Chapter 52: CH 49

Chapter 49: Nian Nian, look up

After coming down from the stage, Yu Nian sat back in the audience seat. Yu Qing handed him a thermos cup and leaned closer to whisper, “You sang well, there’s an improvement. It seems like you’ve been working hard during this period!”

Taking a sip of warm water, Yu Nian realized he was being praised and smiled as he replied softly, “But I almost forgot the lyrics. Luckily, I had a teleprompter to save me.”

“Forgetting the lyrics again?” Yu Qing raised her delicate eyebrows. “I’m telling you, Nian Nian, when will you get rid of this habit of not remembering lyrics? It’s one thing to forget the lyrics of other people’s songs, but you even forget the lyrics of your own songs.”

Yu Nian rubbed his nose. “It’s probably… genetic? My grandmother, when she sings her own songs, often can’t remember the lyrics either. If my grandfather wasn’t there to remind her, grandma would make them up on the spot.”

“That’s how it is with grandmothers,” Yu Qing chuckled. “I still remember when my grandmother taught me to sing ‘In the Garden.’ Every time she taught me, it was a different version. I can still recall five different versions now.”

Noticing Yu Nian’s expression of recalling something, Yu Qing’s smile faded, and she didn’t continue speaking.

By the time the event ended, it was approaching midnight. Yu Qing received the award for Most Popular Female Artist of the Year and gracefully walked out of the venue, radiating confidence and joy. It seemed like she had never had the word “low-key” in her dictionary.

However, as soon as they reached the side of the parking lot, Yu Qing couldn’t hold it in anymore. She tightly wrapped her down jacket around herself, shivering and speaking with a trembling voice, “Damn it, this season is really unfriendly for walking the red carpet! Did you notice Zhang Yaya’s expression when I passed by?”

Yu Nian knew she would ask, so he recalled carefully, “She had a smile on her face, but her fists were clenched tightly. After you passed by, she stared at your back for about twenty seconds.”

“Haha, it’s worth it for me to walk the red carpet in a bare-shoulder gown!” Yu Qing exclaimed.

Seeing her words, she was about to stuff the award directly into the large pocket of her down jacket, but Yu Nian helplessly reached out his hand and said, “Sister, let me hold it for you.”

“Okay, okay, the base of this award is made of metal, and it’s especially cold to hold!” Yu Qing casually threw the trophy to Yu Nian to hold while she continued to wrap herself in her down jacket. Then she remembered something and said, “Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, I received news that the auction of that ‘Drunk Horse Roaming in Spring’ is about to begin.”

“‘Drunk Horse Roaming in Spring’?” Yu Nian’s breath paused for a moment. “Has the date been confirmed?”

“No date has been set yet, but it will be within these two months. The owner of that private museum met his wife in Yecheng when he was young, so the auction will be held in Yecheng. I can get you an invitation to attend, but the key point is, if you want to buy that jade bottle and pine crane vase, do you have enough money now?”

Yu Nian didn’t even need to calculate, “Not enough.”

“I guessed as much. It’s easy to figure out with a few finger gestures. Your sources of income are limited. And you haven’t taken on many endorsements, the album is still in production, and you’ve only made some money from selling songs, right?”

“Yeah,” Yu Nian didn’t intend to hide it and remembered what Yu Qing said during the red carpet interview, “Sister, are you still planning to use the songs I wrote for your new album?”

“That’s right. But I have two consecutive film shoots, and the new album is still far off. You can take your time writing it. I mentioned it during the interview to give you some exposure. There will be a press release tomorrow as well.” The driver brought the nanny car over, and Yu Qing pulled Yu Nian into the car, continuing, “But we can sign the contract in advance, and I’ll advance the money to you.”

“Okay.” Yu Nian wasn’t being coy either. “I’ll talk to Brother Meng and see if I can take on a couple more endorsements or sell a few more songs to save up some money.”

