"The music quiets down~
Yet it’s still love~
Step by step, it devours my heart~
Falling for you, I lost myself~
Loving so earnestly~
Loving so earnestly~
But still, I heard you say it’s impossible~
............~"
Liu Yutong stood at the edge of the crowd, quietly listening to the singer on stage. She never expected to run into Xue Qian here—a future internet sensation and top-tier singer whose life story was nothing short of legendary.
After debuting through a talent show, his career took a nosedive when his company underwent management changes. The new boss had little interest in promoting talent show alumni, and rumors swirled that Xue Qian had refused to play the industry’s dirty games, leading to his sidelining.
Even if he wanted to break his contract, the exorbitant penalty—ten times the standard fee—was impossible to pay. Eventually, his contract expired, and he clawed his way back into the spotlight through witty online posts and variety show appearances.
Of course, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. Right now, he wasn’t exactly famous. Last year’s hit song "The Earnest Snow" had blown up, but Xue Qian himself remained obscure—a classic case of the song overshadowing the artist.
For instance...
"Who is this guy? I’ve heard the song, but this is the first time I’ve seen him," Yun Cheng scratched his head. "Xue Qian? Some no-name singer?"
Logically, after "The Earnest Snow" went viral, proper branding and more variety show exposure could’ve made Xue Qian a star. But reality was harsh. His signing event was so pitiful that only seven or eight fans showed up.
Then again, it wasn’t entirely his fault.
With zero promotional support and an unusually heavy snowfall this year, even getting a handful of local fans to attend was a miracle.
"Thank you, everyone!" After finishing his performance, Xue Qian began signing autographs.
What followed was equal parts heartwarming and absurd. To make the signing session feel less empty, the fans formed a rotating line, passing album after album to Xue Qian for signatures.
Beside him, his manager Wang Lixing looked like he’d swallowed a lemon, his face twisted in despair.
He’d warned Xue Qian that this event was a reckless idea—no favorable timing, no prime location. And now? Seven fans total. Even the mall security guards couldn’t be bothered to glance their way. A complete waste of money.
What drove Wang Lixing up the wall was Xue Qian’s latest gamble: dumping all his savings into an internet café venture, hoping to fund his next album with the profits.
Xue Qian had skipped the big cities for his business precisely because he was broke. Rent, renovations, and other costs were sky-high there. Instead, he’d listened to a friend’s advice about smaller towns—cheaper, friendlier, easier to manage.
Now, with the café nearly ready, Xue Qian had rushed to organize this signing event.
Always active on social media—even sneaking into his own fan groups with a burner account—Xue Qian refused to fade into obscurity. That stubborn drive was why he’d insisted on this event, despite knowing turnout would be dismal.
But even he hadn’t expected it to be this bad. So bad that the mall security nearly kicked them out. That’s how ridiculous it was.
Yet instead of discouragement, the failure only fueled his hunger for fame.
Wang Lixing nagged nonstop in the background, but Xue Qian tuned him out, cheerfully signing away.
After what felt like endless rounds, a slender, porcelain-skinned hand placed an album in front of him.
"I’ll take five hundred signed copies."
Xue Qian’s pen froze mid-stroke. He looked up at the girl bundled in thick winter wear. Though half her face was buried in a scarf, her crescent-moon eyes and flawless makeup hinted at striking beauty.
"Five hundred? You’re serious?"
Wang Lixing, standing nearby, was so shocked his notebook clattered to the floor.
Signing events were, by definition, pay-to-play. At fifty yuan per album, five hundred copies meant twenty-five thousand yuan—not just covering their losses but turning a profit after venue fees and other expenses.
Liu Yutong nodded. "I’m a fan. Consider it support. Don’t worry, I’ve got a few friends. Might not even have enough to give one to each."
"Would this be too much trouble, Mr. Xue?"
Xue Qian’s eyes lit up like fireworks. He shot to his feet, nearly knocking over his water bottle. "No trouble at all! Not even a little! I’d sign five thousand—no, fifty thousand if you asked!"
