Chapter 201 Uncontrollable Emotions
That evening, Lu Yanhe watched Chen Ziyan and Chen Biqiu chat, which was actually a negotiation, and he was amazed by what he saw.
Lu Yanhe sometimes felt that Chen Ziyan was too "direct," and sometimes he felt that Chen Ziyan was a bit "flamboyant." However, what he did not expect was that Chen Ziyan controlled the entire rhythm of the dinner table. Chen Biqiu, the gold medal producer who was known by others for his flamboyant behavior and high-profile style, was unusually restrained tonight.
This surprised Lu Yanhe.
After dinner, Wen Minglan had basically finalized her plans to participate in the variety show "Love Generation".
With the main topic over, Chen Ziyan had downed two glasses of wine, and her smile became even more friendly.
"Today's artists are happier than those of the past, but it's also harder for them. In the past, it was a wild era where whoever had the talent could make it. Now it's a highly industrialized era where talent is important, but so is how well you can be packaged. The weight of personal effort is getting smaller and smaller."
In the end, Chen Ziyan directly grasped Chen Biqiu's hand and said, "Old Chen, do you know what I think is the most remarkable thing about you? Your show always gives opportunities to young people and newcomers. That's what makes you so remarkable."
Chen Biqiu smiled and said, "I'm not that great, so please don't belittle me, you big agent."
“I’m not kidding you. There are so many variety show producers in this industry, so why do I always want to work with you? Whether it’s Xiao Lu, Tu Song, or Ming Lan, I’ve sent them all to your shows because I know that you are very supportive and caring towards newcomers, and that they can show their best side on your shows.”
Chen Biqiu waved his hand and said softly, "No way."
However, Lu Yanhe clearly saw a hint of pleasure on Chen Biqiu's face, as if "his thoughts and actions had been seen by others."
"I have the common problem of agents: I only focus on the small world of the artists under my management. I know that sometimes, when negotiating, I can be assertive or unreasonable. But that's how it is in this position. It's a dog-eat-dog world; if you don't fight hard, someone else will take your things away." Chen Ziyan smiled at Chen Biqiu as she said this. "Being proactive, positive, and trying every possible way to create opportunities—all for one purpose: to secure the best opportunities and resources for the kids under my management."
“Yes, I know. I deal with all kinds of agents every day, all sorts of people, I’ve seen it all,” Chen Biqiu said. “Your legend is known throughout the industry. I’ve always been curious about how you developed such a keen eye. Everyone you pick becomes famous.”
"Actually, it's not that I have a discerning eye for people, but rather that I have a mouth that can persuade others to support them with me." Chen Ziyan laughed. "Just like I want to convince you that it's worth spending 50,000 yuan per episode to find Lu Yanhe. I will make you believe it because I stand by my words. It's the same with Minglan. I know she will definitely be loved by the audience. As long as I can convince you to give her this opportunity."
Chen Biqiu gave her a thumbs up.
"I really think you're amazing now. There's probably nothing in this world that you can't do."
"Don't flatter me like that, I can't take it." Chen Ziyan waved her hand. "In short, I'm entrusting both of my artists to you for the regular episodes, so you have to take good care of them."
...
Many things can be settled at the dinner table, especially at a drinking party.
Lu Yanhe has seen it all.
After Chen Ziyan's outing, both of them were a little drunk by the time they were about to leave.
Chen Biqiu held Chen Ziyan's hand and said earnestly, "Don't worry, I'll take good care of your two children."
Chen Ziyan laughed heartily and nodded, "Then I'll leave it to you!"
"Leave it to me!"
...
Lu Yanhe and Li Zhenzhen stood to the side, neither of them saying a word.
The two of them, Chen Biqiu and Chen Ziyan, were so engrossed in each other that it seemed like no one could disturb them.
When their car arrived, Chen Ziyan insisted on personally seeing Chen Biqiu into the car. Lu Yanhe followed behind Chen Ziyan, and only after Chen Ziyan saw him off with a smile did they get into their own car.
Lu Yanhe turned and glanced at Chen Ziyan.
The smile on Chen Ziyan's face was still lingering, but she immediately grabbed a bottle of mineral water, took a big gulp, rinsed her mouth, and then spat it into an empty cup.
