18: Chapter 18 Traffic is King

"I heard your flight is tomorrow morning?" Actress Li Xiaoran asked.

"Yeah." Yu Liang swallowed hard.

It had to be said, a woman like Actress Li Xiaoran... really had a certain flavor. She didn't just have the freshness of a young girl; she also possessed a mellow, intoxicating quality aged by time that made one's scalp tingle.

"Leaving just like that?" Actress Li Xiaoran tilted her head slightly, her tone carrying a faint hint of playful reproach. "Can't even say something nice?"

Actress Li Xiaoran raised her hand, her fingers pinching the collar of Yu Liang's hoodie.

The collar was a bit crooked, and she straightened it for him.

Her movements were very slow.

Her fingertips brushed across the fabric of the collar, seemingly accidentally grazing the skin just below his Adam's apple.

Yu Liang froze.

Actress Li Xiaoran was also momentarily stunned.

She withdrew her hand and looked down at her fingertips as if confirming the sensation from that moment.

"Thank you."

Actress Li Xiaoran was dazed for a second, then burst out laughing.

Usually, Yu Liang was quite the smooth talker, but who would have thought he'd get so stiff and formal at a time like this?

Could this kid be a...

Actress Li Xiaoran glanced down.

At that moment, Yu Liang's 'little brother' was like an elementary schooler performing morning calisthenics—'Young Eagles Taking Flight!' 'The Rising Sun!'

"No, Sis, you've got me standing at attention with high expectations."

Just as Yu Liang was wondering how to end this scene, his phone rang.

The ringtone was like a pair of scissors, snapping the string in the room that was stretched to its breaking point.

Yu Liang looked down—Wang Churan.

Actress Li Xiaoran also caught a glimpse of the name on the screen. She took a step back, her smile fading, transforming back into that elegant and distant Princess Royal.

"Answer it." She picked up a water bottle from the table, her tone returning to a flat calm. "Don't keep the little girl waiting."

In that flatness, Yu Liang could detect a faint, sour aftertaste of jealousy.

Yu Liang swiped to answer.

"Hello? Yu Liang, where are you? I've been knocking on your door for ages with no response."

Yu Liang glanced at Actress Li Xiaoran.

"I'm in Ms. Xiaoran's room."

He spoke candidly. There was nothing he couldn't say, anyway.

The other end of the line went quiet for a fraction of a second.

"...Oh." Wang Churan's voice sounded normal. "Then you stay busy, I'll head back first."

"Don't go," Yu Liang said. "I'm coming down now. I actually have something to tell you."

He hung up and looked at Actress Li Xiaoran.

Actress Li Xiaoran unscrewed the bottle cap and took a sip of water, her throat moving slightly as she swallowed.

"Go on."

Yu Liang turned and walked to the door, his hand already on the handle.

"Yu Liang." Actress Li Xiaoran's voice came from behind him.

He looked back.

Actress Li Xiaoran was leaning against the vanity, her entire figure bathed in the warm yellow light.

"Think carefully about the contract after you get back. If you can't figure it out, you can call me."

She paused, the corners of her mouth curving slightly.

"Anytime."

Yu Liang nodded, pulled the door open, and walked out.

The cold air in the hallway rushed toward him, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Then he looked down at his hands.

His palms were covered in sweat.

—

The next morning, Yu Liang returned to Beijing.

On his second day back in the capital, someone from Xinli Media made an appointment to meet him.

The location was a café on the first floor of China World Summit Wing, Phase 3. The high floor-to-ceiling windows faced the traffic of the East Third Ring Road. At three in the afternoon, sunlight reflected off the glass curtain wall, making the entire space bright and dazzling.

When Yu Liang arrived, the other party was already seated by the window.

The manager sent by Xinli Media was surnamed Zheng. His business card read 'Senior Manager, Artist Management Department.' He was in his early forties, dressed in a sharp suit with golden cufflinks.

Yu Liang noticed the way he drank his coffee; his pinky was slightly raised, and there was a faint clink of porcelain between the cup and saucer.

"Mr. Yu, please have a seat."

Director Zheng didn't stand up, merely gesturing toward the opposite chair with his chin.

Yu Liang sat down. When the waiter came over, he ordered an iced Americano.

"Iced Americano?" Director Zheng smiled slightly, his gaze sweeping over Yu Liang. "Mr. Yu's taste is quite... down-to-earth."

Yu Liang didn't respond.

Director Zheng pulled a contract from his briefcase and pushed it toward Yu Liang. It was twice as thick as the one he had seen in Duyun, with a gold-stamped cover and sophisticated binding.

"The company has drafted a new version based on your situation, Mr. Yu. The terms are much better than the last one." He leaned back against his chair and tapped the table twice with his finger.

The profit split had been changed from 30/70 to 40/60. The scope included exclusive representation in all fields except Crosstalk—including film and television, variety shows, endorsements, business deals, promotion, live streaming, and short videos. The duration had also been changed from over five years to exactly five years.

"Mr. Yu, Xinli Media is being very sincere."

Yu Liang flipped through the contract.

The terms were indeed much more relaxed than the previous version. A 40/60 split was considered top-tier for a newcomer's contract, and the five-year term gave the artist enough freedom. If this were back when he was unemployed, he probably would have signed it on the spot.

But that was half a year ago.

"It is indeed better than the last one." He closed the contract. "However, Director Zheng, I want to ask one question."

"Please, go ahead."

"If I sign with Xinli Media, what can the company give me within the next year?"

Director Zheng's smile faltered slightly, as if he hadn't expected such a direct question.

"Mr. Yu, that kind of question..." He picked up his coffee and took a sip. "It depends on your own development. The company matches resources based on an artist's performance. You achieve results first, and the resources will naturally follow."

"In other words," Yu Liang pushed the contract back, "I have to prove myself first before the company is willing to place a bet on me."

Director Zheng set down his coffee cup, the bottom clinking sharply against the saucer.

"Mr. Yu, you might not be very familiar with the rules of this industry." His tone took on a slightly condescending edge. "A newcomer signing is essentially a mutual selection. The company invests resources, and the artist produces results. You have no representative works, no resume, and no background—if I may be blunt, for Xinli Media to offer these terms is already an exception."

Yu Liang nodded, as if seriously considering his words.

Then he stood up.

"Then, Director Zheng, let's talk again once I have representative works and a resume."

Director Zheng's expression finally changed.

"Mr. Yu," his voice turned cold, "do you know what you're turning down? Many people would beg for Xinli Media's resources. You're just a—" He paused, swallowing the next few words and rephrasing, "As a newcomer who just entered the industry, I wouldn't suggest you narrow your path."

Yu Liang had already walked into the aisle. He turned back.

"Director Zheng, do you know why I ordered an iced Americano just now?"

Director Zheng was taken aback.

"Because waiting for a hot Americano to cool down takes too long." Yu Liang smiled. "I'm a person with very little patience."

When he walked out of the café, he saw through the window that Director Zheng was still sitting there. The contract was spread out in front of him, and the sunlight made the four characters for 'Xinli Media' on the cover shine brightly.

Director Zheng pulled out his phone and dialed a number with a livid expression.

Yu Liang withdrew his gaze and hailed a taxi.

"Driver, to Chaoyang Joy City."