Many people talked about the shocking ranking announcement.

Actor Fu’s agent, Wang Meican, was one of many who did the same. The said agent kept babbling on and on to voice her disbelief. This made Fu Jinxiao feel annoyed after listening for a short while, so he directly went to the smoking room next to the left stairway. In the room, he relaxed, leaned against the window and lit a cigarette. With a smoke in hand, hearing the rant of his agent became bearable.

Wang Meican sighed and said: “At least listen to this bit, will you? Really… the major entertainment agencies have already signed contracts with the show. They already… bribed them, so to speak. As a result, it’s clear that the top 6 debut position has basically been pre-determined. It’s dirty work, but that’s how it is in this industry… I know that you have a crush on that kid and want to help him. But if you give him hope now, wouldn’t it be more painful when his hope are dashed later?”

Fu Jinxiao held a cigarette between his slender fingers, and blew out the smoke artfully. He was still leaning against the window, his movement languid yet willful, as if what Wang Meican say was just nonsense.

“You know this kind of thing better than me, right?” Wang Meican put her hand on her waist, “And look at his broken agency, why is it called Bankrupt Entertainment, dear god. Anyways, you asked me to check that agency some time ago, and I found out what kind of agency it is. Let me tell you the truth, that agency won’t hold on for long. Besides Li Xu’an, it doesn’t have any more outstanding trainees. So even if Jian Xingsui has potential to debut, his agency can’t give benefit to debut both him and Li Xu’an. It’s futile.”

Fu Jinxiao finally replied, “I just want to see how far he can go with his own ability. Besides, the ranking besides the final one could still be won by his own hand. Even if he fails in the end, I won’t interfere with the decision.”

Wang Meican then breathed a sigh of relief.

To be honest, she suddenly couldn’t sit still and rushed over because she watched the last latest live broadcasts. Did other people can’t see what she saw? Fu Jinxiao’s love for this youth had surpassed that of other juniors in the past. If she didn’t interfere, or at least, ask about it now… Then she’s afraid the next news she got would be their official relationship announcement. She would be the last to know.

Now it seemed that it hadn’t reached that boiling point yet.

Just as he was thinking, there was a sound from the stairway next door. A phone call came in, speaking in a familiar voice. As he leaned against the wall, Jian Xingsui accepted the call and greeted politely, “Hello, Wang-ge.”

The man on the other side of the phone, Wang-ge, has been Jian Xingsui’s agent for a year.

After their public recording was over, the show crew returned everyone’s mobile phone. This also included Jian Xingsui, but he didn’t expect that the first person to contact him was actually his agent.

The agent said with a meaningful smile1, “Xingsui, you really make me proud, giving me a good face for nurturing the third-place rank!”

Jian Xingsui smiled shyly and said, “It’s nothing.”

Wang-ge said cheerfully, “I knew you had this talent, so it’s not wrong to let you participate in this variety show.”

Jian Xingsui was also a little happy in his heart for being recognized by others. This also compounds the feeling he got that today might be his luckiest and happiest day in his life.

Wang-ge put away his smile, and said softly, “I have some good news for you.”

Jian Xingsui replied in an equally soft voice, “What good news?”

“Didn’t you join the show for 20,000 yuan? I know you are short of money.” The middle-aged agent continued in a cloying tone, “Did you know that today some… company actually contacted us. They offered a price of one million yuan, so long as you announced that you voluntarily quit the show due to illness before the second ranking. After you do that, the money will be wired directly to your account.”

Jian Xingsui’s smile froze on his face.

Ye Wang’s “request” made the youth’s body feel it grew colder. He also slowly leaned his back against the wall, as if he couldn’t support the weight of his body. The previous sense of happiness seemed to instantly disappear without a trace, and despair grew from his heart like a vine — it entangled his lung, his limbs — so, so tight, leaving him gasping for oxygen, desperate for a gulp of air.

Jian Xingsui tried his best to make his voice steady, and asked softly, “What do you mean?”

The older man thought he still didn’t understand, so he simply said, “Suisui, there are some things you still don’t understand because you’re still young. You see, although you are now in third place, that ranking won’t be yours for long. In fact, the top six have already decided from before the show was filming. I know you have a good relationship with Shen Xingchen, right? Didn’t he tell you that his agency has long signed an agreement with the program’s crew? Besides, he is the second son of that Shen family, there’s no way he won’t debut. Wise yourself up and face the reality, Suisui. Those times where you all call each other ‘brothers’? Forget them, those were just purely for the camera.”