She breathed a sigh of relief.
Lu Yanhe asked, "Sister Ziyan, did you drink too much? Are you feeling unwell? Should we go to the hospital to see a doctor?"
Chen Ziyan shook her head and said, "It's nothing, this little bit of wine is nothing."
She turned her head, smiled at Lu Yanhe, and said, "Do you have a lot of questions?"
Lu Yanhe nodded hesitantly and said, "A little."
Chen Ziyan asked, "If you have any questions, just ask, and I'll answer them for you."
Lu Yanhe: "I'm a little confused. It seems that tonight you specifically asked Wen Minglan to join the show 'Love Generation' as a regular guest. This requires Chen Biqiu's consent. However, your attitude at the beginning made me feel that you were... arrogant? That's not quite the right word, but that's the feeling."
"Why didn't I adopt a pleading tone when I talked to him about this? That's what you actually wanted to ask, right?" Chen Ziyan asked.
Lu Yanhe blushed, not expecting Chen Ziyan to summarize it so directly.
“Yes, that’s what I mean.” Lu Yanhe nodded.
Chen Ziyan said, "Because he has seen too many agents like this. For him, there are too many situations where people beg him for an opportunity, and my status is not suitable for this approach. Rather than being uniformly respectful, it is better to let him think that I am just an agent with a somewhat arrogant temper who has the title of a top agent."
"Won't this...make him unhappy with you?" Lu Yanhe asked curiously. "If someone with a very arrogant attitude came to me to discuss cooperation, I would definitely be somewhat unwilling."
“That depends on who’s contacting you. If it’s a complete stranger, then there’s nothing to say but to refuse outright. But if that person has a good reputation, you’re much more tolerant of them,” Chen Ziyan said confidently. “No one will deny the cooperation later just because of my initial attitude. They value what I can bring them more than these things.”
Lu Yanhe nodded thoughtfully, "Actually, this is also the second question that puzzles me. You clearly have two trump cards in your hand. Wen Minglan got the female lead role in Director Fu Zhu's new film, and you can also help him get a top male star to record the program 'Love Generation' with Wen Minglan. If you had presented them from the beginning, he should have agreed long ago, right?"
Chen Ziyan smiled and said, "Many things need to be given out little by little so that others will think you are sincere and believe that what you give out is truly valuable. If you give it all out at once, others will not only doubt whether what you give out is really that valuable, but they will also wonder if you have something even more valuable that you haven't given out."
Chen Ziyan's explanation greatly shocked Lu Yanhe. He had heard many of these principles, but they were often just abstract concepts.
That night, Lu Yanhe felt a sudden enlightenment, as if struck by a profound truth.
Are there any other questions?
"have."
"What?"
Lu Yanhe said, "I originally thought that tonight's program was about discussing the show 'The Days of Youth,' which is why they invited me. But that's not the case. Why were I invited tonight? Wouldn't it have been more appropriate to invite Wen Minglan?"
Chen Ziyan smiled slightly, "I am a very incompetent agent."
"Huh?" Lu Yanhe was stunned. He didn't expect Chen Ziyan to say such a thing, leaving him at a loss for words.
"I like to be lazy. If artists can support themselves, think more, and do more, I can worry less and mind my own business. But some artists only have artistic talent and are clueless about everything else. There's nothing I can do about that; I can only worry more. On the other hand, some artists are highly skilled in all aspects, so I want to help them develop comprehensively, to let them see more about the workings of this industry, or rather, the rules of the game." Chen Ziyan turned to look at Lu Yanhe, her eyes gleaming like a leopard in the darkness. She said, "You are a very thoughtful and capable artist. Since that's the case, it will be very beneficial for you to see more things and learn more while you're young. I still maintain that you're still so young. What path you choose to take in the future isn't something you have to decide in the next few years. Even if you continue down the path of being an artist, in the end, you can't just be a simple artist. No artist ever reaches the point where they need to have a voice, decision-making power, resources, and abilities. Instead of training them later when you need them, why not train them now?"
Lu Yanhe was astonished upon hearing Chen Ziyan's words.
