Ch 48: The Parent Child Variety Show
Regarding the parent-child variety show, Lu Lingjuan explained to Yin Chang it hadn’t been officially confirmed.
Just as Yin Chang breathed a sigh of relief, Lu Lingjuan said, "But from what Manager Yao said, it seems like she really wants you to take Shao Junling to participate. She said she'll talk to you personally when you go to the company after vacation."
Yin Chang: "..."
Yao Manhuai's eloquence was something Yin Chang had experienced before, and after hearing what Lu Lingjuan said, he felt pressure again.
A few days later, Yin Chang, who had just finished his 15-day vacation, met Yao Manhuai in the general manager's office at New Star Entertainment.
Yao Manhuai stood up and gave him a hug. Yin Chang politely wished her a happy New Year.
"Please sit down," Yao Manhuai pointed to the sofa next to her, then cut to the chase. "I told Xiao Lu about your work arrangement for the next six months. Did she talk to you about it?"
"Yeah, she did. But the parent-child variety show..." Yin Chang decided to be direct, "I don't want to participate in it."
"Why?" Yao Manhuai calmly poured tea for both of them and sat in front of him, "It's a rare opportunity from a top-tier TV station."
If this opportunity fell on Baixiao Zhi and Jia Siqi, they would be overjoyed.
But Yin Chang wasn't like them. He stood at the peak of popularity from the moment he debuted. When he first entered the industry, he might have been a bit naive and accepted Yao Manhuai's arrangements without any scruples, but after a year, he had started to have his own thoughts and opinions about the industry.
For him now, whether a resource was good or bad wasn't the most important thing. The premise had to be that he felt he could accept it.
"Shao Junling's identity is too controversial. I don’t want to bring him onto the show," Yin Chang had already thought about how to refuse before coming. "Plus, he's still in school, and being brought into the spotlight will affect his current life."
But Yin Chang was more worried about the former issue than the latter.
Earlier, Yao Manhuai had leaked proof of Shao Junling's relationship with Yin Dong to the media in order to quell the controversy over Yin Dong's illegitimate child. This misled the public into believing that Shao Junling was not Yin Dong's illegitimate child, which helped maintain Yin Dong's reputation.
But in fact, Shao Junling was indeed Yin Dong's son, and the paternity test hidden in the study cabinet was the best evidence.
Even without evidence, anyone with a discerning eye could see from Shao Junling's appearance. This was clear by the way people looked at him, such as Fiona, Wang Xuan, and those who met him on the night of the New Year's Eve Gala at the television station...
On the other hand, Yin Chang, who was publicly known as Yin Dong's only son, was the actually adopted child.
This sense of guilt from twisting the truth made Yin Chang afraid to face the audience's scrutiny... but this was his own problem, and he didn't want to drag it in front of Yao Manhuai.
Yin Chang continued, "And also, my relationship with Shao Junling is not as good as it seems."
Regarding this concern, it was necessary to mention Yao Manhuai's previous actions. Upon learning that Yin Chang had decided to leave a portion of Yin Dong's estate to Shao Junling, Yao Manhuai bought a series of news releases that exaggerated the situation and portrayed Yin Chang as a selfless and exceptional older brother...
But to Yin Chang, Shao Junling’s inheritance was merely what he deserved. Furthermore, no action had even been taken yet because Shao Junling was too young.
Under Yao Manhuai's packaging, Yin Chang felt like he’d been made out to be the golden standard.
But in his heart, he was merely an ordinary person. He had ups and downs like everyone else. He had his ugly moments – he’d feel despair from Yin Dong's death, regret at being born, unhappy at his nanny's partiality, erupt in anger because of Shao Junling's stubbornness...
Just the thought of going on the variety show made him feel like he had to wear a mask. Disguise himself. That he had to play the role of a perfect older brother in front of Shao Junling. He was very resistant to this.
After listening to his reasons, Yao Manhuai looked up and asked, "Anything else?"
"...That's it," Yin Chang was fully prepared mentally. No matter what reason Yao Manhuai gave to persuade him to participate, he would not accept it.
But unexpectedly, Yao Manhuai smiled and looked at him gently, "Xiao Chang, have you been under a lot of pressure lately?"
Yin Chang: "..."
Yao Manhuai put down her cup and sighed, "This is a very good opportunity. I think it's a shame to give it up. But if you don't want to participate in it, you don't have to. With your current popularity, you don't need to worry about jumping on every opportunity."
Yin Chang didn't react for a moment... Did Yao Manhuai just agree?
Yao Manhuai said, "But regarding those points you mentioned, I have some thoughts. If you want to hear them, you can listen. But no need to overthink if you disagree."
Now that Yin Chang knew he didn't have to take Shao Junling on the show, he wasn't as nervous as he was when he first came in.
He picked up his tea and took a sip. "Go ahead," he said. He also wanted to hear Yao Manhuai's unique insights.
Seeing Yin Chang relax, Yao Manhuai slowly said, "What you just said are all points that are not in favor of you and Shao Junling. But have you thought about the benefits that going on this show can bring you? First of all, you, Xiao Chang, are different from the celebrities who lack character. I've always emphasized that you're a very charming person, and I believe in my ability to judge people. Not just me, but Lu Lingjuan also feels the same way. She must have told you, right? On this kind of reality show, you don't have to work hard to please the audience, you just need to show your true self and the audience will naturally fall in love with you, and give you a continuous stream of popularity..."
Yin Chang frowned. Perhaps his popularity came too fast and easy that he hadn't felt anything.
