Chapter Eighteen: Zhang Xin's Ambition

With so many words and images flooding his mind, Su Tong felt dizzy and muddled. He overslept again the next day, only waking up when a phone call startled him out of his dreams.

He glanced at the screen—it was Fang Zhangxin calling.

“Hello?” Su Tong answered, still half-asleep.

The moment Zhangxin heard his voice, the mature timbre of a woman came through, “Hello, Nian Nujiao. Do you have time now? I’ve arrived in Seaside City. Would you be able to join me for lunch?”

Su Tong snapped awake in an instant. Was it almost noon already? He checked the time—sure enough, it was nearly twelve.

And this Zhangxin moved quickly, saying she’d come and arriving immediately.

“Ah, Ms. Zhang, you’re already here? I’m afraid I might not make it in time for lunch. You’re in the city center, right? I live in Jinzhou District, which is a bit far from downtown,” Su Tong replied, a little embarrassed. She seemed so enthusiastic, he found it a bit overwhelming.

“Jinzhou District?” Zhangxin paused, then said, “That’s alright. Even if you eat an hour later, we’ll make it. I’ll be there soon.”

Su Tong was taken aback. Zhangxin seemed anxious—something felt off.

What he didn’t know was that in recent days, Nian Nujiao had already begun to make a name for himself in the industry. Zhangxin was worried that Kuku would have already noticed and reached an agreement with Su Tong. The sooner she met him, the better. Even if he had already struck a deal with Kuku, she intended to disrupt it.

Su Tong could only agree to meet Zhangxin as soon as possible, but suggested they skip lunch and just have tea or coffee instead. They barely knew each other; having their first meeting over a meal felt awkward to him.

Zhangxin understood, but her urgency left her little choice. She had actually flown in early that morning and sent Su Tong two messages, but he hadn’t replied.

He couldn’t—they’d arrived while he was asleep.

After a morning of anxious waiting, Zhangxin couldn’t hold back any longer and called him, regardless of whether she was disturbing him.

In a coffee shop near the station in Jinzhou District—

A mature woman in business attire and a slightly youthful-looking student sat across from each other at a table.

Zhangxin wore a professional yet sweet smile, enchanting and warm, even carrying a sense of intimacy.

The young man before her looked even more boyish than he did on his livestreams, and more handsome as well. There was something very unique about him: at times, he seemed as though he’d received an aristocratic upbringing; at others, he exuded a carefree, unrestrained air, like a child of the countryside.

Zhangxin’s gaze made Su Tong a little uncomfortable. In his previous life, he’d spent several years with wealthy adoptive parents, and the rough edges from his early life with his birth parents had long since been smoothed away.

But now, with the memories of this world fused into his mind, traces of insecurity and awkwardness would occasionally surface, no matter how hard he tried to hide them.

“A hero in youth; your reputation doesn’t do you justice, Su. Meeting you in person is quite the experience,” Zhangxin said, feigning ease though she truly did feel a bit of pressure.

The quiet Su Tong carried an air reminiscent of the royal family of Great Qin.

In this democratic society, the royal house of Great Qin held no real power, but they were true aristocrats, bearing a lineage thousands of years old—something ordinary people could never match.

What Su Tong didn’t realize was that, in his previous life, the years spent with his adoptive family had softened his aristocratic bearing. Now, after integrating his memories of the Three Kingdoms period just the night before, a regal presence nearly two millennia old clung to him, unintentionally intimidating even someone as distinguished as Zhangxin.

“Zhang, it’s beautiful women like you who truly make me nervous. I can hardly speak in your presence. The ancients weren’t wrong—one may love his country, but he loves beauty more. The power of a lovely woman is simply overwhelming,” Su Tong said bashfully.

Though Zhangxin was no longer a young girl, for some reason, his words made her face flush with heat.

Su Tong, surprised, said, “Zhang, do you also get shy around handsome men? Are we kindred spirits? I blush when I see beautiful women too—just look, my face isn’t usually this red.”

Zhangxin was left speechless—one moment he had the bearing of a noble, the next he was all shameless bravado, a little rogue with skin as thick as a city wall. She teased, “Su, if you just kept quiet, you’d be a national idol—a darling to all, loved by everyone…”

The two of them bantered back and forth, not getting to the main topic for quite some time.

After a while—

“I feel as though Zhang and I are old friends at first meeting. It’s a shame we met so late,” Su Tong sighed, then changed the subject. “But it’s a pity; I truly want to be a national idol, not just some grassroots streamer. No matter how popular a show host gets, they’re still only a star of the underground, never truly accepted in the mainstream.”

Zhangxin’s expression shifted. They hadn’t even begun discussing business, and Su Tong had already politely declined?

“Su, you must know that among all the streamers who’ve made it out of our platform, only four or five can be called true celebrities—and those few, all came from…” Negotiating with promising streamers from rival platforms had always been Zhangxin’s strong suit, yet with Su Tong, she felt helpless.

She couldn’t outplay his feigned innocence, nor match his natural grace, so her usual workplace confidence and negotiating edge vanished—she had no initiative at all.

“It’s a fact—without the backing of an entertainment company, success is limited,” Su Tong said directly.

Zhangxin could only concede. It was like the feudal era—if a prince wasn’t the designated heir, no matter how wise or heroic he was, people would still whisper about usurpation and treason.

Their platform’s weakness was the lack of entertainment company support. Some rival platforms even mocked them, saying any stars they cultivated merely became stepping stones for the entertainment companies behind those other platforms.

“Su.” Zhangxin seemed to steel herself, then spoke frankly, “Do you know what those few stars who left our platform went through in their first years after signing with entertainment companies?”

Su Tong was surprised—he’d never paid much attention to that. “What happened?”

“The entertainment industry is more complicated than you could ever imagine. Su, you’re only eighteen. Zhang Ailing once said, ‘Fame should come early.’ I don’t want someone as talented as you to be buried for years before finally being noticed, nor do I want you to be just a ghostwriter for someone else’s stardom. Signing with an entertainment company isn’t necessarily a good thing for you,” Zhangxin said seriously, her eyes meeting his with elder-like concern.

Su Tong frowned slightly. He’d heard countless times how treacherous the entertainment world was; his own analysis told him it was a deep and murky pond. Zhangxin’s warning seemed to confirm it. Anyone who investigated would quickly find that those grassroots streamers who’d signed with entertainment companies all shared the same difficulties in their early years.

“Celebrities rely on entertainment companies to survive. Without signing, how could I ever become a national idol?” Su Tong said, making no attempt to hide his yearning to be a star.

Zhangxin smiled faintly. At last, Su Tong’s naivete showed—this made things easier.

“If you shine, you will shine anywhere. If you keep going as you are, I’m willing to take a leap with you. How about becoming an independent musician? With some capital, you could start your own studio, maybe even branch into film and television. I may not be the best, but I do have some connections—I’d be more than up to the task of being your agent.” A spark lit Zhangxin’s eyes, her cheeks seemed flushed, her heart stirred—she hadn’t felt like this in a long time. She aspired to greatness, not to the quiet life of family and obscurity.

Su Tong was stunned. Were these really words one stranger would say to another?

Just then, a melodious ringtone chimed.

“La la, la la la, la la la la la…”