Chapter 29: Would You Consider Getting Back Together?

After the text message segment, the guests didn’t linger long in the living room and soon dispersed to their own rooms.

After a busy day, Lu Zhou returned to his room, exhausted. He hurried through his nightly routine and collapsed onto the bed, limbs sprawled in every direction.

He noticed several unread messages on his phone’s chat app. Opening them, he saw they were from Pan Chengyi.

Pan Chengyi: [The more I think about it, the more I feel you’re really talented. Jinhua Entertainment got your positioning wrong. You were never meant to be just a trainee! You’re absolutely capable of being an independent artist!]

Pan Chengyi: [Bro, want to consider working with me? I can be your music producer, we can spark some inspiration together, create songs, and I can handle all the post-production, packaging, and promotion for you.]

Pan Chengyi: [Whether a song becomes a hit isn’t just about the music itself. Timing, luck, and especially promotion matter a lot. Without funds to invest, even the best song might not make it. Plus, you don’t have much name recognition in the industry right now. Doing it alone will be even harder.]

Pan Chengyi: [If we work together, I can front the promotion costs. If the songs make a profit after covering expenses, we can split the proceeds fairly. Think about it, okay?]

Pan Chengyi: [I checked with Nan Qiao. She said you were the one who initiated the contract termination with Jinhua Entertainment. You like being independent, right? That’s totally fine. I’m not looking to sign you as an artist. Let’s just focus on making great music together.]

Pan Chengyi: [The song you performed today—if you work with me, I can get you the best mixing and mastering engineers. I guarantee top production quality.]

Pan Chengyi: [When are you free? Let’s have a meal and talk things over in detail.]

Lu Zhou hadn’t expected that after meeting for the first time today, Pan Chengyi would be so eager to collaborate.

He searched Pan Chengyi’s name online and discovered that he was indeed a reputable music producer.

To make it in the music industry, you can’t go it alone.

He needed allies, someone to help him push forward and accelerate his progress. He was starting from too low a point—climbing back to the top on his own was simply impossible.

Lying on his bed, eyes closed, Lu Zhou let his mind wander as he considered the proposition.

After a long while, he slowly opened his eyes and replied to Pan Chengyi: [Brother Yi, let’s grab a meal and discuss in detail another day.]

Just as he sent the message, someone knocked on his door.

Lu Zhou called out, “Come in,” and sat up on the bed.

The door opened, and a head poked in—it was Li Jiayan.

Lu Zhou smiled. “Looking for me?”

Li Jiayan hesitated for a beat, then curved her lips into a smile. “No… Is Zhang Chen here?”

“He’s not. What do you need him for?”

A hint of awkwardness flashed across Li Jiayan’s face. She opened the door a little wider and stepped into the room.

“It’s nothing, really. He mentioned earlier that he cut his hand washing dishes. I happened to bring some band-aids and wanted to see if he’d like one, so the wound doesn’t get wet when he showers. That way, it’ll heal better.”

Lu Zhou listened, feeling a bit complicated as she fussed over another man’s minor injury.

“Oh… why don’t you just leave it on his nightstand? He’ll be back soon, and I’ll let him know for you.”

“That works. Thanks a lot!”

Li Jiayan placed the band-aids on Zhang Chen’s bedside table, then left the room.

What an interesting show.

Lu Zhou couldn’t help but think to himself.

Not long after Li Jiayan left, Lu Zhou received a message from Brother Zhao, summoning him to the interview room for a post-show interview.

Another interview, really…

He’d been hoping to rest for a bit before working on the song he recorded in the studio today, but this show barely left him time to breathe. One segment led straight into another.

Determined to get it over with quickly, Lu Zhou rolled out of bed and strode out to the interview room.

As usual, he greeted the staff before getting down to business.

Staff: “After tonight’s reveal of ages and occupations, has your top female pick changed?”

Lu Zhou: “No.”

In truth, he hadn’t actually ranked the female guests in his mind…

Staff: “So, from start to finish, the female guest you most want to get to know hasn’t changed—it’s still the same person?”

Lu Zhou: “Uh… I think I need to clarify. Up to now, I don’t have any particular female guest I’m especially eager to get to know.”

