"Su Yu!"
While Su Yu was strolling, someone called out to him.
"The romance editor?"
This person was the female editor he had met twice before.
"Oh, stop it! Can you call me by my name? I'm Zhou Sisi!"
Zhou Sisi stamped her foot and said with a huff.
"Uh, alright, Editor Zhou."
Su Yu nodded.
"Fine, call me whatever you want,"
Zhou Sisi patted her forehead, helpless. Then, she looked behind Su Yu.
"What's wrong?" Su Yu was taken aback.
"Where's your little follower?" Zhou Sisi asked curiously.
"You mean Xiao Gong? He's not with me."
"Alright, that's good. You were handsome before, but after today's styling, your attractiveness has increased even more. You're the main focus today, so you should pay attention."
Zhou Sisi knew the inside story and also knew that Su Yu was Ting Yu. She admired Su Yu greatly, being able to write such good songs at his age. Even her grandfather, the former president of the Opera Association, praised him highly.
She glanced around and continued, "The banquet starts in an hour. Although you're partly the host, you're probably not familiar with this place yet. Would you like me to show you around?"
Zhou Sisi had come with her grandfather, but her grandfather was chatting with his old friends, which she found boring. So, she came out alone to wander.
"Okay."
Su Yu nodded, not refusing.
The two began to stroll side-by-side.
The manor was vast, and the banquet was divided into several areas. Besides the main stage, which was for the performances of the big stars at the beginning of the banquet and hadn't been used yet, other areas were very lively. In the casual singing area, some top-tier celebrities were singing on stage, met with cheers from the audience. The tea and refreshment area was also bustling with people discussing business. This banquet was also a rare industry gathering, with many business tycoons taking the opportunity to conduct business.
Su Yu and Zhou Sisi wandered aimlessly. They arrived at the musical instrument area.
Suddenly, a melodious piano melody drifted over. Su Yu followed the sound and saw a young man playing the piano. He had his eyes slightly closed, his expression focused, and his fingers danced skillfully across the keys. Many girls stood around him, looking at him with admiration.
"Chun is so handsome!"
"As expected of a piano prodigy! He's only twenty and has already touched the threshold of the performance level. His future is boundless!"
"Chun's piano skills are probably among the top five for his age in Kyoto, right?"
"About that. He excels in calligraphy, chess, literature, and painting. He truly is a great talent from Kyoto!"
It was important to note that those attending the banquet were either big stars or people with good family backgrounds who had business dealings with the Lin family. These women were, at the very least, super-rich second-generation heirs, the kind who were adored by many wherever they went. Yet, now, they seemed like a group of devoted fans.
"Su Yu, let's go over there."
Zhou Sisi seemed to know the young man and appeared unwilling to see him.
"Okay."
For him, it didn't matter where they went. However, the piano music abruptly stopped. The young man stood up from his seat and then jogged over.
"Sisi."
He approached them, glanced at Su Yu with a hint of confusion, and then smiled at Zhou Sisi with great courtesy.
"Shen Chun, what a coincidence."
Zhou Sisi's face showed a hint of awkwardness.
"Heh, why are you hiding when you see me?" Shen Chun's lips curved into a playful smile.
"No, the weather's nice today..." Zhou Sisi said vaguely.
"Don't worry, I'm not here to ask you for money back." Shen Chun suppressed a chuckle.
"Uh... that's no fun. It was just a small loan, and you're hinting at it here. I just signed a really amazing book, and I'll pay you back when I get my salary." Zhou Sisi rolled her eyes at him.
In reality, Zhou Sisi came from a well-off family. However, her parents wanted her to learn opera. Although it was a family tradition, Zhou Sisi felt she hadn't inherited any talent for opera and wasn't interested in it. Thus, she worked as an online literature editor during college and signed a full-time contract with Qing Kong Literature after graduation. Her parents were naturally angry and cut off her financial support. Zhou Sisi was stubborn and insisted on making a name for herself in the online literature world. However, she was unlucky. After working as an editor for several years, she never had a hit book, resulting in a very low salary. Out of necessity, she borrowed some money from her good friend Shen Chun.
"Uh... I was just kidding. Do I look like someone who's short on money?" Shen Chun shook his head, then looked at Su Yu and said to Zhou Sisi, "Aren't you going to introduce me?"
"This is Shen Chun, a great talent from Kyoto, the son of the president of the Calligraphy Association." Zhou Sisi introduced him to Su Yu, then turned to Shen Chun and said, "This is Su Yu."
After she finished speaking, Shen Chun was taken aback, clearly deep in thought.
"Does that name sound familiar?" Zhou Sisi chuckled.
"Indeed, I think I've heard it somewhere." Shen Chun nodded, then extended his hand to Su Yu and said, "Hello."
"Hello." Su Yu smiled and shook his hand.
"Hiss... I remember now, you're Su Yu!" Suddenly, Shen Chun exclaimed. Realizing he had lost his composure, he quickly closed his mouth. Then, he leaned closer to Su Yu and whispered, "You're Lin Yanyu's boyfriend, aren't you?"
He suddenly recalled where he had seen Su Yu. Wasn't this the boyfriend Lin Yanyu had confessed her love to in the finals? Although Lin Yanyu's identity was not publicly known, many people within the Kyoto circle were aware of it. Everyone had some connection to the Lin family, to varying degrees. Just like Zhou Sisi, her grandfather was the president of the Opera Association, and Chen Rong was also associated with the Opera Association, which is why Zhou Sisi often visited the Lin family and was quite close to Lin Yanyu. As for Shen Chun, he naturally knew Lin Yanyu, but they were just acquaintances, not friends.
"That's right." Su Yu nodded, seeing no need to hide it. Soon, everyone would know, not just those present but also audiences nationwide.
"Brother, you're amazing! You've won the heart of the entertainment industry's number one heiress. You don't know how many people in Kyoto envy you." Shen Chun nudged Su Yu lightly with his shoulder, saying with admiration.
"Heh, not bad." Su Yu didn't know how else to respond, so he just smiled. Then, Shen Chun, acting like an old friend, began chatting with Su Yu. Su Yu found the man quite likable, with a demeanor of good upbringing and refinement, so he was happy to converse with him.
...