Jian Xingsui held his phone and said nothing.

His breathing began to return to normal, but he still refused to speak. He tried his best to stabilize his tumultuous emotions raging inside.

“You should also understand that you aren’t very good at dancing and singing, so of course it’s impossible for you to debut in an idol group, yeah?” Wang-ge seems to have grasped Jian Xingsui’s Achilles’ heel, “You can tell the difference between 20,000 and one million. Let’s take the easy route and not continue to participate. Don’t you agree?”

Across the two of them, hidden behind the stairwell, was a pair of people – both dead quiet.

Fu Jinxiao leaned against the railing, his handsome face was expressionless with unreadable emotions. The cigarette between his fingers was burning little by little, and the ash slowly fell to the ground. But the man stood still, completely unmoving.

The time seemed to stretch until forever – a minute felt like a century.

Finally, Jian Xingsui said in firm conviction, “I want to continue participating in the show.”

His agent thought that Jian Xingsui was obviously stupid, “Why are you so bull-headed? You want to quit after the recording is over??”

Hearing that made Jian Xingsui hesitate for a while. He remembered when the ranking announcement happened just today, especially when Fu Jinxiao’s gaze seemed to bore into his soul, asking him if he still wanted 20,000 yuan in a soft tone. At that time, he firmly answered that he no longer wanted that money.

At that time, he was poor, in a dire condition, without a scrap of family support – he had nothing and no one. He wasn’t crazy smart, he could only think one step of a time, and that step happened to be making money. He could only bite the bullet and participate in this show to get that 20,000 yuan despite knowing that the protagonist was also here. Beggars can’t be choosers, after all.

But now?

But now… he somehow gained great friends, and was able to communicate with his long-cherished idol. He felt that his gloomy life now had some bright, hopeful spots.

Just like the magic disguising Cinderella, it will vanish after the midnight clock strikes. Jian Xingsui could only wait for the other shoe to drop, for his life to continue as usual, for this happy dream to end.

He was short of money, but he was even more short of love.

And— there was a non-zero chance that his friends were fake, never consider him a brother like he does. It was possible for Fu Jinxiao to actually not care about someone as insignificant as him.

But… in the end, he believed that his life could still be turned around. That little bit of light was within his reach.

“I won’t quit.” Jian Xingsui said firmly, “I don’t want that million either.”

Across the wall, Fu Jinxiao’s eyes brightened as he flashed a faint smile. He flicked the cigarette ash, avoiding his slender fingertips.

He seemed to be deep in thought, and this action made Wang Meican a little nervous. Because this was a tell-tale sign that Actor Fu was actually serious.

Wang-ge became livid, “Are you crazy?”

Jian Xingsui instantly replied, “I’m not crazy.”

“I promised you that money and you dare to refuse?” Agent Wang turned around angrily, “No. You don’t have a say in this matter. You must listen to this arrangement. Do you know, even if you stay, you won’t be able to debut anyway. So, what the hell are you just doing? Remember, you are still signed with the agency. Do you think the higher-ups will let you do whatever you want?”

The threat was palpable, but Jian Xingsui remained silent.

He understood every bit of it, but he didn’t react. It wasn’t that he didn’t care, but he was numb with this kind of turn of event. He already knew his life sucks, nothing good rarely happens. It’s natural for him to accept the worst possible outcome.

He lived through it many, many times. It only made him stronger.

The phone was hung up one-sidedly, and the stairwell was turned back into its previous calm. After the conversation, Jian Xingsui simply left without crying or fussing.

Sometimes, the more silent someone is in the face of injustice, the more distressing it feels.

It’s clear to Fu Jinxiao that Jian Xingsui was used to… this.

Wang Meican looked at the silent actor and said in a whisper, “You…”

“I was thinking.” Fu Jinxiao threw the cigarette butt into the ashtray, walked to the sofa next to him and sat down. He crossed his slender legs, and looked up to his agent, “Has our agency not signed a new star for a long time?”

Wang Meican was shocked!

Fu Jinxiao’s agency was the largest and most well-known in the industry – Fenghua Entertainment. As a company under the famous Fu Conglomerate, Fenghua Entertainment naturally had the best resources and the absolute right to speak. Today’s top artists, stars, and singers in the industry generally came from this agency. It could be said that this was a company that you can’t enter even if you have countless connections.

1

remember this is a 3rd POV omniscient, so despite the agent speaking from the phone, he was still fully described by the narration.