The staffer looked taken aback. “Oh? Really? Not even one that stands out? There must be someone, right?”

Lu Zhou smiled. “Not at the moment. I’ll keep observing.”

Staff: “Do you think your image among the female guests changed after you revealed your occupation tonight?”

Lu Zhou gave a wry smile. “I’m sure it changed—probably for the worse.”

Staff: “Why do you think that?”

Lu Zhou offered a subtle smile, his response tactful. “I don’t think I need to spell that out, do I?”

Staff: “As far as I know, you didn’t receive any bedtime texts from the female guests tonight. Do you feel disappointed?”

Lu Zhou: “That was to be expected. I’m not disappointed.”

Staff: “Are you looking forward to tomorrow’s dates?”

Could he say he wasn’t looking forward to it? If he said that, the netizens would roast him…

Lu Zhou pressed his lips into a smile. “It’s alright. I hope we all have a good time together.”

Staff: “It’s the second day now. Have you figured out which pairs were previously couples?”

This actually piqued Lu Zhou’s interest.

“I think I’ve got them all figured out.”

“Zhang Chen and Ye Fangfei were definitely a couple! I caught them doing the dishes together in the kitchen, and their whole vibe was off.”

“Then… Xu Junze and Chu Yao, right? One’s an online influencer, the other runs an MCN company—their work overlaps, and they seem like they’ve dated.”

“That just leaves Wen Yiming and Qi Jiajia as the last pair.”

“I got them all right, didn’t I?”

With that, Lu Zhou asked proudly.

The staffer only smiled without confirming or denying.

But Lu Zhou was pretty sure he’d nailed it.

When the interview ended, Lu Zhou ambled back to the villa, only to be stopped by PD Zhao Xing on the way.

Zhao Xing pulled him aside, out of the camera’s view, and chatted for a bit.

“How are you feeling? Getting used to things?”

“Pretty good so far.”

Zhao Xing nodded, pulled a cigarette from his pack, and offered it to Lu Zhou.

Lu Zhou waved it off. “I’ll pass.”

“It’s nothing serious—just wanted to ask, have you thought about trying to win Li Jiayan back?”

Lu Zhou raised his brows in surprise. “Are you kidding?”

Zhao Xing exhaled a plume of smoke and patted his shoulder. “I just think it’d be a shame to lose such a great girl.”

“Li Jiayan’s got a lot going for her—looks, talent, a good family background.”

“She’s a catch. Any guy would notice her. Look how proactive Wen Yiming is with her. And… she had good chemistry with Xu Junze cooking together tonight.”

“Lu Zhou, I just want to remind you—this is a great opportunity. If you still have feelings for her, maybe think about getting back together. Why let a good thing slip away?”

Lu Zhou listened and gradually understood.

“Brother Zhao, let’s not beat around the bush. Be straight with me—the production team wants to give me more of a storyline, right? Planning to cast me as the lovesick ex hoping for a reconciliation?”

Caught off guard, Zhao Xing took a sharp drag on his cigarette to hide his embarrassment.

“Director Lin does think your dynamic with Li Jiayan isn’t dramatic enough right now. He wants more conflict, so… would you be willing to play along? It could get you more screen time, which would help you too.”

Lu Zhou looked down and shook his head. “Forget it. I don’t want to play the victim just for more camera time.”

Zhao Xing choked on his smoke and started coughing. He waved the smoke away, frowning. “How is that playing the victim?”

“To get more exposure in the main episodes by acting like a guy desperate to get back with his ex—when the ex doesn’t even want to reconcile—in the audience’s eyes, wouldn’t I just look pathetic? Isn’t that playing the victim?”

Zhao Xing’s mouth twitched. He forced a straight face and insisted, “How do you know Li Jiayan doesn’t want to get back together? Maybe she’s just pretending to be mad, putting on a show for you? Girls do that all the time.”

Lu Zhou gave Zhao Xing a look that said there were no words. “Brother Zhao, my career may be lukewarm, but I’m not an idiot.”

Zhao Xing: “…”

Alright, not so easy to manipulate. This one’s a lost cause.