Chapter 30

Xie Jin said while coughing, as if his lungs were about to cough out. If it weren't for him cursing vigorously a few minutes ago, the executives present would almost believe him.

"Cough cough cough, Little Peach, don't worry first, I'll definitely give you an explanation after I find out clearly. Cough cough cough, I really don't have the strength now, wait a minute, okay?"

On the phone, Su Tao was unusually angry and was not fooled by his few words: "Is that so? Then please tell President Wu that I will fly to Nancheng today and stay by Jiang Qi's side 24 hours a day and squat all day unless you beat me to death, otherwise he won't have a chance to sign a contract with him!"

Xie Jin, who had previously pretended to be weak, suddenly changed his face and stopped coughing. He asked in a loud voice, "What are you going to do? Stay with him 24 hours a day? Are you going to live with him?"

Before everyone's thoughts could catch up with the multiple reversals of this gossip, they heard the usually sinister and domineering boss show weakness.

"I won't sign him anymore, I guarantee I won't sign him anymore... Then you also guarantee not to go... Okay, it's a deal."

This brief PK eventually ended with the boss's complete defeat and laying down arms.

Everyone quickly dispelled their gossip mentality and quickly pretended to be serious at work, for fear of becoming the boss's punching bag.

-

In the filming location of the tropical rainforest scenic spot in Nancheng, the aroma of hot pot fills the entire crew.

Jiang Wan, who was enthusiastically eating hot pot, saw that her brother had been holding his phone and looking at something with a face like a bitter melon, and kept quiet.

Jiang Wan: "Little Qi, why don't you eat?"

Jiang Qi's usually charming smiling eyes were now dim and unconscious, frowning slightly, and said in confusion, "Is there something wrong with my phone?"

Right after he finished speaking, his phone rang, dispelling his doubts, but his expression became even more unpleasant.

He impatiently answered the phone. On the other end of the phone was the voice of Daboli from the band, "Brother, come out and have fun. Do you still remember that goddess senior sister you had your eyes on last time after the vacation? We got her, I'll send you the address!"

Jiang Qi was listless: "I won't go, I'm not interested anymore."

Daboli: "No way, do you have a new high in your speed of getting tired of new things? You didn't even flirt with her yet you directly got tired of her?"

The phone was snatched away by Xu Xiang, who also said in disbelief: "Brother, you're getting more and more awesome. We were saying that if we wanted to make you always think about her, we should make it so you can't get her. It looks like this method doesn't work either."

Jiang Qi was not in the mood to banter with them. He said a couple of words and then hung up the phone.

He opened WeChat, and the interface was still on the chat records with Su Tao. He sent two messages but did not get a reply for a long time.

[Jiang Qi: If you can come be my assistant for two days, I will reject them]

[Jiang Qi: What's up? Where are you?]

Jiang Qi frowned again, did she think his request was too much?

Just as he was about to type something else, the video call came in suddenly, giving him a fright. After calming himself down, he saw it was Su Tao calling, and the corners of his mouth curled up as he answered.

Su Tao's calm and pretty face appeared on the screen, and Jiang Qi felt like the phone screen had become better-looking.

Although Su Tao looked helpless and even sighed, "Jiang Grand Ancestor, why are you so insistent on having me be your assistant?" Jiang Qi tilted the corners of his lips in a seemingly smiling but not smiling manner, "You look very easy to bully."

Su Tao: "..."

Su Tao saw Jiang Wan behind him through the screen. She smiled and waved greetings, "Is the hot pot tasty?"

Jiang Wan was eating hot pot profusely and sweating all over. She would probably need to touch up her makeup later. She kept nodding her head and even gave a thumbs up, too spicy to speak.

Su Tao said with a smile, "The soup base is spicy, drink more water..."

Before she could finish speaking, it seemed Jiang Qi had walked away, and Jiang Wan was no longer visible on the screen. Instead, there was a stretch of green foliage.

