Chapter 138: Hot Spring Getaway

Entertainment Close-Up – No Pop-ups

Story Timeline: March 2007

Recommended Song: Kim Dong-wan --- "Summer is Good" (feat. Andy)

Disclaimer: This work is purely fictional. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental!

"Do you really think three million dollars is enough to sign Jiang Yihan for three years? I think you've severely underestimated Jiang Yihan's current market value. I hope we'll have another chance to cooperate in the future." Li Ran flatly rejected the proposed figure.

"Jiang Yihan is only endorsing a single model of our mobile phones. This price is already our absolute limit." The speaker was a representative from Sony Japan.

"Representative, I believe I made myself quite clear. If we are to cooperate, we can certainly negotiate, but this is our bottom line. It cannot be lowered any further." Li Ran thought to himself, with you people being so wealthy, refusing to squeeze out every penny would be foolish, especially since Jiang Yihan's current status has propelled him into the top tier across Asia. What grounds does Sony have to be so reluctant? If you aren't willing, Panasonic, Nikon, Canon, and Toyota are all lined up waiting to approach Jiang Yihan.

The Sony representative was well aware of why Li Ran held such a strong position. In Japan, South Korea, China, and even across Asia and further away in Europe, Jiang Yihan's popularity was undeniable. Jiang Yihan's raising of his price tag was by no means empty talk.

After hesitating for a long time, the Sony representative named another figure. Li Ran frowned upon hearing it, clearly sensing that the representative lacked sincerity. "Representative, I think we had better discuss this another time. With negotiations so lacking in sincerity, I'm afraid our opportunities for future cooperation will be quite limited."

Faced with Li Ran's righteous confidence, the Sony representative was utterly helpless. The company had indeed given him a strict upper limit before he came, and he had hoped not to reveal that number until the very last moment. However, thinking of the phone call he received from Panasonic earlier today—the rival company had also booked an appointment with Li Ran—he checked his watch: just twenty minutes from now. If he didn't make a decision immediately, this endorsement deal might slip through his fingers altogether. "Eight million for three years."

A cunning smile flickered across Li Ran's face. "Representative, now our negotiation is actually starting to mean something." The Sony representative was an old fox who had spent years navigating the business world; inside, he was already cursing up a storm, but on the surface, he still had to force a smile and nod. Yet Li Ran's next words left him completely dumbfounded. Li Ran said unblinkingly, "Six million for two years."

"Representative, you should carefully consider whether Jiang Yihan's endorsement is worth this price." Li Ran resumed his iceberg-cold expression, causing the Sony representative to mentally spew endless profusions of vulgarity while still maintaining a cooperative countenance. After all, Sony's market share in China, South Korea, and Southeast Asia was simply too vast; securing Jiang Yihan's endorsement would truly be the icing on the cake. "Mr. Li, I think we can sit down and discuss this further."

"Representative, I only want to point out that it is almost three o'clock right now, and our remaining time is very limited. Shall we continue this another day?" Li Ran's calm tone brought the conversation to an abrupt end.

After two days of entanglements, Li Ran ultimately signed a two-year print advertising contract with Sony for six million US dollars, alongside a one-year television commercial deal for seven million US dollars. One could only say that Li Ran, relying on his own tactical acumen and Jiang Yihan's skyrocketing popularity, had taken Sony for a ride. Of course, it was undeniable that Sony also reaped massive benefits; calling it a win-win situation would not be an overstatement.

In addition to this, Li Ran secured a one-year print endorsement for Shiseido's men's cosmetics for Jiang Yihan at four million US dollars, and signed a two-year television commercial contract with Toyota for twelve million US dollars. Li Ran's trip to Japan reaped a massive harvest for Jiang Yihan.

While Sony had beaten out all industry competitors with a staggering sum to sign Jiang Yihan, they had also provided him with a comprehensive Japanese tour experience. After three days of grueling schedules, today was reserved for a hot spring retreat.

Having changed into a yukata, Jiang Yihan radiated a unique, captivating charm. The sky-blue yukata reached only to his knees, revealing the major portion of his well-shaped calves. The upper part of the robe was left loosely fastened, exposing a large expanse of his chest, where his distinct collarbones and evenly toned muscles were clearly visible. As he stepped into the hot spring room, the elevated temperature caused him to break out in a light sweat, dampening his dark hair so that strands clung softly to his temples while tiny beads of perspiration slipped down his face. In this state, Jiang Yihan exuded an intoxicating and sensual allure. One could only wonder how his devoted fanbase would react—whether they would scream in shock or simply faint on the spot.

Li Ran and the members of TVXQ had all gone to a slightly cooler adjoining bath, but Jiang Yihan felt profoundly exhausted and decided to soak in the high-temperature spring here first before joining them later.

Submerged in the hot water, the intense heat continuously stimulated his skin, and Jiang Yihan could feel every muscle in his body relaxing, gradually melting into the warmth of the spring.

