My Paranoid Girlfriend Asks Me to Be Her Kept Woman (Rebirth) - Chapter 10

“Miss? Are we leaving?” the moving company worker beside her reminded her again.

“We’re leaving.”

Lin Yi turned around and slapped the contract back into the manager’s arms.

“Then I’ll wait for the court summons!”

“Lin Yi!” Seeing Lin Yi turn and leave, the manager suddenly shouted, startling everyone.

“Hey, hey, hey, why is that dog barking so rudely?”

“What does it have to do with you?!” The manager glared. Who was this person now?

Fan Texi, having tidied himself up, had somehow found out where Lin Yi was and rushed over again.

“She’s about to become a new talent under our Shanhai International. How is it none of my business?”

“Hey! Lin Yi, hello. I’m Fan Texi, head of Shanhai International’s Artist Management Department.”

Fan Texi had deliberately cleaned himself up. He wore a neat suit and polished leather shoes, looking completely different from before. His facial features already leaned toward the deep contours of a Westerner, and now, dressed up like a proper person, he really could fool people.

Lin Yi did not recognize at all that the person before her was the “pervert” from earlier.

The manager was clearly fooled, too. He pointed his short, thick finger at Lin Yi.

“Well, no wonder you suddenly grew bold! So you’ve already found your next home!”

Seeing that threats and persuasion were both useless, he finally revealed his ferocious beast-like face.

“It’s not impossible if you want to leave.” He lifted his chin and looked down arrogantly at the two of them. “The contract requires that, within these ten years, you must create ten songs for the company each year. One hundred songs in total over ten years. You can hand over the songs instead.”

Fan Texi raised a brow. He had seen plenty of cases where artists and companies tore all pretense apart. At first, he had thought she was just an unknown little artist who, because she was connected to his boss, might not even count as eighteenth-tier in the entertainment industry. But now it seemed she might be a treasure?

He stroked his chin thoughtfully, while Lin Yi had already exchanged several rounds with the manager.

“I haven’t sued the company for my copyright yet. That is already generous and magnanimous of me. It seems you people don’t even want to act human anymore,” Lin Yi said lightly.

The manager threatened, “If you continue creating those one hundred songs for the company for free from now on, then the company can consider your breach-of-contract penalty and the matter of tenfold compensation.”

“These are all written in the contract!” he said with glib sophistry.

Lin Yi snorted coldly. “Is it written in the contract, or is it a contract you and someone else forged?”

The manager’s heart jumped in shock. Did she know something?

After thinking carefully, aside from this incident, there should not have been any loose ends. Even this time, Lin Yi probably did not know why the relative she treated like a younger sister had framed her.

Fan Texi said coolly from the side, “Lin Yi will be one of Shanhai International’s people from now on. We have a legal department too.”

“You—watch yourself!”

Seeing that he could not gain anything, and with Fan Texi being tall and strong, the manager threw down a harsh sentence and slunk away.

The moving company worker was still urging them. Fan Texi grinned, his smile bright.

He handed over a business card. “This is my card. Move first, and we’ll talk later.”

After saying that, he strode away with his long legs, making a graceful exit.

Lin Yi held the business card. “Shanhai,” she murmured thoughtfully.

Aside from the blocking dog that had jumped out earlier, the rest of the way went smoothly. Soon, her things were moved into the Sangzhu apartment.

The two rooms on the east side that Zhao Qi had mentioned were very spacious and bright. Lin Yi only used one of them to store her equipment. She planned to discuss with Zhao Qi whether they could add soundproofing foam to the walls and turn it into a production room.

As for herself? She still wanted to stay in the room next to Zhao Qi. If possible, moving into the woman’s master bedroom would be even better.

Lin Yi stood in front of the keyboard and casually played a few lively notes.

The tables really had turned.

In her previous life, no matter how much that woman had wanted her to move into the master bedroom, Lin Yi had refused. Now, she was pitifully thinking about how to climb into her bed.

Cough!!! Lin Yi! What on earth are you thinking?!! Cough, cough, cough!!!!

Choking on her own thoughts, Lin Yi coughed nonstop after accidentally choking on her saliva.

“What’s wrong?”

After receiving Lin Yi’s message saying she had moved, Zhao Qi finished handling the work at hand and hurried back.

She stood in the hall for a long while and only noticed that there was an unfamiliar suitcase.

A sound came from the room on the east side.

She tossed the bag in her hand onto the sofa and followed the sound, soon finding Lin Yi.

Lin Yi was startled. Had the woman seen her in such an embarrassing state?!

Zhao Qi stood by the door and looked at the empty room that had already changed greatly. There were musical instruments she did not understand, as well as ones she recognized: a keyboard, guitar, bass, and so on.

She raised a brow and said, “As soon as I came in, I heard music. Were you playing?”

“You can play piano?”

Lin Yi wished she could immediately show this woman everything about herself. She switched to a piano tone, and her hands fluently played a cheerful melody.

Zhao Qi leaned against the doorframe. A lively rendition of Für Elise washed over the exhaustion in her nerves after a full day of work.

Lin Yi finished playing.

Clap, clap. Zhao Qi applauded.

“Not bad.” A faint smile spread across her face, her brows relaxing.

Lin Yi also wore a smile as she walked closer to Zhao Qi.

She wrapped her arm around the woman’s and led her around, showing her the traces of her past life.

“This was bought with the first salary I earned after working.” Lin Yi picked up the guitar by her feet and lovingly plucked the strings.

