Other programs of the TV station were being recorded on other floors. Bai Lixin and Xia Chi had just entered the lobby when they saw two girls in performance costumes rush past them from behind and head straight for the elevator.
Upon seeing this, Xia Chi stopped Bai Lixin, who had intended to walk down the corridor, and pointed to the elevator hallway. “Brother, isn’t there an elevator? Let’s take the elevator. I don’t want to take the stairs.”
He glanced at the dark corridor and quickly averted his gaze.
Bai Lixin: “The elevator probably won’t go up.”
Xia Chi: “How would we know if we don’t check? Please, brother.”
Bai Lixin: “Fine.”
‘Who could withstand a big dog acting cute?’
By the time the two reached the elevator, the elevator that the two girls had taken earlier had already gone up. There were two elevators in total, and Xia Chi pressed the button for the other one.
It seemed like there was already someone inside as it paused for a while on the 5th floor before descending slowly.
When the number above the elevator door showed “1”, the elevator doors opened and a group of people streamed out.
At the forefront was a stylishly dressed young man of around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. His hair was dyed a silver gray, and he wore a striking silver trench coat. He looked handsome and cool.
The young man wore gradient pink sunglasses, silver cross earrings on his ears, and even had a cross necklace around his neck.
Following the young man were four men in black suits. Compared to the young man’s proud expression, these men had no expression, but a hint of hostility in their eyes.
Beside the young man, there was also a middle-aged man.
When the young man strode out of the elevator, the middle-aged man hurriedly followed, chattering incessantly: “Ah Ran, watch your expression. There are reporters and fans outside. Don’t let them capture photos of you acting arrogant.”
The youth named “Ah Ran” cast a disdainful glance at the man. “A bunch of three-thousand-salary workers, what kind of fuss can they cause? You’re too timid. With my status in the entertainment industry, who would believe a bunch of black material?”
“You should fear the power of gossip,” the manager disagreed with Ah Ran. “A speck of mouse droppings can spoil a pot of porridge. You’ve been in the industry for so many years, so you should understand this principle. Also, you were too stubborn today. This event is a city-wide performance prepared for investors. It might even bring sponsorships to our company. Even if you dislike the performance, you have to endure it.”
Ah Ran halted, his tone forceful as he looked at the manager. “You know very well that I hate that song the most. I have so many hit songs. Why do I have to sing this one?”
Manager: “I didn’t make you sing it. The organizers specifically requested you to. I also know you’re still upset about Little Mu’s accident , but that was years ago.”
“The button for the 4th floor in the elevator is missing. Looks like we’ll have to take the stairs.” Xia Chi had entered the elevator as Bai Lixin stood at the entrance and he soon exited with his mouth pursed.
Bai Lixin peered into the elevator and saw that the TV station had 21 floors, with buttons for all floors except the 4th.
He patted Xia Chi’s shoulder reassuringly. “We can take it to the 3rd floor first and then walk to the 4th floor.”
Xia Chi’s originally disheartened look suddenly brightened. “Good idea, why didn’t I think of that?”
The flash of inspiration: “…”
‘Because you have a dog brain.’
“Hey, what are you two doing on the 4th floor?”
An impatient voice from behind stopped them. Bai Lixin turned around and saw that the two men who had been arguing earlier had stopped talking. The fashionable young man with silver gray hair was walking towards him, asking the question as he approached.
Xia Chi looked at Bai Lixin for clarification.
Bai Lixin: “Someone invited us to Studio 8 to handle a supernatural incident.”
Ah Ran instinctively touched his neck and turned to his manager. “Studio 8, what’s going on?”
The manager explained the recent crash to Ah Ran.
Ah Ran sneered upon hearing and chuckled, “Just superstition. How can ghosts exist in this world? Accidents are just that. Does the TV station really think it’s Lin Mu’s ghost causing it? If Lin Mu’s ghost really existed, could those people live so carefree and happy? They would have long been dead.”
