Chapter 13#
Chapter 13: Contract#
Daisy soon brought in a cup of tea and a cup of coffee.
Lu Yan didn’t stand on ceremony either; he picked up the teacup, took a small sip, and praised, “Excellent tea.”
Su Mo nodded, as if it were only natural, “Mr. Lu is someone who knows his tea.”
Lu Yan smiled faintly and didn’t respond further, slowly savoring his tea.
After a moment of silence, Su Mo spoke, unhurriedly, “The reason I invited Mr. Lu here today is, first and foremost, to apologize to you. The incident a few days ago caused you some losses; I hope you won’t take it to heart.”
Lu Yan still smiled but said nothing.
Su Mo handed over a document in his hand, “This is my sincere apology.”
Lu Yan looked puzzled, “What is it?”
“The contract for Starry Sky.”
Lu Yan hesitated slightly. Su Mo said, “Mr. Lu, don’t rush to refuse. Take a look at the terms first.”
Lu Yan didn’t stand on ceremony and took the contract, reading it carefully.
After finishing the contract, Lu Yan inwardly gasped—not because the terms were harsh, but because the conditions were simply too good.
The contract had a three-year term, stipulating that within those three years, Starry Sky would arrange at least two films, one endorsement, and three commercials, or equivalent work, for Lu Yan annually. If Starry Sky intended to shelve or suppress Lu Yan, it would be considered a breach, requiring a substantial penalty. However, if Lu Yan was dissatisfied with the company’s arrangements, the penalty he had to pay was much smaller. Moreover, the minimum guarantee the company provided was modest, but Lu Yan’s cut from his work was far higher than that of ordinary artists, even comparable to that of the most popular ones. In short, this contract was drafted entirely in Lu Yan’s favor—it was practically a gift from heaven.
Lu Yan couldn’t quite find the right expression, “This contract leaves no room for refusal. But I don’t understand—why are you offering me such generous terms?”
Su Mo was in his usual serious work mode, “First, it’s for the sincerity I mentioned earlier. Second, because you’re worth it. I’m a businessman, and in business, I speak business. I can give you such good terms because I believe you’ll bring more profit to the company. Or does Mr. Lu lack confidence in himself?”
Lu Yan raised an eyebrow and smiled, “If I said I lacked confidence, that would be a disservice to your judgment. But aren’t you afraid I might breach the contract?”
Su Mo remained unfazed, replying calmly, “I trust you won’t find another company willing to offer such favorable terms.”
Talking with an intelligent person was always pleasant. “May I ask who my agent will be?”
“Qin Feng. Are you satisfied?” Su Mo said.
Qin Feng was one of Starry Sky’s top agents; every artist he handled had become famous.
“Very satisfied.” Lu Yan nodded, smiling genuinely. “I really can’t think of any reason to refuse.”
“Then Mr. Lu can take the contract home to review it more carefully. When you’re ready to sign, contact my special assistant, Lu Yu. You spoke on the phone yesterday.”
“No need.” As he spoke, Lu Yan picked up a pen from the table and quickly signed his name on the contract. “President Su is straightforward, and I’m not one to hem and haw.”
The contract was in duplicate. After signing, Lu Yan handed one copy to Su Mo and kept the other himself.
“Then, welcome to Starry Sky. Happy cooperation!” Su Mo extended his hand first.
Lu Yan gave a light handshake. “Happy cooperation!”
Lu Yan stood up. “President Su must be busy, so I won’t take up more of your time.”
Su Mo watched him about to leave and, for some reason, blurted out, “It’s almost lunchtime. Would you like to have a meal together?”
“This… probably isn’t necessary.” Lu Yan declined with some difficulty.
Su Mo looked at him, then couldn’t help but curl the corner of his mouth slightly, teasing, “I thought you’d at least make up an excuse, like having another appointment or something.”
Lu Yan shrugged. “I thought you’d prefer the truth.”
Su Mo nodded, then said seriously, “If I told you that the earlier incident wasn’t done on my orders, would you believe me?”
Lu Yan affirmed, “I believe you.”
“Oh? Why? Don’t you think this is me first suppressing and then promoting?” Su Mo asked curiously.
Lu Yan smiled softly and said in a low voice, “If President Su only had such methods and such magnanimity, then I’d truly have to worry about my own future.”
Su Mo watched silently as Lu Yan left, opening and then gently closing the door behind him, lost in thought.
He didn’t deny that Lu Yan was a somewhat special person. The first time he saw him on set, he was struck by a composure and restraint completely at odds with his age. Su Mo had seen young people who pretended to be mature, but Lu Yan was different—he seemed to have a steadiness that came from truly having lived through many years, despite being so young. Later, watching him freely switch between roles, with an almost perfect grasp of emotions, and especially those eyes that seemed to tell the endless vicissitudes of the mortal world—they were incredibly expressive. When Lu Yan portrayed the dying look, Su Mo’s heart clenched painfully.
