Chapter Fourteen: Perfect Physique, Homecoming!

Before long, Bai Ling had already arrived at the café. Her meeting with Ge Fenfen was also very pleasant. After reviewing the contract and confirming there were no issues, Bai Ling completed the signing.

“The money will be transferred to your account today,” Ge Fenfen said. “Also, tomorrow I’ll come pick you up so we can go to City A. I hope you’ll be ready. By the way, our talent management department has already started planning for your career overnight, and at the moment, there are a few promising options. First, you could return to your old field and join a girl group. Coincidentally, there’s a vacancy in one of our Spring and Autumn Entertainment girl groups, and you could fill it. Second, you could continue leveraging your singing skills and release more songs or even an album. Third, there are variety shows. Your popularity is still quite good, and if you could get more appearances, it would be very beneficial.”

Ge Fenfen was nothing if not professional. Although she wasn’t Bai Ling’s direct manager, her suggestions were spot-on.

After listening, Bai Ling replied, “There’s really no need for me to join a girl group. Dropping in from above is bound to cause resentment, and I don’t want any more intrigue. As for singing… I’ve run dry creatively. We’ll see how it goes.” The system’s reward of a self-selected pop song had been a one-off; she genuinely had nothing left up her sleeve. She couldn’t just reuse all those songs from King Zhou from her previous life. Even if she could barely recall the lyrics, she couldn’t compose the melodies. And even if she managed to piece something together, it wouldn’t suit her voice. So why bother?

As for variety shows, Bai Ling’s eyes sparkled. “Are there any shows that pay well, require little work, and don’t need me to say much?”

Ge Fenfen, who was just putting away the contract, paused in surprise. She stared at Bai Ling for a while before finally asking, “Are you serious?”

Bai Ling batted her eyes and nodded without hesitation. “Absolutely. Truer than 24-karat gold.”

Ding!

At that moment, the system chimed in her mind. “Since the host has completed the signing and regained her status as an entertainer, she is granted a special skill—Eat Anything and Stay Slim! Since the host still lacks motivation after becoming an artist, she receives a mystery box.”

Bai Ling was instantly overjoyed. What a stroke of luck—two rewards at once!

She didn’t rush to open the box and waited for Ge Fenfen’s reply instead.

After confirming that Bai Ling wasn’t joking, Ge Fenfen suddenly felt a twinge of regret.

Had she made the right choice in signing Bai Ling? But then again, perhaps Bai Ling just wasn’t used to her new-found fame yet. She’d change in time. And even if she didn’t, Ge Fenfen would intervene. None of her artists ever turned out to be hopeless cases.

“There’s a variety show that might suit you,” Ge Fenfen said. “It’s called ‘Girl Group Assembly!’ It’s a newly launched show about forming girl groups. Most of the contestants are rookie trainees, and you could be a guest judge…”

Seeing the look of distaste slowly creep onto Bai Ling’s face, Ge Fenfen couldn’t help but rub her forehead. “Don’t worry. You won’t be worked to death. All you have to do is comment on the performances and chat a bit. How tiring can that be?”

At this, Bai Ling’s face lit up with delight. “That sounds perfect! Thank you, Sister Ge! Love you!”

Normally, Bai Ling wouldn’t have been able to say something so sweet and coquettish—she’d always been a straight shooter. But now, she couldn’t help herself; it was as if the talent had awakened within her.

Even Ge Fenfen, herself no longer young, felt her heart flutter at Bai Ling’s playful wink. Rolling her eyes with feigned annoyance, she tidied her things and said, “That’s settled then. I’ll pick you up tomorrow!”

After Ge Fenfen left, Bai Ling glanced at the paparazzo, Zhen Xiang, not far away.

“Hey, bro, done taking pictures? Remember to retouch them, or you’ll be in for it.”

With that, she took a sip of bitter coffee, and her expression immediately fell. Her charm vanished in an instant.

“Black coffee is as awful as ever, in this life or the last.”

Watching Bai Ling leave, Zhen Xiang could only lift his hand in defeat after a long pause. “Hey! I am a journalist, you know! A little respect, please?”

But clearly, Bai Ling hadn’t heard him. Looking at the camera in his hand, Zhen Xiang broke into a smile. This time, his promotion was as good as secured.

That very evening, the photos he took were already circulating online.

“Shocking! Bai Ling Breaks Free from Starshine and Joins Spring and Autumn Entertainment!”

“Unfiltered Beauty—Bai Ling’s True Looks Without Any Filters!”

“Starshine Entertainment—The Biggest Loser? Bai Ling’s Future is Set!”

…

Perhaps it was because Bai Ling’s bribery had worked. Or maybe Zhen Xiang realized truthfully reporting the news would earn him more opportunities to snap exclusive shots. In any case, he wrote nothing negative about Bai Ling. Besides, based on what he’d captured, it would have been difficult to spin a negative story anyway.

The result was positive. As the news spread and appeared in various entertainment magazines and gossip columns, the trending keywords on search engines and social media began to soar. Before long, it was already breaking into the top ten trending topics.

At that moment, Bai Ling’s fan group was in an uproar. Back when she was just a minor celebrity, the group had been quiet to the point of pity. The only time it had been lively was when Bai Ling was embroiled in a scandal, and even then, the ‘fans’ had all turned their backs on her.

But now, with the escalation of Bai Ling’s situation and her rising popularity, her fan group had grown exponentially, multiplying tenfold, a hundredfold. They’d even broken away from Starshine Entertainment’s official fan groups to establish over a dozen independent ones of their own.

Every day, they sought out the latest news about Bai Ling and worried about her future. Today, after Zhen Xiang’s report went out, the fan groups were more active than ever.

“This is great! Our girl finally has a way out.”

“Leaving Starshine is for the best.”

“Spring and Autumn Entertainment? That’s a good company—I have a few favorite artists who came from there.”

“It’s a well-established company, though it’s never produced a true phenomenon, so it’s not top-tier yet.”

“None of that matters. What’s important is that the company has a clean record—no scandals or shady dealings.”

“Exactly. That’s already more than enough.”

“Let’s hope her future only gets brighter!”

“I know Spring and Autumn is interested in her popularity, but if this is the outcome, I’m happy for her.”

“Now that she’s with a new company, when will her song be released online?”

“Yes, yes! The song is so good. Please release it on streaming platforms! Right now I can only rewatch the recorded broadcast—such a hassle.”

“Hahaha, same here! We’re all in the same boat.”