Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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“Chairman Wei of Yinghui is someone who really enjoys listening to the zither. It’s rare that you play the zither so well, and you’re young and good-looking. If you can catch Chairman Wei’s eye, you definitely won’t have to worry about money anymore, and you’ll have a powerful backer. As long as he’s willing to protect you, who would dare to bully you in the future?” Manager Wu looked at Tao Yuan and said, “Do you understand what I mean?”
“The Chairman Wei you’re talking about, is it Chairman Wei Shicheng?” Tao Yuan asked Manager Wu to confirm, just in case he hadn’t asked clearly enough and had mistaken the person.
“Yes,” Manager Wu nodded, “it’s him.”
“So, is it just me playing the zither for him? Or do I have to please him in other ways?” Tao Yuan asked, his eyes lowered.
“If it’s just playing the zither for him, he doesn’t really need you. Plenty of top-tier zither players are lining up to choose him. The reason you have this opportunity is mainly because those who play better than you aren’t as good-looking as you, and those who are about as good-looking as you don’t play the zither as well. Do you understand?”
Tao Yuan remained silent, showing signs of wavering and hesitation. Since he had initially refused, it would seem strange for him to agree immediately.
Manager Wu noticed his hesitation and continued to try to persuade him, “Actually, I understand why you rejected those who wanted to keep you before, so after I mentioned it to you, I didn’t say anything more when you didn’t want to, right? But this time, I mainly feel that this is an excellent opportunity for you, so I hope you will consider it carefully.”
“You’ve probably seen Chairman Wei’s appearance in the news reports. He’s the object of many wealthy young men’s dreams, and they’d cry and beg to marry him but to no avail. Although you can’t marry him, just think of it as having a relationship with him. Don’t think of it as something so shameful. You’re young, so you should have a few relationships. A boyfriend like Chairman Wei is someone many people would kill for. You’re using your money to date him; you’re making a huge profit.”
“I don’t want to make this kind of deal…” Tao Yuan looked conflicted. “But I really need the money. I have to pay next quarter’s tuition soon, and I also need to buy medicine for Du Yi…”
Manager Wu’s eyes darted around as he said, “Actually, I’m just saying this to you now. Whether Chairman Wei will even take a liking to you is uncertain. After all, so many young and beautiful women want to climb into his bed… and have sex with him. Chairman Wei has probably seen a lot of good-looking women, and he might even be tired of them. Even if you’re willing, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll pique his interest. Besides, you have a bit of a spoiled brat attitude. I’m really worried you’ll anger him.”
Tao Yuan deliberately paused for a moment, then said eagerly, “Let me try. I… I’ll try my best to please him.”
“To be honest, with your temper, I’m really worried. If you offend Chairman Wei, I’ll be finished with you.” Manager Wu said, genuinely concerned.
“Manager Wu, don’t worry. I splashed water on Boss Zhang because he’s so disgusting, I couldn’t help it. But if it were Chairman Wei, I definitely wouldn’t have the guts. I’ve seen Chairman Wei’s interviews on the news; even through the screen, I could feel his intimidating aura.”
Manager Wu couldn’t help but laugh. “So you’re someone who judges by appearance too. Okay, then let you try. But let’s make it clear first, no matter if Chairman Wei takes a liking to you or not, and no matter what he tries to do to you, you can’t offend him, understand?”
“Understood,” Tao Yuan replied softly.
Having received Tao Yuan’s reply, Manager Wu rushed to inform General Manager Chen as soon as Tao Yuan left, asking him to bring Chairman Wei over sometime.
Back home, Tao Yuan thought this was an unexpected delight. He hadn’t expected to have the opportunity to meet his target in this world so soon. He had originally thought that someone of Wei Shicheng’s status and position would require him to gain some fame in this world before he could have a chance to meet him.
But this wasn’t bad either; he could seduce him first, and then cultivate a relationship. In short, it was crucial to first ascertain his personality before trying to win him over.
A few days later, President Chen finally persuaded Wei Shicheng to come to the teahouse for tea. During these days, Tao Yuan didn’t play the zither at the teahouse, yet Manager Wu continued to pay him daily wages.
Manager Wu’s idea was that even if Tao Yuan didn’t win Wei Shicheng’s favor, he had to keep him and prevent him from playing at other teahouses; otherwise, their competitors would have another powerful ally stealing their business.
Wei Shicheng knew President Chen wanted to collaborate with him, but he genuinely had no interest in President Chen’s projects. Coupled with recent worries, he had already declined President Chen’s invitations several times. However, they were all in the same circle, and President Chen’s influence was considerable; he couldn’t keep refusing him and risk him losing face, making future collaborations difficult.
“How long has it been since Chairman Wei came out for tea and music?” President Chen asked with a smile.
“I’ve been busy lately, and it’s been a while since I’ve had the chance to relax and enjoy tea and music,” Wei Shicheng said, putting down his teacup.
“I’m a bit older than Chairman Wei, so I’ll play the seniority card and share some of my experience. Sometimes, people are more likely to solve problems when they’re relaxed. Today, let’s just drink tea and listen to the music, without discussing work. Let’s both relax.”
Wei Shicheng smiled and said, “Mr. Chen is absolutely right.”
The side door of the private room opened, and Wei Shicheng saw a figure appear behind a screen. A moment later, melodious soft music began to play.
Musicians usually didn’t show themselves behind screens when playing in private rooms, because those who could play in VIP rooms were usually older musicians. So, by hiding the musician behind a screen, one could simply listen attentively.
Mr. Chen indeed didn’t say a word afterward, just drinking tea and listening to the music. It was rare to hear such elegant music; he was truly relaxing and enjoying himself.
As Wei Shicheng savored the atmosphere of the music, he squinted to observe the figure behind the screen. After a moment, he was certain that a very young musician was behind the screen.
Wei Shicheng glanced at President Chen, who was listening intently. He didn’t really believe that President Chen’s repeated invitations were genuinely just to help him relax. If they weren’t discussing cooperation, there must be another purpose.
After the piece ended, President Chen couldn’t help but clap his hands in praise, then he turned to Wei Shicheng and asked, “What did you think, Chairman Wei?”
“Since Master Liuying passed away, it’s been a long time since I’ve heard such serene and beautiful music,” Wei Shicheng exclaimed sincerely. He wasn’t usually one to praise others, but the music he heard this time was truly worthy of praise.
“Yes!” Mr. Chen exclaimed. “The last time I heard him play the qin, I felt that some of his music had the style of Master Liuying. Since Mr. Wei and I both like Master Liuying’s style, I specifically invited Mr. Wei to listen to the music together.”
“The qin player behind you, come here for a moment,” Mr. Chen called out.
Tao Yuan, who had been listening to their conversation behind the screen, got up and walked around the screen to stand before them.
Wei Shicheng was surprised to see that the person who came out was so young. He recognized the player as a young man, but he hadn’t expected him to be so young and so handsome. He had a delicate, rosy face, making him very beautiful, but his demeanor was somewhat cold, suggesting a solitary and aloof personality.
“You played very well. Here’s a tip. Play another piece for us,” Mr. Chen said, taking out a gold card from his wallet and handing it to Tao Yuan.
Tao Yuan accepted the screen and thanked him, preparing to return to the screen to continue playing. However, she heard General Manager Chen say, “Have your manager come over and remove this screen. He’s not some old man who’s unpleasant to look at; there’s no need to cover him up like this.”
The staff outside immediately notified the manager waiting downstairs.
The manager promptly brought people up and removed the screen. Only after everyone else had left did Tao Yuan begin playing the zither again.
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