Chapter 171: Jiang Lan After the Drinks

Jiang Lan's apartment in Yuzhou was located very close to her company.

It wasn't an ordinary apartment, but rather a high-end residential complex.

The security guard at the gate checked several times before letting Tang Zhichu's car enter, and even kindly pointed out the precise parking spot near her building.

On the twenty-sixth floor, the moment the elevator doors opened, a smile appeared on Tang Zhichu's face.

Jiang Lan was waiting right by the elevator entrance.

She wore a slightly loose brownish-white shirt, its hem tucked into a pair of black skorts. The skorts were short and casual; at first glance, one might mistake them for a skirt, but they were actually shorts.

Her full, fair legs gleamed brilliantly under the warm lights.

"Lan-jie."

Jiang Lan smiled and nodded, reaching out to pull him close.

Once inside, Tang Zhichu finally understood why Jiang Lan chose to live here.

Looking out from the balcony, the view happened to face directly toward the Jinyou Factory.

"Why don't we buy a house here?" Jiang Lan's voice broke the quiet.

Tang Zhichu withdrew his gaze from the distance, shrugged, and said, "I don't have money."

"I do."

"Don't talk nonsense when you've been drinking. Decent houses are terribly expensive, and we're both in our career-ascending phase. Every penny needs to be spent where it counts."

Tang Zhichu turned around, reached out, and pulled her into his embrace.

Jiang Lan had indeed had a bit to drink; a decanter of red wine still sat on the coffee table.

After drinking, Jiang Lan's alluring, large eyes took on a watery, misty sheen.

Her skin looked even more translucent and flushed with pink, as if a gentle pinch would coax water right out of it.

"I'm not drunk. I only had a tiny bit, but I really want to buy a house."

Jiang Lan's face pressed very close to Tang Zhichu's chest, and he could feel the warm breath of her words.

There was a faint trace of alcohol, mingled with a warm scent that resembled her own natural fragrance.

"Then I can cash out some funds. My company just finished an internal financing round, and Brother Jun took ten million, which is mostly untouched. We could pull that out to buy a place if you really want."

Jiang Lan shook her head, then pulled her smartphone out of the pocket of her skorts.

She opened a chat window and tapped the voice message button.

"I want to buy a house in Yuzhou, but I don't have money."

With a soft *whoosh*, the message was sent.

Shortly after, a reply came back.

"Lanlan, go find your Aunt Zhao. They have a dozen developments in Yuzhou, including two villa compounds, and the locations are all quite good. Once you pick one, just go straight ahead with the paperwork, and don't worry about the rest."

"I'm coming to Yuzhou on a business trip in a few days. Let's meet up; I want to see you."

"Or I can just go directly to your company. Your father has at least run businesses for all these years—if you're willing, I can help you out."

Several messages popped up in succession. Jiang Lan was leaning against Tang Zhichu's chest, and the contents were right before his eyes without him even needing to strain to read them.

Jiang Lan's expression didn't change, nor did she move.

Tang Zhichu didn't know what kind of friction existed between Jiang Lan and her father, but he could read between the lines.

Perhaps she was regretting it—regretting sending that message in the first place.

Because she was in a state of having drunk alcohol, perhaps after holding back these thoughts countless times, she finally found both the wine and the excuse to send it off.

Tang Zhichu's hand, which had been resting on Jiang Lan's waist, slid upward to her back, stroking her gently to comfort her.

Jiang Lan raised her head slightly and smiled at Tang Zhichu.

After a long moment of hesitation, Jiang Lan sent another message.

"I'm in a relationship."

Barely had the message gone through when her phone rang.

However, Jiang Lan immediately rejected the call.

Phone calls and WeChat voice notes rang three or four times in a row, and Jiang Lan hung up on every single one of them.

"You telling me this makes me very happy. I'll come to Yuzhou tomorrow and drop by your company to see you, alright?"

Jiang Lan replied again: "Happy? He's around my age, has two kids, and asking you for a house is basically buying it for him."

Suppressing a smile, Tang Zhichu quietly turned his head away.

The phone rang again.

Jiang Lan rejected it once more.

"It's fine, as long as you're happy. Your father isn't the stubborn type."

Jiang Lan curled her lips, let out a dry, dismissive laugh, and put her phone away.

With a faint, lingering sigh, she buried her face back into Tang Zhichu's chest.

