After Dumping the Scumbag Top, I Was Relentlessly Chased by a Top-Tier Idol - Chapter 7

To avoid missing calls from recruiting companies, Lin Yizhou specifically turned on his ringtone and set the volume to maximum.

He glanced at the time in the bottom right corner of his computer screen; it was almost 11:00 PM. He shut down the computer, stretched his aching body, and prepared to wash up and rest.

Just as he stood up, his phone on the desk chimed with a notification for a new message.

[Yongxing Entertainment HR Department]: Hello Mr. Lin, our company has seen your resume. If you are interested, please come to our office for an interview tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM.

Yongxing Entertainment?

Lin Yizhou knew of this entertainment company. Long before he left the industry, there were rumors that it was on the brink of bankruptcy. It had remained silent for a long time until the company officially announced the signing of a new actor, Shen Xu. Since then, its trajectory had been nothing but upward.

It could be said that Shen Xu had saved the company single-handedly.

Now, Yongxing Entertainment was one of the top companies in the industry. Aside from Shen Xu acting as the company’s pillar, Yongxing currently managed several other artists with excellent acting reputations.

That said, he had spent a long time browsing various company websites earlier, and he was 100% certain that he had not submitted a resume to this specific company.

The scene in the hospital garden the other day suddenly flickered in his mind…

Could it be…

Probably not. After all, Shen Xu was just an artist under the company.

Regardless, he hadn’t received an interview notice from any other company yet; a chance was better than none. Lin Yizhou replied with a “Fine” and went to rest.

The next day, Lin Yizhou stopped at the entrance of the building where Yongxing Entertainment was located, panting for breath.

He checked the time and let out a sigh of relief. There were still eight minutes until 10:00 AM. Fortunately, he wouldn’t be late.

He had specifically left home an hour and a half early this morning, but the morning rush hour was even more congested than he had imagined. With traffic at a complete standstill, he had no choice but to get out of the car and run.

He stood still to calm his rapid breathing before walking into the building.

As soon as he entered, a woman in a professional suit walked toward him with a standard “eight-tooth” smile: “Hello, are you Mr. Lin?”

Lin Yizhou nodded. “Hello, I am.”

“Hello, I am an assistant from the Yongxing HR department. The director arranged for me to come down and meet you.” She led the way. “Please, follow me.”

Lin Yizhou followed the assistant to the 20th floor. She led him into a meeting room. “Please wait here; the interviewer will be with you shortly.”

“Thank you,” Lin Yizhou replied.

After the assistant left, Lin Yizhou walked to the seat facing the door and took a folder out of his backpack. Just as he sat down, there was movement at the door.

He stood up.

The door opened, and he was momentarily stunned by the person who walked in.

The newcomer had eye-catching platinum-blonde hair. He wore a white T-shirt paired with black knee-length shorts—a very casual outfit that nonetheless highlighted his height and long legs. He looked handsome, fresh, and full of youthful energy.

Lin Yizhou’s gaze involuntarily drifted to the man’s neck. There was no bandage today, but he was wearing a black choker with a hollowed-out boat design. He was still wearing white arm sleeves.

The man walked toward him in a few quick strides, his angel-like face beaming with a brilliant smile. His peach-blossom eyes curved into crescents as he extended his hand, his voice filled with irrepressible excitement: “Hello, Teacher Lin. I am Shen Xu.”

Coming back to his senses, Lin Yizhou looked down to pack his folder. “Apologies, I think I might be in the wrong place.”

Shen Xu withdrew his ignored hand, his smile remaining unchanged. He casually walked behind Lin Yizhou and pressed him back down into the chair. He let go immediately without any overstepping and placed the folder back in front of him: “Teacher Lin, don’t be in such a hurry to leave. Why don’t you look at the contract first?”

After a moment of hesitation, Lin Yizhou reached out to open the folder, but a hand reached out from beside him to hold it down.

He looked up in confusion. Shen Xu was leaning over slightly, one hand on the folder, facing him with a smile as bright as the sun: “Teacher Lin, this is a very formal interview after all. Shall we follow the procedure first?”