Yao Manhuai continued, "As for Shao Junling, have you asked him if he wants to participate in this show?"
Yin Chang said, "He's still a kid. What does he know?"
Yao Manhuai smiled lightly, "He may not fully understand, but I feel that children have the right to express their thoughts. Think about it, if a few years ago, instead of leaving you alone abroad every time he went out to work, if Yin Dong asked if you wanted to go with him, even if it meant enduring hardship and criticism, how would you have felt?"
Yin Chang: "..." If Yin Dong had been willing to take him, he would have been ecstatic. Never mind the hardship and criticism, as long as he could be with his dad, he wouldn't mind.
Yao Manhuai continued, "I think Shao Junling would also be happy if you asked for his opinion. You're his only relative now, and going on the show with you will not only give him more opportunities to spend time with you, but also allow him to gain some experience. He'll see many behind-the-scenes staff, experience the environment you usually work in, and make friends with some peers on the show. And not just him, you can also learn how to get along better with Shao Junling from these other siblings."
Yin Chang: "..."
"And do you know how much money you and Shao Junling can make from participating in this variety show?" Yao Manhuai paused for a moment and then delivered another blow, "Starry Stage has offered you and Shao Junling a price of 15 million yuan, which is comparable to what a top variety show star might make...I know you don't care much about money since Yin Dong left you a lot of property and you've also earned a lot in the past six months. But what about Shao Junling? His background is completely different from yours. Ask him if he's willing to go with you to record the show this summer for 5 million yuan..."
Yin Chang: "!!!"
Thinking of the neatly stacked ten yuan bills under Shao Junling's pillow, Yin Chang thought to himself, "Uh-oh," this kid would definitely agree immediately!
Yao Manhuai took a sip of water and continued, "Speaking of the controversy you mentioned earlier, I don't deny that Shao Junling's current identity is more controversial than yours. But he is still your father's son. Your identity and Yin Dong's identity and the subsequent fame will attract all kinds of criticism, which is something Shao Junling needs to learn to face... by protecting him like this, do those controversies would disappear? No, they would lurk in the shadows waiting to be exposed. Avoidance is never the solution to controversy, the best way is to face it. The audience has no evidence, what can they do to you? People always yearn for positive emotions, as long as you brothers stand in front of everyone, love and support each other openly, the audience will feel the positive energy, and they will pay more attention to you as individuals. Those rumors about your background will slowly fade away and no longer be a hot topic."
Yin Chang remained silent.
"And I also think that children need some setbacks to learn from. They need to hear both good and bad things, and learn to accept them with a peaceful mindset. I disagree with your father's approach of protecting you like a hothouse flower in the past. If he had brought you out earlier, you would have understood his work better, what he faces every day, and your relationship with him might have been better too."
At this point, Yin Chang was speechless. He had thought he had enough reasons and righteousness before coming here, but in front of Yao Manhuai's words, he felt helpless and defeated.
Yao Manhuai smiled, "Alright, I've said what I wanted to say. The producer of Starlight TV, Ms. Xu, and I have some private connections. I agreed to take on this variety show for you because I trust her ability and character. I know that if you and your brother go on her show, the word-of-mouth will definitely be positive. But I won't make the decision for you, you can go back and think about it. If you still don't want to go, I'll help you find an excuse."
"Okay..." Yin Chang left Yao Manhuai's office like a defeated fox with his head down.
Yao Manhuai watched Yin Chang's departing back and sighed helplessly. Memories of the day when Shao Junling left home came to her mind, the scene where Yin Chang found him under the street lamp and hugged him...
The warm feeling, the power to capture hearts, was something she had never felt even after watching so many parent-child shows.
For the past half year, she had more or less known about Yin Chang's efforts for Shao Junling. If these two brothers were on a show together, they had the potential to make huge waves... Why did he lack so much confidence in himself?
During spring break, the backlog of work made Yin Chang busy for more than ten days after returning to work. He left the house at seven in the morning and didn't come back until midnight.
One day, he happened to come home early. As he approached the entrance of the neighborhood, he saw the car hired to pick up and drop off Shao Junling. The driver dropped Shao Junling off at the entrance of the neighborhood. The little guy walked with a limp and didn't run and jump like he usually did.
Yin Chang frowned. He recalled that Shao Junling had started attending a trial class at the taekwondo gym.
After parking the car and going upstairs, Yin Chang saw Shao Junling sitting at the dining table, holding a large bowl of noodles and wolfing it down. His head was almost buried in the bowl.
"Oh? You came back early today!" Fiona saw Yin Chang and said happily. "Junling just got here, do you want some noodles? I'll make you a bowl too."
"No, I already ate," Yin Chang said. He had eaten at the hotel with the cooperation partner. He put down the car keys and sat down next to Shao Junling.
The little guy raised his head wearily and glanced at him, his mouth still stuffed with noodles, and his small face red.
"Eat slowly..." Yin Chang couldn't help but laugh at his silly appearance, "Is learning taekwondo fun?"
Shao Junling finally managed to swallow the noodles and say dejectedly, "Not fun."
Yin Chang smiled faintly, "Can you handle it?"
Shao Junling took a sip of the noodle soup and remained silent.
Yin Chang felt a little sorry for him, "If you can't handle it, you don't need to force yourself."
Unexpectedly, when Shao Junling heard this, he slammed his bowl on the table in a fit and glared at him, "I want to learn!"
Yin Chang: "......"
Yin Chang (feeling distressed): Don't force yourself to learn taekwondo.
Shao Junling: I'll learn it no matter how hard it is, for the sake of growing taller! o(￣ヘ￣o)