"When I saw the news about Uncle Tang passing away last time, I thought I should probably reach out. But it took until today for me to actually send a few messages."

As Jiang Lan spoke, Tang Zhichu could feel the pleasant warmth of her breath against his chest.

"It's fine. Reach out whenever you want to."

"Mm."

Tang Zhichu gently patted Jiang Lan's back. He took out his own phone, swiped across the screen a few times, and made a call.

"Hey, Xiaobo, it's me. I'll send you an address in a moment. Starting from now on, make sure meals are delivered to this address precisely at twelve-thirty every noon. I've also sorted out the menu and sent it to you—tell the chef to prepare it properly and don't embarrass me!"

Jiang Lan pinched Tang Zhichu lightly, looked up, and said, "So annoying. You even want to manage what I eat?"

Tang Zhichu lowered his head and rubbed his forehead against hers.

"After delivering meals to you a few times, I've figured out your lifestyle habits. You're completely irregular with your meals. I won't fuss over your mornings and evenings, but noon is non-negotiable. Besides, this isn't meddling in your career; I curated the menu myself, and I guarantee it suits your palate."

Jiang Lan stood on tiptoe and gave him a light peck.

Watery, bright eyes holding a trace of mischievousness, Jiang Lan smiled and said, "Well, I suppose this counts as a mutual public announcement. My dad knows, and your cousin knows."

Tang Zhichu pursed his lips and smiled. "You accompanied me through my father's entire funeral; what did you expect them to think?"

Jiang Lan was amused, breaking into a sweet laugh as all her melancholy vanished.

"Truth be told, I really didn't think much of it back then."

With that, Jiang Lan straightened up and pulled Tang Zhichu deeper into the room.

"You bad guy, are you up to no good? Your mouth tastes so sweet—did you eat candy?"

As soon as they entered the room, Jiang Lan playfully pushed Tang Zhichu onto the sofa and teased him.

Just as she was about to lie down right along with him, Tang Zhichu caught her hand.

"What are you doing!"

"Let's drink a bit more."

"Huh?"

"Drink."

"I won't."

"Drink~"

"Why?"

"Because... drinking... makes your hair curl."

Hair curl?

Jiang Lan still didn't understand, but she started pouring the wine anyway.

As she poured, Jiang Lan suddenly said, "You should prepare yourself. I have a feeling someone might target you. Logically speaking, with so many people taking photos at the funeral last time, why hasn't there been any blowback yet?"

Tang Zhichu stared at Jiang Lan and nodded. "I know. I'm not afraid—when soldiers come, we send out generals; when water comes, we build earth dams."

"Are you really still going to drink? I get scared of myself when I drink."

Tang Zhichu sat a little closer. "Drink!"

"Then you're washing the sheets later! I don't want to sleep in a damp bed like last time."

Early in the morning, a sliver of sunlight suddenly broke through.

Crossing over the mountain ridges, it reached into the city and pierced a corner of the room.

The light looked pure and pristine.

Tang Zhichu slowly sat up and cast a glance backward.

Cascading like a waterfall, dark hair spilled over the pillow.

Perhaps tinted by the filter of the atmosphere, whenever Tang Zhichu looked at Jiang Lan, he always felt her face looked softly flushed, incredibly endearing.

Gently pulling the air-conditioning quilt up to cover her properly, he got out of bed.

He took a quick shower in the bathroom, then retrieved the bedsheets from the washing machine. Although they had been spin-dried, the sun was bright, and letting them bake in the sun a bit longer would be nice.

A smile still lingered on Tang Zhichu's face as he hung the sheets out to dry.

Lan-jie after drinking was truly beyond words.

After hanging up the sheets, Tang Zhichu returned to the living room and checked his phone; the battery was fully charged.

There were several messages on WeChat.

Zhou Yun: "Good morning! Did you sleep well last night~"

Tang Zhichu: "Good morning. I carried some heavy things last night, and my lower back feels a bit sore."

Zhou Yun: "See? Aren't things better over at my place? When you have time, I'll give you a massage."

Tang Zhichu: "Fine, fine."

Zhou Yun: "You sound so reluctant, hmph!"

Tang Zhichu spaced out for a moment. He suddenly felt that this kind of relationship seemed remarkably stable.

When you spend time with one, you feel a sense of guilt toward the other and think about making it up to them; when you spend time with the other, you feel guilty toward the former and likewise think about making compensation.

