Chapter 47: Meeting Big Brother
Gu Fei personally took Lin Qingyan to the audition location. Sitting in the car, watching him and Lu Yu Qi enter the building, he looked away. The Maybach stayed parked outside, not leaving immediately.
Gu Fei took a cigarette from the pack, lit it, and took a few puffs. The eyes hidden in the smoke became darker and deeper.
Half of the cigarette in his fingers had burned, so he extinguished it in the ashtray. Then he picked up his phone and made a call.
“Do you remember the family I asked you to investigate?”
“Yes, yes, of course. Mr. Gu, what are your instructions?”
“Get DNA samples from Zhou Yue Lan and Lin Jian Xiang, as soon as possible.”
“Okay, no problem.”
After giving a few more instructions, Gu Fei hung up. The words he said to Lin Qingyan this morning weren’t a joke. He seriously suspected the child wasn’t the couple’s biological son.
One obvious reason was that Lin Qingyan didn’t resemble his parents or brother. His appearance was too outstanding, bearing no resemblance to the ordinary-looking Zhou Yue Lan and Lin Jian Xiang; his brother, however, looked like his parents.
Second, Zhou Yue Lan was excessively partial to her younger son, ignoring her obedient older son, even exploiting him, making him work to support the family at a young age.
Gu Fei’s plan was simple: a DNA test would reveal the truth. If he was their biological son, the couple’s behavior was even more reprehensible, and he wouldn’t tolerate the child being bullied.
If he wasn’t, he would help the child find his biological parents.
“Gu Fei, it’s really you! What are you doing here?”
Gu Fei pulled his thoughts back, looking up at the person standing outside the car window—An Jing. He lowered the window. Even when facing a long-time friend, his demeanor was cold and indifferent. “Dropping off a kid for an audition.”
An Jing had just gotten out of his car. He recognized the car and came over. He was even more surprised by Gu Fei’s words.
A kid?
“When did your mother give birth to a younger brother? I didn’t know.” An Jing said, then suddenly realized, “The kid you’re talking about… isn’t it your cousin, Lu Yu Qi? I remember he also signed up for the talent show.”
Gu Fei paused. “…Mm.”
An Jing: “Really? I won’t keep you then. Let’s get together another time. We haven’t had a drink together in a long time.”
Gu Fei: “Okay.”
Outside the corridor, trainees sat or stood, some nervously shaking. Only Lu Yu Qi calmly sat on a bench, playing a mobile game.
Lin Qingyan sat beside him, lips pursed, his expression serious. He had been confident, but his leg had been injured, and Gu Fei wouldn’t allow him to dance.
For ordinary people, such strenuous exercise with an injury would cause the wound to open, accompanied by severe pain.
Lin Qingyan didn’t feel pain. If it were his past self, he wouldn’t have hesitated; he would have danced. But now that Gu Fei would worry about him, he hesitated.
“Lin Qingyan, are you still thinking about dancing? Look at your leg!” Lu Yu Qi glanced at him and returned to his game. “My cousin told me to take care of you.”
Lin Qingyan said weakly, “It’s not that serious.”
Lu Yu Qi: “Huh?”
Lin Qingyan: “No dancing, no dancing. Who would dance when it hurts?”
Lu Yu Qi’s number was before Lin Qingyan’s. After waiting an hour, it was his turn. He went in and came out ten minutes later, still cool and aloof, his first words another warning to Lin Qingyan: “Be careful, don’t dance.”
“…Understood.” Should he do a split on the spot?
Six people sat in the audition room: an assistant director, professional teachers, and a tall, handsome young man in the middle, casually looking at the materials in front of him, his gaze lingering on a blue-background ID photo, with the name beside it: Lin Qingyan.
The other judges were discussing.
“Except for Lu Yu Qi, the other kids aren’t very good. Their singing and dancing skills are average, and their looks are average too.”
“The next one… he’s quite handsome. Lin Qingyan, clear and bright… a good name. But less than two weeks of practice? Is that serious?”
“His clean look is really good. Looking closely… his brows are a bit like Teacher An’s?”
“Now that you mention it, they do look alike. Teacher An, what do you think?”
Hearing this, An Jing looked away from the small photo. He curled his lips into a faint, ambiguous smile. “If you want to know, let him come in and try.”