“That works.” Yu Qing’s gaze then fell deliberately on the cufflinks on Yu Nian’s sleeves. “If these cufflinks are genuine, they should be worth millions. Why don’t you sell them? I can help you find a buyer.”

Without hesitation, Yu Nian refused, “No, I won’t sell them. They’re not for sale.”

“Really won’t sell?”

“Yes,” Yu Nian raised his wrist and looked at it, a smile spreading in his eyes, “This is a token of affection. Even for two billion, I wouldn’t sell it.”

Yu Qing understood from his expression, “Oh, so it seems the cufflinks were indeed a gift from your special someone, right?”

Thinking of the price tag specially made by Xie You, Yu Nian couldn’t help but curl his lips, “Yes, it’s from them. That’s why I won’t sell it.”

Yu Qing pinched her nose, disgusted, “The smell of dog food is really unpleasant!”

Letting go of her nose, Yu Qing asked again, “During the backstage interview just now, a reporter asked about your New Year’s wish, and you said you wanted to see the stars. Is it true?”

“It’s true,” Yu Nian lowered his eyelashes and whispered, “When my grandmother passed away, she said she would become a star and watch over me from the sky.”

Yu Qing couldn’t bear it, “Yu Nian, you… Dammit, I can’t stand that expression of yours. When I’m free, I’ll take you camping to see the stars!”

Yu Nian smiled and shook his head gently, “There’s no need for all that trouble. I’m fine, I just miss my grandmother as her memorial day is approaching.”

The traffic outside the venue was congested, and after a while, the nanny car slowly made its way onto the road. Yu Qing looked at the unedited live photos of herself, quite satisfied, and started scrolling through Weibo energetically on her phone.

After a while, Yu Qing gently nudged the drowsy Yu Nian with her elbow. “Nian Nian, these people have good taste. The Best Dressed Male and Female Artists were chosen right after the event ended.”

Yu Nian’s biological clock was quite accurate, and it was already past his usual bedtime. His mind was foggy as he asked, “Who are they?”

“Of course, it’s you and me! Otherwise, why would I be so happy?” Yu Qing pointed at her phone. “I even wore an off-shoulder dress in this freezing weather. And before walking the red carpet, I didn’t even dare to eat lunch, afraid that my stomach would stick out.”

Noticing that Yu Nian was struggling to keep his eyes open, Yu Qing lowered her voice. “Forget it, don’t force yourself. Sleep, and I’ll wake you up when we arrive.”

Seeing Yu Nian’s furrowed brow relax and him drifting back to sleep, Yu Qing reached for a blanket and covered him. Her little brother, who had just come of age, now only had her. If he could be with the person he liked, they could be together. He wouldn’t be alone anymore in the future and would have a home.

However, whenever she thought of the future sister-in-law who could effortlessly pin Yu Nian against the wall and kiss him, she felt a bit melancholic.

Yu Nian had a good night’s sleep and went to the company the next day, feeling refreshed. Meng Yuan hadn’t arrived yet. He recalled the fuzzy memory from last night, when he heard Yu Qing say that he had been chosen as the Best Dressed Male Artist. He sat down on the office sofa and opened Weibo to take a look. Sure enough, there was already a heated discussion in the comments under the original post.

After a while, Meng Yuan entered the office holding a cup of hot soy milk. Seeing Yu Nian browsing Weibo, he remarked, “You made it to the trending topics because of this. The tag was ‘Yu Nian in a cheap dress,’ but it got debunked within minutes.”

Following his words, Yu Nian clicked on the trending topic and quickly found the now-buried thread. The first post on the topic was a popular science explanation by a verified user.

“They dare to say that Yu Nian’s clothes are cheap? Just do a quick search for Jones Kenton. The outfit Yu Nian is wearing is from this studio. If the price is below seven digits, I’ll quit Weibo. Also, the clothes from this brand are not available for rent. It means that if you want to wear them, you have to buy them in full. Do you all understand what I mean?”

[Oh my god, I remember it clearly! Last year, my idol Pusen wore clothes from this brand at the film festival. He even revealed that the clothes were priced at 300,000 euros, which is over 2 million!]