Do ordinary romantic partners have so many complicated dynamics?

Following this trend of development, wouldn't their feelings for one another only grow deeper?

Su Yuanchao: "Still in Shudu? Want to meet up?"

Tang Zhichu: "I can be."

Su Yuanchao: "Hahaha, when?"

Tang Zhichu calculated the dates and replied, "Early next month, I suppose."

Su Yuanchao: "Alright, then I'll head over to Shudu early next month."

In Shudu, the resort villa where *Original Music Alliance* was being recorded was lively and bustling.

Today marked the official recording of the tenth episode.

Tang Zhichu had already missed two episodes, and this would be the third. Bai Xixu's Sunflower Alliance and Shen Jianxin's Wildfire Alliance had each eliminated one member.

On the rolling green lawn, He Shuyuan and another figure sat together on a small grassy mound.

"Brother Hua, isn't doing this a bit inappropriate?" He Shuyuan asked in a low voice.

Zhan Zihua, in his early forties, was He Shuyuan's manager.

Under Tianhe Entertainment, there were two major artist managers: Liu Yu and Zhan Zihua. Liu Yu managed actors, while Zhan Zihua managed singers.

Yesterday, during the recording of the tenth-episode reveal, He Shuyuan had once again chosen the Wildfire Alliance.

When the camera panned to He Shuyuan, he still wore a shy expression as he said that one must stand back up wherever they fell, which didn't seem too abrupt on the surface.

Yet, upon quiet reflection behind closed doors, it felt rather uncomfortable.

It felt a bit like bullying an opponent's underlings while the big boss wasn't around—a victory without honor.

Zhan Zihua smiled and asked in return, "Why do you think Tang Zhichu targeted you? Or rather, why did he target Tianhe?"

"It's the entertainment industry; things are just like that. Defeating us elevates his industry status, so naturally, he keeps his eyes fixed on us."

Zhan Zihua shook his head. "Don't forget that this year is a critical period for you. Will you renew your contract, or will you walk away?"

He Shuyuan fell silent. Having a company backing you was certainly good, but it was too exhausting.

He was expected to churn out albums continuously. Collecting outside songs? That didn't fit his persona as a singer-songwriter, and he didn't want to sing other people's music anyway.

Writing his own? It was fine as a hobby, but when it became a mandatory job, it left him utterly frantic and overwhelmed.

Yet, not only did he have to release albums,

he also had to rotate through various variety shows and commercial endorsements.

As Tianhe's nominal top artist, how could he get away with not making money?

At times, He Shuyuan would feel lost. Provided he didn't act recklessly, he had already earned more money than he could spend in a lifetime—why push himself so hard? Why torture himself like this?

Wouldn't it be nice to take things easy?

Look at other musicians: they put out one or two songs a year, earn a decent living, and still have time to enjoy their own lives.

Then look at himself: what kind of life was he living? Work piled up to the heavens, and on top of that, he got cursed at online, with people saying his singing sounded like chanting funeral rites.

This was the choice between renewing the contract and leaving.

Once you were in this industry, your actions were rarely your own.

Renewing? Everyone got along fine on the surface, but you were tired to the point of doubting the meaning of life.

Walking away? The company had poured so many resources into you; would they let you leave that easily?

"Are you saying there are internal factors from our own side behind this?"

Zhan Zihua nodded. "Whether Tang Zhichu is formidable or not, you know better than I do. What I do know is that Sun Zhe has already been in touch with Chen Siyang. Chen Siyang belongs to Liu Yu's camp. Why would Sun Zhe contact her? Because she has Tang Zhichu behind her. You must have experienced Tang Zhichu's songwriting prowess firsthand. Coming after you guys is meant to weaken the strength of Tianhe's current singer lineup. Once that happens, whose way will the pendulum of opportunity swing toward at Tianhe?"

"Surely not, Brother Hua. Aren't you overthinking it?"

Zhan Zihua smiled earnestly and said, "Tang Zhichu may not necessarily be colluding with people inside Tianhe, and Liu Yu has no reason to play games like that. But think carefully about Tang Zhichu's performance on that romance reality show. The scariest thing about him isn't his creative talent."

He Shuyuan frowned.

He had always considered himself a relatively simple person.

Yet, put this way by Zhan Zihua, he couldn't help but think it through.

