Chapter 48

"Give your sister-in-law a kowtow to apologize."

When Chen Huaixiao said this, Chen Jingye's mouth fell open in shock, his jaw almost dropping.

He couldn't believe it. The woman in front of him was actually his own sister-in-law.

Yin was Chen Huaixiao's artist. Chen Jingye would never have imagined in his dreams that Chen Huaixiao would actually marry someone from under his own wing.

No, no, the order was wrong. His brother should have married her first, and then helped propel her to stardom!

So...did this mean his iron-faced brother had fallen from grace?!

Thinking back on the words he had said to her that day, Chen Jingye didn't hesitate to kneel down, dramatically lying flat on the ground. With a nose full of snot and tears in his eyes, he apologized to Yin: "Sister-in-law, I'm sorry! It was my fault, I shouldn't have been talking nonsense! I shouldn't have called the paparazzi!"

Yin hadn't actually taken Chen Jingye's rude words to heart or gotten angry about them. But upon hearing his last sentence, she immediately stood up and angrily said, "You were the one who called the paparazzi?"

Chen Jingye quickly explained, "I really didn't know you were my sister-in-law! I thought you were an easy target, so I wanted to take the opportunity to expose you having an affair with another man...to get back at my brother. This happened to align perfectly with that goal."

Yin really wanted to kick him.

She had always felt very guilty and blamed herself, thinking that the false affair scandal that happened with Qiao Yanshi was all because she had let her guard down for a moment when drunk.

Not only had it delayed her own career, but it had also affected Qiao Yanshi.

She would never have imagined that Chen Jingye had been meddling behind the scenes!

The security at Selia Club was very strict. Generally speaking, paparazzi would never be able to sneak in. Many celebrities liked to party there.

Unless someone had given them the "green light."

Chen Jingye had really angered her. She quickly hid behind Chen Huaixiao's desk and said, "Luckily everything's already been smoothed over. My brother-in-law is resourceful and resolved it quickly. Although sister-in-law, you and my brother have a sham marriage, my brother can still protect you very well. Let it go!"

Chen Huaixiao tilted his head slightly. "A sham marriage?"

"That's right."

Chen Jingye thought they just had a contractual agreement, so he spoke without restraint, saying directly: "Sister-in-law, you said it yourself! As long as he gives you what you want, you don't care about being his first love's stand-in. In the end you're just using each other anyway."

Yin: "......"

Even with a sham marriage, the two of them at least still maintained physical intimacy. Their relationship was not so transactional and blatantly spelled out.

Chen Huaixiao's expression visibly darkened. He kicked out at Chen Jingye's backside. "Get out!"

Chen Jingye didn't know what he had said to displease his cousin again. He had obediently apologized as asked. Yet his cousin was even more unhappy now.

Rubbing his bottom, Chen Jingye awkwardly left.

Inside the office, the two of them were silent for a few minutes. Yin didn't try to explain anything. She went and sat on the edge of the sofa and picked up a green grape.

Glancing at Chen Huaixiao out of the corner of her eye, the man was leaning casually in his chair looking over documents. His elbow was propped up on the desk, his fingertips holding a black enamel fountain pen, idly twirling it.

Carrying the grapes over to Chen Huaixiao's side, she held them out to him. "Here, try one."

Chen Huaixao didn't even lift his eyelids, completely ignoring her.

Yin simply fed the green grape right up to Chen Huaixiao's mouth, coquettishly pleading in her sexy voice, "Try it for me and see if it's too sour."

When Chen Huaixiao bit off the grape, he nearly nipped her fingers.

Yin quickly pulled her hand back, sullenly thinking to herself that he was biting people like a dog.

"Well, is it sour?"

Chen Huaixiao chewed the grape, coldly saying, "Try it yourself."

"Alright, I'll try it myself then."

As soon as she finished speaking, she put her arms around Chen Huaixiao's neck from behind. Bringing her face close, she bit his lips and took the initiative to attack him, rolling away all the sourness from between his warm lips and teeth.

Chen Huaixiao brought the woman around to the front, pressing her against the edge of the desk in an attempt to deepen the lingering kiss.

Yin let out a soft moan, complaining, "Too sour, I don't like it. I won't eat any more."