[This is educational! We don’t understand the world of the wealthy! Yu Nian is literally wearing a house on his body! Is it heavy? Hahaha~]

[As an ordinary person, I have to say! I never used to believe in things like natural elegance, but this time, I truly see it! Yu Nian gives off that aura of being born into a wealthy family, with generations of prosperity and luxury!]

[Upstairs! Point to the direction of Gu Xuanning from the East! I was totally won over by that GIF! Completely won over!]

Meng Yuan tidied up his desk and, in a good mood, said, “The clothing issue is not a big problem. On the contrary, you did really well throughout the red carpet event. Early this morning, two fashion brands showed interest in collaborating. By the way, why did you come to the office so early today?”

Yu Nian put down his phone without any embarrassment and calmly said, “Brother Meng, I need money urgently.”

Meng Yuan sat upright and asked, “How urgent is it?”

“About two months.”

Meng Yuan absentmindedly tapped the table with his fingers, pondering for a few seconds. “Two months should be manageable. I’ve been considering two endorsement deals, one for mineral water and the other for a mobile phone. Both brands approached us proactively after seeing the sales data for Florence. They look promising, and if you think it’s feasible, we can sign the contracts. The process should be relatively fast.”

“And there are still your songs. I can sell another three and get you a good amount of money.”

Yu Nian roughly calculated and had an idea in mind. He expressed his gratitude, saying, “Once again, thank you for your efforts, Brother Meng.”

“What’s there to thank me for? After all, I’m your manager. I’m wholeheartedly waiting for you to become a big success and relying on you for my livelihood.” Meng Yuan waved his hand and couldn’t help but continue, “You’re still young, and in this industry, fame and fortune can dazzle people’s eyes. Don’t reach for things you shouldn’t touch, and definitely don’t do anything that would ruin your future.”

Yu Nian chuckled, “Brother Meng, are you worried I’ll get into drugs or gambling?”

“I didn’t say that!” Meng Yuan quickly denied it and added, “It’s just that you’re spending money like it’s flowing from a waterfall, not a river. How you spend your money is your freedom, and I won’t interfere, but as your manager, I still need to remind you.”

Knowing that Meng Yuan has his best interests at heart, Yu Nian smiled and agreed, “Don’t worry, Brother Meng, I know my limits.”

“That’s good to hear. By the way, on the same floor as yours, there’s another vacant apartment. It’s a larger unit. Previously, a band lived there before they gained fame. The lead singer and guitarist got into gambling, lost, and couldn’t repay their debts. They resorted to borrowing from loan sharks, and in the end, their hands were crippled by debt collectors. Their lives were practically ruined.”

Yu Nian laughed, “I definitely won’t end up like that. My sister keeps a close eye on me.”

Thinking of Yu Qing, Meng Yuan stopped nagging, “That’s true. With your sister’s strength, if you dare to go to a casino, she’ll kick you onto the street with one foot.”

In the evening, as Yu Nian stepped out of the elevator, the hallway was quiet. He heard a buzzing vibration and picked up his phone to find a message from Xie You.

His voice carried a smile, “Good evening.”

“Good evening,” Xie You asked, “Where are you now?”

“Just got out of the elevator. Why?”

Xie You’s voice came after a two-second pause, “Yu Nian, turn off the lights in the hallway.”

“Turn off the lights? Alright.” Yu Nian was puzzled but still followed the instructions. After a soft click, the surroundings dimmed. As he looked at the blurred reflections on the floor, Yu Nian felt a moment of confusion.

“Yu Nian, look up.”

Subconsciously following Xie You’s words, Yu Nian’s breath caught in his throat.

Above his head, there were flickering lights, forming a galaxy of stars.

“Do you like it? Now, every time you come home, all you need to do is look up, and you’ll see the starry sky.”

After a long while, Yu Nian managed to control his racing heartbeat and asked softly, “How… how did you do this?”

“If you want to see it, I’ll make it happen.”