You Will Definitely Become a Superstar

Sunlight scattered across the concrete paths of the residential complex like crushed gold.

Just as Chen Zhi clipped the leash onto the Husky's collar, his wrist jerked violently.

"Woof!"

Xiaobai let out an excited howl, his four legs springing into action as if powered by a motor.

Chen Zhi felt a massive force pull him forward, making him stumble. He nearly face-planted right in front of Lin Wanwan.

"Slow down! This stupid dog has way too much energy."

Xiaobai, with his pink tongue hanging out and tail wagging furiously, dragged Chen Zhi on a wild sprint down the tree-lined path of the complex.

Lin Wanwan followed behind, laughing so hard she couldn't stand straight.

"Chen Zhi, can you handle him?"

The young girl's crisp laughter scattered in the wind.

She trotted up to catch them, her ponytail swishing back and forth, holding two freshly bought bottles of mineral water in her hands.

"A man can never say he can't."

Chen Zhi gritted his teeth, a thin layer of sweat breaking out on his forehead, until he finally managed to yank Xiaobai to a halt next to a flowerbed.

He caught his breath and shot a glare at the Husky, who was currently tilting his head, feigning innocence.

"He was pretty cute as a puppy. The older he gets, the less cute he is."

Lin Wanwan smiled and squatted down, rubbing Xiaobai's furry head.

"Xiaobai is usually very well-behaved. He must just be too happy to see you."

Xiaobai cooperatively let out a couple of whimpers and nuzzled his head into Lin Wanwan's palm, looking the picture of an obedient and sensible dog.

Chen Zhi rolled his eyes.

"Double-standard dog."

He took the water Lin Wanwan offered, twisted off the cap, and took a large gulp.

The two of them walked the dog, leisurely strolling out of the complex toward the nearby public park.

The park was bustling on the weekend.

Elderly men were practicing Tai Chi, children were chasing each other on the lawn, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and earth.

Chen Zhi held the leash, deliberately slowing his pace.

Xiaobai seemed to have burned off his excess energy and was behaving much better now, sniffing around at their feet.

Lin Wanwan walked beside Chen Zhi, her shoulder occasionally brushing lightly against his arm.

She seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood today, humming a song her dad often listened to, her steps light and bouncy.

"Chen Zhi."

"Hmm?"

"Let's come out to walk the dog every weekend from now on."

Lin Wanwan turned her head, looking at him with sparkling eyes.

Chen Zhi raised an eyebrow.

"Depends on my mood."

"Tch, stingy."

Lin Wanwan curled her lip, but she couldn't suppress the smile at the corners of her mouth.

The two walked over to a park bench and sat down.

The shade of the trees blocked the slightly glaring sunlight, and a gentle breeze blew by, lifting the stray hairs on Lin Wanwan's forehead.

Chen Zhi leaned back against the bench, staring blankly at the artificial lake in the distance.

Just then, the faint sound of a camera shutter reached his ears.

"Click."

The sound was quiet, but amidst the noisy environment, Chen Zhi keenly caught it.

He turned his head.

Standing under a large banyan tree not far from them was a middle-aged man.

The man had medium-length hair tied into an artsy little topknot, and he wore a photographer's vest covered in pockets.

He was holding a Canon DSLR camera, the lens pointed right at them.

To be precise, it was pointed at Lin Wanwan, who was playing with the dog.

Chen Zhi narrowed his eyes.

The man's lens kept following Lin Wanwan's movements, snapping pictures every so often with a meaningful smile hanging on his lips.

Chen Zhi was very familiar with that kind of look.

It was the look of a hunter spotting prey—calculating, evaluating, and carrying a trace of uncomfortable greed.

Lin Wanwan also seemed to sense something.

She looked up, making direct eye contact with the man's camera lens.

The young girl froze for a moment, immediately feeling an instinctive wave of discomfort.

She subconsciously shrank closer to Chen Zhi, her hand gripping the hem of his shirt.

"Chen Zhi..."

There was a hint of nervousness in her voice.

"It's fine."

Chen Zhi patted the back of her hand and leaned forward slightly, blocking the man's line of sight.

Seeing that he had been spotted, the man didn't look embarrassed at all; instead, he lowered his camera.

He adjusted his collar, plastered a professional smile on his face, and strode over to them.