Lin Yizhou lowered his eyes. His gaze landed on Shen Xu’s hand. He hadn’t seen clearly from a distance last time, but now that the sleeved hand was right in front of him, he could see it perfectly. On the inner side of the white sleeve, a golden sun and a golden boat were embroidered. The two fingers he had cut that day were still covered with sunflower-patterned bandages…

“What do you think?”

The sudden voice snapped him back to reality. Lin Yizhou let go of the folder and nodded.

A flash of brightness crossed Shen Xu’s eyes. He picked up the folder, circled to the opposite side of the conference table, sat down, and looked at Lin Yizhou solemnly: “So, now, the fan meeting officially begins.”

Lin Yizhou was stunned for a second before reacting: “I am not your fan.”

“In that case,” Shen Xu said, leaning forward slightly, his pale blue eyes shimmering like sapphires in the sunlight, “Teacher Lin knows who I am?”

Lin Yizhou nodded slightly but said nothing more.

Shen Xu interlaced his fingers and rested his chin on them, his happiness completely unconcealed: “It’s a wonderful feeling to be remembered by my idol while chasing them.”

“???” Lin Yizhou looked at him, puzzled.

“What I mean is, I am your fan, Teacher Lin.” Shen Xu finished speaking and flipped through the folder. He couldn’t find what he was looking for and frowned slightly, but when he looked up, his eyes curved again. “Do you have any plain paper? I was in such a rush to get here that I forgot to bring some.”

Though confused, Lin Yizhou pulled a sheet of white paper from his folder and offered it.

Shen Xu didn’t take it. Instead, he asked, “Do you know how to fold a paper heart?”

Lin Yizhou: “Is this part of the interview?”

Shen Xu shook his head slowly, pushing the paper back toward Lin Yizhou inch by inch—like a puppy pushing its food bowl toward its owner. His gaze was sincere and fervent: “This is a wish from a little fan. Is that okay?”

Before Lin Yizhou could refuse, he quickly added, “If you don’t know how, you can look up a tutorial online right now. No rush, take your time.”

Seeing him hesitate, Shen Xu pressed his hands together in a prayer gesture and blinked a few times, looking like a pleading puppy: “Teacher Lin, it wasn’t easy for me to finally meet you. Could you please grant me this small request?”

Lin Yizhou didn’t say a word; he simply reached out and began to fold.

Shen Xu sat across from him, resting his chin on one hand in a relaxed, lazy posture. His gaze drifted occasionally to Lin Yizhou’s hands, and at other times, he stared directly and intently at his face.

His pale blue eyes gradually grew deep and dark.

In less than two minutes, a beautifully folded paper heart was pushed toward Shen Xu.

Shen Xu snapped back to reality instantly, sweeping every trace of his internal emotions away. He picked up the heart, turning it over to inspect it. He framed the silhouette of the heart with both hands; from Lin Yizhou’s perspective, it looked as if the younger man was making a “finger heart” gesture toward him.

“You’re so skillful; it’s folded beautifully.” Shen Xu pushed the heart back onto the table, his tone laced with a smile. “Just one more step—would my idol, who clearly spoils his fans, be troubled to sign it?”

Lin Yizhou glanced at him and opened his folder. He searched for a moment but couldn’t find a pen. He clearly remembered putting one in before leaving the house. Just as he was about to turn and check his backpack, a pen appeared in his field of vision. The cap was already off, and the end of the pen was pointed toward him.

“Use this.”

Lin Yizhou looked up and met Shen Xu’s beaming eyes. He dazed for a split second before quickly recovering, taking the pen, and signing his name on the paper heart.

Shen Xu took the heart back, his fingertips brushing over the signature. He was not stingy with his praise: “As expected of my idol, your handwriting is truly beautiful.”

Faced with such praise, Lin Yizhou chose to ignore it once again.