Su Tao's smile faded away, "You kid, I haven't finished talking to your sister yet."

"Kid?" Jiang Qi seemed very dissatisfied with her term. "It doesn't look like you're in a hurry to sign a contract with me either. I sent the message 15 minutes ago and you only replied with a video call. I thought you would have to directly buy a plane ticket to come find me."

Su Tao now confirmed that he was deliberately teasing her. Tired of feeling, she played the affection card: "Jiang Qi, please do it for sister, I'm too old to mess around. I sincerely want to promote you and create brilliance with you. Can you stop being childish and we'll sign the contract smoothly? Okay?"

Jiang Qi's clear eyes stared at Su Tao on the screen for a long time before he curled his lips disdainfully, "Fine, change the terms and you bring me personally."

Su Tao sincerely assured, "I guarantee I will arrange the best team for you and I will be with you the whole time..."

Jiang Qi interrupted Su Tao's suggestion, "I just want you to personally lead me."

This pause, it was obvious he was a flirting expert, but he flirted with an iron plate.

Su Tao just looked at him helplessly, quickly calculating in her mind, fearing things would get out of hand over time, she decisively made a condition: "If you're willing to fly over now and sign the contract with me, I'll personally lead you for three months."

Jiang Qi frowned, "Three months?"

Su Tao: "That's my limit."

-

Su Tao's bright eyes stared intently at the youth in front of her who was concentrating on looking at the contract. A huge stone in her heart fell by half.

The most difficult to sign Jiang Qi in history finally sat in her office as he wished, ready to sign a contract.

She eagerly kept her eyes on the pen in his hand, waiting for the moment when the pen tip fell, but Jiang Qi raised his head instead.

"You're sure you'll personally take me to jobs, right?"

Su Tao: "...Yes, I'm sure."

With a flourish, two casual words, Jiang Qi, fell on the signature line. Su Tao quickly grabbed the contract as if afraid he would change his mind, and handed it to Le Xuan next to her: "Go photocopy ID, fill out paperwork, process formalities."

Le Xuan, who had a fan girl face looking at the handsome guy, immediately switched to work mode, taking the contract and Jiang Qi's ID and left.

Jiang Qi sat in the swivel chair in front of Su Tao's desk with his hands in his shirt pockets. His long legs touched the floor and he leisurely spun the chair around, looking around Su Tao's office, and finally his gaze fell on Su Tao's face and didn't look away.

Su Tao quickly filed one copy of the triplicate contract, gave one copy back to Jiang Qi, stood up with a tranquil face and a sincere smile, as if she had heaved a long sigh of relief: "Welcome to Jingyang Entertainment."

Jiang Qi looked at the proffered fair petite hand and reached out his own hand. Against the slightly tanned back of his hand, Su Tao's hand looked creamy white, and he suddenly felt like eating cream chocolate cake.

"No celebration ceremony?" Jiang Qi didn't let go of her hand and looked at her with a smile.

Those smiling eyes staring at someone could melt that person.

But Su Tao's expression remained unchanged, automatically screening out the charm he emitted.

"Of course we'll celebrate. I got you with such difficulty. Let's go eat lunch in a bit."

There was a knock on the office door. Yang Qing came in holding a plan with some documents and saw Jiang Qi sitting in the office at a glance. Jiang Qi lazily looked up, meeting Yang Qing's gaze directly, and arched an eyebrow habitually, radiating charm.

Yang Qing was stunned and took a long time to recover. She saw stars all the time, so how could she become infatuated with a newly debuted artist?

Su Tao knew she had come to report on work. She said to Jiang Qi, "Let me have Le Xuan take you around the company. There are musical instruments and more in the rehearsal room you can go play with for a bit."

"No need," Jiang Qi interrupted Su Tao's suggestion. His long legs touched the floor and he scooted the swivel chair back a little, leaving the seat across from Su Tao empty. He lazily leaned against the back of the chair and took out his phone, saying, "Here I only know you."

The implied meaning was that he would just stay by her side and wouldn't go anywhere.