"Don't be afraid, little girl."

The man stopped in front of the bench, his gaze bypassing Chen Zhi to stare intently at Lin Wanwan.

"I'm not a bad guy. I'm a talent scout."

As he spoke, he pulled a business card from his vest pocket and offered it with both hands.

"My name is Li Fei, the Talent Director for Starry Sky Entertainment."

Li Fei spoke passionately, as if announcing some magnificent news.

"I observed you over there for a long time. Little girl, your physical features are simply outstanding! You were practically born for the camera!"

"With that face and that aura, just a little bit of packaging and you could absolutely become the next pop diva!"

Lin Wanwan was bewildered by this sudden enthusiasm.

She looked at the business card held out to her, unsure whether to take it or not.

For a girl just in her first year of middle school, words like superstar and diva were incredibly distant, yet highly tempting.

Besides, her dream since childhood had been to become a big star.

However, her instinctive caution kept her from letting go of Chen Zhi's shirt.

"I... I'm still in school."

Lin Wanwan said softly, hiding herself even more securely behind Chen Zhi.

Li Fei was clearly used to this sort of reaction.

He waved his hand dismissively, smiling even brighter.

"School doesn't conflict with this! We can sign a contract first and train you as a trainee. You can train during weekends and school holidays. It won't interfere with your studies, and you can even make money."

He lowered his voice, adopting a secretive "I'm only telling you this" demeanor.

"Our company is currently preparing a massive idol survival show, and we're short on fresh talent like you. Just nod your head, and I guarantee you'll make the top three!"

Looking somewhat lost, Lin Wanwan turned to Chen Zhi.

Chen Zhi reached out and took the business card.

The card was printed flashily, boasting a bunch of titles like Senior Agent and Gold-Medal Producer. It looked quite intimidating.

Starry Sky Entertainment.

A fly-by-night company he had never even heard of.

"Director Li, was it?"

He finally spoke, his voice lazy and betraying no emotion.

Only then did Li Fei properly look at the teenage boy who had been blocking the way.

He had assumed the kid was just a regular middle schooler, but he hadn't expected the boy's gaze to be...

How should he put it?

Too calm.

Even carrying a hint of mockery.

"Ah, yes, yes, yes. And you are this little girl's..."

"I'm her cousin."

Chen Zhi casually made up a relation, spinning the business card between his fingers.

"I heard Director Li just say you want to sign my sister?"

"Yes, exactly!"

Seeing a glimmer of hope, Li Fei immediately perked up.

"Your sister's physical attributes are a gift from God! She's the type who shines even in a crowd! As long as she signs with our company, I promise we'll use our absolute best resources to promote her!"

"The best resources?"

Chen Zhi raised an eyebrow, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

"Care to be specific? Are you going to get her onto national TV variety shows? How many hit singles can you arrange for her?"

Li Fei paused.

Normally, parents or students would be so dizzy with excitement just hearing the word superstar that they'd never ask for such specifics.

"Uh, well, that all depends on the company's arrangements. For newcomers, you know, they all have to start from the basics..."

"The basics?"

Chen Zhi sneered, interrupting him.

"Director Li, let's not beat around the bush."

The smile on his face instantly vanished, his eyes turning sharp.

"That so-called trainee contract of yours, it's a ten-year deal, right?"

Li Fei's heart skipped a beat.

"No base salary for the first three years, and training fees are out of pocket. The penalty for breach of contract starts at five million."

With every word Chen Zhi said, Li Fei's face grew uglier.

"And your so-called resources are just having them stand on stage for obscure little mall openings, or going to toast at some bosses' dinner parties?"

"Y-you, what nonsense are you spouting!"

Li Fei panicked a little, retorting with a harsh voice and stern expression.

"We are a legitimate company! What does a kid like you know!"

"I don't know?"

Chen Zhi stood up, looking down at Lin Wanwan sitting on the bench, then turned to look at Li Fei.

That sense of oppression actually made Li Fei, a seasoned veteran who had been navigating society for years, feel a trace of palpitation.

"If you really want to sign her, fine."

Chen Zhi held up two fingers.

"A signing bonus of two million, after tax. A three-year contract, an eighty-twenty split, we take eighty. The penalty for breach of contract is to be borne by your company."

