There weren't many customers in the café at noon.
Jiang Nan briefly scanned the room. Ruling out tables for two and men left only a woman in a business suit in the corner.
She was looking at him too.
So it was obvious.
Jiang Nan walked over. He had barely sat down in the armchair when she hit him with, "Did you have a little work done?"
Startled, Jiang Nan looked at Zhu Xia.
Before he could speak, she added, "You know what? It actually looks pretty good now."
Jiang Nan leaned calmly against the back of the armchair, took the menu from the server, and ordered a coffee. "Extra milk and sugar, and a roasted marshmallow too."
Zhu Xia raised an eyebrow. "Watch yourself. Don't get fat."
Jiang Nan said, "No need to trouble yourself over that."
He glanced at the unsweetened iced Americano in front of Zhu Xia and smiled. "I'm still young. My metabolism's pretty good, so I don't gain weight easily."
Zhu Xia: "..."
Little brat. You're the only one with a mouth, huh?
She reined in her temper and showed Jiang Nan the contract.
"The show's only invited you for one episode. The offer is a hundred and fifty thousand. Prepare ahead of time. You'll also have to travel to Haicheng."
She had expected Jiang Nan to agree immediately, but instead, he read through the contract carefully.
Zhu Xia folded her arms and sneered. "Can you even understand it?"
You've stumbled right into your grandpa's area of expertise, Jiang Nan thought.
After reading it through, he marked certain clauses in the contract. "Have these changed. The risk should be shared."
At that, Zhu Xia's expression soured a little. She hadn't expected him to actually spot anything.
"Got it," she replied.
Those clauses had been deliberately added to take advantage of minor celebrities' lack of education and the fact that they hadn't hired lawyers.
Finally, Zhu Xia narrowed her eyes at Jiang Nan, who was happily eating his marshmallow, and asked, "What have you been doing these past six months?"
Jiang Nan answered casually, "Not only did I have a little work done, I also got married."
"What?"
Zhu Xia's pupils shook.
Although 771 had never transferred the original owner's memories to Jiang Nan,
the original owner's Qzone was full of his diary entries.
When the original owner entered the entertainment industry, his entire family had opposed it and given him no support.
But he was extremely stubborn and insisted on signing up for the boy band's open auditions at the time, getting in on the strength of his face.
Unfortunately, he had no talents, and neither his EQ nor his IQ was up to much, so he hadn't become popular. He had also caught the eye of a company boss and been shelved for refusing the unspoken rules.
Zhu Xia's lips trembled. "Your parents both agreed?"
Jiang Nan gave a hum of assent and went back to eating his marshmallow.
Toasty and sweet.
He liked it very much.
"Right, your parents both favor your older brother." Zhu Xia dug up something Jiang Nan had once said from her memories.
Back when Jiang Nan had first entered the entertainment industry, Zhu Xia had swiftly signed him.
At the time, she had simply thought the boy was good-looking and would probably become popular.
When she first met Jiang Nan, he hadn't liked talking much, and his gaze had always been gloomy.
He had said his family was in business, and his parents always favored his older brother and wouldn't let him do what he liked.
He had seemed covered in thorns, desperate to prove himself to others.
Times had changed, and the current negative trending searches were, surprisingly, the most popular he had ever been.
His bad reputation had already spread. From now on, he could only take the black-red route.
Unless a miracle happened.
Jiang Nan neither agreed nor disagreed. He finished his sweet coffee, then said, "Once the clauses have been revised, you can mail it to me. I'll sign it and send it back."
Zhu Xia raised an eyebrow. "All right."
"Give me an address."
"Building Six, Jinghe Garden."
Zhu Xia's every movement stopped. For a moment, she doubted her ears.
"What did you say?" Her voice held a note of disbelief. "Jinghe Garden?"
Jinghe Garden was a wealthy neighborhood known throughout the country. Located in the northwest corner of the capital, it had good feng shui and beautiful scenery. Even a random villa cost hundreds of millions.
Not to mention, its residents couldn't be described as merely rich. Only descendants of prestigious families with deep roots could buy property there.
"Mm-hmm." Jiang Nan nodded.
Zhu Xia said dazedly, "What kind of ridiculous joke is this?"
"I'm not joking." Jiang Nan waved a hand.
Zhu Xia asked, "Can you afford it?"
Jiang Nan said, "I can't, but my wife can."
Zhu Xia went still.
She looked him up and down and asked bluntly, "Living off your wife?"
Jiang Nan was extraordinarily thick-skinned. "Is that not allowed?"
"It is."
Zhu Xia had spent years immersed in the entertainment industry and seen plenty of filthy things. Things like this no longer surprised her.
She quickly regained her composure and said, "Just keep it hidden. Don't let anyone photograph you."
Jiang Nan nodded to show he understood.
Before leaving, Zhu Xia's gaze lingered briefly on the white T-shirt Jiang Nan was wearing.
Then she said, "I remember you used to have decent taste in clothes. Why did you come out dressed like this?"
There was a huge GG Bond printed on Jiang Nan's white T-shirt.
Jiang Nan casually tugged at the hem. The white T-shirt was very stretchy and looked like it was made of cotton.
"It's comfortable. Is that not allowed?"
"Change it." Zhu Xia showed no mercy. With those words, she put on her sunglasses and left.
Setting her character aside, Zhu Xia was a typical career woman.
She was a Beta, free from the troubles of pheromones, and worked her hardest every single day, three hundred and sixty-five days a year.
Jiang Nan stayed where he was and waved over the server to order another serving of roasted marshmallow.
While waiting, he lowered his head and glanced at GG Bond on his white T-shirt.
He had happened across it while scrolling through Douyin yesterday, and it had seared itself into his mind at first sight.
He had fallen in love with this shirt at first sight.
It had arrived by local courier yesterday.
"Tsk," Jiang Nan said. "It looks so good."
After thinking about it, he added ruefully, "What a novelty. First time I've seen someone turn their nose up at themselves."
771 remembered the WeChat contact name that little dumbass Jiang Nan had given Zhu Xia. He fell silent for a moment, then suddenly understood.
He couldn't help saying, [Keep eating and you'll get diabetes.]
[What do you know?] Jiang Nan said. [This is for my little darling.]
771 was a little surprised. [I didn't expect you to be so thoughtful toward the big shot.]
Jiang Nan raised an eyebrow. [A lot more thoughtful than a cold-blooded, heartless ball like you.]
771 scoffed. [The Main System said that you hosts will only fear me if I act cold and aloof.]
Jiang Nan fell silent for a moment, remembering how 771 had flung himself onto his phone, his two stubby arms struggling to poke out of his pitch-black fur.
How should he put it?
That redefined "cold and aloof."
[Besides, that idiot 998 is always grinning, so it's always getting bullied by its host.] 771 folded his arms in the space. [I'm not going to let you bully me!]
Jiang Nan said perfunctorily, [You're so amazing.]