Tang Zhichu's performance on the reality show had indeed been terrifying; even He Shuyuan had discussed it in private with his friends.

If things were truly as his manager described—defeating both him and Qiu Zhen through various clever tactics, while utilizing Qiu Zhen's reckless behavior to give Teacher Sun Zhe a graceful way out, which not only smoothed things over with Sun Zhe but also somehow earned Sun Zhe's appreciation on a certain level...

Teacher Sun Zhe approaching Chen Siyang might genuinely carry the possibility of helping Chen Siyang develop further in music.

If he chose to leave the company, none of this mattered to him.

But if he chose to renew his contract, it would undeniably impact his own interests.

He Shuyuan looked at Zhan Zihua and asked, "Then what should we do?"

Seeing He Shuyuan gradually losing his own judgment, Zhan Zihua smiled inwardly without letting it show.

"That's why I'm here. While Sun Zhe hasn't given up on you yet, we can use his influence to suppress the Wildfire Alliance for a few rounds. This is about building momentum—step by step, from small to big."

"But what if Tang Zhichu comes back?"

Zhan Zihua sneered. "Why do you think he took a break? And why for such a long time?"

"Some people say he wanted to let the members of the Wildfire Alliance showcase themselves, because as long as he's around, the others never get a chance to take the stage. Others say stepping back temporarily makes the audience realize his importance even more—it's advancing by retreating..."

Zhan Zihua shook his head. "None of those are the primary factors. Someone is trying to restrict him."

He Shuyuan: "Huh?"

"Don't forget, Tang Zhichu started out on DY. Let me give you some data: DY's daily active users recently saw a slight bump."

He Shuyuan: "Surely not. He has a great relationship with Director Yu Hua, and wherever he goes, he gets to ride in Director Yu Hua's car."

Zhan Zihua: "Yu Hua is indeed formidable, but the Tencent Group is massive, and the short-video sector is a massive cash cow. If DY's daily active users are rising and Tang Zhichu is the biggest trending topic there, what does Tencent Video think? Are they supposed to use Tencent's resources to help DY grow? Even if the growth in DY's daily active users has nothing to do with Tang Zhichu, Tencent Video still has to submit reports explaining why they couldn't beat DY. Tang Zhichu has to take the blame for that. He is indeed very smart—when it was time to take a step back, he didn't hesitate at all. People like him are truly rare in the entertainment industry..."

At this point, seeing He Shuyuan frowning again, the corners of Zhan Zihua's mouth curved upward.

He had come here with several objectives in mind.

Helping He Shuyuan regain his footing on the show was one of them.

Another was persuading He Shuyuan to renew his contract. He Shuyuan was his top artist, and over half of Zhan Zihua's annual income came from his commission on He Shuyuan.

Could he afford to let such a cash cow walk away?

Tang Zhichu was admittedly formidable, but there was no need to boost others' prestige while crushing his own morale.

The entertainment industry was deeply complex.

However, making Tang Zhichu sound even more invincible in front of He Shuyuan would ultimately help keep He Shuyuan tethered to the agency.

"Still, there's no need to be afraid. Tang Zhichu won't be able to reap any real benefits from this show anymore. Tencent intends to suppress him internally. I'm having you suppress the Wildfire Alliance first simply to lay the groundwork. When Tang Zhichu comes back, everyone will think he's the savior, but in reality, he'll just be there for you to harvest."

Recalling the feeling of facing Tang Zhichu, and pondering Zhan Zihua's high praise of the man, He Shuyuan couldn't muster much confidence.

"Will... will that work? No matter who he faces, he can churn out a song in a single day, and most importantly, his singing is incredible, and his stage presence is formidable."

Zhan Zihua smiled effortlessly, wearing an air of absolute calm.

"That's why I'm here. Don't worry, we also have our moves off the stage."

Seeing Zhan Zihua looking as steadfast as a mountain, the furrowed brow on He Shuyuan's forehead finally smoothed out.

"Brother Hua, if I really do leave Tianhe someday, I want to keep following you."

Zhan Zihua frowned slightly. "Hey, we're like family, no need to talk about that. Whether you leave or stay, I respect your decision. Even if our partnership reaches its end, you can still come to me if anything comes up—do you think I wouldn't help you?"

He Shuyuan smiled shyly. "Thank you, Brother Hua."

Get those monthly votes, brothers!

(End of this chapter)