I Was Forced into the Limelight After Pairing with a Top Star - Chapter 4

After Lin Wang sent the text message in the middle of the night, someone from Chi Yuan’s studio arrived to pick him up early the next morning.

The driver was a talkative middle-aged man in his forties. Throughout the journey, he spent a long time boasting to Lin Wang about how good the benefits were at their “unit.” He mentioned that the leadership valued Lin Wang highly and had specifically dispatched a car for him.

Lin Wang found it quite interesting. During their chat, he asked with a smile, “What is the leader of your unit like?” The man was honest, explaining that the leader was young and had a distant personality. He did not like to make public appearances, so Yu Qi handled most of the business affairs.

Chi Yuan’s studio was not in the Northern City; it was actually quite far away. They drove on the highway from morning until night, arriving at the destination around seven o’clock in the evening.

The studio occupied two floors of a downtown office building spanning several hundred square meters. The driver led Lin Wang to the 16th floor. They walked past busy little cubicles and stopped in front of a closed office door. The driver said that Manager Yu was waiting for Lin Wang inside.

Lin Wang thanked the man and waited for him to leave before knocking twice. A voice inside called out, “Come in.” He straightened his clothes and pushed the door open.

Chi Yuan’s manager was quite tall and looked very cool, but his secret was revealed as soon as he spoke. His voice was as gentle as someone singing a love song. He looked to be around the same age as Lin Wang was in his previous life.

When thirty-year-olds talk together, the conversation is simple. There is no burden or generation gap. They are not as impulsive as people in their early twenties, nor as dull as those in their forties or fifties. Everything is steady.

Yu Qi’s eyes scanned Lin Wang discreetly. He walked up to Lin Wang and proactively extended his hand. “Chi Yuan’s manager, Yu Qi.”

Lin Wang shook his hand and nodded. “Lin Wang.”

In the span of a single meeting, the two of them sized each other up several times.

Lin Wang was very different from the person in Yu Qi’s impressions. He was steady, mature, and experienced. These traits were rare for someone his age. Yu Qi could not imagine a person like this using schemes just to crawl into Chi Yuan’s bed.

As for what kind of person Lin Wang used to be, he was someone everyone in the entertainment industry avoided. Yet, Yu Qi had not shown a hint of slight since they met. From start to finish, he approached things from a professional perspective. Lin Wang appreciated this. A person who handles things so steadily explained why he could be Chi Yuan’s manager for ten years.

After they sat down face-to-face, Yu Qi pulled two contracts from behind the desk and pushed them toward Lin Wang. “Shi Yu should have told you the general idea. These are the specific details.”

Lin Wang took the contracts and read them carefully from the beginning. Yu Qi continued speaking from the side. “Out of respect for our partner, Chi Yuan has looked into some of your difficulties.”

Lin Wang looked up at him.

“That amount of money is neither too much nor too little, but it is indeed difficult for you right now. Chi Yuan can help you pay off the loan in one lump sum and become your new creditor. You will pay him back over a ten-year period with zero interest.” Yu Qi poured a cup of tea for Lin Wang and pushed it over, smiling like a trusted old friend. “Do not worry about being unable to pay it back. Within the contract period, you will be tied to Chi Yuan. It will be hard not to become famous. By then, money will be like water, flowing right into your pocket.”

Lin Wang’s eyes shifted subtly. Knowing the answer, he still asked, “What are the conditions?”

Yu Qi’s tone remained relaxed. He looked into Lin Wang’s eyes and spoke euphemistically. “Chi Yuan’s attitude toward music is very serious. A person like him has a stubborn way of thinking. If a song is not perfect or brought to the extreme, he would rather burn it, tear it up, or throw it away than keep it. He will need your cooperation frequently while he is creating. Within one year, you cannot go anywhere except by his side. He will take you wherever he goes. You will sleep in the room next to his. Whenever he needs you, regardless of the time, you must appear.”

Lin Wang was prepared for all of this. He even expected things Yu Qi had not mentioned, but he did not respond. He lowered his head to continue reading, waiting for Yu Qi to finish the rest.

“One more thing.” Yu Qi tilted his chin, signaling Lin Wang to drink his tea. He said with a smile, “Chi Yuan has a cold personality. You are both around the same age, so you should understand. You are still young and have strong characters. During daily life or creation, he might make you feel uncomfortable.”

At this point, Yu Qi shifted the topic without detailing exactly what “uncomfortable” meant. He added, “Where in the world is work comfortable? Wherever you go, you will suffer, and you might not even earn much, right? If you can accept this, please read the non-disclosure agreement at the bottom.”

The words were decent enough, and Lin Wang thought the same way. He finished his tea, took a pen, and signed his name at the bottom.

From that moment on, this “indenture” was finalized.

Lin Wang took Yu Qi’s car and was brought to Chi Yuan’s house overnight. He watched as Yu Qi used a fingerprint to unlock the door.

When the two of them entered, the house was very dark. Only a few decorative lights, with brightness similar to night lights, were on. Sensor lights embedded in the walls would light up briefly as they walked by, only to turn off seconds later, leaving the path behind them in a hazy fog.

They went to the third floor of the villa. Yu Qi led Lin Wang to the second-to-last bedroom. He pushed the door open, then closed it carefully, his voice very low. “The room at the very end is Chi Yuan’s bedroom. He definitely goes to sleep after ten in the evening and wakes up at six in the morning. Try not to disturb him.”

Lin Wang had good sleep quality, but he could understand people who were light sleepers. “I know. Do not worry.”