Su Tao glanced at him but ignored him. She beckoned Yang Qing to sit down and talk.

Yang Qing, who had been called twice before she came back to her senses, couldn't help blushing.

She met stars all the time too, so how could she become infatuated with a newly debuted artist?

Yang Qing handed the plan to Su Tao with her eyes involuntarily sneaking peeks at Jiang Qi. She happened to meet his raised eyes and the two made eye contact. Yang Qing, caught red-handed, widened her eyes in shock and quickly shifted her gaze away.

"Sister, you were looking at me right?" Jiang Qi grinned and looked at her affectionately, though on closer look it contained ridicule and coldness.

Su Tao looked up from the report at Jiang Qi, then looked at Yang Qing. She frowned and pointed at the window telling Jiang Qi, "Turn around."

Jiang Qi put away his casual and cynical smile. He curled his lips and nimbly spun the swivel chair around so he was facing the window. Suddenly his gaze locked onto a certain spot on the window of the building across the way. He smiled crookedly and pressed the blind switch down, completely covering the window.

In the apartment across the way, Jin Chuiwen let out a cry as the binoculars were snatched from his hands. Xie Jin's tall, slender figure stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, peering across at the other building.

When Xie Jin learned that Jiang Qi had gone to Su Tao's office today, he specifically had Jin Chuiwen buy a pair of binoculars to keep a close eye on that punk.

He hadn't expected that the punk would actually draw the curtains closed, and had even flashed a crafty smile before doing so!

He was provoking him!

Xie Jin's dark eyes were tinged with irritation as he tossed the binoculars back to Jin Chuiwen and strode out the door.

In the hot pot restaurant across from South Lake Park, Su Tao and Jiang Qi sat across from each other. After ordering, Su Tao poured herself a cup of barley tea and shook her head with a sigh, "You really love hot pot."

Jiang Qi directly snatched Su Tao's freshly poured tea cup and unabashedly took a drink himself, "This makes up for last time."

"Make up for what? I don't owe you anything." Su Tao took his now empty tea cup and poured herself more tea, "I went out of my way to order takeout and have it delivered to you from thousands of miles away, and that's my fault?"

"Fine, I won't keep score with you."

Jiang Qi adopted a tolerant demeanor as he set down the tea cup, quirking his brows with a mocking smile, "How come other agents blush and their hearts race when they see me, but you look at me like you're staring at a computer screen, totally numb?"

Su Tao gave a derisive laugh as she glanced coldly at him, "Me, heart racing? Just thinking about you gives me a heart attack, with you always using the contract to torment me."

Jiang Qi was caught off guard by her retort, finding this Su Tao completely different from the softly spoken, unconditionally compromising woman he was used to.

Su Tao didn't notice his change in demeanor as her phone chimed with a WeChat message from Liang Ke, consulting on the roster of artists to send for the audition show.

Su Tao's face lit up with excitement, "I'm thinking of having you participate in 'The Road to Debut'. The target audience for that show is exactly your target fanbase. It has high visibility that will definitely provide the platform you need to take off."

Su Tao's enthusiasm didn't rub off on Jiang Qi at all. He was completely disinterested, his attention nowhere near the matter at hand. "Do you think I only have work on the brain all day?"

"What else would there be? If I didn't make you work after signing you back, I'd just prop you up around the office as a lucky charm." Su Tao didn't cut him any slack, firing back immediately.

Jiang Qi was used to her gentle words and unconditionally catering to his every need. Being countered so directly in succession was more than he could take at once. "Oh really, Su Tao? Not like before you signed me when you were begging me, huh? Don't believe I'll terminate the contract?"

The food arrived and Su Tao busied herself arranging the plates and ingredients for the hot pot, not even glancing at Jiang Qi as he threatened her, laughing lightly with nonchalance, "Terminate? Go ahead, just have the nine figure penalty fee ready and I'll welcome it anytime."

Jiang Qi: "......"