Having said that, she pushed Chen Huaixiao away and turned to leave on her delicate high heels.

Chen Huaixiao watched her alluring, sexy back as she walked away. His desire was immediately stirred up again. He unconditionally pulled her into the adjoining living room.

She belonged to him, within easy reach. But after satiation, Chen Huaixiao fell into even greater emptiness.

What he truly wanted, he could never obtain.

This woman didn't truly belong to him. She was prepared to withdraw completely at any time.

The one who was truly stuck in place was Chen Huaixiao.

...

During that time, Yin clearly felt that Chen Huaixiao's acts carried more of a sense of venting.

It was like he wanted to conquer her, and also wanted her dead. After they were finished, he would cling to her and refuse to let go, placating her with kisses...

He really put Yin through the wringer.

After the paparazzi peeping incident, Yin put all her energy into her career. She would not allow even a shred of emotion to show.

That day, Sun Lili rushed into the office in a huff and snatched the coffee Yin had just brewed, gulping it down in one go.

"Ahhh! Hot, hot! Burning me to death!" "That's what you get for drinking it so quickly." Yin walked over and gently took the coffee cup. "Here, let me see if you burned yourself."

Sun Lili pushed her away, exclaiming angrily, "So annoying!"

"Who are you mad at?"

"Who else could it be?" Sun Lili gave Yin a sideways glance and huffed, "You! You and Su Anning's back and forth grievances. Why don't you two just duke it out and get it over with?"

"We're not kids. Fighting won't resolve anything." Yin knew that Su Anning's side must have angered Sun Lili again.

She was Yin's agent. She handled many of the activities and appearances herself. Any impediments that Su Anning intentionally or unintentionally threw in their way were blocked by Sun Lili sacrificing herself.

Yin pulled her to sit on the sofa and made her another cup of coffee, patting her back and gently asking, "What did she do this time?"

"I booked the top lyricist-composer Li Chunfeng for you six months in advance to write your debut single, but Su Anning's company poached him! Argh! So annoying! So unethical!"

"Whoever pays more gets it. Perhaps Su Anning's company simply offered far too much. They had no reason to reject it." Yin laughed. "You should go to Chen Huaixiao and have him allocate more of a budget to you."

"Pfft! This is your debut single. Why should I be the one to go to him?!" Sun Lili threw her hands up. "Mrs. Chen, isn't this just a word from you?"

Yin quickly covered her mouth, fortunately no one else was in the talent agency office right then.

"I'm not going to him," she said in a muffled voice. "That man's temper has been awful lately. In bed he's like a rabid dog. If I need to ask him for anything, I'm afraid I won't make it until the day the single is produced."

Sun Lili: "......"

More content a single dog couldn't listen to.

Yin leisurely stretched and casually said, "Use the company expense account for this. If we can't get Li Chunfeng's lyrics and composition, then book some other producer. He can't be the only outstanding lyricist-composer in Chinese pop music, right?"

"Don't joke around. As I said, among top Chinese lyricist-composers, Li Chunfeng really is the only one! Why do you think I booked him for you six months in advance?"

Sun Lili looked very serious and said, "His lyrical style is unique. He has a very strong personal flair. Every song he makes becomes a smash hit in Chinese pop music. He's written classics for top heavenly kings and queens! His skill level can be called that of a true artistic genius!"

Although Yin wasn't as familiar with the music scene as she was the entertainment industry, she had at least heard of Li Chunfeng's name before. He really was an extremely amazing lyricist-composer.

No wonder Su Anning had spent a fortune to poach him from under Yin's nose. With one of Li Chunfeng's lyrics and compositions, her debut single would definitely become a hit.

Yin thought for a moment, then asked Sun Lili, "Do you know how much Su Anning's company paid to get his song?"

"That's confidential information. How would I know? Anyway, it was definitely more than our budget."

"I've heard that Li Chunfeng is an unconventional person with the temperament of an artist. So...it wasn't necessarily because the price wasn't negotiated."

"I wouldn't know about that." Sun Lili helplessly said, "It's true Li Chunfeng is pretty mysterious. He lives in seclusion and never shows his face in the public media. It seems even the name Li Chunfeng is just a pen name. Anyway, no one knows who he is. All business collaborations are handled on WeChat."

"How mysterious?"

