Chapter 50 Zhou Wan: I Live at Shen Xian’s House

"No," Shen Xian refused Liu Ruoyun’s request outright.

How could she have the nerve?

Shen Xian looked at Liu Ruoyun with undisguised disgust.

He had long known himself to be emotionally impotent, incapable of loving others. So, from the age of eighteen or nineteen, he had been trying to cultivate love for someone.

But he never felt his heart stir.

Until that night when he drank too much, and woke the next morning to see a streak of crimson on the pristine sheets.

He froze for a long time, silently covered the sheet with a quilt, and then Liu Ruoyun emerged from the bathroom.

He had thought he’d hurt Liu Ruoyun that night, so afterwards, he exerted every effort to be good to her, trying to give her everything she wanted, within his means.

During three years of living with Liu Ruoyun, he felt his emotions gradually recover, believed he was slowly falling in love with her.

He thought, given a little more time, he’d truly learn to love her.

But before he could heal, Liu Ruoyun left, broke up with him, and then, in a television interview, viciously stabbed him in the back.

That moment, Shen Xian felt the sense of love he had built over years collapse instantly.

It was then he began to feel nothing but aversion towards women, his heart turning cold and barren.

Years of effort, wasted!

"No," Shen Xian’s reply was resolute.

Liu Ruoyun stood up in agitation, moved closer to him. "Shen Xian, just name your price. As long as you can help me contact the Postman, I’ll agree to anything you ask."

Shen Xian stepped back, the indifference in his eyes stark and unmistakable.

Liu Ruoyun softened her tone. "Calm down first. I won’t leave tonight. I’ll stay here, consider it my way of making it up to you."

But Shen Xian opened the door. "Don’t disgust me. Go home, or Chen Feng will get angry."

Wang Tianqi had once told Shen Xian that perhaps he had never truly loved Liu Ruoyun.

But Shen Xian believed he had loved her.

Now, however, all he felt towards Liu Ruoyun was disgust and coldness.

Some things, once shattered, can never be restored.

"I don’t love Chen Feng, I love you!" Liu Ruoyun seized Shen Xian’s hand. "We were together for three years, after all. I know you’re angry, but for old times’ sake, just help me this once, won’t you?"

"Get out," Shen Xian pointed at the door.

Seeing his reaction, Liu Ruoyun’s face turned cold, her voice grew sharp, her emotions frayed to the brink.

She had humbled herself so much—why was he still so heartless?

She was just a woman; as a man, shouldn’t he be more magnanimous?

Why did he have to be so petty with her?

"Shen Xian, can’t you be generous? Stop being so narrow-minded, will you?" Liu Ruoyun truly couldn’t stand him. "I only made a small mistake, there’s no need to keep holding on to it, is there?"

Shen Xian replied, "Liu Ruoyun, we’re just strangers now. Why should I help a stranger?"

Liu Ruoyun raised her voice. "Shen Xian, why are you so childish? I’m only asking you to help me contact the Postman. Whatever compensation you want, I’ll pay in full. There’s no need to give up your own interests for petty emotions!"

Shen Xian couldn’t be bothered to argue. He simply pushed her out the door: "Go."

With a loud slam, he shut the door.

Liu Ruoyun stomped her foot angrily at the doorway, but ultimately dared not curse aloud.

Who knew if Shen Xian had a camera installed at the entrance—she didn’t want to be extorted again.

The people from Red Queen Entertainment kept calling, offering the Postman a hundred million annual salary to sign him.

But the Postman refused outright.

When this news broke, the internet was stunned.

A hundred million annual salary for a producer?

This was an unprecedented price!

Many people felt the Postman didn't know how to seize opportunity, turning down such a lucrative offer.

But then industry veterans analyzed the data: "Don’t be so quick to judge. The Postman owns the copyrights to all his songs. 'Wait a Minute' alone could earn at least a hundred million. 'Can I' has just been released but is already a phenomenon, likely to bring in tens of millions. Plus, the songs he wrote for Wang Tianqi and Zhou Wan probably also earn him a share of royalties. Altogether, making one or two hundred million a year is entirely feasible. So why should he sign with a company?"

The Chinese entertainment industry had been thrown into turmoil by the Postman’s emergence.

While Mingzhu Entertainment, Golden Splendor, and Imperial Dragon Entertainment were all trying to poach the Postman, Diva Zhou Wan’s camp was also busy, with news of contract disputes breaking out.

"#The queen of love songs Zhou Wan has fallen out with her old employer, now rumored to have joined Yuyan Media as a shareholder!#"

"#The dispute reportedly began when she refused Young Master Qi’s unreasonable demands and was threatened by him!#"

"#I know Zhou Wan has already signed up for the 'Voice of Huaxia' concert. Qi Zhengqing demanded she sleep with him, she refused, and was subsequently blacklisted. She couldn’t get a song from the hall-of-fame producer Lin Daoan as planned.#"

"#Yuyan Media is facing a huge crisis: artists are jumping ship, shareholders are withdrawing, staff are resigning. It’s said they now have only twenty or thirty people left.#"

After driving Liu Ruoyun away, Shen Xian arrived at Yuyan Media. He had just found Ning Cai and barely exchanged three words when Zhou Wan knocked and entered.

Seeing Shen Xian there, Zhou Wan stiffened, her face filled with helplessness. But she quickly composed herself and addressed him frankly, "Shen Xian, why are you here again?"

Shen Xian felt somewhat baffled and smiled, "President Ning is my patron. Isn’t it reasonable for me to be here?"

Ning Cai merely looked at Zhou Wan curiously, wondering why she reacted so strongly to seeing Shen Xian.

But she didn’t ask further.

"Cai Cai, have you prepared my song yet? There are only two days left until the concert," Zhou Wan asked.

The ‘Voice of Huaxia’ concert was about to start in two days, but Zhou Wan still had no song ready.

The concert team called every day urging her to report the song title, so they could finalize the performance schedule.

The program list would be handed out to audience members at the venue.

It would show which song came first, which came second.

Without a song title, the list couldn’t be produced.

The organizers had said if she didn’t submit her song title today, her act would be canceled.

Ning Cai took out a USB drive, plugged it into the laptop, and played several demo tracks.

Zhou Wan listened patiently, shaking her head repeatedly. "The song titles are decent, but the quality is really mediocre."

Ning Cai was helpless—she had begged and pleaded, sought out many producers, but these demos were the best she could get.

"Maybe we should try contacting the Postman," Ning Cai suggested. "It’s better to try than not try at all."

Zhou Wan considered it, then said, "Let’s wait. I’ll see if I can find another solution."

She grabbed her bag, put on sunglasses and a mask, preparing to leave.

At the door, she turned back. "By the way, Qi Zhengqing is coming to Nanzhou tomorrow night. What should I do if he pesters me?"

Though she had clearly rejected Qi Zhengqing, Zhou Wan knew his personality—he would be relentless.

He knew exactly where she lived, even if she stayed at a hotel, he could find out within an hour and show up to harass her.

She herself didn’t mind, but the real concern was scaring Qingqing.

"Stay at my place," Ning Cai offered, but then shook her head. "No, too many artists live in my neighborhood, Qi Zhengqing knows where I live, and there are tons of paparazzi. If you get photographed, it’ll be a mess."

Shen Xian, watching from the sidelines, was thoroughly entertained, wondering who Qi Zhengqing was, stroking his chin with a grin.

Suddenly Ning Cai turned to him, "Stay at Shen Xian’s place. He lives alone anyway."

Shen Xian was instantly stunned—how had his idle amusement turned into involvement?