The manager’s face changed upon hearing this and he hurriedly nudged the young man with silver gray hair, “Ah Ran! You can eat indiscriminately, but you can’t speak recklessly.”
Ah Ran’s face grew gloomy. He stiffened his face, pursed his lips, and didn’t speak, turning to walk outside.
Seeing the departing figure of the young man, the manager quickly signaled the four bodyguards with his eyes, “Quick, catch up, take him to the nanny car.”
Once the four black-suited men chased after Ah Ran, the manager turned his head to Bai Lixin and Xia Chi.
He sized up Bai Lixin and smiled kindly, “Young man, you can’t take the elevator if you’re going to the 4th floor. The elevator to the 4th floor has been out of service for a long time. You’ll have to take the stairs.”
“Just treat what Ah Ran said as a gust of wind, let it enter one ear and leave the other. This boy is used to being carefree and unruly,” the manager maintained his smile, but a hint of a threatening glint appeared in his eyes. “I hope I won’t read any odd comments about this in the gossip media, will I?”
Xia Chi: “Do you think we’ll tell the paparazzi what that white-haired guy said? Seriously, is that white-haired guy even famous? Who is he?”
The manager froze, looking somewhat shocked.
Clearly, he couldn’t believe that someone didn’t recognize his star.
Unfortunately, not only was there someone who didn’t recognize him, but two.
“You really don’t recognize who he is?” the manager finally asked skeptically.
Xia Chi had been irritated by these people from the start, “If we don’t recognize him, we don’t recognize him. It’s not like he’s money. Do we have to know him?”
The manager looked at Xia Chi’s angry expression and felt a bit flustered. He gave them an awkwardly smile, “I was just too nervous for my artist. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. Since you don’t recognize him, let’s leave it at that. Goodbye.”
He came in strong but left in a hurry.
The elevator had been stopped for a long time. Seeing that it was about to sound an alarm, Xia Chi quickly pulled Bai Lixin into the elevator, pressing the button for the 3rd floor and complaining, “Who is that guy? He’s so rude.”
The elevator slowly ascended, and Xia Chi’s gaze fell on the poster in the elevator when the doors closed.
It was a group photo of celebrities. The title indicated it was a poster for a performance in a concert, scheduled for two days later at 7:30 PM.
Xia Chi glanced over the poster, focusing on the person in the middle of the top row, “Brother, isn’t that the same guy from earlier?”
“He’s standing in the center of the poster, could this person really be a big-name star? Let me see what his name is.”
In fact, Ah Ran’s position wasn’t quite in the center; there was someone beside Ah Ran.
It was a woman, and while the poster compressed everyone together, this woman’s presence could still easily catch anyone’s eye.
Out of all the people on the poster, no one else wore red clothes except for this woman.
Wearing a red dress, she was like a flicker of flame in the night sky, instantly becoming the focal point of the entire poster.
The woman was very beautiful. Usually, beautiful people had a certain resemblance, but her beauty held something more than just good looks.
After a brief consideration, Bai Lixin came up with a word in his mind: enchanting.
Bai Lixin quietly glanced at the name of the woman in the red dress: Luo Mei.
After identifying the name of the gray-haired star, Xia Chi took out his phone from his pocket and effortlessly typed the name into the search engine on his browser.
With the press of the “Enter” button, numerous search results appeared on his phone.
Opening the first authoritative introduction, Xia Chi silently read it.
“Luo Ran, one of the most anticipated rising stars of the new generation.”
“He debuted at 16, and has been in the industry for ten years. He was once a member of the hottest band ‘Summer Glory’. After the death of his band mate Lin Mu, Ah Ran took a two-year hiatus from the entertainment industry. He returned at the age of 21 as a singer and actor and achieved fame once again.”
“Lin Mu…” Xia Chi stared at the name for some seconds. “This name sounds so familiar.”
“Ah, I remember now,” Xia Chi leaned in from the phone screen. “Brother, isn’t Lin Mu the one who had an accident and died at Studio 8?”
Bai Lixin’s eyes also focused on the smartphone screen. “It’s him.”
