Chapter Fifty: Provocation

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Entertainment Around You – No Ads

Story Time: April 2005

Recommended Song: Tank – “Do You Want to Play Basketball?”

Statement: This story is purely fictional; please do not take it personally. If there are any similarities, it’s one hundred percent coincidence!

The main event this morning was the mid-check for “Ten Thousand Yuan of Happiness.” The so-called mid-check involved having the two contestants meet, play a game, and the winner would be granted two rewards. The first reward was the opportunity to exchange their remaining balances, though neither knew the other’s amount; if they agreed to exchange, both balances would be revealed, otherwise only the loser’s balance would be disclosed. The excitement of this segment lay in the choice to swap or not—perhaps the opponent had more money, perhaps less. How should the winner choose? When the answer was announced, the winner’s reaction was always something to look forward to.

The second reward was the selection of “coupons,” five in total, each labeled: a free meal, a free bite, a sniff, and an empty coupon. These were used when artists visited their peers to mooch a meal, with the best one being the free meal. The winner could choose two, the loser one. So the mid-check was quite important.

Inside the studio, Jiang Yihan saw her opponent—just as she had guessed, it was Cai Yan. Previously, Jiang Yihan had crossed paths with Cai Yan on “X-Man,” so she had anticipated this.

The game was intense, but Jiang Yihan won by 2:1. When choosing whether to exchange balances, she cautiously opted not to, and as expected, Jiang Yihan had 9,050 left while Cai Yan only had 7,850. Since she didn’t exchange, only Jiang Yihan saw Cai Yan’s balance. After seeing it, Jiang Yihan tried hard not to look too pleased, while Cai Yan kept studying her expression, hoping to glean something. Once the coupons were chosen, the mid-check recording was complete.

“Jiang Yihan, how much do you have left? Why do you look like that?” Cai Yan asked directly after filming ended.

“Haha, Senior Cai Yan, I’ve got plenty left. You’ll have to watch your spending,” Jiang Yihan replied smugly.

“You’d better spend more, or my loss will look too bad!” Cai Yan pleaded.

“Nonsense, there’ll still be phone charges and transportation costs when I go out. After those deductions, maybe I’ll lose after all—I don’t want that!” Jiang Yihan made a funny face.

Just as they were enjoying their conversation, someone walked by and muttered, “Shameless.”

Jiang Yihan’s keen ears caught it instantly. She was about to confront the person, but Cai Yan stopped her, giving Jiang Yihan a questioning look. Cai Yan sighed, “Don’t bother with these people. I follow the sexy route, so some peers find it hard to accept. I’m used to it now, but it’s unfortunate you got involved.”

Hearing this, Jiang Yihan dismissed her own suspicions—she had thought the figure looked familiar, but with Cai Yan’s explanation, she let it go and refocused. “Senior, don’t say that. There’s no burden. Gossip is inevitable in this industry, but what matters is having a clear conscience.”

Cai Yan managed a smile, greeted her, and they parted ways.

Afternoon, Mnet

“Where’s my stage outfit?” Jiang Yihan was searching for her jacket. Up until last week, her “Castle” promotion period had ended, with “Castle” winning four consecutive weeks and three weeks in the top three, still holding the third spot on the charts. Starting this week, Jiang Yihan began promotions for her follow-up song, “Sweetness of Breakup.” Originally, the follow-up was set to be “Puppet,” but after the album release, “Sweetness of Breakup” received widespread support and recognition, so it was chosen.

“Isn’t it hanging on the rack?” Jiang Ziyi walked over, intending to hand the jacket to Jiang Yihan, only to find its spot empty. “It’s gone? I clearly hung it there when I arrived. How could it be missing?”

“Don’t panic, there’s still over half an hour before the live broadcast. We’ve got time to look,” Jiang Yihan said, dialing Li Ran, who was confirming rehearsal results and understanding the upcoming live broadcast. Jiang Yihan asked Li Ran to join the search.

The three of them, plus Xu Xian, scoured the backstage area for ten minutes but found nothing. Just as they were considering what to do next, Li Ran exclaimed, “Lazy Cat, I just saw Lin Erxiang.”

“Huh? What?” Jiang Yihan, preoccupied with how to handle the stage, snapped back. “Lin Erxiang? So what?”

“I suspect it might be him,” Li Ran voiced her suspicion.