He could feel his consciousness drifting away bit by bit amidst the billowing steam—relaxing, relaxing, and relaxing further still. When the body relaxes beyond a certain threshold, human awareness naturally begins to fade. Jiang Yihan was currently sinking into that hazy, drowsy state.

However, a faint sound of splashing water gently recalled a shred of his awareness. "Who's there?"

Jiang Yihan's voice was intensely lazy, tinged with a hoarse sexiness that was utterly captivating. Sure enough, someone was swimming toward him. "Is that you, Li Ran?" Jiang Yihan asked.

Yet the aura and the feeling were completely wrong. Jiang Yihan would never mistake Li Ran's presence, nor would Li Ran ever joke around with him in such a manner. All of Jiang Yihan's drifting consciousness snapped back instantly, and he grew acutely alert.

As the shadowy figure drew closer, Jiang Yihan gradually cleared his mind and finally made out who was approaching. It was a young woman! It was actually a young woman! All of Jiang Yihan's alertness rushed back instantly; despite the steaming hot water, he felt a sudden chill run down his spine. "Who are you?"

Seeing that Jiang Yihan was now fully awake, the young woman stood up right there in the water. A lotus emerging from the clear water—that was probably the only way to describe the sight. The woman rose from the depths, droplets of water sliding slowly down her shoulders. She was wrapped in nothing more than a bath towel, but having been submerged, it clung tightly to her body, outlining her curves in sharp relief. Though not possessing an exaggerated hourglass figure, her curves were still distinct, lending her a striking sensuality.

This entrance utterly stunned Jiang Yihan. Yet the words that came out of the woman's mouth were remarkably naive, clashing jarringly with the setting and her alluring physique: "You... are you Jiang Yihan?" She spoke in Chinese.

Such an awkward and shy opening left Jiang Yihan somewhat unsure whether to laugh or cry. "Yes, I am. What is it? Is something the matter?"

Standing in the water, the woman's facial expression was not entirely clear, but the hesitant and reluctant movements of her hands betrayed her inner turmoil. Just as Jiang Yihan wondered what was wrong with her, the woman seemed to steel herself and suddenly unwrapped her bath towel.

Jiang Yihan's physiological reaction was instantaneous. Facing this kind of setup for the very first time, he panicked slightly and instinctively retreated a step. "What... what are you doing?"

The woman took a step forward, and her face gradually came into sharp focus: delicate willow brows, soft pink lips, a high bridge of nose, and smooth skin flushed to a rosy hue by the hot water, looking intensely alluring. As a normal man, to claim he felt nothing would be an absolute lie; Jiang Yihan subconsciously swallowed hard.

"The company sent me to serve you." Having said that, the woman bit down hard on her lower lip, as if trying to suppress a wave of reluctance and grievance.

"Why..." Jiang Yihan blurted out, asking a remarkably foolish question.

The woman raised her head, looking at him with tears shimmering in her eyes. The script wasn't supposed to go this way, was it? Wasn't the other person supposed to be instantly captivated upon her appearance? Or, at the very least, didn't he usually leap forward the moment she announced she was here to serve him? Why—why was he still sitting there looking so awkward? Was—was there something wrong with him? Her gaze instinctively drifted downward toward the water.

Noticing where her eyes had wandered, Jiang Yihan hurriedly grabbed a nearby robe. Although his lower half was still covered by a towel in the water, the situation felt increasingly bizarre.

Seeing Jiang Yihan's fluster, the woman actually let out a soft laugh. After chuckling for a second, she suddenly remembered she was standing stark naked in front of a complete stranger under such an awkward circumstance. She quickly squatted down into the water, fished out her discarded towel, and wrapped it around herself once more.

Only then did Jiang Yihan heave a sigh of relief. To say he hadn't been tempted would be false—he was a hot-blooded young man, after all—but right now was not the time for such distractions. Once his mind cleared up, he grew intensely curious about whose arrangement this was and what the motive could possibly be. Was this another scheme driven by interests?

Realizing Jiang Yihan's fundamental decency, the woman's heart gradually settled. The earlier reluctance and anxiety faded as she began to carefully study the man before her.

By now, Jiang Yihan's hair was completely soaked, plastered softly against his forehead. Water droplets slid slowly down his cheek, tracing the line of his collarbone before dissolving into the bathwater. His eyelashes remained remarkably long, his cheeks flushed a deep crimson from the prolonged soak, and his lips possessed an enticing sheen that left the young woman momentarily dazed.

Bizarrely enough, the two of them began to converse. It was an extraordinarily strange picture: a young man and a young woman sitting in a hot spring chatting after having just lived through such an absurd scenario. Through their talk, Jiang Yihan finally learned the whole story.

