Chapter 71: First Arrival in the City of Magic

Of course, Lin Fan only felt sorry for her. After escorting Miao Tiantian back to her residence, she even tried to persuade him to stay, but Lin Fan politely declined, saying he had to leave for a business trip to the Magic City tomorrow. He promised her that he would buy her a new, spacious apartment as a wedding home on Sunday. Her current place was too remote, and he worried Bai Jiahao might come to harass her.

Leaving her house, Lin Fan couldn't help but grumble inwardly.

“This woman is more scheming than most; I’d been deceived by her beauty before—what a blunder…”

“Still, she truly has the makings of a star. Her eloquence and talent far surpass Qiao Xinxin and the other female streamers. She’d make a perfect captain in the future…”

Lin Fan planned to recruit four sweet girls and form a group called Sweethearts. If their live streams performed exceptionally, he’d consider ushering them into the entertainment industry.

There was currently a sensation in the entertainment world—a sweet idol known as Surpassing Sister, who had also started in a girl group. Lin Fan had once been a fan of hers.

Every member from that group had become explosively popular stars.

He saw the enormous draw of girl groups and intended to create one even more sensational than the last. Now, he’d already found two members: Miao Tiantian and Qiao Xinxin.

Tomorrow, he would head to Magic City to meet Zhang Yichen. If things went well, Zhang Yichen would sign with him, too.

The next day.

Lin Fan, along with his accountant and a talent agent, traveled by car to Magic City. The city was close to Hangzhou—just a two-hour drive.

He had poached the accountant from Joy Entertainment, while the agent came highly recommended by Shi Jie.

Bringing both made the meeting look more professional and would help win Zhang Yichen’s trust. Had he come alone, she might have suspected he had ulterior motives or was a scam artist.

Zhang Yichen had sent her personal information via WeChat. She was twenty-one, a student at the Magic City Academy of Drama, and, like Miao Tiantian, a recent recruit at Starlight Entertainment.

They arrived at the Academy of Drama at two in the afternoon. The three of them made their way to the agreed meeting place: Yunshuiyao, a Chinese restaurant behind the academy.

Just as they got out of the car, a girl in a pink, doll-like dress bounded over like a lively rabbit, appearing suddenly before Lin Fan.

“You must be Lin Fan, President Lin?” she asked.

Lin Fan sized her up—about one meter fifty, notably shorter than him, petite and delicate, with an aura of freshness and innocence. Her face was youthful and tender, looking every bit the image of a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old schoolgirl.

They had talked at length over WeChat the previous night and that morning, exchanging photos. Lin Fan recognized her at once.

It was Zhang Yichen.

He hadn’t expected her to be even more adorable and charming in person, like the girl next door.

Her childlike appearance caught him off guard, and he found himself feeling nothing untoward toward her.

He had no interest in goddesses with overly petite figures; if anything, he preferred women like Su Juanmo or Ouyang Qi, those captivatingly contrasting, mature types.

“Your name fits you well—ordinary, yet rich, just not quite handsome! Nice to meet you…” Zhang Yichen greeted him warmly, extending her hand for a shake without a hint of awkwardness.

Lin Fan was speechless. Who compliments someone like that on a first meeting?

But he had to admit, this girl was certainly outgoing.

If she had been shy, he might have had to hire someone to teach her social etiquette.

It really was true: women in the streaming world and women in real life are two entirely different creatures.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they entered the restaurant and sat in a private room to discuss business.

Lin Fan laid out his plan for creating the Sweethearts group and added Zhang Yichen to the group chat. Aside from the three girls, the group also included the agent, Li Ke, who had come along.

Li Ke was a professional agent, recruited by Shi Jie at Lin Fan’s request. She had previously managed a third- or fourth-tier actress and would now serve as the Sweethearts’ manager.

Seeing Lin Fan’s sincerity, Zhang Yichen didn’t hesitate. With Lin Fan’s recent acquisition of Starlight Live, all she needed was to sign a new contract.

Thus, in less than half an hour, all the paperwork was settled.

With business concluded, the accountant and Li Ke discreetly excused themselves.

“Aren’t you going to read the contract carefully? Aren’t you afraid I’ll cheat you?” Lin Fan couldn’t help but laugh when Zhang Yichen tucked the contract away without so much as a glance.

What a trusting girl. Luckily she’d met him at the start of her career—if it had been someone else, she’d have been duped in circles.

“I trust you wouldn’t cheat me. I’ve only been streaming for a few days, and you’ve already sent me so many gifts. I’ve never seen so much money in my life…”

“This dress? I just bought it yesterday. You tipped me over a million—I got to keep tens of thousands! Hehe…”

“Do you like me? Is that why you’re so nice to me, coming all the way to Magic City just to see me?”

Lin Fan was at a loss for words at her barrage of questions. He hadn’t expected her to be such a chatterbox.

And a bit vain—just because he’d tipped her a million, she thought he was interested in her?

A million was pocket change to him.

“I treat all the female streamers in the company this way—I always try to help them,” Lin Fan replied with a bashful smile.

Faced with such a cheerful and lively girl, he actually felt a bit shy.

In his eyes, Zhang Yichen was just an innocent, little sister from next door, stirring in him a strong urge to protect her.

During their chat yesterday, Zhang Yichen had told him she was from a single-parent family, living with her mother. She was very starved for affection and emotionally sensitive.

“So does that mean you have lots of girlfriends?” Zhang Yichen gazed at him intently, making Lin Fan break out in a cold sweat.

This little sister was far too direct—how was he supposed to answer that?

“Can’t you ask something more proper?” Lin Fan said, half-laughing, half-exasperated.

Don’t be fooled by Zhang Yichen’s innocence; it was her shield. She was more cautious and perceptive than anyone.

After all, successful streamers needed to be clever—usually smarter than most girls.

“Are you married?” Zhang Yichen continued, grinning mischievously.

Lin Fan almost wanted to leave. Wasn’t he supposed to be interviewing her? Why did it feel like she was interrogating him, checking his household registration?

Just then, a couple suddenly entered the private room.

“Let me introduce you—this is my best friend, Wang Yingfei. She used to stream at Starlight Live, too. She’s the one who recommended I join. And this is her boyfriend, Zeng Shuai!”

Zhang Yichen stood up and invited the two to sit.

Lin Fan glanced at them. The girl had the typical internet celebrity look, a curvy figure and striking presence. Her body was more alluring than Zhang Yichen’s, though her face was slightly less attractive.

After all, the system didn’t lie.

Name: Wang Yingfei

Age: 21

Height: 166 cm

Weight: 53 kg

Beauty: 8.0

Purity: 89