It was a stirring he hadn’t felt in nearly thirty years. Su Mo had to admit he was somewhat attracted.
Su Mo had never been in a relationship or dated anyone. Partly because work was too busy, partly because he found it uninteresting. In his position, there was never a shortage of handsome men and beautiful women willing to throw themselves at him, but he had no interest—not even a desire to try. He disliked casual physical contact. Some called it a cleanliness obsession; others might call it emotional detachment.
After years in the business world, Su Mo was never indecisive. Since he felt something, he acted on it. He thought that for this rare spark, as long as Lu Yan was willing, he would give him the best. But unexpectedly, Lu Yan refused, directly and bluntly.
Su Mo wasn’t too surprised. In fact, he felt a subtle relief. For years, he had been used to controlling everything, and he wasn’t comfortable with emotions beyond his grasp. He wasn’t afraid, but he didn’t want them to proliferate either. So when he told Su Jue to forget it, he meant it—probably no further contact would occur. But then Su Jue caused that incident for him. When Su Mo first heard about it, a pang of reluctance crossed his heart. Later, the reasons he gave Su Jue were factual, but there was also a factor of that reluctance. Otherwise, with Su Mo’s means, how could he fear any challenge?
Signing Lu Yan into Starry Sky and personally arranging things for him was, for Su Mo, a test—a test of his emotional control. And it seemed he was already off to a bad start. Su Mo smiled wryly. This Lu Yan had a greater influence on him than he had imagined. For instance, that last invitation and the explanation-like question weren’t his usual style at all.
Lu Yan was in an excellent mood. As he exited the elevator, he flashed a particularly bright smile at the front desk girl who had guided him before. Hearing a few low squeals behind him, his mood improved even further.
Starry Sky’s efficiency was truly impressive. Soon after returning home, he received a call from Qin Feng, arranging to meet at the company the next day.
Standing once again in the lobby of the Starry Sky building, his mood was completely different from yesterday.
This time, Lu Yan didn’t wait for the security guard to approach. He walked directly to the front desk. “Excuse me, which floor is Mr. Qin Feng’s office?”
The front desk girl was the same one from yesterday. She obviously recognized him and gave a warm smile. “Oh, it’s you, sir. Mr. Qin’s office is on the fifteenth floor. You can take that elevator over there.”
Lu Yan nodded. “Thank you.”
As he was about to leave, Lucy called out, “May I ask your surname, sir?”
Lu Yan turned back with a smile. “It’s Lu. Lu Yan.”
Shortly after Lu Yan left, Xiao Mei and Si Jia gathered around again. “He’s that young man from yesterday, isn’t he? His smile is so charming—I’m about to be electrified.” Xiao Mei clutched her chest and exclaimed dramatically.
Si Jia also asked nosily, “Who is he here to see today? Mr. Su isn’t here today.”
Lucy smiled mysteriously and tapped Xiao Mei on the head. “As you wished—he’s here to see Qin Feng today.”
“Wow, the top agent. Isn’t that a bit too intense? To be assigned to Qin Feng right after joining the company—there’s definitely something behind it.”
“Hey, don’t forget who he came to see yesterday—President Su himself.”
“You mean…”
They bumped lightly into each other, exchanging knowing glances.
The three young women didn’t realize that their casual gossip had actually come close to the truth.
As soon as Lu Yan stepped out of the elevator, he ran into an acquaintance.
Yan Shaohui was also very surprised to see him. “Lu Yan? What are you doing here?”
Before Lu Yan could answer, Yan Shaohui drawled in sudden realization, “Oh, so you’ve signed with Starry Sky. Not bad—you’re someone even Director Li praises. You’ve got a future.”
Lu Yan just smiled, as if he didn’t catch the sarcasm.
Yan Shaohui took Lu Yan’s silence as an invitation to continue. “You came to this floor to see your agent, right? So, which agent did they assign to you? Let me tell you, as a newcomer, you might not know this yet, but choosing the right agent is half the battle. If you’re not satisfied with the company’s arrangement, I could put in a word for you to get someone more experienced.”
Lu Yan was about to say something when Yan Shaohui interrupted and kept going, “No need to thank me too much—we were on the same set after all, so we have some connection.”
Lu Yan saw the bespectacled man walking up behind Yan Shaohui stop and clear his throat lightly. “Lu Yan’s current agent is me. If he’s dissatisfied with anything, I’ll naturally take it up with the company. No need to trouble yourself, Shaohui.”
Lu Yan clearly saw Yan Shaohui’s face change color at the sound of that voice, alternating between pale and green—a spectacular sight. When he turned around, he squeezed out an ugly smile. “Brother Feng, I was just joking with Lu Yan. Don’t take it to heart. I have things to do, so I won’t disturb you two.”
When they were alone, Qin Feng extended his hand, a little casually. “Qin Feng.”
Lu Yan shook it firmly but simply, giving his own introduction in turn. “Lu Yan.”