"Frankly speaking, among the three of you, you are undoubtedly the most outstanding in terms of overall quality. Moreover, your ability to get into Zhenhua High School will give you an unparalleled advantage in terms of your starting point, your social image, and your network of connections. Observe more, think more, learn more, reflect more, and improve yourself. Learn to judge opportunities, select opportunities, and seize opportunities," Chen Ziyan said. "I can't be perfect in every aspect. Ultimately, you are the one who is truly responsible for your life."
-
That evening, Lu Yanhe kept getting distracted while reading.
Even Helan, who was watching the live stream, noticed it.
When a person is distracted, even if their eyes are fixed on the book in front of them, their expression will betray their inattentiveness.
Chen Ziyan's words echoed repeatedly in Lu Yanhe's mind.
In the live stream, many people noticed that Lu Yanhe was distracted.
This surprised and puzzled everyone.
They've been watching Lu Yanhe's live streams for more than just a day or two, and they know how focused Lu Yanhe is when he's reading.
It was rare to see Lu Yanhe lose focus.
In the live chat, everyone was puzzled.
The vibration of his phone pulled Lu Yanhe back from his reverie.
Lu Yanhe snapped out of his daze and picked up his phone.
He was somewhat surprised and answered the phone, "Hello?"
"You've been daydreaming for a long time, haven't you realized it?" Chen Siqi's voice came from the other end of the phone. "A lot of people in your live stream are talking about it."
Lu Yanhe snapped out of his daze and glanced at the live stream in surprise, only then noticing the questions raised by everyone in the chat.
"oh."
"What are you thinking about?" Chen Siqi asked.
Lu Yanhe said, "My agent said something to me tonight that touched me."
"What did she say?"
“She said a lot, it was very complicated, the general idea was... it seemed like she wanted me to learn more and see more to prepare for the future, but no, that's not what she meant. I don't even know how to put it, it's very strange, it's like she's preparing me to develop independently in the future, it seems like she doesn't intend to mentor me indefinitely,” Lu Yanhe said.
Chen Siqi asked doubtfully, "Are you sure?"
“I’m not sure either.” Lu Yanhe shook his head. “I’m just not sure. I’ve been thinking about this a lot.”
“If you don’t understand, you can ask her in person next time you have the chance,” Chen Siqi said. “But I don’t think your agent is wrong either. You will eventually have to develop independently. Even if she is your agent in the future, you can’t rely on her for everything.”
“I know, even if she had such thoughts, she didn’t need to tell me so early, did she? I just finished the college entrance exam.” Lu Yanhe calmed down. “You’re right, let’s not think about it for now, we can ask her in person later.”
“Hmm,” Chen Siqi said. “If you want to read, then read properly. If you don’t feel like reading, then turn off the live stream. Otherwise, a lot of people will talk about you and say that you’re just pretending.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Yanhe was both amused and exasperated. He nodded and said, "I see. So you're still watching my live stream?"
"Yes, is that not allowed?"
"No, no, of course you can. I'm just surprised you would watch it."
“Anyway, I’m just killing time,” Chen Siqi said. “Otherwise, what do you think I could do this summer vacation? Because of my going to Jiangguang University, my dad hasn’t given me a good look these past two days. He looks at me like I’m an unfilial daughter. Liu Wei’an is also stirring things up. It’s infuriating.”
"Just bear with it, we're leaving soon anyway."
"That's why I've been able to endure it all these years. I don't want to cause any trouble before I leave," Chen Siqi said. "This summer vacation has been really boring."
If Li Pengfei were here, he'd probably slap his thigh and say, "No wonder you two hit it off!"
Lu Yanhe hadn't expected that Chen Siqi would find this summer vacation boring. Then he realized that she didn't have a single friend and had to pay someone to pretend to be her friend for her birthday.
As soon as he thought of this, the thought that he had previously suppressed popped into his head again, as if possessed.
"How about we find something to do this summer?"
"Um?"
“I have nothing to do either,” Lu Yanhe said. “I’m so bored, let’s find something to do together.”
Chen Siqi was quite surprised and asked, "What kind of work are you looking for?"
Lu Yanhe said, "Didn't you say before that you wanted to start a magazine?"
"Ha, you're thinking of having the two of us create a magazine?"