As he spoke, his mind raced with visions of a future signing event in a glitzy mall, swarmed by endless fans. Sure, his hand would cramp from signing nonstop, but that beat being irrelevant any day.
Of course, he knew he was just daydreaming. Right now, he was merely a minor singer who had gained fleeting fame from one hit song—the kind where the song was popular, but the singer remained obscure. Hardly anyone recognized him, let alone became a fan or attended his album signing event.
But suddenly, a generous female fan had appeared, warming his heart with her unexpected support.
What’s more, this fan was stunningly beautiful, rivaling—if not surpassing—many of the female celebrities he had seen before.
At this thought, Xue Qian couldn’t help but glance at his manager beside him, cursing inwardly: Damn you, Wang Lixing. If the wealthy women you introduced had even a tenth of her looks, I wouldn’t have been so determined to strike out on my own.
For the next while, Xue Qian focused entirely on signing autographs. Five hundred albums were no small task for him.
When he finally finished the last signature, he let out a long sigh, rubbing his slightly sore wrist as he gazed at the towering stack of signed albums. A sense of accomplishment washed over him—after all, five hundred albums sold was a solid achievement.
But when he looked up again at the girl in front of him, about to ask if she needed help carrying the albums back, he suddenly froze.
"Huh? Have we met somewhere before?"
Now it was Liu Yutong’s turn to be puzzled. "No, I don’t think so?"
If she had met Xue Qian before, she definitely wouldn’t have forgotten.
Xue Qian’s gaze shifted past Liu Yutong, landing on the cold, silent young man standing behind her. In an instant, his pupils constricted, and his hands—steady after signing hundreds of albums—began trembling uncontrollably.
"You... you two..."
Oh god, this is bad!
How had he run into these two?
The scenes he had witnessed outside the supermarket that day flashed through his mind again. This seemingly harmless, beautiful girl was someone who could make hardened underworld figures tremble in fear.
She was the real deal—a professional, the kind you only saw in movies.
Stay calm, stay calm!
He couldn’t let her realize he recognized her. Otherwise...
"Ah... my mistake," Xue Qian forced a laugh, his voice wavering. "I’ve got a terrible memory for faces. Always mixing people up."
Manager Wang Lixing quickly chimed in, "Y-yes, our Qian here is always getting people confused."
As he spoke, he couldn’t help but wipe his forehead. Who would’ve thought he’d be sweating in the middle of winter, with snow still falling outside?
Liu Yutong studied them thoughtfully, but before she could say anything, several black-suited young men strode briskly into the hall.
"Young Mistress!"
"Young Mistress!"
The synchronized greetings startled everyone.
Now it was confirmed—this girl really was the legendary underworld...
All Xue Qian could hope for now was that she would leave soon. He didn’t even dare to question whether she was actually his fan anymore.
He could still stubbornly resist some of the industry’s unspoken rules, but if this girl made any demands, he wouldn’t have the courage to refuse.
Yet, as if the universe was playing by Schrödinger’s law, the thing he feared most was exactly what happened next.
"Take these albums back to the company. Distribute one to each person," Liu Yutong instructed.
The lead black-suited man scrutinized the album cover for a moment before asking solemnly, "Young Mistress, do you want us to memorize this guy’s face and put out a warrant for him?"
After all, the Young Mistress wouldn’t hand out albums for no reason—one for each of them, no less.
Xue Qian: "..."
For some reason, all he wanted now was to buy a train ticket and flee Bright Pearl City overnight.
"Just a little perk," Liu Yutong waved it off. "Oh, and have Zhao Tianyi draft a contract and bring it over."
Once the black-suited men had carried the boxes away, Xue Qian was about to make an excuse to slip out when the girl suddenly turned to him and asked, "Teacher Xue Qian, if one day you had the chance to sign ten thousand albums in a single day... would you be happy?"
Xue Qian had no idea what she meant, but he answered truthfully: "I... I suppose so?"