“Don’t jump to conclusions—it’s unlikely. He’s not that childish, and besides, a guy acting so petty isn’t his style,” Jiang Yihan laughed, dismissing the idea.

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At that moment, a backstage assistant rushed in, shouting, “Where’s Jiang Yihan?” Looking around, Jiang Yihan spotted him and hurried over. “Jiang Yihan, someone asked me to give this to you.” The assistant handed over an item and was about to leave, but Jiang Yihan stopped him.

It turned out to be her missing jacket.

Just as Jiang Yihan was about to ask what had happened, the assistant added, “Oh, and he told me to say, ‘We’re not done yet.’ I don’t know what that means.”

Hearing this, Jiang Yihan let go, signaling the assistant could leave. Clearly, it was Lin Erxiang.

Jiang Yihan opened the jacket to find a massive hole cut into the back, rendering it completely unwearable.

“How childish,” Jiang Yihan shook her head with a wry smile. Such drama should only happen on TV, yet here it was, enacted by Lin Erxiang, a grown man—a truly baffling situation.

“He didn’t just destroy your clothes; who knows what he might do next,” Jiang Ziyi frowned, worried.

“What’s the point of worrying? I think he just wanted to remind me of his existence. Such things probably won’t happen again,” Jiang Yihan bit her lip. “Do you know what’s going on with him now?”

“I’ve heard a bit,” Li Ran sat down and explained, “He’s preparing to debut. MS Entertainment seems to be launching a group, and he’s one of the members. His talent is quite recognized.”

“Debuting, huh.” Jiang Yihan tapped the table thoughtfully. Xu Xian, seeing things were under control, quickly grabbed some foundation to absorb the sweat on Jiang Yihan’s face and tidied up her look. Jiang Yihan had a general sense of direction now. “He probably just wanted to signal his presence. He wouldn’t normally pull such tricks—this odd behavior is probably just a sign. It shouldn’t happen again.”

Li Ran wasn’t convinced. She thought, “He probably won’t confront you directly. After all, he’s new and needs to make a good impression. But he might scheme in the shadows. Most likely, it’ll be behind-the-scenes stuff like today, nothing aggressive.”

Neither spoke further. If someone plotted in the shadows, there was little they could do but meet the challenge as it came.

“Bro, what about your stage outfit?” Jiang Ziyi examined the clothes—they were basically ruined.

The live broadcast had already started, but luckily Jiang Yihan’s performance was scheduled late, leaving about forty minutes.

“Maybe I just won’t wear the jacket today?” Jiang Yihan suggested. “I’ll just wear the shirt.”

“Wouldn’t that be too plain?” Li Ran considered.

Indeed, the white shirt, though patterned, still looked dull. Jiang Ziyi thought for a moment, then suddenly brightened. “I’ve got an idea—wait a sec!”

Soon, Jiang Ziyi returned with a large black gauze flower, a common accessory for women. She pinned it to Jiang Yihan’s left chest, near the heart, and fluffed it to make it look bigger. Then, she unbuttoned the shirt sleeves and rolled them up twice. After whispering to Xu Xian, Xu Xian nodded, grabbed her makeup kit, and thickened Jiang Yihan’s eyeliner, added a smoky touch, and dusted the face with darker foundation to tone down her pale skin.

About twenty minutes later, Xu Xian finished. Jiang Yihan stood up and saw his new look in the mirror.

With the flower and smoky eyes, he immediately looked more rock-and-roll. The overall style was harmonious, and a sly, mischievous smile added to the effect.

Li Ran was captivated by Jiang Yihan’s transformation and quickly agreed to the plan. Jiang Ziyi, anxious over her handiwork, beamed with pride after receiving approval. As his assistant and parachute, she had often felt she hadn’t contributed much, but today she proved herself. Jiang Yihan hugged his sister, smiling, before heading out to prepare for the stage.

Lin Erxiang was a formidable, unpredictable rival. Today’s actions were mere provocation, causing no real harm. But who could predict what he’d do next or what consequences would follow?

Jiang Yihan was at a loss for words regarding this inexplicable opponent. He had done nothing, much less anything to Lin Erxiang, yet due to some objective circumstances and Lin Erxiang’s own subjective reasons, he now had a rival he could do nothing about.

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Putting these unknown worries aside, Jiang Yihan shook his head and stepped onto the stage.