“A print magazine is probably difficult, but Li Pengfei suggested an idea to me before, saying that e-magazines don’t cost much anyway, so we could try making one first,” Lu Yanhe said. “What do you think?”
"I think you're dreaming. Do the two of us have even the slightest experience in making a magazine? Are you crazy?" Chen Siqi complained.
Lu Yanhe said, "Anyway, the summer vacation is so long, let's figure it out slowly, see what kind of magazine we want to make, and then start thinking of ways to make it."
Chen Siqi: "Are you serious?"
"I just think that since I'm looking for something to do anyway, and I can do something I like, it doesn't matter if I don't succeed," Lu Yanhe said.
Chen Siqi: "Even digital magazines cost money."
“If you want to do it, I’ll talk to Yemai.com and see if they’re willing to support my idea,” Lu Yanhe said. “I have a partnership with Yemai.com. If they’re willing to launch our e-magazine on their website, then maybe we can get production funding.”
Chen Siqi: "Are you sure? I suggest you don't do this. Even if Yemai.com gives you a production budget in the end, it's only because you're Lu Yanhe. If the magazine turns out to be terrible and nobody reads it, or if it gets a lot of criticism and negative reviews, you'll be the one affected."
Lu Yanhe listened to Chen Siqi's words in surprise, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Then... let's just leave it at that?"
Chen Siqi: "You really want to do it?"
"If you'd like to do it together, I'd really like to."
“Alright then, I’ll cover the production costs,” Chen Siqi said. “As for how to make the e-magazine and where to publish it, we’ll talk about that later.”
"Then how about I cover the production costs?" Lu Yanhe asked.
He now has tens of thousands of yuan in savings.
Chen Siqi: "Are you as rich as me?"
Lu Yanhe: "..."
He was really embarrassed to say that he was richer than Chen Siqi.
This young heiress, despite her strained relationship with her family, has never been shortchanged by either her biological father or her stepmother when it comes to money. Liu Wei'an consistently cultivates an image of a "kind mother," ensuring that Chen Siqi never lacks for food, clothing, or shelter.
Lu Yanhe thought for a moment and then said solemnly, "If we are doing this together, then you can't bear the production costs alone. Let's do it together. This is a project for both of us."
Upon hearing Lu Yanhe's words, Chen Siqi fell silent and remained silent for several seconds.
"Alright, let's not talk about this on the phone anymore. A lot of people in your live stream are asking who you've been talking to for so long," Chen Siqi said. "Let's meet up and talk tomorrow."
Lu Yanhe smiled, nodded, and said, "Okay."
He smiled as he looked at the camera in the live stream.
He was laughing for the person watching the live stream.
Meanwhile, many people also saw Lu Yanhe's smile.
Some people say: "My god, why do I feel like Lu Yanhe's smile is specifically for me? Has my infatuation with Lu Yanhe deepened even more? Mom, I don't want to become a fangirl!"
...
Lu Yanhe turned off the live stream and prepared to take a shower and go to bed.
As a result, while taking a shower, a lot of thoughts about magazines popped into my head.
Once the thought came to mind, I couldn't suppress it.
Although Chen Siqi rejected his idea of getting money from Yemai.com, Lu Yanhe still decided to ask Xin Zixing first.
As soon as he finished showering, Lu Yanhe grabbed his phone and texted Xin Zixing: Sister Zixing, are you asleep?
Xin Zixing: ? I just finished working overtime, what's up?
Lu Yanhe said: I have something I'd like to ask you.
Xin Zixing: What is it?
Lu Yanhe asked: Can we talk on the phone?
Xin Zixing then called.
Lu Yanhe answered the phone immediately.
Xin Zixing asked, "What's wrong? Why are you looking for me so late?"
Lu Yanhe said, "I..."
The moment Lu Yanhe opened his mouth, he was suddenly overwhelmed by a strong sense of shame.
He wanted to create an online magazine.
That's a terrible statement.
If he weren't Lu Yanhe, Xin Zixing would probably have hung up the phone immediately and cursed him as a madman.
Even during the heyday of e-magazines, this thing wasn't very popular and didn't make much of a splash, let alone now.
Perhaps because Lu Yanhe had been silent for a while, Xin Zixing asked with some doubt, "Yanhe, are you still there?"