Shen Xu tucked the heart into his chest pocket and straightened his posture, his expression becoming businesslike. “Now, the fan meeting is over. We are officially entering the interview stage.”

“Let me introduce myself properly. I am Shen Xu, an… artist of this company. Because everyone else is very busy and I happened to be free, I was roped into interviewing you.”

Lin Yizhou nodded, suspecting nothing. He handed his resume to Shen Xu and began his self-introduction: “Hello, interviewer. My name is Lin Yizhou. My education level is ‘high school incomplete.’ I have worked many odd jobs, such as a restaurant waiter, dishwasher, bar server, bartender, courier, delivery driver…”

He delivered his introduction with total seriousness, completely failing to notice that the person across from him—who had started by staring at him with delight—slowly lowered his head. The upward curve of Shen Xu’s lips gradually began to fade.

“…And that is the summary of my basic background.”

Shen Xu took a quiet, deep breath. When he looked up again, his face was once again covered in smiles. He placed the resume on the table and asked, “Why didn’t you introduce the thing you are best at?”

Hearing this, Lin Yizhou froze, but only for two or three seconds. When he spoke, his voice was as flat as still water. “It’s not my ‘best skill.’ I used to be an actor, but I never made a name for myself. It’s not worth mentioning.”

“Teacher Lin, have you forgotten? I am your fan.” Shen Xu looked him straight in the eye, his face glowing with a gentle, comfortable smile. “You, Lin Yizhou, were the winner of the 2023 Golden Statue Award for Best Actor. That award is the top honor for performing arts in this country—the goal every actor strives for.”

“Calling that ‘not making a name for yourself’… isn’t that being a bit too humble?”

There was no sarcasm, no hidden mockery. His tone was as casual as chatting with a friend. More than a chat, it felt like encouragement—a reminder to a friend that the honor he had been granted was precious and great, and that he shouldn’t belittle himself.

But Lin Yizhou wasn’t being humble. As happy as he had been when he won the award, he was equally devastated yesterday when he learned the truth behind it.

Perhaps the netizens were right. If it hadn’t been for Song Chizheng backing him at the time, that award could never have been his.

Or perhaps he simply wasn’t cut out to be an actor. During his most glorious years, Song Chizheng was always by his side. He was merely living inside a bubble named “Song Chizheng.” Once that bubble was pricked and the illusion vanished, he was nothing.

“I’ve watched them,” Shen Xu said, dropping his usual smile and speaking solemnly. “I have watched every movie and TV show you’ve acted in no less than ten times. Whenever I can’t find the right feeling for my own performance, I watch your films.”

“Lin Yizhou, you are truly incredible.”

He spoke with such gravity that Lin Yizhou didn’t know how to react for a moment, simply staring at him blankly. From childhood to adulthood, this was the first time someone had affirmed him so completely.

Before he could process it, Shen Xu continued with a smile, “So, the reason our company invited you here is this: we can pay the contract termination fee for you to Song Corp’s Xingqiu Entertainment. The only condition is that you are willing to sign with our company.”

“?” Lin Yizhou snapped back to his senses and reminded him flatly, “My termination fee is nine figures.”

Shen Xu shrugged slightly, looking entirely unconcerned. “I am well aware of that.”

Seeing that the other man wasn’t joking, Lin Yizhou frowned slightly. “And the reason?”

That was a nine-figure penalty—not just empty words in a game of house.

“The reason?” Shen Xu lowered his head, feigning thought. The pen spun rapidly through his fingers. “If I have to give reasons, there are three.”

“First, the leaders of our company are very, very, very appreciative of talent. Their greatest skill is discovering an employee’s strengths and letting everyone fulfill their potential.”

“Second, our company believes that the value you will bring us in the future, Teacher Lin, definitely exceeds a nine-figure termination fee.”

“And the last one, which is also the most important point.” He paused, smiling as he looked deep into Lin Yizhou’s eyes. The pen in his fingers stopped. He pointed it first at himself, then at Lin Yizhou, and said bluntly:

“I like you. I’m going to pursue you.”

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