At 10 a.m., Xu Nuo was jolted awake by his phone ringing.

  He fumbled for it and gnced at the screen: “Little Sis” calling.

  “Hello?”

  “Bro!” Xu Ke’s excited screech bsted through, followed by a torrent of chattering.

  Xu Nuo snapped awake, holding the phone at arm’s length until the noise died down before bringing it back to his ear.

  “What’s up?”

  “Bro, you’re famous!”

  “Mm.”

  “You know Lin Wanqing? Get me like ten or eight signed photos—I’ll make my friends die of envy!” Xu Ke said, brash as ever.

  “Don’t know her.”

  “Tch, me. You sang with her and didn’t even add her on WeChat?”

  “That was backing her up, not a duet,” Xu Nuo corrected.

  “Whatever, who cares.”

  “If there’s nothing else, I’m going back to sleep.”

  “Wait—”

  “How much?” Xu Nuo got it instantly.

  “Whatever you feel like, based on brotherly love.”

  “Mm.” He hung up, opened their chat, and scrolled through the history.

  [Bro]

  [WeChat Transfer: 1000]

  [Big Bro]

  [WeChat Transfer: 2000]

  [You there?]

  [WeChat Transfer: 500]

  Good grief, payment by title.

  Xu Nuo sighed and sent her 2000 bucks.

  Tossing the phone aside, he propped his arms behind his head, staring off. His mind was a mess—hard to tell if he was Zhuang Zhou dreaming of a butterfly or a butterfly dreaming of Zhuang Zhou.

  Two sets of life memories overpped yet stood apart, both crystal clear.

  “Xu Nuo!” Yang Haonan hollered, waving him over.

  “What’s up, Sao Nan?”

  “Call me Hao Nan.”

  “Sure, Sao Nan.”

  “…”

  “Come down quick.”

  “For what?”

  “To school you on some knowledge.”

  Xu Nuo looked up. “New resources?”

  “Piss off, like I need that crap.” Yang Haonan chucked a cigarette at him. “Get down here.”

  “What’s with the secrecy?”

  “Listen up: Lin Wanqing, female, from Jiangcheng, 25, 172 cm, 47 kg, debuted at 20…” Yang Haonan read off a tablet.

  Xu Nuo blinked, reaching to feel his forehead. “You turning into a fanboy?”

  “Fanboy my ass.” Yang Haonan stepped back. “I’m teaching you how to chase girls. Throwing money’s the mest move—no skill.”

  “I’m not chasing anyone.” Xu Nuo ignored him, heading to the balcony to brush his teeth.

  “Tch.” Yang Haonan flipped him off, following. “You sshed your price yesterday—dropped cash and a 10% cut—just to flirt with Lin Wanqing, right?”

  “You’re overthinking it.” Xu Nuo spat out the foam.

  “No pns at all?”

  “The entertainment biz is a deep pit. I’m not fishing for anyone there.”

  “Oh, that’s why.” Yang Haonan nodded. “It’s a mess, sure, but Lin Wanqing’s kinda an outlier.”

  “How so?” Xu Nuo spshed cold water on his face and turned.

  “Five years in, no scandals, no hyped-up pairings, not even a male celeb she’s chummy with.”

  “Huh. Still not interested.”

  “Fine.” Yang Haonan tossed the tablet aside, disappointed. “Then why’d you lowball yourself yesterday?”

  “To build connections,” Xu Nuo said, pulling on a T-shirt. “Breaking into entertainment’s got barriers—contacts, cash, background. Talent’s dead st.”

  “Tsk tsk, deep insight! Didn’t you swear nothing could bury talent back in the day?”

  “People grow up.”

  Yang Haonan sized him up, then grinned. “But banking on Lin Wanqing for connections? Wrong move.”

  Xu Nuo paused, frowning at his confidence. “Why’s that?”

  “She’s probably the most network-poor celeb I’ve ever seen.”

  “What’s the deal?”

  “Word online is, since her debut, she’s been blunt as hell. People make polite small talk, ask for suggestions, and she actually gives them—offending singers, composers, lyricists, even show directors left and right.”

  Xu Nuo was floored. No wonder she’d seemed off yesterday—there was a whole backstory.

  But a flicker of fondness sparked in him. Surviving the entertainment world like that was a freaking miracle.

  Yang Haonan stifled a ugh, patting his shoulder. “No biggie—just call it a favor. Not much of a loss.”

  “How do you know all this?” Xu Nuo asked, puzzled.

  “The internet’s got a memory. Dig a little, and you’ll find traces.”

  “Sao Nan, you’re impressing me!” Xu Nuo gave a thumbs-up, ruffling his hair. “Thought your brain was just full of girls.”

  “Not entirely wrong.” Yang Haonan adjusted imaginary gsses, striking a flirty pose.

  “Beauty’s a bone-scraper.”

  Yang Haonan waved it off. “No worries—we Sichuan-Chongqing folks have famously tough bones.”

  “…”

  Xu Nuo had no comeback. “You really not heading back to Sichuan-Chongqing?”

  “For what?”

  “Then why stay in Modu?”

  “Tons of hot girls here—open-minded, py however you want.” Yang Haonan fshed a knowing grin.

  “Ever thought about making something of yourself in Modu?”

  “Nope,” Yang Haonan said, quick as a whip.

  “…” Xu Nuo paused. “You just wanna be a freeloading rich kid?”

  “What’s wrong with that?” Yang Haonan shot back.

  Xu Nuo mulled it over for two seconds. “Damn, you’ve got a point! Your dad need another son?”

  “Pfft, off-topic. Don’t you wanna start something, make a real spsh?” Xu Nuo waved his arms, spitting enthusiasm.

  Yang Haonan’s smile turned bitter. “My dad says as long as I don’t start a business or touch gambling or drugs, the family money’ll st me lifetimes.”

  “Holy crap, how rich is your family?!” Xu Nuo gaped. He knew the guy was a trust-fund kid, but this tone hinted at way more than just “some money.”

  “Drop it, drop it.” Yang Haonan waved him off, pulling over a chair. “Spill—what’s with all this startup talk? What’s your angle?”

  “Wanna make your dad see you in a new light?” Xu Nuo grinned, a scheming glint in his eyes.

  “Nah.”

  “…” Xu Nuo rubbed his chin. This guy’s a bit unreliable. “Alright, how about this: start a company, hire a bunch of gorgeous girls to work for you?”

  “Kinda tempting.” Yang Haonan’s eyes flickered, urging him on.

  “Picture a hot girl flirting with you in lolita, teen, mature, vixen, or queen tones?” Xu Nuo baited, knowing pervs need a special approach.

  “Wait—how big is she?” Yang Haonan gestured.

  “Big or not, you decide.”

  “Deal!” Yang Haonan high-fived him.

  (End of Chapter)