As the two greeted each other, Zhang Wei, head bowed, walked past without acknowledging them.
These two, Li Shi and Zhen Jian, were contestants in the "Good Man" talent show. After debuting through the show, they formed a duo and gained considerable popularity with their fan-pampering persona. They had been the most vocal in the group chat. When Zhang Wei was down, they mocked him. Later, after Zhang Wei's resurgence with "Gu Yong Zhe" (The Lone Warrior), they shamelessly asked for favors in the group. Their personalities were indeed perfectly suited for the entertainment industry.
"What, don't want to chat with old friends?"
"Have you really forgotten people once you've become famous?"
The two spoke in unison, their tone laced with subtle mockery.
"I have nothing to talk about with you."
Zhang Wei had indeed enjoyed a period of fame thanks to "Gu Yong Zhe." During that time, he appeared on many shows and re-entered the public eye. He thought he could make a comeback with it, but he gradually realized that while the song was popular, he himself did not become famous. He was back to being the type of person whose songs everyone knew, but whose identity remained obscure.
Zhang Wei considered asking Su Yu to write another song, but he didn't know how to approach him. He consulted Gong Ju Ren. Gong Ju Ren patted him on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Do your job well. If Brother Yu has a suitable song, he will find you." Hearing this, Zhang Wei felt much more at ease. He was waiting for Su Yu to have a song that suited him.
While waiting, his breakfast shop business was expanding. Besides the main branch near the company, another had opened in front of his school, and he was looking for a location in the villa area where Su Yu hadn't moved in yet. He would acquire any suitable shop immediately.
"Zhang Wei?"
Just as he was about to leave, a voice called out to him. Zhang Wei turned around and saw it was his mentor from the "Good Man" show, Zhou Lin.
"Teacher Zhou," Zhang Wei replied, still very respectful of Zhou Lin, as she had taught him many singing techniques and was his initial mentor.
"Zhang Wei, what a coincidence today! Our batch from 'Good Man' is reuniting. We were just talking about you. Do you have time? Let's go grab a meal together?" Zhou Lin felt sorry for Zhang Wei's situation. She knew the boy had talent but just couldn't become famous. For him to not give up his musical dream after so many years was more impressive than many others.
This reunion was decided on the spur of the moment. The participants realized in the group chat that they were all in the Variety City, so they made plans. Zhang Wei, having left the group, was unaware of this.
"Well... alright," Zhang Wei nodded with a wry smile. If it were anyone else, he might have turned and walked away. But he couldn't refuse Zhou Lin's invitation. She had helped him a lot since his debut, and he always respected her as his lifelong mentor.
After Zhang Wei agreed, the group headed towards the food street. Li Shi and Zhen Jian exchanged knowing, cold smiles. Zhang Wei's earlier refusal had already angered them. Now that he had agreed to go, they had plenty of ways to make him uncomfortable.
After a few steps, Zhang Wei suddenly stopped.
"Yu... Brother Yu, what are you doing here?"
He saw Su Yu walking towards him with two cups of milk tea not far away. Zhang Wei looked utterly surprised. He actually ran into Su Yu here.
"Heh heh, accompanying my girlfriend to record a variety show. How have things been lately?" Su Yu asked with a smile, his voice gentle. He had overheard some of their conversation. The others were clearly not friendly, and Zhang Wei going would only bring him trouble.
"It's... it's been alright," Zhang Wei said sheepishly. He felt guilty towards Su Yu. Su Yu had given him "Gu Yong Zhe," and now that the song was popular, he, the original singer, was in a state where the song was famous but he wasn't. Zhang Wei felt he had let Su Yu down with this song.
"You're Su Yu?"
"Lin Yanyu's boyfriend?"
Li Shi and Zhen Jian exclaimed from the side. Su Yu's current popularity was on par with that of a top-tier singer.
"I'm leaving now. Come find me at the company when you have time," Su Yu said, patting Zhang Wei on the shoulder without acknowledging the other two. In his free time, he had looked into Zhang Wei's breakfast shop and offered some suggestions. After all, since he had been eating at other people's shops, he felt he should do something in return. As a foodie, Su Yu believed his suggestions would be quite helpful for Zhang Wei's breakfast shop.
"Okay, Brother Yu, you go ahead. I'll come find you as soon as I get back to the company," Zhang Wei said quickly.
"Su Yu, we really like your songs. We're having a gathering, would you like to join us? Let's all be friends," Li Shi said as Su Yu was about to leave. In the entertainment industry, relationships were paramount. Making more friends meant opening up more paths; this was the rule of survival in showbiz.
"That's right, perhaps we'll have a chance to collaborate in the future," Zhen Jian added with a smile.
"Sorry, I don't want to disturb your meal. I still need to deliver milk tea to my girlfriend," Su Yu smiled, showing the milk tea in his hand, and turned to leave.
"Give us some face, we're all in the entertainment industry," Li Shi said awkwardly. Su Yu was Lin Yanyu's boyfriend, and everyone in the industry knew what Lin Yanyu represented in the Chinese music scene. He couldn't let this opportunity to meet Su Yu slip away. However, Su Yu didn't reply and left without looking back.
"Li Shi, forget it. Others don't need to interact with us. Relying on Lin Yanyu for everything is enough for him to be arrogant for a lifetime," Zhen Jian sneered. He deliberately raised his voice. Su Yu's indifference annoyed him. Was he really someone important just because he was dating Lin Yanyu?
"Bang!"
Suddenly, Zhang Wei, caught off guard, punched Zhen Jian in the face. Su Yu also stopped.
"Zhang Wei, are you crazy!"
Zhen Jian clutched his face, looking incredulous. Zhang Wei had always been a mild-mannered person. How could he dare to resort to violence in public?
"Try to be sarcastic about Brother Yu again!"
Zhang Wei's gaze was sharp, and his tone was stronger than ever. After landing the punch, his anger had not subsided. He pointed at Zhen Jian and yelled, "Who do you think you are, saying Brother Yu is living off Lin Yanyu?"
"It's fine if you mock me or make sarcastic remarks about me. But if you dare to speak ill of Brother Yu, I, Zhang Wei, will be the first to disagree! So be it if you think I'm crazy!"
Seeing Zhang Wei's unusual outburst, Li Shi and Zhen Jian were stunned, unable to recover. Even Zhou Lin looked at him in disbelief.
"You bastard..." Zhen Jian raised his fist, about to retaliate, but Li Shi grabbed him and gave him a look. Their years of working together allowed them to understand each other's thoughts with just a glance. Glancing sideways at the onlookers who had already taken out their phones to capture the scene, their expressions changed with the speed of seasoned actors.