As expected, Jiang Yihan’s alluring look sparked widespread screams; everyone was amazed at his fresh new style. His expression brimmed with “wickedness,” and the sly smile made people see a different side of Jiang Yihan, prompting even louder cheers.

After the stage performance, the “Castle” fans realized their voices were almost gone; Jiang Yihan’s stunning act and outfit had once again left a deep impression.

While everyone was excited, one person was crying. Cheng Yingzhu, a steadfast supporter of Jiang Yihan, was in the audience watching his performance. Listening to “Sweetness of Breakup,” she recalled how she first heard his music, the emotions she felt, her two meetings with him as a fan, and memories flashed through her mind like scenes from a painting. Uncontrollably, tears streamed down her face.

Cheng Yingzhu looked at the photos she had just taken on her camera: Jiang Yihan gazing at his fans with a mischievous smile, smoky eyes, and today’s “wicked” outfit—all irresistibly captivating.

She smiled, looking at her fellow supporters nearby, and suddenly felt very content.

“What’s the schedule for later?” Jiang Yihan wiped his sweat as he walked toward the exit, asking Li Ran behind him. But suddenly he sensed a strange silence, and a bad feeling crept up. Jiang Yihan stopped, his heart pounding so loudly he could hear it in his ears. Gritting his teeth, he turned around.

Standing there wasn’t Li Ran, but Lin Erxiang.

Lin Erxiang was calm, neither angry nor upset, his expression indifferent. “We meet again.”

Jiang Yihan ignored him, scanning the area for Li Ran. Lin Erxiang, knowing what he was looking for, sneered, “Relax, I just drew him away so we could talk privately.”

“What do you want to talk about?” Jiang Yihan decided to trust him for now—there was no way to find Li Ran’s whereabouts, so it was best to hear him out.

“You probably think my actions today were provocation, a declaration of war,” Lin Erxiang said unhurriedly. “You’re half right. I am declaring war. I’m telling you I’m here.”

“You’ve never disappeared, have you?” Jiang Yihan retorted. “With your talent, debuting was inevitable. It was your own lack of confidence from a long trainee life that made you lose your composure and come bother me.”

“Perhaps you’re right,” Lin Erxiang laughed instead of getting angry. “In the end, I lost my composure and came after you. You always think you’ve done nothing wrong, but to those of us who’ve endured years of training, it seems you don’t deserve to be on stage.”

Jiang Yihan had no answer—his training had indeed been brief.

“But now, I believe in my talent. My confidence is back,” Lin Erxiang’s smile radiated confidence, almost blinding. “I’m about to debut in a group. Right or wrong, I’ve decided you’re my rival.”

Jiang Yihan could only smile wryly. He was still a newcomer, and yet had already gained an imagined adversary—what was he to think?

“But don’t worry—I won’t scheme behind your back. I’ll let my talent speak. I’ll beat you fair and square on stage,” Lin Erxiang said, and it was impossible to see the person who had fought with Jiang Yihan months ago; perhaps he truly had changed. “Today’s jacket wasn’t my doing. Cheng Shi did it. He just wanted to remind you of my presence. Cheng Shi’s situation at MS Entertainment isn’t great—he missed out on you, and the company has been critical ever since.”

Jiang Yihan studied Lin Erxiang’s eyes, searching for something, but ultimately chose to trust him. After a moment’s hesitation, he extended his hand, “Congratulations on your debut.”

Lin Erxiang hadn’t expected Jiang Yihan’s congratulations. He paused, then reached out his hand.

“Stupid cat, are you okay?” Li Ran’s voice called from afar. Lin Erxiang glanced at Jiang Yihan, his eyes filled with too many complex emotions, then turned and left.

Li Ran soon arrived. “Someone yanked me hard at the corner and ran off—I chased after them, and when I realized it was Cheng Shi, I ran back. Are you okay? Was that Lin Erxiang?”

Jiang Yihan recounted what had happened, and both their eyes reflected unease. Cheng Shi was too volatile, yet Lin Erxiang might really just be a simple trainee pursuing his dream.

Rambling time from the Parachute Cat: Currently staying at a hostel in Beijing, picking up my visa tomorrow, and if all goes well, flying out the day after. Hehe, so I stole some time tonight to post a chapter. Thank you all for your support!