“I’m sorry, Sister Zixing, I… I suddenly feel that what I wanted to tell you is a bit far-fetched,” Lu Yanhe said. “But I still want to ask for your opinion.”
"Okay, go ahead. Don't worry, no matter how far-fetched your story is, I definitely won't laugh at you." Xin Zixing's tone carried a hint of sarcasm.
Lu Yanhe took a deep breath and said, "I want to create an e-magazine, and I want to do it with Yemai.com. I'll put the e-magazine on Yemai.com for everyone to subscribe to. Okay, I'm done. I can already feel an embarrassment rising from the soles of my feet."
Xin Zixing remained silent for a long while.
"E-magazine?"
“Yes,” Lu Yanhe said. “But I also know that basically no one is making e-magazines anymore. I guess it sounds a bit strange to you. This is my own idea. I don’t know if it can be realized, but you are the only person I know who is related to this area, so I can only consult you, Sister Zixing.”
Xin Zixing pondered for a moment and said, "Yan He, I can't give you an immediate answer to this matter. Let me think about the feasibility first and then get back to you."
"Okay." Lu Yanhe felt a sudden surge of nervousness. "Thank you, Sister Zixing."
-
After hanging up the phone, Xin Zixing was extremely surprised.
But it wasn't that Lu Yanhe's suggestion was outdated, but rather... what a coincidence!
Xin Zixing's idea for the "City Travelogue" series actually included a themed book.
Xin Zixing considered compiling this series of articles into a book.
Whether this can be achieved is still unknown; it's just an idea of hers.
Xin Zixing was indeed surprised when Lu Yanhe suddenly proposed the idea of creating an electronic magazine.
But Xin Zixing didn't think it was impossible.
If Lu Yanhe were to propose this idea to another website or organization, people would immediately think that Lu Yanhe was fanciful, impossible, and going against the trend of the times.
But this place happens to be a leaf vein network.
Just as Li Pengfei had told Lu Yanhe before, Yemai.com is a place where a large number of literary and artistic youths gather.
Ideas that cannot be realized elsewhere due to their idealism or niche appeal may succeed on YeMai.com.
While YeMai.com's absolute user base can't compare to other websites, the combined spending power of a million artsy young people might not be inferior to that of ten million ordinary people with diverse tastes.
This can be seen from the Corridor section of "City Travelogue".
To date, the documentary has been viewed by more than three million people, which is an unprecedented achievement for a documentary with a production budget of only 50,000 yuan.
This number of views alone has brought YeMai.com a considerable amount of advertising revenue.
The documentary has no advertisements, but its medium, the leaf vein network, does.
For Yemai.com, the most crucial aspect is that this campaign has given Yemai.com another influential and memorable point across the entire internet.
This helped YeMai.net attract some new users and expand its influence in the online world.
Xin Zixing thought to herself that Yemai.com originally had an e-reading section, which was an important section that was developed from the very beginning of the website and has been used ever since.
However, Yemai.com usually purchases the electronic rights to print books from publishing houses and then puts them on Yemai.com.
There are actually not many electronic works published exclusively on YeMai.com.
If someone else were to do this, it would probably be even more difficult.
But this person is Lu Yanhe.
He's a well-known idol, a rising star at Zhenhua High School, and has entered a honeymoon period with Yemai.com because of the "City Travelogue" series. Xin Zixing believes that the higher-ups might agree to his plan, provided the investment isn't too large.
Xin Zixing thought carefully until she reached the street corner and saw the black sedan parked in the temporary parking space. Only then did she put her thoughts aside, open the car door, and get in.
As soon as the car door closed, Huang Kairen took her hand.
"What were you thinking about just now? You looked so worried as you walked here."
“I wasn’t worried, I was thinking about something,” Xin Zixing said to Huang Kairen with a smile. “Lu Yanhe just contacted me.”
"Why did he contact you?" Huang Kairen asked, somewhat surprised.
Xin Zixing: "He has an idea to cooperate with our website, and I am considering the feasibility of his idea."
Huang Kairen suddenly understood and nodded.
"He's been quite popular lately, trending on social media every few days. How does he still have the time and inclination to come up with new ideas for collaborating with you?"