The girl's name was Lin Yue. She was Chinese, and a trainee under Sony's management. She had been sent over here two years ago, and at only sixteen years old, she was currently preparing for her official debut. Today, the company had dispatched her here under the guise of entertaining a client. When Lin Yue realized what kind of "entertainment" was expected of her, she naturally resisted with all her might, only to be dragged here by several burly company guards who threatened that if she refused, the company would resort to force—such as administering powerful Japanese seductiveness drugs. Having long heard terrifying rumors about those substances, Lin Yue had hesitated agonizingly before pretending to comply just to avoid being drugged unconscious into a helpless state; if she stayed clear-headed, perhaps she would find a chance to escape. She hadn't anticipated that the company would watch her so closely, marching her straight into this room and stationing guards right outside the door.

Jiang Yihan had long since caught wind of the dark undercurrents within the entertainment industry, but he never imagined that he would one day become the protagonist of such a scenario—and the recipient of such "service" at that. The sheer absurdity of it made him shake his head.

"Why did you choose to develop your career in Japan? Isn't China good? And why on earth did you have to enter this industry in the first place? It's a blessing not to get mixed up in it at all," Jiang Yihan sighed, looking at her.

"Actually, my career was supposed to be based in China. I participated in an audition held by Sony's Chinese branch. I never expected that shortly after joining the company, they would ship me off to Japan, claiming my aptitude was high enough for advanced training here," Lin Yue said, a bitter and furious smile touching her face as she recalled the past. "I refused because I didn't want to leave my family. Even though I wanted to become an artist and sing properly, I never dreamed of moving to a foreign country. But the company told me I had signed a contract; if I refused to come to Japan, I would have to pay a massive penalty fee. My family could never afford an amount like that, so I had no choice. Little did I know that two years later, I'd end up facing something like this—and I haven't even debuted yet. I honestly don't know whether my dream was ever a real dream, or just a ridiculous joke," she said, laughing at herself self-deprecatingly.

"I don't know what today's events signify, nor do I know what might happen in the future. I'm not even sure what I should do right now," Jiang Yihan said, deeply moved. "You're only sixteen years old—hey, you're even younger than our Yi-yi! Good lord, what kind of mess is this?" He splashed a handful of water onto his face, finding the whole situation utterly preposterous, even if such occurrences were considered commonplace within this circle.

"How about this? I'll go check outside to see if those people are still there. If they aren't, I'll take you over to the next room and ask my friends if they can help figure out a solution." Jiang Yihan had barely finished speaking when he realized his oversight. He glanced at Lin Yue's current attire—wrapped in a single bath towel, how on earth could she possibly march out to meet six grown men next door?

Yet Lin Yue carefully observed Jiang Yihan, catching the embarrassment on his face. Recalling what had just transpired and thinking of the company lackeys guarding the door, she bit her lip and actually nodded in agreement.

Though Jiang Yihan felt deeply awkward, since the person involved had consented, he swallowed his shyness and decided to step out toward the door first to check whether anyone was still lingering outside.

After confirming the hallway was clear, Jiang Yihan led Lin Yue next door.

When Jiang Yihan appeared accompanied by an exceptionally alluring young woman wrapped in a towel, Li Ran, Kim Jaejoong, and the others were naturally startled, having no inkling of what had transpired. It wasn't until Jiang Yihan explained the situation that everyone breathed a sigh of relief, followed by wry remarks marveling at Jiang Yihan's bizarre encounters with romance.

Li Ran, however, remained entirely level-headed. How could one simply take this girl named Lin Yue at her word based solely on her narrative? Leaving the hot spring area, Li Ran walked back into the locker room and dialed the phone number of the Sony representative.

"Excuse me, what is the meaning of sending that young woman over here today?" Li Ran's voice carried a clear undertone of displeasure, demonstrating his extreme dissatisfaction with such arrangements.

"Ah, you mean Lin Yue? That's a gift to Jiang Yihan to celebrate the success of our cooperation," the representative replied, a greasy tone in his voice that made Li Ran feel slightly nauseated.

"A gift? What did you just say!" Li Ran suppressed the rising anger in his voice. A young trainee had actually been treated like a chattel gift—how could Li Ran not be furious?

"Just a gift for you gentlemen. What's wrong? Did Lin Yue displease you? It seems she really needs some disciplining; she wasn't very obedient back at the company anyway. Would you like me to send someone else to replace her?" The representative's casual tone only served to escalate Li Ran's fury.

Yet Li Ran managed to keep his temper in check. "Are you saying you're gifting this Lin Yue to us permanently?" Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Li Ran forced his anger down into the depths of his mind and began to think rapidly. Since he had crossed paths with this Chinese compatriot, he could not simply ignore her plight, and Jiang Yihan would certainly not stand by either. But how should they handle it?

Having verified that everything Lin Yue claimed was true, Li Ran's brain operated at full throttle.

He instructed the representative to forward all of Lin Yue's background files over immediately, deciding that any further actions would be addressed once they returned.

And thus, Jiang Yihan's hot spring retreat was punctuated by this unexpected encounter with Lin Yue. The fate of this unfortunate Chinese teenager shifted away from Japan as she followed Jiang Yihan back to South Korea.