"That's right. With such an odd personality, you'd think a lyricist-composer whose every song becomes a smash hit would be a regular at major music award ceremonies. But he hasn't attended even once."

Yin became interested. "Then I'm rather curious to meet this top lyricist-composer."

"You want to set up a face-to-face meeting with him?" Sun Lili shook her head. "I'm afraid that won't be possible. He would never agree to it."

"Didn't you say all business collaborations are handled over WeChat? Then you must have added him as a contact."

"I did add him, that's true. But he only discusses work matters. He never meets anyone in person."

Yin thought for a moment, then asked, "Does he post on Moments then?"

"That's another odd thing. For such an introverted, socially anxious person, he actually posts on Moments quite often." Sun Lili took out her phone and opened Li Chunfeng's Moments page.

In recent days there was a Moments post about tennis, with a photo of a rose gold tennis racket.

"He seems to really like tennis," Sun Lili said. "I've noticed he posts tennis photos every so often over the past six months."

Yin enlarged the photo and saw a blurry English logo in the top left corner.

She typed the letters into an online search, bringing up a private tennis club on the outskirts of the city.

Seeing Yin operate like Sherlock Holmes, Sun Lili's jaw dropped in amazement. "Am...amazing."

"Elementary."

"You can't be thinking of going to find him!"

Yin saved the photo and casually "Mm-hmmed". "Just to get a sense."

"But...I know you want to beat Su Anning, but meeting privately like this..." Sun Lili hesitated, saying, "I'm afraid Mr. Chen the vinegar jar...won't be too happy about it."

Sun Lili pictured Chen Huaixiao's appearance when he lost composure and kicked someone in anger the day the affair rumors came out...

Just thinking about it made cold sweat run down her back.

Yin didn't care at all and said, "I'm doing my own business, what's that got to do with him?"

When she first married Chen Huaixiao, they had agreed to only be physically faithful to each other and not interfere in anything else.

Yin went to Maple Joy Tennis Club, which was a membership platform for tennis enthusiasts to practice and interact with each other. After getting a membership, one could come and go freely unlimited times.

Of course, one could make an appointment with a professional tennis coach, or form random teams in the club.

Gritting her teeth against the pain in her wallet, Yin got an annual VIP membership that allowed her unlimited access. She cursed silently that even a rundown tennis club could charge so much.

But when she walked into the club, she realized Maple Joy Tennis Club was no rundown tennis club at all.

Everything here was very advanced. The pure decor gave a strong sense of modernity. Each court had robots to help pick up balls automatically. There were even robot coaches for members to have the most enjoyable tennis experience if they couldn't find an opponent.

Yin changed into a strappy sports top with a light blue sleeveless cropped hoodie on top, paired with a pleated tennis skirt. She wore a visor cap with her hair tied up high, looking fresh and neat.

Holding a colored tennis racket, she wandered the huge club, looking for the rose-gold edged racket she saw in the photo of songwriter Li Chunfeng.

Soon, she discovered an old man with a rose-gold racket playing against a round robot.

Yin took out the photo to compare and confirmed the rose-gold racket in the old man's hand was the same one Li Chunfeng posted on his social media.

But she really didn't expect the wildly popular songwriter Li Chunfeng to be so old. To be able to write chart-topping hits at such an age, he must be very talented. When Yin approached Li's court, hoping to strike up a conversation and play a few rounds with him, she heard an uncouth young voice behind her, "Hey! How can you cut in line like that? I was clearly here first!"

Yin turned around to see a handsome young man with earrings scolding her, "Even if you want to learn from the master, you should respect the order of arrival!"

He wore a fashionable ripped hoodie with cargo pants. The 3D cut of the cargo pants complemented his leg shape even more.

The young man waved his racket arrogantly, "I was here first, go wait on the side."

Seeing his stylish outfit, Yin thought he was also an actor or agent who came with the same idea to get Li Chunfeng to write songs.

She asked curiously, "You want to learn from him?"

"Of course. Everyone knows Teacher Li's tennis skills are legendary. I'm here to learn from him."

"Just to learn tennis?"

"What else is there?" The earring guy rubbed his nose, "I've been waiting here for days just to catch Teacher Li when he's free. Don't even think about cutting in line."

Yin breathed a sigh of relief. Not a competitor, that's good.