“She’s got lots of energy,” Xin Zixing said, a glint in her eye. “Why did you suddenly come back today?”
"I came back today to shoot a commercial, and I have to go back to the film set as soon as I finish shooting tomorrow morning," Huang Kairen said. "So I was able to see you tonight, but I didn't expect you to have to work overtime."
Huang Kairen sounded a little aggrieved.
"What can we do? There's so much more work now," Xin Zixing said. "Should we go to a hotel or to your place?"
Huang Kairen: "Let's go to a hotel. There are paparazzi lurking near my house."
"Huh? You're always filming outside, and there are paparazzi staking out your house?"
“Yes,” Huang Kairen said. “They probably received the message. I’ve returned to Yuming.”
It's really hard to keep the whereabouts of celebrities a secret these days.
Xin Zixing nodded and said, "Later at the hotel, please drop me off early. I'll walk there by myself and won't go in with you, so we don't get photographed."
Huang Kairen put his arm around Xin Zixing's waist and hummed in agreement.
-
The next morning, Lu Yanhe woke up feeling refreshed.
He's actually a man of action; he starts making plans as soon as he has an idea.
Especially last night before going to bed, he had a lot of thoughts in his head, and the first thing he did after waking up was to write them down.
After washing up, he checked his phone again.
Xin Zixing did not leave any comments.
Lu Yanhe was momentarily disappointed, but he also held a certain expectation that Xin Zixing had not yet sent a message.
He texted Chen Siqi, asking: Are you awake?
They didn't reply.
Lu Yanhe guessed she was still asleep.
He cooked himself some noodles first, and then continued to organize and refine his ideas.
The bad thing is that many of the magazines he used to read are now fuzzy in his memory and he can't remember them very clearly.
He wasn't quite sure what kind of magazine he wanted to create, but he was simply excited and thrilled that the idea might become a reality.
It wasn't until nine in the morning that Chen Siqi replied to him: You got up way too early.
Chen Siqi said: Let's meet at 10:30. You can find a place.
Lu Yanhe immediately started looking for a place.
Suddenly, at that moment, Li Pengfei called.
"Old Lu, what are you doing at noon?"
"I'm going to meet Chen Siqi later," Lu Yanhe said.
"Haha, I was planning to invite you to play games, but never mind, I'll find someone else. But lately, haven't you been seeing Chen Siqi a little too often? When I asked you, you said you two weren't together. I said, if you like each other, just be together! What's the point of this ambiguity? Look at me and Ziju—"
"We met to talk about other things, don't overthink it," Lu Yanhe quickly stopped him from continuing.
Li Pengfei didn't believe it.
"What else can you talk about? Stop with the smokescreen."
Lu Yanhe: "...It's what I told you last time, making a magazine. We both have an idea and want to put it into practice."
"Really?" Li Pengfei still sounded skeptical. "You're really clever. You even came up with such a legitimate excuse to pursue Chen Siqi."
"Stop talking nonsense, believe it or not." Lu Yanhe muttered a small curse.
Li Pengfei: "Then I'll sit in on this. I want to see if you're just putting on a show."
Lu Yanhe: "..."
A minute later, Lu Yanhe sent a message to Chen Siqi: Li Pengfei knows we are going to discuss making a magazine and wants to come too, is that okay?
Chen Siqi: He can come if he wants to, why are you asking me?
Lu Yanhe: I don't know if you want him to come.
Chen Siqi: Whatever, I don't care.
So, at 10:30, the three of them met at a coffee shop on time.
It was early in the morning, and the coffee shop had just opened, so there weren't many customers.
Lu Yanhe was wearing a mask, and the shop assistants did not recognize him.
As soon as Chen Siqi sat down, she ordered an extra cake.
"I'm so hungry, I haven't had breakfast," she said.
Today, Chen Siqi wore a blue baseball cap, with no makeup and dressed casually, clearly not dressed up much. But despite this, she was still very beautiful. Under the golden sunlight, her fair skin had a porcelain-like smoothness.
Lu Yanhe couldn't help but stare at her for a while, only to see Li Pengfei give him a look that said, "What did I tell you?" and look at him with ill intent.
Lu Yanhe: "..."
(End of this chapter)
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