"In addition, all gigs must be approved by us as guardians, and we refuse any form of dinner parties or private gatherings."

He leaned in close to Li Fei, his eyes cold.

"Can you make the call on these terms, Director Li?"

Li Fei's mouth fell open, looking at Chen Zhi like he was looking at a madman.

A two million signing bonus? And taking eighty percent?

This was the treatment of a top-tier A-lister!

Where the hell did this kid come from? How was his mouth so full of industry jargon?

"You, you're simply demanding a lion's share! Completely unreasonable!"

Flustered and exasperated, Li Fei protectively clutched his camera to his chest, no longer caring about maintaining his demeanor.

"If you don't want to sign, then forget it! Don't come begging us in the future!"

After saying that, he snatched back the business card from Chen Zhi's hand and slinked away into the crowd, running faster than a rabbit.

He was terrified that if he stayed any longer, this kid would throw out some other words that would leave him with no way to step down gracefully.

Watching Li Fei's fleeing figure, Chen Zhi curled his lips in disdain.

"With this kind of psychological fortitude, he still comes out to scam people."

He sat back down on the bench and found Lin Wanwan staring at him blankly.

The young girl's eyes were filled with admiration, along with a lingering trace of surprise.

"Chen Zhi, you were so amazing just now," Lin Wanwan said softly.

Although she didn't understand things like profit splits or breach penalties, the way Chen Zhi had just rendered that bad guy speechless was simply incredibly cool.

"Of course, just look at who I am."

Chen Zhi accepted the praise without any modesty.

Lin Wanwan fell silent for a moment, then suddenly lowered her head, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes.

"Chen Zhi, do I not look like a star?"

Even though that scout just now was a scammer, the compliments he gave her still stirred up a few ripples in Lin Wanwan's heart.

Now that the scammer had run off, she actually started to feel a sense of loss and anxiety.

She wondered if she had just been indulging in wishful thinking.

Chen Zhi turned his head, looking at the somewhat dejected girl beside him.

Sunlight spilled onto her face through the gaps in the leaves, making her fine peach fuzz clearly visible.

Those almond eyes were crystal clear, and although they still carried a bit of youthfulness, one could already see the shadow of the peerless beauty who would stun the entertainment industry in the future.

In his past life, Lin Wanwan indeed became a highly anticipated pop diva.

"Lin Wanwan."

Chen Zhi suddenly called her full name.

His tone was more serious than ever before.

Lin Wanwan looked up and met a pair of deep eyes.

"That scammer wasn't wrong about one thing."

Chen Zhi reached out and gently tucked her wind-blown bangs behind her ear.

As his fingertips brushed against the girl's warm earlobe, Lin Wanwan's face instantly turned red.

"You are naturally gifted for this."

Chen Zhi gazed into her eyes, speaking word by word.

"You will become the most dazzling star in the future, more famous than anyone can imagine."

"You won't need to rely on those messy companies, nor will you have to socialize with anyone."

"As long as you want to sing, the whole world will quiet down and listen."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable certainty.

Lin Wanwan stared at him blankly.

Her heart beat fiercely in her chest.

The surrounding noise seemed to vanish.

The whole world was left with only this boy in front of her, and the words he had just said.

"Really?" she murmured.

"Really."

Chen Zhi smiled, returning to his usual carefree and cynical demeanor.

"When have I ever lied to you? Except for when I borrowed money and didn't pay it back."

Pfft.

Lin Wanwan couldn't hold back and laughed out loud.

The slight romantic atmosphere from just now instantly dissipated, but the warm current in the bottom of her heart couldn't be dissolved.

"You're so annoying!"

She punched Chen Zhi's arm, her cheeks flushed red like a ripe apple.

"Let's go, time to head home."

Chen Zhi stood up and patted the dust off his pants.

"Xiaobai is so hungry he's about to gnaw on this bench."

At his feet, Xiaobai barked cooperatively, indeed drooling at the wooden leg of the bench.

The two of them walked the dog, heading back along the park path.

Lin Wanwan walked half a step behind Chen Zhi, looking at the young man's tall and straight back, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up.

Even though Chen Zhi was usually cheeky and loved to slack off.

But at critical moments, he was always able to stand in front of her.

It was like this when they were kids, and it was still like this now that they were grown up.

This feeling,

Is really nice.