“You guys?” Yang Haonan blinked, dumbfounded, his eyes darting between the two.
“Senior wants the song I sang today,” Xu Nuo said calmly.
“Wait, you’re selling it?” Yang Haonan stopped in his tracks, hooking an arm around Xu Nuo’s neck and dragging him aside.
“Yeah.”
“What’s going through your head? Do you know how huge this song is right now?” Yang Haonan looked pained, pulling out his phone to show him the trending topics.
Xu Nuo felt a twinge of warmth. Sao Nan might be a flirt, but he had his back. “The hype’s just temporary. Plus, you know my singing’s mediocre…”
The first half made Yang Haonan ponder; the second half had him nodding so hard his head nearly fell off.
Xu Nuo punched his arm. “You know what to do ter, right?”
“Leave it to me, bro.” Yang Haonan puffed out his chest. As a broke rich kid, he’d been steeped in scenes like this since childhood.
A bck car screeched to a stop at the gate. A woman in a bck dress stepped out, waving them over. “Let’s go, hop in.”
Before Xu Nuo could react, Yang Haonan bolted forward, yanked open the front passenger door, and plopped down.
Lin Wanqing, mid-step, froze.
“Get in quick! Someone might spot us!” Yang Haonan urged.
Lin Wanqing hesitated, then opened the back door and slid in.
As Xu Nuo climbed in, Yang Haonan winked at him, practically begging for praise.
“Xu Nuo, this is my agent, Sister Liu,” Lin Wanqing said.
“Hi, Xu Nuo. That song of yours today was really impressive,” Liu Shun said.
“Just got lucky,” Xu Nuo replied modestly.
“And this is…?”
“My good bro, Yang Haonan.”
“Hey.” Liu Shun gave him a quick once-over, then said nothing more.
Yang Haonan fiddled with his phone, ignoring everyone.
In the back, Lin Wanqing leaned against the seat, eyes closed, clearly not in a chatty mood.
Bored, Xu Nuo opened his system to check today’s haul.
[Host: Xu Nuo]
[Age: 22]
[Popurity Points: 50,352]
Whoa, not bad—enough for 50 lottery pulls.
Getting famous was easier than he’d thought. In just a few hours, his popurity had spiked by over 50,000.
Probably thanks to Lin Wanqing’s star power. Without her, a graduation ga wouldn’t have pulled those numbers.
He gnced at her, satisfied, and fired off a ten-pull.
[Thank You for Participating] x9
[Congratutions! Host has drawn a JK uniform set!]
Xu Nuo: “This is great! Pfft—what the hell!”
Dammit, he’d let his guard down. This shady system was obsessed with weird stuff—his mind had wandered somewhere naughty.
At the hotel’s private room, Lin Wanqing ditched the mask and hat. Her long, dark hair spilled down, catching Xu Nuo’s eye.
Liu Shun waved for the food to be served and had the waiter close the door.
“Xu Nuo, let’s cut to the chase. Xiao Qing loves your song,” Liu Shun said straight-up.
Xu Nuo took a slow sip of tea. “Every song has a soul. Whether Queen Lin can sing it depends on if it fits her.”
Lin Wanqing pouted. “Before, it was all ‘Senior this, Senior that.’ Now it’s straight to titles.”
“Work calls for formalities,” Xu Nuo said, unfazed. Friendship was one thing, business another—especially since they barely knew each other.
“What makes it a fit?” Liu Shun interjected.
“I’d like to hear Queen Lin sing it.”
Liu Shun gnced at Lin Wanqing.
“Sure.” Lin Wanqing agreed without hesitation, taking the lyrics from her agent.
Xu Nuo was surprised. He hadn’t expected her to be so decisive. With her status, walking away from a request like that would’ve been normal.
When Lin Wanqing started singing, Xu Nuo closed his eyes instinctively.
A good song deserved full attention—especially with a gorgeous singer crooning right beside him.
“The Wind Rises,” originally sung by Mai La Jiao Ye Yong Quan (a female voice), took on a vibe like Zhang Hanyun’s version in Lin Wanqing’s hands—soft, tender, and nostalgic.
It’d been less than two hours since he’d sung it at the ga, yet she already sounded this good—miles better than his “original” take. Some people were just born for this.
Xu Nuo opened his eyes and cpped lightly. “This song really suits you.”
“So, can we talk copyright now?” Liu Shun asked.
“Yep.” Xu Nuo nodded.
Yang Haonan sat up straight, patted Xu Nuo’s shoulder, and signaled he’d take over.
Lin Wanqing, not much for haggling, went quiet after singing, sitting still.
“What’s your offer?” Yang Haonan pushed up imaginary gsses.
Liu Shun raised an eyebrow. She’d pegged him as a freeloader, but he seemed to know his stuff—not like a student at all.
“Normally, song rights range from 10,000 to 100,000, depending on quality and the composer’s rep.”
“For ‘The Wind Rises,’ based on market rates, we can offer 100,000.” Liu Shun gnced at Xu Nuo.
Xu Nuo stayed neutral, silent. He knew how to negotiate, but he’d brought Sao Nan along to see if he could handle it. Going solo wasn’t realistic if he wanted to py the big game.
“Sister Liu, I’m aware of all that,” Yang Haonan said, shooting Xu Nuo a look.
“But this song’s different. In two hours, it’s hit four Weibo trending topics, with over 100,000 mentions. It’s in Kuaishou’s top 10, with 200,000+ likes. On Bilibili, it’s blown up—the top video’s past 2 million views.”
Yang Haonan rattled off stats like a pro. “This song’s gone viral—phenomenal, even. Standard rates don’t match its value, right?”
Liu Shun’s face stiffened, her gaze sharpening. She couldn’t underestimate these kids anymore, and her confidence wavered. “What price do you think fits?”
Yang Haonan held up a hand. “At least 500,000. If Xu Nuo weren’t a nobody, 1 million wouldn’t be steep.”
“No issue,” Lin Wanqing cut in.
Liu Shun shot her a look. “As for profit splits, it’s usually 80-20, singer-composer. We can do 70-30.”
“Sister Liu, no need to dance around it. I know the industry too,” Yang Haonan waved her off. “70-30 is for unknowns with unproven songs. Do I need to repeat this song’s worth?”
“And if I’m not mistaken, Queen Lin’s position isn’t rock-solid. Breaking into the top tier without killer tracks is tough—and good songs are scarce these days, aren’t they?” He sipped his tea, cool as ice. “40-60.”
Liu Shun opened her mouth—
“You get 40, we get 60.”
“You—!” Liu Shun’s chest heaved with indignation.
Lin Wanqing’s face soured too.
(End of Chapter)
