Volume One: Debuting at the Pinnacle Chapter Two: Let Me Be Your Agent

They found a nearby restaurant and went in. The two of them ordered three or four dishes and began to eat.

“Boss Jing, what’s the name of that song, White... something Forest?”

“White Birch Forest.”

“Yes, White Birch Forest—did you really write it?” Li Qingwei asked while picking up food with his chopsticks.

Chen Jing nodded, then paused and said, “It came to me in a dream. I just wanted to bring it to life.”

That was the truth. For Chen Jing as he was now, his previous life felt like nothing but a dream.

Li Qingwei looked at him, full of admiration. Some people really couldn’t be compared to others. Creating seemed so simple for them, while for himself… sigh, just thinking about it was exhausting.

As a young man dedicated to pursuing music, Li Qingwei had also tried his hand at composing. But after months of effort, the song he finally managed to write was so bad that even he couldn’t bear to show it to anyone else.

There were countless dreamers chasing music, but few could create a truly good song on their own. That was why Li Qingwei held Chen Jing in such high regard—anyone with a bit of knowledge could tell that White Birch Forest was an outstanding piece.

Li Qingwei ended up paying for their meal. When they parted, Chen Jing noticed the hesitation on Li Qingwei’s face and could guess what he wanted to say, but it was too soon to discuss anything now.

In the end, Li Qingwei said nothing more. After exchanging contact information with Chen Jing, he left.

Chen Jing rode his bicycle slowly back to the intersection below his rented apartment, locked it by the roadside, and turned into the alley.

“Hm?”

As he rounded the corner, he saw a familiar business van parked downstairs.

Approaching the driver’s side, he watched as the window slowly rolled down, revealing a refined and beautiful face—it was Lin Xi, the woman whose car he had helped fix earlier that day.

Chen Jing stopped, surprised. “Uh, hi—what a coincidence.”

Lin Xi shook her head. “It’s not a coincidence. I came to see you.” Her full, rosy lips parted slightly as she gazed at him calmly.

Chen Jing raised an eyebrow. “You’re here for me? Is there something I can help you with?”

Lin Xi didn’t answer directly, instead saying, “Can I come up to your place for a bit?”

“…”

Are all women in this world so bold?

With a creak, the door opened and Chen Jing went inside.

“Come in—you don’t need to change your shoes; it’s a bit cramped,” he said, turning to Lin Xi.

Lin Xi walked in and looked around. A bedroom, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom—the space was small but unexpectedly tidy. There wasn’t much in the living room aside from a sofa and a coffee table; there wasn’t even a television.

“It’s nice. Doesn’t look at all like a young man’s place.” Lin Xi smiled.

“Uh…” Not sure how to respond, Chen Jing studied her. She looked no more than twenty, certainly under twenty-five, just dressed a little maturely. So who was she calling ‘young’?

Silently, he poured a glass of warm water for Lin Xi. Sitting down, he watched her, saying nothing.

A beautiful woman was always a pleasure to look at—the ancients knew what they were talking about.

Neither spoke, and the atmosphere in the room grew increasingly peculiar.

Noticing that someone was feigning seriousness while sneaking glances at her, Lin Xi’s lips curled slightly in amusement. Her beautiful phoenix eyes narrowed as she shot Chen Jing a sidelong glance.

Chen Jing coughed to cover his embarrassment.

This was really out of line—caught staring again. Had his reflexes dulled since his recent “aftereffects”? Or perhaps he’d simply been too captivated?

Looking at Lin Xi, he asked, “So, what brings you here?”

Lin Xi replied with a question of her own, “You went to the Voice of China auditions today, didn’t you?” Her tone made it clear she already knew.

“Yes.”

“And White Birch Forest, you wrote that yourself?”

“I did.” Chen Jing nodded. As the general manager of Jingrun Entertainment, it was natural for Lin Xi to know these things.

Getting the answer she expected, Lin Xi paused for a moment before saying, “Join my company as an artist.”

So she really was interested in him—Chen Jing’s guess was confirmed. Of course, the interest here was more like a talent scout’s, not romantic; Chen Jing could tell the difference.

When Chen Jing didn’t respond, Lin Xi continued, “You know I’m the general manager of Jingrun, right? Don’t you want to be a star? In that case, Jingrun is perfect for you—it’s one of the largest entertainment companies in the country, with all the resources you’ll need.” She sipped her water. “There’s no denying your potential—you have the looks, the height, the voice; you’re fully qualified for a debut…”

Chen Jing couldn’t help feeling secretly pleased. Who wouldn’t like being praised by such a beauty?

“That’s why you need Jingrun to provide the right conditions, so you can become famous as quickly as possible. After all, being a star is, frankly, a youth-based profession—time is of the essence. And another thing…” Lin Xi looked at him. “If you come to Jingrun, I’ll be your manager.”

“Huh?” That was a surprise. He hadn’t expected Lin Xi to be a manager as well.

“If I’m your manager, I can negotiate the best possible contract for you and give you the maximum amount of freedom. In fact, I’ll direct all my resources toward you.” Lin Xi’s gaze was steady as she spoke.

“You’re not joking, are you?” Chen Jing was stunned. Could she really be interested in him? He wasn’t the type to live off a woman, but if such an opportunity truly presented itself… he’d probably still hold back.

Unable to help himself, he asked, “Why would you do that? As far as I know, you must have plenty of talented artists at Jingrun already.”

Lin Xi was direct. “Because compared to the other newcomers, I believe in your potential.”

“You believe in me?”

“Yes.”

“Just because of White Birch Forest?”

“That’s part of it.”

“What else, then?”

“I already told you.”

“Told me what?”

“Because you’re handsome!”

“….”

Chen Jing was momentarily speechless, staring at Lin Xi’s earnest expression—it didn’t look like a joke.

A true talent scout!

What reason could be more compelling than that?

After a long moment of internal struggle, Chen Jing finally stammered, “Well… let me think about it. Either way, I need to learn more about your company and the contract first.”

Lin Xi nodded. “Alright, then take tonight to think it over—talk to your family if you want. Tomorrow I’ll bring the contract for you to look at.”

“Tomorrow? That soon?” Chen Jing felt a step behind her pace.

“It’s not too soon. The follow-up signing procedures take days anyway, so the sooner the better.”

“Alright.” Chen Jing agreed. In any case, he’d review the contract carefully before deciding.

They set a time and place for the next day, and Lin Xi prepared to leave.

Just as she reached the door, she remembered something. “By the way, did you copyright White Birch Forest?”

“No, I was planning to apply in the next couple days.”

“Do it as soon as possible, to avoid unnecessary trouble.”

Chen Jing knew exactly what she meant—someone might try to steal the copyright. Although there was a live recording of today’s audition, you could never be too careful; plenty of people would do anything for fame.

“Alright, I’ll register it tonight. Safe travels.”

Standing at the doorway, Chen Jing watched Lin Xi disappear around the corner of the stairwell.

In fact, Lin Xi hadn’t told Chen Jing everything. The reason she valued him so highly wasn’t just because of the song and his qualifications—it was also her intuition.

Sometimes, a woman’s intuition really was the most accurate, regardless of logic or reason.