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Chapter 61: Support
After sitting down in the seat, Yu Nian’s gaze fell on Xie You’s right hand. “How’s the wound?”
“It’s much better. Aside from not being able to exert force, there’s no problem.” Xie You paused and restrained his concern. “What about you? Are you busy?”
The air was filled with the scent of cedar, and Yu Nian couldn’t help but relax. He turned his head and looked at Xie You. “I’m quite busy. The album is in its promotional period, and the schedule is packed. I’ve had four interviews in the past few days, both for magazines and online video platforms. I also did a magazine cover shoot and appeared on two variety shows. It’s been non-stop. Tomorrow, I’ll be flying to Ye City for a signing event, and in the afternoon, I have to attend a brand event for Funa Poetry mineral water.”
Xie You could see the fatigue between his brows and spoke in a soft voice, “Do you want to take a nap? We still have some time before we reach our destination.”
Yu Nian didn’t refuse; he was indeed exhausted. He draped his jacket over himself and as he spoke, his eyes slowly closed, and his voice became muffled. “Then wake me up when we arrive, okay?”
Xie You wanted to help tidy up the strands of hair on his forehead. He raised his hand, but then put it back down, simply replying, “Sure.”
When Yu Nian woke up, the car had already stopped at a high point by the river. The two of them entered a French restaurant with warm and cozy lighting. Apart from the waiter in a waistcoat, the place was empty. The entire wall of the restaurant was made of glass, and through the branches of plants, they could see the lights on the river and the five high-rise buildings of the financial center across the way.
Handing the menu to the waiter, Yu Nian wiped his hands with a wet wipe and noticed Xie You looking at his watch twice. Yu Nian asked, “Is something the matter?”
Xie You shook his head. “No.” A tinge of regret floated in his eyes, and he added, “Yes.”
Yu Nian smiled. “So, is it yes or is it no?”
Xie You glanced at his watch again, staring intently at the second hand, counting down in his mind, 4… 3… 2… 1…
“Nian Nian, look here.”
Following Xie You’s direction, Yu Nian turned his head slightly, and his eyes widened. He instantly held his breath.
Against the backdrop of the city’s neon lights, the outer walls of the five towering high-rise buildings in the financial center displayed the words “Congratulations on the successful album sales, Yu Nian!” They changed patterns and colors along with the lights, followed by images of Yu Nian’s album cover.
“Xie You, you—”
The next moment, Yu Nian’s voice was interrupted by a series of “bang” sounds. Countless fireworks soared into the sky, bursting open like stars, as if the galaxy was descending. The lights and shadows reflected on the river, vying for brilliance, enough to make people forget to breathe.
The fireworks continued for over two minutes before gradually ceasing. Yu Nian turned around and met Xie You’s gaze fixed on him.
Their eyes met, and Xie You, feeling somewhat uneasy, averted his gaze and straightened his wrinkle-free shirt. “Twenty-five landmark buildings’ LED screens simultaneously celebrating—this support… Do you like it?”
By the end of the question, Xie You couldn’t hide his nervousness.
Xie You was awkwardly, clumsily good to him.
Yu Nian solemnly said, “I really like it, very, very much.”
Hearing this, Xie You’s breath suddenly relaxed.
At that moment, Yu Nian’s phone rang. Seeing the name displayed on the screen, Yu Nian smiled. He probably knew what the other person wanted to say.
“Brother Meng.”
“Meng Yuan couldn’t contain his excitement. “Holy shit, just now, on the outer walls of the financial center, there were huge characters that said ‘Congratulations on the successful album sales, Yu Nian!’ I checked online, and it’s even more than that. At least twenty landmarks in different cities simultaneously displayed those words, and each location had a two to three-minute firework display as a backdrop! This is such a grand gesture. Are they just throwing money around? The funny thing is, I asked around the fan support groups, and no one claimed responsibility. No one knows who organized this support!”
Yu Nian looked at Xie You sitting across from him and smiled. “No one claimed it?”
“Yeah,” Meng Yuan sighed. “Tsk, such a big gesture, even I’m curious about who’s behind it!”
After ending the call, Yu Nian opened Weibo and checked the trending topics. As expected, he saw, “You’re on the trending list.” He turned the phone screen toward Xie You and blinked, saying, “Look, it’s the fifth one, a mysterious person supporting Yu Nian’s new album.”
He shook his phone in his hand. “Thanks to this mysterious person.”
Xie You’s ears turned slightly red. “No need to thank me.”
He changed the subject. “All the new songs are great.”
Yu Nian took a sip of the rich wine. “Really? Which one is your favorite?”
In his mind, Xie You thought, “I love all the songs you sing,” but he said, “I like ‘Mountain Snow’ and ‘Twilight’ the most. Qu Xiaoran likes ‘Elegant.’ He said he guarantees that the song will be a hit.”
“My manager said the same thing. He said ‘Elegant’ will definitely be a hit. Today, I checked the data on the top three music platforms, and indeed, ‘Elegant’ has the highest number of plays. It’s steadily surpassing the other songs.” Yu Nian said.
Xie You nodded and said seriously, “Every song is excellent.”
Yu Nian raised his wine glass and lightly clinked it with Xie You’s. “Thank you for your praise.”
Indeed, “Elegant” became a huge hit.
During a break in the recording of a program, even the makeup artist spoke up. “Nian Nian, everyone is saying that you became popular with just one EP.”