Just then, the old man on court called out, "Young man, go pick up balls for me. I'll practice with you in a bit."

"Coming, Teacher Li!"

He scurried to pick up balls for Teacher Li, with great enthusiasm. He stood outside the line waving his racket, imitating Teacher Li's serve and moves.

To get closer to Teacher Li, Yin also took out her racket to pick up balls and practice with him.

Even such menial work faced competition.

The earring guy's mouth was slick as honey. Even when tired as a dog, he could still spew a barrage of flattering words, quite eloquently:

"Teacher Li, you are in such great shape as you age, strong in spirit and body, sharp in eyes and mind, and insightful in every way! Us youngsters can't compare to you at all! Look at this girl, as weak as a chick, not fit to be your opponent. I'll pick up balls for you! I'll practice with you!"

Yin rolled her eyes, utterly speechless.

Not one to give up easily, she wasn't as diligent as her competitor in fetching balls, but her tennis skills were better. She could volley several rounds with Teacher Li, much to his satisfaction.

In the next few days, Yin went to Maple Joy Tennis Club every day to practice with Teacher Li.

Annoyingly, the earring guy also came every day.

Sitting on the sideline for a break, Yin couldn't help asking the young man, "Are you really here just to learn tennis from Teacher Li?"

"Yeah." The earring guy looked at her disdainfully, "Aren't you too? You come even earlier than me, what's your intention?"

Yin tilted her head towards the old man rallying with the robot, "Do you know his other identity?"

The earring guy looked blank, "What other identity?"

"Nevermind if you don't know."

"Tell me, come on."

"Li Chunfeng! The top lyricist and composer in Chinese pop music. I'm here to get songs from him."

Upon hearing this, the earring guy coughed violently.

"What's wrong?"

"Choked on spit." The earring guy coughed with a red face, "You...want to get songs from him? Which agency are you from?"

"I'm not an agent, I'm a celebrity! Don't you recognize me?"

"I...don't know many celebrities."

"I'm Yin." She said unhappily, "You don't even know me? I'm quite popular! Have you seen The Crane-feather Dress?"

"No, I mostly watch anime, don't follow domestic series."

"Forget it." Yin didn't want to chit chat meaninglessly with him, "As long as you're not sent by my competitors, we're good."

The earring guy put on his cap and pried gossipily, "Who's your competitor?"

"None of your business."

"We've been serving Teacher Li together for days, that makes us comrades in adversity. Tell me, come on."

Since it wasn't a secret in the industry anyway, Yin simply said, "Su Anning. My manager booked Teacher Li's songs half a year in advance, but Su Anning somehow cut in line. So here I am, forced to take matters into my own hands."

The earring guy's mouth twitched, "Have you considered...maybe your competitor simply offered...too much, so Teacher Li couldn't refuse? Even with all your efforts here, what's the use?"

"I know." Yin looked unresigned, "But I have to at least try to understand Teacher Li's personality first. If it's about money, my company has a limited budget, but I can pay out of my own pocket if needed. But if he thinks Su Anning is the better singer, then I have nothing to say and won't force it."

The earring guy's joker expression vanished. He gazed at Yin meaningfully, "So...that's why you want his songs so badly?"

"I don't want to lose." Yin's eyes were firm, "Absolutely refuse to lose."

The earring guy was silent for a while, then said, "Why don't you sing a few lines for me to hear?"

"Why should I sing for you? You're just a lousy tennis bootlicker."

"Hey! Don't look down on people. My tennis may be crap, but I'm..." He stopped himself short.

Yin casually hummed a few lines, "The shy rose opens quietly, slowly blooming the feelings she left for me. The hand of spring flips through her waiting, as I ponder in my heart if I should gently pluck her."

Yin's voice had a unique husky quality. Singing such a winding melody imbued an ambiguous charm. Just a casual sing-song, yet it made the young man's expression go blank.

She knew her voice was very pleasant. Smiling confidently, she said, "Well? Convinced?"

He was still immersed in the lingering after tones, unresponsive.

"Hey bootlicker, what do you think?"

The earring guy looked at her deeply. A few seconds later, the corners of his lips lifted in meaningful smile. "Hey Miss, mind if I ask you something out of line?"

"Ask away."

"Are you single?"