“Let number 8 come in.”
“Yes.”
The staff member went out.
A young man soon knocked and entered. Everyone’s gaze fell on him, even An Jing, who had been lazy and nonchalant, sat up straight, his gaze never leaving the young man.
Compared to the other trainees with exquisite makeup and fashionable clothes, Lin Qingyan’s attire was simple; he wore no makeup, a simple white shirt, and loose black trousers. His figure was slender and tall.
Even without makeup, his face was stunning. His skin was fair and almost flawless, his features delicate and handsome yet spirited, his facial lines soft, looking obedient, with a touch of youthful shyness.
Even in the entertainment industry full of handsome men and beautiful women, this was a face that would be unforgettable.
Lin Qingyan wasn’t initially that nervous, but he hadn’t expected to see An Jing here—the top-tier celebrity who excelled in singing and dancing and had won Best Actor awards, and An Nanyi’s older brother.
Ignoring his connection to An Nanyi, he admired An Jing. Seeing him in person made him nervous. He bowed stiffly, held the microphone, and said dryly,
“Good afternoon, teachers. I’m Lin Qingyan, contestant number 8. I’m twenty… nineteen years old, from Yi Hua Entertainment.”
One of the judges said gently, “You seem a little nervous. It’s okay, relax.”
“Lin Qingyan, right? Your profile says you’ve only practiced for less than two weeks?” An Jing propped his elbows on the table, his fingers interlocked, his chin resting on his hands. A smile played on his handsome face, but his words were blunt. “In such a short time, can you sing and dance?”
Lin Qingyan composed himself, responding neither humbly nor arrogantly, “Yes.”
Although he had been involved in singing and dancing for several years in his previous life, he had only been learning for a little over two weeks in this life. Being questioned was normal; the best way was to prove himself through action.
An Jing raised his eyebrows slightly. “Since that’s the case, let’s see your talent.”
Lin Qingyan nodded. “Teachers, the song I’ve prepared is ‘Unbreakable Love.’”
He began to sing a cappella. The young man’s clear, pleasant voice, amplified by the microphone, reached everyone’s ears, the gentle melody tinged with lingering sadness:
“My dear, where are you lost in thought,
What worries can’t you let go,
…
You gave me this love, I never want to lose contact,
Believe that the journey of love is the Milky Way,
…”
With the first line, the judges and even the busy staff stopped what they were doing, listening quietly, watching the clean and handsome young man lower his eyes, his thin lips moving, his profile delicate yet cold.
An Jing’s gaze also rested on the young man, focused and attentive. The song didn’t have many complex techniques, but the young man had a good voice, and his emotions were very moving. He sang with focus and sincerity, making it particularly touching.
Unexpected.
Very good indeed.
The singing stopped, and there was silence for a few seconds until An Jing started clapping, and others followed suit.
Lin Qingyan breathed a sigh of relief and bowed in thanks.
He looked at the man in the middle, whose features were somewhat similar to his own. An Jing had no expression and didn’t comment on his performance.
An Jing asked, “Besides singing, can you dance?”
Lin Qingyan had a feeling, for some reason, that An Jing wasn’t very satisfied with him… He remained silent for a long time before finally nodding. “I can dance, but I can’t dance now.”
An Jing frowned in confusion. “Huh? Why?”
“I accidentally injured my left leg this morning.”
Lin Qingyan said, lifting his trouser leg to reveal his leg wrapped in gauze. He had really felt the urge to dance; after all, it didn’t hurt.
But remembering Gu Fei’s words, after internal struggle, he gave up.
An Jing: “Got injured in a fight?”
“Ah?” Lin Qingyan didn’t understand why he asked that, but he shook his head honestly. “No, I accidentally fell while climbing a tree this morning, and my leg was scratched by glass.” He paused and added, “I don’t fight.”
…
Silence hung in the air for two seconds before a staff member chuckled. This handsome young man didn’t need to be so honest; it was quite endearing.
Lin Qingyan heard the laughter, his ears turning red. Had he embarrassed himself?
An Jing pursed his lips, holding back a smile. “Mm… this tree-climbing contestant, you can go now. Wait for the notification.”
“…” Lin Qingyan felt he had no chance.
____________________________________________