Chapter 9 — Top Agent Chen Kai

By the time the driver delivered Cheng Yishu to the meeting place as per the address, it was already five in the afternoon.

He gazed at the large, flickering neon sign above the door that read "No Fate Tonight Bar," and his eyelid twitched involuntarily. He found himself once again doubting his own sanity from a few days prior—what had possessed him to agree to meet in a bar that looked straight out of the 1980s?

Lowering the brim of his cap, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The background music was still gentle and slow, the lighting dim but comfortable. Perhaps it was still early, for the place was nearly empty.

"Hello, welcome," a cheerful female voice called from behind.

"How many in your party, sir?" Su Mo greeted him with a smile.

"I'm... looking for someone," Cheng Yishu replied, unconsciously tugging his cap lower, his voice steady.

"Looking for someone... Oh, you're here for Mr. Chen, right?" Su Mo suddenly remembered, her eyes lighting up.

"That's right."

"Please follow me, then. Mr. Chen has been here for a while. This way, please."

Su Mo led the way with marked enthusiasm—though in truth, it was hardly necessary. The bar was small enough that a few steps and a quick turn brought them to a booth, where a man in a denim jacket sat on the sofa, head lowered, completely absorbed in whatever he was scrolling through on his phone.

Su Mo was about to ask Cheng Yishu if he wanted something to drink, but he gestured for her to wait. Sensing his intent, she nodded politely and withdrew.

Customers came in all shapes and temperaments; there was nothing unusual about it.

Settling onto the sofa, Cheng Yishu cleared his throat, but Chen Kai showed no intention of looking up.

"Hello, I’m—" Cheng Yishu began, thinking it only right to apologize first, since he was late and the attendant had mentioned Chen Kai had been waiting a while.

"Just a moment," Chen Kai interrupted without lifting his gaze, as if sparing a few precious seconds from an exceedingly busy schedule.

Cheng Yishu’s lips twitched. He pressed them together and fell silent, instead letting his eyes wander around the little bar, taking in every corner.

He exhaled, relieved not to see the person he was actually seeking, then turned his attention to the man before him.

Chen Kai’s eyebrows were not thick, but so long they nearly reached his temples. His eyes were large, lashes sparse, nose straight and prominent, lips thin.

As Cheng Yishu’s gaze landed on Chen Kai’s hands, the man suddenly slammed his phone down on the marble tabletop, huffing in frustration.

"Didn’t clear the level again..."

Cheng Yishu glanced at the still-lit screen in surprise—was that a fruit-matching game?

So, the man had ignored him because he was playing a game? And a single-player game at that!

"You’re here?" Chen Kai looked up at last, as if just noticing Cheng Yishu. His eyes flickered as he regarded him.

"Cheng Yishu, hello, I’m Chen Kai."

His thin lips parted in a gentle greeting, his expression transforming into a smile warm as a spring breeze.

"Hello," Cheng Yishu replied with little emotion, sticking to polite convention.

For many years, it had always been Tan Jing who handled his affairs, or accompanied him to meetings and social engagements. He was no longer accustomed to facing strangers or unfamiliar situations on his own.

But Chen Kai hadn’t even allowed him to bring an assistant today.

Chen Kai checked the time and smiled. "Dalingzi called me earlier to say today’s shoot ran late, so you’re not really late. By the way, would you like something to drink? Beer or whiskey?"

Cheng Yishu raised his eyebrows the slightest bit, the surprise in his eyes obvious.

Chen Kai burst out laughing. "You must be doubting my professionalism, right? It’s true, managers never let their artists drink—it delays work, makes your face puffy, affects your voice, and so on. But I believe there are exceptions to every rule. I’ve studied your schedule, so don’t worry, a little drink today will only help our conversation."

His frankness and brisk way of speaking quickly eased Cheng Yishu’s initial wariness.

"Anything is fine," Cheng Yishu replied softly, the icy reserve in his demeanor melting for a fleeting instant.

Chen Kai snapped his fingers lightly. "Momo—"

"Coming!" Su Mo hurried over with a smile. "Have you decided what to drink?"

"What do you recommend for a meeting between friends?" Chen Kai asked, smiling seriously at her.

"Understood. I’ll be right back," Su Mo replied, half reading his intent, half thinking of her business, as she turned away.

"Brother Kai... are you a regular here?" Cheng Yishu couldn’t help asking. He found it hard to believe that a top-tier manager of Chen Kai’s caliber would frequent such an unremarkable little bar.

"Surprised?" Chen Kai looked at him with a squinting smile, a little surprised himself that the notoriously difficult and aloof Cheng Yishu was so quick to warm to him.

"In fact, I only discovered this place recently. Maybe it’s age—I don’t like the noisy, deafening bars anymore, but I’m not quite ready to join the tea rooms where only the elderly gather to chat and sip tea. So I think this place is nice—there’s alcohol, pretty girls, and a considerate young lady to look after you."

"And you? How do you usually unwind?" Chen Kai asked casually, as if making small talk with an old friend, nothing to do with work.

It was his trademark move, his greatest strength.

"I... don’t really have any hobbies," Cheng Yishu answered after a moment of honest reflection. All these years, apart from dancing, choreographing, singing, songwriting, composing—he had done nothing else, nor even considered it.

"That won’t do," Chen Kai said, his smile fading slightly. "Art comes from life. You can’t detach yourself from living; otherwise your inspiration will dry up and your career as an artist will stagnate."

‘Cheng Yishu really isn’t what he seems. Beneath that chilly, forbidding exterior, he’s actually this simple—has he just been sheltered too well?’

"But luckily, you have me now. I’ll make sure you learn and experience more interesting things to enrich your life—starting tonight, with this bar," Chen Kai finished confidently.

Cheng Yishu unexpectedly laughed just as Chen Kai finished.

"You’re doubting my professionalism again," Chen Kai said with mock injury, slouching back on the sofa.

"I’m not," Cheng Yishu replied coolly, straightening his posture. "Besides, even if I had my doubts, would it really make any difference?"

"True," Chen Kai admitted, sitting up. After a pause, he continued, "Tan Jing is certainly a capable manager, but she’s too rigid, too cautious—so even with better resources and opportunities, she can’t help you grasp them or achieve your fullest potential. But I can."

"When Starry first approached me, you were the first person I thought of. My only condition for joining Starry was—you."

In the dim light, Chen Kai’s eyes glittered with the brightness of stars, his brows drawn in an expression utterly unlike the playful, irreverent man from moments before—solemn and intense.

For a moment, Cheng Yishu found that gaze oddly familiar.

But the next instant, a woman’s voice, abrupt and unceremonious, shattered the sanctity of that almost "momentous" occasion, as if cutting short an epic meeting of legendary comrades.