Xia Chi: “That guy named Luo Ran said to something about how if Lin Mu’s ghost were really here, the other people would’ve died a long time ago. Is there something going on here?”
The elevator slowly stopped on the third floor, and Bai Lixin shrugged. “I don’t know either.”
He tugged Xia Chi who was planning to step out of the elevator, and pressed a button for the 5th floor inside the elevator.
Under Xia Chi’s puzzled gaze, Bai Lixin gestured towards the poster that had reappeared due to the closing elevator doors. “The studio for this event happens to be on the 5th floor. Let’s go there from here and also check out the big star.”
“You’re interested in big stars?” Xia Chi didn’t believe Bai Lixin’s nonsense, but he didn’t dwell on it. He stood obediently by Bai Lixin’s side, glanced at his phone, and casually asked, “Brother, what’s my brother-in-law’s name in this game world?”
Bai Lixin: “Shen Mo. What’s the matter?”
Xia Chi: “Nothing, you said my brother-in-law is also a celebrity. Let me see how great he is. Quickly tell me his name.”
“…” Bai Lixin glanced deeply at Xia Chi. “I said his name is Shen Mo. Surname Shen, given name Mo. The no one ‘Mo’.”
Xia Chi: “…”
What a terrible name.
*Shen Mo means “no one” or “none”
Slightly embarrassed, Xia Chi quickly typed in the name on his phone and pressed the search button to alleviate the embarrassment.
When the results appeared, Xia Chi exclaimed in surprise, “Wow, Shen Mo, a multi-time Best Actor. Brother, you’ve struck gold.”
Bai Lixin curiously turned his head to look and Xia Chi held up his phone excitedly, saying, “How much money must he have accumulated? He is an award-winning movie king, isn’t he a hundred times stronger than that Luo Ran from earlier? Indeed, he’s still the best in any world. What kind of big-boss script did he get?”
“Hey, brother, my brother-in-law also graduated from X University?”
Xia Chi’s questioning tone diverted Bai Lixin’s attention. “Really, who else did?”
“Just wait a moment, I’ll confirm it again.” Xia Chi quickly entered a name on his phone and held it up to Bai Lixin. “I thought this university looked familiar. See, Lin Mu also went to this school.”
Bai Lixin took the phone from Xia Chi’s hand and examined it closely.
At that moment, the phone displayed Lin Mu’s personal introduction, with a headshot in the upper right corner.
The square photo showed an incredibly handsome young man.
He appeared to be around twenty years old, with a shy smile and small, clear eyes.
He had a round face and a hint of baby fat.
His features were very handsome, a neutral kind of beauty between male and female.
After looking at the photo, Bai Lixin’s gaze shifted to the introduction next to it.
—Lin Mu, died at the age of 22. At 20, he was discovered performing off-campus and signed with a talent agency. He formed a duo band with Luo Ran, who was only 16 years old at the time.
The introduction also included a photo of the two of them together. Though Lin Mu still had a round face, he was quite slim. Luo Ran didn’t appear as arrogant and domineering as he was now.
In the photo, Luo Ran was petite and thin, his eyes carrying a shy expression, his features not fully developed yet, exuding a youthful vibe.
Lin Mu had his arm around Luo Ran, protecting him like an older brother. Luo Ran leaned on Lin Mu dependently, with a very relaxed expression.
Xia Chi: “These two seem to have a really good relationship.”
Bai Lixin didn’t say anything and continued to read Lin Mu’s introduction.
It skimmed over Lin Mu’s cause of death, much like what he had heard from the assistant on set.
Xia Chi: “Two brothers who were so close. Losing one, the other must have been really devastated. No wonder Luo Ran took two years before returning to the entertainment industry.”
Bai Lixin: “Which university did Luo Ran attend?”
Xia Chi: “It seems that Luo Ran didn’t attend X University. You should look it up.”
