original novel.

At that thought, he smiled at the woman and said softly, "Then I hope you'll bear with me from now on, Lin."

Looking at the young man's smile, Lin Shuxue smiled as well and extended her hand slightly. "Just call me Shuxue."

By the time he returned home, it was nearly dusk, and the light of the setting sun spilled into the living room.

The kitten lay sprawled on the sofa, fast asleep.

Gu Nian'an gently picked the kitten up, walked slowly up to the third floor, and placed it in its bed.

He watched the kitten sleeping peacefully in its bed.

Suddenly, everything felt unreal. He had thought he was about to face death, only to transmigrate into a book he had read while alive.

Seeing a kitten identical to the one from his previous life had filled him with an overwhelming sense of absurdity. It was too much of a coincidence-so much so that he could not help wondering whether his situation was the same as that of the author of Melody in a Dream.

Perhaps all of this was merely a fleeting dream he had before death to make up for his regrets.

Then he thought of Fu Xiuyuan again.

He had expected the man to be as cold and ruthless as he was in the book, yet when he thought of the care he had shown him, his heart fluttered faintly for some reason.

Lost in thought, the young man did not notice the steady footsteps that suddenly sounded behind him.

Suddenly lifted off the floor, Gu Nian'an's eyes widened in surprise. He turned his head and saw the man behind him.