“I’ll let you hear how it sounds.” She lightly plucked the strings, and a cheerful, bright little tune rang out.

Zhao Qi listened quietly.

“How is it?” Lin Yi looked at the woman expectantly. “This is a little tune I composed with a computer synthesizer when I was in high school.”

“Unfortunately, I only had the ability to buy a guitar after starting university.” She lovingly stroked the first gift she had ever given herself in life.

Only then did Zhao Qi look at Lin Yi in surprise. She had not expected that a tune which, to her, sounded no less polished than a professionally produced piece was actually something Lin Yi had created in high school.

She asked, “It’s lively and cheerful. Does it have a name?”

“Yes. Simba.”

“The Lion King?”

The smile on Lin Yi’s face deepened. She tilted her head. “Why did you think of The Lion King?”

Zhao Qi looked at Lin Yi. She was sitting on a high stool, holding the guitar. Zhao Qi seemed to see the young girl she had once been, carrying a burning dream in her heart.

Why did she think of The Lion King? Because Lin Yi carried courage within her and pursued something blazing and passionate.

Besides, the protagonist of the animation was named Simba.

Zhao Qi had only just read Lin Yi’s file today. She knew that back then, Lin Yi had worked part-time at a cake shop. Her part-time hours at the cake shop were from seven in the evening until midnight. During her free time after attending classes in the day, she would take some online part-time jobs, then work at the cake shop every night without fail.

There were some idle moments while working at the cake shop, so she would play guitar. At the time, she had caused quite a stir around the school. Someone had recorded her playing and uploaded it online, and that was how Jianming had discovered her.

Zhao Qi had found that poor-quality video online. In the video, the girl wore the brown apron of the cake shop. Her eyes were intoxicated, her appearance clean. Through the glass display case filled with cakes, she sat quietly on a stool and sang, undisturbed by worldly things.

The cakes were sweet, and the girl was bright.

But after reading Lin Yi’s background information, Zhao Qi knew those had been the days when Lin Yi was poorest and most short of money.

Zhao Qi did not answer Lin Yi’s question. She reached out and touched Lin Yi’s cheek, leaned in, and kissed the girl.

Lin Yi’s eyes widened as she felt the moist warmth on her lips.

Zhao Qi’s cool voice entered her ears. “Close your eyes.”

Lin Yi slightly lifted her head. Her lower lip was bitten, and a tingling numbness spread from the place being nibbled.

She felt dizzy and dazzled, clutching the guitar tightly.

When the kiss ended, the brilliant fireworks exploding in Lin Yi’s mind were also nearing their end.

She licked the corner of her lips and saw that the woman was still cold and indifferent, as if the person who had impulsively kissed her just now was not her at all.

Lin Yi, whose heart was blooming wildly from the kiss, hugged the guitar and stared at Zhao Qi with a foolish smile.

Zhao Qi twisted her neck. “I’m going to change clothes. We’ll go out to eat later.”

“As for this place…” She looked around. “How do you want to arrange it?”

Lin Yi blinked and answered honestly, “I want to add a layer of soundproofing foam and use this place as a production room.”

“It might get a little noisy.”

“Oh?” Zhao Qi raised a brow. “I understand.”

“You should change too. Let’s go out to eat.”

When Lin Yi sat down in the restaurant and looked around, Zhao Qi placed the napkin on the table over her lap.

She asked softly, “What are you looking at?”

After thinking for a moment, Lin Yi shook her head. She had only remembered that the thing the woman disliked eating the most was Western food. In the past, whenever Zhao Qi came back from social engagements, she had complained to Lin Yi about it. From studying abroad to working, it seemed her appetite had never agreed with Western food.

Lin Yi felt she might be overthinking. They had only come out for dinner.

Zhao Qi had only asked casually. Soon, she called over the waiter and ordered.

“Is there anything you want to eat?”

Lin Yi shook her head. “Anything is fine, but I’m not used to steak that’s undercooked.”

Zhao Qi nodded in understanding and quickly placed their order.

While waiting for the food, Lin Yi propped her chin on her right hand. With her left hand, she held the woman’s hand, reluctant to let go.

Zhao Qi allowed her to hold it. With her right hand, she clasped Lin Yi’s fingertips and rubbed the pads of her fingers.

Lin Yi had a very beautiful pair of hands. Her joints were distinct, fair, and slender. The pads of her fingers were full and rounded, with thin calluses.

Perhaps musicians were all like this. Years of practicing instruments would leave behind traces of time.

Zhao Qi spared a little attention for the person whose hand she was holding while observing the movement at the entrance.

Lin Yi chatted idly with the woman.

“Do you know Shanhai International Media?”

Zhao Qi raised a brow. “What about it?”

Of course she knew. It was a company under her family’s group.

Lin Yi continued, “Their agent extended an olive branch to me today.”

A smile touched Zhao Qi’s lips. “If you think they’re suitable, you can agree.”

Lin Yi had been struggling over it. In her previous life, she had heard of this company. It mainly worked in planning. Back then, it had become famous overnight with one program, and after that, many wildly popular variety shows that broke into mainstream popularity had its shadow behind them. But in her previous life, she had never heard that they signed artists. And why had they come looking for her?

Zhao Qi’s gaze was fixed on the entrance. She saw the person she had been waiting for arrive.

She let go of Lin Yi’s hand and said calmly, “The food is here.”

The waiter soon brought over the dishes they had ordered. Lin Yi was still completely in the dark, unaware of what was about to happen.