Bai Lixin typed Luo Ran’s name on his phone. “Found it. When he was 16, he participated in a singing and dancing competition during the summer of his second year of high school. After debuting, he formed a group with Lin Mu. A year later, the band started gaining popularity, and in the same year, he was admitted to X School of Music.’”
“A year later, Lin Mu had an accident. Luo Ran’s last public appearance was at Lin Mu’s funeral. After that, he disappeared for two years.”
“During these two years, he not only vanished from the public eye but also took a leave of absence from school.”
“Two years later, he dropped out and enrolled in X University’s Music Department, becoming an alumnus of his deceased teammate.”
“Some people say he attended X University’s Music Department to help Lin Mu complete his unfulfilled education, while others claim that Luo Ran was capitalizing on his relationship with Lin Mu, using it as a stepping stone to make a comeback.”
“Those who love him say he’s sincere, while those who criticize him say he’s insincere and disrupting Lin Mu’s peace.”
The elevator doors opened again, and they arrived at the fifth floor.
Right after Bai Lixin finished reading this passage, he returned the phone to Xia Chi and asked, “Xia Chi, what’s your take on this?”
Xia Chi was suddenly prompted, and he raised his head instantly. “Huh?”
“How I see it… that’s not easy to say.”
“I feel that Luo Ran might not be exploiting Lin Mu because the cost would be too high.”
“That was another two years invested. Moreover, he had to retake exams, and re-enter school.”
“If he really wanted to exploit Lin Mu, the peak of Lin Mu’s popularity was when he had just passed away. If Luo Ran wanted to capitalize on that, he could have done it back then. I even feel that him emerging after two years might be more of an attempt to…”
Bai Lixin: “An attempt to what?”
Xia Chi followed Bai Lixin out of the elevator as he rubbed his nose tip in embarrassment, “An attempt to make sure people don’t forget about Lin Mu.”
Bai Lixin: “…”
The fifth floor was bustling. As soon as they stepped out of the elevator, they saw busy personnel in the corridor.”
Everyone seemed to be in a hurry, as if afraid of wasting time, walking quickly and some even running.
Continuous announcements could be heard from a room, and the source of the sound happened to be on their way.
They passed the studio and saw that its door was still open.
The two leaned their heads out and glanced inside, where under the spotlights and numerous boom cameras, a dance group was practicing on the stage.
There were several groups seated below, with dance groups sitting together, and stars with stars.
A few crew members hurriedly walked out of the studio. “Is Movie Queen Luo Mei coming today? Did you get in touch with her? What did she say?”
“’We’ve contacted her agent. Her agent said Movie Queen Luo Mei can spare half an hour for rehearsal. But it’s about this time. She won’t stand us up, right?’”
“This time? What time exactly?” The bearded man looking anxiously at his watch seemed to be the director. “Let the next program proceed, go to the door and check if the she is here, then call her agent to confirm.”
“’Oh my, Director Zhou, why’s your back covered in sweat? Who made you this anxious?’” Just as the director finished speaking, a voice as clear as a silver bell sounded from behind them.
Bai Lixin and Xia Chi quietly shrank near the door, minimizing their presence.
He glanced behind the director and saw an elegant woman in high heels walking gracefully from the elevator area.
Her seaweed-like wavy hair cascaded gently over her shoulders. Her features were stunningly captivating, and every smile and furrow of her brows resembled a fox that had cultivated for a thousand years.
Upon seeing the woman’s arrival, the director’s face lit up. “My dear Luo Mei, you’ve finally come. We’ve been waiting for you.”
“Tomorrow is the performance day. You haven’t attended a single rehearsal. We need to set up the stage tomorrow so today is the last rehearsal. Let’s just go through the motions.”
Originally, someone as prominent as Luo Mei should be accompanied by numerous bodyguards, yet she was followed only by a well-dressed man.
No one else followed her.
On hearing the director’s voice, the man beside Luo Mei spoke. “Director Zhou, you know how busy our Sister Mei is. She just finished filming for the crew this afternoon and rushed over here. We only have ten minutes. You understand, right?”