Yu Nian, wearing a red jacket over a white hoodie and washed denim pants, was touching up his eye makeup.
The makeup artist’s hand movements were steady as she continued applying makeup. “Indeed, ‘Elegant’ is a hit. This morning, when I went to the coffee shop to buy coffee, they were playing this song as soon as I entered. And when I got in the pre-arranged car, the driver, a middle-aged man in his forties, was also listening to this song! I asked him, and he said he didn’t know who sang the song but thought it was good. He had picked up several passengers, and they all said it was great.”
Shi Rou, holding Yu Nian’s thermos cup, stood by and joined in, excitedly saying, “Yes, yes, yes! I was just studying the data. Physical album sales usually increase rapidly in the first three days, and then the growth slows down. But you, Nian Nian, it’s different. Your sales have been skyrocketing these past few days!”
She teased, “Do you know why?”
Yu Nian played along and asked, “Why?”
“Because in the first three days, it was mainly fans supporting the sales. But after saturation, there were many people who weren’t even fans but simply loved your songs and were willing to spend money to buy the album. That’s why your sales have been increasing instead of decreasing!” Shi Rou’s excitement was evident, and she lowered her voice. “If you keep up this momentum, winning the Best Single of the Year won’t be a dream!”
Yu Nian opened his eyes, his eyeliner deepening, accentuating the beauty mark beneath the corner of his eye. His gaze flickered as he smiled and nodded softly. “Hmm, I’ll work hard!”
This time, Yu Nian was recording a well-established talk show that invited three guests to chat together. The host was highly respected in the industry and had a witty and humorous style, which kept the audience laughing.
After the mid-show break, the guests returned to their seats in front of the camera. The host looked at his cue cards and said, “Now let’s talk about relationships. Both of you have children who can even criticize their own fathers on Weibo. You show off your familial love in various ways. But today, I won’t ask you about that. Yu Nian, you just turned 22, the legal age for marriage in our country. Do you have someone you like?”
Yu Nian burst into laughter. “You’re targeting me right away, aren’t you?”
The host raised an eyebrow. “Of course! Let me show our audience my cue card. For this question, the planning team wrote down in big letters that we absolutely must ask Yu Nian!”
Yu Nian sighed. “Well, should I tell the truth or lie?”
The host quickly said, “You’re the spokesperson, so you can say whatever you want. It’s up to you.”
Yu Nian intertwined his fingers and faced the camera seriously. “Yes, there is someone I like.”
The host sat up straight instantly. “That’s so explosive! So here’s the question: Is what you just said the truth or a lie?”
Yu Nian chuckled and pulled out a mask from his pocket with the word “Silent” written on it. He put it on and remained silent.
“The mask move is brilliant!” The host examined the mask and smoothly changed the topic. “Oh no, I have a feeling that this mask is going to become popular because of our show. I hope the manufacturers will contact us voluntarily and give us some promotion fees! Alright, onto the next question. How does it feel to like someone?”
Wei Lu, sitting on the edge, spoke first. “When I was young and played in a band, I spent all my money on equipment. I ate steamed buns and drank plain water every day. My wife was my girlfriend at that time, and she took a more than an hour-long journey just to bring me three boiled eggs. She kept them warm the whole time, and they were still hot when she handed them to me. At that moment, I thought, I want to make a lot of money, buy a big house, and treat her well. Liking someone is probably about wanting to become better and give them the best.”
“I feel the same,” Feng Yiyang continued. “I’m similar to Wei Lu. When I was young, I traveled around with a guitar on my back, thinking that I could live like that, wandering forever. But then I met my wife, and I thought, how can I let her endure the wind and sun with me? So I settled in a city and started making records. Liking someone is probably about wanting to give them a stable home and a peaceful life.”
After Feng Yiyang finished speaking, all three of them looked at Yu Nian, who was wearing a mask.
Yu Nian took off the mask, took a deep breath, and asked, “Is it my turn to answer?”
The audience responded in unison, “Yes!”
Thinking back to the scene when he left the restaurant after having French cuisine and bidding farewell to Xie You, Yu Nian carefully chose his words. “I’m still young and inexperienced, but I think liking someone is probably the feeling of not wanting to part when you’re going home?”
Feng Yiyang immediately followed up, “This question is easy. Get married, problem solved!”
Wei Lu burst into laughter. “Yes, yes, yes. Marry them, and you’re part of the family!”
Laughter filled the scene.
The recording ended close to midnight. Yu Nian rubbed his forehead and took the hot milk that Shi Rou handed to him. He finished a few sips and felt a bit more energetic.
Seeing that Shi Rou had something to say, he was about to ask when Yu Qing’s call came in.
“Nian Nian, what’s with the airplanes?”
“What airplanes?” Yu Nian was puzzled. “I just finished recording the show and had a busy day. I haven’t had a chance to check my phone.”
“Even though you’re in the midst of promotions, take care of yourself and don’t get sick from exhaustion.”
After Yu Qing gave a couple more instructions, he added, “There’s a trending topic! A mysterious supporter has helped boost the physical album sales of over 200,000 copies for Yu Nian. Today, all the planes landing at Ningcheng Airport had your album cover on their bodies! I repeat, all of them! Your fans are confused and asking everywhere who this mysterious person is, who silently supported you. After this support, they are left without any more support to give!”
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