“An auntie comes every morning, noon, and evening to clean and cook. I will send you her contact information later. If you need anything, just ask them. The second floor is Chi Yuan’s studio. Do not enter unless he brings you there.” At this point, Yu Qi patted Lin Wang’s shoulder and smiled politely. “Your clothes and daily necessities are all new. See if anything is missing. If there is anything you do not understand, ask me anytime.”

Lin Wang checked everything. The supplies were more complete than those in his own house. Yu Qi gave a few more instructions before leaving, appearing somewhat worried.

What Lin Wang did not know was that this was the first time Chi Yuan had brought someone home, let alone arranged for them to live in the room next to his and share meals and life for an entire year. Yu Qi’s head had ached when he heard the plan. He had tried to persuade him: “With your sleep quality, where even a butterfly flapping its wings could wake you, you want someone living next door? You have lived in this house alone for years. Can you suddenly stand having someone else here?”

Chi Yuan did not listen to Yu Qi’s words. He often slept poorly anyway. When his emotions flared up, he could only say that lying on the bed with eyes closed was slightly better than staying up with eyes open. Chi Yuan never talked about it, so everyone assumed he just had a young master’s temper and could not stand any noise around him.

When he had a headache, Chi Yuan spoke very little, but his tone remained sharp enough to make one’s liver ache. He closed his eyes and let out a soft scoff at Yu Qi: “If you are capable, you could also put him in my bed.”

With that one sentence, the contents of the contract Lin Wang signed were decided.

The villa was somewhat old. Compared to modern houses, the sound insulation was poor. Even a slightly loud footstep in the hallway could be heard clearly inside the bedroom.

Chi Yuan was not in bed. He stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, his forehead leaning against the glass as he watched the moon.

What was so good about the moon? People who work with music have sharp ears. The steel frames of the windows in the two bedrooms were connected. Any movement from the other room would drift into Chi Yuan’s ears using the moon as an excuse.

When the clock passed ten, Chi Yuan closed his eyes. His biological clock was more accurate than a timepiece. The moon began to look fuzzy at the edges, and his vision started to blur. The faint sound in his ears was Lin Wang talking. His voice was still raspy, but his tone possessed a steadiness and politeness that was absent when he was face-to-face with Chi Yuan.

Bringing Lin Wang here was an impulse, just like sleeping with him had been.

That night, it was nearly ten o’clock. Chi Yuan should have immediately lying on the bed and closed his eyes. But when he saw Lin Wang doing something shameful and then trying to leave with a serious face, he suddenly did not want to sleep.

It was a face that could be called youthful. There was a bit of panic in his eyes, but his gaze was steady when looking at Chi Yuan. Only people with a sense of confidence acted that way.

Chi Yuan liked it, so he kept the man. However, what he liked was not Lin Wang’s steadiness. He liked the idea of Lin Wang slowly breaking in his hands, his straight back curving, his shrewd eyes blurring, saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth as he mindlessly slammed his head against the pillow, begging for more while calling for a stop, crying while cursing.

That night, Chi Yuan was more sober than ever. He was sober while suffering and sober while indulging.

The nausea from staying up late and the pleasure of controlling Lin Wang pulled at each other in his body. It finally ended with him biting Lin Wang’s neck, performing the action Lin Wang disliked most. He listened to Lin Wang’s tears falling as the man hoarsely shouted, “Damn it, do not do it like that.”

When Lin Wang fainted, Chi Yuan held him from behind. His nose and lips pressed against Lin Wang’s ear, feeling his body temperature. His voice was so quiet it was almost inaudible.

“Mine,” he said.

Lin Wang was not picky about where he slept. During his hardest times, he could manage a night on a bench covered with a few newspapers.

Some experiences are forgotten in an instant, while others are not. They are carved straight into your bone marrow. Every time you lift your head or bend your waist, you are affected by them.

In his previous life, Lin Wang had also been a young master. He lived in a villa, and his mother and father gave him pocket money in units of ten thousand. He was as happy as a little emperor. Later, something happened to the company. While his parents were trying to raise money, they encountered a mountain flood, and both of them passed away together.

Lin Wang was only seventeen that year. He lost everything.

The sunlight stung his eyes. Lin Wang wiped his face, and his palm felt a bit damp. He could not remember what he had dreamed about, but it was likely something from a long time ago. Lin Wang did not take it to heart. He rubbed his eyes and checked his phone first. It was six-fifteen. His biological clock from many years had not changed.

According to what Yu Qi said, Chi Yuan would be awake by this time. However, Lin Wang still took extra care when washing up in his bathroom, keeping the noise as low as possible.

The nanny prepared breakfast at seven in the morning. Lin Wang threw on some random clothes and left his bedroom right on time. Another door opened at the same time. Lin Wang looked toward the far end of the hallway, and an eyebrow quirked up on his calm face for no reason.

Chi Yuan stood at the very end of Lin Wang’s sight. Half of his face was in shadow. His hair was damp, leaving faint water stains on his white T-shirt. He was also looking at Lin Wang. His gaze was hidden in the darkness, like a young, insatiable predator.

After that day, Lin Wang tentatively categorized Chi Yuan as a complex person. It was no exaggeration to say that after years in social circles, Lin Wang could usually see through a young person in their early twenties with just one look or a few minutes of conversation.

But all these skills were useless when applied to Chi Yuan. Instead, they gave Lin Wang the illusion that he was standing naked in front of Chi Yuan, being scrutinized.

In just two meetings, Chi Yuan’s impression on Lin Wang was sharp and contradictory. Such naked aggression in a person usually seemed fierce, violent, and disgusting. But Chi Yuan was restrained. The gaze in those eyes, which could be called beautiful, was very quiet.

He just stood there, looking at you, telling you “I will eat people” while tying a napkin around your neck.